"Happy Birthday, Naruto."

Minato could never have asked for more at that moment. He had been given the chance to see his beloved son again. He had grown into a fine shinobi. His only regret was that he was not able to be there beside him to see him grow up to be the wonderful person he became. He smiled down at his son, watching as Naruto cried. He spouted out all the answers to Kushina's overly demanding hopes for him on the day he was born. Minato felt hopeful about the things that would be in store for Naruto once everything was over. It was a shame the moment could not last as the Edo Tensei faded away. His soul had been freed from its earthly confines.

He looked down at Naruto, etching the scene into his mind. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his afterlife. He wanted to be able to tell Kushina about everything that had happened. She would be so happy to know that her baby boy had become the kind of man she wished for him to be. He smiled sadly as he felt his form being whisked away. His consciousness began to wane.

"I'm proud of you, Naruto. I just wish…I wish I could've done more for you. More for the shinobi world. If I was there, maybe I could have prevented a lot of the things that happened. You wouldn't have had such a burden placed upon you. Perhaps I could have quelled the Uchiha Clan's misgivings about the village. Obito wouldn't have lost his way had I been there in time to save him. In the end…I should be the one looking up to you, Naruto. Not the other way around."

He closed his eyes, feeling himself falling. Everything faded to black and Minato Namikaze knew no more.

"Let me see him, let me see him!"

Wait, what?

"Move outta the way, Anija! I can't see anything past your big butt!"

Minato felt confused. Wasn't he supposed to be in the Pure Land with his beloved wife as they lived the rest of their afterlives in splendor, happy with the knowledge that their son was alright and living well? Where was he now? The voices around him did not sound familiar.

"Why's his hair so yellow, Chichiue?"

"That's what I want to know," an older man answered to what Minato assumed to be his child. "Are you sure this one's mine, Nami?"

"OF COURSE HE IS!" a furious female voice exploded right near his ear. "How dare you imply I would do such a thing, Butsuma!"

"I'm just saying—"

"My cousin had blonde hair and my mother had blue eyes. The genes are there, you pompous ass. Men…"

"Women…"

Minato chuckled at the exasperated tone in both adults' voices. He then froze completely when he heard the sound of his own voice. It sounded shrill and young. Almost like a…

He snapped his eyes open, taking in the images before him. Four expectant faces of children he didn't recognize were crowded around him. A white-haired woman with bright crimson orbs looked down at him, smiling sweetly at him. He could see unconditional love and pride in her eyes. Minato raised an eyebrow at her. He did not know these people. Why were they crowding around him like he was a new Icha Icha book that had just been released?

"Mama, can I hold him?" the eldest child asked politely.

"Of course you can, Hashirama. Just be careful with him," the woman agreed.

Minato panicked when he felt his body being moved. Things were not right! Why was he so small!? Where the hell was he!? Why was this child named after Shodai-sama!? What was going on here!?

"Hi, otouto! I'm your biggest brother, Hashirama!" the child cooed, grinning brightly at Minato. He then turned to the other children. "These are your other big brothers: Tobirama, Kawarama, and Itama."

Wait…Tobirama? There was another child named after Nidaime-sama? Minato felt his head spin. He had a bad feeling about what exactly happened. If he was right, he sincerely hoped he would wake up soon and realize it was just a nightmare. There was no way something like that was possible. Or was it? The Rikudo Sennin was there. But why would he do such a thing and for what purpose?

"So whatcha gonna call him, Mama?" the youngest one, Itama, asked curiously.

"Kodama. Kodama Senju," the lady answered. "He will become a great shinobi; one unlike anything the Senju Clan has ever seen."

The Senju Clan? It had been nearly extinguished. Why were these people talking about it as if it were the pride and glory of shinobi everywhere? Minato quickly assessed the situation. He was tiny, surrounded by mini-Kages, and apparently they were talking about him as if they were welcoming him into a family.

Everything then clicked when he reached an impossible answer.

It was at this point that his inner child decided to be let loose at that point. He instinctively burst out crying. Had he been an adult, he would have reacted in a more refined manner. However, he wasn't an adult.

He was a newborn baby.

Either fate decided to be a jerk or the Rikudo Sennin had a sick sense of humor, but somehow he had been transported back in time. He had read about the times before Konoha had been formed. The land had been plagued with wars and every clan besides your own was considered an enemy. This had only stopped when the great Shodai Hokage had put a stop to it. If his new elder brother was the same Hashirama Senju, then he was certain he'd experience those wars firsthand as soon as he was of age.

Minato was not amused. Why him? He had already been through both the Third and Fourth Shinobi World Wars. Was it too much to ask for a time of peace that actually lasted where he didn't have to worry about things he deeply cared about? Apparently so.

"Forgive me, Kushina. It looks like you're going to have to wait a bit more for me."

This is an experimental plot-bunny. I want to see how people like it before I decide to continue it. I always see time travel stories where either Minato goes to the future and meets his son or Naruto goes to the past and meets his dad. How about a little variety? So, after watching Road to Ninja, this little plot-bunny started hopping around my mind. Ever wondered how Minato might act if he was placed in the pre-Konoha era? Well, we shall see that if this story gets enough attention.