A Jealousy Showdown?

Dusk was like a pair of translucent black stockings, wrapping all of Konoha in a gray haze.

The memorial portion of the Uchiha Clan's collective funeral ended in the evening, and people left in a slight hurry.

Mikoto Uchiha was among them.

She had wanted to leave around noon. She said she wanted to take Naruto home and make him breakfast.

But Naruto felt that would not be right, so he persuaded her to stay. It was not until evening that Mikoto Uchiha finally left, holding Naruto's hand.

Mikoto Uchiha acted like an outsider.

Although she was the clan head's wife, she was also the mother of Itachi Uchiha, one of the instigators behind this massacre. The pressure on her was enormous.

"Naruto, go take a bath first. You're filthy. We'll eat after you're done."

"Okay!"

Naruto nodded obediently. "I'm the best-behaved."

They entered the apartment and shut the door, cutting off the noise outside.

Mikoto Uchiha turned on the lights, bent down, and took off her shoes, revealing soft pink feet damp with a light sheen of sweat from exhaustion.

Then she took off her skirt and top as well, carrying them into the bathroom.

Naruto followed behind Mikoto Uchiha, his gaze sweeping over her from behind...

Gulp!

At that moment, Naruto understood why Chōji liked wearing underwear on his head.

He wanted to wear it too.

It probably smelled really nice!

"Naruto, hurry and come in. I'll scrub your back!"

"Okay!"

Naruto quickly followed her.

As soon as he entered the bathroom, Mikoto Uchiha held him and placed him in the bathtub.

She did not scrub his back right away.

Mikoto Uchiha lay in the hot water, pressed Naruto's head to her chest, then closed her eyes and stroked his head as though she were petting a puppy.

Naruto did not move around. He knew how close Mikoto Uchiha was to breaking down right now, so he rubbed against her generous embrace, doing his best to give her a sense of security.

Over this period of time, the blows Mikoto Uchiha had suffered from her family had undoubtedly been immense.

First, her younger son had lost himself to Naruto.

Then came the letter from her husband telling her to return home. If Naruto had not stopped her, she likely would have died alongside her husband beneath her eldest son's blade.

Fugaku Uchiha must have known something. Otherwise, he never would have called her home on that particular day. He had deliberately wanted her to die with him.

Mikoto Uchiha took a deep breath.

What she could not understand most was why her eldest son, Itachi Uchiha, had chosen to attack his parents and the Uchiha Clan.

Just because Shimura Danzō had said one thing?

He was so smart. Could he really not understand that the discord between the Uchiha and Konoha had never been caused by the Uchiha, but by Danzo?

Danzo had driven the Uchiha to the edge of Konoha. Danzo had suppressed and ostracized them, allowing their resentment to grow. Why could the person he attacked not be Danzo, but had to be the Uchiha...

Mikoto Uchiha could not understand it.

She was in pain.

At that moment, she felt Naruto in her arms acting up again. She opened her eyes and smiled faintly.

Fortunately, Naruto was here.

Whether it was his protection of her that day, his fabricated lie to deceive everyone just so he could help her take revenge, or the little everyday warmth of their ordinary life together.

Naruto had become a ray of light that saved Mikoto Uchiha.

Her gaze at Naruto was exceptionally gentle, and she was not angry in the slightest at his mischief.

"What, are you hungry?"

"Mhm."

Naruto nodded and grinned.

Mikoto Uchiha raised a hand and gently poked his forehead. "If you want some, then eat. But this won't fill you up. I'll make you noodles later."

"Mhm!"

Naruto greedily drank several large mouthfuls.

After a while.

After leaving the bathroom, Mikoto Uchiha made Naruto a bowl of tomato and egg noodles in the kitchen.

They tasted wonderful.

With Mikoto Uchiha sitting directly across from him in light clothing, she looked especially appetizing. Before long, he had slurped down the entire large bowl of noodles.

As he wiped his mouth, Naruto took the initiative to ask, "Should we bring Sasuke over to live with us?"

[Would evil Naruto Uzumaki really be that kindhearted?]

[He was merely asking a question whose answer he already knew, while showing off his kindness to win Mikoto Uchiha's favor, hehehe!]

System, your laugh really is awful.

Naruto no longer wanted to argue with it. He simply found something else to snap back at.

At the same time, because of his long-running disputes with the system, he could now keep his inner thoughts separate from his outward appearance.

While he argued inwardly, he still appeared before Mikoto Uchiha as that sunny, warm-hearted boy.

"Do you want him to come live with us?" Mikoto Uchiha sat down on the sofa and pulled Naruto up with her, letting him rest his head on her lap.

Feeling the soft, tender flesh of her thighs against his cheek, Naruto said happily, "As long as you're happy, I want it too."

"Pfft~!"

What a silly child.

He clearly did not want that, yet for her sake, he insisted that he did.

Mikoto Uchiha stroked Naruto's hair and shook her head. "Forget it. Sasuke should stay at the Uchiha Compound. He is the clan head's son. He has his own responsibilities."

Although she would not completely abandon Sasuke, Mikoto Uchiha felt that Sasuke needed to grow up.

Click!

The faint sound of a door opening rang out as Uzuki Yugao entered, carrying ingredients for the next few days.

She glanced at Naruto and Mikoto Uchiha's cozy scene. Still wearing a cold expression, she did not say a word and silently put the ingredients into the refrigerator.

Then she went into the bathroom and took a bath.

When she came out, she had changed into a cool white camisole and summer shorts.

Her long, straight legs padded over in slippers toward Mikoto Uchiha, and then she snatched Naruto away from Mikoto Uchiha's lap.

That's right...

She snatched him.

Mikoto Uchiha was slightly stunned, but then Uzuki Yugao said, "According to our arrangement of taking care of him one day each, it's my turn to look after Naruto today."

Mikoto Uchiha smiled awkwardly. "All right. I wasn't trying to take him from you."

"Mhm." Uzuki Yugao still answered coldly.

What was wrong with her? She usually did not talk much, but she was not this cold!

A jealousy showdown?

But the two mothers had been living together for so long. How could there be a jealousy showdown? Were they not both simply doing what was best for the child?

What Mikoto Uchiha could not understand, Naruto figured out after thinking about it for a moment.

So, when Uzuki Yugao carried him into the room and lay down with him on the single bed, Naruto gently poked her shoulder and asked nervously:

"Yugao Mom, are you angry because I tricked you with a Shadow Clone and went alone to the Uchiha Clan's compound to take a risk?"

Sure enough, upon hearing that, Uzuki Yugao's emotions surged forth.

"Naruto Uzumaki, are you very pleased with yourself?!"

PS: To all you handsome, dashing, suave, and charming readers, this little author is begging for every kind of vote. Please!

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