Orochimaru was tidying up the Laboratory. With nothing much to do, Xuanhui decided to visit a few people.
He would stop by home first, then make the rounds.
It was daytime, so Minato and Fugaku might not be home. He would visit Tsunade, Dan Katō, and Hatake Sakumo first.
For the first time in ages, he leaped onto a rooftop above Konoha's streets and gazed into the distance.
After a brief moment of reminiscing, he flipped down from the roof and ran toward his family's shop.
Ding!
"Welcome!"
At the sound of someone entering, Nara Yamanaka, wearing glasses and holding a pen, looked up out of habit.
Then she spotted the figure standing in the doorway.
"Son?"
"Mom."
That familiar word sent Nara Yamanaka's motherly love soaring. She excitedly vaulted over the counter, hurried over, and wrapped Xuanhui in a hug.
"How was your trip? Did you have fun? Did any ninja bully you?"
"I had plenty of fun, and I didn't run into any trouble along the way."
"That's good!"
Nara Yamanaka pulled Xuanhui into her arms again, ruffling his hair with one hand.
"Why did you suddenly run out?"
Uchiha Uzumaki came in through the back door and looked around, only to find his wife crouching there, hugging the son he hadn't seen in so long.
"Hey! My son's back!"
Uchiha Uzumaki walked over too, looking his son up and down.
"Xuanhui, have you gotten stronger again?"
"Yeah. How could you tell, Dad?"
"Your dad may have a different pair of eyes now, but I can still see perfectly well."
His son's bearing was clearly different from before.
He seemed a little more composed and steady, and he had grown a little taller too.
"Go rest if you're tired. We'll have something nice for lunch."
"Sure. I'll take