Shindai brought Hikaku Uchiha to the little handicraft shop where Pakura worked.
"Hey Pakura! Came here specially to see you!"
As soon as they entered the store, Shindai shouted loudly.
Pakura, who was at the cashier counter, reminded him, "Keep your voice down. There are customers here."
Kushina Uzumaki was also in the shop. Spotting Shindai, she teased with a smirk, "Finally decided to come back, huh? You've been gone for almost half a month. I thought you'd gotten comfortable living outside the village."
"Comfortable how, get comfortable why. This time I went out was really complicated and hard to describe, sigh~"
Shindai let out a heavy sigh, his mood clearly gloomy.
Pakura asked curiously, "What happened? Did you fail your mission?"
"What mission? Shindai went to Kannabi Bridge to break a Double Seal. From your expression... you didn't manage to break the seal? That shouldn't be the case. According to the method we researched together with Minato, we should have been able to break it."
Kushina asked Shindai with some surprise.
Shindai shook his head, "No, the seal was successfully broken. Never mind that now. Here, I grabbed this for you when I had some Ichiraku Ramen earlier. Still warm—go ahead and eat up."
Kushina teased, "Hey, why didn't I get anything?"
Shindai rolled his eyes, "How would I know Sister Kushina was here too? Stop giving me that sarcastic look. If you want something to eat, ask Lord Minato to bring you some."
"Hmph, you little brat!"
Instantly, Kushina looked ready to throw a punch.
Shindai smoothly stepped back with well-practiced reflexes, hid behind Hikaku Uchiha, then shoved him forward and announced, "This is Asu Natsuka! Pakura, following Lord Minato's request, Asu Natsuka will temporarily stay with us for a while."
"Eh?"
Both Pakura and Kushina looked at Hikaku Uchiha with slight surprise.
Pakura looked curiously at Hikaku Uchiha, "I don't mind, but I don't recall seeing this Asu Natsuka person around Konoha."
Kushina also scrutinized Hikaku Uchiha as she stroked her chin, "Hmm, I don't remember seeing them either."
Shindai explained, "That Double Seal we broke—it sealed away Asu Natsuka. Asu Natsuka must belong to our Konoha. They seem to want to confirm something. Say, Asu Natsuka, really can't you tell us what you're confirming? I'm super curious!"
Hikaku Uchiha refused bluntly, "I can't say. Didn't that yellow-haired Hokage say it was top secret?"
"Tch, making such a big deal about being mysterious. Since you won't talk, then I'll just make something up myself."
Shindai then proceeded to share their guess.
Based on what Shindai had said, both Pakura and Kushina started imagining all sorts of possibilities.
A wandering Uchiha clansman and an ordinary person gave birth to Hikaku Uchiha. However, possessing the Kekkei Genkai, Hikaku was seen as a freak. After all, some ninja villages treated Kekkei Genkai bearers terribly, so Hikaku was sealed away until Shindai removed the seal.
Because of the terrible experiences endured back then, Hikaku abandoned the Uchiha surname. With nowhere else to go now, coming to Konoha was just to confirm whether she belonged to the village or not.
Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki exchanged sympathetic looks.
"She really is such a pitiful child."
Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki began fussing over Hikaku from both sides.
Right now, Hikaku felt dazed, staring blankly at Shindai.
This must be a made-up story, right?
It's definitely a lie!
She had only told Shindai that she came to Konoha to confirm something—nothing else. She basically hadn't said anything else. How could this guy start making stuff up out of nowhere?!
Pakura gently stroked Hikaku's head and softly said, "Asu Natsuka, you're going to live with us from now on. We've already prepared Shindai's room for you."
Shindai immediately sensed something wrong, "Huh? You're giving my room to Asu Natsuka? Then where am I supposed to sleep?"
Pakura naturally replied, "On the sofa, of course. We can't possibly make Asu Natsuka sleep on the sofa, right?"
Shindai instantly panicked, "Why?! Why can't it be Pakura sleeping on the sofa, or Asu Natsuka?!"
Kushina Uzumaki slapped Shindai's head, saying, "How could you even say that! I've decided: Asu Natsuka will sleep in your room. You should move out and let Asu Natsuka stay there. You can just sleep on the sofa!"
Shindai hugged his head protesting, "But that's my house!"
Pakura completely ignored Shindai and agreed, "Yes, Sister Kushina, your decision is great. I'm about to finish work soon. Later, I'll take Asu Natsuka to buy some daily necessities and tidy up Shindai's room for Asu Natsuka to live in."
Kushina Uzumaki spoke energetically, "Also buy some ingredients and cook a good meal to welcome Asu Natsuka moving in!"
"You, you...I'm running away from home too!"
Shindai covered his face and ran out of the handicraft shop sorrowfully.
"Shindai." Hikaku Uchiha tried to stop Shindai but was stopped by Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki.
"Don't worry about him; he's always like this."
"He'll return when dinner time comes."
"Asu Natsuka, you look kind of cool. You're actually so stylish and cute!"
"We'll pick some nice clothes for you later. You'll definitely look beautiful wearing them."
Although Hikaku was already over eighty years old, seventy of those years had been spent sealed away. Both her physical age and mental age were still around thirteen or fourteen. She was, in essence, still a young girl. Now receiving so much praise from Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki, she felt rather shy.
Evening.
Hikaku Uchiha sat stiffly on the sofa at Minato Namikaze's house.
The recent experience had been absolutely terrifying.
She had been like a doll, completely under someone's thumb by Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki.
In the shop, Hikaku had lost count of how many outfits she'd tried on. She felt like escaping but had nowhere to run.
By the end of the ordeal, Hikaku had become numb.
"I'm back."
Minato Namikaze returned home after work and saw Hikaku Uchiha sitting on the couch, hesitating for a moment as he didn't immediately recognize her.
The previous Hikaku always wore black from head to toe.
But now, dressed in a pink long dress with a pink headband and a bow on it, looking nothing like her usual cold self, she was staring blankly with an adorable expression.
Minato Namikaze smiled as he greeted her, "Asu Natsuka, welcome to my home. That outfit looks really cute on you, Hikaku Uchiha."
Hikaku Uchiha stared at Minato Namikaze blankly for a moment, then resumed her dazed state.
"Minato, come quickly and taste what I made with Pakura!"
Kushina Uzumaki offered the spoon to Minato Namikaze, who tasted a bite. "Hmm, it's delicious. By the way, where's Shindai?"
"He ran away from home earlier. Given the time, he should be back any minute now."
Minato Namikaze was confused—why would anyone suddenly decide to run away from home?
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