The Uzumaki Family Dinner

Click.

With a soft sound, the courtyard gate was unlatched from the inside.

Immediately after, the lattice gate twined with green vines, overlapping with the one in his dream, was gently pulled inward.

Kushina stepped out from behind the gate, spread her arms, and with all the longing, worry, guilt, and immense joy that had built up over the past twelve years, tightly pulled Naruto, who stood frozen outside the gate, into her embrace.

"!!"

Naruto's body instantly went rigid, his mind going blank.

At the tip of his nose lingered a faint, warm scent mixed with the clean fragrance of soapberry and the smell of everyday life—the scent that belonged to a "mother."

Unfamiliar, yet carrying an indescribable familiarity, it struck straight into the depths of his soul.

The woman's arms wrapped around him, making it a little hard to breathe, but he felt no discomfort at all. Instead, he felt a solid sense of belonging, as if a lone boat that had drifted for twelve years had finally crashed into a quiet harbor.

A body brought back by Impure World Reincarnation did not have a living person's warmth, but the emotions conveyed through his mother's embrace burned hotter than any flame and felt warmer than any sunlight.

Naruto stood there in a daze, letting Kushina hold him, his blue eyes wide and blank as he looked at the soft strands of red hair close at hand.

Slowly, he raised both arms, somewhat clumsy, somewhat hesitant, and in the end, still gently wrapped them around Kushina's back.

This simple motion seemed to exhaust all his strength.

A flood of emotions made up of grievance, longing, disbelief, and overwhelming happiness instantly broke through the final dam in his heart, making his eyes heat up again.

Neji stood quietly to the