Naruto: Set a goal, conquer the universe.

Page 95

In an instant, fragments of memories from the day she gave birth surged within her chakra-based consciousness.

Weakness, excruciating pain, the loud cries of a baby, and the deepest love and reluctance to part.

"Minato? And!!!" she exclaimed in shock, her voice trembling with disbelief, her gaze fixed on Naruto as if she wanted to etch all those years of growth she had never witnessed into her mind in an instant.

More than a decade of separation condensed into this reunion, impacting her heart.

"Naruto... Naruto...?!"

"Mom!" This cry was filled with all the longing, grievances, and deepest love that Naruto had accumulated since birth, which he could not express to anyone.

As if a dam had suddenly collapsed, the tears that had been accumulating for fourteen years could no longer be contained, gushing out like a flood that had burst its banks, rolling down his cheeks, which were twitching slightly with emotion.

This soul-piercing call completely shattered Kushina's defenses.

The strength inherent in the blood-red chili pepper transformed into endless tenderness and heartbreak at that moment.

"Naruto!!" Almost instinctively, Kushina lunged at Naruto.

With the immense strength of something lost and regained, she pulled Naruto tightly, tightly into her embrace.

It was as if they wanted to make up for every hug that had been missing during those long, empty years.

"I'm sorry... Naruto... I'm sorry!"

"Mom couldn't be by your side... couldn't watch you grow up... couldn't cook for you... couldn't... couldn't..." Countless "couldn'ts" choked in her throat, eventually being overwhelmed by overwhelming sorrow.

The joy of becoming a mother for the first time and the pain of the long separation that followed transformed into the most overwhelming heartache and sorrow at the moment of reunion.

Naruto felt his mother's tears burning his skin, and the grievances and loneliness that he had suppressed for many years seemed to melt away at this moment with the warmth of his mother's love.

He hugged his mother back tightly, his hands even somewhat awkwardly wrapped around her back, feeling this embrace that felt so real it was almost dreamlike.

The warm figure he could only find in photos was now truly in his arms.

He greedily inhaled his mother's scent, a fragrance that blended sunshine, warmth, and an extremely subtle aroma of blood.

The taste of mother.

Beyond this breathtaking scene of reunion, Minato stood silently.

He watched as the two most important people in his life embraced tightly. His wife cried as if she were about to vomit her heart out, while his son found solace in a vulnerability and contentment he had never seen before.

His eyes were also moist, but a gentle smile, filled with endless comfort and heartache, appeared on his lips.

This scene of reunion was his deepest expectation when he set up this chakra seal, and now it has finally come true before his eyes.

Although they reunited in this way, seeing Naruto grow up safely and having the opportunity to reunite with Kushina finally lifted the heavy weight off his heart.

After the initial intense emotional outburst, Kushina calmed down slightly, and she gently cupped Naruto's tear-streaked face in her trembling hands.

Her gaze was like the most precise carving knife, meticulously and almost greedily depicting every inch of her son's skin and every detail: his stubborn eyebrows, his straight nose, and his vibrant, azure eyes that resembled both her and Minato.

“Naruto…” Kushina’s voice was still heavy with sobs, but it was full of endless love. “Mom missed so much… so much…” As she spoke, tears streamed down her face again.

Feeling his mother's careful touch and overflowing tenderness, Naruto's heart, which had been filled with ice for many years, completely melted away, leaving only warm light.

Looking at his mother's young and beautiful face, which was filled with grief and self-blame, he finally revealed a bright smile from the bottom of his heart, mixed with tears. That smile was very much like Minato Namikaze's, and it also carried his own unique sunshine: "Mom... I'm fine now! Really!"

Although his consciousness did not feel suffocated, Naruto felt a sense of fullness, as if the sun had shone into his heart, which had been shrouded in shadow, for the first time.

Chapter 38 Girlfriend?

Outside, Sasuke and Hinata frowned deeply. Naruto had been in this state for a long time, but he didn't seem to have changed at all.

This made them very worried about Naruto's situation.

"I need to go in and check on Naruto's condition!" Sasuke said in a deep voice.

"I'll go too!" Hinata quickly said.

"Alright!" Sasuke glanced at Hinata and nodded slightly, his Mangekyou Sharingan flashing with six stars in his eyes, their hearts in perfect harmony!

Hinata's Byakugan transformed into a six-pointed Mangekyou Sharingan, and the two of them traveled together into Naruto's heart.

In the warm, soft light of the sealed space, Naruto, Minato, and Kushina sat on the ground.

The initial excitement and tears gradually subsided, replaced by a precious tranquility and a warm current of family affection.

Kushina finally smiled with a slightly mischievous expression. The smile softened her long-standing sadness and revealed a hint of her teenage self.

"Mom!" Naruto's eyes widened even more as he asked eagerly, "What were you like when you were little?"

Although he learned some things about his parents' past from Jiraiya, Jiraiya was, after all, Minato's teacher, and knew more about Minato!

He didn't talk much about Kushina.

He couldn't imagine what his gentle, beautiful, and powerful mother must have been like when she was a child.

"Me?" Kushina patted her chest proudly. "I'm the infamous Red Hot Chili Pepper of Konoha! All because of this head of red hair!"

Her tone carried a hint of pride and past resentment, "When I first came to Konoha, those bad boys always tried to bully me, saying my hair looked like a tomato! Humph!"

Her gaze sharpened, as if she had returned to the past: "I'm not as demure as your father. Who dares to call me Tomato, or pull my hair..."

Kushina clenched her fists, her tone fierce, "I beat him to a pulp! Once, a guy who was even bigger than your dad back then angered me, and I threw him halfway down the street, even alerting the infirmary staff!"

She still seemed to feel a sense of pride and triumph when she talked about these past events, which made Naruto laugh.

Minato chimed in at the opportune moment, a gentle smile on his face: "That's when I noticed your mother. That day, she beat up a few upperclassmen who wanted to mock her, and stood in the center of the training field, her red hair shining like flames."

"She stood with her hands on her hips and said to the guys lying on the ground, 'If you dare call me Tomato again, I'll string you all together like candied hawthorns!' She was clearly angry, but she was full of vitality, that indomitable, burning life force... It deeply attracted me and made me think she was very, very powerful."

Minato's gaze towards Kushina was filled with undisguised adoration, causing Kushina to blush, a rare occurrence for her.

Kushina patted Minato's arm a little embarrassedly: "Why are you saying all this... But," she looked at Naruto with gentle eyes, "Naruto, do you know what happened next? There was this idiot who was so good at theory classes that even the teachers were amazed, but he mustered up the courage to come to me, this fierce tomato, and said he wanted to spar with me in taijutsu to help me improve my combat skills."

She imitated Minato's serious tone from back then, making Naruto burst into laughter.

"And then what?" Naruto pressed.

"And then?" Kushina smiled slyly. "Of course, I taught him a lesson! Your father's martial arts skills... tsk tsk, they were truly appalling back then. He tripped over me several times, falling to the ground covered in dirt."

Minato squinted and scratched his head sheepishly.

Naruto scratched his head, remembering what the perverted sage had told him about his father's childhood.

My father, who had only recently graduated, was already able to defeat several ninjas from other villages who had kidnapped my mother using only his taijutsu skills!

Well, it seems that with Mother's 'help,' Father's physical skills have improved rapidly!

He glanced at Minato, who winked at him and gave him a sly smile.

Just then, the light in the sealed space seemed to fluctuate slightly.

Minato and Naruto keenly raised their heads and looked in a certain direction.

Minato gave a knowing yet slightly embarrassed smile: "Oh? Two little kids have come in."

As he spoke, two familiar figures appeared.

Sasuke and Hinata appeared in this gentle space, their faces filled with wariness and worry.

However, the scene before them instantly froze all their tension and speculation on their faces.

The scenario they had envisioned, where Naruto might be in deep pain or fighting, did not materialize.

Naruto came into view, sitting safely in the light.

Beside him was a blond man with a warm smile and a beautiful, passionate woman with long, bright red hair.

Naruto's face wore a pure, almost radiant smile.

That wasn't just an ordinary gentle smile; it was a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness, a tranquility and peace like coming home.

He was affectionately holding the red-haired woman's hand, while the blond man gently placed his hand on Naruto's head and stroked it lightly.

This tranquil and heartwarming scene filled with familial love left Sasuke and Hinata completely petrified, their worries instantly replaced by immense shock.

The surrounding atmosphere was peaceful and warm, and the invisible bonds of kinship were so strong that they could move even an intruder.

All the previous unease and tension vanished at this moment, leaving only this heart-stirring scene of reunion, fourteen years overdue.

Sasuke stared intently at the radiant smile on Naruto's face, a smile that seemed to emanate from the heart and dispel all gloom. His clenched fist slowly loosened, his tense brows relaxed, and a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corners of his mouth.

He finally understood why Naruto had suddenly fallen silent, and for the first time, he felt so clearly that the deepest wound in Naruto's heart was being slowly healed by the warmest medicine in the world.

He at least experienced the love of his parents and brother, but Naruto has never experienced these things.

"Who are you?" Kushina looked at the two who had barged in, curiously examining them.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke, my good brother. This is Hyuga Hinata, well, she's my girlfriend!" Naruto stood up and introduced Sasuke and Hinata to his parents.

"Sasuke, Hinata, this is my father and mother!" Naruto introduced his parents to Sasuke and Hinata.

"Huh?" Minato and Kushina exchanged a glance, their eyes both showing surprise.

"girlfriend?"

Kushina's deep blue eyes, still wet with tears, widened instantly, her gaze locking onto Hinata in a flash.

Just moments ago, I was immersed in the overwhelming emotions of joy, sorrow, and the excitement of reunion, but now it felt as if a dazzling gem had been thrown into me, illuminating me with new brilliance.

"Oh my gosh!!" Kushina exclaimed in surprise, even slapping her thigh in excitement.

She sprang up from the ground with almost instantaneous speed. One second she was reminiscing about the past, and the next she appeared in front of Hinata. Her speed was so fast that even Minato couldn't help but smile.

Hinata was completely dumbfounded.

Chapter 39 Baby kiss

Staring intently at her from close range into Kushina's eyes, which resembled Naruto's but were even brighter and sharper, and sensing the undisguised curiosity and surprise of this legendary hero's wife and Naruto's mother, her fair cheeks instantly turned as red as ripe tomatoes.

She instinctively tried to duck and dodge, but Kushina's powerful aura froze her in place. She was at a loss, her fingers twisting together, and she could almost hear her own heart pounding like a drum echoing in the quiet sealed space.

"Ugh..." A faint, almost inaudible groan escaped her throat, and steam rose from her head. She felt like she was about to faint.

But we have to hold on!

After all, this is in front of Naruto's parents!

She didn't want to leave a bad impression on the two of them.

"Good girl! What a good girl!" Kushina completely ignored Hinata's embarrassment, her face beaming with a bright, sunny smile.

She circled Hinata almost halfway around her as if admiring a rare treasure, her eyes shining brightly: "She's a girl from the Hyuga clan! Look at her temperament, her eyebrows and eyes..." She couldn't help but reach out and gently pat Hinata's shoulder.

"What are you shy about? You're so cute!" Kushina's voice was full of genuine affection and enthusiasm, with her characteristic frankness.

"Naruto, that brat! He has good taste!"

Her words were like a warm current, allowing Hinata, who was so tense she was almost suffocating, to catch her breath. Although her cheeks were still burning hot, her tense body subconsciously relaxed a little.

"Mom!" Naruto, seeing his mother's fierce gaze on Hinata, felt both smug and worried that Hinata might not be able to handle this sudden enthusiasm. He quickly went over and said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "You scared Hinata!"

"How could I be scared! I'm overjoyed!" Kushina waved her hand generously, but her gaze never left Hinata's face, growing more and more satisfied with her.

"Naruto! Such a wonderful girl is willing to be your girlfriend," she said, a wistful smile of "my son has finally grown up" on her face. "Listen to me! You must treat her well!"

"You dare bully Hinata? I won't let you get away with this! Even if I... I can still slap you with my chakra!" She tried her best to make a fierce expression, but she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes. When she looked at Hinata, her expression instantly softened into a gentle, spring-like tenderness.

"Hinata...right?" Kushina softened her voice, her tone filled with maternal love and a subtle, almost imperceptible, resonance from someone who had been through it all.

Looking at this gentle, resilient, and shy girl, she seemed to see a possible continuation of herself from years ago, when she was willing to sacrifice everything to protect her son but had to miss out on him.

That protective instinct and sense of closeness arise spontaneously.

“If Naruto, that idiot, ever makes you unhappy, or if you have anything on your mind, you can talk to Auntie… uh, tell me!” She readily took Hinata’s hand, naturally referring to herself as such. Hinata’s hand was slightly cool, so Kushina gripped it tighter, trying to offer warmth.

At that moment, she had no idea that she was already dead.

Standing to the side, Minato wore a gentle smile that could melt anything, watching his wife's overwhelming affection for their son's girlfriend.

He understood Kushina's excitement at that moment. She had missed everything about Naruto, and now seeing such a wonderful girl by Naruto's side, the maternal love that had been building up for more than ten years was almost overflowing and was poured into Hinata.

“Kushina is right.” Minato stepped forward and spoke gently, his voice as soothing as a spring breeze, easing Hinata’s unease in the face of Kushina’s intense passion.

He nodded to Hinata, his eyes gentle and approving: "Thank you for accompanying Naruto. Seeing you both by his side makes Kushina and me very gratified and relieved."

His gaze swept over Hinata, then fell back on Naruto, his eyes filled with a father's deep love and pride.

"No, it's all Naruto who's been taking care of me," Hinata replied weakly, her cheeks burning. She tapped her two index fingers together, as if she had reverted to her shy childhood self in front of Naruto's parents.

"How adorable!" Kushina pinched Hinata's slightly chubby cheeks and couldn't help but laugh as she spoke.