Chapter 320: Emotional
A strange scene only Naruto could see unfolded before him—not chakra's radiance, but golden spiritual energy only perceivable to those with special aptitude, slowly clinging to Kushina Uzumaki's entire body.
This spiritual energy, the instant it touched the Impure World body, began transforming into a unique life energy, continuously pouring into that framework constructed from dust.
Kushina kept her eyes tightly closed, carefully experiencing the changes within her body. Honestly, this sensation was completely different from what she'd anticipated.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan whose life force was innately exceptionally vigorous, her perception of life energy had always been warm and abundant. However, this energy now surging in brought a peculiar pain sensation, as though countless electric currents were stimulating her long-numbed nerve endings.
This... was it starting to take effect?
She didn't know this was precisely the unavoidable phenomenon during the process of "dead matter" being forcibly transformed into "living matter." The dust and impurities constructing her body were being forcibly restructured under that domineering yet miraculous life energy's influence, replaced with genuine, living flesh and blood cells.
Cells divided madly at unprecedented speeds violating natural laws, growing, intertwining with each other, reconnecting, completing miraculous life reconstruction.
This process itself wasn't comfortable—even carried an indescribable foreign body sensation. But for Kushina who could barely clearly perceive even pain, this insignificant stimulation instead caused tremendous hope to surge in her heart.
Because she longed so much—longed to once again truly feel her son's warmth, rather than like now where no matter how forcefully she embraced him, only cold emptiness came through.
Did the transformation succeed?
From external appearance, changes were minimal. The original Kushina had been an exquisite puppet constructed from dust with consciousness, external appearance identical to her living self.
Now she was still herself, only that layer of faint, grayish death's desolation shrouding the Impure World body had completely disappeared. Her skin showed the healthy luster and rosy flush only living people had. Her entire person seemed infused with soul's radiance... though she'd originally had a soul.
Kushina slowly opened her eyes.
The world—light was brighter, air's movement brought subtle tactile sensations, even distant sounds became layered and distinct. This body's perception sensitivity toward the external world had been elevated to an entirely new height.
"Mom... how does it feel?"
Naruto asked with barely concealed tension, voice even trembling slightly.
Kushina didn't immediately answer. She first lowered her head, staring blankly at her own palm, then slowly, forcefully clenched her fist.
The clear friction sensation as joints moved, the vivid strength feedback as muscles tensed—that solid "sense of existence" tremendously shocked her heart.
Immediately after, she made a move leaving Naruto somewhat unprepared—she extended her hand, gently, with some probing, pinching Naruto's cheek on one side.
Warm, elastic tactile sensation transmitted incomparably realistically through her fingertips.
"...Mom?" Naruto completely didn't understand this action's meaning, somewhat bewilderedly blinking his azure eyes.
Kushina merely murmured to herself, voice carrying dream-awakening daze. "So... this is what it feels like to pinch?"
However, the next second, rationality violently overcame surging emotional tides.
"Wait! Now's not the time for this!"
Kushina seemed to suddenly awaken, shooting up to her feet, movement so fast it stirred up wind. She grabbed Naruto's wrist in one motion, grip carrying warmth, pulling him toward the door without allowing refusal.
"Quick, Naruto! According to what we planned, go to the hospital immediately for comprehensive examination!" She turned her head, eyes sharply staring at her son, tone carrying undeniable firmness. "You better not lie to me! If the examination results have even the slightest problem, you know the consequences!"
---
After completing that series of tedious yet meticulous examinations, the sky outside had already taken on evening's orange-red hue. After dealing with those curious medical personnel at the hospital, vaguely explaining several times "what this red-haired woman is to Naruto," mother and son finally stepped onto the homeward path with slightly weary yet abnormally excited steps.
Arriving beneath the small apartment building, they didn't know Uchiha Satsuki had just gone to the hospital with worry after waiting unsuccessfully for so long, perfectly missing them.
Taking out keys to open the door, warm lamplight dispersed the last traces of outside dusk. Kushina almost impatiently once again pulled out that examination report sheet she'd crumpled somewhat from gripping, confirming for the who-knows-how-many-th time every single "healthy," "normal," "chakra flow stable and full of vitality" notation on it.
Each affirmative word was like a solid brick, building up that castle named "hope" in her heart.
"Um... Mom," Naruto gently closed the door, watching his mother's focused profile, finally unable to help confirming once more. "How does it actually feel? Your body... is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable, or any strange sensations...?!"
His words hadn't finished asking.
The next instant, an incomparably soft yet trembling-with-excitement embrace suddenly pulled him in. After rationality received the most satisfying answer, emotions that had been forcibly suppressed finally released like bursting floodwaters.
"I felt it... I truly felt it..."
Just like their reunion's first night, Kushina's voice was full of uncontrollable choking emotion and tremendous feeling, but this time, missing that death's deathly cold, filled with vivid life force.
"So warm... Naruto... your body is warm... is warm..."
Those arms tightly encircling him tightened further. Blood-connected familial affection, through this real and warm tactile sensation, without obstruction, once again surged turbulently forth.
"Foolish son..." Her cheek buried in Naruto's shoulder, voice muffled, carrying sobbing tone. "Why did you only now let Mom feel these things... You made me wait... wait so very long..."
She slightly loosened some strength, hands cupping Naruto's still somewhat dazed face, tear-filled eyes greedily gazing as though wanting to make up all those missed years at once.
"Let me look at you properly... I'm sorry, Naruto... truly sorry... missed every single day of you growing up... couldn't... when you cried as a child, hold you like this, comfort you... sorry... truly... sorry..."
Scalding tears broke free from eye sockets' restraint, drop by drop, carrying a mother's guilt and profound love, falling to the ground. The tears were no longer bound by Impure World Reincarnation but were real, warm—a genuine emotional outpouring belonging to a mother who'd once again embraced life and warmth.
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