Minato's Family Breakfast This Morning.

The morning light was bright.

Sunlight, fine as gold dust, poured down from the east, spilling into the streets and alleys of Konoha and crawling through window cracks into people's homes.

The streets were already bustling. From several blocks away, one could hear the "hu-ha, hu-ha" sounds of the brats practicing punches at the Ninja Academy. At the school gate, vendors selling dango and various snacks were shouting at the top of their lungs, and white steam billowed upward every time a steamer lid was lifted.

The morning breeze snuck in through the window gap, blowing against the face—cool and incredibly comfortable.

Lin Zi rolled over in bed and scrambled up, his hair sticking up like a bird's nest.

He sat on the edge of the bed, dazed for two seconds, then raised his hands to rub his face haphazardly before yawning and standing up to push open the window with a "clatter."

Fresh air rushed in, carrying the scent of wood unique to the reconstruction of Konoha and the aroma of soy sauce from the breakfast stalls in the distance.

Lin Zi took a deep breath; it felt as if his lungs had been washed clean, and his mind finally cleared up a bit.

Before he could even close the window, Kushina's voice drifted in from outside.

"Naruto, are you up yet?"

The voice floated over from the end of the hallway, soft and tinged with the nasal tone of someone who had just woken up, yet it sounded quite energetic.

Immediately following were footsteps, unhurried, as slippers slapped against the wooden floor with a rhythmic "patter-patter."

Lin Zi scrambled to grab the robe draped over the back of his chair and pulled it on, shouting as he did so, "Up, I'm up!"

He straightened his collar in a few quick motions and pushed the door open to walk out.

As soon as he looked up, he saw Kushina already sitting at the dining table, holding a bowl of steaming miso soup.

The aroma of breakfast drilled straight into his nose.

Kushina looked up at him, her red hair draped over her shoulders; though her complexion was still a bit pale, her eyes were bright.

She smiled and pushed the soup bowl toward the opposite side.

"Hurry up, the food is about to get cold."

Lin Zi walked to the dining table, and just as his backside touched the stool and before his chopsticks could even graze the edge of the bowl, the back of his hand was tapped.

The tips of Kushina's chopsticks tapped lightly against his hand; the force wasn't heavy, but the meaning was clear.

"Wash your face, brush your teeth."

"I know, I know..." Lin Zi retracted his hand, muttering as he stood up. "Geez, you can't even have a peaceful meal."

Kushina sat at the table, her elbows propped on the surface and her chin resting in her palms, watching him with a smile.

"Hurry up, you look a mess."

Lin Zi shuffled into the washroom, where a brand-new set of dental gear was laid out on the counter in a blue-and-white color scheme, with a new, soft, orange-yellow towel folded beside it.

"Whoa..." He picked up the towel and rubbed it; the texture was excellent.

"Minato went out to buy them this morning," Kushina's voice drifted in from the dining room. "This color suits you well; I specifically had him pick it out. Hurry up and wash up."

Lin Zi brushed his teeth in a few quick strokes, wiped his face, and sat back down next to Kushina.

On the table in front of Lin Zi sat a bowl of piping hot miso soup, a plate of sweet tamagoyaki, and several types of pickles.

Moreover, there were two extra plump meat buns placed specifically in front of him, the skin so thin that the grease from the filling was visible, as if they were worried he wouldn't be full.

"Eat slowly." Kushina watched him, resting her chin on her hand. "Naruto, do you have anything to do today? If you don't have any plans, I wanted to take you to see Lady Biwako..."

Lin Zi stuffed half a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth and waved his hand vaguely. "I do. I agreed with Minato last night; I have to go contact a Hokage to help the current Konoha."

"Eh? A Hokage?" Kushina blinked, her chopsticks hovering in mid-air.

"Mm-hmm." Lin Zi picked up the miso soup and took a sip. "Just like Uncle Orochimaru, someone from another place. Very powerful."

As he spoke, his cheeks were puffed out like a hamster, and a bit of juice from the bun filling spilled from the corner of his mouth—salty and savory, the aroma of meat mixed with scallions, scalding but delicious.

"I see..."

Kushina lowered her eyes, her fingertips tapping lightly on the tabletop.

She had originally planned to take Lin Zi to see Lady Biwako today and meet the child while they were at it, but that flicker of disappointment that climbed to her brow was forcibly suppressed.

"Well, since you have important business to attend to, then it can't be helped."

She reached out, her palm resting gently on the top of Lin Zi's head, ruffling that tuft of golden hair.

"We'll go next time instead."

"Can't be helped, Minato asked me, so I have to take it seriously."

Lin Zi swallowed the last bite of the bun, licked the grease from the corner of his mouth, and grinned at Kushina.

"Next time! I'll definitely go with you next time."

"Mm, it's a promise."

Kushina withdrew her hand, her fingertips twisting the tablecloth. She looked up, her eyes slightly red.

"Be safe on the road, and don't be reckless."

"I know! See you next time!"

Lin Zi patted the hem of his robe to ensure it was straight, then grabbed the remaining pickled plum from the corner of the table and popped it into his mouth before heading toward the door.

"I'm heading out!"

But just as his foot crossed the threshold, he suddenly stopped and spun around.

He strode back in two steps, opened his arms, and pulled Kushina into a hug.

The embrace was brief, lasting barely two seconds.

Lin Zi's chin bumped against the hollow of her shoulder, his voice muffled: "It's a promise, then. Next time, I'll go with you. Alright, I'm off."

With that, he let go and ran out, his golden hair bobbing in the morning light.

Kushina froze in her chair, chopsticks still in hand, unable to snap out of it for a long while.

By the time she recovered, only a gust of morning breeze and the dust kicked up by Lin Zi's departure remained at the doorway.

"Honestly..."

She looked down at the empty plate of buns on the table, let out a soft laugh, and wiped the corner of her eye.

"I wonder who that kid takes after, always in such a rush..."

It wasn't until the wind from the open door blew sharply against her that Kushina finally reacted.

"That brat, he didn't even bother to close the door."

She scolded him with a smile, walked to the entrance, and pulled the door shut.

The wooden door gave a dull thud, sealing out the morning light and the bustle of the street.

Bang!

The door to the Hokage meeting room was flung open.

Minato Namikaze sat at the head of the long table, a stack of documents in his hands, head bowed as he organized them.

He seemed to be in a good mood; the corners of his mouth were curled up as he sorted the files into categories, turning his head to speak to the person on his left.

"Master Jiraiya."

Minato leaned toward Jiraiya, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"About Orochimaru, whom you mentioned last time... my boy came home last night, so I asked him for you."

Jiraiya, who had been lounging in his chair flipping through his tattered novel, sprang up as if pricked by a needle. He leaned his upper body right against Minato, his eyes gleaming.

"Oh? And how is that Orochimaru? He's still alive and kicking, right?"

Minato was amused by his reaction; he raised a hand to gesture for him to keep his voice down.

"Naruto said that Orochimaru's soul suffered some damage, so he needs to rest for a while to recover."

"Is that so..." Jiraiya let out a long sigh, collapsing back into his chair and wiping his forehead as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "I knew it. That guy is tough as nails; he'd be fine."

He paused, then suddenly leaned in again, his brows knitting together. "So... he can't make it this time?"

"Mm."

Minato nodded. He glanced at the meeting room door to ensure no one was entering before leaning close to Jiraiya's ear, his voice dropping to a mere breath.

"But Naruto also told me... he will invite a Hokage to help us."

"A Hokage?!"

Jiraiya's voice exploded, and he jumped half a foot off his chair.

The exclamation rang out like a thunderclap in the quiet meeting room, making the teacups on the table rattle.