"Father… Mother…"
Uchiha Sasuke was a sobbing mess. He remembered Ito Hirofumi promising him a big surprise, and he'd been buzzing with anticipation for weeks. But he never imagined it would come this soon—or be this huge! His parents, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto, were standing right in front of him, alive and real!
Fugaku opened his arms wide, ready to envelop his son in a warm, fatherly hug. Sasuke couldn't hold back anymore. He sprinted toward them, tears streaming down his face.
"Mother!" he cried, diving straight into Mikoto's arms.
Fugaku, still holding his arms out, froze awkwardly. Should he lower them? Keep them up? He stood there, caught in limbo, as Mikoto's eyes welled up with tears.
"My son…" she whispered, holding him tight. "You've been through so much. It must've been so hard without me there."
"Mother… I missed you so much!" Sasuke choked out.
"I missed you too, my Sasuke," Mikoto said, stroking his hair.
Meanwhile, Kakashi Hatake was completely floored. Summoning jutsu? What kind of summoning jutsu is this?!
He stared at the crowd that had appeared out of nowhere. Uchiha Fugaku? Uchiha Mikoto? Weren't Sasuke's parents supposed to be dead? And… wait a minute. Was that his father? Why was Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang, standing there? And his sensei, Minato, and his sensei's wife, Kushina, too?
"What the hell is going on?!" Kakashi muttered, his mind racing. "This has to be some crazy-powerful genjutsu! Ito Hirofumi, when did you even cast this? I didn't sense a thing!"
WHACK! Before Kakashi could finish, a fist—lovingly delivered by his father, Sakumo—smacked him square on the head.
"Genjutsu, my ass!" Sakumo barked. "Your dad's standing right here, kid! Take a good look—how much do I look like the real deal? You're calling me a genjutsu? Some filial son you are! And what's with you? You look like a walking zombie. Don't tell me those kids were right about you being… weak in the kidneys? And what's that in your hand?!"
Kakashi, still reeling from the fatherly fist of love, watched in a daze as Sakumo snatched his copy of Icha Icha Paradise. Flipping through it, Sakumo's face went from red to white, then blue, purple, and finally green.
"You little punk!" Sakumo roared. "No wonder you look like you're falling apart! What kind of trash are you reading?! You delinquent! Today, I'm gonna teach you a lesson you won't forget! A ninja looking like this? You'd be better off farming potatoes!"
Kakashi was beyond stunned. This wasn't a genjutsu. His father was really here. So were his sensei and his sensei's wife. This was real.
"Father…" Kakashi murmured, his eyes trembling as he stared at Sakumo.
"Don't you 'Father' me!" Sakumo snapped. "I don't have a son like you! Ugh, you've got me so mad I can't even think straight—I mean, I don't have a delinquent like you for a son!"
On the other side, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki approached Naruto Uzumaki cautiously. They gazed at their son, unsure how to start. Naruto, who'd never seen his parents before, had no clue why these two were looking at him so strangely. Still a bit tipsy from the sake, he glanced enviously at Sasuke, who was wrapped in his parents' arms. Sasuke's parents are back… When will I get to meet mine?
Minato reached out, his hand trembling with emotion, but he pulled back, nervous. This was his first time meeting his son, and to Naruto, he was just a stranger. Kushina's eyes were brimming with tears.
"Naruto…" she whispered.
Naruto blinked, confused. "Who're you guys? How do you know my name?"
Minato couldn't hold it in anymore. "Naruto! I'm your father!"
Naruto froze, his brain short-circuiting. "What the—?! You're trying to pull one over over on me?! My dad's been dead forever! You think you can just waltz in and call yourself my dad? I'm your dad, pal!"
WHAM! In a burst of drunken impulsiveness, Naruto swung a fist right into Minato's chest. But as soon as he landed the punch, it hit him. He remembered Ito's promise about a surprise. Sasuke's parents were back… so these two…
"Are you… really my parents?" Naruto asked, staring at Kushina in disbelief.
Kushina pulled him into a tight embrace. "Yes, Naruto! I'm your mother! Your real mother! You're my son!"
Naruto didn't dare move, terrified that if he did, this moment would vanish like a dream. "My mother… my father… I have parents… I'm not some unwanted kid… I'm not alone anymore…"
Hearing her son's soft muttering, Kushina broke down completely. "Naruto! You're not unwanted! You're my treasure, my son!"
"Mother!" Naruto cried, clinging to her.
"Son!" she sobbed back.
Minato scratched his head awkwardly and stepped closer. "Naruto, I failed you as a father. I couldn't protect you or your mother back then. But I swear, from now on, that won't happen again. I'm just your dad now—and your mom's husband. The name's Minato Namikaze."
"Father!" Naruto wailed, and the three of them wrapped each other in a tight family hug.
Nearby, Sakura Haruno's jaw was on the floor. Sasuke's parents were back! Naruto's parents were back! This was amazing! She'd heard rumors about this, but she didn't expect it to happen so fast. Wait… what did Naruto's dad just say his name was?
Minato Namikaze?! As in, the Fourth Hokage?!
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