We now were the 31 may, and Mikoto's birthday was tomorrow. I took a leave and let the team led by her. I was searching around Konoha for a gift but I did not know what to buy her. I had no monetary problems as I never used the money from my missions on anything else other than equipment.
I in fact was richer than some nobles but that did not help me in finding the gift. I knew that what Mikoto wants is not an expensive gift, in fact she did not ask anything but well, I am not an assh*le so I had to search for one.
When I saw that hours had already passed I began to panick so I went to Kushina for help. But I could not find her so I was back at it. I went into a every kind of shop I could think of but did not find what I wanted.
I went to the Yamanaka to see their flowers but I did not buy any in the end. I also went into an armoury as I was desperate, but then I had an idea. I exited the shop and went to a jewelry shop. But I still did not find anything worth the trip.
But it was on the last shop that I saw it. It was a silver pendant. On it were beautiful engravings that were forming a kind of flower. I immediatly buyed it and I was happy as I had finally found my gift. I had taken so much time that Mikoto should have already finished her mission.
I went to go search for her and surprised her by cominng discreetly. I spent the rest of my day just staying with her doing nothing. We went together toward the anbu base and separated to go change ourselves.
We arrived together at the gathering point and I opened our mission scroll. As expected, the mission was again about fighting on the battlefield. It has been a while since we last did something else. But their was a good side, that is that we fight less than before.
Some times ago we would fight almost everyday but now our team only fight three to four times each week. Today was of course a special day as it was Mikoto's birthday. I intended to gift Mikoto her pendant at the end of the day, after our mission as anbu is finished.
We immedietly departed after knowing our mission. On our way, I began thinking about myself and my situation. Recently I began to stagnate in my training. If I could advance so fast to this level was because of the never ending fights, life or death situations and that stuff.
But now I became too powerful. Meeting S rank ninjas is incredebly rare, as I did not encounter any since the mercenary group. And now even S rank would only give me some struggles. As of now I think only Kage levels ninjas and above are able to threaten me.
Now I am basically toying with my enemies if I fight, even if they are A rank. But as we arrived in the forest I saw someone I did not see since a long time, Fugaku. He obviously recognized me as my partly broken mask was now as famous as my own face.
It was a little awkward because of what happened, moreover Mikoto was here. Fugaku wispered to me" Can I talk to you for a moment, alone ?" I was surprised, not by what he said but the fact that I did not sensed any hostility.
Seeing me nodding he said aloud to his squad as he was not in anbu" Go forward, I will catch you later." I looked at my team and told them" For this mission we will work together with this squad. Go forward, I will also catch you."
They all nodded and we now were alone. I kept my mask to hide my embarassment. Fugaku talked first" You don't have to be like this, I did not even knew her, we were only engaged. To be honest, I am happier with this developement."
I was surprised at this so I let him continue" As you know, I wish to become the clan head since I am only a child, and I do not want this position to hold power, all I want is to protect my clan members and make them happy.
If you did not intervene I would have acted against my own philosophy and married an unwilling person. Moreover, and please keep it a secret, but I already love another woman, so I think you understand what I feel about what you did."
I looked at him suspisiously and asked" You may say that but what about your face ? The futur clan leader getting his fiancee stollen." He smirked and said helplessly" I do not care about such a thing like face, if it is to follow my own philosophy and be with the woman I love and not some unwilling stranger.
Moreover nobody will think of it as a disgrass to be defeated by the almighty Lord Red Sword, may it be in strenght or love. You need to understand that your standing in the clan is higher than even the clan leader.
If not for that and the fact that you refused to be the clan leader, those old bastards the elders would have never let you just take Mikoto away. They would have cared about their so called face and punished you heavily."
I looked at him in the eyes and saw that he seemed to be honest. But I grew warry of pacifying stuuf like that since the "apology" of Kimio. I thought about it and found a hoe in his story. So I asked" If what you said is true, then why did you get engaged with her ?"
Fugaku's face instantly saddened, and there also was a bit of anger on it. He replied" Nobody know who I love, except her who I often see." I was intrigued by this and asked" Then she must have a problematic background, right ?"
Fugaku nodded and answered" Yes she has, she is not from the Uchiha clan." I looked at him and confidently said" She is a Senju, right ?"