Megumi attended his first day of class before teleporting straight home.
He didn't want to waste time meeting friends. He'd learned the seating was random with no permanent assignments.
Arriving home, Megumi broke through the barrier. Yukimi appeared.
"Welcome back, Megumi."
She greeted him.
"Huh? You're still alive?"
This was the catchphrase Megumi used to tease her after she survived near death in the underground.
"Youuu!" Yukimi clenched her fist and hit Megumi on the head.
She knew he recovered faster and could heal injuries.
"Hey, Yukimi, I want to create a fish pond and a swimming pool." Megumi had always wanted to raise koi fish. Even in his previous life, he'd only seen them in restaurants and owned by billionaires who kept special breeds.
"That's great! I'll help you with that."
This was the first time she'd heard Megumi show interest in something, so she was willing to assist.
As both of them sat down, Megumi picked up that Hana was nearby. He excused himself and went to the kitchen to cook something.
Megumi wasn't doing all this for Hana. It was for Yoshino, Shikaku's wife, who was also coming with her son.
He'd never hated her, and she was the main reason he hadn't killed all the elders in the Nara clan.
After cooking, Megumi entered the sitting room only to see Hana and Yukimi staring at each other like a UFC face-off.
He knew he had to step in before a fight broke out.
"Hey, Hana, you came?"
Drawing the two girls' attention was purposely the worst decision he'd made since his reawakening.
"Hey, Megumi, this intruder just walked into our house like—" Yukimi spoke first, grabbing Megumi's arm before sticking her tongue out at Hana.
'Our house? You're just a guest here, you liar,' Hana thought.
She also went to Megumi's other side, holding his arm.
"Where were you when he was dead and being washed by me and my mom?"
She also stuck out her tongue.
'Wait, our house? Washed the dead? You two must be on medication.'
Megumi withdrew his hands from both of them and went back to the kitchen immediately as an escape route. Even in his past life, he didn't know how to read women's emotions. That's why he'd never had a girlfriend.
"You guys, please help me set the dining table. I'm expecting a guest."
The two girls could only pout and do as he said.
Yukimi was surprised. She'd never known Megumi had family. Since she'd arrived, whenever she asked about his parents, he'd walk away. Now, seeing Hana say she'd bathed his dead body, and hearing Megumi would have guests...
"Who are we expecting? And you haven't answered my question."
Yukimi asked again. She wanted to know why their quiet life had turned upside down since Megumi joined the academy.
Megumi expected her to ask since he'd always avoided her questions about his background.
He placed the food on the table, then turned to face both Hana and Yukimi eye to eye.
"Hana and I are like family because my mother was childhood friends with her mother, who's the head of the Inuzuka clan."
"I'm from the Nara clan. Now I'm the head of a dead clan called Uzumaki."
"I'm engaged to her, but that's for the future. I stayed with the Inuzuka clan after my mother and I died during the Nine-Tails rampage, but I came back alive."
"And I'm sure you've noticed me beside the grave at the back of the house. That's my mother."
"And the guest we're expecting is my aunt, Yoshino Nara, the wife of the Nara clan head, who can be said to be my uncle. Are you happy now?"
Silence filled the room after Megumi finished his speech.
"Oh, okay." Yukimi dragged herself to her room, leaving Megumi and Hana alone.
"Is she okay?" Hana asked, seeing how she'd left the dining room.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine." Megumi brushed it off. He didn't see anything wrong with what he'd said because he hadn't hidden anything from her.
A knock came at the door. Megumi went to open it. There stood Shikamaru's mother.
"Hi, Megumi. Long time no see."
She greeted him with a smile, happy to see him.
---
**A Day Before**
It was evening in the Nara clan compound.
"I'm home."
Shikaku entered as he removed his sandals.
"Welcome home." Yoshino, who was setting up dinner, heard her husband's voice.
Shikaku picked up his son and joined his wife, sitting on the Japanese mattress.
"How was your meeting?"
Yoshino served her husband before taking her son from him.
"Good."
He knew his wife had calmed down considerably after he'd told her everything about Megumi and his location, isolated from the village.
Just when he thought he was having a good day, his front door opened. Elder Tomonori entered with two Nara members.
"Hello, Shikaku. Mind if I join you?"
Tomonori sat before the couple without waiting for an answer.
"Greetings, Clan Head."
The two men bowed.
Yoshino filled the tea cup for the elder with food.
"I'll excuse you."
She picked up her son, ready to leave, only to be stopped by Tomonori.
"You should wait. This matter involves you as well, Mistress."
He signaled for his men to leave, but before they did, one dropped a scroll on the table.
Shikaku didn't fear anyone in his clan, but he respected this elder as the only one who could think or outsmart him.
He didn't like the game this man was playing, especially when it involved his family.
"What nonsense is this, Elder? What are you doing in my house this late, and why are you involving my wife?"
Tomonori understood why Shikaku was angry, but he knew when a forest fell quiet, a monster was lurking, waiting for the perfect time.
After the night of the Nine-Tails, he'd received reports that Megumi died. He'd been there to confirm it and was surprised why the Inuzuka clan wanted the corpse.
Then, weeks later, he learned the Inuzuka clan was attacked by those trying to take the boy's body for research. By the next morning, he learned the boy was alive and had killed every Root operative in that clan.
Luckily for his informant, he was sure the boy not only saw him but sensed him. Yet the boy didn't attack.
Six months had passed, and this boy hadn't clashed with the Inuzuka clan for revenge or answers about his assassination or his mother.
Having been in the game long, he understood. Tsunayoshi and the others thought they were safe, but his survival instinct told him they were being watched.
"It's okay. I came to ask if your wife plans on visiting your nephew, since he carries Nara blood."
He lied, and he knew Shikaku knew he was lying.
"Megumi was long cast out of the clan by you elders, so what's your business with my wife visiting him?"
Shikaku wanted to end this conversation. He could tell his wife was uncomfortable.
"I heard he came back from the dead. Do you know how he did that? You know one of the Second Hokage's forbidden jutsu can do that, but you and I know that wasn't the Reanimation Jutsu. Why doesn't your wife help the village explore how your nephew came back alive? You and I know your wife and Kaede were friends, and I'm sure he'll respect your wife the same way he respects the head of the Inuzuka clan."
He stood up and left the couple to think about it. Had he spoken with Shikaku alone, he'd have been turned down, but with his wife involved, Shikaku would do something about it.
---