EPILOGUE 02

My name is Uchiha Emiko, and I have a serious problem.

No, it's not life-threatening. No, it's not about some deep, existential crisis. It's worse.

I have three good-looking brothers.

And I'm sick of it.

Everywhere I go, I can't escape them. "Emiko-chan! Is your brother single?" "Emiko-chan! Can you give this love letter to your brother?" "Emiko-chan! Can you tell your brother that he's the most handsome boy in the world?"

Do I look like a mailbox?! Do I look like a matchmaker?!

I blame my father.

Yes, yes, I know my mother is also partly at fault for giving them their good looks, but I refuse to blame her. She's sweet, she's gentle, and most importantly, she didn't smirk in satisfaction when I told him about my daily struggles.

Unlike him.

"It can't be helped," my father had said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the kitchen counter, looking infuriatingly proud. "They're my sons."

I wanted to throw my rice bowl at him.

Mother, of course, had only sighed, giving him that look. The one that was half exasperated, half amused. "Sasuke, stop encouraging them," she'd said, placing a hand on her hip.

But did he listen? No.

Did he look remorseful? Absolutely not.

This is the burden I must bear as the only daughter of Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Hinata.

And I am exhausted.

Let me introduce you to my biggest problems.

First, there's Ren, my eldest brother. At seventeen years old, he's the 'perfect' son; responsible, intelligent, calm, and unfortunately, devastatingly handsome. He's the golden boy, the pride of our clan, and the absolute worst because girls follow him around as if he were a prince from some fairy tale.

Then, there's Takeshi, the second menace. He's fifteen, charming, smooth-talking, and a shameless flirt. Unlike Ren, he enjoyed the attention, flashing his admirers an easy smirk before leaving me to deal with the aftermath, which makes my life even harder. "Just tell them I'm not interested," he always says, as if that helps me.

And finally, there's Haruto. At thirteen, he's the youngest of the boys, but don't let that fool you. He's the quiet type, brooding and mysterious, and somehow that makes girls even crazier about him.

Meanwhile, I'm here. Ten years old. Stuck with these idiots.

Do you know how hard it is being the only girl in the family? I don't get pampered. I don't get spoiled. Instead, I get stuck rejecting love confessions on their behalf.

"I'm not interested."
"I have no time for romance."
"My training comes first."

Blah, blah, blah.

I recite these lines daily. I should be charging them for my services.

And then, when I finally get home, do they thank me?

No. They just ruffle my hair like I'm some pet and move on with their day.

I need a sister.

So, after another exhausting day of acting as my brothers' personal rejection service, I finally cracked.

At dinner, I set down my chopsticks, took a deep breath, and made my demand.

"I want a sister."

Silence.

My brothers looked at me like I had grown an extra head. My mother blinked in surprise. And my father—oh, my father—had the audacity to smirk.

"Tired of your brothers already?" he asked, sipping his tea.

I clenched my jaw. "I'm sick of rejecting their confessions. I'm sick of delivering their love letters. I'm sick of being their messenger. I need a sister to balance things out."

Mother, bless her soul, actually looked sympathetic. "Emiko-chan…"

But before she could say anything, my father, the reason for all my suffering, decided to speak again.

"You don't like being the only daughter?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

I scowled. "No, I don't! I need backup! A little sister would understand my struggles! A little sister wouldn't be out there making my life miserable by attracting every girl in Konoha!"

Ren, ever the diplomatic one, cleared his throat. "Emiko, it's not our fault we're—"

"Shut up, Ren."

Takeshi chuckled. "You really think a sister would make things easier?"

"Yes," I huffed.

My father took another sip of tea, then glanced at my mother. "What do you think? We did agree on five."

Mother blushed.

I froze.

My brothers all sat up straighter.

"No," I whispered in horror. "No way. No way. I just wanted to complain! I didn't actually mean—"

Takeshi grinned. "Too late now."

Ren smirked. "You did bring it up."

Haruto, who rarely ever spoke, casually added, "I wouldn't mind another sibling."

I stared at them, betrayed.

"You guys are evil," I muttered, gripping my chopsticks. "Pure evil."

My father, the root of all my problems, chuckled softly before meeting my mother's gaze. And that's when I saw it; the silent, unspoken conversation between them.

Mother's face grew even redder, and she quickly looked away, busying herself with her food.

And that's when it hit me.

Oh. Oh no.

I had played myself.

I had given him an idea.

I was never going to live this down.

But… if it worked? If I actually got a little sister?

…It might just be worth it.

Maybe.

As long as she wasn't another ridiculously good-looking Uchiha.

Because if she was, I was moving out.