3 -3- Present and Awakening

"Click—Clack."

The sound of closing and opening doors echoed one after another.

Giyu returned home and subconsciously glanced at the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

Five pairs of slippers, one pair more than usual, meant that nobody was home.

[Great.]

[No one to disturb me while I cook.]

Thinking back to the last time he came home late, and Itachi fried eggs for Sasuke, ending up with eggs scattered all over the kitchen, Giyu felt a bit annoyed.

But seeing Itachi's frustration when the eggs didn't turn out well was even more infuriating. Giyu didn't say much after that incident, but he didn't want to see his brother in the kitchen again.

////There's an entire filler episode dedicated to show how bad Itachi is at cooking. Just search it up like Itachi cooking egg and it'll pop up. ////

As for the meals their mother cooked, well, they were decent, but not as good as his. Sasuke, who was used to Giyu's cooking, didn't appreciate the change in taste, which inevitably made their mother feel disheartened.

In conclusion, the kitchen in the Uchiha household was best left to Giyu alone.

However, things didn't go as planned—

"Is that you, Giyu?"

A clear and pleasant voice came from the kitchen.

Giyu's gaze sharpened, and a faint red light suddenly emerged from his deep blue eyes.

Mikoto Uchiha, wearing cleaning shoe covers and carrying a mop, emerged from the kitchen with a smile on her face, looking at her youngest son.

"Mom came back early. Are you happy?"

Since Giyu took charge of household chores and Fugaku's stern advice went unheeded, Mikoto returned to teaching academy graduates.

But considering that today was the birthday of her two sons, she let her students have a day off and came home early to clean up.

Seeing his mother not holding any kitchen utensils, but just cleaning, the red light in Giyu's eyes gradually faded away.

Looking at the still-drying floor, he thought for a moment, then turned to open the door to wait outside until the floor dried.

Mikoto used Body Flicker Technique(Shunshin Jutsu) to appear between Giyu and the door. With her hands on her hips and a pouting expression, she pretended to be unhappy, imitating a red-haired old friend.

"Why, not even a greeting for Mom? I'll be sad, you know."

She, Mikoto Uchiha, had three sons, each with a different personality, and dealing with them required different approaches.

The eldest, Itachi Uchiha, was deep and mature. Treat him like an adult, and he would communicate openly with you (maybe).

The second, Sasuke Uchiha, was spoiled by his brothers but eagerly sought his father's approval. Whenever expectations related to Fugaku and Itachi were mentioned, he would temporarily set aside his mischief and listen attentively.

And the third, Giyu Uchiha, was the most difficult to handle among the three.

Once, Fugaku asked the family not to speak to Giyu for a week to encourage him to initiate conversations with others. Whoever endured longer would win. In the end, Giyu won the game, but it troubled the couple.

Giyu, this child, while seeming childish, often showed a gaze of "I've seen through everything" and "Nothing matters anymore," calmly dealing with any challenges or criticisms from his peers and even Fugaku.

He neither sought praise from others nor attention from his parents. Instead, he silently took on the responsibility of taking care of Itachi and Sasuke's daily needs. When he didn't speak, he seemed more like the eldest in the house even more than Itachi.

But while he seemed mature, he completely disregarded others' opinions, occasionally behaving rudely and speaking his mind bluntly, easily hurting others' feelings.

For example, a few days ago, when Sasuke was learning the Fireball Jutsu with Itachi and managed to produce a small flame, he ran to Giyu to show off.

Given Giyu's usual care for Sasuke, no one could have imagined that he would blurt out—

"Do you learn this to light candles?"

Because of this, Sasuke hasn't spoken to Giyu since. Of course, he still ate his meals.

But even being such a straightforward child, Mikoto couldn't fully understand what he was thinking.

To make this child communicate with her, she had to use a slightly exaggerated, intrusive approach, launching almost relentless attacks on him.

Moreover, he seemed unable to discern those subtle emotions. Mikoto had to put on a dramatic show of anger or sadness to make Giyu sense her emotional state.

Sure enough, seeing his mother blocking the doorway with what seemed like a slightly angry expression, Giyu stopped his movements. Then he greeted—

"Did you have a rough day at work today?"

Mikoto Uchiha decided to concede.

She squatted down, grabbed Giyu's stiff little face, forced a stiff smile on his little face, and somewhat gloomily asked, "Aren't you happy to see me back?"

"You come back every day, don't you?"

Giyu tilted his head, "It's only worth being happy about when it's been a long time."

Like seeing Tanjiro return safely from a dangerous mission, and Nezuko unharmed.

Like returning to Mt. Sagiri and seeing smoke rising from Master Urokodaki's cottage from afar.

Like when he had a premonition that he was about to die, passing by the Wind Pillar's house and hearing him arguing with his neighbor about "whether there are demons in the world," knowing that he could still live for a while longer.

Knowing that everyone could lose their lives at any moment, but still surviving, that's what's worth being happy about.

"I give up."

Mikoto Uchiha hung her head.

This was something she would never do in front of Itachi and Sasuke.

She glanced at the groceries in the plastic bag, not worrying about the prices.

"Isn't it tiring for you to carry such heavy things alone?"

"I rest on the way."

By rest, he mean when he encountered the blonde kid and the Hyuga heiress, as well as Kakashi, he temporarily set aside whatever he was carrying.

"Huh... Salmon. It's another ingredient I don't know how to handle. Looks like I can't help."

Mikoto Uchiha picked up the bag and walked into the kitchen, asking casually, "So, Giyu, what are you planning to make today?"

"Caviar sushi, bonito rice balls, sashimi, radish and salmon stew, pan-fried salmon belly, and three-colored dumplings and ice cream for dessert..."

"It sounds appetizing, and they're all dishes Itachi and Sasuke love."

Mikoto turned back with a playful tone, "But why aren't there any dishes Dad loves?"

"It's not his birthday today."

Giyu replied earnestly, "Today's menu is mainly to please Sasuke. He hasn't spoken to me in a week."

Before the final battle, Tanjiro taught him that preparing food that others love and offering it whenever possible can bring people closer.

For example, after he started carrying Hagi cookies with him, his relationship with Shinazugawa Sanemi became much closer (at least in his own perception).

Sasuke should be similar. Their personalities are quite alike.

After hearing her son's words, Mikoto hesitated.

[Is being so straightforward really a good thing?]

She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Then, Giyu, do you know why Sasuke isn't talking to you?"

"I don't know."

[As expected.]

"Do you not bother about it? Don't you want to know the reason?"

"No need to know."

Giyu, wearing the apron made by Itachi, stood on a small stool, pulled out a half-meter-long salmon from the plastic bag, and punched it.

He confidently said, "As long as they eat this meal, the problem will be solved."

"Thud."

Mikoto Uchiha grabbed onto the door frame.

Why is it so difficult to communicate with this child!!!

Ten minutes later.

"I'm back!" x2.

"Is it Itachi and Sasuke?"

Mikoto Uchiha rushed to the entrance as if a wanderer on an iceberg had seen a fireplace.

"Mom!" Sasuke kicked off his shoes and rushed up to hug Mikoto's waist, looking extremely happy.

[If only I could give half of Sasuke's clinginess to Giyu...]

"Did you give your subordinates a day off today?"

Itachi stood at the doorway, neatly arranging Sasuke's shoes, immediately noticing the reason for his mother's presence at home.

"Because my lovely children are having a birthday."

Mikoto regained her usual confidence as a mother. She patted Sasuke's spiky head and asked, "Did you take Sasuke out for training? He's all sweaty and has an animal smell..."

"Today we didn't train. Big brother took me to Granny Neko's place and even gave me a birthday present."

Five-year-old Sasuke's voice was lively and sharp as he took out a rusty shuriken from his pocket.

"Oh, what's this?"

Mikoto Uchiha examined the shuriken carefully. It seemed to be an old style, so she followed Sasuke's lead and asked further.

"Granny said it's a shuriken from the era when Konoha was just founded, even older than Grandpa. She saw this shuriken flying from a distant place and breaking the First Hokage's wooden clone, so it's very commemorative!"

////In case y'all don't know, that was Kakuzu's when he tried to assassinate Hashirama. Fun fact: Kakuzu shot this shuriken from 400 kilometers away. One of the highlights of Kakuzu's life lol.////

Sasuke held the shuriken up in the air with both hands and made a bold declaration.

"I will definitely become a stronger ninja in the future. Even the First Hokage himself won't be my match."

Hearing Sasuke say this, Mikoto's eyes flickered with concern. Itachi keenly noticed this and whispered to Sasuke, "The First Hokage and the ancestors of the Uchiha clan founded the village together. They were great people and not enemies. You must not speak disrespectfully of the Hokage-sama outside."

Mikoto Uchiha also nodded, "Sasuke, you must listen to your brother, understand?"

"I understand."

Sasuke pouted a bit unhappily, but still agreed. Although his brother's words differed from those of his peers in the clan, he naturally chose to believe his brother.

After correcting Sasuke's mistake, Uchiha Itachi looked towards the kitchen. "Is Giyu cooking today? It's his birthday, otherwise I can do it—"

"Bang!"

A loud noise came from the kitchen, startling Sasuke.

"What happened, Giyu?"

Mikoto asked.

"The knife fell on the floor."

Giyu's voice sounded calm and serene.

"Be careful."

Although Giyu had been cooking for two years, Mikoto still felt a bit uneasy. After all, boning salmon was troublesome, and even professional chefs could accidentally cut themselves.

She glanced at Sasuke, who had been scowling since he heard Giyu's voice, and smiled slightly. "Sasuke, let's take a bath together."

"No."

Sasuke shook his head decisively, "I want to bathe with big brother."

Mikoto gave her eldest son a meaningful look and then nodded towards the kitchen.

The latter understood immediately.

"Mom came home early today just to do something for you."

Uchiha Itachi tousled Sasuke's hair and gently tapped his forehead, "Don't make her sad."

He added, "If you behave well, I can continue to accompany you to practice the Fireball Jutsu tomorrow..."

"Then it's a deal!"

Sasuke was about to jump for joy, then looked at his mother, "I'll go take off my dirty clothes first!"

With that, he dashed upstairs, deliberately "hmphed" loudly as he passed by the kitchen. Seeing Giyu didn't turn to look at him, he sped up even more.

"Then I'll leave Giyu to you."

Mikoto made a gesture to Itachi and went to the bathroom to run the water.

Itachi stood at the kitchen door for a moment, as if mentally preparing himself.

As he stepped into the kitchen, Giyu turned with the knife in hand, casually tossing the deboned salmon bones into a metal basin, making a clanging sound.

"What are you doing?"

Giyu's tone carried a hint of caution.

[Is he going to help me cook?]

The pan Itachi used to fry eggs last time was already unusable, so Giyu took it out to the street as a milk basin for stray cats.

"Happy birthday, Giyu."

Itachi walked straight over, his smile not as obvious as Mikoto's and Shisui's, just a faint curve.

"Sasuke really liked the gift I gave him. I just don't know how you'll react to the gift for you, so I'm a bit nervous."

This wasn't a lie.

Even though he carried both of his brothers around, Giyu had been incomprehensible to him since he was very young.

For example, Itachi knew all of Sasuke's likes and dislikes, but for Giyu, Itachi felt like he was dealing with a bottomless lake.

Others thought that doing housework was Giyu's hobby, but Itachi felt otherwise. He thought it seemed more like an obligation Giyu imposed on himself, otherwise there would be no need to be so meticulous and do it every day.

Besides, there were many other strange things about Giyu.

For example, one day a month ago, when he accompanied Giyu to buy groceries, they passed by a ninja tool shop where the village shinobi, Hayate Gekko, was selecting ninja swords. The sound he made when drawing the sword caught Giyu's attention.

The expression on Giyu's face when he looked at the sword after Hayate covered it with chakra and dyed it, Itachi couldn't forget it to this day.

In his eyes, there was a light brighter than the blade itself, his entire face went from stern to serene and gentle, as if the still waters of a mirror-like dead lake were ruffled by a warm breeze.

Itachi still couldn't understand what happened at that moment. Originally, he wanted to buy a sword for Giyu today, but after thinking about it, he gave up, after all, Giyu lacked interest in becoming a shinobi.

Shaking his head gently to dispel the doubts in his mind, Itachi took out a framed specimen measuring eight centimeters long and wide from his pocket and handed it to Giyu.

Giyu's gaze immediately locked onto it, unable to move away for a long time.

"It's a specimen of an ancient swallowtail butterfly."

Itachi couldn't discern Giyu's emotions, so he slowly introduced, "It was discovered by scholars from the Land of Snow deep within the icy plains, extracted using Ice Release(Hyoton/Ice Style) ninjutsu."

"I don't know much about butterflies, but the ninja from the Aburame clan who sold it to me said that this blue-purple swallowtail butterfly is extremely rare. It looks beautiful in the sunlight but carries a deadly poison capable of toppling an elephant, unfortunately, it's already extinct."

"You..."

Uchiha Giyu set down the kitchen knife, wiped his hands on his apron, and hesitated before accepting the specimen, layers of waves rippling in his profound gaze.

To him, it wasn't just a butterfly; it was nine distinct figures overlapping.

"Why would you give me this?"

This was the last gift Giyu expected.

"Because the only things I'm certain you'll like are wisteria and butterflies."

Still young, Itachi smiled shyly, "I love seeing that expression on your face when you spot butterflies fluttering around wisteria trees, as if a statue suddenly came to life. If mom and dad could see it, they'd probably feel the same way."

"How about it, Giyu, this gift..."

Itachi paused, somewhat expectantly, "Do you like it?"

In the past, Giyu's reactions always caught him off guard.

What he feared most was Giyu's reaction being similar to last year when he returned the same steel kunai that he gave to Sasuke, saying, "I'm not like Sasuke."

For him, who was fond of his younger brother, it was a nightmare.

"An extinct butterfly?"

Giyu's voice sounded hoarse, then suddenly intensified, clearer than any time before: "I really like it. Thank you, Itachi."

"..."

Uchiha Itachi was stunned.

Although Giyu's expression rarely changed.

But if he liked the gift, shouldn't he at least raise his eyebrows?

Why did he look like all his strength had suddenly been drained, and he seemed even more despondent than usual, as if recalling something terrible.

If Itachi didn't know that Giyu wouldn't lie, he would have thought he was falsely claiming to like the gift to comfort him.

Giyu placed the specimen on the windowsill in the kitchen, then lowered his head indifferently, picked up the kitchen knife, and silently prepared the ingredients, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

Uchiha Itachi intuitively felt it wasn't the time to speak, but he was worried about Giyu's state, so he took out the plastic bag of radishes and started slicing them.

And so, the two of them remained silent in the kitchen, but all the ingredients were being skillfully transformed into dishes.

Fortunately, Itachi's mind wasn't on cooking, so this time nothing went wrong.

An entire hour later, Giyu placed the sliced radishes and fried salmon into the stew pot, lit the flames on the gas stove.

A strange voice appeared in his mind.

["Spending one hour in close proximity to Uchiha Itachi. Analysis completion of Flame Breathing increased by 0.02%, current completion rate 20.02%."]

["Upon completion of analysis and achieving Flame Breathing at Constant level, Flame Hashira- Rengoku Kyojuro can be resurrected."]

Tomioka Giyu's eyes widened suddenly, flashing with intense red light, catching Itachi's attention.

"Giyu, you..."

Before Itachi could finish his sentence, white steam suddenly overflowed from Giyu's mouth and nose, the legs of the stool under his feet snapped with a click, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

////Also y'all choose hashira or pillar, don't know which is better////