Naruto: My Hunting System

Chapter 19: Confirming Feelings

Until seven o'clock at night, Nawaki, Mikoto, and Kushina stayed at the training ground.

The sky was already dark when the training ended.

The two girls were on wobbly legs, barely able to walk when they returned to the clan's courtyard.

"I will accompany you to your house." Nawaki said to Mikoto, but then added: "However, rest a little before, I'll bring you some juice."

"Thanks." She said with a gentle smile.

"Do you still need to be so formal with me?" Nawaki laughed, "We've been training friends for several days now, no need to thank me even for the little things."

"I'll do it." She gave a brighter smile.

Kushina asked Mikoto as soon as Nawaki left. "Mikoto... Do you like Nawaki dattebane?"

She felt that was it.

"I like him." She easily admitted.

"Oh oh...!" Kushina almost screamed, but her mouth was covered by Mikoto's hands.

"Shhh!" Mikoto blushed a little, "I haven't told him yet. And also..." She sighed.

She still didn't know what to do, her clan had strict rules about relationships outside the clan. And, it seems they had plans about getting her engaged to the future Patriarch of the Uchiha Clan who was 5 years her senior.

Honestly, before she didn't care, but now, just thinking about getting engaged to someone other than Nawaki, she felt a tightness in her chest that makes it hard to breathe.

What she didn't know, was that not far away from them, someone was looking at the two girls with a peculiar look...

'So the Uchiha girl likes Nawaki.'

- -

Nawaki returned with a pitcher of juice and three glasses.

After drinking the punch and getting some rest, Nawaki left with Mikoto.

After they left the Senju compound, Mikoto spoke quietly, "Nawaki, what would you do if I got engaged?"

Nawaki's footsteps stopped.

"Did you get engaged?" Nawaki asked, stunned.

"I asked, if I 'get' engaged to someone, not that I've ever been engaged to anyone, at least not yet..." Mikoto replied without explaining much.

Nawaki started walking again, only slower. "I admit it took me by surprise. But well. I don't think I would be happy about that."

"Hehe, just hearing that makes me happy." She smiled and the gentle aura around her returned until it became a little more vibrant. "Don't worry, I still have a voice in this engagement they're trying to arrange for me, I'm not going to accept it."

"...You know that I am the last male descendant of the Senju, yes?" Nawaki asked.

Mikoto was a smart girl, she knew that being the last male descendant of the Senju Clan, it was almost certain that he would have more than one female by his side.

However, she herself was no ordinary girl. She grew up almost always with things determined by her. Now, for the first time, she was doing something for herself, so she wouldn't go back and wouldn't regret it, as that was her wish.

"Yes, I'm aware." Mikoto smiled and asked a little bent over with her hands behind her back: "If one day I am your wife, even with other women, will you leave me aside?"

"Of course, I won't." Nawaki said, "I like you. I don't think that will change, even with time it may become something stronger, but for now, I don't want to think about it. What do you think, are we going to stay friends until we're older?"

"Hehe silly, I didn't say that wanting us to be boyfriends now or something." She laughed, "Just wanted to confirm that I was making the right choice in overruling my clan's decision to wait for you. As you said, we're only 11 years old, and we haven't even graduated from the ninja academy yet."

"That's why I like you." Nawaki smiled at her, "You are so sensible even at such a young age."

"Haha, you're talking like that, you sound like an old man talking." She laughed a lot, but then added, "Yeah, well, I'm glad I got to talk to you~" She stuck out her pink tongue.

"I didn't get to ask before, but if I may know, who are your parents?" Nawaki asked softly.

"Mm." She said casually, "I didn't really know my parents, but it seems my grandfather was Izuna Uchiha, but I'm not sure if that's true, since there's only suspicion that I'm Madara's brother's granddaughter... (sighs), I think it's silly, but because of that, I've had a relatively good life, as much as Madara has done, he has a lot of admirers in the clan."

When Nawaki noticed that they were arriving in the area with people, he said, "We'd better not talk about it now. By the way, I'm sorry to ask if that doesn't make you comfortable."

"No I do not care." She smiled kindly: "I don't deny that I already wanted the love of my parents, however, I was adopted by a loving couple from the clan and I'm happy. It's not like I'm living a hard life. In fact, it was because of this rumor that Isao Uchiha tried many times to get close to me, and he kind of started hating you."

"He likes you?" Nawaki asked rhetorically. Now it made sense since aside from him being around Mikoto the last few days, he didn't remember doing anything to be hated by Isao.

"Well, he's just an idiot who believes that rumor and just want to stay with me to have a descendant of Madara's bloodline." She wrinkled her nose reluctantly.

"By the way, what are your adoptive parents like?" Nawaki changed the subject.

"They're nice, like I said before, they look up to the Village founders, even if... Well, you know." She said: "At first they may have adopted me because of that, but I think I can say that now they treat me like their real daughter. My days with them are good, even now, they always worry when I come to train with you, but when I showed the result of the training, they were happy for me."

"I see." Nawaki smiled: "If you have any difficulties, you can always count on me."

"I will go." She smiled kindly, "Oh, I'm so glad I talked to you to train that day~"

Nawaki smiled and said as she smelled delicious in the air, "It's selling dango, do you like it, want one?"

"Yes, I particularly like green tea." She nodded.

"Wait one moment," Nawaki said before heading towards the dango shop.

Nawaki returned with two green tea dango skewers. "Here, for you."

"Thank you," she accepted with a smile. "Delicious~"

Nawaki looked at her satisfied expression as she ate the dango and smiled before eating too.

"No wonder it smells so good," Nawaki muttered.

"Yes, that's why so many people are buying it."

"Normally we don't go this way, we should go through here more often."

"I agree." She held up her thumb with her free hand.

After finishing eating, Mikoto licked her slender fingers and tossed the skewer into the nearby bin.

Nawaki did the same.

"We're here..." The journey was more fun than usual, maybe that's why Mikoto felt reluctant to say goodbye.

Nawaki noticed this and smiled, "Mm, see you tomorrow at the ninja academy and then at my house to train?"

"Yes yes." She smiled kindly.