Chapter 154: The Start of a Trauma

All four entered the kitchen, only to see everyone calmly eating—well, everyone except Naruto, who was devouring his food like he'd just returned from a month-long mission.

Anko's eyes twitched. "Naruto. You dragged us all the way here just to watch you eat? What's going on in the living room? The Hokage gave out direct orders—every Jonin's on assignment tracking Orochimaru!"

Naruto didn't stop eating, just raised a hand with a casual gesture. "I'll explain everything. We're waiting on one more person."

That got everyone's attention.

"Who?" Kurenai asked.

Just then, a voice hissed from Anko's shoulder, "Sssurprisingly sharp, Naruto-kun."

Everyone's head snapped around.

Anko froze.

Tsunade's fists clenched.

The voice came from a small snake, coiled loosely around Anko's shoulder—one that quickly slithered down and reformed into a tall, pale man with sharp eyes and an unsettling grin.

Orochimaru.

The snake slithered down Anko's shoulder and morphed into that pale, serpentine figure, the whole kitchen froze—chopsticks mid-air, mouths mid-chew, and eyebrows mid-rise.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade growled, her knuckles cracking louder than a fire release jutsu in dry grass.

"Anko, my dear," he said with that unnerving calm, "you haven't aged a day. Or maybe I just remember you too fondly."

Anko lunged like she was about to slam him through the wall, but Orochimaru effortlessly dodged, casually reforming upright with a smirk.

"I swear," Naruto mumbled around a mouthful of food, "you guys always pick the worst moments to throw hands. Just... pause the drama, okay?"

"Pause?" Tsunade glared. "You brought him into our house like it's a casual hangout, Naruto!"

"Don't worry, don't worry! We've got a deal," Naruto waved his hand, totally unbothered. "He behaves. No creepy experiments, no curses, no weird body swaps—deal-breaker stuff."

Orochimaru, still smiling that snake-oil grin, slowly nodded, "I'm simply curious. Besides, I would never betray someone with eyes as intriguing as yours, Naruto-kun."

Everyone collectively gagged.

"Anyway," Naruto clapped his hands. "We now have everyone here. The living, the technically dead, the emotionally unstable, and Orochimaru. So…"

He stood up, face suddenly serious, chakra pulsing just slightly to command the room.

".... let's go to the hall and talk about what happened. And what's coming next?"

As everyone finished their food, they moved toward the living room, where the real conversation was supposed to begin.

But when they entered, they found someone else already sitting on the couch, laughing softly alongside Mikoto.

"Oh, Naruto helped you, too, huh?" Mikoto said with a light smile.

The girl beside her looked up and beamed. It was Yakumo Kurama.

"Yakumo?" Kurenai stepped forward, worry instantly flashing across her face. "What are you doing here?"

Yakumo smiled and clapped her hands. "Sensei! I had a feeling you'd be here. Looks like I was right."

Kurenai glanced at Naruto, concern etched deep on her face. Whatever they were about to talk about wasn't going to be light.

Naruto sighed. "I was going to leave her out of this. She's only recently gotten through everything… I didn't want to drag her into more. But it's okay. This isn't going to go the way you're thinking."

Yugao tilted her head. "Naruto… this is sensitive information. Are you sure it's okay to tell everyone?"

"It's not just okay," Naruto said firmly. "It has to be known. You're just hearing it a little earlier than the rest of the village."

Karin flopped onto a chair with a groan. "Okay, okay. Let's get this story started already, or whatever this is."

Orochimaru leaned back in his seat, fingers laced together, voice low and curious. "Mmm… this is lovely, Naruto-kun. I must admit—I'm impressed."

Everyone took a seat. The air was tense, but heavy with anticipation.

Then Sakura, narrowing her eyes, asked sharply, "Wait. Didn't we beat him? Orochimaru? How are you just… casually dealing with him now? Were you already in contact with him before that fight?"

Both Tsunade and Anko whipped their heads around, eyebrows raised at Sakura's bold tone.

"I mean," Sakura added, puffing her chest slightly, "it was me, Karin, and Sasuke who fought him. Sasuke was the one who finished it."

Tsunade and Anko exchanged surprised glances. Sakura wasn't exaggerating. She was speaking from experience—and pride.

Orochimaru gave a delighted hiss, eyes flickering between them. "Ssss… impressive. You three really are strong for your age. What are you eating?"

That line actually earned a snort from Anko. Even Tsunade's frown loosened a bit.

Naruto waved his hand. "Anyway, no—I wasn't in contact with him before the fight. We started talking after you beat him. But we're going off-topic."

He turned to Mikoto. "Oba-san, could you wake Sasuke? It's time he heard this, too."

Mikoto gently brushed Sasuke's hair, whispering in a soft voice, "Sasuke… wake up. It's time to go to the academy."

That familiar sentence. That familiar voice.

Sasuke's eyes shot open. For a second, he froze—like his brain hadn't caught up yet. But when he saw her face—not as youthful as it had been when he was a little boy, but unmistakably hers—he bolted upright.

"Mom!" he gasped, instantly throwing his arms around her.

Mikoto wrapped him tightly in her embrace, pressing her cheek to his hair. "Yoshi, Yoshi. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'll never leave you again."

And that was it.

All the walls Sasuke had built, all the weight he'd carried, came crashing down in that single moment. His tears flowed freely, silently, as he clung to her like she was the only thing tethering him to the earth.

Minutes passed before he slowly pulled away, wiping his eyes. That's when he finally noticed the man beside her.

"…Dad?" he whispered.

Mikoto nodded gently. And Fugaku—stern, proud, but clearly holding back tears himself—simply nodded back.

Sasuke looked between the two of them, disbelief still written across his face. "You… you're really here. Both of you."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto spoke up, his voice calm but heavy. "I kept this from you… from everyone. It was the only way to keep them safe. To keep you safe."

Sasuke looked at him, the pain, the confusion still there—but the truth was clear in Naruto's voice.

So, wordlessly, he sat down between Mikoto and Fugaku, clutching the sides of their sleeves, like he was scared they'd vanish if he let go.

Everyone in the room smiled, watching the reunion quietly. Even the ever-blunt Anko didn't say a word.

The Uchiha heir… finally looked at peace.

Naruto cleared his throat, ruining the moment in classic Naruto fashion. "Alright, now that the crying's outta the way… who's ready for a wild ride into emotional trauma?" He grinned exaggeratedly.

Some groaned. Some rolled their eyes.

But deep down, everyone knew—Naruto wasn't exaggerating.

"Alrighty then… let's start," Naruto said, clapping his hands and sitting forward.

He reached into his pouch and pulled out four small figurines—miniature carvings resembling the current Konoha higher-ups. He placed them carefully on the table in a row.

"These four are the ones running the show now," he said. "Now, does anyone know under whom they originally served?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, a flicker of recognition in her tone. "Under my granduncle… Tobirama."

"Bingo!" Naruto said, snapping his fingers with a grin. He then added a fifth toy to the group—a proud little model of Tobirama Senju, complete with his signature armor and headband.

Karin tilted her head, curious. "Wait—Naruto, are those toys? Like, custom ones? Where'd you buy them?"

Naruto puffed out his chest, practically glowing. "Made 'em myself. Whittled, painted, and everything. Pretty cool, huh?"

Ino immediately lit up. "Naruto! Can you make one of you for me?"

"Me too! Me too!" Sakura, Hinata, Karin, and Haku all chimed in, practically turning it into a chorus of fangirl energy.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, flustered but grinning. "Heh, I mean… I can make 'em for all of you. Just not right now."

Everyone went quiet, the light mood fading into a more focused silence.

All eyes turned to the table.

The little toys stood there, lined up like sentinels of the past—each one holding a secret that was about to come to light.