|| THE HEART OF THE UCHIHA || (Madara x reader)

Chapter - 3

At the dining table:

The dining room was warm with the smell of freshly cooked rice and miso soup. You and Izuna sat cross-legged at the low table, facing each other with a bowl of beans in front of each of you. The candles flickered slightly, but all that mattered was the intense, unspoken challenge brewing between you and Izuna.

He leaned forward, eyes glinting with a smirk. “You’re doing it wrong, Y/N.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, your chopsticks hovering over the beans. “Excuse me? I’ve been eating beans way before you were even born,” you said with complete seriousness, even though you were barely a year apart.

He snorted. “We’re the same age! But fine, let me enlighten you. This—" he held up a single bean expertly with his chopsticks, "—is how a true Uchiha does it. You don’t just scoop it up like some barbarian.”

You watched him with mock suspicion as he raised the bean to his mouth slowly, over-dramatically, like it was some sacred ritual. He chewed with exaggerated elegance, pinky slightly lifted. "See? Perfection."

You crossed your arms, fully committing to the bit. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. You look like you’re offering it to the gods. Beans are meant to be eaten with passion, Izuna. You’ve got to respect the beans.”

He gave you a deadpan stare. “Respect... beans?”

You nodded firmly, picking up a handful with your chopsticks and pointing at him like a sage passing on wisdom. “You don’t just eat them, okay? You attack them.” You shoveled the beans into your mouth, talking around them. “Like this. You’ve got to show ‘em who’s boss. Make ‘em know they don’t stand a chance.”

Izuna almost choked on his laugh, but quickly recovered, raising an eyebrow. “Right, and here I thought you were supposed to enjoy food, not declare war on it.”

You wiped a bit of bean juice from your chin, unbothered. “That’s where you’re wrong, Izuna. If you don't dominate the beans, the beans dominate you." You leaned in closer and lowered your voice conspiratorially, “And then they win. You want the beans to win, Izuna?”

He blinked, trying to keep a straight face. “It’s food, not a battle.”

You jabbed your chopsticks in his direction. “That’s where you’re weak. You don’t have the mindset.”

Izuna shook his head, laughing. “You’re insane.”

You grinned, popping another bean into your mouth with a wink. “Maybe, but at least the beans know who’s in charge here.”

With a roll of his eyes, he grabbed another bean, this time stuffing it into his mouth without ceremony. "Alright, fine, sensei, I'll attack the beans. But if anyone asks, this was your ridiculous idea.”

“Damn right it was.” You both laughed, but the moment disturbed as the sliding door slid open, revealing Madara and Shizuma, they two were looking weary and tired but were okay, tho Shizuma had bandages wrapped around his hand, izuna and you both stood up, " Madara! Shizuma!" You both shouted, and hugged them both, madara blushed slightly, as you buried your face on his chest, he tried to make a straight face but failed miserably, he smiled as he wrapped his arms around you both.

Shizuma laughed at both of you and izuna, "Don't tell me you two were debating over the beans again, while we two were fighting on the battlefield?"

You three shared a laugh and sat around the low table, some maids entered inside and dressed in their usual pristine, deep navy kimono, they started to serve the food to shizuma and madara, a maid helped madara wash his hands in utensil and handed him a towel, madara thanked them, as bowed slightly before doing the same with shizuma, with a grin he thanked them too. The other maids, were already serving madara a dish of takoyaki—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—beside his bowl of rice.