Chapter 388: Happy Birthday
...Pulling his thoughts back to the present.
Today remained just as ordinary as ever, peaceful to an almost excessive degree. No missions requiring urgent attention, no sudden attack warnings, no signs of potential crises.
Precisely because of this, Naruto felt something rare today... idleness.
As usual, he naturally headed toward the Uchiha compound, planning to find Satsuki. Perhaps they'd train together, or perhaps simply spend time together.
However, at the clan head's residence entrance, Uchiha Fugaku informed him of somewhat unexpected news.
"Satsuki is with Mikoto today. They have some matters to handle, so she probably won't have time for you."
Fugaku's tone remained calm as always, merely stating facts.
But for Naruto, this experience... proved far too unfamiliar.
In his memory, whether visiting directly or arranging meetings beforehand, this seemed... the first time Satsuki—or rather, a parent representing Satsuki's wishes—had politely declined with "she has things to do today."
Clearly for any normal interpersonal relationship, this was perfectly ordinary—everyone had their own schedule, private space, or time they needed to spend alone with family.
Yet a subtle yet clear sense of loss still spread uncontrollably from Naruto's heart.
He was even startled by this sudden, intense disappointment, hastily shaking his head to dispel this somewhat "excessive" possessiveness.
"Satsuki is with her mother... that's normal, completely normal."
He told himself internally, trying to use reason to convince emotion. Just like how Kushina occasionally had days when she especially wanted to spend time alone with her son, mothers and daughters also needed private time. This was perfectly reasonable.
Despite efforts at self-consolation, the emptiness of disrupted plans remained.
So Naruto decided to devote all his free time today to exploring and training the deeper abilities of his Star Eye, attempting to fill this sudden "leisure" with focused cultivation.
Time quietly flowed past amid concentrated meditation and subtle energy manipulation.
Night fell, lights came on. Naruto finished training and returned to Minato's former residence.
Pushing open the door, he habitually called into the house.
"I'm home."
However, unlike usual, this time there was no smiling response from his mother Kushina coming from the kitchen or living room, no sound of her hurried footsteps. The house remained silent, only his own voice echoing faintly in the entrance.
Naruto paused slightly, walking into the dining room. The table was clean, no prepared meal waiting, only a note pressed down by a cup. He picked it up. Uzumaki Kushina's handwriting met his eyes.
[Sorry Naruto, Mom has some things to handle today and might come home very late. Don't wait for Mom to eat—take care of dinner yourself. Remember to eat properly! —Mom]
"..."
The note's content was simple and clear, the reason sufficient. But perhaps the aftereffects of being "rejected" by Satsuki during the day hadn't faded, or perhaps the accumulated "unplanned leisure" of the entire day brought subtle influence.
Or perhaps that sensitivity to companionship and response stemming from childhood loneliness deep in his heart hadn't fully healed... at this moment, Naruto genuinely felt a long-absent sense of loneliness.
Even possessing tremendous power, distinguished status, respect and affection from numerous friends, plus his mother and lover's companionship, that little Naruto who once faced daily life alone in an empty apartment could still be easily touched by scenes of "being alone" at certain moments.
He sighed softly, folding the note and placing it back on the table. Who could he blame? Mom had her own matters. This was perfectly normal. Satsuki also had her own arrangements. He shouldn't be swayed by such emotions.
He walked into the kitchen, rarely preparing only a simple dinner for himself, eating alone at the table, then cleaning up.
During the remaining time, he tried reading for a while, but the words seemed unable to enter his mind. Eventually, he decided to rest early.
Nothing special happened, no crises to worry about. His body also felt somewhat tired from the day's training.
Naruto quickly finished washing up, lay on his bed, and closed his eyes.
Silent night enveloped the room. His breathing gradually became steady, finally slowly sinking into dreams.
---
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!
Persistent knocking stubbornly drilled into Naruto's deep sleep, obstinately hammering at the edge of his consciousness.
"...Mm?"
Naruto groggily struggled halfway out from warm blankets, bleary-eyed, looking toward the door. Outside the window, night remained thick as ink, only scattered distant lights dotting the silence. Was it an illusion? Or...
He fumbled for the bedside lamp switch, squinting as he grabbed the alarm clock from beside his pillow and brought it close.
[0:01]
Twelve-oh-one?
This hour? Who was it? Confusion rapidly spread, then mixed with the wariness belonging to deep night that arose from being disturbed. This was too abnormal. Who would come knocking at this silent hour past midnight?
But Naruto felt no fear. With his current strength, unless he sensed heart-palpitating chakra fluctuations at Otsutsuki level coming from outside, it was truly difficult to make him tense.
He casually grabbed a jacket and threw it on, walked to the entrance, and asked through the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
The voice from outside immediately washed away his lingering drowsiness. That voice was all too familiar to Naruto—cool yet at this moment infused with softness.
It was Uchiha Satsuki.
"Satsuki?!" Naruto instantly became fully awake, surprise and concern interweaving. Almost without thinking, he twisted the lock open. "Why are you here at this hour..."
Before his words finished, his gaze had already fallen on the figure outside. All questions and the latter half of his sentence were gently blocked by the scene before him.
The lighting outside was dim, but Satsuki stood there, herself a source of light. Her hands carefully held a moderately sized round cake, just large enough to be steadily supported in her palms.
On the cake, eighteen candles burned quietly, dancing flames casting warm spots of light in her focused eyes.
Candlelight flickered, illuminating her fair cheeks with an attractive layer of faint red, that blush spreading all the way to her ears. She tilted her face up slightly, gaze fixed unwaveringly on Naruto's blue eyes widened with surprise.
In that gaze, the usual coolness had completely melted away, leaving only gentleness and affection so abundant it seemed ready to overflow, utterly undisguised.
However, beneath this tenderness that could almost drown someone lay something more scorching—a stubborn, long-brewing undercurrent called "yearning," flowing slowly in the depths of her eyes.
"Naruto..."
Satsuki's voice was softer than ever before. The slight tremor from nervousness or anticipation knocked clearly against Naruto's heart with each word.
"...Happy birthday."
Today... was his birthday?!
Memory's floodgates burst open instantly. Naruto suddenly realized. So she'd deliberately chosen this moment when old and new days exchanged, the most precise timing, appearing at his door holding a cake? Just to become the first person to send him blessings?
Immense joy and surging emotion washed through his limbs like warm currents. Rising along with it was overwhelming tenderness.
Naruto immediately reached out, pulling Satsuki inside, quickly closing the door behind her to shut out the night's chill.
"...Really," his sigh-like tone was saturated with affection. "Standing outside alone in the middle of the night—how long were you waiting? What if you caught cold? Coming during the day would've been fine too. Doing this, I..."
His words couldn't finish again.
This time, because of Satsuki's actions.
After stepping inside, her footsteps showed no hesitation. She first placed the cake on the living room table, then walked straight toward Naruto, who was still murmuring concerned words.
Her gaze locked tightly onto him, pupils filled with unmistakably greedy focus.
Then, before Naruto realized what she intended, she gently rose on tiptoe—this motion carried a girl's clumsiness mixed with shyness and courage.
Her arms wrapped around his neck. Her arms were somewhat stiff, but the embrace's strength was exceptionally firm. Her body's faint cool fragrance mixed with the cake's sweet cream scent rushed into Naruto's nostrils all at once.
The next second—
A soft, slightly cool yet undeniably proactive and scorching touch precisely covered his lips.
It wasn't a skillfully executed kiss. It carried inexperienced testing, yet overflowed with burning yearning and possessiveness nearly spilling over.
A treasure carefully hidden for so long could finally no longer be restrained from revealing itself, carrying all-or-nothing courage and undeniable force.
Naruto's pupils abruptly contracted in the close-range flickering candlelight. His breathing stopped instantly.
The world's sounds seemed to disappear. Only their suddenly accelerated heartbeats remained in his ears, like dense drumbeats, along with the warmth transmitted between lips and teeth—mixed with cream's sweet fragrance and her unique scent.
****
80+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces