"Aoba, this is the disciple you took in more than ten years ago? She looks even younger than us," Fresh out of the bath, Yakumo kept sizing up Sara. Looking at her still-tender little face, she felt very surprised.
Right now, Sara was about eleven years old, indeed a bit younger than Yakumo and the others.
And given the differences in growing environment, compared to them, Sara looked even more childish.
Hinata and the others were also sizing her up. Toward this junior from more than ten years ago, they were all quite curious.
Sara, however, hid behind Aoba, a little afraid as she looked at these girls who suddenly appeared and were so close to her teacher.
Aoba stroked her head while explaining to Yakumo and the others, "Sara came back with me. Those ten years are basically like they never happened, so right now she's only eleven."
"Is that so? Then she really is younger than us."
Yakumo squinted, staring at how tightly Sara clung to Aoba's side, like she couldn't be pried off.
'Another Hanabi.'
'Disciple against teacher!'
'But…'
As if she thought of something, Yakumo's lips curved with a sly smile, and she also reached out, planning to pat Sara's head.
But the other girl warily dodged her.
Sara hid behind Aoba, pouting as she looked at Yakumo with dissatisfaction.
"Only Mama and Sensei can touch my head."
"Is that so," Yakumo looked at her with playful amusement, "But if we're going by seniority, you should call me teacher's wife."
Hanabi had her own original reason with Hinata, so that was a separate matter. But Sara was different.
"Eh?", Sara's brain froze for a moment, clearly not expecting this.
She could only look pleadingly toward her Sensei.
"Sensei…"
Aoba's mouth twitched, then he nodded, "Not just Yakumo. Hinata, Temari… they're all your teacher's wife."
At those words, Kurenai's body trembled slightly. She clearly caught the pause in his voice, and the deliberate glance in her direction.
This guy really didn't plan to hide it anymore, huh.
"W-What?", Sara's eyes went wide, her expression utterly incredulous.
'My Sensei… is involved with three girls at once? Isn't this exactly what the books called a scumbag?'
'In those books, that kind of man got his head chopped off!'
Seeing Sara's sky-falling expression, Yakumo finally got her wish and patted the girl's head, laughing wickedly, "Don't worry. When you have time to visit Konoha, I'll introduce you to the other teacher's wives too."
And hearing that there were even more teacher's wife, the once-glorious image of Aoba in Sara's heart collapsed completely.
Her worldview had been shattered.
Already knowing Aoba's scumbag nature, Seramu couldn't help sighing in her heart at the sight of Sara's face.
'Sara, this scumbag Sensei of yours is not someone you can handle.'
Meanwhile, Temari's eyes were flashing endlessly with gossip light.
Her gaze went back and forth between Aoba, Kurenai, and Yakumo.
She knew Kurenai was Yakumo's Sensei, but if Kurenai and Aoba were together, what should Yakumo call Aoba?
'Shouldn't it be "Sensei's Wife"?'
'No… for Yakumo, that wouldn't really count as anything.'
Temari nodded to herself with exaggerated seriousness.
"Ahem! The food's already ready. Let's eat something first and fill our stomachs."
Aoba smoothed things over, and then Seramu led them all toward the dining room.
At the table, everyone had their own thoughts.
Aoba was asking about Seramu's life over the past twenty-some years. Hinata was earnestly listening to the two talk. Kurenai only buried her head in her food. Temari was constantly eating melon (watching the drama). Yakumo was teasing Sara, calling herself "teacher's wife" every other sentence.
But even after the meal was finished, Sara still hadn't come back to her senses. Clearly, her mind had taken a huge blow.
And Yakumo was still fanning the flames at her side.
"Speaking of which, is Hanabi considered Sara's senior or junior?"
At this topic, Hinata's attention was also drawn over.
She glanced at Sara, then at Aoba, and nodded.
"Going by the age Aoba-kun took them in, Hanabi should be Sara's senior."
"Is that so? But if you go by the time of becoming a disciple, Sara became Aoba's disciple more than twenty years ago."
Temari, ever the gossip-eater, chimed in.
Compared to Sara alone, she preferred teasing the slightly dark-skinned Hanabi.
"This…"
That seemed to make sense too.
Hinata's delicate little face scrunched in thought, then she looked toward Aoba, "Aoba-kun, do you think Hanabi is senior, or is Sara the senior?"
"This…"
Aoba honestly didn't know how to answer. He really hadn't thought about this problem before.
"Sensei… Sensei actually has other disciples?"
Sara's face was full of grievance.
She had thought, even if Sensei had several girlfriends, she, as the disciple, was supposed to be special. But now...
Aoba nodded helplessly, "There's another one. Though her situation is a bit complicated. But she's younger than you, so in the future you'll be the senior. I'll introduce her to you when the time comes."
"I… I understand," Sara lowered her head, forcing back tears.
She never expected that by coming twenty years into the future, she would not only gain several teacher's wife, but also wouldn't even be her Sensei's only disciple.
It made her want to cry.
Clearly, Sensei used to be hers alone.
"Haah~"
Aoba pulled Sara into his arms, "We'll be wandering around Roran later. Do you want to come too, Sara?"
Sara didn't answer, only buried her head into his chest, secretly wiping her tears.
Seeing this, Aoba continued gently, "This is Roran twenty years later. There must be lots of new fun things."
"Too much! Sensei, you're too much!"
"To suddenly come twenty years into the future is one thing. But to have so many teacher's wife, and even a junior… Sensei, you've completely messed up my life!"
Her tears fell in big drops, Sara sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.
"I'm sorry, Sara."
Aoba could only stroke her hair, letting her vent.
She lay against his chest, crying for a long time.
Her tears soaked through cloth and skin.
"It's all Sensei's fault!"
Once Sara had cried enough, she lifted her head.
Her swollen, tear-streaked eyes stared at Aoba.
In a hoarse voice, she said, "Sensei has to make it up to me!"
Aoba nodded seriously, "As long as it's something I can do, I will."
"My life has already been ruined by Sensei! Sensei, you have to take responsibility for my life!"
Aoba froze for a moment, then reached out to wipe the tears at the corner of her eyes, smiling as he spoke, "Of course."
"Even if you didn't say it, I would still take responsibility for your life."
[T/N: May my sins be forgiven 🙇]
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