Chapter 334: Identity Issues
Inside Naruto's apartment, a subtle yet tense atmosphere pervaded. On the table sat that incomplete tea set.
"Is this question so difficult to answer?" Kushina Uzumaki's hands crossed on the tabletop. Though her tone maintained basic politeness, it carried undeniable firmness. "Though asking guests this question is indeed somewhat impolite, your guardian did smash my favorite tea set."
Her gaze locked firmly on Uzumaki Boruto across from her. The youth unconsciously straightened his spine, fingers anxiously twisting together beneath the table.
"Who are your parents? What are their names?" Kushina leaned forward slightly. "I'll only ask this one question. But don't think about lying to me—I'm quite skilled at seeing through guilty consciences when people lie."
At this moment in the room remained only Kushina Uzumaki, the restless Boruto, and Satsuki coldly observing from the side.
Just moments ago, after Naruto and Mikoto successively chased after that strangely behaving stranger, Fugaku, worried about his wife, had also hastily followed out.
This series of changes made Satsuki quite displeased. That inexplicable fellow—why did the three people most important in her life all pay him such attention? If not for Naruto's deliberate reassurance before leaving that she needn't follow, Satsuki would have closely followed when Naruto went out.
This long-anticipated evening completely disrupted by a stranger made indescribable irritation surge in Satsuki's heart. She crossed her arms on the table, occasionally glancing at Boruto with dissatisfied gazes.
Kushina's reason for so persistently questioning Boruto's background was actually quite simple. After calming down and carefully observing this youth, she'd discovered a shocking fact—this child surprisingly resembled her husband Namikaze Minato by seventy percent, and bore eighty percent similarity to her biological son Naruto.
With slight disguise, the two could practically pose as twin brothers, and their ages were so close.
Blonde hair, azure eyes—such characteristics weren't commonplace in the shinobi world. High consistency in appearance, hair color, and eye color far exceeded coincidence's scope.
Kushina clearly remembered she hadn't given birth to twins back then, but only the one child, Naruto. If not for absolute trust in Minato's character, she'd suspect whether her husband had once had an affair.
Therefore, Kushina deduced this child's parents very likely had close blood relation to Minato. She anticipated hearing the "Namikaze" surname from Boruto's mouth. However, what was with this youth's stammering, hesitant-to-speak attitude?
Just as Boruto stammered, about to be unable to withstand Kushina's questioning, the door was timely pushed open. First to enter was Naruto, who naturally walked back to his seat as usual.
"I'm back... Did you argue?" Naruto noticed the wrong atmosphere, gaze moving back and forth between his mother and Boruto.
Kushina immediately put on an amiable expression, changing faces so fast it left Boruto dumbstruck. "Not at all, Naruto," she said in sweet voice. "Mom was just asking your friend a few small questions."
Boruto couldn't help sighing internally—if Grandma were still alive, she'd actually be so gentle toward Dad? This drastically different attitude transformation left him momentarily unable to adapt.
After Naruto returned, the Uchiha couple also successively entered the room. Fugaku walked ahead, expression appearing somewhat subtle, carrying a thoughtful demeanor plus a trace of imperceptible pride—the emotion involuntarily produced when personally witnessing those eyes existing only in legend.
Faced with his wife's detailed explanation and numerous evidence, Fugaku reluctantly believed this bizarre claim. Of course, compared to Mikoto's intuition, Fugaku only finally confirmed after Sasuke revealed much privacy known only within the family.
Uchiha Sasuke... Fugaku didn't care about his own cause of death in another world—perhaps he'd already guessed his ending. At this moment, his heart held more anticipation that future Satsuki might also become this powerful.
The only slight regret he felt was that space-time's Naruto surprisingly wasn't a girl.
Following behind, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Sasuke, Mikoto's gaze toward Sasuke had become even gentler. Sasuke had again donned that wide hat, preventing anyone from seeing his current expression clearly.
"Dad, Mom, honestly, why did you follow out?" Satsuki said dissatisfiedly, then directed her spearhead toward Sasuke. "And this person... wrapped so tightly, reacting like a weirdo—isn't he some suspicious character?"
Though this world's "self" obviously didn't welcome him, Sasuke completely ignored these grating words, merely silently returning to his seat.
"Kushina, what's this about..." Mikoto noticed Kushina interrogating Boruto and hastily intervened.
"Ah, you're back," Kushina drew close to Mikoto, lowering her voice while pointing at her own hair. "You see, this makes one very concerned."
Mikoto immediately understood Kushina's doubts—this child held astonishing resemblance to her husband and son. During the just-now conversation, Mikoto and Fugaku had also confirmed this youth extremely resembling Naruto's true identity—Naruto's future son.
Mikoto secretly glanced at her own daughter, discovering Satsuki-chan was stealing glances at Naruto. In that other world where her daughter became a son, this child was obviously born between Naruto and another wife. If Satsuki learned the truth, she'd probably directly collapse.
"Um, Kushina," Mikoto decided to tell a white lie. "Actually just now, this person already told us everything."
"Eh? Really?" Kushina's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes," Mikoto continued without changing expression. "Actually, this child's parent-like figure is this person." She gestured toward Sasuke's direction.
"Parent-like figure?" Kushina confusedly repeated.
"Because this child himself might not know who his parents are." Mikoto smoothly told the lie, implying the child's parents might not be by his side—raised instead by this mysterious person.
"Ah? So that's how it is?" Kushina immediately believed this explanation, turning to look at Sasuke.
"Yes, exactly," Sasuke cooperatively completed this lie. "Please don't mind."
"Goodness! I'm so sorry!" Kushina clasped her hands together, apologizing profusely to Boruto. "I asked hurtful questions! What must I do for you to forgive Auntie?"
Boruto responded with strange expression. "It's fine... I don't mind..."
As a child raised in a loving environment, Boruto instead felt bad about an elder so solemnly apologizing.
Moreover, he didn't care about that lie's content—this was because Boruto's upbringing was very happy. Everyone he cared about was safe, not touching his painful points. In this room, everyone else's lives carried irreparable regrets. Only Boruto had yet to experience any irreparable pain.
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