The three walked out of the Hokage Office together, but their states of mind were completely different.
Sasuke remained cold and silent. Some of his inner turmoil had eased, but he still clung to his obsession with revenge.
Sakura breathed a thorough sigh of relief. The weight on her heart had lifted, leaving her feeling light and free.
Of the three, however, Naruto Uzumaki had undoubtedly changed the most.
Jiraiya took Naruto away on his own, heading toward a pleasant residential neighborhood.
Compared with the shabby, cramped little place Naruto used to live in, it was a world apart.
Standing at the entrance, Naruto's eyes widened with shock and envy, and he couldn't help murmuring:
"Wow... where is this? It's so big and beautiful!"
Watching his wide-eyed expression, Jiraiya felt a pang in his heart and smiled gently.
"Naruto, from today onward, this is your home."
"W-what?!"
Naruto froze on the spot, his pupils contracting in utter shock.
He pointed at himself in disbelief. "I-I get to live in a house this big?"
"Haha." Jiraiya chuckled and asked softly, "Are you happy?"
"This is the house where your father, Minato Namikaze, and your mother, Kushina Uzumaki, once lived."
"After all these years, it's finally being returned to its rightful owner. From now on, its true owner is you."
At those words, Naruto could no longer hold himself together.
His eyes instantly reddened. Torn between laughing and crying, he rushed inside.
He reached out, gently touching the walls, the doors, and the windows.
This was where Mom and Dad had lived.
Here, there were traces of the family he had once had.
A long while later, once Naruto had settled down, Jiraiya quietly slipped out and gently closed the door.
Standing outside, the smile he had forced earlier vanished completely, leaving