Chapter 55: Mid-Autumn Festival Special
In the end, Naruto was kicked out by his mother, Kushina.
He walked down the street, eyes blank. Though his feet were moving toward the training ground, his mind was screaming to run back home.
His head was filled with the image of Kushina, her red hair flowing, so he didn't notice the strange changes around him.
When he finally composed himself, he started to notice that something was off.
The dango shop he had passed yesterday... its sign was now faded and peeling. The wooden door frame was cracked with age. The owner was an old man with white hair, leisurely waving a fan at flies.
But Naruto clearly remembered passing by yesterday. The sign had been brand new, and the owner was a man in his thirties.
"Weird." He stopped, rubbing his eyes.
The entire street felt strange. Every shop was slightly different.
"Hey! Isn't that Naruto? If you don't hurry to the training ground, your sensei Kakashi is going to complain to your parents again!"
Naruto looked toward the voice. The owner of the ninja tool shop on the corner was shouting at him from afar.
"Strange... since when am I so close with him?"
Naruto scratched his head, confused. As far as he remembered, he had never set foot in that shop, let alone been familiar enough to chat.
While he was still pondering, a hand patted his shoulder, and a gentle male voice spoke.
"Naruto, what are you doing here instead of training?"
Another voice he'd never heard before.
When he turned around, the first thing he saw was a flash of yellow hair, then a cloak embroidered with flames, until finally, he saw the face.
It was a handsome face with sharp features and slightly upturned eyes. When he smiled, faint crinkles appeared at the corners, warm as the winter sun.
But Naruto was certain he had never seen this man before.
He knew most of the famous ninja in the village. He had never heard of anyone wearing a cloak like that, or having such a gentle voice.
"You..." Naruto started to ask Who are you?, but the shop owner beat him to it, his voice full of respect as he walked out from behind the counter, bowing slightly.
"Lord Fourth! A busy man like you, personally seeing your son off? I haven't seen you on the streets in a while."
"Lord Fourth." "Son."
The words struck Naruto's heart like lightning.
The Fourth Hokage, who existed only as a stone face on the mountain, was standing right behind him, alive and breathing.
And the "son" the shop owner mentioned... seemed to be him?
"Ahaha, is that so?" The man laughed warmly, reaching out to ruffle Naruto's hair. The warmth from his fingertips seeped through, making the hair on Naruto's arms stand up.
He wanted to dodge, but his body felt frozen. He could only watch as the man smiled and continued, "There's been a lot going on in the village lately. It's rare I get time to walk with Naruto. He's been throwing a fit these past few days, saying training is too hard."
The shop owner laughed along. "Boys will be boys! But Naruto is a good kid. Last time, he told me he wants to be Hokage just like you and protect the village!"
These past few days? Last time? The questions swirled in Naruto's mind. Just as he was about to ask, the "Fourth Hokage" put an arm around his shoulder.
"Let's go, Naruto. I'll take you to the training ground today."
The world spun, and suddenly, he was in front of the training ground.
It looked like the usual one, but there was a strange notice posted at the entrance.
It was from a department he had never heard of: the "Konoha Military Police Force."
In the center of the training ground stood four figures: Kakashi, Hinata, Sasuke, and a man who looked remarkably like Sasuke but had deep tear troughs under his eyes.
Sasuke and the man next to him looked like they had just arrived and were discussing something.
Strangely, although Kakashi still wore his signature mask covering half his face, his forehead protector—which usually covered his left eye—was pushed up, revealing an eye that looked no different from his right.
Just like that, Naruto was ushered into the training ground.
After training started, the man who looked like Sasuke left.
From their conversation, Naruto learned the man was Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother. He had also once been Kakashi's subordinate, as he had called Kakashi "Captain."
Training ended quickly, and Naruto rushed home without stopping. The moment he pushed open the door, the smell of food hit him.
He stood in the entryway, watching the two busy figures in the kitchen.
Kushina stood at the stove, stir-frying vegetables. Her red hair was tied back with a ribbon. There was a small grease stain on her beige dress, but she didn't care. With a flick of her wrist, the carrots and chicken in the pan flipped, sizzling in the sauce, filling the air with the smell of home.
"You're back?" She didn't turn around. "Go wash your hands. Dinner is almost ready. I made your favorite."
Minato Namikaze sat at the dining table, peeling a cucumber.
He had taken off his cloak and changed into casual clothes. He looked less like the majestic Hokage and more like an ordinary, gentle father.
Hearing the door, he looked up and waved at Naruto with a smile. "Tired from training? There's ice water on the table. Have a drink."
Naruto mumbled an "Mhm" and ran lightly to wash his hands.
The cold water ran over his fingers. He looked in the mirror at his own silly grin and couldn't help but pinch his cheek.
It hurt. It was real. Not a blurry phantom in a dream, not an unreachable fantasy.
Mom and Dad were in the living room. One cooking, one prepping. Waiting for him to come home for dinner.
By the time he came out of the bathroom, Kushina had already set the food on the table.
Golden egg wrapped around tender chicken, laid over snow-white rice, steaming hot. Naruto's stomach growled at the sight.
Minato finished with the cucumber and placed a pair of chopsticks in front of Naruto. "Sit down, before it gets cold."
As soon as Naruto sat, Kushina put a huge piece of chicken in his bowl. "Eat up. Training takes a lot out of you. Look at your arms, still so skinny."
She glared at Minato. "It's all your fault. Last time, you insisted on taking Naruto to practice the Body Flicker Jutsu, and he was too tired to eat dinner."
Minato raised his hands in surrender, smiling innocently. "Naruto said he wanted to learn it quickly! Besides, the Body Flicker is my specialty. Isn't it right for me to teach my son?"
"You always have an excuse," Kushina scolded, but she put some food in Minato's bowl too.
"Usually, you two come home later than the other. You did good today. I'm rewarding you both with a kiss of love."