Chapter Text
"It is a cockroach."
"Are you su--"
"Yes, it is not Deidera's spider clay thingy."
"But what if--"
"Sakura," Sasuke says calmly, way too calmly, "if you want me to pick up the cockroach and show it to you, I will."
Sakura sobers up at that, giving one final suspicious look to the insect and turns away.
"How much more of this boring patrolling?" she asks, walking on the thin path of concrete atop the barrier wall.
"It's hardly 6. Another two hours before my shift's over."
Sakura withholds a sigh and they walk in contemplative silence for sometime.
"Do you," Sasuke breaks the temporary lull in conversation first, "think that Naruto-- he'll want to stay here?"
Sakura isn't surprised by the sudden line of questioning. This topic has been weighing on both their minds since they left the kage tower last night and she knows this. Hopping towards a rooftop, she turns slightly towards Sasuke, allowing her voice to carry behind her.
"Honestly? I don't think so. He spoke fondly of Sasuke and Sakura and I'm saying the names because his Sasuke and Sakura aren't you and I. I'm pretty sure he has a family in Konoha, in his dimension. I don't know, if, if we can replace them? If he'll even want us to interact with us."
Sasuke doesn't reply immediately. He darts his gaze left and right, trying to be alert while thoughts race in his head.
"He seems like a good kid," he says quietly, "atleast my counterpart will enjoy his company, I guess."
Sakura chuckles, "I wonder how his version of you is like? Bratty, for sure."
Sasuke rolls his eyes, "Look," he says, "there's a cockroach on your battle dress."
The shriek of horror that follows is worth the brutal fistfight Sasuke has to endure against Sakura.
~
Naruto wakes up to a soothing stream of sunlight falling on his face. He blinks and just like that, he's alert again. The first thing he notices is how full he feels. The usual morning hunger is absent.
Then, he remembers the events of the previous day and all he can feel about it is...indifferent. Sure, it had been a crazy day with even crazier revelations but he's not sure if he should be sad that he's not with his friends anymore or happy that he's got to meet his parents finally, albeit different versions of them.
He gets up from the futon he'd settled into last night after the delicious meal Kushina-san had made for him (calling her mom doesn't feel right). He shuffles into the kitchen and stares blankly at the fridge full of groceries. His own refrigerator lies bare in his apartment, two eggs and a half-empty milk carton its only occupants.
He takes out a juice box after a brief dilemma and silently sits onto the dining table, making sure to not scrape the chair across the wooden floor.
He looks around the house. It feels..homey. And warm. There's signs of life everywhere with picture frames and odd decorations littered around. It's decidedly weird to see his own face, smiling and laughing in all these photos. Memories of himself that he's never experienced. He thinks the Naruto who'd been alive here was a lucky one. He seems to have lived a fulfilling life though the thought of him being dead does sadden him a bit.
"Thinking about something?" a voice asks, as someone slides into the chair opposite Naruto. He turns to look at the sleepy face of the Fourth Hokage.
Here, out of his robes and with seriously messed up bed hair, Minato looks so much more real, approachable. Even his sleepy mumble somehow comforts Naruto rather than upset him due to the unwanted intrusion.
"Yeah," Naruto admits, "just regular deep-mature-thinking stuff."
Minato chuckles and it looks like he's restraining his hand from ruffling Naruto's hair. Naruto kind of appreciates it, he isn't sure how to deal with all the physical affection yet.
"I got you something," Minato says idly, "couldn't give it to you last night since you were already asleep by the time I arrived."
Sheepish, Naruto says, "I usually don't sleep that early, was just too tired yesterday."
"That's fine," Minato replies kindly, and gets up. Pulling something out of the cabinet, he places it on the table. It's a package wrapped in leaves and paper.
"Go on, open it. I got you your favourite set."
Naruto furrows his brows at that. Favourite set, huh? He opens the wrapping and there's a pointy brush set inside, the kind he's seen Kakashi sensei use for making seals. Oh.
"Ah, thank you," he says, smiling at the man.
Ever perceptive, Minato looks at Naruto carefully,
"You don't look too happy though."
Naruto doesn't wince at being called out, instead just nods.
"I don't really know sealing arts, Minato-san. My speciality's ninjutsu, actually."
And that's when it hits Minato. Square in the face. That this Naruto isn't the same person as his son. That this Naruto has his own likes, dislikes. Is his own person. That sharing a face and name doesn't make two people the very same.
"Sorry," he says quickly, "I shouldn't have assumed-- I thought that. I was being silly. I apologise for-"
Naruto's startled laugh halts Minato's embarassed rambling. This time the shorter blond apologizes,
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make fun of your heartfelt apology--" he ignores Minato's cough, "-- it's just I find it funny that the legendary fourth Hokage would get so flustered at getting someone's speciality wrong."
Naruto shrugs, "Just didn't think you'd be so...friendly, I think."
Minato understands this. He's been told many times that his personality doesn't match the stories of the cold, ruthless yellow flash that are told everywhere. That the laughing blond man doesn't resonate with the shinobi who'd single handedly slaughtered a thousand men in war.
"I guess we've both got alot to learn about one another then, don't we?" he asks.
Naruto takes a loud slurp of his juice and nods, grinning.
"So far, you seem quite decent," the genin says, nodding to himself as if it's a truth of utmost importance.
Minato lets out a fond chuckle, "Coming from you, oh master of criticisms, I'll take it as a compliment."
Naruto lets out a sound that might've sounded like a whine, "Criticisms? I'm the master of only one thing. And that's of eating ramen. Believe it!"
Minato gets up, "Sure, sure. As you say. Now, want to help me make breakfast?"
Naruto springs up from his seat, energised and ready to take atleast a hundred laps around Konoha.
"Definitely!"
~
When Kushina awakes, she isn't expecting the heavenly smells of onigiri and miso soup to invade her senses. But that's exactly what happens and she almost drags herself to the kitchen. Hiding her surprise at Minato wearing her pink apron, her eyes land on Naruto who's setting the table, completely engrossed in his task.
"Aw man, couldn't even wait for me to wake up? I could've helped, y'know?" she says when Minato notices her arrival.
Her husband rubs the back of neck, "Just wanted to let you rest after--" a vague hand gesture, "everything, I guess. And Naruto helped, he did half the work actually. Quite the chef, this little guy."
Naruto turns away at that, mortified that the compliment had sent blood rushing to his cheeks. It isn't his fault that no one had actually trusted him enough to taste the meals he made. Couldn't blame them really, till the end of his first year as genin, his cooking had been horrible.
"Oh really?" Kushina questions as she sniffs some more, "can't wait to eat now! It smells so good Naruto."
The blond in question sets the last plate and looks at Kushina, grinning openly.
"Well, what's the wait then? Let's start dattebayo!"
Minato is about to protest when the doorbell goes off and Kushina rushes to welcome their guests. Good, everyone's here then, they can start eating.
Sakura and Sasuke greet everyone amicably, acting a bit strange and tense while talking to Naruto. Naruto doesn't notice though, not knowing them well enough to spot anomalies in their behaviours. Kakashi picks it up though he has enough tact to not confront the two about it there.
"Wow," Sakura is the first to comment as she chews on the riceball, "this is by far, the best riceball I've ever eaten Kushina-san. I need the recipe."
Sasuke nods in agreement, "Bless you for putting tomatoes in there."
Kushina raises her chopsticks, "Children, please, I did not make these delicacies-- Kami knows I've always sucked at making onigiri. No," she points them at Naruto, "this little gentleman did the cooking today. Ask him for the recipe."
Naruto, once again, feels elation at the positive comments but thankfully doesn't blush.
Sakura looks at him with unveiled awe, "so you're some culinary genius then..?"
Naruto shakes his head furiously, "No! I can't even make a proper omelette. I've just always been good at making onigiri. That's it."
"Fine then," Sasuke says, shoving an even larger pieces of the food inside his mouth, "You're on riceball duty henceforth. Think you can manage a bento every Thursday night for us?"
Naruto glares at the Uchiha, "Why would I cook for you? What do I get out of it?"
Sasuke opens his mouth to say that Naruto will get to eat out of his and Sakura's bento before realising that this Naruto is just a genin and won't accompany them on patrols.
"Money?" he tries instead.
"700 ryo or we don't have a deal." Naruto says, swallowing a mouthful of his own.
"Per month right?"
"Per week."
Sasuke chokes on his food but tries to subtly overcome it. It really doesn't work out though and Sakura ends up slapping his back.
"Oh," he says, finally having composed himself, "you drive a tough bargain."
Naruto shrugs, "You pick up certain skills while living alone."
The conversation dies down at that and they realise that Naruto's orphancy isn't a sore subject for him. Naruto is at terms with his circumstances, it's them that are so uncomfortable thinking about Naruto growing up without his loving parents.
They're almost done with breakfast when Minato speaks up.
"By the way, I think I should've mentioned earlier that Sasuke and Sakura will be becoming jounin instructors."
Sasuke, for the second time that morning, chokes on his food.