Unbeknownst, the night had grown deep.
Urged strongly by Shiro and his wife, Makoto and his group decided to stay overnight at the Suzuki Estate.
The lady of the house, Suzuki Tomoko, enthusiastically invited Mrs. Yukinoshita for a private spa treatment.
Their main target was, naturally, Makoto.
But a rising power like the Yukinoshita Family, propelled by their daughters' abilities, was also worthy of nurturing good relations.
In the eyes of many prestigious families present, the Yukinoshitas, once considered at best a third-rate family, now had the right to 'sit at the table'… after all, they had two daughters with superpowers.
And the family that valued the Yukinoshitas the most was undoubtedly the Suzukis.
They hadn't forgotten that when Makoto returned from America, he had gotten into Mrs. Yukinoshita's car first, even declining the Suzuki Family's invitation.
Mrs. Yukinoshita naturally didn't refuse. Nodding slightly, she left with Tomoko.
In the room arranged for the Yukinoshita sisters at the Suzuki Estate,
After a long silence, Haruno suddenly lowered her voice and spoke to Yukino beside her. "Yukino... we should have a proper talk with Mom."
Since returning from the Naruto World, the Yukinoshita Family's status had risen, but the atmosphere within the family had become strangely strained.
In reality, one sister still lived in her own upscale apartment, while the other spent all her time at the company, avoiding home.
The reason was simple: they were afraid to face their mother.
Before, their father, with his gentle, mediating nature, had helped maintain a semblance of peace.
But now, going home meant facing their formidable mother alone. They simply didn't have the courage.
Haruno knew this couldn't continue.
Yukino nodded silently after a few seconds.
She was right. Their mother had already lost her husband. If they distanced themselves out of fear, how lonely would she be?
Having made up their minds, the sisters left their room together and asked a Suzuki Family's maid about their mother's whereabouts.
Learning that Mrs. Yukinoshita and Tomoko had finished their spa treatment and had each returned to their rooms, they followed the maid's directions to their mother's door.
The sisters took a deep breath and raised their hands to knock.
A faint sound of suppressed, yet distinct pleasure, filtered through the heavy door. It was punctuated by intermittent, choked sounds.
Yukino's hand, raised mid-air, froze instantly.
Moments later, the soft panting turned into barely restrained moans.
After a while, their mother's voice came from inside, tearful and utterly entranced:
"How could anyone compare to you?!... D-Don't leave me, Makoto. I, I don't want anything else!"
Another voice, laced with amusement, followed: "And what about your daughters?"
"Who cares!" came the breathless reply. "A-As if I never had those ungrateful daughters! Let them fend for themselves! They've always thought I was an inconvenience anyway..."
Outside the door,
Haruno and Yukino stood frozen, as if struck by lightning.
'Mom...'
'How could you say something like that?!'
Makoto had once said that the Yukinoshita sisters' personalities were completely opposite.
The older sister, Haruno, wore a perfect mask from head to toe, always presenting herself as the flawless heir apparent to the outside world.
The younger sister, Yukino, laid her most honest, sharp, and prickly side bare for all to see.
But upon closer thought, these seemingly opposite sisters shared a trait.
They were both deeply dissatisfied with their circumstances deep down.
That was why, in the original work, they kept talking about their desire for 'something genuine'.
It sounded like Chuunibyo talk.
Put plainly: they felt this wasn't the life they wanted.
Yukino resented everyone around her, including her sister and mother, for wearing false masks, climbing the social ladder, and living such pretentious, fake lives.
Yukino's sister, Haruno, though in a different situation, felt much the same.
She was tired of wearing the mask of the perfect heir. That was why someone studying at university and poised to inherit a conglomerate kept showing up at the high school division, looking for amusement among high schoolers.
After all, she didn't dare to mess with the powerful figures in her own circle… what if she accidentally stepped on a landmine?
Mrs. Yukinoshita's thoughts, however, were the complete opposite of her daughters.
Simply put: you two are whining about nothing.
To be honest, Mrs. Yukinoshita was dissatisfied with both her elder and younger daughters.
Did they know that the lives they've lived since childhood are what countless people dream of, breaking their backs trying to achieve?
Chauffeured cars, elite schools, inheriting a company...
Ninety-nine percent of people in the world would struggle their entire lives without even coming close to your circumstances.
And having obtained all this, is it really too much to ask for such a small sacrifice?
Before, the head of the Yukinoshita Family acted as a buffer, mediating between the three women, barely maintaining family harmony.
Now that he's gone, anyone could guess how the relationship between these three would evolve.
Moreover, back in the Naruto World, when Mrs. Yukinoshita was in danger, it was Makoto who ultimately saved her.
Now, several days after returning to the real world, her two daughters hadn't even come home.
It was easy to imagine how Mrs. Yukinoshita felt.
…
Two days later, at the Yukinoshita Residence.
Mrs. Yukinoshita received a message from Makoto inviting her to move to the Suzuki Estate.
This was the result of discussions between Makoto, Megumi, and the others over the past few days.
The appearance of the crab-man indicated that the real world was probably stepping into an era of superpowers.
Parents like Megumi's and Utaha's, who had no special abilities, had become the most vulnerable group.
Even with their daughters' superpowers, they couldn't be by their parents' side twenty-four hours a day.
So, why not gather all the family members together and have them live under one roof?
Not to mention having Makoto as the ultimate protector, just living on the estate of a top conglomerate like the Suzuki Family, with professional security teams providing layers of protection, was far safer than living elsewhere.
Seeing the message, Mrs. Yukinoshita gently pressed her red lips together and typed a reply:
"But Haruno and Yukino don't have that kind of relationship with you. What reason would I have to move in?"
The families of Megumi, Utaha, and the others could move in because everyone knew their daughters had some sort of relationship with Makoto, more or less.
The Yukinoshita sisters were different. Many had witnessed firsthand that Makoto's attitude towards Haruno was far from friendly.
That was why, although the Yukinoshita Family's status had recently risen, it hadn't skyrocketed like the Sawamura Family's, which had jumped directly into the ranks of top-tier clans.
Everyone knew the two young ladies didn't have a good relationship with Makoto.
In contrast, Eriri, though not particularly close to Makoto, at least he didn't dislike that little blonde.
Makoto's reply came quickly:
"Aren't you my little female dog? Or little sow."
"Oh, shut up."
Recalling how she had acted in front of him before, Mrs. Yukinoshita felt a flutter in her heart.
At this moment, she was like a middle school girl experiencing her first love and the taste of forbidden fruit.
Makoto immediately followed with another message:
"My personal pastry chef. That should work."
Back in the Naruto World, many players knew that when Makoto wanted sweets, he only went to Mrs. Yukinoshita's shop.
Their relationship was already good.
Using this identity to move in was at least plausible to outsiders.
Having settled that, Mrs. Yukinoshita immediately got up to dress and put on makeup.
She still wore the dignified silk kimono that covered her from the neck down, but underneath, she had carefully chosen a particularly sexy, alluring set of underwear.