manynovel Chapter 334 The Problem of Identity
Chapter 334 The Problem of Identity
A subtle and tense atmosphere filled Naruto's apartment. On the table sat the broken tea set.
"Is this question so hard to answer?" Kushina Uzumaki placed her hands on the table, her tone maintaining basic politeness but carrying an undeniable firmness. "While it is indeed somewhat rude to ask a guest this question, your guardian did break my favorite tea set, you know."
Her gaze was fixed on Boruto Uzumaki across from her. The boy unconsciously straightened his back, his fingers nervously twisting together under the table.
"Who are your parents? What are their names?" Kushina leaned forward slightly. "I'll only ask this one question. But don't try to lie to me, I'm quite good at spotting the guilty conscience of a liar."
At this moment, only Kushina Uzumaki, the restless Boruto, and Satsuki, who was watching coldly from the side, remained in the room.
Just now, after Naruto and Mikoto chased after that strange stranger, Fugaku, worried about his wife, hurriedly followed.
This series of unexpected events made Satsuki very unhappy. Why did that inexplicable guy have to attract so much attention from the three people she cared about most in her life? If Naruto hadn't specifically reassured her before leaving that she didn't need to go with him, Satsuki would have followed him closely as soon as he left.
The night she had been looking forward to was completely disrupted by a stranger, which made Satsuki feel an inexplicable anger. She crossed her arms on the table and glanced at Boruto with displeasure every now and then.
The reason Kushina was so persistent in questioning Boruto's origins was actually quite simple. After calmly observing the boy, she discovered a shocking fact—the child bore a striking resemblance to her husband, Minato Namikaze, at seven-tenths, and to her own son, Naruto, at eight-tenths.
With a little disguise, the two could easily pass for twin brothers, especially since they are so close in age.
Golden hair and deep blue eyes—such features are not uncommon in the ninja world, and the high degree of consistency between appearance, hair color, and eye color far exceeds the scope of coincidence.
Kushina clearly remembered that she didn't give birth to twins, but only Naruto. If she hadn't had absolute trust in Minato's character, she would have suspected her husband of having an affair.
Therefore, Kushina deduced that the child's parents were likely closely related to Minato by blood. She hoped to hear the surname "Namikaze" from Boruto, but what was with the boy's hesitant and reluctant attitude?
Just as Boruto was stammering and about to be overwhelmed by Kushina's questioning, the door was pushed open at the opportune moment. Naruto entered first, and as usual, he naturally walked back to his seat.
"I'm back... Did you two have a fight?" Naruto noticed that something was wrong and his gaze shifted back and forth between his mother and Boruto.
Kushina immediately adopted a kind and gentle expression, a change of pace that left Boruto speechless. "No, Naruto," she said in a sweet voice, "Mommy was just asking your friend a little question."
Boruto couldn't help but wonder, if his grandmother were still alive, would she be so gentle with his father? This drastically different change in attitude was hard for him to accept.
After Naruto returned, the Uchiha couple also entered the room one after the other. Fugaku walked in front, his expression somewhat subtle, with a thoughtful look and a hint of barely perceptible pride—an emotion he couldn't help but feel upon witnessing those legendary eyes.
Faced with his wife's detailed explanation and a wealth of evidence, Fugaku reluctantly believed this bizarre story. Of course, compared to Mikoto's intuition, Fugaku only became convinced after Sasuke revealed many private matters known only to members of the clan.
Uchiha Sasuke… Fugaku didn't care about the cause of his death in another world—perhaps he had already guessed his fate. At this moment, he was more filled with anticipation that the future Sasuke might also become just as powerful.
The only thing that made him feel a little regretful was that Naruto in that timeline wasn't a girl.
Mikoto, walking alongside Sasuke, looked at him with even gentler eyes. Sasuke, meanwhile, had put his large hat back on, obscuring his expression.
"Dad, Mom, honestly, why did you follow them?" Satsuki said discontentedly, then turned her attention to Sasuke, "And this guy... he's all bundled up, and he's acting like a weirdo. Could he be some suspicious fellow?"
Although the "self" in this world clearly disliked him, Sasuke completely ignored these harsh words and silently returned to his seat.
"Kushina, what are you doing..." Mikoto noticed that Kushina was interrogating Boruto and quickly stepped in to help.
"Ah, you're back," Kushina said, leaning closer to Mikoto and lowering her voice, pointing to her hair. "Look, this is something that catches my eye."
Mikoto immediately understood Kushina's doubts—this child bore a striking resemblance to her husband and son. And in their earlier conversation, Mikoto and Fugaku had already confirmed the true identity of the boy who looked so much like Naruto—Naruto's future son.
Mikoto glanced furtively at her daughter and discovered that Satsuki was secretly watching Naruto. In this world where the daughter is a son, the child is clearly Naruto's son with another wife. If Satsuki knew the truth, she would probably collapse.
"Um, Kushina," Mikoto decided to tell a white lie, "actually, she already told us everything just now."
"Huh? Really?" Kushina's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes," Mikoto continued without changing her expression, "Actually, the one who acts as the child's parent is this person." She gestured in Sasuke's direction.
"A parental role?" Kushina repeated, puzzled.
"Because, this child might not even know who his parents are." Mikoto smoothly told the lie, implying that the child's parents might not be by his side, but were raised by this mysterious person.
"Ah? Is that so?" Kushina immediately believed the explanation and turned to look at Sasuke.
"Yes, that's right," Sasuke played along, completing the lie. "Please don't mind."
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Kushina said to Boruto with her hands clasped together, full of apology. "I asked some hurtful questions! What can I do to make you forgive me?"
Boruto replied with a strange expression, "It's okay... I don't mind..."
As a child who grew up in a loving environment, Boruto felt bad about his elders' earnest apology.
Furthermore, he didn't care about the content of the lie—this was because Boruto had grown up in a very happy environment, and everyone he cared about was well and safe, so it wouldn't touch his sore spot. In this room, everyone else's life was filled with irreparable regrets, but Boruto, so far, had not experienced any irreparable pain.
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(The author has caught a cold again and isn't feeling well, but won't stop updating... Please support me... I'm taking time off work to stay home and write while recovering...)
(I expect to finish writing about the Otsutsuki invasion tomorrow.)