Chapter 114: Getting Too Arrogant, Even the Plates Were Stolen
Night had fallen.
Although Konoha was nowhere near as noisy as it had been during the day, it was still brimming with life. Under the bright moonlight, the bustling and prosperous village had settled into a peaceful evening, with lights glowing warmly from nearly every household.
From one kitchen after another came the sounds of chopping vegetables, spatulas clanging against woks, and pressure cookers hissing.
The aroma of food drifted from the kitchens into the living rooms, then out through the windows and spread throughout the village.
Inside the Uchiha clan compound, Uchiha Mikoto gripped the handle of a wok with one hand and wielded a spatula with the other, constantly tossing the vegetables inside.
A moment later, she scooped up a small piece with her spatula and tasted it.
"Hmm. A little bland."
But Itachi's throat had been bothering him lately, so this would do.
Clang!
After turning off the stove, she turned toward the pressure cooker. The rich aroma of meat filled the air, and Mikoto glanced toward the cradle in the living room, a blissful smile appearing on her face.
Today was the third day since Sasuke's birth.
Although a shinobi's body recovered far faster than an ordinary person's, even they could not completely transcend the limits of the human body.
And yet...
Remembering how she had given birth to Sasuke without pain or even a scar, Mikoto couldn't help praising it from the bottom of her heart.
"What incredible medical ninjutsu."
After praising the technique, however, her expression suddenly darkened.
"It's just a shame the person using it isn't very impressive."
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!
The pressure cooker seemed to completely understand Mikoto's feelings. Its anger caused white steam to continuously shoot from the nozzle.
Mikoto quickly turned off the heat, pushed Asuka out of her mind, and continued preparing the next dish.
Her recovery had been astonishingly fast. To celebrate the new life that had entered their family three days ago, Mikoto had decided to prepare an especially lavish dinner tonight.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of chopping continued throughout the kitchen as the hands of the clock slowly moved forward. The previously empty dining table gradually filled with dish after dish.
She had even worried that the food might grow cold and lose its flavor, so she covered each plate with a small basin.
Clang!
The moment the clock struck half past seven, Mikoto wiped the sweat from her forehead, untied her apron, and hung it by the door.
"Phew!"
She let out a soft breath and looked over the table covered with dishes and lids. Satisfied, she nodded.
Now, all that remained was to wait for Itachi and Fugaku to return from training.
"Little Sasuke!"
Mikoto rubbed her cheeks, put on a gentle smile, and walked toward Sasuke, who was lying in his cradle.
So small.
So chubby.
So adorable.
Ten minutes later.
After playing with Sasuke for a while, Mikoto stood up and rubbed her slightly numb thighs before turning toward the dining table.
An empty table.
An empty table.
Uchiha Mikoto stared in disbelief.
She rubbed her eyes and looked again at the completely empty table.
It was cleaner than Sasuke's face.
Her expression slowly changed from confusion to fury.
Her hands clenched into fists, and her body trembled slightly. The anger and resentment in her chest felt as though they were about to explode.
"Just which damn person..."
When Uchiha Itachi returned, he took off his sweat-soaked clothes, tossed them into a basin, and happily ran into the living room.
"Mother."
"Hmm!"
Hearing his mother's icy response, Itachi froze.
Had he done something to upset her?
Probably not... right?
Itachi cautiously glanced at his mother's dark expression before lowering his head again.
"Phew!"
At that moment, Mikoto realized that her attitude might have been a little too harsh.
She rubbed her cheeks, forced a smile onto her face, and pointed toward the food on the table.
"Itachi, come over and eat something. Your throat hasn't been feeling well lately, so have something light."
"Oh~"
Seeing his mother's strained smile, Uchiha Itachi walked over to the table, picked up the bowl of plain rice porridge, and began drinking it in large mouthfuls.
It really was light.
There wasn't even a side dish.
Everyone had their own joys and sorrows.
And every family had its own joys and sorrows.
At this very moment...
Asuka's house was exceptionally lively.
After taking Tsunade back to Shizune's home, he had arranged dinner with the two old men across the street. Then he returned home and crushed the system's reward scroll—[Mother's Grand Feast].
In the blink of an eye, the previously empty dining table was covered with all kinds of dishes, leaving not even a sliver of empty space.
Asuka picked up a bite with his chopsticks and tasted it.
A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
Hmm.
Although the dishes were somewhat light, they were perfect for elderly people. Old people shouldn't eat overly salty food.
Besides...
The flavor was impeccable.
Every dish tasted as though it had been prepared by a master chef.
The system had even thoughtfully prepared several small basins to cover the dishes. Apparently, this was to prevent freshly prepared food from sitting too long and losing its flavor.
Not bad.
The system was surprisingly considerate.
When Ryoichi dragged Uchiha Madara to Asuka's house, he immediately became wary upon seeing the table covered with food.
"Did you make all this yourself? Or did you buy it? Or did you have someone else make it?"
Without hesitation, Asuka replied,
"Of course I made it myself."
Ryoichi became even more suspicious.
"There's no pufferfish in there, right?"
"No."
After receiving a definite answer, Ryoichi picked up a basin and inspected it carefully. There was no pufferfish and no poisonous mushroom either.
Only then did he cautiously take a bite.
After chewing several times, Ryoichi's eyes slowly narrowed.
It tasted surprisingly good.
This didn't look like something someone who normally lived on instant noodles could make.
He looked at Asuka in surprise and gave him a thumbs-up.
"This isn't any worse than what Uchiha Mikoto makes. That's the highest praise this old man can give you."
With that, he pulled out a chair and forced the expressionless Madara into it.
Then Ryoichi sat in the lower-left seat and began lifting the basins covering the dishes one after another.
Luxurious.
This kid had clearly put quite a lot of thought into this.
The moment Asuka sat down, the atmosphere around the dining table instantly became harmonious.
The stiffness in Uchiha Madara's expression gradually softened.
As Uchiha Ryoichi ate, he chatted excitedly about all sorts of clan gossip. When he became particularly animated, he even stood up and raised his wine cup toward Madara.
Madara naturally raised his own cup in response, clinking it against Ryoichi's in midair.
Outside on the street.
Several Uchiha clan members happened to pass by Asuka's house.
Hearing laughter coming from inside, they couldn't help peeking through the doorway.
At this moment, the dining table was covered with carefully prepared delicacies. The aroma of food drifted through the half-open door and into the street.
An old man sat at the head of the table.
Elder Ryoichi occupied the second seat.
Jonin Asuka sat opposite Ryoichi.
The atmosphere between the three was exceptionally harmonious. Laughter occasionally rang out, while the old man would sometimes sigh, lamenting that the younger generation still hadn't settled down and started families.
It looked like an ordinary family dinner, yet it was filled with warmth and a strong sense of familial affection.
The clan members on the street took one look, shrugged, and continued walking.
"I haven't seen Elder Ryoichi laugh so happily in a long time."
"There's nothing he can do. His sons only eat with him during New Year and the holidays. It's not like his grandson, Asuka, whom he can see every day the moment he opens his eyes."
"By the way, where are we supposed to catch the thief?"
"I don't know. That brazen bastard actually broke into the Uchiha compound and even sneaked into the clan head's house. Clearly, they have absolutely no respect for us."
"Exactly. I heard they stole everything right in front of Lady Mikoto and didn't even leave her a single plate. They're practically bullying Lady Mikoto."
"I heard they even stole the little basins covering the dishes. That's unbelievably brazen."
"Kill them and destroy their spirits! Kill them and destroy their spirits!"
After dinner.
Uchiha Madara leaned back against his chair.
As the effect of the reward gradually faded, the kind smile on his face slowly disappeared as well.
That had truly been a comfortable dinner.
How many years had it been?
How many years?
His gaze fell upon the old key hanging on Asuka's wall.
Suddenly, a flash of realization passed through Madara's mind.
He remembered what that key was for.
"Asuka."
Asuka had both hands resting on his stomach as he relaxed after the meal when he suddenly heard Madara call his name.
Surprised, he looked over and asked,
"Digestive tablets?"
"No."
Uchiha Madara shook his head and pointed toward the key hanging on the wall.
"Where did you find that?"
Following Madara's finger, Asuka looked at the key hanging on the wall.
Understanding dawned on his face.
That was the reward the system had given him after he earned Kakashi's recognition.
In any case, from the moment he obtained the key until now, he had never managed to find the "mysterious box containing the secrets of the Uchiha clan" mentioned by the system.
So he'd simply hung the key on the wall.
Of course, he couldn't possibly tell Madara that the key had come from the system.
With that thought, Asuka rested both hands on his stomach, looking completely stuffed from dinner.
"That was left behind by my grandfather. Apparently, it can open a 'mysterious box containing the secrets of the Uchiha clan.' The box is supposed to contain forbidden techniques capable of increasing one's strength, but I haven't found where the box is."
"So it was in Tsurugi's hands back then?"
Madara muttered to himself for a while before standing up and walking over to the key.
His aged fingers continuously rubbed the rust covering its surface as his hoarse voice sounded.
"Old man, I'll help you find that box. If there are forbidden techniques inside, they're all yours."
"Then I'll leave it to you. I couldn't find the box myself."
Asuka leaned back in his chair and replied indifferently.
He suspected that the box might already be in the system's possession, but that it simply hadn't been issued as a reward yet.
Madara probably wouldn't be able to find the thing either.