darknovel Chapter 331 People Who Shouldn't Exist
Chapter 331 People Who Shouldn't Exist
The setting sun dyed the sky a Kurama-like orange-red. After showing Boruto around Konoha for an afternoon, the group finally arrived at the apartment building where Naruto lived.
The apartment building looked quite old; the paint on the exterior walls showed signs of age. "Alright, this is where I'll be staying," Naruto stopped and turned to Boruto and Sasuke behind him. "It's a bit small, but I hope you don't mind. Since you're here, I'm going to cook a big meal tonight."
Of the two, Boruto looked somewhat dejected. He looked at the face in front of him that was all too familiar to him, hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered up the courage to speak.
"that……"
"Hmm?" Naruto tilted his head slightly, patiently waiting for Boruto's next words.
"I'm sorry about what happened today..." Boruto lowered his head. "I shouldn't have spoken up without knowing the full story..."
"It's okay," Naruto waved his hand casually. "I don't really care. If you're going to apologize, you should apologize to her." He pointed to Satsuki standing to the side.
"Um... I understand..." Boruto replied somewhat uncertainly. He secretly glanced at Satsuki, inwardly sighing that the "master" of this world was even more unapproachable than he had imagined. Was Sasuke-sensei like this when he was young?
"Oh, right, and you too." Naruto turned his gaze back to Sasuke Uchiha, who had been keeping his distance, and said, "It's not good to let our guests sleep outdoors. At least let them have dinner first."
Uchiha Sasuke was originally planning to find a suitable spot in a nearby tree to spend the night—a routine experience for someone who was often away from home.
Hearing Naruto's invitation, he paused for a moment, then nodded with a somewhat complicated expression.
Naruto expertly pushed open the door, warm light streaming in from the crack. He greeted the room naturally, as always, "I'm home."
However, the response that followed from the kitchen froze Uchiha Sasuke, who had just stepped into the room—for an orphan who had lost his parents at a young age, this sound should have been an unattainable dream.
"Oh, Naruto, and Sasuke, welcome back."
In the room that doubled as a kitchen and study, a woman with long red hair peeked out. She was beautiful, with a lively spirit in her eyes, wearing an apron with cute patterns, and holding tableware she was wiping.
When she noticed the two unfamiliar figures behind Naruto, she put down what she was doing and came out, her face showing friendly curiosity. "Oh dear, are we guests? Are you Naruto's friends?"
Who is this person?!
Sasuke recognized the face immediately—it was Kushina Uzumaki, the wife of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, whom he had only seen in photo albums! Naruto's mother?!
Sasuke knows that Naruto in this world has changed many things, but Naruto's parents sacrificed themselves more than ten years ago during the Nine-Tails' attack when Naruto was born. How exactly did Naruto manage to do that?
Just as Sasuke's mind was in turmoil, Boruto, standing beside him, blurted out.
"……grandmother?!"
"...Huh?! What did you say, you brat?!"
Completely unaware that the boy was her grandson in another world, Kushina was instantly enraged by this address. Although she, as a mother, was well aware that she was no longer young, being called "Grandma" by a boy who looked about the same age as Naruto was a blatant insult!
Kushina's long, bright red hair moved without wind, scattering in the air. She began to exude a dangerous aura, looking ready to pounce and beat someone up at any moment, which immediately startled Boruto awake.
"No! I'm so sorry! I mistook you for someone else!" Boruto hurriedly waved his hands to explain.
"You've mistaken me for someone else?" Kushina's tone became even more dangerous. "You mean I look a lot like a 'grandmother'?!"
"Mom, that's not how it is!" Seeing Kushina about to explode, Naruto quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Actually, this person's eyesight isn't very good. He has a very respected elder who also has beautiful red hair, so he just mistook him for someone else!"
"Ah, right! That's it! I'm so sorry!" Boruto quickly backed down.
Kushina looked at the two suspiciously, her gaze sweeping back and forth between them, before finally seeming to accept the explanation. "Alright then, I'll believe that story. But Naruto, who exactly are these two?"
She carefully examined Boruto and Sasuke Uchiha, who was bundled up tightly. For some reason, these two strangers gave her a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen them somewhere before.
"He's a new friend," Naruto introduced casually, "a passing entertainer who just arrived in Konoha a couple of days ago."
"I see, they're from outside the village." Kushina nodded, then turned to Naruto with a gentle smile. "Naruto, why don't you take care of the guests for a bit? I'll go tidy up. Remember to come back later to help Mom prepare dinner."
"Okay, I understand," Naruto replied obediently.
After Kushina disappeared through the kitchen door, Boruto involuntarily took a few steps back, leaned closer to Sasuke beside him, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Sasuke-san, what's going on? Didn't Grandma die a long time ago? I remember in the photo..."
Sasuke's gaze remained fixed on the direction Kushina had gone, his voice deliberately calm. "...Boruto, investigating this reason is not our mission. Remember, this is another world; anything can happen."
Boruto could only nod silently in acceptance of the response, but the shock in his heart was hard to calm. He looked around the small apartment and couldn't help but think, "Dad... is this where Dad in this world lives?"
The room wasn't big, but it was very tidy, and a faint scent of cleaning detergent filled the air. Was it Grandma's doing?
Boruto pondered to himself. Just then, his gaze was drawn to an unusual presence in the corner of the room—a large, blue, canine-like creature lying quietly on the ground. At first, Boruto mistook it for a beautiful sculpture.
However, when the "sculpture" suddenly turned its head and curiously examined him, Boruto screamed in fright. "Whoa?! It's alive?!"
Naruto quickly explained upon hearing the voice, "Of course it's alive! Let me introduce you, this is Zacian, my companion and family, not a pet."
As he spoke, Naruto affectionately stroked Zaxiang's head, which was larger than an adult's head. The blue behemoth obediently lowered its head and let out a satisfied purr.
Boruto could only nod numbly, after all, he had already experienced enough bizarre events today—an overly mature father, a female version of his master, a grandmother who was still alive… In comparison, his father raising a giant ninja dog was the least surprising thing.
After a flurry of activity, Naruto brewed tea for everyone as if welcoming guests. The atmosphere in the living room became somewhat awkward, largely due to Satsuki and Sasuke—two people with rather aloof personalities sharing a room only made the air feel more stagnant.
A little while later, Naruto went to the kitchen to help prepare dinner. Boruto was surprised; did his dad actually cook? Or was it just that only dads in this world possessed this skill?
Now Boruto was in the most awkward position, because neither Sasuke nor Satsuki showed any intention of starting a conversation. Just as he was feeling restless, a knock on the door finally broke the silence.
"Huh? Are there any other guests?" Boruto said with a sigh of relief, trying to ease the tension.
Satsuki stood up and answered calmly, "Yes, my parents have probably arrived." She then walked towards the door.
Sasuke's... parents? Boruto struggled to process this somewhat unfamiliar term. Meanwhile, Sasuke, sitting beside him, unconsciously tightened his grip upon hearing this, his teacup trembling slightly in his hand, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Satsuki opened the door, and a gentle female voice came from outside.
"Satsuki, you really are here. Hope you didn't cause any trouble for Kushina and Naruto."
"No, Mom, really." Zuo Yue's voice carried a rare hint of coquetry, and her previous coldness completely dissipated.
Two people walked in through the door—a gentle woman with long, jet-black hair and dark, piercing eyes, and a taciturn man with an air of quiet authority behind her. They were Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto.
"Splash—"
The sound of shattering ceramics suddenly rang out. Boruto turned his head in surprise, and everyone in the living room looked towards the source of the sound—Uchiha Sasuke suddenly stood up, his teacup falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.
His pupils trembled violently as he stared incredulously at the two faces that were already somewhat blurred in his memory.