Chapter 333: Like My Mother
Some days later.
When Shikamaru woke up, he could already smell his mother's cooking coming from the kitchen.
At home, he reminded himself. He was at home.
He had yearned for it but wasn't sure he would ever see it again, and it felt like both a dream and something real even after everything that's happened.
His mother's voice broke through his thoughts as she entered his room: "Shikamaru, are you alright today?!"
Still groggy, he answered, "I told you yesterday, mom, I'm alright."
"You never know," she said after motioning for him to get up.
Reluctantly, he rolled out of bed and changed into his clothes, obediently following her instructions without protest. Returning to the rhythm of his family was both strange and reassuring.
By the time he made it into the kitchen, Yoshino had already prepared the traditional morning fare of rice, soup, and pickled vegetables at the kitchen table.
"Did anything unusual happen last night?" his father, Shikaku, asked at the table.
Shikamaru took a seat, answering, "Nothing out of the ordinary.'