The first thing Minato registered was a severe headache. He didn't know where he was, all he knew was that he was lying somewhere and that his head hurt more than it has ever before.
As the blonde's eyes flew open he immediately started looking around him. He was somewhere in the woods- no not somewhere, he was exactly where he was before he died - or should've died. Except the forest looked different than it did before.
He remembered there being scorch marks and fallen trees but now there were no fallen trees and the grass has grown where there should've been scorch marks. He groaned as the movement of his head made the pain in his head flare up.
Minato rubbed his temples, very confused. He shouldn't be alive, the Kyuubi impaled his stomach he should have already died of blood loss, but for some reason he was still alive and honestly other than the headache he wasn't feeling too bad, at least not for someone who got impaled by a large claw.
He swallowed hard, lifting his shirt and tentatively moving his hand to his stomach to feel the large wound but to his surprise it was completely gone.
Mouth dropping open in shock and disbelief, he kept moving his hand all over his stomach but couldn't feel anything other than smooth skin anywhere. It was like he never got pierced by a large claw in the first place, but that was impossible! Minato knew for sure that he hadn't dreamed it or anything. The pain, the emotions he felt that night felt way too real for it to be a dream. The Kyuubi attack definitely happened.
So why was he completely healed?
His last memory was of Kushina and him getting impaled by the Kyuubi and he vaguely remembered sealing the tailed beast inside his so-
Minato's eyes widened and he sat up so fast that the motion made his head spin. His son, Naruto. How could he forget, he sealed half of the nine tails inside his own son, the other half he-
Realization washed over him like a tidal wave, and his mouth dropped open, before he could even finish the thought. Minato placed his hand on his chest and closed his eyes. The Kyuubi must be the reason he survived. Somehow the beast had healed him and kept him alive. He had no idea that the healing power of the nine tails was this strong.
His thoughts went back to Naruto and he bit the inside of his cheek. Now that he had more time to think about it more he wasn't sure if he made the right decision. In the heat of the moment it made sense to him, but now... he wasn't so sure.
Logically it made sense, that masked man- Madara- was still out there and he was going to attack Konoha again someday- he had said so himself when they fought- and Minato knew for sure that Konoha didn't have anyone powerful enough to defeat Madara Uchiha.
From the moment Naruto was born Minato had somehow instantly known that his son would grow up to be an excellent shinobi. That is why he wanted to seal the nine tails inside Naruto- not only because Konoha needed a Jinchuriki- but more so because he believed in his son and wanted to entrust him with the power of the Kyuubi.
Naruto would grow up to become a legendary shinobi and would defeat Madara one day- that he was sure of.
But still, just because it was logical it didn't mean that he was happy with it. Jinchuriki's lives were tough, people feared and hated them, Minato knew that of course, his own wife was a Jinchuriki. His heart clenched, he couldn't imagine his son going through the same pain Kushina went through.
He shook his head. He needed to get to his son right now, he had to make sure that Naruto was alright.
Minato got up grunting and steadied himself. He immediately started stretching his muscles, he felt sore all over.
As he stretched he looked around, he couldn't sense any chakra signatures nearby. He didn't know whether he should be relieved or not. Where was Naruto?
Minato drew a slow breath once he was done, his arm coming up to wipe at his eyes and started walking toward the village.
He wondered how the village was doing. Everyone probably thought he was dead. That's what he thought when he first opened his eyes
As he made his way to the village, he dug his fingers into the kunai pouch strapped around his leg and drew out one of his three-pronged kunai. A small smile twitched on the corner of his lips as he gripped the handle of the Kunai. It brought him a sense of comfort that, and the Hokage cloak that he was wearing. He pulled the inner Hokage out of himself and set his face in stone.
I'm coming Naruto.
"What are you doing here! Go away!"
"What's the big deal?!"
"Here!" The man barked, tossing the kitsune mask at the blonde boy, sneering. Naruto blinked back tears as he sat on the ground and watched the store owner look down at him, his eyes cold just like everyone else's around him.
"Take that and leave, you plague!" The man spat out, and walked back inside the store. Naruto huffed and got up, pushing past the crowd that had gathered. He started running away- away from everyone's cold and accusing eyes.
The boy wanted to curl up on the ground, cry and punch someone at the same time. He didn't know whether to be angry or sad.
Why?
He clenched his fists and grit his teeth as a tear dribbled down his cheek. Why did this always happen to him. Why couldn't he just have a normal life like everyone else.
Why was he so different?
Everytime he saw one of the kids at the academy, he would be so jealous. Jealous of the fact that they have parents- that they were normal. None of them were hated and everyone had parents, unlike him.
Everytime he saw someone walk inside a store welcomed by the owner, he'd get jealous and angry, so angry.
He felt so insignificant and small. He felt worthless.
What was so different about him that made people so disgusted and angry with him. All he wanted was an explanation.
Naruto overheard a kid his age talking to his mother as he was walking back to his apartment, saying that he won't be home for dinner, and he couldn't help but think if he had an actual family and home to go to, he'd never miss dinner.
He scoffed under his breath. Someone should let that guy know what he's got. Naruto thought bitterly.
Soon all the anger inside him vanished and was replaced by immense sadness, he longed for someone- anyone to care about him.
It wasn't fair.
The ramen store owner was nice and Naruto was really grateful for the man, he and the third Hokage were the only ones who cared about him even a little, in the entire village and he was really grateful for that, but it wasn't enough. He saw them so rarely.
As soon as he walked inside his dusty apartment he let out a pained scream, not caring if anyone heard him- not that anyone would care even if they did hear.
He laid down on his bed, and cried himself to sleep.
Minato decided to sneak inside the village, past the security guards. Of course he knew that the right thing to do was to announce his presence immediately and tell the Hokage that he was back since they all most likely thought that he was dead, but if he did that the Hokage would want to confirm his identity and he would have to explain everything to him and to everyone else. It would take too long. Minato wanted to see Naruto now. He promised himself he'd let everyone know later, as soon as he has made sure that Naruto was safe and well.
So when he neared the village gates he made a hand seal and mumbled,
"Henge." Minato transformed into a middle aged man with short dark hair and normal civilian clothes on.
Perfect.
Now all he needed to do was, to succesfully sneak inside the village without being seen by the guards at the front gate- or anyone for that matter, and blend in with the crowd, which should be easy enough.
In a flash, He threw one of his three-prolonged kunai past the two guards when they weren't looking, instantly teleporting to said kunai when it flew far enough, and as soon as his feet hit the village ground he swiftly catched the kunai that was still in the air, slipped it in the front pocket of the black jacket he was wearing and started walking like a normal civilian, it all happened within a split-second. No one could've noticed it unless they had observed him closely.
A small smirk tugged at his lips, they didn't call him the Yellow Flash for nothing.
As Minato walked and looked around him, he abruptly realized that the village looked different from last time. He spun around wide-eyed taking a better look at his surroundings. The damage that the Kyuubi had done was entirely gone. All the buildings that had been destroyed looked completely new, and the buildings overall looked different. The changes weren't big but you'd notice them if you looked closely enough.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. First the trees in the forest had changed and now the villa-
Minato abrutly froze mid step, a sickening realization washing over him. Swallowing hard, he quickly made his way to the nearest alleway.
Once he was safely hidden from everyone in an alleway. His breath got shorter, staggering, he leant against the nearest wall, eyes wide.
He started taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down as he tried to make sense of things.
He had to have been unconscious for much longer than he had first thought. All these changes that he noticed could not have happened within a year or two. So he was gone for at least two years, possibly even longer than that.
A cold chill ran down his spine, that thought scared him.
Minato shook his head rapidly and forced his panic down, gulping. He couldn't afford to lose it right now, he had to see Naruto. Worst-case scenario after worst-case scenario popped up in his head. He needed to know for sure that Naruto was okay.
Nothing else mattered right now. He could think of everything else later but for now the only thing that mattered to him was Naruto.
He needed to get to his son, now.
Quickly pushing himself off the alley wall he was heavily leaning on, he made his way back to the road he was previously on and continued walking- now at a much faster pace, all the while trying to locate Naruto's chakra.
After two hours of searching aimlessly, Minato cursed under his breath and ran a hand down his face. He had been walking around the village trying his best to sense Naruto's chakra anywhere to no avail.
If only he could use his abilities, he'd find Naruto in no time. But no, he had to stay in disguise. He groaned inwardly.
Minato contemplated going to the Hokage's office to tell the Hokage everything and ask for Naruto's whereabouts, that would be the better option at this point. It'd take too long to cover the entire village ground as a civilian.
The Hokage would surely know where his son was.
Having his mind made up, Minato was walking to the direction of the Hokage's office, when he felt it.
Naruto's chakra.
It was very dim but it was there. A wide smile bloomed on Minato's face and he switched directions and started walking to the direction of the chakra.
Minato wondered where Naruto's house was, what did the house look like? And more importantly who his caretaker was, Jiraya-sensei possibly or even Kakashi, Maybe both?
His heart fluttered at the last thought and feeling giddy, Minato started running toward the chakra signature.
When he neared the apartment he didn't even stop to look at it. Instead he kept running, it was only when he was next to the apartment door that Minato realized he was standing in front of an old worn down, small, Apartment-complex.
Why did his son live here of all places?
He only sensed one chakra signature. Why was Naruto alone in the afternoon?
An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach but he brushed it off, he was so close to his son now. Naruto was on the other side of this door. He took a deep breath to brace himself, before knocking.
No answer. He frowned and knocked again.
But just like the first time, no one answered. His heart rate quickened. Naruto was in there all alone and wasn't answering. What if he was hurt?
When Naruto didn't answer after the third knock Minato walked around the apartment building in search of an open window to slip through.
He let out a sigh of relief when he found one. After quickly making sure that there were no people around to see him climb inside, he entered the apartment.