Chapter 333: Reunion Across Time and Space
"...No, you've mistaken me for someone else..."
Sasuke violently turned his head. After merely glimpsing that figure, he quickly averted his gaze as though burned.
Naruto stood aside, helplessly sighing. He most hated this kind of concealing riddle-person communication style—clearly knowing everything yet insisting on acting like strangers.
"Mikoto-san," Naruto simply spoke directly. "This person is from another future world. In terms of blood relationship, he's your child."
"!!"
Sasuke completely hadn't anticipated Naruto would so bluntly reveal this shocking truth. He abruptly crouched down, hand tightly covering Naruto's mouth, voice panicked.
"Don't say more!"
Standing not far away, Mikoto froze completely after hearing this answer. If an ordinary child had said this, she'd definitely think they were joking.
But Naruto, this prematurely mature child, had never had a record of speaking carelessly. However, this answer was far too incredible. Mikoto felt she needed more evidence before believing this bizarre claim.
Actually, before this, Mikoto had guessed this mysterious person might have connection to Uchiha Itachi—though that night her eldest daughter made such cruel choices, as a mother, she'd never been able to completely let go of concern for that child.
Just as Sasuke frantically covered Naruto's mouth while Naruto struggled forcefully, amid the chaos, Naruto suddenly extended his hand, yanking off the wide hat almost covering half of Sasuke's face!
Though Sasuke immediately reached wanting to retrieve the hat and put it back on, under the dim streetlight, Mikoto had already clearly seen this stranger's face.
"We... look so alike..."
Mikoto unconsciously sighed aloud. Sasuke's movements instantly froze—he realized matters had already developed toward an irreversible direction.
Sasuke's appearance was indeed quite handsome, largely attributable to inheriting his mother's beauty. This also explained why in childhood, he'd occasionally been mistaken for a girl.
Seeing the situation had developed to this point, Naruto simply stopped pretending. "Alright, now, Sasuke, will you honestly admit your identity and properly talk with Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san, or wait for me to later tell them your identity, making them worry while searching for you everywhere?"
Sasuke slowly stood up. With someone fanning the flames, the emotions suppressed within finally broke through rationality's shackles.
He gazed at this overly familiar woman before him, took a deep breath, raised his hand completely removing the hat, revealing that face refined yet bearing vicissitudes. Under the streetlight's reflection, that face held astonishing similarity to Mikoto, just carrying more marks of time.
Mikoto stared blankly at this face so resembling herself. This person not only looked extremely similar but also revealed a difficult-to-understand guilt when facing her.
If not for the age discrepancy, and she was certain she didn't have such a large son, Mikoto would almost think this was her biological child... Didn't Naruto just say the word "future"?
Just then, Sasuke suddenly felt warmth flowing from his arm into his body—the sensation of chakra being rapidly replenished. He turned in surprise toward the side. Naruto had just withdrawn his hand from Sasuke's arm, tone calmly saying:
"Don't tell me you lack even the strength to activate your Sharingan. If you've made up your mind, bring out the evidence."
"..."
Sasuke remained silent momentarily before finally closing his eyes. When he reopened that solitary exposed eye, it displayed a bewitching and powerful pattern—not ordinary tomoe Sharingan, but Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"!"
Mikoto instinctively covered her mouth. As Uchiha clan, she possessed innate keen perception toward ocular power. This eye not only emanated unprecedentedly powerful force but more importantly brought Mikoto indescribable familiarity and affection.
This eye fused two presences she knew all too well—ocular power characteristics combining her two children, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Satsuki-chan.
"Your... your name... what is it?" Mikoto's voice trembled slightly, asking this key question.
Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan slowly faded. He answered in low voice, "Uchiha... Sasuke..."
"Uchiha Sasuke..."
Mikoto murmured repeating this name. This name was all too familiar to her—this was originally the name prepared for Uchiha Satsuki. Back then Fugaku insisted using this name, but the baby born was a girl, so they had to slightly modify the name.
Future world... parallel universe... These concepts sounded so incredible, but Mikoto ultimately chose to believe maternal instinct and the undeniable real evidence before her eyes.
"...Pfft... Hahaha..."
However, seeing this adult version "son" before her, Mikoto still couldn't help laughing lightly. Thinking her daughter was actually a boy in another world, moreover having traveled from the future—this plot only appearing in novels felt both absurd and comical. Laughter involuntarily spilled from her lips.
"You... you're future Satsuki-chan? No, Sasuke from another world where he's a boy?" Mikoto still carried unfinished laughter as she confirmed, eye corners slightly moist from mirth.
Though being openly mocked by his mother made Sasuke feel quite embarrassed, he still solemnly nodded.
"Then... in that world, is Naruto a girl?" Mikoto curiously pursued, eyes sparkling with mischievous light. "Let me guess—could she be called Uzumaki Naruko?"
"...No," Sasuke's voice was somewhat dry. "Naruto is similar to this world's."
"Eh? Well, that's rather unfortunate." Mikoto lightly wiped tears of laughter from her eye corners, then carefully examined this simultaneously familiar yet strange face.
Must admit, if she'd borne a son back then, he'd probably look like this—inheriting her features yet carrying firm bearing uniquely Fugaku's.
After laughter eased the originally heavy atmosphere, Mikoto restrained her mirth, merely gently gazing at Sasuke, softly asking: "You're already an adult... But that earlier reaction was quite abnormal. On your side, what happened?"
"...I'm sorry."
A hoarse, choked voice squeezed with difficulty from Sasuke's throat. He forcibly held back tears from falling, but his voice still trembled beyond control.
"...I see."
Mikoto immediately understood the profound meaning behind Sasuke's apology, but she didn't want to know why her other-world self had passed away. After confirming the person before her was her child, only overflowing compassion remained in her heart. "It seems you've had it very hard alone."
"Yes..."
Sasuke deeply lowered his head, not letting his mother see his about-to-collapse expression.
Mikoto slowly stepped forward, carefully examining Sasuke. Suddenly, she noticed unnatural abnormality about him, reaching toward his empty sleeve. Sasuke instinctively retreated one step, but Mikoto still touched it—no sensation of any arm inside.
"...This... must have hurt terribly, right? I'm sorry..."
After Mikoto realized this reality, her voice unconsciously trembled. Heartache's sensation swept like tidal waves through her heart. She didn't ask "how did you lose it" but asked "did it hurt?" This wasn't merely inquiring about the wound's own pain but asking about those unknown sufferings and loneliness experienced when losing this arm.
Uchiha Sasuke didn't directly answer, merely tightly gripping his mother's hand with his sole remaining hand. "Mom... I'm sorry... I... I couldn't protect you..."
Once emotions began leaking, like bursting floodwaters, they could no longer be stopped. Moreover, this was the Uchiha clan whose power source was intense emotion.
Guilt, longing, and pain suppressed in his heart for years finally found an outlet for release.
Standing aside, Naruto quietly watched this scene. He quietly retreated several steps, deciding to first leave this space to this mother and son reuniting across time and space.