Uchiha Hiko saw what they were doing, but for the moment, he could not figure out why the elderly couple had suddenly decided to leave the house and head into town. When he arrived, they had shown no sign of going out. How had they suddenly made plans to leave so soon?
Even with those doubts, Uchiha Hiko's good manners kept him from prying into other people's privacy. He merely smiled, nodded at them, and said, "Then my visit was rather abrupt. I didn't realize you already had plans. Is Miss Kobayashi going out with you as well?"
Hearing Uchiha Hiko's question, the elderly couple exchanged a glance and hurriedly replied, "No, no, no. She doesn't have anything to take care of. If you need her, Mr. Uchiha, please go ahead and see her."
Upon hearing that, Uchiha Hiko frowned. He could not understand what the elderly couple meant at all. Besides, this did not fit the proper etiquette for receiving guests, did it? Though Uchiha Hiko held no official position in the village, he was still the only person here who knew Ninjutsu, and his Chakra was among the strongest. No matter where he went in the village, he was a highly respected figure.
Whenever Uchiha Hiko visited someone's home, they welcomed him warmly. After all, he had contributed greatly to the village, and when he had nothing to do, he liked visiting from house to house. Nearly every family had received his help.
What puzzled him was that, before he entered, the elderly couple had clearly been busy with their own tasks and had barely spoken to each other. The old woman doing laundry had just rubbed soap onto the clothes. How could she simply put down the unfinished washing and go out?
Especially the old man, who