Lap Pillow

The next morning, at Shuji and the others' usual meeting spot.

Nawaki had barely arrived when he saw Shuji sleeping peacefully against a tree.

Licking his lips lightly, Nawaki raised a finger to his mouth and looked at Hinagiku nearby.

Seeing this, Hinagiku blinked. She looked at Nawaki, then at Shuji, and after less than a second of hesitation—

Hinagiku's body went slack, and she simply closed her eyes.

Seeing that, Nawaki grinned silently and crept toward Shuji.

"Wake up!!!"

Taking a deep breath, Nawaki suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Whoosh!"

At that instant, accompanied by the sound of something cutting through the air, Shuji's eyes snapped open. His right hand shot out on instinct and seized Nawaki by the throat.

"Hey, hey, hey—It hurts, it hurts!"

Desperately clawing at the hand around his neck with both hands, Nawaki cried out repeatedly.

This bastard...

Gritting his teeth as he stared at Nawaki's reddened face, Shuji vengefully tightened his grip before finally letting him go.

"Ugh... cough, cough..."

Nawaki dropped onto the ground and began coughing uncontrollably.

"Yo! Why does the invincible Nawaki look so pathetic today?"

Just then, Hiashi's sarcastic voice rang out. Nawaki immediately got to his feet and looked toward Hiashi, who had arrived with Hizashi.

"What? Want to try Nawaki's Superhuman Strength punch?"

Holding his right fist before his chest, Nawaki asked Hiashi in a thoroughly threatening tone.

"Hah? Bring it on!"

Hiashi sneered, tilted his head to the side, and strode over.

Nawaki followed without the slightest hesitation.

"I'm going to watch and learn!"

Seeing this, Hinagiku immediately stood up and followed as well.

Watching Hinagiku flee as though she were escaping for her life, Shuji gave a helpless, bitter smile. Leaning back against the tree, he slowly closed his eyes.

After sparring with Chinatsu all night long, every cell in Shuji's body was desperately demanding rest.

He'd been thrown around all night...

"Shuji."

Just as Shuji was about to fall asleep, Mikoto's voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.

"Eat something before you rest."

As Shuji opened his eyes, Mikoto knelt before him and handed over the food she had prepared in advance.

Today, Mikoto was still wearing black thigh-high socks and shorts.

As she knelt in front of Shuji, the snowy-white absolute territory was displayed before his eyes in full view.

"Is this Mikoto's way of thanking me?"

Shuji chuckled and accepted the milk and small cake Mikoto offered him.

As for legs...

You got used to seeing them after a while, so they weren't that... well... they were still quite nice to look at.

"How could it be?"

Mikoto smiled and shook her head. How could something so insignificant possibly match what Shuji had done for her?

Though Shuji had not said anything, his exhausted appearance already explained everything.

Because of his defeat last night, Shuji must have received a very harsh punishment.

How laughable... Her request and Shuji's sacrifice.

In the end, all they had received was a scolding.

But fortunately... she had not gained nothing.

"The real thanks may have to wait a little longer."

With that, Mikoto continued speaking to Shuji.

Mikoto now understood that until her strength completely surpassed Uchiha Chisaku's, every day of her life would inevitably be spent under harsh reprimands.

Therefore, only once her strength surpassed Uchiha Chisaku's would she gain a certain degree of freedom.

"Ah... you don't need to take it too seriously."

Shuji shook his head. He finished the dessert Mikoto had brought in a few bites, opened the bottle of milk, and gulped it all down in one go.

"I only did you a small favor."

After gathering the trash in his hands and setting it aside, Shuji spoke to Mikoto.

"Perhaps it was something simple to Shuji, but it was very important to me."

Mikoto smiled and emphasized the point to Shuji.

Besides, this matter did not seem to have been so simple for Shuji either.

Otherwise, he would not be this tired now.

"All right, then I'll wait for Mikoto's thanks."

Shuji smiled and spoke to Mikoto.

With that, Shuji leaned against the tree again, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep for a while.

"I'll rest for a bit first. We still have taijutsu class this afternoon."

At the same time, Shuji said this to Mikoto.

"Shuji..."

Looking at Shuji, who had closed his eyes again, Mikoto softly called out.

"Hm? What is it?"

Shuji opened his eyes and looked at Mikoto in confusion.

"If you don't mind, this might be more comfortable."

As Mikoto spoke, she supported Shuji's body and slowly laid his head on her lap.

"Huh???"

Blinking blankly, Shuji lay atop Mikoto's absolute territory and stared at her in surprise.

This...

Mikoto's action had truly caught Shuji off guard.

"Get some proper rest."

Seeing this, Mikoto spoke as though nothing had happened.

As though this were the most normal thing in the world.

As she spoke, Mikoto placed her hands against Shuji's temples and gently massaged them.

"Mm."

Shuji nodded and closed his eyes.

Since Mikoto did not mind, what was there for him to mind?

At the end of the day, she was only a six-year-old child.

Still, this lap pillow really was much more comfortable than that tree...

Only after Shuji had completely fallen asleep did a faint blush slowly appear on Mikoto's face.

How could something like this possibly be normal?

The reason she had done it was because she liked him.

Looking at Shuji sleeping quietly in her lap, a faint smile appeared on Mikoto's lips.

In fact, when she had asked Shuji to lose to her before, aside from wanting to earn her father's approval—

Mikoto had also harbored a little secret thought.

That was, Mikoto wanted a reason to be good to Shuji openly and properly.

Mikoto liked Shuji, but she could not be certain that Shuji liked her too.

If she rashly told Shuji how she felt, then if he rejected her, they might not even be able to remain friends afterward.

And for now, Mikoto could tell that Shuji did not feel that way about her.

So, Mikoto would make Shuji gradually get used to her kindness, until it became a habit.

Mikoto would make Shuji slowly become unable to leave her.