Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 223

But the new era that belongs to Shion and the Land of Demons has only just begun.

Alright, that concludes the theatrical version of "Naruto's Death"!

Chapter 246 Welcome Home! Naruto!

The familiar hustle and bustle of Konoha Village, the air filled with the aroma of ramen and the fresh scent of herbs.

Like the warmest embrace, it instantly enveloped the weary Class 7 as they returned from their journey.

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on Huoying Rock and illuminated the stone path at the village entrance that I had walked countless times.

"call--!"

Naruto stood at the village entrance, hands on his hips, and took a deep, forceful breath.

It was as if they wanted to inhale the entire village's atmosphere into their lungs, and then exhale it out with satisfaction and a long, drawn-out breath.

A radiant smile, brimming with a deep sense of belonging, bloomed on his face: "It feels so good to be back in the village!!!"

Three years of arduous training at Mount Myōboku, and life-or-death battles in the Land of Demons...

All the fatigue and tension seemed to be gently soothed by the familiar and peaceful atmosphere the moment I stepped into the village.

Kakashi looked at his three disciples beside him—

Naruto's undisguised excitement.

Sasuke's profile, though still expressionless, was noticeably relaxed.

Sakura wore a tired but satisfied smile—

The silver-haired Jonin's exposed eye curved into a crescent moon: "Alright, mission accomplished, disband now! You have two hours to go home, take a good shower, change into clean clothes, and wash away the smell of gunpowder and blood."

He clapped his hands and said in a relaxed tone, "Meet at Q at 7 p.m.! It's on me, to treat our victorious heroes!"

"Yes! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto was the first to respond loudly, full of energy.

"Hmm," Sasuke responded casually, putting his hands back in his pockets.

"Understood! I'll be there on time!" Sakura nodded with a smile, already starting to think about which outfit to wear.

Kakashi waved his hand, and his figure disappeared from the spot with a "whoosh," probably going to report the mission details to the Hokage.

Naruto patted Sasuke's shoulder hard, then grinned at Sakura: "Sakura, see you tonight! I'm starving! I'm going to give Kakashi-sensei a good beating later!"

After saying that, he turned around impatiently and took light steps toward that familiar direction in his memory.

After parting ways with Sasuke and Sakura at the street corner, Naruto walked alone on the street leading to his apartment building.

Three years have passed, and the shops on both sides of the street seem to have changed a bit.

New ones opened, and several old ones closed.

But the overall structure and the sense of warmth remain unchanged.

As Naruto passed by Ichiraku Ramen, the familiar shouts of the ramen vendor, Teuchi, made his stomach rumble twice.

He touched his nose and decided to have a bowl of meat to tide him over before having barbecue that night.

As I stepped onto the familiar stairs, my footsteps echoed in the empty hallway.

Three years... what will my little nest look like?

It's probably covered in dust and cobwebs, isn't it?

Speaking of which, during the Chunin Exams, he ate my stockpile twice.

I wonder if the cup noodles I hid at the very back of the cabinet before I left last time are still there?

With a mix of nervous anticipation and excitement about returning home, Naruto arrived at the door of his apartment building.

However, the scene before him stunned him.

The apartment's familiar door, with its faded swirling pattern... was wide open!

Naruto's smile froze instantly, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

"Could it be... could it be another lecherous immortal?!"

An unnamed anger suddenly surged up from the bottom of my heart!

Having learned from the previous two experiences, this time it goes without saying that the culprit is undoubtedly that disrespectful, gluttonous white-haired uncle!

I just went out on a mission...

This guy's using the same old trick again! He's definitely here to steal his last bit of food!

The more Naruto thought about it, the angrier he became, and he felt his fists harden!

He immediately rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms, and stormed into the open house.

Before he arrived, his voice preceded his arrival, filled with rage:

"You lecherous immortal—!!! You bastard! You stole my food again...!!!"

The angry roar abruptly stopped.

Naruto, who rushed into the house, froze in the entryway as if a pause button had been pressed.

The expected image of the burly, white-haired man caught stealing food in a disheveled state did not appear.

What came into view was a figure that was extremely familiar and warm to him.

The person had their back to the door and was carefully wiping the dust that had accumulated on the window frame with a clean rag.

He was dressed in simple dark ninja attire, with a Konoha headband on his head.

The distinctive horizontal scar above the nose is clearly visible.

The afternoon sun shone softly on him through the freshly cleaned glass window.

It outlines a busy and serious profile.

A bucket of water was placed on the ground, with a broom and a dustpan next to it.

The room was filled with the fresh scent of water and cleaning agents.

Although the furniture was simple, the floor was clean and the tabletops were spotless.

Even the tiny dust particles floating in the air were clearly visible in the sunlight—it had obviously been cleaned up for quite some time.

"I...Iruka-sensei?!"

Naruto's eyes widened, his azure pupils filled with disbelief and astonishment.

The voice became distorted due to the intense fluctuations in emotion.

Upon hearing the sound, the figure wiping the window frame paused and slowly turned around.

It was Iruka Umino, Naruto's mentor in his ninja career.

Iruka saw a blond boy standing at the door, looking travel-worn and with a look of astonishment on his face.

A gentle, slightly embarrassed smile appeared on his face, as if he had been caught doing something very ordinary yet somewhat private.

"Oh? It's Naruto..."

Iruka put down the rag, washed his hands in the bucket next to him, and dried them with a towel.

Then she turned around, her smile warm and genuine: "I was thinking of cleaning the whole place before you got back, but I didn't expect you to be home so soon."

He looked around the newly renovated little house, his tone tinged with satisfaction: "After all, I haven't been back for three years, and a lot of dust has accumulated. It won't do without a thorough cleaning."

Naruto stood blankly in the entryway, his gaze sweeping over the clean floor, the tidy table, and the sparkling windows.

And then there are those ordinary little potted plants on the balcony, which, though clearly well-watered, are stretching their green leaves in the setting sun…

An indescribable surge of heat rushed into his nasal cavity, instantly blurring his vision.

So it turns out... it wasn't the lecherous immortal who stole the food...

It turns out that... during the long three years he was gone, someone was silently protecting his small, simple "home".

It's not covered in dust, nor is it covered in cobwebs.

Instead, the windows are bright and clean, and someone comes to clean regularly.

Does anyone remember that a kid named Naruto Uzumaki lived here?

Someone is... waiting for him to come back.

“Teacher Iruka…you…how could you…”

Naruto's voice choked up, as if something was blocking his throat, and he couldn't say anything more.

He didn't need to ask Iruka how he got the key.

There's no need to ask why we do it this way.

The answer is at hand.

Right here in this clean and warm room.

Right there in Teacher Iruka's concerned and loving gaze.

Iruka looked at Naruto's reddened eyes and slightly trembling lips.

The smile on her face softened, carrying a hint of the tolerance and understanding unique to elders.

He stepped forward and gently patted the dust off Naruto's shoulder.

"Silly boy, what's the point of asking that?"

Iruka's voice was gentle yet firm: "Isn't this your home? It's normal for family members to look after the house when they're out, isn't it?"

"We can't expect you to come back and sleep in a garbage dump, can we?"

He deliberately spoke in a light tone, trying to calm Naruto's agitated emotions.

"Home...family..."

Naruto murmured those two words repeatedly, the warmth in his heart flowing like a flood that had burst its banks, impossible to suppress any longer.

Although the three elderly fathers inside him were always with him, they were never as warm as the real world.

Therefore, Naruto was used to using cheerfulness and happiness to cover up his sadness, but now...