[Chapter Warnings: Mentions & descriptions of child abuse]

Avoid [brackets] if you'd like to skip those parts

Dinner was the worst Kai had in a long while.

Even Maou, who was only an animal and should know no better, seemed to judge him for his poor culinary talent – or lack thereof. The disdainful glares Maou released upon his person was painful as it drilled harshly into the side of his head. He gave the kitten, who was in a cat loaf position, a poke on its pinkish nose. The glaring intensified, which considerably cheered his mood. The more ferocious and contemptuous Maou acted, the more Kai found it too irresistible to not tease and make fun of. The delights of owning a pet, as most owners would say.

Done with his teasing, for now, Kai turned back to his... meal(?). Whilst inwardly crying tears of blood, he shoved a spoonful of burnt congee down his throat. Better burnt food than a night with an empty stomach. The congee was more charcoal than anything, but it was still edible, though the taste was dreadfully indescribable. He barely chewed before he swallowed, unable to bear the taste further lest he gagged.

How Kai had failed at making something as simple as fish congee was a mystery. To all his Chinese brothers and sisters out there, he sincerely apologizes for this disgraceful attempt. He did not even know that congee could get so... blackish and hard. It was like chewing on bricks, even the slices of fish meat in it tasted like ash.

Fortunately, Kai had been smart enough to set aside a bowl of fish meat before his attempt. If not, Maou would have starved on its first night living with Kai. He had a feeling that if Maou was dissatisfied and wanted to leave, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Oddly enough, although Maou was just a kitten, it had a presence that could not be disregarded. Kai would not be surprised if Maou turned out to be a kitty with the potential of a nin-neko. Maou was that badass.

Once they were done with their dinner, Kai began washing the dishes with Maou nimbly balanced on his shoulders, claws deliberate as they dug into his flesh occasionally. He pretended to be oblivious to the way Tajima's concubine (whose name he still did not know) had skirted past the kitchen multiple times this evening. She was probably waiting for him to finish so she could start her own dinner preparations.

Kai did not know if he was lucky Tajima's concubine did not join him or unlucky that she did not even ask to join him. Maybe she could have given him tips on how to not burn congee – but alas, he was probably asking too much from her. Kai did not want to stress her and risk a miscarriage. Who knows, maybe she was carrying triplets? One could only hope.

When he was done with the dishes, Kai wandered the dark house for hours, mind a turmoil of framework, plans, and contingency plans, until Maou pawed at his cheek. "What is it?" He murmured, lips brushing inadvertently against Maou's soft, furry flank when he turned slightly to face the kitten still on his shoulders.

It meowed, before jumping onto the wooden floors and swaggered away as if it owned the place. Kai, bemused, followed the arrogant feline at a sedate pace. Apart from Tajima's routine stretches before bed, it was not as if Kai had anything pre-planned after dinner. Tomorrow was when Kai would begin his counterattack against Tajima's rotten extended family, and nothing but sleep was on his agenda tonight.

Maou stopped in front of the children's bedroom, pawing cutely at the shoji doors. The kitten was looking expectantly at him with Puss in Boots eyes. Kai, pretty much putty in its paws, did as commanded after a few more moments of persistent pawing.

Maou rushed inside, and after shutting the shoji doors behind him, Kai was slightly surprised to see his feline companion curled into a cat bun at the crook of Izuna's neck. Maou did not seem like the type to sleep with a stranger, but there it was, purring as it licked Taji- Kai's youngest son on his cheek.

The sleeping children, at least, looked healthier now after receiving medicine and care from the healers. There were half-eaten bowls of cold congee at the head of the futon, giving him a picture that Tajima's concubine must have delivered them their dinner whilst he was wandering the halls like a ghost.

It made him sheepish – he had kind of forgotten about his instant sons and their nutritional needs. The next time, Kai planned to overlook her cooking process since he could not ban her from the kitchen entirely (she'd die or miscarriage if she ate his food). It would not do for the primary suspect of their previous poisoning case to have access to the children's meals. That was just asking for trouble.

Kai hesitated for a moment before he retrieved a spare futon in the wardrobe and placed it next to the children's, though with a huge gap in between. It was better to remain by their side, for now, just to discourage any future attempts at getting rid of his heirs, and just in case they have already ingested poison a second time.

With a sigh, Kai stood next to the previously broken window and started Tajima's routine stretches. When he was done with that, he sat in a lotus position and meditated. Fortunately, this world's genre did not change much power-wise. If he had to cultivate a golden core in Narutoverse rather than practice chakra control, Kai would have drunk himself into a stupor from sheer exasperation.

After an hour of peaceful meditation filled with nothing but the sound of multiple soft breathing, he tried to sleep. Try, being the keyword. Kai was an insomniac, and it seemed that even transmigration has not fixed that unfortunate condition of his. And here he was, hoping for at least something good would come from changing bodies. But no, the author of his life forbid that he get a solid eight hours of sleep like the rest of humanity.

He sighed.

It was going to be a long night with neither phone nor computer to keep him entertained.

Kai left the children's bedroom when the sky was still dark, futon tucked away, and any evidence of his presence gone. He also discarded the bowls of leftover congee after he came back from relieving himself. Additionally, he left a small gap between the shoji doors for the kitten's future use if needed.

Maou was not a happy camper as it sulked in his arms, clearly angry at him for disturbing its rest. Unfortunately, as much as he enjoyed seeing Maou be enamoured by his instant sons, Kai did not want to clean cat piss off his tatami mats. Also, he did not wish to alarm the kids when they wake up to Tajima's emotionless/scowling mug in the morning. It would have given them a heart attack.

In Tajima's memories, the original goods did not hold even an ounce of paternal affection for his children. If he was not ignoring them, he was beating the shit out of them in the name of education and training. To any educated modern person, what Tajima did was more child abuse than discipline, more violence than punishment, more blackmail than reprimanding.

Tajima held unreal expectations for his children, even from Izuna who was only two years old.

[("Are you daft?" Tajima sneered, sharingan eyes spinning as he glowered at the incompetent child he calls a son.

Izuna was trembling on the floor as he held his swollen right cheek, not daring to raise his gaze. The newly acquired reddish bruise covered half his face, colouring his skin, already an ugly shade of purple and blue from previous lessons, with splotches of crimson. "

Tajima snorted, unimpressed by the child's silence. "Again. This time, you better enunciate properly. Or else..." He warned, his left hand already twitching as he prepared to strike this pathetic excuse for a son. "If only you had half your brother's talent, I wouldn't have to go through such length to educate you."

Izuna's trembling only worsened at the dismissive remark as his shoulders hunched, appearing completely defeated.)]

Everything, from talking to walking, the original goods demanded absolute perfection. If Izuna stuttered, lisped, or talked too slow for his liking, the child would get punished. If Izuna stumbled, accidentally dropped his kunai, or even held his chopsticks wrong, Tajima would give him hell.

Kai was thoroughly disgusted with Tajima's behaviour. In all honesty, which bloody two-year-old could enunciate their words perfectly and walk as if they were grace incarnate? Ridiculous. Toddlers were still learning, they make mistakes, it was nothing unusual. And to compare him to his own brother? No, just no. Child services would have a field day if they were back on Earth.

At the rate Tajima had been going, Kai would not be surprised if Izuna grew up hating his father and brother. Who loved getting compared to their more talented older sibling? Fortunately for them (and unfortunately for him), Kai oversaw their education and training now since Tajima was out of the picture.

Kai grimaced at the reminder. He wasn't sure how he was going to fix their father-son relationship enough to train them without Madara and Izuna fearing for their lives. The children were terrified of Tajima, this body and this face, and he did not want to act OOC by being all chummy with them. Besides, Kai wasn't a friendly person by nature, too hateful of humanity to open up to anyone, much less to children.

Soon enough, Kai's musings were cut short when he entered the backyard, big enough for shinobi training.

Although he has the original goods' recollection of training here every day, the sight still made him pause and inhale a lungful of unpolluted fresh air. Kai used to live in a studio apartment in the city. His balcony was the only place that connected him to the outside world, and metal towers were the norm. This much greenery almost felt surreal.

Kai currently stood on the engawa, and in front of him was a traditional Japanese garden. There was an artful combination of trees, flowers, rocks, and water. The pond was massive in size, with a stone bridge situated in the middle, and Kai could see koi fishes of varying shapes, colours, and sizes idly swimming in the waters. The plants and flowers looked well cared for, and there was even a small rock garden at the edges, well suited for meditation purposes.

Whilst Kai continued to admire the view, Maou seemed to have had enough. It grumpily used his chest as a springboard to jump from his arms. As soon as its paws touched the grassy ground, Maou zoomed behind a tree and out of sight, probably to answer nature's call. Kai amused himself by thinking of Maou's reaction if he followed but shook such mischievous thoughts away. Better not anger the flooffy kitten further (more than he already has, anyway).

Leaving the kitten to entertain itself on its lonesome, Kai walked to the open area and started to routinely perform the original goods' katas. He was not one to exercise or Jashin forbid sweat, but if he wanted to continue Tajima's shinobi career, he must keep this body in tip-top condition. Sacrifices must be made, and in this case, it was his laziness and inactivity.

By the end of his morning training session, the sun has risen, and Kai's was bent forward, hands on his knees, flushed and covered in perspiration. His clothes stuck disgustingly to his skin and his hair was damp with sweat. He grimaced whilst straightening, using the hem of his sleeves to wipe the moisture from his forehead and neck. Running a hand through his hair, Kai decided a shower was urgently required.

"Maou?" Kai called out, curious if the kitten was still here (and if it would answer to the name Kai had given).

When Maou suddenly jumped off a tree branch and landed on his shoulder, Kai could not help flinching at the unexpected weight and warmth. He took a deep breath for four seconds, held it in for seven, and exhaled for eight, extending a hand to pet Maou on the head, an unconscious gesture at self-comfort to bring his elevated heartbeat down. He repeated the 4-7-8 breathing technique a few more times before he was able to relax his tensed muscles.

That almost scared the shit out of him. For a second there, he had believed the genre had changed to horror. Naruto was scary enough, action-wise, without hungry ghosts and vengeful spirits added into the mixture, thank you very much.

"Go keep the children company," Kai suggested after a moment of petting, tone unconsciously flat, much to his inner exasperation.

Tajima's poker face, from what he has learned thus far, extended to his vocal cords at times. Tajima has two default settings: a mean resting bitch face with a curt tone, or an emotionless one with a monotone. If Kai were not actively showing his good mood, it would fall as either one of the two passive states. He withheld a sigh and gently set the kitten on the engawa. With one last pet on its furry head, Kai hurried to his personal bathroom.

Thankfully, he did not encounter any of his other household members during his short trip to the bathroom.

Cleaned and garbed in Tajima's usual get-up, Kai's feet soon brought him to the kitchen as his stomach growled in hunger. He stopped short at the entrance, unable to proceed further when he spotted three familiar people seated at the connected dining area. They had instantly frozen, facial muscles tensed and breaths shallow when they saw him appear, akin to statues than anything living. It was as if they did not want to attract the attention of a predator.

If this were a visual novel, Kai would have returned to his previous save point and stayed far, far away from the kitchen. He would have waited until they finished their breakfast before making his own. However, reality did not work that way. He has two options. Either one, suck it up and enter, and in turn cause both parties to be uncomfortable, or two, pretend to be dissatisfied and leave.

It was a no-brainer.

Kai, who was about to pick option number two, was stopped short when Maou approached him from in between Madara and Izuna's seated form with a small bowl in its maw, the one Kai had previously used to feed it dinner. He heard a terrified squeak from the youngest at the table and saw small hands outstretched as if to grab the nimble kitten and hide it from his eyes.

Kai resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Trust Maou to be difficult at the most inconvenient of times. The original goods would have kicked the feline away in disgust, but Kai, although he did not want to appear OOC, was ultimately not an abuser – to both animals and humans (despite his misanthropic tendencies). He scooped the kitten into his arms, bowl and all, and walked to the kitchen counter.

Ignoring the frightened eyes on him and the tension in the air, Kai dropped a whole dried fish that was as big as Maou into the bowl and carried them towards his instant sons. The two trembled under his gaze and their eyes were focused solely on the low table, too frightened to look at Kai's approach.

It was discomforting to see how deeply rooted the fear of their father was, but Kai was determined to prove himself harmless. This was the first step towards a more amicable relationship with his instant sons. It was understandably uncomfortable for both parties involved, one because they feared for their lives, and the other because he was a misanthrope. But it needed to be done.

Kai was careful to show no unexpected movements when he crouched in between the boys and gently placed Maou, along with its bowl, on the floor. He did not miss how both boys flinched, so he slowed his movements, making them more obvious and purposeful with no signs of hostility.

A moment of hesitation, Kai spoke, terse, "This is Maou. He is our new family member."

Whereas five-year-old Madara seemed to waver between elation and fear as he peered hesitatingly at Kai through long lashes, two-year-old Izuna was bolder as he blinked innocently at Kai, big eyes filled with hope as they met his narrowed, impassive ones.

Without waiting for a response from his instant sons, he seated himself at the head of the table – to Madara's right and the left of Tajima's concubine – and turned to the latter. He loathed how expectant he must act in front of them; he would rather cook and fetch his own breakfast, but in this era, it was expected for women to do such chores for men. So, Kai waited, uncomfortable with the proximity of human contact and this world's gender inequality.

It did not take long for a bowl of rice, miso soup, and dried fish to appear on the table in front of him. Kai mentally gave her his gratitude whilst grabbing his chopstick. Damn original goods with his lack of manners. It was only after Kai had tentatively taken the first bite of his meal (cautious of any further poisoning attempt) did the rest of the household at the table continue theirs. He kept his eyes solely on his meal, and that seemed to relax them some, at least enough to not choke on their food.

... Kai could not remember the last time he ate together with another human. His social anxiety made his throat tighten uncomfortably with every swallow. The urge to puke intensifies.

Unsurprisingly, breakfast was a tensed and silent affair, and Kai loathed every second of it. Never will he voluntarily go through this torture again. Never.

A/N:

Character Status

Name: Liu Kai / Uchiha Tajima

Age: 35 / 20

Race: Chinese / Japanese

Circumstances: Transmigrated person currently in Narutoverse Warring States Era.

Goals: 1) Become the Uchiha clan head. 2) Find out who poisoned Tajima's family. 3) Start exposure therapy. 4) Learn how to cook. 5) Form a bond with Madara & Izuna

State of mind: Tense and anxious

Standing within the clan: Prestigious

Standing within the household: Precarious

Standing within the clan's main branch: Pugnacious

Latest outstanding accomplishment: Managed to not barf whilst eating breakfast with three people who hate & fear him

Inner complains: "Can I please move out? I want to live alone. Living on my own is the best."