novelraw Chapter 492 The Uzumaki Family's Dinner
Chapter 492 The Uzumaki Family's Dinner
Chapter 492 The Uzumaki Family's Dinner
Click.
With a soft sound, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the inside.
Then, the fence gate, covered in green vines and overlapping with the dreamscape, was gently pulled open inward.
Kushina stepped out from behind the door, opened her arms, and with all the longing, concern, and guilt accumulated over the past twelve years, as well as the immense joy that was now bursting forth, she tightly embraced Naruto, who was standing there dumbfounded outside the door.
"!!"
Naruto's body stiffened instantly, and his mind went blank.
A faint, warm scent lingered around my nose, a blend of the fragrance of soapberry and the aroma of cooking—the scent of "mother."
It was unfamiliar, yet it carried an indescribable sense of familiarity, striking straight to the depths of the soul.
The woman's arms were wrapped around him, making it a little hard for him to breathe, but he didn't feel any discomfort. Instead, he felt a sense of security and belonging, as if a lonely boat that had been adrift for twelve years had finally crashed into a peaceful harbor.
The body reborn from the dead lacks the warmth of a living person, but the emotions conveyed from the mother's embrace are more intense than any flame and warmer than any sunlight.
Naruto stood there, stunned, letting Kushina hug him. His blue eyes widened in confusion as he looked at the soft red hair so close to him.
He slowly raised his arms, somewhat clumsily and hesitantly, but in the end, he gently embraced Kushina's back.
This simple action seemed to have exhausted all his strength.
A torrent of emotions—a mixture of grievance, longing, disbelief, and immense happiness—instantly broke down the last dam in his heart, causing his eyes to well up with tears again.
Neji stood quietly to the side, watching the mother and son embrace, a gentle look in his eyes.
He didn't make a sound to disturb them, but quietly took a few steps back, then turned and disappeared into the night, leaving silently.
After a long while, Kushina finally released her grip.
She took a half step back, her hands still resting on Naruto's shoulders, and tilted her head slightly to carefully examine the boy in front of her, whose face still vaguely resembled the outlines of Minato and herself.
"You've grown taller—and much stronger too." Kushina's voice was slightly hoarse from a sob, but more so with satisfaction and pride. She reached out and gently brushed away the sweat-dampened blond hair on Naruto's forehead.
"You've lost some weight—have you been eating poorly again?"
Naruto stared blankly at her, at the face that gradually overlapped with the blurry yet warm female face in his dream, a strong sense of déjà vu lingering in his mind.
He felt like he had seen her somewhere before, but the specific details were shrouded in a thin mist, and he couldn't remember where he was looking.
"Come on, don't just stand at the door, come in quickly!" Kushina didn't give him much time to think, and pulled Naruto's still somewhat stiff hand to lead him inside.
Like a puppet on a string, Naruto was pulled along by Kushina, and in a daze, he crossed the courtyard and stepped onto the porch steps.
At the entrance, Kushina naturally squatted down, took a pair of dark blue indoor slippers from the shoe cabinet, and placed them in front of Naruto's feet.
"Put this on." She looked up and smiled at Naruto.
Naruto looked down, his gaze falling on the shoes, his pupils contracting slightly.
These shoes—were almost identical to the indoor slippers he wore when he lived in his humble apartment in Konoha.
Is it a coincidence?
still----
He quietly changed into his shoes, and surprisingly, the size was just right.
A stronger sense of familiarity washed over me like a tidal wave.
After passing through the short entryway, the view suddenly opened up before me.
Under the warm lighting is a spacious living room that connects to the open kitchen and dining area.
The air was filled with mouthwatering aromas of food.
A girl who looked to be about the same age as Naruto, with neat short purple hair, was setting the tableware at the rectangular wooden dining table with her back to them, her movements light and practiced.
On the sofa by the window in the living room, a man with striking short blond hair, wearing blue loungewear and a gentle, handsome face, put down his newspaper and stood up.
He saw Naruto being pulled in by Kushina, and a warm smile appeared on his face. His azure eyes were filled with tenderness and relief.
"Welcome home, Naruto."
Minato Namikaze's voice was clear and gentle, possessing a magical power that could instantly put people at ease.
"You must be tired from your journey. Come and sit down, it's time to eat."
"Dad—Dad—" Naruto murmured unconsciously, his gaze fixed on Minato's face.
He had looked up at this face countless times on the Hokage Rock, and had seen it in the textbooks of the Ninja Academy. It was a combination of the distant and vague image of "hero" and "father" in his heart.
Now, this image appears so vividly before my eyes, welcoming me home in the most familial way.
His gaze involuntarily moved, sweeping past the water gate and looking at the other end of the sofa.
There were two people sitting there.
One was a girl with long black hair, a delicate and serene face, and wearing a dark blue clan uniform, named Uchiha Hikari.
She nodded slightly to Naruto, a faint smile on her face.
The figure sitting next to Hikaru made Naruto's heart skip a beat.
He had short black hair, a handsome face with a hint of arrogance, and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth that seemed to indicate he had everything under control.
Menma, dressed in a simple black T-shirt and trousers, was casually resting his chin on his hand, looking up at Naruto.
"You're finally here! The food's almost cold."
Naruto, who had a lot of questions to ask, suddenly didn't know how to start.
He looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar faces and the room before him, his lips trembling: "Sister Guang—Hydrangea—"
Hearing this, Hydrangea, who was setting the table, turned around and gave Naruto a bright smile: "Naruto, welcome back! Dinner will be ready soon!"
Uchiha Hikaru smiled and nodded again: "Long time no see, Naruto."
"Long time no see—" Naruto repeated mechanically, but tears welled up like a burst dam, blurring his vision and streaming down his face, dripping onto the floor with a soft "plop" sound.
He raised his hand to wipe it, but he couldn't get it dry no matter what he did.
Why?
Why does it feel like we've known each other for a very long time even though it's our "first" meeting?
Why do I feel such a strong sense of attachment and peace of mind when everything here should feel unfamiliar?
Why can't I control my tears?
What exactly is this strange yet familiar feeling that's tearing at my heart?
"Why—it feels—so familiar—" he choked, his voice broken and incoherent, filled with confusion and a bittersweet pain.
"I—I'm clearly—coming here for the first time—"
Menma stood up from the sofa and walked over to Naruto.
He didn't say anything to comfort him, but simply raised his hand and patted Naruto's shoulder hard.
"Let's eat first."
Mianma said, "If you have any questions, let's talk after we finish eating. I'll tell you everything you want to know."
As he spoke, he pressed on Naruto's still somewhat stiff shoulder and led him to the dining table.
Ziyanghua immediately pulled out a chair.
Minato and Kushina also came over, and the others took their seats as well.
Minato sat down in the main seat, with Kushina, Uchiha Hikaru, and Ayaka sitting to his right in turn.
Menma pressed Naruto down and made him sit to Minato's left, while he himself sat between Naruto and Minato.
The seating arrangement was so natural, as if this scene had been repeated a thousand times.
Minato clasped his hands together in front of his chest, his gaze sweeping over everyone at the table, finally lingering for a moment on Naruto's face, whose eyes were red-rimmed and who was still sobbing slightly, his eyes softening.
"Then—" His clear voice rang out in the warm restaurant, carrying a sense of home.
"Let's begin dinner at the Uzumaki family's house."
"Let's get started!" Kushina, Hydrangea, Hikaru Uchiha, and even Menma all clasped their hands together and uttered this most ordinary pre-meal greeting.
Naruto looked at them, at the steaming, fragrant food in front of him.
He sniffed, awkwardly clasped his hands together, and said loudly in a thick nasal voice, "I—I'm going to start eating—"
Dinner has begun.
Naruto held his chopsticks, looking at the snow-white rice in his bowl and the dazzling array of dishes around him, and for a moment he didn't know where to start.
Many of these dishes were his favorite flavors, and some were even "luxury" dishes that he rarely got to eat when he was in Konoha because he didn't have the money or didn't know how to cook them.
Sitting opposite him, Kushina very naturally picked up a piece of bright green bell pepper and glistening stir-fried pork with her chopsticks, crossed the table, and put it into Naruto's bowl, piling it on top of his rice.
"What are you daydreaming about? Eat up!" Kushina looked at him, her eyes full of affection and a touch of heartache.
"I heard from Menma that you always ate instant noodles when you were in Konoha. That won't do! You're at the age where you need to grow, so you should eat more vegetables and meat for a balanced diet so you can grow tall and strong like your brother!"
Naruto looked down at the green pepper and meat slices in his bowl. He didn't usually like eating green peppers, always finding them strange-tasting.
But at this moment, listening to my mother's nagging, all that welled up in my heart was a bittersweet, almost overflowing warmth.
He picked up the green pepper and the slice of meat, put them in his mouth together, and chewed slowly.
The slightly spicy and sweet green peppers, the savory and tender slices of meat —
When mixed together, they created a flavor so wonderful it made him want to cry.
"So this is what Mom's cooking tastes like."
So this is what it feels like to be told to "eat more vegetables".
Dinner took place in a relatively quiet yet exceptionally warm atmosphere.
Hydrangea would occasionally recount some amusing anecdotes about the children at school, and Minato would respond gently. Kushina would constantly serve food to Naruto. Menma didn't eat much, but would occasionally comment on the taste of the dishes. Uchiha Hikaru mostly just listened quietly, while Hikaru would occasionally glance back and forth between Menma and Naruto.
Naruto spent most of his time eating, as if he wanted to make up for all the "taste of home" he had missed over the past twelve years.
After the meal, Ziyanghua immediately got up and began to quickly clear the dishes.
Uchiha Hikaru stood up to help, and said softly to Kushina, who was about to start, "Aunt Kushina, go and keep Naruto company. Leave the cleaning up to me and Hydrangea."
Kushina glanced at them gratefully and did not insist.
Naruto, led by Menma and Minato, sat down on the sofa in the living room.
Minato and Kushina sat on the sofa, while Naruto was forced by Menma to sit on the single sofa next to them.
Menma turned and walked towards an inconspicuous storage room, seemingly to rummage through something.
Naruto sat somewhat awkwardly on the soft sofa, his gaze involuntarily taking in the living room.
Warm lighting, beige walls, natural wood furniture, several potted plants on the windowsill, a landscape painting hanging on the wall, and a fruit bowl on the coffee table containing washed apples, oranges, and strawberries.
All of this scene overlapped little by little with the dream about home that he would have every New Year's Eve!
"Why—it's so similar to my dream—" Naruto murmured softly.
"That's not a dream."
A muffled voice rang out from the side.
Naruto suddenly raised his head and looked at him.
Just then, Jianma emerged from the storage room, carrying something in his arms.
He walked to the opposite side of Naruto and gently placed it on the single sofa.
It was a humanoid puppet.
It is about 1.2 meters tall and the workmanship is not exquisite, but you can see the maker's care.
The puppet was wearing an orange tracksuit, similar in style to the one Naruto often wore, and had a golden spiky wig. Its facial features even resembled Naruto's when he was young.
It sat quietly on the sofa, its hands on its knees, its eyes two motionless glass beads, yet under the warm light of the living room, it inexplicably gave Naruto a strange feeling.
Minato looked at the puppet, then at Naruto who looked shocked and bewildered, sighed softly, and explained, "Naruto, due to some very special and unfortunate reasons, we haven't been able to be by your side to watch you grow up all these years."
His gaze shifted to the puppet in the orange tracksuit, a hint of guilt in his eyes.
"So, starting when you were six years old, Menma used his remote puppet control technology, combined with Yin Release spiritual techniques, to create this guiding puppet."
"Every New Year's Eve, after you fall asleep in Konoha, your spirit will be guided through a secret technique to attach itself to this puppet."
Then, here, in this home, you can use this puppet's body to see us, hear us, eat with us, chat with us, and receive gifts, just like a real reunion.
Minato paused, looking into Naruto's wide, shocked blue eyes, and slowly said, "That dream you have every New Year's Eve about 'home'—it's not entirely a dream. It's what you truly feel through this puppet, what a real reunion is happening here."
'
Naruto stared blankly at the "Little Naruto" puppet on the opposite sofa, then slowly turned his gaze to Minato and Kushina beside him, who looked guilty and gentle, and to Menma standing to the side, whose expression was calm but concerned.
Every Lunar New Year's Eve, that beautiful dream of family reunion —
Those beautiful dreams that sustained him through the cold years in Konoha, yet left him with an overwhelming sense of emptiness and loneliness upon waking—
So—it wasn't a dream after all?
Those moments of warmth, those laughs, those calls from loved ones.
He thought those were just dreams his mind wove to comfort him in his extreme desires.
It actually happened?
The overwhelming amount of information left Naruto momentarily speechless. He simply stared blankly at the puppet, as if through it he could see the young Naruto who had briefly found a "home" attached to it during every lonely New Year's Eve in the past.
Menma sat down on the sofa opposite Naruto, right next to the puppet.
He crossed his arms, leaned slightly forward, and calmly looked at Naruto, saying, "I know you have many questions and a lot of confusion right now. Don't worry, I'll tell you the whole story."
He glanced at Minato and Kushina, and they both nodded at him.
"This story is a bit long, and it involves many secrets of the ninja world and our family's past. I will try my best to tell you clearly."
Then, under the warm and quiet light of the living room, Menma began to tell Naruto about that long-forgotten history, with Minato and Kushina occasionally adding a few words.
On the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage, a mysterious masked man attacked Kushina after she gave birth, releasing the Nine-Tails and bringing Konoha to the brink of destruction.
To seal the Nine-Tails and protect the village and civilians, Minato and Kushina resolutely chose to sacrifice themselves. Using the Reaper Death Seal and the Eight Trigrams Seal, they split the Nine-Tails in two, sealing the Yang-attribute half inside the newborn Naruto. They paid the price with their own lives.
However, in the chaos, Menma, who had just been born, was kidnapped by the mysterious masked man and placed in the Konoha Orphanage as one of his potential pawns in his plan.
Naruto, who has the other half of the Nine-Tails sealed within him, was brought back to Konoha by the Third Hokage. However, due to the fear that his identity as a "Jinchūriki" might cause and to protect Naruto, his background was concealed and he was raised separately.
Unlike Naruto, who grew up ignorant and isolated amidst the villagers' rejection, Menma, due to certain special circumstances, retained fragments of memories from his birth and infancy, and also knew that he and Naruto were twin brothers.
He grew up in an orphanage in Konoha and was accompanied by a Dark Nine-Tails inside him, allowing him to grow at a rate far exceeding that of his peers.
He has been secretly investigating the truth behind his parents' deaths, searching for a way to resurrect them, and also observing his younger brother, who is isolated by the villagers and regarded as a "fox demon".
During this time, Menma traveled the ninja world under the name "Shura," using his powerful strength and visionary ideas to recruit and befriend a group of ninjas who were disappointed with the existing ninja world order for various reasons and longed for change.
He witnessed firsthand the cruelest and darkest side of the ninja world: the rich feasting on meat and wine while the poor froze to death on the streets; in years of severe drought, people resorted to cannibalism; nobles squandered their wealth while commoners struggled to survive; great powers vied for power, and small countries became battlefields, resulting in widespread suffering and death.
He also met those who, even in the darkness, did not give up hope and wanted to change everything.
Therefore, Menma and these like-minded partners created the Star Kingdom.
They took "overthrowing the old order, ending the war, eliminating oppression, and creating a new world where everyone is equal" as their goal and worked tirelessly towards it.
All of the Star Kingdom's systems, technologies, and ideologies originated from this.
Throughout this process, Menma has been silently watching over and protecting Naruto.
He knew Naruto's situation in Konoha, that they couldn't publicly acknowledge each other, but he stayed by his brother's side in his own way.
Of course, there are some hidden aspects to the dusty history Menma mentioned, such as his experiences in the "Limited Tsukuyomi World" and the origin of the Dark Nine-Tails.
Naruto listened quietly, his azure eyes fixed on Menma as he listened to those past events he had never known before.
It turns out that Mianma had always known they were brothers.
It turns out that behind those seemingly accidental events was the elder brother's silent and long-term protection.
It turns out that his annual "dream" was a "bridge" built for him by his brother, who traveled thousands of miles using forbidden techniques and technology.
It turns out that he was not an orphan abandoned by the world.
He has parents, though they exist in another form; he has an older brother, though this brother has always concealed his identity when interacting with him; he also has a "home," though this home once only existed in his "dream" on New Year's Eve, but the warmth, concern, and love there were real.
However, he still had a knot in his heart.
"Since—we're brothers." Naruto looked at Menma, his voice still a little hoarse, but his eyes had become much clearer: "Why—why didn't you just say so? During the Chunin Exams, why—why didn't you just take me with you?"
If you had told me back then—
Menma raised his hand, pointing his index finger at Naruto, and said somewhat jokingly, "Because of your situation, it's quite special, my foolish little brother."
"Is it special?" Naruto subconsciously touched his abdomen.
"Is it because of the fox spirit inside me?"
Under Jiraiya's special training, Naruto has already met the giant fox inside him, but their interaction was not very pleasant.
"No, that's not it." Menma shook his head.
Just then, a fiery red, fluffy little creature suddenly darted out of Mianma's hair and landed lightly on the glass coffee table!
It was a small fox girl, no bigger than a palm, with ten tails and a fiery red body. Her eyes were bright and cunning. She sat cross-legged on the coffee table in a human-like manner, and like a human, she stretched out her little paws, picked up a big, red strawberry from the fruit plate, and swallowed it whole with a "whoosh," her little cheeks bulging.
"?!"
Naruto stared wide-eyed at the little thing that had suddenly appeared.
Little Nine quickly chewed up the strawberry and swallowed it, then slowly turned her head, glancing at Naruto with her golden-red eyes. She even raised a little paw to wipe her mouth, then put her hands on her hips, tilted her head back, and said in a mature yet slightly childish tone, "What are you looking at! Kid! Haven't you seen this great fox before?!"
"This, this is—" Naruto pointed at Kyu, unable to speak coherently.
Kushina couldn't help but chuckle at Kyu's adorable appearance. She reached out and gently lifted Kyu from the coffee table into her palm, lightly scratching its chin with her fingertips. She introduced it to Naruto, saying, "Naruto, come, let's get to know each other properly. This is also a member of our family, Kyu. Unlike the half of the irritable creature sealed inside you, Kyu is very well-behaved. It used to keep Menma company."
Kyuu comfortably squinted her eyes in Kushina's palm, making "gurgling" sounds.
Menma glanced at Xiao Jiu and Kushina, shook his head, and then looked back at Naruto, saying, "Your special circumstances, and it's best to tell both of you about this after Sasuke arrives."
"Sasuke?" Naruto asked, puzzled. "What's your connection to Sasuke? Is he special?"
"It's very important." Menma nodded, his tone certain.
He glanced at the clock on the wall; it was getting late.
"We'll discuss the specifics when Sasuke arrives tomorrow."
"Mom," he turned to Kushina, "take Naruto to his room first. He must be exhausted from the journey and needs a good rest."
"Let's go, Naruto." Kushina understood and carefully placed the little rascal, who was already purring softly in her palm, on the cushion on the coffee table. Then she stood up, walked to Naruto's side, and gently patted his shoulder.
Her tone was gentle: "Mom will take you to your room. If there's anything you don't understand or want to ask, you can ask tomorrow. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it later, okay?"
As Naruto looked at his mother's gentle smile, a warm and reassuring feeling slowly flowed through his body.
He nodded vigorously, stood up, and followed Kushina towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
Upon reaching the second floor, Kushina stopped in front of a white door, grasped the doorknob, and gently turned it open with a "click," while simultaneously pressing the switch on the inner wall of the door.
The soft incandescent light instantly filled the entire room.
The room was simply and warmly furnished, and much larger than Naruto's bedroom in Konoha.
By the window was a large wooden bed big enough for two people to sleep in, covered with dark blue checkered sheets.
One side of the wall is a full wall of white wardrobes.
On the other side against the wall is a large desk with a small green potted plant on it.
At the far end of the room is an open balcony with two rattan chairs and a small round table. The evening breeze blows gently through the half-open glass door, causing the beige curtains to flutter.
But what really caught Naruto's eye wasn't the furniture, but the pile of things neatly arranged on the smooth wooden floor in the center of the room.
There are about a dozen of them, of various sizes.
Most of them are toys, including wooden ninja dolls, cute animal figurines, small puppet models that can be assembled, colorful building blocks, and something that looks like a telescope.
Naruto walked over in a daze and stopped in front of the pile of items.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, his gaze slowly sweeping over the items, finally settling on a colorful windmill made of colored paper and wooden sticks, full of childlike charm.
He reached out and picked it up with extreme care.
The windmill blades turned slightly because of his movement.
Kushina slowly walked over and sat down on the floor next to Naruto. She looked at her son's stunned profile and the small windmill in his hand with gentle eyes.
Her voice was soft and gentle, as if she were telling the most beautiful secret: "Since you were six years old, your father, mother, and Menma and Hikari have prepared New Year's gifts for you every year."
Her gaze swept over the gifts of all sizes on the ground, her eyes filled with memories and affection.
"Although we can't give them to you in person, although you can only see and touch them in your dreams through that little puppet—we will prepare them every year. We think that one day, when you really come home, you will see them, knowing that every year we haven't forgotten to prepare a gift for you, that our longing for you and our love for you have never stopped."
Kushina reached out and gently touched Naruto's slightly prickly short golden hair.
"This room, everything in it, is yours."
"Welcome home, Naruto."
Naruto lowered his head, clutching the small, colorful windmill tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
He didn't cry out loud, but large, hot tears fell uncontrollably, splashing onto the smooth wooden floor.
So this is what home feels like.
It wasn't an empty room, it wasn't cold instant noodles, it wasn't the villagers' rejecting gazes and whispers.
It is a gift prepared on time every year, a warmth that is conveyed even across life and death and distance, a brother who silently protects, parents who watch over with tenderness, and a concern and longing that will never leave even if the body turns to dust.
He's back; he's home.
Eight