Chapter 317: Naruto Praises Sasuke, Itachi Uses Mangekyō to Fry Eggs
Early the next morning in Konoha, Haneda returned from a night of researching the Tenseigan.
He intended to settle matters for Tonari's schooling and daily life before heading to the Land of Water to reclaim Ao's stolen Byakugan. On the way, he also planned to make a detour to Sunagakure to acquire the Jutsu of Self-Sacrificial Resurrection.
After making breakfast for Naruto, Tonari, and the others, Haneda set off with Naruto and Tonari to school.
"Haneda-ojisan, let's stop by Sasuke's place first, okay? I promised to meet him every day so we could go to school together!" Naruto tugged at Haneda's sleeve as he spoke.
"Let's get Tonari's enrollment sorted out first. Then I'll teleport all of you to school using the Flying Thunder God Technique," Haneda replied, clearly unenthusiastic about detours.
He knew that once they reached Sasuke's house, the chances of teleporting directly to school were slim to none. The walk to school would inevitably turn into a casual chat and exploration session.
But Naruto was persistent, dragging Haneda along, leaving him with no choice.
Just as Haneda considered whisking them to school instantly, Tonari spoke up:
"Haneda-ojisan, I'm quite curious about Naruto's friend Sasuke. Can we meet him first? It'd be nice to get to know him beforehand."
Resigned, Haneda sighed and gave in. Naruto, seizing the opportunity, grabbed Tonari's hand excitedly.
"Alright, Haneda-ojisan! I'll tell Tonari all about Sasuke beforehand!"
Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully, trying to figure out where to start. When he caught sight of Haneda's handsome face, inspiration struck.
"Tonari, listen up! Sasuke's really, really handsome—just like me."
"Sasuke's always first in our ninja exams—top of the class and grade—just like me."
"But, uh, he's got a bit of an attitude. Kinda too proud. Always calling me a dumbass, a loser, and a total idiot!"
"But I'm nothing like that!"
Tonari, looking a bit concerned, asked, "He doesn't sound very easy to get along with… Do you think he'll want to be friends with me?"
Naruto recalled how Sasuke, despite always calling him a total idiot, never abandoned him. Smiling softly, he said:
"Well, Sasuke's my eternal rival but also my eternal friend."
"And he sees me the same way—a rival and a friend forever."
"So don't worry. He's really good to his friends, very caring, and super easy to get along with once you know him."
Overhearing Naruto's heartfelt description, Haneda's lips curved into a smile. Naruto and Sasuke's bond truly mirrored his own past.
Tonari, hearing this, let out a relieved sigh and thought to himself:
"So Sasuke is cold on the outside but warm inside. Might be tricky to get close to him, but it's worth a shot. I'll give it my best."
Turning to Haneda, Tonari asked hesitantly, "Haneda-ojisan, is there a way to impress Sasuke and earn his respect? I really want to be friends with him."
Without missing a beat, Haneda replied, "Just fight him."
"The Uchiha clan respects strength above all else. If you're stronger than him, he'll see you as a goal to surpass and start paying attention to you."
"Of course, don't overdo it. If you go too hard, Sasuke might hold a grudge."
Though Tonari had already awakened his Byakugan at such a young age, Haneda hadn't yet gauged his actual combat capabilities.
If Sasuke ended up being the one to overpower Tonari, that'd be a bit awkward…
As a precaution, Haneda added:
"Sasuke's quite strong. He's already a capable ninja. Be cautious when you challenge him."
"Got it." Tonari nodded earnestly, already beginning to draft in his mind how he would approach Sasuke.
As the three of them chatted, they soon arrived at Sasuke's house.
At the door, Naruto promptly abandoned Tonari and peeked through the window. Sure enough, Sasuke was sitting at the dining table.
It was still early, and Sasuke seemed to be waiting for Itachi to finish preparing breakfast.
Naruto crouched by the window, locking eyes with Sasuke.
"Sasuke!"
"What is it?" Sasuke propped his chin on his hands and tilted his head toward Naruto.
"Just wanted to see you."
"How boring."
Seeing Sasuke's dismissive response, Naruto's face immediately fell.
But then Sasuke added, "You're early today. Is this the kid Haneda-ojisan adopted?"
"Yup!" Naruto nodded enthusiastically and jumped down from the window. Entering the house, he turned to beckon Tonari to follow him inside.
Tonari hesitated, but Naruto grabbed his hand and pulled him in.
"Sasuke, this is Ōtsutsuki Tonari. He's from the moon—a real alien!"
"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said coolly, introducing himself. His gaze fixed on Tonari's Byakugan, the renowned kekkei genkai of the Hyūga clan, second only to the Sharingan.
"Your abilities seem decent, but compared to the Uchiha, you're still far behind."
For some reason, Sasuke felt a flicker of hostility toward the boy Naruto was holding hands with.
Tonari, however, responded modestly and calmly:
"I haven't even started ninja school yet. But give me some time—I'll challenge you one day and become your eternal rival and friend, just like Naruto."
Glancing at Naruto, Sasuke scoffed, "That's impossible."
Looking at Sasuke's aloof demeanor, Tonari thought to himself that he'd have to follow Haneda-ojisan's advice and fight Sasuke to earn his respect.
Their gazes met, sparks seeming to fly between them.
Sensing the tension, Naruto laughed awkwardly and shifted the conversation, talking to Sasuke about their evening training plans.
Under Naruto's lead, Sasuke gradually relaxed and even began bragging about his recent progress with lightning jutsu.
...
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, things were unfolding in a more unusual manner.
When Naruto and Tonari went to find Sasuke, Haneda had wandered into the kitchen to find Itachi preparing breakfast.
Itachi was entirely focused on his task, meticulously cooking for Sasuke.
Haneda decided not to interrupt, instead observing quietly from the side.
Itachi's approach to cooking was surprisingly methodical. If even a fragment of eggshell fell into the pan, he'd immediately discard the batch, clean the pan, and start over.
Of course, Itachi didn't waste food. Any less-than-perfect eggs were set aside for himself.
Then came the surprising part—Itachi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan to cook eggs.
The sight left Haneda momentarily dumbfounded. Not wanting to distract Itachi, he activated his Ghostly Phantom technique to watch invisibly.
Itachi heated the pan, using his Mangekyō's enhanced perception to detect the precise moment the oil reached the optimal temperature. He turned down the heat, cracked an egg with flawless precision, and swiftly sprinkled salt and pepper, completing the process in one seamless motion.
Haneda couldn't help but marvel at the fluidity of Itachi's movements.
But what puzzled him was when Itachi added water to the pan and covered it.
"Water? For frying eggs? What is he doing?" Haneda wondered silently.
Itachi closed his eyes, seemingly counting seconds in his head. Curious, Haneda jumped to the ceiling for a better view.
After about ten seconds, Itachi opened his eyes and removed the lid.
A plume of white steam billowed out, revealing a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg.