At this moment, Uchiha Sasuke's body trembled as his vision blurred with tears. His heart pounded in disbelief. He still remembered what Souta Kazuki had told him about a "surprise" that awaited him. During all this time, he had been filled with anticipation, but he never expected it to arrive so soon!
Right in front of him, standing as if they had never left this world, were his father and mother—Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto!
Fugaku opened his arms, his usually stern face softening into something Sasuke had rarely seen—warmth. A silent invitation for his son to come forward and embrace the love that had been lost for years.
Sasuke could no longer hold himself back. His legs moved on their own, and in an instant, he leaped into his mother's arms.
"M-Mother..." His voice cracked with emotion, his body shaking as he clung to her.
Mikoto instantly wrapped him in her embrace, her own tears falling freely. "My Sasuke… my child… you've suffered so much all these years. It must have been lonely without me by your side..."
Sasuke buried his face into her shoulder. "I missed you so much... so much..."
Meanwhile, Uchiha Fugaku, whose arms were still open, stood there awkwardly. He had expected Sasuke to embrace him first, but now he was left with no choice but to drop his arms to his sides. "Hmph." He turned his head away, though his face betrayed a flicker of amusement.
On the other side, Kakashi's brain struggled to process what had just happened. His single visible eye darted across the scene, trying to find some logical explanation.
Summoning Jutsu?
What kind of summoning was this?!
Uchiha Fugaku? Uchiha Mikoto?
Weren't they supposed to be dead?
And then…
His entire body froze.
That figure… standing among them… That man with the silver hair, a familiar presence from long ago…
"F-Father...?"
A lump formed in Kakashi's throat as his gaze locked onto Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha.
His mind was spinning, desperately trying to rationalize what was happening. "This… this must be an illusion!" he stammered, stepping back in shock. His voice was filled with disbelief, but deep down, a small part of him wanted to believe that this was real.
Before he could process further, BAM!
A fist landed directly on his head with a force strong enough to rattle his thoughts.
"You unfilial brat!" Sakumo's voice boomed, his expression filled with both disappointment and frustration. "Calling your own father an illusion?! What kind of foolish nonsense is that?!"
Kakashi was completely dumbfounded. His head throbbed from the impact, but more than that, the reality of his father's presence was sinking in.
"You…" Sakumo's eyes drifted down, narrowing as he caught sight of the book in Kakashi's hand. He snatched it away and flipped through the pages.
The color drained from his face.
Red. White. Blue. Purple. Green.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Sakumo bellowed, shaking the book furiously. "No wonder you look like you have kidney deficiency! You've been wasting your time reading this trash?! You traitorous brat!!!"
Kakashi was utterly speechless.
And then—SMACK!
Another hit landed on the back of his head.
"You're an embarrassment!" Sakumo scolded. "Look at you! You have no energy, no drive, and you're wasting your time with this nonsense?! If I had known my son would turn out like this, I would've sent you to farm in the countryside instead of being a ninja!"
On the other side of the field, Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina stood face to face with Naruto.
Neither of them could contain their emotions.
Naruto, however, stared at them in confusion.
Why were these strangers looking at him like that?
And why… why did they know his name?
Naruto, still slightly intoxicated, looked over at Sasuke—who was already in his mother's arms.
A small pang of envy hit him.
Sasuke's parents had appeared…
Did that mean… his own parents…?
Kushina's eyes were filled with tears.
"Naruto..." she whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.
Minato also looked at his son, his hands twitching as he reached forward but hesitated. He had never been this nervous in his entire life. This was the first time he had the chance to truly stand before his son.
"Who… who are you?!" Naruto suddenly shouted, taking a step back. His hands clenched into fists. "Why do you know my name?!"
Minato's heart clenched at those words. But he couldn't hesitate anymore.
"Naruto... I am your father!"
Silence.
Naruto blinked.
Then—
"YOU'RE MY WHAT?!" Naruto's voice shot through the forest like a thunderclap. "DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME, YOU LIAR! MY DAD'S DEAD! DEAD! DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID?!"
Before Minato could respond, BAM!
Naruto's fist slammed directly into Minato's chest.
But the moment his fist connected, realization struck.
That feeling… that warmth… this wasn't an illusion. This wasn't a lie.
Naruto stumbled backward, his breathing ragged as he stared at Minato and Kushina.
His voice trembled. "No way…" His gaze slowly shifted toward Kushina. "You... you are..."
Kushina took a step forward, tears falling freely down her cheeks. "Yes, Naruto... I'm your mother."
Naruto's breath hitched.
And then—
Kushina threw her arms around him.
"My baby... my son..." She sobbed. "You are not alone anymore!"
Naruto stood frozen.
Afraid.
Afraid that if he moved, if he even breathed, everything would disappear like a cruel dream.
"I have parents..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I have a mother... I have a father..."
His hands gripped Kushina's back as his tears spilled over.
"I'm not an unwanted child..."
Minato stepped forward, his hands resting gently on Naruto's head. "Naruto… I'm so sorry. I failed to protect you and your mother back then... but I swear, from now on, I'll never leave your side again."
Naruto clenched his fists. "Dad..."
The three held each other tightly, as if afraid to let go.
And not too far away, Haruno Sakura stood frozen in shock.
Sasuke's parents were back.
Naruto's parents were back.
And Naruto's father just called himself Namikaze Minato…
Wait.
Haruno Sakura's brain finally connected the dots.
"HOLY CRAP! YOU'RE THE FOURTH HOKAGE?!"