What Exactly Is "Senior Obito"?

"Ah, ah, I get it..."

Lin Zi sat back down on the little stool, looking utterly defeated as he watched Minato take pots and pans out of the cupboard.

"Fine, sukiyaki it is... Just add lots of meat, Fourth Hokage."

"Call me Minato."

Kushina shot him another glare.

Lin Zi gave a resigned sigh. "...Just add lots of meat, Minato."

"That's more like it."

Night had fully settled outside, but the lights inside cast a warm glow.

The water in the pot began to bubble, and the aroma of beef mingled with the sweetness of tofu, filling the little room.

Once Minato had brought the sukiyaki to the table, he stood beside it and called out, "Dinner's ready! Kushina! Naruto!"

Only then did Lin Zi help Kushina over to the table. He glanced up and nearly choked on his own spit. Minato was wearing a pink apron printed with a few crooked little pigs.

"Why is it that color...?"

Lin Zi's mouth twitched. He wanted to laugh, but didn't dare let it show too much.

"Well..."

Minato glanced down at himself and gave a helpless smile, scratching at the apron strings.

"Kushina bought it. She said pink makes you look younger."

Kushina puffed out her chest beside him, looking perfectly self-righteous. "What? Doesn't it look good?"

"It looks great, it looks great..."

Lin Zi hurriedly waved his hands, helped Kushina sit down, then pushed her chair in for her.

Minato went around to the other side and served them both rice. Then he added a plate of thinly sliced beef to the pot. The broth bubbled away as he sat down and winked at Kushina with his left eye.

Kushina immediately got the signal and winked back with her right. The corners of their mouths lifted in unison.

Lin Zi had just picked up a piece of tofu when he caught sight of them out of the corner of his eye. His chopsticks stopped in midair.

"What are you two... doing?"

"Nothing at all." Minato pushed a bowl of soup toward Lin Zi, smiling so innocently he couldn't possibly be up to anything. "Kushina and I just understand each other without saying a word."

"Right, right!"

Kushina nodded along, picked up the serving chopsticks, and piled meat into Lin Zi's bowl.

"Eat, eat! Sukiyaki's best while it's hot. It gets gamey when it cools."

Before she'd even finished speaking, a little mountain of beef had already formed in Lin Zi's bowl.

"Ah, ah, I get it! You two eat, too. Don't just watch me." Lin Zi ducked his head, forcing himself to ignore the four pairs of eyes fixed on him and focus on his food.

"My, you've got quite the appetite." Minato put a piece of tofu in his mouth. "How does it taste?"

"Mmm, it's really good." Lin Zi stuffed beef into his mouth as he answered indistinctly. "If I'd gotten to eat food like this when I was little, I would've been so happy."

"Was it hard for you when you were little?"

Kushina's voice suddenly grew subdued. Her chopsticks hovered in the air, and she didn't notice how tightly she'd clenched her fingers.

With his mouth full, Lin Zi didn't look up and answered casually.

"Not really. It's just that nobody cooked for me, and the people selling vegetables in the village didn't want to sell to me."

"Then what did you eat?"

"I used my money to buy instant noodles and milk." Lin Zi took a sip of soup and licked his lips. "I was too young to check the dates back then, so people would often give me expired stuff or things that were about to expire."

"Is that so..." Kushina's voice sank lower and lower, like the broth slowly thickening at the bottom of the pot.

Minato turned toward her just in time to see Kushina slam her fist on the table. A few drops of soup splashed out of the bowl.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi treated you like that?!"

Kushina stared wide-eyed, her eyes reddening as she whipped her head toward Minato.

"He didn't even make sure a child had something to eat?!"

Minato froze in his chair. Cold sweat instantly ran down his back.

His head buzzed. He'd privately wondered why Naruto had defected, but it had never occurred to him that after his death, the village had driven Naruto to such a state.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry. "I... Well..."

"Well..."

Lin Zi set down his bowl and hurriedly cut Minato off, waving a hand at Kushina.

"It wasn't like that. The old Third gave me plenty of money every month. I had enough to get by."

"Then what was going on?!"

Kushina's brows drew together. Her anger hadn't faded; she was even more confused now.

Lin Zi scratched his cheek. His gaze began drifting toward the ceiling, and his voice grew quieter.

"I usually... took the money and bought paint... then splashed it all over Kage Rock..."

"Huh?" Kushina froze, her fist still hovering in the air. She'd forgotten to lower it.

"I've splashed paint on all the past Hokages' faces..." Lin Zi shrank his neck and gave an awkward laugh. "Let's not bring up the past..."

Silence fell over the table for two seconds.

Minato was the first to crack. He burst out laughing, shoulders shaking as he pointed at Lin Zi, then at himself.

"So... my face was one of your favorite targets, too?"

"Haha..."

Lin Zi scratched his head awkwardly, nearly burying his face in his bowl.

Kushina stayed frozen in her table-slamming pose for a full three seconds. Then her shoulders relaxed, and she suddenly burst out laughing, almost to the point of tears.

She reached over and ruffled Lin Zi's hair roughly, turning his blond locks into a bird's nest.

"That's how boys should be—full of energy! Honestly, Kage Rock could use a little decoration. Those carvings are so lifeless. It was high time someone added some color!"

After ruffling Lin Zi's hair, she abruptly turned toward Minato and fixed him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. Her voice was warm, but edged with gritted teeth.

"Don't you agree, Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze?"

Minato's laughter cut off abruptly. His hand hung in midair as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, his eyes darting everywhere.

"Hahahaha... Right... Definitely... It could use some decoration..."

Kushina looked away, added another spoonful of soup to Lin Zi's bowl, and gave a huff.

"Eat more. You're still growing. Next time, I'll sponsor you. Buy as much paint as you want, and splash it however you like."

"...Okay."

Holding his bowl, Lin Zi nodded, completely bewildered.

The three of them joked and bickered through dinner until the sukiyaki was gone and most of the rice had been eaten.

Just as Lin Zi put down his chopsticks and rubbed his stomach with satisfaction, Minato's expression suddenly turned serious. He set down his soup spoon and looked straight at Lin Zi across the table, his voice quiet but clear.

"Come outside with me in a little while, Naruto. There are some things... I want to ask you."

Lin Zi looked up and wiped his mouth carelessly. "Sure. Where to?"

Beside him, Kushina suddenly gripped the tablecloth. A flicker of panic crossed her red eyes. "Minato! What are you going to do?!"

"Nothing." Minato turned toward his wife, his gaze still gentle, like a deep pool. "There are just a few things I need to ask him about."

Lin Zi turned too and grinned at Kushina.

"Don't worry. I'm fine. We're just going outside for some fresh air."

Kushina bit her lip, her fingers twisting the tablecloth. In the end, she could only nod. Her gaze was full of worry, as if she could only feel at ease if she kept him in sight.

After dinner, Minato stood up to clear the dishes, moving at an unhurried pace.

Kushina took the opportunity to grab Lin Zi's hand and pull him over to the door. She lowered her voice.

"It's okay, Naruto. Say whatever you want to say. If you don't want to talk... just turn around and leave. I'm here. No one can force you."

She reached out, pressed her palm against Lin Zi's cheek, and gently brushed her fingertips over the whisker-like marks, as if making sure he was really standing there in front of her.

Lin Zi felt a little uncomfortable under her touch and leaned back, gently lowering her hand.

"Come on, I'm really fine. I'm just going out for some air. In a little while, I'll have the Fourth—oh, right, Minato come find me."

"Mm..."

Kushina agreed reluctantly. She leaned against the doorframe, watching his back disappear into the night.

Lin Zi stood in the corridor outside. The night wind slipped into his collar, ruffling his short blond hair.

He took a deep breath. The sweet aroma of sukiyaki still lingered in the air, but Konoha was unnaturally quiet in the distance. Even the insects seemed to have had their voices choked off.

Before long, the door behind him opened softly.

Minato stepped outside and came to stand beside Lin Zi. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the corridor, their shadows stretching long across the floor in the moonlight.

Lin Zi narrowed his eyes.

He sensed faint chakra fluctuations in the surrounding air, like a transparent film covering the entire courtyard.

The presence of Anbu agents lingered on the roof, among the treetops, and even in the shadows along the wall. A barrier had spread silently, cutting this place off completely from the outside world.

Lin Zi turned toward Minato, his voice growing serious. "What's going on, Fourth Hokage? Are you... trying to start a fight?"

Minato didn't answer right away.

He suddenly stepped forward and placed a hand on Lin Zi's shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that."

Minato's voice came from beside Lin Zi.

"You know that. I just... don't want anyone to hear our conversation."

He let go and stepped back half a pace. His bright blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight as he stared directly into Lin Zi's eyes.

"That includes Danzo, the advisers, and... anyone else in this village."

Lin Zi was taken aback, then nodded and slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Is that so? Then what do you want to talk to me about?"

Minato's expression suddenly changed.

The warmth drained away like the tide, replaced by a cold, sharp seriousness.

He stared at Lin Zi and enunciated each word.

"I want to know—when we first met, what was that 'Senior Obito' you called out?"

The evening breeze suddenly stopped.