Breakfast was just a warm-up; no matter how many dishes appeared on the table, it couldn't compare to lunch or dinner.
Itachi and Sasuke had small appetites. Even when full, they never ate much.
Mikoto, no longer living the life of an active kunoichi, had grown accustomed to lighter meals.
Most of the food ended up in Uchiha Gen's stomach, leaving little Sasuke staring at him in disbelief.
How can a stomach barely bigger than mine hold so much?
It was the same disbelief ordinary people felt watching a competitive eater: We all have stomachs so why is yours a bottomless pit?
Once breakfast was done, servants cleared the table. Those with work went off to work, those with studies went to school. Mikoto held Sasuke's hand and saw both out.
Gen and Itachi chatted briefly as they left the compound together. At the gates, they split, Itachi toward the Academy in the village center, Gen toward the Police Force headquarters on the outskirts.
After tidying up, Mikoto brought Sasuke to Kushina's house. On the way back, she planned to stop by a shop to buy stockings and high heels.
Along the road, clan members greeted her warmly, smiles extending to Sasuke as well. There wasn't a trace of disdain, only subtle envy, especially from the women.
Among great clans, it wasn't rare for the widow of a former clan head to end up with the new one. Everyone had long grown used to it. But Mikoto's case was different, Gen was young, strikingly handsome, already clan leader, head of the Police Force, brimming with talent and potential.
That was precisely why she had agreed to her father's suggestion in the first place, and why Setsuna could propose it without guilt. Had it been someone like the aging Second Elder or Third Elder, neither she nor Setsuna would have entertained the idea.
At Kushina's home, Karin was there as expected. With Anna busy at the hospital, Kushina had naturally taken on the role of caretaker. Karin usually ate lunch here, breakfast and dinner at home, sometimes dinner here too.
It felt almost fated; Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin, growing up as childhood friends. Whether Karin would one day fall for Sasuke was another matter.
Without a life-saving bond, constant proximity could just as easily breed immunity to his face, however handsome.
As always, the three children played off to the side, while Kushina and Mikoto settled down with knitting and conversation.
"How does it feel?" Kushina asked suddenly, patting her friend's shoulder.
Mikoto looked puzzled. "What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Hehe, don't play dumb. I heard you moved in with that little fellow, Uchiha Gen."
Born of the Uzumaki, grown and wise, Kushina knew exactly what it meant for Mikoto to make that move. And she had no judgment for her best friend.
Little fellow?
Mikoto's thoughts flashed to the bathroom last night. That's no little fellow…
She kept her composure. "It feels good. Gen's cooking is amazing, full of ideas, creating dishes I'd never even heard of before. For example, this morning's breakfast… everything was new to me. And the taste was unbelievable."
Her voice softened as she added, "Especially the soy milk with fried dough sticks. On their own, delicious. Together, though… they were just..."
She trailed off under Kushina's knowing gaze, eyes dropping back to her knitting.
"Go on. Why'd you stop?" Kushina nudged her shoulder playfully. "You can't fool me with that change of subject."
"I wasn't changing the subject," Mikoto muttered.
"Sure, keep pretending. We're best friends, aren't we? Don't you understand what I'm asking?" Kushina smirked, hands moving deftly over the sweater she was knitting.
"There was nothing to tell," Mikoto said flatly, though the words felt a little forced.
"No way," Kushina shot back. "What, does he not fancy you? Doesn't find you attractive? How dare he not fancy my best friend, I'll beat some sense into him myself!"
She launched into a rapid-fire rant, her mouth working like a machine gun.
"Or wait... is he impotent already? So young? If he gets to the hospital early, maybe there's hope."
She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide with mock horror.
If Gen had been present, he'd have slammed the table and shouted; Impotent? Your whole family's impotent! Who are you looking down on? If you don't believe me, let's settle this right now!
Mikoto hurried to cut her off. "No, it's not like that…"
Glancing at the three children happily playing nearby, she leaned in close to Kushina's ear and whispered the truth.
Kushina's expression shifted, caught between disbelief and amusement. "This kid… how should I even describe him? You say he's not devoted, yet he insists on waiting for his girlfriend. You say he is devoted, but he clearly wants to have both…"
Mikoto skipped over the details about stockings and high heels. Not because she didn't trust Kushina, but because even for best friends, some things were too embarrassing to confess aloud.
"Human nature is complicated," Mikoto said quietly.
"You're right."
Kushina sighed. "I thought we were in the same boat, but you sailed off without me. If it weren't for Naruto, I don't know how I'd carry on."
Mikoto's knitting needles clicked softly. "You really don't plan on finding someone new? A father figure matters for a child. You're still young, are you going to suffer like this forever? The dead are gone, Kushina. Even if you did find someone, Minato wouldn't blame you. His love and his nature wouldn't allow it."
Kushina shook her head. "I just… can't get past it. Maybe one day, but right now, I have no intention."
Mikoto nudged her shoulder and lowered her voice. "Do you… ever think about it? Normally?"
With her best friend, Kushina didn't hide. A blush spread over her cheeks. "Occasionally. But… solving it myself isn't the same. Still, what can I do? I can't just pick some random man."
Mikoto's eyes flickered with mischief. "Then find a shinobi you like. One good with the Transformation Technique. Have him transform into Minato during… intimacy. Wouldn't that make it easier?"
Kushina nearly dropped her knitting. "Oh come on! Isn't that just lying to myself? And besides, there isn't a man I fancy. Let's drop it, it's too embarrassing."
Her face burned red as she swatted Mikoto lightly, heart skipping as an unwanted thought flickered across her mind. She stomped it down quickly, guilty for even entertaining it.
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "You're the one who started this conversation."
Still, she mercifully steered them toward cosmetics instead, and soon the two women were trading tips on makeup and skin care, laughter soft between them.
Time passed quickly, New Year's Day drawing near, bringing with it a welcome holiday.
On the surface, Uchiha Gen stayed quietly at home.
In truth, he slipped from Konoha under the cover of secrecy, bound for the Land of Wind.
He knew this trip meant crossing a threshold he'd never return from. And still, he chose to step into the tiger's den.