Chapter 562: Chapter 370: The Past Hidden by the Wind_2
"Hanabi energy...?"
...
Uesugi Sakura began helping Hanamaru Hanabi wash her face.
Of course, it was his idea, claiming it would make her prettier, but truly he just wanted to stand behind her and take the opportunity to wrap his arms around her waist.
"Sakura-kun, you’re always thinking about touching..."
"Not just touching, but also tickling, here I go!"
"Hahaha~ Haha... no... Sakura-kun, stop~ haha~~"
The two of them played around like this.
After getting tired, Uesugi Sakura leaned his face on her head, right hand once again embracing her waist, and the girl leaned against him, the four eyes together looking into the mirror, reflecting the couple freshly washed on this sunny morning.
"Hanabi, do you feel happy?"
"Very happy..."
"So what if, like in stories, we stay right here in this bliss, how would you feel, Hanabi?"
"I don’t want that... I still want to see Sakura-kun do many things."
Uesugi Sakura looked at the mirror, at Hanamaru Hanabi’s cute, delicate face:
"Hmm... me too... I want to see little Hanabi smiling every day in front of me, want to hear her gently call me Sakura-kun every day, want to see her happy and joyful every single day."
——————
Uesugi Sakura wanted to spend the whole day with Hanabi, watching movies, feeding each other, sometimes holding and hugging her to make her shy in his embrace.
This feeling is quite remarkable, love certainly makes the heart yearn.
But alas, that’s not how reality is; Uesugi Sakura still has things to do, and Hanabi has her illustrations to draw.
Recently, she’s been very popular online.
Quite naturally so; a beautiful girl illustrator with a distinctive and intricate art style, painting girls with fully detailed features, who wouldn’t like those flawless, fair jade-like legs of the girls in the paintings?
Uesugi Sakura looked at the light novel poster inside the train.
Above, is simply the character called Amami Nana Akatsuki, who is the heroine.
She is confident, charming, often described as cute, likes to appear barefoot, and loves to brush the male protagonist’s face with her big tail from behind.
The novel, it seems, is already into the fourth volume.
Uesugi Sakura got off the train, passed through the bustling city, walked through a forest, and arrived at Bushin Hall located at the Sakihara Family residence in Chiyoda District.
The dojo is right inside the Sakihara residence, and having such a large mansion in the politically populated Chiyoda District clearly indicates it’s no ordinary family.
Today he wasn’t there for swordsmanship practice but because his master called him over.
Japanese style living room.
On the scroll above, there is a beautifully inked large character.
「Peace」
Sakihara Yishin was sitting above, while Sakihara Shion sat beside him.
Uesugi Shio was also present.
Uesugi Sakura noticed the atmosphere wasn’t right, but he didn’t say much, sitting down on the worship mat that Sakihara Yishin had prepared for him.
Sakihara Yishin’s expression was serious.
The neatly inked character "Peace" behind him added to his solemn demeanor.
Uesugi Sakura thought he would announce something major, but to his surprise, he suddenly laughed, reverting to his usual unserious manner.
"Dear disciple, from now on, you should call me... call me... er, what should you call me again?"
Sakihara Shion reminded him beside him.
"Ah, right! Call me Uncle."
Uncle?
Uesugi Sakura hesitated for a second.
"Ahem, after saying this, I believe you are somewhat aware, that’s right! Actually, I’m considered your relative."
Uesugi Sakura glanced at his cousin, Uesugi Shio, who nodded as if confirming it.
Sakihara Yishin bent his fingers: "Let me calculate, hmm... your dad’s dad’s sister’s husband’s son, hmm... pretty much that’s the generation."
Dad’s dad’s sister’s son?
Uesugi Sakura thought about it.
Isn’t that just his own grandfather’s sister’s son?
The husband’s part is completely unnecessary; saying sister’s husband, doesn’t the son count as the sister’s son too?
"Haha, unexpected, dear disciple, indeed, from the first time I saw you, I felt very close, especially that face, just as handsome as I was in my youth! Hahaha."
"..."
Uesugi Sakura knew his grandfather had a sister, but he never met her, only heard about it once.
"Dear disciple, you know I’ve been wandering all over the country these recent years, of course, I must clarify, I’m not doing it for leisure, I’m seeking past memories."
"Eh, it was a tragedy..."
[Beep... beep...]
[The deeds hidden for decades]
[Task description: Follow the known clues and pursue them, perhaps not beneficial for you, but it allows others to obtain what they desire.]
[Reward: Skill Points ×10]
[Task completed!]
Uesugi Sakura listened as Uncle Sakihara sadly reminisced about the past.
In summary, Uncle’s father fell in love with a witch from the Hachiman Shrine in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.
Like an ordinary love story, the man pursued her passionately.
Fortunately, there were no worldly obstacles, and the two smoothly got married, living together.
The witch resigned from her shrine position, and the man gave up the Sakihara family’s business, staying there to live.
Life was supposed to be happy and fulfilling, but shortly after their marriage, a sudden earthquake nearly broke the man down.
...
There’s no need to elaborate on the process.
After the earthquake, the man burned away all the memories of his life, took his two newborn children with his widow and returned to Tokyo, handed the two children to the care of the Sakihara Family, and then traveled far away, disappearing without a trace.
The two children were Uncle Sakihara and Sakihara Matsue, who still don’t know whether their traveling father is dead or alive.
The witch was Uesugi’s grandfather’s younger sister, who grew up supporting each other after losing their parents when they were young, having a deep bond.
Since that earthquake, Uesugi’s grandfather always gazed at the coastline of Ehime Prefecture, always reminiscing about something.
Now the matter has become clear.
Uncle Sakihara indeed can be considered a relative of Uesugi Sakura.
Uesugi Sakura didn’t expect things to be this dramatic.
"Hahaha, dear disciple, now we’re more than relatives, you must teach Hanamaru Hiroki that guy a lesson, do your teacher proud."
Teach the father-in-law a lesson?
No way, I’m still about to marry his daughter.
If I offend the father-in-law, what if he takes Hanabi and flies abroad?
"Dear disciple, I called you over today just to tell you about this matter; the Hook Jade has two pairs, one red and one blue, which are heirlooms of the Uesugi Family, the blue pair is with my mother, and the red one is with your grandfather."
"What’s the function of the Hook Jade?" Uesugi Sakura didn’t think the Hook Jade was that simple; there must be some function.
"Function?" Sakihara Yishin didn’t expect him to ask, "They’re just Hook Jade, essentially valuable antiques; these are things that your grandfather and my mother were reluctant to sell even when drinking water for ten days as kids, cherish them."
Uesugi Sakura took back his half of the Hook Jade from him.
"Next, I need to go to Ehime Prefecture to see your grandfather; he searched for me for many years back then, blame it on my father for being so mysterious... said nothing, quietly took me away."
Uncle Sakihara sighed.
"Dear disciple, the Sword Dao competition, you’ll have to cheer yourself on."
This competition... when has anyone ever come to watch, Sakihara Matsue is always busy drinking, and Sakihara Yishin’s whereabouts are unpredictable.
"Master."
"What, anything else?"
Uesugi Sakura always wanted to ask, but only today did he finally remember to ask.
"...Why did you assign me to the General position, purposely squeezing out Senior Brother Fujimaki’s position?"
Uesugi Sakura had a suspicion in his mind, just lacking confirmation.
Sakihara Yishin looked at him silently, said calmly:
"You are too strong, stronger than my senior disciple whom I taught with much effort; I want to rely on you to suppress his arrogance, he has been too arrogant for too long, needs someone to curb him."
As expected, Uesugi Sakura thought.
Uesugi Shio and Sakihara Shion both looked at Sakihara Yishin.
Needless to say, he’s an eighth dan master, a kendo world authority.
Only lost once in his youth against Hanamaru Hiroki in a match.
To evaluate someone like this...
Uncle Sakihara finished the serious talk, then suddenly changed his expression to a smile, saying to Uesugi Sakura:
"Haha, great capability entails heavy duty, it’s up to you now, dear disciple."