Like this.
"Uchiha Qing Xuan!"
A furious roar rang out, and the entire entryway fell silent.
In the open doorway stood a young blonde woman with her arms crossed.
The evening breeze stirred her golden ponytail as she stood tall. Even alone in the Uchiha Compound, her imposing presence was undiminished—in fact, it was even stronger.
"Tsunade?"
Mikoto was the first to react. She stared at the figure in the doorway, stunned, and murmured, "When did you get back?"
"Just now," Tsunade replied casually. She strode inside, her gaze sweeping between Itachi and Qing Xuan. She was all business, with no time for pleasantries.
"Hey, Qing Xuan, your real mom's here to take you home."
Itachi froze and stared blankly at Qing Xuan beside him, taking a moment to process what he'd heard.
I'm Qing Xuan?
But before he could say anything, someone yanked him up by the arm. A crisp voice sounded beside his ear:
"Son! Come home with Mom!"
Itachi didn't even have time to struggle before Tsunade dragged him toward the door.
"Stop!"
Fugaku sprang to his feet. The Three Tomoe in his scarlet Sharingan spun rapidly as he glared at Tsunade's back, his voice low and simmering with anger.
"Tsunade! Where are you taking my son?"
"Your son?"
Tsunade turned around. Her gaze landed on the unmistakable tear troughs beneath Itachi's eyes, and her imposing aura abruptly faltered.
The situation suddenly became rather awkward.
"Ah..."
She opened her mouth stiffly, let go of Itachi's hand, and lightly flicked his forehead, forcing out a smile.
"Itachi... you've gotten so tall."
"Pfft!"
Qing Xuan and Mikoto finally couldn't hold back their laughter. But while Mikoto covered her mouth and chuckled, Qing Xuan laughed without a care, clutching his bowl. Even the grains of rice at the corner of his mouth shook loose.
"You little brat!"
Tsunade glared through gritted teeth at the little rascal laughing his head off.
No mistake about it. This one was her real son.
"Quit fooling around. Come with me!"
She went over to grab Qing Xuan's hand, but a white crystal of ice suddenly appeared. The girl who had been kneeling beside him was now standing between them.
The sight made even Fugaku raise an eyebrow, let alone Tsunade.
Ice Release!
This child...
Could she really be from the Yuki clan?
"Sorry, young master hasn't finished eating yet!"
Haku lifted her clear eyes and met Tsunade's gaze without flinching. Despite the vast difference in their strength, she didn't back down at all, as if she didn't care about her own safety.
"You..."
Tsunade stared at the child, momentarily taken aback. She had just started to speak when Qing Xuan complained between mouthfuls, "The title 'young master' sounds awful."
He raised his chopsticks and said, "Call me Brother Xuan!"
"Of course, young master!"
"Uchiha Qing Xuan! What kind of attitude is that?"
Tsunade finally lost her temper. A vein bulged on her forehead.
This little punk! His mother had worked so hard, and as soon as she got back to the village, she'd come to see him before going anywhere else. And this was how he treated her? Did he know that even his father wouldn't dare speak to her like that?
Faced with Tsunade's scolding, Qing Xuan was genuinely at a loss.
To be honest, when he'd transmigrated and learned that his mother was Tsunade, he'd struggled to accept it. After all, he'd watched the anime so much that she felt far too familiar. How was he supposed to see her as his mother?
Even his earlier teasing of Mikoto had just been a joke. He'd only wanted to rile up old man Fugaku and lighten the mood. But now his actual mother had suddenly shown up, and it was honestly too much to handle!
What if she starts kissing me and picking me up and carrying me around?
This is so awkward...
He wondered to himself, trying to figure out how to avoid the situation.
"Enough!"
A heavy slap against the table rang out. Fugaku, who had never lost his temper in front of Qing Xuan before, now looked angrier than anyone.
The fury he could barely restrain burned as hot and red as the Sharingan in his eyes.
He glared at Tsunade and snapped, "How much longer are you going to carry on like this, Tsunade Uchiha?"
"You've been away for so long. Have you forgotten who you are?"
What the hell?
Tsunade Uchiha? What kind of name was that?
Qing Xuan was stunned. He stopped eating and looked up at Tsunade, but her expression was calm, as if she'd long since grown used to being called that.
What was going on?
Fugaku's gaze was stern. Despite being five or six years younger than Tsunade, he wasn't intimidated in the slightest. Instead, he carried himself like an elder brother.
"Of course, you don't have to accept that identity. But if you don't, then don't come to the Uchiha Compound anymore. And the Uchiha will refuse to repay any of your debts!"
Qing Xuan finally understood. He looked at Tsunade again, his gaze now tinged with sympathy.
Feeling her son's eyes on her, even Tsunade's forceful nature couldn't stop her face from reddening.
What a mess...
She'd grabbed Qing Xuan and tried to leave at first because she was afraid that bastard Fugaku would air all her dirty laundry. And now he'd found out anyway.
That guy had definitely done it on purpose!
She glared at Fugaku furiously, but in the end, swallowed her anger.
On one hand, she wanted to preserve what little image she had left in front of her son. On the other... she'd racked up far too much debt from gambling over the past few years.
"Fine, fine!"
She casually sat down beside Qing Xuan and waved a hand. "Big Brother, I was wrong. Is the house I shared with Liu Yun still there? If nobody's living in it, please have someone clean it up. I'll be staying in the village for a while this time, so I'll stay here!"
Her casual tone made Fugaku wince.
He was completely fed up with this family of three! Birds of a feather flock together—damn it, not one of them was easy to deal with!
"That house hasn't been looked after in ages. Why don't you stay with me tonight?"
Mikoto was especially warm toward Tsunade. She asked, "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Why don't you join us?"
Mikoto's kindness clearly made Tsunade uncomfortable. She hurriedly waved a hand and declined. "Better not. I just got back, and I still have to go see the old man. Since the room hasn't been cleaned, I'll stay somewhere else tonight."
As she spoke, she stood up to leave.
"Um..."
Seeing Tsunade about to go, Qing Xuan hesitated, unsure what to say. He looked up at the woman who was, in name, his mother in this world and asked, "Will you come back?"
His uncharacteristic shyness immediately drew the Fugaku family's curiosity. His uncle Fugaku, in particular, was gritting his teeth!
This little punk! So he really was her son, after all. Why wasn't he ever this gentle with me?
"Mom still has a few things to take care of tonight."
Seeing Qing Xuan's embarrassed expression, Tsunade couldn't help giving him a tender smile—so tender it made even Fugaku think he was seeing things. She crouched down and gently pinched Qing Xuan's cheek.
"Mom will come see you tomorrow, and then we'll never be apart again..."
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