Having finished educating Brother Shisui, Uchiha Furin suddenly found herself without a goal.
"Sigh, this is kind of boring."
"What's wrong, little Furin?" Mikoto asked, looking at the little figure sighing away on the sofa.
"Mom, I want to go to school," Furin said, drooping her head powerlessly.
She was really eager to meet the Konoha 12 Rookie Nine. After all, they were all "the protagonists of the future."
"Furin, you're not of school age yet," Mikoto said, gently and helplessly ruffling Furin's hair.
"It's too boring, there's no one to play with me," Furin mumbled with a wronged expression.
At that moment, it suddenly dawned on Mikoto that apart from her family, Furin really didn't have any friends her own age. She couldn't help feeling a pang of sympathy.
"Well then, tonight I'll talk it over with your father."
"Yay!" Furin's eyes lit up. She sprang off the sofa instantly and grabbed Mikoto's hand, showering her with spoiled affection.
...
That evening, Furin's family gathered together around the table, but the atmosphere carried an inexplicable tension.
Fugaku wore a stern expression, as silent as a boulder. Sasuke looked somewhat excited, his little hands rubbing back and forth over his knees as if yearning for something. Itachi maintained his usual gentle demeanor, sitting upright and waiting quietly.
However, this atmosphere lasted only for a moment.
"I firmly disagree," Fugaku broke the silence first, furrowing his brows and speaking with a grave expression. "Furin, you are still too young."
"Why?" Furin pouted in dissatisfaction.
"School is nothing like home. What will you do if someone bullies you?" Fugaku put on a stern face, his tone full of majesty.
"That's right," Itachi nodded as well, his tone mild yet carrying undeniable firmness. "Furin, it won't be too late to go to school when you reach the proper age."
Furin's face fell upon hearing this, and her heart grew resentful. Although she understood that Fugaku and Itachi were concerned about her, wasn't this making too big a deal out of nothing?
"Bully me?"
Furin muttered inwardly, "With this status as the 'daughter of the Uchiha Clan Head', who would dare? Besides, my strength is at the Genin level; beating up those brats will be as easy as taking candy from a baby!"
Seeing that the "elders' front" had every logical argument covered, Furin directly shifted her gaze to Sasuke. She tugged at his sleeve and spoke in a soft, sweet voice, "Brother, say something."
Sasuke looked down at Furin, who was on the verge of tears. Those red eyes of hers were filled with grievance, and tear-drops hung on her eyelashes, as if they could fall at any moment. Instantly, his heart felt like it was on fire, and hot blood rushed straight to his head.
"I..."
However, the next second, he raised his head and happened to meet Fugaku's mountain-heavy gaze.
That gaze was pitch-black and oppressive, as if it wanted to swallow Sasuke alive.
Sasuke gave a start, the momentum that had just surged up instantly doused to the core. He weakly shrank his neck and said, "I think..."
Seeing this, Furin grew extremely anxious inside. "This won't do! Brother, I'm relying entirely on you here!"
Hydro-Splash activated!
"Brother..."
Furin tugged at Sasuke's sleeve, sniffed slightly, and a tear dropped with a plop. "I want to go to school with you. Are you really unwilling to go to school with Furin?"
Those tear-drops landed on Sasuke's hand, feeling like burns that tormented his heart with discomfort.
Sasuke panicked at once. He hurriedly stood up, clenching his fists into balls, his voice trembling slightly yet carrying a stubborn resolve: "I think what Furin said is right!"
Fugaku raised an eyebrow, casting his gaze toward Sasuke.
"Oh?" Fugaku gave a soft hum, his eyes as deep as an abyss.
Sasuke felt a chill run down his spine. His father Fugaku's gaze felt like an oppressive mountain pressing down, making cold sweat break out all over his heart.
He secretly glanced at Furin, only to see her with red eyes and a look like she was about to cry, her aggrieved expression twisting his heart into a knot.
"No way, a real man can't chicken out! I'm her older brother!"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, straightened his back, and pressed on with a hard scalp: "I—I think it's great for Furin to go to school... She's too lonely being home alone, and there are lots of children her age at school. This will be very good for her... very helpful for her growth!"
Fugaku's gaze grew even sharper, carrying a trace of pressure: "Sasuke, do you understand what you're saying?"
"I—I understand!" Sasuke swallowed hard, gripping his hands tightly and trying his utmost to put on a firm appearance. "I think Furin can go to school. As her older brother, I will protect her well!"
"Protect her well?" Fugaku let out a cold snort. "You haven't even mastered your own training yet; who are you going to protect? Besides, have you thought about what kind of things happen at school?"
"I will work hard to become stronger!" Sasuke rushed to say.
Seeing this, Furin was extremely anxious inside. She couldn't let Sasuke shoulder it all by himself right now!
She rubbed her eyes, deliberately sniffed, and said in a soft voice, "Dad, I know you're worried about me, but Furin has already grown up... Furin will protect herself well, and there are teachers at school, plus my brother."
As she spoke, Furin tugged at Sasuke's sleeve again, lifting her little face to look pitifully at Fugaku. "Besides, Furin just wants to make more friends. Otherwise, every day I can only play with Brother and Brother Shisui, and Brother Shisui is almost getting annoyed to death by me..."
"This..." Fugaku was at a loss for words for a moment, clearly moved somewhat by her words. But as the head of the household, he still felt he should stick to his stance.
At this point, Mikoto spoke up, her tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable strength: "Fugaku, I think what Furin says makes sense. Don't you think it's good to let her go to school and see the world? Besides, with Sasuke accompanying her, she should be fine."
"That's right, Dad," Itachi chimed in suddenly, his tone as peaceful as ever. "Furin really does need more social opportunities. As her family, we can observe from the sidelines. If there really is any problem, we can decide then."
Fugaku looked at his wife, then at his two sons and the expectant Furin, and finally sighed.
His deep voice carried a hint of compromise: "Since you all say so, then go ahead. But!"
Fugaku's tone shifted, turning serious. "Sasuke, since you stood up and said these words, you must follow through! Protect your younger sister well and never let her suffer the slightest grievance at school. Do you understand?"
Hearing his father relent, Sasuke was overjoyed. He immediately straightened his body and said loudly, "Understood, Dad!"
"Thank you, Dad!" Furin happily pounced over, hugging Fugaku's arm and acting spoiled. "Dad is the best!"
Fugaku shook his head helplessly, reaching out to ruffle Furin's little head. "Don't get happy too early. Going to school isn't for playing around—study hard and listen to the teachers, you hear?"
"Mm-mm! Furin will definitely study hard!" Furin nodded vigorously, her little face brimming with anticipation.
"I want to be in the same class as my brother," Furin pressed her advantage.
"Fine, fine, fine." The old father Fugaku was no match for Furin's spoiled pleading and could only nod repeatedly.
Listening to Furin's words, Sasuke couldn't help feeling as sweet as if he had eaten honey.
His effort had paid off; from now on he could be with Furin every single day. That was simply fantastic, Sasuke thought happily to himself.
That night, Furin finally got her wish. Meanwhile, in his room, Sasuke secretly clutched his chest and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that he had just acted like a hero.
At the same time, Mikoto and Itachi exchanged a smile, clearly both satisfied with this outcome.
Furin lay excitedly in bed, her mind already beginning to fantasize about the upcoming campus life.
"The Konoha 12 Rookie Nine? No, I, Uchiha Furin, am the protagonist!"