Minato: Happy New Year, Naruto

On New Year's Eve of Konoha Year 59, fine snowflakes drifted down in silence, shrouding the entire village in a quiet silver-white.

Warm light spilled from every household's windows, and the air was filled with the aroma of New Year's Eve dinners and the faint sound of laughter.

Across from Naruto's somewhat lonely little apartment, two figures stood silently on the snow-covered roof of a house.

The Anbu squad leader Yamato, wearing an animal mask, and Sasuke Uchiha beside him, also masked but clearly much younger in build, were carrying out a surveillance... or rather, protection mission.

A sound cut through the air, and Kakashi landed on the roof, still with that lazy posture of his.

"Yo, time to switch shifts." Kakashi's voice carried a hint of languor as he spoke to Yamato.

When Yamato saw Kakashi, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief. His tone held a touch of complaint, though it could not hide his exhaustion. "Captain Kakashi, you're finally here. It's New Year's, and our squad didn't even get the chance to eat a hot meal. Now we can finally hand over and go back for a proper rest."

Sasuke, standing to the side, straightened his posture. His voice came through the mask. "I'm staying."

Yamato and Kakashi exchanged a look, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

They understood the obsession in this boy who had lost everything, and the loneliness of having nowhere to go.

Yamato shook his head and stopped trying to persuade him. He only patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "Then I'll leave this to you, Captain."

With that, his figure flickered, and he vanished with a Body Flicker into the vast snowy night, heading off to meet up with his squad members and enjoy this rare, brief respite.

Only Kakashi and