Chapter 29 - Ch.029 Breakfast with Makino

[~1500 Words]

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The village had gone quiet. Lanterns had dimmed. Luffy had finally passed out, snoring across a bench with his mouth open, an empty skewer in hand.

Haruki helped Makino clear the last of the dishes, stacking plates and wiping the tables in silence. His movements were smooth, but his gaze distant—his mind still echoing with the laughter of people long gone.

Makino noticed.

After wiping her hands, she turned to him with that same calm, kind smile that had greeted him on his first day awake in this world.

"Hey," she said gently, "Come inside. I made some tea."

🍵 Inside Makino's Home

Makino's home was cozy and lived-in. Shelves lined with books and tea tins, embroidered cushions on the small sofa, a framed photo of her with small Luffy, Ace and Sabo years ago.

She handed Haruki a clay cup and sat beside him on the sofa.

Steam rose between them in delicate swirls.

For a moment, they sipped in silence.

Then, her voice—low and careful:

 "Back at the grill… I saw you. You were crying, weren't you?"

Haruki looked down into his tea. His hand tightened slightly around the cup.

"I wasn't crying," he said, quietly.

Makino didn't respond. She just waited.

He exhaled, slow and long.

"…Just a memory. Of my family. A night like this. I cooked for them more than once, but that day was special."

A pause.

"My father. My sister. Even… someone I was close to. We laughed. Ate together. It was the last time I saw them all alive."

Makino placed her cup down. "You don't have to say more if it hurts."

But Haruki continued.

"I remember my father… telling me I'd make a better cook than a ninja." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "I'd burned half the dumplings."

Makino smiled softly.

"And my sister stole my dumpling when I wasn't looking… Kurenai just laughed. That was the first time she laughed around me with my family around."

He paused. Then added, more quietly:

"Next day… they were gone."

Makino set her cup down and gently reached over, pulling him into a quiet embrace.

She guided his head to rest against her bosom, cradling him like one might a soldier who had held too much for too long.

Haruki´s eyes misted again.

"You're kind," she whispered, her hand softly brushing the back of his hair. "You carry so much pain, but still… you smiled tonight. You fed the village people. You trained with Luffy and protected him. That's not weakness. That's strength."

Haruki didn't move. Just let the warmth seep in.

Makino continued, "Revenge… it'll never fill what's missing. You still have so much left to live for. You still have time to find joy."

Then, with a teasing glint in her tone, she added with a smirk, "If you weren't so young, Haruki-kun, I'd marry you myself."

He looked up with a flicker of surprise. Then—

A rare, mischievous smile played on his lips.

"Well," he said, voice low, "Give it a few years. I'll definitely marry you."

Makino laughed softly.

Haruki tilted his head, smirking. "And we'll have a whole house full of littleUchiha running around—strong, smart, and terrifyingly good-looking."

Her face turned a soft crimson, and she gave him a playful push. "You're awful!"

"I'm serious," he grinned.

Makino laughed again, her smile genuine, bright. "Well, I'll be waiting then, future Hokage-cook-husband."

Haruki leaned into her warmth again, his eyes softening.

For once… the memories didn't burn.

For once… the future felt possible.

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Setting: Next Morning – Makino's Home

Sunlight filtered in through the light curtains, dappling the wooden floors of Makino's small kitchen in soft gold. The air smelled faintly of sea salt and sweet tea, with a new layer of sizzling bacon and eggs dancing from the pan.

Haruki stood by the stove, shirt sleeves rolled up, barefoot, a towel tossed lazily over his shoulder. His movements were precise—measured—but relaxed, as though his muscles knew exactly what to do when given warmth, flame, and food to shape.

From the hallway, the soft creak of a door, and then—

"...Morning…" came Makino's drowsy voice.

Haruki turned slightly, a half-smirk forming on his lips.

Makino stood at the doorway in a light green nightdress, loosely tied at the waist, her usually neat hair now adorably fluffed and tangled from sleep.

Haruki gave a low, teasing chuckle. "I see a certain beautiful bartender has emerged from her cave of dreams."

Makino squinted. "Don't tease me before I've had tea…"

"I'm just appreciating the rare 'battle-mode Makino' with bedhead." He flipped the eggs onto plates smoothly. "I think I've fallen for this version."

Makino blinked once, then caught the edge of his grin. A warm blush bloomed across her cheeks.

She huffed playfully, glancing at the nearby mirror while running her fingers through her hair in a flurry. "Ugh—now I definitely need a comb."

Haruki placed a plate on the table for her. "Too late. Damage done. I've seen it, and it's etched into my soul now."

Makino laughed behind her hand as she sat down. "You're impossible."

"And you're blushing."

"I'm hungry, that's what I am."

Haruki smirked and set his own plate down, sliding into the seat across from her. "Then eat, Miss Future Uchiha."

She choked slightly on her tea. "Haruki!"

He just gave her a mock-innocent salute.

They ate for a while in companionable silence, forks clinking lightly, morning breeze carrying in soft village sounds.

After a few minutes, Haruki set his cup down, leaning back in his chair.

"I was thinking…" he began slowly, eyes on the sunlit windowsill. "About taking a trip."

Makino looked up, blinking. "A trip?"

He nodded. "There's a village nearby. Shimotsuki Village. I heard from the Mayor that it has a dojo and he was Training people in his Dojo. I thought maybe… I could find something there. Some trace of ninja knowledge. Or maybe clues about how this place works and maybe train myself in swordsmanship a bit."

She set her fork down.

"You're… leaving?" she asked quietly.

Haruki hesitated, then met her eyes.

"Not forever. But I have to keep searching, Makino-san. This place—it's different, but I need to understand it. If I'm going to live in it... or ever find a way home... I have to keep moving forward."

Makino looked at her plate for a long moment.

Then she smiled, soft and genuine.

"Well… you are a ninja. Sitting still was never your strength, was it?"

He gave a sheepish shrug.

She stood, walking over to the small drawer near the counter. "You've got two options," she said, rummaging. "I'll talk to Mayor Woop Slap for you."

Haruki raised an eyebrow. "Options?"

Makino returned, unfolding a small map and pointing.

"There's a merchant ship that leaves tomorrow morning from our dock. Heads up the coast and passes close to Shimotsuki Village. You'll be there in about three days."

She paused. "Or, if you're feeling like roughing it, Mayor Woop Slap has an old rowboat. With steady effort, you'd make it in about a week."

Haruki looked at her for a long moment.

"You… planned this already?"

Makino blushed faintly. "I may have overheard you talking about it in your sleep a few nights ago."

Haruki chuckled. "I was wondering why I dreamed of you whispering nautical routes into my ear."

She rolled her eyes at his bad joke, then smiled.

He stood, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Thank you," he said, quietly.

Makino didn't say anything at first.

Then she offered a smile that was both proud and just a little sad. "You've brought life to this village. Tome. But I know you still have roads to walk."

Haruki leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'll come back. You know that, right?"

"I'll hold you to that, Uchiha."

Moments later, Haruki stepped out into the morning sun, now fully dressed in his flak jacket and gear, the air cool and bracing against his skin.

He took a breath.

One more step forward. Towards purpose. Towards something more. Towards his Hatred. Towards learning new things.

But never away from the people who mattered.

Makino watched him from the window as he walked toward Mayor Woop Slap's home.

She pressed a hand to her chest, a mix of pride and longing in her eyes.

"He looks stronger," she thought.

"Happier. Brighter. And that makes me glad… even if part of me already misses him."

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["Thanks for reading!, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you in the next one."]