Chapter 161: Has No One Ever Told You Your Smile Is Scary?

If not for certain factors, Hinata Hyuga would've long been arranged for by the Hyuga clan, just like clockwork.

A glance at the Hyuga family history shows that ever since Konoha was founded, there hasn't been a single instance of a Hyuga main family member marrying outside the clan.

"Whatever, I'll just deal with it," Takuya sighed.

After soaking in the hot springs and returning home to change into clean clothes, he decided to grab a quick bowl of ramen to tide himself over.

With Kushina not around, Minato and Nawaki off at the Land of Rivers frontlines, and Mikoto Uchiha busy with her duties at the police force, Takuya found himself feeling a bit... bored.

"Hey old man, two bowls of veggie ramen, please," Takuya called out.

"I'm not an old man!"

Teuchi's son, who had taken over the family ramen business, wasn't much older than Takuya, but his ramen-making skills far surpassed his father's.

Every time Takuya called him "old man," Teuchi's son, who had inherited the same name, felt an overwhelming urge to chuck a rolling pin at his head.

This kid always had a way of riling people up.

I may look a little older than my age, but is that really a reason to call me "old man"? I'm only three years older than you!

"All right, all right. You're the big bro, happy?" Takuya waved dismissively, chuckling. Teuchi gave him a sharp glare but didn't respond.

"Where are your friends? They haven't been around for ramen in a while," Teuchi asked while preparing the order.

"Minato and Nawaki went off to the frontlines, Mikoto's tied up with the police force, and Kushina... well, who knows where she's gone. Just me tonight," Takuya explained, accepting a small side dish Teuchi added as a courtesy.

Whenever a regular dropped by, Teuchi always threw in a little something extra.

Before long, the ramen was ready, and Takuya dug into his two bowls of veggie ramen, savoring each bite.

Teuchi watched with mild amusement as Takuya ate, shaking his head. He much preferred Minato's approach—Minato always clasped his hands together and said, "I'm about to dig in!" with such sincerity.

Takuya clearly hadn't picked up that habit.

Teuchi was destined to be disappointed once again.

"Lately, there's been a lot of rowdy drinkers causing trouble in this area. Tomorrow's patrol will need to focus more on keeping things under control. We can't let things get out of hand, especially during wartime—spies might take advantage of it."

Takuya heard the conversation drifting closer, and when the ramen shop curtain was pulled aside, he looked up.

Both he and the person who had just walked in froze.

"Well, what a coincidence," Uchiha Fugaku said, his stern face softening into a faint smile as he greeted Takuya with a polite nod.

What Fugaku didn't know was that when his face was set in a stern expression, he actually looked somewhat dignified.

But when he smiled... Takuya immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

Some people just weren't made to smile. For Fugaku, smiling made him look worse, much worse.

When he had a serious expression, it only made him seem strict. But when he smiled, it was the kind of smile that made you want to reach out and pull his face tight again, smoothing it out as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, quite the coincidence," Takuya replied, eyeing him. After a moment of hesitation, he couldn't help but blurt out, "Has anyone ever told you that your smile's kind of... scary?"

Cough! Cough!

Fugaku had come in for a bowl of ramen after work, hoping to fill his empty stomach. He hadn't expected to run into Takuya here, since the young jonin rarely visited the ramen shop.

Still hoping to curry favor with Takuya, Fugaku had offered a polite smile and greeting.

What he hadn't anticipated was Takuya's... blunt honesty.

Fugaku nearly choked, his already dark complexion turning a shade redder.

The two Uchiha clan members who had followed him in wore equally bewildered expressions.

Everyone in the Uchiha clan knew that Fugaku wasn't suited to smiling, but no one had ever dared say it to his face—until now.

Takuya had just delivered that brutal truth straight to him.

"Maybe it's because I'm normally so serious," Fugaku muttered, trying to brush it off. Despite feeling utterly mortified, he chose not to argue with Takuya.

It wasn't worth picking a fight with someone he couldn't win against, especially someone he still hoped to recruit into the clan.

"Three bowls of char siu ramen, extra noodles," Fugaku called out to Teuchi, doing his best to ignore his awkward exchange with Takuya.

"No problem," Teuchi responded with a thumbs-up, quickly setting to work.

It didn't take long for the ramen to be served. Takuya, who was eating leisurely and working through two bowls, was still in the middle of his meal by the time Fugaku's two subordinates finished theirs and left.

With the ramen shop now empty except for Takuya and Fugaku, Teuchi glanced between the two before thoughtfully closing the door, giving them a bit of privacy.

Takuya shot him a perplexed look. You could've just left—why lock the door like that?

"So, just back from the frontlines?" Fugaku asked after a moment of silence.

It wasn't hard to gather information about Takuya's activities, especially since the Uchiha clan had members stationed in the Land of Rain.

"Yeah, just got back. I was escorting a group of wounded shinobi," Takuya answered, leaning against the wooden divider. The ramen shop's lack of chairs with backrests was one of the few things he didn't like. After eating his fill, the only way to relax was to sit sideways and lean against the wall.

They exchanged a few casual words, but soon enough, Fugaku fell silent again, his fists clenching and unclenching as if he couldn't decide whether or not to speak.

Takuya could see the hesitation all over his face. No wonder the Uchiha clan had plunged into chaos under Fugaku's leadership—this guy clearly wasn't cut out to be the head of a clan.

"If you're here to ask me to rejoin the Uchiha clan, don't bother," Takuya said bluntly. "I'm not coming back. It doesn't matter who asks me."

"Is that so?" Fugaku sighed, visibly relieved.

He'd had no idea how to broach the subject. The first time he'd approached Takuya, the kid had shut him down hard. The second time, they'd run into each other in the street, and it had been just as humiliating.

Facing Takuya had become a daunting task for Fugaku—he never knew what to say.

"The same thing goes for the past. I don't want to dwell on it. Out of respect for my mother, I'm willing to let it go. But I'd appreciate it if you'd stop trying to interfere in my life."

"Why?" Fugaku asked, his tone becoming more urgent. "Coming back to the Uchiha would only benefit you. No one knows the secrets of the Sharingan better than our clan. Don't you want to learn more about it—about the Uchiha's forbidden techniques...?"

"Not really," Takuya cut him off, shaking his head without hesitation.

He genuinely had no interest in the Uchiha clan's so-called forbidden techniques. If he ever did get curious, there were plenty of ways to get his hands on them without getting tangled up with the Uchiha.

As for learning more about the Sharingan...

If I were to show you my Mangekyō Sharingan right now, it'd blow your mind.

"Do you really hold such a grudge against the Uchiha?" Fugaku asked, sounding defeated. As the soon-to-be clan head, he felt completely useless in that moment.

"It's not that," Takuya replied. "The Uchiha clan has enough problems already. I don't need to get involved. The only people I've ever had issues with are a few of the old guard."

"Anyway, that's all I've got to say," Takuya finished, standing up and preparing to leave.

He wasn't interested in continuing the conversation. Whether Fugaku took offense or not didn't matter to him. The Uchiha clan was a sinking ship, and he had no intention of going down with it.

"Is it over?" Teuchi asked, walking back in after stepping outside for a bit of fresh air. He smiled as he approached Takuya.

"Yeah, it's over," Takuya replied with a grin, stretching as he got ready to head home. "Oh, and big bro, I left the money on the table. Catch you later."

"I'm not your big bro!!" Teuchi shouted after him.