A family should all be together!

"That's only your guess."

After several minutes of thought, Uchiha Fugaku regained his composure. He looked at Uchiha Hui with pride and offered a somewhat stiff smile. "Hui, you really have grown a lot, but you can't view the village through prejudice alone. Perhaps you could try looking at things from another angle?"

Uchiha Hui could barely resist sneering.

Prejudice?

Come on, big brother, don't be like that. This isn't prejudice. I've got the 'Heavenly Eye'—I know the plot!

Look at things from another angle?

I'm not the Hokage. Do I have to learn 'Hokage thinking' too?

One Uchiha with 'Hokage thinking' is plenty. With too many 'talents' like that, I'm afraid the clan massacre might come early.

"Perhaps."

Uchiha Hui did not continue arguing. He had no desire to say much more to his older brother, who was still clinging to his illusions. Perhaps some things could only truly be understood after experiencing them firsthand.

"What are you two brothers talking about?"

Uchiha Mikoto's voice rang out. They turned to see her entering with a plate in her hands.

"We were just talking about our childhood."

Uchiha Fugaku smiled faintly. Only in front of a select few did he let his stern expression soften. "Back then, Hui was much like Itachi is now. He liked dressing up as that man when he played ninja... Even now, I can still picture it so clearly!"

"Really?! I never imagined Hui was so much fun as a child."

Uchiha Mikoto certainly knew how to play along. She set the plate on the table, then covered her mouth and laughed, glancing at Uchiha Hui beside them.

Uchiha Hui gave a stiff smile.

He had inherited none of those memories, but judging by how convincingly Uchiha Fugaku told the story, it probably was not made up. It was much like children in his original world pretending to "transform into Ultraman," except the Uchiha replaced "Ultraman" with "that man."

As for who "that man" was...

Within the Uchiha Clan, there was probably no one besides Madara Uchiha whose very name was so taboo.

"Itachi! Dinner's ready! Stop playing with Sasuke and let him rest!"

After the three chatted a little longer, Uchiha Mikoto brought a few more dishes out of the kitchen, then called to Uchiha Itachi in the backyard.

Soon enough.

Uchiha Itachi came over carrying Sasuke.

Uchiha Mikoto took the baby from him and put him back in his crib.

Dinner was lavish.

Along with fresh sashimi, there were assorted tempura and, of course, all kinds of rice balls. There was even a dish resembling Mapo Tofu.

Uchiha Hui thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

Integrating Shikotsumyaku earlier had drained him considerably. Although he had eaten quite a lot afterward, it had all been convenience food, which hardly sounded healthy. Faced with a table full of dishes, he immediately began digging in.

His astonishing appetite amazed everyone present.

"Hui..."

Uchiha Mikoto could not help calling his name.

Uchiha Hui took a sip of oolong tea to cut through the richness, then looked over with a puzzled expression.

"If you're hungry in the future, you can come home anytime."

The poised young wife spoke to Uchiha Hui in a gentle tone.

At those words.

Even Uchiha Hui froze for a moment.

Was she...

Treating me like a beggar?!

Hang on, come on. I just thought it would be a waste not to eat all this food you made. Why are you getting all 'high and mighty' about it?

I'm a full-fledged Chunin.

You think I can't afford food?!

Uchiha Hui wanted to protest, but suddenly hesitated. His current income was meager. Aside from his fixed pay as a member of the Konoha Military Police Force, he only took occasional minor missions. Because of the Uchiha's peculiar circumstances, they could not even be deployed to the battlefield in large numbers, let alone leave the village on solo escort missions...

During the several major wars before this, very few ninja from the Uchiha Clan had been sent to the battlefield. The village claimed it was to protect the Sharingan, but only those responsible knew the real reason. Perhaps it was military credit, perhaps prestige...

And so.

After some quick consideration.

Uchiha Hui realized one thing: he really was poor. Although he was considerably better off than ordinary civilians, he was certainly not wealthy. And now his appetite had grown severalfold, his body had become a bottomless pit that needed vast amounts of energy to fill it.

After taking another bite of tempura that seemed to be made from an octopus tentacle, Uchiha Hui nodded in response to his sister-in-law:

"Okay!"

His response left Uchiha Itachi, who had been quietly eating beside him, looking somewhat shocked.

Guys, does anyone get what I'm going through?!

Some strange guy showed up at our house. He doesn't seem very easy to get along with, and he eats so much...

Perhaps because they had shared a meal, Uchiha Itachi's opinion of Uchiha Hui shifted somewhat. He was no longer as "hostile" as he had been at first, and genuinely began to regard him as his "uncle."

Once he started thinking that way.

Uchiha Itachi noticed a certain "magic" about Uchiha Hui, as though he possessed a "ninja presence" that somehow did not belong to a ninja.

Uchiha Fugaku was pleased with the atmosphere. As the head of the household, however, he said nothing. He merely nudged the plates closer to Uchiha Hui, then leisurely continued eating from his bowl.

A good while later.

Dinner came to an end.

Uchiha Mikoto found a moment to nurse Sasuke, then handed him off to Uchiha Itachi, who had been watching her eagerly. She began clearing the table and attending to her chores as a housewife.

As for the other two.

"Hui! Come with me!"

Uchiha Fugaku was certain the changes in Uchiha Hui were for the better. Although his thinking remained stubborn, the improvement was enough to please him. After dinner, he motioned for his younger brother to follow.

Uchiha Hui, who had been planning to head home, was somewhat reluctant.

But he did not refuse.

At this stage, maintaining a good relationship with Uchiha Fugaku was the foundation of his preparations to "escape." After all, with someone taller standing above him to take the brunt, no one would notice an insignificant blade of grass like him.

The two strolled into the small grove behind the courtyard.

It was very quiet, and a small training ground had been specially cleared there. It seemed Uchiha Itachi, or perhaps Uchiha Fugaku, regularly did some basic practice here. A few kunai were still embedded in the targets.

"Hui! It looks like you've gotten stronger?"

Uchiha Fugaku addressed Uchiha Hui.

Although phrased as a question, his tone carried certainty. Anyone else would never have noticed so easily, but as Hui's older brother, he had always kept an eye on changes in his strength.

Uchiha Hui's expression remained unchanged.

The changes in his body were indeed hard to overlook. Even the loose jacket he had changed into could not conceal some of them.

Shikotsumyaku had given his physique a tremendous boost!