The tension from the earlier emotional moments hadn't fully settled, but the warmth in the room had begun to grow.
Kakashi stood at the center, arms crossed, watching the revived souls settle in. It still amazed him how real and alive they looked. But now came the next part, introducing everyone properly.
"Before anything else, I should tell you that the current Hokage… is Tsunade." Kakashi cleared his throat.
"That old fossil Hiruzen… gave up power? Impossible." Fugaku's brows twitched upward in surprise.
"He didn't. Orochimaru killed him." Kakashi smirked a little.
Fugaku's eyes widened, then he turned sharply to Orochimaru. Without hesitation, he patted the pale Sannin's shoulder and nodded in approval. "Well done."
Orochimaru's mouth twitched slightly. "It wasn't me," he said, voice dry. "It was that… inferior clone of mine. The one you're all used to." He gave Sasuke a brief sideways glance.
"Clone?" Fugaku looked confused.
Kakashi stepped in. "He's like you now. Reborn with his soul in a new body. Free of his old burdens."
Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged glances, then slowly nodded in understanding.
Meanwhile, Kushina had been staring at Kakashi for a moment, as if something had been bothering her. Finally, she walked up and asked, "Hey… why didn't you bring Minato back too?"
"He's in the Shinigami's belly. I need a few special things to get him out." Kakashi looked down for a second.
Kushina nodded thoughtfully. "I see." Then she glanced around and asked, "Where's Naruto?"
"Upstairs. He's been living in my house since he graduated." Kakashi gestured toward the ceiling.
"Good job, Kakashi!" Kushina blinked in surprise, then grinned and gave Kakashi a heavy pat on the back.
He gave her a sideways glance, not smiling. Don't get too happy just yet, he thought grimly. Wait until you hear what happened to Naruto…
They all moved upstairs. The wooden floor creaked lightly beneath their feet. As they climbed, the warm smell of breakfast still lingered faintly from earlier. In the cozy living room, Anko lounged across a sofa with a mug of tea.
Tsunade sat nearby, lazily flipping through a book. Karin and Sakura were talking by the window, and Ranmaru sat cross-legged next to Naruto, who was laughing at some joke.
The moment the Uchiha couple appeared, followed by Shinku, Kurenai, and lastly Kushina, the room shifted. All eyes turned toward the newcomers.
Naruto's head tilted. His gaze locked on Kushina's fiery red hair. The woman's eyes lit up. "Naruto!" she called, stepping forward quickly with her arms outstretched.
"Who… are you?" Naruto blinked in confusion.
Kushina froze mid-step. The smile on her face faltered as if something had broken inside. Slowly, she turned to Kakashi, her eyes narrowing.
"Kakashi, what is going on?" she said through gritted teeth
Kakashi sighed. "Hiruzen… he ordered all of us not to tell Naruto anything about his parents. No visits. No names. Only Jiraiya was exempt, but he was gone, traveling. He only returned after Naruto graduated."
"That senile old monkey! Damn him, DAMN HIM!" Kushina stood still for a moment, trembling. Then, suddenly, she burst out, cursing.
"Wait… wait… does that mean…" Naruto stepped back, startled, eyes wide.
"Yes," Kushina said immediately, turning back to him. "Yes, Naruto. I'm your mom. Uzumaki Kushina."
Naruto's mouth dropped. His eyes trembled. He stumbled forward into her arms, and Kushina caught him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. The two held each other as if the world had stopped. Naruto was crying openly.
"I… I never knew," he whispered.
"Tell me everything, baby. Tell me how you lived. Don't lie to me." Kushina cupped his cheeks.
Naruto nodded. Slowly, painfully, he told her about the loneliness, the glares, the isolation, the hunger. He told her about sneaking into stores to get leftovers, about hiding from angry villagers who were chasing him, about never having anyone on his birthday.
Kushina cried as he spoke, whispering apologies again and again. Her hands trembled as she held him close.
"Have you been eating well now?" she asked, wiping her tears.
Naruto shrugged. "I only feel full when I eat at Kakashi-sensei's house. Kurenai-san makes delicious food."
"Kurenai…?" Kushina blinked.
"Yeah. She takes care of me a lot." Naruto smiled.
"And his monthly allowance? What's he been getting?" Kushina turned to Kakashi again.
"Two thousand ryo," Kakashi said flatly.
Kushina's jaw dropped. "TWO THOUSAND?! Minato and I had over a hundred and twenty million ryo saved!"
"That old thief! What about our house?" She was shaking again.
"I lived in a small apartment." Naruto looked confused.
Kushina covered her face. She looked like she was about to explode.
"Your house is still sealed. It's untouched. But the money? Hiruzen embezzled it." Tsunade finally spoke up.
Kushina gasped.
Tsunade walked forward. "Don't worry. I've confiscated everything. Every ryo and property he took, it's all being returned to your family."
"When did you get here…?" Kushina looked up at Tsunade now reacting.
"I've been here the whole time." Tsunade sighed.
"Oops. Sorry, Sister Tsunade!" Kushina blinked, then gave an awkward chuckle.
Then she looked again, closer. Tsunade's clothes weren't the Hokage robes she expected but casual, loose homewear. "Wait… do you live here?"
"Of course. Kakashi is my man." Tsunade smirked.
"Me too."From across the room, Anko raised a hand with a sly grin.
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me…?" Kushina blinked rapidly.
"It's not what it sounds like" Kakashi raised a hand to protest.
"You've become a playboy!" Kushina cut him off.
"It's pure love," Kakashi said firmly.
"Impressive." Fugaku, who had been watching silently, let out a low chuckle.
Then he caught Mikoto's eye and quickly cleared his throat, straightening his posture with a serious expression.
"I really do love him, Father." Yuhi Shinku, on the other hand, was staring absolute daggers at Kakashi, his brows dark with disapproval. Kurenai gently touched his arm and smiled.
"I love your daughter, sir. We all care for each other. I won't ever hurt her." Shinku looked away, grumbling as Kakashi stepped forward and gave a small bow.
"Father-in-law," he added with a teasing grin.
"Tch!" That made Shinku twitch.
He looked away again, arms crossed, refusing to answer.