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May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 33:22
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"WOAH!
WOAAHHHH!
WOOOOAHHHHH!"
The bellows of a youth pervaded the room's serenity, his sapphire eyes sparkling in delight as he darted across all corners of the table, vividly expressing his amazement as he eyed the many delicacies presented before him. Spread across the table were an array of delectable dishes; steaming bowls of rice, an assortment of meticulously crafted sushi, succulent chicken wings, and a medley of colourful salads tempting their taste buds with a feast of flavours.
The youth was none other than Naruto, who felt no embarrassment as he salivated in the presence of the scrumptious presentation. The splendour of numerous fragrances danced in the air, invading the nostrils of all. Merely a single sniff seemed to satisfy their palates!
Observing Naruto's childlike antics, Hayato and Kaede couldn't help but laugh. Karin on the other hand, seemed to harbour a callous visage, but that was a facade that concealed her devious musings. Internally, she begged to differ, as a simple whiff of the food caused her stomach to rumble in protest, but thankfully, it's sound was drowned by Naruto's rambunctious compliments.
'It smells so nice!' Karin mulled, resisting the temptation of gluttony. She couldn't help but envy Naruto's nonchalance, who didn't seem to care about how others viewed him.
Raising her lips to Hayato's ear, Kaede whispered, "He's definitely as energetic as Kushina-san."
Hayato returned a smile, and supported, "Yeah, I told you so."
...
Hayato took one side of the dining table, while the siblings took the other, and Naruto analysed the food before him with profound curiosity. His whole life, he mostly had ramen and milk...
... Expired, ahem, milk...
But this spectacle... was beyond his imagination!
Kaede carefully, and tactfully, illustrated her prowess as a housewife with impeccable distribution skills. She maintained a steady rhythm and was quick to nourish the plates of her beloved family, providing a delectable presentation. Truly a sight to behold.
Naruto soundly gulped, and Karin inaudibly swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Finally, Kaede elegantly seated beside Hayato, and the time to indulge had finally arrived!
Hayato initiated, smacking his palms together, "Let us commence."
Kaede and Karin clasped their palms together in the form of prayer, to which Naruto too, mirrored. He wasn't unfamiliar with this gesture, as he too, would tend to perform the same motion. It was a routine showcasing the individual's respect before immersing in their meals.
The difference today was Naruto had endearing people to share this moment with; he had a family with whom he could share his delight of indulging in the meal.
Everyone yelled in unison, "ITADAKIMASSU," before diving in.
The table carried the sounds of chopsticks clattering against the dishes, as well as frequent chatter and laughter, and shared stories. Overall, everyone shared a harmonious time.
...
Soon enough, they were done.
Massaging his bloated stomach, Hayato wearily spoke, "Ha, I'm full." Turning to Kaede, he remarked, "You've outdone yourself this time."
Kaede merely smiled at his remark and arose from her spot.
"Th-Thank you very much, oba-chan," Naruto expressed his gratitude shyly.
Kaede smiled, and replied, "Yes, you're welcome."
Karin chimed in, "Yes, thank you very much."
"Yes, yes, you're welcome dear," Kaede accepted her thanks and cradled the dishes in her arms before making headway into the kitchen.
Leaning back on the chair, Naruto sighed as he caressed his bulging stomach, and intoned, "Haa, that was delicious!"
"Hahaha," Hayato laughed. He stood from his spot, and advised, "Well, I'll leave you two be. Use this time to get to know each other."
With his statement, he strolled to the kitchen to assist his wife with the dishes.
Hence, an awkward silence prevailed among the duo.
The clatter and rubbing of dishes revolved in the backdrop amid the eerie ambience, and a bead of sweat formed by the back of the children's heads, stemming from awkwardness as neither side was willing to engage. While their shared moments during the meal with their parents had been enjoyable, now that they were gone, the kids found themselves at a loss for words.
Finally, the yellow haired youth broke the silence;
"H-Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto introduced.
"I-I'm Uzumaki Karin," Karin chided along.
Naruto's cheeks slightly reddened, his lips slowly parting as he uttered in a choked tone, "S-So..."
Noticing that Naruto was reluctant to continue, Karin could only tilt her head in confusion.
Finally, Naruto addressed while scratching his reddened cheek, "S-So you're my n-nee-chan huh?"
Karin's eyes unfurled, and she stammered at the unexpected call; "I... I... g-guess so."
And once again, a momentary peace returned between the duo.
This time, Karin was the one to alleviate the mood and spoke in a hushed tone with a cheeky smile, "So we've both experienced kaa-chan's death grip, right?"
Arching a brow, Naruto questioned, "Death grip?"
Karin pointed at Kaede in the kitchen, and motioned with her arms as though hugging, subsequently sparking a recent memory in Naruto of the tight embrace that almost killed him!
Naruto laughed, "Hahaha, so that's what it's called huh? Death grip."
Karin bluntly nodded, "Yep."
Naruto's eyes unpeeled, conveying his agitation as he voiced, "Nee-chan, don't tell me even you went through it?"
"Yep, I have as well," Karin nodded her head in agreement. Her mind fell into a state of momentary reminiscence, recalling her first interaction with Hayato and Kaede...
- FLASHBACK-NO-JUTSU -
The current setting appeared to be a small room, coloured with brown wallpaper, and grey cemented ground.
"AHHH, KARIN-CHAN!!!"
A sharp exclamation rang in the air, which came from Kaede as she kneeled, cradling a red haired youth in her arms who seemed like a carcass with foam escaping her mouth. Her eyes were pupilless, and she seemed like a corpse.
'That... hurt,' the red haired youth, or rather, Karin, thought to herself. She was conscious but unable to move.
Hayato facepalmed, before rasping, "Kaede heal her."
In this memory, he retained his usual appearance of yellow hair and blue eyes.
"Right," Kaede acknowledged, a green hue emanating from her hands as she immediately tended to the injured youth. The reason for the youth's plight had been caused by none other than Kaede's inconspicuous bear hug!
- END OF FLASHBACK-NO-JUTSU -
"Haha," Karin exhaled a strained laugh, recalling her close-to-death experience that had transpired long ago.
"Death grip... That's so funny, who came up with that name?" Naruto asked, his lips parted into a delicate smile in curiosity.
Karin raised a finger to her mouth, motioning for silence, before whispering, "Tou-chan did, and actually, there's something even funnier, but we have to be quiet about this."
"Ohh, what is it?" Naruto asked, moving his ear close to her mouth.
Karin whispered in his ear, "Tou-chan said her nickname was Grip Gorilla."
"Hahaha, Grip Gorilla," Naruto laughed, oblivious to his heightened pitch! Well, it wasn't that loud, so no ordinary person should be able to hear it...
"HUH, GRIP GORILLA?!" A feminine voice yelled, her pitch rising with each word.
Both children grit their teeth, a shudder running down their spine as they turned their heads to the kitchen, where Kaede was now confronting Hayato. Hayato seemed to have both hands raised in resignation.
'She heard us?' The children questioned, despite their whispers...
Truly a bizarre mother.
...
Raising his hands in surrender with sweat trickling down his face, Hayato convinced, "It was a joke, just a joke."
"Do I look like a Gorilla to you?!" Kaede rebuked, flailing her wooden spoon.
Hayato momentarily aligned Kaede's gorgeous outline to that of a wild Gorilla, before shaking his head in dismissal, and retorted, "Ahem, well I didn't give you that name, it was actually... "
He paused, to which Kaede arched a brow; "It was actually..." She repeated, intrigued to learn of the esteemed culprit.
"Nah, never mind, how about we forget about all this, haha," Hayato abstained, ruefully chuckling. There was no way he would snitch on his brother-in-arms, even if that meant dying!
"Huh?! What's that supposed to mean? Tell me who it was," Kaede demanded, waving her wooden spoon threateningly, and Hayato looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with his wife's sinister gaze.
"Hey tell me," Kaede pouted.
Hayato smacked his fist into his palm in a vertical motion, and suggested, "Oh, I know, how about we go to the park or something later?" He tried to change the topic.
"Ohh, good idea, but it's too dark unfortunately," Kaede answered, staring outside the window where the skies were enveloped in a veil of navy blue.
It was a dire attempt for Hayato to flee, but it was a futile ploy!
Kaede redirected her malice toward Hayato, and inquired, "By the way, I still want the answer. Who the hell named me Grip Gorilla?! This is new to me!"
However, Hayato still refrained, doing his utmost to keep the perpetrator's name under wraps. Invited by her uncomfortable, and dangerous proximity, he quickly grabbed Kaede's arm, resting his arm around her waist.
Taken aback by his manoeuvre, Kaede's eyes widened, and she chortled, "Oh?!"
Hayato proposed, "How about I make it up to you with something you'll like?"
Kaede's widened eyes squinted, her cheeks crinkling as a playful grin spread across her plump lips. Tiptoeing, she whispered in his ear in a teasing tone, "Well, you're welcome to try."
...
Meanwhile, Naruto and Karin exchanged glances and giggled quietly, their bodies spasming out of control as they struggled to bottle in their laughter.
Naruto whimpered, "I feel sorry for oji-chan."
Karin supported, "Yeah, poor tou-chan."
The duo glanced back at the kitchen, only for their expressions to scrunch in horror, and pupils constricted at the sight to behold!
Hayato's back was turned to them, but his arms wrapped around Kaede's waist, and her palm rested on Hayato's cheek, and the duo subtly swayed in rhythm from side to side.
Though uncertain, their parents' posture hinted at something inexplicable...
It seemed they were...
They were...
Kissing?!