Naruto In Marvel Universe Chapter 30: Wating For End 2

You d.a.m.ned brat!"

Naruto yelped as he felt Tsunade rap him on the side of the head. Feeling the welt forming and healing over, the man muttered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Huffing as she blew a stand of hair out of her face, Tsunade glared balefully, "First, you damage my arm for no d.a.m.ned reason. Then, you run off? Just what the h.e.l.l has gotten into you brat?"

"I don't know." Naruto answered honestly.

Tsunade's glare subsided. Sitting down next to him, her expression softened considerably as she said, "Sakura tells me you're having a hard time remembering things, that you think she's supposed to be dead. Mind explaining that?"

"This…all of this, it can't be real."

"Why?"

"Because if it is, then what was the point?" Naruto demanded.

The former Hokage's frown deepened, "The point of what?"

"I mourned for you. All of you. I know that. I lost everything. I've done my best to move on, and for the most part I have. But…look, this can't be real." Naruto reasoned firmly, refusing to look Tsunade in the eye.

"And what's so appealing about this…other reality, that this here has to be a dream, or an illusion? What makes that more real than this?" Tsunade wondered.

"I went to another planet. I met people, friends. I loved some of those people, I've mourned for some of those people. Things might not have been perfect, but it was real. It wasn't an illusion, or - OW!"

Naruto's hand shot back as Tsunade p.r.i.c.ked it with a senbon, "You feel that?" She demanded.

"Yeah?" The man answered as he shook off the pain.

"Then this isn't an illusion. This isn't a dream Naruto. What's wrong with that? You didn't mourn for nothing, because you didn't mourn at all. That life you think you had, it wasn't a life. This is. Be happy for that, Naruto. Your life could be a h.e.l.l of a whole lot worse-"

"Exactly!" Naruto yelled, pleading for her to understand, "This is too perfect! This can't be my life."

Tsunade sat for a moment, taking that in, "Have you ever thought that maybe that's the problem, right there?"

"What?" Naruto demanded.

"Your life used to be h.e.l.l, brat." Seeing Naruto give her a look, she said, "I read your file the second I took the hat and sat in the seat. Sarutobi did a bang-up job looking after you, but he couldn't protect you from how people perceived you, how they treated you. You were alone and hated. But now, here you are with everything you'd ever wanted. You have a family, friends, people who love you, Naruto. Your life has become that fantasy I'm sure you'd had on some exceptionally lonely nights. But maybe, just maybe, you're consumed by that ident.i.ty, that image of a harsh kid with an even harsher life. So much so, that when you have this dream, this visceral escape of loneliness and loss, you wake up, and that is somehow more appealing to you than reality. Reality has become too much of a fantasy to you."

Naruto blinked, swallowing the lump in his throat, "Then why don't I remember?"

Tsunade grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly, "We're gonna find out, and I'm gonna fix it. I promise."

Forcing a smile, Naruto gripped back, "Promise of a lifetime?"

The older woman chuckled, "Promise of a lifetime."

-x-

"Mama, I'm bored."

Hinata forced a smile, "Just a little longer, okay?"

Boruto gave a childish grunt, "When's Dad gonna stop talking to Granny Tsunade anyways?"

Sakura, who was standing next to Kakas.h.i.+ as they waited, leaned down next to the little boy, "How would you like to go play with Sarada downstairs? She's down in the daycare, I'm sure she'd love to play with you and your sister for a while."

The little boy gave her a wary look, "Are there toys?"

"Lots of toys." Sakura answered charmingly.

"Okay." Boruto answered joyfully, getting up from his chair with a happy jump.

Hinata gave Sakura a thankful smile as she handed Himawari off to her. Sakura returned it, taking the doe eyed girl in her arms, "Miko's working today, I'm sure she'll love to have them for a bit." The pink haired woman said.

"Miko?" Boruto whined, "But she's so lame."

"Hey now, that's no way to talk. She's a very nice lady, and you're not gonna give her any trouble." Sakura said, as she and the kids turning the corner.

As their voices began to fade, Hinata put her face into her hands. Seeing this, Kakas.h.i.+ sat down next to her. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he said gently, "Everything will be fine, Hinata. He's strong."

"I know." Hinata mumbled through her hands. Looking up, she said, "You should've seen him, Kakas.h.i.+-sensei. The way he looked at me, the way he looked at our children…"

"He's having a…difficult time with things, Hinata. He thinks a dream he had was reality, and apparently, he doesn't remember anything past his fight with Kaguya. That's a large gap. We have to be patient."

The Hyuga shook her head, "What if there are things he can't remember? I don't ever want our children to see that look on his face ever again."

"Will it make you love him any less?" Kakas.h.i.+ wondered softly.

"Never."

"Then everything will be fine." The man said confidently, leaning back in his chair as Tsunade walked out of the room, "What's the verdict?"

Tsunade sat down on the other side of Hinata, turning to her as she answered, "He's entered a bit of a psychosis. There's a large gap of memory that seems to have been replaced with a rather vivid dream he had. He believes that this dream is reality, and that we are a fiction brought on by an illusion. His fict.i.tious reality seems to revolve around the fact that he failed in his fight with Kaguya and was sent to an entirely different planet during the bought. According to him he lived there long enough to have established relations.h.i.+ps with several different people and had essentially managed to move on with his life. As far as he's concerned, we've been dead for seven years."

"What can we do?" Hinata asked, "How long will he be like this? How did this happen?" She fired off.

"We'll try and coax his memories out of him, and hopefully that will replace whatever it is that's wormed its way in. It could take a few weeks, or months…maybe even years to fully restore his memory. As for the how, well its safe to say that it's not an illusion. We'd have detected it by now. Has he been stressed about anything recently? Acting strangely?" Tsunade asked, "Has anything come about that might've been able to make him highly emotional?"

"Well…Kakas.h.i.+ told him that he was planning to step down from the Hokage's position within the next year." Hinata answered, "Naruto told me that he had been selected as the inc.u.mbent."

Kakas.h.i.+ nodded, "I told him yesterday after he got back from Suna. Do you honestly think that might've been the cause?"

The older woman rested her hand under her chin, "Perhaps. It's something he's wanted for as long as any of us have known him. Maybe the stress of that pushed him to subconsciously seek out this delusion."

"Can I talk to him?" Hinata asked, hopeful.

"Of course." Tsunade answered immediately, "But, I'd like to monitor him for the next few days. After everything, I don't feel comfortable leaving him alone."

Stepping out of her seat, Hinata slowly crept towards the door. Hesitantly, she knocked.

"Come in."

Turning the k.n.o.b with trepidation, she peeked her head in, "Naruto?"

Naruto couldn't help the smile that came to his face, "You don't have to knock, Hinata."

Stepping fully into the room, she said softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"You don't have to apologize either." Naruto said, "If anyone should be sorry, it's me."

Sitting down next to him on the bed, Hinata took his hand in hers, "Do you…do you really not think I'm real?"

"I don't know what to think anymore."

"Well…well, I want you to know that I love you. No matter what happens. You could forget I ever existed, and I'd love you till the day I died." Hinata stated, surprising Naruto with her firmness.

Naruto smiled at that, "I could never forget about you."

"So, what doyou remember?"

"I remember you not being this talkative." Naruto answered lightly.

Hinata blushed, "It was hard to talk to you back then."

"I remember what you did for me, during the war." As she looked at him in shock, he continued, "And how you sacrificed yourself for me, what you told me when Pain had me at his feet. I remember how you would always faint when I'd talk to you, or blush when I'd look at you. I remember how you helped patch up my wounds during the Chunin Exams, even though I'd gotten them from fighting your teammate. I remember how brave you were when you fought Neji, and how angry I was at the way he treated you. I remember in the academy how you were the only girl who didn't think Sasuke was hot s.h.i.+t, and I'll admit it now and say that I thought that that was really cool."

Hinata smiled, barely holding back tears as the memories came flooding back to her, "You thought I was cool?"

Naruto's smile grew a little more fox like, "Well, if I'm being honest, I thought you were a little weird."

Hinata's smiled faltered, looking away as she mumbled, "Well you weren't any less weird yourself."

The blonde laughed. Hinata wiped her eyes as she joined him.

Gripping her hand tighter, he said, "I missed talking to you, Hinata. Even with how little we did, I still missed it."

"You don't have to miss it anymore." She said back, returning the grip.

Naruto chuckled. Looking over to the window, he smiled at the view of Konoha standing strong in the summer heat, "Maybe I've been going about it all wrong."

"Hm?"

"If this is a dream…then I want to enjoy it for as long as I can."

Hinata's smile was strained now, "Oh."

Turning to her, his face grew excited, "Say, who's all in the village right now? Is everyone here, everyone we graduated with and stuff?"

"Well, um…yes, I think everyone's here. I believe I saw s.h.i.+kamaru returning with Temari from Suna this morning, so that should be everyone." She said after some thought.

"Then let's get everyone together!" Naruto said animatedly, "Let's throw a party."

"A party for what…exactly?"

"I don't know, we'll think of something." He insisted, his growing excitement at seeing his old friends now palpable.

"Well…you did tell me last night that Kakas.h.i.+ is stepping down sometime next year." Hinata conceded, unable to fight off his infectious mood.

"Stepping down?" Naruto wondered, before it suddenly hit him, "Oh."

Hinata got up from the bed, "I'll make the rounds, get everyone together. This'll be fun. Maybe it'll help jog your memory."

Naruto didn't miss the hope in her voice, his excitement dipping slightly, "Yeah…maybe."

After hesitating a moment, Hinata dipped in towards him. Naruto, who didn't expect it, wasn't able to avoid the kiss she planted on his lips. It lasted a few moments, not that Naruto minded, as Hinata poured as much love into it as she could. Their lips finally breaking, she pressed her forehead against his before taking a step back.

She eyed him for a second of scrutiny, before walking out of the room.

-x-

"Do you really think a party is appropriate?"

Hinata s.h.i.+fted under Tsunade's scrutiny, "It's what he wants-"

"I don't care what he wants!" Tsunade hissed, "Your husband is not fit to be in that kind of environment. You, of all people, should want him to stay here where he can recover. Why would you want otherwise-"

"Because it was the first time he acted like himself all day!" Hinata stated firmly, taking Tsunade aback.

Kakas.h.i.+ got up from his seat, "I think a party is a wonderful idea. I'll spread the word."

He began to depart, tossing a wave before Tsunade could say otherwise. Turning to Hinata, Tsunade shared a look with the young woman. Placing her hand on her temple, she mumbled, "There better be something to drink at this party."

The Uzumaki housewife gave a thankful smile, "Of course, Lady Tsunade."

Said woman began to walk away, "I'm going to leave him to you, Hinata. If he starts acting strange, bring him back here immediately."

Hinata bowed to the departing medic, "Will do, Tsunade-sensei."

Hinata, who'd had a clone run home and get Naruto some clothes, quickly got the blonde signed out of the hospital. Naruto, who was now dressed in a simple t-s.h.i.+rt and jeans combo, walked through the halls of the hospital's first floor.

"Where're we going?" Naruto wondered, walking behind Hinata.

"We're picking up the children."

Naruto paused at that, before quickly continuing, "Oh, uh okay."

It was Hinata who paused, stopping in the hallway to turn to her husband, "I…I don't think it would be a good idea for them to know what's happening."

Looking down at her, the blonde could tell that she was uncomfortable. Nodding, he gave a rea.s.suring smile, "I can do that, I think."

Hinata smiled back, "Okay."

Stepping through several pairs of doors, with Hinata giving the occasional nod to nurses and doctors doing their rounds, the two eventually found themselves in front of the door they wanted. Plastered parallel with the eye, sat a sign that read, 'Konoha Hospital Children's Center.

"What's her name?"

Her hand on the doork.n.o.b, Hinata stopped, Looking up at the blonde, she spotted his nervous tick. Putting up a rea.s.suring face, she answered, "Himawari."

"Sunflower?"

Hinata nodded, "We named her after my mother."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat, "What are they like? Are they…Boruto is he…"

"He's like you." Hinata's answer was quiet but sweet, "He reminds me of you every day. He's wild, joyful, loud. But there's a sweetness to him, and a softness. And he wants to prove himself. He walks around, and he sees how people revere you, hears them talk about how strong you are, feels the love they have for you. He's proud to be your son. And he wants you to be proud of him."

"What about her? Himawari?"

"You'd be hard pressed to find a girl who loves her father as much as her." Hinata stated lightly, "She's young, Naruto. If you're worried she'll be like I was, she has plenty of time-"

"I want her to be like you." Naruto said firmly.

Hinata couldn't fight back her smile. Opening the door, she said, "Well then-"

"Papa!"

Naruto's eyebrows shot up as Himawari trotted up to him, wrapping herself around his leg. Naruto looked down, stunned. Himawari looked up, her face alit.

"Hey, Himawari." Naruto greeted awkwardly.

Himawari detached herself from his leg, though she quickly replaced it by throwing her hands up in the air. Getting the signal, Naruto awkwardly took her into his arms.

With one arm wrapped around his neck, she snuggled her head along his chin. In her free hand, Naruto saw the stuffed toad doll in her tight grip.

"Who's this?" The man asked as lightly as he could, trying to move pa.s.sed the awkward feeling in his chest.

"Jiraiya." She answered airily, bringing it up closer for Naruto to see.

Naruto chuckled, "Is it your favorite?"

"M'hm."

"Who got it for you?"

Himawari gave a megawatt smile just a few leagues under his own, "Papa."

With Naruto busy with Himawari, Hinata had made her way to Sakura, who was sitting in the corner of the room with a young red-haired woman, "Sakura, Miko." She greeted.

Miko gave a low bow, "Mrs. Uzumaki." She returned. As she came up from her bow, her smile turned into a scowl as something caught her eye, "Yomi, take that out of your mouth!"

Now alone with Sakura, Hinata quickly filled her in on their plans for the evening.

"And Lady Tsunade okayed this?" Sakura asked, slightly skeptical. When Hinata nodded, she rubbed her temple, "Okay, I guess. Need me to bring anything?"

"Naruto said he wanted to have a barbeque, so anything small is fine." Hinata answered smoothly. After a pause, she began to fumble with her hands as she s.h.i.+fted on her feet, "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask of you."

Sakura quirked an eyebrow.

Naruto, who was smiling at Himawari's antics as she told him about Jiraiya the Toad, caught Boruto playing in the corner of the room. He was with a little girl around his age, the two of them building a brink house. The girl, who was laying the roof, accidently set the block down at little too heavily, the house falling with a clatter.

Boruto's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, "Way to go, four eyes."

"It's not my fault." The girl defended, "If you'd have built the walls better, it wouldn't 've happened."

"Yeah right-"

"Boruto, enough." Naruto blurted out. He realized he was standing over the two, looking down at them as they realized he was there.

The boy looked up, "But Dad-"

"Boruto's mean!" Himawari called out helpfully from Naruto's arms, pointing at her brother accusingly.

"Nuh-uh!" He refuted animatedly, "She's the one who-"

"You're the one who started calling names. Apologize." Naruto said, discreetly eyeing the little girl. Though she might've thought she'd been discreet, he saw her wipe away her eye.

Though he grumbled for a second, he relented. His face relaxing to semi-remorse, he said, "I'm sorry."

"S'okay." The girl muttered, looking away from the boy and up to the older man beside her.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked.

It was Boruto who answered, giving his father a confused look, "You know who she is, Dad. It's Sarada."

Seeing the little girl's face at seemingly being forgotten, Naruto quickly said, "Of course I know who she is. I was just kidding, Sarada." He tried to smile as rea.s.suring as he could, but it came out so awkwardly he couldn't help but cringe.

Rea.s.sured, the girl smiled, "h.e.l.lo, Mr. Uzumaki." Getting up, she gave a low bow, "It's good to see you again."

"Sarada, go and get your things, we're leaving." Called Sakura from the other side of the room.

Sarada looked up at the pinkette as she answered, "Okay, Mama."

"Boruto, you too." Hinata said, "Get you and your sister's jackets."

"Okay." The boy said, quickly getting up to run towards his cubby.

Watching them do as their mothers said, Naruto's eyes wandered to Sakura. Walking up to her, he quietly asked, "Is she your…you know?"

"My daughter?" Sakura put together with a slight laugh, "Yes, she is."

"She's beautiful."

"Oh, uh…thank you, Naruto." The pinkette said sincerely, taken aback.

Looking back at the girl, he said, "Sasuke must be proud."

Her face faultering, she mustered out, "Yes, yes he is."

"We'll see you guys later tonight?" Naruto asked.

"Of course." She took Sarada's hand, who had meandered over to her mother's side, "Tell Naruto goodbye, Sarada."

The little girl looked up at Naruto shyly, "Goodbye, Mr. Uzumaki."

"Bye." Himawari said for her father, giving a flapping wave.

As Naruto watched the two leave, Hinata came up beside him, Boruto's hand in hers, "Are you ready?"

"We're going home?"

"I thought we could get some ramen first."

"Yay!" Yelled Himawari and Boruto together, the boy pumping his fist in victory.

Naruto smiled, "Let's go then."

-x-

As they walked through the bustling streets of Konoha, Naruto realized that it was not the same place he'd left it. By the time he'd left for the war, construction within several districts was still going strong. Now he could see that the village stood stronger than ever within the ma.s.sive crater, with several skysc.r.a.pers peeking out along the edges. And with these new buildings, came new people. The streets were packed with the comings and goings of civilians and s.h.i.+n.o.bi alike. Carriages rolled along the center of the streets, with the bystanders walking at the edges to go along with traffic.

Naruto couldn't help but take it all in, a look of wonder on his face at how prosperous this Konoha was. His eyes stopped on the mountain side, specifically the empty spot next to Kakas.h.i.+'s still rather fresh carving.

And like he'd done a million times before, he pictured his face up on that mountain side.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Freezing, Naruto stopped in his tracks. When his body refused to move, he forced it to turn with pure will power. Behind him, walking at a leisurely pace, was Iruka Umino.

He'd aged well, the only true signs of age being the creases along his jaw and forehead. Likely from yelling at one or two too many students. His headband was missing, along with his usual chunin's uniform, instead wearing a leisurely blue jacket and black pants.

Slowly, Naruto unwrapped Himawari from her hold on him. As he placed her in Hinata's arms, his eyes never left the encroaching Iruka's face.

Nothing holding him back, Naruto met Iruka halfway.

"Congr - oomph!" Iruka coughed as Naruto barreled into him, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Taken back, Iruka was at first hesitant to return the gesture. With a lopsided smile, he said "I know it's been a couple weeks since I last saw you, but I didn't think that you'd miss me that much-"

Iruka paused as Naruto's shoulders started shaking, the blonde's body practically vibrating in older man's arms.

Hinata stepped forward, concerned, "Naruto-"

She was interrupted when Naruto threw his head back, laughing uproariously.

Iruka, chuckling awkwardly along, said, "I just heard the news from Kakas.h.i.+. Congratulations."

Naruto's laughter had subsided, though a chuckle still remained, "There's so much that I wanted to say to you if given this chance, but now that it's here, I'm kinda blanking out a bit."

"You don't have to say anything, Naruto." Iruka said, a.s.suming the blonde was referring to what he'd say when he became Hokage, "You got where you are all on your own-"

"No." Naruto cut in sharply, "No, I am what I am today because of you. I am who I am because of the kindness you showed me. The kind of kindness no one else bothered to give or show. I owe you everything."

Blus.h.i.+ng now, Iruka rubbed the back of his head bashfully, "Gosh, Naruto. I don't know about all of that."

"I just wanted to tell you that, before everything's said and done."

If the man was confused by that, he didn't show it, "Well, all I can say is that I'm proud of you, Naruto."

"Hey, we're on our way to Ichiraku's." Naruto stated, nodding his head to his apparent family, "You should come along, my treat this time."

"I'm actually on my way to a mission." Iruka explained with an apologetic smile, "Next time?"

Naruto's smile dropped like a rock. The smile quickly came back, though noticeably more forced, "Yeah, next time."

Patting Naruto on the shoulder and giving Hinata a departing nod, the man walked pa.s.sed them, "I'm looking forward to it."

Hinata watched as Iruka submerged into the crowd, his figure disappearing into the chaos of Konoha's business district. Looking at Naruto, the man seemed to be off in his own little world, looking up at the Hokage Monument pensively.

"Naruto are you coming?"

Though he answered, he didn't take his eyes off the monument, "Yeah, sorry."

"It's okay." As Naruto walked up to them, Himawari reached out for her father.

Pausing, Naruto smiled before taking the little girl back into his arms. Their walk continued without much drama. The occasional civilian would come to him giving greetings, and a few s.h.i.+n.o.bi called out their congratulations over Naruto's good news. Apparently the news had no problem spreading among Konoha's ranks.

And though he gave proper thanks to anyone who approached him, Naruto couldn't take his attention away from the Hokage Monument. More specifically, the spot right next to Kakas.h.i.+'s sculptured visage.

That attention was averted by a smell that invaded his nose. Looking forward, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. Sitting right where it'd always been, Ichiraku's Ramen stood proudly in the bustling streets. Even from the slight distance, he could hear Mr. Ichiraku's boisterous laugh.

Boruto must have been even more excited than he was, as he'd let go of his mother's hand to run ahead into the stand. As Hinata called after him, the two adults quickened their pace. Entering the stall, they were greeted to the sight of Boruto trying to lift himself up onto the tall stool, failing miserably as several costumers watched on in amus.e.m.e.nt.

With his free arm, Naruto quickly gave the boy his much needed lift up. Giving his father the smile that must have been an Uzumaki bloodline, the boy quickly called out his order, "Three miso's, old man!" He called out boisterously.

Mr. Ichiraku lifted his head up, a grand smile on his face, "Well, if it isn't little Boruto Uzumaki!" Before Boruto could retort to being called little, the older man continued, "And little miss Hima too? My, it must be my lucky day!"

Hima laughed, sitting on Naruto's lap as she pointed at the man, "Old man!" She said, looking to her father for conformation.

"That's right." Naruto complied, though halfheartedly. Most of his attention was on the now greyed Mr. Ichiraku. Though he'd aged well, Naruto could see the lack of a pep in his step. Sadness welled up in his chest as he watched the older man start to talk to Hinata.

Mr. Ichiraku found his way in front of Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki, wiping his hands as he asked, "What can I get for ya'll?"

"I already told you I wanted three miso's, old m"

"You're only getting one." Hinata chided, much to Boruto's disappointment, "I'll have a tsukemen, please."

"And what about you, Naruto?"

Said blonde was forced from his daze, blinking it aside as he said, "Oh uh, a miso."

"Coming right up-"

"It's good to see you again, Teuchi." Naruto cut in, his voice heavy.

Mr. Ichiraku stopped, giving him and then Hinata a confused glance. Finally, he put on his smile, "Well, it's always good to see you again, kid. Your smiling face pays the rent for this place, after all."

"Is Ayame around?" Naruto asked, subtly looking for any sign of the woman.

"Oh, she's up in the Land of Hot Springs with that new husband of hers." Teuchi answered as he headed to the back to get to work on the order, "I'll be right back, folks. Don't go anywhere."

As Teuchi disappeared into the kitchen, a thought occurred to the blonde, "We forgot to order for Himawari." He realized.

Boruto looked up at him, his eyes squinted, "You and Hima always share a bowl." He said as though it was obvious. Tilting his head, he asked, "Did you hit your head or something? Is that why you were in the hospital?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, that's why." Hinata answered quickly. Seeing Naruto looking at her, she gave a nod in agreement with what their son had said.

Mouthing a quick 'oh,' Naruto decided to look around the restaurant. It didn't take more than one look to notice that almost everyone was looking at him. Most were trying to be discreet, but some were simply looking at him in open awe.

Deciding to ignore the onlookers by watching Himawari play with her toad doll, his smile grew at how the girl innocently shuffled the toad along the counter, muttering little sounds to go along.

"Do you still think this is a dream, Naruto?" Kurama's asked from within the seal.

"Yes...maybe. Probably."

"I can feel your love for her, brat. That warmth in your chest, it's for her. That kind of thing can't be fabricated. This is reality-"

"Yeah well, reality is often disappointing." Naruto thought solemnly.

Kurama paused, "And how could this possibly be disappointing?"

"Because it'll come to an end eventually, one way or another. Just like everything else." Naruto answered, "That's why, reality or not, I'm gonna make the most of this for as long as it lasts. I owe myself that."

"Order's up!"

His bowl of miso slid in front of him at a professional degree. As the smell wafted over him, he watched as Boruto began to dig into the dish with an abandon not to dissimilar to his own. Hinata, being herself, calmly pinched together a few strands before blowing onto the still steaming noodles. Taking the chopsticks set in front of him, Naruto quickly snapped them apart before diving in for a swirl of noodles. Not bothering to give it a blow, he happily slurped away.

As he chewed, he noticed that something was off. It tasted just as he remembered. But, it was different in some way he couldn't directly place. He was taken out of his thoughts when Himawari turned up to him, her doe eyes glistening expectantly.

Quickly realizing what she wanted, he swirled up another few strands of the noodle. Giving it a quick blow, he carefully fed the noodles into her waiting mouth. With a happy hum she slurped it up, chewing animatedly as gave her father a broth covered smile, her full mouth restricting her from giving the complete Uzumaki grin.

After a swallow, she squeaked, "Thanks, Papa."

"You're welcome, Hima."