“Sorry, sorry~ So you’re little Sora, right?” Mikoto smiled, releasing her hands from pinching Sora’s cheeks.
Her brows and eyes relaxed, as if brimming with gentleness.
Her gaze fell on Sora’s vibrant red hair, and the smile in her eyes deepened a few degrees.
“How did you know?” Sora reflexively looked up and asked back, then immediately pursed his lips in annoyance as the words left his mouth.
He seemed to have asked a stupid question.
“Hehe~ Because I’m your Sasuke-nii and Itachi-nii’s mom.” Mikoto said with a gentle smile, extending a hand forward.
“My name is Uchiha Mikoto.
Nice to meet you, little Sora.” She genuinely liked this child.
Not just because he was the good friend her two sons often mentioned, but also because of that head of red hair identical to Kushina’s, and the surname Uzumaki.
Mikoto didn’t have many friends to begin with.
Kushina was the one who understood her best.
But after that bloody night six years ago, Kushina was gone forever.
Due to her Uchiha status, she couldn’t even properly get close to Kushina’s son, Naruto.
This regret weighed on her heart, but now it was quietly warmed by the vitality she felt from Sora.
“Hello, I’m Uzumaki Sora.
Nice to meet you too.” Sora rubbed his eyes.
For a moment, he saw a shadow of his mother in this auntie.
This woman’s maternal aura was too strong.
So gentle.
Sora’s eyes became bright and shiny, a happy smile blooming on his face.
Leaving aside this perception ability’s effect on other emotions, being around such a gentle person was truly comfortable.
“Mhm, welcome, little Sora.
I just baked some cookies.
Would you like to try some?” Mikoto smiled, raising her hand to pat Sora’s head.
The soft texture made her linger for an extra two seconds.
This child’s hair felt really nice, not inferior to Kushina’s at all.
“Okay~ Thank you, I love cookies!” To be precise, he loved anything delicious.
Itachi leaned against the doorframe of the living room.
Watching his mother’s hand land on Sora’s head, and the boy not only didn’t dodge but even obediently leaned forward a little, a trace of envy quietly flitted through his eyes.
Earlier, when he tried to pat Sora’s head, the boy immediately pulled a face and even glared at him.
This differential treatment made him cough lightly in helplessness, grumbling inwardly: This damn differential treatment!
“Mother, could you look after little Sora for a bit?
I’m going to find Shisui.
He really wants to meet Sora too.” Suddenly remembering what Shisui had said a few days ago, Itachi decided to go fetch him first.
Before leaving, he paused his steps, quickly reached out to ruffle Sora’s hair, his fingers barely touching before he turned around, afraid he’d be glared at if he was a second late.
Sure enough, Sora instantly widened his eyes, watching Itachi’s retreating back and muttering softly: The Head-pat King, huh?
Why does everyone like patting my hair!
“Alright, leave it to me!” Mikoto smiled, picking up a small cookie and holding it to Sora’s mouth.
Seeing Sora reach out to take it, she playfully withdrew her hand, a mischievous glint in her eyes, cookie crumbs still on her fingertips.
“Little Sora, if you want the cookie, I’ve already brought it to your mouth.
You can just eat it directly.” “No way,” Sora immediately waved his hands, his little face full of seriousness, his brows even slightly furrowed.
“You can’t treat me like a pet being fed.
I won’t give up my dignity for food!” Hearing this, Mikoto was stunned for a moment before understanding.
Covering her mouth, she laughed heartily: “Haha—, little Sora, how could you think of Auntie like that?
Compared to a pet, Auntie would rather think of you as a son.” She took a step forward, her voice softening, filled with sincere gentleness.
“After all, Sasuke and Itachi already treat you like a little brother.
By the same logic, I’d like to be your mom too.” After saying this, Mikoto gently patted Sora’s head with her clean hand, her eyes sparkling as she looked at his face, full of expectation.
Sora retreated repeatedly, his heel bumping against the small stool behind him with a soft *thump*.
He realized it now.
Encountering a woman with such a powerful maternal aura was truly terrifying.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t win.
Watching Sora’s ears, peeking out from under his red hair, slowly turn a bit red, Mikoto smiled even more happily.
But knowing she shouldn’t tease him too much, she took his wrist and led him to the dining table.
“Alright~ Auntie won’t tease you anymore.
Try the cookies first.
I’ll go prepare lunch for you all.” Her palm was very warm, enveloping Sora’s slightly cool hand, making one instinctively want to rely on it.
After saying this, before walking into the kitchen, Mikoto couldn’t help but casually pat Sora’s hair again, her fingertips gently pinching the ends.
Sora had already lost all means of resistance.
He was completely indifferent to Mikoto wanting to pat his head or whatever.
She’s someone who could be my mom!
If she wants to pat it, let her~ As for those ill-intentioned *old fogeys* or whatever, if they dare touch me again, I’ll explode!
A while later, Sora had already eaten half the cookies on the plate.
He lay Lying down on the dining table, watching Mikoto’s figure cooking in the kitchen.
Suddenly, he remembered the days a year ago, before coming to Konoha.
Sometimes he would also sit at the table, quietly watching his mother cook.
But now it was impossible.
He was forced to grow up.
Those warm days could never return.
He could only grit his teeth and look forward.
What was past could not be undone.
Thinking of this, his fingertips lightly brushed against the wood grain of the table, his heart feeling a bit sour.
At that moment, Itachi arrived with Shisui.
Their footsteps broke the quiet of the living room.
They immediately spotted Sora lie on the dining table, lost in thought.
The boy’s red hair was particularly conspicuous in the sunlight.
“Is this the little Sora you mentioned?
He looks even cuter than Sasuke.” Shisui walked to the dining table, looking at Sora’s soft cheeks.
He joked with Itachi, his voice full of laughter, his eyes still carrying curiosity.
Itachi nodded, then immediately shook his head, his tone exceptionally firm, his gaze even turning serious.
“No, Shisui.
Little Sora is good-looking.
Sasuke is also good-looking.
They can’t be compared.” Whether it was little Sora or Sasuke, they were both the cutest little brothers in his heart.
Making him rank them or decide who was better-looking was harder than improving the relationship between the clan and the Village.
Shisui looked at Itachi’s determined face, a bit unable to understand his friend’s thinking.
It was just an offhand joke, why was he taking it so seriously?
He turned to look at Sora.
The child was staring in the direction of the kitchen, seemingly unaware of their presence.
“Itachi-nii, Shisui-nii, hello.” Sora exactly snapped back to reality, taking a bite of the cookie in his hand.
The crisp sound was particularly clear in the quiet living room.
He turned his head and saw Shisui staring at him.
He immediately sat up straight and politely greeted him.
“Huh?
So you noticed us already!” Shisui looked at Sora with slight surprise, raising an eyebrow.
He didn’t expect the child, who seemed lost in thought, to have noticed them long ago.
“Mhm, Shisui-nii.
First time meeting.
Want a cookie?” Sora nodded, using both hands to lift the plate holding the cookies, offering it to Shisui.
He looked at the man curiously at the same time.
Uchiha Shisui.
An excellent yet naive man.
Descendant of Uchiha Kagami.
Calculating by age, he should be his grandson.
“No…
Alright, I’ll have one!” Looking at Sora’s bright, shiny eyes, as if expect him to eat together, Shisui had to swallow the words of refusal.
He picked up a cookie, took a bite, and the sweet fragrance instantly spread in his mouth.