A Six-Year Promise with Sister Mikoto

A few days later, during a break between classes.

Mirai Uzumaki slipped out of the second-year classroom and headed straight up to the third floor—the floor for upperclassmen.

He had already found out that Mikoto Uchiha was in Class One of the sixth year, her classroom the second door on the left at the end of the corridor.

When he reached the doorway, he poked his head in and saw Mikoto sitting by the window, her head lowered as she wrote something. Her profile was as exquisite as a painting in the afternoon light.

"Senior Mikoto!" Mirai called, waving at her.

Mikoto looked up. Seeing him, she froze for a moment before putting down her pen and walking to the door.

"Mirai Uzumaki? What are you doing here?" She bent down to look at him, clearly surprised. "Don't you have class today?"

"It's break time. Running around for a bit won't hurt." Mirai smiled, then turned serious. "About that condition from last time—I've thought it over. I came to tell you."

Mikoto recalled their agreement at the school gate a few days ago and nodded. "Go ahead."

Mirai cleared his throat, then solemnly held up three fingers.

"My condition is—within the next six years, you can't have a boyfriend, can't have a fiancé, and can't get married."

The air went quiet for two seconds.

Mikoto blinked her beautiful black eyes. Her expression shifted from confusion to blankness, then from blankness to an indescribably complicated mix of amusement and disbelief.

"...Huh?"

"I was perfectly clear," Mirai said without changing expression. "That's my condition."

Looking at his serious little face, Mikoto couldn't help but laugh. "You're just a child. Why are you thinking about things like that?"

"What's wrong with being a child?" Mirai planted his hands on his hips. "Children have dignity too! Anyway, I've made my condition. Senior Mikoto, are you agreeing or not?"

Mikoto looked down at the red-haired little brat before her. It seemed absurd, but then she thought about it—no boyfriend, no fiancé, no marriage for six years?

She was only eleven or twelve now. Six years later, she would only be seventeen or eighteen. She hadn't planned on discussing marriage anytime soon anyway.

She was a genius female ninja of the Uchiha Clan. Naturally, improving her Ninjutsu and carrying out missions came first.

At the very least, she needed to join the Konoha Military Police Force.

So this request really had no practical effect on her.

"Fine," Mikoto said with a helpless smile. "I'll agree. I wasn't planning to think about those things anyway."

"It's a deal!" Mirai's eyes lit up as he held out his pinky. "Pinky promise."

"...You really are a child." Mikoto said it, but she still extended her hand and hooked her pinky around his.

"Pinky promise, hang ourselves, a hundred years and no changing!" Mirai recited the oath with great solemnity, then withdrew his hand in satisfaction. "All right, then I won't interrupt Senior Mikoto's class anymore!"

He turned and prepared to head for the stairs, his red hair dancing beneath the corridor sunlight like a tiny flame.

Mikoto stood where she was, watching his back, and couldn't help laughing softly.

"What a strange little brat..."

All of this was witnessed by someone at the other end of the corridor.

Fugaku Uchiha had originally come to the school to find Mikoto today.

A few days ago, his father, Yamamoto Uchiha, had told him that the marriage alliance with Mikoto Uchiha's family was nearly settled. In a few days, they would formally visit her home to propose the engagement.

Though Fugaku was still young, he knew his father meant well.

Mikoto was a publicly recognized genius female ninja in the clan. She was beautiful, gentle by nature, and truly the best possible choice for a wife.

He had nothing to do today, so he had decided to come to the school in advance to see his fiancée and learn what she was usually like.

But the moment he reached the third floor, he saw his "fiancée" at the end of the corridor, bent over as she spoke to a red-haired little brat.

At first, he didn't care—a little kid, what could possibly be going on?

Then he heard that sentence—

"Within the next six years, you can't have a boyfriend, can't have a fiancé, and can't get married."

Fugaku stopped in his tracks.

His eyes widened as he watched Mikoto Uchiha freeze at first, then smile and extend her pinky to make a promise with that red-haired little brat.

She had even agreed.

Fugaku felt his temple twitch.

He took a deep breath and stepped out from around the corner, his footsteps steady and his expression solemn. Only his slightly clenched fists betrayed his emotions.

"Mikoto."

Mikoto turned around and was slightly stunned when she saw him. "Fugaku? What are you doing here?"

Fugaku glanced at Mirai Uzumaki beside her, then looked at Mikoto. He tried to keep his tone even. "I heard your conversation just now."

Mikoto frowned slightly. "...You were eavesdropping?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to be passing by." A trace of stiffness appeared on Fugaku's square face. "Mikoto, why did you agree to such a ridiculous request? Especially from a... child."

He glanced at the stopped Mirai Uzumaki, the contempt in his eyes completely undisguised.

Mirai raised an eyebrow and spread his hands. "You're Senior Fugaku, right? The agreement between Senior Mikoto and me doesn't seem to have anything to do with you, does it?"

Fugaku choked on those words.

Strictly speaking, it really had nothing to do with him. The engagement had not yet been formally proposed, and Mikoto did not even know about it. He had no standing to interfere with any decision she made.

But watching his fiancée make a pinky promise with a little brat that she wouldn't marry for six years, he simply couldn't suppress the fire in his heart.

"Mikoto, you..." He turned to Mikoto, wanting to say something, but he didn't know how to say it.

Mikoto's expression had already turned cold.

Though she was gentle by nature, she was ultimately a genius of the Uchiha Clan, with pride in her bones.

Being questioned to her face by an uninvited boy from her clan over an agreement she had made with someone else—an agreement that clearly had nothing to do with him—made her deeply uncomfortable.

"Fugaku," Mikoto said, her voice several degrees colder, "what agreements I choose to make is my freedom. Even if you're the young clan head, you have no standing to question me, do you?"

Fugaku opened his mouth, his face alternating between red and white.

He wanted to say, "I'm your future fiancé."

But saying that now would amount to acting first and informing her later. Not only would it be improper, it would also make Mikoto's impression of him plummet.

He gritted his teeth. In the end, he merely gave a heavy "Hmph!" before turning and striding away.

"...What a weirdo." Mikoto watched his retreating back and muttered softly.

Standing beside her, Mirai Uzumaki watched Fugaku leave and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

It seemed that if he hadn't interfered, Yamamoto Uchiha would soon have gone to Mikoto's home to propose the engagement.

According to the original story, Mikoto's engagement to Fugaku should have been arranged around this time.

"Six years should be enough, right?" he muttered softly. "By then, I'll have graduated from the Ninja Academy too. Keeping Sister Mikoto under control shouldn't be much of a problem."

Mikoto hadn't heard clearly. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing! I'm heading back to class first, Senior Mikoto!" Mirai waved and dashed down the stairs.