Visiting the Uchiha Clan Compound

After finishing all his tasks, Fugaku learned of the conversation between Kushina and Mikoto that morning and took Kushina, Naruto, and Menma to his home.

Naruto was excited the entire way, chattering non-stop; he was filled with infinite imagination about the Uchiha compound, as it was his first time visiting such a prestigious clan.

Menma followed behind them leisurely with his hands behind his head; he really wanted to see Shisui again, and it would be even better if Shisui had already awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Kushina wore a gentle smile, responding to Naruto's excited chatter from time to time.

Upon arriving at Fugaku's home, Mikoto had already made the place warm and tidy, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her guests.

The moment she saw Kushina and the others, a joyful light flickered in her eyes, and she warmly welcomed them into the house. The interior was permeated with a unique Uchiha atmosphere; the clan crest and ancient ninjutsu diagrams hung on the walls, while the exquisite tatami mats and rustic tea sets all displayed the tradition and heritage of the Uchiha clan.

As everyone sat in the living room, Mikoto hurriedly served carefully prepared refreshments, including sweet pastries and fragrant tea. Watching Mikoto's busy figure, Kushina sighed with emotion:

"Mikoto, it really has been a long time. It's been about four years, hasn't it?"

Mikoto nodded with a smile: "Yes, time flies. So many things have happened in these four years."

Kushina looked at the two children, her eyes filled with maternal love: "These two little ones have grown so much. Look at Naruto, always so mischievous, while Menma is a bit more composed. Their fourth birthday is less than a month away now."

Mikoto looked at Naruto and Menma with affection: "I really hope I can attend their birthday party."

Kushina said happily: "Of course you can, Mikoto. Your whole family must come."

Mikoto replied: "That would be wonderful; we will certainly be there."

At this moment, Naruto curiously asked Mikoto: "Auntie Mikoto, does the Uchiha clan have any special ninjutsu?"

Mikoto smiled and answered: "Our Uchiha clan has the powerful Sharingan, though it requires certain conditions to awaken."

"Then is the training method different from ours?" Naruto asked again.

Mikoto explained patiently: "It is somewhat different; we focus more on excavating the power of the eyes and practicing Fire Style ninjutsu."

Menma suddenly seemed to think of something; he went over to Fugaku's side and whispered: "Uncle Fugaku, Shisui-nii should have already awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan, right?"

Fugaku didn't speak; he simply nodded, as he felt there was no issue with telling Menma about such things.

"Uncle, what are you two talking about?" Naruto, who was nearby, asked after seeing Menma and Fugaku whispering.

Fugaku remained calm and said lightly: "Menma was asking me if he could take a tour of the Uchiha compound."

Hearing this, Naruto became a bit excited; he also wanted to take a look around.

Fugaku stood up and said: "Then let's go; let's take a tour of the Uchiha compound." With that, Fugaku led Naruto and Menma out of the house, while Kushina and Mikoto continued their conversation.

They first arrived at the Uchiha training grounds. On the field, Uchiha clansmen were diligently practicing ninjutsu; various Fire Style techniques bloomed like brilliant flowers, and agile figures darted across the area. Just then, they saw Uchiha Sasuke, who was in the middle of his training.

Naruto and Menma had long known Sasuke; Menma had previously provoked Sasuke with his words, causing Sasuke to angrily awaken a one-tomoe Sharingan. At this moment, seeing them, a complex emotion flashed in Sasuke's eyes—a mix of dissatisfaction toward Menma and a sense of rivalry toward Naruto.

Fugaku saw Sasuke and nodded slightly, saying: "Sasuke is a child who trains very hard."

Sasuke bowed respectfully to Fugaku, then looked at Naruto and Menma, saying coldly: "Why are you here?"

Naruto said with a grin: "Uncle Fugaku brought us here for a tour."

Menma looked at Sasuke calmly and said: "It seems you are still working hard to improve yourself."

Sasuke clenched his fists and said: "I will definitely surpass you! I am not the little baby you call me!"

Fugaku watched the subtle atmosphere between the children, smiled, and said: "You all have great potential; as long as you work hard, you will all become excellent ninja."

At this point, Menma suddenly said: "Sasuke, since you want to surpass us so much, why don't we have a sparring match right now?"

Sasuke's eyes lit up, and he immediately responded: "Fine, that's exactly what I wanted."

Fugaku was about to stop them, but seeing the determined looks in the two children's eyes, he nodded and said: "Just keep it light."

The sparring began, and Sasuke launched the first attack. He performed a Fire Style technique, and Fugaku smiled with satisfaction; although he couldn't use the Great Fireball perfectly yet, having flames of this caliber was quite good.

The flames rushed toward Menma. Menma was unhurried; he quickly performed the Shadow Clone technique, with several clones scattering in different directions, while his real body used the Flying Thunder God to vanish from the spot instantly.

Sasuke's flames missed their target, and he immediately became vigilant, activating his Sharingan to search for Menma's trail.

Just then, Menma suddenly appeared behind Sasuke and launched a taijutsu strike. Although Menma didn't know the Eight Inner Gates, he had received taijutsu training from Might Guy and possessed the taijutsu level of a Chunin; the speed and power of this strike were not to be underestimated.

Sasuke sensed the attack from behind and reacted quickly, dodging to the side while throwing shuriken at Menma. Menma's shurikenjutsu was still inferior to Sasuke's, so he didn't choose to block them head-on; instead, he used the Shadow Clone technique again, with one clone blocking the shuriken while he rushed toward Sasuke.

Seeing this, Sasuke prepared to mobilize all the chakra in his body, intending to use his yet-to-be-perfected Great Fireball to counter him.

At this moment, Fugaku shouted: "Enough!"

Menma and Sasuke both stopped. Fugaku looked at them and said: "Your strength is quite good, but battle isn't just about winning or losing; what's more important is learning from the fight. Sasuke, you are getting stronger too—keep it up!"

Just as he finished speaking, the Menma in front of them vanished in a puff of smoke; it turned out that this one was also a Shadow Clone, while the real body appeared from the side.

In other words, Menma had been using a Shadow Clone from start to finish, while his real body had been watching from the sidelines.

"Although it might be discouraging to hear, Sasuke, Menma is very strong. You can't beat him as you are now; even I wouldn't dare guarantee that I could win against Menma."

Sasuke and Naruto were both stunned upon hearing this; they hadn't expected Menma to be this strong.

However, it made sense; after all, he had the Nine-Tails as his trump card. As long as he activated the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, unless he encountered a Kage-level powerhouse, Menma could handle almost anything.

After touring the compound, Mikoto came to invite everyone back to the house for lunch. The table was filled with delicacies unique to the Uchiha household, including exquisite sushi, fresh grilled fish, and various pickled side dishes.

Everyone sat around the dining table when Uchiha Itachi walked in from outside. Itachi's gaze was deep and calm; he nodded slightly to everyone before taking his seat.

Naruto's eyes lit up when he saw Itachi, and he said: "Itachi-nii, we meet again! I heard from Sasuke that you know many powerful ninjutsu."

Itachi smiled gently and said, "Naruto, you also have great potential, so keep working hard."

Menma offered a greeting, and Itachi looked at him, saying, "Menma, you are already excellent, but remember: with great power comes great responsibility."

Hearing this, Menma couldn't help but tense up. Is Itachi trying to turn me into some kind of failed man? Menma thought to himself.

During lunch, everyone chatted happily while enjoying the delicious food. Fugaku and Kushina discussed the future of Konoha, while Mikoto concerned herself with the children's growth.

Although Sasuke had been somewhat frustrated during their sparring session, he was now caught up in the atmosphere at the table, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

After finishing lunch, Itachi stood up and said to Naruto, Menma, and Sasuke, "You little ones should learn from each other and progress together."

Naruto nodded vigorously and said, "Mm, Brother Itachi, we will!"

Afterward, everyone rested at Fugaku's home for a while longer, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

Finally, Kushina took Naruto and Menma to bid farewell to Fugaku and Mikoto. Mikoto gave the two children some special gifts from the Uchiha Clan; Naruto accepted them happily, while Menma expressed his thanks politely.

"Thank you for your hospitality; we had a wonderful time," Kushina said.

"You're very welcome, please come again," Mikoto replied.

After leaving the Uchiha Clan, Kushina brought Naruto and Menma back home.

Naruto was still excitedly talking about everything he had seen and heard today, while Menma fell into deep thought. He hadn't seen Shisui while at the Uchiha Clan compound today; perhaps he was out on a mission with his squad.