In the end, almost half a box of tomato and egg stir-fry went into the little girl's stomach. Naruto smiled as he watched Satsuki eat her meal in small bites; she was very serious when she ate, and would even squint slightly when she tasted a delicious part, like a satisfied cat.
Naruto had no resistance to this unconscious cuteness.
When the last bite of food was cleanly eliminated, Satsuki stared at the empty bento box, only then suddenly realizing what she had done.
Oh no, I clearly said I'd only try a little...
After carefully putting the empty bento box into his backpack, Naruto heard a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum from behind him.
"Um..."
Satsuki lowered her head, her voice soft and sweet, "Sorry... I think I ate too much. If you're not full... would you like to come to my house for dinner?"
Naruto paused slightly, then his brows relaxed. It seemed she wasn't the type to be stubbornly tsundere to the end.
As the saying goes, "tsundere ruins a lifetime," but those truly bad situations often happen because the "tsun" lasts too long, so long that there's no chance for the "dere."
And this little girl in front of him, with the Uchiha Clan's inherent pride, would also frankly express her apologies when she felt them, and even invite someone to her home for dinner as compensation.
It seemed she had received a very good family education.
A sudden, indescribable sense of regret welled up in Naruto's heart. In the original Naruto... there was no Uchiha girl named "Satsuki."
The answer was already self-evident.
In about three years, after Naruto entered the Ninja Academy, a tragedy that would shock the entire Ninja World would occur: the Uchiha Clan massacre.
If one were to delve into the root cause of this tragedy, the forces involved were complex and intertwined, but the main culprits were three.
Danzo Shimura, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Obito.
However, the downfall of the Uchiha was not an overnight event. It was like a series of meticulously arranged dominoes, and the moment the first domino fell.
It was on the night Naruto was born.
The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Incident.
Uchiha Obito attacked Konoha, releasing the Nine-Tails, which led to the sacrifice of Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina. And his father, Minato Namikaze, in order not to let Konoha's "nuclear weapon" leak, fulfilled his duty as Hokage and sealed half of the Nine-Tails into the newborn Naruto... But the focus of the Uchiha Clan massacre is not here.
What truly pushed the Uchiha Clan to a dead end was the pair of huge Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes.
All the Konoha ninja who participated in the battle that night saw it clearly, and the higher-ups' suspicion that the Uchiha had orchestrated the attack was not without reason.
But... they really didn't wrong the Uchiha.
It's just that no one expected the Uchiha who controlled the Nine-Tails to be Uchiha Obito, who had been "dead" for many years.
To guard against the Uchiha Clan, the Konoha higher-ups relocated them en masse to the village's outskirts and placed them under strict surveillance. The proud Uchiha clansmen could not tolerate such humiliating treatment.
Under the desire for power, the Uchiha Clan gradually split internally. In clan meetings, the voices of the hawks grew louder and louder; they advocated seizing Konoha's government by force to change the clan's situation.
At this time, the traitor appeared.
Uchiha Itachi, the eldest son of Clan Head Fugaku, was also a spy planted by Konoha within the Uchiha.
Upon learning of this, the Third Hokage and Danzo had a disagreement. The Third Hokage advocated for peace talks, hoping to resolve the conflict through communication, while Danzo insisted on eradicating the hidden danger and completely eliminating the Uchiha threat.
Afterward, Danzo began his actions.
He feared Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan, the "Kotoamatsukami" that could rewrite will. In a secret ambush, Danzo stole one of Shisui's eyes.
Shisui, having lost one Mangekyo, understood that he could no longer use "Kotoamatsukami" to stop the coup. In despair, he entrusted his remaining eye to Itachi, then chose to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff, solely to weaken the Uchiha's power.
After losing his close friend Shisui, Uchiha Itachi—the one who was always caught between the village and his clan—actually accepted Danzo's proposal.
The person who indirectly caused Shisui's death now became his collaborator.
The clan massacre began.
No one, regardless of gender, age, or even infants in swaddling clothes, was spared. Blood stained the Uchiha's clan grounds, and the only one who survived was young Sasuke.
Why... was the peace talk advocated by the Third Hokage completely ignored by Itachi?
The logic of the entire incident cannot be scrutinized. Itachi, while claiming "to protect Konoha," personally slaughtered his entire clan. While claiming "to deeply love his younger brother," he used Tsukuyomi to make Sasuke endure endless pain.
This awkward behavior is probably why Uchiha Itachi's reputation has reversed online.
Kishimoto tried to portray Itachi as a "guardian who bears darkness," using "necessary evil" to glorify this massacre. But Naruto only felt a chill.
Does a noble goal mean that the means can be without any bottom line?
Stepping back, even if the Uchiha really launched a coup, could the Uchiha's fate have been any worse? The entire clan wiped out? Not even sparing infants?
Naruto shook his head, unwilling to think deeper. He couldn't understand Itachi's way of thinking, couldn't understand the so-called "Hokage mindset." Now, he no longer had the dream of becoming Hokage.
Naruto looked at the black-haired little girl in front of him. This child... would she also die on that night?
Thinking that Satsuki might be massacred for the sake of so-called "greater good," Naruto felt a stir in his heart.
No... I have to find a way to do something.
The System still showed no signs of activating, and for now, he could only rely on himself. Perhaps... he could go gossip with the Third Hokage?
For example, claiming that he had formed an "irreplaceable bond," and if anything happened to her, he might become disheartened or even give up being a ninja...
Although it sounded like threatening the Hokage.
Naruto knew this concern might be excessive, but he couldn't help it; Naruto was just that kind of person. He couldn't stand by and watch the tragedy unfold.
Of course, just kind, not a saint. That bastard Obito... he wouldn't let him off.
"Thank you, Satsuki. But it's okay, I'm already very satisfied. Actually, more than the food itself, having someone willing to eat with me makes me happier."
Naruto replied to Satsuki's invitation. "And, seeing you eat with such enjoyment is the best compliment for me. You're the first person to acknowledge my cooking skills."
Hmm... why is she blushing again? But never mind, she looks so cute when she's shy, but it's getting late now, time to go back and rest.
"Thank you for keeping me company today." He stood up and brushed the grass off his pants, "I'll come find you to play again, Uchiha Satsuki."
Satsuki immediately looked up at his words, correcting him with a hint of pride in her tone.
"If you absolutely have to come play with me, I, I'll reluctantly keep you company!" She paused, then added, "Also, my name isn't Uchiha Satsuki, it's Uchiha Satsuki."
...Satsuki?
Naruto's smile suddenly froze.
This name... why does it sound so familiar? A bit like his future best friend and rival. Uchiha Sasuke's name.
Satsuki keenly noticed Naruto's strange expression, and after a moment of hesitation, she still spoke to explain.
"Hmm... this name combination is a bit strange, isn't it? Actually, my dad originally planned to name me Uchiha Sasuke... but he didn't expect to have a girl, so he changed 'suke' to 'tsuki'..."