As soon as Shouta Kazuki left the psychic space, he let out a deep breath. The weight of what he had just revealed to the resurrected Hokage and Uchiha elders was heavy, but they needed time to process it on their own. For now, there was something far more important he had to deal with—Namikaze Minato was about to experience the life of Uzumaki Naruto firsthand.
Shouta had two reasons for doing this.
First, he wanted the powerful figures in the psychic space to witness the reality of Naruto's life—the neglect, the suffering, the unfairness. They needed to see firsthand how Konoha had treated its Jinchūriki.
Second, and most importantly, he had to keep Minato from going completely berserk. If the Fourth Hokage lost control after witnessing his son's hardships, there was no telling what kind of destruction he might unleash upon the village.
The Quiet Dinner Before the Storm
At a small gathering, Shouta sat with Naruto and their friends, but tonight's atmosphere was different. Unlike their usual lively meals, the air was thick with an unspoken tension. Even Naruto, who was normally full of energy, ate in silence. His usual humming—those little carefree tunes he would sing while eating—was completely absent.
They all knew what lay ahead. Shouta had made it clear: they had to become stronger. If they wanted to change anything—if they wanted to protect their loved ones and reshape the fate of the village—they had to push themselves beyond their limits. Each of them had their own family legacies, their own paths to follow, but they all shared a common goal.
Once the meal was finished, the group dispersed one by one.
"I'm heading home," Inuzuka Kiba announced, lifting Akamaru onto his head. "I need to ask my dad how to improve my synchronization with Akamaru. If we can perfect our teamwork, we'll become even stronger!"
"I have to return too," Shino Aburame adjusted his sunglasses. "There are new breeds of kikaichū I need to study. Refining their abilities could prove invaluable in battle."
"I'm going home to train with Father," Shikamaru sighed, stretching his arms. "He keeps saying I need to sharpen my mind even further. Troublesome, but necessary."
"Training with family, huh?" Choji Akimichi grinned, punching his palm. "I need to practice the clan techniques too. If I master my Partial Expansion Jutsu better, I won't slow anyone down!"
"This is the fire of youth!" Rock Lee shouted, his voice filled with passion. "Tonight, I shall run five hundred laps around Konoha on my hands! And if I cannot complete them, I shall do two thousand push-ups instead!"
"Brother..." Hinata hesitated before looking at Neji. "Can we train together when we get home?"
Neji gave her a nod, his expression calm but approving. "Of course."
As their friends left, Naruto and Shouta remained behind for a moment. Then, with a nod, Naruto turned toward his apartment.
Shouta didn't follow immediately. Instead, he lingered in the shadows, waiting for Naruto to go inside. Once the door shut behind his friend, he finally stepped into a secluded alley and began forming hand seals.
It was time.
Summoning the Fourth Hokage
"The Fourth Hokage!" Shouta called out through the psychic connection. "I'm about to summon you to Konoha. The moment you arrive, use a transformation jutsu to take on Naruto's appearance. And remember—you must keep your emotions under control."
There was a pause. Then, Minato's voice came through the link.
"I understand, Shouta. And… thank you. Also, don't call me Fourth Hokage. You're Naruto's friend. Just call me Uncle Minato."
Shouta smirked slightly. "Alright, Uncle Minato. Get ready."
With that, his chakra flared, forming a complex summoning seal on the ground.
This was different from his usual summonings. When he first brought Uchiha Madara back, it had been in the world of the dead. Later, his psychic summonings always happened within the spiritual space. But this time, he was directly summoning a dead soul into the real world.
As he pressed his palm onto the seal, he felt something strange—a deeper connection between himself and the psychic space. A realization struck him:
The amount of chakra I'm using… it's almost nothing.
Normally, summoning powerful beings required an enormous chakra cost. But in this case, the only chakra he had spent was what was needed to create the seal itself. That meant…
I could summon anyone from the psychic space to the real world at any time… without limits.
That thought sent a shiver down his spine.
If he truly wanted to, he could summon Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, and every other legendary figure he had revived… all at once.
That kind of power was terrifying.
But he had no time to dwell on it. With a loud bang, the summoning activated.
In an instant, Namikaze Minato appeared before him.
Without hesitation, Minato transformed—his bright blond hair and Hokage cloak vanishing as he took on the exact appearance of his son, Uzumaki Naruto.
Meanwhile, back in the psychic space, Minato's spirit disappeared, severing his presence from the realm of the dead.
The figures still watching from within the spiritual space—Tobirama, Madara, Fugaku, and the others—were stunned.
A Technique Beyond Comprehension
Tobirama's eyes widened. "Unbelievable… This isn't just some Edo Tensei revival. This is an actual resurrection… through a simple summoning!"
Madara, arms crossed, narrowed his gaze. "More importantly, did you notice? That brat didn't use any chakra to maintain the summoning. The only cost was the initial summoning seal."
Fugaku inhaled sharply. "Which means… if he wanted to, he could summon any of us into the real world at any time, without any drawbacks."
There was silence as the weight of that realization sank in.
Tobirama exhaled slowly. "What a terrifying ability…"
The legendary warriors watched in silence as Minato, now disguised as Naruto, took his first steps into his own village.
The First Steps into Naruto's Life
In the real world, Minato looked down at his hands—his son's hands.
A strange, sinking feeling filled his chest as he took his first breath of Konoha's night air. This was it. The beginning of his trial.
Shouta stood a few paces behind him, arms crossed. "You're free to walk around as you please. I'll be following from a distance."
Minato nodded. "I know."
With that, he turned and began walking toward the heart of the village—toward his son's reality.
Unaware that in the days to come, he would truly understand the pain Naruto had endured.
And the rage he would feel… might just push him beyond the breaking point.