231.Afternoon Tea

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Mount Ōeyama, Uchiha Residence 

Four Uchihas sat around a heated table, with three of them glaring at Kaito, who was leisurely eating an orange. 

"Mmm…" 

Kaito popped another slice into his mouth, cheeks puffed out, and mumbled, "Why are you all staring at me like that?" 

"What do you think?" Izuna asked with a forced smile, his eyes fixed on the orange in Kaito's hand. 

"Uh…" 

Kaito looked at the orange in his hand, then asked in surprise, "Oh, you wanted an orange?" 

"I did not!" Izuna denied immediately. 

"No need to be shy." Kaito stuffed the half-eaten orange into Izuna's hand. "Here, take it." 

"Take your nonsense else where!" Izuna threw the orange at Kaito's head, fuming. "I can't even taste it!" 

"True," Kaito said smugly. "When I designed this paper clone, I purposely didn't add eating or other bodily functions. Isn't it convenient?" 

"So…" Izuna's face darkened as he clenched his teeth. "You mean to say it's possible to add those functions?" 

"Of course," Kaito said, peeling another orange. "But it's too troublesome. Isn't it better not to eat or use the bathroom?" 

"Better, my foot!" Izuna snapped, flipping the table over in frustration. 

"Hey, hey! What are you doing?" 

The heated table overturned, scattering hot coals. The other three quickly dodged to avoid them. 

"Let's talk this out," Kaito said, slipping another orange slice into his mouth. He looked at Izuna disapprovingly. "Why are you so cranky today?" 

"Heh heh…" Dark energy seemed to radiate from Izuna as he let out a sinister laugh. 

"Madara-san, look at him…" Kaito turned to Madara for support, only to see that he too was giving Kaito a terrifying look. 

Kaito wisely retreated behind Chiri, who was still smiling peacefully, and grabbed her sleeve. 

"Miss Chiri, help me!" Kaito peeked out from behind her. "What's wrong with them?" 

"Oh my." Chiri's smile deepened. "They just want to eat something too." 

"Ah, I see." Kaito patted his chest in relief. 

"Madara-san, Izuna-san, you should've said so earlier." Kaito stepped out from behind Chiri. "Leave it to me! I just need to modify the spells on your paper clones a bit." 

"Brother," Izuna said, his face darkening as he turned to Madara. "This guy is beyond saving. Let's just beat him up." 

"Agreed," Madara nodded. 

In an instant, the two appeared behind Kaito and grabbed his arms. 

"What are you doing?" 

Caught off guard, Kaito was pinned. 

"Beating you up!" 

Izuna swept Kaito's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. 

Madara activated his Rinnegan. "Universal Pull!" 

Kneeling down, Madara used the gravitational force to firmly pin Kaito against his hand. 

Izuna followed up with a powerful kick. 

"Ahhh! Why are you hitting me?" Kaito struggled, reaching out to Chiri, who was seated at a distance. 

"Miss Chiri, help me!" 

"Oh my." Chiri rose calmly, smiling as she walked toward the kitchen. "It's time to prepare afternoon tea." 

"Afternoon tea? I haven't even had a bite!" Kaito shouted in protest. 

Madara and Izuna said nothing, one holding him down while the other continued kicking. 

"Alright, alright, I surrender!" 

Izuna landed another kick, but Kaito's body suddenly dissolved into golden liquid, splashing across the floor. 

"I surrender!" The liquid quickly flowed away. "It's my fault! I'll modify the spells right now. You'll have your afternoon tea soon!" 

"Hmph!" Izuna crossed his arms. "Hurry up!" 

"Got it, got it!" 

The golden liquid reformed into Kaito's humanoid shape as he dashed toward the laboratory. His voice echoed back. 

"Just give me a bit of time to figure it out!" 

---

An hour later, the four were once again seated around the heated table. 

A pile of orange peels lay before Izuna, who continued eating with relish. 

"So sweet," he said, his face contorting into a false smile. 

Madara, expressionless as ever, ate his favorite inari sushi, one piece after another. Despite his stoic demeanor, there was an inexplicable softness to his sharp features. 

Chiri sat elegantly, a small cake on her plate and a cup of tea in her hand. 

Kaito, meanwhile, sat off to the side, gazing longingly at the food. 

"Ahem." 

Kaito cleared his throat, clutching his neck. "My throat feels a bit itchy." 

He reached toward the pile of oranges in the center of the table. 

Smack! 

Izuna's hand shot out like lightning, slapping Kaito's hand away. 

"Your throat's itchy?" Izuna lifted the entire plate of oranges, smiling insincerely. 

"Yeah." 

Kaito nodded. 

"Then drink some hot water," Izuna said with a gleaming smile. "You're old enough to get it yourself." 

"Never mind." Kaito retracted his hand with an awkward grin. "It's feeling better now." 

"Good," Izuna said, popping an orange slice into his mouth. "I'm so relieved to hear that." 

"Thanks for your concern," Kaito replied, his own smile forced. 

"You're welcome," Izuna said, placing the plate of oranges firmly on his lap. 

Kaito clicked his tongue quietly, turning his gaze to Madara. 

"So, The Madara likes inari sushi, huh?" Kaito eyed the rapidly emptying plate. "I've never tried it before." 

Madara glanced at him, his hand moving with lightning speed. 

"Sorry, it's all gone." 

He set his chopsticks down on the now-empty plate and picked up his tea. 

"It was delicious," Madara said, a rare smile gracing his face. "Thank you for the meal, Chiri." 

"You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it," Chiri replied warmly. 

"Miss Chiri," Kaito said, shifting his gaze to the small cake in front of her. 

Chiri set down her tea and picked up her fork, turning to Kaito with a caring expression. 

"Yes, what is it, Kaito?" 

"Uh…nothing." Kaito chuckled nervously. "I didn't know you could bake cakes, Chiri." 

Chiri delicately ate a small piece of cake, her face lighting up with joy as imaginary flowers seemed to bloom around her. 

"Oh, it's just a little hobby from my younger days," she said modestly. 

She took another bite. 

"It's been years since I've had this." 

Another bite. 

"It makes me so happy." 

"As long as you're happy." Kaito averted his longing gaze, sighing. 

"Um…" He raised his hand. "I just remembered I have something to do. Excuse me." 

Without waiting for a response, Kaito rushed out the door, slipped on his shoes in the hallway, and leapt over the courtyard wall. 

Laughter and chatter echoed from the house as Kaito glanced back. 

"Hmph, I'm going to get some fox oden." 

A cold breeze swept by, and Kaito shivered, shoving his hands into his sleeves as he hurried away from home.