eurekapd Chapter 217 Naruto's Mom: Hinata or Karin, who do you like more?
Chapter 217 Naruto's Mom: Hinata or Karin, who do you like more?
Chapter 217 Naruto's Mom: Hinata or Karin, who do you like more?
Konoha Village, Training Ground 7.
After a full day of sparring, a faint smell of burning still lingered in the air. The two young figures lay on their backs on the ground, panting heavily.
Naruto and Sasuke were both exhausted, their bodies soaked in sweat, their chests heaving rapidly.
"Phew—I'm exhausted."
Naruto spread his limbs out, looked at the darkening sky, and let out a long breath.
Despite his exhaustion, a smug smile graced his face as he panted and pointed a finger. "Hehe, Sasuke, we played ten rounds today—seven draws, I won twice, and you only won once!"
Upon hearing Naruto's "battle record," Sasuke frowned, turned and glared at him, his expression extremely displeased: "Hmph, it's only because I was distracted today that I never lost to a loser like you!"
If he hadn't suddenly noticed something amiss during the daytime battle and been distracted by Naruto's sneak attack, how could he have let Naruto gain the upper hand?
"What? Losing is losing, stop making excuses!" Naruto immediately propped himself up, defiant. "I think you're just a sore loser!"
Although he was complaining about the other person, Naruto's smile grew even brighter, and he even put his hands on his hips with a hint of pride.
It's rare to see someone outmaneuver Sasuke like this in a sparring match.
If the wind is favorable, why wait for a headwind?
Sasuke's face darkened at his mockery, and he was about to retort when a clear female voice came from not far away: "Naruto!"
Sasuke! Are you all alright?
Seeing that the two had finally stopped fighting, Sakura immediately came over to check on the situation.
She first carefully examined Sasuke and Naruto's condition, and seeing that although they were exhausted, they were not seriously injured, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Honestly, you two, once you start training, you never know how to restrain yourselves! If I hadn't been watching you the whole time, you probably would have been fighting until tomorrow morning!"
While scolding them, she took two bottles of water out of her ninja tool bag and handed them to the two of them.
Naruto took the water bottle and stuck out his tongue: "Hehe, Sakura, don't be angry, we're fine, aren't we?"
Sasuke also sat up, took a sip of water, and didn't say anything, but his expression finally relaxed.
Naruto, having caught his breath, wiped his mouth, then suddenly chuckled and patted Sasuke on the shoulder: "How about it, Sasuke? Admit I'm even stronger today, right?"
Sasuke gave him a disdainful look and sneered, "Stop being so arrogant! I was just careless today. You won't be so lucky next time."
"Hehe, next time is next time!" Naruto scratched his head nonchalantly. "Anyway, you're still the one who loses."
Sakura watched helplessly as the two were about to bicker again, and was just about to say a few words of advice.
Just then, a gentle voice, accompanied by footsteps, approached from afar: "Naruto, it's time to go home for dinner!"
The group looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xiang running quickly towards them, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
The girl's long, bright red hair stood out in the afterglow, and a faint smile graced her face.
Xiang ran up to him, looking at Naruto with a cheerful smile, in a very natural and affectionate manner.
"Oh! Is it time to eat?" Naruto's eyes lit up immediately, and he jumped up from the ground, as if all his fatigue had vanished.
He rubbed his stomach, grinned, and said, "Let's go, let's hurry back! I'm starving!"
Seeing Naruto's impatient expression, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
She then turned to Sakura and Sasuke, waving and greeting them warmly: "Sakura, Sasuke!"
Sasuke slowly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, glared at Naruto, and muttered, "Hmph, I didn't use my full strength."
I won't let you get away with this next time, you idiot.
After making a boastful remark, he turned and walked towards the exit of the training field.
"Tch!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke's retreating figure, then excitedly called out to Kaori, "Kaori, let's go! Food, food, food—is there anything good to eat tonight?"
Xiang pushed up her black-rimmed glasses and laughed heartily: "Yes! I made your favorite char siu and chicken rolls tonight!"
R
"That's awesome!" Naruto cheered, excitedly putting his arm around Kaori's shoulder. "Let's go, let's hurry back and have dinner!"
As the sun sets, the figures of several young men and women are outlined in the twilight, gradually fading away amidst laughter and chatter.
Night fell quickly.
A lithe figure appeared on the tall walls of Konoha.
Jiraiya's silver hair gleamed slightly in the moonlight. With a light leap, he nimbly landed on the top of the wall and glanced back into the village.
Once he was sure no one was watching, he darted away and disappeared into the night.
Following the map route indicated by the crows during the day, Jiraiya sped towards the meeting place he had agreed to meet with Itachi Uchiha.
Meanwhile, after a busy day of training, Naruto returned home satisfied, washed up early, and crawled into bed.
As soon as his head touched the pillow, his heavy eyelids could no longer hold him up and slowly closed. Before long, Naruto drifted off to sleep.
In a daze, Naruto felt as if he had slept for a very, very long time.
When he opened his eyes again, what he saw made him pause in surprise: "?"
Naruto, still half asleep, sat up and looked around.
Naruto rubbed his eyes, still a little dazed.
After a few seconds of bewildered stunned silence, Naruto suddenly jolted awake and jumped out of bed: "Ah! This is that dream!"
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
He hadn't entered this magical dream space for quite some time.
Upon confirming that he had returned to the dream world, Naruto immediately cheered excitedly, quickly put on his coat and pants by the bed, and "thump" ran down the wooden stairs.
Naruto excitedly rushed down the stairs and ran all the way to the living room on the first floor.
But when he rushed into the living room, he suddenly realized that the atmosphere today seemed a little different from usual.
On the living room sofa, besides his mother with bright red hair and Xiang, who also had red hair, there were two other guests sitting there.
They were two elders, around sixty years old.
One was a petite, silver-haired old lady with a wrinkled face, short, fluffy hair, and thin-rimmed glasses perched on her nose.
The other was an elderly man with graying temples and a dignified face. He was sitting upright on the sofa, leaning on a cane with both hands, and his sharp eyes were projected through his glasses.
Although these two Konoha advisors were simply dressed, they were neatly made up and maintained a solemn expression at all times, exuding an aura of authority that could not be underestimated.
Naruto paused, recognizing the two elderly men.
I seem to have seen them a few times in the Hokage's office.
How did they end up in their own home?
Naruto was completely baffled.
R
in the audience.
A few minutes ago, Sakura and Sasuke were the first to appear.
Sasuke glanced around at the empty seats and the huge screen in front of him, and frowned when he realized that there was no one else besides him and Sakura. "Looks like it's Naruto's dream again tonight."
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uchiha Sasuke have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
They hadn't experienced a dream for quite some time, and unexpectedly, Naruto was the first to enter the dream, which made Sasuke quite resentful.
Sakura, on the other hand, didn't experience the same emotional fluctuations as Sasuke.
She looked around but no one responded, so she simply crossed her arms and sat down on a soft chair in the first row.
She actually quite likes it this way.
As she spoke, she patted the spot next to her towards Sasuke.
Sasuke snorted, but still walked over and sat down next to Sakura, crossing his arms and staring at the screen with a dark expression.
Just then, two more young girls appeared on the other side of the audience.
After Xiang appeared, she quickly saw the scene before her.
She immediately waved excitedly to Sakura, "Sakura! You're here too!"
As she spoke, she quickly ran over, plopped down on the other side of Sakura, and affectionately took Sakura's arm. "Today is Naruto's dream!"
Since arriving in Konoha, she has already spent a long time getting along well with the members of Team 7. They have a very good relationship in private. Hinata, on the other hand, has a more complicated reaction.
She twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, her face flushed, and walked over timidly, saying softly, "Sakura, Sasuke, Kaori—hello."
After saying that, he quietly found a seat and sat down.
Hinata's pretty face flushed slightly, her heart filled with both nervousness and determination.
I never expected to find myself in this strange dream world again.
on the screen.
The two elderly people who had been chatting away just moments before fell silent and turned their attention to Naruto when he suddenly appeared.
For a moment, the entire living room fell into an eerie silence.
Koharu and Homura gazed at Naruto as he ran downstairs. Their eyes did not look like those of an elder looking at a junior; rather, they seemed to be examining some important "asset."
That strange look made Naruto instinctively feel uncomfortable.
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +400!]
Naruto, unusually, felt the unpleasant gaze he was receiving in his dream.
What are those two old people doing?
Naruto touched his nose, secretly wondering to himself, and his previously high spirits subsided.
Kushina frowned slightly, stood up, and broke the silence: "Naruto, you're awake."
She feigned nonchalance, but her eyes and brows still betrayed a lingering worry. Kushina turned slightly to the two advisors on the sofa and said politely but firmly, "Elder Koharu, Elder Yan, let's leave our conversation here for now."
"Alright, we should take our leave now." Koharu Utatane slowly stood up upon hearing this, patted the wrinkles in her long skirt, and said calmly, "Kushina, please have you and Minato carefully consider what we just discussed."
"This matter concerns the stability of future Jinchuriki candidates and the continuation of the precious bloodline of the Uzumaki clan—both of which are crucial to the future of Konoha."
Upon hearing Koharu's words, Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
His gaze swept back and forth between his mother and the two advisors, and his intuition told him that they were discussing something important about him.
"I'm sorry, Elder Koharu." Kushina shook her head slightly, a hint of displeasure in her expression. "I will respect Naruto's wishes in this matter."
After saying that, she took two steps forward and gestured for him to leave. "Minato and I know what we're doing. You two have gone to the trouble of making this trip today, so let me see you out first."
Upon hearing this, Mitokado Homura slowly stood up, adjusted his glasses, and said in a deep voice, "Please forgive me—it was all for Konoha."
The two advisors exchanged a glance, then nodded and walked toward the door without lingering.
Kushina escorted them to the entrance and opened the door for the two elders, saying, "Take care, we won't see you off."
The morning sunlight streamed into the courtyard, and the air was still fresh with morning dew.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado nodded slightly to Kushina, then walked away along the street one after the other, disappearing from sight shortly afterward.
"Hu Yi"
As the door closed again, the previously oppressive and stagnant air finally began to circulate.
Naruto finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked to Kushina's side.
Nearby, Naruto Kaname, who had been standing quietly, walked over and quickly stood up from the sofa.
Her cheeks flushed, and she looked a little flustered. Her face was red, and she didn't dare to look Naruto in the eye. She greeted him in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper: "Good morning, Naruto."
"Ah—good morning, smells good."
Naruto scratched his messy blond hair and casually replied.
He vaguely sensed something was off: the fragrance in his dream seemed very different from that in reality.
In real life, Xiang has become completely familiar with them, and her personality is becoming more and more fierce.
Moreover, Xiang's recent behavior has become more and more like Sakura's.
There's already a slight tendency towards violence.
Girls are all pretty much the same once you get to know them.
However, the incense in the dream was so reserved, as if it didn't dare to get close to me, it was like a completely different person.
However, Naruto, being always carefree, didn't think much of it.
He gave a simple, honest smile in response, then strode over to Kushina, opened his arms wide, hugged his mother's waist, buried his head in her chest, and said sweetly, "Mom! I missed you so much!"
"Ouch!" Kushina was taken aback at first, then chuckled and patted Naruto's head. "You're such a grown man, yet you're still so clumsy!"
She scolded him verbally, but her face was full of doting smiles as she reached out to tidy Naruto's messy hair and collar.
"hey-hey.."
Naruto hugged his mother, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, tightly, his face beaming with joy.
However, Kushina quickly suppressed her smile and sighed softly.
She looked down at Naruto in her arms, a faint sorrow lingering between her brows as if she had something on her mind.
"Mom?" Noticing Kushina's strange expression, Naruto quickly released his grip, looked up, and asked with concern, "What's wrong? What did those two old guys say? You seem a bit odd. Did they say something?"
"Ah, this—" Kushina hesitated, seemingly not expecting Naruto to bring up the elders.
She hesitated for a moment, then smiled, not directly answering her son's question, but gently changing the subject, "Naruto, tell Mom the truth, do you have a girl you like?"
"Huh?" Naruto was caught off guard by the question and immediately stammered, his face turning bright red. "I-I—"
Kushina crouched down to meet Naruto's gaze, a serious look in her eyes: "Hinata or Kaori, who do you like more?"
"ah?!"
In the audience, Kushina's question was like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly creating a huge uproar.
Kaori and Hinata, who were sitting next to Sakura, both jolted at the same time. They sat up straight from their relaxed postures and stared intently at the screen, as if afraid of missing any of Naruto's next words.
[Ding! Xiang's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
[Ding! Hinata Hyuga's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
Sakura sensed something was off about Kaori beside her and couldn't help but glance at her. She saw that Kaori, who had been holding her arm, was now tightening her grip slightly, clearly indicating that she was not at peace with herself.
Sakura couldn't help but chuckle, covering her mouth and whispering, "Kaka, you're really excited~"
"Mind your own business!" Xiangqiao blushed, gave a light snort in annoyance, and stubbornly turned her head away.
Although Sakura didn't show any unusual behavior, her eyes were also on the screen.
They were clearly curious about how Naruto would answer.
After all, Naruto has always sworn that she is his favorite.
On the other side, Hinata was also blushing with nervousness.
She glanced furtively in Xiang's direction and met Xiang's gaze.
Their eyes met, and it felt as if a string of sparks flashed through the air.
Kaori recognized the young lady of the Hyuga clan.
Hinata's heart raced as she was stared at by Kaori, but remembering the importance of Naruto's upcoming answer, she mustered her courage and looked back at the past.
The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds, their gazes clashing with complex emotions.
"Ahem." Sasuke, who was standing to the side, frowned and coughed lightly when he saw the two girls suddenly exploding into a tense atmosphere. "Hey, calm down."
However, neither Kaori nor Hinata had any time to pay attention to Sasuke at this moment.
In the scene, Naruto scratches his head with a flushed face and stammers, "Actually, I—I prefer Sakura-chan."
Kushina was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then her expression changed to one of realization. She chuckled and nodded gently, "Really? Come to think of it, I seem to see you two together quite often."
As she spoke, she reached out and patted Naruto's shoulder, a smile returning to her face.
Naruto, having his thoughts revealed by his mother, scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly.
When Xiang heard her name being compared to Hinata's, she was so nervous that she dared not breathe.
Hearing Naruto's answer mention someone else, she was taken aback at first, then seemed to breathe a huge sigh of relief, and her whole body visibly relaxed.
Xiang's previously tense shoulders slowly slumped down, and her hands, which had been holding onto the hem of her clothes, quietly loosened.
She lowered her head and discreetly tidied the dishes on the table, but a quick glance revealed a slight relaxation in her brows, and she seemed much more at ease.
In the audience, when Naruto uttered those words, the four audience members reacted in different ways.
Kaori and Hinata both lowered their heads almost simultaneously, their expressions somewhat gloomy and disappointed.
Both girls remained silent, their eyes even slightly red.
Hinata twisted the hem of her clothes, biting her lower lip lightly with her pearly teeth, looking extremely disappointed.
Sasuke scoffed dismissively, "Tch, Naruto's an idiot, is this the kind of boring stuff he only dreams about when he enters a dream world?"
He crossed his arms, looking disgusted.
Sakura paused for a moment, then burst out laughing: "Oh dear, Naruto! I've rejected him so many times, but he just won't give up!"
As they were talking, Xiang quietly let go of Sakura's arm and looked at Sakura with a somewhat displeased expression.
Sakura was still there, covering her mouth and giggling, her expression relaxed and carefree, which, in Kaori's eyes, made her look like the victorious Versailles.
[Ding! Xiang's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +800!]
The atmosphere in the audience suddenly became extremely subtle.