"It's gonna be their twenty-third bowl!" a little girl said, jumping excitedly.
"Gulp... You possibly can't fit more in your kiddy tummy… Just accept your loss, and I, Kushina Uzumaki, the greatest fuinjutsu master, will accept you as my apprentice!" said Kushina while forcing another bite of ramen down.
Even she, who loved ramen more than her dear husband Minato, couldn't eat another bite, but her pride wouldn't let her quit.
Seated beside her, Itachi finished his bowl as easily as his first one, wiping his mouth casually.
"Don't force it, Kushina-nee… Just say it."
"Naah, never…" grunted Kushina, forcing another bite.
"Hehehe, don't say I didn't warn you… Bring us one more, little Ayame!"
"Nooo… I can't, no more," said Kushina finally, sprawling herself dramatically across the table.
"Hey, you're as little as me… Humph," Ayame huffed as she reluctantly brought a new serving.
"Thank you," Itachi said with a charming smile. He leaned forward, flicking her forehead playfully.
Stunned, Ayame stumbled back, blushing, and ran away to hide behind her father.
"Ohhh, who's the little charmer, huh?" Mikoto teased, gently wiping his mouth with her flower-patterned handkerchief.
"I told you, I'll bring all the kunoichi of the village to be your daughters-in-law," Itachi said confidently, winking at Ayame.
Ayame peeked shyly from behind Teuchi's leg, watching as the ongoing "mother-daughter" conversation continued.
"Enough, you two… Don't tease Ayame-chan anymore," grumbled Kushina, slamming her bowl on the table.
"Hehehe… Don't be jealous, Kushina-nee. I'll make a place for you in my harem too," said Itachi cheekily.
Kushina blinked, looking dumbfounded at the little boy, then her expression changed as if something clicked. Her fist clenched, and her hair started to rise.
"Whyyyy youuu—"
"Huh? Kushina, what happened?" said a handsome blond-haired boy, appearing out of nowhere as if he had teleported.
"Huh, Minaaato… It's n… nothing," Kushina said sheepishly. She didn't want to show her brute side to Minato.
"Are you sure?" Minato asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Y… yeah," Kushina stammered.
"Hey, Kushina-nee, are you still here or already lost in your delulu land?" Itachi said, jumping between Minato and her.
"And you, blondie, you don't get to flirt with my girl—ahh, what are you doing, Mom, Kushina-nee?" cried Itachi as Kushina and Mikoto both pinched his cheeks.
"Enough playing, Itachi," said Mikoto as she picked him up and placed him back on his stool.
"Mommmm…"
Minato stood there, watching the cheerful boy who had just tried to claim his wife, and noticed something interesting.
"So, Kushina-nee, what about our bet…? It's easier to say it fast than fight it, you know," said Itachi, smirking and even boldly adding her catchphrase.
"Why youuu… No, never! I won't say it," said Kushina grumpily.
"What bet?" asked Minato, glancing at Itachi.
"Oh, that… It's nothing, just a competition of who can eattt—mmphhhh," mumbled Itachi as Kushina clamped her hand over his mouth.
"Okay, okay! I accept, I lost to you… Happy? Just don't tell this to him," Kushina whispered into his ear.
Itachi felt a tingling sensation through his body, and in response, he did the only thing he could—he stopped trying to speak, pushed his tongue out, and licked her hand.
"Ewww… youuu!" Kushina jumped away, wiping her hand furiously and glaring daggers at him.
" How the hell did you eat 23 bowls but still look like you can eat more , you must have cheated" Kushina said pointing at him
Minato raised an eyebrow, looking amused.
"Twenty-three bowls… and you don't even look full. That's strange."
Kushina spun toward him.
"Wait, strange? What's strange?!"
Minato crouched slightly, his blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully at Itachi.
"Your chakra hasn't shifted at all. Normally after eating this much, your system should be adjusting to digesting that amount of food. But your flow hasn't changed a bit… Unless—"
Itachi smirked knowingly.
"Oh? You noticed, huh?"
Kushina blinked, confused.
"Noticed what?"
Itachi sighed dramatically, sticking out his tongue just enough for a faint glowing seal to shimmer before vanishing again.
Kushina's jaw dropped.
"YOU—YOU SEALED THE RAMEN IN YOUR MOUTH?!"
Even Teuchi froze mid-step, blinking in surprise.
"You can do that…?" he muttered under his breath.
Ayame tilted her head, clearly confused.
"Wait… what does that even mean?"
"It means this brat cheated!" Kushina slammed the table, pointing at him.
Itachi shrugged.
"Every third bite goes straight into the seal instead of my stomach. Still counts as eating. Rules never said where the food had to stay."
Kushina sputtered, practically shaking.
"You're the worst kind of cheater!"
Minato, however, looked genuinely impressed.
"Most jonin can't stabilize seals on moving skin, let alone their tongue. That's… incredible, Itachi-kun."
Itachi grinned.
"Of course. If you can't think around the rules, you'll always be stuck inside them."
For a brief moment, his playful tone faded, replaced by something oddly calm, almost ancient.
"Chakra doesn't like being forced. You don't chain it; you talk to it, let it flow. Push too hard, it pushes back. Guide it gently, and it'll follow you wherever you want."
Minato went quiet, his mind turning.
'He talks like a sage… at his age?'
Then Itachi's grin returned.
"Anyway, Kushina-nee, you're just mad because you lost to a kid."
Kushina growled, slamming her palm on the table again.
"YOU—!"
Minato chuckled, shaking his head.
"You really are something else, Itachi-kun… Talent, skill, and a mind like that. You'll be terrifying when you grow up."
Itachi winked.
"That's the plan."
"Don't encourage him, Minato!" Kushina barked, but her cheeks puffed in embarrassment.
Mikoto smiled softly, dabbing at Itachi's mouth again with her handkerchief.
"Because he's my son."
"Humph!" Kushina crossed her arms, still sulking.
"Don't be jealous, Kushina-nee," Itachi said slyly. "I'll still save a spot for you in my future harem."
Kushina's hair instantly spiked in fury.
"WHYYYY YOUUU—!"
Itachi darted behind Minato, peeking from behind him.
"Help me, blondie! She's going to eat me alive!"
Minato just laughed softly, crouching slightly as if shielding him.
"Careful, Kushina. He might just seal you in his mouth next."
"MINATO!" Kushina roared, her face redder than her hair, while the entire ramen shop burst into laughter.
And through it all, Minato found himself watching the boy more closely than ever.
' A genius hiding behind a cheeky grin… This kid… he's not just a prodigy. He's something far more dangerous.'
----
Later That Evening – Uchiha Compound
"Why did you reject Minato's offer to become his student, sweety?" Mikoto asked her son, who was cutely lying in her lap.
After all, no matter how childlike he acted, she had always known his true side—kind but cold, smart, mature, just like his father. There was no way he couldn't see the opportunity behind Minato's offer.
Little Itachi looked up at her with innocent eyes and said softly,
"Because I want to train with you, Mommy."
Mikoto was stunned for a moment but then smiled gently. Patting his head, she said dotingly,
"Yes, Little Itachi… I'll teach you how to be the strongest genjutsu user in the world."
Itachi just smiled, closing his eyes peacefully as Mikoto hummed a quiet lullaby, while outside, the evening breeze rustled through the Uchiha compound.