Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 388 Happy Birthday

...bring your thoughts back to the present moment.

Today was just another ordinary day, almost too peaceful. There were no urgent tasks, no sudden attack alerts, and no signs of potential crisis.

That's why Naruto felt a rare sense of...doing nothing today.

As usual, he naturally went to the Uchiha clan's territory, intending to find Satsuki, perhaps to train together, or perhaps simply to spend time together.

However, in front of the clan head's mansion, he was told some unexpected news by Uchiha Fugaku.

"Satsuki is with Mikoto today, she has some things to take care of, so she probably won't have time to spend with you."

Fugaku's tone was calm and normal; he was simply stating the facts.

But for Naruto, this kind of experience was... far too unfamiliar.

In his memory, whether he went directly to her or made an appointment beforehand, it seemed that... for the first time, he was politely refused by Satsuki, or rather, by the parents who represented Satsuki's wishes, on the grounds that "something came up today."

This is perfectly normal for any ordinary interpersonal relationship—everyone has their own life arrangements, private space, or time to spend alone with family.

But a subtle yet distinct sense of loss still uncontrollably spread from the depths of Naruto's heart.

He was even startled by his sudden and intense sense of loss, and quickly shook his head to dispel this slightly "excessive" possessiveness.

"Satsuki is with her mother...that's normal, perfectly normal."

He told himself, trying to convince his emotions with reason, just as Kushina sometimes had days when she particularly wanted to be alone with her son, mother and daughter also needed private time. That made perfect sense.

Despite trying to comfort myself, the emptiness of having my plans disrupted still lingers.

Therefore, Naruto decided to devote all his free time today to exploring and training the deeper abilities of the [Star Eye], trying to fill this sudden "free time" with focused training.

Time slipped away quietly as I focused on contemplation and subtle energy manipulation.

Night fell and the city lights came on. Naruto finished his training and returned to Minato's old residence.

He pushed open the door and, as was his habit, said something to the person inside.

"I'm back."

However, unlike usual, this time, there was no cheerful response from his mother, Kushina, from the kitchen or living room, nor the sound of her hurried footsteps. The house was quiet, with only his own voice echoing softly in the entryway.

Naruto paused slightly before entering the dining room. The table was spotless, with no food left behind, only a note pressed against a cup. He picked it up, and Kushina Uzumaki's handwriting came into view.

[Sorry Naruto, I have something urgent to take care of today, so I might be home late. Don't wait for me for dinner, make yourself some. Remember to eat well! —Mom]

"..."

The note was simple and clear, with a good reason. But perhaps the lingering effects of being "rejected" by Satsuki during the day hadn't dissipated, or perhaps it was the subtle influence of a day's accumulated "unplanned free time."

Or perhaps it's that deep within him, the loneliness stemming from his childhood, and his sensitivity to companionship and responsiveness haven't been fully healed... At this moment, Naruto truly felt a long-lost sense of loneliness.

Even with immense power, a prestigious status, the respect and admiration of many friends, and the companionship of his mother and lover, the young Naruto who once faced his daily life alone in the empty apartment would still be easily moved by scenes of being "alone" at certain moments.

He sighed softly, folded the note, and placed it back on the table. Whose fault was this? His mother had her own things to do; that was perfectly normal. Zuo Yue also had her own plans. He shouldn't let these emotions control him.

He led her into the kitchen, unusually preparing only a simple dinner for himself. He ate alone at the table and then cleaned up.

After that, he tried to read for a while, but the words seemed difficult to absorb. In the end, he decided to rest early.

Nothing special happened, there were no crises to worry about, and my body felt a little tired from the day's cultivation.

Naruto quickly finished washing up, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.

The quiet night enveloped the room, my breathing gradually became even, and I finally drifted off to sleep.

------

"Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!"

The persistent knocking on the door stubbornly penetrated Naruto's deep sleep, relentlessly pounding at the edge of his consciousness.

"……Um?"

Naruto groggily pulled half his body out of the warm bed, his eyes still heavy with sleep, and looked towards the door. The night outside was still thick and inky, with only a few scattered lights dotting the silence in the distance. Was it just his imagination? Or…?

He fumbled for the bedside lamp switch, squinted, grabbed the alarm clock from beside his pillow, and brought it close to his eyes.

【0:01】

00:01?

At this hour? Who could it be? Confusion quickly spread, mixed with the late-night alertness born of being disturbed. This was too unusual; who would knock on the door in the dead of night?

But Naruto felt no fear. With his current strength, unless he sensed a heart-pounding chakra fluctuation at the level of an Otsutsuki outside the door, it would be very difficult for him to feel nervous.

He casually grabbed his coat and put it on, walked to the entrance, and asked through the door.

"Who?"

"it's me."

The sound from outside the door immediately dispelled any lingering drowsiness. Naruto knew that voice all too well—cool yet now imbued with a softness.

It is Uchiha Satsuki.

"Satsuki?!" Naruto instantly snapped back to reality, a mixture of surprise and concern washing over him. Almost without thinking, he turned the lock and asked, "What are you doing here at this hour...?"

Before he could finish speaking, his gaze fell on the figure outside the door, and all his questions and the rest of his words were gently silenced by the sight before him.

The light outside was dim, but Zuo Yue stood there, a source of light herself. She carefully held a perfectly sized round cake in her hands, just the right size to be held steadily in her palms.

On the cake, eighteen candles burned quietly, their flickering flames casting warm spots of light into her focused eyes.

The flickering candlelight cast a delicate blush on her fair cheeks, a blush that spread all the way to the tips of her ears. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on Naruto's wide, surprised blue eyes.

The usual aloofness in his eyes had completely melted away, leaving only an overflowing, undisguised tenderness and love.

However, beneath this almost overwhelming tenderness, something even more intense—a stubborn, long-brewing undercurrent called "desire"—flowed slowly deep within her eyes.

"Naruto..."

Satsuki's voice was softer than ever, trembling slightly with nervousness or anticipation, yet every word struck Naruto's heart with clarity.

"……Happy birthday."

Today... is my birthday?!

The floodgates of memory were instantly opened, and Naruto suddenly realized. So that's why she deliberately chose this precise moment, the transition between the old and new year, to appear at his door with a cake? Just to be the first person to offer him her blessings?

A tremendous surprise and overwhelming emotion washed over me like a warm current, followed by a deep sense of heartache.

Naruto immediately reached out and pulled Satsuki into the house, then quickly closed the door behind him, shutting out the chill of the night.

"...Really," her sigh was filled with tenderness, "How long have you been standing outside alone in the middle of the night? What if you catch a cold? It would have been the same if you had come during the day. You doing this, I..."

He was left speechless once again.

This time, it was because of Satsuki's actions.

She stepped into the house without hesitation. She first placed the cake on the living room table, then went straight to Naruto, who was still rambling on about his heartache.

Her gaze was fixed on him, her pupils filled with an unmistakable, greedy focus.

Then, before Naruto realized what she was about to do, she tiptoed slightly—a movement that carried the awkwardness of a young girl mixed with shyness and courage.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her arms were a little stiff, but the strength of her embrace was very firm. Her faint, cool fragrance, mixed with the sweet scent of cake cream, rushed into Naruto's nostrils.

The next second—

Soft, slightly cool, yet with an undeniable sense of initiative and burning heat, the touch precisely covered his lips.

It wasn't a skillful kiss; it was a hesitant, tentative one, yet it was filled with a burning, almost overflowing desire and possessiveness.

The treasure, carefully hidden away for so long, is finally ready to be shown to the world, with the courage of a desperate gamble and the force that cannot be refused.

Naruto's pupils contracted sharply in the flickering candlelight, and his breath caught in his throat.

The sounds of the whole world seemed to disappear, leaving only the sudden, rapid beating of our hearts, like a dense drumbeat, and the warmth of our lips, a mixture of creamy sweetness and her unique scent.