"Excuse me, is anyone home?" Mikoto knocked on the door and called out, holding a small basket in her hand.
Soon, footsteps echoed from within, and the door opened.
"Hello." Kurenai, seeing a beautiful, unfamiliar woman with dark hair, was momentarily taken aback.
A woman? Mikoto thought to herself, equally surprised.
"Hello, I'm Uchiha Mikoto," Mikoto said with a gentle smile.
Uchiha…
Kurenai was a bit startled but quickly reasoned it was likely someone from the nearby Uchiha clan, given that their new home was in the former Uchiha district, so it made sense to get acquainted.
"Is this Ren's residence?" Mikoto asked.
"Yes," Kurenai replied. "But he's not home at the moment."
"Oh, I see." Mikoto chuckled softly, observing Kurenai.
Realizing she hadn't introduced herself, Kurenai quickly said, "I'm Kurenai Yuhi, his girlfriend."
After she spoke, she felt a bit embarrassed—it was the first time she'd introduced herself that way.
Girlfriend... She looks a bit older than Ren. So he likes older women, huh? Mikoto mused internally but maintained her polite smile. "I live nearby and thought I'd come by to greet the new neighbors."
"Oh, I see. Please, come in," Kurenai responded, opening the door wider and inviting Mikoto inside.
"I brought some homemade jerky. Please, help yourself," Mikoto placed the basket on the table in the living room.
"You're too kind," Kurenai said, feeling pleasantly surprised.
"It's nothing special," Mikoto laughed, sitting down at the low table in the living room.
Kurenai brought her a glass of water and sat across from her. "I'm sorry, we only have plain water at the moment."
"Not at all, I'm the one intruding."
Kurenai hadn't had a chance to furnish the new place with all the essentials, and Mikoto was the first guest here. She'd invited Anko to visit before, but Anko had declined.
"These little things don't compare to the gratitude I feel toward Ren," Mikoto added, smiling.
"Excuse me?" Kurenai looked surprised. "You know Ren?"
"Ren once saved both me and my son," Mikoto said, smiling warmly.
"It was about five or six years ago, during the Hidden Mist's night raid. Do you remember that?"
Kurenai nodded, recalling that Ren had saved her life that night as well.
It was also the night her impression of him had changed.
"We were in a life-or-death situation, and I couldn't even ensure Sasuke's safety. Fortunately, Ren arrived and swiftly eliminated all the enemies," Mikoto recounted.
"So that's how it happened," Kurenai said, smiling as she understood.
"I'm always grateful to Ren, and I'm so pleased to find out that the new neighbors are you two," Mikoto said joyfully. "I hope we'll be able to see each other often."
"You're very kind. After all, we're all from the same village, and it was only right for Ren to help," Kurenai said, her words implicitly asserting her role in Ren's life.
"That may be true, but I'll never forget what he did," Mikoto replied. "Please come by and visit us soon. I'll make sure to welcome you warmly."
"We certainly will," Kurenai agreed.
"I never heard that Ren had a girlfriend. And such a beautiful one, at that," Mikoto said with a gentle smile.
Kurenai blushed. "You flatter me. You're much more beautiful, Mrs. Uchiha."
"I'm much older now, nothing compared to you young people," Mikoto said, affectionately taking Kurenai's hand.
"Kurenai, you're beautiful and a jonin too. Ren's very lucky to have you as his girlfriend."
Kurenai, secretly delighted by the compliment, responded with a modest smile, "I'm not that great. Ren is quite wonderful, too."
Seeing Mikoto as a warm neighbor whom Ren had saved, Kurenai didn't think much further.
"Kurenai, you're being too modest. Ren is excellent, but I think he's lucky to have you," Mikoto continued. "Knowing his personality, I can imagine that not many women would dare approach him."
Kurenai had to agree; though Ren was handsome, his stoic face would probably scare off many potential admirers.
Mikoto's remark made Kurenai realize that, without her, Ren's personality might lead him to a lonely future.
Pleased by the thought, Kurenai felt an extra touch of pride.
Mikoto was incredibly warm and courteous, and Kurenai's impression of her steadily improved. She felt fortunate to have such a wonderful neighbor.
"Mikoto, where do you live? I'll be sure to visit soon."
As they chatted, Kurenai's way of addressing her had softened to "Mikoto." As Mikoto left, she held Kurenai's hand affectionately.
"Of course, just bring Ren with you when you come," Mikoto said with a warm smile.
"Goodbye, Mikoto."
After Mikoto left, Kurenai felt a lingering happiness and began to think about what to bring when she visited Mikoto's home.
Maybe a few of the flowers I've grown...
Fugaku's House
When Mikoto returned home, she found Fugaku alone in his study.
Sasuke was out with his team, and Itachi was busy with his ANBU duties.
"Where did you go?" Fugaku asked absentmindedly, noticing Mikoto bringing him a snack.
"To visit Ren," Mikoto replied. "Since he moved nearby, I went to greet him."
Fugaku paused, a hint of surprise crossing his face.
"Unfortunately, he wasn't home, but his girlfriend was," Mikoto continued. "Her name is Kurenai Yuhi, and she's a jonin too."
Fugaku thought for a moment. "I've heard of her. She's currently the instructor of the Hyuga clan heiress, along with the children from the Inuzuka and Aburame clans."
"That means… their future connections…" Fugaku furrowed his brow.
"Are they living together?" he asked.
"Yes," Mikoto confirmed with a nod.
"Then it won't be long before they marry. Ren may very well become a rival for us in the future," Fugaku said, narrowing his eyes.
By "rival," he meant a political opponent.
In his plans, Fugaku knew he would inevitably have to contend for the position of Fifth Hokage. Assigning Ren to mentor the new Ino-Shika-Cho trio made it clear that the Third Hokage had Hokage candidacy in mind for Ren.
"I see," Mikoto murmured.
After a moment's thought, Fugaku said, "Ren has a problematic history, so climbing up won't be easy for him. It's surprising that Shikaku and the others entrusted their children to someone like him."
"So… should we continue associating with him?" Mikoto asked hesitantly.
"Since you've already visited, just keep up a friendly relationship," Fugaku replied. "If we were to distance ourselves suddenly, it might make our intentions too obvious to the Hokage, potentially inviting suppression."
"I understand."
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