A Lavish Dinner

"Haha, System, that was the best thing you've said today—the sweetest thing, too. It made me so happy I could bloom with joy."

"Grrr."

An embarrassing sound suddenly came from his stomach. It was probably about time to eat anyway. Feeling a little hungry, Xuan Ye rubbed his flat belly, wondering whether his mother had prepared dinner yet.

Xuan Ye looked out the window again. The sun was almost out of sight now; evening was approaching. Today had really been exhausting. So many things had happened all in one day.

"Sniff, sniff, sniff."

Xuan Ye chose to close his eyes and slowly take in the scent.

Eh, what smells so good? This scent seemed to be drifting in from outside the door. Mm, it was the aroma of food—maybe stir-fried greens. No, there seemed to be the smell of meat too. What kind of meat was it?

"Ah, I remember now. That meaty aroma has to be braised pork—my favorite braised pork! Haha, I'm so smart. Mom must have already finished cooking and is just waiting for me to come downstairs for dinner."

"Xuan Ye, Xuan Ye, Genya Namikaze! Did you hear me? Hurry downstairs and eat dinner."

It was his mother calling him. Her voice was still so gentle and pleasant, like a little stream flowing into his heart, instantly lifting his somewhat gloomy mood.

"Mom, I heard you, I heard you. I'll be right down. Wait a moment—I'll come eat with you right away."

He just didn't know whether his father, Minato Namikaze, would be home. Ever since his father became Hokage, he had been incredibly busy every day. He spent practically all his time in the Hokage's office building and had no time to come home.

Xuan Ye steadily made his way toward the door step by step and reached out to open it. Since he was a little hungry, he quickened his pace. Before long, he arrived at the dining table.

The table was covered in dishes of every color, all of them his favorites. His mother was serving rice into bowls.

"Xuan Ye took a deep breath and slowly let it out."

"It smells so good! Mom, why are you being so nice today? You made so many delicious dishes, and they're all things I love to eat."

Looking at the steaming bowls of food on the table, Xuan Ye asked his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, in confusion.

Hearing her son's question, Kushina rolled her eyes at him.

"So, I wasn't good to you before? Only today counts as treating you well?"

"Hehe, no, no. My mom is the person who treats me best in the whole world," Xuan Ye said to Kushina.

Seeing the look on her son's face, Kushina stopped teasing him. "All right, all right. I forgive you."

Just then, his father walked in from outside. Minato Namikaze was not wearing the long robe exclusive to the Hokage today. Instead, he wore white pants and a white shirt—casual clothes. It seemed his father really did like white.

But why was his father home today? Wasn't he supposed to be busy? Ever since becoming the Fourth Hokage, he had barely had any time at home or time to spend with Xuan Ye and Kushina. Yet he was home today. Why?

Minato Namikaze walked into the room and saw the confusion on Xuan Ye's face. He knew it was because of him. Since he spent so much time away from home, Xuan Ye always wore that expression whenever he was around.

Minato Namikaze smiled sincerely and slowly walked toward Xuan Ye. When he reached him, he stretched out a hand and rubbed his head.

"Silly child, don't you remember that today is your birthday? At noon, I even gave you a Ninjutsu Scrolls as a birthday gift," Minato Namikaze said softly to Xuan Ye.

My birthday? My birthday?

"Ah! I remember now. So today is my birthday! Look at my memory—I guess so much happened today that I even forgot my own birthday. I really shouldn't have."

Looking at his father, Minato Namikaze, Xuan Ye smiled as well. As his father rubbed his head, Xuan Ye neither dodged nor resisted, because this feeling of being cared for was simply wonderful. It was so comfortable, like sunlight shining on him and filling him with warmth.

Seeing the harmonious father and son, Xuan Ye's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, could not help but reveal a warm smile. Today, the whole family was together, happily reunited. How wonderful.

"All right, have you two had enough? Today is our son's fourth birthday, and it's already late. Shouldn't we eat first? Once we're done, I won't care what you two want to do," Kushina Uzumaki said helplessly.

"Eat, eat. My stomach is practically flat from hunger."

Xuan Ye had never experienced this feeling of being cared for before. Hearing Kushina's words, he ducked away from Minato Namikaze's hand, his face turning slightly red as he felt a little shy.

Xuan Ye did not know when the last time he had blushed so shyly was. It must have been a very, very long time ago. Yet now he felt it again, and it did not seem so bad. His face felt hot.

Xuan Ye quickly sat down, casually picked up a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks, and prepared to start eating.

Suddenly, Kushina Uzumaki noticed that something seemed a little off about her son. She could not put it into words; he simply looked strange, a little different from before, but she could not say exactly how.

"Why do I feel this way?"

Kushina Uzumaki fell into deep thought. After thinking for a while, she looked at Xuan Ye again, at his face. Why was this happening? Why did he feel different from before? How strange!

Kushina kept staring at Xuan Ye. As she looked, her eyes suddenly widened, and she immediately asked, "Xiao Ye, have you gotten fairer recently? Why do you seem a little fairer today than before?"

She even walked over to Xuan Ye, stretched out a pale, delicate hand, and pinched his cheek. Afterward, Kushina froze. Her son's face was so soft. Why had she never felt that before?

After pinching him, Kushina tilted her head and thought for a while.

"Forget it. Why think so much about it? No matter what he becomes, he's still my son, isn't he?"

Minato Namikaze, who had been eating, also raised his head when he heard Kushina's words. He carefully examined Xuan Ye's face and stared for so long that Xuan Ye's scalp began to tingle.

Minato Namikaze said, "If Kushina hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have noticed! Xuan Ye, you really do seem a little fairer than before. If I hadn't looked closely, I honestly wouldn't have been able to tell."

Xuan Ye had been enjoying his meal, but after his parents made such a fuss, he was about to lose his appetite.

Looking at his parents, Xuan Ye broke out in a cold sweat. Damn, they really are my parents. They can even notice something so ordinary? I just got a little fairer. Do they really need to make such a big deal out of it?

But while it might have seemed like a small matter to Xuan Ye, it was no small matter in his mother's eyes. To a mother, anything involving her child was important.

Xuan Ye answered his mother, "Mom, maybe I haven't been out in the sun much lately, so I got a little fairer."

"Really? Is that so?" Kushina asked her son doubtfully.

"Yes, yes. That has to be it."

That was the only answer Xuan Ye could give. There was no other explanation. Could he tell his parents that he was a transmigrator, and that after he cultivated chakra, the System in his body had activated? That after activating, it had modified his body in order to bind itself to him?

That answer was impossible. Even if he told them, his parents probably would not believe him. They might even think something was wrong with his head. It would be awkward if they found a medical ninja to treat his brain.