Aunties of Konoha


This was a sudden idea but it was fun to write! The idea entered my mind when I saw a tweet by one of my friends in the SS fam wherein her mom and tita (aunt) stalked her crush. Haha. And then poof, I suddenly thought of incorporating the "Titas of Manila" vibe in it!

If you're a Filipino and you consider yourself a "tita" regardless of your age, I hope you enjoy this!

Cla, thanks to you, this was born! This one's for you! I hope this fic would make you smile! Stay happy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any product, franchise, or establishment mentioned in this fic.

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"Hi, Mars!" A high-pitched voice called the attention of Mikoto Uchiha while she was seated at one of the aesthetic tables of Cafe Mary Grace.

"Mare! You're here!" Quite surprised, she stood up and leaned closer to her new companion to give her a beso on the cheek. "Kushina told me you might not be able to come, so I thought it's going to be just the two of us."

Mebuki Haruno slightly chuckled as they both sat down. It was also a surprise to her that she was able to attend their monthly hangout. Originally, she had somewhere else to go to, but she didn't want to miss out on the updates with her amigas' lives so she had to find a way to be able to meet with them. "Well, Sakura doesn't have any classes so she took over all of my tasks for Sunlife today. Anyway, how are you?"

"Well, actually..." Mikoto suddenly picked up her Longchamp from the chair beside her and started rummaging its pockets.

"What are you looking for?"

"My White Flower." She sighed. "Actually, I was having some sort of a migraine this morning and it's quite hitting me again now. Wait, where is it..."

Rolling her eyes, the caramel-haired woman clicked her small pouch open and gave Mikoto what she was looking for. "Here. And I thought Kushina was the forgetful one."

"Oh, thank you!" Mikoto chuckled bashfully. "You're still always the girl scout! I think I forgot mine somewhere at home since I used it right after I woke up too." Opening the lid of the tiny bottle, she placed a finger on its mouth and waited until the liquid that could somehow miraculously heal all kinds of aches dampened the tip of her finger. She applied it on her temples and repeated the process until she felt the soothing sensation that she needed. "Tch. How I wish these headaches would stay away from me, but it's returning every now and then."

"Is that a sign that even at eighteen, Sasuke could still be a kuya?"

A subtle gasp escaped Mikoto's lips as her gaze landed on Mebuki. And with the way the other woman wiggled her eyebrows at her, she couldn't help but blush. "N-no, that's not the case!" She cleared her throat and straightened herself on her seat. "Not at all. We don't need more babies at home, Mare. Besides, I already have lots of baby succulents in my garden."

Mebuki chuckled at how her friend struggled to keep her composure. "But 43 is not that bad, Mars. I've heard it's still okay being pregnant at our age!"

"I don't think Sasuke would appreciate having a sibling that is enough to be his own child."

"Oh well, that could probably make your son more soft, you know? He's so much like Fugaku! Imagine him taking care of an infant. I bet he needs that. Like a practice!"

Her laughter only received an eye roll from Mikoto. And if Mikoto hadn't seen another familiar woman by the restaurant's door, she was sure she'd have to endure Mebuki's insistence on the matter for a couple of minutes.

"Kumares! Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I'm late!"

Mikoto knew the newcomer wasn't quite sorry at all, but she only grinned due to its familiarity. "It's fine, Mars. We haven't ordered yet."

Kushina Uzumaki rounded the table and gave the two a beso before placing her grocery bags on the same chair where Mikoto's bag was. "That's great! Oh well. I wasn't able to stop myself from dropping by at Watsons after I bought some groceries!"

"Who would be able to resist the temptation of Watsons? I could relate to you! I'm sure Mikoto could, too. Did you buy anything?"

"I wasn't intending on buying anything, really." The redhead chuckled. "But then I saw a new shade of this famous supermatte lipstick and I knew I needed to have one while it's on sale!" She opened a small paper bag to reveal its content. Quickly removing the cap of the cosmetic, she twisted its body and showed the lipstick to her friends. "It's gorgeous, dattebane!"

"Wow, that's good for you! I'm kind of becoming lazy in shopping at malls recently. I often just hoard some stuff on Shopee and Lazada or ask Sakura to do the shopping for me. Besides, that's kind of her thing nowadays too."

Mikoto groaned slightly. "The joy of having a daughter."

Mebuki chuckled. "Oh yeah, I remember you've always imagined that Sasuke would be a girl when you were still pregnant with him. But don't worry, isn't Itachi about to get married early next year? You'll have a daughter-in-law soon!"

"You're right." There was a sparkle in Mikoto's eyes upon hearing the idea. "Wow. You're right! I didn't realize that! Izumi's such a sweet girl and I can't wait for her to be officially part of the family soon!"

"My, my! I can't believe things are going too fast! Just a little bit longer and you're already going to be a lola, Mikoto!" Kushina's unabashed laughter filled their side of the venue, but the redhead woman didn't care about the heads turned towards her.

On the other hand, her statement made the Uchiha matriarch glare at her, and for a second, she somehow thought that she saw her eyes became red.

"I'm kidding, 'ttebane! You know you'll still be as charming as me and Mebuki regardless of our age! Anyway, why don't we order first?"

"Good point. Cha! I'm starving. It's almost lunch time anyway. Waiter?" Mebuki raised a hand to one of the waiters who instantly handed menus to them and asked for their orders.

Kushina was the first to respond, "I'll get the signature ensaymada – kindly heat it, okay? – and please prepare a dozen of Cheese rolls for takeout. How about you, Mikoto?"

"Mine is...hmm, Chicken Inasal Sandwich with Tomato and Wansoy Salsa."

"That's all for you both? Alright, for me—wait a sec—ah, this! Dory and Saffron Cream Pasta and Mary Grace Hot Chocolate. You guys don't want to add anything?"

Kushina shook her head, but Mikoto turned to the waiter once more. "Please add a cup of tea for me. Thank you."

"We're all set then!" The redhead hummed with delight once the waiter left for their orders. "So what's up with you guys recently?"

"Nothing much, really. Same old, same old." Mikoto huffed. "Fugaku still has lots of businesses he needed to attend to. But recently, he often brings Itachi to his trips, as training, he says. I don't even see them much anymore until they came home last week."

"Still the busy man, huh? Minato's the same! I called him out about it. Just because he's the Mayor doesn't mean he needed to stay at his office and have overtime!"

Mikoto crossed her arms on the table, smirking in amusement that Kushina had the guts to call out her own husband. "That's the First Lady of Konoha for you. And what did he respond to that?"

"Gladly, he's been going home earlier lately. It makes me happy that I could prepare dinner for him again. The thing is, it's quite difficult to tolerate him because it feels like he's another teenager in the house!" Kushina massaged her temples as her friends snickered. "I'm not sure if he's just messing with me or he's trying to practice being sweet again."

"That's why Naruto isn't maturing," Mikoto quipped.

"You're right, though. He used to tell me that Naruto got much of his traits from me, but maybe the immaturity actually came from him!"

"Oh well, what is it with our husbands and their busy lives? Kizashi opened another shop in Suna last month, so he hasn't returned since then."

"How fun! I mean, missing your husband sucks, but the all-girls company seems fun, ya know? With just you and Sakura at home!"

"Yeah. You and Mikoto are missing out." The Haruno matriarch chuckled, and then he proposed, "Perhaps we could invite you both soon for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me. Sometimes I can't stand Sasuke's brooding at home."

"Count me in, too! Oh, hey! Food's finally here."

True enough, the waiter returned to their table with the meals they have ordered, making them pause to say a prayer and then instantly devour their food.

"By the way, have you heard about this thing going on with Hiashi and Tsume?"

Two pairs of eyes glanced from their food to Kushina.

"You're not talking about a romantic thing, right?" Mikoto asked.

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm talking about."

"That seems like a joke, however." Mebuki laughed before wiping her lips with a table napkin. "With how reserved Hiashi is, and how...how bold Tsume is, that seems like an extreme contrast."

"I'm still not sure if it's true. But we all know how Hiashi lost his wife to cancer so many years ago. And how...Tsume's husband left them because she allegedly scared him, right? They probably need some romance once again." Kushina shrugged while slicing her ensaymada. "Oh, well. It's kind of being passed on to their kids because Naruto complained to me days ago about how Kiba seemed to be hitting on Hinata recently." She snickered.

"But aren't Naruto and Hinata together now?"

Kushina nodded with glee. "Yes, Mare! I was pretty surprised my son even had the guts to ask a girl out! Especially the Hyuga!" She laughed. "But yeah. Hiashi suddenly had a soft spot for dogs, and it seems like he often brought Hinata with him whenever they dropped by at the Inuzuka's Petshop to have their pup checked up. And as told by Naruto, Hinata often mentioned how Kiba tried to spend more time with her."

"Jealousy, huh?" Mikoto laughed. "Ah, young love."

"I know! Naruto was pissed! I could remember how I was a bit like that – or worse – when a few girls hit on Minato back then!"

They all laughed, remembering how all of them were present in some of those encounters wherein girls threw themselves on the town's young-looking mayor.

"Our husbands quite have the knack to attract girls, don't they? Good thing Fugaku's the kind who never even glances at his fangirls. To think that he still have lots until now! I'm not sure if I'd actually be bothered by the fact that Sasuke seemed to have gotten such attitude too."

Mebuki bit her lip to stifle a giggle, mind lost in a memory that she wasn't sure at first if she should share with her friends. "Speaking of Sasuke, I wasn't able to mention this earlier but..."

Mikoto turned to Mebuki at the mention of her youngest son's name.

"Well, how do I begin...I'm a bit bothered about why my daughter wasn't introducing any guy that wants to court her. She wasn't even talking about any crushes ever since, like every other girl! I was quite afraid that Sakura already became a plant or something. But weeks ago, I've tried asking her if there's a guy that she likes and then – poof! – she went all red!"

"I think I know where this is heading..." Kushina snickered, but Mikoto only raised an eyebrow, wondering if she wasn't catching up on something.

"She never mentioned the name of the guy. But..." The Haruno smiled mischievously, causing her two friends to lean closer as if a top secret information was going to be revealed inside the decorated walls of Cafe Mary Grace. "She described him – weird hairstyle, dark eyes, fair skin; also...quickly annoyed, rarely talks to others but engages in conversations with her especially through chats, and the one she often tags in memes despite knowing that he wouldn't find it so funny."

"So you're thinking that it's Sasuke?" Mikoto placed a hand on her mouth, unsure about what she should feel. "But we can't be sure on the last descriptions!"

"The thing is...I've stalked my daughter online."

"Stalked." The raven-haired woman gave her a pointed look.

"Yes."

Kushina guffawed in her seat while waiting for the next revelations of her friend.

"You stalked your daughter, Mebuki? Don't teenagers dislike it when we invade their personal space?" Mikoto mentioned with her fingers forming quotation marks in the air. "That's what Sasuke usually tells me whenever I ask him who he's always chatting with on––" And then she gasped.

Mebuki and Kushina were looking at her now, pairs of blue and green eyes shining with delight at the notion that their friend seemed to have puzzled the pieces on her own.

"Oh, goodness." Kushina chuckled once again. "I haven't heard anything from Naruto, to think that they're all best friends! This is great, 'ttebane! But you haven't told us yet what you've seen when you stalked Sakura."

Mebuki laughed before she even got to say anything, almost making a vein pop on Mikoto's already throbbing head. Because, how could they understand the story if the teller was laughing midway?

"Well, I didn't see her tag Sasuke on any meme." The caramel-haired woman restrained another cackle.

"So how were you—"

"It was actually the other way around! I don't know how I landed on that random Facebook page but I saw a comment of Sasuke tagging Sakura on one of those doctor memes albums. And then my daughter replied with 'HAHAHA you're the one who's annoying, Sasuke-kun! I won't be like this to my patients one day!'"

Kushina and Mebuki giggled like teenagers then, leaving the Uchiha matriarch at a loss for words.

"Who would have thought, Mikoto? We might end up as co-mothers-in-law!"

"I didn't...I didn't expect this. I've always known Sasuke to be the shy one. Although he always seems aloof, he's actually just shy. I never even realized he and Sakura have developed such close friendship...or more. I used to think that only he and Naruto are the ones who are very close in their team."

"Well, I was surprised with Sakura too. I know she adores both her bestfriends, I just never imagined she could adore Sasuke in a different way. If anything, I'd actually be glad if my assumptions are true." She winked at her amigas. "They basically grew up together. And Sasuke grew into a fine gentleman with great values, props to you and Fugaku."

"Alright! We must do something about this then!"

The other moms faced the redhead, each with an eyebrow lifted inquisitively due to her sudden declaration.

"Remember when we were helping you and Fugaku pass on letters to each other in class?"

"Oh my goodness, Kushina, that was a long time ago!" A crimson stain appeared on Mikoto's cheeks as she remembered how her two best friends and their then boyfriends (now husbands) actually contributed to the relationship between the campus heartthrob and their batch's top student. "I don't think we could do such a thing for Sasuke and Sakura though."

Kushina scoffed. "Of course we wouldn't do the exact thing! For one, you and Mebuki should allow them to go out. Like, alone."

"Actually, I'm fine with Sakura going out. She even usually goes out for some shopping with Ino. It's just that I have a curfew for her. Hmm...maybe I could extend that whenever she'll be out with Sasuke."

"The thing is, knowing my son, he wouldn't be straightforward in asking her out even if he wanted to. He's so subtle at everything! I think he actually needs some push." Mikoto nodded to herself as if she already has a to-do list of her own. Her two other friends grinned at each other, noticing the determination in the Uchiha's eyes that seemed to be filled with hesitation moments ago. "You know what? This is actually a good idea. I don't want Sasuke to end up being alone. He's already getting a bit lonely now that his brother is not always around. And Naruto already has a girlfriend to give much of his time to."

"Exactly!" Kushina clapped her hands, thrilled that they were going somewhere with this SasuSaku mission of sorts. "Those are great contributions, Kumares! I guess mine would have something to do with my son. Let me see...oh! Wait a minute! What if I ask Naruto to invite Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura for some sort of a double date? Oh my gosh! That would be so sweet, dattebane!"

The three women gazed at each other with silly grins on their faces. They only wanted to hangout and talk about life in general, what they didn't expect was that they would end up strategizing as if they were gearing up for a school project, much like their High School days.

"Cha! It's getting cold here." Mebuki suddenly complained, immediately getting her small pouch that seemed to fit every possible item in it, which included a shawl that she brought out. Placing the shawl around her shoulders, she heard a familiar voice from behind her and for a second, her friends gave her meaningful looks that she didn't quite catch at first.

For the one who had just entered Cafe Mary Grace was none other than her beautiful (and single) daughter.

"Oh, Sakura! You're done meeting with everyone for their Sunlife insurance?"

"Yes, mom. I also picked up your box of Vitaplus goods," the pink-haired maiden said while handing a package filled with health drinks.

"Wow. I didn't know you're into that."

"Nah, Kushina, I have no time for networking, really. But I wanted to help a friend who's into this, so I sometimes buy their big bulk. Besides, my future doctor here is kind of obsessed with these healthy stuff!"

Sakura only shrugged before greeting the other women in the room, "Hi, Tita Kushina and Tita Mikoto!" She then approached them with a beso on their cheeks. But for some reason, she was stuck in place when the Uchiha matriarch surprisingly hugged her, leaving her wide eyed.

"Great to see you, Sakura!"

She chuckled shyly as she pulled a chair from an empty table near them. "Um, thank you, tita. You too."

"It's so nice of you to help out your mom today, Sakura. Thanks to you, we were able to catch up with Mebuki today!" Kushina said. And then she smirked. "So how are you and Sasuke?"

Mebuki and Mikoto threw glances at each other while stifling their laughter. As always, it was Kushina who would do things right off the bat.

Sakura parted her lips in surprise, eyes blinking as all the titas in the table leaned closer to wait for her reply. "I...I'm fine? I think Tita Mikoto would know about Sasuke-kun, though." She scratched the side of her head.

"That's not what we mean, dear." Mikoto smiled, grasping her hand from across the table.

"Right. How are you and Sasuke?" Her mom asked this time.

Her eyes widened at the implication of the hanging question. She fidgeted in her seat, looking down with the hope that the blush on her cheeks wasn't prominent for them to see. "H-how are...we? But...t-there's no such thing, mom."

The three women's shoulders slumped, excitement suddenly leaving their system. Sakura was still trying to grasp the reason behind the on-the-spot interrogation when someone's phone buzzed.

Saved by the bell, she thought.

It was Mikoto's. A smile graced her lips when she saw the name on her caller ID. "Hello, Sasu-chan? Yes, we're still here! Oh, you're already right outside? Alright, thank you. I'll be there in a bit." She returned her phone inside her Longchamp before facing her friends with a beam. And for some reason, Sakura didn't know if that was a good thing. "My son is there to pick me up. Let's go?"

Definitely not a good thing.

The other women agreed, settling their bill and gathering their stuff before exiting Cafe Mary Grace.

Once outside, they all saw a black Audi with Sasuke leaning casually against its side. Kushina, Mebuki, and Mikoto couldn't help but grin like Cheshire cats. Sakura, on the other hand, shifted her weight from one foot to another, gripping the Vitaplus box in her arms even tighter.

When Sasuke sensed their presence, he glanced at their direction, eyes slightly widening at the presence of someone he didn't expect to be there. But he quickly brushed it off and approached his mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek before gently lifting Kushina's hand and pressing his forehead against it. He repeated the honoring gesture to Mebuki, which the woman responded with a cheery "Bless you!"

For a brief moment, it was as if the three elders were holding their breaths, bracing themselves while they waited to see how Sasuke would greet Sakura.

Would he hug her, kiss her, hold her hand, or what?

Their expectations have faltered, however, when Sasuke simply turned to Sakura's direction and gave her a nod.

A simple, small nod.

That's it? Mikoto blinked in surprise, slightly disappointed with her own son. He definitely got that from Fugaku!

Sakura smiled in response at his raven-haired childhood friend, grinning a bit wider when she noticed the tinge of pink dusting his cheeks. Thankfully, their moms and aunt failed to see it. It felt like a privilege being

"Do you mind if we give them all a ride?" Mikoto then asked once she recovered.

Sasuke – being Sasuke – simply shrugged and unlocked the car, opening both doors for them before assisting Kushina with her grocery bags to be placed in the trunk. As Kushina and Mebuki entered the back seat, he returned to get the box that Sakura was holding so he could also place it beside Kushina's groceries.

He found his mom standing by the passenger seat then, with a hand on Sakura's shoulder as if stopping her from going inside the car beside her mother. "Mom, what are you waiting for?"

"I'm actually thinking that Sakura should take the passenger seat so I and your titas could still talk at the back."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at her. "Couldn't you do that with you in the front seat?"

"No!" Three voices startled him and Sakura, though he was just asking the question to his mom.

"Well, you see, they agree with me." Mikoto grinned. "I mean, I just really missed your titas, Sasuke-chan." She intentionally completed Sasuke's name to better gain his favor, well aware that he hated being called with his childhood nickname in front of other people. "Besides, while we talk, you and Sakura could have some—I don't know—catch up or something."

There was a pregnant pause after that as Sasuke weighed the predicament, sensing something strange. But when he realized that there was no point discussing a petty thing, he finally nodded at his mom and waited for her to get inside the car beside Mebuki. He closed the car door and waited for Sakura to enter the front seat next, before closing her door as well and rounding the car to go to his side.

Internally squealing, the three women at the back seat gave each other knowing glances that Sakura was able to catch through the rearview mirror.

Her neck suddenly felt warm the moment Sasuke entered the car. There's this weird pressure of being this close to him and having the elders behind them, watching them carefully contrary to what Mikoto said that they would still converse with each other.

She busied herself with her phone then. And upon unlocking it, she noticed the latest Facebook notification that appeared on her screen: Sasuke Uchiha mentioned you in a comment.

Biting her lip to fight her smile from growing, she threw a glance at the man beside her. What made all her tension go away was the fact that he was also surprisingly looking at her with a smirk playing on his lips.

And then Sasuke drove off to bring the titas home.

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June 2019 | @AriannJS

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Some terms that might need definitions:

Mars/Mare/Kumare - (Tagalog; derived from a Spanish word) appellation for a female close friend; appellation for your child's godmother

Kuya - (Tagalog) big brother

Lola - (Tagalog) grandmother

Tita - (Tagalog) aunt

Amiga - (Spanish/also used sometimes in the Philippines) female friend

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comment box below! :D

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