Evening fell over Konoha, settling quietly upon the Hokage's private residence.
The rhythmic thud-thud-thud of a knife against a cutting board drifted from the kitchen, blending with the sharp hiss of a pressure cooker—the comforting sounds of a home in motion.
Minato Namikaze pushed open the front door and stepped inside. He kicked off his shoes and casually hung his Hokage cloak—the garment representing the pinnacle of the shinobi world—onto a nearby rack.
At this moment, he had shed his role as a man of cold calculation and lethal intent, leaving only the identity of a husband and father.
"I'm home."
"Waaah—!"
It wasn't his wife's greeting that answered him, but a loud, piercing wail of a child.
In the living room, a red-haired Kushina was pacing back and forth with Naruto in her arms, looking utterly flustered while toys lay scattered across the floor.
"Minato! You're finally back!"
Kushina had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a mess. Seeing Minato was like seeing a savior. "Quick, quick! I don't know what's wrong with your son today. He's been crying since this afternoon. I've changed his diaper and fed him, but he just won't sleep!"
"Maybe he sensed something," Minato said with a smile as he reached for Naruto.
Minato laughed as he took Naruto into his arms.
Miraculously, little Naruto—who had been screaming his lungs out just moments ago—hushed as soon as he was in Minato's arms. Feeling his father's familiar chakra, his cries faded into tiny, aggrieved whimpers. He gripped Minato's collar tightly, a snot bubble popping on his little nose.
"That little brat!"
Kushina huffed, hands on her hips. "So he's just bullying me? I've been carrying him all afternoon until my voice went hoarse, and the second you walk in, he acts like a little angel!"
"Because I'm his dad," Minato replied, expertly cradling Naruto's bottom and rocking him gently. "Where's Gamakon?"
Minato skillfully adjusted his hold on the infant. "Where is Gamakon-san?"
"Out on the balcony, soaking up the moonlight." Kushina pointed toward the porch. "He says he's absorbing the 'essence of heaven and earth,' but I think he's just afraid Naruto will try to eat his legs again."
Minato carried Naruto to the balcony. Sure enough, the purple toad was sprawled out on the railing, his belly rising and falling in rhythm with his breath.
"You're back?"
Gamakon opened one eye and glanced at Minato. "Looking at your face, I take it things at the hospital are settled?"
"Stabilized for the time being," Minato whispered. "That child... her stress response is severe."
"Expected," Gamakon said, rolling over.
Gamakon shifted his position. "If someone threw you into a wolf's den to be gnawed on for years, you'd have a stress response too. The kid isn't the point. The point is how you're going to explain this to the lady inside."
Gamakon gestured toward the kitchen with his chin.
Minato fell silent. He looked down at Naruto, who was drifting off to sleep. Beneath that tuft of blonde hair lay the incredible vitality unique to the Uzumaki Clan.
"I'll tell her the truth," Minato said softly.
"Kushina might have a temper, but she's stronger than anyone."
Dinner was a quiet affair.
The atmosphere was strangely heavy.
Kushina was quick to sense her husband's unusual mood.
Usually, Minato would praise her cooking or share interesting stories about the village. Today, however, he simply shoveled rice into his mouth mechanically, his eyes drifting toward her with unspoken words.
*Clack.*
Kushina slammed her chopsticks onto the table.
"Out with it."
She stared at Minato. "Did you get caught hiding pocket money again?"
Gamakon, who was busy slurping soup, nearly choked. He buried his head in his bowl to avoid getting involved.
"It's not about money."
Minato set down his utensils and sat up straight.
He looked at Kushina and took a deep breath.
"Kushina, do you remember Uzushiogakure?"
Kushina's body stiffened instantly.
Her playful expression vanished, replaced by a deep, hollow sorrow.
It was the deepest scar in her heart, usually hidden beneath her boisterous personality, but one that had never truly healed.
"Why are you bringing that up?" Kushina's voice dropped. "The Land of Whirlpools is gone. My people... they've all scattered."
"What if they aren't all gone?"
Minato's voice was soft, yet it sent a massive ripple through Kushina's heart.
"What do you mean?" Kushina's fingers tightened on the tablecloth.
"A while ago, Gamakon-san provided some intelligence." Minato glanced at the toad, who was pretending to eat flies. "He said survivors of the Uzumaki Clan were spotted in the Land of Grass."
"The Land of Grass?!"
Kushina bolted upright. Her red hair began to flutter without any wind, and her chair clattered to the floor. "Is it true? Are they still alive? Who? Where? I have to go get them!"
"Calm down, Kushina."
Minato reached out and took her trembling hand. "I've already brought them back."
"Brought... brought them back?"
Kushina froze, her eyes instantly brimming with tears. "Where? Are they in the village? Why didn't you bring them home? Are they... are they okay?"
A barrage of questions poured out of her.
Minato was silent for a moment, squeezing her hand to offer what comfort he could.
"They're at the Konoha Hospital."
Minato's voice sounded strained. "It's a mother and daughter. The mother is around thirty, and the daughter is about four or five—just a few years older than Naruto."
"Thank goodness... thank goodness..."
Kushina covered her mouth, large tears rolling down her cheeks. "There are still clan members left... I need to see them! Now!"
She turned to rush out the door.
"Kushina!"
Minato's voice rose, carrying a rare edge of sternness.
Kushina stopped and looked back at him in shock.
Minato had never used that tone with her before.
"You can't go yet."
Minato stood up and walked to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me. Their situation... it's not good."
"Not good?" Kushina's heart skipped a beat. "Are they hurt? Are they sick?"
Minato closed his eyes, the image of the mother covered in countless bite marks flashing through his mind.
"The Grass Village..."
Minato ground his teeth. "They treated them like... chakra batteries."
*Boom!*
A terrifying surge of red chakra erupted from Kushina.
Her long hair flailed like a nest of crazed serpents, and every window in the room shattered simultaneously.
"Batteries?!"
Kushina's voice was shrill and agonizing. "Are you saying... they bit them?!"
As an Uzumaki, she knew exactly what that meant—Heal Bite, the cursed gift of their bloodline.
To restore another's chakra and wounds by letting them bite her skin.
It was an ability meant only for the most desperate of times, a sacrifice made to save a comrade.
And now, her kin had been used as nothing more than living medicine?
"The mother..."
Minato pulled the nearly berserk Kushina into a tight embrace, letting the violent chakra lash against his body.
"There isn't a single patch of healthy skin on her. Old scars over new wounds... they even left teeth marks on her bones. She bore it all alone to protect her daughter."
"AAAAAAH—!!!"
Kushina let out a gut-wrenching scream.
She buried her face in Minato's chest, her nails digging deep into his back. Blood seeped through his white shirt, staining it crimson.
"Kill them! Minato! Kill them!"
Kushina wailed. "I want those bastards from the Grass Village dead! I'll tear them to pieces! How could they... how could they bully us Uzumaki just because they think we're gone..."
"I know, I know."
Minato patted her back gently, his own eyes damp. "I've already given the order. The Uchiha Clan has blockaded the Grass Village. They will pay a price more painful than death."
"The mother is in the ICU right now. Lady Tsunade just managed to pull her back from the brink."
Minato's voice was tender. "She can't handle any excitement right now. For her sake, you have to stay strong."
Kushina's cries slowly dwindled into muffled sobs.
She looked up, her normally vibrant eyes swollen and red.
"What about the child?" she whimpered. "The little girl... was she bitten too?"
"Fortunately, she only has a few marks on her arms."
Minato wiped the tears from her face. "Her mother protected her well. But the girl's mental state is fragile. She's terrified of people. Aside from Lady Tsunade's forced treatment, she won't let anyone near her."
"I'm going to save them."
Kushina took a deep breath, forcing her chakra back down as her hair settled. "Minato, as soon as they're discharged, I'm bringing them home."
"This is their home now."
Kushina looked at the mess in the room, her gaze harder than it had ever been. "From now on, no one will ever lay a tooth on them again. If anyone tries, I'll seal them in a toilet and flush them away!"
"Alright."
Minato smiled—a smile of pure relief. "We have the space. But first, we need to fix these windows."
Gamakon, who had been hiding behind his bowl, finally poked his head out.
"Ahem... sorry to interrupt."
Gamakon cleared his throat. "The sentiment is touching, but I should warn you. Kushina, that little girl's name is Karin. If you bring her here, you'd better be prepared."
"Prepared for what?" Kushina asked, wiping her nose.
"The kid is a sensor, and she has the Mind's Eye of the Kagura."
Gamakon grinned. "Meaning, if you and Minato ever want to... you know, work on a second child, you'd better set up a dozen barriers. Otherwise, that kid's going to hear everything through the walls."
*Ribbit!*
A slipper flew with pinpoint accuracy, pinning Gamakon against the wall.
"Shut up, you damn toad!" Kushina laughed through her tears. The fire—the spirit of the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero—was finally starting to return.