Minato heard sarcasm dripping from Naruto's voice, but he didn't know what he had done wrong. Thinking it was just Naruto's casual way of addressing him, he smiled and nodded in response.
On the other hand, Naruto simply glanced at him and started walking down the stairs. He then cast his eyes upon the dining table, where the delicious scent of food filled his senses, with Hinata following close behind.
Kushina, looking at Hinata, smiled sweetly. "Such a beautiful girl," she thought to herself.
Minato observed Hinata, who was walking elegantly behind Naruto, 'A Hyuga,'
Soon Naruto passed his father, and glanced at him with the corner of his left eye, Minato looked at him and smiled.
They all gathered around the dining table, where a variety of dishes awaited them. There were bowls of ramen, sushi, onigiri, grilled fish, and miso soup. Kushina didn't hold herself back when it came to preparing food for her son.
Naruto looked at his mom, and she nodded, signaling him to start eating. "Don't be shy; just dig in, you know,"
Naruto took a bite and savored the taste. "This is amazing," he commented.
Kushina's smile widened. She always wanted moments like this when her family ate together. "I am happy that you like it."
Naruto gazed at her bright face, and he amiably smiled. "Of course, how can I not like it?" he said. After all, it was made by his mother, and like Kushina, he himself wanted to eat where his whole family was present.
He quickly glanced all over them, looking at Hinata who was waiting for a rice ball gracefully. Then, he looked at his father who was chewing a grilled fish, who was chewing grilled fish, and finally at his mother, who was looking at him.
She smiled at him, and his eyes became watery. He was too happy to have them. His life became somehow complete when Hinata came into his life, and he loved her for his entire life. But now, he was eating with his mother, father, and Hinata. There was just one person missing, 'Shion.' 'I will introduce her to them soon,' Naruto thought.
His heart was racing with happiness, his eyes were glistening. Kushina looked at him, "Are you okay, Naruto?"
Naruto looked at her and smiled as beautifully as he could. "I am okay... I... I am just too happy," his voice became a bit dry as he spoke.
Everyone could feel his genuine happiness. Hinata put her hand on his hand under the table and gently squeezed it, smiling at him. She was happy that Naruto was happy. She was content to see Naruto so happy; that was all she ever wanted.
Kushina and Minato looked at their son. They could feel the longing and happiness in him. One thing was for sure: they were not present in his life; they didn't raise him, and they could clearly see that in his eyes. One thought crossed their minds. They knew they were dead in the future, and their child had to live alone. It was not very well hidden.
This hurt them, especially Kushina. She was not with Naruto; her son had to live alone, and she didn't want to imagine how hard his life was. 'It's all my fault; he has to live without us,' she felt guilty inside her.
'It was a mother's duty to protect her child, and I failed miserably,' she blamed herself. Her tears started to flow. She remembered how he looked at her when he woke up, like he was seeing her for the first time. Her tears started to fall down. She looked at Naruto, whose head was down. "I am sorry, Naruto."
Naruto quickly raised his head and looked at her. The first thing he saw was her watery eyes. His heart stopped for a moment. "Why are you crying, Mom? And why are you sorry?"
She sobbed, "I... I'm sorry. I wasn't with you when you needed me the most."
Naruto quickly got up and placed his hands on her shoulders. seeing her like this made his heart ache like piercing needles. "Don't cry, Mom. It's not your fault... it's not your fault."
Hearing his voice, her tears didn't stop, but they flowed more intensely. She couldn't help but blame herself, wondering about his life and how he had managed all these years. "B-But I..."
Naruto couldn't bear to see her like this, so he tightly hugged her. "It's not your fault, Mom," he reassured her. He couldn't stand seeing her cry. As he held her, anger started to build within him. If that man hadn't attacked the village, his parents would still be alive. They wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves for him. It was his fault. Because of him, his mother was crying.
'Obito... I will make you pay for what you've done. Just wait for me to return.' Naruto's anger was visible to everyone. They all felt a chilling, killing intent. Minato looked at his son with concern, sensing the potent anger emanating from him.
On the other side of the table, Hinata looked at Naruto, her grip tightened on the arm of the chair, clearly cracking it. Her own anger rose up. She could not bear to see Naruto so angry. 'The one who made my Naruto angry, he has to die. I will personally kill him,' she thought to herself as she lowered her head. Nobody knew what was going through her mind.
Kushina, on the other hand, somehow managed to hold back her tears. Naruto patted her back in reassurance. "Look on the bright side, I am here in front of you, aren't I?"
Kushina nodded to him. "Don't worry about anything; you can take care of me as you like," he said to her, stopping her from crying.
She somehow stopped crying and looked at Naruto, a smile forming on her face. "You are right; you are here. I can give you all the love you lacked." Although she felt guilty deep inside her heart, her son was right in front of her.
She gazed at Naruto and a sweet smile formed on her face. She grabbed his cheeks and playfully stretched them outward. "Are you lecturing me, boy? It's a mother's job to comfort her son," she scolded him, although both of them knew she was just teasing.
Naruto became embarrassed by how she was treating him like a child, but deep in his heart he loved it, "you are doing it again, Mom… I am not a child"
Kushina looked at his reaction, and she loved it, she teased him some more, before parting her hands away, "Let's finish our food first. We have all day, and you are not going anywhere away from me."
Naruto nodded to her and sat down in his chair, starting to eat. "Yes, Mom."
Minato, who had been silently observing everything, felt a mix of emotions in his heart. He too felt guilty for not being with Naruto, but he didn't know what had happened to them in the future.
He also felt proud of his son, especially the way Naruto loved his mother; it truly touched his heart. However, he couldn't help but feel that Naruto wasn't talking to him the way he did with Kushina. "Why isn't he talking to me? Did I do something wrong? He just called me 'Father' once," Minato couldn't help but wonder.
He gazed at Naruto with a slightly pained expression. He wanted to hear from him. Naruto felt a gaze on him, tilting his head he looked at Minato "What?" he asked him.
Minato quickly averted his gaze, saying, "Ah... Nothing."
Naruto noticed his reaction and knew he was trying to talk to him, trying his best. A smile appeared on his face. "Do you want to ask something, 'Father'?" Naruto asked him. He was enjoying seeing Minato like this, the man feared by nations, the fastest man alive, having trouble talking to his son.
Minato felt Naruto addressing him as 'Father' not 'Dad,' but he also sensed a hint of sarcasm, though it wasn't rooted in hatred.
He too wanted to openly express his affection, just as Naruto did with his mother. Now that Naruto had asked him, Minato glanced at Hinata and said, "You haven't introduced your friend to us."
Naruto squinted his eyes and looked at Minato, No, he wasn't looking at him, he was looking at the constantly changing time strings around him, The time strings became chaotic for a moment and shifted from their previous state. Then, he tilted his head as he looked at his mother, and indeed, her time strings had also changed.
'What is happening? Why is their future changing? I haven't done anything yet.'
' This Cursed butterfly effect, it's happening just because I'm here," he realized, frustrated.
Naruto didn't understand what had changed, but he was certain that something had. "I have to correct it before I return. I hope everything goes right," he silently prayed, then looked at his mother.
Kushina also smiled at him, a mischievous smirk appearing on her face. "Don't you want to introduce your friend to your family, or are you hiding something?"
Naruto turned his attention to both his father and mother. "Oh, how could I forget? Her name is Hinata," Naruto said as he looked at Hinata, then pointed to his mother and father. "Although I've told you about her, she is my mom, and he is my Father," he introduced them to each other.
Hinata stood up and respectfully bowed to them. "I am Hinata Hyuga; it's nice to meet you."
Kushina looked at her and found her to be both innocent and sweet. "How sweet," she remarked.
Minato nodded in agreement, finding the girl likable and a good fit for his son, though he didn't show it outwardly.
There was a glint in Kushina's eyes as she looked at Naruto. "You didn't say she is your friend, or is she something more than a friend?" She asked him, well aware of their relationship, but she couldn't resist teasing her son.
Hinata's cheeks turned red, and she looked down at the ground. She slightly hit Naruto's leg, silently urging him to introduce her.
Her action didn't go unnoticed by Minato and Kushina. Minato smiled slightly, and Kushina smirked. 'Oh god, how much I love to tease him.'
"You can say that she is more than a friend," he admitted, realizing he couldn't evade the topic.
Kushina smiled widely. "She is more than a friend, so is she your girlfriend or..."
Naruto looked at his mother, meeting her eyes briefly, then averting his gaze. He nodded to her, confirming. "Or what?" he asked.
Kushina looked at Hinata. Though Hinata's head was down, her Byakugan allowed her to see everything. "She is your girlfriend or soon-to-be wife," Kushina teased them.
Naruto knew this, but now, in front of his parents, it became so difficult to admit. He knew his mother's nature; she was deliberately riling him up.
Hearing Kushina's words, Hinata's face turned even redder, and she looked embarrassed. She tugged on Naruto's sleeve, silently conveying, 'Handle this situation yourself.'
Kushina looked at both of them, clearly enjoying the fun of teasing. She was about to press the matter further, but Minato spoke up. "Don't tease them so much, Kushina. Let's finish our food."
Naruto looked at his father, grateful that he had intervened to defuse the situation. Minato gave him a knowing nod.
They continued to eat, but Kushina wasn't finished. "Although their age is appropriate for marriage, don't you think?" She looked at Minato.
Minato met her gaze and understood her message; she was not going to accept a "no" for an answer. So he nodded. "Yes, you are right, Kushina-chan."
Hinata looked down, her cheeks turning red as she heard them discussing her and Naruto's marriage. She wanted it to happen more than anyone. 'It's happening,' she thought, lost in her own world.
Naruto focused on his bowl of ramen but kept an eye on everything happening around him.
Kushina was well aware of Hinata's intention to marry Naruto, and she knew that Naruto also wanted the same. Like any mother, she wanted her son to marry a beautiful girl. She didn't know the future, but she had the chance, she would cherish these moments forever. She looked at Hinata. "You both are around 16, and this is the perfect age for marriage."
She then turned to Hinata, a smile on her face. "Hinata, do you want to marry my son?"
Hinata's head was down, and she was waiting for this moment. She felt embarrassed to look at Kushina, her face turning red. She slightly nodded in response, her nod subtle but seen by everyone.
Kushina turned to Naruto, her happiness palpable. "Naruto, do you want to marry Hinata?" She asked him the same question.
Naruto nodded without hesitation. How could he deny it? She was everything to him, his life, his world.
Kushina clapped her hands in happiness, ecstatic beyond belief. She was arranging a marriage for her son. "Now... everything is ready. Let us prepare for your marriage."
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End of the chapter, how do you like it? Our sweet Hinata is back. Do you like her? Tell me in the comments.
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Small discussion for the future~~
What do you think about the future? What has changed. Will he find his parents alive or something else beyond his expectations. I haven't written that part of the story. You can tell me some of your theories about what you want in future, if i find them suitable for the story i will add them. Like him having a sister😏 or Minato never becoming Hokage or Kayubi's attack never happening or something else, possibilities are endless and I have freedom to change things so elaborate me.
powerstones... give me