Chapter 15

Tonight, the clan is holding a gathering. Yuki had arranged dinner for Obito beforehand, and then, accompanied by Mikoto who was waiting at the gate, she went to attend this month's Uchiha gathering. The gathering, though called a gathering, was really just about discussing the village's recent policies that seemed to be increasingly xenophobic towards the Uchiha clan, and urging clan members to train harder and become stronger to revitalize the Uchiha clan. Sometimes, they would ask the genin whether they wanted to work in the Uchiha Security Forces or primarily perform missions within Konoha.

Mikoto and Fugaku listened intently, making perfect sense of what they were saying.

A ninja like Yuki, who had just graduated, naturally sat with Ritsu, who was the same age as her.

All Uchiha clan members capable of fighting will be present at the gathering.

The chieftain's wife would record the names of the clan members who did not attend.

Yuki's gaze unconsciously fell on Fugaku and Mikoto in the front row, sensing that their relationship had deepened since their engagement. For some reason, a pang of jealousy welled up in Yuki's heart; Mikoto had always been the one who doted on her the most…

"Don't space out."

Lidong nudged Xue, who was lost in thought, with his elbow. Xue glanced at him and softly replied, "Oh."

Among the younger generation of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku was undoubtedly the strongest, and everyone seemed to recognize him as the future clan leader, showing him great respect. Yuki, as Mikoto's beloved little sister, naturally fell into Fugaku's camp. Fugaku, as the future clan leader, often urged Yuki to learn from Ritsufuyu. Yuki always felt that if Ritsufuyu hadn't been so focused on becoming stronger and following Fugaku, Fugaku might have even suggested they get engaged sooner.

Although Fugaku felt good about himself, Yuki felt that it was like mates for pets, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

After the gathering ended, Yuki waited for Mikoto to come out at the entrance of Nanga Shrine.

As expected, Mikoto walked beside Fugaku, while Ritsu followed behind Fugaku.

Sometimes Yuki wonders, when Fugaku and Mikoto were dating, did Ritsudo have to follow them around the whole time?

...Just thinking about this scene is terrifying.

"Xue, what are you thinking about? You're giving me goosebumps." Ritsu asked Xue with a frown as they walked behind Mikoto and Fugaku.

Yuki shook her head and said nothing. On the way back, Obito, who was standing behind the gate of the clan compound, walked through the curtain without any hindrance and suddenly threw himself into Yuki's arms. Yuki caught him steadily and asked him why he wasn't waiting for her at home.

"Today is my entrance ceremony, why isn't my sister here?" Obito looked up at Yuki with a wronged expression.

Xue then fully remembered and couldn't help but exclaim "Ah!" She quickly apologized several times and reluctantly promised Obito that she would definitely attend his graduation ceremony next time.

“Obito has enrolled; he’s in the same year as Kakashi from the Hatake clan, right?” Fugaku said thoughtfully. “We Uchiha clan members can’t lose to others. You can come and train with me when you have time; Yuki trained with me before.”

Obito tugged at Yuki's sleeve. Perhaps because of his lack of talent and his personality being different from other Uchiha clan members, he didn't have any particularly good friends in the clan, except for a child named Nohara Rin who always waited for him at the clan's gate. His relationship with the other clan members was quite ordinary.

Yuki smiled and said, "Fugaku-nii, Obito is still young."

Lidong seemed to want to say something to Xue, but Obito, like a cat with its fur standing on end, suddenly blocked Xue's path, baring his teeth at him, as if he would bite him to death if he took a step forward.

Lidong: ...Why is it only targeting him?

Only Mikoto could still touch Obito slightly. She stroked Obito's head and stroked his fur, saying, "Obito has grown so much."

However, Obito held Yuki's hand tightly, his gaze never leaving her.

"Fugaku, Obito isn't related to Yuki by blood, is he?" Ritsu asked Fugaku with a frown. "He's old enough to take care of himself. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to let him continue living in Yuki's house?"

"I don't want to! I don't want to be separated from my sister!" Obito was particularly sensitive about snow, and upon hearing this, he immediately protested loudly.

Yuki smiled a little shyly and said to Mikoto, "I'll take Obito back first."

Back home, Obito was still sulking and refused to get up from Yuki's arms.

Yuki sat on the sofa, and Obito held her waist tightly.

"Why does everyone want to separate me and Yuki? We have nothing left but each other." Obito's voice was muffled, with a hint of grievance.

Xue sighed and comforted Obito, saying, "Ridden Winter was just joking, Obito, don't take it too seriously."

"Besides, when Obito grows up, he'll have a girl he likes and marry her. Then it won't be convenient for me to continue living with you guys." Yuki tried to reason with him.

"Why not! Even if I marry Rin, Yuki can still live with me. Rin has said that she really likes Yuki!" Obito said eagerly.

Xue pondered how to make it easy for him to understand, and then said, "Then when I have a boy I like in the future, I'll marry him..."

"I don't want to! You're not allowed to marry anyone else! And you're not allowed to like any other boy!" Before Xue could finish speaking, Obito immediately interrupted her, his voice tinged with sobs.

"Promise me! Hurry up!" Obito's tone was somewhat urgent.

Xue held her forehead and could only helplessly reply, "Okay, okay."

Obito then released her, hastily wiping away his tears. He then reached out and gently cupped Yuki's face, placing a very childlike kiss on her cheek.

"As long as I'm here, that's enough for you, okay?" Obito looked up, his eyes full of expectation.

Xue was amused and asked in return, "Then Obito has Rin, Kakashi... why do you only ask me to have you?"

Obito's eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting Yuki to ask such a question. He puffed out his cheeks, but still insisted defiantly, "I don't care! Yuki, swear it! Hurry up!"

Yuki took it as a childish joke, so she extended her little finger, hooked it with Obito's little finger, and said with a smile, "Okay, I promise Obito."

-

So, in the autumn of this year, when Yuki became a genin, she received her first C-rank mission.

The early autumn morning was a bit chilly, and sunlight shone through the sparse clouds, draping the earth in a thin golden veil.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and occasionally a few yellow leaves drifted down, like golden butterflies dancing in the air.

"This mission has a pretty long time limit." Nara Shikara leaned lazily against Yuki's shoulder, her voice languid.

"It will probably take about a week?" Since graduating, Genma Shiranui has replaced the thin twig he used to carry in his mouth with a thin kunai.

Xue was sometimes quite curious about how Genma managed to avoid cutting his mouth with such sharp kunai. Genma glanced at her and simply said that he usually controlled his chakra by using a portion of it.

"Won't Grandma worry about being gone for so long?" Yuki turned to look at Genma. As soon as she moved, Shikara, who was leaning on her shoulder, lost his support and swayed. Nara could only pretend to stretch and act as if nothing had happened.

“I already told Grandma beforehand,” Genma replied.

Although Yuki had told Obito beforehand that the monthly subsidies from the village and clan were on the table for him to use at any time, she also prepared enough food for three days. Initially, she had considered preparing enough for a week, but worried about the food spoiling, so she decided against it. However, she was still a little worried.

A ninja's pack should be lightweight, so she only carried a small, dark red satchel containing some simple changes of clothes.

Genma, Yuki, and Shikara sat in a row under the shade of a tree, listening to the Third Hokage say that a special Jonin had been assigned to lead their team today. Yuki was still wondering who it could be when suddenly she felt a familiar chakra fluctuation emanating from the ninja tool pouch wrapped around her legs. Curious, she took out the three-pronged kunai, which glowed with a ghostly blue chakra light.

The next second, Minato Namikaze appeared out of thin air in front of the three of them.

Am I too late?

The fourteen-year-old boy wore a dark green vest, the standard for a Konoha Special Jonin, over a black bodysuit, with a ninja tool pouch tied around his waist and black leggings. He wore a Konoha headband, and his signature short blond hair contrasted sharply with his deep blue eyes, while a spirited smile graced his face.

He casually placed the trident kunai he used for teleportation back into the ninja tool pouch between his legs. Shika and Genma simultaneously frowned and exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves: Another rival for love, huh, bro?

Minato Namikaze smiled at the three and introduced himself, "Well then, let me introduce myself first. My name is Minato Namikaze, a Special Jonin, and I'm the team leader for this mission. If you have any questions during the mission, feel free to contact me." As he spoke, he took out a mission scroll from the pocket of his vest and unrolled it. "Let me see. This mission is to escort a merchant safely to the Land of Tea."

The escort team began to move forward, with Minato Namikaze leading the way, Genma Shiranui and the escorting merchants in the middle, and Yuki Uchiha and Shikara Nara following behind.

The vendor was a woman in her thirties, with delicate features, a shrewd look in her eyes, and a very articulate speech.

Xue walked behind her, listening to her chatter all the way. Shiranui Genma, who was not good at dealing with girls, was always a beat slow to react.

The woman, however, paid no heed, continuing to recount the long history of tea in the Land of Tea and why its tea had enjoyed such a high sales volume for so long. The Land of Tea boasts fertile land and abundant water and heat, making it ideal for tea cultivation. Consequently, tea forms a vital economic pillar, and tea merchants naturally hold a crucial position in the Land of Tea. Renowned tea merchants like this woman, who travel to various countries to promote their products, always employ ninjas for protection on their journeys.

"However, little sister, you are very pretty!" The woman turned around and looked at Xue behind her with a smile.

Xue was taken aback for a moment, then quickly and politely thanked her. The woman then glanced at the other three male ninjas, a slight smile playing on her lips as she quietly chuckled.

"Just call me Xiao Ai!" the woman said warmly.

Xue glanced around at the reactions of the others, confirming that the words were directed at her.

The phrase "the employer is God" suddenly came to mind.

"Xiao Ai? My name is Uchiha Yuki. If you don't mind, you can call me Yuki."

"Your name is Xiaoxue? That's a nice name, it suits your temperament perfectly!" Xiao Ai moved closer to Xiaoxue and took her wrist in a very familiar manner.

Seeing this, Genma Shiranui, who was originally in the middle, silently retreated to Nara Shikara's side, and the two of them quietly listened to Yuki and the woman chatting.

"Do you have a boy you like, Xiaoxue?" Xiao Ai suddenly changed the subject and asked with a curious look.

Xue paused for a moment, then gently shook her head.

Minato Namikaze frowned slightly, while the two behind him breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xiaoxue, what kind of boy do you like?" Xiao Ai pressed on.

Yuki instinctively cast a pleading look at Minato Namikaze, but he didn't care at all, still staring straight ahead, looking very alert.

Xue had no choice but to bite the bullet and, after thinking for a moment, tentatively said, "A boy who's a little older than me, someone who can protect me?"

Minato Namikaze: Isn't that me?

Nara Shikara: Bigger than snow, then I totally qualify. But it seems I still have a lot of work to do to become a Chunin!

Genma Shiranui: ...Then I don't fit the description at all... feeling disappointed.

As if she had thought of something, Xue's lips curled up slightly and she smiled: "I like gentle people, boys who are like family."

Xiao Ai seemed to be infected by Xue's smile. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "No wonder everyone around you likes you. I can't help but like you too." As she spoke, she hugged Xiao Xue and rubbed against her affectionately.

Genma Shiranui thought that perhaps he should strive to become a gentle, reliable, and powerful ninja!