Haruto froze in place, his hand still on the doorframe. The last thing he expected was her voice—calm, steady, and waiting.
"Y-Yeah," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "We can talk."
Kushina stepped aside, letting him in. The house was dim, lit only by the fading orange hue from the windows. She led him to the living room, where they sat across from each other. A silence hung in the air like a fragile thread.
For a long while, neither spoke.
Then Kushina broke the silence, her voice low. "Haruto… what you said last night… it wasn't easy to hear."
Haruto clenched his fists. "I know. I'm sorry. I just—I couldn't hold it in anymore. It's been eating at me for so long, and I didn't want to lie to you."
She looked at him—really looked—and for the first time, saw the weight he carried. The torment in his eyes wasn't just desire. It was pain. Confusion. Desperation.
"I know you didn't mean to hurt me," she said softly, "but you did. Not because I'm angry at you… but because I don't know how to handle it. I raised you, Haruto. You were my son before anything else."
"I still am," he whispered, almost pleading. "But I'm also someone who fell in love with you. And I hated myself for it."
Kushina's eyes welled with tears, but she didn't let them fall. Her voice trembled now, raw and human. "Do you know how alone I've been, Haruto? All these years—after losing my clan, my home, Minato… I buried myself in being a mother. And then you—you grew up always staying close. Always there for me. And maybe I leaned on you more than I should have."
He looked up at her, startled. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" she sighed, looking away. "Maybe I blurred the lines too. Maybe, in my grief, I didn't notice how close you were getting. And I never stopped it."
A long pause followed. Haruto's heart pounded in his chest. "So… what now?"
Kushina finally stood and walked toward the window, watching the first stars appear.
"I don't know," she said. "I need time. This… this isn't something we can ignore. But it's also not something I can rush through. You have feelings. I get that. But you're still my child, and this is a wound we both need to treat carefully."
Haruto stood as well, his voice breaking. "I never meant to cause you pain, Mom."
She turned to him, her expression unreadable. "I believe you. But love… love like this is dangerous. And once it's said, we can't go back."
He nodded slowly. "Then I'll wait. I won't say anything again until you're ready. Or until I can let it go."
She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Haruto. For being honest… and for giving me space."
For a moment, they stood in silence. No resolution. Just an understanding of the storm that now lingered between them.
And outside, the night deepened—quiet, heavy, uncertain.
As the new day begins everything go to normal but Kushina and haruto
After the breakfast haruto, Naruto and hana go to ninja school as they get to the school gate as two girls greet haruto with a smile one is a blonde and second is purple head that means is ino yamanaka and hinata hyuga greet haruto and hana
After breakfast, the three of them—Haruto, Naruto, and Hana—gathered their belongings and headed off to the Ninja Academy. The air was crisp, the streets busy with villagers, shinobi, and vendors preparing for the day. Despite the usual noise of the village, Haruto's mind remained distant, haunted by the conversation with Kushina the night before. Still, he masked it well, forcing a faint smile for his siblings.
Naruto walked ahead, stretching his arms. "Man, I hope we get to practice some jutsu today! I wanna beat Sasuke's smug face into the ground!"
Hana giggled. "You say that every day, Naruto."
Haruto chuckled softly. "Yeah, but today you might actually trip before you reach him."
As they arrived at the tall gates of the Ninja Academy, students were already milling about, chatting in groups and waiting for the bell. And then, two familiar figures stepped forward from the crowd.
"Ino! Hinata!" Hana beamed, waving at them excitedly.
Ino Yamanaka, with her signature blonde ponytail and confident stance, gave a dazzling smile. "Good morning, Hana! Haruto!" Her eyes lingered on Haruto for a heartbeat longer, a small blush rising to her cheeks.
Next to her stood Hinata Hyūga, the quiet girl with lavender eyes and indigo-purple hair. She gave a soft bow, her voice barely above a whisper. "G-Good morning, Haruto-kun… Hana-chan."
Haruto returned their greetings politely, his expression softening. "Morning, Ino. Morning, Hinata."
Ino playfully nudged him with her elbow. "You better sit near us today, okay? I'm not letting you escape to the back row with Naruto again."
Haruto smirked. "No promises."
Hinata fidgeted slightly, her gaze flickering from Haruto to the ground. "Umm… H-Haruto-kun, if… if you're free after class, w-would you like to train with me? Only if you want to…"
Hana grinned. "Oooh, Haruto~ looks like you're popular today."
Haruto scratched the back of his head, slightly flustered. "Sure, Hinata. I'll join you."
Hinata's face turned red, but she smiled with genuine happiness.
Just then, the academy bell rang loud and clear, signaling the start of the day. Students began hurrying inside.
"Let's go," Haruto said calmly, walking with his siblings and the two girls.
As they stepped into the academy, the weight in Haruto's heart eased—just a little. The world around him continued to move, unaware of the storm inside. And perhaps, just for today, he could pretend things were normal.