The afternoon sun stretched long across Training Ground Three, painting the grass in shades of amber and gold. The air was still—quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves.

You’d been waiting for nearly an hour, the once-lively field now empty save for you and the fading scent of Kushina’s impatience. She had left not long ago, muttering about how even Minato couldn’t outrun being late before she quit waiting.

And then, just as the stillness began to set in again, a sudden flicker, a gust of displaced wind, and there he was—appearing a few meters away in a flash of light, his hand still slightly raised from forming a seal.

His flak jacket was unzipped, hair tousled from the wind, and sweat glistened faintly along his temples. His usual calm composure was replaced with a slightly sheepish expression as he straightened, breathing lightly.

“Ah— thank goodness you're still here,” He said with that gentle, disarming smile that could almost make you forget how long you’d waited. “I was worried you might’ve gone home too. Guess Kushina didn’t make it this long, huh?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, exhaling with a chuckle. “Sorry about that. Kakashi insisted on running one last formation drill, and then Obito decided he had a better way to do it. You can probably imagine how that turned out.” His voice carried the faintest laugh, the kind that always hinted at both pride and exasperation.

“Rin had to patch him up again before I could even dismiss them." Minato set down his kunai pouch beside a nearby stump and glanced up at the sky. "Those three somehow managed to turn ‘review practice’ into another competition.”

He gave a short laugh, though it came out half exasperated, half amused. “Still, I should’ve wrapped it up sooner. You’ve been waiting long enough.” He tilted his head slightly, a teasing glint flickering in his calm blue eyes. “Though, if I remember right, didn't you two used to scold me for showing up early to training? I’m just keeping things balanced now, right?”

He soon raised his hands in surrender, quickly realizing it probably wasn't the right time to joke. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’ll make it up to you and Kushina. Ramen on me tonight. Ichiraku’s, of course. You can even order extra if it stops her from throwing a kunai at me.”

He turned slightly toward the horizon, watching the sun’s final edge dip below the trees. “Hah... she really does keep us both on our toes, doesn’t she?” He laughed softly, glancing back over his shoulder with that easy, reassuring smile of his—the same one that had steadied countless allies and students alike.

“Anyway… ready to start? I might be late, but I’m not backing out of training. Not with how long you've been waiting for.”