Chapter 271: Dattebane

"Don't be a picky eater – eat well and grow up healthy."

"Remember to bathe daily, don't stay up late, make friends."

"Respect your teachers and classmates, be careful of the 'Three Prohibition of Shinobi,' especially money…"

Uzumaki Naruto struggled not to burst into tears; they leaked constantly, soaking the bandages around his face. His nose was blocked, and his voice caught in his throat.

Placing a warm hand on Naruto's head, Minato said quietly, "I'm sorry, Naruto." For the village's sake – so it would have a Nine-Tails jinchūriki – and so his wife could one day meet their son, he left him and gave his life.

His life, though short, was filled with regrets. But as a ninja, one who endures, perhaps it was always meant to be.

"Um, excuse me…" Link had to interrupt that precious father–son moment. "Did you two agree on some code word or passphrase?"

"Ah!" Naruto froze, looking shocked. "We totally did!"

"Jeez…" Link covered his face. As expected, Naruto was truly scatterbrained – that startled look on his face much like Hashirama's. The two of them – indeed worthy Asura reincarnations.

Yes, chakra itself influences people. A single Rinnegan from Madara nearly cost Obito his sense of self; likewise, the mighty chakra of Asura and Indra's reincarnations inevitably shapes their personalities.

Still, "reincarnation chakra" isn't the same person. Naruto, with his own grit and character, really did transform the old Asura–Indra cycle.

After all, as the saying goes: "If the branches fight, maybe the roots were never steady to begin with…"

Naruto, stunned, scrambled to recall, "I definitely told Mom about you and your jutsu, Link… about Dad being Summoned. I told her everything, right?"

"Hold up a sec." Link formed hand seals, channeling his chakra, then clapped his hands.

[Kushina–auntie, can you hear me…?]

[I hear you, yes, I'm here, dattebane!!]

The energetic female voice was slightly high-pitched, filled with both nervousness and excitement.

Ah, mother and son even shared the same verbal tic.

Link locked on to that "signal" and canceled the technique, then increased his chakra flow for a fresh Summoning.

"Aunt—whoa!"

A red-haired woman in a sleeveless blouse and olive maternity smock appeared from nowhere. She froze for a moment upon seeing the teenage boy in front of her, head swiveling around. "Minato! Naruto!"

She lightly floated forward, arms open, only to pass right through her husband and son and go phasing out through the wall.

On the other side, she found herself before some startled nurse and an unconscious shinobi in a hospital bed.

Laughing awkwardly, she retraced her path and phased back in again.

"Kushina…" Trying not to cry, Minato forced a wobbly smile.

Naruto practically leapt up from the bed – only to yank his own wounds. His face twisted, grin turning pained. "Mom…"

"I missed you—so, so, so much, Minato." Tears trickled from Kushina Uzumaki's eyes, dissolving midair before they could fall.

Off to the side, Hiruzen gave a gratified smile, blinking a couple times.

Link discreetly tugged at him, and the two slipped from the room into the hallway, leaving the newly reunited family to themselves. "I came to find you and Minato to help Lord Tobirama test the 'Rashōmon experiment.'"

"I see." Hiruzen's face remained kindly. Even in a younger reanimated body, he still carried that old-man aura. His voice was heavy with warmth. "It's wonderful, isn't it?"

He patted Link on the head. "We have you to thank."

In the cruel ninja world, tragedies were far too common; sorrow was the norm.

Link's existence felt like a merciful dream to them.

"Let's give Minato and Kushina some time. Come walk with me." Hiruzen let go, motioning Link outside.

Quietly, they left the hospital and strolled the lively yet peaceful streets of Konoha. Hiruzen reminisced about the past—funny stories, sad ones, heartwarming moments, along with his hopes for younger generations, bits of advice… so the two chatted leisurely, eventually reaching the bustling lane selling clothing, accessories, cosmetics, etc.

He gazed at the lively crowd with a nostalgic sigh. "Me and Biwako, back in the day, we—"

"Sarutobi Hiruzen!"

"Dad?!"

A three-year-old girl dressed in old-fashioned white robes, hair in a ponytail and face full of astonishment, stood there. Behind her was Asuma, carrying two large shopping bags.

"Biwako… Asuma!" Hiruzen broke into a sheepish grin. "Ah, fancy meeting you here."

"You told me you were 'too busy' to come by, didn't you?" mini-Biwako demanded, voice childishly high yet somehow stern. Her adorable features still radiated a faint but imposing aura.

Maybe it was her gaze or expression?

Anyway, Hiruzen was sweating bullets. "Er… yeah, it's been hectic. I—I was just passing through…"

Asuma gave his father a sympathetic look, stepping aside to see how it played out. Everyone had their own family headaches.

Amused, Link tactfully withdrew, giving the father–mother–son space. Meeting Asuma's eyes, they exchanged a grin.

Truly, Konoha was full of these joyous little dramas.

He wandered off alone, wearing a faint smile he couldn't quite explain. Perhaps it was just the sense of safety and support—so many here able to protect him, the feeling that his status had grown.

I'll drop by Amaguriama for some sweets; Rashōmon has a couple more hours anyway—no rush.

He ambled along, not using Body Flicker, relishing the slow pace. Passing Yamanaka Flowers, he popped in, greeting Nara Shikamaru's teammate, "Ino," who was minding the shop.

Last year, in the chūnin exams, Shikamaru alone got promoted, while Ino and Chōji hadn't. Asuma these days was busy caring for his newly revived mother, so Team 10 was mostly inactive.

A few days ago, Shikaku had invited Link over for a "Pig–Deer–Butterfly" get-together, hoping he'd bond more with the Ino–Shika–Chō generation.

After all, ever since Tobirama's reanimation, the village had definitely intensified Link's protection, inadvertently creating a barrier between him and the old shinobi clans. Now that Tobirama was off in the other world, Shikaku finally extended the formal invite.

Judging by how Yamanaka Inoichi had teased them, it felt like they might've hoped to set him up with Ino. But neither had shown any spark—just a friendly acquaintance, with no shared real interests or goals. They were simply too different.

~~~

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