For a moment, Naruto forgot what he was about to say. He stared blankly at Minato.
It was strange. Naruto felt strange. Even though it was their first meeting, he felt an unprecedented sense of familiarity from this man, who bore such a striking resemblance to Mutsuki.
"Are you the Fourth Hokage?" Naruto instinctively asked.
"No, I'm Minato Namikaze. The village currently only passing down to the Third," Minato replied with a smile.
Yamato looked at Naruto with some exasperation. It wasn't like this was his first day since traveling through time—why was he still acting like this?
Naruto chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head.
"Why would the Fourth Hokage-sama appear here?" Yamato wondered, then looked toward Kakashi and the others.
He thought it was possible that Kakashi and the others had contacted Minato, after all, Minato was one of the people they were trying to save.
If Minato knew about the future and took action to save himself, the chances of success would be much higher.
"Minato-sensei, why are you here in Roran? Did you take a mission?" Obito asked curiously, brushing off the dust from his clothes.
Yamato's guess was logical, but unfortunately, it was wrong. Obito and the others didn't know why Minato had suddenly appeared in Roran.
"No, it's more like I came here for personal reasons," Minato thought for a moment before replying.
It was Mutsuki who had called him, but unlike Jiraiya, Minato had come in person, not as a Shadow Clone.
Mutsuki and the others had been in Roran for some time, and Minato had just finished his mission, so he came directly in his true form.
The moment Minato saw Naruto, he knew Mutsuki's guess was correct—Naruto was his child.
The Uzumaki clan's surname, the face that resembled his own, the deep feeling of bloodline kinship, and even the presence of his Chakra within Naruto's body—all of this confirmed it. There was no doubt, Naruto was his child.
"Your battle just now was quite impressive" Minato praised Obito and the others without hesitation. "It's clear that you've been training hard recently, and your improvements are significant."
"Obito, your Fire Release is not only stronger, but you're also using it more flexibly than before. Kakashi, your speed is impressive, but you're also coordinating well with your teammates. Rin-chan, you..." Minato praised each of his three students in detail.
Obito, Kakashi, and Rin exchanged glances, each wearing a smile that reflected their personalities. Obito smiled most openly, Kakashi showed a hint of a smile through his eyes due to his mask, while Rin smiled the most gently.
Their resolve to change history grew even stronger. How could they allow someone as good as Minato, such a great sensei, to die because of the Nine-Tails' rampage?
"So what about me?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Your Chakra reserves, battle experience, and ability to seize opportunities are all excellent. You're already a great ninja," Minato answered with a warm smile, looking into Naruto's eyes.
"Hehe." For some reason, Naruto felt especially happy to be praised so genuinely by Minato.
"Big Brother Minato, do you think I can become Hokage?" Naruto asked Minato.
Naruto and Minato locked eyes, Naruto with a curious expression, eager to hear how Minato would respond.
Though a lot had happened, Naruto's goal had never changed—he still wanted to become Hokage.
However, compared to before, he had matured somewhat. He no longer believed that becoming Hokage was about gaining everyone's approval. Instead, he understood that only someone who was truly recognized by others could become Hokage.
"The choice of Hokage is decided by the whole village; my opinion alone doesn't count for much," Minato thought for a moment before speaking again.
"But if you want my advice, to become Hokage, you must be prepared to face everything that comes your way. No matter what setbacks or hardships you encounter, you must not give up. If you continue to strive until the very end, there is hope of becoming Hokage."
Minato was certain that Naruto was his child, but that wouldn't make him overlook reality by claiming Naruto would definitely become Hokage.
He had seen Naruto's abilities in battle and knew he had potential as a ninja, but he didn't yet know what kind of person Naruto was, or what kind of ninja he truly was.
"I will work hard to the very end. Following through my words is my ninja way," Naruto said, flashing a bright smile.
With that, Naruto returned to his training.
It was still early, and they typically trained until 5:30 in the afternoon before finishing.
Kakashi and the others quickly entered their training state. To change the future, power was essential.
"Are you not going to say anything?" Mutsuki asked.
He thought Minato must have recognized it.
"If he doesn't recognize me, there's no need to say anything. It would only bring him more distress," Minato said quietly, shaking his head as he watched Naruto.
Naruto was indeed his child, but he was his future child.
Since Naruto didn't recognize him, there was only one possibility: he had died before Naruto had memories, and it hadn't been a normal death. It involved something much larger, and even Kushina might have died alongside him.
If it had been a normal death, even if he died, Naruto would have known about him through photos or the accounts of others.
But Naruto's behavior showed something different—he recognized him as a person but didn't know their relationship.
Minato didn't want to speculate too much about the future. He wasn't going to guess why he had died. He only felt that if they acknowledged each other here, Naruto would suffer greatly when he returned to the original world.
Although they were father and son, they came from different times, and the time they could spend together was very short.
Naruto, who had never experienced a father's love, might have already grown accustomed to that kind of life. Minato didn't want to pull Naruto from the darkness he had learned to endure into a brief moment of light, only to throw him back into endless darkness.
The only thing Minato could do was take good care of Naruto before he returned. After all, he was still his child.
"Very much your style," Minato's answer was as Mutsuki had expected.
Minato was a gentle person. Acknowledging each other would surely bring Naruto some short-lived joy and warmth, but after returning, he would face a much longer period of pain. So Mutsuki had already anticipated Minato's choice.
Minato smiled and thanked him, "Thank you for taking care of Obito and Naruto for so long during this time."
"This isn't a problem for me, but Minato, you should make the most of your time. They'll be going back in a week," Mutsuki replied.
Naruto and the others had already stayed here for quite a while. Because time travel was such a mysterious matter, Mutsuki didn't know what state Naruto would be in when he returned—whether he would go back to the exact moment he traveled or if the time here would cause any changes.
In order to prevent Naruto from returning and immediately fighting with Pain, Mutsuki wasn't planning to let Naruto stay for too long.
If Minato hadn't come, Mutsuki would have immediately arranged for them to go back after Naruto learned Yang Breathing.
Minato nodded. He would do his best to take care of Naruto during this week.
After training, Mutsuki made a hearty dinner again.
Whether it was because of Minato's future status as the Fourth Hokage or their blood connection, Naruto was very curious about Minato. Before and after the meal, he kept asking Minato various questions.
Minato patiently answered Naruto's questions, never showing a hint of impatience.
This greatly increased Naruto's fondness for Minato, and the image of the Fourth Hokage in his mind gradually became more vivid.
In fact, Minato's kindness towards Naruto made Yamato feel something was a bit off.
He had heard that the Fourth Hokage was easygoing, but this was a bit too easygoing. They had only known each other for a few days, yet Minato could satisfy every request Naruto made.
One night, Naruto casually mentioned wanting to eat ramen, and soon enough, Minato brought over a steaming bowl of ramen.
When Naruto asked to train with Minato, Minato happily agreed, and during the fight, he pointed out Naruto's shortcomings.
Since Minato arrived, Naruto, who was prone to tossing and turning in his sleep, hadn't once had his blanket fall to the floor.
Naruto, being somewhat oblivious, didn't notice this change, but Yamato, who shared a room with him, definitely felt that something was unusual.
Yamato had his suspicions but kept them to himself. After all, since Minato, the person involved, had chosen to remain silent, he, as an outsider, couldn't just speak his mind without reason.
On the last day, since Naruto and Yamato were returning to their original time that evening, Mutsuki decided not to have them train. Instead, he encouraged them to enjoy life.
Naruto suggested taking a good tour of Roran, and when Minato heard this, he said that he had the same idea.
"Naruto, you go ahead and enjoy yourself. I have a few things to take care of, and I'll catch up later," Yamato said after thinking for a moment.
"We'll be the same," Kakashi said, speaking for Obito to prevent him from saying anything inappropriate.
Being perceptive, Kakashi sensed something and wanted to give Minato and Naruto some time alone on their last day.
After all, they weren't time travelers; they would have plenty of time to explore Roran if they wanted.
Obito had originally planned to say something, but in the end, he shut his mouth under Kakashi's subtle gaze.
"I see. Then Big Brother Minato and I will go out and have fun," Naruto said cheerfully, not thinking too much about it, and left with Minato.
As soon as Naruto left, Obito looked at Kakashi with dissatisfaction and said, "Kakashi, what's the meaning of this? Big Brother Naruto is leaving tonight. Shouldn't we spend some time with him before he goes?"
"We've already spent so much time with him. One more day doesn't matter, but Minato-sensei's situation is different," Kakashi explained briefly, without going into more detail.
Obito disliked Kakashi's cryptic way of speaking, but at that moment, he had no choice but to nod vaguely, as if he understood.
Since no one else in the group seemed puzzled, Obito figured that continuing to ask would make him look foolish.
Then, Mutsuki also left. He had a lot of things to do and couldn't afford to relax.
"Since we're about to leave, Yamato, do you remember if there's anything important about the future that hasn't been mentioned?" Obito suddenly recalled something and looked at Yamato, asking.
Since he often forgot things, Obito, assuming others might be the same, was worried that Yamato had also forgotten to mention something important.
"Important information, huh..." Yamato showed a hint of hesitation.
After thinking for a moment, he realized there was indeed a major piece of information he hadn't shared with Obito, and that was the Uchiha clan massacre.
"We've already said so much, there's no need to hide anything now," Kakashi said, playing along.
"The Uchiha Clan will be wiped out, and there will only be two survivors: one is Uchiha Itachi, the one who carried out the massacre, and the other is his brother, Uchiha Sasuke," Yamato said quickly.
Yamato's words were brief, but they shocked everyone present.
"The Uchiha clan massacre? By someone named Uchiha Itachi?" Obito was deeply shocked.
Although it was the first time Obito had heard of Uchiha Itachi, he made sure to remember the name.
Obito didn't have much family honor. He didn't have many friends in the Uchiha clan, and the only time he had attended a clan meeting left him with a very bad impression.
But knowing that the Uchiha clan would be wiped out still made Obito angry. After all, it was his family, and he didn't want his few friends to die.
"Did Uchiha Itachi wipe out the Uchiha clan by himself, or did he have help?" Kakashi asked, frowning.
If Uchiha Itachi had destroyed the entire Uchiha clan alone, then his strength would be truly outrageous.
The Uchiha clan was the strongest ninja clan in Konoha, with many of its members being Three Tomoe Jonin. To think that such a powerful clan could be wiped out by a single person was hard for Kakashi to imagine.
"I don't know the details, but Uchiha Itachi's strength is truly extraordinary. Kakashi-senpai, you were once injured by him and hospitalized," Yamato explained.
Kakashi's expression didn't change. The future him had lost to Uchiha Itachi, but the cuurent him might not lose again if he keeps growing stronger.
"After I get back, I'll go to the clan and ask. I want to see just how strong that guy is now," Obito said, preparing to investigate Uchiha Itachi once he returned.
On one side, Obito and the others were plotting to change the future, while on the other, Naruto was having a blast.
To ensure Naruto had no regrets, Minato went all out in his preparations. He spent several days beforehand gathering information, noting down all the fun and tasty things Roran had to offer.
The entire day was filled with eating, drinking, and playing. From local delicacies to unique architecture, they explored it all.
"I haven't had this much fun in so long, thank you so much, Big Brother Minato," Naruto said, stretching and smiling with ease.
"As long as you're happy," Minato replied with a warm smile.
"This mission has been amazing. Not only did I get to meet the young pervy Sage, but I also got to know great people like Big Brother Mutsuki and Big Brother Minato," Naruto thought to himself.
Naruto felt truly content. The only thing he hoped for now was that when he returned to the past, he would find that things had changed for the better through the efforts of Kakashi and the others.
"You naive little brat, do you really think he's so nice to you for no reason?"
Naruto suddenly felt a sense of daze, and a massive cage appeared before him.
"Hey, what do you mean by this?" Naruto wasn't visiting here for the first time, so he wasn't panicked. Instead, he frowned and asked the Nine-Tails.
"Hmph." The Nine-Tails snorted coldly. "I mean nothing. I'm just telling you that Minato is your father. He's the one who sealed me inside your body with his own hands."
"Oh, so he's my father..." After carefully listening to the Nine-Tails' words, Naruto froze.
"This joke isn't funny. You'd better explain it clearly." Naruto's expression turned cold, his fists clenched as he stared at the Nine-Tails.
As an orphan, Naruto hated it the most when others made jokes about his father.
"I'm not obligated to explain anything to you, brat. The man's right in front of you, go ask him yourself," the Nine-Tails sneered, showing his blood-red mouth in a grin.
The Nine-Tails didn't reveal this truth because he was a good fox. On the contrary, he only said it because he was so irritated seeing Naruto so happy.
The Nine-Tails was utterly fed up with the Minato family. Kushina Uzumaki had trapped him for so long and even stole his chakra. Minato had split him in half and sealed him inside Naruto.
As the true being who had watched Naruto grow up, the Nine-Tails was very clear about what Naruto had been through, and he knew exactly why Naruto had to experience all of that. He didn't believe for a second that Naruto wouldn't resent Minato for causing all of it.
Naruto wanted to ask more questions, but in the blink of an eye, he suddenly snapped back to reality. What greeted him was Minato, who was looking at him with deep concern.
"Is it the seal that's the problem? I felt the Nine-Tails' chakra," Minato asked, lifting up Naruto's shirt to look at his abdomen.
When he saw the seal, Minato's gaze flickered for a moment, and he quickly lowered Naruto's shirt again.
Naruto didn't pay attention to Minato's actions. The words of the Nine-Tails echoed in his mind, and he thought carefully. Minato had indeed been treating him unusually well.
Mutsuki had also treated him well, but during their first meeting, Mutsuki had even punched him. It was only after they spent time together that Mutsuki started being kind to him.
But Minato was different. It felt as though Minato was trying to make up for something, treating him well from the moment they met, fulfilling every request he had as much as possible.
"Minato, are you my father?" Naruto was the type of person who didn't like beating around the bush, so he asked directly.
Minato's expression froze. Although Naruto's question was quite unexpected, Minato could no longer hold back his response.
"It seems my acting skills are really poor," Minato sighed helplessly.
He hadn't expected to be exposed on the last day.
Minato hadn't wanted to acknowledge Naruto, but now that the child had asked such a question, he couldn't pretend any longer.
Naruto stared at Minato in a daze, and suddenly his vision blurred. Two lines of tears involuntarily fell down his face.
In that moment, Naruto thought of so many things.
He thought back to his school days when every other child had their parents pick them up, while he was always the only one walking home alone.
He remembered how other children had parents who cooked delicious meals for them, while he had to settle for instant noodles. Though he could tolerate the taste of noodles, he had always longed to eat food made by his parents.
Seeing Naruto, who had unknowingly burst into tears, Minato placed his hand on Naruto's head and said apologetically, "I'm sorry."
Minato didn't understand exactly what had happened to Naruto, but in terms of the outcome, it was clear that the future version of him had failed in his duties as a father.
"Did you seal the Nine-Tails inside me?" Naruto asked again.
"Yes," Minato nodded.
He had just looked at the seal on Naruto, and without a doubt, it was a Sealing Jutsu that he can perform—though it was the version of him from the future.
Naruto clenched his fists tightly, recalling all the injustices he had faced as a child. Feelings of grievance, confusion, and a mix of emotions surged in his heart.
Bang!
Unable to hold it back, Naruto punched Minato. This punch was without the use of Chakra, just pure physical strength.
However, Naruto's physical strength was no joke, and even Minato couldn't help but flinch slightly as the solid punch landed on him.
But Minato didn't speak. The future version of him had already passed away, so he would take the place of his future self and endure Naruto's anger.
"Well hit!" The Nine-Tails, watching forcefully from inside Naruto's body, couldn't contain his laughter.
This was exactly the scene he had wanted to see. It would be best if Naruto completely lost control and they both ended up fighting to the death.
"Why did you seal the Tailed Beast inside your own child? Because of the Nine-Tails, the villagers have never given me a friendly look, and the children wouldn't play with me…"
Tears filled Naruto's eyes as he spoke passionately to Minato about the hardships he had faced over the years.
Minato: …
The sins of the future come back to haunt the past; he must be the first to experience this.
"You've suffered all these years. I wasn't a good father. If hitting me will make you feel better, you can hit me as many times as you want." Minato gently patted Naruto's blonde hair, smiling warmly.
He didn't know the true reason behind why his future self sealed the Nine-Tails inside his own child, but in the end, he owed Naruto an apology.
Naruto tightly clenched his fists, his tear-filled eyes staring hard at Minato.
"I won't listen to you!" Naruto loosened his fists and tightly embraced Minato.
All the frustration he had built up over the years was released with that first punch, and now, how could he bear to strike his own father again?
But Naruto still couldn't control his emotions. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, for the suffering he had endured was just too much.
Minato gently stroked Naruto's back, quietly waiting for his emotions to settle.
"How boring." The Nine-Tails, watching from the otherworldly space, was deeply disappointed.
He had been prepared—if Naruto had lost control, he would have poured Chakra into him to help Naruto beat Minato.
"I really can't wait to see your faces when you're separated," the Nine-Tails thought, feeling a wave of joy as he realized Minato and Naruto would soon be parting ways.
The reason he chose this time to tell Naruto was because if Naruto and Minato didn't fight, they would soon be parting ways, and the pain of separation would still be there.
"Want to go have a bowl of ramen? It's on me," Minato asked with a smile as Naruto's emotions gradually stabilized.
"I'm not going to the shop. I want to eat the one Mutsuki made," Naruto quickly replied, wiping away his tears.
As they were about to part ways, one of the things Naruto would miss the most was the big bowl of pork chashu ramen Mutsuki made.
"Compared to the ramen I make or what's sold in shops, Mutsuki's really is better," Minato nodded and said.
In the past few days, Minato had tried to learn how to make ramen from Mutsuki, but he was still far from the flavor Mutsuki could achieve. To put it in ninja terms, Minato had just become a ninja, while Mutsuki's ramen was already at Kage level.
"Dad, I want to eat yours too. I want two bowls," Naruto said with a slightly reddened face.
The first time he called him that, he felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
Minato's mood was very complex—he was both pleased and happy, but also felt a bit strange.
The two of them then returned to the rented room.
"Naruto, what's wrong with you? Did you encounter an enemy?" Obito asked, looking at the somewhat disheveled Naruto with confusion.
Kakashi, noticing the wet tear stains on Naruto's clothes, had a realization.
"No, I had a lot of fun today," Naruto replied.
"That's great! You have to come again sometime," Obito said with a big grin.
"Yeah, you guys should do your best too," Naruto nodded firmly.
After learning that the Fourth Hokage was his father, Naruto hoped more than ever that Kakashi and the others would succeed in changing history, so that he too could be a child with a father.
"You think time travel is just like visiting a neighbor?" Kakashi looked at Obito speechlessly. "And you think you can come back and play again?"
"With Kakashi saying that, it's a done deal," Obito said happily.
Based on his past experiences, the final result would usually turn out the opposite of what Kakashi predicted.
Kakashi couldn't be bothered to respond to Obito. Space-Time Ninjutsu was one of the most difficult areas of Ninja techniques, and this kind of time travel was unheard of—how could it possibly happen so easily?
"What kind of ramen would you like?" Minato asked.
"Dad, just make me some pork ribs and chashu," Naruto thought for a moment before answering.
He could easily eat two bowls of the same flavor, but it would be better if they made a flavor they both liked.
Minato nodded, went into the kitchen, and exchanged a few words with Mutsuki. Then the two of them started preparing dinner, with Minato mostly helping Mutsuki.
"Wait, Naruto, what did you just call Minato-sensei?" Obito asked, thinking he must have heard wrong.
"Dad, oh, I forgot to tell you guys. Actually, I'm his future son," Naruto explained.
Yamato and Kakashi weren't too surprised. They had both suspected something, but hearing Naruto say it out loud still had an impact on them.
Obito, however, looked completely stunned and asked in confusion, "Since you're Minato-sensei's child, why are you called Uzumaki Naruto and not Namikaze Naruto?"
He really hadn't expected the future Ninja, with whom he had gotten along well, to be Minato-sensei's future son.
"If that's the case, calling Naruto 'big brother' might be a bit much. He should be calling me 'big brother,'" Obito muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.
Kakashi gave Obito an exasperated look, wishing Obito would think before speaking next time.
"I don't know. Since I can remember, I have no memories of my family," Naruto answered, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong," Obito said, covering his mouth with his hand.
It finally dawned on him that Minato must have passed away before Naruto could form memories, otherwise, how could Naruto have called Minato 'big brother'?
"It's fine, I've been through it for over ten years, I've gotten used to it," Naruto waved his hand dismissively.
Right now, his biggest regret was not realizing earlier that Minato was his father. If he had known, he would have spent more time with his father, talking and getting to know him better.
As the dishes and bowls of ramen were brought to the table, the conversation gradually quieted down and eventually stopped.
Thanks to Naruto's efforts, even two large bowls of ramen didn't take up too much of his time, and he still managed to enjoy a lot of Mutsuki's other dishes.
"Really delicious," Naruto said contentedly, patting his slightly bulging stomach after finishing the meal.
"It would be great if I could stay one more day."
"Then stay one more day," Mutsuki said as he took a sip of tea.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Mutsuki.
He thought that traveling through time and space was a serious matter, but apparently, it could be delayed for a day?
"Mutsuki-san, is it really okay to stay another day?" Yamato asked uncertainly.
"It's fine to stay one more day, but if you spend too much time, I can't guarantee what'll happen," Mutsuki put down his teacup and replied.
Mutsuki thought that letting them have one more day together was fine. After all, they had already spent so many days together, so an extra day didn't make much of a difference.
"Mutsuki-san, you're my Mutsuki Sage!" Naruto quickly joined Obito's Mutsuki Sage faction.
Naruto was really happy today. But after finally meeting his father, he was about to part ways again, and there was no way he wouldn't feel a bit down. Hearing that Mutsuki said they could stay another day made him genuinely happy.
However, the Nine-Tails inside Naruto was not happy with the situation. This script was not how he had imagined it.
"Where did this guy come from? I don't remember him ever being around before," the Nine-Tails thought, confused. He had no memory of Mutsuki.
Still puzzled, the Nine-Tails closed his eyes, deciding he didn't care to think about it anymore.
Minato was also quite surprised and looked at Mutsuki. This was an unexpected delight; Mutsuki had never mentioned that they could extend their time like this.
Minato speculated that perhaps they could extend it even further, but he didn't ask Mutsuki. Mutsuki must have his reasons for doing things this way.
When the final day came, Minato, in his role as a father, took Naruto on a tour around Roran.
Since Roran wasn't very large, they ended up revisiting some of the places they had already visited the day before, but Naruto was still very happy. After all, he was out sightseeing with his father—an experience he had never had before.
"Naruto, I've called you 'big brother Naruto' so many times. Now that we're leaving, how about you call me 'big brother Obito'?" Obito suddenly suggested before they left.
"Though you look older than me, if we're talking about actual age, I should be older than you."
"In that case, wait until I'm born, and then you can have him call you that," Naruto laughed heartily.
Naruto found it strange to call someone much younger than him "big brother" He even referred to the youthful version of Kakashi as just "little Kakashi-sensei."
If he hadn't said that, Obito might have spontaneously combusted from anger.
"It's about to begin. Are you all ready?" Mutsuki placed his hand on Anrokuzan's body and said.
"Goodbye, Dad, big brother Mutsuki, Little Kakashi-sensei, Obito, Rin-chan!" Naruto bid his final farewell.
"Goodbye, Naruto." Minato waved with a smile.
Bang!
Looking at Kakashi's head, Yamato couldn't help but land a punch.
"Kakashi-senpai, sorry, but you always bully me, I just couldn't hold back," Yamato apologized with a big grin.
Kakashi glared at Yamato. Yamato, huh? He made a mental note of this face and name—he'd make him pay for this later.
Mutsuki entered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode and immediately used Fire Release to envelop Anrokuzan. After Anrokuzan's death, the powerful Dragon Vein energy within his body erupted, and a purple light flashed. Naruto and Yamato vanished from sight.
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