Did you tell your dad, that you're gay yet?
Chapter 195: A Continued Promise
"Naruto, you really like this tamagoyaki, don't you? Here, eat more, don't be shy."
Noon, at the Uchiha compound, inside the spacious yet subtly tense dining room of the clan head's residence. The table was laden with exquisite dishes as clan head Uchiha Fugaku held chopsticks, expressionlessly placing a large piece of golden tamagoyaki onto Naruto's already mountain-high bowl.
Sitting across from him, Naruto maintained a polite smile on his face, though it appeared somewhat stiff and forced.
First, although Fugaku spoke words that seemed courteous and enthusiastic, his tone was as flat as reading a mission report, devoid of any genuine warmth. Instead, it carried a perfunctory sense of detachment. This extreme mismatch between words and tone felt extremely awkward.
Second, and what put the most pressure on Naruto—the food in his bowl had already piled so high it was nearly overflowing, teetering precariously with almost no place left for chopsticks.
However, Fugaku seemed to have no intention of stopping. He even began precisely stacking new dishes atop the existing "mountain" peak, rather like challenging architectural principles and playing "Jenga."
It seemed this former Uchiha clan head, though he'd agreed on the surface to Naruto's earlier act of "reserving Satsuki's future," still harbored considerable resentment inside. He was venting his dissatisfaction through this seemingly enthusiastic yet actually "troublesome" method.
"Really, dear, you're troubling Naruto like this. The bowl can barely hold anything more—how is the child supposed to eat?"
Fortunately, Mikoto sitting nearby finally couldn't watch any longer and stopped Fugaku's childish "revenge" behavior.
"Sorry about that, Naruto," Mikoto turned her head, showing Naruto a warm and apologetic smile. "Your Uncle Fugaku is just too 'concerned' about you. Don't take it to heart. Here, let auntie help divide some out for you."
As she spoke, she naturally took an empty small bowl and gently transferred most of that precarious, ready-to-topple "food mountain" from Naruto's bowl.
Unlike Fugaku's emotionless "fake enthusiasm," Mikoto's tone and the concern in her eyes when speaking to Naruto carried a warmth and affection almost at parent-child level—a genuine love from the heart, as if she already regarded Naruto as her own child.
Mikoto's actions immediately eased the atmosphere at the table considerably, allowing Naruto to breathe easier and eat his meal in peace.
Having his "offensive" stopped by his wife, Fugaku couldn't help feeling slightly stunned. A trace of surprise crossed his mind—he'd actually just used such childishly prank-like behavior toward a junior. This really was beneath his dignity.
He looked up across the table, meeting his daughter Satsuki's gaze—one clearly filled with resentment.
Fugaku's heart immediately sank. Looks like for the next several days, Satsuki would probably treat him very coldly.
Thinking that his daughter might not even give him a proper glance, a small pang of regret and loss arose in Fugaku's heart.
Ultimately, this lunch ended in this somewhat awkward and delicate atmosphere. After a brief rest following the meal, Satsuki and Naruto prepared to head to the village entrance meeting point—Team Seven still had several D-rank missions to complete that afternoon.
"I'm heading out, Mom." After putting on her shoes in the entryway, Satsuki called into the house, but she deliberately only looked at Mikoto, completely leaving out Fugaku. This clearly obvious behavior expressed her small dissatisfaction with her father's lunch conduct.
Naruto also quickly bowed politely toward the interior. "Thank you for the meal, Uncle Fugaku, Aunt Mikoto. Today's lunch was very delicious. Sorry for the intrusion."
"Mm, be careful on your way, and do your best on the missions." Mikoto smiled gently as she bid the two farewell, her gaze especially falling on their joined hands—though Satsuki had initiated it, Naruto had naturally grasped back.
Watching this heartwarming scene, the smile on Mikoto's face became even softer and more gratified.
Then, watching her husband turn and walk back inside without a word, looking rather sullen, she could only follow him back with a helpless yet tolerant smile.
In the living room, Fugaku sat silently on the tatami, back ramrod straight, face still wearing that habitual, emotion-unreadable expression.
But based on years of marriage and understanding, Mikoto saw through her husband's quietly sulking emotions beneath that calm exterior at a glance—probably due to their daughter's obvious favoritism and Naruto's "crime" of "abducting" their precious daughter.
She sighed softly, walking to her husband's side and kneeling down, her kimono hem spreading across the tatami.
"Dear, please don't do things like that anymore. That child's feelings toward Satsuki—you and I both see them clearly. Besides, doing that will make Satsuki very unhappy too."
"...Mm." Fugaku emitted a short, muffled response from his throat, acknowledging his wife's words, but still kept his head turned, refusing to look at Mikoto.
Mikoto watched her husband's obviously deeply dissatisfied yet stubbornly maintaining face appearance, unable to suppress a soft laugh behind her hand.
After all these years, he was still the same—obviously extremely satisfied inside about Satsuki's talent and progress, yet never able to speak a straightforward word of praise.
Obviously recognizing Naruto's determination and ability to protect Satsuki to some degree, yet insisting on expressing that insignificant "dissatisfaction" through such childish methods.
"Honestly," Mikoto leaned slightly toward her husband, "isn't Satsuki meeting Naruto also our family's good fortune? In your heart... you're actually very grateful to that child, aren't you?"
"At that time, it was Naruto who stayed by Satsuki's side. And look at his planning for the future—very responsible."
Regarding Naruto and Satsuki developing that kind of relationship, Mikoto was one hundred percent supportive and happy. Rather, this had actually been her deep-seated wish all along.
Years ago, before Naruto was born. She often gathered with her friend Uzumaki Kushina. Looking at her friend similarly pregnant, the two had laughingly made a promise—if Kushina gave birth to a girl, they'd let the two children become best sisters. If it was a boy, they'd simply arrange a childhood betrothal, doubling their closeness.
Of course, the premise of that beautiful promise was... that the Fourth Hokage couple remained alive.
Now, times had changed, circumstances were different. Without any interference from the parent generation, these two children had naturally come together on their own. This brought Mikoto immense comfort and joy—fate had continued that lost promise in a roundabout way.
"...It's not because of him."
Fugaku spoke again, his voice carrying an indescribable bitterness. He still didn't look at his wife, gaze lowered, staring at the tatami's patterns.
So then, what were Fugaku's true thoughts deep in his heart?
His denial wasn't directed at Naruto personally. The root of that bitterness perhaps stemmed more from a sense of powerlessness and guilt.
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