[Compared to his not-so-happy childhood, Naruto's teenage years were much better. He gradually encountered people like Iruka, Team 7, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and others—each of them guiding and changing his destiny.]
[Although there may have been an influence from Asura's chakra, without a doubt, these people were even more important. If not for them, 'Namikaze Menma' would be more like Naruto's true life path.]
---
[Konoha, Year 50. Hokage Office]
Minato was stunned.
'Namikaze Menma… who was that?'
He came from a commoner background and didn't have any clan.
Moreover, there was no so-called "Namikaze clan" in the entire Shinobi World anywhere.
Besides, his child was clearly named Naruto. Where did this Menma come from?
So the Sky Screen meant that if Naruto hadn't met those people who guided him, he would have become like that person called "Namikaze Menma"?
What kind of life path would that have been? Though judging by the Sky Screen's tone, it didn't sound good.
And why did the Sky Screen say that would have been closer to Naruto's true path?
Was it that without the right guidance, Naruto would have fallen into darkness and chosen an opposite life?
If so… was Asura's chakra a good or bad thing for Naruto?
Minato was torn, and the worry in his heart refused to fade.
[Among these people, the one with the greatest influence on Naruto was Jiraiya. But the most critical one was Iruka. If Iruka hadn't been the first to accept Naruto—who was ostracized by the entire village, lonely, and rebellious—Naruto might have fallen into darkness during the incident when Mizuki tricked him into stealing the Scroll of Seals.]
On the screen, the scene returned to the Hokage Rock.
Naruto stood there holding a rag, a bucket of water beside him—clearly paying for his earlier prank.
Above him, Iruka—wearing a Konoha forehead protector, a long horizontal scar across his nose—had his arms crossed and was scolding him sternly.
"I won't let you go home unless you clean that all up."
"Whatever. It's not like anyone's waiting for me at home anyway!" Naruto looked up, his face full of impatience.
That answer caught Iruka off guard.
"Naruto…"
Soon, Iruka's voice came from above again, but this time it seemed to carry a different emotion.
"What is it this time?" Naruto's voice grew even more irritated.
"How should I put it… how about once you finish cleaning this up, I'll treat you to ramen tonight."
Iruka no longer had his arms crossed. His left hand rested on his leg, and his right index finger tapped lightly on his chin, as if weighing whether this was worth it.
His entire posture had opened up—just like his heart in that moment.
Accompanied by the swelling background music, Naruto was suddenly filled with unexpected joy.
"Yay!"
"I… I will finish it no time!"
---
Minato and Kushina listened to Naruto's words on the screen—"It's not like anyone's waiting for me at home anyway"—and their hearts instantly ached.
When Naruto said those words, his tone was too flat.
Just how many such lonely nights must he have endured to be able to speak about it in that tone?
At that thought, tears fell uncontrollably from Kushina's eyes.
---
[As a teacher, Iruka was exceptionally qualified. Although his own parents also died in the Nine-Tails' rampage, he never blamed Naruto. Instead, because he understood that pain, he chose to protect him.]
[When Naruto was tricked by Mizuki into stealing the Scroll of Seals, Iruka not only blocked a lethal attack for him but also said, "I know that he is an exceptional student." Those words completely changed Naruto. No wonder Naruto always regarded him as a father figure.]
[After that, Iruka always quietly cared for Naruto—treating him to ramen, remembering his birthday, and silently staying by his side during his low moments. When Naruto was in low spirits, Iruka comforted him in the simplest, most genuine way.]
[And when Naruto became a hero and was sought after by everyone, Iruka simply stood outside the crowd and shed tears for him in silence. His care was pure and warm. While others saw Naruto as the Child of Prophecy or a weapon, Iruka always saw him as a child who needed to be taken care of.]
[So when Naruto got married, he solemnly asked Iruka to attend the wedding as his father, which marked Iruka's irreplaceable position in his heart. That invitation filled the void of family love that Naruto had lacked since childhood, and was the highest reward for Iruka's many years of devotion, symbolizing Iruka officially becoming a member of Naruto's new family.]
[Not to say that everyone in the Shinobi World should bow down to Iruka, but at the very least, there should be a "Thank you."]
The scene shifted to a night setting.
It appeared to be on a bridge somewhere in Konoha, and the main figures were a future, short-haired Naruto and Iruka.
Under the bright lights, the bridge itself seemed somewhat dim.
Naruto and Iruka stood back-to-back, and in the end, it was Naruto who broke the silence.
"Iruka-sensei… I have a request…"
Hearing that, Iruka turned his head to look at Naruto, seemingly curious that Naruto, who was already a hero of the world, would actually have a request for him.
"Will you attend the ceremony… as my father?"
The Iruka on the screen did not answer.
But the next moment, the screen showed him in a suit, standing beneath a cherry blossom tree, looking incomparably formal.
---
[Konoha, Year 60. Ninja Academy]
Iruka stood outside the classroom, tears streaming down his face as he watched the images on the Sky Screen.
"Naruto…"
His voice was choked with emotions.
He never imagined that this mischievous, trouble-making kid would one day regard him as a father and ask him to attend his wedding.
He had never been so happy—far happier than when he heard that Naruto would become the savior of the Shinobi World.
From inside the classroom, the students stuck their heads out, looking at him with curiosity.
"Iruka-sensei, why are you crying?"
Iruka wiped away his tears and said with a smile: "It's nothing. Sensei is just… so happy."
---
Meanwhile, on the training ground, Naruto looked at the Iruka in a suit standing under the cherry blossom tree on the Sky Screen, also moved to tears.
He had never imagined that on his future wedding day, Iruka-sensei would attend as his father.
"That's great, really great!"
Wiping his tears, he grinned from ear to ear.
---
[Konoha, Year 50. Hokage Office]
Minato and Kushina embraced each other.
They were happy that Naruto had such a wonderful teacher in the future, yet heartbroken that they themselves would miss their son's wedding.
In the future timeline revealed by the Sky Screen, they never even got to watch him grow up, let alone see him get married and have children.
"Minato…"
Kushina's voice was muffled against his chest.
"We have to survive. We have to watch Naruto get married. We have to see our grandkids be born."
*****
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