Fugaku and Mikoto exchanged a glance, reading in each other's eyes both exasperation toward Yuka and boundless indulgence.
Mikoto spoke in a quiet voice with a hint of pride, "See? I told you Yuka wouldn't hit people for no reason."
Naturally, she knew the character of the daughter she had raised.
It was true that Yuka was a bit spoiled and willful, but nobody was perfect; it was impossible to mold everyone into a flawless image. These distinct personality traits simply combined to make a unique Yuka.
No matter what, Mikoto was certain of one thing: her daughter was definitely not the type to deliberately pick a fight. Yuka would never throw her weight around to act recklessly!
"The matter of the beating is easy to resolve." Fugaku looked at the three siblings, his gaze filled with complex emotions like an impenetrable dark fog, hiding his true thoughts from everyone. "But the Jinchuriki matter is very troublesome. As you know, we cannot afford to associate with the Jinchuriki."
"That is Kushina's child." Mikoto sighed softly. "Jinchuriki or not, that is Kushina's child. How can I just ignore Kushina's child? Besides, Kushina used to be a Jinchuriki herself, and we were friends. Why is it suddenly unacceptable when it comes to Naruto?"
"I share the blame for this as well." Seeing that Fugaku remained silent, Mikoto took the responsibility upon herself. "I knew full well that Yuka would become friends with Naruto, yet I didn't try to stop it. I still harbored a selfish desire for this child. No matter what, I simply hope Kushina's child can live a good life."
"No, this has nothing to do with you, nor with us."
"The Uzumaki clan and the Namikaze family couldn't protect him. Even though his surname is Uzumaki, in Konohagakure, the Uzumaki clan was under the protection of the Senju clan, and the Senju clan has long since declined." Uchiha Fugaku let out a cold scoff, though his smile failed to reach his eyes. "Yet they still chose to seal the Kurama inside their newborn child's body. At the root of it all, they simply trusted the village too much, believing the village would protect their child and that their child would grow up in an environment filled with love and care. Heh, how naive. Ordinary people only care about how many people the monster inside this child once killed, while ninjas blindly follow orders from the higher-ups, and the higher-ups only care whether the Jinchuriki is under control and what kind of benefits it can bring. Who is going to care if the child is innocent?"
"The child is innocent, but they won't listen to such words. They will only see what they want to see, and as for everything else... they will simply turn a blind eye."
Mikoto naturally understood the meaning behind his words. Thinking of something, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Fugaku's arm.
"Darling, we..." She paused and changed her address. "Can the Uchiha clan protect Itachi, Sasuke, and Yuka? I hope our children can grow up healthy and happy, and that while the clan still has a voice, we can secure a better environment for them."
"Naturally." Uchiha Fugaku lowered his gaze, concealing the emotions within so his wife couldn't see them. His wife and children didn't need to know his plans for the future just yet, and as for him... eventually, he would lead the Uchiha clan to glory and prosperity, bringing the entire world into his grasp.
Only when the whole world belonged to the Uchiha could his children develop without any obstacles.
Mikoto's attention returned to the weeping Yuka. Comforted by Itachi and Sasuke, Yuka gradually stopped crying, though her tear-reddened eyes still looked heartbreaking. "Then Yuka... how do you plan to handle this?"
"I'll take care of it. As for the Jinchuriki, it's best to keep your distance. You need to keep Yuka in check."
Thinking of Yuka's remarks about toys, Mikoto instantly felt a headache coming on. "Where on earth am I supposed to find her another toy she likes? She doesn't care much for anything, and this is the only toy she's ever been truly passionate about. I originally thought it would be a good way to cure her laziness. But it's only the second day, and she's already caused all this trouble."
Fugaku was momentarily speechless. He suddenly felt that he occupied too small a place in Yuka's upbringing; otherwise, why would he be so shocked to hear that his daughter regarded a Jinchuriki as a pretty toy?
Yet his son and wife had reacted as if it were completely normal. What? Did they all already know about Yuka's temperament?
Fugaku asked, "Why would she treat the Jinchuriki as a toy?"
"Yuka's perception of color is very weak, which leads to her suffering from a form of prosopagnosia. The doctor said this condition is quite unusual. Yuka might not be able to distinguish dull colors, such as black, white, and gray. These colors are very common in daily life, but to her eyes, common colors aren't distinct."
With a worried look on her face, Mikoto pointed at the tea set on the table. "For example, this white porcelain tea set appears white to us, but in Yuka's eyes, she probably thinks it's the same brownish-gray as the wooden table, making it quite inconspicuous. Yet she knows something is there, which makes looking at it exhausting and distressing for her."
Fugaku frowned. "The world in her eyes is different from the world in ours?"
"Perhaps so. Even the doctor has never seen this exact symptom; it was just deduced based on Yuka's perception of color. Yuka hasn't experienced these kinds of issues in her daily interactions with us, and she has never mentioned it, nor has she ever asked us why the things she sees are different. Perhaps, to her, the world she perceives is the correct one, so there is nothing wrong with it. She is a smart child; naturally, she wouldn't waste her energy dwelling on such things."
"As for Naruto, his appearance inherited his father's golden hair, and his eyes are an unusual azure blue. These two colors are astonishingly bright in Yuka's eyes—it's like he comes with his own glowing special effect when standing in a crowd. Yuka can spot him at a glance, which is why she likes to play with him. And since Naruto is Kushina's child, his personality has inherited traits from Kushina and the Fourth Hokage to a certain extent. I spoke with him the other day, and there's nothing wrong with the child's character. In Konohagakure... you couldn't find anyone more suitable to be a play—a good friend."
"No wonder..." Fugaku muttered thoughtfully.
"No wonder what?"
"No wonder all of you have suddenly added little decorations to your clothes lately." Fugaku looked at the bright wristband on Itachi's arm and the pink hairpin in Mikoto's hair, then lowered his gaze to inspect his own outfit. "Get me some other colors too, so Yuka can tell me apart."
Right now, he even had the illusion that Yuka's reluctance to apologize earlier was because she simply couldn't see him properly. After all, he was dressed head-to-toe in black, and the wall happened to be a dark shade. Could it be that in Yuka's eyes, he had completely blended into the background?
Good grief, the thought that for the past two years his daughter hadn't even clearly seen what he looked like gave Fugaku a slight pang in his chest.
"Alright! The one I'm wearing was actually made by Yuka herself! I'll go look around later and whip up a wristband for you just like Itachi's. Yuka made a whole bunch of them back then!"
Mikoto agreed happily, then asked once more, "So, what about the Jinchuriki matter...?" Driven by her private feelings, Mikoto still hoped Yuka could remain friends with Naruto. Toy or no toy... at the very least, if she was friends with Naruto, Yuka wouldn't let him suffer when it came to food! She didn't want the poor child to starve thin again!
Fugaku glanced from afar at the aggrieved-looking Yuka, calculated for a moment in his heart, and reached a conclusion.
Compared to the pressure from the higher-ups, he would rather his daughter be happy. "I'll do my best to suppress this matter and frame it as a private conflict between Yuka and that kid, keeping the Jinchuriki out of it. However, the village's surveillance of the Jinchuriki is only going to intensify. Even if Yuka remains friends with him, she won't have many years left."
A few years would be enough for him to set certain plans in motion.
Some matters... the sooner they were put on the schedule, the better.
"A few years is fine. Perhaps Yuka's condition will improve as she grows older." Mikoto was very pleased with this outcome. After all, she genuinely hoped Yuka and Naruto could become good friends, just like she and Kushina had been in the past.
"Let's hope so."
*
The three little ones below had no idea what important matters their parents were discussing. Having cried her fill and cried herself tired, Yuka had drifted off to sleep while weeping. Her head rested against Itachi's shoulder, dried tear tracks still lingering on her cheeks. The tip of her nose and the corners of her eyes were red from crying, and her skin looked almost rubbed raw by the tears, making her look utterly pitiful.
"Little sister is asleep." Sasuke was the first to notice. He poked Yuka's puffy cheek, then tugged on Itachi's other hand and whispered, "Brother, let's carry her back to her room and then go train, okay?"
"Yeah," Itachi replied. He scooped up Yuka with one arm, stood up, and took Sasuke's hand.
As he looked toward his parents to say goodbye, his gaze met his father's from afar.
His father's expression was clearly not as stern as it had been when they first walked through the door, and a warm, gentle smile hung on his mother's face as she waved at them, signaling for them to head back early.
Did this mean... they weren't going to hold Yuka accountable?
Itachi's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a subtle, hard-to-catch ripple stirring within his calm, water-like gaze.
He had heard from Momoko that the child Yuka injured was the son of a Jonin, and that Jonin happened to be his father's colleague. As the captain of the Military Police Force, his father needed to set an example in everything he did. Logically speaking... Yuka's apology was unavoidable, and beyond that, she would likely be ordered never to contact Naruto again.
What had made his father change his mind?
Uchiha Fugaku's dark eyes were as black as ink, filled with complex and shifting emotions. Uchiha Itachi couldn't see through the man's thoughts, so he could only follow his father's lead for now.
"Go on back, Itachi. Train hard."
"Yes, Father."
Itachi lowered his gaze to look at Yuka, who was sleeping soundly in his arms. After politely bidding farewell to his parents alongside Sasuke, he slowly walked out.
"Brother." Sasuke hadn't noticed the silent exchange of glances between his father and brother. Immersed in his own little world, he only realized they were nearing the room as they approached it. Clenching his fists, he told Itachi, "I'm going to train really hard!"
Even in his deliberately lowered voice, a fierce determination could be detected. His small face was filled with resolve and seriousness, as if he were making a solemn vow to himself.
Hearing his younger brother be so earnest and hardworking, a faint smile unconsciously appeared in Itachi's eyes.
"Alright, I'll teach you properly."
Sasuke continued, "If anyone ever bullies Yuka again, I'm going to rush out and beat them up good!"
"..."
Rushing out was fine, but beating people up was a bit much.
Hitting someone might just lead to another incident like today's, which would only make things difficult for their parents.
Itachi hadn't understood these things very well when he was younger, but as he grew older, entered the Ninja Academy, and graduated at the very top of his class, he had learned a great deal and witnessed even more.
The village did not revolve around a single person; the political forces intertwined within it were complex and tangled. To survive among these factions, one had to learn how to weigh their options.
Itachi deliberated for a moment. "Hitting people doesn't solve problems."
"Then what does solve problems?" Sasuke couldn't quite wrap his head around it, but he had his own set of logic. "I can't just watch them bully Yuka. Even Yuka's toys aren't allowed to be bullied by others—only Yuka is allowed to bully her toys! If they bully Yuka's toys, it's the same as bullying Yuka, and bullying Yuka is the same as bullying me. So I have to hit them back, not just for Yuka's sake, but for my own!"
...You're wandering further and further off base, kid.
Only Itachi could maintain a calm expression at a time like this, though the hand supporting Yuka tightened involuntarily, betraying the awkwardness leaking out of him. The sudden increase in pressure against her backside caused Yuka to squirm restlessly in her sleep, her arms wrapping even tighter around Itachi's neck.
"You have to choose a method that solves the issue once and for all."
"Once and for all?" Sasuke didn't quite grasp the meaning of the phrase. He tilted his head up and looked at Itachi with a curious expression. "What does that mean, Brother?"
Itachi stopped, pulled his other hand free from Sasuke's grip, and raised a finger to gently flick the boy on the forehead.
"You're still young now. You'll understand when you're older."
"How much older?" Sasuke covered his forehead.
Itachi hadn't used much force, but Sasuke instinctively covered his forehead out of habit. Having been flicked on the forehead by his older brother since he was small, he was long accustomed to covering his head first because his brother was always extra easy to talk to at times like these.
"Until you reach my age, I suppose?"
As soon as age was mentioned, Sasuke grew envious. "Can I become an outstanding graduate of the Ninja Academy just like you, Brother? I want to enroll at six and graduate at seven, too."
"Of course you can, Sasuke." Itachi had absolute trust in his younger brother's abilities. This was a brother he had trained himself; naturally, he possessed the proper demeanor. "The Uchiha clan doesn't only have one genius. Both you and Yuka are geniuses of the Uchiha clan."
"That goes without saying." Sasuke quietly renewed his determination in his heart, only to accidentally speak his thoughts aloud: "Brother, I'll work hard. I'll take you as my goal and surpass you in the future."
Itachi was deeply gratified. "I'll be waiting for Sasuke."
Caught up in their rosy visions of the future, the two brothers forgot to keep their voices down. Yuka, fast asleep in Itachi's arms, felt as though a little bug was buzzing annoyingly near her ear. Dissatisfied, she raised a hand and batted blindly in the direction of the noise.
*Slap.*
A light, harmless pat landed squarely on the top of Sasuke's head, feeling no different from a gentle stroke through his hair without an ounce of force behind it.
Look! Her little sister was this weak! How could she possibly beat someone until they bled? It was clearly that other person's fault!
"Mmph, I woke Sister up." Sasuke hurriedly made a zipper motion over his lips and urged impatiently, "Quick, Brother, take Sister back so we can go train! I can't wait!"