Uchiha Ran's words struck straight at Uchiha Fugaku's nerves. Having ruled his household with an iron hand for so many years, Fugaku felt a surge of dissatisfaction.
"Ran, is that how you speak to your father? Did you learn all that noble etiquette for nothing?" Fugaku said coldly.
"Fugaku!" Uchiha Mikoto snapped.
Fugaku's eyelids twitched, and he restrained himself noticeably.
Ran wanted to flare up, but the moment his mother's gaze fell on him, he swallowed his anger. Finally, he sat down on the floor and spoke to Uchiha Sasuke.
"Sasuke, from now on, no one is allowed to bully you. Not your eldest brother—and not Father either."
"If anyone dares to bully you, tell your second brother. I'll make them pay the price," Ran said casually.
On the surface, he was talking to Sasuke. In reality, the words were aimed straight at Fugaku. How could Fugaku not understand? A deep sense of dejection welled up inside him.
An unqualified Clan Head.
An unqualified father.
What a failure of a life.
Mikoto gently patted Ran on the head. "What are you saying, Ran? Who would bully Sasuke? Eat properly—be good." She looked a little flustered.
The old Ran had been obedient and rarely clashed with Fugaku. But after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, his personality had changed drastically.
She sighed inwardly. The Uchiha's dōjutsu was powerful, but awakening the Mangekyō always altered a person's temperament to some degree. Mikoto understood this.
So she understood Ran.
Ran instantly wilted, his head drooping. There was nothing he could do—whenever he faced his mother, all his pressure and aura vanished.
Bloodline suppression.
She had never abandoned him because of his lack of talent. For ten years, she had cared for and raised him with unwavering devotion.
Just as Ran was feeling low, something gently pressed against his cheek.
He turned his head—it was Sasuke. Sasuke's face was flushed red, his eyes darting around nervously.
Ran smiled and pinched his cheek. "Sasuke, what do you want to eat? I'll get it for you. Eat as much as you like—don't worry about etiquette."
Sasuke froze, then blinked his big eyes. "Second Brother, I want three-color dango!"
He pointed at the five skewers on the table and immediately started drooling again.
Ran even heard him swallow audibly.
With a laugh, Ran brought the dango over. Sasuke reached out to take them, instinctively about to glance at his father—only for Ran to pinch his cheek again.
"When you're eating, don't look around."
After that, Ran casually grabbed a piece of salmon sushi with his hand, dipped it in the secret sauce, and popped it straight into his mouth.
Cold, fresh, unbelievably tender—the flavor burst across his tongue.
Delicious.
Watching him, Sasuke relaxed and began eating enthusiastically as well. Mikoto couldn't help but smile.
As a homemaker, nothing made her happier than seeing her food enjoyed. In the past, because of "noble etiquette," both sons were never allowed to eat their fill.
She had argued with Fugaku countless times over it.
They were just children—what was wrong with wanting to eat?
But Fugaku had always been unyielding.
"They are my children—sons of the Uchiha Clan Head," he would say.
"He who wears the crown must bear its weight."
Today, however, Mikoto noticed that Fugaku didn't stop them. As he watched Ran and Sasuke, there was even a trace of tenderness in his eyes.
One was his youngest son.
The other had become a pillar of the Uchiha Clan.
Now that Ran possessed true power, why should he still be bound by those restrictions?
Fugaku understood this world very well.
Power outweighs wealth.
Military force outweighs power.
And individual strength outweighs military force.
In short—strength is the foundation of everything.
And judging by the strength Ran had displayed…
Fugaku had to weigh every word carefully.
Because Ran was strong.
That was all there was to it.
Mikoto pulled Fugaku over and made him sit opposite Ran and Sasuke.
The meal passed in rare harmony.
After eating his fill, Sasuke began chatting happily with Ran about school.
"You mean… you made a new friend today?" Ran raised an eyebrow. "His name is Uzumaki Naruto?"
Hearing that name, Fugaku let out a quiet sigh. Mikoto's body trembled, her eyes instantly reddening.
"How… how is he doing?" Ran asked softly. Though he already knew how tragic Naruto's childhood was, he still wanted to hear it.
Sasuke sighed. "He said his monthly allowance isn't even enough to buy food. The shopkeepers only sell him expired milk."
"He even let me try a sip once…"
Sasuke shuddered. "That taste… ugh."
"But I didn't want to embarrass him, so I swallowed it and even said it was good."
Ran patted Sasuke's head. "You've learned how to be considerate of others."
Sasuke looked up, then grinned brightly.
Mikoto turned to Ran. "Ran… is there any way you can make that child's life a little better?"
Ran shook his head. "Right now, the Village already treats our clan like criminals. If we make contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the Third Hokage would probably show up within ten minutes to accuse us of something."
Mikoto's eyes dimmed. She knew he was right—but it still hurt.
Kushina had been like a sister to her. She wanted to care for her old friend's child.
So why did the Village treat the Uchiha with such hostility?
The Nine-Tails attack hadn't been their fault. Just because they shared the same eyes as that mysterious man—did that justify collective punishment?
Sensing his mother's disappointment, Ran stood up and gently comforted her. Then he glanced at Fugaku, whose gaze had grown distant.
Ran knew.
Fugaku had once planned to abduct the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki and use the Mangekyō Sharingan to launch a coup.
Through his own dōjutsu, Ran had already seen two possible futures.
In one, Konoha fell—only for the other four Great Nations to unite and annihilate both the Uchiha Clan and the Leaf Village.
In the other…
The path of the original timeline.
The entire Uchiha Clan wiped out—leaving behind only two sons—while most of Konoha's combat strength survived.