Chapter 335: Childhood Betrothal
"Delicious!"
After tasting the cuisine on the table, Boruto couldn't help voicing sincere amazement. Naruto's "feast" was completely literal—dinner was sumptuously beyond imagination, the table filled with various delicacies. The drawback was red dishes occupied half the territory.
Facing Naruto's top-tier culinary skills, Boruto could say without exaggeration that even in Konoha's finest restaurants, he'd never tasted such delicious cuisine. Even the tomatoes he normally wasn't interested in became incredibly tasty under Naruto's skillful cooking—that red half on the table was precisely various tomato dishes.
Sasuke silently savored the vivid red dishes on the table. Tomatoes had always been his most preferred ingredient, though his daughter had once scorned this preference. Sasuke didn't think Naruto had specially prepared these for him. He somewhat couldn't bear to directly look at Satsuki across from him also enjoying dinner, seemingly understanding in his heart why this world's "self" would develop special feelings toward Naruto...
While savoring the food, Mikoto privately worried whether her future daughter could become a qualified wife. However, thinking again, if Fugaku also possessed such culinary skills, she probably wouldn't want to cook either.
This was also precisely Mikoto's most satisfying point about Naruto—his consideration and care for Satsuki could practically be called excessive indulgence.
Of course, Naruto had prepared everyone's favorite foods—only because "two Sasukes" were present did tomatoes' proportion become especially high. While preparing dinner, Naruto vaguely recalled settings seen in Boruto—
Boruto's favorite food seemed to be...
Thus, while everyone enjoyed the main dishes, Naruto entered the kitchen again. A small pot on the stove bubbled cooking something. When he lifted the lid, a pungent spicy aroma instantly filled the entire kitchen, even making his eyes sting slightly.
Naruto forcibly held back coughing, carefully ladling out this pot of special chili sauce, preparing to add it to the hamburger made from memory. He remembered the setting that Boruto preferred strong flavors, especially having a soft spot for hamburgers.
When Naruto carried the freshly made hamburger from the kitchen, an intensely spicy fragrance immediately permeated the room. This stimulating smell made Satsuki and Sasuke simultaneously furrow their brows—actually, in this room truly enjoying such strong flavors was only Boruto, while Naruto wasn't picky.
"Try this," Naruto placed the special hamburger before Boruto. "Konoha currently doesn't sell that 'Thunder Burger' you mentioned this afternoon. I tried replicating it based on your description—see if it suits your taste?"
"Eh... Then I won't hold back." Boruto felt somewhat surprised—unexpectedly, food he'd merely casually mentioned had been remembered by Naruto.
He forcibly held back the "Dad" nearly escaping his lips while feeling his taste buds already completely awakened by this enticing aroma.
After smelling this unfamiliar spicy scent, Boruto's mouth had already begun unconsciously secreting saliva. He impatiently bit down a large bite, immediately widening his eyes.
"...Delicious! A hundred times better than what shops sell!"
Thus, Boruto tasted probably the most delicious hamburger in his life. While heartily enjoying it, he mumbled indistinctly. "The more I eat, the more I can't stop—feels like my stomach's getting hungrier instead."
"Is that so? I'm glad you like it." Naruto responded contentedly.
Hearing Naruto's gentle voice, Boruto snapped back. Looking at the beaming Naruto across from him, he suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Um... really troubling you, specially cooking for me and everything."
"It's fine," Naruto shook his head. "You know? All my friends—our relationships became better and better through doing things for each other."
He continued with warm eyes. "So now, I especially treasure every person I can do something for. Making you eat happily also makes me feel especially happy."
"Ah? Haha... Is that so?" Boruto scratched his head embarrassedly, cheeks slightly flushing.
Not knowing why, hearing Naruto's words, Boruto instead felt somewhat shy. Naruto couldn't help puzzling—had he said something strange?
Just then, a cold notification tone rang in Naruto's mind.
[Warning! "Uzumaki Boruto" is not a canon Naruto character, therefore establishing bonds cannot obtain system points!]
This sudden notification left Naruto somewhat speechless, though he quickly didn't care. Since the system said so, that meant he'd already established a bond with Boruto.
Halfway through dinner, undercurrents flowed beneath the warm atmosphere. Kushina occasionally looked toward Mikoto across from her, heart both anticipating and anxious—her best friend about to become in-laws, what wonderful fate! While hesitating whether she should first broach that matter, Mikoto preemptively broke the silence.
"Kushina, have you already decided?" Mikoto's voice carried solemnity within gentleness. "Satsuki-chan has absolutely no objections. However, have you asked Naruto's opinion?"
"Eh? This..." Kushina blinked somewhat surprised. "Still need to ask? Haven't the two of them always enjoyed each other's company?"
"...As expected." Mikoto revealed a knowing smile. "Though little Naruto probably won't have objections either. Then, should we make things clear to the children now? Though they've already privately agreed, as elders we should also formally settle this matter."
"Matter?" Noticing the topic seemed revolving around himself, Naruto set down his chopsticks, puzzledly interjecting to ask.
Sitting beside Mikoto, Satsuki had already shyly lowered her head, cheeks taking on faint blush. She lightly tugged her mother's sleeve, using her gaze to indicate Sasuke and Boruto's direction—with outsiders still present, couldn't this wait a bit?
Satsuki rarely displayed girlish shyness. However, knowing those two's true identities, Mikoto somehow anticipated seeing Sasuke's reaction upon hearing this news.
"It's fine, Satsuki-chan, no need to mind." Mikoto patted her daughter's hand, tone carrying reassurance.
"Mikoto-san, what exactly is this about?" The kept-in-the-dark Naruto couldn't help asking again.
"It's something very important." Mikoto smiled. "Before you were even born, Naruto, Kushina and I made an agreement—if Kushina's child was born a boy..."
She deliberately paused, letting everyone's attention concentrate on her next words.
"We'd arrange a childhood betrothal."
"PFFT!"
"*Cough cough!*"
The moment Mikoto finished speaking, Boruto immediately couldn't help spitting out the drink in his mouth, while Sasuke was violently choked by his tea.
Under Satsuki and Kushina's puzzled gazes, these two people from the future simultaneously revealed expressions of utter horror, staring fixedly at the astonishing Uchiha Mikoto.