Returning to the Hokage Building, Uchiha Chiga had barely taken his seat when Minato rushed in, dragging a coffin behind him.
"Chiga! I brought Kushina's coffin for you!"
Chiga's gaze fell on the coffin lid, still dusted with fresh soil. It was obvious it had just been unearthed. Naruto followed close behind, his expression lit with excitement.
"Chiga-senpai! Dad said you're going to bring Mom back. Thank you so much!"
Chiga gave a helpless shake of his head, then lifted a hand. The coffin lid floated off on its own, revealing Kushina's preserved body. Konoha's corpse preservation techniques had done their job well — she appeared only slightly withered.
Minato's eyes stayed fixed on Chiga, so tense he looked ready to kneel, but afraid of interrupting. Without delay, Chiga pressed his palms together and spoke in a deep, commanding tone.
"Netherworld Rebirth."
A moment later, Kushina's eyes fluttered open. She slowly sat up, confusion flickering across her face.
"Kushina!"
Minato was at her side instantly, pulling her into a tight embrace. Naruto stood frozen, his mind struggling to process that the mother he'd only seen in photographs was now here, alive.
Kushina returned Minato's hug automatically, bewildered.
"Where… am I? Minato? Did your soul come to the Pure Land too?"
Tears streamed down Minato's cheeks as he choked out,
"No. You're alive again — and so am I. We're both here in the real world… all thanks to Chiga."
"Chiga?" Kushina finally looked past Minato. Upon seeing the long, snow-white hair, her eyes widened.
"Chiga… why is your hair white?"
That had been everyone's first question upon seeing him lately.
Chiga gave a careless reply.
"How many years have you been gone? I'm allowed to get old, aren't I?"
"But your face hasn't aged at all! No — you're even more handsome than before!"
"Thanks for the compliment," Chiga said flatly.
This scatterbrained couple was already testing his patience. He turned to Naruto and nudged him forward.
"Naruto, that's your mother. What are you waiting for?"
"Naruto!?" Kushina's voice caught. She pushed Minato aside, turning toward the boy. Seeing his golden hair and the familiar whisker marks, her hands flew to her mouth as tears welled up.
"Naruto… my Naruto!"
She stepped out of the coffin and rushed forward. Naruto stared at her — even without memories, the bond was undeniable. This red-haired, radiant woman was his mother.
"Mom…"
The single word broke the dam. Kushina and Minato both wept openly, the three embracing in a tight, trembling knot of arms. Chiga watched silently and, with a flicker of thought, shifted the scene into view inside the Door-Door Space so Obito could witness it.
Within that space, Obito lowered his head. Regret clawed at him. Every wound this family bore traced back to him. He wished he could vanish into the ground.
When the embrace finally loosened, Minato began telling Kushina everything — Naruto's childhood, his hardships, the years they'd missed.
Kushina's face darkened. Her hair began to bristle as if she had activated Life Return.
"They treated him like a monster?! Ostracized and cursed him?! Those old fools in the Third Hokage's time — scoundrels, the lot of them! Why hide his identity? Was it so hard to protect the Hokage's son?!"
Her voice shook with fury.
"Naruto is a hero, not a demon fox! Blind idiots, every one of them!"
She pulled Naruto into her arms, tears streaking her cheeks.
"My poor child…"
Naruto was caught off guard by her fierce energy — such a stark contrast to his gentle father.
Minato smiled faintly. The more Kushina acted like this, the more real this reunion felt. Still, when her anger built high enough to curse every Hokage in history, he interjected softly,
"Alright… Kushina, calm down. It's all in the past."
"Calm down?!" She whirled on him. "Look at the village you protected, Minato! What exactly were you protecting?"
"…" Minato lowered his head like an ostrich.
Naruto quickly stepped in.
"Mom, it's really over now. I'm just happy we're together. And it's all thanks to Chiga-senpai."
Kushina sniffed and nodded.
"My son is right. We owe Chiga our thanks."
She turned, bowing deeply to Chiga.
"Thank you for reuniting our family."
Her sincerity was clear enough that a stranger might think there was more behind her words. Chiga's mouth twitched. He gestured for her to stand.
"No need to thank me. Minato helped me a great deal back then. This was the least I could do."
Minato blinked. Why is his tone so much softer with her than with me?
Kushina shook her head.
"No… your kindness to us is far greater than that. I don't know how to repay you."
"Then repay me by taking this man back. He's taking up space."
Chiga opened the Door-Door Space and unceremoniously shoved Obito out.
Kushina stared for a long moment before recognizing him. She already knew the truth from Minato, so her gaze was icy. Obito didn't dare meet her eyes.
"Sensei's wife…" His voice was hoarse, guilt dripping from every word.
Kushina had treated Obito like her own son once. Anger burned in her chest, but hearing him call her that again made her swallow her harsher words. She exhaled heavily.
"Do you understand your mistakes now?"
"I do… I was a fool, completely deceived by Madara. I hurt Sensei's family… and I wronged Naruto most of all."
Tears of shame spilled freely from Obito's eyes.
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