bookbashuk Page 29
Page 29
"Brother Itachi!"
Before Sakura could even ask, Naruto greeted her from the side.
This annoyed Sasuke: "Stop calling me so intimately, you loser."
Naruto chuckled and said, "What does it matter! Itachi-nii is my brother too!"
"certainly not!"
It makes me so angry just thinking about Sasuke.
Several years ago, after the Uchiha clan settled down, Itachi and Shisui began to frequently contact Naruto.
Although Sasuke later shamelessly asked Naruto, Naruto's answer left him completely baffled.
"Shisui and Itachi were looking for my dad. I don't know what they were talking about."
What the heck? How come an orphan like you suddenly has a dad?
"Congratulations on successfully becoming a Genin!"
Itachi first congratulated Sasuke and Naruto, then looked at Sakura: "You're Sasuke's teammate, right? I'm his older brother, Uchiha Itachi."
"H-Nice to meet you, my name is Haruno Sakura!"
Sakura even bowed earnestly as she spoke.
Itachi waved his hand and said softly, "No need to be polite. Today you successfully obtained your genin qualifications from Mr. Kakashi, so let me treat you to a meal to celebrate!"
"Huh? Are we going to Sasuke's house?"
Although Naruto and Itachi had a good relationship, he had never been able to visit them much, so he was quite excited about going to Sasuke's house for a free meal.
Chapter 33 Family, Mother
Soon, led by Itachi, Naruto and Sakura arrived at Sasuke's house.
Looking at the Uchiha clan's imposing entrance, Naruto felt like a country bumpkin visiting the city, looking around in bewilderment.
Sasuke looked at Naruto speechlessly: "You've come so many times, why is it still the same?"
Naruto exclaimed excitedly, "After all, your house is really big!"
It's not surprising that Naruto is like this, since his room is just a small one-bedroom apartment.
In Sasuke's house, the spacious courtyard was filled with bamboo, and exquisite stone lanterns adorned both sides of the stone path.
The two sides are worlds apart.
At this moment, Sakura was so nervous that she almost moved her hands and feet in unison, constantly fixing her hair and clothes.
"Father, Mother, I'm back," Sasuke said softly at the entrance.
Fugaku Uchiha emerged from the study, his stern expression softening slightly upon seeing Itachi and Sasuke: "You're back?"
His gaze swept over Naruto and Sakura, and he nodded slightly: "These two must be your teammates, come in and have a seat."
Mikoto peeked out from the kitchen, a warm smile on her face: "Oh, Naruto-kun, welcome! And you too, little girl!"
Naruto stared blankly at the heartwarming scene before him—a strict yet caring father, a gentle and virtuous mother, and the unspoken bond between the brothers.
A sudden, indescribable bitterness welled up in his chest.
"Sorry to bother you..." he said softly, his voice unconsciously lowering a few decibels.
Inside the sealed space, Minato watched this scene, his eyes filled with deep remorse: "Naruto..."
Ban snorted coldly, then turned his face away: "A boring family gathering."
Kurama sensed the emotions emanating from Naruto and could only offer him silent comfort in his own way.
Soon, the table was filled with exquisite dishes.
Tender grilled fish, golden tempura, vibrant green vegetable salad, and a pot of steaming, delicious miso soup.
"Naruto-kun, I heard you really like ramen?" Mikoto smiled and pushed a large bowl of chashu ramen in front of Naruto. "I prepared this especially for you. Try it and see if you like it."
Naruto accepted the gift, flattered, saying, "Th-thank you, Auntie!"
He lowered his head and took a big bite, his eyes instantly lighting up. "So delicious!"
Fugaku coughed lightly: "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."
Although his tone was serious, a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes.
Sasuke frowned in displeasure: "Father, ignore that loser..."
“Sasuke,” Fugaku put down his chopsticks, “you must be polite to your guests.”
Sakura cautiously observed the family's interactions, feeling both envious and apprehensive.
She noticed that although Naruto appeared happy on the surface, his eyes would dim from time to time.
“Naruto…” she called softly.
"Huh?" Naruto looked up abruptly, forcing a smile. "What's wrong, Sakura?"
Itachi, sensing something amiss, placed a piece of fried chicken on Naruto's plate: "Eat more, you're too thin."
Inside the sealed space, Minato looked at his son's forced smile, his heart breaking: "If Kushina were still here... if I could..."
Ban stood up irritably: "Enough! This kind of weak emotion..."
Although that's what Ban said, his voice grew softer and softer.
After all, his dream has remained unchanged to this day: to make the world a place where children can live happily.
But now, he is unable to give Naruto these things.
At this moment, Kurama suddenly spoke up: "It's alright, Naruto, the three of us will always be with you."
In the real world, Naruto gently shook his head, silently replying, "Thank you, Nine-Tails Uncle."
After dinner, Sakura helped Mikoto clear the table, while Sasuke was called to the study by Fugaku for a talk.
Naruto came to the Uchiha family's courtyard alone, sat on the stone steps, and stared blankly at the moon.
"Is something on your mind, Naruto?"
Itachi's voice suddenly came from behind. Naruto was startled and almost tumbled down the steps.
"Itachi, Itachi-nii! I, I miss my mom!" As he spoke, Naruto hugged his knees with both hands.
Itachi sat down beside Naruto, gently stroking Naruto's hair with his large hand: "Do you have any memories of your mother?"
Naruto said dejectedly, "Dad said my mom has beautiful red hair, but I've never seen it, so I can't imagine it at all."
Itachi listened quietly, his black eyes reflecting the moonlight.
“The three fathers inside me care about me a lot, but…” Naruto gripped his clothes tightly, “but there are some things only a mother can give…”
A night breeze blew by, and cherry blossoms fluttered down.
A petal landed on Naruto's golden hair, and Itachi gently brushed it away.
“I’ve met your mother,” Itachi suddenly said.
Naruto looked up abruptly, his blue eyes wide: "Wh...what?"
Itachi's voice was soft: "That was when I was very young. Although he had a rather fiery temper, he was incredibly patient and gentle with us children."
Itachi nodded: "Yes, I heard my mother say that Aunt Kushina used to be known as the Red Hot Chili Pepper, and many boys in her year were beaten up by her."
Inside the sealed space, Minato suddenly raised his head, tears glistening in his eyes.
Madara turned around, his Sharingan trembling slightly.
"R-Really?" Naruto's voice trembled, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Itachi smiled slightly: "It's said that when Aunt Kushina was in the Ninja Academy, she tied a genin who mocked her hair to the gate of Konoha."
Naruto chuckled, but tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
Naruto frantically wiped his face with the back of his hand, but the more he wiped, the wetter it became. "I...I really want to see her..."
Itachi gently pressed Naruto's shoulder: "Some love will never disappear, even across life and death."
He pointed to Naruto's abdomen. "The Nine-Tails inside you should know this best."
Nine-Tails snorted within the sealed space: "Hmph, that red-haired woman... is indeed quite unique."
Minato wiped away his tears and smiled: "Kushina...she never knew how to write the word 'give up'."
Madara's face darkened. Of the three people here, he was the only one who had never interacted with Kushina, the former Jinchuriki.
In the real world, Naruto finally showed a genuine smile: "Thank you, Itachi-nii."
Itachi stood up and extended his hand to Naruto: "Let's go back. Mom made red bean dumplings for dessert."
When leaving the Uchiha clan, Mikoto specifically called Naruto aside and stuffed a handkerchief embroidered with sunflowers into his hand.
“This is…” Naruto looked at the slightly clumsy stitches on the handkerchief with a puzzled expression.
Mikoto smiled gently: "I found this when I was cleaning the attic last time. It was a gift I gave Sasuke when he was born. Since she embroidered it herself, it's better to leave it to you for safekeeping."
Naruto took the handkerchief with trembling hands, and vaguely smelled a faint, sunshine-like fragrance.
“She was a very good friend,” Mikoto said softly, a nostalgic glint in her eyes. “Every time she came over, she was like a ray of sunshine, making the atmosphere cheerful.”
Mikoto actually envies Kushina.
As a human jinchūriki, he was always under the village's surveillance. Back then, he had to report to three generations of his family before he could come over.
However, Kushina never showed her sadness to her friends; on the contrary, she always infected others with her optimistic and cheerful personality.
If the village weren't afraid that the Uchiha would control the Jinchuriki, Mikoto would have really wanted to bring Naruto over to live with them.
On his way home, Naruto carefully stroked the handkerchief.
Naruto suddenly stopped and looked up at the starry sky: "Dad... could you tell me more about Mom?"
Chapter 34 Reflections on Future Enemies
At night, after Naruto fell asleep, the Nine-Tails lay behind the iron fence in the sealed space, its golden beast eyes half-open and half-closed.