Minato's chest felt tight.
Something about this didn't sit right with him.
Ever since he noticed something off about Naruto, he'd had this nagging feeling of unease. And now, seeing Toji appear like this—taking over Naruto's body—Minato couldn't shake the suspicion that there was something much deeper going on. Something hidden.
He kept his voice low, but firm.
"Who are you, really? And what do you want with Naruto?"
Toji didn't look surprised at all.
In fact, he had expected this conversation from the very beginning. The moment he decided to take care of Naruto, he'd figured this day would come—when he'd have to face Minato Namikaze directly.
And truthfully, there was a reason he came clean so fast. Sure, part of it was Naruto's own internal plan, but mostly, Toji wanted Minato out of the picture. The less influence Minato had on Naruto, the better—for Toji's goals, anyway.
Because if Minato picked up on what Toji was really planning and managed to steer Naruto back on track, it would throw everything off. He couldn't have that.
The good news for Toji? Minato and Kushina didn't have much time left. Their chakra was already fading. They weren't really a threat to him. So, there was no point pretending to be someone he wasn't.
So, he didn't answer the question. He just gave Minato a small, unreadable smile. The kind of smile that said, "You won't get anything out of me."
The tension in the air got heavy—fast.
It felt like one wrong move and the whole place could erupt.
Kushina, seeing how bad things were getting, didn't hesitate. She rushed forward—past Minato—and did something that left everyone speechless.
She dropped to her knees.
"please," she said, her voice shaking. "I don't care who you are or what you want. I just beg you—don't hurt Naruto."
The room went still.
Even Toji was caught off guard.
He didn't expect that. And it hit him harder than he thought it would.
Before all this—back when he was just a regular guy watching the anime from another world—this kind of moment wouldn't have moved him from a screen. But now, standing here, seeing a mother put her pride aside and beg for her son's safety... it got to him.
His expression softened.
The tension eased a little.
He let out a breath, half a sigh and half a laugh, and said, "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt him. You can ask your husband—he knows how I've treated Naruto these past few years."
He paused, then added, "But as for why I'm here… sorry. I can't say."
Kushina slowly looked over at Minato.
She didn't care about secrets or hidden agendas. She just needed to know her son would be okay. That was all.
Minato gave her a small nod, silently telling her: Yes. It's true.
Only then did she stand, wipe the tears from her face, and return to his side.
Minato didn't press Toji further. At that point, he understood.
It didn't matter what Toji's exact intentions were. As someone who was already dead, Minato didn't have the power to stop what came next anyway.
And realistically, even if he wanted to attack, he couldn't. Toji was inside Naruto. Striking him would mean hurting his own son.
And Kushina? She was already holding him back, silently pleading with him not to do anything rash.
Minato sighed.
Looking at Toji again, the suspicion was still there—but now it was mixed with something else.
Resignation.
Sadness.
And frustration at the cruel world his son had to live in.
But in the end, he let it go.
He nodded slightly and said, "Alright. If you won't tell me, I won't force it."
He paused, then added, "But I can tell you care about Naruto. And for that, I'm grateful."
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a scroll. "This contains all the jutsu Kushina and I learned in our lifetimes. I hope it helps you… and especially him."
He stepped forward and handed it to Toji.
Their eyes met. Toji could tell—this was more than just a gift. It was a plea.
Take care of my son.
Toji accepted the scroll without hesitation. He had raised Naruto from the beginning. He had earned this trust.
Still, when the weight of the scroll landed in his hands, a jolt of excitement ran through him. He had expected the confrontation—but he didn't expect it to go so smoothly.
This scroll? In the ninja world, it would be a priceless treasure. The kind people would go to war for. And now, it was his, well only in his mind though but it's worth it.
On top of that, seeing Naruto and Minato reconnect had once again boosted the "blackening value" Toji had been working toward.
All of it was playing out even better than he imagined.
He kept a straight face but couldn't help feeling the win.
Suppressing his grin, he coughed lightly and said, "Don't worry. I'll look after Naruto. You have my word."
Hearing that, both Minato and Kushina finally relaxed there was nothing they can do anyway.
They looked at each other, smiled, and gently held hands. No words were needed. They knew what the other was thinking.
Then they turned toward Toji, smiling warmly. Grateful.
And slowly, their figures began to fade—breaking into soft orbs of light that floated away into the sky.
Gone.
But at peace.
hopefully