Welcome Home, Naruto

Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over to Jiraiya and planted a heavy hand on his shoulder. The force was enough to make Jiraiya's shoulder dip. He said nothing more, only turned his head and looked straight at Minato.

"Fourth Hokage, I'll go talk to Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura and see if we can spare you a few more elite squads."

Hiruzen spoke quickly, words tumbling out like a rapid-fire barrage. He didn't wait for Minato to answer before turning and heading out.

The door swung open, and a draft swept through the room, making the documents on the desk rustle and Hiruzen's usual dark brown robes flutter. He disappeared down the hall without looking back, leaving only the sound of his hurried footsteps.

Jiraiya watched the door sway back and forth. For once, there was no trace of a grin on his face as he folded his arms.

"Old man, huh... Lately, I've been seeing him look that determined more and more often."

Minato looked up from the letter and rubbed his aching temples.

"Is that so? I always thought the Third would stay so steadfast as the Shinobi Hero."

"Well, Minato, don't underestimate how time can change a person."

Jiraiya walked to the window and looked out at Konoha, still under reconstruction.

"Who knows? Maybe one day, when I'm an old teacher, I'll change too."

He finished, then laughed twice, but there wasn't much joy in the sound. It was more like a cushion placed beneath something heavy.

Then he patted Minato on the shoulder and started toward the door, but his foot stopped in midair.

Jiraiya turned his head. His brows furrowed slightly beneath his white hair, and his nostrils flared as if he were trying to catch an exceedingly faint scent in the air.

He closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his gaze had sharpened.

"Hey, Minato, there's a limit to how much work you should do."

Without waiting for Minato to respond, he paused, then spoke in a low voice that nevertheless struck Minato's ears with perfect precision.

"Can't you sense it? There are... two Jinchūriki of Tailed Beasts in the village right now."

The envelope slipped from Minato's hand and landed on the desk with a soft thud.

Jiraiya rested a hand on the doorknob. His tone turned a little lazy again, but every word was clear.

"Wrap things up quickly and go home to see Kushina. Today... there's more than one person waiting for you at home."

With that, he walked out without looking back.

His footsteps gradually faded down the hall, steadier than when he'd come in, each step firm and sure.

Minato stared at the door after it closed. Several seconds passed before he slowly stood and looked out the window, in the direction of home.

"Two Jinchūriki of Tailed Beasts, huh..."

Minato closed his eyes and spread out his chakra sensing like a net. It passed through the walls of the Hokage Office and across the streets under reconstruction, finally settling on a corner of the residential district.

There were two warm clusters of chakra there, tinged with a sharp, bloody scent.

One was familiar to him: the Nine-Tails inside Kushina, now stable again. The other was younger and more restless, like a fire just kindled.

It was Naruto's, a unique presence all his own.

Minato's lips slowly curved into a smile, and the weariness in his eyes vanished.

"It could only be you... Naruto."

A moment later, Minato seemed to have been recharged. He swung his Hokage Cloak over his shoulders, moving so quickly that he stirred up a gust of wind.

"All right, I'll go home and make Sukiyaki with Kushina tonight."

As he tied the sash, he pondered, rubbing his chin twice.

"I wonder how much a boy that age can eat... I'd better buy more meat."

Then he pushed open the door and darted away, his figure vanishing down the hall in a golden streak.

The sun sank behind Kage Rock, and the clouds on the horizon glowed orange-red.

Lights gradually flickered on across Konoha. In that moment, the strongest village in the Shinobi World shed its ironclad shell and revealed the simple warmth of everyday life.

That warmth flowed along every street and drifted through the windows of every home.

And in a little house in the residential district, the air was thick with happiness.

"So, the first time you went on a mission with Jiraiya-sensei, he stole your wallet?"

Kushina leaned against the headboard, a soft pillow in her arms. Her gaze never left Lin Zi's face.

They had been talking for almost the whole day, from noon until dusk, but Kushina still showed no sign of tiring as she asked question after question, as if she wanted to take all sixteen years of the boy's life and fill her heart with them in one go.

"Yeah, yeah."

Lin Zi sat cross-legged on a chair by the bed, peeling a mandarin. He tilted his head up, feigning a look of reminiscence.

"The Pervy Sage said something about the 'Three Prohibitions of Ninja,' then snatched my wallet away in a flash."

He popped a segment of mandarin into his mouth and continued complaining around it.

"Then he left me with just three hundred yen. I used it to buy some takoyaki and went looking for him, only to find that he'd already drunk away all my spending money at a bar! He was even bragging to the proprietress with his arm around her!"

Kushina burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking until tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

"Really? Did Naruto follow the Three Prohibitions of Ninja properly?"

"Me?"

Lin Zi tossed the peel into the trash and dusted off his hands, looking utterly self-righteous.

"Of course I did. I don't have a girlfriend, I don't drink, and I don't like being around crowds. I'm nothing like the Pervy Sage."

Kushina looked at him, her eyes soft.

She reached out and gently laid her palm on Lin Zi's head. Golden strands slipped between her fingers, warm with the vitality of youth.

"That's right..."

Her voice was as light as a feather, but her eyes slowly reddened.

"Our Naruto has grown into such a wonderful ninja..."

Before she could finish, tears welled up again.

"Ah... you old woman... don't cry..."

Lin Zi panicked. He didn't know where to put the half-mandarin in his hand and fumbled for a tissue, but Kushina grabbed him by the wrist.

Outside the door, Minato Namikaze stood quietly with two large bags of groceries in his hands.

Through the crack in the door, he watched the golden-haired figure inside and listened to Kushina laugh and cry. His chest felt so full it ached, a mix of warmth and soreness.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. The plastic bags cut into his fingers until they paled, but he barely noticed.

At last, he made up his mind. He gripped the doorknob tightly and pushed it down—

Click.

"I'm home."

"Welcome home, Minato."

Kushina's voice was still thick with tears, but Minato wanted to hear another voice too. Standing in the entryway, he looked past his wife, straight at the boy sitting beside the bed.

Lin Zi was seated beside Kushina's bed, his left hand clutched in hers. His right hand was still poised as if to wipe away her tears, fingertips suspended in midair. He looked utterly innocent, as if to say, "I didn't do anything."

Their eyes met.

Minato looked at the face almost identical to his own, at those bright blue eyes, and suddenly felt a sting in his nose.

He bent down, set the groceries on the floor, and strode over. His palm landed heavily on Lin Zi's head, ruffling his hair twice with gusto.

"Hey, welcome home," Lin Zi said, turning his head in an attempt to dodge, only for Minato to ruffle his hair even harder.

"Yeah."

Minato smiled warmly, feeling the heat of that head beneath his palm. His voice was as soft as if he were afraid of disturbing something.

"And... welcome home, Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Lin Zi raised one hand to shield his head, while Kushina still held his other hand.

"My hair! Hey! Stop messing it up!"

Minato raised both hands in surrender, unable to hide his smile. Then he turned to Kushina and began unpacking the groceries.

"Would Sukiyaki be all right for dinner? I bought plenty of beef and tofu... Naruto, do you want to eat with us?"

Lin Zi thought for two seconds, pulled his hand free, and stood up as if preparing to make a quick escape.

"I'll pass. I was thinking of going out for ramen or something. You two lovebirds..."

"That's not happening!"

Before Kushina had finished speaking, her fist landed squarely on Lin Zi's head.

Bonk!

"You're this age and still won't eat properly! What are you even thinking, Naruto?!"

"Okay, okay... I'll eat, I'll eat..."

Lin Zi crouched down, clutching his head as he rubbed the top of it with a helpless expression.

"Stop hitting me..."

Minato looked back at them and smiled, helpless but affectionate.

"Kushina used to be a ninja known as the Bloody Habanero... You'll have to put up with her."