The Land of Waves wasn't far from the Leaf Village. At Kai's group's pace, they reached Konoha in less than two days.
At the village gates, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki leaned lazily against the massive entrance, chatting idly to pass the time.
"Hey, Izumo," Kotetsu said, a senbon dangling from his lips, "I heard this year's Chūnin Exams are being held in our village. Who do you think from the current batch of genin will make it through?"
Izumo pondered for a moment. "Well... I've heard Neji Hyūga from the Hyūga clan is incredibly gifted. And this year's rookie of the year, Sasuke Uchiha, seems pretty impressive too. They should be able to pass."
"Yeah." Kotetsu nodded, then sighed wistfully. "Still, today's genin are nowhere near the level we had back in our day. Remember? Kai-sama graduated from the academy at five and became a full jōnin at seven. Even Kakashi was exceptional—passed the Chūnin Exams at six."
"Kai... Kai-sama!" Izumo's expression suddenly went blank.
"What about Kai-sama?" Kotetsu followed Izumo's gaze, his face mirroring the shock before lighting up with excitement. "It's Kai-sama! Kai-sama's back!"
Kai approached with a warm smile. "Long time no see, Izumo, Kotetsu."
After exchanging pleasantries, Kai prepared to leave.
"Uncle, wait!" Naruto called out anxiously, his eyes bright with anticipation. "Uncle, who exactly is my father?"
Throughout their journey back, the tension between Sasuke and Kai had kept Naruto from asking. But now that Kai was about to leave, he couldn't hold back any longer. It had been six years since their last meeting—what if he had to wait another six years?
Kai paused, his expression softening with apologetic warmth. He'd nearly forgotten his promise.
Walking over to Naruto, Kai crouched down slightly, placed a hand on his shoulder, and pointed toward the Hokage Monument. "Naruto, there he is—your father. He's never left your side and has always been watching over you."
Naruto stared in confusion, following Kai's gesture. His eyes widened in absolute shock as he stammered, "U-Uncle... are you saying my father is the Fourth Hokage?!"
"That's right," Kai said with a gentle smile. "Your father is Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage."
Everyone present—except Kakashi—froze in stunned silence. Whether it was Izumo, Kotetsu, Sasuke, or Sakura, they all stared in disbelief.
After a long moment, Sakura hesitantly spoke up. "But, Kai-sama... Naruto doesn't have the Namikaze surname." Her voice carried genuine confusion, and the others turned questioning gazes toward Kai.
"That's because Naruto took his mother's surname," Kai explained simply.
Naruto's face grew urgent as he pressed further. "Uncle, what's my mother's name? Where is she now? Is she... like my father...?"
His eyes reflected a complex mixture of hope and dread.
Kai didn't hesitate to tell the truth. He nodded solemnly. "Your mother was Kushina Uzumaki. Twelve years ago, she died alongside Minato in battle."
Disappointment and grief washed over Naruto's features. Seeing this, Kai continued, "Naruto, don't worry. You'll see them both again soon—trust me. But before that happens, you need to become an outstanding ninja. Surprise them with how much you've grown, so they won't be disappointed!"
Even Kakashi was taken aback by Kai's cryptic words, unable to grasp their meaning.
Naruto looked at Kai with bewildered eyes before nodding slowly. Though he didn't understand how he could meet his deceased parents, he felt no doubt about Kai's words.
"Alright, I'm heading out. See you around," Kai said, waving casually before walking into the village.
The familiar sights of Konoha greeted him as he strolled through the streets. Instead of going to the Mitarashi compound, Kai made his way directly to Kurenai Yūhi's home.
Standing before her door, Kai felt a pang of guilt.
Years ago, he'd left without a word after their intimate encounter.
Knock, knock, knock...
After collecting himself, Kai rapped on the door. "Kurenai, are you home? I'm back."
Silence stretched on. Kai was about to activate his Kagura Mind's Eye to sense her presence when—
"YOU BRAT! GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!"
The thunderous roar belonged to Shin Yūhi, Kurenai's father. Thanks to Kai's intervention, Shin had survived the Nine-Tails attack, unlike in the original timeline.
Kai's expression shifted to one of mortal terror. "Uncle, I just remembered something urgent. I'll be going now!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Kai used Divine Presence to vanish instantly. Having taken someone's daughter and then disappeared for years, he wasn't about to face an angry father's wrath.
Inside the house, Shin stepped outside, his expression far from the fury Kai had imagined. Instead, he smiled at the empty doorway. "That brat finally came back. Kurenai will be happy." His tone carried just a hint of paternal jealousy.
"Whew... that was close. Better use Kagura Mind's Eye from now on," Kai muttered, wiping away nonexistent sweat before activating his sensory technique.
"Hmm... found her."
Hokage's Office
"Regarding this year's Chūnin Exams—Kurenai, Kakashi, Asuma—do any of your teams have suitable candidates?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked. "Kurenai, you go first."
"I, Kurenai Yūhi, nominate Hinata Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame from Team 8 to participate in the Chūnin Exams under my name," Kurenai declared formally.
"I, Kakashi Hatake, nominate Team 7..."
"I, Asuma Sarutobi, nominate Team 10..."
Both men spoke simultaneously.
Iruka Umino, standing nearby, was horrified. He stepped forward urgently. "Lord Hokage, this isn't right! They've only just graduated from the academy!"
Before Hiruzen could respond, a familiar voice cut through the tension:
"Come on, Iruka. What's the problem? At their age, I was already Kage-level. It's just the Chūnin Exams—nothing to worry about."
The moment that voice echoed through the room, Kurenai's eyes blazed with unmistakable joy.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds