Steam curled gently from the plates as the waitress set them down, the scent of tomato sauce and melting cheese flowed through the air. Bowls of thick udon were placed before Mikoto, Ino, and Sasuke, while the two outsiders—Raven and Naruto—were served something entirely different. The red sheen of tomato glistened over strands of pasta, lightly dusted with grated cheese. Raven narrowed her eyes at the unfamiliar dish, then glanced across the table at Naruto.
"Naruto," she said quietly, "it looks like we've finally met our match."
"Yeah…" Naruto said, nodding with equal gravity.
He poked at the noodles with his fork, then frowned. "What are these little flakes of cheese in here?"
Raven leaned closer, adopting the air of a seasoned food critic. "That's Parmesan. We use it at my family's restaurant, the Krusty Kunai. It's sacred to pizza."
Naruto gave it a tentative sniff, then took a bite. His eyes lit up. "Ooh! This red tomato sauce is pretty good."
Raven gasped like she'd been betrayed. "You traitor! You've betrayed both ramen and your future love for pizza!"
Naruto shrugged, chewing happily. "Whatever, I'm not that inflexible."
Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Naruto, still chewing, mumbled, "Mm-ph—"
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Mikoto and Raven scolded at the same time.
Naruto swallowed dramatically and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm not that fickle, okay? I'm only three years old! My love for ramen is just beginning. I have a whole world of culinary delights to explore! But ramen will always be the number-one mistress in my heart."
Mikoto sighed, pressing two fingers to her temple. "Oh my God… I don't know what to do with you, kid."
Raven laughed so hard she nearly dropped her fork, and Ino giggled softly beside her.
Ino leaned toward Sasuke. "Sasuke, how are your udon noodles?"
Sasuke gave a small nod. "They're pretty good. I actually like noodles a lot. I've had ramen, pizza, and udon now—but Mom makes the best pizza."
Raven's eyes sparkled. "Mikoto, you make pizza?!"
Mikoto scratched the back of her head modestly. "I've been known to dabble in cooking for Sasuke. He likes my ramen, my udon, and my pizza. I'm a rather talented cook, actually."
Raven, Naruto, and Ino all stared at Sasuke like he was the luckiest child alive.
Sasuke leaned back with pride. "That's right. My mother is the expert cook of the Uchiha clan—the pride and joy of our household. She can cook anything and everything. She's the Super Housewife!"
A chopstick hand booked down on his head in a sharp chop.
"You little cretin!" Mikoto scolded. "Don't call me a housewife! I'm a strong female shinobi warrior—a proud kunoichi!"
Sasuke rubbed his head, wincing. "Ow! Okay, okay Mom! But I don't get why you're so opposed to being called that."
"Because that term is outdated!" Mikoto huffed. "The women of the Uchiha clan are equals to any man who leads it."
"Right, right… I keep forgetting. Clan politics have gotten complicated lately, Mom."
Raven tilted her head thoughtfully. "So the politics in your clan have evolved over the last few years?"
Mikoto sighed. "Yes. In recent years, we women of the Uchiha have realized how long we lived subservient to the rigid traditions set by the men. So I now lead a reformist faction—made up of the housewives, young kunoichi, and female warriors of the clan. Together, we're reorganizing our strength."
Raven listened with genuine interest as she continued.
"Fugaku can't deploy most Uchiha teams now without my consent. My authority stands second only to his. The women of our clan will never again be overlooked."
Raven nodded sagely. "The female warriors of the Uchiha have contributed considerably to Konoha's war efforts over the decades. It's only right their role is acknowledged."
Mikoto blinked at her. "What does a three-year-old know about Konoha's war efforts and the Uchiha's role in them?"
Raven smirked. "What? I read a lot. I have to be prepared for the ninja academy!"
Mikoto's expression softened. "That makes sense."
She turned towards Naruto. "Naruto, I hear you don't know the basic jutsu techniques you'll need for the academy. Is that true?"
"Yeah," Naruto admitted, "but my new friends Raven and Ino said they would help me learn!"
"Oh? Raven can perform the basics already? I'm impressed—especially since your parents are civilians who run a pizza shop."
Raven nodded. "Like I said, I read a lot. And yes, I'll help Naruto."
"Excellent. I'll supervise while you teach him."
Raven's fork paused mid-air. "You… want to help Naruto learn the academy basics?"
"Of course," Mikoto said simply. "I need to make sure Sasuke's rival becomes strong enough to challenge him. Maybe then he'll lose that arrogant little attitude and stop acting like every Uchiha is superior."
"Mom!" Sasuke glared. "You can't talk about that! Uchiha men are naturally arrogant because we're better than everyone!"
Before he could say another word, Mikoto stuffed a mouthful of udon into his mouth with her chopsticks.
"You are not naturally better than anyone, Sasuke! And if you keep thinking that way, it's going to get you killed someday!"
Naruto burst into laughter, a strand of spaghetti flying from his mouth and landing squarely on Sasuke's cheek.
"Sasuke!" he shouted, pointing. "Your own mom just took you down a peg! The Uchiha superiority complex runs deep!"
Sasuke wiped the sauce from his face and glared. "I'll have you know, Naruto Uzumaki, that I'm still ahead of you in ninja skills! So don't laugh at me!"
Naruto straightened, his expression firm. "Only until I learn them."
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