Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

"What is that supposed to mean? Inviting me over as a guest?"

Uchiha Taiga was bewildered.

Didn't they know exactly what kind of relationship he had with the Uchiha clan?

Asking him over as a guest at a time like this... it was pure nonsense.

Uchiha Mikoto nodded. "Yes, it was proposed by Uchiha Hadai and a few others."

"Wait, don't explain just yet. My head is a little spun around."

Taiga's expression was odd. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but he still couldn't figure out the reasoning behind it.

Seeing this, Mikoto smiled. "They feel that you are the one with the most steadfast principles in the entire Uchiha clan."

Taiga opened his mouth to speak, but ended up laughing instead.

"Forget it, let them think whatever they want. You don't need to tell me about this kind of stuff in the future. I'm not going over there anyway."

Mikoto seemed to have known he would react this way, which was why she treated the matter like a joke and didn't place much importance on it.

In the entire Uchiha clan, she was the one who understood Taiga the best.

"Speaking of which, you coming over here... won't the Clan Head get angry?"

Mikoto was currently folding his freshly washed clothes. Hearing this, her hands paused, and her expression looked unnatural for a brief moment.

"Why would he be angry? Don't overthink it."

Taiga nodded. "True. He is the head of the Uchiha clan, after all. He should at least have that much tolerance."

Mikoto remained silent.

"Sigh, it's a pity I can't help you with this. I can only sit here and let my heart ache for you, sister."

He said it with a straight face, but Mikoto knew him far too well. Seeing his expression, she knew immediately that this brat was harboring wicked thoughts.

"Just eat your food."

Seeing her furrow her delicate brows, Taiga chuckled mischievously but said no more.

The two chatted casually, intentionally avoiding the topic of the Uchiha clan and sticking to trivial matters.

Finally, when Mikoto finished tidying up and was preparing to leave, she suddenly asked a question.

"Taiga, could you do me a favor?"

Taiga was picking his teeth. He nodded. "Tell me, what kind of favor?"

"Promise me first."

Taiga paused his tooth-picking and raised an eyebrow.

*What's this? Is she acting spoiled with me?*

It didn't seem like it.

He looked Mikoto up and down, his gaze lingering on her chest and waist for a few extra seconds, making her blush slightly before she stepped forward and swatted him.

"Are you going to promise or not?"

Taiga parted his lips slightly. Seeing her act like this, he felt something was a bit off.

"Tell me what it is first."

"Promise me first."

After saying that, she just stared at him without adding another word.

Taiga fell silent, also refusing to speak.

The two seemed locked in a stalemate, waiting to see who would crack first.

The result was obvious. Mikoto spoke first. "I've taken care of you since you were six or seven years old. I looked after you for years. Remember how you loved the food I cooked back then? I washed all your clothes... When others criticized you, I stood in front of you to protect you. When you were upset, I was the one who comforted you..."

She listed the things she had done for him one by one. The more she spoke, the redder her eyes became, and the closer she seemed to shedding tears.

Honestly, a married woman truly was a natural at certain things. To think she would actually use such tactics on a handsome young man like him.

Even though he knew Mikoto was doing this on purpose, Taiga couldn't just stand by and watch.

He did have a strained relationship with the Uchiha clan, and he did intend to distance himself from Mikoto, but they hadn't reached that point yet.

Seeing that she was gearing up to continue her rambling, Taiga shook his head helplessly. "Let's get one thing straight. If it's something that puts me in a difficult position, I will refuse."

Only then did Mikoto stop her guilt trip and say directly, "I want you to be Itachi's teacher."

Taiga pointed at himself. "Me?"

Mikoto nodded.

"Be Itachi's teacher?"

Mikoto nodded again. "Yes."

Taiga fell silent.

Right now, Itachi was only about four, almost five years old—still just a little kid.

But the moment he thought about what this guy was going to do in the future, he felt a massive headache coming on.

This kid was a ticking time bomb.

With that in mind, he immediately shook his head.

But Mikoto seemed genuinely hurt by his reaction. Her eyes instantly reddened, and tears began to fall.

"Why?"

Perhaps because it was so hard to accept, Mikoto's voice trembled as she spoke.

After all, in her heart, she had always treated Taiga as family. Yet, when she merely asked him to be her child's teacher, he flat-out refused. It gave her a deep sense of defeat.

It made it seem as though all the affection she had poured into him over the years wasn't worth it.

*Crap.*

Taiga was most afraid of women crying.

Especially when, after a moment's thought, he roughly guessed why she was so emotional right now. His headache immediately worsened.

Others might not know what Uchiha Itachi would become in the future, but how could he not?

However, based on their normal relationship, it made perfect sense for him to become Itachi's teacher right now.

That was exactly how Mikoto saw it, which was why she felt so awful after being rejected.

"I..."

Taiga was at a loss for words, but looking at her expression, he couldn't harden his heart enough to keep refusing.

"Let's get this straight first. I'm not even an adult yet, so it's not appropriate for me to be a formal teacher. Just treat me as an uncle who will help you look after the kid in my free time."

Hearing this, the sorrow on Mikoto's face eased slightly.

Taiga continued, "I can't guarantee that I'll teach Itachi well. After all, you know exactly what kind of situation I'm in right now. As long as you aren't afraid of Itachi getting too close to me, picking up my personality, and ending up hating the clan too, then fine."

Mikoto wiped the corners of her eyes and said, "Hating the Uchiha is still better than ending up like the rest of the clan, holding onto unrealistic fantasies about the Uchiha."

Taiga raised an eyebrow. "It seems you have a very clear understanding of these matters, Sister Mikoto."

Mikoto ignored his comment and said, "Then it's settled. I'll tell Itachi as soon as I get back."

"Aren't you afraid the Clan Head will refuse?"

"He won't."

With that, Mikoto left straight away.

It was obvious she was a little impatient to get it done.

Shaking his head, Taiga didn't dwell on it.

This matter was a bit sudden for him, but it wasn't completely unacceptable.

Thinking back to her words just now, it was clear that as a mother, Mikoto didn't want her child to turn out like the rest of the clan, easily swept up by the family's collective emotions.

If that happened, it would mean she had failed as a mother.

But being Itachi's teacher...

This was going to be a bit difficult.

*I just hope Uchiha Fugaku sticks to his ideals and rejects Mikoto's request.*

However, the outcome of this matter truly exceeded Taiga's expectations.

Because three days later, Mikoto came over again, bringing news that left even him a bit bewildered.

"Fugaku agreed. This is a thank-you gift he asked me to pass on to you."

It was a ninja blade forged with chakra metal. No matter how one looked at it, it was a premium weapon.

"Why would he agree?"

Taiga was completely baffled.

As a father, and especially as the Clan Head, shouldn't Uchiha Fugaku have strictly refused?

After all, let alone the Uchiha clan, even people in the village knew that the two of them didn't get along.

Did this make any sense?

It made absolutely no sense.

Mikoto, however, smiled faintly and delivered a flawless explanation.

"You don't understand the affection parents have for their children, nor do you understand how much parents value them."

She then elaborated, "Perhaps in your eyes, you and Fugaku don't get along. But in Fugaku's eyes, you are a true genius. Having you guide Itachi from your perspective is actually a good thing for him."

"Is that so?"

Mikoto nodded. "Therefore, in six days, I will bring Itachi over to meet you."

"Why six days?"

"Because there are still a few days' worth of chores to handle at the new clan compound."

"Alright then."

Since things had reached this point, there was nothing more to say. He was actually quite curious to meet Itachi, the culprit behind the clan massacre in the original storyline.