Chapter 107: Home

The group moved through the sun-drenched streets of Konoha, a small band of shinobi and one very out-of-place ice user.

Shizune walked beside Haku, radiating that soft, dependable energy that just screams "perfect big sister.""So," Shizune asked with a warm smile, "how are you settling in? I know it must be overwhelming."

"It is," Haku admitted, her voice quiet but sincere. "But… seeing this village, it feels different. Warm. Like… like there's a future here."

Shizune chuckled, patting her arm. "Then I think you'll fit right in."

Meanwhile, ahead of them, Naruto and Tsunade were deep in conversation—well, banter was more like it.

"Then, Tsunade," Naruto said with a grin, leaning just a bit too confidently, "when are you going to accept my proposal?"

Tsunade blinked, tilting her head with the perfect mix of innocence and sass. "Which proposal, Naruto?"

Naruto paused, faking a dramatic gasp. "Which? Tsunade, you wound me. Don't tell me you forgot already."

Tsunade smirked, clearly enjoying herself. "You're going to have to be more specific."

Karin snorted from behind, trying not to choke.

Naruto powered through the embarrassment. "You know exactly what I mean! I asked to marry you years ago."

Tsunade turned to face him, hand on hip. "Oh, that proposal." She tapped her chin playfully. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

Naruto froze mid-step, clutching his chest like he'd been stabbed. "This… this betrayal. Tsunade-chan, how could you?"

Haku leaned closer to Shizune, whispering, "Are they always like this?"

Shizune sighed, though there was a smile tugging at her lips. "Since the day they met."

Karin rolled her eyes. "This is foreplay for them."

Soon, they reached the front of their house.

Suddenly, a blur of pink zipped from around the corner, and before anyone could react, Naruto found himself tightly wrapped in a very familiar embrace.

"Finally! You're back! After weeks!" Sakura cried, voice muffled slightly by his jacket.

Naruto blinked, then smiled warmly. "Sakura." He returned the hug without hesitation, both holding on for just a heartbeat longer than necessary.

When they pulled apart, Sakura's gaze swept over the group—until it stopped on Haku.

Her eyes narrowed just a little, not hostile but... curious. "So... is this your girlfriend, Naruto?"

Naruto raised his hands with an easy chuckle. "No, no. She's just a friend I met on the mission."

But inside?'Not yet,' he thought with that same cheeky grin he always wore when life felt exciting.

Sakura arched an eyebrow, clearly catching the subtle vibe, but chose not to press further. For now.

"Well," Naruto clapped his hands, clearly eager to change the subject before things escalated, "let's go inside. Mom's probably waiting for me—and if we keep standing out here, she's gonna storm out with a slipper in one hand and soup in the other."

Karin mumbled, "She has done that before."

Haku, still processing the warm welcome and this strange, chaotic family vibe, quietly followed with a soft smile.

Tsunade leaned toward Shizune as they walked in behind the younger ones. "You know... this house might explode from the pure density of unresolved romantic tension."

Shizune sighed, "At this point, I'm just waiting for someone to build a relationship flowchart."

Naruto gently pushed open the front door with a grin plastered on his face. "Mom, I'm back!"

But instead of the usual flying hug or slipper threat, what greeted him was... silence.

Kushina stood there, arms crossed, lips pressed in a line. Her fiery red hair seemed to spark just a little with her stillness.

Uh-oh.

She didn't even glance at Naruto.

Instead, she stepped forward... and walked straight past him.

She stopped in front of Haku.

"You must be the one he brought home," Kushina said, her voice calm—but carrying that unmistakable Uzumaki authority that could shatter boulders or silence a room.

Haku stood there frozen, like a bunny caught in a kunai spotlight. "Y-Yes," she managed, nodding rapidly under the intense gaze.

But then—Kushina's expression melted into the warmest, kindest smile. "Don't be so stiff, dear. I'm not going to eat you." She reached out and gently patted Haku's shoulder. "This is your home now, too. Relax, okay?"

Haku's eyes widened, not from fear this time—but from something deeper. A sensation she hadn't felt in years. A mother's embrace... without the hug.

She smiled, slow and genuine, her heart quietly whispering: Home.

Everyone stepped inside with that cozy chaos energy bubbling in the air.

Except Naruto.

Still standing at the door.

Still invisible.

"Uh... Mom?" he called out again, hopefully.

Nothing. Not even an eye twitch.

Karin, Tsunade, and Sakura struggled to keep their expressions neutral, their lips twitching dangerously.

Even Sasuke let out a tiny "hn" that definitely had laughter buried under ten layers of brooding.

Naruto slumped in defeat. "I see how it is... betrayed in my own household."

Kushina, still not looking at him, casually muttered, "We'll talk later."

Naruto gulped. And stepped inside like a man walking into a battlefield.

Kana was inside the room, was sitting on the sofa.

Same again, she also ignored Naruto but greeted Haku as her own daughter, similar to Kushina.

Then, both made her sit at the dining table.

Both started to feed her, even after she tried to refuse, as she can eat herself, but they refused her refusal.

Started to feed her like their own daughter, who they met after so many years.

Inside the cozy living room, Kana sat gracefully on the sofa, sipping tea with an air of quiet elegance. The moment Naruto walked in, he smiled and waved.

"Hey, Kana-sa—"

Nothing.

Absolute silence.

Not a blink. Not a breath. Not a hint of acknowledgment.

Instead, her eyes softened the instant they landed on Haku. She stood up and approached her with the warmth of a sunlit spring morning.

"Oh, you must be Haku," Kana said with a radiant smile, her voice honey-sweet. "Come in, dear. You must be tired."

Haku blinked. Twice. "Y-Yes… thank you?"

Kana gently took her hand and guided her toward the dining table.

"Kushina, help me with the dishes, will you?" she called.

"Already on it," Kushina replied from the kitchen, grinning with that mischievous mom-energy.

Before Haku could even process what was happening, the two Uzumaki matriarchs were flanking her like a royal guard. They sat her down with all the grace and firmness of women who'd raised hurricanes disguised as sons.

"I can feed myself, really—" Haku tried to protest, gently reaching for the chopsticks.

"Nope," Kushina said, scooping a bite.

"No arguments," Kana echoed, lifting a bowl.

And like that, it began.

They fed her like a precious daughter they hadn't seen in years. Every bite was a spoonful of love, every "say aah" was laced with affection and pride. Haku tried again and again to insist, her face steadily turning redder with each bite.

Naruto stood there, watching this maternal monsoon unfold like a stunned bystander.

"She's not even officially adopted yet," he mumbled to Sasuke, who leaned against the wall with a faint smirk.

"They already did it. Emotionally," Sasuke said.

Karin was watching the scene like it was her favorite soap opera. "This is better than anything I've seen in the gambling house."

Tsunade just chuckled and leaned back, arms folded, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You're gonna have competition, sweetheart," she said, patting Naruto on the shoulder.

"From who? My own mom and Kana-obaa?" Naruto asked, exasperated.

"Nope. From Haku," she said with a wink.

Back at the table, Haku looked up at both women with teary eyes. Not sad tears—just the overwhelming flood of kindness and belonging. She whispered, "Thank you…"

Kushina ruffled her hair lovingly. "You're welcome, sweetie."

Kana nodded, still gently feeding her. "We're just making up for lost time."

And for the first time in forever, Haku felt something she never thought she'd have again.

A home.

A family.

Love—unspoken, but loud in every gesture.