Chapter 2

Naruto slowly opened his eyes but quickly shut them again as a harsh light beamed over him. "Huh? The light, it burns!" he exclaimed, wincing.

The light was quickly shut off. When Naruto opened his eyes again, he saw the same red-haired woman standing beside him. "Sorry, Naruto. I hope that's better for you," she said softly.

Naruto slowly sat up, his eyes darting back and forth as he took in his surroundings. He realized he was in a hospital room, but this one was different—it was clean and well-maintained. He remembered how he had always been treated poorly in the past, often left in dingy rooms and quickly sent home to heal on his own.

"Wh... who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice tinged with confusion and suspicion. He noticed the woman had tears streaming down her face.

"Naruto, I'm your... mom," she said, her voice breaking as she struggled to get the words out. "I'm so sorry, Naruto. Please forgive me. I couldn't be here for all these years. I'm so, so sorry."

Before Naruto could process what she had said, the door to the room opened, and the Fourth Hokage walked in, carrying a couple of plates of food. His face was a mix of surprise and relief.

"Naruto? You're awake," the Fourth Hokage said, walking over to Naruto and handing him a plate of food. "Here, eat up, son. You must be hungry."

Naruto looked at the man, utterly confused. "Why do you call me son? How are you alive? Why are you here?" He fired off questions rapidly, not giving his father a chance to respond.

Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, took a deep breath and began to explain. "Well, for starters, we are your parents. I'm Minato Namikaze, and this is your mom, Kushina Uzumaki. We were brought back from the dead, thanks to Orochimaru. We returned completely because of you. I don't know how to explain it, but you somehow truly brought us back to life. Before that, we were just like marionette puppets to Orochimaru."

As Minato continued, Kushina came over and placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. "We understand this might take some time to process. You don't have to call us Mom and Dad if you don't feel comfortable about it. Now that we're back, we're going to make things right with you and your twin brother, Genji."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Twin brother?" he whispered before fainting again, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions and revelations.

Minato looked at Kushina with concern. "We might have to keep him in the hospital a bit longer. I want to make sure his fainting isn't something that happens all the time."

Kushina nodded, her eyes filled with determination. "We'll do whatever it takes to help him. Our boys deserve a chance to know their parents and each other."

As Naruto lay unconscious, Minato and Kushina quietly discussed their next steps. They knew they had a long journey ahead to rebuild their family, but they were determined to face it together. Minato made a mental note to consult with Tsunade, the best medic-nin in Konoha, to ensure Naruto's health was fully assessed.

Meanwhile, outside the hospital room, whispers of the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki's miraculous return spread like wildfire through the village. People were curious, excited, and skeptical all at once. The news would undoubtedly reach Naruto's friends, who would soon come to visit, eager to see him and learn about these astonishing developments.

Back in the room, Kushina gently brushed Naruto's hair from his forehead and sighed. "Our son has been through so much, Minato. We have to be strong for him."

Minato nodded, his resolve hardening. "We will be, Kushina. We will make up for lost time and give our sons the love and support they deserve."

As they watched over Naruto, a sense of hope filled the room. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: the Uzumaki-Namikaze family was determined to face it together, come what may.

To be continued...