Chapter 114: A Choice
The next moment, a soft "tap" echoed through the air.
Naruto reached out with his finger and gently flicked Satsuki's forehead. His control was perfect—not enough to actually hurt her, but just enough to snap her out of that overwhelming panic.
"Mmh..."
Satsuki instinctively loosened her grip on Naruto's sleeve, bringing her hand up to cover her flicked forehead. But those tear-filled eyes, brimming with anxiety and fear, remained fixed on him without blinking.
Looking at this girl who had lost all her sharp edges, leaving only her vulnerable core exposed, Naruto felt his heart soften. He deliberately adopted a teasing tone.
"Satsuki... it seems like while the Uchiha genius has incredible talent as a ninja, in some areas... you're really just a complete dummy, aren't you?"
He was referring to her fear of loss, that panic about their connection being severed.
However, this comment—which would normally have immediately sparked an indignant rebuttal from Satsuki—now seemed to sink without a trace.
She didn't explode as expected, didn't flush red and shout "Who are you calling a dummy?!" Instead, she continued to gaze at him with those wet, vulnerable eyes filled with dependence and fragility.
"Even if I am a dummy... please don't leave me behind..."
Naruto fell silent.
That once-prominent "prideful" aspect of her tsundere personality had been completely washed away by a single night of upheaval and terror. All that remained was the undisguised "dere" side and bone-deep insecurity.
"Satsuki, do you know something?" Naruto's voice grew gentler.
"The tide... it never needs to choose whether to follow the moon—it simply moves naturally, following the rhythm of the ocean deep within itself."
He leaned forward slightly, bringing his gaze level with her anxious eyes. "And I didn't just make a choice back then. I will always, always follow this 'rhythm' within my heart."
"So don't be afraid. Accept this happiness you've regained with peace of mind. I'll always be right here watching over you, never taking a single step away."
The tide... the moon...
This metaphor left Satsuki stunned, her large eyes staring at Naruto without blinking. Meanwhile, Fugaku, who had been quietly observing from the side, seemed to glimpse the shadow of an old friend in a moment of confusion.
"R-really?" Satsuki's voice still carried a tremor. She needed the most concrete confirmation, needed to grasp the most tangible proof.
Naruto didn't answer with words this time. He simply took Satsuki's still-cold little hand and pressed it firmly against his chest.
"Yeah!" Naruto nodded emphatically, his face breaking into a brilliant smile. "Can you feel it? It's warm, right? And my heartbeat is fast, isn't it? This is all real! Not because I just went through a battle, but because... I'm making the most important promise with you right now, so I'm both nervous... and super happy!"
The real, blazing, rapid heartbeat beneath her palm was more powerful than any flowery words.
Then Naruto gently lowered the hand she'd placed on his chest and reached out with his other hand, using his fingertips to playfully pinch her soft cheek... the texture was quite nice, actually.
"Can you feel that? It stings a little, right?" he asked with a smile. "So you see, this isn't a dream! I'm really standing right here, and I'm not going anywhere!"
Seeing the frozen panic on Satsuki's face finally beginning to crack and show fissures, Naruto decided to press his advantage. He shifted his tone, adding a hint of vulnerable dejection.
"Actually... right now, I might be even more scared than you are, Satsuki."
"...Huh?" This completely unexpected turn left Satsuki stunned. "Why...?"
Naruto lowered his head slightly. "I'm afraid... afraid that now that your mom and dad are back to keep you company, you won't need me anymore. So..."
He raised his head again, looking at her with eyes that held a hint of pleading. "Please don't abandon me either, okay? Let's just... stay together like this, neither of us leaving the other behind. Is that alright?"
This "strategic retreat" instantly struck the most tender place in Satsuki's heart.
"No! How could that happen!" she immediately protested with fierce emotion, her small hands grabbing his sleeve again. "How could I abandon you? I absolutely wouldn't! I would never, ever leave you behind!"
Hearing this urgent and resolute response, Naruto's face immediately lit up with a triumphant smile—but more than that, it was genuine joy from his heart. He quickly seized upon her words.
"Yeah! I heard you! I'm solemnly accepting those words! That's our promise then! Since Uncle and Aunt have returned, but Satsuki still says she needs me..."
"So... the fact that you need me is really... really wonderful! Please keep needing me like this forever and always!"
Finally, the last barrier in her heart was completely breached, the cracks spreading rapidly. That perpetually proud and stubborn "tsundere" disappeared entirely, replaced by a little "crybaby" who could only nod and weep.
Satsuki nodded vigorously while letting her tears flow like a broken dam. But at the same time, she felt embarrassed about crying so openly and instinctively tried to duck her head low, hiding her disheveled appearance.
Seeing this, Naruto reached out again to stroke the top of her head. "It's okay, go ahead and cry. Sometimes tears aren't a sign of weakness at all."
He comforted her gently. "They come out because your heart is too happy to contain it all, right?"
"...Mm." Satsuki buried her face deeply in Naruto's shoulder, giving a muffled response. Warm tears quickly soaked through the fabric at his shoulder.
Feeling the wetness on his shoulder and the slight trembling in his arms, Naruto continued in his steady, reassuring voice. "Your future won't require you to make forced choices. There will be you, and me, and Uncle and Aunt, and maybe other friends too..."
"But my world has had you from the very beginning, has you now, and will always, always have you in the future. That will absolutely never change, no matter what."
These final words made Satsuki's crying grow loud again—no longer silent sobbing, but full-throated wailing mixed with immense relief, gratitude, and happiness.
Accompanying her cries were broken, barely audible, repeated words of "Thank you... really, thank you..."
Naruto didn't offer any more comforting words. He simply kept nodding gently, one hand maintaining a steady rhythm as he patted her back, fully accepting all of her emotions. Finally, he made a quiet suggestion.
"After we finish breakfast, let's go to the ninja academy together."
Behind them, Fugaku watched his little daughter depend so completely on that blonde boy, crying like she was made of tears...
As a father, seeing his carefully protected daughter develop such deep dependence and affection for another boy stirred complex feelings in him. He raised his hand, seeming like he wanted to say something—perhaps from paternal instinct, perhaps feeling it was somehow improper.
But another hand gently stopped him. Mikoto shook her head slightly at her husband. Her face showed no worry or disapproval, just... a gentle, accepting smile as she watched the two embracing children with tender eyes.