Three figures in black, skintight clothing surrounded Kiyosuke.
The one in front wore a monkey mask, golden hair spilling out from behind it, and spoke in a low voice.
"Who are you? There's no ninja like you in Konoha."
"Hmm, how should I put it… long time no see, Minato."
Kiyosuke smiled faintly.
The man called by name clearly froze. He removed the mask, revealing a handsome face that bore a striking resemblance to Naruto.
"Who are you, really?"
"I am Asakawa Kiyosuke, from the future. I'm chasing down a ninja named Mukade. Because he opened the Dragon Vein in Rōran, we accidentally ended up in this timeline."
"Asakawa… Kiyosuke?" Minato frowned.
Off to the side, Aburame Shibi—Shino's father—exchanged glances with Akimichi Chōza, Chōji's father.
Chōza said, "If I'm not mistaken, that name belongs to one of Orochimaru-sama's disciples. Same generation as Kakashi."
"That's right," Shibi nodded.
"Haha, looks like at this time we weren't acquainted yet. That should be proof enough of who I am."
Kiyosuke let a snake spit out the Kusanagi Sword, and under Minato's astonished gaze, he sliced off his own arm.
The severed limb burst into flames and regrew in an instant. Such a body—there was only one person in the world who possessed it.
"Alright… I believe you," Minato nodded.
"But this isn't the place to talk. Come with me."
"Got it."
...
The four of them arrived on the rooftop of a tall building.
Minato said, "Strange… you actually look older than me."
"Of course," Kiyosuke replied. "I'm from the future, after all. By my time, Kakashi had already turned into a middle-aged uncle, hopelessly addicted to Jiraiya-sensei's novels."
"Hah… hard to believe."
Minato could hardly imagine the ever-serious Kakashi ending up like that.
"Oh, right, Minato-sensei. I brought your son along. Want to take a look?"
"M-My son?!" Minato froze.
"Ah, uh…"
Chōza burst out laughing.
"Isn't that great? You've already got a son before you're even married, Minato. Guess that's what happens when the Flying Thunder God user lives life at full speed."
"Indeed," Shibi chuckled as well.
Kiyosuke glanced their way and added with a smile.
"Shibi-san, your son is here too. He's actually one of my subordinates."
"Uh…"
The laughter caught in Shibi's throat.
It had been fun teasing Minato, but now the tables turned fast.
Forget marriage—he didn't even have a girlfriend yet!
...
At that moment, Kiyosuke lifted his head. His gaze passed over the rooftops, locking onto Naruto and Sasuke as they fled from puppet pursuers.
"Minato-sensei, look. That blond kid there—he's your son, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Eh?!"
Minato's goofy expression stiffened.
When his eyes met Naruto's, shock washed over him.
And when he saw the Rasengan in Naruto's hand, his disbelief turned into certainty.
After all, that jutsu was his own creation. Other than him, only Jiraiya-sensei could use it.
"Let's go save them!"
He coughed to cover his excitement, quickly pulled his mask back on, and leapt off the rooftop.
Chōza nudged Shibi with his elbow, grinning.
"He's panicking, he's panicking!"
"That's only natural," Kiyosuke said from the edge of the roof.
"After all, that's the son he's never once met."
With that, he jumped down and quickly caught up to Minato. Together, they cut through the puppets and freed Naruto and Sasuke from danger.
Naruto rushed over the moment he saw Kiyosuke.
"Kiyosuke-san! Weren't we just in Rōran? Where is this? What about Sakura, Hinata, Captain Yamato, and the others?"
"Naruto, calm down. We'll explain somewhere else."
"L-Let's go," Minato said nervously, stealing glances at Naruto, clearly flustered.
Naruto eyed this mysterious man with suspicion, wondering why he seemed so uneasy.
Sasuke, however, noticed their shared golden hair and blinked thoughtfully.
...
Back on the rooftop, Kiyosuke explained the situation to Naruto and Sasuke.
When they realized this was Rōran of more than ten years ago, both were stunned.
Sasuke frowned.
"Then how are we supposed to get back?"
"There'll be a way. Don't worry," Kiyosuke reassured him.
Then he turned to Naruto.
"Naruto, this is the surprise I told you about."
"Surprise? This is more like a scare! Wait… you said this is ten years ago, right? That means… my dad's here too?"
"Exactly."
Kiyosuke gestured toward Minato.
Minato removed his mask, revealing his youthful face.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Namikaze Minato. If Kiyosuke's introduction is correct, I… am your father."
To be honest, for an unmarried man, this was far too soon.
He wasn't ready to be a father.
A son appearing out of nowhere felt like a tornado blowing through his life.
"So young… completely different from the dad I saw before."
"You… you've seen me before?" Minato asked, startled.
"Yeah. Once, during the Chūnin Exams," Naruto said.
"Back then, you only appeared for a moment before heading off to fight. But seeing you like this… it's really something else."
Naruto didn't cry, nor did he look sad. Instead, his voice carried only excitement—excitement at finally meeting his father.
"Wait… what do you mean by that?" Minato suddenly felt a sinking premonition.
Kiyosuke spoke calmly.
"When Naruto was born, the Nine-Tails went berserk. To seal it away, you sacrificed yourself. Before you died, you asked me to raise Naruto. Aside from the one time I used Edo Tensei to bring you back, he's only ever seen photos of you and Kushina."
"...What…"
Minato's mouth opened, but words failed him. The shock was overwhelming.
Kiyosuke didn't mind having spoiled the story.
After all, in the original timeline Minato had already guessed Naruto's identity, even if he sealed away everyone's memories of it.
He likely knew his own fate. That was why Kiyosuke felt no hesitation.
"Sorry… Naruto."
After a long silence, Minato finally spoke softly.
But Naruto just grinned and reassured him.
"It's fine! I'm the son of a hero, after all. Besides, Kiyosuke-san, Kakashi-sensei, and Aunt Rin have always looked after me. I've been training hard, too! Sure, my grades aren't great, but I'm already a Chūnin. One day, I'll definitely become a great ninja just like you, Dad. I'll become Hokage!"
"The same dream as me…"
Minato reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, his eyes filled with warmth.
Naruto, who had been smiling a moment ago, suddenly felt tears well up.
"I-I've always wanted to meet you and Mom. Finally… finally, I can see you both. I'm so happy…"
"Sorry, Naruto. As your father… I couldn't give you a home."
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