Satoru stood confidently, holding the finished cake as he approached Mikoto. He handed it over with a grin, his mood light after the cake-making experience.
"Well, here you go, Mom. Enjoy!" he said cheerfully.
Mikoto eyed the cake suspiciously, as if looking for any hidden tricks. "Hmm," she muttered. "You better not have done anything to it."
Satoru laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nothing at all, I promise!" he said with mock innocence.
"Then why do I feel like you're hiding something?" Mikoto asked, still with a sharp gaze.
Satoru, now feeling the pressure of being caught, feigned a laugh and quickly changed the topic. "Hahaha! It's all for a good cause, right?"
Mikoto's face softened just a little, though she remained skeptical. "You're really something else, you know?"
---
As the family sat down to eat, Itachi and Shisui walked in. Satoru immediately noticed them and let out a loud, mocking laugh.
"Hahaha! I didn't expect you two to be such popular figures. Not only do you have friends, but you can even get Shisui here to join us. How is that possible?"
Itachi shot Satoru a dry look. "There are challenges when you're talented," he explained, trying to sound philosophical. "When you're good at something, people tend to isolate you. That's how it works when you stand out."
Satoru immediately took over the conversation. "Oh, I see it now. When you have strength, you get isolated, but eventually, you realize who your real brothers are. You face the obstacles together. It's called brotherhood, you know?"
Itachi glanced at him, his expression half-amused and half-exasperated. "You're impossible."
Shisui, who had been quietly watching the exchange, couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Itachi, your brother knows you better than anyone!"
Itachi rolled his eyes, clearly giving up on trying to explain himself. *Why do I even bother with him?* he thought. There was no getting through to Satoru when he was like this.
Satoru smirked. "You know, if there's an obstacle ahead, I'm sure I'm just going to take a nap and leave you to handle it." He spoke with mock seriousness, causing both Itachi and Shisui to laugh.
---
But the conversation took a slight turn when Shisui glanced at Satoru with a sharp look. "Hey, little ghost," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you owe me something?"
Satoru blinked, feigning ignorance. "Owe you? What for?"
Shisui's voice lowered to a near growl. "The ramen competition. You remember that, right?"
Satoru's expression shifted to one of sudden realization. "Ramen competition?" he echoed.
"*Ahh,* I see now!" he said, grinning. "I don't really remember anything about it."
Shisui's face turned dangerous, the playful mood now completely gone. "You owe me for that."
Satoru, feigning ignorance, turned to Itachi. "Big brother, look at this! He's trying to make me take responsibility for something I clearly didn't do!"
Itachi simply sighed, shaking his head as he was caught in another one of his brother's antics. "I'm not even going to ask. You two are something else."
Shisui gave them both a confused look, clearly not understanding the banter. "What does he mean?"
Satoru leaned in conspiratorially. "It's simple. My stupid brothers. They're like this all the time."
Shisui's eyes widened, and then he grinned. "I can't be my brother," he said with a sarcastic smile.
"You guys really are something," Itachi remarked, amused at the interaction.
---
Finally, everyone settled around the table, and the birthday cake was served. Mikoto smiled gently at the assembled family, especially Itachi, the birthday boy. She had always held a special place for Shisui, who had been Itachi's first true friend. As they sat down, Mikoto greeted him warmly.
As they dug into the cake, Sasuke began to act unusually fidgety, his eyes darting around as if searching for something. Mikoto looked at him with concern. "Sasuke, what's the matter with you?" she asked, noticing his restlessness.
Sasuke hesitated, but then his face flushed slightly, his gaze falling to his plate. He opened his mouth but quickly shut it when he thought about the threat his second brother had made earlier.
Satoru, noticing Sasuke's hesitation, grinned mischievously. "Sasuke wants to eat the cake!" he declared, pointing at his younger brother dramatically.
Everyone turned their attention to Sasuke, who, embarrassed, looked up at them. "Uh... nothing," he mumbled.
"Don't be in such a rush, we're starting now," Mikoto said kindly, cutting the cake into slices.
However, Sasuke was less concerned about the cake and more about his growing dread. As he took a bite of his piece, his face contorted in surprise. There, hidden within the layers of cake, was his least favorite ingredient—green mustard.
His eyes widened as he turned his gaze to Satoru, who was already happily devouring his own slice. Sasuke's face twisted in confusion and frustration. "Why... why would you do this?" he muttered under his breath.
Satoru just shrugged with an innocent expression. "It's not so bad, right? It adds a little zing to the flavor."
Mikoto, noticing Sasuke's discomfort, asked, "Sasuke, is something wrong with the cake?"
Sasuke swallowed with difficulty, his smile tight. "No, Mom. It's... fine."
Fugaku, looking at Sasuke's pained expression and then at Satoru's satisfied one, raised an eyebrow. "What's going on here?"
Satoru smiled widely, clearly enjoying the chaos. "Just a little brotherly bonding, nothing serious."
---
Despite Sasuke's reluctance, the meal went on, the family sharing stories and laughter. But Sasuke, unable to hide his discomfort, learned a valuable lesson: *Don't trust second brother with food.* As for Satoru, he remained unrepentant, his grin never fading as he enjoyed his sweet victory.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 60 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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