Chapter 2: Chapter 2 – The Golden Fruit

I shifted slightly in my seat, searching for a more comfortable position on the zabuton. For someone accustomed to chairs, sitting on the floor, even with a cushion, isn't the most relaxing experience.

I wondered why sleeping on the floor caused me no discomfort.

Likewise, using chopsticks wasn't hard, or weird. It felt natural as if I had always been using them to eat all my life. When my experiences with the wooden sticks were nonexistent.

Using them is not weird but knowing how to use them is.

I thought as I brought some rice to my mouth using the said wooden utensil. The rice is mildly warm, with a softer texture, barely needing any chewing. And also sweet with a hint of nutty flavor to it.

Is this the best rice in the world? Or is all of the rice I've eaten up until now of the lowest quality?

I honestly don't know.

"Izuna-Kun," I heard someone calling me by my name, my new name and I looked across the chabudai, the low table as the person continued speaking "hold the rice bowl with your spare hand to not get food on the ground."

I nodded and did as instructed by the middle-aged woman. I may know how to use chopsticks but that doesn't mean I know how to eat with them or the etiquette needed.

The breakfast was mostly calm and silent. I was nervous at first but if there is anything that I find relaxing is silence. No matter if it's an awkward silence or a tense one, I like silence.

Silence is good.

I directed my chopsticks to the dish containing three pieces of tamagoyaki and grabbed one before bringing it to my mouth and... I started to doubt anything I ate in my previous world. I mean isn't tamagoyaki supposed to be eggs, why does it taste more like candy?

I wasted no breath and moved my chopsticks once more. Their target? It's all too obvious; the golden fluffy candy.

"You had enough brat."

Yet before they reach their goal an evil burglar barred their root, with the cruel intention of hindering me and my destined candy. But I heeded nothing and pushed my arm forward and persevered trying to force away the bandit's nasty chopsticks. But to no avail. The damn burglar is strong, too strong in fact. My arm trembled as it was pushed back by the demon. Slowly and gradually my destiny, my fated golden candy started to move away from me.

Is this how it ends after all? With my defeat? Torn away from my love?

No. I don't want to accept this. I can't accept it.

I gritted my teeth and looked into the demon's eyes. They are black like the abyss, with no shred of emotion inside of them. How can such inhuman things exist? I felt my resolve wavering for a brief moment but I remembered my goal, my golden lover, its taste, its texture. And I swore, I will never let it down... never.

With my resolve back, I pushed once more, and pushed, pushed...

Alas, the heavens aren't on my side.

No matter how strong my will is, or how much I pushed the abomination isn't budging. Like a thousand years old mountain, it stayed in place. looking down on me. Mocking me, my resolve, my will.

I felt despair well up inside me. And the tears in my heart at the realization that maybe... this is the end.

"Kyouka-Chan, it's rude for a young lady to act like that."

When everything seems bleak, and the sun is buried by dark clouds. One ray successfully penetrated the darkness to shine on my road.

The gods got pity on my soul and listened to my unsolicited plea.

"But he already had h-" The demon wailed, obviously unhappy but no one heeds the cries of the loser.

"And Izuna-Kun, eat as much as you want, I will prepare more if needed."

"Thank you very much, Baa-Chan." I expected my profound gratitude to my savior as I grabbed my rightful prize. And what a prize it was. Not palling at all, with the first time I tasted it, It was just heavenly.

"Hump."

I glanced from the corner of my eye at the person sitting beside me. The demon has its face marred with displeasure at my victory. Understable. While the victor laughs the loser cries. It's how the world works.

But I didn't laugh or even smile.

My face remains as blank as ever. Partially because it is not the end yet, there is still one more piece of the golden fruit that need my attention. And Partially because I am not good at it.

I moved once more my wooden companion. I know I shouldn't take action so soon but the thought of leaving the beautiful, tasty, golden fruit feeling lonely is revolting. Hence I didn't hesitate.

However, the demon, a nasty thing from hell, the deceiving snake, beautiful outside but rotten inside, was prepared. Instead of impeding my road, like the first time. This time it got its fangs directly on the golden fruit.

The villain not only was prepared, but she was also smart and more importantly... fast. I could do nothing other than watch with grief. One moment the golden fruit was on its golden throne then it was buried inside the filthy thing's mouth.

"Too slow, brat." The demon proclaimed its victory with an evil smile.

"Kyouka-Chan!" My new aunt gave her daughter, sitting across from her, an admonishing look before she looked at me and smiled "Don't worry Izuna-Kun, I will immediately prepare some more for you."

"No, it's alright Baa-Chan," I shook my head, no matter my shamelessness had its limits after all, "thank you." I added, not forgetting politeness.

"Are you sure? It will not take much to prepare."

"Yes, I'm full," I affirmed "I just wanted to eat that piece because I thought no one will."

I said my shamelessness is limited not that I don't have any.

You are reading story Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha at novel35.com

"Alright then, but if you want anything just tell me and I will make it for you."

"I will... thank you."

After this childish episode, the breakfast proceeded in calming silence. My heart was focused on the flavored dishes in front of me, while my mind wondered about their mystery. Why is this food on another level? Is it just the food or it's the cook?

I gazed at one of the two people sitting across the low table.

The cook.

No. The chef.

A middle-aged woman whose age I am ignorant and I am fine with it. She is a fair-skinned woman with short hair, just like her daughter, though it's straight. She is my aunt, my new aunt.

A sour feeling started to slowly flare up in my stomach but I ignored it. There is no justification for it. Harboring guilt over something I didn't do or have control over, is neither reasonable nor fair. So ignoring it or at least trying to, is all I can do. Other than praying for the kid to be in a better place than I am.

I like to believe it's some sort of body switch, rather than killing a child and taking over his body. It's a relatively reasonable line of thinking if you take into account the ludicrousness of it all. And also the fact that I didn't die.

So the original Izuna is probably fighting the adult world. which is objectively much better than fighting murderous wizards maniacs or godly beasts. He will also not have to go through the clan's massacre.

Yeah, he should be in a better situation than I am.

Of course, there is also the possibility I am in a simulation. My brain connects to all types of machines, sending and receiving data. Computer projecting a hyper-realistic fabricated world into my mind.

It's scary but it could also explain the enhanced senses and the heavenly food. After all, various sensations are born from different regions of the brain. Injecting a signal in one specific region and the brain will prove the intended emotion or sensation.

In other words, my brain is probably in a jar right now.

And the question is what I can do if that were the case?

Well, for now, nothing. Since it's an unfounded theory, I should in no case believe in it until solid proof were found. Doing otherwise can lead to irremediable situations, of which death.

So for now, the plan is to accept the world is real until proven otherwise.

"You are going to see him today." A flat and firm voice took me out of my thoughts. In front of me, across the chabudai, a man, the head of the house, and my uncle. He maintained silence and closed his eyes throughout breakfast. But now his plate is empty and his eyes open, fixed directly on me.

I swallowed with a slight difficulty and tried to not look nervous. Which I am confident I can do. Not that I am a great actor, it's just that looking nervous isn't on the list of faces I am able to pull off.

"Yes," I said with an even tone as I looked into his intimidating black eyes. It's but common courtesy to look someone in the eyes while speaking.

The middle-aged man and the father of the young woman sitting next to me have short, spiky, black hair. Wearing a high-collared, black shirt. The man with his arm crossed nodded slowly with an affirmative hum, then he turned his head to his wife sitting beside him. Without saying anything the middle-aged woman nodded and then stood up before walking out of the room.

"Izuna-Kun," She came back in less than a minute. She reached to me and grasped my cold hand in her warm ones before she put two metallic rounded objects in my palm "please use these and buy beautiful flowers to take with you."

Flowers?

"Flowers?"

My aunt nodded with a gentle smile on her lips, yet her eyes showed something else.

"What sort of flower?" I asked again. I don't have any experience in this type of thing, nor am I familiar with the tradition. I know different flowers have different meanings used for different occasions. But other than that, I am not far off from being a caveman when it comes to flowers. The only dissimilarity is that a caveman eats flowers while I don't.

"Don't think too much about it, Izuna-Kun," She raised her warm hand and brought it to my head, before patting it. I felt her hand gently stroking my hair "Kyouka-Chan here knows a good flower shop, with a lot of beautiful flowers, she will take you there. Let your heart guide you Izuna-Kun and choose flowers that you like, whichever you think are the most beautiful, Alright?"

I nodded absentmindedly, my unfocused eyes on the two pieces of metal in my palm.

"I shouldn't worry, Izuna-Kun is really smart, after all," The woman closed her eyes and nodded her smile wined slightly "now, stop wasting any more time, Kyouka-chan," she looked at her daughter who is holding a bowl full of rice "it time to go."

"Wait! I still hav-"

"That's your fifth Kyouka-Chan," The mother shook her head with a sigh "you will end up getting all chubby if you don't take care of your diet."

"C-chubby! No, I won't! I train a lot and I need a lot of energy!"

"Now, now, you can still eat when you come back, or..." she trailed her eyes narrowed and with a cold voice she said, "are you saying you don't want to."

A shiver runs down my spine, I felt the temperature in the room drop considerably. I thought she is an angel and it is the truth she is... an angel of death.

And fortunately, I am not the only one feeling the calamity. As the target of the said calamity wasn't dense after all. The young woman stood, wiped her mouth with her hand, and said in an over-cheerful tone "What are you saying Kaa-Chan, of course, I want to, I was just waiting for the brat, and now that he finished his breakfast, let's start moving..."

She talked as she hurridly put her shinobi shoes at the genkan. Not even wearing them properly she slides open the shoji and then stopped, remembering something. She turned her head back at me and shouted "I said let's start moving, stop wasting time brat!"

"...yes," I said breaking out of my daze, then I hurried behind her only to stop, remembering something at my turn. I turned around and bowed, something I have never done before "thank you very much, Baa-chan, Jii-san."

And with politeness out of the way, I run after my cousin. With excitement building in my chest. Finally, I get to see it, how will it be?

Konohagakure.

You can find story with these keywords: Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha, Read Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha, Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha novel, Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha book, Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha story, Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha full, Naruto: The Shadow Of The Uchiha Latest Chapter