Chapter 37: Hope

Kushina Uzumaki looked at the man that stood before her, her mouth wide open in shock after hearing him call her mom. He had shaggy golden blond hair, just like Naruto and Minato had. His clothes were torn to shreds and his body was covered in dirt and grime. His eyes were shedding tears as if there were no tomorrow, but she could still clearly see the the single sky blue eye in one eye socket and a purple eye with multiple circles on it, something she recognized as the Rinnegan. 

"Who are you?" She asked, more confused than frightened, which would have been a normal woman's reaction. 

"I'm your-" Naruto started, but stopped himself as he looked down at the ground. "It doesn't matter." She didn't know him. While a different, younger, version of himself existed, he did not. He was just as much as a stranger in this world as he had been in the last. 

Kushina frowned. "I think it does." She answered, causing Naruto's eyes to widen by a fraction. "Everybody has a name that matters. Mine is Kushina Uzumaki, what's yours?" She spoke calmly and in a caring tone. Naruto used his sleeve to wipe away his tears, a chuckle escaping his lips. 

"I've only met you once before, but for some reason, it's just a classic-mom thing to do to care for somebody you don't even know." He said, meeting her violet eyes. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and believe it or not, I'm your son." 

Kushina was at a loss for words. What could she say to that? That it was ridiculous? Impossible even? She tried forming those words, but they died almost instantly the moment she tried to get them out. Why did she have a gut feeling that he was telling the truth? 

"A lot has happened," Naruto continued, unable to meet her eyes anymore, suddenly embarrassed as he tried to explain. "I was, um, from a reality where you and dad died fighting the Nine Tails and dad sealed him inside of me. I grew up alone, but I made a couple of friends that I could call my own. I got stronger with help from Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, and Pervy Sage and I was really happy for awhile before. . ." He trailed off. 

He shook his head. "Then I died and-" He was cut off as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. His eyes widened as he fought the instinct to push away and fight, which had kept him alive for awhile. Kushina put her hand behind Naruto's head and held him, her eyes closed as she rested her chin on his shoulder. 

"It's okay, you don't have to say anymore." She whispered lovingly. 

"Y-You don't even know me," Naruto stuttered as his arms stuck to his side. 

Kushina pulled back and gave him a warm smile. "I don't need to," She said, her hand stroking his whiskers softly. "You're my son, I know that much. Though, I'm not sure that I like how you've grown so fast, and taller than your mother at that!" She joked. 

"Kushina!" Minato shouted in a panic, leading a dozen Anbu to his backyard and he scooped his wife up and dashed away, the Anbu surrounding Naruto with their swords drawn. He set his wife down and looked over her with worried eyes. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He turned around and glared at Naruto, his eyes a dark yellow with a horizontal toad-like pupil, indicating that he was in sage mode. "What did you do?" He growled, marching towards the blond. 

"Minato stop!" Kushina cried as she grabbed Minato by the shoulders in order to stop him. "It's Naruto!" 

Minato stopped and looked back at his wife. Kakashi had said something similar to him before they had found out where the man was located, which had made Minato blind to reason from either his son or his student, wanting to protect his wife. He closed his eyes and focused, using sage mode to sense the mysterious man's chakra. 

It was identical to his son's chakra, only bigger and a lot more dense. Minato's frown deepened. "So you're Naruto? But older?" 

"Yes," Naruto answered truthfully. "But I'm also from a different timeline." 

"That's impossible!" 

"So is this," Naruto held out his palm, where a Rasengan was instantly formed. "If I were lying, how could I do that? Besides, if I were an enemy. . ." He trailed off, fighting off the urge to say the rest of the sentence like he would have in the other timeline. 

He didn't have to paint a bad picture of himself here. He didn't have to succumb to the insanity that stilled gripped his brain. Maybe he could live here. . . 

"What?" Minato asked with narrowed eyes. "Finish your sentence." 

"There's no point," Naruto replied instantly. "Because I'm not your enemy, but your son." 

"Hokage-sama. . ." One of the Anbu said, trailing slightly. "Your orders?" 

"Lower your weapons!" Kushina cried out. "He's not a threat!" 

"Kushina!" Minato cut in, sending her an authoritative look that only a Kage would have. "This guy is stronger than Nagato! He even has the Rinnegan!" 

"I know that!" She protested. "But-" 

"Inoichi Yamanaka," Naruto whispered, causing everyone to come to a standstill and look at the blond man. "Is he still alive?" 

". . .Yes." Minato answered suspiciously. 

Naruto let out a long exhale. "Good. He is the only Yamanaka I trust to delve into my mind. Have him look through my memories and you can verify my identity for yourselves. I'll follow every order you give me." 

Minato looked at the man who claimed to be his son for a long time, his brows furrowed as he thought hard. After an entire minute of thinking, the tension in the air began to lift as he spoke. "Very well. You will be escorted wherever you go and will be watched twenty-four seven. You will also undergo interrogation. With that being said, lay down any and all weapons you have on you." 

Naruto nodded and the Anbu watched in shock as he rolled up his shredded sleeves, revealing several tattoos under his wrist. Biting his thumb, he smeared blood on his arm and a sword appeared along with dozens of shuriken, kunai, paper bombs, ninja wire, a brush with a small jar of ink, a pad of papers, and a summoning scroll. 

Minato's eyes widened. "That's. . ." 

"Yes," Naruto confirmed. "The Toad Summoning Scroll. I was gifted it by Jiraiya-sensei in the other timeline before I left him on my training trip. To be honest, I'm surprised I still have it. Last time I was just younger and in my old body with nothing else. I think it has something to do with the fact that I sealed them into my body." 

Minato fell quiet once again, his mind going a mile a minute. He knew he couldn't trust the stranger, what he saying was almost so ludicrous that he debated teleporting the roughed-up blond to a psych ward for a solid second. But that scroll, there was only one of its kind in existence. And yet, somehow, this boy had the exact same scroll Jiraiya carried on his back during his travels. 

The questions were numerous, and the answer were few. 

"Can I keep it?" Naruto questioned after a full minute of silence. "It's precious to me." Another reign of silence filled the ears of those present, Kushina was holding her breath, her violet eyes darting back between her husband and her self-proclaimed son. 

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Minato replied as an Anbu placed their hands on the scroll. "Not until we verify what you say, of course." The scroll didn't move, Naruto's grip on the large piece of parchment being much greater than the Anbu's, the masked shinobi using all of their might to try and pull it away, but with no success. 

"Please," Naruto whispered. "This is. . .all I have left." The sentence was left unfinished, Naruto finishing it in his mind as his mouth shut and his eyes gazed at the scroll fondly with a bit of sadness in them.

Minato saw the face of the man who claimed to be his son from a different timeline, his heart aching slightly. "I'm sorry," He found himself saying. "But its just a precaution." 

The Anbu flew back as he suddenly found no force holding the scroll with immeasurable strength, the large scroll now in his grasp as he sat on his butt, his breathing was slightly heavy, but he was unharmed. "I understand," Naruto spoke in a monotone. Naruto walked up to Minato. 

Due to being Minato's exact height, Naruto was exactly eye level with the Fourth Hokage. His Rinnegan eye glowed slightly. "However," His voice was in a low tone. Minato grimaced. "When Inoichi is done running amuck through my mind, and he verifies everything that I've said, you are going to tell me that status of this world, as well as its history." 

"Very well," Minato answered resolutely. "That sounds reasonable enough. Let's get going then," He grabbed ahold of Naruto's shoulder. Naruto looked over to Kushina and sent her a large grin. 

"I'll be back soon, mom!" With those words, Minato and Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash as the Anbu disappeared in a series of body flickers. 

"Wait!" Kushina yelled out, but her voice fell on no ears as she was left alone in the garden. She smirked as her eyes seemed to glow slightly as her hair began to wave around wildly above her head. "Gonna ignore me huh, Minato-kun? Naruto-chan?" She fished out a wooden spoon from her pocket and began marching out of the garden. "Let's see if you can just leave me out of the picture when I show up with weapon then!" 

And done. How was it? 

Kinda short, definitely lacking a large amount of action. Next chapter will get better, I promise. 

Anyway, yeah. 

Til next time my lil demons!