Adopted by Water Gate

"So, that man is already dead?" A yellow-haired jonin stood before a hospital bed in the Konoha Hospital, looking down at the infant sleeping soundly on the mattress.

"Yes." A chunin beside him nodded. "He was already in critical condition when he collapsed at the gate; he practically relied on sheer willpower to make it this far."

"Have you confirmed his identity?" the yellow-haired jonin asked.

"He was from a reclusive clan on the border of the Land of Fire called the Insoro Clan. They were skilled in Wind and Lightning Release ninjutsu. The entire clan was wiped out yesterday, though it's unknown who was responsible. The man who died was a servant of the Insoro Clan, and this infant is the sole survivor, just recently born."

"The Insoro Clan?" The yellow-haired jonin frowned, having never heard of such a family.

"Because they were a reclusive clan, they never made public appearances. I only learned the name from Lord Hokage; it's classified information."

"Looks like a major headache," the yellow-haired jonin said with a wry smile. Anything involving classified matters was never simple.

Whoosh...

The ward door opened.

"Lord Hokage!" The chunin quickly greeted the person who had entered.

"Mm." The newcomer was a white-haired old man. Though he looked quite advanced in age, his spirit remained remarkably vigorous.

"Lord Hokage, what brings you here?" The yellow-haired jonin greeted him as well. In Konoha, the Hokage didn't need to handle every little thing personally. He had clearly entrusted this investigation to him, yet he had come anyway.

"Since it involves the Insoro Clan, I had to come and see for myself." The Hokage nodded at him. He was the Third Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"This Insoro Clan... what exactly is their background?"

"You may step out for a moment," the Third said to the chunin nearby.

"Yes." The man agreed and left, leaving only the Third, the yellow-haired jonin, and the infant in the room.

"Minato, the world is vast. The powerful clans of the past weren't limited to just the Senju and the Uchiha." That was a very distant history.

"Beyond the Senju and the Uchiha, there was another powerful clan. They didn't rely on any Kekkei Genkai, yet they could stand toe-to-toe with the Senju and the Uchiha."

"The Insoro Clan?" Minato Namikaze was startled; he hadn't realized such a formidable clan existed.

"Yes." The Third nodded.

"But this clan despised war and had no desire to fight or conquer, so they went into hiding. Few people ever knew of them. These records were passed down through the generations by the Senju and Uchiha. If I weren't the Hokage, I likely wouldn't know of them either."

"But if they were so powerful, how were they wiped out... and who did it?" Minato looked at the infant on the bed, feeling puzzled.

The Third shook his head. "It is said that the man who led the clan back then was named Insoro Kon. He was a ninja with prophetic abilities. He predicted the founding of Konoha, the peace between the Uchiha and Senju, and the great battle between Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage."

"Pro... prophecy?" Minato was even more shocked now. In his understanding, the only one capable of prophecy was the one at Mount Myoboku. Yet this Insoro Kon could not only prophesy, but do so with such detail and accuracy.

"In any case... this matter must be investigated further. But before that, this infant... I leave him to you, Minato." The Third glanced at the baby, then looked at Minato with a solemn expression.

"Eh? What do you mean..." Minato froze.

"You will be responsible for raising this child from now on." The Third continued to look at Minato, his expression unchanging.

"You can't be serious! Kushina and I just got married, and she only just found out she's pregnant... and you want me to bring home another child!?"

"Haha, she won't suspect it's your illegitimate child. You should also start preparing to take over as the Fourth Hokage." The Third patted Minato on the shoulder and left the ward with a smile, leaving a bewildered Minato behind.

"What a... major headache." Minato looked at the infant on the bed, tapped his forehead, and picked him up.

A helpless Minato carried the infant out of the Konoha Hospital.

As Minato walked down the street, the infant in his arms opened his eyes, looking up at the handsome man before him.

What a headache. I just opened my eyes, survived a brush with death, and now I've become the adopted son of Minato Namikaze, the infant thought in Minato's arms.

Minato Namikaze was having a headache over him, and he was having a headache over Minato Namikaze.

In truth, he had woken up while the Third and Minato were talking. Hearing the name "Insoro Kon," he was certain that Insoro Kon must have been a transmigrator as well. There was no "Insoro Clan" in the original Naruto story. If he were a normal person, how could he have built a clan capable of rivaling the descendants of Indra and Asura?

It was fortunate that he had studied in Japan for three years, so he could understand Japanese.

That Insoro Kon must have known the plot of Naruto very well to have navigated the Warring States period so successfully.

That era wasn't long ago compared to now; Insoro Kon would have been his great-grandfather, and this infant was the young master of the Insoro Clan.

Sigh...

The infant let out a deep, internal sigh.

Seeming to sense the movement of the baby in his arms, Minato looked down and smiled, reaching out to tease the child.

Being in an infant's body, he cooperated by happily gripping Minato's finger and smiling. This smile only made Minato like him even more.

"When we get home, Kushina will definitely love you too," Minato said to the infant with a smile.

Of course she'll love a baby, the infant thought silently. There isn't a woman alive who wouldn't be charmed by a baby.

Soon, Minato arrived at his doorstep with the infant. Although they weren't married yet, he and Kushina had been living together for a long time.

As he opened the door, Kushina's voice rang out, "You're back!"

"I'm back!" Minato called out. Footsteps echoed from inside the house as Kushina walked to the door to greet him.

Minato took off his shoes and prepared to step inside. The next moment, their eyes met, and Kushina's smile froze on her face.

Minato Namikaze also wore an awkward smile. Kushina's expression... this was not good.

"Minato..." Kushina kept her smile fixed on the child in Minato's arms, but that beautiful smile looked incredibly dangerous.

"Listen, let me explain... Kushina." Minato maintained his awkward smile as he spoke.

"Mm... mm..." Just as Minato was about to continue, the infant in his arms let out two soft hums and reached out his tiny hand toward Kushina.