"Naruto, you really like this tamagoyaki, don't you? Come, eat more, don't be shy."
At noon, in the spacious yet subtly tense dining room of the Uchiha Clan Leader's residence within the Uchiha Clan Compound, the dining table was laden with exquisite dishes.
Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha Clan Leader, expressionlessly used serving chopsticks to place a large piece of golden tamagoyaki onto Naruto's bowl, which was already piled high like a small mountain.
Naruto, sitting opposite him, tried to maintain a polite smile, but it appeared somewhat stiff and forced.
Firstly, although Fugaku's words seemed polite and warm, his tone was as flat as if he were reading a mission report, devoid of any genuine warmth. Instead, it conveyed a sense of professional detachment. This extreme mismatch between his words and tone made the situation very awkward.
Secondly, and what put the most pressure on Naruto, was that his bowl was already overflowing with food, teetering precariously, with hardly any space to put his chopsticks.
However, Fugaku seemed to have no intention of stopping. He even began to precisely stack new dishes on top of the existing "small mountain," almost as if challenging architectural principles and playing a game of Jenga.
It seemed that the former Uchiha Clan Leader, despite outwardly agreeing to Naruto's previous action of "reserving Satsuki's future," still harbored considerable resentment. He was silently venting his displeasure through this seemingly enthusiastic but actually "troublesome" method.
"Honestly, husband, you're making Naruto very uncomfortable. His bowl is almost full; how is the child supposed to eat?"
Fortunately, Mikoto, who was sitting nearby, finally couldn't bear it anymore and stopped Fugaku's childish "retaliation."
"I'm sorry, Naruto," Mikoto turned to Naruto, giving him a warm and apologetic smile. "Your Uncle Fugaku is just too 'concerned' about you. Don't take it to heart. Come, Auntie will help you take some out."
With that, she naturally took an empty small bowl and gently, with soft movements, transferred more than half of the precarious, ready-to-topple "mountain of food" from Naruto's bowl.
In stark contrast to Fugaku's emotionless "fake enthusiasm," Mikoto's tone of voice and the concern in her eyes when speaking to Naruto conveyed a tenderness and warmth almost akin to that of a parent. It was a genuine, heartfelt affection, as if she already regarded Naruto as her own child.
Mikoto's actions instantly eased the atmosphere at the dining table, allowing Naruto to relax and enjoy his meal in peace.
His "attack" being thwarted by his wife, Fugaku couldn't help but be slightly stunned. A hint of surprise flashed through his mind; he had just engaged in such childish behavior, almost like a mischievous child's prank, towards a junior. It was truly undignified.
He looked up across the table, meeting his daughter Satsuki's gaze, which held obvious resentment.
Fugaku's heart sank. It seemed that in the coming days, Satsuki would likely be very cold towards him.
The thought of his daughter perhaps not even giving him a direct look filled Fugaku with a small sense of regret and disappointment.
Ultimately, this lunch ended in a somewhat awkward and subtle atmosphere. After a short rest, Satsuki and Naruto prepared to head to the designated meeting point at the village entrance; Team 7 still had several D-rank missions to complete that afternoon.
"I'm leaving, Mom." After putting on her shoes in the genkan, Satsuki spoke to her parents inside the house, but she deliberately only looked at Mikoto, completely ignoring Fugaku. With this clear action, she expressed her slight displeasure about her father's behavior during lunch.
Naruto also quickly bowed politely to those inside, saying, "Thank you for the meal, Uncle Fugaku, Auntie Mikoto. Today's lunch was very delicious. I apologize for the intrusion."
"Mhm, be careful on your way, and good luck with the mission." Mikoto smiled, bidding them a gentle farewell, her gaze particularly resting on their clasped hands—though Satsuki had initiated it, Naruto had also very naturally intertwined his fingers with hers.
Watching this warm scene, Mikoto's smile became even softer and more content.
Afterward, she watched her husband turn and walk back into the house, silent and somewhat somber. She could only follow him back inside with a helpless yet tolerant smile.
In the living room, Fugaku sat silently on the tatami, his back perfectly straight, his face still bearing his usual, unreadable expression.
But based on years of marriage and understanding, Mikoto immediately saw through the small sulking emotions hidden beneath her husband's calm exterior—likely due to his daughter's obvious favoritism and Naruto's "crime" of "stealing" his precious daughter.
She sighed softly, walked to her husband's side, and knelt, her kimono skirt spreading out on the tatami.
"Husband, don't do things like that anymore. You and I both see the child's feelings for Satsuki, and besides, if you do that, Satsuki will be very unhappy too."
"...Mhm." Fugaku let out a short, muffled affirmative from his throat, acknowledging his wife's words, but he still turned his head, refusing to look at Mikoto.
Mikoto looked at her husband's awkward demeanor—clearly caring immensely but still trying to act tough—and couldn't help but cover her mouth, chuckling softly.
After all these years, he was still the same—clearly extremely satisfied with Satsuki's talent and progress, yet always unable to utter a direct compliment.
Clearly acknowledging Naruto's determination and ability to protect Satsuki, yet he insisted on using such childish methods to express that minuscule "displeasure."
"To be honest," Mikoto leaned slightly towards her husband, "isn't it our family's good fortune that Satsuki met Naruto? Deep down… you're actually very grateful to that child, aren't you?"
"At that time, Naruto was always by Satsuki's side, and look, his plans for the future are also very responsible."
Mikoto was 100% supportive and happy about Naruto and Satsuki developing such a relationship. In fact, it had long been her hidden wish.
Many years ago, before Naruto was born, she and her good friend Uzumaki Kushina often met. Seeing her friend, also pregnant, they had laughed and agreed that if Kushina gave birth to a girl, the two children would become the best of sisters. If it was a boy, they would simply arrange a childhood engagement, making their bond even stronger.
Of course, the premise of this beautiful agreement was… that the Fourth Hokage and his wife were still alive.
Now, time had passed, and things were no longer the same. Without any interference from their parents' generation, the two children had naturally come together, which brought Mikoto immense comfort and surprise. Fate, in a roundabout way, had continued that lost agreement.
"...It's not because of him."
Fugaku spoke again, his voice carrying an unspeakable bitterness. He still didn't look at his wife, his gaze lowered, fixed on the patterns of the tatami.
So, what was Fugaku's true thought deep down?
His denial was not directed at Naruto himself. The root of that bitterness perhaps stemmed more from a sense of powerlessness and guilt.
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