"Minato!"
Fukasaku and Shima cried out in joy upon seeing Minato sit up in his coffin. Without a second thought, the two leaped straight into his lap from atop Gamabunta's head.
"How do you feel? Do you feel anything strange?!" Shima asked quickly, examining Minato from head to toe.
"I'm fine, Lady Shima... I feel very good" Minato replied with a warm smile.
With a single leap, Minato cleared the edge of the coffin and landed right next to Jiraiya. He then took a deep, massive breath of air. This felt completely different from when Finn would summon him using his Take Over magic; back then, it felt as though a part of him had never truly been present with him all that time. Now, he felt completely whole.
"The plan worked to perfection" Minato assured, looking down at his hand before clenching it into a tight fist. His strength was exactly the same as it had been right before he died. "Though I must admit, I am going to miss that sensation of possessing such massive chakra reserves a little bit" he confessed, glancing over at Finn, who was leaning heavily against the coffin.
Finn offered him a faint, exhausted smile. Reviving Minato had cost an immense amount of chakra, leaving both him and Kurama almost entirely drained.
(Tsk... He better not go and die again) Kurama grumbled inside Finn's mind, sitting in a lotus position as he began to accumulate chakra once more.
Fukasaku and Shima hopped onto the shoulders of Jiraiya, who couldn't wipe the massive grin off his face while staring at Minato. Seeing Minato leap out of the coffin, Shisui didn't waste a single second either; he leaped down from the toad he had been standing on and landed a few meters away, observing Minato with pure admiration.
"What will you do now, boy?" Fukasaku asked Minato.
"I will return to Konoha as soon as possible, Lord Fukasaku. There are many matters I must handle immediately" Minato stated with absolute seriousness before shifting his gaze over to Shisui.
Shisui quickly understood what he meant—it was time to save his clan.
"Then we won't hold you back any longer, boy. Just make sure to return soon, and I'll prepare a delicious feast to celebrate your comeback!" Shima exclaimed joyfully, causing Minato's stomach to turn inside out at the mere thought of eating Shima's cooking.
"Hehehe... I'll see what I can do" Minato replied nervously.
Fukasaku and Shima nodded contentedly before Fukasaku turned his eyes back toward Finn, who seemed to already be recovering from the excessive strain on his chakra and magic.
(I cannot believe it. That boy truly defied the laws of nature and brought Minato back... What wouldn't shinobis do for abilities like that? Yes, it is far better that such power remains with someone like him rather than a ninja) Fukasaku thought.
For his part, Jiraiya held thoughts very similar to Fukasaku's. He knew that this kind of technique had to be kept strictly secret, especially from people like Danzo, who would be capable of even reviving his own enemies if he deemed it necessary for his twisted idea of protecting Konoha.
"This matter should stay right here..." Fukasaku began, his eyes still fixed on Finn. "...Boy, I hope you understand that exposing an ability like yours will only bring you unwanted attention."
Finn stood up with some effort, shrugging off Fukasaku's concerns as he flashed a smile.
"Don't worry, Mr. Toad. This was more of a special event, almost like a coincidence" Finn attempted to explain. "The only reason I was able to revive Minato is because I possessed his soul. I wouldn't be able to bring anyone else back to life if I don't have a part of them that is still tied to the living plane."
Everyone nodded in understanding, feeling a slight wave of relief that the process could not be replicated without such specific, stringent conditions.
(In that case, Kushina could...) Minato thought, his mind drifting to the sealed portion of his wife inside Naruto, but he quickly shook those thoughts away; now was not the time for that. (I'll have time for that later.)
"Then it's best we depart now" Jiraiya said, looking at both Minato and Shisui, who immediately nodded.
Finn nodded as well; he desperately wanted to get back to Earthland and rest for a while before using his clones to knock out several missions all at once. However, before he could even take a step, Minato's hand clamped firmly onto his back.
"You're coming with us" Minato said. Jiraiya and Shisui were right behind him, holding his shoulders.
The four of them vanished in a yellow flash, leaving nothing but the empty coffin behind.
"What excuse do you think they'll give for Minato's return?" Shima asked curiously.
"They'll manage somehow. They are shinobi, after all; their entire vocation is knowing how to lie and improvise" Fukasaku asserted.
————
Gates of Konoha, evening.
A bright flash erupted right at the gates of Konoha, immediately catching the attention of the guards stationed at the massive entrance. Standing in the middle of the path, Jiraiya, Shisui, and Minato stood tall as they looked upon Konoha, each driven by entirely different motivations and desires. Standing beside Minato was Finn, staring at Konoha with an exhausted expression.
(And why the hell am I even here?) Finn questioned himself.
The guards at the gate swallowed hard, caught between sheer disbelief and utter shock. Standing before them wasn't just Jiraiya, but two individuals who were supposed to be dead—and one of them was none other than the Fourth Hokage himself.
"Master Jiraiya? Is that..." one of the guards stammered hesitantly.
"Lord Fourth?!" another shinobi exclaimed in shock, having been on his way out for a mission.
"Well, if it isn't Genma. Look at how much you've grown," Minato greeted his former guard. "Could you do a favor for me? Go find the Third, and tell him to wait for me in the Hokage's office" he ordered.
Hearing Minato's command, Genma snapped out of his stupor and nodded rapidly before vanishing in a blur. Minato then turned toward Jiraiya, giving him a slight nod.
"I believe you already know I have something important to take care of before heading to the office. Sensei, could you please keep them entertained for me?" Minato asked politely.
"I figured as much. Just don't take too long; you know I don't care much for those meetings" Jiraiya accepted before vanishing in a blur as well.
"I suppose I'll leave the job of informing Fugaku of my return to you" Minato continued, turning to look at Shisui. "Tell him to come to the Hokage's office as well."
Shisui didn't hesitate to nod, disappearing in a blur of his own, leaving only Finn and Minato standing there. Minato looked back at Finn and gestured with his head for him to follow.
————
Sarutobi Clan Residence.
Inside the estate, Hiruzen Sarutobi, leader of the clan and the current Third Hokage, sat staring out at his backyard after a long, grueling day at the office. Minato's untimely death had forced him to take up the mantle once more—it was either that or let Orochimaru or Danzo seize the position, and he would never allow that to happen. Orochimaru's defection and his horrific human experimentation were proof enough that he had made the right choice.
Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe when he heard a frantic knocking at his front door.
"Who could be?" Hiruzen muttered to himself as he made his way to the main entrance.
Upon opening the door, he found Genma standing there, looking incredibly flustered. His face was drenched in sweat from pure nerves, yet he still wore a massive grin.
"Lord Third!" Genma gasped out in a rush. "You are being summoned to the Hokage's office immediately."
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes in a deep frown. Who would dare command him to go to the Hokage's office, and furthermore, who could possibly compel one of his own shinobi to deliver such a message?
"May I know who is issuing this summons, Genma?" Hiruzen asked courteously before taking another puff from his pipe.
"The Fourth Hokage."
Hiruzen's pipe dropped straight to the floor the exact moment those words left Genma's mouth.
————
Entrance to the Uchiha Clan Residence.
Shisui landed gracefully at the entrance of the Uchiha compound. He gazed at the houses before him with a deep wave of nostalgia and emotion.
The Uchiha shinobi guarding the entrance stared at Shisui in utter shock and disbelief as he walked toward them, acting as though the news of his death had never even happened.
"Good afternoon," Shisui greeted them politely as he stepped inside the clan compound.
Shisui walked calmly beneath the stunned stares of the Uchiha clan members. He knew he had a bit of time while the Fourth Hokage searched the village for his son.
"Is that?!"
"Impossible!"
"They said he was dead!"
The hushed whispers of the Uchiha eventually erupted into shouts of pure astonishment, but Shisui didn't stop for a single moment. He walked directly toward the house of the clan head, Fugaku. Several shinobi who stood in his path quickly moved aside, staring at him in a daze. Among them was Izumi Uchiha, a kunoichi who knew Shisui well due to his close bond with Itachi, Shisui's best friend.
"No way... They said he was dead, they even tried to blame Itachi," Izumi whispered to herself. "Itachi! I have to go tell him!"
Izumi bolted toward the training grounds as fast as her legs could carry her. Shisui, on the other hand, finally arrived at the clan head's estate, knocking on the door with a hint of nerves. After a few seconds, he heard approaching footsteps, and the door swung open to reveal a young woman—Mikoto, the patriarch's wife.
"Shisui!" Mikoto cried out in shock upon seeing him at the door. "But how?!"
"Good evening, Lady Mikoto. Is Patriarch Fugaku in?" Shisui asked politely.
Shisui didn't have to wait long before Fugaku stepped out from behind Mikoto, followed by a small boy, Sasuke. Fugaku stared at Shisui with equal shock before throwing the door wide open, quickly ushering him inside and taking him straight to the living room.
"Shisui, you're alive... Where have you been all this time?!" Fugaku demanded to know. He couldn't comprehend how one of his finest shinobi could go missing for nearly a year and just wander back in as if nothing had happened.
"I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused, sir, and I promise everything will be explained to you. But right now, you are needed at the Hokage's office... Lord Fourth has summoned you," Shisui notified him.
The entire house fell into a dead silence at Shisui's words. Mikoto gasped, covering her mouth in shock, while Fugaku threw him a completely baffled look, unable to even process what was happening. At that exact moment, the living room doors were slammed open with a loud crash, revealing a heavily panting Itachi with a thoroughly exhausted Izumi right behind him.
"Shisui?!"
————
Konoha, Red-Light District.
Minato strolled through the streets under the incredulous stares of the villagers. Some watched in absolute awe, while others—the older residents—wept tears of pure joy upon seeing Minato walking among them once more.
(It's funny how no one is questioning whether he's the real Minato) Finn thought as he followed closely behind.
(Minato is known worldwide as one of the most powerful shinobi. If anyone were to impersonate him, they'd better be ready to answer not just to his enemies, but to Minato's allies the moment they discover he's an infiltrator) Kurama replied half-heartedly.
Minato and Finn continued navigating the streets of the district under the watchful eyes of the citizens. Some quickly began to whisper among themselves, as was their custom, while others simply watched Minato's every movement intently. A few were already starting to speculate wildly as to why Minato was in the red-light district, whispering that he had come to finish the job from eight years ago.
"He's come for the fox..."
"He's going to finish the job..."
"He's going to avenge everyone who died the day that demon attacked!"
Those were the only phrases echoing through the streets. The rumors had already rippled across the village, even drawing out a few shinobi who arrived just to witness what was unfolding.
After a long walk, Minato came to a halt in front of what appeared to be a playground. He looked over at a young blond boy who sat entirely excluded from the other children playing together. Finn looked at Minato, then shifted his gaze toward Naruto sitting all alone on a swing, and let out a heavy sigh.
"I don't really like sad or overly emotional moments. I'll be watching from afar," Finn said before leaping up onto the roof of one of the houses. He knew this moment belonged solely to Minato.
Minato caught sight of Finn withdrawing out of the corner of his eye and thanked him with a silent nod and a soft smile before walking toward Naruto.
From his vantage point, Finn watched as Minato walked right past the other children and knelt directly in front of Naruto. Shortly after, a white-haired Anbu operative wearing a hound mask landed right beside Finn, silently watching Minato interact with Naruto. The Anbu's hands were trembling slightly, and Finn could swear he heard him softly sobbing.