louisehourcade Chapter 439 Decision
Chapter 439 Decision
After leaving the Hokage's office, Naruto walked along the bustling streets of Konoha, his expression seemingly calm. He merely nodded slightly and responded to the enthusiastic greetings from the villagers along the way—"Young Master Naruto is back!" "You've had a hard day!" "Naruto-kun!"—with a simple "Mm" or a quick smile.
His mind was not on these routine pleasantries at all, and he even temporarily forgot about the heavy white divine robe in the Hokage's office and his master's frantic face.
At this moment, only one thing was on his mind, an important matter that had to be completed today and could not be delayed.
His pace quickened unconsciously. Instead of heading home, he walked straight through the bustling streets and arrived at the gates of Konoha.
After briefly showing his credentials to the ninja on duty, he left the village without hesitation.
Our destination is the City of Fire, the most prosperous capital city in this country.
With a clear goal in mind, Naruto used the Flying Thunder God Technique to make short-to-medium-distance jumps, greatly shortening his journey time and arriving at a luxurious and quiet neighborhood in the center of the capital.
He stopped in front of a ostentatious shop that exuded luxury.
The heavy solid wood doors, the gilded signboard engraved with ancient cursive script, and the shop windows displaying not ordinary goods, but shimmering jewelry, exquisite silks, and some uniquely shaped works of art.
This is a long-established luxury store that caters exclusively to nobles and the super-rich, offering bespoke luxury goods.
Naruto pushed open the door and entered, the wind chimes on the door making a crisp sound. The interior was softly lit, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood and aged leather.
A well-dressed and elegant middle-aged shop owner came forward, recognizing the young powerhouse who had recently risen to fame in the ninja world, and treated him with respect without being overly formal.
Without much small talk, Naruto got straight to the point: he wanted to pick up the goods he had ordered from here some time ago, and today was the day for delivery and final payment.
Nearly 2000 million taels.
This price is almost equivalent to two-thirds of the bounty for Sarutobi Asuma's head. For most ninjas, this is a huge sum of money that would require completing several S-rank missions to even dream of.
Naruto simply nodded calmly, without haggling. To him, money was just a number, and what he wanted had to be the best.
The shop owner understood that this customer had come for the "best" and was not stingy with the money. The products were made to the same standard as those made by the famous shop owner.
It wasn't until night had completely fallen and the city lights were on that Naruto received a gift box that was exquisitely packaged and felt warm and heavy to the touch.
After carefully checking and confirming that everything was correct, he carefully put the gift box away.
After paying the final payment, Naruto didn't linger in the bustling capital and found a quiet corner.
"Whoosh—"
[Flying Thunder God Technique] activated. The familiar night breeze of Konoha, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, caressed his face. He was already standing in front of his own house.
Naruto straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, took a deep breath, and then stepped towards the front door of his home, which was emitting a warm light.
"Click."
The key turned, and the door opened.
"Welcome back, Naruto."
A voice, its coldness completely gone, immediately rang out, filled with boundless warmth.
Uchiha Satsuki stood not far from the entrance, wearing comfortable loungewear, his long, black hair flowing smoothly over his shoulders.
She seemed to have just finished cleaning the kitchen; her hands were still slightly damp. Upon seeing Naruto, her dark eyes instantly lit up, radiating a soft glow.
She has completely integrated into this daily life and thoroughly enjoys the role she plays now—not a genius of the Uchiha clan, not a powerful Mangekyou Sharingan ninja, but simply Naruto Uzumaki's wife. Although her status is still that of a fiancée, her mindset has changed.
Leave a light on for him, wait for him to come home, prepare a meal, and share the day's little moments or quiet moments...
"Yes, I'm back." Naruto changed his shoes, walked into the house, and naturally took the warm towel that Satsuki handed him to wipe his hands and face.
The scent of home mingled with her scent, giving him a sense of peace and longing that ran deep in his soul.
His gaze was immediately drawn to the direction of the restaurant.
On the table, a sumptuous yet not extravagant meal is laid out. Vibrant tomatoes are cleverly used in many dishes—perhaps a sweet and sour tomato stew, a tender and juicy tomato scrambled eggs, or a refreshing tomato salad.
In the center of the table, two large bowls of steaming hot ramen, with rich, flavorful broth and plenty of toppings, exude an irresistible aroma.
"Is Satsuki cooking again today?" Naruto walked to the dining table, looking at all the carefully prepared food, his tone filled with concern and admiration.
"Um."
Satsuki nodded slightly, followed him to the table, and pulled out a chair for him. "Because Naruto has been working very hard lately. Although... the taste definitely can't compare to what Naruto makes."
There was a slight hint of frustration in her voice, as if she had tried her best but still felt it wasn't enough, but more than that, there was a gentle desire to share his burden.
Naruto sat down, looked up, and gazed at her intently. "Don't say that. Satsuki is really amazing."
He meant it sincerely. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the scrambled eggs with tomatoes. The eggs were smooth and tender, the tomatoes were perfectly sweet and sour, and the cooking time was just right.
Then, he picked up the ramen bowl, took a sip of the broth—rich, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned—and ate a bite of the noodles; they were chewy, smooth, and cooked to perfection.
The taste was really good. Although it wasn't as amazing as his own cooking skills, it was definitely top-notch.
If Satsuki were to open a ramen shop, with her skills, she would definitely be qualified to compete with Ichiraku Ramen for customers.
This was certainly no coincidence. Uchiha Sasuke possessed the Sharingan. While Naruto was cooking, she activated her Sharingan more than once, precisely replicating every subtle movement of Naruto's... She imprinted all of this into the memory of her eye technique, like a high-level ninjutsu, and then practiced it repeatedly until it was almost perfect.
This effort also proves that Satsuki is not the kind of "kitchen killer" character who is impossible to cook, created solely for comedic purposes.
On the contrary, she has an exceptional learning ability, and as long as she is willing and has enough motivation, she can do her best.
This made her recall a dark history from long ago, one that she now finds utterly shameful—back then, in order to attract Naruto's attention, she mustered up the courage to make him a bento box.
As a result, due to nervousness and a complete lack of knowledge about seasoning, the bento box was so salty that it was inedible.
Every time she thinks about this, Satsuki still feels her cheeks burning and screams in her heart that she wants to turn back time to stop herself from that time.
So, whenever Satsuki later had a meal with Naruto and Kakashi, if Kakashi joked about it, Satsuki would stare at him with the coldest gaze until he awkwardly changed the subject, and in his mind, he would hold a grudge against Kakashi.
"How did today's mission go?" Satsuki sat down opposite him, picked up her own ramen bowl, and asked softly, interrupting Naruto's focus on the delicious ramen and her own recollection of her embarrassing past.
"Yeah, I went to the City of Fire and picked up the things I ordered before."
Naruto gave a vague reply, without elaborating, only subconsciously touching his ninja tool pouch. "It just took a little time on the way."
"The City of Fire...it's so far away. Thank you for your hard work."
Satsuki didn't press for details, but instead showed her concern by using her chopsticks to naturally transfer the largest piece of char siu from her own bowl into Naruto's bowl, saying, "Eat more."
"You should eat some too." Naruto looked at the extra char siu in his bowl, his heart warming. He also picked up a piece of tender, flavorful braised beef brisket with tomatoes and placed it in Satsuki's bowl.
"Mmm." Zuo Yue lowered her head and ate the beef brisket in small bites, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Oh, right."
Naruto suddenly remembered something, "I came across a new tomato dessert shop on the street today, and I heard it's pretty good. If we're free tomorrow, shall we go try it? And while we're at it... see if there are any new movies showing?" He remembered that Satsuki occasionally watched some art or historical films.
Satsuki's eyes lit up slightly, but then she hesitated. "Aren't you very busy lately? About the Hokage..." She had heard that Naruto had been called to the Hokage's office today.
"You need to rest even when you're busy." Naruto smiled, his tone relaxed. "Besides, time spent with Satsuki is the most important. As for Master... I'll take care of that."
Zuo Yue looked at him, her eyes softening even more, and nodded gently. "Okay. I'll listen to you."
Gradually, the bowls and plates were empty, leaving only a little soup and a few side dishes. The warm aftertaste of dinner had not yet dissipated, and the slightly sour aroma of tomato dishes and the rich warmth of ramen soup still lingered in the air.
Uchiha Satsuki was rolling up her sleeves and deftly clearing the table. She first stacked the empty bowls, her fingertips deftly avoiding the grease stains, then picked up a damp soft cloth and wiped the tabletop.
The soft light fell on her lowered eyes and focused profile, a few strands of her dark hair playfully slipping down her cheeks before she casually tucked them behind her ears.
Naruto Uzumaki remained seated, not immediately getting up to help.
His gaze followed Zuo Yue's graceful figure. In the depths of his eyes, the relaxation and tenderness from the previous dinner gradually subsided, replaced by a more solemn expression, tinged with an imperceptible tension.
His right hand rested on a gift box that was always exquisitely packaged beside him.
Naruto knew what was inside—a pure white, spotless white kimono.
It was made at great expense in the top shop in the City of Fire, by the best craftsmen using the finest materials, and meticulously sewn stitch by stitch. It symbolizes the most important and sacred moment in a woman's life.
Naruto took a slow breath, trying to suppress all the churning emotions in his chest—love, determination, anticipation, and the instinctive tension he felt when facing a major moment in his life—and transform them into a calm strength.
He watched as Satsuki wiped the tabletop completely clean, straightened up, and prepared to take the dishes to the kitchen.
"Sasuki,"
Naruto spoke, his voice slightly lower than usual. He paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on her as she turned around at the sound of his voice.
"Could you come over here for a moment?"
He patted the empty spot on the sofa next to him, gesturing for her to sit down. Then, he slightly adjusted his posture to appear more formal, even though they were in the most relaxed part of their home.
"I... have something to tell you."
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(Sorry for the late update, the author suddenly had some things to do tonight.)