Chapter 246: Yakiniku Q
Yakiniku Q
The restaurant was already quite full. The air was thick with the enticing aroma of grilled fat, the iron plates sizzled, and the chatter of the crowd filled the place with a lively, down-to-earth energy.
At a large table by the window, the younger generation of Hidden Leaf Village Ninjas, including Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Inuzuka Kiba, and Shino Aburame, had already gathered.
When Shikamaru and the others saw Kushina, they were momentarily stunned before standing up one after another to greet her.
Kushina waved them off with a hearty smile on her face. "Oh, no need to be so polite! Just keep eating and having fun. If I stay here, you'll all just feel awkward."
Boruto scanned the group.
Younger versions of Uncle Shikamaru, Uncle Choji, Uncle Kiba, Shino-sensei, Uncle Lee, and Aunt Tenten.
And those two are... Uncle Neji and Mr. Sasuke?
Shikamaru and the others were also looking at the boy who bore a striking resemblance to Naruto.
Who is he?
He looks so much like Naruto.
"Boruto, let's go over there."
As she spoke, she pulled Boruto away without letting him argue. Her movements were crisp and decisive, clearly not wanting her presence as an elder to make the younger group at Shikamaru's table feel constrained.
"Boruto?"
The eyes of Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino naturally followed Kushina's movements, landing on the blond boy being pulled away.
Although Aunt Kushina hadn't made a formal introduction, this boy named "Boruto"... After the girls took their seats, Kiba couldn't help but ask about the background of Boruto and Uchiha Hikari, who had followed them in.
"Boruto is Naruto's relative."
Ino quickly spoke up to explain, "Though we're not entirely sure ourselves... we heard he didn't live in Hidden Leaf Village before."
It was better not to tell them that Boruto was Naruto's son from another world.
After all, they still didn't know who Boruto's mother was.
The paternal genes in Boruto were too prominent, making it impossible to tell who his mother actually was.
However, Ino had noticed Boruto's gaze; he seemed to look at Hinata and Hanabi more often.
If his mother turned out to be Hinata or Hanabi, that would be quite a predicament for her!
Sakura immediately caught on and nodded in agreement, "Yeah, to be honest, we were quite surprised too."
Karin added, "Aunt Kushina seems to know him."
Hinata kept her head down, saying nothing.
Hanabi also gave a slight nod without saying much.
Hikari remained quiet as usual, seemingly indifferent to the discussion around her, as she silently took out her small bottle of Chili sauce.
Hearing this explanation, Kiba still felt it was a bit strange, but seeing Sakura and the others backing it up and appearing unwilling to talk further, he just scratched his head and stopped asking. "Oh... so he's Naruto's relative."
However, not everyone was convinced by this simple explanation.
Sitting a bit further away, Hyuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, and Shino Aburame almost simultaneously looked up. Their gazes met briefly in the air, each seeing the same doubt in the others' eyes.
Something's not right... As a Genius of the Hyuga Clan, Neji's observation skills were extremely sharp.
That boy called Boruto didn't just have a similar appearance; more importantly, he also had four whisker-like marks on his cheeks!
What kind of relative could look this similar?
And did he just look at me for a bit too long earlier... Shikamaru's mind raced. Even if he's a relative, why does this kid have whiskers on his face too?
Moreover, they had never heard of the Fourth Hokage or Aunt Kushina having any close relatives like siblings.
He quickly recalled the limited information he had about the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
From which side of the family would a relative come from to make this kid, Boruto, look so much like Naruto?
A bold, even somewhat absurd guess gradually took shape in Shikamaru's mind.
But he couldn't be sure, or rather, his logic told him the guess was too far-fetched.
This kid couldn't possibly be Naruto's son from the future, could he!
'What a drag...'
Shikamaru sighed inwardly once more.
He didn't say it out loud, only silently picking up his cup, temporarily suppressing all his doubts and guesses in his heart.
He knew, judging by the way Ino and the others were acting, that he wouldn't get any answers by asking directly.
Ino and the others clearly knew more but chose to hide it.
As for the truth... perhaps only Naruto himself or time would reveal it.
Soon, Naruto also arrived at Yakiniku Q.
"Sorry, I'm late."
As he spoke, he naturally sat in the empty seat the others had saved for him.
That seat happened to be between Hikari and Choji, directly across from Neji.
Why is his Brother-in-law across from him again?
"Naruto's been a busy man lately!"
Inuzuka Kiba was the first to shout, his tone filled with familiar teasing.
"When on earth did you get so strong? And why didn't you bring Simba out this time?"
This question had been bottled up in Kiba's heart for a long time. The speed of Naruto's growth had long surpassed the realm of a "Genius"; it was practically a leap.
"I got stronger through sweat and hard work, obviously."
Naruto looked at Kiba and Akamaru in his arms.
"As for Simba, you'll have to ask Karin. Senior Jiraiya and I went to Mount Myoboku for a couple of days, and I haven't seen Simba since I got back."
Karin also gave an explanation.
"Grandma Mito borrowed Simba. While she was teaching us Sealing Techniques, she had Simba watch Shodai-sama to keep him from going to the Betting parlor to gamble."
Everyone was shocked. Simba was keeping an eye on the First Hokage?
That was a bit surreal.
After some brief pleasantries, Neji looked at Naruto.
"Speaking of which, aren't you going to introduce the one next to you?"
He was naturally referring to Uchiha Hikari.
"Her name is Uchiha Hikari. She's an Uchiha I found outside. By the way, what happened to Sasuke's eyes?"
Naruto had just noticed the silent Sasuke, whose eyes were covered with a layer of gauze.
Sasuke's voice was cold and devoid of emotion. "A minor issue. I overused my power and need to keep them covered to rest for a while."
"You said you found an Uchiha survivor outside?"
Sasuke "looked" toward Hikari's position.
Hikari also studied Sasuke. Was this the last Uchiha Naruto mentioned before?
"Yeah, I found her while out looking for Tsunade. I was quite surprised myself at the time."
Naruto's tone was casual.
"She doesn't talk much, so please bear with her."
Everyone knew what the Uchiha personality was like before the clan was wiped out, so they didn't think much of Uchiha Hikari's silence.
Sasuke was much the same.
Hikari looked in the direction of Sasuke's eyes. As a possessor of the Mangekyo Sharingan, she could sense two sets of Mangekyo Sharingan Ocular Power, and they seemed to be undergoing a Fusion.
What exactly was that?
Eyes beyond the Mangekyo Sharingan?
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