Hiruzen

And that's how Hiruzen was brought to this predicament. He sighed as he leaned back in chair, "Another visitor from the future, it seems..."

He frowned before informing one of his men to summon the two newcomers - Mi and Kakashi... He found it quite ironic that the boy Minato had been so worried about turned out to be quite... an usual man... to say the least. Maybe he didn't have to worry much, and maturity brought it forth? Or maybe things were just bad... because if anyone knew what pain could do to a person, it was him.

He then wrote back a message to Shizune,

"Shizune,
I order Tsunade to come back to the Leaf with the young boy. Remind her that it's the hokage's orders, if she refuses. It is of utmost importance."

Hopefully, his student could see past her stubbornness.

Shizune

Upon the delivery of the message from the Leaf, Shizune passed it on to Tsunade. And she saw her eyes crinkle and her lips turn down, frowning slightly before it curled up into a grimace.

"What does he think he is? Ordering me around." She grumbled, but didn't deny the Hokage's request.

"He is the Hokage, he has the right." Naruto responded from his position on the chair in the kitchen. They were still at the hotel they booked. And had managed to be alive by the time the morning rays shoned in.

"Why does being Hokage give him the right? Huh, brat?" She demanded, but Shizune saw no ill intent behind her words, instead, she could identify an underlying tone of humour.

"Well, being Hokage means you can do stuff like that." He answered before gulping down a glass of water, "He's right anyways though, you can't keep me here."

Tsunade's brow rose as she looked at him, "We didn't 'kidnap' you, brat."

"But you are the only one I know here..." He answered, frowning.

"But I don't know you, do I? Maybe my future self knows you." She didn't deny the claim, "I don't know what came over her to take a liking to you." She grumbled.

Naruto turned his back on Tsunade, and Shizune looked concerned for a second before he turned back around and flashed Tsunade a smile, "Well, pervy sage wouldn't want you hearing that!"

Shizune saw Tsunade's face turn into a slight smile before it returned to her usual normal.

"Now I know why I took a liking to you" Tsunade humoured him before heading to her and helping her pack.

Kushina

Kushina currently had her hands full. Their apartment, where it only used to be her and Minato, now had an unannounced guest. And she wasn't unhappy, definitely not. But she still had a lingering doubt at the back of her mind about the circumstances, and the way things were playing out.

And Kushina suspected that the Uzumaki was more than just a mere relative. But she didn't want to find out. She didn't want to hear the answer that the girl could've been more. And whenever she thought of such thoughts, her hands would unconsciously caress the baby bump that was slowly growing.

It was just another one of those moments of contemplation - how life would treat her little baby, and how she might have grown up to be the cute little woman in their home. But a knock on the door brought her out of her senses.

She moved forward to open it and saw Minato standing there. 'Summons from the Hokage' He had told her before leaving in the morning.

He came inside followed by Mi and Kakashi.

Minato gave her a look that she knew quite well. It was the kind that made her think he saw through her. Or maybe... he was wondering what was wrong with her? Everything. Everything was wrong. Her life. Her baby. Her baby -grown? What did that mean...

As the four of them started to eat their breakfast, she spoke into the silence, "What's wrong?"

She could see Mi freeze up in the corner. And Minato answered, "Apparently, we are having another guest."

"We?" She managed to ask.

"Yes." Minato answered and that was it.

"Why are you all so quiet?" She asked, the question she was so curious of ever since they walked in.

"He... He is rather unusual." Minato trailed off, and she saw Mi frown at his words before her hand was held by Kakashi.

'Had she missed the signs?' She wondered for a second.

"He is a jinchuriki." Minato finally informed her of the most important news.

"A jinchuriki? Oh..." She trailed off.

"Of the nine-tails." Added Kakashi.

"What?" Her head snapped up to look at the three people in question.

Minato and Mi looked guilty and she smiled a little, 'They look alike.'

"He is the future carrier of the jinchuriki." Mi added.

And her legs nearly gave out, 'Future carrier? That could only mean... No- she didn't want to think of it. Had she left Mi alone to fend for herself? And who was the young boy who had to bear the burden?' She could only hope his family had been supportive.

"I want him to live with us, Kushina and Minato." Mi spoke directly to them, before shifting slightly in her place on the couch, clearly anxious about their reactions.

"Yes, it's no problem." She answered her with a smile, ignoring the pointed look from Minato and the worried glance from Kakashi towards Mi.

She would give her daughter anything she wanted. Especially, especially now. After knowing that she would leave her daughter alone. She wanted her daughter to look at her with a smile. And not with those worried glances.

She didn't miss the signs, maybe Minato did. But he was always a little bit of a fool wasn't he? The way Mi glanced at her belly when she thought Kushina didn't notice. The way she tensed up when she was near her. And the way she softened when she told her to think of herself as a maternal figure of sorts.

Yes, she was young right now. And Mi... she had been the reason they rushed into marriage. But- But she felt that her daughter was a blessing. And maybe God had wanted them to spend as much time together as possible. Because God forbid she left her own flesh and blood alone.

Naruto

He was currently at the Hokage's office and waiting to be picked up by Mi and Kakashi.

He grimaced, 'She will kill me.'

He had ignored all the talks between the Hokage and Tsunade. He couldn't bring himself to look at the Hokage. The only person to have tried. Tried to help him out.

His death had been a huge blow to him and he had so many things to say to him. A lot of things. How his grandson was growing up, how much Konohamaru missed him... How much everyone in the village missed him.

And how he felt that Grandma Tsunade probably wished he was alive so he could guide her in everything. But Mi had always told him that everything happened for a reason.

"If he didn't die, do you think everything would be well and good? No, Naruto. He gave his life for a reason. Sometimes..." She trailed off, a look in her eyes that he had come to see so often when talks of death came forward in their conversations.

"Sometimes... people die. So others can live." She continued, "And it's not selfish. Neither do I think, it's a righteous thing to do. It's a choice. And it plays an important role in everything. Not just the lives of their own, but in the lives of the whole village, and maybe even the world....

If he didn't die, then we wouldn't have Lady Tsunade as a hokage. Maybe you wouldn't have Uncle Jiraiya as your teacher. Everything ... IS... a catalyst in this world."

She had spoken those words as they sat atop the Fourth's stone monument. 'Their special place,' she had once told him.

He was interrupted from his musings with the entrance of the man he had just been thinking of.

"The Fourth." He immediately clamped his mouth shut with his hands. He thought he said those words in his head, but turns out not. Because everyone in the room were staring at him.

But his eyes were drawn towards only him. And he was snapped out of his daze when Mi entered behind him. And when their eyes met, he could see her visibly lean back on Kakashi with relief.

He moved towards her as she spoke the words. Those same words he had heard from her since childhood. The ones which had once annoyed him to no end. But now, it was all he needed to hear.

"Are you alright?" She came forward and pulled him towards her.

"Yes." He managed to say before he hugged her back.

He could see the fourth hokage, the fifth hokage and the third hokage - all three of them... 'this is kind of funny'. He let out a laugh.

Mi turned her head towards him, "What is it, Naruto?"

He whispered, "I am in the presence of three hokages."

And she smiled at him before she untagled herself from his grasp and humoured him, "Well, I am in the presence of four." She pointed at him, before joining the others in their discussion. And he too went to join the group.

Minato

"I want you to take the two of them in." The Hokage told him.

"You can't be serious, Lord Hokage." He refused.

"It's as per her request." He pointed to Mi. And he could see her fiddle with the hem of her shirt when all the attention went to her.

"Why can't you take him in?" He asked Kakashi.

"My hands are full with Kakashi. It's enough to have one kid." He answered with a slight crinkle of his eyes, indicating that he was smiling.

"I can take care of myself, you know that, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto replied and he had to do a double take.

Kakashi was fine. He knew about that. It wasn't a discovery. But sensei?!

'Maybe I am a better teacher than I credit myself for.' He smiled as they left the office.