Chapter 152: Ghosts

Not only was Kushina shocked—but so were the others.

They'd seen those two before.

At least once.

Once was more than enough.

"How...?"

"What the—?"

Before any of them could process it—thump! One by one, Kushina, Karin, Hinata, and Ino fainted on the spot, all with their own whispered reactions.

Naruto blinked. "What the...?"

"Mom? Karin? Hinata? Ino?" He dropped to his knees, frantically shaking them like overcooked ramen packets. "Come on! Wake up! Don't die on me after that!"

He bolted to the kitchen, filled a bowl with cold water, and sprinted back.

"Okay, sorry, but this is happening." Splash! One by one, faces were rudely reacquainted with reality through the power of water.

All four jerked up with gasps.

"Naruto, I saw a ghost!" they all shrieked at once, pointing to the living room doorway like they'd seen the Shinigami himself tap dancing.

Naruto, clutching the now half-empty bowl, turned to where they were pointing. Nothing. Nada. Just a peaceful doorframe, being a doorframe.

"Guys," he said slowly, "there's nothing there."

Their breathing slowed. Four sighs of relief followed.

Until.

Knock, knock.

The sound was chillingly familiar. Same tone. Same rhythm. Same voice.

The group turned, eyes wide, breath stolen from their lungs.

There.

Near the chairs by the couch.

Two figures. Smiling.

Kushina, Karin, Ino, and Hinata instantly formed a human shield behind Naruto like a protective squad of terrified penguins.

"Okay, seriously," Naruto muttered. "Why are you all acting like I'm in a horror movie and y'all are background characters about to vanish?"

"N-Nii-san," Karin whispered, clinging to his sleeve. "Don't you see them?"

"See what?" Naruto looked around. "There's nothing here!"

"There! By the chairs!" Ino pointed, her finger trembling.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, sighed, and marched toward the spot.

"Naruto, no!" all four girls screamed, Kushina even yanking on his arm like a mother trying to stop her toddler from poking a wild bear.

But Naruto, being Naruto, did what he always did best—ignore danger in the name of answers.

He walked over to the chair and waved his hand.

Nothing.

Just air.

He turned around, arms wide. "See? Empty. Nada. Zilch. Either you're messing with me, or you all seriously need sleep—like, real sleep, not five-minute ninja naps."

Behind him, the same mysterious woman's voice echoed once more, calm and unnerving.

"Don't worry. He can't see or hear us. Not yet."

Karin's voice cracked as she whispered, "What did we do to get cursed like this...?"

Kushina's hands trembled as she asked, voice half-whisper, half-dread:"How did you two become... ghosts?"

The woman in front gave a nostalgic sigh, as though the weight of memories stirred with the wind."Oh, that's a very long story... but before that—let me ask you something. How are you, Kushina? You seem well. And I see Naruto's doing great."

With a faint chuckle, she leaned forward and gently pecked Naruto's cheek.

Naruto jerked back suddenly, blinking. "What the heck?! Mom—I swear something just touched my face!" He rubbed his cheek like he'd been tagged by a butterfly and a bee at the same time.

Hinata, still trembling but thinking rationally, murmured, "Kushina-kaa-san... maybe if we talk to them, it won't be so terrifying. We can understand... and maybe be less afraid."

Kushina nodded, slowly calming herself.

But just as they were about to speak again—Click.The front door opened.

"Kushina, I'm home!" came a familiar voice.

Tsunade. Followed by Shizune and Sakura, returning from the hospital shift.

Tsunade walked in casually—only to find Kushina, Karin, Hinata, and Ino plastered to the wall like terrified cats, eyes locked on the living room.

"What... is this?" Tsunade frowned. "Is this some kind of prank? Drama practice? Halloween came early?"

"Maybe... uh, cosplay rehearsal?" Shizune offered weakly.

Sakura just raised an eyebrow. "You four okay? You look like you've seen—"

"Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura—look. There." Kushina pointed.

The three turned slowly.

Their eyes widened.Their faces paled.They saw the two figures—clear as day.

"Wait... no way..." Tsunade whispered."That can't be..." Shizune muttered, eyes wide."It's them..." Sakura gasped.

And then—BOOM. Triple faint.

All three collapsed dramatically like fallen dominos.

Naruto facepalmed. "Not you three too! Seriously?!"

Sighing with the burden of being the only emotionally stable person in the house, Naruto dragged each of them to the couch, one by one, mumbling, "Yup. Just your average day in the Uzumaki household."

He grabbed the water bowl again like a seasoned ghostbuster.Splash!One by one, the three women jolted awake, gasping and coughing.

"Welcome back," Naruto said dryly, arms crossed. "Now... can we all please chill out"

Sakura, her voice trembling as if each word weighed a ton, said,"Naruto… can't you see them? Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san… they're right there."

Naruto blinked. "What? Mikoto-obasan? Fugaku-san? Where?" He spun around, eyes scanning the room. "I don't see anything. Are you sure?"

All the others slowly nodded, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief.

Sakura pointed, her finger shaky. "They're right there… sitting on the chairs near the couch."

Naruto's steps slowed as he approached the spot. His hands stretched out cautiously—like he was reaching into the past itself. And then, as if guided by instinct, he stepped forward… and wrapped his arms around empty space.

But to him—it wasn't empty.

He felt something. Not warmth, not touch—something more subtle. Like a whisper in the soul. A shimmer of love remembered.

His voice broke."Oh… Mikoto-obasan… I missed you so much. You don't know how many times I wished you were here. Sasuke misses you too."

Mikoto's eyes, gentle as ever, filled with sorrow."I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't have the strength back then... I couldn't protect you. Or Sasuke."

Naruto, not hearing her words, turned toward the others."She… she said something. I felt her. What did she say?"

Hinata, eyes misty, softly replied,"She said… she missed you too. A lot."

Naruto stood there for a long moment, frozen between grief and comfort. He closed his eyes, letting the feeling settle inside him like the fading notes of a lullaby.

But just as the room sat heavy with emotion, a booming laugh exploded through the air.

"HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Everyone jumped—except Naruto, who blinked in confusion.

Fugaku Uchiha, the ever-stern, stoic symbol of Uchiha pride, was laughing. Not just chuckling—belly-laughing.

Mikoto snapped her head toward him, eyes narrowing. "Hanata," she hissed, voice sharp as a kunai.

He flinched, but grinned unapologetically. "I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! Did you see their faces?! That was gold! " He wiped away an invisible tear from his ghostly eye. "You two really sold it."

Thwack!

Mikoto smacked him on the back of his spectral head, sighing. "Don't mind him, Naruto. We've had our fun. I think the joke's gone far enough."

Naruto finally caught on, turning toward the others—and their utterly traumatized faces.

He burst out laughing. Proper, head-thrown-back, tear-rolling-down laughter.

"Hahahahahahaha! Oh man! You should've seen yourselves!" he wheezed. "Hinata clinging to the wall like a spider, Sakura fainting like a princess, and Mom? Mom looked like she saw a tax collector!"

Even Mikoto giggled softly, elegant and sweet.

Fugaku, unfazed by the hit, continued laughing like a teenager who just pulled a prank on his teacher.

But the rest?

Stunned. Gobsmacked. Still trying to reboot their brain systems.