Here's @riojiyo131, your trusted writer.
You can now get early access to Chapter 73 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my Patreon. You can also read up to Chapter 15 of Naruto: Satoru Senju.
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"The day has come..." murmured Minato, distracted, sitting next to his son at Ichiraku Ramen, hidden under a Transformation Jutsu.
Naruto said nothing. He nodded silently, focused on his miso pork bowl, calmly slurping the noodles.
"To think that I, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, would end up involved in something this crazy..." Minato continued speaking, with a tired, almost resigned smile.
Naruto let out a faint sigh, clearly tired of his father's rambling.
"What's got you so distracted, father...?" he finally asked, without lifting his gaze from the bowl.
Minato turned his face to his son and gave him a calm smile, though conflict was visible in his eyes.
"It's just that... I still can't believe I'm taking part in this. Naruto, this is more than just a prank or a strategy. It's an open statement against how the village has been run for decades."
"It's what's best for Konoha," Naruto replied in a cold and distant tone, almost indifferent.
"Oh, really? Is that why you killed a Jōnin from Kusagakure? Also for the good of the village?" Minato raised an eyebrow ironically.
He knew very well that his son didn't love Konoha, so it was hard to believe he was doing anything for it. He had seen it, from the Pure World and now in person, had witnessed how they ignored him, how they despised him...
The entire village saw him as a monster. Minato could understand that his son hated the village and its people.
Naruto paused his chopsticks for a second. Then he moved them again.
"Killing Zōsui was a personal satisfaction I allowed myself. What we're about to do today... that is for the good of the village," Naruto replied sincerely.
Minato watched him in silence. The Naruto in front of him wasn't the dreamer boy who once wanted to be Hokage.
"Even though I hate this village with all my heart," Naruto added, slurping his noodles without flinching, "Even I know it doesn't deserve to be destroyed."
Minato lowered his gaze. That... he also understood.
Minato himself had begun to hate the village for how they had treated his son in his absence.
But all the blame fell on two people, and Minato knew they would soon pay for it.
"When do you plan to leave for Uzushiogakure...?" Minato asked, letting the conversation shift.
It wasn't just curiosity. Deep down, he was seriously considering it. Leaving everything behind. Leaving with his son. Helping him rebuild the land of his ancestors, the old Land of Whirlpools, rebuilding the Uzumaki Clan from its ashes.
Kushina would also be delighted to leave Konoha and return to Uzushiogakure.
Naruto glanced at him sideways.
"Soon," he replied without going into details.
Minato nodded silently.
Naruto himself didn't know when he would leave for Uzushiogakure.
"And Hayate Gekkō?" Naruto asked after a pause.
Minato shrugged, picking up his own chopsticks and turning his attention to his ramen.
"I erased the last few hours of his memory and left him unconscious in front of the Hokage Mansion."
"Good," Naruto nodded.
He didn't feel anything special for Hayate, but he didn't like leaving unnecessary corpses lying around either.
While he was at it, he might as well prevent his death.
Minato felt the same way. That's why he had saved him.
Suddenly, the Fourth let out a soft, almost childlike laugh.
"What...?" Naruto looked at him, puzzled.
"Nothing. It's just funny that you only now remembered to ask me about Hayate. It happened almost a month ago."
Naruto rolled his eyes.
"That just shows how little I care," he said, finishing his ramen with one last long slurp.
Minato sighed.
"See you for dinner?" he asked with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"I guess. Though I'm not promising anything. By the time dinner comes around, we might already be in the middle of chaos."
The third test of the Chūnin Exams would begin in less than an hour.
They probably wouldn't have time to spare later.
Minato nodded, placing his chopsticks on the empty bowl.
"LAST ONE PAYS!" Minato suddenly shouted, and vanished in a yellow flash.
Naruto blinked, incredulous. Really...?
"DAMN IT! YOU OWE ME YEARS OF CHILD SUPPORT, AT LEAST PAY FOR THE MEAL!" Naruto shouted into the air, while old Teuchi looked at him from the kitchen, not understanding anything.
In the end, Naruto dropped some coins and bills on the counter. His beloved frog wallet was left empty.
He would have to refill it later. Fortunately, he still had money from a certain "loan" he'd taken from Gato.
...
Later, back at home, Naruto stood in the middle of the living room.
"Terrifying? Tough...? Or maybe... Brave...?" Naruto reflected aloud, arms crossed. "Meh. I'll go with the Brave song."
"Brave Summon! ♪ Sumo Shave, Flavo Engrave, Team Flash is Brave! ♪"
[Group leader Naruto Uzumaki has decided to revive Kushina Uzumaki.]
[Kushina Uzumaki has been automatically expelled from the group chat.]
"Come, my friend. ♪ Calling Kushina Uzumaki. Yo-kai Medal, do your thing! ♪"
A round medal with Kushina Uzumaki's face fell to the ground.
In front of him, a female figure began to take shape. Naruto watched silently, but inside, something stirred.
Naruto had no choice but to admit that, although his mother didn't exactly have a feminine personality, she was incredibly beautiful.
Her hair was blood red, just like Karin's.
She dressed like an ordinary housewife, but that shouldn't fool anyone: his mother was a Jōnin-level kunoichi and a Master of Fūinjutsu.
Kushina blinked, confused, just as she disappeared from the Pure World.
"Huh...? What happened...?" Kushina blinked, still disoriented.
Upon seeing her son in front of her, her face lit up completely.
Without thinking twice, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly.
"I can finally hug you, dattebane~!" she exclaimed, tears in her eyes.
Naruto stood still, tense... but then, awkwardly, returned the hug.
It was uncomfortable. But it was... warm.
Kushina pulled back just a few centimeters and inspected him with bright eyes.
"Look how big you are..." she whispered with a trembling voice.
And then, as if suddenly remembering something, her expression changed. Her hair rose. Naruto gulped.
"THIS IS FOR NOT REVIVING ME WITH MINATO!!! I WANTED A COMPLETE FAMILY REUNION, DAMN IT!!!" she shouted, and hit him on the head, knocking him over.
Naruto barely managed to get his hands up. Otherwise, his face would have kissed the floor.
"S-sorry...although I don't quite understand why I apologize" he complained, rubbing his head as he got up.
Kushina smiled again and hugged him once more, this time gently.
HE WAS SURE HIS MOTHER WAS BIPOLAR!! 100%!!!
"And why have you revived me now? Weren't you going to wait until after the Chūnin Exams?"
"Yeah, well... plans changed this month."
"What's the plan?"
Naruto smiled. His mother was direct. He liked that.
And he explained part of the plan. Just enough.
Kushina listened carefully. And when she understood, she jumped with pure excitement.
"THAT'S AWESOME! WE'RE GONNA GIVE THAT OLD BASTARD A HEART ATTACK!"
Naruto let out a genuine laugh.
"Well... I'll keep going with the others."
Kushina nodded in agreement and stood at his side, watching closely.
She wanted to see with her own eyes who her son would revive after her.
[Group leader Naruto Uzumaki has decided to revive Rin Nohara.]
[Rin Nohara has been automatically expelled from the group chat.]
"Cordial Summon! ♪ Fast and clever, Sing la la la, Cordial everywhere! ♪"
"Come, my friend. ♪ Calling Rin Nohara. Yo-kai Medal, do your thing! ♪"
A new figure began to take shape.
Naruto looked at her closely. Rin Nohara was... surprisingly grown-up.
"Huh...?" he murmured upon seeing her.
"Hehe, surprised? I am too!" exclaimed Rin, looking at her hands.
"Aren't you supposed to be like... thirteen?"
"The system let me choose! I didn't want to come back as a kid while Kakashi..." Rin blushed, not finishing that sentence, looking down.
Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Pervert," Naruto muttered.
Rin turned even redder, but didn't deny it.
Naruto sighed.
And then continued with the summons.
There was a lot of work to do.
Unfortunately, many of the members still chose to remain in the Pure World.