Minato Namikaze—no, that name no longer held meaning. The man once hailed as the Yellow Flash had witnessed firsthand the reality his son had suffered through for years. And now, as he walked the streets of Konoha, he felt nothing but a cold, suffocating silence settle in his chest. He had been angry before. He had known hatred. But this… this was different.
He had spent his life protecting this village. He had bled for it, sacrificed for it, died for it. And yet, this was how Konoha repaid him? By turning his only son into an outcast? By letting these worthless civilians throw trash at him, deny him food, and spit venomous words in his direction? This was the "care" that Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised?
Minato's hands curled into fists. The chakra in his body stirred, wild and untamed, as violent thoughts whispered in the corners of his mind.
"You all deserve to die."
The idea was tempting. It would be so easy. A flicker of chakra, a single jutsu, and the streets would be painted red. Konoha had long bathed in the blood of its shinobi, had long trampled upon those it deemed inconvenient. What difference would it make if one more massacre was added to its history?
"Naruto."
A firm hand gripped his shoulder.
"Naruto!!! Why are you here?! I thought you had gone home! Let's go! Let's go!!"
Minato turned his head slightly, his piercing blue eyes—no longer filled with warmth—meeting the golden ones of Shouta Kazuki. He saw the concern in them, the silent warning. It was enough to drag Minato back from the edge of his fury, if only just.
He took a slow breath, suppressing the dark thoughts clawing at his mind. "I know... let's go."
Even as he turned away, his gaze lingered on the civilians who had scorned him. Cold, empty, unforgiving. At that moment, any affection he had once held for the people of Konoha died completely.
This was not the village he had given his life for. This was not the village he had envisioned for his son.
It was nothing but a sick joke.
As he walked beside Shouta, the weight of reality pressing down on his shoulders, Minato spoke again, his voice quieter this time.
"Shouta… I'm sorry. I couldn't hold it back."
Shouta sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I understand. After all, being a father… it's not easy to accept this kind of reality. If my son went through something like this, I wouldn't just hold back my anger. I'd make sure that not a single rat in Konoha was left breathing."
Minato's steps faltered for a moment. He turned to look at Shouta, something unreadable flashing in his expression. The younger man's words echoed something deep within him.
He had been a Hokage. He had given everything for this village, even his life. But what had it gotten him? What had it given Naruto?
Nothing.
Perhaps… he had been wrong all along.
Perhaps Shouta was right.
Minato let out a quiet, bitter chuckle. "Maybe I was a good Hokage… but I was never a good father. Or a good husband."
Shouta didn't respond. He didn't need to. The silence was answer enough.
For years, Minato had dedicated himself to Konoha. He had given his loyalty, his strength, his very existence. But now, as he walked these streets, he couldn't feel the love he had once held for this village.
The man known as the Fourth Hokage had died long ago.
Now, only Namikaze Minato remained.
And he no longer knew if he could be the man he once was.
The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
"Shouta! Naruto!!!"
Both Minato and Shouta turned, their eyes narrowing as they spotted the source of the voice. A familiar figure rushed toward them, his forehead protector gleaming under the lamplight.
Iruka Umino.
"You two little guys haven't gone home yet?" Iruka asked, his usual warm smile in place.
"Iruka-sensei!" Shouta greeted, his tone casual.
Minato hesitated before responding, forcing himself to mimic Naruto's usual excitement. "Iruka...sensei..."
Iruka frowned slightly. His sharp instincts caught something off. "Naruto? Are you okay? You seem a little… off today."
Minato shook his head quickly. "No... nothing's wrong."
Iruka watched him for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Hahaha! Alright then! You know, I was just about to grab some ramen. You two should come with me—my treat!"
Before either of them could protest, Iruka had already grabbed their arms and dragged them toward Ichiraku Ramen.
"Ah, it's Iruka, and little Shouta and Naruto!" Teuchi greeted them warmly as they entered the small ramen shop. "What'll it be?"
"Three bowls of tonkotsu ramen!" Iruka ordered, grinning.
Minato sat silently as the steaming bowls were placed in front of them. The familiar scent filled his senses, dragging him into the past. How many times had he sat here with Kushina? How many times had he and his teammates eaten here after a long mission? How many times had he treated Kakashi and the others to a meal here?
And yet, not once… not once had he ever sat here with his own son.
The realization made his chest ache.
"Come on, eat up!" Iruka encouraged, breaking him from his thoughts. "You two need to head home soon. You have class tomorrow, remember? Graduation is coming up, and you can't afford to slack off! Especially you, Naruto!"
Minato remained silent, only offering a small nod.
Iruka sighed. "I don't know what's up with you today, but just remember—you wanted to be Hokage, right? If you can't even pass the graduation exam, how are you going to achieve that dream?"
The words cut deeper than Iruka could ever know.
Hokage.
That title… meant nothing to him anymore.
Minato forced himself to smile. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei."
Iruka blinked. "Hahaha! What's gotten into you, Naruto? When did you start being polite to me?"
Shouta, who had been quiet until now, glanced at Minato out of the corner of his eye. He could see the turmoil in the older man's gaze, even if no one else could.
Maybe… Konoha really did need to change.
And maybe… Namikaze Minato would be the one to make it happen.