Before long, Shirakumo Hayame came back with Sasuke and Naruto.
Although he had used his forehead protector to cover it up, Aoba still noticed that the area around his eyes was slightly darkened.
It seemed the sparring session just now had not been very pleasant for Shirakumo Hayame.
When Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto saw Sasuke and Naruto return, they naturally noticed this as well and immediately pulled their own sons aside to quietly lecture them.
Not to mention Kushina, even Uchiha Mikoto did not quite know what to say.
After all, Shirakumo Hayame was Aoba's elder.
"Uncle, looks like you suffered quite a bit just now," Aoba did not think much of it. Instead, he walked up to Shirakumo Hayame himself and teased him.
Hearing this, a trace of emotion appeared on Shirakumo Hayame's usually stern, old-fashioned face, "The young people in the village are getting stronger and stronger, one after another."
He was a traditional ninja. Aside from completing commissions, returning to submit reports, and then taking on new ones, he was basically active outside the village all the time.
So he was not very familiar with the current strength of the younger generation in the village.
He had thought that reaching the level of an ordinary jonin was already the limit.
But after testing them just now, in a one-on-one fight, he would probably find it hard to beat either Sasuke or Naruto.
"It's not that bad. It's mainly that Naruto and Sasuke are special. If you exclude Hinata and Yakumo as well, everyone else's strength is pretty normal."
After all, Naruto was the Nine-Tails jinchuriki, and Sasuke had the three-tomoe Sharingan. It was perfectly normal for Shirakumo Hayame, a "regular person," to not be their match.
Hearing this, Shirakumo Hayame only shook his head. After all, he really did not understand much about it.
He glanced again at Uchiha Mikoto not far away, then put an arm around Aoba's shoulder and pulled him into a corner, questioning him in a low voice.
"Kid, tell me the truth. You and that Uchiha clan head... are you already together?"
Not everyone Aoba had invited tonight was his girlfriend, like Samui and Mabui, or Kushina and Nohara Rin, or Fu and Kurotsuchi.
Uchiha Mikoto had also not publicly revealed her relationship with Aoba yet.
But as an elite jonin, Shirakumo Hayame could still sense her reserved attitude.
How could a mere ordinary jonin like him make the dignified head of Konoha's largest clan act so restrained?
And then there was the sparring with Sasuke earlier.
Not only did that kid look itching to fight and eager to go all out, he went straight in at full strength, every punch carrying resentment.
That punch to the face was something he took because he failed to react in time.
He felt that he might have taken the hit for his good nephew.
And the answer he received was just as he had expected.
"I didn't think Uncle would see through it already. Aunt Mikoto said it had to stay secret, so it was never said out loud," Aoba scratched his head, looking very embarrassed.
"…", Shirakumo Hayame was a bit speechless.
Even though he had already expected it, hearing it directly from the other party still made him feel this whole thing was utterly absurd.
Before this, even Konan and Mei Terumi had still been within what he could accept. At least the age gap had not been outrageously large.
'But Uchiha Mikoto… This former wife of the Uchiha clan head, now the current clan head herself, is actually a few years older than him.'
'This kid…'
Shirakumo Hayame could not help rubbing his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
In the end, he could only grind his teeth and mutter a complaint.
"You really are something, kid."
The only thing worth being glad about was that this kid really was capable, so he did not feel much pressure.
He still clearly remembered when this kid, at such a young age, had already gotten involved with the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter and the Yamanaka clan's eldest daughter.
Back then, Aoba had only been a slightly talented brat.
He had genuinely been afraid that one day he would return to the village and find this kid at home with eight kunai stuck in his back as suicide.
He himself had not even dared to wander around the streets casually, afraid that stepping out with his left foot first might get him dragged into the interrogation department for a round.
He never expected that, walking on thin ice all the way, this kid would actually make it safely to the other side.
"Still, Uncle, your face… do you want me to help treat it?", Aoba said, holding back a laugh.
Shirakumo Hayame fell silent for a moment. Thinking about how they were all going to eat together soon, it would indeed look rather unsightly for him, as an elder, to be sporting panda eyes.
"Then help me treat it."
"Alright."
Hearing that, Aoba used the Palm Sage Technique, raising his hand and wiping it across the other's face. The bruise around the eye immediately vanished.
"The effect of your Palm Sage Technique seems quite a bit better than other people's."
The pain around his eye disappeared instantly, and Shirakumo Hayame could not help praising him.
"Of course. You don't even need to look at whose disciple I am."
Aoba showed no modesty at all.
Hearing this, Shirakumo Hayame fell silent. He suddenly thought of another, much more serious question.
"Let me ask you one more thing."
"What is it?"
Shirakumo Hayame stared at him, "Tell me honestly. What do you think about Lady Tsunade?"
Originally, he had not thought in that direction at all. After all, the two were teacher and student, and the age gap was so large.
But now that this Uchiha Mikoto situation had come up, he could not help but think more.
He was not opposed to it or anything. He just wanted to prepare himself mentally in advance, so that he would not end up taking a beating from Jiraiya for no reason later on.
"Well, about that…"
Aoba was hesitating over whether to say anything about Tsunade when Uchiha Mikoto happened to walk over, neatly bailing him out.
"Jonin Hayame."
"Sasuke caused you trouble. I'm really sorry."
Uchiha Mikoto bowed slightly toward Shirakumo Hayame with an apologetic expression.
She had gone to ask Naruto about what had happened earlier. Sasuke seemed to have hit rather hard during the sparring, so she decided she should come over and apologize.
"This…"
Shirakumo Hayame clearly paused for a moment. Mainly because he did not know how to address this woman who was older than him and was now his nephew's new girlfriend.
He said a bit awkwardly, "It's fine. It was mainly my own carelessness. I didn't expect Sasuke to be even more outstanding than I thought."
"And at the root of it all, it's this kid's fault!"
As he spoke, he could not help reaching out and giving Aoba's shoulder a hard pinch.
There was even a hint of teeth-gritting in his tone. He had basically confirmed it. He really had taken a bullet for this kid.
"Huh?", Uchiha Mikoto was taken aback and looked at Aoba, only to find him waggling his eyebrows at her.
She quickly understood what he meant, her eyes widening slightly before she glared at him with a flushed face and a coquettish look.
Aoba blinked again, looking completely innocent.
Seeing the two of them openly exchanging looks right in front of him, this single uncle felt even more speechless and stopped dwelling on the answer to that earlier question.
"You two talk. I'm going out to get some air."
With that, he left without even turning his head back.
"Jonin Hayame…"
Uchiha Mikoto came back to her senses and originally wanted to call after him to apologize properly, but Aoba grabbed her hand and stopped her.
"It's fine. Uncle won't mind this kind of thing."
Uchiha Mikoto pressed her lips together and asked in a low voice, "How did Jonin Hayame find out about my relationship with you?"
Aoba rolled his eyes and said helplessly, "Because Aunt Mikoto, you were way too obvious. Uncle saw it right away."
"That's not my fault. Who told you that Jonin Hayame is your elder."
Uchiha Mikoto looked aggrieved, but she quickly thought of another question, "Then when I see Jonin Hayame in the future, should I change how I address him?"
"Change it?"
Aoba thought for a moment, "Better not. It'd be too awkward. Just keep it the same as before."
"Oh."
Uchiha Mikoto did not say anything else. She looked around and, after confirming no one was paying attention to them, suddenly worked up the courage to reach out and pinch Aoba's cheek.
She had wanted to do it for a long time.
Before Aoba could react, she quickly kissed him once and then walked away at a fast pace.
Aoba was left stunned.
This was…
A stick and a sweet date?
What Uchiha Mikoto did not notice, however, was that someone had actually been watching her the whole time.
And Aoba did notice that gaze.
When he turned his head, what he saw was Uzumaki Kasui with an entirely normal expression.
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