Chapter 4: An Uchiha, the Market, and Lies
Mikoto woke up the next morning, and got up drowsily. After taking a quick shower, she immediately went down to prepare breakfast, since it was a Monday and her parents would be in the marketplace.
She clambered down the stairs and rushed towards the kitchen. To her surprise, her parents were still there, calmly sipping cups of tea.
She stopped. "Okaa-san! Oto-san! What are you doing here?" Mikoto exclaimed. "I mean, I thought you were supposed to go to the—"
"We were," her mother cut in. "Unfortunately, I and your father are feeling... well, a bit unwell, so, we thought we'd ask you if you'd like to be the one to go there instead, for us."
Mikoto shrugged. "Of course, if it shouldn't take all day, I'd be happy to oblige."
"Oh, our list is not that tiring and hard to find," her father assured her, grinning. "Besides, I think it would be a good experience."
Mikoto eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean? I've been to the market lots of times, before."
"What your father means to say, is that the exposure would be good for you," their mother put in.
"Exposure? What are you talking about—I mean, hello? Exposure?" she eyed them both suspiciously. "Since when have you ever considered 'exposure' for me?"
They both grinned and simultaneously scratched their heads.
"Oh no!" Mikoto exclaimed. "You've decided to let me become a stall vendor, right? Or you want me to start working as an entertainer? Maybe as a singer?" she frantically roamed around.
Her parents laughed all the more. "Of course not. It's just... well, you didn't tell us..."
"About what? As far as I know, I haven't kept anything from you."
"Really? Oh, well, maybe you haven't; it just wasn't obvious that day he came..."
"What wasn't obvious?" Mikoto demanded.
Her mother and father kept on scratching their heads.
She tried to piece the pieces of the conversation together, into one big whole meaning. In spite of her best efforts, Mikoto couldn't piece them together. She shrugged carefully. "Oh well, maybe I will go to the market today... I mean it's not such a big deal after all..." and she went outside, banging the door closed.
o0o
"Isn't she just beautiful?" Fugaku whispered to his friend. "The image of a goddess."
"Yeah sure, I'll be leaving you to your pathetic daydreams, Fugaku. But I really do have to get going."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Good luck." He rolled his eyes. "I hope you get your girl. Well then, bye!"
"Wish me luck!"
Creeping up, Uchiha Fugaku craned his head a bit to look at Mikoto from behind the bushes. There she stood, of course as beautiful as he ever dared to think. She was wearing what seemed to be a shapeless bundle of cloth and had tied her silky hair into one careless ponytail. When she'll be mine, I'll have to give her clothes that would enhance her beauty, Fugaku thought.
"Master Fugaku?" a voice sounded.
He turned around abruptly. "Not you! What are you doing here?!" he cried to a servant of theirs. "Oto-san told you to look after me, didn't he?" He cursed. "Well, you can go now as I'm not doing anything bad or worse, or something like that."
"After seeing you behind bushes that doesn't seem so believable."
Fugaku groaned in frustration. "Just go! Watch me from a distance or wherever you want; just don't reveal my hiding place!"
The man looked at him with a confused expression. "What are you hiding from, anyway?"
Uchiha Fugaku looked him in the eye. "You!" And with a puff of smoke, he disappeared, leaving behind a piece of log and bewildered servant cursing, "Kawarimi... I'll get him..."
o0o
I wonder where the fish are, Mikoto wondered. They were at this end of the market before. Maybe the stalls were changed.
"What are you looking for, pretty miss?" a voice sounded. Mikoto turned around and blushed. It was a man draped in a heavy cloak. He held a basket of fish in one hand.
"Fish!' she exclaimed. "That's what I was looking for!" Fugaku nearly fell to the ground on seeing her wide smile. His disguise was a success!
"How many would you like?" He began to rummage through the basket.
"Hachi. One for me, two for okaa-san, two for oto-san, and three for Ryen." Mikoto handed him a bill.
Suddenly, Fugaku felt flustered. He hadn't brought any change with him! Dammit, he thought. How stupid of me. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see Mikoto, I didn't bring change—" he broke off. Oops, my mistake again.
She looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly, Mikoto's face gave way to a furious expression. In a single fluid motion, she had thrown off his cloak to the ground and he stood there, smiling nervously with a basket of fish in one hand. "Hello?" he tried to say.
Unexpectedly, she grinned. "Oh, I see. Since you're so keen on following me wherever I go, I better make you of some help." She grabbed the whole basket of fish from his hand. "Fugaku, arigato. This is going to last us a whole week! Bye!"
"H—hey! Wait a sec!" he called. "Mikoto, come back! Come on! Why won't you stop and talk to me? Hey!"
She walked on, bringing her bundles and not heeding a single word of his. Frustrated, Fugaku summoned up a small amount of chakra, and with a burst of speed, he appeared in front of her. Without a word, Mikoto simply turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.
"Listen to me!"
"Who?" she asked innocently. "Are you talking to me?"
"Exactly, and I want you to know, I really like you, Mikoto. I even told your parents I was one of your suitors... okay, it was my mistake..."
Her green eyes flashed in defiance. "I don't think you have the right to lie to my parents, and you are certainly not one of my suitors!" she hissed. "Plant that in your mind. If you want your fish, here, you can have it." She thrust the basket into his hand and started walking away again.
"No, you can keep the fish—" He said, and she immediately grabbed it again.
"Once again, thanks, Fugaku, may I never see you again. Have a good day!!"
He stared glumly at her disappearing figure. "Whatever. And you're welcome." But still, you should know I'm not the type to give up.
