Chapter II is here! I should have the next one by next Saturday!

Chapter II: A Family Reunion

Outside the Hokage's Tower

Konoha

Tsunade then groaned as Shizune put another stack of papers on her desk. She rubbed at her temples. "Ngh. Seriously…Shizune…this is the third stack."

Shizune then answered her mentor in a motherly tone, rolling her eyes, "You are the Hokage Tsunade. This is your job. You know our deal…no more sake unless you finish all your paperwork for today."

The blonde woman then glared at her, opened her mouth as if to protest but closed it. She knew there was no arguing with her. "Fine."

Shizune smiled with pride. The job of being the Hokage's assistant was indeed a tough one.

Tsunade wasn't always willing to do her duties but Shizune knew how important her work was and didn't mind keeping her on task.

Minato and Kushina then walked into the room. The two women then turned their way.

Tsunade scowled as she did. "Just who the hell do you think you two a…" The woman's words were suddenly caught in her throat as she glanced at them. Her eyes were especially drawn to Minato. "Y-You're the Fourth Hokage."

Shizune, for her part, was also in shock. She, of course, had heard tales of the legendary Yellow Flash and his many exploits during the Third Shinobi World War. The man was a legend in the Hidden Leaf Village. Minato let out a long sigh and facepalmed. "We're...sorry for interrupting. My wife Kushina and I have just come back from the dead. We're looking for our son…Naruto Uzumaki." He then let out a nervous chuckle. "There was an air of awkwardness in the room.

Tsunade felt mixed emotions. For one, she never thought she'd ever meet the Fourth Hokage. From what she was told, he had been dead for years. A part of her was skeptical this was really him. She felt oddly on edge and walked up to the man with a suspicious look in her eyes. "Do you know Orochimaru?"

Minato blinked. "I'm..sorry. Who?"

Tsunade asked again, raising her tone. "Orochimaru. One of the Legendary Sannin. Though…I hesitate in bestowing such an honorary title on him. He was my teammate. Fought with me during the Second Shinobi World War."

This was when Jiraiya walked with a big grin on his face. He was a bit plastered. "Hey…Tsunade. I…need to ask a favor." The loud ramble from him garnered the attention of all of them.

Jiraiya blinked as he came face to face with his former student. The man, usually armed with a quip or a witty line about some inane joke, went silent and suddenly began to stutter. "M..Minato?"

Minato blinked again at his former sensei. "Sensei!"

The air soon became thick with tension again.

Minato couldn't believe it. The last time he had seen his old sensei was when he had left on one of his many trips.

Jiraiya felt the same. The last he had heard…Minato had died defending the Hidden Leaf Village from the Nine Tails. The two men rushed to hug one another with tears in their eyes.

Tsunade and Shizune looked on in shock. While the two women were accustomed to their friend's more eccentric personality type…it was rare of them to catch an actual moment of emotion from him. Jiraiya was a master at putting on a front to hide his pain.

Kushina, meanwhile, just smiled happily at watching her husband reunite with his longtime master. She knew how much Jiraiya had always meant to Minato even when he was away on his trips. Thank you Shiniguchi! My husband is happy again!

The two men then broke the hug staring at one another.

Jiraiya wiped the tears from his eyes. "H-How did you come back?"

Tsunade turned to her old friend with a quizzical look. "You know this man Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya turned to her with a nod. "Yes! Of course! This is Minato Namikaze! The Yellow Flash! One of my former students! I taught him everything he knows!"

Minato smirked at his old master, winking. He then gave the old man a playful shrug. "Well…I wouldn't say everything…but pretty close!"

Kushina then smiled at Jiraiya, bowing her head in respect to the legendary Sannin. "It's good to see you again Jiraiya. It's been too long."

Jiraiya then turned to her in shock. "K..Kushina!" Finally overwhelmed by the confusion, he turned to Minato. "What has happened? I thought you two died sealing the Nine Tails in Naruto."

Minato wiped the tears from his own eyes with a warm smile in his eyes. "That's the interesting part Sensei! Kushina and I received a "second chance" at life from a shinigami named Shiniguchi. We've come to be with Naruto. To protect him."

Jiraiya nodded, taking all the information in, "I see."

Kushina could feel her hands starting to twitch form nervousness. While it was good to see her old friend…she longed to see her son. It had been many years since she had given her life for him as an infant. When she closed her eyes, she could still remember the faintest whiskers on his cheek, his warm blue eyes flowing with tears as he had cried. The guilt she felt over abandoning him washed over the kunoichi as she then rushed over to Minato, grabbing his arm and clinging to him for dear life. "Minato…I want to see Naruto! I need to see him! It's been years! Please!"

Minato turned his head to her, ruffled her hair to calm her and smiled. "I know my love. I'll get us to our son. Trust me."

Kushina just nodded with closed eyes. Tears were running down them.

Tsunade felt a pang of guilt at seeing the redheaded woman crying into her husband's arms. While it was true Tsunade had never saw fit to marry a man…she could relate to the woman's pain. She did after all, have a lover in her life at one time. She knew in her heart that she'd give anything to be with her beloved Dan again. Him and Nawaki. The times may have passed her by but she couldn't never dare forget the man she loved so dearly or the little brother she once tucked in bed every night. It was a woman's intuition. She knew Kushina wasn't faking her distress. It made her smile. I did not ever imagine Naruto's parents coming back to him after all this time. I am happy for the little brat. He'll finally have his family. After everything he has had to sacrifice for the sake of the Hidden Leaf….I can at least be a decent grandmother and give him this. She then smirked again. Plus it will be absolutely hilarious to hear how he's going to react. I have to have some fun punking the kid.

Jiraiya then intervened for the sake of his former student and his wife. The man may be a womanizing playboy at heart but even he could see the pain Kushina was in. He couldn't say he blamed her. She had been dead for years, probably living in regret over abandoning her own son. He then turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade…I know you probably have a lot of questions right now but I need you to trust me. That is the real Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Look at the color of their eyes. Their faces. If this was the work of Orochimaru's Dead Demon Consuming Seal…you know they would look different. Grant them permission to be here in the village. They just want to see their son. I even volunteer to go with them to ensure they don't start any trouble."

Tsunade then turned to him and then to Minato and Kushina. The couple looked at her with an uneasy look in her eyes. Shen sighed and nodded. "You make a good point old friend. Very well."

She then took a piece of empty paper and slapped it hard on her desk. She then stamped it with the stamper on it. She then smirked at the both of them, crossing her arms over her chest. "I...suspect Naruto is going to be very surprised to see you two. Welcome back home." She then handed them the paper. She then snapped her fingers.

Two ANBU then appeared in full mask and gear.

The blonde then smirked. "I know I'm sending Jiraiya to escort you over to Naruto's apartment but…I want to keep the re-emergence of the Yellow Flash and his wife a secret from the townspeople. The less they know…the less the enemies of Konoha know." She then smirked at Minato. "Being a former Hokage yourself Minato…I am sure you understand."

Minato nodded and gave the older blonde a bow in honor. "Of course! Thank you Hokage-sama! I shall not forget this kindness!"

Tsunade smirked again, chuckling to herself. "Good. I…don't plan on letting you. I have…many questions. You and your beloved wife will answer them…in time." She then waved them off with the motion of a hand. "Now go. I have…paperwork to fill out."

Minato, Jiraiya and Kushina, along with the two ANBU, all bowed in honor before her and then shunshined out of the room.

The Fifth Hokage then sat herself down sighing loudly in exasperation.

Shizune turned her head to her, a smirk forming on her face, "I must admit Tsunade. I did not expect that. You are usually more…terse and interogative with visitors."

Tsunade then took a sip of her sake cup and threw her head back sighing. "Ah. It was clear as day they weren't clones or acting as agents of Orochimaru or the Akatsuki. I saw the pain in Kushina's eyes. Those were the eyes and emotions of a grieving mother." She then took another sip and put the cup down. "Trust me Shizune. Orochimaru's clones can fake a lot of things but they cannot fake real emotions." Tsunade then shook her head. "Plus I owe the kid. If it weren't for him…I wouldn't have found my calling as the Fifth Hokage. Much to my chagrin…he's become the adored grandson I never knew I wanted. I had to give him something for his birthday."

Shizune smiled. "I see." Her tone then got more stern. "Now please do get back to work Tsunade. There are more piles waiting." Tsunade gave her a nod grumbling. "Of course there are." She then returned to work.

Near Naruto's Apartment, Konohao

Moments later

Jiraiya led the couple in finding Naruto's apartment. It wasn't that far away.

The ANBU accompanying them made sure to cast a masking jutsu in order to ensure that they all could not be seen.

The five of them soon came to an apartment door. It looked a bit decayed and like it had been through hell.

Jiraiya put out a hand to stop them. "We're here."

Everyone then stopped in front of it.

Kushina then took a few steps forward albeit nervously. Her heart was beating faster than ever. She was shaking with nervousness and fear. "H-He lives here?"

Jiraiya put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes."

The woman was overwhelmed with emotion and fell to her knees, sobbing. "I..can't. What if he hates me? What if he tells me to leave? I..I can't do this."

Minato rushed to hold her. "Kushina…calm your breathing. It will be alright." He then kissed her on the cheek. "Whatever his reaction to our faces…we are in this together." The redhead then turned to look at her husband with a look of fear in her violet eyes. "I…" She then stood herself up and smiled at him. "You are right Minato. Together." She then took his hand in hers walking the both of them through the doors, closing it behind them.

Jiraiya turned to the ANBU. "You two may go now. Thank you for your service."

The two ANBU then bowed to him and shunshined out of there. Jiraiya then smiled at the closed door. "Go easy on em kid." He then shunshined himself.

Moments later

As the two walked in, they noticed that the place was rather cramped.

There were cracks in the walls and they looked dilapidated. Like they had not been fixed in years.

They then heard their son's voice for the first time in years. "Hey! Who's out there!" He sounded confused.

Kushina, feeling brave, began to call out in an excited tone, "Naruto! Sweetheart! It's me! Your mother Kushina! Kushina Uzumaki!" The sound of footsteps was then heard.

As Kushina and Minato got closer, they came face to face with the son they thought they had lost long ago.

The house went silent as mother and father looked upon their son.

Naruto quickly went from confusion to fear. He, of course, was confused. As as part of the late Hiruzen Sarutobi's edict regarding the Nine Tails…he had never been informed of his true parents. He had practically been raised in an orphanage his whole life. "W-Who are you two? What are you doing in my house?"

Kushina felt hurt at the fearful tone in his voice and put her hands to her heart. "Naruto...what do you mean? It's me. Kushina. Kushina Uzumaki. Your mother."

Naruto blinked and shook his head. "No…that..that cannot be possible. The villagers told me I was an orphan and that I was lucky to be alive. They said my parents abandoned me."

Minato and Kushina turned to each other. While they were elated their boy wasn't angry with them. It was clear that the village had gone against Minato's last wish was for Naruto to be treated with respect in the Hidden Leaf for his unintended sacrifice of holding in the Nine Tails and to know of their existence.

She then reached out with her arms smiling. "No. No. If that is the truth..then they all lied to you…sweetheart. We never abandoned you. We loved you. We gave up our own lives to save you. Come on. Give me a hug. I've missed you."

Naruto looked her in the eyes, tearing up. He was beginning to shake all over. "I-I don't know. I'm scared."

Kushina felt her heart sink. She had expected anger from him or maybe even elation in their fated meeting but not fear. Her lip began to tremble. "N..Naruto please…I crawled my way from the heavens to come be here with you. Please believe me…I am your mother. Don't run away." She then turned to Minato. "H..He doesn't remember who we are Minato! What has happened!"

Minato, however, always the calm one of the pair, just smiled, caressing her face with a hand. "I do not know. We'll…deal with that little fact later. I've got a plan to get him to remember. Are you with me?"

Kushina nodded. Minato then turned to Naruto smiling. "Tell me kid. What's your name?"

Naruto smiled nervously. "N-Naruto. Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki."

Minato nodded calmly, "Good. Good. Do you know who I am?"

Naruto smiled again. "Of course. You're the Fourth Hokage. The Yellow Flash. Minato Namikaze."

Minato chuckled. "Tell me…you and I share a middle name. What does that tell you?"

Naruto took a minute to think it over. "Let's see….if I share your name…and you look older than me…then…"

The lightbulb hit the vessel of the Nine Tails. He then stared up at Minato. "You..you are…" Tears filled his eyes. "You are my…father."

Minato smiled proudly and smirked. "You got it right on the kunai kid. You are my son. My only son." He then put an arm around Kushina, who feeling supported by her loving husband, stood up smiling warmly at Naruto. "And this lovely and charming woman is my lovely wife Kushina Uzumaki….and your dear mother."

Naruto was totally taken aback. Years of being mistreated and abused by the villagers and his peers as well as being lied to about who his parents were. He then fell to his knees, his legs falling out from under him. "I'm…not…alone." Emotions long buried inside of him finally let themselves out to be known. Instead of anger, however. What he felt was pure unadulterated sorrow. He collapsed to his knees with his hands over his face. He tried to be strong and not cry but the emotions were too great. His cries soon turned to sobs.

Kushina wasted no time, wrapping him in the warmest hug she could muster. "Oh…my baby boy." She began crying as well. The difference was that her tears were…tears of joy. She then leaned into his ear, whispering gently. "It's all right now baby boy. Go on and cry. I'm here now. I've got you.." She then hugged his tight to her body. "I've got you and I am never going to let you go. You hear me? Never again."

Minato felt the tears fall from his eyes. He wordlessly joined in on the hug. "As do I…son. Your mother and I have returned home to you…where we belong…and we are never leaving." The three of them then hugged for a little while.

Moments later

Naruto managed to cry himself to sleep that night.

Kushina was busy tucking him into bed.

Minato decided to busy himself using his speed to clean the house.

Kushina smiled down at Naruto watching him while he slept. She leaned in smiling. "Aww look at you. You really wore yourself out crying didn't you sweetheart? You are just like me. I did the same when I was your age."

She then knelt down by the bed taking his left hand and gently kissing it. "I...cannot begin to tell you…how much of a relief…it is to see you again."

She began to sob. "I…was given no choice but to seal Kurama inside of you. I was forced to give up my life for yours. I had no choice."

She then began to shake all over, tightly gripping his hand. "I spent years agonizing over the choice I made! Leaving you behind…left a hole in both me and your father! We never could forgive ourselves! We hoped and prayed that we would get a second chance!"

She then smiled. "And then…we were. Just like that. As much as I worry about what the God of Death has planned for all of us. I know one thing."

She then stood up and bent over her son, giving him a kiss on the cheek, smiling. "That god has given me a chance to be with you again baby boy. That is a second chance I am not wasting. Sleep well. Your father and I will be here when you wake up."

Minato then walked over with a grin "That we will."

Kushina then turned to him smiling. She then walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. "You finished cleaning up the place yet?"

Minato smiled. "I am. This place is a damn pigsty. Why was he living like this?"

Kushina shook her head angrily. A flash of anger appeared in her eyes. "I do not know but we shall find out. Someone is going to pay…dearly."

Minato nodded seriously. "Indeed."

The two then went off to bed.

Appreciate the love and support y'all!

I didn't expect this one to blow up in popularity!

I'm slowing down a little bit but I will have one coming soon probably by Sunday.

Keep the reviews coming!