In the evening, at the Namikaze household, a sense of anticipation filled the air.
"Welcome home," Kushina greeted warmly as Minato entered their bedroom. She stood up, holding what appeared to be a newly knitted scarf.
"Mm," Minato responded with a gentle nod, his eyes softening at the sight of his wife.
Kushina approached him and carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck, her movements deliberate and affectionate. As she began to withdraw her hands, Minato caught them in his own, his touch gentle yet firm.
"Thank you for all your hard work," he said softly, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.
Kushina returned his smile, her gaze briefly shifting to the side where two smaller scarves lay at the edge of their bed. They were noticeably smaller than the one now adorning Minato's neck—lovingly crafted for Naruto and Chiharu during their absence.
"They should be returning any day now," Minato remarked, his expression relaxing. Twenty-eight days had passed since the group of five had departed on their journey. Naruto's vacation would conclude in just two days.
"I'll prepare dinner," Kushina said, straightening Minato's collar before heading downstairs toward the kitchen.
While Kushina busied herself with meal preparations, Minato settled in the living room with a book. Reading had always been his sole indulgence—a quiet passion that provided him moments of tranquility amid his demanding responsibilities.
"Minato, dinner's almost ready," Kushina called from the kitchen. "Come wash up."
"Coming," Minato acknowledged, carefully marking his place in the book before setting it aside. He had just risen to his feet when a faint sound from the direction of the entrance caught his attention, causing him to pause mid-motion.
"We're home!" a familiar voice called out.
Minato's eyes brightened instantly as he sensed the unmistakable chakra signatures of Jiraiya, Naruto, and the others outside their door. Kushina evidently detected them as well, her face illuminating with joy as she emerged from the kitchen.
The couple converged at the entrance hall, exchanging a quick glance of shared excitement before Minato swiftly opened the door—revealing Jiraiya with his hand raised, poised to knock.
The two men locked eyes, and Minato's expression quickly shifted from welcome to concern.
"Sensei, are you injured?" he asked, alarm evident in his voice. A white bandage was wrapped around Jiraiya's ribcage, visible beneath his partially open robe.
Faced with his former student's worried inquiry, Jiraiya could only offer a grimace that conveyed both pain and embarrassment.
From beside him, Tsunade released a derisive snort, her arms crossed firmly over her chest.
Minato's confusion grew as he shifted his attention to the children. Naruto and Chiharu wore peculiar expressions—a mixture of discomfort and something akin to disillusionment. Sasuke, meanwhile, had averted his gaze entirely, seemingly determined to distance himself from whatever had transpired.
The collective reactions created a palpable awkwardness that hung in the air like a dense fog.
Kushina's brow furrowed slightly as her gaze moved between Tsunade and Jiraiya. Her intuition allowed her to grasp the situation even before Minato had fully processed it.
"Naruto, Chiharu, Sasuke—come inside," she instructed, shooting Jiraiya a frosty glare before ushering the three children behind her.
Minato quickly pieced together the likely scenario, and an uncomfortable smile spread across his features.
"I've delivered the children safely," Jiraiya announced hastily, glancing between Kushina and Tsunade as their expressions grew increasingly hostile. "I'll take my leave now."
A visible shudder ran through his body, as though a chill was creeping from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. With an awkward smile and a hasty bow, he retreated swiftly.
Minato stood momentarily speechless, watching his teacher's rapid departure. After several seconds of stunned silence, he found his voice again.
"Tsunade-sama, won't you come in for a while?" he offered politely.
"No need," she declined with a dismissive wave, already turning to follow Jiraiya's exit, albeit at a more dignified pace.
After the two Sannin had departed, Minato closed the door with a sigh. Inside, Kushina had already shepherded the children to the dining table, where they now sat facing one another in awkward silence.
Minato took his customary seat and looked around at the gathered faces. "What exactly happened? How did Jiraiya-sensei sustain such an injury?"
Though both he and Kushina had their suspicions, they wanted to hear the full account directly from the children.
Upon hearing the question, Naruto and Chiharu exchanged meaningful glances. Naruto looked toward Sasuke, but the Uchiha boy pretended not to notice, though his eyes betrayed his discomfort.
Seeing that Chiharu's cheeks had flushed slightly pink, Naruto turned back to face his parents, his expression troubled.
He narrowed his eyes pensively before asking, "Dad, Mom—are Ero Sennin and Grandma Tsunade really powerful ninja?"
"Ero Sennin?" Minato and Kushina echoed in unison, both momentarily taken aback.
Minato's lips twitched slightly. "By 'Ero Sennin,' do you mean Jiraiya-sensei?"
"Yeah," Naruto confirmed with a definitive nod.
The couple exchanged glances, and Kushina raised an eyebrow. "I must say, the name suits him perfectly," she remarked, not bothering to hide her amusement. She turned back to her son. "Did you come up with this nickname, Naruto?"
"Yes," he affirmed, his face scrunching with evident distaste. "When we were nearly home, we stopped at a hot spring in the Land of Hot Springs. The Ero Sennin tried to peek into the women's bath and was caught by Grandma Tsunade."
"Ah..." Minato chuckled awkwardly, recalling the last time his teacher had been caught peeping and subsequently punished by Kushina. The injuries Jiraiya was sporting now had undoubtedly been inflicted by Tsunade's legendary strength. After all, few in this world could inflict genuine harm upon one of the Legendary Sannin.
Minato and Kushina finally understood the source of Naruto's confusion. Since the children were very young, Kushina had instructed them on the three prohibitions that ninjas must never violate. Sasuke, coming from the prestigious Uchiha clan, would naturally have been educated on these principles as well.
"And Grandma Tsunade," Naruto continued, clearly eager to share his observations, "she would disappear for a while almost every time we arrived at a new location."
His voice dropped to a near-whisper, as though confiding a shameful secret. "Once, she was chased by debt collectors from a casino because she owed money. We had to flee in a hurry."
The bewilderment in Naruto's eyes was genuine. Iruka-sensei had taught them that the Sannin were legendary shinobi deserving of the highest respect. Yet their behavior during the trip had contradicted everything he'd been taught about honorable ninja conduct.
"Well..." The Namikaze couple exchanged pained glances, particularly Kushina. She had been aware of Tsunade's gambling habit but hadn't realized its severity. A pang of regret shot through her as she tried to imagine what the three children had endured over the past month.
"How should I explain this?" Minato began, scratching his head thoughtfully. "They are indeed extraordinary ninja, but ninja are human beings too. Everyone has their flaws and weaknesses, regardless of their abilities."
"Does Dad have problems like that too?" Naruto asked suddenly, his curiosity piqued.
At this, all three children focused their attention intently on Minato, eagerly awaiting his response.
Minato froze, caught off guard by the unexpected question.
Kushina hesitated briefly before standing up and leaning toward the children. With a conspiratorial hand cupped around her mouth, she whispered loudly enough for Minato to hear, "Yes, Minato has a habit of giving things unnecessarily complicated names that are impossible to remember."
She straightened up, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "For example, he developed his own ninjutsu and named one technique 'Spiral Flash Super Round Dance Howl Stage Three.'"
"Kushina?!" Minato exclaimed, genuinely surprised that the conversation had suddenly turned against him. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Naruto, Chiharu, and even the typically stoic Sasuke stared in momentary shock before uncontrollable smiles broke across their faces.
The tension that had pervaded the room since their return finally dissipated, replaced by the warm laughter of a family reunited.
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