Ever since her previous defeat, Feitao had been terrified of Itachi, and she also harbored a secret grudge against him. The moment an opportunity presented itself, Feitao would rack her brain to trip Itachi up, but alas, she was still just a little dumpling who could do nothing at all, leaving her to watch every chance slip away.
At seven months old, a baby should naturally be able to unconsciously call out for mom and dad. Complying with the natural order of things, Feitao opened her mouth on a sunny morning and uttered a single "MAMA." Kushina was so thrilled that she carried her around to show off to everyone, and even Minato grew somewhat envious, leaving him sulking in the corner.
*How is it that my little Momoko's first word isn't "PAPA" but "MAMA"? Why is that?!*
Meanwhile, Mikoto was holding Itachi as she walked through the entryway.
At over seven months old, Itachi should have been able to call for his parents by now, yet she still hadn't heard him say a word. Truly, only after becoming a parent does one understand that sweet yet agonizing experience of having your heart wrung over the smallest things.
Before she had taken more than a few steps, she heard a knock at the door. Mikoto hurried over. "Coming! Who is it?"
"Mikoto! Mikoto! Little Momoko learned how to say 'Mama'!" The person knocking was none other than Kushina, who had been parading her precious daughter's new skill everywhere. She desperately wanted to let the whole wide world know that Momoko could say "Mama." She had originally thought about going to find Tsume, but the moment she remembered that Tsume's ninken didn't like her, she decided against it, terrified of being bitten by a dog. (QAQ)
"Really? Little Momoko is so clever." Mikoto opened the door and hurried Kushina inside. In this regard, Mikoto was just as excited as Kushina. She looked at Feitao with a curious expression. "Little Momoko, can you say 'Mama' for us?"
Feitao obediently opened her mouth: "MA... MAMA..."
"Oh, how cute, how amazing! Little Momoko is just wonderful." Mikoto affectionately pressed a gentle kiss to Feitao's cheek, completely unsure whether the baby could actually understand a single word. "Kushina, you must have been showing her off everywhere."
"I would never!" Kushina absolutely refused to admit that she had been bragging the entire way here. "Though Little Momoko still doesn't know how to say 'Papa,' and since her very first word was 'MAMA' instead of 'PAPA,' it drove Minato absolutely bonkers."
"I can practically picture Minato's face right now." Mikoto chuckled, though a moment later she let out a sigh. "My little Itachi still doesn't know how to call out for his mom or dad. I'm really starting to worry that something might be wrong with him."
Mikoto stared down at Itachi, at a loss for what else to say. Truth be told, she desperately wished her little Itachi could say "Mama," too. What if he actually had some kind of congenital speech delay?
Itachi blinked his dark eyes, looking up at Mikoto, and then turned his gaze toward Feitao standing nearby.
"Don't worry, I asked Dr. Inoue, and he said there's a natural variation in when babies start talking, so you shouldn't worry too much. My little Momoko started speaking pretty late, too—who knows, maybe tomorrow you'll hear him shout 'Mama'!" Kushina comforted her. Mikoto looked so distressed right now; she hardly seemed like the Mikoto she knew.
"I certainly hope so."
Meanwhile, the subject of discussion, the baby dumpling Uchiha Itachi, was still staring straight at Feitao. Feitao shot him a Byakugan. *Little brat, you'd better not mess with me. Otherwise, I swear I'll find a day to kick you right out of bed, break a couple of ribs, and save myself a whole lot of trouble.*
"MO... MOMO..."
A few syllables suddenly popped out of Itachi's mouth, and Mikoto froze in place as a bright smile bloomed across her face. "Did Itachi just talk?"
"Oh! Yes, he spoke! Itachi, say it again!" Kushina was equally thrilled. After all, she treated Itachi practically like her own flesh and blood, and she even harbored secret thoughts about him and Little Momoko having some kind of romance down the line.
Feitao rolled her eyes. *Little brat, you can't even pronounce your words properly and you're already acting all smug. You don't sound nearly as standard as me.*
"MOMO... MOMO..."
As he spoke, Itachi reached out and tugged at Feitao's clothes, his dark eyes locked onto her.
Mikoto frowned. "Kushina, I don't think he's calling out for 'Mama.' I think he's saying 'Little Momoko.'"
"Little Momoko?"
Itachi continued to relentlessly tug at Feitao's clothes, prompting Feitao to retaliate with a swift kick. Her soft, fair little foot landed squarely on Itachi's face. *Are you a pervert? Why are you pulling on my clothes? You're only a few months old, for goodness' sake! And they call you a genius—your little fangirls must have zero standards.*
"MOMO... MOMO..."
Completely unfazed by the foot planted on his face, Itachi kept pulling at Feitao's clothes. Left with no other choice, Feitao sought help from her mother, reaching out to grab a handful of Kushina's hair. Only then did Kushina pull Feitao a little further away. And what do you know? The moment Feitao was moved out of reach, Itachi burst into tears. "MO... MOMO..."
"Itachi, be a good boy, don't cry..." Mikoto never expected Itachi to suddenly break down in tears like this. *Honestly, could it be because Kushina and I are always talking about Little Momoko around him, so he's just copying what he hears? If that's the case, it suddenly feels kind of heartbreaking—I think I can finally understand how Minato feels.*
"MOMO..."
The baby Itachi dumpling was still calling out Feitao's name.
Feitao rolled her eyes. *Little brat, that's quite enough out of you. One more call and I'll beat you until your adult teeth can't even grow in, you hear me? Ever seen a fist the size of a sandbag?*
"Huh?" Kushina watched the rapid succession of expressions crossing the baby's face, utterly fascinated. *How on earth can an infant's face pull off that many expressions?*