Chapter 245 - 244: Meeting the Parents

Chapter 245: Chapter 244: Meeting the Parents

Clang, clang, clang.

The sound of knocking echoed again and again, but no one opened the door.

"Uh, could it be that your parents are out on a mission?"

"Maybe."

"Don’t lose heart, you’ll definitely see your parents..."

"Then does that mean I can continue staying with Kano-chan tonight?"

"Why do you seem even happier?! Is sleeping with me more exciting than seeing your parents? No, absolutely not."

Kano rejected Naruko; no matter what, she couldn’t sleep with her again. She was truly afraid she wouldn’t be able to control herself and might actually ’do’ Naruko. But seeing Naruko’s dejected look, like an abandoned kitten, her heart softened again.

"Alright, if we don’t find any clues about your parents today, I’ll let you sleep with me."

"Yay! I love you the most, Kano-chan!"

Naruko hugged Kano’s arm tightly, revealing a sweet smile.

"Then let’s go find Obito first. I originally planned to just beat her up to break the Genjutsu, but now something incredible has happened. At least I have to go revive the ’me’ of this world."

The’self’ of this world had most likely died, or with a small probability, been sealed. With her personality, if she were alive, it would be impossible for her not to return home.

Kano took Naruko to the Hokage Office. As expected, Obito was there handling documents, Rin was acting as Obito’s secretary, and Kakashi was reporting a mission to her.

"Obito!"

Kano addressed him directly by name, walking up to Obito aggressively.

"Kano?! You’re back!"

Kakashi turned his head to look. Seeing his former Team 7 member, he couldn’t describe how happy he was. Sasuke had run off with Orochimaru, Kano’s whereabouts were unknown, and Naruto had gone to find Kano and hadn’t been heard from since.

The Team 7 he led was actually the first of their year to disband.

But now that Kano was back, Naruto might return as well. Not only would he have an answer for his Master and Mistress, but he could also rebuild Team 7.

"Kano, welcome back. When did you return?"

Rin also greeted Kano very warmly and happily, preparing tea and snacks for her.

"Tha... thank you."

The originally aggressive Kano instantly lost all her momentum.

One doesn’t strike a smiling face, after all. Rin and Kakashi were both genuinely happy about her return. Speaking of which, is this the grown-up Rin?

Her hair was tied in braids, making her look quite capable. There were still those two strange purple marks on her face.

"I came back yesterday. I’ve already explained the details to my brother and father. I have something important to discuss with Obito."

"Oh, I see. Then you guys talk first, I’ll go ask Shikamaru about it." Kakashi didn’t want to get involved in trouble and turned to leave. Before going, he added, "Obito is the Hokage now, so show a little respect, otherwise Hokage-sama will lose face, haha."

Kakashi left quickly.

Only Obito, Rin, Naruko, and Kano remained in the room.

"Hey, Obito, what’s the situation with this world?"

"What, not here to punch me? I thought with your personality you’d come straight for a fight."

"Don’t change the subject. This place wouldn’t happen to be your ’dream land,’ would it?"

Obito also set aside his combat tension and deactivated the Sharingan.

"You guessed right; this is my dream land. However, I analyzed, imitated, and modified your Genjutsu to pull you into mine."

In this world, Obito was the protagonist. Everything would develop as Obito wished, and things in the subconscious would gradually become reality.

"So, you wanted me dead that badly?"

"Can’t be helped, considering what you did to me. I was already being merciful by not having your whole family die with you, okay?"

The grudge of ’cutting the song’ was irreconcilable!

"Besides, it wasn’t my doing; rather, this world develops according to my subconscious. So when I heard news of your disappearance, I could roughly guess you were dead. But I don’t know the specifics of how you died."

Rin and Naruko, standing to the side, completely failed to understand what these two were talking about. But since the other person was someone they trusted and liked, neither interrupted and just listened silently.

"Then I’ll go investigate this matter. Just arrange some random out-of-village mission for me."

"To you, this is just a Genjutsu world. Why do you care so much?"

"Oh, really? Then should I try killing everyone in this world to see if I can clear it?"

"Make up the mission yourself, I’ll just sign it. Just try not to destroy my dream land."

Obito tossed a piece of paper to Kano, looking somewhat impatient. She had originally just wanted to scare Kano and let her feel what it was like to be trapped in a Genjutsu. She didn’t expect to actually win against Kano this way.

After all, even in this Genjutsu world, even as the Hokage mobilizing the strength of the whole village, she might not necessarily beat Kano. She knew very well how incompetent Konoha Village could be. Back then, in her teens, she could break into Konoha alone and take down the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, plus the Third Hokage’s Wife and a bunch of Konoha Ninja.

And then retreat unscathed.

And before that, she had taken a teenage kid and slaughtered the number one clan in Konoha (as Obito believed), the Uchiha Clan.

No one understands Konoha better than I do!

"Fine, I’ll punch you when I get back." Just as Kano was about to leave, she remembered one more thing. "Roughly how much longer until Minato and Kushina return?"

Just as Kano finished asking, there was a knock on the Hokage Office door, and a blonde man and a red-haired woman with a ponytail entered.

Obito looked at Naruko, then at Kano, and answered with a smile.

"Now."

"Obito, we’re back. We still weren’t able to find Naruto this time."

"I’m exhausted. Why is my Naruto such a romantic? He hasn’t come back for two years just to find Kano."

The people who entered were none other than Naruto’s parents—Minato Namikaze and Uzumaki Kushina.

Kano quietly introduced them into Naruko’s ear.

"These are your parents."

In an instant, Naruko was too excited to speak. She just stood there with her mouth agape, making incoherent sounds, while tears welled up in her eyes, which she struggled to hold back.

Minato and Kushina, who had just entered, also noticed Kano, and their eyes widened instantly!

"You’re Kano! You’re back! Did my Naruto find you and bring you back? Is he back too?"

Kushina immediately ran over and grabbed Kano’s shoulders, as if afraid she would suddenly vanish.

"Kushina, don’t be so excited, you’re scaring her."

"Hello, Uncle Minato, Auntie Kushina. Um, about Naruto... how should I explain this..."

Kano was also quite intimidated by the gaze of Naruko’s parents. she quickly pulled Naruko in front of her.

Kushina was stunned for a moment when she saw the blonde little girl in front of her, but then her mother’s intuition told her that this little girl was her own biological child.

"I’m very sorry, your son... for my sake... has now... become a daughter... and... there might be some... memory... uh... discrepancies... he’s forgotten many things..."

Kano apologized while making up a suitable identity for Naruko to make it easier for her to reunite with her parents. At the same time, she pushed Naruko forward to acknowledge them.

"Dad, Mom..."

"Naruto, is it really you..."

"It’s me, though I’m called Naruko now. Long time no see, Mom!"

"It’s good that you’re back. Being back is better than anything."

Mother and daughter wept in each other’s arms, and Kano felt relieved watching them. Minato also walked to Naruko’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder. Then he turned to Kano and asked:

"Naruto—Naruko, was she willing?"

"Yes, I didn’t want her to become like this either."

"Since it was her own choice, we won’t blame you. This child’s future is for her to decide; as parents, we can only give advice, not decide for her. Since she has already chosen you, then she’s in your care."

"Even though our son became a daughter, it’s not bad since our daughter is so cute."

Kushina picked up the loli Naruko, kissing and nuzzling her. Kano saw the shadow of her own mother in her.

Kushina pouted and looked at Kano.

"My Naruto—oh, right, I should call her Naruko now. My Naruko paid such a high price for you, you’d better take responsibility!"

"Yes. I will take full responsibility."

Kano even thought Kushina might give her a beating; she was prepared to stand firm and take it.

"Come to our house tonight, I’ll cook and we’ll have dinner together."

"For your family reunion, it might not be right for an outsider like me to be there?"

"What’s the problem? Maybe we’ll be one family in the future anyway."

"That kind of thing is still a long way off..."

"What, you think my Naruko isn’t good enough? She paid such a high price for you, your conscience..."

"I get it, I get it. I’ll go, I’ll go."

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