Chapter 588: The Classic Is the Coolest
Naruto finally realized.
'So this is basically, "I treated you as a friend, but you wanted to become my dad."'
Surprisingly, though, discovering something like this didn't shake him all that much.
Mainly because, after more than a day of nonstop shocks, Naruto was gradually getting used to the Engraved Tsukuyomi world's insanity.
Yesterday, it had already been revealed that his father, Namikaze Minato, had at least nine people he shared "bonds" with.
Now his mother, Kushina, only had one.
Besides, this was just the Engraved Tsukuyomi's illusionary world. It wasn't real.
Thinking that, Naruto cautiously poked his head out to see what was happening.
If Mom still wasn't leaving, he'd have to give up buying a cucumber for now and postpone his Sage Mode training.
"Hm?"
The moment Naruto peeked around the corner, a chill ran through his entire body.
The back of the supermarket was completely dark and silent.
He immediately realized something was wrong.
Sure enough, a voice came from behind him.
"Naruto, have you already mastered the Nine-Tails' chakra?"
"Y-Yeah."
Naruto forced himself to stay calm as he slowly turned around.
His mother, Kushina, was standing right behind him.
He had no idea when she had appeared, whether she had noticed that he had discovered everything, or whether Shiromo, who had been talking to her just moments ago, had already left.
All Naruto could do was pretend he knew nothing.
For some reason, the Engraved Tsukuyomi world was starting to feel more and more like a horror movie.
"So yesterday, when you said you were already strong enough, you weren't just bragging.
Since that's the case, I acknowledge your strength now. You don't need to continue training under those instructors for the time being.
Also, the chakra inside you is the Yin Nine-Tails' chakra. That's why drawing upon it turns you into a girl. As long as you stop using it and let the chakra return to its seal, you'll change back into a boy."
Kushina thoughtfully explained his current condition.
"So that's what it is? You scared me to death."
Naruto tried stuffing the Nine-Tails' chakra back into the seal.
Sure enough, the weight on his chest quickly disappeared, and his hair shortened again.
Feeling his glorious 2D body return, Naruto almost burst into tears.
No more cucumber was needed.
Just like that, the mother and son returned home together. On the surface, they looked perfectly harmonious, but in reality, both were hiding their own thoughts.
Having just finished reading the classified files, Naruto immediately realized that Kushina's explanation had been only half true.
He might be slow about many things, but when it came to losing his precious 2D body, he cared more than anything.
His mom claimed that he turned into a girl because of the Yin Nine-Tails' chakra inside him.
But according to the classified files, the real Yin Nine-Tails' chakra was inside his father, Minato.
The reason Naruto transformed into a girl was simply because he himself was the incarnation of the demon fox.
Even if his father had really used the Yin Nine-Tails' chakra to create that purple bow, just as the files described, he still hadn't lost his own 2D body like Naruto had.
So...
That was a lie.
Even knowing it was a lie, Naruto didn't dare expose it.
The pressure radiating from Dictator Kushina was simply too overwhelming.
When she had suddenly appeared behind him earlier, he had already started planning how he was going to die.
Yet nothing happened.
Instead, she had even answered his questions.
Naruto was almost touched.
'This is basically Stockholm syndrome...'
After dinner, Naruto returned to his bedroom and began reviewing everything that had happened today.
Then he suddenly realized something.
Sooner or later, his mom would definitely discover that he had been reading classified files.
That much was certain.
So before she found out, he needed to become as strong as possible.
Naruto also realized something else.
Those so-called classified files were nothing more than records written under Kushina's orders.
In other words, if Kushina didn't want something to appear in Konoha's intelligence archives, then even if it happened every single day, there wouldn't be a single word about it in those records!
That was the conclusion Naruto reached after realizing that Kushina ruled this world as a dictator.
Even if Naruto himself probably didn't even understand what the word "dictator" actually meant.
After understanding this, Naruto finally let go of his obsession with gathering information from the archives.
Those files were probably just like Kushina's words earlier—half true and half false.
Instead of trusting neatly organized intelligence, it was much more reliable to investigate things himself.
Take Kushina and Shiromo's relationship, for example.
From what Naruto had witnessed, they were far too familiar with each other to have only recently met.
Yet there wasn't a single mention of it in Konoha's classified archives.
Thinking about it, that made perfect sense.
Every classified file in Konoha had to be personally reviewed by Kushina.
How could she possibly allow records stating that she, as a married woman, had been unfaithful?
Then there was Dad.
Kushina herself had said that simply going out to buy cigarettes was enough to run into nine of Minato's "bonded" ninjas.
But none of that appeared in the classified files either.
Apparently, for the sake of appearances, if it wasn't officially recorded, then no one could openly talk about it.
As for what happened in private...
The more Naruto thought about it, the more overloaded his brain became.
Exhausted, he fell asleep.
The next morning...
Naruto decided to find a safe place and relearn Sage Mode first.
Training at home was completely out of the question.
There was absolutely no sense of security there.
His dictator mother, Kushina, could burst through the door at any moment.
His Flying Thunder God father, Minato, didn't even need to open the door to appear.
"Naruto, take this with you, and remember to come home on time for dinner. Otherwise, I'll come find you."
Seeing Naruto about to head out, Namikaze Minato, who was wearing an apron and cleaning the house, picked up a Flying Thunder God kunai from the coffee table and tossed it over.
"..."
Naruto caught the kunai and silently nodded.
Who would have thought that, in the legendary stories of the real ninja world, every great ninja village had issued orders allowing their shinobi to abandon missions immediately upon encountering the Yellow Flash because they were afraid of getting "NTR'd" by Namikaze Minato...
Yet in the Engraved Tsukuyomi world, his father was the one who got NTR'd.
And by Shiromo of all people—a completely ordinary man in this world, nowhere near as remarkable as he was in the real ninja world.
Although...
Dad himself wasn't exactly innocent either.
'Sigh...'
Walking down the street, Naruto suddenly felt that having both parents alive wasn't nearly as wonderful as he had imagined.
As he continued walking, he overheard several people discussing some familiar names.
He immediately stopped.
"Do you know that supermarket owner, Shiromo?"
"Of course. He's our Hokage-sama's lover. I heard Hokage-sama even got jealous of the Mizukage and Tsuchikage over him during the Five Kage Summit."
"Seriously? That guy? Is he really that handsome? Why him?"
"Who knows? Maybe he knows some kind of demon magic... or maybe it's his waist technique... Something that bewitched everyone."
"That has to be it. That guy is absolutely disgusting."
"What do you think Uzumaki Naruto or Namikaze Minato would do if they found out? Hehe."
"The two of them would definitely beat him up. No matter how useless they are, they're still proper ninja. They're way better than that country bumpkin who only lives off women."
"..."
Hearing that, Naruto finally couldn't hold back anymore.
That's right! As a friend, how could Shiromo have a bond with his friend's mom? That's the worst kind of bullying!
Just as everyone outside the illusion—including Kushina and the other spectators—watched in anticipation, believing Naruto was finally about to stand up against bullying...
Naruto jumped in front of the group, raised his hand, pointed at them, and shouted,
"I won't allow you to insult Shiromo! Shiromo is the Shadow of Support! As the man supporting my mom from behind, Shiromo is the coolest!"
(End of this chapter)