Seated on the sofa, Naruto tried hard not to burst out laughing as he watched Sasuke squirm in embarrassment.
All he had done was repeat something Sasuke once said, and it had nearly made Sasuke bury his face in the cushions. This was far more entertaining than beating him in a sparring match.
The truth was, their strength difference was still too large—sparring with Sasuke was basically one-sided domination.
For Sasuke to catch up anytime soon, he'd need to awaken the Three Tomoe Sharingan and train under one of the Sannin, like Orochimaru.
Sitting with a cold, withdrawn expression, Sasuke was now regretting inviting Naruto over. Still, deep down he hoped his brother Itachi would return soon—so he could introduce Naruto to him.
From the kitchen, Mikoto Uchiha glanced at the two boys in the living room and smiled.
"Kids really are full of energy," she thought, while figuring out how much food to prepare.
As Kushina's close friend, she knew what she liked—but she wasn't sure about Kushina's son. Should she ask Naruto directly? Or just prepare dishes based on what Kushina and Minato used to enjoy? She couldn't decide.
Meanwhile, Fugaku, hiding in the study next door, was wrestling with his own conflict.
He hadn't expected the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki to actually accept Sasuke's invitation.
The moment he saw Naruto, countless thoughts rushed through his mind—like forming an alliance with other Uchiha jōnin to seize control of the jinchūriki and use the Nine-Tails' power to pressure the village leaders into granting the Police Force a seat among Konoha's top brass.
But then he reconsidered—it might all be a trap set by the Third Hokage. Letting Naruto enter the Uchiha compound could be bait, tempting the clan to make a move, only for the Hokage to use it against them. He could then unite the other clans to suppress the Uchiha and force more concessions from the Police Force.
In the worst-case scenario, ANBU and Root operatives might already be gathered outside the compound—just waiting for the order to strike.
Suddenly, Fugaku heard movement—someone climbing over the wall.
He instantly teleported to a spot behind the garden rock feature and spotted several radical Uchiha shinobi.
They greeted him eagerly,
"Captain Fugaku! Have you finally decided to act against the village?"
Fugaku frowned. "Why are you here? This is not the time to confront the village leadership. Go back before you get in the way."
"But you brought the jinchūriki into our territory—if that's not a declaration of rebellion, what is?"
The radicals looked genuinely confused.
Fugaku's expression turned slightly exasperated. "Sasuke and the jinchūriki became friends at school. This visit is just a personal invitation—nothing more. If I had a plan, I would've informed you in advance."
The radicals were left speechless. They'd gotten their hopes up, thinking a real action was finally underway—only to be disappointed yet again.
One of them then remembered something and said,
"Captain Fugaku, one of our hot-headed guys already went to confront the jinchūriki. He's not going to do anything reckless, is he?"
"Leave—now. I'll handle it!"
Fugaku's face darkened. He activated the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared instantly.
Back in the living room, Naruto was idly looking around. After examining the furniture and decorations, his gaze wandered to the rock garden outside—where his eyes met a pair of single tomoe Sharingan.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"
Naruto now had a real sense of what it felt like to be caught in a Sharingan illusion.
His chakra and five senses were thrown into mild disarray. But honestly, it felt more like a gentle breeze brushing against his face—barely noticeable.
So this is the power of a single tomoe Sharingan?
The Uchiha couldn't even wait? They were already trying to control him, hoping to challenge the Third Hokage?
But rather than fear, Naruto felt a growing curiosity.
Just as he was about to fully experience the genjutsu, the Nine-Tails within his seal took action—unleashing a surge of malice through Naruto's chakra. The flood of negative emotions struck the attacking Uchiha like a tidal wave.
The result: the attacker collapsed instantly.
Inside the seal, the Nine-Tails chuckled smugly:
"Kid, that level of genjutsu doesn't even require me to act. Even if you stood there doing nothing, he wouldn't be able to shake your chakra—especially not after all the training I've put you through."
But Naruto was more concerned about something else.
"Big Fox, what happened to the guy who attacked me?"
The Nine-Tails became calm again and said coolly,
"I don't know. I don't have a death-stare, if that's what you're asking. But that kind of chakra backlash will leave him unconscious for days. He'll be lucky if he can still use ninjutsu afterward."
So basically, that guy's ninja career is halfway over…
Naruto was struck by the realization—not because he pitied the attacker, but because he now had a new understanding of how powerful the Nine-Tails truly was. Even against its natural enemy, the Sharingan, it could still cripple a genin-level Uchiha effortlessly.
At that moment, Mikoto walked in from the kitchen carrying a dish.
"Sasuke, Naruto, dinner's ready. Go wash your hands."
Naruto quickly got up and headed toward the kitchen. He was eager to see how good Sasuke's mom's cooking really was.
Meanwhile, Fugaku appeared in the front yard.
He knelt beside the fallen Uchiha and checked his wrist.
After a brief examination, Fugaku concluded that the cause was genjutsu backlash—a rare phenomenon, even more so for a member of the Uchiha clan.
That made the implications all the more serious.
Was it backlash from the Nine-Tails' chakra? Or from the seal placed on the jinchūriki?
Unable to determine the cause with certainty, Fugaku sighed inwardly.
So the jinchūriki delivered to our doorstep isn't easy to control after all… This really is a trap from the village leadership. I almost fell for it.
He handed the unconscious Uchiha over to the radicals and said sternly,
"He passed out. This is clearly a trap set by the higher-ups. But things haven't gone too far yet—don't make it worse."
With that, Fugaku disappeared again, reappearing casually at the dining table and pretending nothing had happened.
What Fugaku didn't know was that Naruto had sensed everything—from his secret departure, to his meeting with the radicals, and his return.
As they sat down to eat, Naruto turned to Mikoto and asked curiously:
"Auntie Mikoto, I just saw someone climbing over the wall. Did you guys get a burglar?"
"Huh?" Mikoto blinked in confusion, holding a bowl in her hands.
Fugaku scratched his head and forced a smile.
"Just a little troublemaker. I gave him a lesson and sent him to the Police HQ."
Naruto looked puzzled.
"Uncle Fugaku, Sasuke said you're the captain of the Police Force. But even thieves dare to steal from your house? Since when did the village's security get this bad?"
The corner of Fugaku's mouth twitched.
"Security's been a bit lax lately. I'll take care of it starting tomorrow."
(End of Chapter)