Morning sunlight streamed through the window, painting the futon in gold.
Normally, that would've been my cue to hiss and scramble back into the shadows like a discount vampire, but thanks to my snack-a-thon last night, I had a precious handful of minutes of sun resistance to spare.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. The Namikaze household was already alive—laughter drifted from the kitchen, Kushina's voice bouncing around like sunshine itself.
It was… strange.
I'd never lived like this. Not as Akari, not as Muzan's reborn body, not even as myself in my old world. The idea of sitting down with a family for breakfast felt… foreign. Dangerous. Addicting.
"Akari-chan! Breakfast!" Kushina's voice carried upstairs.
"Coming!" I called back, surprising myself with how natural it sounded.
Downstairs, the table was already set. Rice, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, miso soup. Minato sat at the head of the table, calmly pouring tea, while Kushina bounced around like an energetic hostess.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Minato said, offering me a small smile.
"Morning," I replied, sliding into my spot.
Kushina practically beamed at me. "You're really starting to feel like family, y'know? It's nice having another girl in the house!"
My chopsticks froze halfway to my mouth.
Family.
That word again. Every time she said it, something twisted inside me. I wanted to scoff, to remind myself I was a demon, an outsider, a monster who fed on flesh. But… when I looked at her smile, so genuine and unguarded, the protest died in my throat.
Instead, I forced myself to eat quietly. But inside, I was swearing something I'd never said out loud before.
I won't let them die.
Minato. Kushina. The warmth they gave me so freely—like I'd always belonged—was something I hadn't realized I was starving for. And now that I had it, there was no way in hell I'd let the Naruto timeline steal it away.
Kyuubi attack? Screw that.Masked Obito? Over my dead body.Their fate wasn't set in stone anymore. Not with me here.
After breakfast, Kushina insisted on dragging me through Konoha.
"C'mon, Akari-chan! You can't just stay cooped up inside. We'll go shopping, introduce you to people, maybe grab some dango!"
Minato raised a brow. "Kushina, don't overwhelm her on her first day."
"Oh, hush! Akari likes me, don't you, Akari-chan?" Kushina latched onto my arm with puppy-dog eyes.
"…I do," I admitted softly. And to my own surprise, I meant it.
"See?!" Kushina grinned, already tugging me toward the door.
And just like that, I was paraded around the village like a prize-winning goldfish.
"Akari-chan, this is Ichiraku's! Best ramen in the world!"
(I made a mental note: this was the Naruto hotspot. Future investment opportunity. Buy stock in noodles.)
"Akari-chan, this is the flower shop run by the Yamanakas! Pretty flowers, huh?"
(Pretty flowers, yes. But also: intel hub run by Inoichi. Noted. Potential infiltration target if I ever needed inside info.)
"Akari-chan, let's stop for some dango!"
(Dango was sweet… but Kushina was sweeter. She bought me extra, calling it "sister privilege." My heart was not prepared.)
Everywhere we went, Kushina introduced me proudly, like I wasn't just some stray Minato let her adopt, but her actual blood sister. People greeted me warmly just because she vouched for me.
And for the first time… I almost forgot I wasn't human.
Of course, Shisui had to show up mid-tour.
"Akari!" he called out, jogging over. His hair was slightly messy, his usual grin plastered across his face. But his eyes… yeah, they immediately softened when they landed on me.
Kushina elbowed me. "See? Told you he likes you."
"Kushina!" Shisui sputtered, face red.
I smirked. "You're awfully eager for someone who doesn't like me."
His ears went redder. "…I'm just… making sure you're settling in."
"Mmhm. Sure."
Kushina cackled like she'd just witnessed the greatest romcom plot in history. Minato, I swear, had the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth, like he was this close to laughing.
It was chaotic. It was embarrassing.
And it was… fun.
But as night fell, I felt it again.
A presence. Watching.
Black Zetsu.
I caught a flicker of darkness in the corner of my vision, melting into the shadows between two buildings. He hadn't forgotten me. Of course not. I was his pawn, his infiltrator.
Except I wasn't.
Because as I returned home that night, Kushina looping her arm through mine and chatting about dango flavors, and Minato smiling faintly as he carried the shopping bags…
I knew my loyalty wasn't his anymore.
It belonged here.
With them.
And in the silence of my room later that night, I whispered an oath to the empty darkness:
"Minato. Kushina. You won't die. I swear it. Even if I have to burn the entire timeline down."