"Ara, dear, aren't you two getting along quite well? I thought you weren't good with kids."
Whether it was due to Mikoto's excellent cooking skills or Naruto's earlier crying pushing her to speed up the meal preparation so she could check on things in the living room, it took less than ten minutes after Naruto and Fugaku made their promise for Mikoto, wearing thick oven mitts, to step into the room carrying a steaming, fragrant copper hot pot. She carefully set it down on the dining table, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Naruto who was snuggled up in Fugaku's arms, acting all cuddly. The doubts that had piled up in her heart from the fragmented cries she thought she heard earlier melted away. After a short pause, she smiled and said, "You must all be starving. Go wash your hands—once the soup starts to boil, we'll be ready to eat."
"Hmph, of course! I told you, didn't I? You had nothing to worry about... I'm the head of the Uchiha Clan after all—taking care of a child is a piece of cake!"
Seeing his wife smiling at him with newfound appreciation, Fugaku felt not only relieved but a bit smug. He straightened his back proudly, then quickly stood up, carefully holding the little guy in his arms—Naruto, whose tear-streaked face was now hidden in Fugaku's chest. Not wanting his wife to notice anything odd, he quickly made his way to the bathroom to wash away the traces left behind from the earlier crying fit.
"'Piece of cake,' huh… Back when Sasuke used to ask for a hug, you'd freeze like a statue every time."
Mikoto whispered to herself with a chuckle as she watched her husband flee like a guilty man. After a brief pause, she took the dish of prepared vegetables from Itachi, who had been helping in the kitchen, and began calmly setting the table.
And as for the little Uchiha fan who had been carried off to the kitchen, doubting life?
Well, he was now happily chomping away on a half-eaten tomato, juice dripping down his face in sheer delight… Even if he was destined to become one of the strongest in the ninja world, at this moment he was just a kid. And in the face of a delicious, juicy tomato—something he hadn't had in ages—any trace of existential doubt had long since been thrown out the window.
…
To be honest, up until now, Fugaku had always thought that among all the toddlers he knew, aside from Akimichi Chōji's round, dumpling-like son, the biggest eater had to be his own youngest son Sasuke, who had recently developed a ravenous appetite. And yet, what was unfolding before his eyes now felt like a genjutsu—a completely unbelievable sight.
"Mmmph! So good! One more bowl!"
With his cheeks puffed out and mouth packed full of food, Naruto squinted happily as he savored every bite. He handed his now-empty rice bowl to Mikoto, who stood nearby in a daze.
"...Huh? Oh, uh, o-okay…"
At first, Mikoto hadn't paid Naruto much attention. But bowl after bowl, the kid devoured food like a bottomless pit. Her mouth slowly opened in shock, jaw hanging like it had dislocated, until Naruto spoke again and snapped her out of it. Rubbing her sore jaw as she finally closed her mouth, she glanced at Sasuke—who had also stopped eating and was frozen in amazement—then mumbled as she took the empty bowl, "Y-You want more? This is your seventh bowl…"
If it hadn't been for Sasuke's recent growth spurt prompting Mikoto to start cooking a little extra just in case, they would've run out of rice long ago. And even then, after giving Naruto another serving, the pot was now completely empty. Although Naruto had been too polite to snatch up all the meat, he didn't hesitate when it came to the hot pot vegetables. Just the napa cabbage alone—he'd eaten more than one and a half heads!
'How much food does this kid eat in a month…?'
The stark contrast between Naruto's timid, teary personality earlier and the fierce, joyful way he now wolfed down food left Fugaku questioning if everything he'd experienced so far had just been a hallucination.
'Amazing… That must be it! The reason Naruto can spar with big brother must be because he eats so much every meal!'
Little Sasuke, dumbfounded as he watched Naruto devour food like a typhoon, whispered to himself. Inspired, he suddenly picked up his bowl and began shoveling food into his mouth as well.
'Mmm… I'm not going to lose to Naruto! I'll eat even more… I have to be just as strong as big brother!'
While the rest of the family stared at Naruto's monstrous appetite in stunned silence, Itachi, who had long since put down his chopsticks and was calmly sipping tea, didn't show a hint of surprise. On the contrary, as he watched Naruto's delighted expression, a trace of hidden sadness flickered through his eyes.
Earlier, when Naruto had deliberately let his guard down, Itachi had managed to peer into his heart and uncover truths that were still hard to believe. But one thing was certain: the smiling, cheerful Naruto who was stuffing his face right now—this was the real him, not an act.
Ever since he arrived in the world of Naruto, and became the Jinchūriki of Kurama, Naruto had never dared eat any of the beautifully arranged meals secretly delivered by Root operatives, fearing Danzo might have tampered with them. And with no adults to cook for him, plus his lack of skill in the kitchen, Naruto could usually manage to fill his belly, but the taste always left much to be desired. His only treat was the occasional trip to Ichiraku Ramen…
This lifestyle had built him a stomach of steel—but it also meant Naruto had long since forgotten what the word delicious truly meant. And more than that, he'd forgotten the warmth and ease that should come with a proper meal.
But this dinner—crashed at Sasuke's house—was the most delicious meal Naruto had had in the past three years. And the only one that filled his heart with the long-forgotten feeling of home.
'...Can't stop now… I finally remembered this taste… Just a little more… Just a bit…'
His tiny stomach was already beyond full, but Naruto couldn't bear to stop. Even if it meant shattering the innocent image he'd carefully built in front of Fugaku, he continued chewing and swallowing desperately.
Just to imprint the memory of this flavor in his body a little more deeply—so it wouldn't fade too quickly from his mind.
…
"Huaahh… I'm stuffed! So full I don't want to move…"
After finally forcing down the last bite, Naruto flopped back dramatically onto the tatami mat, his stomach round and bulging. As he lay there, eyes half-closed in bliss, he rubbed his belly with a satisfied smile.
The curve of his belly had changed so dramatically, Fugaku couldn't help but wonder: if he poked it now, would Naruto puke on the spot—or would it just explode?
"Eight bowls of rice… three heads of cabbage… one plate of beef… two bundles of enoki mushrooms… one bowl of tofu… Kid, I've gotta say, you've got quite the appetite."
Fugaku chuckled as he mentally tallied the damage. "At this rate, your parents probably have to buy dozens of extra portions of food each week just to feed your whole family, huh? And yet you're not fat at all—perfectly healthy, and you don't even hate vegetables."
Seeing his wife cleaning up and Itachi gently lifting the overstuffed Sasuke for a stroll in the yard, Fugaku turned back to Naruto, now that the two were alone again in the living room. Sitting cross-legged beside him, he gently ruffled the boy's golden hair and joked warmly, "To keep you so well-fed and help you build good eating habits, your parents must really dote on you."
"Uhh… hehe, I'm not always this hungry, really! It's just that Auntie's cooking is so good—I couldn't help but eat just a little more…"
Even thick-skinned as he was, Naruto still blushed and rubbed his nose in embarrassment at Fugaku's kind teasing. After a short pause, he shifted positions, laced his hands behind his head like a pillow, and grinned. "Yeah… My dad and mom are the best in the world. They loved me more than anything!"
"From the moment you were born, huh? Then how do you know they're the best parents in the world?"
Fugaku frowned slightly at the seemingly contradictory answer, thinking it over before asking with a smile, "Ah, I see! They must've had to go away for work after you were born, right? That's why you rarely saw them? Come to think of it… I haven't heard of any Uzumaki Clan members living in the village for the past three years. So why didn't your parents take you with them when they left Konoha?"
"Because the place they went wasn't suitable for a newborn. And even now… they still don't want to come back to take me with them."
Seeing Fugaku's curiosity fully hooked, Naruto slowly sat up and raised his head proudly.
"But I know! My dad and mom love me from the bottom of their hearts! The fact that I've grown up healthy in the village—that's the best proof of their love!"
'A place not suitable for kids… and they still haven't returned? Could they be on some top-secret infiltration mission behind enemy lines? But that kind of thing wouldn't usually be assigned to outsiders like the Uzumaki…'
Fugaku, swept up by Naruto's cheerful confidence, found a familiar feeling rising in his chest. His smile widened. Reaching out to tap Naruto on the nose, he asked gently, "So tell me, little guy—who is your father? Maybe I can help bring your parents back early."
"You can bring my parents back? Really, Uncle? You really can?!"
"Of course! Don't forget—I'm the head of the Uchiha Clan. Helping with something like that? Easy."
"Awesome! Thank you, Uncle! I didn't know you had the power to raise the dead too!"
Seeing Fugaku's utterly clueless, confident smile, Naruto's eyes sparkled with mischief. He trembled as he held in his laughter, grinning with exaggerated admiration.
When he finally spoke, he did so deliberately, drawing out every syllable:
"My dad… isn't an Uzumaki. His name is…"
"Minato! Namikaze!"