At night, dull yellow streetlights glowed on either side of Konoha's streets!
Ever since they had left Tsunade's mansion earlier~
Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Lei had walked side by side along the road, but there was always a meter between them!
Like a young couple having a quarrel, whenever Uchiha Lei tried to approach Uchiha Mikoto, she deliberately dodged away!
Uchiha Mikoto folded her arms across her chest, her brows deeply furrowed and her fair cheeks puffed out in anger. Her pearly teeth bit her lower lip as she turned her head away and ignored Uchiha Lei!
Uchiha Lei was at a loss, too. He had no idea what he had done to upset Mikoto!
Remembering how unreasonable girls in his previous life could be, and how he would be wrong no matter what, Uchiha Lei asked tentatively:
"Mikoto, why are you suddenly angry? What did I do wrong?"
"What did you do wrong?"
There was anger in Uchiha Mikoto's voice. She glanced back at Uchiha Lei, then immediately turned away and kept walking on her own!
Uchiha Lei began recalling what had happened at Tsunade's mansion and immediately thought of something!
"I shouldn't have agreed to the engagement Grandma Mito arranged!"
"Not that. Keep thinking!"
The anger in Uchiha Mikoto's voice grew stronger. She turned to glare at Uchiha Lei, then immediately turned away again!
Uchiha Lei recalled the sight of Mikoto's delicate hand linked through his arm and continued quietly:
"I shouldn't have slept holding Kushina. I should have held you instead, Mikoto."
"No, no! Keep thinking, properly!"
Uchiha Mikoto turned back, her voice rising in anger, her eyes full of unexplained fury as she looked at Uchiha Lei!
Oh, why was Lei so stupid?
He had agreed to tomorrow's invitation on his own. Most importantly, Grandma Mito hadn't invited me.
And Lei actually agreed! Just thinking about it made me angry!
Uchiha Lei recalled the pain in his arm at the end, remembered Grandma Mito's words, and continued:
"Mikoto, is it because I shouldn't have agreed to go to Grandma Mito's house alone?"
Uchiha Mikoto's expression softened a little. Pouting angrily, she turned around and glared at Uchiha Lei!
"Good, you figured out the key issue. The important thing is that you didn't ask what I thought first!
You didn't keep me in mind at all. Hmph~"
Uchiha Mikoto snorted, immediately turned her head away, and continued ignoring Uchiha Lei!
Uchiha Lei switched to shameless mode, quickly reaching out with both fair little hands to hug Uchiha Mikoto beside him!
Uchiha Mikoto pushed off the ground with both feet, immediately putting another meter between them!
All along the way, whether Uchiha Lei tried sneaking closer, taking her hand, or saying nice things, none of it worked!
Uchiha Mikoto still kept a meter away from Uchiha Lei and continued turning her head away to ignore him, though her expression had softened considerably!
The two walked all the way back to the living room of Uchiha Lei's home!
In the living room~
The table was already laden with six dishes, a soup, and rice, all appealing in color, aroma, and taste!
Uchiha Miko sat quietly on the other side of the table, waiting!
When Uchiha Miko saw Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Lei come home, she immediately stood up and waved them over with a sweet smile!
"Lei, Mikoto, come sit down and eat!"
Uchiha Mikoto went over first and stood beside her mother, Uchiha Miko, on the other side. Her fair cheeks puffed out in anger as she linked her soft, fair hand around her mother's arm and glared at Uchiha Lei!
"Mother, I want to sit beside you! I'm ignoring that heartless man."
Uchiha Lei looked a little pale. Forcing a sunny smile, he raised his hand to greet his future mother-in-law, Uchiha Miko:
"Good evening, Mother-in-law!"
Being called "Mother-in-law" had just made the smile on Uchiha Miko's face grow even brighter.
When she noticed Uchiha Lei's pale face, she asked urgently:
"Lei, you don't look well! Are you feeling unwell again?"
"I'm fine, Mother-in-law. I'm perfectly healthy!"
As Uchiha Lei spoke, he deliberately patted his chest with his fair little hand, panting slightly.
He thought to himself:
This was bad!
As expected, the Rinnegan's ocular power wasn't so easy to replenish.
But how could Uchiha Miko believe him? She immediately freed herself from Uchiha Mikoto's delicate hand and hurried over to Uchiha Lei!
She placed the back of her hand against Uchiha Lei's forehead, then against her own. After making sure he had no fever, she continued asking gently:
"Are you really all right, Lei? If not, let's go to Konoha Hospital."
Before Uchiha Miko could finish-
Seeing her mother care only about Uchiha Lei and not herself, Uchiha Mikoto lost all reason to anger and shouted:
"He's fine! Mother, why do you only care about him?"
Uchiha Lei immediately looked forlorn, his eyes dimming a little. He was terribly hurt!
Uchiha Miko could tell that her daughter, Uchiha Mikoto, was probably being unreasonable again. She drew Uchiha Lei into her arms with her fair, delicate hand, gently stroked his head, and comforted him:
"Lei, don't be sad!
Mikoto has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Don't stoop to her level!"
Uchiha Mikoto completely broke down. Her eyes reddened with anger, and tears spilled from their corners. Covering her eyes, she got up and ran toward the second floor, leaving behind a hurt remark:
"Boohoo... Lei and Mother are both bullying me. You're both bad people."
"Mikoto~"
Uchiha Lei shouted, raising his fair little hand high and reaching toward the fleeing Uchiha Mikoto!
Uchiha Miko knew she could only ask her daughter about this, so she crouched down with a sweet smile, rubbed Lei's cheeks with both fair, delicate hands, and spoke softly:
"It's all right, Lei. I'll go talk to Mikoto! If you're hungry, go ahead and eat."
Uchiha Lei shook his head at Uchiha Miko, forced a smile, and explained gently:
"This isn't Mikoto's fault! Here's what happened..."
Uchiha Lei recounted the whole series of events, from Kushina Uzumaki inviting him to her house to Grandma Mito proposing an engagement to Kushina!
"That's what happened! I really was wrong. I didn't consider Mikoto's feelings."
Uchiha Miko, however, shook her head. Resting her palm on Uchiha Lei's little head, she gently rubbed it and explained softly:
"Lei, you listen to Mikoto too much. You've spoiled her rotten!
Wait here. I'll go have a word with her for you."
Uchiha Miko withdrew her fair, delicate hand, immediately stood up, and marched angrily upstairs. She opened Uchiha Mikoto's door, then immediately shut and locked it!
Uchiha Lei was still a step too late. He immediately tried turning the doorknob with his little hand, found it locked, then raised his loosely curled hand and knocked with the backs of his fingers!
Knock, knock, knock~
"Mother-in-law, open the door..."
Inside the room~
Uchiha Mikoto had been lying facedown on her bed, her eyes red from crying. At the sudden noise, she immediately turned to look!
She saw her mother, Uchiha Miko, with tightly knitted brows and an angry face, scolding her loudly:
"Uchiha Mikoto, sit up properly right now!
Don't act as though you're the only one who's been wronged. I'll only say this once."
At home, Uchiha Mikoto wasn't afraid of her father, Uchiha Yama. She was only afraid of her mother, Uchiha Miko, when she was angry!
Mother really would hit me! I had to sit up properly right away.
Uchiha Mikoto immediately scrambled up, stopped her tears, and sat on the edge of the bed with her head lowered. She clasped her hands tightly together, fingers interlaced, her whole body trembling slightly!
Before you continue