Torifu replied calmly. "A second child, huh? Then a gift must be sent."
Naori agreed. "I think we should definitely send a gift. After all, this will be my second grand-disciple."
This made Torifu recall something. Naruto and Sasuke were supposed to be the reincarnations of the Sage of Six Paths' sons. Originally, the reincarnations were Hashirama and Madara, but now Madara had likely died of old age, while Hashirama was still alive and well. This meant that Indra would be reincarnated into Sasuke's body, but Ashura would still be Hashirama. Could it be that Hashirama, now in his eighties, would have to fight Sasuke in the future?
Torifu couldn't quite imagine that scene. Perhaps the conflict between Indra and Ashura would cease entirely.
Naori saw Torifu suddenly zone out and gently shook him. "What is it? Why did you freeze up when I mentioned sending a gift? Are you being stingy?"
"No, not at all. Fugaku is a fine young man; his talent and strength are excellent. The child he produces should be no less." Torifu pondered what gift would be best for Sasuke. Ah! A thought flashed in Torifu's mind: How about the Night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre? Torifu dared only to keep such a dark joke to himself. If he were to say it out loud to Naori, she would probably pack her bags and go straight back to her family home.
"There's not much to give a small child, so let's just send some Chakra-enhancing herbs to improve his talent."
This was a decent gift. Although such herbs were common in the Kumotsuru Clan—so much so that they could be eaten like food—in Konoha, these Chakra herbs were precious items that only Torifu possessed. Even ninjas with slightly poorer natural talent would instantly undergo a transformation after taking them, catching up to the training pace of the generational geniuses. Not many were given out over the years; they were only rewarded when the village had a joyous occasion or someone achieved great merit. The ninjas who received the herbs were now the backbone of Konoha. Thus, when Naori presented two herbs to Uchiha Itachi, Fugaku was so shocked he didn't know what to say. Fugaku had no idea that the items he considered treasures were merely "decent" in the eyes of the couple.
"With these few herbs, I imagine my two grand-disciples' path in training should be smooth sailing," Naori said, smiling, as she seemed to have high hopes for Uchiha Itachi and the unborn Sasuke.
There was nothing wrong with this view. Konoha was now peaceful and harmonious. The Uchiha Clan was integrated with the villagers and other clans, free from prejudice and arrogance. The current clan head was the Hokage's brother-in-law and had a familial relationship with the soon-to-be Fourth Hokage. How could such an Uchiha Clan ever stage a coup? Itachi and Sasuke were undoubtedly geniuses, and training in Konoha's environment meant they were destined for achievement, a process that would surely be filled with happiness, not hatred and pain.
The couple discussed the Uchiha Clan for a long time, only stopping once all the dishes were cooked. Torifu patiently listened as they covered every aspect of the clan, and he didn't find any issues with their development; they were still steadily improving. This put Torifu's mind at ease.
By the time lunch arrived, the large family sat together in the courtyard. The original table was no longer big enough, so Torifu had specially commissioned a new, custom one that could accommodate everyone. From the Kumotsuru Clan's beginnings as one person and one chicken, to their current joyful gathering, Torifu was always overwhelmed with emotion when he thought about it.
After the socializing and eating were done, lunch came to an end. Everyone prepared to rest for a while before going back to work. Following the old rules, Yahiko and Konan were on dish duty, now joined by Akihara. Minato helped Kushina back to her room to rest, and Torifu was finally able to sunbathe again.
Lying comfortably in the rocking chair, Torifu couldn't help but sigh. "Ah, this is much more comfortable than being up in the sky." The sun shone warmly on him; it was a familiar feeling. Naori also brought her rocking chair and lay down next to Torifu. The couple lay there for about an hour until they were awakened by a call.
"Minato-sensei! Minato-sensei! Are you home?! We came to find you!" A boy wearing a blue vest and orange goggles boldly rushed in. But when he saw Torifu and Naori sunbathing in the courtyard, he immediately froze at attention. His body trembled, he dared not move a step, and he didn't make a sound.
Torifu, suddenly awakened and feeling annoyed, realized it was that silly kid, Obito. A wisp of cloud shot out from his sleeve and instantly grabbed him. "You stupid boy, how dare you shout so loudly in the Kumotsuru Clan compound in the middle of the day? Are you asking for a beating?"
Obito was floating in mid-air, unable to tell if Torifu was truly angry, and could only stammer fearfully. "I'm... I'm sorry, Hokage-sama! I won't do it again next time! Please forgive me this once!"
Torifu ignored him and moved him right in front of Naori. "I might be easygoing, but this person is not so forgiving. If she goes back to your clan and tells your parents, I'm afraid you'll get a severe thrashing."
Obito wasn't scared of much else, but the mention of telling his parents immediately made him clasp his hands together. "Naori-sama! I swear I won't do it again! Please don't tell my mom and dad!"
Naori rolled her eyes at Torifu, thinking how much he enjoyed teasing children, even at his age. "Don't worry, I won't tell. Look at you; your friends have seen everything."
Upon hearing that, Obito was stunned. He reluctantly turned his head towards the entrance and saw Rin and Kakashi standing there. Kakashi looked away, pretending not to know Obito, while Rin looked embarrassed, occasionally glancing at Obito.
Obito felt something inside him shatter with a clear, crisp sound. He completely lost all his energy, as if his soul had been sucked out. This surprised Torifu. Could public embarrassment in front of his friends truly have such a massive impact on him? If that was the case, Torifu now knew how to curb Obito's reckless behavior in the future.