Selfish Desire [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 49: The Warning Signs

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Third Person's P.O.V.

The next day, Ayuda woke up early, feeling anxious yet determined. She knew that today was the day that would determine her fate and the fate of the Makino family. She got dressed in a plain yukata and let her hair flow free behind her back. She didn't want to be late, so she left her house earlier than usual and arrived at their family's Minka house with time to spare.

As she arrived at the building and entered the massive meeting room where the assembly was being held, she saw that most of her relatives had already arrived. They were sitting on the tatami mats in a large circle, waiting for more members to arrive. She took a deep breath and greeted them publicly, bowing down in respect, before she walked towards an unoccupied spot, trying not to show any signs of anxiety.

She took her seat and looked around at the people gathered there. They were all staring at her with varying expressions of curiosity and skepticism. She remained quiet and waited for the assembly to start.

All of a sudden, the empty spot next to her was taken by someone she recognized. It was Keiji, her distant cousin. It dawned on her that he was intentionally sitting next to her when he regarded her with a smirk, "Good morning, Ayuda. You had your breakfast?"

"I haven't," responded Ayuda with blunt honesty.

"Oh, why not?" he asked, "Then let's have breakfast together later."

"No, thanks," she answered almost immediately.

Keiji raised his eyebrows at her curt demeanor before he shrugged. Ayuda somehow began to feel bad for how she shut him down, which she then clarified, "Sorry. I'm just not in the mood right now."

"Aah," he nodded his head in understanding, "The jitters, huh? Just relax. It's just a family discussion. Nothing too serious."

Ayuda frowned as she replied, "This family discussion is about who's going to be the next leader of our family. It's a pretty big deal."

Keiji grinned broadly, "Ah, that's right. Both of us are vying for that role. Funny, isn't it?"

Ayuda looked at him and asked directly, "So why do you want to be the next head, Keiji?"

A chuckle left his lips and he answered, "It's a secret."

She furrowed her eyebrows in bewilderment. She opined, "That's a shady reason to be the heir."

"How about you, princess?" he asked her this time.

"It's a secret too," she countered, "And don't call me princess."

"Well, well, well," a condescending voice spoke up loudly in the quiet meeting room, "Look who we have here."

Everyone's gaze in the room was cast to the source of the voice. It was Goto Makino, a nosy elderly man. He was loud and brash. He could be unnecessarily disrespectful too.