Chapter 199: Amaru’s Surprise

"Eh?"

At the Ishikawa house.

Keiko had just returned home, and there was someone following her closely.

"A visitor?" Amaru's eyes widened.

She hadn't expected Keiko to bring anyone back with her.

Standing there in awe, she gazed at Kiyoshi.

Her cheeks flushed a little.

"Amaru, this is the person I mentioned to you before—Kiyoshi. He's actually the owner of this house," Keiko said, gesturing toward Kiyoshi and Yugao with a warm smile as she introduced them. 

"And this is Miss Yugao, a shinobi from the village."

In truth, for the past two years, Keiko had been working hard to save money. 

And the last time Karin returned, she had brought back a fair amount of money from the medical payments provided by Tsunade.

Recently, Keiko had been scouting for a new place to live.

Even though Kiyoshi didn't mind at all and even encouraged her to stay, Keiko insisted on her own decision.

After all, always living in Kiyoshi's home made her feel a bit uneasy. 

She was grateful just to be allowed to live in Konoha, not to mention that her daughter had been taken in as a disciple by none other than Tsunade, the renowned Sannin.

The difference between her and her daughter's lives now, compared to how they lived in Kusagakure, was like night and day.

While she was deeply grateful for Kiyoshi's kindness, she felt it wasn't right to rely on him indefinitely.

So, Keiko planned to buy a house of her own, to settle down properly in Konoha as a village resident.

She dreamed of the day when her daughter would return, and they could have a home together—a place that truly belonged to them.

Oh, almost forgot—it wasn't just the two of them. There was also Amaru.

"H-Hello…." Amaru said shyly, her cheeks reddening.

With a slightly anxious expression, she introduced herself, "I'm Amaru… Amaru Uzumaki."

She still wasn't entirely used to carrying the Uzumaki name.

But compared to being a nameless commoner, she wasn't opposed to having a distinguished surname.

Especially since in her elite class, it seemed that everyone had a family name.

People like Sasuke Uchiha, Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Hinata Hyuga, and Naruto Uzumaki.

At the very least, having a family name meant that she wouldn't be looked down upon at the ninja academy by some of the other children.

Suddenly, Amaru thought of that mischievous blonde boy with whisker-like marks, who was always causing trouble in class and loudly proclaiming that he would become Hokage.

What left a lasting impression on her was that his name was also Uzumaki.

But why did he have blonde hair?

Didn't Keiko mention that red hair was a signature trait of the Uzumaki clan?

And, as she observed, most people in the village seemed to dislike him.

"Hello, Amaru." Kiyoshi greeted the nervous girl with a gentle smile. "Kurenai has mentioned you before. Now that you're here, make yourself at home."

Like a gentle breeze, his smile was warm and comforting.

As she watched Kiyoshi's pleasant smile, Amaru found herself a bit lost in thought.

It was the first time she had encountered him.

"Hello, Amaru, I'm Yugao." Yugao, led over by Kiyoshi and Keiko, greeted her with a smile as well.

"H-Hello... Eh?"

Amaru nodded, but quickly widened her eyes in disbelief.

She stepped back, pointing at Yugao in surprise, exclaiming, "Are you that mean masked lady?."

Only now did she realize that the beautiful woman with long purple hair standing in front of her was actually the Anbu who would often catch her whenever she tried to sneak out of the village.

She never imagined that the woman behind the stern mask looked like this.

Such a pretty older sister—why did she like wearing that scary mask?

No, she really was fierce. 

She always grabbed Amaru with such strength that her hands turned red.

"Mean masked lady?" Yugao replied with a helpless smile.

She corrected Amaru, "It's Anbu."

"Alright, Kiyoshi, Miss Yugao, and Amaru, why don't you all sit down and relax for a bit while I prepare dinner," Keiko said with a smile, holding the groceries she had just bought.

"Much appreciated."

Kiyoshi and Yugao both responded with smiles.

"Oh, don't say that. I enjoy having more people around," Keiko laughed, shaking her head as she headed toward the kitchen.

"I'll help you." Yugao offered, heading to assist.

Keiko tried to refuse, but Yugao insisted, so she finally relented, letting her help with the kitchen work.

Unlike the timid Hinata, Amaru, though somewhat reliant on others, was naturally lively and outgoing—not the shy type.

After chatting with Kiyoshi for a while, she started to relax.

Like an inquisitive child, she kept asking about Kiyoshi's adventures.

Listening to Kiyoshi recount various battles and experiences, she transformed into a devoted fan, her eyes shining with admiration.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Keiko and Yugao were busy, occasionally glancing over at the living room.

Seeing Kiyoshi getting along so well with the usually rebellious Amaru, the two women couldn't help but smile at each other.

"They abandoned their young son, silently protecting their village." Amaru, after hearing Kiyoshi's tale about the couple from Hoshigakure, was deeply moved. 

She said tearfully, "The leaders of Hoshigakure are so terrible. Making their ninjas go through such dangerous training, causing so many deaths. 

Even the couple had to leave their son and home behind."

"Yes, they were indeed cruel," Kiyoshi said, calming her.

This sort of thing was, unfortunately, all too common in the shinobi world.

Amaru didn't resist Kiyoshi's gesture. 

On the contrary, she found his warmth and kindness comforting.

With her eyes closed in contentment, she looked up at him, eagerly asking, "So, Kiyoshi. What happened to that couple from Hoshigakure?"

"Call me Kiyoshi-ni.'" Kiyoshi tapped her on the forehead playfully.

"Kiyoshi-ni..." Unlike Karin, Amaru adapted quickly, holding his hand and looking up expectantly. 

"Please tell me what happened next."

"I healed them, and after that, they left." Kiyoshi shrugged with a smile, "They should have returned to their village and reunited with their child by now."

"That's wonderful."

Before long—

A hearty dinner was prepared.

After finishing the meal, Keiko, Kiyoshi, Yugao, and Amaru spent some time chatting in the living room.

"Oh, Kiyoshi, by the way, I found a new house, and I'll probably be moving out soon." 

Keiko smiled at Kiyoshi, saying, "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done these past two years."

She felt that her presence in Kiyoshi's home was the reason he rarely returned there whenever he visited Konoha after being away.

So, she planned to move out soon.

"Yes, that sounds good," Kiyoshi nodded with a smile.

"When the time comes, I'll bring Karin back for a visit so she can know where her home is. That way, she won't get lost when she returns in the future."

About a month ago, when he had brought Karin back, Keiko had mentioned her plan to buy a house and settle down.

Respecting her wishes, Kiyoshi hadn't tried to persuade her otherwise.

After all, over the years, Keiko had raised Karin single-handedly, constantly on the move, always facing uncertainty.

It was understandable that she longed for stability.

For someone who had lived relying on others for so long, having her own home in the village symbolized a sense of belonging.

This was definitely a positive step forward.

---------------

Guys do leave some power stones and reviews.

🤞patreon.com/plotplanner🤞

If you guys enjoy this story, you can support me on Patreon and get access to Advance Chapters, it really helps me to work on new chapters.