Changing Plans

The next morning, sunlight gently spilled through the gaps in the window onto Menma's face. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, looked out the window, and the corners of his mouth curled upward into a look of anticipation.

"Alright! Time to go watch the show!" Menma's voice carried a hint of irrepressible excitement.

Menma nimbly changed his clothes. Instead of waking Naruto, he left the room on tiptoe. After a quick wash in the bathroom, he slowly headed downstairs.

At this moment, the morning sun cast dappled light across the staircase, creating a dance of shadows. In the kitchen below, Auntie Ku was busy preparing breakfast; the occasional clinking of pots and pans filled the air, mingled with the aroma of food.

"Mom! Are we really going to stir up trouble at the Hokage Office today? Time to give the old Third a little shock," Menma said loudly as he descended the stairs.

Auntie Ku, busy in the kitchen, poked her head out with a look of confusion.

"I'm going too? I thought we were waiting until after your birthdays?" Auntie Ku's voice held a trace of excitement. If they could really do this, she could finally reveal her identity to Naruto—the thought made her giddy.

"Of course we have to go; we need to add some fuel to the fire!" Menma said as he reached the table and sat down.

"Then why didn't you wake Naruto up? We should all go together," Auntie Ku asked, still holding a spatula.

"I'm not ready to tell him the truth yet. Just the two of us will do for today," Menma replied.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Auntie Ku's eyes. She had thought she could finally stop hiding, but it seemed she still had to keep it from Naruto.

"Menma, I'm not trying to lecture you, but everyone else knows. If Naruto is the only one left in the dark, will it really be a pleasant surprise for him?" Auntie Ku said to him.

Menma fell into deep thought. He scratched his head, feeling that Auntie Ku had a point, and spoke up:

"But if I tell him now, won't all our previous efforts go to waste?"

Menma was torn. He didn't know whether to reveal the truth now and have Naruto join them in stirring up the Hokage Office, or wait until their birthday to give him a surprise.

"I believe Naruto will understand your intentions, but that day is also your birthday, Menma." Auntie Ku looked at Menma with a smile, her voice as gentle as a morning breeze.

In truth, ever since Auntie Ku decided to stay at home using the Transformation Technique, the plan had already shifted. If they stuck to the original plan, it might not achieve the desired effect and could even backfire.

"Hmm... I suppose so. The plan has already changed, and sticking to the old one might indeed be counterproductive," Menma said thoughtfully.

"That's more like it! I'm going to wake Naruto up now." With that, Auntie Ku dispelled the Transformation Technique, placed the breakfast on the table, and headed upstairs.

Menma looked at the breakfast before him: a steaming bowl of noodles, a golden-fried egg, and a glass of fresh milk. He couldn't help but imagine Naruto's reaction when he saw Auntie Ku. Would he be shocked, or would he burst into tears?

The more Menma thought about it, the more curious he became. It felt like a kitten was scratching at his heart, and he couldn't resist going up to see.

With that thought, Menma decisively stood up and headed upstairs. Just as he climbed a few steps, he heard a voice from his room:

"Hey! Are you Danzo in disguise? Did you turn into this to kidnap me again? What did you do to Menma! I won't let you get away with this!" Naruto shouted loudly. Menma was left speechless, his forehead covered in black lines; he never expected this third, unforeseen scenario.

Menma quickened his pace to the door and leaned against the frame, watching the two inside.

At that moment, Auntie Ku was holding Naruto tightly. Neither spoke; they just embraced in silence.

"I hate to interrupt, but don't we still have to go to the Hokage Office?" Menma said helplessly.

The two finally snapped out of it. Auntie Ku let go and stood up.

"Naruto, I'll explain some things to you later. Go wash up, and once you're done, come down for breakfast. We still have to head to the Hokage Office." Auntie Ku gently patted Naruto's head, kissed his forehead, and prepared to leave. As she reached the door, she didn't forget to kiss Menma as well.

This left Menma feeling a bit flustered. Naruto climbed out of bed, came to Menma's side, and asked with expectant eyes:

"Is that person really our mom?"

Menma nodded in confirmation. At that, silent tears streamed down Naruto's face. Seeing this, Menma reached out to wipe them away and said:

"Mom has been staying with us as 'Auntie Ku' for the past few days. It was meant to be a birthday surprise for you, but due to some reasons, we couldn't keep it up, so it turned into what you see now."

Naruto was stunned; the news was both a shock and a joy. He suddenly remembered Auntie Ku's temper and, realizing what it meant, hurried off to wash up.

During this time, Menma told Naruto about Edo Tensei Kushina. Naruto listened as he washed, his heart brimming with irrepressible joy.

The two went downstairs together to the table. Menma tentatively began to eat, but Naruto was different—he shoveled the food into his mouth as if he were tasting the most delicious meal in the world.

Auntie Ku noticed something strange and realized Naruto was crying while he ate, large droplets falling into his bowl.

"You child, really, is this breakfast that good?" Auntie Ku stood up and gently wiped Naruto's tears with a tissue.

"No, it's just... it's the first time I've eaten food made by Mom," Naruto said.

"You silly boy, you've been eating it for two or three days now, how can you call it the first time?" Auntie Ku said with a smile.

"It was different before..." Naruto continued, eating as he spoke.

Auntie Ku sat beside Naruto, her hand resting on his back, watching him eat his noodles in silence.

Menma noticed that today's noodles didn't seem as bad as before, and he began to eat heartily as well.

After they finished, Auntie Ku took the dishes to the kitchen to wash them. Naruto immediately ran over to help, the two chatting and laughing—a heartwarming scene of maternal love and filial piety.

Menma sat to the side, quietly reading a copy of Basic Ninjutsu Knowledge.

"Menma, can't you learn from your brother? He knows how to help me with the dishes. Look at you, doing nothing," Auntie Ku said while scrubbing.

"That's why he's the big brother," Menma replied casually, his eyes never leaving the book.

The two shared a smile and continued washing. Once finished, the three of them headed out.

The streets of Konoha were bright with sunshine. Auntie Ku held Naruto's hand as they walked in front, Naruto's face beaming with happiness. Menma followed behind, reading as he walked. People bustled about, the cries of vendors and the laughter of children weaving together into a lively scene.

Others on the street looked at them with shock, their gazes drawn involuntarily to Auntie Ku. When she spotted acquaintances, she would greet them warmly.

Suddenly, Auntie Ku stopped in her tracks. Menma, not paying attention, bumped straight into her.

"Sorry, sorry, I..." Menma looked up to see who he had bumped into, and upon discovering it was Kushina, he immediately sensed trouble.

Kushina reached out and grabbed Menma by the ear, her hair beginning to float slightly as she said angrily:

"Who taught you to read while walking?"

Looking at the furious Kushina, Menma decisively closed his book and hurriedly said:

"I won't read it, I won't read it." Menma winced in pain and instantly became much more obedient, thinking to himself that when the Red Hot Habanero gets angry, she is truly impossible to handle.

Only then did Kushina let go, asking with concern:

"How is it? Does it hurt?"

Menma first shook his head, then suddenly nodded. He didn't dare say it didn't hurt; if Kushina decided to give him another tug, he really wouldn't be able to take it.

Kushina didn't say anything more, taking Menma's hand and continuing forward. At this moment, Kushina held Naruto's hand in one and Menma's in the other, her face beaming with a happy smile, feeling more satisfied than words could express.

"Kushina?" A familiar voice called out. Kushina turned her head and spotted a familiar figure.

"Oh, it's Mikoto, it really has been a long time." After seeing who it was, Kushina greeted her warmly.

Mikoto had been out shopping when she accidentally caught sight of a familiar figure on the street. Thinking it looked like Kushina, she had followed for a while. It wasn't until Kushina turned around to scold Menma that Mikoto confirmed it was truly her, prompting her to call out.

Mikoto approached Kushina, and Naruto and Menma politely greeted her as well.

"Kushina, you are..." Mikoto asked curiously.

"Eh? Didn't Fugaku tell you? That's fine, I'll bring Naruto and Menma over to your place later so we can have a good chat. I have to head to the Hokage Office first," Kushina said.

"Then it's settled. Come to our place for lunch today; I'll go buy some groceries and prepare properly." After saying this, Mikoto left.

The three continued walking until they arrived in front of the Hokage Office Building. The Chunin on duty were stunned when they saw who it was, but none of them stepped forward to stop them.

Kushina walked into the Hokage Office Building with Naruto and Menma, heading toward the Hokage Office upstairs.

At this moment, inside the Hokage Office, the current heads of the Nara Clan, Akimichi Clan, Yamanaka Clan, Inuzuka Clan, and Uchiha Clan—Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Inuzuka Tsume, and Uchiha Fugaku—were all present. In addition, the two elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, were also there; they all seemed to be waiting for someone.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and everyone in the room looked toward it.

"Is that Danzo? Please, come in," Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Kushina pushed the door open and entered, with Naruto and Menma following closely behind her.

Seeing who had arrived, everyone present—except for Uchiha Fugaku—was shocked. They widened their eyes, staring at Kushina in utter disbelief.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly startled at first, but he quickly composed himself. In truth, the Anbu had previously reported to him that a strange woman had appeared in the Jinchuriki's home. Hiruzen Sarutobi had intended to pay a visit himself, but he hadn't expected that person to actually be Kushina.

The others also noticed Naruto and Menma behind Kushina. They instantly understood what was about to happen and consciously stepped aside, leaving space for Kushina.