Naruto's doubts left Fugaku feeling extremely awkward. In the end, he could only bite the bullet and pick up his chopsticks.
Sasuke held his chopsticks hesitantly, then complained in a low voice to Uchiha Mikoto:
"Mom, why didn't you make tomatoes? That's obviously my favorite vegetable."
Mikoto ate quietly, her gaze drifting between Naruto and Sasuke as she sank into her memories.
If Kushina were still alive, Sasuke and Naruto would have become friends long ago. Naruto wouldn't be treated like a monster in the village, and the Uchiha clan wouldn't be standing in constant opposition to the higher-ups.
As a Jōnin, Mikoto naturally knew what had happened in the yard earlier. But she also knew she couldn't influence Fugaku's decisions.
Her dream had always been simple—to be a housewife, take care of her husband, and watch her children grow up healthy. She never wanted anything more.
Being watched by Mikoto's gentle gaze made Naruto feel a little uncomfortable.
That said, Aunt Mikoto's cooking was genuinely amazing. Every dish tasted great, the ingredients were fresh, and it honestly wasn't any worse than his own cooking.
After watching Naruto finish an entire bowl of rice, Mikoto smiled and asked,
"Are you full? If not, there's more in the kitchen."
Naruto nodded, then said sincerely,
"Aunt Mikoto, your cooking is really good. If I had parents, the food they made would probably taste like this."
The room fell silent.
Mikoto stopped moving.
Fugaku lowered his eyes.
Even Sasuke didn't know what to say.
If the Fourth Hokage and Kushina hadn't died, the Hidden Cloud wouldn't have dared provoke a war. The Uchiha wouldn't be squeezed by both villagers and high-level officials. Everything would've been different.
Fugaku respected Namikaze Minato, whom he once regarded as a rival. But reality didn't care about respect.
Sasuke, on the other hand, simply felt sympathy for Naruto. Naruto was clearly better than him in almost every way—yet he had lost his parents and had no family at all, forced to live alone.
After dinner, Mikoto used the excuse of washing dishes to call Fugaku into the kitchen.
"Fugaku," she said softly, "do you think we should talk to the Third Hokage about adopting Naruto? He's so pitiful. He's never felt the love of a father or a mother."
"You know that's impossible," Fugaku replied calmly. "Only the Hokage can adopt a Jinchūriki."
"But the Third Hokage is doing a terrible job," Mikoto said, clearly upset. "Naruto is treated like a demon fox in the village! If he were an ordinary child, fine—but he's Minato and Kushina's son. He's the child of heroes who protected the village!"
"Give up on that thought," Fugaku said, shaking his head. "It won't happen."
He glanced toward the living room where Naruto sat quietly.
Why wouldn't he want to adopt the Jinchūriki?
If he could truly control that power, becoming Hokage and fulfilling the clan's dream wouldn't be impossible.
But reality didn't allow such fantasies.
As night fell, it was time for Naruto to leave.
Sasuke's family stood at the door, watching him go, with no intention of asking him to stay overnight.
Naruto understood his own identity well. Being a guest was already pushing the Third Hokage's tolerance. Staying overnight would probably make ANBU and the Security Force sharpen their knives.
If that happened, the best outcome would be house arrest. Freedom would be cut clean—like a bad limb.
Walking alone through the Uchiha district, Naruto glanced at the clansmen around him, wondering if another short-sighted Uchiha would suddenly try something stupid.
A failed backlash was manageable.
But if something really happened inside the Uchiha clan…
The village could plunge into chaos no less severe than the night of the Nine-Tails.
Naruto shook his head, forcing those thoughts away.
Most Uchiha weren't brainless. While many were extreme, they still understood consequences. Only a few idiots truly lacked self-control.
Before he realized it, Naruto had already walked out of the Uchiha district.
Within his perception range, the familiar ANBU duo appeared. In addition, there were dense clusters of chakra hidden in the shadows nearby.
Under so many watchful eyes, even Kurama behaved obediently and didn't make a sound.
Naruto didn't slow his pace. It wasn't until he returned to his rented room that everything finally relaxed.
Lying on the sofa, Naruto stared at the ceiling and reviewed the gains from this trip.
First, he'd basically memorized the layout of the Uchiha district.
Second, he got a free meal.
Third—and most importantly—he now had a clear idea of his resistance to genjutsu.
Based on current results, single-tomoe and double-tomoe Sharingan genjutsu were basically useless against him.
Three-tomoe genjutsu combined with Kurama wasn't too threatening either.
But Mangekyō-level genjutsu?
That was another story. There was a high chance he'd get controlled.
Even as a near-perfect Jinchūriki, he couldn't afford to be careless.
Just then, a crisp system notification sounded in his mind:
"Uchiha Mikoto's affection toward you has reached Recognition.
You have obtained Housework and Cooking Proficiency—a domestic skill mastered by an Uchiha Jōnin after retiring from ninja life to become a housewife."
Naruto was stunned.
"…What?"
What the hell was this reward supposed to do?
Even without it, he already knew how to cook when he was hungry and wash his clothes before they piled up like a disaster zone.
Still… he didn't dislike it.
At the very least, it meant there was now one more person in this world who truly acknowledged him—even if they'd only met once.
That alone made the system worthwhile.
Suddenly, Naruto looked toward the window.
The Third Hokage had arrived to check on the Jinchūriki.
Naruto waited patiently until the knock came. He opened the door and looked at the old man with a puzzled expression.
"Grandpa Hokage, didn't you come yesterday? Why are you here again today?"
The Third Hokage looked exhausted, silently thinking that Naruto had given him one hell of a headache.
Naruto entering the Uchiha district nearly made him misjudge a coup. Even Danzō had dragged ROOT into the mess.
If Naruto hadn't walked out safely, the village would already be tearing itself apart.
And once civil strife began, no one could predict the outcome.
Seeing the Third Hokage stay silent, Naruto spoke first:
"Grandpa Hokage probably already knows Sasuke and I became friends, so you came here to give me something, right?"
The Third Hokage's expression twisted slightly. He desperately wanted to go back to yesterday and slap himself.
Yes, he wanted Naruto to make friends—but did it have to be inside the Uchiha district?
Didn't this kid know who he was?
Then the Third Hokage froze.
…No.
Naruto really didn't know.
"I forgot to bring anything today," the Third Hokage said slowly. "But Grandpa is curious—when you were a guest at Sasuke's house… what did his parents say to you?"
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