The Namikaze Family's Breakfast This Morning

The sky was bright.

Fine sunlight, golden as coins, spilled down from the east and poured into every street and alley in Konoha, slipping through the window cracks and into people's homes.

The streets were already bustling. Even from several blocks away, the little brats at the Ninja Academy could be heard shouting "Hyah! Hyah!" as they practiced their punches. Vendors outside the school hawked dumplings and all kinds of snacks, while clouds of white steam billowed up whenever they lifted the lids of their steamers.

The morning breeze slipped in through the window crack, cool and pleasant against the face.

Lin Zi rolled over in bed, then scrambled upright in one go, his hair sticking up like a bird's nest.

He sat on the edge of the bed and stared blankly for two seconds. Then he rubbed his face haphazardly and stood up with a yawn, reaching out to swish open the window in front of him.

Fresh air rushed inside, carrying the distinctive smell of wood from Konoha's reconstruction and the soy sauce aroma from a distant breakfast stall.

Lin Zi took a deep breath. It felt as if his lungs had been washed clean, and his mind finally began to clear.

Before he could close the window, Kushina's voice came from outside.

"Naruto, are you up?"

Her voice drifted from the end of the hallway, soft and a little nasal with sleep, but still sounding fairly lively.

Footsteps followed, unhurried. Slippers padded lightly against the wooden floor.

Lin Zi hastily grabbed the robe draped over the chair and pulled it on as he called, "I'm up, I'm up!"

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

The moment he looked up, he saw Kushina sitting at the dining table, holding a steaming bowl of miso soup.

The scent of breakfast wafted straight into his nose.

Kushina looked up at him. Her red hair fell over her shoulders, and though her face was still a little pale, her eyes were bright.

She smiled and nudged the bowl toward the seat opposite her.

"Come on, it's going to get cold."

Lin Zi walked over to the table. His butt had barely touched the chair, and his chopsticks hadn't even reached the rim of his bowl when the back of his hand got a light smack.

The tip of Kushina's chopsticks had tapped his hand. It hadn't hurt, but the message was clear.

"Wash your face and brush your teeth."

"I know, I know..." Lin Zi pulled his hand back and grumbled as he stood up. "Honestly, can't a guy even eat in peace?"

Kushina sat at the table with her elbow propped on it and her chin resting in her palm, watching him with a smile.

"Go on. You're all grubby. What would people think?"

Lin Zi shuffled into the washroom. A brand-new toothbrush set sat on the counter, blue and white, with a new orange-yellow towel folded beside it. It looked so soft.

"Wow..." He picked up the towel and rubbed it between his hands. It felt really nice.

"Minato went out to buy all of it this morning," Kushina called from the dining room. "That color suits you. I made sure he picked it out. Hurry up and wash up."

Lin Zi brushed his teeth in a few quick strokes, wiped his face, and returned to his seat beside Kushina.

On the table in front of Lin Zi sat a steaming bowl of miso soup, a plate of sweet tamagoyaki, and a few kinds of pickles.

And only in front of him were two plump meat buns, their thin skins revealing glistening spots of oil, as if she'd gone out of her way to make sure he wouldn't go hungry.

"Take your time," Kushina said, watching him with her chin propped on her hand. "Naruto, do you have anything to do today? If you don't have any plans, I'd like to take you over to see Lady Biwako..."

Lin Zi stuffed half a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth and waved his hand indistinctly. "I've got something to do. I talked it over with Minato last night. I'm going to contact a Hokage to help Konoha as it is now."

"Huh? A Hokage?" Kushina blinked, her chopsticks frozen in midair.

"Mm-hmm." Lin Zi lifted his miso soup and took a sip. "Like Uncle Snake, someone from another place. They're really strong."

As he spoke, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster. A little juice from the meat bun dribbled from the corner of his mouth. It was savory, the aroma of meat mingling with scallions. It was hot enough to burn his tongue, but delicious.

"I see..."

Kushina lowered her eyes and lightly tapped the table twice with her fingertips.

She'd planned to take Lin Zi to see Lady Biwako today and visit the child together, but the disappointment that had just crept into her expression was quickly pushed back down.

"But if you have something important to do, then it can't be helped."

She reached out and gently ruffled the tuft of blond hair sticking up on Lin Zi's head.

"We can go another time."

"Can't help it. Minato asked me, so I've got to take it seriously."

Lin Zi swallowed the last bite of his bun, licked the oil 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 and rubbed her fingertips against the tablecloth. She looked up, her eyes slightly red.

"Be careful on the way. Don't go rushing around."

"I know! See you next time!"

Lin Zi patted the hem of his robe, making sure his collar wasn't crooked. Then he casually picked up the half-eaten pickled plum at the corner of the table and popped it into his mouth before heading for the door.

"I'm off—"

But the moment he crossed the threshold, he suddenly stopped and spun around.

He took two quick steps back, spread his arms, and hugged Kushina.

The hug was brief, only about two seconds.

Lin Zi's chin bumped against her shoulder, and his voice came out muffled. "It's a promise, okay? I'll go with you next time. I'm off now."

Then he let go and ran outside, his golden bangs bouncing in the morning light.

Kushina sat frozen in her chair, still holding her chopsticks. For a long moment, she couldn't react.

By the time she came to her senses, all that remained at the doorway was a gust of morning wind and the dust Lin Zi had kicked up as he ran off.

"Honestly..."

She looked down at the empty plate that had held the buns and suddenly smiled, lifting a hand to dab at the corner of her eye.

"I wonder who this child takes after, always rushing around..."

Only after the wind blowing through the open doorway had buffeted her twice did Kushina finally realize.

"That brat! He couldn't even close the door."

She laughed as she scolded him, then walked over and pulled the door shut.

The wooden door thudded closed, shutting out the morning light and the bustle of the street.

Bang!

The door to the Hokage's conference room was yanked open.

Minato Namikaze sat in the middle of the long table, clutching a stack of documents and sorting through them with his head bowed.

He looked to be in a very good mood, the corners of his mouth turned up as he sorted the documents into neat piles and turned to speak to the person on his left.

"Jiraiya-sensei."

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

"About Orochimaru-senpai, whom you mentioned last time... My kid came back last night, and I asked him about it for you."

Jiraiya had been sprawled in his chair, flipping through that worn-out novel of his. At Minato's words, he sprang up as if he'd been stuck with a needle, leaning right up against him, his eyes shining.

"Oh? How's Orochimaru? He's still alive and kicking, right?"

Minato's lips curved at Jiraiya's reaction. He raised a hand and pressed down gently, signaling him to keep his voice down.

"Naruto said Orochimaru-senpai's soul was injured a little. He'll need some time to recover."

"Really..." Jiraiya let out a long breath and sank back into his chair, wiping his forehead as if he'd just set down a thousand-pound burden. "I knew it. That guy's too stubborn to die. He's definitely fine."

He paused, then leaned forward again, his brows knotted. "So... he can't come this time?"

"Mm."

Minato nodded and glanced toward the conference room entrance. After making sure no one was coming in, he leaned close to Jiraiya's ear and lowered his voice until it was barely a breath.

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

"A Hokage?!"

Jiraiya's voice boomed as he shot halfway out of his chair.

The shout rang through the quiet conference room like a thunderclap, making the teacups on the table jump.