readease Chapter 330: Returning to the Village
Chapter 330: Returning to the Village
Chapter 330: Returning to the Village
One week later.
Hidden Leaf Village.
Sunlight filtered through the fresh leaves, casting dappled shadows across the clean streets.
The newly carved faces on the Hokage Rock gleamed in the sunlight.
Naruto pushed open the door to his home, returning to the familiar courtyard with Hikari and Karin.
The courtyard was neatly maintained and filled with many more flowers; judging by the arrangement, it was likely Ino’s handiwork.
The trip to the Hidden Rain Village didn’t turn out exactly as expected.
When they arrived at that steel city perpetually shrouded in rain, what greeted them was an empty, deathly silent nest that seemed completely hollowed out.
The core members of the "Akatsuki" organization had vanished without a trace.
Nagato, Obito, Zetsu... along with any possible remaining remnants, had seemingly evaporated, leaving behind no valuable clues or traces of resistance.
Naruto didn’t stay in the Hidden Rain Village for long.
After a thorough search to ensure no valuable information or traps were missed, he reorganized the Rain Ninja forces within the village that belonged to Akatsuki.
He also supported a relatively neutral and cooperative faction to maintain order temporarily, officially bringing the Hidden Rain Village under the jurisdiction of the "Hidden Leaf Village-led New Order."
As for Konan...
Naruto had handed her over to Jiraiya.
After all, she was Jiraiya’s disciple, so it was only fitting to leave her with him.
Later, when he had the time, Naruto would need to ask her what exactly was going on with her Paper Release.
Kushina was overjoyed to see the three of them return.
"Naruto!"
Uzumaki Kushina, wearing an apron and brandishing a spatula, rushed out like a fiery red whirlwind.
Her face was originally brimming with a joyful smile, but the moment she saw Naruto’s face clearly, that smile was instantly replaced by deep heartache and worry.
"Eh?"
She stepped forward quickly, almost pressing her face against Naruto’s to examine him closely, her voice rising unconsciously.
"Naruto! How... how did you get so thin? And you look terrible!"
Kushina’s brow furrowed tightly, her fingers unconsciously gripping the handle of the spatula.
"Did you not take care of yourself at all while you were away? Were you just busy fighting again, skipping meals and not getting enough sleep?"
Listening to Kushina’s nagging, Naruto smiled and humored her while shooting a glance at Karin.
Karin immediately understood and threw herself into Kushina’s arms.
"I missed you so much, Aunt Kushina!"
"Alright, Mom, I’m really fine. I’m just a bit tired."
He rubbed his temples, putting on a weary expression.
"I’m going to go sleep for a while. I’ll just grab something to eat myself when I wake up."
With that, he waved casually toward Kushina and Karin, then turned and headed straight for his room.
Once he had rested, he would have to find a way to figure out what exactly had gone wrong with his Clone in the Land of Wind.
If he were to dispel the Clone directly, he was a bit worried about Hashirama.
Hashirama’s personality meant he was simply too easy to fool.
Naruto felt that if the people of the Land of Wind asked him to turn the desert into an oasis, he would probably agree to it.
Kushina watched her son’s retreating back as he headed to his room and opened her mouth as if to say more. But seeing Naruto’s exhausted state and then looking down at Karin, who was watching her with expectant eyes, she eventually swallowed her words and let out a pained sigh.
"That boy... honestly, he pushes himself too hard."
She shook her head and smiled at Karin.
"Karin, come, tell me all about what happened on your trip. What do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you!"
Having successfully made his escape, Naruto entered his room and gently closed the door behind him.
The room was filled with the familiar scent of sun-dried bedding and a faint hint of floral fragrance.
He took off his outer robe and hung it casually on the rack, then walked to the bed and, with a sense of indulgent relaxation, threw himself heavily onto the soft bedding.
As his body sank into the familiar support, exhaustion surged like a tide, and his eyelids began to grow heavy.
However, just as his consciousness was about to drift into sleep, he felt a slight, almost imperceptible dip at the edge of the mattress.
Immediately after, a familiar scent quietly drew near.
Naruto didn’t open his eyes, but his senses clearly told him who it was.
Maintaining his position lying flat, he just tilted his head slightly and cracked his eyes open a sliver to look toward the bedside.
Uchiha Hikari had entered the room silently at some point and was now sitting quietly by his bed.
She held the hair tie Naruto had given her earlier and was combing through her hair with one hand.
Her profile looked serene and beautiful in the afternoon light filtering through the window.
Hearing Naruto’s slight movement and seeing his half-open eyes, Hikari stopped drying her hair and turned her head, her calm gaze meeting his questioning look.
"Hikari? What are you...?"
Naruto’s voice was a bit muffled, carrying the lethargy of having just laid down and a hint of confusion.
Shouldn’t she be outside with his mother and Karin?
Or resting in her own room?
Hikari looked at him, her black eyes clear and devoid of any superfluous emotion, as she stated calmly:
"It’s nothing."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the genuine traces of fatigue on his face, and her voice softened further:
"Just sleep."
Having said that, she turned back and resumed arranging her long hair with gentle, rhythmic movements.
She showed no intention of leaving and offered no further explanation, just sitting there quietly like a silent, beautiful sculpture standing guard.
Silence returned to the room, broken only by the faint sound of the towel rubbing against her hair and the distant, peaceful bustle of a Hidden Leaf Village afternoon outside the window.
Sunlight filtered through the window frames, casting warm patches on the floor as dust motes drifted in the air.
Naruto watched Hikari’s serene profile and felt her silent yet tangible presence, causing the last bit of doubt and tension in his heart to quietly dissipate.
He understood what she meant.
She just wanted to be here, with him, while he rested.
Perhaps it was a typical Uchiha-style awkward way of showing concern, or maybe she needed a quiet place to sort out her own thoughts, or perhaps... she simply wanted to stay by his side.
He didn’t ask again, nor did he send her away. He simply closed his eyes once more, allowing exhaustion and sleepiness to pull him into darkness.
A second before sinking completely into slumber, he vaguely heard Hikari’s low voice, as if talking to herself or responding to him:
"I’ll go help Auntie with the cooking in a bit."
Subsequently, his consciousness faded away completely.
In the room, only the boy’s steady, long breaths remained, along with the gentle silhouette of the girl sitting quietly by the bed, combing her hair.
The afternoon sun moved slowly, enveloping the two figures in a warm, quiet halo, as if time itself had slowed down and become peaceful.
After Naruto fell asleep, Hikari stopped arranging her hair and reached out to pinch his face, but she didn’t follow through.
"Forget it. If I ask him when he wakes up, he’ll definitely let me pinch him anyway. Let him sleep for now."
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