Living Expenses

The time it took to treat their wounds had dragged on, and dusk had already fallen outside.

Mikoto had prepared dinner in the cramped kitchen.

Using the limited ingredients she had, she made a steaming bowl of miso soup, with tender tofu and seaweed simmering in it;

a pot of plump, glistening white rice; and, for the main dish, perfectly grilled salted saury, its skin lightly charred and its flesh tender.

There was also a small dish of cold spinach salad and pickles.

For Naruto, who was used to eating expired milk and instant noodles, this was an unimaginably delicious feast.

He sat at the table, staring at the neatly arranged bowls and chopsticks, breathing in the food's real aroma. His eyes widened, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.

"Let's eat," Sasuke murmured, picking up his chopsticks.

Only then did Naruto come to his senses. He hurriedly echoed him, loudly:

"L-Let's eat!"

Then he eagerly grabbed a piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth. It was so hot that he hissed, but he still managed to mumble his praise over and over:

"It's s-so good! Auntie, it's so delicious!"

Watching him wolf down his food, Mikoto smiled warmly.

"If you like it, eat up. If no one makes you dinner in the future, come downstairs and eat with Sasuke."

"C-Can I?" Naruto looked at Mikoto, overjoyed.

At that, Sasuke immediately looked up, ready to object.

But when he saw the unquestionable warmth in his mother's eyes and the stars that seemed to sparkle in Naruto's blue ones,

the words died on his lips. He simply lowered his head awkwardly and shoveled a huge mouthful of rice into his mouth.

"Then it's settled," Mikoto said gently.

Whether it was because Naruto was Kushina's son, or because the Third Hokage wanted her son to get along with Naruto,

she was only making a little extra food.

"Mm, thank you... Thank you, Auntie."

"My name is Mikoto. From now on, you can call me Auntie Mikoto."

"Yes, I understand, Auntie Mikoto."

Naruto nodded repeatedly, feeling like the happiest person in the world.

Seeing Sasuke's bruised and swollen face, Mikoto asked Naruto, "Who beat you and Sasuke up?"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, silently telling him not to say anything.

But Naruto paid him no mind and answered at once. "It was someone named Uchiha Shiren. He... he..."

After saying the name, Naruto got stuck. He didn't know how to explain the rest.

But Mikoto had already understood. Seeing Naruto stammer, she didn't press him for details.

She only said to Sasuke, "From now on... maybe I should pick you up from school."

"No need!" Sasuke immediately refused, his voice stiff with urgency.

He didn't want his mother exposed to those strange looks and pointed remarks because of him.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door.

Mikoto opened it. Shien stood outside, along with Shisui, whose face was completely hidden beneath a high-collared coat, hood, and mask.

They had come to bring Mikoto living expenses and deal with Shiren.

"Shien... Clan Head..."

Mikoto called him Clan Head, a little stiffly.

Shien didn't correct her. He simply nodded in greeting. Mikoto still needed some time to adjust to the change.

His gaze swept across the room, and he was surprised to see Naruto there too.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto was also surprised to see Shien. He remembered him as the person he'd bumped into yesterday.

"Ah, it's you!" Naruto said. Then he realized that if he hadn't bumped into this man yesterday, he wouldn't have gotten beaten up.

Shien stepped forward, grabbed Naruto by the arm, and dragged him toward the door.

"We have something to discuss. You're not welcome here."

"Let go of me! Let go!" Naruto struggled with all his might in Shien's grasp, but it was no use.

"Auntie Mikoto...!" he cried instinctively to the person who had cooked for him.

Mikoto shook her head. "Go home for now, Naruto."

Naruto stopped struggling so fiercely, and Shien pushed him straight out the door.

"Bang!"

The sound of the door shutting infuriated Naruto.

He could only trudge upstairs, unwillingly.

The ANBU watching from a nearby upper floor observed everything and spoke in low voices.

"Should we intervene?"

"No. Our primary target is Naruto."

"Shien hasn't deliberately approached Naruto, which means he doesn't want trouble."

"Record what happened today. Once Shien leaves, deliver the report to Lord Hokage."

"Yes."

Inside the room.

Shien took out the bundle he'd brought with him.

"This is the living allowance for the next two months. Aunt Mikoto, you'd better stay indoors as much as possible. There are too many clan members, and not all of them are reasonable."

"Once the clan finishes mourning, more of them will leave the clan grounds."

He turned to Sasuke.

"What happened to you today won't be the last time. You can only protect yourself. Don't make your mother worry."

Mikoto bit her lip beside him, looking helpless.

She wasn't a defenseless civilian, but there were so many clan members. She couldn't follow Sasuke around all the time.

Seeing his mother like that, Sasuke felt a surge of anger well up inside him.

He couldn't stand seeing his mother worry about him like this!

"I'll protect myself!"

He shouted it loudly, but the reality was that he was only seven years old and couldn't defend himself at all.

Seeing that he wasn't frantically asking for his brother and father anymore, Shien gestured to Shisui.

Shisui reached up and removed the mask from his face.

When Sasuke saw his face,

"Shisui!" Sasuke cried in astonishment. He sprang up from his chair and rushed over, ignoring the pain in his body.

"You're alive?!"

Two years ago, rumors of Shisui's suicide on the Uchiha Clan Grounds had spread like wildfire. Naturally, Sasuke had been devastated.

Now, seeing Shisui appear, he was both shocked and overjoyed.

Shisui reached out and stroked Sasuke's hair, but Sasuke realized that his hand had no warmth.

His eyes, too, looked nothing like those of a living person.

"Shisui, what happened to you?"

Shisui smiled wearily. "When I was alive, I trusted the wrong person and entrusted the clan to Itachi."

"In the end, I brought disaster upon the entire clan. So I had to return from the Pure Land to atone."

"Shisui?"

Looking at Shisui's weary eyes, Sasuke felt those half-understood words spin around in his head. Questions, heartache, and all sorts of emotions surged through him.

He knew how close Itachi and Shisui had been.

Why had his brother, who had accepted Shisui's charge, ended up on this path!?

The things that had happened over the past two days had gradually changed Sasuke.

"That's about all for now. Aunt Mikoto, take good care of the children. Konoha won't let you down."

Shien gave Mikoto a meaningful look.

His words had a double meaning: he was talking about both Sasuke and Naruto.

"I will." Mikoto wasn't a fool. She understood Shien's hint.