In the bright and airy living room, Namikaze Kushina brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for Naruto, expecting him to remove his mask to drink.
But to her surprise, he simply lifted the mask slightly, took a sip, and set the cup down—just like that brat Kakashi.
"Is it not to your liking?" Kushina asked, eyeing Naruto curiously.
He was a strange one.
At first, she was irritated by his rudeness, barging into the house without invitation.
But now that he sat calmly before her, that irritation faded. For some reason, she began to feel an odd warmth toward him.
Even though she hadn't seen his face, his presence stirred something deep in her—as if their souls were somehow resonating.
It made her unconsciously want to be kind to him.
"It tastes good," Naruto said, smacking his lips as if savoring the flavor. "Just a little hot."
Strangely, hearing that made Kushina feel happy.
"Then wait for it to cool before drinking more."
"Ah."
"Are you hungry?"
"I just ate not long ago."
He had just had lunch prepared by Uzumaki Chiana, and it was excellent. Her cooking skills must be on par with Kushina's.
"That's a pity," Kushina said with a smile. "I'm quite the cook."
Naruto chuckled softly. After a pause, he asked, "By the way, do you know when Minato usually returns home?"
Kushina sighed lightly. "He used to be by my side whenever he was in the village. But now that he's Hokage, he's busy until late most nights."
So he worked late?
Then Naruto would come back later and enjoy some peace for now.
"Sorry to trouble you. I'll return in the evening."
As he said this, Naruto finished his tea in one gulp to show respect for her hospitality.
Fortunately, he was a ninja—used to enduring scalding tea without flinching.
"Wait a moment," Kushina said as Naruto stood to leave. "Can you tell me what you need Minato for? If it's urgent, I can find him at the Hokage office."
In just this short conversation, Kushina had already guessed that the young man had a reason for avoiding a public visit to Minato.
At the same time, she sensed that he meant no harm.
"Just tell him I'm leaving. He'll understand."
Kushina blinked, wondering what kind of cryptic message that was.
But she said nothing more. She took off her apron and said, "Then wait here. I'll bring him to you."
"Okay. Thank you."
"No need to thank me."
As soon as Kushina left, golden chakra began to drift off Naruto's body and slowly formed into a woman—Uzumaki Chiana.
Her face was cold and sullen.
"What's wrong? Who upset you?" Naruto asked, removing his mask.
Chiana remained silent for a while, her expression dark, before finally speaking:
"You are not allowed to come here again. If you do, I will break up with you."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Only you would say something so dramatic."
"I'm not joking," she replied seriously. "The tailed beasts have powerful perception. If I stay here too long, the Nine-Tails sealed inside Kushina might sense me. If it realizes there are two Nine-Tails... things could go very wrong."
Naruto smiled faintly but didn't call her out on her little exaggeration. "I get it. As the future Nine-Tails, you can't risk being discovered by the one from this timeline."
Chiana nodded.
"I promise, this will be the first and last time I come here. I'll be leaving soon. I won't cause unnecessary trouble."
Naruto was sincere. The more he interfered, the more chaos he could cause—a risk he didn't want.
"As long as you understand."
Just then, she sensed a familiar presence approaching and quickly merged back into Naruto's body to hide.
Moments later, the door opened. Minato Namikaze entered, holding Kushina.
She gently pushed him away, smiling a bit bashfully. "Minato was eager to see you. He used Flying Thunder God to get back quickly."
"There was no need to rush," Naruto said. "What I have to say isn't urgent."
Minato frowned slightly. "You're leaving soon. How is that not important?"
"It's important because I'm leaving. If I stayed longer, small problems might become big ones."
The Uchiha and Nara clans had both been eliminated.
If Naruto lingered much longer, Konoha might not survive it.
If he didn't end up killing both Minato and Kushina, he'd have to disappear on the spot.
"Don't be in such a rush," Minato sighed. "We haven't even had dinner together."
"How about we share a meal today?" Naruto offered.
Minato's eyes lit up. "If you're willing, please try Kushina's and my cooking."
Kushina, who had been quietly listening, frowned slightly.
She looked from Minato to Naruto. "What are you two talking about? And who exactly is he? You haven't told me anything."
"I'll explain later," Minato replied softly.
Kushina pouted. She knew Minato well—when he said "later," it meant she wouldn't get an answer anytime soon.
Resigned, she joined him in the kitchen to prepare dinner. Naruto remained in the living room, lounging on the sofa like a noble.
From time to time, Minato or Kushina brought him snacks.
As he ate, Naruto looked around. The Namikaze home wasn't large but was far cozier than the cramped apartment he'd once lived in.
It was decorated in warm yellow tones. Sunlight streamed through the windows onto the white tile floor, making the whole place glow.
On the wall hung a photo of Minato and Kushina on their wedding day.
The kitchen smelled incredible.
Elegant tableware was neatly arranged. Kushina, ever skillful, cooked with fluid movements. The aroma of frying food filled the air. Minato helped by her side, and the kitchen echoed with cheerful laughter.
"Dinner is ready!" Kushina said, wearing heat-resistant gloves and carrying a bowl of soup.
Minato followed, balancing a tray with six delicious dishes.
"You should take off your mask for this meal," Kushina said with a playful smile.
Minato added, "We're just family here. No need for masks."
"Family?"
Kushina paused.
Then it hit her why Minato would say such a thing.
When Naruto removed his mask, she was stunned.
Her eyes darted between him and Minato.
"So strange... are you two the same person? Except Minato's a little darker and... uglier?" she asked in shock.
Minato winced. "Was that necessary?"
What do you mean, darker and uglier? I'm handsome too, you know.
"Could you be using a clone and transformation jutsu to fool me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Naruto burst into laughter.
The meal was wonderful, and he enjoyed it immensely.
But happy times never last long.
After dinner, it was time for business.
Ignoring Kushina, Naruto said plainly, "Orochimaru is conducting human experiments. You should find an excuse to expel him from Konoha."
The room fell silent.
Minato's face turned cold. He'd heard rumors of human experimentation but had dismissed them until now.
If Naruto—a traveler from the future—confirmed it, it had to be true.
"How could Orochimaru stoop so low?" Kushina fumed. "Minato, we have to arrest him."
"Wait, Kushina." Minato calmed her down and turned to Naruto. "How should we handle Orochimaru?"
"In the original timeline, the Third Hokage expelled him from Konoha but didn't harm him."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Minato looked downcast. He wasn't inclined to kill, but letting Orochimaru go so easily didn't sit right.
Still, Naruto had spoken. Interfering might jeopardize the future.
"He will become better in the future," Naruto said. "He'll eventually fight for Konoha."
"No one knows what the future holds," Kushina argued. "We should judge people by what they do now, not who they might become."
She looked to Minato for support.
But he smiled at Naruto and said, "In that case, we'll do what we must."
Naruto smiled faintly. "Perfect."
Kushina crossed her arms. "Do you two even care what I think?"
They completely ignored her.
"It's about time I leave," Naruto said, donning his mask again and bowing politely.
Minato hesitated. "Shall I see you off?"
"No need."
"Then good luck on your journey."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye!"
Minato watched the place where Naruto had stood, a sigh slipping from his lips.
He felt strangely empty.
"You're unbelievable, Minato Namikaze! Since when did you have a younger brother? You never told me!"
With no guests around, Kushina grabbed Minato by the ear.
"He's not my brother!" Minato yelped.
"Then why does he look just like you?"
"He's our son."
"Do you think I'm stupid?! Since when do we have a grown-up son out of nowhere?!"
"I'm telling the truth! Please believe me!" Minato wailed.
And just like that, the longing he felt for Naruto disappeared under Kushina's iron grip.
After all, he'd be seeing Naruto again soon.
Night fell atop the mountain.
The stars glittered like diamonds scattered across the sky.
Bathed in starlight, Naruto's figure shimmered.
He formed the seal of the Tenson Technique and reached for the light that would lead him to the future.
"Izumi, Mikoto, Yoshino... goodbye."
With that, Naruto vanished from the world.
"Bastard... am I really so unimportant to you? Why didn't you call my name?"
The wind blew gently, carrying away her tears.
Knowing it would be more than ten years before they met again, Yoshino leaned on Mikoto's shoulder and cried.
It was rare to fall in love... rarer still to hold on to it. And now, she had to watch her lover vanish.
Mikoto stroked Yoshino's hair, her eyes glistening. "It's okay. We can use this time to master the Hundred Healings Technique."
"Then we'll drain him dry when he comes back."
"Together."
Yoshino wiped her tears and vowed to become like Lady Tsunade—forever youthful and impossible to abandon.
As they made their bold declarations, Uchiha Izumi smiled gently.
"Naruto-kun... see you in the future."
Izumi was just as sad—perhaps even more. She had traveled back in time with Naruto... but now, he was gone.
Still, she was glad to remain in the past. This time, she could protect her mother—save her from the Uchiha Massacre.
The northern wind howled.
Snow blanketed the earth. Cold wind and flurries brought a chill that cut to the bone.
It wasn't just winter—this was the Land of Snow, where snowstorms never ceased.
"Where could they be hiding?"
Konan, standing alone in a snow-swept field, frowned.
She had searched for Zabuza and Haku for so long—always in vain.
Some said they fled to the Land of Snow.
Others claimed they were lost at sea.
A few even whispered they had joined Akatsuki.
Konan was exhausted by the hunt. But her rage refused to quiet until she found and destroyed them.
Then, suddenly—
BOOM!
A dark figure crashed down from the sky, slamming into her without warning.