Mikoto Uchiha

Konoha street.

Uzumaki Menma had already parted ways with his friends and was heading back to Root alone.

Suddenly, a figure much taller than Uzumaki Menma blocked his path.

Uzumaki Menma looked up and saw Itachi. "Itachi-nii? Sasuke already went home."

"Menma, we're here too!"

Sasuke and Naruto walked out from behind Itachi Uchiha.

Uzumaki Menma asked in confusion, "Huh? What's going on?"

Itachi invited Uzumaki Menma, "Father wants to invite you and Naruto to the Uchiha Clan as guests."

Uzumaki Menma scratched his head, puzzled. "Guests? But I don't know your father."

Itachi explained, "Father wants to thank you."

Uzumaki Menma immediately understood, raising an eyebrow at Itachi. "Could it be about that?"

Itachi looked at Uzumaki Menma in surprise. Since Uzumaki Menma had that expression, it meant his father, Fugaku Uchiha's, previous guesses were correct.

At first, Itachi was skeptical, but now he believed everything.

Itachi nodded with a smile. "Yes."

Uzumaki Menma smiled brightly. It seemed it was a success!

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the interaction between Itachi and Uzumaki Menma, confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

Uzumaki Menma said to Sasuke and Naruto with a smug look, "Sasuke, Naruto, you're still too young to understand!"

Since Uzumaki Menma wouldn't say, Sasuke and Naruto pestered Itachi, wanting him to tell them.

But Itachi didn't know if he could say, so he remained silent.

In the end, Sasuke and Naruto didn't learn anything, pouting with frustration.

After arriving at the Uchiha compound, at Sasuke's house.

Sasuke saw that the door was open, and his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, was busily preparing dinner.

"Mom!"

Sasuke called out to Mikoto Uchiha. Mikoto Uchiha turned her head and saw Uzumaki Menma and Naruto behind Sasuke. The plate she was holding fell to the ground.

Mikoto Uchiha covered her mouth, her expression extremely excited. Not even bothering to put on shoes, she ran forward.

Sasuke was very puzzled.

Why was his mother so excited to see him today?

She usually wasn't like this.

Just as Mikoto Uchiha was about to reach Sasuke, Sasuke opened his arms, waiting for Mikoto Uchiha to hug him.

But Mikoto Uchiha brushed past Sasuke.

Sasuke was completely dumbfounded. What was going on?

Mikoto Uchiha rushed to Uzumaki Menma and Naruto, hugging them tightly, sobbing softly.

"Menma... Naruto..."

Uzumaki Menma and Naruto, hugged by Mikoto Uchiha, exchanged confused glances.

What was going on?

Why was Sasuke's mother hugging them like this?

At this moment, Fugaku Uchiha walked out of the room.

Itachi came to Fugaku Uchiha's side and asked in a low voice, "Father, does Mother know Menma and Naruto?"

Fugaku Uchiha replied with some melancholy, "You should also know, Kushina Uzumaki, your mother's close friend. Don't tell anyone about this. They don't know their parents' identities."

Itachi recalled seeing Kushina Uzumaki when he and Sasuke were about the same age as they were now.

Kushina Uzumaki had even held him. After all, that head of red hair was unforgettable.

Itachi didn't expect Uzumaki Menma and Naruto to be the sons of his mother's close friend.

At the dinner table.

Mikoto Uchiha kept giving Uzumaki Menma and Naruto food with great affection.

Looking at the overflowing dishes in their bowls, Uzumaki Menma and Naruto asked Sasuke with bewildered expressions, "Sasuke, what's going on?"

Sasuke rolled his Byakugan at them. He wanted to know too!

Sasuke felt like his mother was being taken away.

And Fugaku Uchiha had only said, "I am Itachi and Sasuke's father," and then basically hadn't said another word.

The dinner proceeded in this strange atmosphere.

In the end, Uzumaki Menma and Naruto couldn't eat any more, their little bellies about to burst before they stopped.

Then, a voice came from outside the house: "Young Master Menma, Naruto, it's time to go home."

Itachi opened the door, and standing outside was Yamanaka Fu.

Uzumaki Menma was feeling uncomfortably full: "Uncle Yamanaka, I'm stuffed, I can't walk. Can you give me a hand?"

Yamanaka Fu, without regard for whether Fugaku Uchiha had invited him into the room, directly used a Body Flicker Technique and appeared behind Uzumaki Menma and Naruto, then picked them both up with one hand each.

Yamanaka Fu raised an eyebrow.

These two guys must have eaten a lot; they actually have some weight to them.

Afterward, Yamanaka Fu didn't say goodbye or wait for Uzumaki Menma and Naruto to bid farewell to Sasuke and the others, and directly left the Uchiha compound using the Body Flicker Technique.

Sasuke and Itachi looked at Fugaku Uchiha in confusion. Their father wasn't going to react at all?

Fugaku Uchiha didn't seem to feel any displeasure. He told Sasuke to go back to his room to sleep, and Mikoto Uchiha began clearing the table.

Only Itachi and Fugaku Uchiha remained in the room.

"Itachi, are you wondering why I didn't react at all?"

Itachi silently nodded.

"That's because I already knew he was in our Uchiha compound. He was just waiting outside and didn't stop Uzumaki Menma and Naruto from eating with us. I think you understand, right?"

Itachi said thoughtfully, "That person called Menma 'Young Master Menma,' which means he's a Root Ninja. And he didn't stop or disturb us from eating with Menma and Naruto, so that means Root's attitude towards the Uchiha Clan is starting to soften."

Fugaku Uchiha revealed a gratified smile.

In Fugaku Uchiha's eyes, Itachi was the next clan head, so he naturally had to be nurtured well.

"Good, it's good that you understand. Go and rest."

After Itachi left the room, Mikoto Uchiha appeared beside Fugaku Uchiha: "Fugaku, will I be able to visit Menma and Naruto often in the future?"

Fugaku Uchiha nodded slightly and said, "Don't see them before we move to the center of Konoha. Today, we mainly invited them over to express our gratitude to Lord Danzo. After all, they are Jinchuriki, and we Uchiha need to avoid suspicion.

Once the Uchiha Clan moves to the center of Konoha, you can see them. The Hokage also knows that you and Kushina are friends and shouldn't stop you from seeing them. However, one thing must be remembered: never reveal Menma and Naruto's background! That was an order personally given by the Hokage back then!"

Ever since Kushina Uzumaki's incident, Mikoto Uchiha had always wanted to visit Uzumaki Menma and Naruto, but it hadn't been possible due to the strained relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha.

Mikoto Uchiha clasped her hands tightly together.

"Finally, I'll be able to see Menma and Naruto often..."