Warmth

At the barbecue restaurant, Lu Yan and Kurenai Yuhi greeted the regulars around them.

Uncle Sasaki stood there like a mountain. Watching Lu Yan, he trembled with excitement. "Little Obito, I'm just glad you made it back safely. Your meal's on the house today. We're celebrating your safe return."

"Thank you, Uncle Sasaki."

Lu Yan smiled sincerely, warmth flowing through his heart. Looking at Sasaki's big face, he suddenly felt a deep sense of kinship.

"Oh, right. Minato, Kushina, Rin, Kakashi, and the others have all been really worried about you. Remember to go back and let them know you're safe."

Sasaki looked at Lu Yan and Kurenai Yuhi, both dusty from the road, and reminded him.

"I will."

Lu Yan nodded. Thinking of his teacher's wife Kushina blowing her top, he suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Uncle Sasaki's cooking for you himself today. Just wait."

As he watched Uncle Sasaki head toward the kitchen, Lu Yan turned to Kurenai Yuhi with a grin. "How's that? Doesn't it feel welcoming?"

Kurenai Yuhi had been hungry for a while and was eating the appetizers that had arrived first. She looked up and rolled her eyes at Lu Yan, mumbling through a mouthful, "How could I not feel welcome when it's free?"

"This time doesn't count. You still have to treat me next time."

Lu Yan stared at Kurenai Yuhi's puffed cheeks and poked them with a finger. Feigning surprise, he exclaimed, "You've got some nerve. I saved you, and you still want me to pay?"

Kurenai Yuhi knocked his hand away with her chopsticks, glaring fiercely. "You promised last time when you pinched my cheek. Don't tell me you're going back on your word."

"Begging for food by acting cute? Of course I remember."

Lu Yan wore an amused smile, recalling the way Kurenai Yuhi had looked at him with hungry eyes the last time he'd made roast rabbit.

"You have to make it yourself next time, and it has to be roast rabbit."

Kurenai Yuhi blushed faintly and stared at Lu Yan with wide, red eyes.

"Sure."

Lu Yan took Kurenai Yuhi's cheeks in both hands and pulled them outward, nodding obediently.

"Stop pinching me. I'm eating."

Kurenai Yuhi pouted in displeasure, but didn't push his hands away.

On the way to Minato-sensei's place, Lu Yan walked with some trepidation. Those who pinched others would get pinched in turn. At the thought of Kushina, his ears began to itch. I'm a respectable second-level wizard now, a powerful Kage Level fighter. What kind of behavior is pinching my ears?

Lu Yan nodded to himself, deciding he ought to show some backbone. He marched up and knocked on Namikaze Minato's door.

"Who is it?"

A weak voice came from inside the house. Kushina appeared before Lu Yan with disheveled hair and a pale face.

"Little Obito!"

"You little brat!"

Kushina covered her mouth in disbelief. Then her expression changed, and she glared fiercely at Lu Yan. With practiced ease, she reached out and twisted his ear.

"Ow, ow! Teacher's wife, I'm sorry."

Lu Yan bent down a little to make it easier for Kushina to twist his ear, wearing a fawning smile.

"Thank goodness you're back. I'm just glad you're all right."

Kushina suddenly pulled Lu Yan into her arms. Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened.

Namikaze Minato stood in the entryway, watching with a smile. The weariness on his face gave way to relief.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Come on in."

He walked over, patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, and invited him inside.

Lu Yan broke free of Kushina's embrace and let out a long breath. He apologized to Namikaze Minato. "Minato-sensei, I'm sorry for making you worry."

That only set Kushina off again. She twisted Lu Yan's ear and shouted, "You little brat! Do you know how worried we were? Minato kept using the Flying Thunder God to search for you along the border. Even the old Hokage couldn't stand to watch, so he had him called back."

"Kakashi and Rin were worried about you too. Rin cried so many times."

"Really?"

Lu Yan awkwardly scratched his head. At the time, he'd only been thinking about how much stronger he'd become after returning from the other world, and how he wouldn't have to fear anything anymore. He hadn't really considered how the people around him felt.

Seeing Kushina with fire blazing in her eyes and her red hair flying, Lu Yan shuddered and smiled sheepishly. "I'm really sorry. I was wrong."

Then his eyes darted aside, and he turned and ran out. "Teacher, Teacher's wife, I'll go let everyone know I'm safe first. See you later."

"That little brat!"

Kushina glared after Lu Yan. The more worried she'd been, the angrier she was now.

"All that matters is that he's safe."

Namikaze Minato put an arm around Kushina's shoulders, his face relaxed and gentle.

"I wonder what he went off to do."

Kushina buried her face in Namikaze Minato's chest and nuzzled against him a few times.

"I'll ask him later. I believe Obito wouldn't do anything bad. I'll speak to the Hokage about it."

Namikaze Minato gently stroked Kushina's red hair. Looking out at the sunshine, he suddenly felt that the day was beautiful.

Lu Yan let out a breath as he walked back toward the Uchiha Clan Compound, his heart full of complicated, warm regret.

"Naruto, hurry up and be born. I promise I won't beat you to death."

Whenever Lu Yan thought about Kushina's gentle motherly image in the anime and compared it to how she was now, he couldn't help feeling that anime couldn't be trusted. He would silently pray for Naruto to be born soon, hoping that might make his teacher's wife gentler. If not, at least he'd have someone else to vent on. Naruto could take a beating, anyway.

Just as he was thinking about something amusing, Lu Yan stopped. The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes spun rapidly as he stared in one direction and said in a low voice, "Come out."

"Obito Uchiha."

"Come with us."

Three Root shinobi emerged from the shadows. Fuma, their leader, narrowed his eyes as he saw Lu Yan's Three-Tomoe Sharingan and spoke sternly.

Looking at the three shinobi, who were subtly surrounding him, Lu Yan took in their Anbu attire and said playfully, "Anbu, or did that old dog Danzo send you?"

"Are you asking to die?"

A fierce glint flashed in Fuma's eyes, and countless gigantic Shuriken and other weapons flew toward Lu Yan.

"You're the ones asking to die."

Lu Yan leapt into the air. Magic power surged into Ivory in his hand, and he fired a huge wind blast at the three attackers.

A gale sprang up out of nowhere, scattering the weapons flying toward Lu Yan and throwing the three Root shinobi off balance as they attacked him.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Twisting in midair, he sent bullets curving around to surround the three men.

Loud explosions rang out. The two subordinates behind Fuma were blasted away, their charred bodies hitting the ground.

Fuma's chest was wounded by the blast, and his left hand was frozen in ice. Leaning against the wall, he stared at Lu Yan and gasped, "Lord Danzo won't let you get away with this."

"I'll send him down to join you."

Lu Yan's lips curled in disdain as he raised Ebony and aimed it at Fuma's forehead.

Bang!

Lu Yan continued toward the Uchiha Clan Compound as a fierce blaze erupted behind him.