ᴅᴇꜱᴛɪɴʏ ʀᴇʙɪʀᴛʜ|ⁿᵃʳᵘᵗᵒˣⁿᵃʳᵘᵏᵒ

Revelation p.11

Naruto, already expecting the question, just nodded with a rueful smile, "They are, a hundred percent authentic," he said, "Kind of hard to take in I believe?" he asked again with a grin.

Minato scoffed with a weary chuckle, running his hands through his own blonde locks as he did. "Understatement of the century," he mumbled mostly to himself, but the two younger blondes heard him regardless, making them laugh lightly.

Shaking his head slightly, Minato sighed as he looked at Naruto — his son, a foreign concept still pleasantly new to the powerful man since he had only got accustomed to being a father to a daughter, not a son. Inwardly though, he was secretly delighted to have a son. The mere thought of it thrilling him to no end, as Minato was already giddy and mentally jumping through the clouds when he learned that Kushina was pregnant with their child.

The events and hardships that this boy endured — events that forged him into the young man standing in front of him now, arms wrapped tightly around Naruko in a protective embrace, had clearly forged a man with great virtue and integrity. No one should've ever be exposed to those kinds of torment and pain, and Minato couldn't thank Kami enough for sparing Naruko of the same fate, no matter how selfish his thoughts may be.

Making his decision, Minato quickly strode up towards the two younger blondes, surprising them both when he suddenly enveloped them in a warm hug. Both teenagers were shocked, Naruto more so as he hadn't expected this kind of reaction from his father. He wasn't even sure if shocked was the right word used.

"Tou-chan?" Naruko asked, voice full of concern and bewilderment. "What's gotten into you?"

Minato shook his head as he hugged his children, his children, closer to him. "Nothing," he replied, grinning brightly as he did. "I'm just overwhelmed and happy to see not only my daughter but my son as well."

Naruto looked at the man in shock, missing the triumphant smirk on Kurama's snout and Naruko's happy smile.

"I'm sorry you have to go through that kind of life Naruto, no one should." Minato paused, choosing his words that were barely forming in his emotional mind. "Some father I turned out to be, huh? Not only had I failed my daughter here, in this world, I failed my son in another too." The Uzumaki siblings looked at their father sadly as the powerful shinobi broke down slowly in front of them. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be..."

He startled out of his self-loathing when he sensed a gargantuan amount of Killing Intent directed right at him which nearly floored the former Hokage. At first, he thought it was from the Kyūbi, but upon further investigation it came from not one, but two unlikely sources — his children.

Both Naruto and Naruko were glaring at their father, the latter with angry tears in her eyes before the girl slapped Minato across his face, earning a shocked look on the man's face as he nursed his stinging cheek.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Tou-chan!" Naruko shouted.

"She's right," Naruto said as he pulled away, standing to his full height as he crossed his arms with narrowed eyes. "You can't all the blame on yourself."

Realizing the irony in his statement, he mentally snorted before continuing. "Kurama's attack on the village was not, and never your fault. It was Kaguya's... and Black Zetsu's..." he growled out the malefic being's name like it was one of the foulest curses known to man, and none could blame him either.

He swallowed as he composed himself while trying in vain to repress the horrible memories of his past, which didn't go unnoticed by the other occupants of the mindscape. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand holding his own, and Naruto looked down to see that it was Naruko's; that was when he noticed his hands were unconsciously clenching so tightly that it almost drew blood even if it was in their shared mindscape.

Relaxing as he had done many times before with Naruko's warm presence and her small ministrations, Naruto sighed as he grinned broadly. "Like I said, don't go and beat yourself up about it. If anything, you were the best role model anyone could ask for." He said to Minato, who stood there in shock. "Even when I didn't know you were my father, I've always looked up to you — I mean come on, you were the Yondaime Hokage! The greatest Hokage Konoha had ever produced!"

Naruto smiled as he ran his hand through his spiky blonde locks. "Even when you weren't my father, you were there for me." He held a fist to his chest where his heart was, "In spirit, as a Hokage and hero for me to uphold the Will of Fire and protect everyone precious to me like Hokage-Jiji told me when I was younger. That's the reason why even though you weren't alive to be in my life, you were always there for me, the village and everyone else..." he stated as he grinned broadly, eyes closed as to hold back the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes.

Naruko smiled warmly at her brother. It was times like this that she really saw who was hidden underneath that mask of aloofness and goof: it was a boy who had suffered much in his life but powered through it with determination and guts. She shook her head in amazement. She wasn't sure she was confident in herself to stay positive and optimistic if she was ever exposed to the kinds of torment Naruto had been put through.

Minato was stunned, not by Naruto's admission, but by the way the young man spoke with such wisdom well beyond his years. Naruto not only allayed the elder man's fears of being an incompetent parent, but he also reassured him that his and his family's sacrifice to save Konoha had not been in vain, and there was still hope for their supposedly bleak and dark future.

Minato smiled warmly as he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the boy look up at him. "Thank you, Naruto." he said sincerely, "If your words before weren't proof enough, now I have no doubt that you are my son, and I am a very proud father indeed."

Naruto smiled back as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. He had just reconciled with his father a second time, which was saying something, and it didn't start out with a punch in the gut.

Minato's hand was still placed on Naruto's shoulder as he gestured for Naruko to come closer before pulling them both into another hug which they gladly returned.

"Thank you both, Naruto, Naruko-chan." he stated emotionally, "I entrust the future of the village in both your hands." Naruto remained silent as he nodded while Naruko started sobbing while she embraced the man tighter. "Remember, no matter what choice you make in your life, just know that I'll always believe in you."

Just then Minato's body had sparks of light glittering from him as he started to fade. The man looked down upon himself, smiling. "Guess my chakra is at its limits."