30 I don't know them

Heavens, they are staring at me intensely as if trying to remember something about me. I suppose a greeting wouldn't hurt.

"Beautiful lady, gray boy," I said as I passed by them. I'm sure that if it weren't for his clan's commitment, Fugaku would never have gotten a woman like Mikoto in his life due to his stoic character. As for Kakashi's unfeeling demeanor, it's not my concern nor do I care.

"Wait!" Mikoto called out to me and approached me. I could see some astonishment in her eyes as she noticed my height. "I'm sorry, do you know Kushina and Rin?"

Kakashi seemed indifferent to the question, but the way his ear twitched up and down told me he was paying attention to my response while he looked at the flowers I left on Rin's grave, the same ones he was holding in his hand.

"I don't know them," I decided to respond truthfully since we technically never had a face-to-face encounter, and you can only say you know someone if you've seen them in person at least once. It's just that, to add some drama, I raised my eyebrows while subtly shifting my eyes to the right and spoke in a tone that seemed to convey a deep hidden meaning.

Kakashi and Mikoto obviously didn't believe that I didn't know them; otherwise, how would I have found out each of their favorite flowers? In fact, Enel was right. Their behavior and response indicate that they undoubtedly know them, but they seem unwilling to talk about it.

Kakashi appears equally indifferent, but his mind is working at insane speeds, trying to remember if Rin ever mentioned someone resembling this man, while Mikoto seemed to have understood something and was more direct.

"I'm Mikoto Uchiha. I know this is abrupt, but could I invite you for tea at my house?"

I was about to walk away, but the question took me by surprise, and I stopped to consider if I really wanted to enter the den of the crazies.

"Do you have red tea, the sweet kind? I'm not too enthusiastic about green or black tea."

I decided to go; the observers would notice that I didn't take the initiative to approach her, and it was Mikoto who extended the invitation.

"I have some," Mikoto nodded with a small smile. She was very intrigued by this man. She was Kushina's best friend and naturally knew that Kushina was the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki, so she was not allowed to leave the village, and she knew all of Kushina's circle of friends. But now, this strange man with a headband from another village shows up and pays his respects to her deceased friend when it shouldn't be possible for him to know people from the outside. And he seemed too young to be a childhood friend of Kushina.

"Great, I'll let you taste my apples in return."

Wait, is that ambiguous?

Yes, judging by the shocked look Mikoto is giving me, I think it sounded too ambiguous.

"Here," I took out two apples to clarify that I'm not insinuating anything, and my response is quite literal. Mothers are out of my area of interest, after all.

Mikoto unconsciously sighed with relief and realized that her mind seemed to have thought inappropriate things about the man in front of her, which made her cheeks blush slightly. Embarrassing, you're married, Mikoto! Well, thinking about it a bit, it wasn't entirely her fault. If Fugaku were more affectionate and not so quick, she wouldn't have these thoughts so often...

"Hey, gray boy," I tossed the apples to Kakashi. "Take these, a gift for our first meeting."

"My name is Kakashi," he furrowed his brow at being called gray boy but skillfully caught the apples and examined them. They seem quite appetizing.

"Oh, you're little Kakashi," I put on a look of realization. "In that case, leave one of the apples at your father's grave for me. He was a good man."

"Did you know my father?" Wow, that got him to turn his surprised face.

"I didn't know him," but my response was the same as before, with the same tone and expression that clearly suggests there's more than meets the eye.

Kakashi stared at me for a few seconds before walking away, not wanting to delve further into the topic.

"Do your thing; I can wait," I told Mikoto, who nodded and took out a wet cloth, cleaning Kushina's grave.

Well, now I know why it's so clean; it seems that Mikoto must come here from time to time to maintain it. I wonder if she secretly helped Naruto at some point without it being shown in the series.

It didn't take too long for her to finish, and she showed me the way to the Uchiha clan compound.

I must say that knowing they were secluded from the village is one thing, but seeing the situation with my own eyes is another.

First, we passed through streets bustling with people, then the streets almost emptied suddenly, and when they filled up again, everyone was wearing the Uchiha clan emblem somewhere on their clothing, usually on their backs.

The number of glances at me became numerous, but I didn't mind since accompanying the wife of the patriarch seems to have a deterrent effect on those who were looking for trouble with me.

Mikoto wasn't silent, and we engaged in casual conversation. I think she's a bit surprised by my indifference towards the Uchiha since people usually get upset, which makes her speak more animatedly. Why should I be concerned or rude to a bunch of dead people?

I had to crouch several times to pass through the gates, and after a while, I was sitting cross-legged in a tatami-floored living room with a steaming cup of tea in my hand.

"So, Enel, do you remember Kushina now?"

Oh, I see what she's doing. She thinks I can't talk in public, and given that I'm now in the heart of the Uchiha clan, the possibility of unwanted listeners has plummeted.

"It sounds familiar," I turned my head to look at one of the doors, where I could sense someone hidden thanks to Mantra. "Do you want to come in and listen?"

Mikoto opened her eyes slightly surprised and angry.

This was her house, the core of the Uchiha complex! Who had the audacity to eavesdrop on her affairs?

The door opened, and a boy peeked in guiltily while holding a baby in his arms.

"Sorry, Mom, Sasuke's hungry again, but I didn't know you had a guest, and I didn't want to interrupt."

Uchiha Itachi made his appearance!