1novels Chapter 607 The Arrogant Wife
Chapter 607 The Arrogant Wife
"Honestly, why didn't you tell me beforehand! You suddenly brought guests back, and I didn't have time to prepare anything."
The black-haired wife grumbled at her husband as she turned and strode back to the kitchen. "There's only the pickled vegetables I made yesterday... This wasn't prepared especially for anyone. I just happened to make a little extra yesterday, and it's just sitting there anyway. Don't overthink it, and don't say it tastes bad."
Fugaku stood by the entrance hall, enduring a barrage of scolding from his wife, but he wasn't annoyed. He simply scratched the back of his head and gave Naruto and Satsuki a dry laugh.
The story begins earlier. After chatting with the police, Fugaku naturally extended an invitation, saying, "Since it's already this late, and you two are tourists, why don't you come over to our house for a simple meal?"
Sasuke didn't offer any opinion, but walked at the front with a cold face, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, which was considered tacit agreement.
And so, Naruto and Satsuki were led into the Uchiha family mansion in a daze.
Zuo Yue's gaze swept over the familiar corner of the corridor, the familiar paper door grid, and the familiar wooden ceiling pattern; every place was just as she remembered.
She had a very strange feeling that she was returning to her own home as a guest.
However, before this subtle feeling could fully develop, it was interrupted by an even stronger shock.
That's Uchiha Mikoto.
In Naruto's original understanding, what kind of person was Uchiha Mikoto? Gentle, elegant, intellectual, kind, considerate, and warm-hearted.
She always speaks softly, and when she smiles, her eyes crinkle like ripples spreading across a lake in spring. When she talks to her husband and daughter, her tone is always gentle and enviable.
She is the kind of gentle and kind woman who is neither arrogant nor humble to anyone. You can feel very comfortable when you are with her without having to deliberately find topics to talk about.
Naruto had never seen Mikoto lose her temper with anyone, not even when she spoke harshly. She was like a piece of clear water that would never be stirred, quietly staying at the heart of the family, gently and subtly protecting her family in a warm shell.
But the woman standing before him now had her hands in her apron pockets, her face turned to the side, her chin slightly raised, and her tone harsh and aggressive, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the corners of her mouth. But if you listened carefully, you could clearly hear that every word she uttered was out of consideration for others. Well, uh…
Naruto tried hard to reconcile the image of the woman in front of him, who was turning her face away, speaking in a stiff tone, and saying "It wasn't prepared on purpose" but had actually been preparing the meal for a long time, with the gentle and elegant Uchiha Mikoto from his memory.
Mikoto didn't give them much time to daze. She gave a heavy snort to Fugaku, who was standing by the entrance with a forced smile, then turned around. "Let's help the guests put their luggage down first. It's impolite to leave them standing there like this."
"I'm going to prepare dinner. There's something simmering in the kitchen; it won't taste good if it's overcooked." With that, she disappeared behind the kitchen door, followed by the crisp sound of a spatula clattering against a pot and the soft sizzling of oil heating up.
"...Uh, well." Naruto finally managed to find his tongue. "Mr. Fugaku's wife has quite a... distinctive personality, huh."
He couldn't think of a more appropriate adjective.
"Haha." Fugaku was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing. His laughter carried a calmness that he was already used to, and even enjoyed. "Mikoto has always been like this since she was little. She's always sharp-tongued, but she's actually more tender-hearted than anyone else. She's just a little shy about expressing it directly. Please forgive her for making you laugh, don't take it to heart, she really didn't mean any harm."
Naruto nodded silently, mentally updating the "character personality comparison chart" in his mind.
In the original world, the stern and aloof Uchiha Fugaku, who was imposing without anger, has become a kind and warm-hearted uncle here. And the gentle and soft-spoken Uchiha Mikoto has become... how should I put it, she looks like Satsuki when she was a child.
And so, Fugaku led the two to the living room and sat them down at the low table.
The tea had been brewed long ago, and Fugaku poured it for the two of them while chatting with Naruto and Sasuke. It was more of a chat than a conversation; Fugaku was asking questions, and Naruto was answering.
Ask them where they came from, if they encountered any trouble on the way, what their impression of Konoha was, and what they thought was different about the architectural style of the Uchiha clan's territory compared to the outside world.
Naruto carefully responded while inwardly marveling at how Fugaku's talkativeness was unstoppable once he started.
Sasuke sat on the other side of the low table, remaining silent the entire time. He neither participated in the conversation nor refuted a single word his father said. Meanwhile, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of cooking: soup bubbling in a small pot, oil sizzling as vegetables were added, and occasionally Mikoto's mutterings to herself.
Satsuki sat quietly in her seat, her gaze fixed on the kitchen.
She had this idea when she was very young. Her own mother was considered an outcast, even within the Uchiha clan.
The Uchiha clan is always perceived as aloof, proud, and unsmiling. However, her mother, Mikoto, is the kind of person with a cheerful and gentle personality, always kind and friendly to everyone. Walking through the Uchiha clan's territory, she stands out like a warm-colored little flower blooming in a crack in the rock.
As a child, she had wondered more than once what her mother would be like if she were a more traditional Uchiha, like other Uchiha. Now, she saw it.
After a while, the noise in the kitchen gradually subsided. Mikoto began to bring out the prepared dishes one by one, her movements swift and efficient, each plate placed perfectly.
Sasuke didn't say a word, but the moment Mikoto walked out of the kitchen doorway carrying a tray, he almost reflexively stood up. He walked quickly over, took the heaviest soup bowl from his mother's hands, placed it steadily on the low table, and then turned to take the next plate.
Soon, a sumptuous Japanese meal filled the entire low table. The portion of each dish was just right, and the plating was exquisite yet unpretentious. It was the kind of warm, comforting food that could only be made in one's own kitchen.
"This cooking is amazing!" Naruto, as a guest, naturally had to be polite. "Reijo's cooking is truly excellent; Mr. Fugaku is very fortunate."
"Good fortune?"
Before Fugaku could even offer a few words of modesty, Mikoto's voice came from the other side of the table. "Him? His only redeeming quality is his good eyesight. He's been like that since he was young. Aside from his passable judgment of people, I really can't think of anything else praiseworthy about him."
"Ahem, Mikoto, we have a guest." Fugaku coughed lightly, his lips a little stiff, but the smile in his eyes didn't disappear.
"I'm telling the truth." Mikoto remained unmoved. "At home, he wouldn't be called lazy, but he's far from being diligent either. If I weren't around, I don't know how messy his life would become. So I had no choice but to let him have his way."
Then, she suddenly turned her head, and from Fugaku and Naruto's angle, they could only see half of her profile and a tiny, almost imperceptible blush at the base of her ear. When she spoke again, her voice suddenly dropped.
"However... he really works very hard outside, and he always carries the burden of supporting the family on his shoulders. So it's only right to cook him something nice to eat."
Such a perfect example of tsundere.
Upon hearing this, Naruto couldn't help but rub his eyes. The warm yellow light from the Fugaku family's dining table diffused before his eyes, and in a daze, he seemed to see a little girl with black hair.
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(The daily life in this world is almost finished; the next chapter will move into the main storyline.)