Chapter 2: Riddle Me This!
"The sweetest smiles hold the darkest secrets..."
―Sara Shepard, Flawless
Kushina & Minato-Uzumaki/Namikaze Apartment
She must still be running a fever.
It's the only logical explanation despite Minato's calm smile, puzzlement stretching across her features as her eyes skirt back to Naruto and Hinata. The duo stand by the door awkwardly, nobody speaking.
Kushina draws in a breath.
"Minato. Can I speak with you in your office; alone?" She manages to grit out feeling the last ebbs of her patience slipping away quickly, temper rising like a flame the more she just stands here.
She grabs his arm in a vice-grip before he can properly answer, practically pulls him along.
As soon as they're both inside his office, she waves up a hand in the air.
"Soundproof the area too; I don't want them eavesdropping y'know!"
Minato does as she wants, grins in that charming way that normally makes her melt, crosses her arms with a scowl to stay focused.
"What do you mean he's our future son?! Is this some type of prank, because I don't understand the joke if so." Kushina rushes out in a single breath.
Minato settles her into his office chair, rubs at her shoulders until her breathing finally settles. This close he can feel her rapid pulse, lips pursed tightly with uncertainty of what to make of this development.
She presses his hands to her stomach before his hands can fully leave her, smiles lightly. "I mean, I just found out today that I'm 3 weeks or so along. Heh, and now you're telling me we already have a teenager to deal with?"
Minato's eyes widen excitedly. "You're pregnant?! Ah, so you did go see Biwako! I'm going to be Father!"
Kushina nods giddily at their upcoming parenthood before remembering she's supposed to be mad at him. "Yes! So much is happening with you soon to start as the 4th Hokage and me going to be a Mother! Oh, but you still gotta explain what's going on!"
Minato leans back against his desk. "It's as I said earlier, he's our son from the future. I err, didn't get the full details exactly from him or Lord Third, but it seems he was sent back to the past via a scroll meant to protect him. He mentioned what might be a war happening as he was sent to the Island Turtle in Kumogakure."
Violet eyes instantly sharpen. "Kumo? Why there of all places..."
Minato shakes his head. "I don't know why that location specifically either especially knowing your past with that nation, but he said it was for a mission to survey the animals of the Island. However, he believes now that assignment was just a cover to stop him from getting involved in the war. Both he and his companion along with a few other shinobi were there as a mix of his bodyguards and part of his training regimen it sounds like before the Island was attacked by this rogue ninja group."
Kushina rubs at her chin, expression turning thoughtful. "We...We must have given one of those shinobi that scroll to send him back to the past, as a failsafe measure maybe y'know? If Naruto's as stubborn as me, we probably didn't tell him the true meaning behind the scroll's effects to not worry him and didn't realize it would send him back so far in time to before he was even born."
Minato nods along at the theory, granted Naruto barely looked him in the eye during his explanation of how he and Hinata got here.
'There's something he and Hinata weren't telling us regarding the future, something that even Lord Third didn't reveal from Inoichi probing their minds.' He knows.
"He and Hinata are in shock from all of this. I know there's much we still need to discuss, though I think it would be best to have them eat a light meal and get some rest. Then, we can all talk more in the morning."
Kushina nods, claps her hands in delight as she gets back to a standing position. "Good thing we just replaced the sofa in the living room and have some extra futons and blankets in the closet! I even have some camping gear from assignments we did back in our Academy days!"
'I don't think those sleeping bags will fit either of them.' Minato muses as they move back into the living room.
He watches in bemusement as Kushina loudly clears her throat startling the pair, slips easily into the role of Mother.
"Alright, Minato has explained everything to me now y'know! You guys will stay here until we can get a bigger living space, but you'll be sleeping separately, I don't need to become a grandma so soon either!"
Naruto and Hinata glance to each other, redden at her implication.
Naruto jumps up first from the sofa. "What? I would never take advantage of Hinata like that! I mean, we're not-"
Kushina pokes at his chest before he can go on. "Oh, I'm just teasing you! And no calling me formal titles like Mrs. Uzumaki, Mrs. Namikaze or anything of that sort that will make me feel old! I'm fine with you both calling me Mother. I may be younger than you're both used to seeing, but I'm sure I still look great for my age like 15 years into the future or so, right?!"
Hinata's nails dig crescents in her thighs, pearl eyes looking between Naruto and Kushina carefully before speaking for them.
"Thank you-Mrs. Uzu, or err Mother. We appreciate the both of you having us until we can get this situation sorted out." She bows.
Kushina chuckles, she's forgotten how prim and proper the Hyūga are compared to the other noble clans of Konoha.
Minato studies Naruto alone, the way azure hazes over not wanting to meet either of their eyes fully again, the cracks in his features caught between joy and sadness before he grins brightly again.
All just before Kushina can notice it.
"Right, what Hinata said y'know!"
Kushina gazes back to Minato, smile widening.
"Ah, he must be our son Minato, we even share the same verbal tic!"
Hiruzen, Boruto, & Himawari-Hokage's Office
"Sir, sorry to bother you at this late hour, but we have another situation."
Ryoshi shuffles from foot-to-foot hearing the grunt in Hiruzen's voice, thick with sleep and annoyance.
They both know how late the hour is now: 2:56 AM.
He'll be so glad when he can officially retire starting next week of dealing with these late night/early morning calls.
"Who is it?" Biwako mutters out beside him.
Hiruzen shakes his head that it's nothing major. "An urgent alert from one of the guards. Get some rest, I'll take the call in the hallway."
Outside is still dark, blanket of stars in the distance dots of whites and yellows.
"What type of situation?" Hiruzen questions as he sits up properly from his bedside and steps away from Biwako to let her keep sleeping.
He moves into his office, brings up his crystal ball.
Two more kids.
Ryoshi's voice is scratchy with fear. "Ah, well there's two kids here, siblings insisting that they need the Hokage's help right now regarding getting back to their correct timeline and their parents. They won't leave and keep saying they have nowhere else to go. I don't believe they're orphans going by what they've told us and how they're dressed."
Hiruzen takes in their features, sighs.
"Give me 10 minutes to get dressed and over there."
'The boy looks like Minato along with that teenage boy who passed through earlier. The sister looks like the girl he was with.' Hiruzen muses as he studies the two up close.
They have whisker marks to their cheeks, bright cerulean eyes.
He draws a puff from his tobacco, clears his thoughts to get to the facts.
"What are your parent's names again?"
Boruto speaks up first. "Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki. But Mom is formerly Hyūga if that helps y'know!"
He squeezes at Himawari's hand who nods, blue of her eyes turning pure white.
'The byakugan. Yet her eyes are normally blue otherwise.' Hiruzen writes in his notes next to her file.
He's updated the night guards to call what will be a surely grouchy Inoichi and frazzled Dr. Owara back to his office, though the pair won't come until daybreak to get a full amount of rest.
These two are from an even farther future based on being up to a coming 7th Hokage.
"Well, your parents are here..." Hiruzen begins, half-smiles at their looks of relief, pair instantly chattering in excitement.
Himawari beams, wipes at specks of tears as she glances to her brother. "See? Papa and Mama were looking for us! You're going to be in so much trouble now!"
Boruto deflates at the news, but Hiruzen can see the joy and lightening in his features as well. "Fine, whatever. I'll accept any punishment even if it's no VR or card games for a year y'know!"
'Ah, I have to clarify.' Hiruzen frowns before they get too carried away, hates that their expressions are going to sink.
Hiruzen waves up a hand to get their attention once more.
"How old are your parents by chance?"
Boruto shrugs. "Old. Like late 20s or early 30s, something like that!"
Hiruzen rubs his chin. 'Hmm, as I expected. Those two aren't their parents yet then going by these kids ages.'
He leans forward in his seat. "Listen you two, this pains me to say as your parents are here, but not as you would recognize them. They're teenagers who happened to get put in this timeline accidentally as well."
It sounds just as confusing to say it out loud.
And Boruto and Himawari stare back at him with equal puzzlement, features falling.
"...Papa and Mama aren't here?" Himawari clarifies softly.
Hiruzen clears his throat seeing tears pool back in her eyes, Boruto patting at her shoulder.
"He just means Mom and Dad aren't gonna recognize us because they're still young y'know. Something like that, right?"
Hiruzen nods. "You've been pulled from an even farther future than they came from. I would estimate based on the information you've given me that this is about 20 to 30 years ago in your timeline's past."
Boruto presses his lips together, stomach dropping as Himawari burrows into him.
'Wait, that far back...Mom and Dad would be like just toddlers or-'
He doesn't finish the thought.
Himawari twists with his jacket regaining his attention. "Big Brother, how do we get back home?"
He turns his focus back to Hiruzen, hands trembling.
"This is my fault Lord Third, I-I didn't know the scroll I was messing with would do all this y'know! I just wanted to prank my Old Man, he's always busy with some meeting and he's not even officially Hokage yet until Old Man Kakashi steps down."
He's rambling now, Hiruzen holding up a hand with a chuckle despite exhaustion weighing on him.
'So this boy loves pranks too? Just like so many youngsters I've seen around the village.'
Some things don't change even with the passage of time.
"It's fine. There's nothing we can do about it now except search for a new scroll similar to this one you used or possibly create a device that will get you all back to your proper times. However, it's late right now, we'll discuss this more when the sun's properly out with what I guess would be your grandparents." Hiruzen explains.
He nods to Ryoshi and the other guards by the door to set up some cots, pillows, and blankets for the two.
In the moonlight he again notes how much these two look not only like Naruto and Hinata, but their grandparents too.
Himawari perks up some at the mention of seeing them.
"We're gonna see Grandpa tomorrow?"
'I'll wait on bringing this news to Hiashi and his wife knowing how private the Hyūga are until Dr. Owara and Inoichi can confirm their DNA and do a mind sweep respectively.' Hiruzen decides.
He smiles, ruffles at her violet locks. "Yes, and your Grandma too. On your Father's side."
Though he winces internally at the thought of Kushina hearing she's a grandmother. Biwako only just yesterday confirmed she's pregnant and will begin preparations as her official OB-GYN to eventual midwife.
Boruto's eyes gleam with equal excitement as he peers back to Himawari, pair bouncing now in their blankets wide awake.
'I should've waited on telling them this.' Hiruzen muses at seeing its half past 3:00 am now.
"Wow, we never got to meet Papa's Mom and Dad! Maybe they can teach us some cool jutsu before we go back home!" Boruto cheers as Hiruzen nods to Ryosei and Satoru to watch over the pair for the rest of the night.
He pauses midway back to his room at an abrupt thought, thrum of his heartbeat shocking away fatigue.
'They've never met Minato and Kushina? Why?'
Naruto & Minato-Uzumaki/Namikaze Apartment
'He's still up?' Minato wonders.
Or really, Naruto never went to sleep.
He nudges the toad along by his hand, hopes his message reaches is former teacher in the next few days.
"Can't sleep?" Minato calls out.
Naruto practically jolts from his chair, peers behind him at the man as he holds out a cup of tea.
"Don't scare me like that y'know!" He whisper-yells before glancing to Hinata, sighs in relief seeing her still asleep.
A fitful sleep, but better than how he currently is.
He reluctantly accepts the cup, burns at his lips gulping down a few sips too fast. Minato tacks on a weak smile, he'd purposely kept his steps light in order to just observe him for a bit.
Sunrise is coming, sky a mix of pastel pinks and violets.
They step away to the patio outside.
"Ah yeah, I've been in and out of sleep to answer your earlier question. It's hard to rest or really focus knowing what's happening in the future. Hinata and I aren't there to help Captain Yamato and I don't know what even happened with Killer B if he was captured or pushed away too-"
Minato pats at his arm. "I know you're worried, but carrying this stress on your mind 24-7 won't help. Don't worry, trust in your Mom and Dad to get this figured out!"
Naruto swallows, gaze dropping from his again.
Tears burn at his eyes in the silence, turning away dropping his head into his chest.
Minato taps at his arm once more until he gently pulls Naruto into a hug.
"...What is it you're not telling us? We can't help you if you don't give us the full truth."
Naruto shakes his head.
"It's-nothing."
Minato hums. "Well, I guess we can just keep sitting here hugging until you tell me. I know you're not fast enough to get away from me!"
Naruto snorts lightly at that, wipes at his eyes as he pulls back some.
"You and Mom, at least in the timeline Hinata and I came from, don't survive the Nine Tails Attack. The seal breaks the day I was born. So...So I didn't grow up with you guys. Heh, only recently did I learn you and Mom's names and what you two looked like."
Naruto forces a smile at his stunned look, waves up his hands.
He should've just lied, made up some story they'd have no way to fact check.
"It's okay! Well, no, it wasn't okay for a while, but I became a genin and joined Team 7. And people don't ignore me like they used to-"
"Stop. I-I need a minute." Minato cuts him off.
He rubs at his head, shoulders shaking. This news will only devastate Kushina too, throat knotting up.
The worst possible scenario happens, the family he and Kushina dreamed of will never be.
Their son is going to grow up alone.
'No. He's here right now and has information that can change that.'
"Sarutobi or err Lord Third? Was he killed in the attack as well?" Minato eventually asks.
Naruto shakes his head. "He's dead now, but he took back over as Hokage when you passed. I assume he never told me you and Mom's identities since you have so many enemies across the nations."
Minato brushes a hand through his locks. So much isn't adding up.
"I don't understand, surely Lord Third could've found a caretaker or gotten one of his aides..." He trails off.
Naruto pats at his stomach, raises up his shirt just slightly revealing the seal. "No, not with the Nine Tails residing in me. Everyone knew back then, so that wasn't an option."
Minato peers up at him, blue to blue.
Naruto clears his throat seeing his pained expression. "I'm, err not mad or upset so much anymore Dad-"
Footsteps stomp up behind them.
"You two! It's cold outside, and we can't risk anyone in this house getting sick y'know. So get back in here so we can all enjoy breakfast together!" Kushina orders.
Minato looks over to Naruto who discreetly nods.
This conversation is done for now.
Kushina & Hinata-Living Room/Kitchen
'Ah, I'm not so weak that I can't handle bad news regarding our son Minato.' Kushina steps back towards the kitchen.
She heard enough.
Her footsteps slow as her vision blurs, figure at her side to keep her balanced.
Hinata.
Kushina laughs, sound cracked and warbly.
"Heh, sorry! I'm always slow on my feet in the mornings."
Tears slide down her cheeks too fast for her to stop, Hinata shaking her head as she pulls out a handkerchief.
They fall into the sofa at once. Her mind scrambles to make sense of what she managed to hear before making her entrance known to the guys. So it wasn't just her who sensed this despondency Naruto had been carrying around since coming to the apartment.
Now they know why.
"Is...Is what Naruto just said true?" She whispers out.
Hinata nods slowly. "Yes."
Kushina bites her tongue until a coppery taste hits, swallows back a sob.
She rocks on her toes, counts her breathing up to 20 as Biwako taught her before slapping her cheeks, peers back to Hinata with a new resolve.
Anger settles over her like stones for what has happened to her son. The same teasing, ignoring, and loneliness she felt in her first days coming to Konoha from Uzushiogakure, but at least she had Mito for comfort and advice. Though she can't worry about such things right now, can't let what hasn't even happened yet affect her.
"Alright then. No more crying, that future is no more. Minato and I will find a way y'know."
Hinata smiles warmly. "You sound just like Naruto, now I'm getting to see where it comes from."
Kushina chuckles, chest lightening up some as she nudges at her. "You love him; don't cha? I mean, well it's obvious from the way you look at him. Naruto looks at you that way sometimes too when you're paying attention to something else."
'He does?' Hinata blinks in shock, feels her cheeks start to burn.
She looks down to avoid seeing anymore of Kushina's teasing grin widening.
"I don't know how Naruto feels really, there hasn't been time to discuss such things with what was going on in our time period." She murmurs.
She balls her hands into her lap.
'There's no war currently going on here with the Akatsuki or undead shinobi. I don't think I've even been born yet...'
The Hyūga are still harshly divided into Main and Branch families, though this she can change with her current foresight.
Undoing the Cage Bird Seal's curse throughout the generations...
A slither of a dark thought takes root before she can truly consider a plan. Her own voice echoes back at her, drips with derision.
'Fool. They aren't going to believe you, even with the DNA confirmation. The Elders will assume you're just some random bastard child a Branch member hid away from the village.'
Her body stills.
She clenches her teeth, buries the image of their pitying to disgusted looks.
No, Neji hasn't been branded yet, Uncle is still alive.
Her stomach tilts the more she dwells on it.
'Mother is alive.'
Kushina pats at her hands until they unfurl.
"I've heard the Hyūga can be scary so if they reject you, then Minato and I are okay with you staying here. Their loss! Plus, we were thinking of moving to a bigger place soon with our growing family y'know!"
Hinata tacks on a smile.
"I want-no, I need to visit the compound."
Kushina waves up a finger just as Minato slips into the kitchen with an uncertain Naruto trailing him.
"Not without food in your system first!"
Violet eyes switch to Naruto.
"What do you normally eat for breakfast? I bet you can teach us some unique recipes!"
Naruto scratches at his cheek. "Err, ramen? Sometimes cereal with a glass of milk or toast?"
Minato chuckles, nods to Kushina. "Your Mother would eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I didn't stop her!"
Kushina pouts out her cheeks. "No! I couldn't even finish Miss Yuna's noodles the other day!"
She points a spoon at the pair.
"Anyways, nobody's going anywhere until I teach you two some basics and recipes from Uzushiogakure! Especially you Naruto, we'll make tamagoyaki with grilled fish, salad, rice, and nori! You can't eat ramen every day or rely on Hinata making you bentos!"
Naruto slouches but does as she wants when she shoots him a glare to get moving beside his Dad to chop up vegetables.
Hinata squeezes in on his opposite side, Naruto dropping his voice while Kushina goes to the fridge to pull out the eggs and grab the bread nearby.
"Don't listen to Mom, I liked the bentos you gave me back on Turtle Island way more than Gai's 'stews' or Captain Yamato's food pills y'know!"
Hinata stifles a giggle. "It always good to pick up cooking Naruto. You might like the way she prepares vegetables too."
He wrinkles his nose at that, bumps their shoulders again slightly.
"Hey, are you going somewhere later today?"
Hinata nods, smile flattening.
"Yes, I intend to visit the Hyūga compound."
He sneaks a glance back to Minato and Kushina watching them before darting their eyes quickly back to their tasks.
'Ugh, I can't keep even small secrets from them!' Naruto scowls.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Hinata shakes her head even as she chest tightens and Naruto raises a brow, forces her body not to shake.
"No, Father wasn't exactly...warm in my childhood days as you know. This will be a scandal amongst both Main and Branch with rumors and gossip surely to swirl on Father's reputation and duty as patriarch."
Naruto hums. "I'll stay at a distance then just in case they try something."
Hinata opens her mouth to argue against that too, stops herself at his fixed look that he wants to be there.
For her.
'He looks at you sometimes when you're not paying attention.' Kushina's words rise up, unbidden.
She refocuses, ignores the heat of her flushed cheeks.
"Alright, but only as backup. I can't put it off visiting them. Eventually, news of my presence whether I want it to or not will reach Father's ears. I rather do this on my own terms."
Hiruzen & Uzumaki Family-Hokage office
"Wake up you two, you have some visitors."
Hiruzen's announcement gets met with yawns and grunts in return.
Boruto closes his eyes as he rolls over in his blankets, still picks up on tidbits of conversation.
"Grandparents?! Are you sure about this Lord Third...it's just been one surprise after another is all. I don't want to needlessly stress both Kushina and I out...No, no, of course we'll take them in. Though we'll need to move to a bigger place..."
Himawari sits up first, rubs grit from her eyes, blinks as she takes in fiery red hair.
"Oh, wake up Big Brother! Grandma is here!"
Boruto fully stirs at that, drowsily follows her pointing over to Kushina and Minato.
Kushina meanwhile looks behind her.
'Who is she talking about? There's nobody else here except Lord Third, Minato and I.'
She does a double take only to see Himawari now clinging at legs.
"Hi Grandma, nice to meet you! I'm Himawari, but Papa, Mama, and Big Brother sometimes call me Hima for short!"
Kushina crouches to her level, looks her over once before squeezing her in for a hug.
"Minato, look! She has your eyes!"
She pulls Boruto in as soon as he gets close enough, squeals in delight.
"Ow, too tight Grandma!"
Kushina squishes him closer in response, a mother and grandmother.
She used to be just known as the foreigner, the red-hot habanero.
'No matter how strange, I prefer these titles.'
"And he's a mini you too! Ah, I guess my red hair is hard to pass down."
Boruto squirms at her hold. Just as, if not even more crushing than Grandpa Hiashi's ones in the future.
"I can't breathe properly in this hug y'know!"
"Yes you can!" Kushina volleys back, snickers as she finally lets him go back to his sister's side.
Hiruzen passes them their files and scroll. "It's a recessive gene Kushina, but it's not impossible that it may come up in future lineage. More importantly, I've yet to figure out how to get these two back to their correct time period either. Unlike Naruto and Hinata, the scroll Boruto and Himawari have hasn't been burned amid their time travel, but it's written in various codes and text I've never seen before in our libraries."
Minato studies the mix of letters and numbers, glances to the siblings. "How did you two activate this the first time?"
Himawari points to Boruto who stiffens. "Big Brother got a guard to take it out for him. We don't know how it activated, it just flashed white when we first opened it."
Boruto waves away her hand with a scowl. "Stop tattling on me Hima! You were curious about the scroll too y'know!"
Himawari crosses her arms in return. "Nuh uh! I just wanted to know if you stole it or not! Besides, I don't think Papa and Mama would've been that mad if we had just explained it together."
Kushina steps forward to ruffle at both their heads. "Alright you two, no more arguing. What's done is done."
She glances back to Minato and Hiruzen studying the scroll together, Minato rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
'If it's anything related to fuinjutsu, perhaps there's a scroll or book I have on it.' Kushina considers, reminds herself to check her boxes of books and files she brought from Uzushiogakure when they get home.
"I reached out to Jiraiya to see if he perhaps knows anything about such scrolls or techniques." Hiruzen mentions quietly.
Minato nods, small grin rising up. "Ah, we think alike Lord Third! I reached out to Master Jiraiya as well just this morning! Granted, I'm sure he's traveling somewhere as far away as Iwa or Kirigakure knowing him."
Hiruzen blows out a breath, looks around again. "Speaking of travels, where are Naruto and Hinata? Back at the apartment?"
Minato shakes his head. "Hinata wanted to visit the Hyūga compound. I hesitated on letting her go, though she was rather adamant that now that Inoichi and Dr. Owara have confirmed their identities and DNA, that she talk with them and they hear everything from her first before the rumors and gossipmongers start."
'But they haven't been updated to Boruto and Himawari's presence.' Hiruzen shuts his eyes to think.
Hiashi just recently found out this morning he'll be a Father and eventual Grandfather down the line after calling him into his office alone.
Neither news had cracked his stoic features really, simply nodding as he reviewed over the results of the bloodwork and mind analysis Inoichi had done.
"As long as this doesn't majorly disrupt our usual clan politics, I'm fine with one visit or two, but not staying. I've just recently taken over as leader for the Hyūga clan as you know and I don't need my wife or others assuming the worse, especially in this early in her pregnancy. I trust this situation won't spread across the village to civilians and the other noble clan houses?" Hiashi mentions, finally peers up at him from scouring the paperwork.
Hiruzen's eyes darken. "Hiashi, it will be very difficult-no, impossible to stop the leak of this news as soon as someone sees one of the children out and about with Minato or Kushina. From what I've seen, your daughter comes from a rough timeline."
Opalescent narrows. "Then she must be a hardened shinobi; good."
Hiruzen pushes the memory away, one thing at a time.
"Naruto and Hinata need to get updated on Boruto and Himawari's presence sooner rather than later. As for bigger accommodations, I know you said you didn't want to live at the Hokage's Residence, so I've arranged for a mini compound that's been in a state of semi-disrepair since the end of the 2nd Shinobi World War. I've had a mix of both ANBU and guards cleaning and fixing up the place. It's only a 5-to-10-minute walk from here and out of the way of most pedestrians and the curious on-lookers surely to come."
Minato bows in thanks, peers over to Kushina with a relieved grin.
He claps his hands regaining Boruto and Himawari's attention. He's sure everyone is hungry.
Hiruzen stays back, inhales a long drag of tobacco.
'Now all that's left is to hear from that former student of mine. Probably lounging in some brothel or gentleman's club at this very moment.'
Jiraiya-Club Mystic/Kiri Gardens & Towers Hotel, Kirigakure
"Come on, one more round Jiraiya?! Please? I promise I'll let you have a good long peek this time!" Kimiko coos in his ear.
Her breath smells of the plum sake they've been sharing, amber eyes dancing between him and the man whose attention she truly wants across the way at the bar. It doesn't surprise him, Shuzo Muneyoshi has a majority of the girl's attention tonight with his striking gray-green eyes, dark locks, and boyish grin.
He looks like he was ripped right out from one of his Make-Out Paradise novels as he half-smiles at the latest women to curl around his arms.
Jiraiya chortles loudly over the thrumming pulse of music and cards, considers for a moment giving in to Kimiko by the swing of her hips and top before shaking his head, shrugs her off.
"Nah, I'm getting low on ryo! Gotta save some for the other gentleman's clubs around here!"
Kimiko's grin evaporates into a sneer at the wad of ryo he throws down, far less than she expected for wasting 2 hours with him. "Liar. You may not be the best-looking guy in here tonight, but I know you're the richest."
Jiraiya shrugs as he walks further away, peers to Shuzo from the corner of his eye.
The man catches his gaze, nods. He clinks his last glass with the busty brunette beside him before slipping away leading to a sea of whines and questioning on where he's going.
It's only a little after 9:00 pm.
"Bathroom ladies, but I'll be back before you know it! Keep my seat warm for me!" He beams with a wink to the growing entourage.
5 minutes later, he's back outside with Jiraiya.
He rolls his neck. "Sorry about that Sir. When you said to dress nicely, I assumed we were going somewhere more...upscale."
Jiraiya snickers, slaps at his back taking in his reddening cheeks. He reminds of him in Minato in that way, pays no woman any mind except the one he has back at home in Konoha.
"Ah, come on now! You were a master heartbreaker back in there! Club Mystic is about as ritzy as it gets for Kirigakure knowing how much corruption and bribery goes on amongst the upper echelon of this society."
Shuzo clears his throat, ready to be done with this subject as they head back for their hotel.
The rogue doctor they've been tracking from Konoha to here that plans to seek asylum within Kiri's borders to practice illegal operations hasn't yet realized they've already pinpointed his location. Apparently, now he's working at Kirigakure's Central Hospital under the assumed name of Dr. Takahiro Kasai.
Jiraiya unfolds the scrap of letter from his pocket as soon as they're within and soundproofed the walls of their suite within Kiri Garden & Towers Hotel.
It's nothing but a series of numbers.
3-8-9-12-4-18-5-14
9-14
11-15-14-15-8-1
20-9-13-5/ 20-18-1-22-5-12?
Jiraiya grabs a pen off the closest desk, assigns a letter to each number until he gets Minato's message.
'Children in Konoha. Time/ Travel?' He reviews.
It's similar enough to the message he received yesterday from Sarutobi-sensei.
'There's a situation regarding kids in the village and time travel.' Jiraiya mulls it over.
Well, he'll just have to go to the sources directly for a clearer answer!
Shuzo gets to a standing position seeing his expression change. "Should I start gathering our belongings?"
Jiraiya nods with a cheery grin knowing he'll soon be a good enough spy on his own to cover collecting intel for him regarding the Hidden Mist, stretches to a standing position.
It's been months since he's been back home, it will be nice to see how Minato's coming along especially with the news he's gotten that Old Man Sarutobi is truly planning to retire and have Minato take up the mantle as 4th Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.
"Yup, pack our bags! Looks like my old sensei and student need my genius expertise on a matter!"
-x-
Huzzah, the first chapter I post for 2025 goes to my newest work! Because I had too much fun writing it while I was on holiday break and light clinic duty!
A mix of sad moments in this chapter, but I thought it better to get major secrets out of the way. Minato and Kushina would easily sense something's off with how Naruto is with his emotions. I'm going to need to come up with a name for Hinata's Mom because as far as I'm aware, she wasn't given an official name that I could find? I'm open to suggestions, otherwise I'll think up one that matches the theme of the Hyūga family's names!
I want Naruto and Hinata to kind of gradually build their relationship, which won't be easy with Minato and Kushina's hovering on top of them eventually seeing they have 2 kids in the future lol. Right now their minds are focused mainly on getting back home and Hinata seeing if she can create some ripple effects within the Hyūga clan.
Jiraiya's the first person to make his arrival upon this family reunion of sorts, but I'm really excited to write about the rest of the characters finding out about this situation soon enough. Like Hiruzen said, things like this don't stay a secret for long!
New Year's Day discount on my pa-tre-on for bonus and early content! Code is FC557. I go by TheLovelyMidnightWriter there!
Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions!
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