"So you're telling me… having a girlfriend at my age isn't just fine—it's something you fully approve of?! But you two clearly said otherwise before…"
The unexpected truth from his parents hit like a thunderbolt. For the past year, Itachi had racked his brain trying to hide his relationship with Izumi, carefully thinking about how to introduce her in a way that would leave a good first impression. But now, he stood frozen, mouth agape in disbelief. After a long silence, he finally raised his trembling hand and pointed accusingly at his parents, who were feigning stern faces but clearly trying to suppress mischievous smiles.
'If you two knew all along… then what the hell was all that effort for?! Hiding things from you, enduring all that pressure, walking on eggshells—what was the point of it all?!'
"Well, well, Itachi… You should know—if we borrow Naruto's phrasing—this is what you call 'suffering the consequences of your own actions'~"
"What made you think you could hide something like this from us? Or do you really believe your little schemes could get past your parents?"
Seeing their son so indignant and accusatory only made Mikoto and Fugaku more delighted. They exchanged a single glance and then responded in perfect harmony, as if rehearsed, voices brimming with smugness. Their righteous tones left Itachi, who already felt guilty, with no way to refute them. In the end, he could only hang his head and mutter resentfully under his breath.
"Still… you didn't have to go that far, did you? I really thought you disapproved of our relationship…"
"Disapprove? How could we?"
Before he could finish his complaint, Mikoto interrupted, her voice soft and teasing as she tried—and failed—to hide her amusement. She even furrowed her brows as if confused, her tone dripping with playfulness.
"You and your brother both have so few friends—each one lonelier than the last. Your father and I didn't say much, but we've always been worried. So just like we didn't object when Sasuke brought Naruto home, how could we not be overjoyed to see you finally using that clever little brain of yours to find yourself a proper daughter-in-law?"
"...Wait, what? You didn't object when Sasuke brought Naruto home, so you wouldn't object to me bringing a daughter-in-law either…? Why does that sentence sound weird somehow?!"
"Itachi, what are you mumbling over there? Mommy's not finished speaking yet…"
Completely unaware of the double meaning in her words—or of Naruto's twitching face and awkward backward steps nearby—Mikoto continued speaking, clearly enjoying the chance to tease her son.
"Even though we weren't against it, we still thought you'd come clean in a few days. We never imagined you'd hide it for an entire year before finally introducing us to our precious daughter-in-law. Naturally, you deserve a little punishment~"
As Mikoto openly and gleefully admitted their scheme, Itachi's lingering confusion finally cleared. Crying and laughing at once, he realized the entire interrogation had been a childish prank for revenge—nothing more. And with that realization came the regret of having walked right into their trap.
'Seriously… is this even allowed?'
Snapping out of his daze, Itachi caught sight of his mother's gleeful grin. Accepting that all his secrets were laid bare, he decided to play along. With a dramatic sigh, he clutched his head and fell to his knees with a loud thump, exaggeratedly surrendering.
"All this… just for a dramatic welcome? Really? Mom, come on—that's way too much. I'm your son, your actual flesh and blood! How could you scare me like that?!"
"Ara~ Since you said it yourself, then my answer is…"
Seeing her usually composed and mature son reduced to a flustered wreck only made Mikoto feel prouder. 'This is how a boy his age should act,' she thought with satisfaction. Tilting her head and blinking innocently, she responded with a cheeky smile:
"Of course it's… too bad~"
Thud.
With that final blow, the last of Itachi's hope crumbled, and he collapsed flat on his back, completely defeated.
Only then, satisfied by his theatrical surrender, did Mikoto stop teasing him and invite everyone to sit down. The breakfast had gone slightly cold, but it was finally time to eat.
It was also then that the stark difference between Itachi and Izumi's emotional resilience became all the more obvious.
The interrogation they had just gone through—so far beyond anything normal—had left a deep psychological scar on Izumi's tender young heart.
Even though Itachi had tried his best to shield her during the questioning, the entire ordeal had been far too overwhelming for someone as innocent and pure-hearted as her.
So when Mikoto warmly invited her to join them for breakfast, Izumi had hesitated for a long time, fearing that this seemingly happy ending might be another trap. And even when she finally sat down, she looked like a frightened kitten—legs tightly together, nervously twisting the hem of her skirt, only answering Mikoto's relentless barrage of sparkling-eyed questions with tiny, mosquito-like "mm", "ah", and "uh-huh".
All while the words daughter-in-law and Itachi's furious shouting kept echoing in her mind, making her break out into silly, dreamy smiles she couldn't suppress.
'Whew… thank goodness. Looks like Mom and Dad weren't lying—they really do like Izumi.'
Seated across the table from her, Itachi couldn't focus on the delicious-looking spread in front of him. Instead, he kept glancing at Izumi, worried something might still go wrong. Only after he saw how much his parents truly adored her did he finally breathe a sigh of relief. Popping a completely cold dango into his mouth, he chewed happily, eyes closed in contentment, and muttered to himself with a soft chuckle:
"Hmm… Perfect. I guess it wasn't all for nothing after all."