novelraw Chapter 501 Naruto: Sasuke, are you home?
Chapter 501 Naruto: Sasuke, are you home?
Chapter 501 Naruto: Sasuke, are you home?
Sasuke clenched his fists tightly again, his nails almost digging into his palms.
"I understand," Sasuke said in a deep voice.
He glanced at the cup of tea in front of him, which had long since gone cold but remained untouched, reached out and picked it up, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The slightly bitter tea soup slid down my throat, bringing a touch of coolness and seemingly extinguishing some of the restlessness in my heart.
Sasuke placed the empty cup back on the table with a soft "click".
Then, he raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the calm Shisui opposite him, and the still silent Uchiha Izumi beside him, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Then, without any hesitation, he stood up.
He turned and started walking towards the courtyard gate.
The black-clad figure stood tall and straight, with firm steps, exuding an unwavering determination.
Only then did Izumi slowly raise her eyelids, shifting her gaze from the edge of the table to Sasuke's departing figure.
Her eyes remained cool and aloof, but a subtle, unfathomable ripple seemed to pass through them.
She didn't speak, but only glanced at Shisui across from her.
Shisui nodded slightly to her, indicating that it was alright.
Sasuke walked to the heavy wooden gate in the courtyard and pulled it open forcefully.
The creaking sound of the wooden axle turning was particularly clear in the quiet morning air.
The scene outside the door instantly came into view.
The edge of the white sand outside the courtyard, and even further out on the street, was filled with a dense mass of Uchiha clansmen.
Almost all the adult Uchiha clan members in the clan's territory were alerted by the commotion and gathered here.
They stood or stood, each with a different expression on their face.
Resentment, vigilance, doubt, pain, confusion —
Without exception, everyone's eyes were fixed on Uchiha Sasuke, who had suddenly opened the door.
The atmosphere became extremely tense the moment the door opened.
Sasuke stood at the door, his gaze slowly sweeping over the familiar faces before him, each one etched with a heavy past.
He could see the crimson light flashing in their eyes—single tomoe, double tomoe, even triple tomoe—
Those were bloodshot eyes filled with negative emotions.
He did not back down, nor did he show any fear. His black eyes turned scarlet once again!
The three tomoe slowly rotated, their invisible eye powers clashing. With those eyes, he surveyed everyone present, then declared loudly, "I know! Everyone hates me!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to have a certain penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Because I am that man's brother! The younger brother of that executioner who slaughtered half our people, whose hands are stained with the blood of our kin!"
His words caused a slight commotion among the tribesmen; many of them began to breathe heavily, and their eyes burned with even more hatred.
"But!" Sasuke's voice suddenly rose, as if he were about to tear his throat apart.
"I also want to tell you! That man—he also killed my father! He also destroyed my home! He separated my mother and me for six years! He made me endure the same pain as you—and every day be looked at with such hatred by everyone!"
He clenched his fists tightly, his arms trembling slightly.
The three tomoe in his eyes spun slightly due to his extreme emotions, almost merging into one.
"I hate him! I hate him more than any of you!"
He practically shouted those words.
That wasn't a performance; it was the most intense flame bursting forth from the depths of his soul.
"So!" Sasuke suddenly raised his head, and the mad hatred in his scarlet eyes made all the clansmen feel a pang of pain.
"I will kill that man with my own hands!"
He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, as if making the most solemn vow to the people of his tribe who died that night.
"Then, bring his head—back! Back here! To mourn all the innocent people who died that night!"
".——
Dead silence.
Inside and outside the courtyard, there was a deathly silence.
The only sounds were the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the heavy, uneven breathing of some of the tribesmen.
All the Uchiha clan members stared blankly at the boy standing at the door, his spine straight and his eyes burning with the flames of revenge.
They could "see" that what was reflected in Sasuke's crazed three-tomoe Sharingan was neither a lie nor a perfunctory act.
That is the purest and most painful hatred and determination that can only be clearly "reflected" by the eyes that reflect the soul.
He was telling the truth.
He truly hated Itachi, so much so that he would stop at nothing to kill him.
That hatred was no less intense than that felt by the survivors who had lost their loved ones—
Uchiha Shu and Uchiha Kengo exchanged a glance, both seeing deep shock in each other's eyes.
Neither of them spoke, but almost simultaneously, they took a step back.
step.
This step was like a silent signal.
Immediately afterwards, their clansmen, watching their actions and glancing at Sasuke's resolute gaze at the doorway, showed struggle and hesitation on their faces, which ultimately turned into a complex sigh, and they silently retreated to both sides.
One step, another step.
Like Moses parting the sea.
More and more people silently retreated to both sides of the street.
What they gave way to was not just a road leading out, but a tacit consent.
Sasuke stood at the doorway, looking at the path that had been cleared before him, and at the clansmen on both sides of the road who were still watching him with complex self-glow.
The turmoil in his heart did not subside; on the contrary, it became even more turbulent.
But he knew that at this moment, any extra words would be futile.
He took one last look at the direction of the courtyard's edge corridor.
Shisui remained seated, calmly sipping her tea, seemingly oblivious to everything outside the door; Izumi, on the other hand, was facing away from the doorway, only her cool and beautiful profile visible.
Then, he withdrew his gaze, straightened his chest, strode out of the door, and onto the road.
Sasuke's aloof black figure, under the watchful gaze of countless beams of light on both sides, strode through the silent crowd, heading out of the clan's territory, towards the unknown but inevitable future.
There was no turning back.
Even after his figure completely disappeared at the end of the street, the Uchiha clan members gathered outside the clan leader's mansion remained silently standing in place.
No one spoke; an indescribable, heavy silence filled the air.
Shisui had stood up at some point, walked to the edge of the veranda, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked in the direction where Sasuke had disappeared.
Quan silently got up and stood slightly behind him.
"He will come back," Shisui whispered, whether to Izumi or to himself, it was unclear.
The sunlight finally dispelled the morning mist completely, illuminating every corner of the Uchiha clan's territory.
Just like the pride that has illuminated the Uchiha clan for hundreds of years.
Meanwhile, at Mikoto's house.
When Mikoto slowly woke up from her dream, her consciousness was still a little hazy.
She reached out and groped around, wanting to touch the figure she had lost and found again.
However, there was nothing at hand.
Only the bed sheets, long since cold, remained.
Mikoto's heart sank suddenly, plunging into a cold abyss.
She sat up abruptly in bed and looked around in alarm.
Beside her, the blanket was half-lifted, and the boy who should have been sleeping there was nowhere to be seen.
All that remained was a sunken pillow and an empty space.
He... is gone?
This thought pierced Mikoto's heart instantly, bringing a sharp, almost unbearable pain!
Loss and pain overwhelmed her instantly, like a tidal wave.
Could it be that everything last night was just a dream?
Sasuke—ultimately unable to forgive her, unable to accept this "new home," chose to leave without saying goodbye, departing once again?
No—don't—
Tears blurred her vision instantly, and Mikoto gripped the cold sheets tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.
She opened her mouth, wanting to shout, but found that she couldn't make a sound; only her heart was pounding wildly and painfully in her chest.
Just then.
A series of slow, steady knocks suddenly sounded from outside the bedroom door.
Immediately afterwards, a clear, boyish voice came from outside the bedroom: "Mom, breakfast is ready."
It's Sasuke's voice!
Mikoto suddenly raised her head, her eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at the tightly closed door.
She almost thought she was hallucinating!
"Mom?" The voice outside the door seemed to carry a hint of doubt, and then knocked lightly on the door again.
It's not a dream! It's not an illusion!
Mikoto quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, threw off the covers, and without even putting on her shoes, jumped off the bed barefoot. She rushed to the door, her hands trembling, and turned the lock and opened the door.
Sasuke was standing outside the door.
He had changed into a clean dark blue short-sleeved shirt, and his black hair was still slightly damp, as if he had just washed up. He was also holding a spatula in his hand.
"You—" Mikoto looked at her son standing in front of her, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
"Gaara and the others left early this morning." Sasuke stepped aside to make way for the doorway.
"They said there was some urgent mission from the police force, so they called us up temporarily. I made a simple breakfast; I don't know if it'll suit your taste." He said as he turned and walked towards the restaurant downstairs.
Mikoto followed her son down the stairs, looking dazed.
Inside the restaurant, the morning sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating everything with brightness and warmth.
On the table, two breakfasts were neatly laid out: two cups of steaming milk, two slices of golden-brown and crispy toast, and two fried eggs with slightly charred edges but still tender yolks.
The tableware was also arranged meticulously.
Everything seemed so warm and cozy.
It was as if the past six years of separation had never existed, yet Mikoto's heart was once again filled with a bittersweet feeling.
She slowly walked to the dining table, pulled out a chair and sat down, but her gaze could not be taken off the simple yet heartfelt breakfast in front of her.
That little boy who used to need help dressing himself, was a picky eater, and would pester his older brother to tell him stories before bed—
Now, she is skilled at preparing breakfast and taking care of others.
She could almost picture how Sasuke, left behind in Konoha, learned to cook for himself little by little in his empty apartment from the age of six; how he faced burnt pot bottoms and failed attempts; how he ate food that might not have been delicious, alone at the empty dining table.
Those days and nights he struggled to grow up alone —
Tears welled up again, dripping onto the pristine white napkin.
"Sasuke—" Mikoto's voice choked and incoherent. She looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, at her son who was already sitting opposite her. Her eyes were filled with endless heartache, guilt, and love.
"These past years—you must have had a very tough time all by yourself."
Sasuke was picking up a fried egg from his plate when he heard this, and his hand paused slightly.
He lowered his head, his black bangs hanging down, obscuring half of his face, and said in a low voice, "I'm used to it."
I've grown accustomed to loneliness, to living in a house without my parents, to facing everything alone, and to burying all my emotions and weaknesses deep inside, using indifference and stubbornness as my armor.
These few words felt like a heavy blow to Mikoto's heart, causing her so much pain that she could barely breathe.
Her Sasuke, who should have grown up proudly and happily under the love of his parents and the protection of his family, was instead robbed of that disaster—
She tried to force back more tears, picked up a napkin from the table, and haphazardly wiped the tear stains from her face.
Then, I picked up my chopsticks, took the fried egg from my plate, and carefully took a small bite.
The runny yolk melts instantly in your mouth, mixed with the caramelized aroma of the egg white and a hint of saltiness.
The taste was nothing special, but in Mikoto's mouth at that moment, it seemed to be the most delicious and precious food in the world.
"The taste—" She looked up at Sasuke, forcing a warm and satisfied smile, and softly praised, "It's very good~"
Sasuke's movement of drinking milk froze slightly.
He turned his head slightly to avoid his mother's overly bright and warm gaze, and a faint blush quietly rose at the base of his ears.
To be praised so frankly by my mother —
This feeling made his heart race.
He hummed in response, then continued to eat his breakfast attentively.
Mikoto stopped talking, but with a smile and tears in her eyes, she savored the breakfast her son had made for her, bite by bite.
The sunlight gently shone on the mother and child, and the air was filled with the aroma of food and milk, as well as a silent yet gentle warmth that could melt away all the ice.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment, just for this hard-won peaceful and warm time together.
However, this rare tranquility did not last long.
"Sasuke! Are you home?!"
A loud, energetic voice, like a thunderclap, suddenly rang out outside the courtyard, followed by a series of impolite bangs on the door.
It's Naruto.
Sasuke's hand gripping the chopsticks tightened suddenly, and a pulsating "well" character instantly appeared on his forehead.
He put down his chopsticks with a soft "snap," his brows furrowing tightly as he muttered unhappily, "This... idiot!"
Seeing her son's awkward expression—clearly caring but pretending to be disgusted—Mikoto couldn't help but burst into laughter through her tears.
It seems that Sasuke's new life in the Land of Stars is destined to be anything but lonely.
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