Hayato was displeased. Even though Uchiha Setsuna hadn't troubled him since then and had even shown him favor, he still remembered what the elder had done.
He brought people without prior notice, which showed that deep down, he was still that rigid Uchiha hardliner. It was only because Hayato's appearance was valuable to the Uchiha Clan that he had to win him over.
Uchiha Setsuna's face was calm, and he smiled, saying, "Hayato-kun, how has your training been recently? If you have any problems, you can come and ask me."
"Everything's normal." Hayato showed no emotion, but inwardly, he was wary, wondering what he was up to.
Chimchar had adopted a battle stance from the moment it entered, its fur bristling, the flame on its tail burning fiercely, and its round eyes fixed on Uchiha Setsuna, as if it would pounce at any second.
It holds a grudge!
"Hehe, this little guy seems to have improved a lot." Uchiha Setsuna seemed not to mind, still chuckling as he said, "I came today to introduce my niece to you."
"Mikoto, come over and say hello to Hayato."
Hayato was startled. Mikoto, was it the Uchiha Mikoto who gave birth to Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke?
"You young people chat, I won't disturb you."
As soon as Uchiha Setsuna finished speaking, he got up and left without any hesitation.
Had he become the Uchiha matchmaker? Hayato was surprised.
He brought people to his door without explanation or clear purpose. From the looks of it, he clearly wanted to set him up with Uchiha Mikoto to further deepen his ties with the Uchiha Clan.
While understandable, he couldn't accept it.
He couldn't hide the subtle stirrings in his heart for Kushina. If he accepted Uchiha Setsuna's arrangement, how would he face Kushina?
Not to mention whether Uchiha Mikoto would even like him, or if she might even be an "inside agent" sent by Uchiha Setsuna to monitor him.
Refusing Uchiha Setsuna's overtures would completely tear their relationship apart. Hayato shook his head inwardly, deciding to take things as they came. As long as he maintained a normal mindset and interacted normally, it would be fine.
Hayato carefully observed the girl sitting opposite him. She was quite a bit taller than Hayato, appearing to be around ten years old.
Uchiha Mikoto sat quietly, her long black hair falling smoothly. Her face was delicate, with a serene and gentle look in her eyes. The girl wore a dark blue Uchiha Clan uniform, and her quiet demeanor exuded an undeniable nobility and restrained power.
As expected of the Uchiha Family, known for its handsome men and beautiful women, Hayato praised inwardly.
Seeing Hayato look at her, Uchiha Mikoto smiled slightly, bowed gently, and spoke with an apologetic tone.
"Hayato-kun, I apologize that my uncle brought me here without informing you beforehand."
"It's alright, please sit down. My home is very simple, there's not much here, so don't mind it too much."
Uchiha Mikoto showed a slight smile: "Speaking of which, the Family has been discussing you recently, after all, you possess that kind of power."
She glanced at Chimchar, who had relaxed after Uchiha Setsuna left, and curiosity appeared in her eyes: "I... I'm actually very curious and want to see it."
"Xiao Yan has its own independent thoughts. If it doesn't want to approach you, there's nothing I can do." Hayato chuckled. Chimchar, seeing Uchiha Mikoto come with Uchiha Setsuna, had also taken a disliking to her. "In the future, the Village might all be Pokémon, so there's no need to rush."
Uchiha Mikoto nodded as if understanding: "Hayato, I'm four years older than you. If it's alright, you can just call me Mikoto-nee."
"I'll graduate next year and then join Konoha's Military Police Force. While it's still early for you, Hayato, what will you do in the future?"
Although my physical age is indeed only seven, I was an adult in my previous life. Calling a ten-year-old girl 'sister' truly felt awkward.
Just as Hayato was wondering how to answer her, the instant messenger chimed.
"Is that Hayato? Where are you now?"
Kushina's round face appeared on the screen. Seeing the familiar background behind Hayato, Kushina quickly smiled. However, when her gaze fell upon Uchiha Mikoto, who had inadvertently appeared in the frame, her smile slightly stiffened.
"Who is she?" A hint of sharpness came through her voice. Seemingly realizing her tone was off, Kushina immediately switched to a cheerful tone. "Hayato, who's that girl behind you?"
"..." Hayato had reason to suspect Uchiha Mikoto was doing it on purpose. Instead of sitting properly, she deliberately intruded into the instant messenger's frame.
"She's... my older sister, I suppose?" Uchiha Hayato explained.
"Hayato's older sister? How come I've never heard you mention her?" Kushina's eyes showed suspicion. "I'm coming over right away."
That's really strange. Didn't Hayato talk about his past before? If he really had an older sister, he wouldn't have kept it from her. Moreover, from their behavior, they didn't seem very familiar.
"Kushina, where are you going? Aren't we going shopping anymore?" Yakushi Nonou, with a mochi dumpling in her mouth, looked at Kushina's hurried back, very confused.
"Yakushi Nonou, stop eating! Let's catch up!" Hyuga Ruri snatched the sweet from Yakushi Nonou's hand indignantly. "That direction is Hayato's house. Kushina must be going to do something!"
She pulled the stumbling Yakushi Nonou along, chasing after her. When they arrived at Hayato's house, the scene they witnessed was somewhat unexpected.
Kushina sat primly beside Hayato, across from a girl she didn't know before. Hyuga Ruri's steps involuntarily slowed—the other's natural elegance made her, also from a prominent Konoha family, feel a hint of pressure.
Hayato turned his head; more people had arrived. This time it was Hyuga Ruri and Yakushi Nonou.
"You're here too. Find a place to sit."
"Kushina, this is Uchiha Mikoto, who is from my Family. She's four years older than us, which is why I said she's like an older sister."
Uchiha Mikoto's expression was impeccable: "Hello, Kushina, you're truly a lovely girl."
Kushina's face reddened slightly. Being directly complimented on her looks by another girl was the most rare, and her wariness towards Uchiha Mikoto eased a little: "Thank you, you too."
On second thought, if she's not a blood sister, shouldn't I be even more vigilant? Inter-family marriage isn't uncommon, especially when the other person is a girl whose looks are no less than her own, and whose demeanor is like a Yamato Nadeshiko.
Kushina felt deflated. If she were a boy, she would also prefer Mikoto's type. Although Hayato had complimented her before, who knew if he would change his mind?
Kushina's gaze swept over Hyuga Ruri, then past Yakushi Nonou, and her sense of crisis suddenly deepened. And there was Minato Namikaze; Hayato always trained with him!
Given the current situation, does this mean I'm surrounded by rivals?
Uchiha Mikoto's smile remained unchanged. She had initially thought getting to know Uchiha Hayato would be boring, but now, it seemed quite interesting.