[V2] - Chapter 75. Calling Uncle
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"Come, come, come! Second Nephew! Eat more!"
"No need, Uncle Yuto, I can serve myself!"
"So many days without seeing you! Look at you—how much weight have you lost? Has your Dad not been feeding you? Later I'll have someone bring you something tasty!"
"…Uncle Yuto, didn't we meet the day before yesterday?"
"What did you call me?"
"Uncle Yuto?"
"Louder!"
"Uncle… Yuto?"
"That's more like it. I am your uncle~ Of course I care about you! The day before yesterday was already a long time ago—it's almost been three days. I've really missed you!" Yuto sighed emotionally, patted Sasuke on the shoulder, and smiled with satisfaction. "Look at you, all grown up! I believe you'll become a pillar of the Uchiha clan in the future!"
"…"
Uchiha Sasuke blinked and looked strangely at Uncle Yuto beside him.
Today, Uncle Yuto...
He was being unusually enthusiastic!
What's going on?
"Um, Uncle Yuto…"
"No need to ask!" Yuto smiled and nodded. "After all, I'm your uncle! Come on, come on! Eat more food!"
As he said this—
He casually served some food to the other Sasuke with a dark expression, sighing emotionally, "Eat more! Eat more! Why aren't you eating? If you don't eat today, you probably won't get the chance again in a few days!"
"…"
I'm not eating—don't you know why?
Uncle to the left, uncle to the right—if I'd known, I wouldn't have come at all!
Big Sasuke looked at the enthusiastic Uchiha Yuto with a face full of black lines. "Get lost!!!"
If it weren't for the fact that he probably couldn't beat this guy, he'd have already tried to kill him!
Can't he just let him finish this meal in peace?
At that moment—
Fugaku, off to the side, was also full of black lines, looking at his foolish little brother, and said irritably, "Eat your food properly!"
"Okay!" Hearing Fugaku's words, Yuto didn't tease Big Sasuke anymore and instead looked happily at Little Sasuke. "The Chuunin Exams are coming up soon, right? Do your best! Don't embarrass your uncle and your father!"
When the words fell—
Sasuke put down his bowl and nodded seriously. "Yes, Uncle!"
"…"
Aside from those who didn't know the situation, everyone else looked at Yuto with speechless expressions.
Couldn't they see—
Big Sasuke was about to draw his sword and cut someone down?
Of course—
After that, Yuto really didn't say anything else and just cheerfully continued eating. After all… this was probably Big Sasuke's last meal here? That's about it!
Thinking about it—before he even graduated from the Ninja Academy, he became an orphan. In a huge clan, he was the only one left. At such a young age, he had to cook for himself, clean up after himself.
Later, he even defected from the village, living a wandering, difficult life. Even after the Fourth Ninja World War, he never returned to the village, always roaming the outside world, investigating the secrets of the Otsutsuki clan.
It wasn't easy for him.
Just teasing a little is enough.
Don't go too far.
And once Yuto quieted down, Uchiha Sasuke's meal also became especially calm and warm.
Even though he had already been here once before, the taste of his mother's cooking, along with the family gathered together to eat (aside from that annoying guy), still made his eyes involuntarily turn red.
As he kept eating—
He said nothing more, just kept his head down and ate silently.
Seeing this, Uchiha Mikoto was slightly stunned. In her heart, she felt this guest Yuto brought was very warm and familiar—but she couldn't quite say why it was like this.
Just watching him eat—
It felt like her own heart gradually calmed down too.
As for Little Sasuke… he looked surprised at the guest Uncle Yuto brought, who was just burying his head and eating like crazy. His eyes also involuntarily showed a hint of sympathy.
[Is this what the internet calls someone from a poor village?]
He probably hasn't eaten in a long time.
He hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and asked Uncle Yuto, "Uncle Yuto, he…"
"Sigh~ Don't worry about it. This kid's been without parents since he was little. He's been wandering all over, never had a proper full meal in his life!" Uncle Yuto sighed and shook his head, looking at Sasuke. "Not like you, kid! Living in luxury, with both your parents here, an older brother, and me—your uncle—caring about you! So you need to cherish it, Sasuke!"
As the words fell—
"So pitiful!" The sympathy in Sasuke's eyes deepened, and he nodded, sharing quite a bit of food with him while softly saying, "Eat slowly! Eat slowly! Mom prepared a lot of food! Don't be nervous!" Then he paused slightly. "If you don't have anything to eat in the future, you can come find me! I'll treat you to Ichiraku Ramen!"
"…Get lost!" Big Sasuke's eyelid twitched. He raised his head and glared at this Sasuke from the Ninja World beside him.
This guy—
He really wanted to smack him!
But that annoying guy wasn't wrong either. Looking at the "himself" in front of him, who still had a dad, mom, and Onii-chan even after graduating from the Ninja Academy, his gaze suddenly became complicated. "What a lucky guy!"
"???"
Why does this guy's gaze feel so strange?
"Probably he is just shy! Eat, eat!" Yuto laughed and played it off. "Sasuke! Listen to your uncle! Don't mind him! Let's just eat on our own!"
"Okay, Uncle!"
"…"
Big Sasuke speechlessly looked at Yuto, who was taking advantage of him again.
This guy!
So annoying!
Very soon—
Everyone had finished eating, but Yuto didn't immediately take Big Sasuke back. He sat in the living room, sipping hot tea to digest it.
As for Asuka and Yumi… they'd already been taken out to catch butterflies by their Itachi-Onii-chan and Sasuke-Onii-chan.
And Suzune and the others had gathered with Sister Mikoto, not in the living room area.
After a few grown men sat quietly drinking tea for a while, Fugaku put down his teacup expressionlessly, looked at the Big Sasuke in front of him, and said flatly, "Heading back?"
As those words landed—
Sasuke was slightly stunned, then nodded. "Yes. The Ninja World over there still needs me."
"Mm." Fugaku also calmly nodded and took a couple more sips of hot tea. "Be careful."
"I will."
"If there's a way… come back whenever you want."
"Mm! Th-thank you!"
Sasuke looked up in surprise at Uchiha Fugaku, who would actually say something like that.
However—
At that moment—
When he saw the father in front of him suddenly reveal a gentle smile, he froze completely!
Even Yuto was stunned.
After all, after so many years, he had never seen Fugaku smile!
And now—
Uchiha Fugaku in front of him truly showed a smile on his face, and softly said, "Live your life well. As a father… I believe the Fugaku and Mikoto over there will definitely bless you too! Seeing that you've become a father yourself—they'll be very happy."
As the words fell—
Sasuke stared blankly at the father in front of him, as if he were seeing that stern, always cold-faced father from the past, now suddenly looking at him with comfort and pride, seeing that he'd grown up.
His lips trembled slightly, and he murmured, "Dad…"
Then he came back to his senses, looking at the Fugaku in front of him who had returned to his calm state, as if nothing had just happened, silently sipping tea with a blank expression.
He smiled and nodded. "I will."
After that—
The father and son said no more. One cup after another… they just quietly drank tea like that and Yuto yawned out of boredom but didn't disturb them.
Time passed little by little.
Soon—
It was getting late. It was time to go back!