In 1519, Arima finally awoke from his long slumber.
As he opened his eyes, he saw Nono using her Devil Fruit ability to produce something, while Kushina busied herself nearby, helping with minor chores.
"Haa…" Arima tried to speak, only to realize that his vocal cords weren't quite obeying him yet.
Just as he struggled to sit up, the two girls noticed movement from the bed.
When they turned around and saw that the person they had been praying for had finally awakened, their eyes filled with tears of joy.
"Arima! You're finally awake, hic, I missed you so much!"
Kushina flew into his arms, hugging him tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Nono, too, was overwhelmed with emotion. As she wiped her tears away, she quickly pulled out a Den Den Mushi and called Tsunade.
The moment Tsunade heard the news, she became lightning itself, leaving the Hokage's office in an instant and rushing straight toward the sleeping quarters.
At the same time, word spread quickly. One by one, everyone began gathering at the palace.
Inside, Arima gently wiped Kushina's tears, smiling as he comforted her.
"Alright, enough crying! I didn't expect our Kushina to grow into such a fine young lady. If you keep crying, your makeup will smudge."
But Kushina didn't care what he said. She just couldn't stop crying, soaking his nightclothes with her tears.
Arima sighed softly, brushing a hand through her bright red hair.
Her shoulders shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. She choked out, "I was so scared you'd never…"
The rest of her words trailed off. She couldn't bear to say them out loud.
Seeing that, Arima didn't try to stop her anymore. He let her cry as much as she needed, after all, his long sleep had truly frightened the girl.
He looked to the side and saw Nono standing quietly nearby. Reaching out his free arm, he said warmly, "Nono, thank you for taking care of me."
Hearing his words, Nono finally stopped holding back the longing that had built up for years. She rushed into his embrace as well.
Now Arima had two crying girls in his arms.
He could only chuckle helplessly and soothe them both with a gentle voice.
That was the sight that greeted Tsunade and the others as they burst into the room.
The moment she saw her once-mighty lover now frail and thin, Tsunade's heart clenched painfully.
She had never stopped blaming herself for failing to protect him all those years ago.
"Arima…"
Tears streamed freely down her face as she spoke his name.
Arima lifted his head, meeting her gaze. His heart swelled with love, and he smiled.
Seeing the family arrive, Kushina and Nono finally moved aside, allowing Tsunade to come closer.
Naomi, Arima's mother, let out a deep breath of relief as she saw her son awake at last.
He was her flesh and blood. Watching him trapped in endless sleep had filled her with unbearable anxiety and grief.
She hurried to the bedside and pulled him into her arms, crying as she repeated over and over, "You're awake, you're really awake!"
Arima hugged her back, whispering, "I'm sorry for worrying you, Mother."
Naomi released him slightly, looking him over carefully before scolding through her tears, "You foolish boy! Leaving your poor mother without a word!
Did you forget what I told you? You must always protect yourself when you go out!"
Thinking of how close she had come to losing her son, she couldn't help the tremor in her voice.
Then, Mito, the family matriarch, stepped forward with a kind smile. "Enough, Naomi. The child's awake now, let's not speak of sad things."
She gently ruffled her grandson's hair. "Talk with them for a while, Arima. You and I will have a long chat later."
Turning to Naomi, she added, "Let's prepare something to eat for him. The boy looks skin and bones."
The moment food was mentioned, Naomi's motherly instincts kicked in. "My son, you must be starving after all these years! I'll make you something delicious right away!"
She bustled off toward the kitchen with Mito in tow.
As Arima's embrace emptied, Tsunade finally moved forward, only to be intercepted by a tiny whirlwind.
"Father! I missed you so, so much!"
Yuna darted forward, leaping into his arms and clinging tightly to his neck, refusing to let go.
Arima's eyes softened with guilt as he held her. "Yuna, I'm sorry… I missed your whole childhood."
But the girl looked up, serious as could be. "Father, you're my hero! I don't blame you at all!"
Arima smiled faintly, holding her close as he studied her face.
She looked so much like Tsunade, the same bright, lively eyes that filled him with warmth.
Then he turned toward the boy standing beside Tsunade and said with a smile, "Arata, come here. Let me take a good look at you."
Yuna added excitedly, "Brother, come on, it's Father, alive and real!"
Arima couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't surprising; when he'd fallen into his deep sleep, Yuna had still been an infant, while Arata had already been old enough to remember.
Arata looked up at his mother. Only when she nodded did he step forward and bow slightly.
"Father."
Arima stroked his son's cheek, satisfaction glimmering in his eyes. "Arata… you've grown into a fine young man."
Arata simply smiled, but there was an awkwardness to it.
To him, the man before him felt almost like a stranger. Though he had visited his father often, his memories of him were vague, and he didn't quite know how to act.
His nature was the opposite of his sister's, quiet, introspective, and not good at expressing himself.
Arima could sense his son's unease, and it pained him deeply.
Tsunade quickly spoke up to smooth things over. "Arima, Arata's just a quiet boy. He's not good with words."
Arima chuckled. "When I met him in Roran back then, he was the same way. Different timelines, yet somehow his temperament didn't change. Funny how that works."
Tsunade said softly, "You should rest for now. I'll tell you everything about Skypiea later."
At that, Nawaki piped up, "Brother-in-law, you don't know, Sis was terrifying! Like a queen ruling her subjects!"
But halfway through, he felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately switched tone.
"Ahem, what I meant was, Sis totally deserves to be the Fourth Hokage of Konoha! Uh… brother-in-law, I should probably go check on that Sea King meat!"
He bolted from the room.
Arima couldn't help but laugh. "That boy… I should've brought Mikoto with us back then."
Tsunade smiled faintly. "Arima, according to our plan, we'll be returning to the Shinobi World soon, won't we?"
Arima nodded with a small smile. "Very soon."
He turned and saw his younger sister, Natsuh, standing quietly off to the side, eyes red from crying.
"Natsuka, aren't you going to come give your brother a hug?" Arima teased gently, opening his arms.
She'd wanted to rush into his arms for ages, but had hesitated with everyone watching.
Now, hearing his warm invitation, she could no longer hold back. She threw herself at him, crying in his embrace as he whispered soft words of comfort.
Afterward, Arima chatted with Robin, Monet, and Sugar, exchanging stories and laughter.
Soon, a feast of freshly cooked Sea King meat was brought in.
The rich aroma made Arima's stomach growl loudly.
Before everyone's astonished eyes, he devoured an entire Sea King on his own, channeling Life Return to absorb all its energy. His frail body rapidly regained its former strength and vitality.
But then, something caught everyone's attention, a strange purple mark had appeared on his forehead, exactly where his Strength of a Hundred Seal used to be.
Curious, Tsunade asked, "Arima, what's with that mark on your forehead?"
Arima touched the spot thoughtfully, and with a flicker of chakra, he understood.
Before everyone's eyes, the mark split open, revealing a dazzling purple Six Tomoe Rinnegan.
Tsunade gasped in astonishment. "The Six Tomoe Rinnegan?!"
But in the very next instant, Arima's pupils shifted again, turning into pure, brilliant blue.
Yuna jumped up, eyes wide with excitement. "I know that one! That's the Tenseigan!"
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