Haruno Sakura took a closer look at Namikaze Minato's appearance and carefully compared it with the statue of the Fourth Hokage on the Hokage Rock. The resemblance was undeniable. Every detail matched perfectly, from the golden hair to the unmistakable Hokage robe draped over his shoulders.
Her heart pounded in her chest. That meant… Naruto's father was really the Fourth Hokage?!
A jolt of realization struck her like lightning. She had always prided herself on being the best student in the cultural classes at the Ninja Academy, and she knew the history of Konoha like the back of her hand. The Fourth Hokage was a hero—he was the one who stopped the Nine-Tails attack and saved the village.
And yet, the son of that hero… was the most hated person in Konoha?
Her mind struggled to process this contradiction. The village had spent years treating Naruto as if he were some kind of monster, calling him the "demon fox boy" and keeping their distance from him. Even she had disliked him when they were younger, dismissing him as an annoying idiot. But after spending time with him, she had come to realize that Naruto was nothing like the rumors. He was just a normal boy. A little dumb at times, sure, but nothing close to the demon he was made out to be.
The son of a hero, treated like a criminal…
No wonder Souta Kazuki had always wanted to change Konoha. This village really was rotten.
Before today, she had always followed Sasuke without question. Whatever Sasuke decided, she stood by him without hesitation. She had even joined Souta's cause, in part, because of Sasuke. But now…
For the first time, she truly understood. This village needed to change.
Meanwhile, Souta Kazuki, who had been watching the emotional shifts on everyone's faces, suddenly realized something. In his excitement, he had accidentally channeled everyone from his psychic space!
He blinked, momentarily stunned by his own mistake.
Well… too late to hide it now.
Besides, it didn't really matter. The plan was already in motion.
The only thing left was figuring out how to give the Third Hokage a dignified exit.
Souta rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The old man's time had long passed, but that didn't mean he had to go out in disgrace. In the original history, Orochimaru had given the Third Hokage a grand farewell, allowing him to reclaim his honor in his final moments. It had been a battle that solidified his place as a true leader, a hero of Konoha.
Perhaps… something similar could be arranged this time as well.
His gaze drifted toward Orochimaru.
Would he be willing to stage another attack on Konoha?
Souta sighed. This was giving him a headache.
Still, a small-scale war wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. It would shake Konoha out of its complacency and remind everyone that the world wasn't as peaceful as it seemed. If anything, it could serve as a way to strengthen the village in the long run. A young Third Hokage, in his prime, would be a much better leader than the frail old man who had been clinging to power for too long.
As for Danzo…
Souta smirked slightly. Young Danzo was surprisingly handsome.
But his fate was already sealed. Danzo was Sasuke's target, after all. That grudge wasn't something anyone could take away from him.
Souta scratched his head, feeling slightly helpless.
He had called forth so many powerful figures, and yet now that they were here, they didn't have anything to do.
For a moment, there was an awkward silence as everyone looked at each other.
Then Souta clapped his hands.
"I'm sorry, seniors. I got a little carried away. Let's go back to normal—those who were singing, go back to singing. Those who were eating hot pot, go back to eating hot pot!"
With a casual wave of his hand, he lifted the summoning technique.
One by one, the figures disappeared in a puff of white smoke, returning to their psychic world.
Only Namikaze Minato and his wife, Uchiha Fugaku and his wife, and Hatake Sakumo remained.
On the other side, Kakashi had been silently observing the scene, his mind still struggling to process everything.
His father… Hatake Sakumo… was truly back.
"Father… what on earth is going on?"
Hatake Sakumo turned to his son and gave him a small, knowing smile.
"Let's talk," he said simply.
Kakashi listened as his father explained everything.
When the explanation was finally over, Kakashi turned to Souta with an expression that was both grateful and overwhelmed.
To resurrect his father… Even if he gave up his own life, he wouldn't be able to repay this kindness.
Kakashi took a deep breath, then bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"Souta Kazuki… Thank you."
Souta waved him off dismissively.
"It's nothing. Honestly, I did this for myself too. Besides, I just helped fix what should've never been broken in the first place. Now that we've got the family reunions out of the way, it's time to get back to business."
He turned to look at Naruto and Sasuke.
"Naruto, Sasuke! What do you think? Pretty big surprise, right?"
Naruto and Sasuke both nodded fiercely.
Then Souta shifted his attention to Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku.
"Uncle Minato, Uncle Fugaku, now that your families are back together, it's time to start what we discussed before."
Minato and Fugaku exchanged a glance before nodding. They already knew what Souta was referring to—helping Naruto and Sasuke unlock their true potential.
Naruto had the Nine-Tails.
Sasuke had the Sharingan.
Once they mastered these powers, they would be on a completely different level.
"Then let's start with the Nine-Tails," Souta suggested. "I've never seen a tailed beast up close before. Should be interesting."
Minato nodded but warned, "The Nine-Tails isn't easy to deal with. He might not cooperate."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged confused glances.
Before Naruto could react, Souta suddenly grabbed his jacket and lifted it, exposing the seal on his stomach.
Naruto yelped in alarm, quickly shoving Souta away and covering himself.
"Souta, what the hell?! Are you trying to look at my body like that idiot Sasuke?!"
Souta and Sasuke's faces both darkened instantly.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you idiot!!! Shut up!!!!"
Bang! Bang!
Two fists came down hard on Naruto's head, making him yelp in pain.
As Naruto clutched his head, grumbling about how unfair life was, his parents looked on with amused smiles.
No matter how much time passed, some things never changed.