Ch 213 : Ayari's Perception

Itachi arrived at the meeting point, burdened with thoughts.

"Good morning, Itachi."

"Morning, Shinako, Kabuto."

Noticing the young boy's distracted demeanor, Sakurada Shinako moved closer. "What are you thinking about?"

Itachi took a step back and hurriedly said, "Nothing."

Shinako chuckled. "You're practically wearing 'I have something on my mind' on your face."

Hearing this, Itachi instinctively touched his cheek, which made Shinako burst into laughter.

Kabuto couldn't help but smile as well. "If something's bothering you, feel free to share. We might be able to help."

Itachi's worries were mostly about his father leaving the village, a situation that neither Kabuto nor Shinako could possibly help with.

Moreover, his father's departure was a punishment from Lord Hokage due to his mistakes.

The thought of not being able to see his father for a long time filled Itachi with sadness.

Seeing that Itachi was reluctant to speak, the two didn't press him further.

Shinako said, "Why isn't Kiyomi-sensei here yet?"

Kabuto replied, "There are still about ten minutes until the appointed time."

Shinako grumbled, "Coming ten minutes early wouldn't hurt."

The three stood on a bridge, their eyes aimlessly wandering.

In the distance, the high tower near the Hokage Rock was still under construction.

Workers could be seen toiling diligently.

Shinako suddenly asked, "Why do you think the Hokage didn't rebuild the Hokage Rock but decided to build a tower instead?"

Kabuto mused, "Isn't it because the Fourth Hokage... was a criminal?"

This was one of the most widely circulated and seemingly credible rumors in the village.

Rebuilding the Hokage Rock would inevitably raise the dilemma of whether to carve the Fourth Hokage's likeness again.

Many believed this was why Lord Hokage decided not to rebuild it.

Shinako asked again, "Then what is that tower for?"

Kabuto shook his head. "I don't know, but since Lord Hokage ordered its construction, it must have a purpose."

This answer was meaningless, and Shinako couldn't help but roll her eyes.

At that moment, Hyuga Kiyomi arrived.

Shinako complained, "Kiyomi-sensei, you're so slow. Keeping a girl waiting is not a good habit."

Kiyomi smiled warmly. "I don't think I'm late."

As he spoke, he pulled out three sheets of paper and laid them in front of the trio.

"This is...?"

Each of them took a sheet and glanced at it, all stunned.

Kiyomi explained, "The Chunin Exams are coming up, and I've signed you up."

Shinako couldn't help but protest, "Kiyomi-sensei, we haven't even graduated for a year. Isn't it too early for us to take the Chunin Exams?"

Kiyomi responded, "It's not too early. I know your abilities well and wouldn't send you just to embarrass yourselves. Of course, participation isn't mandatory. I only secured the spots for you. Whether you want to go is up to you."

Itachi was intrigued. "The Chunin Exams—there must be really strong people from other villages there, right?"

Kiyomi smiled. "Of course. The Joint Chunin Exams bring together elite ninjas from different villages. It's a rare opportunity."

Kabuto appeared indifferent.

To him, the Chunin Exams were merely a platform for promotion.

He didn't share Itachi's eagerness to face strong opponents; if everyone was weaker, his chances of success would be higher.

Shinako glanced at her two companions, feeling disheartened.

Compared to them, she was much weaker and worried about dragging them down.

"You won't be doing any missions for the next couple of days. Take your time to think it over," Kiyomi said.

.......

"Ayari, are you staying for lunch today?"

"Is keeping you company a bad thing?"

"...Of course not."

Mikoto watched Ayari, who was helping her with housework, unsure of what to say.

She knew Ayari had good intentions, but it was her own awkwardness causing discomfort.

Ayari smiled and said, "Then aren't you going to start preparing lunch? Do you want me to go hungry?"

She was kneeling on the floor, mopping diligently.

At home, she rarely did chores, but she didn't mind doing them occasionally.

"Then I'll leave the mopping to you. If you get tired, take a break."

Mikoto got up, about to head to the kitchen, when a wave of discomfort hit her.

She gagged a few times, but Ayari, absorbed in her cleaning, didn't notice.

Mikoto rubbed her chest, exhaled deeply, and walked into the kitchen.

Ayari wiped down the entire living room floor and furniture until everything was clean and tidy.

Looking at the transformed room, she smiled with satisfaction.

Cleaning and doing housework turned out to be a stress-relieving activity, distracting her from troubling thoughts.

She called out, "Mikoto, does the bedroom need cleaning?"

Mikoto poked her head out of the kitchen. "Just the guest room, not the master bedroom."

Ayari followed her instructions and headed to the guest room.

She knew about Mikoto and Fugaku sleeping in separate rooms for a month or two now.

She had once asked Mikoto if they had fought, but Mikoto had been evasive and reluctant to explain.

Seeing Mikoto's personal items in the room, Ayari chuckled to herself.

"Honestly, Fugaku's leaving, and she didn't even spend a nice night with him."

She got to work but accidentally knocked over the trash bin, spilling packaging and tissues across the floor.

Ayari quickly set the bin upright and started picking up the scattered trash.

At that moment, something unusual caught her eye.

It was a familiar object she had just seen in Ayano's room yesterday—a white pregnancy test with two red lines.

Staring at it, Ayari froze for a moment.

Mikoto... is pregnant?

"That's good news, isn't it? Why hasn't she mentioned it..."

Ayari's thoughts trailed off until Mikoto called her from outside for lunch.

Since it was just the two of them, lunch was simple.

After washing her hands, Ayari sat at the dining table, looking thoughtful.

"Didn't finish tidying the bedroom?"

"Ah... yeah."

Mikoto served Ayari half a bowl of rice and filled a whole bowl for herself.

Ayari remarked, "You have a good appetite, huh?"

Mikoto froze for a moment, then smiled. "Well... I did some housework, got a bit tired, and forgot to serve you a full bowl too."

Ayari said, "No need, half a bowl is enough for me."

Mikoto picked up some food and chewed a couple of times before a strong wave of nausea hit her.

She quickly covered her mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit.

Ayari noticed her reaction, her eyes flickering with thought before teasing with a smile, "What's the matter? You think your own cooking's bad?"

Mikoto replied, "Just a bit of an upset stomach these past couple of days."

Ayari took a bite of her rice.

Seeing Mikoto recover and eat with apparent enjoyment, she suddenly asked, "Fugaku left this morning. Didn't you two sleep together last night?"

Mikoto was startled for a moment. "No."

Ayari smiled mischievously. "He's leaving for who knows how long, and you held back?"

Mikoto shot her a glance. "I'm not that obsessed with that kind of thing. Don't make me sound desperate."

Ayari chuckled and pressed on, "So, in the past two months, you two haven't been intimate even once?"

Mikoto casually answered while eating, "No."

Ayari's smile slowly faded.

"Is that so..."

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