"You..."
Seeing the teenage girl poking her head through the door, Minato was at a loss for words. He could only stare at her face, filled with doubt and uncertainty.
The girl wore a black mask covering her nose and mouth, revealing only the upper half of her face, and she was dressed in her usual black clothes. Additionally, she had a Konoha headband tilted to cover her left eye.
Her long white hair cascaded over her shoulders down to her chest. Combined with her mask and the way she wore her headband, she looked cool and seemed out of place.
*Sensei~
Seeing the teenage girl, Minato didn't have time to appreciate her appearance as his mind drifted to his memories. These memories belonged to the original Minato, not Jake.
When the teenage girl came into view, her style seemed familiar to him. However, he quickly dismissed the idea, thinking they must be related somehow.
Despite this, a nagging feeling told him things weren't that simple. Curious, he recalled all of the original Minato's memories, even from his childhood.
As he delved deeper into the original Minato's memories, what he discovered shocked him.
He hadn't bothered to look at old Minato's memories before, deeming it unnecessary.
He thought he knew enough about Minato's life in the Shinobi world, feeling confident due to his knowledge from manga and anime.
However, now it seemed that wasn't the case. It was as if someone had traveled to the past and kicked an enormous rock, altering the timeline of the Naruto universe he knew.
*Sensei~
"Sensei, are you okay?" The worried voice of the teenage girl reached Minato's ears.
Amidst his daze and chaotic thoughts, her concerned voice suppress sll. He snapped out of his daze and looked at her, focusing on her uncovered right eye.
Despite the lingering doubt in his heart, Minato kept a composed expression and acted as if nothing was amiss.
Gazing at her eye, Minato gently asked, "What brings you here, Kagashi? Is there a problem?"
From the original Minato's memories, Minato recognized her as Kagashi, a name nearly identical to Kakashi from his own knowledge. Though it seemed unbelievable, he had to accept that this Kagashi was a different version of Kakashi.
"I'm here to check on you, as Kushina-san asked," Kagashi said, casting a quick glance at Minato's sweat-covered upper body.
If one looked closely, a faint blush could be seen on her face just above her mask.
"Ahem."
Minato coughed lightly, noting Kagashi's gaze and clearly sensing the change in her expression with his high perception.
Caught red handed, Kagashi blushed deeply and turned her gaze away, clearly embarrassed. She hadn't expected Minato to notice her quick glance at his bare upper body.
Minato couldn't help but smile at her endearing reaction. He found it amusing, surprised that even Kakashi's female version could display such a charming and cute behavior.
Feeling amused, Minato said, "Well, I'm fine now. Thank you for your concern, I appreciated it."
After a moment, he added, "So, how is Kushina? Is she alright?"
"Y-Yes, Kushina-san is in good condition, and baby Naruto-kun is with her. S-She moved from the hospital a week ago and is staying at your house," Kagashi stammered in response.
"A week?"
Minato was confused by Kagashi's words. From his perspective, it seemed like the Nine-Tailed Fox's rampage had only occurred the night before.
He thought of this because he had fully integrated all of the old Minato's memories into his own mind and soul. Now, he was no different from the original Minato, as the transmigration process had completely fused their bodies, minds, and souls into one.
"Yes, a week ago. The Nine-Tailed Fox attack happened two weeks ago, and you've been asleep for that entire time," Kagashi said, gazing at Minato's refined, handsome face.
Although she had witnessed the rapid changes in Minato's appearance over the past week, she wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Over the past week, she had visited Minato daily to check on his condition, as instructed by Kushina. Although she initially found his changes hard to believe, she became accustomed to them over time and now viewed them as normal.
Additionally, she kept this news from Kushina, believing it would be a pleasant surprise for her.
"Hmm, I see. So two weeks have already passed while I was out," Minato said, nodding in understanding.
He was somewhat surprised that the fusion process took weeks, even with Heaven's help. Nevertheless, he didn't dwell on it and looked Kagashi in the eyes.
"So, how is the village? Is it in good condition?" he asked.
Since he was now Minato in mind, body, and soul, he felt a sense of responsibility for the village as its Hokage.
"Yes, during your absence, Lord Third Hokage supervised the village, and the reconstruction is almost complete," Kagashi responded.
"I thought so," Minato nodded, having anticipated the answer.
He then walked toward the door and said, "Let's go outside. I want to see Kushina. I've really missed her."
Meanwhile, seeing that Minato was about to passed her, Kagashi quickly said, "S-Sensei, wait!" She stammered.
"Hmm?" Minato stopped, raising an eyebrow at Kagashi in confusion.
Blushing, Kagashi pointed at Minato's bare chest and stammered, "P-Put some c-clothes on."
Minato realized and smiled, "Oh, how silly of me." With a wave of his hand, the clothes from the top of the bed appeared in his hand, showcasing his jutsu.
He then put on the clothes, covering his bare upper body. After doing so, he stepped toward the door and opened it.
"Let's go," he said, walking out of the room.
Meanwhile, Kagashi watched as Minato walked out of the room, a hint of regret visible in her eyes.
After a moment, she followed him out of the room.
....
As Minato and Kagashi exited the Konoha Hospital, they encountered many medical-nin along the way, each greeting Minato as a Fourth Hokage respectfully upon seeing him.
Standing outside the hospital in the midday sun, Minato gazed into the distance at the nearly rebuilt infrastructures. Seeing the hardworking villagers and Shinobis collaborating, he nodded in approval.
He then stepped onto the road, walking toward his house, which was quite close to the Hokage building, with Kagashi following behind.
As he walked toward his house, Minato passed by many villagers and Shinobi who greeted him warmly. He responded with a nod, appreciating their hard work.
Amidst the villagers' happy smiles and the Shinobis' respectful gazes, he could sense the underlying sorrow that they couldn't hide from his high perception.
Halfway toward the house, Kagashi suddenly stopped and glanced at Minato's back.
Minato noticed Kagashi had stopped and turned to look at her masked face, asking, "What's the matter, Kagashi?"
"Sensei, I'm going to part ways here and head to my house. My father should be returning from his mission soon, and I want to welcome him back," Kagashi said firmly, looking at Minato.
Nodding, Minato replied, "Mhm, go ahead. Also, send my regards to Sakumo Hatake when he returns from his mission." He smiled gently.
Seeing Minato's smile, Kagashi faintly blushed and felt a surge of joy. "Yes, Sensei. See you later," she replied, bowing before parting ways with him.
Minato watched Kagashi leave with a slight chuckle before turning to continue on his way to his house.
He wasn't surprised to hear that her father, who was now supposed to be dead in this world, was returning from a mission. From what he recalled of the original Minato's memories, this world was indeed different from what he used to know.
All the information he had about the Shinobi world from Earth seemed useless. While it might provide a general idea of the future in this current Shinobi world, the likelihood of those events occurring was slim to none.
With these thoughts in mind, Minato continued toward his house. Each step reinforced his determination to face this familiar yet unfamiliar world.
His heart was filled with excitement for the unknown challenges he might encounter in this cruel Shinobi world.