The night sky was like a dark curtain.
Two figures stood by the riverbank. A cold night breeze brushed against the hems of their clothes, carrying a hint of a chill.
The two had been talking for a long time—reminiscing from their childhood to the present, and eventually, the conversation turned to Kurenai.
"...So, you jerk, you better treat Kurenai well from now on."
"Otherwise, I won't let you off the hook."
A puff of blue smoke drifted from Asuma's mouth and nose, vanishing into the ink-black night with the evening breeze, as if the melancholy and regret in his heart were fading away with the wind.
"I will, of course."
Kakashi glanced at the man beside him. There was more he wanted to say, but when the words reached his lips, they formed only a single promise.
"I know your character. Since you've given your word, I'll leave it at that."
Looking at Kakashi, Asuma dropped his cigarette butt and watched the moonlit ripples on the lake, exhaling one last breath of murky smoke.
It was over.
Ten years of pursuit had come to nothing.
Kurenai was already a married woman; it was time for him to look elsewhere.
"I'm heading out."
Leaving behind his hidden regrets and melancholy, and carrying a sense of closure in his heart, he walked away alone down the path.
Watching him leave, Kakashi said nothing more. He turned and walked toward the warm glow of the lights not far away.
"Ta-da!"
The moment Kakashi stepped through the door, he saw Hikari, Kurenai, Mirai, and Ichigo—along with Kushina—aiming confetti cannons at his face and setting them off.
Kakashi looked at the group in front of him, momentarily dazed.
"What's this?"
"Oh, it's just Papa?"
"I thought it was Big Brother Naruto."
Little Mirai looked at her father with a hint of disappointment.
"What do you mean 'it's just me'?" Kakashi asked, patting Mirai's head with a look of confusion.
"It's because Sister Kushina missed thirteen years of Naruto's birthdays while she wasn't by his side. She wants to make it up to him," Hikari explained from the side.
"Auntie Kushina even made a whole table of food!" Mirai chimed in.
Hearing this, Kakashi turned to his mentor's wife and asked doubtfully, "You haven't gone to see Naruto yet?"
Judging by Kushina's appearance, she clearly hadn't seen him.
"Well..." The red-haired woman scratched her cheek with her finger, looking a bit embarrassed. "I... I'm still a little afraid..."
Figures.
Kakashi understood the situation. Even though he had encouraged Kushina earlier, she still couldn't overcome the hurdle in her heart. He wasn't sure whose idea it was to make up for twelve years of birthdays, though.
"In that case, let's just wait for Naruto to come back," Kakashi said, pinching a small piece of colored paper off his sleeve. "The shops on the street aren't closed yet; go buy some more confetti poppers."
"Mm-hmm! Then this mission is assigned to you two," Kurenai said with a gentle smile to Mirai and Ichigo.
"Mission accepted!" Mirai shouted, immediately raising her hand.
"Me too!" Ichigo followed suit, raising his hand as well.
As she watched the two children take the coins from Kurenai and dash outside, a look of tenderness appeared in Kushina's eyes.
If that night hadn't happened, she should have been like Kakashi—able to witness her own child growing up with her own eyes...
Mirai and Ichigo ran very fast. When they returned, their small chests were heaving as they panted heavily, but they refused to let go of the confetti poppers they had bought.
"Why did you run so fast?"
Kurenai knelt down to take the poppers from the children, lightly scolding them while affectionately tidying Mirai's messy hair.
"Hehe, we were just afraid Big Brother Naruto would come back suddenly," Mirai said, giggling as she enjoyed her mother's touch.
"You silly child..." Kurenai smiled helplessly at her daughter.
Watching the interaction between the mother and daughter, a soft look flickered in Kakashi's eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Kurenai asked, touching her cheek in confusion as she noticed Kakashi's gaze.
"Nothing, it's just... never mind." Kakashi shook his head with a smile.
"How strange..." Kurenai gave him a playful, mock-reproachful look.
"Woof!"
Suddenly, Bull's bark echoed from outside.
"He's here!"
Hikari, who had been crouching by the window watching the outside, waved everyone over.
"It's not just Naruto—his teammates Sakura and Sasuke are here too!" Hikari whispered in surprise.
"H-He's here?!"
Upon hearing Hikari's words, the already restless Kushina clenched her hands together tightly.
"Auntie Kushina, Big Brother Naruto might be a bit hyper, but he's a really good person usually," little Ichigo said, walking over to her. He tugged at her hem and comforted her in a small voice, "He'll be so happy once he knows who you are."
"Ah... yes! Right!"
Kushina looked at Ichigo and nodded vigorously. Feeling a bit more settled, she stared intently at the door that was about to open.
"I'm telling you guys, I can't guarantee Kakashi-niisan will let us go along later."
Naruto's voice, chatting with Sakura and Sasuke, drifted in from outside. Hearing this, Hikari, Kurenai, Mirai, and Ichigo—all holding confetti poppers—got ready.
The door handle turned. Naruto was still looking back, talking to his teammates. Just as he stepped inside, a flurry of multicolored confetti burst into his face.
"Ta-da!"
"Happy Birthday, Big Brother Naruto!"
Mirai and Ichigo lunged toward Naruto together, looking up at the bewildered boy.
"Birthday?"
"Naruto, I don't think your birthday is today, is it?" Sakura's confused voice came from behind him.
"Eh? It... it doesn't seem to be today?" Naruto remembered it wasn't his birthday, but the grand display made him wonder if he had remembered the date wrong.
Is today Naruto's birthday? Sasuke wondered, instinctively touching his pocket.
"Big Brother Naruto, Sister Sakura, Big Brother Sasuke—come in, quickly!"
The two little ones pulled Naruto and the others into the house.
"Mirai, what's going on?"
Seeing Hikari and Kurenai smiling at him, Naruto scratched his head in confusion.
"Hehe, someone is waiting for you~" Mirai winked at Naruto playfully, putting on a mysterious air.
Naruto looked at her and put on a thoughtful expression, patting her head. "Are you and Ichigo playing a prank on me again? If that's the case, I can help you out, Mirai."
The two siblings had done similar things before, and Naruto usually played along with a laugh.
"Hey, hey, Big Brother Naruto, I'm right here!"
"And you're playing favorites!"
Ichigo, who was pulling Sakura and Sasuke along, spoke up immediately in protest.
"Ahaha, am I... did I?" Naruto scratched his head, acting foolish as if he'd been caught red-handed.
"Oh, forget about that! Come here!" Mirai grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled him further into the room.
"What is it exactly?"
Naruto scratched his head and followed Mirai inside. But the moment he entered, his pupils dilated...
Red.
A woman with a head of vibrant red hair was standing in the room.
"Mo... Mom."
The word escaped his lips instinctively.
Ever since Naruto learned of his heritage, Kakashi had given him everything Kushina and Minato had left behind. Naturally, that included photos of the two.
A photo of his parents sat right by Naruto's bedside.
"Na... Naruto... nice to... nice to meet you..."
"I... I am your mother..."
Kushina looked at her son standing dazed on the spot. She felt completely lost, her words coming out in stammers.
However—
A golden blur crashed into her embrace.
Feeling the warmth of her son in her arms, Kushina's nervous expression softened.
So this is what it feels like to hold Naruto...
Her clear gray eyes were filled with tenderness. Looking at the young boy in her arms, this mother, seeing her son for only the second time, reached out and gently stroked Naruto's head.
"There, there... Mama is here..."
As she felt the texture of his hair beneath her fingertips, the red-haired woman's voice became even softer.
"Mom..."
Naruto hugged his mother tightly, as if she would disappear the moment he let go.
"Naruto's mother...?" Sakura watched the embracing mother and son, stunned. Beside her, Sasuke watched the scene in silence.
Hikari and Kurenai also chose not to disturb the moment, watching Naruto and Kushina with quiet, pitying eyes.
"Mom..."
Naruto didn't know what to say. His heart was full of things he wanted to tell her, but when it came time to speak, those thousands of words condensed into one simple, pure title.
"Naruto, you've grown so much. You were so tiny the last time I saw you..." Kushina stroked his hair, her voice slow and gentle. "All these years, being all by yourself... it must have been so hard..."
Her words reached Naruto's ears, causing his body to tremble slightly. He lifted his tear-streaked face and shook his head vigorously while looking at his mother.
"No, it wasn't. Kakashi-niisan has always been with me."
"Later, there was Sister Hikari, Sister Kurenai, and Mirai and Ichigo."
"And now I have Sakura and Sasuke too."
"I have never been alone."
Hearing his words, a smile appeared on Kushina's face. She reached out to gently brush away the tears on Naruto's face, smiling even as a crystal drop fell from the corner of her own eye, landing on Naruto's cheek.
"I'm sorry..."
"For not letting Naruto experience what it's like to have a father and mother growing up..."
Watching this, Kakashi quietly slipped out of the house alone. The sharp-eyed Hikari followed him.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly. "Not going to watch a bit longer? She is your mentor's wife, after all."
The two sat under the eaves outside. Hikari spoke in a low voice, afraid of disturbing the mother and son's reunion after twelve years.
"No. I'll go back in after they've finished talking."
Kakashi sat on the wooden engawa [porch], staring at the sunflowers swaying in the wind nearby.
"Are you afraid you'll be moved to tears?" Hikari blinked at him and patted her chest with a light laugh. "Don't be afraid, Miss Hikari's embrace is very wide~"
"It's Mrs. Hikari," Kakashi corrected.
"Well, don't worry about such small details." Hikari pouted when she saw Kakashi didn't react, then said slowly, "In Kushina's case, how long can she stay?"
She had seen it before when Rin faced Kakashi. Once the regrets in Rin's heart completely vanished, she had released the Impure World Resurrection herself.
Although Senju Tobirama had said their reanimated bodies could last for about half a year...
If the soul found peace and released the jutsu voluntarily, then the half-year Kushina was supposed to have might last only a few moments.
That would be too cruel for Naruto... finally getting to see his mother, only for her to leave again.
"I don't know..." Kakashi's eyes lowered.
He understood Hikari's concern. But in his view, perhaps having only a brief moment was for the best.
The longer they spent together, the more intense the pain and reluctance of parting would become. It was a case of "better a short pain than a long one."
The Impure World Resurrection was not a true resurrection, after all.
Perhaps Kakashi's line of thinking was too cruel. But he looked over at Hatake Sakumo, who was currently playing with Pakkun.
Even though Sakumo hid it well... they had no sense of touch, no sense of taste. They didn't even need to sleep.
Time passed minute by minute. Kakashi listened to Naruto's sobbing, choked voice from inside and sighed in his heart.
And just then...
A figure appeared before Kakashi.
"Kakashi..." Kushina called out softly. "I have to go..."
Her voice trembled. She was suppressing her own reluctance and helplessness.
"Mom!" Naruto tried to chase after her, but he stopped when he met his mother's gentle gaze.
"Naruto, stay in the house with Mirai and Ichigo. Be a good boy."
Kushina's words were soft yet left no room for refusal. Naruto could only stand where he was.
Once she saw that Naruto remained inside, Kushina looked back at the man in front of her.
"I'm not going to be able to hold on much longer..."
"This body is a vessel summoned with a sacrifice. When the jutsu releases, it will scare the children... Take me away."
Kushina's voice was very light, causing Naruto's tears to flow even harder behind her.
"As you wish."
Kakashi stood up and looked at Hikari. "Take care of the children."
With that, he vanished from the spot, taking Kushina with him.
Nearby, Hatake Sakumo sighed and silently followed them.
By a lakeside, the gentle woman could no longer suppress the collapse of her reanimated form.
Just now, after talking with Naruto and learning that he was doing well... and seeing that he had Kakashi as a father figure, Hikari and Kurenai as mothers, and siblings like Mirai and Ichigo...
When she felt gratified and at peace, the reanimated body began to fail. She had forced herself to hold it together until now through sheer willpower.
She was worried that when her body collapsed, what was inside this "mother" would be a stranger's terrifying corpse. She wanted to present a perfect image of a mother to her son, not a dead body.
Moreover, Mirai and Ichigo were still young. If she left them with psychological trauma...
That was why she chose to have Kakashi take her away.
"Kakashi..."
Cracks on Kushina's body began to glow with white light. This was the sign of the Impure World Resurrection breaking down.
"Thank you so much for all these years."
"Thank you for taking such good care of Naruto."
"As your mentor's wife, it seems I can't do anything for you now except thank you."
Paper debris began to drift away. A pillar of brilliant white light descended from the sky, enveloping Kushina.
"You don't need to say that. It was my duty," Kakashi said, watching Kushina as her soul began to manifest from the crumbling vessel.
"It's so good... Naruto is doing so well. You're doing well too. Everything seems to be so good... Everyone is okay."
"But, why do I feel like crying...?"
Tears fell from her eyes once more, turning into specks of starlight that merged into the dark night.
"Kakashi, live well. Carry your responsibilities and live a good life... that is the last blessing I can give you..."
The translucent soul gradually returned to where it belonged as the pillar of light retracted.
Kakashi looked at the moisture that had fallen into his palm. He turned silently to look at the man behind him.
"Kakashi..."
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