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You can now get early access to Chapter 68 of Re: Naruto Uzumaki on my . You can also read up to Chapter 11 of Naruto: Satoru Senju.
After that, Naruto accompanied Hinata so she could rest, moving away from the area where the preliminary matches were being held.
The truth was, he wasn't too interested in staying to watch the rest of the fights.
Well… he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to see the match between Rock Lee and Gaara. But even so, being with Hinata —who was exhausted and a little hurt after her fight with Neji— was more important at that moment.
Besides, it also gave him a good excuse to keep his lie alive in front of Might Duy, about Rock Lee being his grandson.
After all, as soon as the name "Rock Lee" appeared on the screen instead of "Might Lee," everyone in the Chat Group would notice.
To Naruto's surprise, Hinata didn't want to return to the Hyūga Compound yet.
"N-no… I don't want to go home yet…" Hinata murmured, lowering her gaze.
She wasn't sure how her father would react upon hearing that she had defeated Neji, the Hyūga clan's genius.
He had disinherited her, naming her younger sister, Hanabi, as the new heir. What would he think now, seeing her defeat the pride of the family, Neji, his nephew?
Hinata didn't want to know. She didn't want to be the heir again. She didn't want that victory to drag her back into that role.
Her younger sister, Hanabi, had earned it.
Naruto remained silent. He didn't say anything, just nodded, respecting her decision.
"Let's go to Ichiraku," Hinata suddenly suggested, trying to lift the mood with a timid smile.
Naruto paled. He could already feel the hard hit his frog wallet was about to take.
When the preliminary matches ended, Sasuke briefly said goodbye to Sakura and Kakashi and began her way toward the Uchiha Compound.
"I have to become much stronger…" she murmured to herself, frowning and clenching her fists so tightly her fingers turned pale.
She was the Uchiha clan's genius, but even so, there was always someone brighter.
First, it had been Naruto. She hadn't taken him seriously at the time, but after becoming teammates, after becoming friends... she realized she had underestimated him.
Despite everything, one thing Sasuke couldn't ignore was the fact that, besides being incredibly strong, Naruto had been a good teacher.
He was the one who, no matter the number of missions or the busyness of his daily life, always found time to help her train, without asking for anything in return.
Then there was Rock Lee.
At first, their encounter had been bewildering and humiliating. But watching his fight against Gaara had changed everything.
Not just because Lee fought with a ferocity and determination that could rival the best, but because he had overcome his greatest limitation: the lack of talent.
His fight made her understand how far someone willing to sacrifice everything to surpass themselves could go.
His murderous aura and power made her uncomfortable. The feeling of standing before someone who didn't hesitate to take the life of anyone in his path was terrifying, something Sasuke had never experienced so clearly until now.
At least not since the last time he was in front of his older brother.
Although Sasuke knew she wasn't far from reaching his level, she was also aware that, in a direct confrontation, she would probably end up losing.
"I'm not as strong as I need to be... I have to improve. Fast." she told herself, her voice tinged with frustration.
She wanted to avenge her clan, she wanted to face Itachi and, above all, she wanted to be stronger than ever. But... how could she do that if there was always someone stronger than her?
If she wanted to catch up to Itachi, if she really intended to avenge everything he had taken from her... she had to be stronger.
Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed something had interrupted her path.
The streets of Konoha were deserted, it was night and everything was dark, and the figure standing in front of her, without making a sound, pulled her from her thoughts.
Sasuke looked up, eyes narrowing and posture instantly tense.
"Get out of my way," she said, her tone clear and defiant, without a hint of doubt or interest in finding out who was there.
"You've grown a lot, Reika," the figure said softly.
A chill ran down her spine, a shiver that didn't come from the cold or fear, but from something deeper, a memory.
No one had called her that in a long time.
A name her parents had given her at birth, one that had been forgotten over time, hidden beneath lies she had woven herself. Reika… Her real name. Only a few people had known it, all of them already dead. Except Itachi.
"W-what…? Who are you...? How do you know my real name?!" she exclaimed, taking a step back. Her fingers curled into a fist, though she didn't know if out of instinct to defend herself or to contain the trembling.
The figure advanced without answering. Step by step, slowly approaching.
It was absurd. It was impossible.
But something inside her… something within her screamed that it wasn't.
When the figure was just a few steps away, Sasuke narrowed her eyes, alert. Her whole body was ready to react, but her heart refused to obey.
Then, the figure raised her hands and calmly removed the hood covering her face.
Her arms fell to her sides. Time seemed to stop.
"I-it's impossible…" she whispered, her voice trembling, breaking.
The woman before her was a ghost. But her face was so real, so alive, that it hurt to look at her. Those dark eyes full of warmth, that soft expression... She hadn't changed.
The figure took the final step and, without a word, embraced her.
Sasuke tensed at first, as if she couldn't believe it, as if her mind was struggling to accept what her heart had already recognized.
But soon, the weight of the years, of loneliness, of loss, overcame her.
She clung tightly to the figure holding her, and her body began to tremble.
"You don't know how long I've wanted to give you a hug, Reika..." said Mikoto, wrapping her daughter tenderly.
It was then, in that moment, that the sky opened.
First, a distant thunder. Then, the rain began to fall. Big, cold drops that soaked the ground and their bodies.
But neither of them moved.
It didn't matter that they were drenched. Nothing else mattered. Just the hug. Just the two of them.
"You were supposed to be dead!" Sasuke suddenly shouted, her voice choked, clinging to her mother's chest as tears mixed with the rain.
"I was," Mikoto replied quietly, caressing her hair. "But I've come back… thanks to a friend."
Mikoto didn't explain further, not going into details.
Naruto hadn't asked her to hide anything, but Mikoto understood that he didn't do it out of modesty. He simply didn't believe what he did deserved attention. He brought a life back because he could. Because he should.
At least, that's what Mikoto thought. After all, Naruto had never asked for anything in return for bringing her back to life.
Even when he always asked for something in exchange whenever he gave information, he had never asked for anything for bringing her back.
Yes. He had asked her to wait a day, which eventually became almost a week, but that wasn't a problem.
Mikoto would always be in debt to Naruto, and she knew it.
Sasuke, or Reika, was no longer standing on her own. She clung to the warmth surrounding her, to her mother, trembling, crying without shame.
Although Sasuke felt a growing curiosity about that strange friend who had the power to bring the dead back to life, she didn't dare ask more.
The only thing that really mattered to her at that moment was that she was no longer alone in the world. Now, she had her mother by her side.
"This friend of mine... has brought others back to life too, Reika..." Mikoto spoke with a softness that made Sasuke pay attention.
A spark of hope lit up Sasuke's eyes at those words. "Father too…?" Her voice betrayed the anxiety with which she awaited an affirmative answer.
Mikoto slowly shook her head, her expression somber.
"No. But I hope he returns soon too…" Her tone was firm, but there was an underlying sadness.
Mikoto hoped that, soon, Naruto would decide to bring Fugaku back.
During her time in the Pure World, and in the space granted by the system, Mikoto had worked to ensure that Fugaku repented for his mistakes and learned what it meant to be a good father. Now, all that remained was to wait.
Hearing that Fugaku hadn't returned with her, Sasuke lowered her head. "He hasn't come back…" she whispered, her voice cracking with frustration.
Mikoto looked at her tenderly. "Reika…" Her voice was full of regret.
Mikoto could never forgive herself for leaving her daughter alone… even if it hadn't been her decision.
Sasuke frowned upon hearing the name her mother still used to refer to her. "You know that's not my name anymore…"
Mikoto frowned softly, but remained calm. "Don't be silly, Reika. Drop that Transformation Technique and let me see the true image of my daughter."
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, discomfort washing over her, but finally let the transformation fade. Her original appearance returned, and Mikoto looked at her closely.
Mikoto let out a light laugh, her tone warm and familiar. "Fufu~ Your breasts have grown…"
Reika blushed instantly, covering her chest with both hands, embarrassed. She looked at her mother with a mix of irritation and surprise, but also with a comforting feeling upon seeing Mikoto's smile.
"I'm sure you'll have a lot of boys chasing after you, just wait." Mikoto kept joking, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere with her daughter.
Sasuke, blushing to her ears, looked away, clearly embarrassed. "I'm not interested in any boy, mphm." Despite the discomfort, a faint sigh of relaxation escaped her lips.
"Not even Naruto...?" Mikoto puffed out her chest, smiling playfully, enjoying watching her daughter blush even more.
Reika hesitated before answering, with a shyness she couldn't hide. "H-how do you know that...?" The surprise and discomfort were evident in her voice.
Mikoto let out a cheerful laugh, gently stroking her daughter's head. "That doesn't matter. Let's go home, there's a lot to talk about, Reika..." She offered her hand, and Sasuke looked at it for a moment, hesitant.
Feeling the warmth of her mother's hand intertwined with hers, Reika tensed, as if afraid it was all just an illusion. But, little by little, she squeezed Mikoto's hand tighter, as if she didn't want to let go, afraid she might disappear at any moment.