Naruto's Point of View
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I parted ways with Sakura and Kiba after seeing them home, then headed alone toward the Uzumaki Clan residence.
As Kiba told me earlier, he had contacted Ella and informed her that I was safe and that the Death Physician, Tsunade, was taking care of me. Because of that, the Uzumaki Clan hadn't gone searching for me. That included my father and mother, who were contacted by Kon and Carol—the two who accompanied Lily that night.
As I walked, I glanced around. They said I'd been missing for several weeks, but to me, it felt like only a few days. What a strange feeling to have right now.
How am I supposed to face my family…? What explanation should I give them? Should I tell them about the Breakers gang? About the Akatsuki?
My worries didn't last long. I heard the voices of servants calling my name with a tone of respect mixed with concern in front of the main gate.
I lifted my head and saw them as they opened the gate and bowed deeply. I greeted them and stepped inside.
Walking through the long corridor of the house, I saw Ella turning toward the entrance. She spotted me and her mouth fell open in shock.
I noticed tears welling in her eyes before she dashed toward me at full speed and threw herself into my arms, sobbing.
"Naruto… Naruto… you're finally back…"
Her tearful voice rang out loud, like that of a little girl. Doesn't she realize how old she is now? And yet… for some reason, it didn't bother me at all. My own tears were gathering at the corners of my eyes.
Is this what it feels like to have someone waiting for you at home? Is this the feeling of returning after so long? It's priceless.
"Yes… Ella… I'm home…"
I answered while holding her tightly, shedding tears of joy—tears that felt strangely good. I should be crying in pain, yet I didn't feel bad at all.
Ella's cries and calls of my name woke the others. I saw my uncle Yukiteru rushing out of one of the hallways in his nightclothes, stunned. He saw me holding Ella, and tears gathered in his eyes before he ran over and wrapped both of us in his arms.
"Thank goodness you're safe, dear Naruto… I was so worried about you…"
His voice trembled with emotion as tears streamed down his face, though not as dramatically as Ella, who screamed and cried like a child.
I laughed happily even as tears kept pouring down my cheeks.
"I'm so glad to be back… Uncle Yukiteru…"
One by one, the rest of the family appeared.
Rebecca, Ella's sister, joined the embrace as well, crying. The others stood back, their expressions mixed, but I didn't have the time or strength to read their emotions yet. I simply closed my eyes and savored this warmth I had missed so dearly.
After some time, we pulled away from one another, and I smiled through what was left of my tears.
"What about Grandma Mito? Where is she?"
The expressions of my relatives shifted slightly at the mention of Grandma Mito, making my heart pound violently. No way…
"Mother hasn't been well lately… Come with me…"
It was Uncle Oshino who spoke quietly—the only one brave enough to say something while the others remained silent, their faces heavy with sadness.
"What happened to Grandma Mito? Has her condition gotten worse? Is this… because of me?"
I asked, but Oshino's silence was answer enough. My disappearance… that wasn't something Grandma Mito could have borne.
We reached her room, and Oshino opened the door for me to enter first, switching on the lights. At last, I took a good look around.
The room was nothing like I remembered. Life-support machines crowded every corner. Aside from the bed where Grandma Mito lay, the room was filled with monitors, IV lines, and devices tracking every vital sign.
This… this wasn't her room anymore.
"Who's there?"
I heard her frail voice and froze. God… since when had she become this weak?
"It's me, Grandma Mito… I'm finally back…"
I spoke clearly as I took a few steps toward her. I noticed the machines reacting, their beeps shifting rhythm, but I paid them no mind.
"My dear grandson… Naruto… come closer… let me see you…"
I approached as she asked, then stood by the bed and gently took her fragile hand, lifting it to my lips and placing a kiss on its back.
"I—I'm so sorry… Grandma Mito… it's because of me… your health declined so badly because I disappeared…"
I shut my eyes tightly, drowning in guilt. I knew when to take responsibility for my actions—and this was one of those times.
"It's all right… Just tell me… who bullied you? Why did you keep things like this from me? Were you afraid of causing us trouble?"
Her tone was weak yet still carried the weight of discipline, but I shook my head firmly.
"I would never dare… Grandma Mito… It was something I thought I could handle on my own. That's why I acted without telling you anything. But everything spiraled out of control… I'm sorry for being arrogant and bringing trouble to the family, Grandma Mito…"
"What kind of trouble?"
"It was… just a fight between some schools. Nothing major…"
"I see… Fate does have its own way… Your mother used to be the same, you know. Playing the delinquent… leading her own crew, picking fights, beating people up… She caused us no end of trouble back then… She even had the audacity to get pregnant without telling us… Do you have any idea how much chaos she brought?"
Grandma Mito chuckled faintly as she rambled about my mother's wild past. I smiled through my tears and said,
"I'll do my best to be a better grandson than that, Grandma Mito…"
"You'd better… And don't you dare have children before you marry, understand? That's a huge responsibility, boy…"
"Yes, Grandma Mito… I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused these past few weeks…"
She closed her eyes with a tired smile, nodding slightly, then spoke words I'll never forget:
"I'm just happy you're alive and well… Naruto…"
I shut my eyes, unable to hold back anymore. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I leaned closer, cradling her hand gently, whispering,
"Yes… I'm happy too… So please… get better soon, Grandma Mito…"
"Mmm…"
That faint sigh was all she gave. I don't know how long I stayed there holding her hand, but eventually, I felt Oshino's hand on my shoulder and heard his quiet voice.
"Let her rest now… She needs sleep…"
I slowly lifted myself from Grandma Mito, laid her hand gently on the bed, and rose to my feet. My eyes were red and swollen from relentless tears.
When I stepped out with Oshino, the entire family was gathered silently before the door.
"It seems Grandma Mito can't lead the family for now. Based on her earlier words, the responsibility will fall on my shoulders temporarily—until I turn eighteen next year…"
No one refuted my words. They only stared in silence. I pressed a hand against my chest and continued,
"Honestly, this is too much for me right now. I'm not capable of handling everything yet. So I ask that you respect my next decision…"
I closed my eyes briefly, took a breath, then looked straight at Oshino with unwavering trust.
"For this year, until I turn eighteen, I want you to take charge of leading the family, Uncle Oshino."
Gasps filled the hall. Everyone stood frozen in shock, but my gaze remained firm.
Oshino shut his eyes, then bowed deeply to me, his voice full of respect.
"If that's the wish of the clan head, then I swear on my life to uphold this responsibility and never fail you…"
I exhaled quietly, my expression softening as I smiled at him warmly.
"If it's you, Uncle Oshino, I can rest easy about the future of this family…"
He lifted his head with a nod. I looked around at the others and continued,
"The rest of you, keep up your previous duties. And you, Tera—you'll take over Uncle Oshino's tasks of managing the political and economic affairs of our main company and its branches, under his supervision. Can you do that?"
Tera gave me a sidelong glance, flicking her braid over her shoulder coolly.
"Why do you think I've been studying so hard all this time? Leave it to me. I won't let you—or Father—down."
I smiled gently, eyes closed in relief.
"I'll count on you!"
She turned away with her usual aloofness, fingers playing with her hair, refusing to meet my gaze. If I remember right, she used to treat me kindly… but at some point, she started avoiding me, acting cold. She's not trying to be dark and gothic like Yuha. Still, I guess she hates me for my old fights with Oshino. Girls' hearts are impossible to read.
I noticed her sneaking a quick glance my way before looking off again as soon as I turned. Yeah… she definitely hates me.
With a calm breath, and after a bit more discussion by Grandma Mito's door, we all parted ways—it was late, after all, and we needed rest for tomorrow.
On my way to my room upstairs, I saw Mina's door open. My personal maid stepped out, her dark, glowing skin and short black hair making her look stunning as always. Everyone adored her for years… but they don't know her heart already belongs to someone else.
When Mina saw me, her eyes widened in shock. Tears welled up before she rushed forward and hugged me tightly. I didn't resist—I wrapped my arms around her as my head sank into her chest. But all I felt from her was a mother's warmth.
"Forgive my rudeness… young master… but I'm so glad to see you safe."
I said nothing, only hugged her back with closed eyes. If I'm honest, the closest person to me in this life… is Mina—the woman who cared for me since childhood.
"I'm glad to be back too… I missed you so much, Mina…"
"And I missed you too… young master…"
After holding each other for a while, we pulled apart and talked briefly before Mina hurried off to prepare a bath for me. I tried to stop her several times, but she insisted she'd had plenty of rest already. I couldn't argue further and let her handle it.
When I finished bathing, my bed was perfectly prepared. Mina stood there in her maid uniform, hands folded, eyes closed.
"Do you need anything else, young master?"
"No… thank you for everything so far. You can rest now—I need sleep too. Good night."
Yawning, I slipped into bed as she bowed and said softly,
"Good night… young master."
When the door closed, I stared at the ceiling. The same ceiling I'd always gazed at before sleep—but tonight felt strange.
Ever since I left the operating room, everything had been chaos. First, the shocking news about Sasuke and Ino. Then Grandma Mito's worsening condition. What's next?
The Akatsuki moved to capture me personally after their attempts with Jin failed—and after Tiger failed too. Thank God Jin decided to kill Tiger then… But why did he do that? What could have forced him into something so risky for the organization?
After that, it seems the Akatsuki leader planned to send the White Fang gang after me. But Lady Tsunade intervened—at someone's request. Who asked her to save me? Was it my father? No… judging by her words back then, it didn't sound like him. It wasn't Kakashi either…
After the White Fang failed and were exposed by Lady Tsunade, the Akatsuki leader struck back and wiped them out. But they haven't moved since.
I pieced together what I'd learned from Kiba and Sakura earlier with what Lady Tsunade told me these past days—and this is what I concluded.
Who could the Akatsuki leader be? And why does he want me dead so badly? Could he be a transmigrator like me? Impossible. How would he even know I'm not from this world? Does he have some supernatural ability? It doesn't seem so, or he would've just killed me outright instead of scheming endlessly.
Then what… is his identity so well-hidden that this is the only way he can move?
The endless questions made my head ache. If not for Naruto's body and mind—already brilliant—I could never think this clearly. The old me… was an idiot. But now, in this new body, I've gained so much more knowledge and clarity.
I turned in bed, unease twisting inside me. This life… it's been so hard. I thought I'd live normally—grow up, marry, become clan head someday. But with every passing moment, everything just gets messier.
If I can't wipe all this away, I'll never live as I wish. Unless I destroy the Akatsuki, I'll never know peace.
My desire for revenge burned brighter again. I never forgot that first day I arrived in this world—and that desire never faded. Without vengeance, peace will never come.
My expression hardened, fatigue settling over me after so much thinking. For now, I have to focus on what's right in front of me. Yes… first, I need to stabilize things and return to my normal life. That way, the Akatsuki leader won't suspect I know anything yet.
For the time being, I'll set everything else aside… and focus on school.
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To Be Continued.