Chapter 95 – Truths in the Sand
Sasuke turned toward Naruto, his expression hardening.
"Naruto, we need to be ready before that Ōtsutsuki arrives."
Naruto's usual calm returned, his blue eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yeah, I know. By my estimate, he'll show up in an hour or two."
Then, with a faint grin tugging at his lips, he added,
"Anyway, I've got some free time until then… might as well finish the mission I got nineteen years ago."
Sasuke gave a quiet huff of disbelief.
"So the guy's here. Fine. Go do your thing quickly—we'll need to prepare before the enemy comes."
Naruto nodded and turned to Minato's team. His voice became firmer, the tone of a seasoned leader.
"You all should leave this area. It's going to get dangerous soon. We'll stay here for about few hours."
Chōza frowned under his mask.
"Why should we listen to you? We don't even know who you are. We have a mission from Lord Hokage, and we intend to complete it first."
Naruto blinked, then tilted his head.
"Wait… when did I send you to Rōran? If you're part of supporting squad, this mission must've been messed up—maybe one of my shadow clones sent you here by mistake?"
Sasuke groaned and smacked his forehead.
"Idiot. We're in the time of the Third Great Ninja War. The Hokage right now should be the Third, not you."
That made Minato pause, confusion flickering in his eyes.
"Hold on—what are you talking about?"
Before Naruto could reply, Akira spoke, his tone soft but confident.
"Brother Minato… I think the man named Naruto is your son. And Sasuke… might be my younger brother. Judging by his reaction, Naruto's probably a Hokage in their time."
The entire group froze.
Naruto's eyes widened, words catching in his throat.
"H-how did you… know that?"
Sasuke turned sharply toward Akira, his voice low and defensive.
"You're not my brother. I only have one—and that's Itachi."
The weight of that name hit Minato's team like a thunderclap. Minato, Shibi, Chōza, and Kakashi all turned toward the three in disbelief.
Minato finally found his voice.
"You're saying… he is my son? And the other one is your brother? How could you possibly know that?"
Akira shrugged lightly, the faintest smile on his face.
"Just a guess. Sasuke looks a lot like Aunt Mikoto and has a similar chakra pattern to Itachi's. And Naruto…"
He turned toward Naruto, his golden Byakugan shimmering faintly.
"He has Lady Kushina's face and your golden hair, Brother Minato. That hair color's rare in the shinobi world. And one more thing—he carries the Nine Tails' chakra inside him."
The air grew still.
Minato's breath hitched. Kakashi's visible eye widened in disbelief. Shibi and Chōza exchanged a look—shock rippling through their chakra.
Naruto stared at Akira, stunned.
He had lived through wars, faced gods, and rewritten fate—but hearing his parents' names spoken so casually by someone from the past made his chest tighten.
For the first time in years… Naruto didn't know what to say.
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