A few days later, during a break between classes.
Uzumaki Mirai slipped out of the second-grade classroom and headed straight up to the third floor—the floor where the upperclassmen were located.
He had already asked around and found out that Uchiha Mikoto was in Class 1 of the sixth grade, and her classroom was the second one on the left at the end of the corridor.
When he reached the door, he peeked inside and happened to see Mikoto sitting by the window, lowering her head to write something.
Her profile in the afternoon light was as exquisite as a painting.
“Mikoto-senpai!” Mirai called out, waving at her.
Mikoto looked up, and seeing that it was him, she was stunned for a moment before putting down her pen and walking over to the door.
“Uzumaki Mirai?
Why are you here?” She looked a bit surprised, bending down to look at him, “Aren’t you having class today?”
“It’s just a class break, running a couple of steps doesn’t hurt.” Mirai smiled, then turned serious, “That condition from last time—I’ve thought about it, and I came to tell you.”
Remembering the promise at the school gate a few days ago, Mikoto nodded, “Go ahead.”
Mirai cleared his throat and solemnly held up three fingers:
“My condition is—for six years, you are not allowed to have a boyfriend, you are not allowed to have a fiancé, and you are not allowed to get married.”
The air fell silent for two seconds.
Mikoto blinked her pretty dark eyes, her expression shifting from confusion to bewilderment, and then from bewilderment to a complicated mix of exasperation and amusement.
“…Huh?”
“I made myself very clear,” Mirai said, expression unchanged, “That’s the condition.”
Looking at his serious little face, Mikoto couldn’t help laughing, “You’re just a kid, why are you thinking about things like this?”
“What’s wrong with being a kid?” Mirai put his hands on his hips, “Kids have dignity too!
Anyway, I’ve already stated the condition.
Will you agree to it or not, Mikoto-senpai?”
Mikoto lowered her head to look at the red-haired brat in front of her, finding it absurd in her heart, but then she thought about it—no boyfriend, no fiancé, no marriage for six years?
She was only eleven or twelve years old now, and in six years she would only be seventeen or eighteen.
She hadn’t even thought about marriage matters in the first place.
She was a genius female Ninja of the Uchiha Clan, so honing her Ninjutsu and executing missions came first, of course.
At worst, she had to get into the Konoha Military Police Force.
Therefore, this demand really had no substantive impact on her.
“Alright,” Mikoto smiled helplessly, “I promise you.
Anyway, I never thought about those things in the first place.”
“It’s a deal!” Mirai’s eyes lit up, and he extended his pinky finger, “Pinky swear.”
“…You really are just a kid.” Mikoto said that, but she still reached out and hooked her pinky with his.
“Pinky swear, cross my heart, hope to die, never change for a hundred years!” Mirai recited the oath solemnly, then pulled back his hand with satisfaction, “Alright, then I won’t disturb Mikoto-senpai’s class!”
He turned around and prepared to walk toward the stairs, his red hair bouncing in the sunlight of the corridor like a small flame.
Mikoto stood in place, watching that retreating figure, and couldn’t help laughing softly.
“What a strange brat…”
All of this was seen by someone at the other end of the corridor.
Uchiha Fugaku had originally come to the school today to find Mikoto.
His father, Uchiha Yamamoto, had told him a few days ago—the marriage alliance with Uchiha Mikoto’s family was almost settled, and they would officially visit to propose marriage in a few days.
Although Fugaku was still young, he knew his father was doing this for his own good.
Mikoto was a recognized genius female Ninja in the clan, and she was pretty and gentle in character, making her indeed the best choice for a wife.
Today, having nothing to do, he thought about coming to the school early to check on his fiancée and see what she usually looked like.
As a result, as soon as he went up to the third floor, he saw at the end of the corridor that his “fiancée” was bending over talking to a red-haired brat.
He hadn’t taken it to heart at first—a little kid, what could happen?
Then he heard that sentence—
“For six years, you are not allowed to have a boyfriend, you are not allowed to have a fiancé, and you are not allowed to get married.”
Fugaku’s footsteps paused.
He widened his eyes, watching Uchiha Mikoto first freeze for a moment, then smile and extend her pinky to pinky-swear with that red-haired brat.
She even agreed.
Fugaku felt his temple twitch.
He took a deep breath and walked out from the corner of the corridor.
His steps were steady and his expression solemn, but his slightly clenched fists betrayed his emotions.
“Mikoto.”
Mikoto turned her head, and when she saw who it was, she was slightly startled: “Fugaku-kun?
Why are you here?”
Fugaku glanced at the Uzumaki Mirai beside them, then looked back at Mikoto, keeping his tone as steady as possible: “I heard your conversation just now.”
Mikoto’s brow furrowed slightly: “…Were you eavesdropping?”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I just happened to pass by.” A trace of stiffness appeared on Fugaku’s square face, “Mikoto, why did you agree to such an inexplicable demand?
And to a…
kid, no less.”
He glanced at the stopped Uzumaki Mirai, the contempt in his eyes undisguised.
Uzumaki Mirai raised an eyebrow and spread his hands: “Fugaku-senpai, right?
The agreement between Mikoto-senpai and me doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you, does it?”
Fugaku was choked by these words.
Logically speaking, it really had nothing to do with him; the marriage proposal hadn’t been formally made yet, and Mikoto didn’t even know about it.
He had no standing to interfere with any decision Mikoto made.
But watching his own fiancée pinky-swear with a brat on an agreement of “no marriage for six years,” the fire in his heart could not be suppressed no matter what.
“Mikoto, you…” He turned to Mikoto, wanting to say something, but not knowing how to say it.
Mikoto’s expression had turned cold by this moment.
Although she had a gentle personality, she was ultimately a genius of the Uchiha Clan and had her own pride deep down.
Being questioned to her face by an uninvited fellow clansman about an agreement she made with someone else—an agreement that clearly had nothing to do with him—made her very uncomfortable.
“Fugaku-kun,” Mikoto’s voice grew a few degrees colder, “whatever agreement I choose to make is my freedom.
Even if you are the heir, you have no standing to question me, do you?”
Fugaku opened his mouth, his face turning alternately red and white.
He wanted to say “I am your future fiancé,”
but saying this now would be tantamount to presenting a fait accompli; not only was it contrary to etiquette, but it would also cause Mikoto’s impression of him to plummet.
He gritted his teeth, finally letting out a heavy “hmph,” and turned to stride away.
“…Inexplicable.” Mikoto looked at his retreating figure and muttered softly.
Uzumaki Mirai stood nearby, watching Fugaku’s departing back, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
It seemed that if he hadn’t intervened, Uchiha Yamamoto would have soon gone to propose marriage at Mikoto’s house.
According to the direction of the original work, it should have been during this period that Mikoto’s engagement to Fugaku was finalized.
“Six years, is that enough?” He muttered softly, “By then, I’ll have also graduated from the Ninja Academy, and winning over Mikoto-neesan shouldn’t be much of a problem.”
Mikoto didn’t hear clearly: “What did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing!
Then I’ll go back to class first, Mikoto-senpai!” Mirai waved and dashed down the stairs in a flash.