By the time, Naruto finished his story it was already late at night. Realizing that it was already this late, Naruto suddenly felt hungry.
"I didn't even realize how fast time passed. Let's have dinner together shall we?" Hearing Kushina's words, Naruto was super excited. How can be not be excited? This was the first time in his life he was going to have his mother's cooked meal.
"Alright."
Seeing this excited smile, Kushina stood up and went to the kitchen to begin cooking. Although she felt that she should cook a feast for her son there wasn't simply enough time or ingredients at home.
"Do you need any help mom?" Naruto asked.
Kushina who was also cutting vegetables stopped and looked at Naruto. "Could you cut the vegetables?" Hearing this Naruto felt embarrassed. Although he was ashamed to admit it his lifestyle mostly revolved around noodles. Other than that he mostly ate outside with his teammates.
"I think I can." Naruto looked at the way Kushina was cutting the onion.
"My dear son, why don't you go and take a bath while I make dinner? I will put a towel in front of the bathroom." Naruto nodded his head. Since the bathroom was next to the living room, Kushina didn't need to show him.
Meanwhile, Kushina stopped what she was doing and went to the second floor. She then opened her closet. With an extra towel, she also took out Minato's old Pajamas. Looking at these old Pajamas, Kushina felt nostalgic and also a bit sad. If only Minato was here then the whole family would have been complete.
"I never thought that one day our son would be wearing Minato's pajamas. Fate is truly mysterious." Kushina never threw away the clothes of Minato. All these years, she nicely kept all of his clothes.
"Naruto, I have kept the towel along with Minato's Pajamas in front of the bathroom door."
"Okay, mom." Hearing his tone, Kushina smiled before she went back to the kitchen.
'Is this what it feels to become a mother?' Kushina wondered out loud. Even though Kushina had missed Naruto's entire childhood, she was going to be the best mother to him and teach her son everything.
'I should teach Naruto everything that I know about Fuinjutsu and also pass down Minato's Jutsu and techniques to him.' When Kushina became pregnant, Minato had prepared many different kinds of Jutsu that he was planning on teaching his son. Unfortunately, he didn't live to see that.
'Since Naruto is a Uzumaki and in the future he will become a 100% Uzumaki, this brings the possibility for a possible restoration of the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha. However, to restore the clan, whether Naruto likes to or not he will need to marry many women and have a lot of kids. But I only just got my son back. I don't want any vixen to steal my son away from me.' Kushina wanted to keep Naruto all to herself.
'That's right, Naruto is still very young. He still has a ton of things to learn about the world and about women. Until then I am not letting any vixen get near my dear son.' In reality, Kushina was only giving herself excuses to keep Naruto all to herself.
While Kushina was cooking dinner while thinking about Naruto's future, Naruto was done with the shower. Holding the towel, he came out of the bathroom.
"Man, that felt really refreshing." Naruto hadn't properly showered since the war started back in the world. Before he could have any time to bathe, he was sent to this world and now he was here.
"Naruto, I am nearly done with dinner. Just give me 10 more minutes." For tonight, Kushina decided to cook something simple. Since she and Naruto both were feeling hungry.
'Tomorrow, I better take him shopping before we decide to do anything.' Kushina said noticing the Minato's Pajamas that he was wearing. Minato's pajamas more or less fit him perfectly.
'I never thought I would see my son in my late husband's Pajamas.' Tonight Kushina couldn't be happier than this.
"Naruto, meanwhile, you can watch something on TV."
"Okay."
Naruto turned on the TV and began to look for something interesting. Unlike the old TV that he brought with the money that he saved up from completing many missions, the TV that Kushina brought was completely brand new. The visual and the sound quality was many times better than his old TV.
Naruto began to watch Konoha News. Since Konoha was a giant village with a population of more than a few million, the village even had multiple dedicated news channels.
[Note - The technology in Naruto world isn't that backward either.]
Once Kushina finished cooking, she brought all the food to the dining table.
"Naruto, what do you plan on doing from now on?" Kushina sat down on the chair of the dining table. She sat opposite him.
Naruto was very excited to eat his mother's cooked food. Hearing her question, he calmed down and replied. "Mom, right now I am weak. I would like to train before the invasion starts. I believe I have around 8 to 9 months. Within these months, I want to become as strong as I could do. This time, I am not letting the old man die on my watch." Naruto tightly clenched his fists and said in a determined tone. He was dead serious.
"Alright, I will help you with your training. You know, your dad had prepared many different kinds of Jutsu for you. He was thinking of teaching them to you by himself but I guess that day will never come."
"Yeah.....!!!" Both Naruto and Kushina became a little bit sad remembering Minato.
"Enough of that. Let's eat now. Give me your bowl." Kushina said with a big smile.
Kushina was busily scooping rice into the bowl. Naruto's face lit up with a smile, feeling happy and warm inside because his mom was piling up the delicious food she had made just for him. However, his smile soon faded, replaced by a nervous expression. Drops of sweat began to appear on his forehead as he watched his mom continue to add more and more rice, showing no sign of stopping. In front of him, the rice in his bowl was piling up, growing higher and higher into an impressive mountain.
"Mo... Mom...," Naruto stuttered, his voice filled with worry as he gazed at the towering heap of rice. It was so high that it looked like a white peak. "I think that's enough now."
But Kushina seemed not to notice his concern as she added one more scoop. The amount was so generous that Naruto wasn't sure he could eat it all.
Finally, Kushina took a step back, her eyes catching sight of the enormous amount of rice she had put into Naruto's bowl. A sheepish grin spread across her face as she realized her over-enthusiasm. "I guess I got a little carried away. Hehe!!!" With a light-hearted chuckle, she handed the bowl back to Naruto, who now had to face the challenge of the six-inch-tall rice mountain before him.
'I wonder if I would be able to finish this huge amount.' Naruto wondered.
With Kushina watching anxiously, Naruto reached for his chopsticks. He carefully grabbed a small piece of the golden-brown fried fish and lifted it to his mouth.
"How does it taste?" Kushina asked, her voice filled with hope and a bit of worry.
Naruto took his time, thoughtfully chewing the fish. "It's really good, Mom," he finally said with a warm smile. The fish was tender and flavorful, with just the right amount of crispiness on the outside. Next, he took a sip of the Miso Soup. It was soothing and rich, with a gentle balance of salty and savory that warmed him from the inside out.
One by one, Naruto tasted the other dishes that accompanied the main meal. Each one was a new delight, offering different flavors that were equally pleasing. "Everything you made is so tasty," he told his mother with genuine appreciation.
Upon hearing this, a wide smile replaced the worry on Kushina's face. She felt a wave of happiness knowing her son enjoyed the meal. "Please eat as much as you like. There's plenty more if you want seconds," she said, encouraging him to indulge in the meal she prepared with love.
Kushina watched, her eyes filled with concern, as Naruto ate much slower than usual. She realized with a pang of guilt that he was struggling to use chopsticks with his left hand.
'How did I not see this before?' she thought, feeling a sudden urge to hit her forehead. Her son had lost his right arm, and now he was forced to use his left hand, which he wasn't accustomed to. Of course, it was going to be awkward for him.
Wanting to make it easier, Kushina got up and moved to sit right next to her son. Naruto looked up at her, a bit puzzled, as she gently took the bowl and chopsticks from his hand.
"I'll help you eat," she said softly. Each time she glanced at the place where Naruto's right hand should have been, a wave of anger surged within her toward the dark-haired Uchiha responsible for her son's condition. Yet, at the same time, that empty space where his arm used to be stood as a testament to the many challenges Naruto had faced and overcome in his other world.
"Mom, you don't have to do this. I can manage with my other hand," Naruto insisted, not wanting to trouble his mother over something he considered minor. Despite the discomfort, he felt this was part of the consequences he had to face, and he didn't want his mother to carry any part of his burden.
But Kushina's stern look quickly silenced him. "Open up," she commanded gently yet firmly.
Ah...!!!
Obediently, Naruto opened his mouth, and Kushina carefully placed the food inside. As he started to chew, Naruto closed his eyes, savoring the taste. The flavors burst in his mouth - the perfect blend of spices in the fish that made it slightly crispy on the outside while still being delightfully soft on the inside, the miso soup that carried a comforting warmth with every spoonful, and the freshness of the side dishes that complemented the main meal beautifully.
Feeling a bit self-conscious about being fed like a child, Naruto couldn't help but feel a touch of embarrassment. He was, after all, a grown man. Yet, the love behind his mother's actions filled him with a profound sense of warmth and affection. Her care made the meal taste even better as if each bite was a reminder of her love and dedication.