Itachi accompanied Izumi, the two of them sitting quietly on the wooden planks by the riverbank. They remained cross-legged until dawn, the night breeze carrying away their whispered conversations and unspoken thoughts. The stillness of the early morning reflected a strange peace, one that felt almost foreign in times such as these.
The next day arrived.
Naruto woke up and followed Minato out of the house, his steps steady, carrying with him both determination and unease. Today, he was preparing to resurrect Kushina Uzumaki—his mother.
As soon as he stepped outside, he was surprised to see Shikamaru waiting for him.
"Huh? Shikamaru, what are you doing here this early?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.
Shikamaru's sharp eyes flicked toward Naruto for only a moment before he respectfully greeted Minato.
"Hello, Fourth Hokage-sama."
Minato nodded with his usual calm smile, his aura commanding yet approachable.
Once the formalities were done, Shikamaru immediately pulled Naruto aside, lowering his voice.
"Let me ask you something… Did Sasuke really resurrect all the Uchiha clan members?"
Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head. "Well, not exactly. It's not like we brought everyone back. We only resurrected those with awakened Sharingan—those with the eyes of flesh and blood. The rest remain unrevived for now."
Shikamaru frowned, his expression unusually anxious. "Then listen. I need to discuss something important with you. If people brought back by Edo Tensei can be resurrected properly through this method… doesn't that mean I can bring my teacher, Asuma-sensei, back as well?"
Naruto's expression softened, and he gave a firm nod. "Of course you can."
At that, Shikamaru's usually lazy demeanor faltered, and a faint spark of hope appeared in his eyes. He then looked at Naruto with newfound resolve.
"Then… help me bring it up to Lord Hokage. After all, your words carry weight in the village now. A lot more than mine."
Naruto grinned. Shikamaru was his trusted comrade—his future right-hand strategist—and there was no way he would refuse him.
"Don't worry," Naruto said warmly, "I'll help you. Just give me a bit of time. Once I finish resurrecting my mom, we'll go together and unlock Asuma's seal."
Shikamaru's brows rose in surprise. "Your mother? Wait—you're going to resurrect your own mother? Why? Naruto, you're not the type to mess around with life and death carelessly. Especially not when it comes to family."
Their bond ran deep, forged not only in this life but tied to memories of a previous one. Shikamaru knew Naruto's character, and he understood Naruto wouldn't make such a choice lightly.
Seeing his concern, Naruto explained briefly what had happened the previous night and shared Minato's reasoning behind the decision.
After thinking it over, Shikamaru smirked knowingly and shook his head. "So that's your plan. Honestly… you're up to no good again, Naruto."
Naruto gave a sheepish laugh. "Guess you figured me out, huh? Can't hide much from my military advisor."
Shikamaru chuckled, folding his arms. "Fine then. Looks like I'll be drinking wedding sake sooner than expected."
Naruto slapped his friend's shoulder playfully. "When that time comes, you'll definitely be invited. And don't forget, your own time will come too. Fate has its eyes on you as well."
Shikamaru grimaced, clicking his tongue. "Tch… troublesome. Marriage is just a headache. I see how my dad and mom go at it every day—it looks exhausting. I'd rather stay out of it."
Still, he waved lazily. "Anyway, finish your business first. When it's done, come by my place. I'll be waiting there."
Naruto nodded. Finding Shikamaru would be easy—after all, he had left a Hiraishin seal on him.
After exchanging goodbyes with Minato, Shikamaru left.
Minato turned to his son. "So, what did Shikamaru want?"
Naruto didn't hide it. "He asked about Asuma-sensei. He wants to bring him back too."
Minato thought carefully, his voice calm. "That makes sense. Asuma is Sarutobi-sensei's son. If he's already been revived by Edo Tensei, then undoing the seal and bringing him back fully isn't unreasonable."
Naruto nodded. "I'll take care of it after we finish here."
With that, the two of them went to find Orochimaru.
When Orochimaru heard Naruto's intention—to resurrect Kushina Uzumaki—his golden eyes gleamed with interest. He agreed without hesitation.
Naruto immediately activated the Hiraishin, appearing in the distance to capture a White Zetsu. After sealing it, he returned to Orochimaru.
The ritual was already prepared. A dark, ominous seal had been drawn upon the ground, and Orochimaru gestured for Naruto to place the White Zetsu body into the center. Naruto complied.
"Edo Tensei!" Orochimaru's voice echoed coldly.
The paper seals fluttered violently, covering the host body. Moments later, Kushina's form appeared.
"Release!" Orochimaru added, unbinding the jutsu's control. Kushina's soul fully reattached to her own restored body.
Minato's breath caught in his throat. In an instant, he vanished with a Hiraishin flash, reappearing in front of her.
"Kushina!"
Her eyes widened. "Minato? What's going on?"
Minato's voice trembled with joy as he pointed toward Naruto. "Naruto… Naruto resurrected you!"
Naruto stepped forward, tears threatening at the corners of his eyes, and smiled. "Mom… we finally meet again. This time, it's real. We're reunited."
Minato explained everything in detail, recounting the events and circumstances that had led them here.
Once he finished, Kushina turned on her son immediately, yanking him by the ear.
"You brat! So you only thought about resurrecting your mother after messing around with some girl?!"
Naruto yelped, flailing. "Ow, ow, ow! Mom! That hurts!"
Minato tried to intervene, raising his hands. "Kushina, please, spare him! He had his reasons."
Kushina huffed, narrowing her eyes. "Reasons? He resurrected you to help, but not me? And now, after offending some girl, suddenly I'm worth bringing back? You little rascal!"
Naruto ducked behind Minato, rubbing his sore ear. "Man… she's still the Red-Hot Habanero. Temper's as fiery as ever."
Just then, Orochimaru stepped forward. His serpentine gaze fixed on Kushina. "Kushina… it has been a long time. Do you still remember me?"
Kushina blinked in surprise. "Orochimaru-sama?"
He gave a faint, amused smile.
Because of Minato's ties with Jiraiya, Kushina naturally knew of the Sannin, and Orochimaru in particular. But her first instinct was to grab Naruto protectively, pulling him back.
"Naruto, stay away from this man!"
Orochimaru: "…"
Naruto couldn't help laughing, throwing an arm around Orochimaru's shoulders. "Uncle Snake, looks like your reputation still hasn't recovered. Not even with my mom."
Orochimaru looked faintly embarrassed for once.
Minato quickly stepped in. "Kushina, listen. Orochimaru helped make this resurrection possible. He's not the same as before—he's returned to the right path."
Kushina paused, then bowed slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Orochimaru."
The sannin simply smirked and walked away, offering no further words.
Naruto turned to his parents. "Dad, take Mom home first. I've got something else to take care of. I'll meet you later."
Minato nodded. Without hesitation, he swept Kushina into his arms, carrying her bridal style. With a sharp buzz of the Hiraishin, they vanished in an instant.
Naruto stood stunned for a moment before muttering with a grin, "Damn… Dad's smooth. No wonder he was always Konoha's number one ladies' man."
With that, Naruto used the Hiraishin to instantly appear at Shikamaru's side.
Unfortunately, his timing was… poor.
"Get out!" Shikamaru shouted, kicking him bodily out of the small hut.
Naruto tumbled, clutching his nose. "How was I supposed to know you were taking a dump, seriously!"
A minute later, Shikamaru emerged, his usual lazy look back on his face.
"Well? Is it done?"
Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "Yup. She's back. Now it's your turn."
Shikamaru's lips curved upward ever so slightly, a rare look of relief.
Together, they headed toward the Intelligence Division. After explaining their purpose, they met Morino Ibiki. To Naruto's surprise, Ibiki actually looked… cheerful.
"When did you start smiling so much, Ibiki-sensei?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.
Ibiki chuckled darkly. "Lord Hokage gave me direct orders. Any decision you make within Konoha, Naruto, will be treated as an extension of Hokage's will itself."
Naruto blinked, then broke into a wide grin.
Shikamaru nudged him. "Told you. You've got a lot of say in this village now."
Naruto laughed softly, though deep down, he understood the weight of responsibility behind those words.
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