Return (2)

Naruto furrowed his brow, his eyes flickering with a mix of curiosity and confusion. He tilted his head slightly to look at the smiling blond man.

"Uncle?" Naruto repeated, the word feeling foreign and unfamiliar on his tongue. He had grown up an orphan and spent most of his short life alone with no family to call his own.

This sudden introduction left him both puzzled and intrigued. Does he have an uncle? No, he doesn't even know his parents, never ever heard their names.

But somehow seeing the gentle smile and kind eyes shining with warmth and sincerity, a soft shade of blue similar to his own.

and the strikingly familiar golden hair that he had always seen in his own reflection. Naruto felt a tremor in his heart.

The realization that he had a blood relative, someone connected to his parents, filled him with a strange mix of joy and uncertainty.

His lips soon after moved, producing a hoarse dry sound: "Uncle."

…

Namikaze Mirai still kneeling to Naruto's level nodded, maintained the same gentle look in his eyes, never wavering, though a hint sadness flickers momentarily in it.

Seeing that Naruto wasn't resisting his sudden appearance, Mirai's smile widened. He gently took Naruto's small hands in his. "Come on, Naruto. Let's get out of this alleyway."

…

Naruto glanced around the narrow alleyway where he was crying a moment ago, feeling an unfamiliar sense of safety in Mirai's grasp. He nodded, his curiosity piqued and his confusion slowly easing as he allowed himself to be led.

As the stepped out into the bustling streets of Konoha, Mirai looked down at Naruto and suggested gently: "How about you show me where you live?"

Naruto blinked up at him, momentarily surprised, then nodded eagerly. "Okay!" He said, his voice brightening. He started walking, his small steps quick and enthusiastic, guiding Mirai through the winding streets of the village.

Mirai followed Naruto's lead, listening as the boy pointed various sights along the way and the places he often visited.

As they strolled the street, Mirai noticed the villagers casting wary glances and whispering ill on the oblivious and excited Naruto. He could hear snippets of their harsh comments - "Demon fox" - "Monster" -. He would then turn his gaze on them. His eyes hardening as he let a flare of his humungous chakra outwards, a silent warning that silenced and made them avert their eyes.

The sooner they moved past the crowd. The silent onlookers feeling exhausted of the weight of Mirai's Chakra and the intensity of his glare, began to wonder and murmur among themselves, "Who is that terrifying guy?"

"Why is he protecting the demon fox?"

…

Meanwhile in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, sat calmly smoking his pipe when an ANBU operative appeared before him. The ANBU member knelt, removing his cat mask to deliver an urgent report. He unfurled a scroll and offered it to Hiruzen.

The ANBU soon began, "Lord Hokage, we have a situation. A man suspected of being Namikaze Mirai had entered the village without being noticed. He approached the Jinchuriki and has been seen protecting him."

Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock, his pipe slipping from his fingers and clattering on his desk. "What did you say?" He asked, his voice trembling slightly as he snatched the scroll from the scroll from the ANBU's hands.

The ANBU continued, "Some passing ninja suspected his identity and reported him. He bears a strong resemblance to the Fourth Hokage. Our operatives were immediately spotted by him, but he ignored us."

Hiruzen's eyes scanned the contents of the scroll rapidly. As he read, his expression shifted from shock to deep concern. The detailed descriptions matched the reports from three years ago perfectly. Mirai's appearance, demeanor, and chakra were all unchanged, as if no time had passed.

Finishing reading the report, he slumped back in his chair, a wave of exhaustion washing over him.

Soon, memories of the Third Ninja World War flooded his mind. Together, the Namikaze brothers had been an unstoppable force, their combined presence on the battlefield leaving a lasting legacy and turning Konoha into an unbeatable behemoth. He recalled the impact and fear brought by Minato Namikaze, the 'Yellow Flash', with his [Flying Thunder God Technique], the famed teleportation technique invented by the Second Hokage and latter learned by him due to his merits and qualifications. But it wasn't just Minato who had struck terror into the hearts of their enemies.

Minato's younger brother, Mirai Namikaze, known as the 'Blue Flash', had been equally formidable if not more destructive. His never seen mastery of the Magnet Release had been unparalleled.

Mirai's signature and most feared technique was his self invented Magnet Release-based jutsu known as [Railgun]. With a flick of his finger, he could launch a projectile with such force and precision that it became an ultra-long-range penetrating strike. The devastation this technique wrought on enemy forces was legendary. Entire battalions had been decimated before they even realized they were under attack.

Hiruzen also recalled reading the war report of the time Mirai had easily bested the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, another user of the Magnet Release. During their confrontation, countless blue beams of light had descended from the sky each visible across the entire Land of Wind, decimating Rasa's Gold Dust, rendering his defenses useless.

However, despite his immense strength, Mirai had mysteriously disappeared without a trace during Kushina's pregnancy. His whereabouts had been unknown for three years. Being ninja was a high-risk profession and there was no shortage of strong people, making death a common occurrence even for someone as powerful as Namikaze Mirai.

All major ninja villages had regulations concerning similar cases. Ignoring the case of going rogue, if a ninja disappeared for more than three years, leaving no informations behind, they would be deemed dead. Now, with the three-year period of waiting coming to an end. Just as Hiruzen was preparing to write the word 'dead' in Mirai's file, he had returned. The timing was astonishing and raised countless questions.

Hiruzen reclined in his chair, lost in thought. Mirai, as soon as he returned, approached the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto. Though he is Naruto's uncle, Hiruzen know they had to guard against him.

Hiruzen stretched out his index finger to rub his temples. "No! It is precisely because he is Naruto's uncle that we need to be more careful."

Although they were brothers, Mirai and Minato had two completely different personalities. The older brother Minato was gentle and approachable. He was a beacon of hope, his smile reassuring and his presence comforting.

Hiruzen's memories of Mirai were starkly different. Mirai was a force of nature, intense and unyielding. His power was matched only by his fierce determination and his ruthlessness in battle. Where Minato's kindness drew people in, Mirai's presence commanded respect. Despite his loyalty to Konoha, Mirai had always been more enigmatic, his motivations and thoughts harder to read.

As Hiruzen considered these differences, he couldn't shake the sense of unease. Mirai's sudden reappearance after three years of silence, and his immediate approach to Naruto, raised too many questions. What had he been doing all this time? Why had he returned now? And what were his intentions towards Naruto?

…

Squeak!

The old wooden door creaked open, releasing a rush of damp, musty air that assaulted Mirai's senses. He furrowed his brow and peered inside, finding a decrepit single room spanning only a few square meters. Scant furnishings dotted the space, with the refrigerator and bed standing as the sole pieces of decent furniture amidst scattered waste paper from instant noodle cups.

Though Mirai had anticipated Naruto's current situation, witnessing the scene firsthand stirred a pang in his heart. "Uncle, are you hungry? I'll find something for you to eat." Naruto offered with an innocent smile, unaware of Mirai's inner turmoil. His joy at discovering family overshadowed any hint of suspicion.

Bounding barefoot to the aged refrigerator, Naruto rifled through its contents, finally presenting an unopened carton of milk. "Drink up, Uncle!" He urged eagerly, unaware that it had expired. Mirai tentatively took a sip, the sour tang mixing with the milk's staleness.

"Do you usually eat this?" Namikaze inquired, only to receive Naruto's enthusiastic endorsement. "It's great with instant noodles! Does it taste good, Uncle?" Naruto's expectant gaze softened Mirai's heart, prompting him to offer reassuring words. "It's delicious! Uncle loves it." He affirmed.

Pulling Naruto into a tight embrace, "From now on, Uncle will protect you." Mirai vowed silently.

In that moment, enveloped in his uncle's embrace, Naruto felt a warmth he hadn't known in years.