Chapter 214 Affectionate Terms of Address
"Itachi, what kind of gift would you like if it were you?" Haruko, having gotten no response from Orochimaru, started bothering her little nephew.
Without hesitation, Itachi Uchiha answered, "Sweets."
"That's something I would like..." Haruko was both touched and discouraged.
She was touched that her little nephew thoughtfully gave her the gift he liked, but she was also disappointed that she still didn't know what kind of amazing gift to give Hatake Kakashi.
“But I like everything Haruko likes.” Itachi Uchiha’s words were firm and resolute, full of his dependence on her and his sincerity.
Haruko was slightly taken aback, then hugged him tightly, moved. "My Itachi is so cute! Auntie is so happy I could cry!"
He hugged her back, and Itachi Uchiha insisted on correcting her: "I am mature, not cute."
"Okay, okay, mature, my Itachi is the most mature!" Haruko coaxed him.
Uchiha Itachi: ...Never mind, as long as Haruko is happy.
Despite being moved, Haruko still had to think things through. She thought of all the boys around her whose personalities were similar to Kakashi Hatake.
Obito was the target of revenge, so he can be ruled out.
Asuma has been so engrossed in exploring the meaning of "jade" lately that he's almost gone mad, so let's rule that out.
Thick eyebrows...out of the question.
After eliminating all possibilities, Haruko really couldn't think of anyone's answer that she could refer to.
Oh right! Isn't there also a little boy named Shisui?
Haruko had a sudden inspiration. Although his personality was somewhat different from Kakashi's, at least it wasn't as ridiculously bad as Thick Eyebrows.
"I've decided, I'll go ask Shisui!"
Upon hearing that she was going to find Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi hesitated for a moment, but in the end he did not stop her. He got up, took her hand, and seemed determined to go with her.
The reason why Itachi Uchiha chose to call Haruko by her name is actually related to Shisui Uchiha.
The first time the two children met, Haruko acted as the bridge between them. Because of her nephew's unusual personality, he stood out among the other children playing house and dressed up as cool kids.
The girls in the clan all wanted to talk to him, which made the boys less welcoming. Also, Itachi Uchiha himself had no intention of making friends, so Haruko has never seen her nephew bring friends home to play.
The first thing they say is, "They're too childish, I don't want to play those games."
This particularly troubled Haruko, who was the aunt. If she couldn't bring back a childhood sweetheart, she could at least bring back a childhood friend.
For the sake of her nephew's healthy childhood, Haruko carefully selected and finally found Uchiha Shisui within the Uchiha clan, who was similar to her nephew in both talent and personality.
The key point is that she still knows me; I was really wise!
So Haruko led the bewildered Uchiha Itachi to Uchiha Shisui's house.
Pushing open the door, he found Haruko, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Uchiha Shisui couldn't hide his excitement and asked, "Haruko, did you come to see me?"
"I wonder if Shisui is free? I also brought you a little playmate!"
"Playmate?" Only after she said that did Uchiha Shisui notice Uchiha Itachi standing next to Haruko, looking equally bewildered.
Itachi Uchiha gently tugged at Haruko's hand and looked at her, asking, "Auntie, who is he?"
"He's Uchiha Shisui, a very gentle and lively child!" Haruko pushed him in front of Uchiha Shisui. "Itachi is my nephew. It would be great if Shisui could become friends with him!"
Haruko smiled and squatted down to take Uchiha Shisui's hand, overlapping it with the other hand that was holding Uchiha Itachi's.
Feeling the warmth in their hands, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi looked at each other at the same time.
Despite the somewhat encouraging nature of their friendship, Itachi Uchiha quite liked this older brother who was three years his senior. Both were renowned as geniuses of the Uchiha clan, and the two were exceptionally compatible in their training.
Originally, the plan was to make the two of them playmates, but when Haruko saw them cultivating on the side, she didn't understand but respected their ability to equate cultivation with play.
"Itachi, Shisui, take a rest! Have some apples!"
The two, who hadn't finished their training, obediently walked to her side. Looking at the apple on the plate that had been cut into the shape of a rabbit, Uchiha Shisui opened his mouth wide in surprise.
"Did Haruko carve this? It's amazing!" Uchiha Shisui looked at Haruko with sparkling eyes.
Sensing his admiration, Haruko chuckled smugly, "I learned from Mikoto for a long time before I mastered it!"
Speaking of this, Itachi Uchiha recalled Haruko's extreme interest in rabbit apples back then. She bought a huge bag of them to practice with, but every failed attempt ended up in his and his father's mouths.
Every day, his younger sister would bring him oddly shaped apples to his post, filled with her hard work and love. Fugaku Uchiha would reluctantly accept them amidst the envious glances of his subordinates, while secretly asking Itachi Uchiha how far she had progressed in her skills.
Finally, Haruko mastered the art of peeling apples, and Fugaku Uchiha was finally free from the blissful torment of eating several boxes of apples every day.
Itachi Uchiha, too, never wanted to see an apple again after that, but unexpectedly, he saw that apple, which exuded an aura of pain, again at the Uchiha Shisui's house.
Seeing that Itachi Uchiha didn't move, Haruko smiled and forked an apple to feed him. "Ah—"
Unable to resist her offer of food, Itachi Uchiha reluctantly took a bite, offering his praise with an awkward smile.
Seeing their intimacy, Uchiha Shisui spoke up somewhat shyly, "Haruko, I can too..."
When she noticed his eyes were glued to her hand, Haruko realized what was happening, smiled gently, forked an apple, and fed it to him. "Of course."
Watching helplessly as his aunt fed her new friend, Itachi Uchiha silently reduced his "stealing his aunt" points in his heart.
On the way home, Haruko was finally all alone. Itachi Uchiha looked at her profile, hesitant to speak.
Haruko noticed his worried expression and asked softly, "What's wrong, Itachi?"
After some hesitation, Itachi Uchiha decided to ask directly. His aunt was sometimes thoughtful, but most of the time she was thick-skinned. If he didn't ask directly, it would only make them both feel frustrated.
"Does Shisui call Haruko by her first name?"
Yes, is there a problem?
"It sounds... a bit more intimate than the 'aunt' I call her."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yes!" Itachi Uchiha emphasized, looking at her stubbornly.
Haruko found it amusing, then shook the hand that was holding his. "If Itachi is bothered by it, you can just call me by my name. I don't mind."
"Really?" Although he asked her again to confirm, Itachi Uchiha couldn't wait to call out, "Haruko!"
"I'm here—" Haruko replied, drawing out her words.
As if he found it very amusing, Itachi Uchiha called her name over and over again, and Haruko responded to him with great enthusiasm.
On the way home, their childlike conversations filled the air, revealing the understanding born from spending so much time together, the inseparable bond, and the unwavering confidence in a long future ahead.
******
The list of recipients of gratitude as of April 4, 2024:
grateful--
A message from someone riding a Siberian bear to urge you to update your chapter.
K, the one who sent the update reminder charm
Mazda gave me a thumbs up.
Y Baifeng, yam cake with jujube paste filling, a love letter from Xuanchun.
It's Xiao Yu, not Xiao Yu. Huai Xi, don't forget. I don't know what to name her (ㄒ▽). The Patriarch's Little Cardinal. Flowers sent by the bird from the abyss.
Purple sweet potato porridge, Xiao Yu not Xiao Yu, Jin Xiula from Nanning, the smoky Gu Xiong, Healer, Uchiha Xueyi, Yuan Sheng who likes hazelnut fish, Li Luoxin, Hongyi Xiangyi Saigao, Mo Wentian who loves red bean jelly, Qian Huiyue, Zui Xiangsi, Qingyi Bo from Linggu Village, Yue..., yam cake with jujube paste filling, early summer starry sky, fried sesame balls in the oil pan, Xuan Chun, don't want to compile personal information, chu December, Lin Bai, Yuanjian Bird's love-powered electricity.
Thank you for the gifts! The author is so touched! Kakashi, the cool guy, reaches out for a gift.
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