Mikoto Uchiha

The air on an early spring morning was refreshingly cool. Along the streets, patches of snow still lingered unmelted, while tender green shoots pushed up through the earth.

It truly looked like a vibrant season, with all things bursting into life.

In his previous life, Naruto Uzumaki had read countless secret manuals such as The Weaknesses of Married Women and The Inner Thoughts of Young Girls. Today, he broke from his usual routine and got up early to busy himself in the kitchen.

When a man was not strong enough, if he wanted to win a woman's heart, he first had to win her stomach.

Cherish her.

Care for her.

Satisfy her.

Ahem... forget that last one.

Then, if she could see you, and thought you did not know she was watching, it was best to express your concern for her.

Words were the cheapest thing, but also the most useful.

"Yugao Mom made dinner for me last night, so today I'll make breakfast to repay her."

Uzuki Yugao had stayed in Naruto's apartment last night. She had said that for the coming period of time, she would be living with Naruto.

Naruto was gambling that she had actually been sent by the Third Hokage to monitor him. Then, because he wanted her to be his mother, the Third Hokage had simply gone with the flow and openly arranged for her to live with him.

And if she was monitoring him, then she definitely had to get up before Naruto and sleep after him.

So...

Uzuki Yugao was probably watching him from some corner right now.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, the system showed how useful it could be.

[Evil Naruto Uzumaki put on an act and got up early to make breakfast for Uzuki Yugao. Uzuki Yugao, who was listening from behind the door, heard Naruto Uzumaki muttering to himself and was deeply moved.]

[Uzuki Yugao crouched on the floor, staring at the ground. She could not help thinking about the last time someone had made breakfast for her. It had probably been more than ten years ago, when her parents were still alive.]

[But now, she was temporarily living with Naruto Uzumaki, who was also an orphan, and had become Naruto Uzumaki's guardian.]

Dumb system, it was rare for you to be useful. You deserved some praise.

After confirming that Uzuki Yugao really was spying on him, Naruto spoke with even more enthusiasm.

"This is the first time I've ever made breakfast for someone. I wonder if Yugao Mom will like it. I hope she won't dislike it."

"If only I could make breakfast for Yugao Mom every day from now on."

"But..."

"She probably won't stay with me forever. After all, I'm just an unwanted kid who gets bullied all the time. She must only be pretending to be with me because of her mission."

As he spoke, Naruto's voice began to tremble slightly, growing more and more aggrieved.

"But even if it's fake, even if it only lasts for a little while, I'm already very satisfied."

[Hehe!]

[The corner of Naruto Uzumaki's mouth curled into an evil smirk. He wondered whether Uzuki Yugao was feeling terribly upset right now.]

[If she was, then this kind mother was really easy to fool.]

All right, all right, just provide the information.

You didn't need to say what I was thinking...

No.

Don't make up nonsense about my life and spread rumors. I never thought that.

[Naruto Uzumaki is still being stubborn!]

Idiot~!

Naruto cursed under his breath, controlled his expression, put on a sweet smile, then carried the sandwich he had just made and hopped down from his chair to look for Uzuki Yugao.

Uzuki Yugao had long been waiting for him by the door. When she saw him running over, she unconsciously smiled as well.

Naruto's words just now had deeply touched Uzuki Yugao. Looking at this sunny, cheerful boy, she felt as though she could see the loneliness and bitterness buried deep within him through those azure eyes.

For some reason, her heart felt sour and sad.

"Good morning, Mom!"

"Mm... g-good morning!"

Uzuki Yugao was still not used to being called that. She was clearly still an unmarried young woman, yet she no longer resisted it.

She simply needed some time to adjust.

"Mom, try the breakfast I made for you." Naruto offered her the sandwich as if presenting a treasure.

Uzuki Yugao took a bite. To be honest, it was not very good, but to avoid discouraging Naruto's enthusiasm, she still nodded and praised him.

"Not bad."

But she immediately added, "You shouldn't make breakfast in the future. Don't you have school? Rest whenever you have time. Leave cooking to me."

What Uzuki Yugao did not know was that Naruto was actually a decent cook.

He had deliberately made it taste average for three reasons.

First, it fit his current identity. What good food could a young orphan who had never received any guidance possibly make?

Second, it would eliminate any chance that Uzuki Yugao might decide to make him cook from now on. Cooking for himself was a last resort; having someone else cook for him was what true enjoyment meant.

Third, it was to test Uzuki Yugao's attitude. Judging from how Uzuki Yugao was acting now, Naruto felt that the system should add an affection meter. He would definitely be able to see her affection for him shooting upward.

"All right, hurry off to school. Leave cleaning up the kitchen to me."

Uzuki Yugao rubbed Naruto Uzumaki's head. She deliberately wanted to send him away.

Naruto's personality was simply too bold. Whenever he wanted something, he would say it directly. She was a little afraid that he would ask her to take him to school.

This child was so well-behaved that it made her heart ache. Uzuki Yugao did not know how to refuse Naruto's requests.

She was worried that on the way to school, Naruto would keep calling her Mom every other word. That would be far too embarrassing.

"Okay, then I'll leave the kitchen to you, Mom."

Naruto said with a grin. He could see Uzuki Yugao's awkwardness, so he immediately waved goodbye to her and headed to the Ninja Academy alone.

Time passed until nine in the morning.

[Ding!]

[Mom Coins +3!]

[Current Mom Coins balance: 3.]

The system's daily reward always arrived on time, although it was a little small.

But it represented the beginning of becoming stronger.

With the Leaf Hurricane he had learned yesterday, Naruto now knew quite a few moves. Even if a Genin came to fight him now, he would not be afraid.

Just a few days ago, he had been a brat who could only rely on ruthlessness in a fight and prepare rocks in advance to ambush people.

His improvement was immediate.

[Where are the mothers? Where are the mothers?]

[Evil Naruto Uzumaki needs more mothers to help him grow stronger. He eagerly began inspecting every person who might become a mother.]

Ignoring the system's rambling, Naruto adjusted his expression and walked into the first-year Class A classroom.

He immediately spotted several familiar faces.

The noisiest group of boys was gathered around Kiba Inuzuka. He was showing off to Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara, the two biggest sticks-in-the-mud, about his training during the break, with his puppy Akamaru beside him.

Neither of the two sticks-in-the-mud paid him any attention.

Then he went to tell Choji Akimichi, who was stuffing himself with chips, only for Choji to turn around and share his chips with Shikamaru Nara.

Kiba Inuzuka, having been ignored, turned away angrily. The moment he saw Naruto, his eyes lit up and he swaggered over.

Unexpectedly, Naruto wanted even less to deal with him and directly turned his gaze toward the noisiest spot among the girls.

Every girl in the class except Hinata was gathered around the window seats in the front row, because a certain asshole named Sasuke Uchiha was sitting there.

[Sasuke Uchiha, eighteen years old this year, fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged. He possesses one of Konoha's top family backgrounds. Because he is the only one left in his clan, he also holds the greatest authority within it and can command the entire clan with a mere thought.]

[Furthermore, his feelings for Naruto Uzumaki run extremely deep. Naruto Uzumaki is the most important person in his heart.]

[Definitely S-rank!]

[Unfortunately, he is male and cannot be Naruto Uzumaki's mother.]

Like I fucking needed you to tell me that.

Who didn't know men couldn't be mothers? Did I tell you to scan him?

Next!

[Ino Yamanaka, eighteen years old this year, fair-skinned, beautiful, and long-legged. She possesses both outstanding looks and a great figure. She is a Jonin of Konoha Shinobi Village and the eldest legitimate daughter of the Yamanaka Clan, one of Konoha's second-tier major clans, as well as the clan's future heir.]

[She is excellent in every aspect, but unfortunately, she is boy-crazy. That counts as a personality flaw, so major points deducted.]

[System assessment: Ino Yamanaka is a suitable B-rank candidate.]

Only B-rank?

Ino's doujins had clearly been so good. In his previous life, Naruto had loved reading ones about Ino and Tsunade the most.

Damn system, it had to be rigged.

Still, there was nothing to deny about her being boy-crazy. Given Naruto's current, somewhat malnourished appearance, obtaining Ino's Mother's Protection would probably be extremely difficult.

After thinking it over, he decided to look at the others first.

[Sakura Haruno, eighteen years old this year, disciple of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin. She is extremely strong, but her figure is a weakness. She has a violent personality and is boy-crazy, so major points deducted.]

[System assessment: Sakura Haruno is a suitable B-rank candidate.]

Mm, there was nothing to argue about there. She was practically identical to Ino.

"Hey, Naruto, were you even listening to me?" By now, Kiba Inuzuka had finished recounting his heroic vacation exploits.

"No." Naruto could not be bothered with him and continued observing.

Somewhat regrettably, aside from Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno, the only A-rank candidate in the entire class was Hinata Hyuga, whom he had already won over.

The instant Hinata met Naruto's gaze, she shyly lowered her head and tightly clutched the hem of her clothes.

Forget it.

You couldn't get fat in one bite. He should take it slowly.

Just as Naruto was about to go over to Hinata and strengthen their bond, Kiba Inuzuka, who had been chattering endlessly beside him, reached out and grabbed Naruto by the shoulder.

"You dead last, what are you acting so smug for? Believe me, I'll beat you up."

"?!"

What, had the Will of Domination possessed you too?

Naruto slapped Kiba Inuzuka's hand away. "Get lost, get lost. I'm not interested in dealing with you."

"???" Hearing that, Kiba Inuzuka immediately became upset. He had been excited all day, yet no one would listen to him.

Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Shino Aburame were one thing—they had always been like that—but what gave Naruto Uzumaki the right to ignore him?

You were just the dead last, yet you were putting on airs.

Did you think you were Sasuke Uchiha?

"You dead last, are you looking to die?!"

Without another word, Kiba Inuzuka swung his fist straight at Naruto's face. Today, he was going to teach this dead last a harsh lesson.

Naruto looked utterly baffled. He genuinely could not understand how he had provoked Kiba Inuzuka.

In the end, he could only blame it all on the Will of Domination!

Noticing the conflict, everyone in the classroom turned to look. Though they did not understand why Kiba Inuzuka and Naruto had suddenly started fighting.

They all instinctively felt that Naruto was finished.

Because, just as Kiba Inuzuka had said, Naruto was the dead last in class, the sort of person who was bad at everything.

Kiba Inuzuka, on the other hand, was a direct descendant of the Inuzuka Clan, one of Konoha's second-tier major clans. He had been trained by his family from childhood and had always ranked near the top of the class in strength.

He had sparred with Naruto several times before, and every time had ended with Naruto quickly losing.

"Hehe, Naruto must be causing trouble again." Sakura Haruno silently cheered Kiba Inuzuka on, hoping he would teach Naruto a good lesson.

After they had enrolled last year, Naruto had bothered her far too many times. She hated him.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata, the Byakugan girl, gripped her pants with both hands and looked at Naruto worriedly.

She bravely stood up, trembling as she wanted to go help Naruto.

Last time, Naruto had taken on three people just to stand up for her.

This time, as his mother...

She absolutely could not watch her child get bullied.

Even if...

She was only his mother in name.

Hinata still remembered Naruto's words: "Crying is the most useless thing. If someone bullies you, remember to throw the first punch before they do."

At the same time, Sasuke Uchiha by the front window also noticed the scene. After softly saying, "Boring," he turned back toward the window.

His older brother Itachi Uchiha and his mother Mikoto Uchiha were outside. His brother and mother had brought him to school together today.

If it were someone else fighting, perhaps it might have been worth watching. But if it was Naruto fighting, it would basically end with Naruto being defeated very quickly.

Rather than waste time on that, he might as well look a little longer at his brother and mother, who would soon be leaving.

However...

His head had not even finished turning.

The next second.

"Leaf Hurricane!!!"

"Bang—!"

With an explosive sound, Naruto kicked Kiba Inuzuka—and dog included—away at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow, sending him crashing stiffly into the wall.

Silence!

In an instant, the classroom fell completely silent.

It was so quiet that everyone could clearly hear each other breathing.

"There is only one reason you failed: you messed with me!"

Though he was malnourished, the Uzumaki Clan's physique was no joke. Combined with the Leaf Hurricane he had drawn yesterday and the chakra control he had drawn before that, which allowed chakra to precisely boost the strength of his legs.

The three combined left Kiba both stunned and brain-rattled.

After saying that.

Naruto did not spare Kiba Inuzuka another glance. He walked straight toward Hinata Hyuga, who had already risen to her feet, and waved in greeting. "Morning."

Hinata was pulled from her shock by Naruto's voice. She looked at the unharmed Naruto, then at Kiba Inuzuka, who lay unconscious in the corner of the classroom after being kicked there.

Akamaru was still howling beside Kiba Inuzuka, trying to wake his master.

"Why aren't you answering me?" Naruto leaned close to Hinata's ear and softly called out, "Mama Hinata~, you wanted to help me just now, right?"

Y-Yes!

Hinata had wanted to answer Naruto, but his warm breath brushed lightly against her ear, causing her mind to shut down. Her face turned red, and she nearly fainted stiffly on the spot.

Naruto-kun...

He!

He's so close to me!

Only then did the rest of the class finally come back to their senses and turn their disbelieving gazes toward Naruto.

Choji Akimichi stopped eating.

Shikamaru Nara rubbed his sleepy eyes several times. "Was that really something Naruto could do?"

Shino Aburame unusually spoke up. "If I'm not mistaken, probably."

Sakura Haruno complained, "Shino, you really have a talent for stating the obvious."

She silently grumbled to herself, wondering what was wrong with Kiba.

Was he not in good condition?!

What a shame. That annoying Naruto had actually escaped being taught a lesson.

"The only reason you failed is because you provoked me!"

That line was kind of cool.

Ino Yamanaka blinked her bright, watery eyes as she looked at Naruto Uzumaki, silently repeating those words to herself.

For once, no one noticed the expression of the cool kid in the front row, Sasuke Uchiha. As he looked at Naruto, unprecedented interest ignited in his eyes.

His most admired brother, Itachi Uchiha, had always been first during his time at the Ninja Academy, so Sasuke had to be first too.

And he had to be first.

But now, someone who could challenge his position as number one had appeared. Sasuke Uchiha had to put that person down.

[However, what the foolish Sasuke Uchiha did not know was that the evil Naruto Uzumaki had defeated Kiba Inuzuka in a single move and said those pretentious words solely to attract Sasuke's attention.]

[Because Naruto Uzumaki had already noticed the woman standing outside the window, chatting with someone.]

[He wanted to use Sasuke Uchiha's competitive spirit to get close to that woman.]

[Mikoto Uchiha, age 35 at death.]

[How should she be described? Perhaps "a natural seductress" would be more fitting. She had perfect curves, a slim waist, long legs, a voluptuous figure, and a gentle temperament like spring sunshine. Her strength was also considerable. She was a Jonin of Konoha Shinobi Village, and her background was first-rate—she was the wife of the clan head of Konoha's foremost clan, the Uchiha Clan.]

[Overall evaluation: A-rank.]

[Sasuke Uchiha, can you... protect Mikoto Uchiha's Mother's Protection and Mom Coins from the evil Naruto Uzumaki?]