Revelation

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Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

Micah 7:8

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The silver moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow upon the tranquil bourg. The activities of the village ceased, marking the end of another thriving, yet perpetual day in the village. The denizens hobbled back to their respective residences, embracing the warmth of their homes, and recharging for their immutable timetable for the next day. 

Amidst the silence, there was but one particular house shrouded in a palpable silence. Though the lights were on signifying the presence of life, it was seemingly devoid of any. Ushering into the living room, 4 individuals were seated on a sofa, yet the only sound revolving around the room was the clock ticking. 

A yellow-haired youth's eyes unfurled, his pupils quivering and lips parted in dismay. The youth was none other than Naruto, and his present state stemmed from his inability to grapple with the revelation stated by his uncle. Time was at a standstill, and the divulgence echoed in his mind repeatedly, oozed in a deep and benevolent tone that belonged to Hayato.

'Your father is the 4th Hokage! Your father is the 4th Hokage!'

Karin shared an akin perplexion, though certainly not as much as Naruto. She was new to Konoha, and all she knew was that 'Hokage' was a title reserved for the leaders of this village, but the fact that Naruto's father attained this noble title caught her off guard.

Hayato's and Kaede's lips curled into a warm smile, while Naruto's lips twitched, his nervousness becoming evident as a bead of sweat traced down his temple. Digesting the data, Naruto's pupils dilated before he yelled;

"WHAAAT?!"

Finally, the seemingly dead house pulsated with vitality. Naruto lifted himself in upheaval, sceptical of whether he had heard right. If he heard correctly, his idol since young was his very father?!

There was no way! It was too good to be true, and as such, he was in denial. His ears must've been clogged or something...

It was just... unbelievable!

Turning his gaze to Karin, he inquired in an audible rasp to confirm his uncertainty, "N-Nee-chan, d-did I hear that right?"

"I-I think so... I dunno," Karin stammered.

Naruto redirected to Hayato, his azure eyes reflecting the warm smile of his uncle, and he raised, "O-Oji-chan... Did... Did I hear right?"

Hayato affirmed with a nod, "That's right. Your father was Lord Fourth, Namikaze Minato." 

Overwhelmed by the confession, the youth's legs had momentarily ceased function, allowing himself to drop onto the sofa, and he muttered, "W-Woah... A-Amazing... I... What?!"

His vocal struggle conveyed his internal influx that cradled a mix of disbelief and wonder.

Kaede interjected, "Your father was amazing."

Naruto shared a rueful smile, and replied, "Y-Yeah."

Hayato poised a finger to his lips in a shushing motion, and advised, "Never tell anyone about this."

"I... I won't," Naruto reassured, shaking his head.

Retracting his posture, Hayato's smile faded before he intoned; "So I believe you now know the famous story behind your father... During the Kyuubi attack, he, and even your mother, both gave their lives for you and this village."

Naruto felt as though his very breath departed his body, directing his gaze slightly downward, his tousled hair casting a shadow over his features. The atmosphere was now sombre as everyone stared at Naruto. 

"So... tou-chan was Hokage?" Naruto broke the silence, his tone a hushed whisper, his shoulders hunched, and his eyes not leaving the ground. Karin momentarily flinched, her eyes conveying sorrow as it seemed to her that Naruto was unable to take in the utterance well, judging by his seemingly crestfallen aura.

She mulled worriedly, 'Naruto...'

Nevertheless, Hayato answered callously, "Yeah."

Kaede, like Karin, shared worry for Naruto, and her complexion paled as she slowly immersed in regret at the inconsolable image of her nephew. She fell into a pit of self-deprecation, lampooning that perhaps... It was too early. She had thought Naruto would handle it just fine, but it appears he's more emotional than she thought!

Finally, the yellow-haired youth slowly lifted his head, and immediately, the room temperature was raised, bathed in a warm light that served to lighten the atmosphere. Meeting his parents with a radiant grin that revealed his pearly white teeth, and eyes shimmering in awe, Naruto exclaimed, "Awesome! So my parents were heroes!" 

Relief settled between the trio as Naruto's toxic demeanour was rekindled. Hayato grinned back, "Indeed, they were the best."

"Woah, so oji-chan, you're tou-chan's..." Naruto paused, musing with a finger beneath his chin.

"Yeah, I'm his younger brother," Hayato inferred.

Naruto expressed his delight, "Amazing!" Ascending from his spot, he immediately bridged the gap with his parents, shoving his face right in front of them;

"So what about kaa-chan? I wanna know about my kaa-chan too," The youth persisted, alternating his gaze between Hayato and Kaede, expectant of an answer. His gleaming eyes cradled an untamed curiosity, extremely eager to learn more.

Kaede grasped Naruto's hand, immediately calming him, and suggested, patting the vacant side of her sofa, "Come here Naruto."

She draped an arm around Naruto's waist, cuddling him into her embrace. Meanwhile, Karin was seated alone on the opposite side, which didn't go unnoticed by Hayato. Hayato motioned with his hand for Karin to come. Her face lit up before she cuddled beside her father. 

Placing a finger on her chin and glancing above, Kaede initiated, "So you wanna know about kaa-chan, huh? Let's see... Uzumaki Kushina was her name, and she was like a nee-chan to the both of us ya know."

She looked at Naruto, and continued with a smile, "Your habit of saying 'ya know' certainly came from her ya know."

Naruto pouted, "You say that too ya know."

"That's true. She was my teacher back then, and since then, I sort of developed a tendency, ya know," Kaede deliberated, grinning at the end. Both of them chuckled at their commonality. "You even got your energy from her," she continued, poking Naruto's stomach, to which he giggled.

"Not to mention, she was one hard-headed woman; constantly teasing me and nii-chan all the time," Hayato sighed, his mind whirling with memories of Kushina constantly nagging the duo, unashamed of sharing her rambunctious vigour.

Kaede laughed in consensus, "Haha, that's true." Naruto too, chuckled at Hayato's nonchalant disclosure of Kushina's vivacity.

Hayato's eyes glimmered as numerous memories flooded his mind, retaining maximum clarity as Kushina shared a contagious affection with him, Minato, and Kaede. They were memories that held a special place in his heart, memories that will forever remain unforgotten. As such, Hayato complimented, "But... she was a lovely person. She was strong, energetic, and always happy. She radiated such a positive aura, that anyone would smile around her..."

Hayato paused, a memory playing in his head at the sight of a smiling couple, both Minato and Kushina revealing a bright smile. Minato's hands softly clasped Kushina's as they were seated on a sofa, but Kushina's appearance seemed... different; her stomach was bulging... 

She was pregnant!

Hayato's eyes glistened remembering their jubilant expressions, and he voiced, "And she was extremely happy when she was -" 

Kaede gripped Hayato's hand, refraining him from speaking further. Hayato nodded, understanding he was getting sentimental, he mused, '... When she was about to be a mother.'

Naruto cocked his head, confusion evident as Hayato abstained from continuing for some peculiar reason.

Scratching his head sheepishly, Hayato chided along, changing his sentence, "Haha, well you get the gist Naruto. Kaa-chan was an amazing person, like, really really amazing."

Naruto's eyes shone with profound curiosity, "Yeah, I wanna know all about them."

"Yeah, we'll tell you," Hayato affirmed, to which Naruto's lips parted into a delicate smile.

Hayato turned to Kaede, and whispered, "Should I tell him about... that?"

Kaede immediately understood, and followed, "Not now, I think it's too early."

And so, the night went by as Hayato and Kaede traversed memory lane, relaying their many adventures with Minato and Kushina, shared moments of laughter and camaraderie, and more. 

Everyone shared laughter, and the time was already 11 P.M. 

...

Everyone was sat around the dining table as Kaede distributed the food to their plates. The delicate aroma of the noodles coupled with fish and veggies invaded Naruto's nostrils, causing him to salivate. 

Everyone chanted, "Itadakimassu," before diving in.

Everyone continued to eat and chat, and before they knew it, the time was 12 P.M.

...

"Ahh, damnit, I have school tomorrow, I gotta sleep," Naruto whined, his shoulders hunched, conveying his disappointment.

The family remained seated across the dining table.

"Haha," Hayato laughed, understanding from experience the pain Naruto was going through. "Actually you know what, how about you skip school tomorrow?" He suggested.

Naruto's face rapidly lit up, "Really?!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'll just report you in as ill," Hayato shrugged, sticking his tongue.

"Woah, oji-chan, you're so awesome," Naruto complimented.

Hayato rubbed his nose proudly. "Hehe, I know I'm the best," he asserted. Hayato's shoulders hunched, conveying his concern, and he continued, "I used to be just like you. The academy was so boring."

"Yeah, yeah, I agree," Naruto nodded in agreement.

The duo imagined the many problems of their Academic career, Naruto with his constant yells from Iruka-sensei and continued failing in classes, and Hayato reminiscing of a time when his only adversary at the time was Maths.

'Maths is still bonkers,' Hayato thought.

As such, the duo simultaneously let out a strained gasp. Merely thinking about it was a headache;

"Sigh."

"Hey, dear, that's not a good thing to teach your nephew," Kaede advised, nudging Hayato with her elbow.

"It's fine dear, just for tomorrow. You can see he's eager to hear our stories," Hayato proposed.

Kaede turned to Naruto, who had an innocent look on his face, hoping for his aunt's approval. She thought to herself, 'So cute,' before supporting, with a fake cough "Ahem, w-well, I guess we can skip just for tomorrow... But just for tomorrow, okay?"

Naruto leapt from his seat in excitement, "YOSHHAAA!" 

Kaede added, "Karin-chan, we'll send you to the Academy too, alright? You'll also be in Naruto's class starting the day after tomorrow."

"O-Okay," Karin stammered, her cheeks colouring red in excitement. 

And so, the night resumed with shared stories and shared laughter among the family. The day ended, and today was a roller-coaster of emotions for the youth. It was certainly the greatest day of his life, and he hoped that the days to come would be very well cherished...

***

THE NEXT DAY:

The residents of Konoha shared concern as a corpse dragged itself around the village; pale demeanor, evidently exhausted and dehydrated; it was as though his mind was gasping for water, but his will refuted. However, this very corpse continued to stroll around the village... Stroll isn't the right word, as he was upside down. 

He was doing a handstand, and he pressed forth through sheer resilience. His body begged to enter slumber, but his mind played the role of an insomniac!

That's right, the man was none other than Might Guy. However, compared to his lively and youthful self of yesterday, today he was the complete opposite; he seemed emaciated!

His green jumpsuit had collected a lot of dust, accumulated through a night's work of intense training.

"Eh, eh, eh..." He panted, his face melting with every exhale, his complexion as fair as snow, and his tongue sticking out while gasping for air.

"40... more... laps... to... go..." The corpse pressed on, the pauses in his sentence conveying his lethargy. However, with the state he was in, the villagers didn't know if they should be rooting for the guy, otherwise, even though it may motivate Guy, that may very well just kill him in the process!

Undecided, the villagers tended to their duties, while Guy sluggishly passed by.

"I... Say... Youth!"

He struggled to declare, motivating himself to press on.