Naruto: Imitation Ninja

Night had fallen. As Minato stepped into his home, the first sound that greeted him was the sharp smack of his wife disciplining their son, Naruto. And the instigator of this familial drama? He sat calmly in a chair, enjoying the spectacle of what he called "motherly love."

This was a sight Minato had grown accustomed to. In fact, he was even a little bored of it. Scenes like this unfolded every three days or so, without fail. Sometimes it was Xingliu tattling, and other times it was Naruto, who seemingly enjoyed testing Kushina's patience.

Minato casually reminded Kushina not to overexert herself while disciplining Naruto, then left the "loving mother and obedient son" to their routine. He knew there was no need to worry about injuries—not with Xingliu around. Minor bruises didn't stand a chance against his skills.

"Xingliu, freeloading for dinner again?" Minato asked, his tone light as he took a seat beside the young man.

"Yep," Xingliu replied, his gaze drifting toward the "affectionate exchange" between mother and son. "Being home alone is dull. It's livelier here, so I thought I'd come over."

"You have no idea how much I envy your noisy family." Xingliu wasn't joking. When he first crossed over to this world, he was only about sixteen years old—just a high school sophomore by modern standards. Now, five years had passed. No matter how much he tried to deny it, he missed his family. Anyone separated from their home and loved ones for so long would feel the same.

"That's why I keep trying to introduce you to someone," Minato said, recognizing the wistfulness in Xingliu's tone.

Over the years, Minato had tried to learn about Xingliu's family, but Xingliu always gave the same cryptic response. With a faint smile, he'd point to the endless sky above and say, "They're somewhere far, far away. Too far to ever return."

Kushina had once overheard this exchange. Back then, she'd been nursing baby Naruto, but the look on Xingliu's face moved her deeply. Without hesitation, she'd handed Naruto to Minato, rushed over, and enveloped Xingliu in a warm embrace.

"You're family to us now," Kushina had said gently. "If you don't mind, you can think of us as your older brother and sister."

"As long as we're here, you'll always have a place in this home."

Xingliu could still recall that moment vividly. The sincerity in their eyes had shattered the emotional defenses he'd built. It was their kindness that had given him a sense of belonging in this unfamiliar world.

"Big brother, please don't set me up with anyone," Xingliu said, shaking his head. "I can barely take care of myself, let alone someone else. You're asking too much of me."

For five years, Minato had come up with countless reasons to arrange a marriage for Xingliu, only to be met with polite but firm refusals each time.

"Oh? Are you two discussing Xingliu's love life again?" Kushina asked, her voice filled with amusement as she approached, looking radiant after disciplining Naruto.

"Of course," Minato replied, pulling her to sit beside him. "Our dear little brother used the same excuse to reject my suggestion for the twenty-ninth time."

Hearing Minato's mock complaint, Kushina simply laughed. After all, this was Xingliu's personal matter. As outsiders, all they could do was offer advice. The final decision lay with him.

"What's that? Uncle Xingliu is getting married?" Naruto, who had a love-hate relationship with Xingliu, immediately perked up. To him, Xingliu getting married meant more people to spoil him—and more importantly, someone to distract Kushina. Maybe then his poor backside could get a break!

"Big talk for someone who just got spanked!" Xingliu's sharp glare sent Naruto scurrying behind his parents.

"Dad! Mom! Look! Uncle Xingliu is scaring me again!" Naruto whined, peeking out nervously.

Minato and Kushina exchanged helpless smiles. Xingliu and Naruto were quite the pair. While their antics brought liveliness to the house, they could also be exhausting. Still, the fact that they got along so well brought joy to their hearts.

"All right, you two troublemakers," Kushina said with a dramatic sigh. "We must've done something terrible in our past lives to deserve this punishment."

This familiar line made Xingliu and Naruto exchange knowing looks. They'd heard it too many times before. It was Kushina's go-to strategy for getting them to cater to her whims. If they didn't comply, they'd either endure endless nagging or face her iron-fisted "discipline."

In perfect sync, Xingliu went to pour tea while Naruto started massaging her shoulders. Only after thoroughly appeasing her were they finally allowed to sit down for dinner.

During the meal, however, Minato and Kushina brought up Xingliu's marriage prospects again. It was as if they wouldn't rest until he tied the knot.

"I'm full! Oh, right—I just remembered I haven't prepared tomorrow's lesson yet. Gotta go! Bye!" Xingliu made a hasty exit, unable to endure their relentless matchmaking.

His home wasn't far—it was the house next door. As Naruto grew older, Xingliu had moved out to give them more space. Minato, ever generous, had used his position as Fourth Hokage to waive the rent under the pretext of Xingliu being a public servant.

"Phew…" Xingliu sighed as he settled in. "Why does every conversation somehow circle back to marriage? Back in the modern world, I wouldn't even be old enough to get a marriage license!"

Staring out at the vast night sky, Xingliu murmured, "But in this world… could I really leave my mark here?"

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