"Hm?"
"KYAA!!"
Aoba had just reached the doorway and was about to knock, when the door suddenly swung open by itself and a figure shot out in a frantic rush.
He dodged on instinct, and Kushina also shifted direction in time, avoiding a collision.
"Kushina-nee?"
"Mikoto, you two go ahead and do whatever, don't worry about me!"
Once Kushina saw it was Aoba, she didn't stop for even a second. She tossed out that one line and ran off in a hurry.
"This…"
Aoba stared blankly at Kushina's disappearing, graceful silhouette, then turned to look at Uchiha Mikoto, "Aunt Mikoto, what's going on with Kushina-nee?"
"Well…"
Uchiha Mikoto looked just as confused and could only give a simple recount of what had just happened.
"I told her you were coming along for dinner tonight, and she said she left something important at home and had to go back to get it."
"Maybe Kushina prepared some kind of gift for you and forgot to bring it, so she panicked?", Uchiha Mikoto offered a relatively reasonable guess.
"Maybe."
Aoba blinked, feeling like he already knew what it was.
But judging from Uchiha Mikoto's innocent expression, she clearly didn't know.
Her personality also wasn't the type to do something like that.
'So, is it all Kushina's plan?'
'If that is the case, then I definitely need to be more cautious.'
'If Aunt Mikoto doesn't have that kind of intention, then letting things progress naturally is better.'
Meanwhile, Kushina, who was currently rushing home, didn't know that a huge black pot of blame had already been placed squarely on her back.
Even though she did have her own little scheme, the person who had actually formed the idea first was Uchiha Mikoto.
Kushina was only adding fuel to the fire.
She just hadn't expected Uchiha Mikoto to act so quickly. She originally thought she'd need more time.
Otherwise she would have brought it with her already.
———
Uchiha Mikoto quickly tidied up her things.
Then she and Aoba walked out of the office together.
But of all coincidences, they happened to run into Tsunade and Shizune, who were also leaving.
"Sensei…"
For some reason, Aoba felt a little guilty, like he was going home with another girl and ran into his official girlfriend.
"Heh!"
Tsunade only showed a playful smile.
Shizune, however, looked a bit resentful and reminded him, "Aoba, come home early tonight."
"I'll try."
Such a vague answer clearly didn't satisfy Shizune, so Aoba quickly shifted the topic.
"Oh, right, Sensei, Seramu is coming to Konoha tomorrow."
"Seramu? That queen of Roran?"
Tsunade had heard him mention her before.
Over the past year, Konoha and Roran had collaborated quite a bit. Konoha's amusement park was basically run by Roran's staff.
And Roran's commercial street had gained many Konoha vendors.
But perhaps due to a "kings do not meet one another" sort of principle, Tsunade and Seramu still hadn't met.
"Yeah. She wants to come as Roran's queen to discuss future cooperation between Roran and Konoha," Aoba replied.
"As Roran's queen? Does she have another identity?", Tsunade looked at Aoba suspiciously.
"This time she's coming as Roran's queen."
This answer made all three women narrow their eyes.
'If this time she is coming as Roran's queen, then what will it be next time?'
"Aoba, if I remember correctly, that Roran queen should have a daughter about your age, right?"
Sara had visited Konoha several times, so Shizune had seen her before.
And as soon as she said that, a spark of light flashed through Uchiha Mikoto's previously downcast eyes.
"If we go by the normal timeline, Sara might actually be more than ten years older than me," Aoba said awkwardly.
Shizune instinctively glanced at Tsunade, but Tsunade glared right back.
"Alright. I'll have Shizune handle the arrangements tomorrow. You two go enjoy your dinner. We'll head out first."
After saying that, Tsunade dragged Shizune away.
Aoba wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt like Tsunade seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood.
'A little strange.'
But he didn't think too hard about it and instead looked toward Uchiha Mikoto, who had drifted off again.
"Aunt Mikoto, let's go."
"Oh! Okay."
———
The atmosphere was strange.
Aoba couldn't say exactly what was going on, but ever since they parted from Tsunade and the others, Uchiha Mikoto's behavior had been off.
She seemed preoccupied and absent-minded, like she was thinking about something else entirely.
"Aunt Mikoto?"
Aoba tried calling out to her.
But no response.
So he raised his voice slightly.
"Aunt Mikoto!"
"Hm? What is it?"
Uchiha Mikoto finally snapped out of it, looking a bit dazed.
Aoba felt helpless, "Aunt Mikoto, are you really sure you haven't been troubled by something lately?"
He had already asked this before.
"Troubled…"
Uchiha Mikoto glanced at him, the corner of her lips lifting with a faintly playful touch, "It really is something troublesome. It's been bothering me so much these past two days I've barely slept."
Aoba froze for a moment, then said, "Can you tell me? Maybe I can help."
Seeing the boy's earnest expression, Uchiha Mikoto felt warmth and satisfaction, but also gently shook her head.
"Sorry. This happens to be something I can't tell you, Aoba."
"Alright then."
Since Uchiha Mikoto insisted, Aoba gave up on asking further and instead said, "If Aunt Mikoto won't tell me what's bothering you, then at least tell me how I can help you feel better. That part you can tell me, right?"
"That part I can…"
When Uchiha Mikoto heard that, a faint smile tugged at her lips. Then she added with a hint of self-mockery, "It's kind of embarrassing. I'm obviously the older one, but you've been the one comforting me again and again…"
"From becoming Sasuke's friend, to helping me take care of him, and then later during the Uchiha clan's upheaval, it feels like I've always been relying on your help."
"It's nothing, really."
Aoba tried to sound modest.
Objectively speaking, he really had helped Uchiha Mikoto a lot, but that was something others were supposed to say.
If he admitted it himself, it would feel odd, like he had ulterior motives.
"Aoba, can you tell me why you've always taken care of me this much?"
Uchiha Mikoto suddenly stopped walking and looked at him seriously.
Autumn nights grew dark quickly. The lights from the shopfronts along the street were already shimmering.
The colored lights fell across the face of this married woman and also reflected softly in her eyes.
Aoba was stunned for a moment and casually gave an answer, "Because Sasuke is my friend."
Uchiha Mikoto pouted slightly. That wasn't the answer she wanted.
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