Nine-Tails bit back his fury, watching hopefully as Sakura reached for the sealing tag. Just perfect—if the seal got broken, he'd finally be free to roam wherever he pleased.
*Slap!*
The moment Sakura's fingers brushed the tag, a large hand shot out from the side and gripped her wrist tightly.
"You shouldn't touch this," said Minato Namikaze, his smile suddenly freezing. "Wait—Naruto? How come you've turned into a girl?! And even your hair and eyes have changed?!"
"Minato-sama, your son is over there!" Sakura's face went stiff with disbelief. No wonder the Second Hokage once called the Fourth a space cadet—his brain worked on its own orbit! When someone came to remove the sealing tag, instead of checking the other people around, he immediately focused on her hair and eyes.
"Eh? You're not Naruto?" Minato Namikaze blinked in surprise. If this wasn't his son, then why had they come to break the seal?
"Hey, old man," Naruto clenched his fists, his voice shaky, heart pounding like it was trying to jump out of his chest. "Do you want something from me?"
"Naruto, you shouldn't call me old man—you should call me *father!*" Minato Namikaze gazed at Naruto for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. "My son, look how big you've grown!"
"F-Father?!" Naruto stood frozen. That word felt so foreign to him. He'd often wondered why other kids had fathers while he didn't, but never found an answer. Now, meeting Minato unexpectedly, he felt a flicker of familiarity—even though they'd never met before.
"You know, I *think* I was the one who named you!" Minato Namikaze smiled warmly.
"Wasn't that name given by Jiraiya?" Sakura unceremoniously burst his bubble. With his naming talent, if he really named people himself, who knows what ridiculous name Naruto might have ended up with.
"Ahhhaha, Jiraiya-sensei's choice matched exactly with mine!" Minato Namikaze chuckled awkwardly, fully aware of his poor track record when it came to names. Still, being caught red-handed like this in front of his son felt just a bit embarrassing.
"Why don't we save the reunion for a little later? Let's first bring Kushina here so she can see her son too."
As Sakura spoke, she snapped her fingers, activating the power of the Infinity Stones.
Chapter 106: Reunion with The Fourth Hokage's Couple [Lower Part]
Once the blue chakra emerged, it quickly began transforming. Within seconds, it took human form.
"Kushina!" The moment the figure appeared, Minato Namikaze couldn't hold back—he rushed right over.
"Minato?" Kushina, her blazing red hair unmistakable, first showed surprise, but upon seeing Naruto and the others, confusion instantly covered her face. "What's going on here?"
"Kushina, come here. This is Naruto." Minato didn't answer Kushina right away. Instead, he pulled her toward Naruto and said to him, "Naruto, this is your mother, Kushina!"
"You're Naruto?!" Seeing the same blond hair and blue eyes as Minato, Kushina's eyes immediately filled with tears. She excitedly rushed forward and gave Naruto a big hug.
"Mother?" Naruto just stood there, not sure how to react. After a while, he slowly raised his hands and hesitantly returned the hug. Suddenly, he felt like crying too.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I couldn't be by your side all these years!" Tears streamed down Kushina's face. "I'm really sorry for not giving you a complete family or a happy childhood!"
"Mom…" Naruto couldn't help but cry either. His dream from over a decade ago had finally come true—his heart swelled with joy.
"Naruto, I'm so sorry for letting you endure so much pain!"
At that moment, after learning from Sakura about how Naruto had lived in Konoha, Minato guiltily embraced both Naruto and Kushina. He hadn't expected Naruto to be hated by the entire Konoha. Initially, when he sealed the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, his intention was for Naruto to live as a hero and have some protection.
As the Fourth Hokage and widely known as the Golden Flash throughout the shinobi world, Minato had many enemies who wanted him dead. Without additional security, he feared that after his death, people might seek revenge against his son. However, having the status of a Jinchuriki meant that once the Third Hokage returned to power, he would definitely protect Naruto without hesitation. That was the last thing Minato Namikaze, as a father, could do for his son: ensure his protection. As long as Konoha wished to keep the Nine-Tails—their powerful weapon—they would need to take good care of Naruto.
However, Minato never imagined that Naruto's identity as the Fourth Hokage's son would remain hidden, nor that his own son would be called the incarnation of the demon fox. Thinking back on what Sakura told him about how Naruto had been treated in Konoha, Minato felt a deep sadness rise within him—this was the village he died to protect—and look how they treated his son.
"Dad, Mom, let me introduce someone to you. This is Sakura. She's my favorite person." Naruto cried a bit more before suddenly breaking free from their embrace and running to Sakura's side with tear streaks still on his face. He shyly introduced her to his parents. "If it weren't for Sakura, I probably would've drowned when I was four years old. She's the very first friend I ever had—the one who's always looked after me!"
"First, wipe your tears off!" With a polite smile toward the Fourth's couple, Sakura sighed helplessly as she took out a handkerchief and wiped away Naruto's tears.
"Thank you for taking care of Naruto all these years!" After he quietly explained everything to Kushina, whispering in her ear, she looked at Sakura with deep gratitude in her eyes.
"Naruto and I are friends. With that airhead personality of his, of course I have to keep an extra eye on him!" Sakura gently ruffled Naruto's blond hair. She had never seen Naruto this happy before.
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