What Delicious Grilled Fish... Why Aren't You Eating!?

When the two brothers, Sasuke and Itachi, returned home, Fugaku Uchiha was already standing at the entrance, waiting for them.

With his hands behind his back, he stared sternly at the two brothers.

From the look of it, he had been waiting for quite some time.

Sasuke slowly woke on Itachi's back. Seeing the stern expression on his father's face, he shrank back again.

He was not worried about being scolded for fighting with that guy. He was afraid his father would reprimand him for losing to some nobody...

The pain on his face constantly reminded Sasuke that he had gotten thoroughly beaten up today.

If Father found out...

He would definitely be terribly disappointed in him, right?

"Hmph! So you still know to come home!"

Fugaku coldly looked at Sasuke, who was pretending to sleep, and spoke irritably.

The Third Hokage had already told him what had happened.

He was not surprised that Sasuke had lost to the village's Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki.

Nor would he get angry over it.

But the key was...

The Uchiha Clan's relationship with the village was already so tense. At a time like this, rashly approaching the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki...

Even if it had been unintentional, the Third Hokage would likely overthink it.

When the Third Hokage had sent someone to inform him today, he had heard the warning in it.

Seeing his father's expression, Itachi turned to look at Sasuke on his back, smiled, then said to Fugaku.

"Father, Sasuke awakened his Sharingan."

"Hmph!"

Upon hearing that, Fugaku Uchiha still gave a cold snort, but his expression eased considerably.

It was just that his eldest son worried him even more.

This child had no idea what that action meant.

"F-Father."

"I didn't lose! That guy used some really strange technique and suddenly appeared behind me..."

"Otherwise, I..."

"It was Space-Time Ninjutsu."

Itachi promptly added, as though he were saying that Sasuke could not be blamed for today's defeat.

When he had gone to find Sasuke earlier, he had already seen the two form the Confrontation Seal.

At first, when he saw the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki conjure a door out of thin air, he guessed that the child possessed a Kekkei Genkai related to the Summoning Technique, or perhaps... a Space-Time Kekkei Genkai.

It was not until the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki activated the Purple Light Cocoon and vanished from the spot that he became certain the child likely possessed a Space-Time Kekkei Genkai.

The moment Fugaku heard the words Space-Time Ninjutsu, he fell into deep thought.

The Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki could use Space-Time Ninjutsu!?

How old was he!?

He had only just begun refining Chakra, hadn't he??

Could these two children be fooling him?!

Even as he was deeply shocked, he immediately thought of the Fourth Hokage, who had attained profound mastery in Space-Time Ninjutsu. Thinking it over, it did not seem that far-fetched after all.

Perhaps, as the Fourth Hokage's son, he had awakened some kind of Space-Time Kekkei Genkai.

Listening to his brother, Sasuke was utterly bewildered.

What Space-Time Ninjutsu??

He had never even heard of it...

Damn it!

Why was that guy so strong!

Sasuke touched his face with one hand. Thinking of the Sharingan he had just awakened, he felt a little smug.

Just wait!

I'll use these eyes to defeat that guy!

"Itachi, come with me."

"Sasuke, go kneel in the living room for an hour. No eating until the time is up!"

After giving the two brothers their orders, Fugaku left with Itachi.

Sasuke glanced at his brother, then dejectedly walked into the living room, endlessly replaying the earlier battle in his mind.

Now that he thought about it, he had merely been careless...

That guy's taijutsu was terrible, and he was full of openings. If he got another chance, he would definitely pin him to the ground and beat him up!

Crackle—

By the river, the burning wood kept crackling.

An old man and a child sat around a campfire.

"Grandpa, it's ready."

Sitting on a rock, Naruto handed a charred grilled fish to the Third Hokage.

He was genuinely helpless.

The old man insisted that he had not seen Naruto in a long time and stubbornly stayed by the river to eat Naruto's grilled fish.

They had clearly met just last week!

So Naruto had simply grilled the fish until it was blackened.

Come on!

Let's hurt each other!

The Third Hokage's mouth twitched. Looking at the burnt fish, he could not help swallowing.

He looked from side to side at the blackened thing in Naruto's hand, deeply suspicious of whether it was even edible.

Then he looked at Naruto, whose face was covered in soot as he ate with relish, and the Third Hokage suddenly fell silent.

"Grandpa, aren't you eating?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to try my cooking?"

"What delicious grilled fish! Grandpa, why aren't you eating?"

Naruto looked at the Third Hokage expectantly, as though refusing to eat would wound the tender heart of a six-year-old child.

"Cough, cough..."

"Um, Naruto, I just remembered that I have something to do."

"I need to head back first."

The Third Hokage abruptly stood, hands behind his back. The speed at which he walked was nothing like that of an old man nearing seventy.

He was practically faster than an eighteen-year-old running.

The Third Hokage was truly worried that eating the grilled fish would give him an upset stomach.

This child was really abusing his constitution!

After watching the Third Hokage leave, Naruto tossed away the grilled fish in his hand.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

"He's finally gone."

Otherwise, if the Third Hokage had stayed any longer, Naruto would have had to force himself to eat that burnt fish. There was still a fox in his belly waiting to be fed.

Naruto took out the Magic Dragon Meat and tossed it onto the grill.

He brushed it with oil as he sprinkled on seasonings.

There was no trace at all of the clumsy appearance he had shown while grilling fish earlier.