Reunion

Fei Shi was dumbfounded. Had Naruto finally come around? The student had surpassed the master. Minato Namikaze had been flirting with girls at eight, and Naruto was doing it at four?

Then his face lit up with joy. This was great news!

"What are you so happy about? Take this brat and get out! My daughter is only four, so why is he dragging her all over the place? Huh?"

So that was it? I thought he'd been groping her or kissing her. Tch! How boring!

"It's fine, it's fine. You know who this kid is, right? Do you really think he isn't good enough for little Hinata?"

Hyuga Hiashi said gravely, "I know. But she's the heir to the Main Branch. Do you think this kid would marry into our family?"

That's it? That's all?

"This is a Great Chu specialty. It's good stuff—everyone who uses it says so. With this, you can have a few more kids."

Hyuga Hiashi: "..."

You really are shameless!

"Don't meddle in the children's affairs. Give them enough freedom, and she'll give you an answer you'll be happy with."

Hyuga Hiashi fell silent.

He thought Fei Shi had a point, but he couldn't bring himself to indulge his daughter when their clan rules stood in the way.

"Didn't I tell you? I'll make sure Hinata gets those eyes."

"Is that true?!"

Hyuga Hiashi knew just how powerful the Tenseigan was. If his daughter could get those eyes too, he'd even let her rewrite the clan rules.

"Hahahaha! When have I ever gone back on my word?"

"Fine! But that kid..."

"You'll understand someday just how exceptional he is. If you lose him, you'll regret it more than you can imagine."

Hyuga Hiashi fell silent again, seeming to weigh a certain decision.

"Fine!"

Hyuga Hiashi gritted his teeth.

"I know you wouldn't joke about something this important. Then let's pick a date and arrange their engagement."

"What! An engagement?!"

"Isn't that... a little too soon?"

Fei Shi hadn't expected Hyuga Hiashi to go all in and hand Hinata straight over to Naruto.

"It's fine. It's only an engagement. Even if he doesn't have parents right now, he has you as his guardian."

Fine, then.

"Naruto! Let's go! We have a guest at home!"

"Big brother Fei Shi, who's here?"

On the way, Naruto asked Fei Shi what kind of guest had made him come in person to fetch him.

"You'll see when we get there."

"Oh."

I wonder who it is.

Grandpa Third Hokage? No, Big Brother Fei Shi doesn't like him much. He said Grandpa Third Hokage extorts him every time he visits.

He wouldn't have made such a fuss over him.

So who is it?

"I'm back with Naruto. Come out and see him."

"Naruto!"

A delighted voice rang out, and Naruto saw a red-haired woman rushing toward him. The moment he saw her, an inexplicable happiness welled up inside him, so strong that he wanted to cry.

Before Naruto could react, the woman pulled him into her arms.

"Naruto! Waaaaah, my child! I finally get to see you! Waaaaah!"

Crack!

Her words struck Naruto's heart like a bolt from the blue.

My... child?

Is she talking about... me?

Am I the "child" she means?

Is she my mother? Is she really my mother?

"Are you... Mom? Are you my mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart, it's me. I'm your mother. We'll never be apart again, waaaah."

"Mom! Waaaaah! Where did you go? Grandpa Third Hokage said you went somewhere far away. He said you wouldn't be back for a long time... I—I kept waiting for you to come back...

Other people said that going somewhere far away meant you were dead, that you weren't in this world anymore. I thought... I thought..."

Naruto cried his eyes out as he told them about all the things he'd imagined over the years.

"Naruto, don't cry. You're a man. Whether now or in the future, don't cry, understand?"

Minato Namikaze stepped forward to comfort Naruto.

"You're... Dad!"

Naruto said it with absolute certainty.

They had the same blue eyes and blond hair. He had to be his dad.

Naruto looked at Minato Namikaze expectantly, and Minato nodded.

"Be strong, Naruto."

As his father, he didn't know how to comfort Naruto. All he could do was encourage him to be strong.

"Mm."

Tears shimmered in Naruto's eyes, but his smile was radiant.

He had parents now, too.

Whenever he saw other children walking around with their parents, he'd felt envious. He'd wanted to go out with his parents, and he'd wanted them by his side.

Even if his parents hit him for being naughty or told him he was a handful, he'd still have been happy. More than anything, he longed for parents, whether they showed him affection or scolded him.

He'd never even seen his parents before. Fei Shi couldn't give him a father's love or a mother's love.

Now that his parents had returned, his deepest longing had been fulfilled. From now on, he had parents, too.

Hinata watched Naruto cry tears of joy and was happy for him, too. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

Sasuke looked cold and indifferent, but the curve of his lips gave him away.

As the rival (friend) who argued with Naruto every time they met, how could he not be happy for him?

But if he let it show, it would ruin his image, and Naruto would definitely tease him about it later.

"Minato, come here for a moment."

Minato reluctantly tore his gaze away from Naruto and followed Fei Shi into a nearby room.

"What is it, Fei Shi? Is something important?"

He was deeply grateful to Fei Shi for taking care of Naruto and bringing him and his wife back to life. Whatever help Fei Shi needed, he wouldn't refuse.

This immense kindness had reunited his family, and he could never repay it. All he could do was spend the rest of his life trying.

"I need your help with something. Both you and your wife."

Seeing Fei Shi's serious expression, Minato Namikaze made up his mind. Even if it meant risking his life, he would help.

"Tell me."

He treated his benefactor with great respect, even though Fei Shi was much younger than him.

"Take a look at this book. Once I've purged the Uchiha Clan, I plan to send them to my base to do this. After they learn these ideas and put them into practice, I don't think the Uchiha Clan will remain as arrogant and stubborn as they were."

Minato Namikaze took the book and began reading it carefully. At first, he was shocked, but soon he was absorbed by its contents.

He was young and more open to new ideas than the older generation.

When he encountered ideas that seemed outrageous for the times, he first thought Fei Shi was crazy. Then he realized they were visionary.

Even when he'd become Hokage and governed Konoha, he'd only guaranteed people's safety. But the ideas in this book made him realize how narrow his own perspective had been.

He'd only considered Konoha, while Fei Shi had long since set his sights on the entire Ninja World.

"This is excellent. Truly excellent. But the moment you put your theory into practice, you'll face opposition and suppression. It would seriously threaten the rule of the nobles and daimyō. If you use force to deal with them, the results are obvious: people will think these ideas are just promises you've made to win them over, and that you only want to rule the Ninja World."

Minato Namikaze kept praising the book, while also pointing out the obstacles Fei Shi would face.

The Naruto story of the Legend of Uchiha.