Chapter 62: Bathing Together
Yu froze.
He carefully recalled the morning when he'd sent Sasuko to school—the little girl had been perfectly fine then, but now she was trembling with tears in his arms.
Those people in Konoha... logically they wouldn't dare treat her poorly...
Suddenly, he seemed to understand.
Those old foxes had probably overdone their flattery, making the sensitive Sasuko notice something was wrong.
"Those guys..." Yu sighed helplessly, pulling Sasuko tighter into his embrace.
He gently patted his sister's back, already cursing Konoha's leadership in his mind.
He should have thought of it—Sasuko had always been much more perceptive than her peers. This sudden special treatment would only make her uneasy.
Yu gently cupped Sasuko's tear-stained face with both hands, his thumb wiping the moisture from her eyes: "Can you tell me what happened today?"
Sobbing, Sasuko told him everything in fragments—
From the excessively lavish breakfast to the ANBU's unusual deference, and that suspicious "hero" title at lunch.
By the end she was crying again, her fingers gripping Yu's clothes tightly:
"Yu... did you promise them something bad?"
Tears fell heavily onto Yu's hand, burning his heart with their heat.
Seeing his sister's reddened eyes, he suddenly chuckled softly: "Silly."
Pressing his forehead gently against Sasuko's, Yu's voice carried helpless amusement: "I just... demonstrated a little strength, that's all."
Sasuko raised her wet eyes: "Demonstrated... strength?"
Suddenly her pupils contracted as she grabbed Yu's collar: "You went to fight someone?" Her voice trembled with panic.
Without waiting for Yu's answer, she began frantically searching his body.
Her fingers urgently checked his arms, chest, and back.
"Are you hurt? How many opponents? Which village?" Questions fired out like bullets, her tearful interrogation growing more urgent: "Why do you keep doing such dangerous things!"
Yu caught her trembling hands, finding her fingertips ice cold. He gently pressed that hand to his heart: "Don't worry, I wasn't hurt."
Just then, Naruko came running over breathlessly, carrying two school bags—she had specifically gone back to collect Sasuko's forgotten supplies.
"Sasuko! Your bag..." Before she could finish, her eyes went wide.
Under the evening sun, the tear tracks on Sasuko's face glittered, while Yu held her small hand pressed against his chest.
"Waah!" Naruko's face suddenly flushed bright red. "Wh-what are you two doing!"
The two bags dropped with a thud.
She frantically covered her eyes but couldn't help peeking through her fingers: "Did Yu bully Sasuko? But Sasuko usually doesn't cry..."
Only then did Sasuko realize their position was strange, hurriedly pulling her hand back and turning away. Yu helplessly picked up the bags: "Naruko, you've misunderstood..."
Naruko shook her dizzy little head.
Though she only half-understood matters between men and women, she vaguely sensed certain unusual details—
Yu was clearly Sasuko's brother, but Sasuko never called him brother, always addressing him by name directly; usually so aloof, she always loved clinging to Yu's side; not to mention that suddenly cold expression whenever girls approached Yu...
"Could it be..." Naruko gasped, her blue eyes round as saucers. "Sasuko, you..."
She suddenly remembered seeing Sasuko secretly sniffing Yu's jacket in the bedroom—she'd thought she was looking for a ninja tool pouch!
Sasuko felt uncomfortable under her gaze, her ears slightly red: "Dummy! What kind of look is that!"
Yu rubbed his forehead helplessly: "You two..." Before he could finish, Naruko interrupted.
"I get it!" The blonde girl clapped her hands with sudden realization. "This is what Iruka-sensei mentioned—that thing! Adolescence!"
Sasuko spun around, still with tears on her face, agitated: "Naruko! What nonsense are you spouting!"
She really wanted to turn this loudmouthed dummy into a pincushion with kunai.
Her fingers were already reaching for her ninja pouch when she heard Yu's helpless sigh: "Sasuko."
Just that one word made her freeze.
But her glare at Naruko remained murderous, her Sharingan unconsciously manifesting.
Naruko hid behind Yu in fright, but her mouth remained unruly: "Getting angry when called out! Sasuko dummy!"
Even she was surprised by her courage today—usually she was most afraid of Sasuko's anger.
But remembering their earlier position, she felt like an outsider, and that inexplicable irritation in her heart bubbled up.
Peeking out from behind Yu's clothes, she continued courting death: "See, Yu-nii didn't even deny it!"
Sasuko's expression turned ice cold—she felt the little dummy before her was asking for death!
Yu quickly separated the two girls who were about to fight: "Stop it, both of you..."
Yu rubbed his temples, forcing out a gentle smile: "Alright, alright, both of you calm down."
He reached out to gently press Sasuko's shoulder while ruffling Naruko's golden hair with his other hand: "If you keep this up, your classmates will come watch the show."
Though both girls were still huffily turning away from each other, they didn't make another move.
Sasuko put her kunai back in her pouch, and Naruko released her grip on Yu's clothes.
"Let's go home." Yu naturally took both their hands. "Let's try salt-grilled salmon today."
Both small hands moved in his palms, finally slowly gripping back.
Night fell, stars gradually brightening.
Yu glanced at the clock and gently knocked on Sasuko's door: "Time for bath and bed."
The door creaked open a crack, Sasuko standing in the shadows holding pajamas, her black hair making her small face particularly pale: "...Bath together."
"Don't be silly." Yu helplessly reached out to ruffle her hair. "You're too old for that now."
Sasuko stubbornly grabbed his clothes, her voice muffled: "You said you weren't hurt... I don't believe you."
"I need to check." Sasuko's dark eyes glimmered in the hallway light, her fingers gripping the fabric tightly. "You're always like this... never saying when you're hurt."
Yu paused.
Looking down at Sasuko's stubborn gaze, he suddenly remembered when she was five, holding bandages and insisting on treating wounds that didn't exist.
"I'm really fine." He crouched down to meet her eyes, proactively rolling up his sleeves. "See, completely intact."
Sasuko pursed her lips, her fingers tugging at Yu's pajama hem: "What about other places..." Her voice was muffled. "Your back... and sides... thighs..."
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