In Minato Namikaze's personal space.
In surroundings identical to Minato's home in Konoha, Kushina and Minato quietly held each other.
Minato gently recounted every little thing that had happened to him during this time.
From his first mission and his hard-fought battle against Kizaru, to the astonishing things he witnessed in Main God Space; his first enhancement purchase, traveling through time to fight Red-Haired, and the promises he made to little Nami and little Luffy...
"After all that, I finally saved up enough reward points to bring you back to life. And so, you came back."
Minato summed it all up with a sigh, sounding a little proud as well.
As Kushina listened, she grew anxious and worried at times, and burst into laughter at others.
But after hearing everything, her eyes turned red. She said nothing, only gazing fixedly at her beloved as she reached out to gently caress his face.
"Minato, I missed you so much, too! So very much. You've worked so hard to get here."
Hearing his beloved's concern, Minato, whose resolve was as tough as iron, felt his nose sting and nearly began to cry again.
He gently laid his palm over Kushina's, his voice hoarse but firm.
"From now on, I'll protect our family."
The Ninja World, Konoha.
A flash of light appeared, and Minato and Kushina materialized inside the Uzumaki Residence.
"Welcome home, Kushina."
Minato spoke gently as he held Kushina's hand.
Seeing every familiar decoration, Kushina's heart swelled with joy. She stepped forward and hugged Minato tightly.
After holding each other for a while...
"Where's Naruto? I want to see my son."
"Haruna's looking after him. At this time, she should be soothing him in the yard. Haruna is a younger member of Lord Third's clan, so she can be trusted."
In the Namikaze family's little yard, lush with green grass...
Haruna Sarutobi, gentle as a traditional Japanese beauty, was helping little Naruto learn to walk, one step at a time. Naruto's giggles and Haruna's laughter filled the entire yard.
"Naruto! Naruto!"
At the end of Naruto's unsteady steps, Kushina was already weeping uncontrollably.
To her, coming back from the dead had taken only an instant. But the child she remembered as a newborn in swaddling clothes could now stumble around on his own. The enormous gap in time, and the guilt surging in her heart, made the strong kunoichi weep bitterly.
Haruna stared in surprise at Kushina's sudden appearance.
As the village's famous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Kushina was someone almost every ninja clan knew.
But since Sarutobi had sent Haruna to secretly care for little Naruto, she was naturally the sort of person who knew what to ask and what not to. Besides, Minato Namikaze was standing in the yard, quietly watching everything.
"Lady Kushina, Lord Namikaze, welcome back."
Haruna bowed to them, then briskly left.
Just then, little Naruto babbled his way over to Kushina. Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he was about to fall.
Kushina reacted in a flash, crouched down to catch him, then scooped him into her arms.
Naruto seemed to sense the bond of blood between them. Held by Kushina, he let out a string of giggles.
"Naruto, my precious child! Let Mommy hold you. Mommy missed you so much!"
Kushina's heart melted. She held Naruto close and showered him with affection.
At that moment, little Naruto seemed to understand her words. His tiny pink lips parted slightly.
"M-Mommy. Mommy, hold me!"
Tears streamed down Kushina's cheeks, and she gently patted Naruto's back.
"Mommy's here. Mommy's here. Mommy's holding her precious little baby~"
A warm, broad chest pressed against Kushina's back, embracing both mother and child.
"From now on, we'll always be together. We'll have plenty of time. As his mother, you'll have to make sure he eats properly, doesn't get picky, and bathes on time~ I'll protect you both."
In that moment, immense warmth and happiness enveloped the family. Kushina wished time would stop right then and there, so they could stay happy together forever and ever...
Early the next morning, Minato secretly brought Kushina to the Hokage Office.
When Kushina's bright red hair came into view before the Third Hokage, he nearly snapped his treasured pipe in half.
"Kushina, you really did come back to life!" The Third Hokage still couldn't believe it.
"That's right, Lord Third. I have Minato to thank." Kushina gave Minato a tender glance.
"Phew..." Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his pipe and let out a long breath.
"Minato told me before that he would bring you back to life. I thought he was just giving himself something to hold on to. I never imagined he'd really do it!"
Minato smiled faintly and spoke.
"Lord Third, I've always kept my word."
"Hahaha, true. You are the pride of Konoha. And if you could come back to life, then Kushina's return isn't so unbelievable, either."
After they caught up, the three began discussing more serious matters.
"Now that Kushina has returned, Minato..." The Third hesitated, then said, "Why don't you take up the mantle of Hokage again? The other villages in the Ninja World think Konoha has no successors. This is exactly when we need you to step forward and rally everyone."
Indeed, it had been more than a year since Minato's death. Konoha had suffered too much upheaval during that time:
The Nine-Tails Incident had dealt a heavy blow to Konoha's great ninja clans. The Fourth Hokage, who had inspired fear throughout the Ninja World, and his wife, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had both died in battle. Of the Sannin, one had defected and two had left. The Third Hokage was the only Kage Level fighter openly remaining, and the surrounding villages had been itching to make a move for a long time.
The Sunagakure Ninja and Cloud Village were particularly unhappy that Konoha possessed vast, fertile lands in the heart of the Ninja World while they were confined to barren territory. The two sides had already clashed several times.
Minato knew the Third Hokage was right, but his reply dispelled the Third Hokage's idea.
"Third Hokage, it may look as though I haven't returned to the village, but I've actually returned to another battlefield.
"I told you before that the Ninja World is on the brink of great upheaval. Countless powerful people will emerge, and among them will be no shortage of ambitious figures.
"A strategy limited to a single village or world won't be enough to protect the village.
"After the last mission, I believe many ninja villages already know that I'm still alive. Once they learn that, the various conflicts you're worried about should quickly subside."
Minato was referring to the ninjas who had taken part in the battle against Hanba, as well as the few lower-ranking ninjas from other villages whom he had briefly glimpsed during the world mission.
Through them, word of the Yellow Flash's return would naturally spread throughout the Ninja World.
A note: although Main God Space forbade mentioning anything about itself, that mainly meant its rules, mechanics, and specific missions. There was nothing wrong with sharing news like Minato's resurrection, as long as he didn't say he was a Reincarnator from Main God Space.
Things did indeed turn out as Minato had said. A few days after his return, all the other villages' provocations against Konoha abruptly stopped. In their place came an unprecedented wave of infiltration by spies.
Of course, the Ninja World's reaction came later. For now, let's leave it aside.
The Third Hokage was swept up in Minato's confidence, but his brows soon furrowed as he asked:
"What do you think Konoha should do amid this great upheaval?"
"It's simple. We must get ahead of the tide of change! If we can't guide it, then we must adapt to the times and make sure they don't leave us behind!"
Minato's words rang out with conviction. When he finished, he took out a document he had prepared in advance and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
A few large characters came into view:
<Analysis of Changes in the Ninja World and Konoha's Response Strategy>
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