Why Did You Eat It!

When Sasuke and Itachi returned home, Uchiha Fugaku was already standing at the entrance, hands clasped behind his back, his face serious.

Judging by his look, he had been waiting for quite a while.

Sasuke slowly regained consciousness on Itachi's back. He caught sight of his father's stern expression and quickly lowered his head, pretending to be asleep.

It wasn't the prospect of being scolded for fighting that scared him, but the embarrassment of losing to an unknown opponent. His father would surely be disappointed.

The stinging pain on his face served as a harsh reminder of the beating he took. If his father found out...

"You actually came back!" Fugaku barked, looking at Sasuke, who was faking sleep. His voice was cold and filled with disappointment.

The Third Hokage had already informed him of the situation. Sasuke's loss to the Nine Tails Jinchūriki wasn't shocking. He wasn't angry about the defeat itself. But given the tense relationship between the Uchiha clan and the village, engaging with the Nine Tails Jinchūriki at this moment...

Even if it was unintentional, the Third Hokage would certainly take note.

Fugaku noticed a slight shift in Itachi's expression as he turned to glance at Sasuke. Itachi then looked at his father and spoke, "Father, Sasuke's eyes have awakened."

"Hmph!" Fugaku snorted, though the tension in his face visibly eased. His eldest son's calm demeanor worried him. Did the boy even understand the implications of what had just happened?

"Father... Father," Sasuke stammered, trying to defend himself. "I didn't lose! That guy... he used some weird technique to appear behind me suddenly... Otherwise, I would have—"

"It's called time and space ninjutsu," Itachi interjected, seemingly to justify Sasuke's failure.

When Itachi found Sasuke earlier, he had witnessed the two sealing their duel. The sight of the door-like object conjured by the Nine Tails Jinchūriki led him to speculate that the boy might possess a space-time or necromancy-related kekkei genkai. It was only after seeing Naruto disappear into the purple light cocoon that Itachi confirmed his suspicion.

Fugaku's eyes narrowed as he processed this information. A child with time and space ninjutsu? How could that be possible at his age? The Nine Tails Jinchūriki was just starting to refine chakra! Were these boys pulling his leg?

Then, he remembered the Fourth Hokage's mastery over time and space jutsu. Perhaps the boy had inherited some form of kekkei genkai from his father.

Sasuke was still confused, "What's time and space ninjutsu?? I've never heard of it..."

Damn it! Why is that guy so strong?!

Sasuke touched his face, feeling a strange sense of pride when he thought about his newly awakened Sharingan. Just wait! He would defeat that guy with these eyes!

"Itachi, come with me," Fugaku commanded. "Sasuke, go to the living room and kneel for an hour. No food until your time is up!"

Sasuke, casting a glance at Itachi, trudged dejectedly towards the living room, his mind replaying the fight. Reflecting now, he realized he had been careless... That guy had glaring weaknesses in taijutsu. Given another chance, he would definitely take him down!

Meanwhile, along the river, a campfire crackled. Naruto and the Third Hokage sat around it.

"Grandpa, you can eat now," Naruto said, handing a piece of charred fish to the old man, who had insisted on staying for a meal.

The Third Hokage looked at the burnt offering in Naruto's hand and hesitated. He had hoped for a taste of Naruto's cooking but was now doubtful if it was even edible. Naruto, noticing the hesitation, pressed on with innocent persistence.

"Grandpa, you said you wanted to try my cooking. It's really delicious! Why don't you eat it?"

The Third Hokage, struggling with the dilemma of not wanting to disappoint Naruto or risk indigestion, suddenly stood up.

"Ahem... Naruto, I just remembered, I have something urgent to attend to. I need to go back."

With that, he swiftly left, moving with surprising agility for a man of his age. Naruto watched him flee, unable to suppress a smirk.

"Finally," Naruto muttered, tossing the burnt fish away. "He's gone."

He then pulled out a slab of Majestic Dragon meat, placing it on the rack to grill. The difference in his technique was night and day compared to the earlier botched attempt. This time, he meticulously basted the meat with oil and sprinkled seasonings.

Twenty minutes later, Naruto was savoring the perfectly cooked meat. Though the fight earlier hadn't drained him much, a good meal was always a welcome reward.

After finishing his meal, Naruto opened a portal and slipped back home. Inside the sealed space, he set about feeding Kurama.

"Hey, kid," Kurama rumbled. "You seem to have some issues with the Third Hokage..."

Naruto chuckled, remembering how he had managed to dodge Sarutobi's questions. Kurama had observed Naruto's interactions over the years and noticed a deep-seated animosity towards the old man.

"Want me to help with that?" Kurama's voice was tinged with malice.

Gulp—

Naruto tossed another piece of meat into Kurama's maw, silencing the beast. He knew exactly what the fox would suggest: teaming up to destroy Konoha Village.

But Naruto wasn't stupid. He had no intention of becoming a traitor, not when he was perfectly content with his life. Despite being the Nine Tails Jinchūriki, he understood the delicate balance of power in the village. A rebellion would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Besides, there was a life waiting for him here, one he was not willing to jeopardize.

As Naruto continued to feed Kurama, he noticed his arms getting tired. Deciding to make things easier, he constructed an automated grilling system next to the cage. He even set up a giant barbecue pit with a conveyor belt to deliver the food.

"Big fox, I've done all this for you," Naruto said, pointing to the setup. "Grill it yourself when you're hungry. If you need anything, just press the button, and the food will come to you."

Kurama grunted, pretending to be indifferent, but his eyes sparkled with excitement. He had always wanted to try grilling meat himself.

Swallowing a massive chunk of grilled meat, Kurama turned to Naruto, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Kid, go to bed early. I'll supervise your training tomorrow."

Naruto grinned at the fox's attempt to play it cool. Arrogant as ever, he thought, but couldn't help but appreciate the bizarre companionship they shared.