Hotaru didn't know why he even woke up. He was going to pretend to be asleep and this entire situation would have ended with that.
Somehow, he couldn't just sit back and watch when she was having a break down.
But, now that he put himself in this situation, he didn't have any idea what to say. And he could no longer back out. What do you even say in a situation like this?
Hotaru looked into her black eyes and said, "Does it hurt, Aunt Mikoto?"
Mikoto was taken aback. She looked like she didn't know what to say to that. After all, she was caught completely off-guard.
The silence stretched on, thick and uncomfortable, leaving Hotaru feeling frustrated with himself for having caused this situation. And what's worse—each passing second seemed to amplify the awkwardness in the room.
It was Mikoto who finally broke the silence.
Mikoto took a deep breath and steadied herself.
"W—What are you talking about, H—Hotaru?" Mikoto stuttered.
She was still pretty shaken by the situation. This would probably be the most embarrassing day of her life.
Hotaru looked puzzled—or rather, he hoped the expression he put on would look close enough to that.
At that moment, in a stroke of brilliance, Hotaru thought of the perfect thing to follow up his previous question. "Did using the Mystical Palm Jutsu for such a long time cause you pain, Aunt Mikoto?"
Mikoto was surprised once again. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn't heard anything she had said and had only just woken up.
Mikoto let out a sigh of relief, her tension easing as her shoulders relaxed and her clenched fists—she hadn't realized when she had done that, much less how tightly she had been holding them—slowly unfurled. She felt gratitude swell inside her for Hotaru's innocence. It seemed that the situation was still salvageable.
Mikoto replied with a light smile, her tone reassuring, "Just a little, Hotaru. But it will get better soon. It's all right."
She really did wish it would get better, but she had no hope it would. Ever.
Mikoto felt bad for lying to Hotaru about feeling pain from using the jutsu. And she felt even worse when—
Hotaru's expression turned guilty. Breaking eye contact, he looked away from her.
Then he lowered his head and bit his lip. "I shouldn't have made you use it for so long. I shouldn't have fallen asleep like that. You got hurt because of me, Aunt Mikoto. I'm sorry."
—he said that. After all, he wasn't in the wrong; he had misunderstood the situation. Hearing his sincere apology caused a knot in her stomach, but she couldn't clear up his misunderstanding—it was better not to.
She could use that jutsu for an hour before she even notices any tiredness. Using it continuously would, at most, lead to running out of chakra, which might result in fainting—but not pain.
Mikoto's expression softened as she looked at him, noticing how concerned he was for her. The curtain of grief that had clouded her mind for a while lifted—at least for now.
Using the bed for support, she rose up—from the floor where she had been kneeling for so long—and sat down on the bed opposite Hotaru, facing him.
She raised her right hand and very slowly moved it toward his face. Once his face was within reach, she placed her palm on his cheek and gently squeezed it. She didn't speak; instead, she simply looked at his guilty expression, while her own was filled with love.
Neither of them broke the silence in the room for some time—and the silence wasn't as uncomfortable now.
Hotaru still felt as if he had to say something. After all, he was the reason for the awkward atmosphere.
While the atmosphere wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been a few moments ago, Hotaru felt increasingly awkward with each passing second. He, for some—god-only-knows-what—reason, felt as if he had to say or do something.
And then he did the cringiest thing he could possibly have done. Something he would deny has ever happened if anyone ever asked him. Something—in the future—Mikoto had never let him forget about. He—in the future—could only comfort himself with the fact that he was six when he did it.
Hotaru slowly brought his hands toward Mikoto's—which was resting on his cheek. Then he held her hand with both of his and slowly pulled it down.
Then he leaned forward and planted a kiss—complete with a bit of drool—on her hand. Then he looked up toward Mikoto with a doubtful expression. "Did that make the pain go away, Aunt Mikoto?" Hotaru asked tentatively.
Mikoto was caught off guard by Hotaru's innocent action once again. The corners of her lips curled into a delicate smile, and with a soft 'hmm', she nodded her head slowly.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. Not even a little bit. Thank you, Hotaru," Mikoto answered gently.
The last bits of gloom in her heart evaporated, and she let out a peal of carefree laughter as Hotaru continued to stare at her.
Then Mikoto raised her other hand toward his face and—with her index and middle fingers extended—poked his forehead. Now, she recalled Minato poking her forehead once again—only this time she had a smile on her face.
Hotaru was surprised by this action. 'So, Itachi learned this from his mother… Hmm…'
Mikoto freed her hand from his and wrapped her arms around him, drawing him closer. She kissed him—for the second time today—on his forehead, and pulled him into her embrace. They remained like that for a while—in the now peaceful atmosphere of the room.
***
It was very late into the night. Other than the sound of crickets brought in by the night breeze, and the curtains rustling, it was completely silent in Hotaru's room.
Mikoto appeared ready to leave. She glanced into her small brown bag, nodding as she confirmed that the bento box and everything else were packed.
Hotaru was contemplating whether he could obtain one critical piece of information from her. Information that would determine how he would act with people and how far he could go against some of them—if his situation would even permit him to do so, that is.
He wanted information about the status of his parents. According to his memories of this world, both Minato and Kushina should be dead. But those same memories also suggested he shouldn't even exist.
One explanation might be that he was born to another Uzumaki, but he ruled that out. Mikoto wouldn't look after some random kid, and he was fairly certain Konoha only had one Uzumaki—Kushina. Of course, there was Naruto, but Kushina had died on the day he was born.
Suddenly, a jolt coursed through his body.
'Wait!'
He suddenly realized he had completely forgotten about Naruto.
'If Kushina really is my mother, then what about Naruto? Was he not born in this world? Or…'
He gasped in shock as another incredulous thought shot through his mind.
'Or—oh my god— could Naruto be my brother?'
A rush of emotions flooded him. Could this really be possible? The implications were staggering, and he felt a mix of disbelief and an unexpected sense of connection. After all, it felt as if he had known Naruto for a long time.
Hotaru took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He decided he was going to ask her for the information—he had to.
But how could he approach the topic? They had spent the entire day together, and he had never asked her about his parents. Now, it would feel too abrupt to bring it up.
He nearly smacked himself on the head. 'Wait. I am so stupid. I'm someone who has lost his memories. Nothing I do would be abrupt. Anything I do would be fine.'
Mikoto knows he doesn't remember anything, so he could just ask her directly. It would be completely normal for a kid who lost his memories to ask about his parents. In fact, it would be strange if he didn't.
Just as he was about to do so, he suddenly recalled something she had said earlier.
Perhaps starting with her words would be easier.
He then did his best to put on a confused expression and cleared his throat. "Aunt Mikoto…"
Mikoto, who was looking for her straw hat, paused and turned to face him. "What is it, Hotaru? Are you feeling hungry again?"
"Umm… no. I am feeling stuffed. I can't eat anymore." he replied.
"Then what is it?" she asked.
"Who is Min… umm… Minato?" he asked, looking as if he had trouble recalling the name.
Mikoto inhaled sharply. "Huh? W—Why are you asking that, Hotaru? Where did you hear that?"