"Satoru, what are you doing in here?"
Uchiha Mikoto's face darkened, and the flames behind her practically took physical form.
"Huh?"
"Haha, nothing."
Gojo Satoru guiltily rubbed his nose.
"What's that in your hand?"
Mikoto's eyes were like knives, fixed on the piece of cake in his hand.
"I told you not to sneak any!"
Her temper flared.
"Hehe, I was just looking."
The white hair on top of Gojo Satoru's head stood on end.
"I was testing the flavor for him, making sure it was right."
"A birthday's a big deal. We can't settle for second best!"
His excuses flowed so smoothly that he almost believed them himself.
Watching him spout nonsense with such a straight face, Mikoto wanted to laugh.
But she didn't let it show, keeping her expression stern.
"Fine. You said it yourself: we can't settle for second best. Then you can make three cakes yourself to celebrate his birthday."
"It's still early. By the time they get home, you should have everything ready."
Mikoto gave him a look that left no room for negotiation.
Then she took the cake from Gojo Satoru's hand and set it on a scroll.
Without pausing, she layered on several Sealing Jutsu, then stuffed the scroll into the refrigerator.
Tsk, wasn't that an A-Rank Scroll?
A perfectly respectable A-Rank Scroll, reduced to playing bodyguard for a piece of cake.
Gojo Satoru suddenly spoke up.
"Mom, why did you put the scroll in the fridge too?"
Mikoto replied unhurriedly, "To give you something to look forward to."
"If you can undo the seals, go ahead and eat it."
Try all you like.
Gojo Satoru stared at his mother's gentle smile, and his heart sank.
That was ruthless.
He cast one last longing glance at the refrigerator before reluctantly shuffling out of the kitchen.
"Hey, Sasuke."
Gojo Satoru approached him with boundless enthusiasm.
"Big brother?"
"What do you want?"
The sight of Gojo Satoru's sunflower-bright smile sent a chill down Sasuke's spine.
Why was he being so weird today?
"Treating your second-oldest brother like that? You've shattered my heart."
Gojo Satoru made a show of wiping away a tear.
"Uh, I didn't mean it like that."
Sasuke had been taken in again.
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
"I just wanted to ask if you'd help me make a cake for our eldest brother."
"It is his birthday today, after all..."
"But if you don't want to, forget it."
Gojo Satoru turned his head slightly aside, barely able to hide his smug grin.
"It's not that I don't want to. Making a cake, right? I'd be happy to."
Sasuke suddenly froze, his eyes full of confusion.
His head was little, but the question mark over it was huge.
What was even happening?
All I did was answer him. How did it turn into this?
I didn't say anything out of line, did I?
Gojo Satoru pressed his lips together hard to keep his laughter from spilling out.
He put on a convincing act. "Great. Let's get started, then."
For all his wariness, the kid still walked right into the trap.
How was he going to survive in the Shinobi World if he was this easy to fool?
Let your second-oldest brother give you some practice.
Then if you run into Orochimaru someday, at least he won't whisk you away with a few smooth words.
Who knew when you'd finally understand all the trouble I was taking for your sake?
Gojo Satoru secretly heaved a thoroughly theatrical sigh.
"Big brother, do you know how to make a cake?"
Sasuke eyed him suspiciously.
"Uh, I know how to eat one."
Gojo Satoru thought it over, then answered with complete seriousness.
That counted too, right?
"You don't know how to make one, and you still dragged me into this?"
The look in Sasuke's eyes made his disbelief plain.
"Well, don't I..." Have you!
Gojo Satoru hurriedly swallowed the second half and rephrased his answer.
"Well, it's the thought that counts. That's what matters most."
Sasuke paused again, somehow convinced by that excuse.
He did have a point.
"How about this? I'll make one first, and you watch."
He grabbed the utensils and got ready to work.
Before long, a fragrant cake came out of the oven.
"Did you get all that, big brother?"
Sasuke turned to ask him.
Huh, who would've thought Uchiha Sasuke knew his way around cakes too?
"Something this easy? Of course. No problem."
Gojo Satoru thumped his chest loudly.
He wasn't bluffing, either. He got to work, and soon finished a cake that looked much like the one in the refrigerator.
"Well? Pretty slick, right?"
Gojo Satoru raised his eyebrows at Sasuke.
"Uh, slick, sure, but..."
Something still felt off.
What exactly had his brother put in there just now?
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