Warm sunlight streamed through the paper windows of Iruka's home, bathing the room in soft gold. The scent of breakfast — grilled fish, steamed rice, miso — filled the air, rich and inviting.
Naruto stirred beneath the blanket on the futon, bleary-eyed and heavy-limbed. As he sat up, the weight in his chest reminded him yesterday hadn't been a dream. The confrontation, the revelations, the tears. They were real.
He rubbed his eyes, yawning softly, before glancing at the low dining table — and paused.
Kurenai knelt beside it, calmly setting the dishes Iruka had prepared. Her hair was pulled back in a loose tail, and while her movements were precise as always, Naruto noticed the fatigue in her posture. She looked up, and her red eyes met his.
"Kurenai-nee… you didn't go home?"
She hesitated before answering. "You wouldn't let me."
Naruto blinked, searching his memory — and then it hit him. Last night. The storm inside him. The way he clung to her like a child afraid of the dark.
A flush of embarrassment bloomed on his cheeks. "Oh… sorry."
Iruka walked in from the kitchen, holding a tray of food. "Don't apologize. She stayed because she cares. We all do."
Kurenai smiled gently. "Besides, I couldn't have left even if I wanted to. You needed someone."
Naruto looked down at his hands. "Thanks… both of you."
They sat together, the clatter of chopsticks and the quiet sipping of soup filling the room. Naruto found comfort in the simplicity of the moment — a rare peace he'd never known growing up. There were no expectations here, no demands. Just warmth.
Halfway through the meal, a knock echoed at the door.
Iruka rose calmly and opened it to reveal Jiraiya and Tsunade standing awkwardly in the morning sun.
Naruto stiffened.
"We… wanted to see Naruto," Jiraiya said, voice uncharacteristically uncertain. "If he's up for it."
Iruka turned his gaze toward Naruto. "It's your choice."
Naruto placed his bowl down and stood, walking slowly to the entryway. His face was unreadable. After a long pause, he nodded.
"…Let them in."
The pair stepped inside quietly. Tsunade didn't even meet his eyes. She stood rigidly, hands at her sides. Jiraiya gave a sheepish smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I brought something," he began, pulling a scroll from his sleeve. "This is the Toad Summoning Contract. Your dad signed it. I figured—"
"No."
The voice cut through Naruto's mind like thunder — calm, regal, and absolute. Kurama.
Naruto flinched. Then blinked.
"You will not sign that contract,"Kurama repeated, only to him. "You are not meant for it."
Iruka's brow twitched, though he remained silent. He heard it too.
Naruto turned to Jiraiya and said, "No."
The Sannin blinked. "Huh?"
"I said no," Naruto repeated firmly. "I don't want it."
Jiraiya's expression faltered. "But—your father—"
"I'm not my father."
Inside the mindscape, the great fox lounged lazily near the gate of his seal, tails slowly waving. His golden eyes shimmered with history and judgment.
"Those toads… have grown arrogant,"Kurama said. "Long ago, they trained my father. They were noble then — loyal, wise. But after Hagoromo became legend, they began seeing themselves as divine. They forget their place."
Naruto's hands clenched. He trusted Kurama more than anyone at this point. The fox had never lied to him. Never sugarcoated things.
"They trained the Sage of Six Paths…"Naruto whispered in his mind.
Kurama chuckled, low and dangerous. "My father. The very first Jinchuriki. The only one to carry the entirety of my original form."
A shocked breath echoed in the mindscape.
"…Wait," Minato's voice said, shaking. "Are you saying—H-Hagoromo was the Sage of Six Paths?
"Bingo, that's my dad"Kurama said with a smirk .
Inside, Kurama added, "Besides… you are different now. Your chakra has shifted. Ice dances in your veins. Your summons will find you — not the other way around."
Back in the room, Naruto looked directly at Jiraiya. "I don't want the toad summons. That's not my path."
Jiraiya stood there in stunned silence. He looked like he wanted to say something — but didn't.
Iruka stepped forward. "He made his decision. Let him walk his own road."
Jiraiya slowly nodded and slipped the scroll back into his cloak.
Tsunade stepped forward, hesitating, as if every step weighed ten pounds. She met Naruto's gaze at last — and her voice was soft, brittle.
"I don't deserve your forgiveness," she began. "Or even your time. I… wasn't there. When you needed someone. I kept telling myself it wasn't my place, that someone else would step up."
Naruto didn't look away.
"But I was wrong," she continued. "I failed you. I let my grief blind me to what was in front of me — family."
He stared at her, emotion swirling behind his blue eyes.
"I won't ask you to forgive me," she said. "But… I want to try. I want to be your aunt. The way I should have been from the start."
The words hung in the air like a prayer. Tsunade slowly knelt before him, bowing her head, her pride stripped away.
"I see you now," she whispered. "And every time I do… it's like I'm reminded of someone."
Her eyes glistened. But she didn't speak the name. She kept it to herself.
'Grandpa,' she thought. 'But some things are better left unsaid.'
Naruto said nothing for a long time. The silence wasn't empty — it was full of thoughts, of memories, of pain and possibilities.
He glanced at Iruka.
Iruka's gaze held steady, and he gave the softest nod.
Naruto turned back. "Okay."
Tsunade's head lifted in surprise.
"I don't know how long it'll take," he said, voice low. "But… okay."
She smiled through her tears.
"And… if it's alright," she added, "I'd like to teach you medical ninjutsu. It could help, especially with how reckless you can be."
Naruto tilted his head. "Medical jutsu?"
"You inherited a lot of chakra and stamina from your parents," she said. "Combined with your lineage, you'd be perfect for it. It's a skill few shinobi ever master."
He hesitated.
Kurama's voice rumbled."It will serve you well. Not every battle is won by force. Sometimes, healing is the greatest strength."
Naruto looked back to Iruka again, seeking his quiet approval.
Iruka gave him a warm smile and thumbs-up.
"…Alright," Naruto said. "I'll learn."
Tsunade exhaled — a shaky, relieved breath that seemed to carry years of regret out with it.
Jiraiya stepped forward finally. His gaze lingered on Naruto's face — and for a moment, he saw not just Minato's son, but something more.
"You've grown," Jiraiya said. "Faster than I expected."
Naruto nodded once. "I had to."
Outside, the wind rustled the trees. The world didn't pause, but something within the boy did. He was no longer just the vessel. Not the village's burden.
He was himself.
And that was enough.
[End of Chapter]