Chapter 63: For Whom Do We Live
Yu helplessly removed his shirt, revealing the defined lines of his back muscles.
Moonlight spilled in from the window, illuminating that pale spine, indeed showing not a trace of injury.
"Do you believe me now?" he asked, turning his head.
But Sasuko's gaze slowly moved downward, her voice carrying stubborn suspicion: "What about... the lower half?"
Yu rubbed his forehead with a sigh, lightly flicking her forehead: "That I really can't show you."
He crouched down to meet Sasuko's eyes at her level: "What will it take for you to believe me?"
Sasuko bit her lip, her gaze carefully searching his body, then lifted her face, her moist dark eyes fixed intently on Yu: "Then you have to promise me."
She grabbed Yu's clothes, her voice carrying rare stubbornness: "Never do dangerous things again."
"Always put your own life first."
Looking at his sister's serious little face, Yu suddenly found himself unable to voice his planned explanations.
"I promise." He gently held Sasuko's cold hands. "I won't do truly dangerous things."
Yu nodded solemnly in agreement, but Sasuko still maintained her stern expression.
Her Sharingan had quietly manifested at some point, the tomoe slowly rotating in her eyes.
"If..." her voice suddenly caught, fingers gripping Yu's clothes tightly, "if Yu were gone..."
Tears swirled in her eyes but stubbornly refused to fall: "Those privileges... that special treatment..." Her Sharingan stared fixedly at Yu. "What meaning would they have..."
This was the first time she had so directly revealed her fears.
After their parents' departure, Yu was all she had left. Those lavish meals and respectful attitudes meant nothing to her—if Yu were gone, the world would truly be nothing but emptiness for her.
Yu silently pulled her into his embrace, feeling his sister's thin shoulders trembling slightly.
He sighed softly in his heart.
When he had tried every way to coax Sasuko to attend school, he had hoped she could emerge from the shadow of their parents' death.
But now it seemed that fear of losing loved ones was still deeply rooted in her heart, even evolving into a stronger obsession.
He gently patted his sister's back, saying softly: "Sasuko, listen."
"Your world shouldn't only have me in it."
The body in his arms stiffened.
Yu continued: "Your friends, classmates, teachers..."
"They should all occupy places in your life."
Sasuko buried her face deeper, her muffled voice emerging: "...I don't want that."
"But I do." Yu cupped her face, foreheads touching. "I want to see you laughing while eating dango with friends, want to hear you complain about teachers assigning too much homework..."
"Not worrying all day about whether I'll get hurt."
The moonlight was beautiful, reflecting their embracing figures.
Yu knew these words were cruel, but he had to say them—Sasuko's life shouldn't be confined in a cage named "Uchiha Yu."
"No one should live entirely for others, Sasuko." His voice was light, yet like a stone thrown into still water. "You should try opening your heart..."
Sasuko suddenly looked up, the tomoe in her Sharingan spinning rapidly: "Is Yu going to abandon me?"
"I hope you'll learn to fly on your own." Yu brushed her sweat-dampened hair. "Someday you'll grow up..." His fingertip gently touched her heart. "This place should hold more people."
Sasuko looked directly into Yu's eyes: "What about Yu's world then?" Her Sharingan flickered slightly. "Who do you live for?"
Yu's pupils reflected his sister's stubborn face, leaving him momentarily speechless: "I..."
His voice caught in his throat.
He suddenly realized his world was actually narrower than Sasuko's.
In his previous life as an orphan he'd had nothing, and in this life after that nightmare, now he truly only had the sister in his arms.
The world to him had long been...
Yu looked down at Sasuko's small hands gripping his clothes, suddenly chuckling softly, his forehead gently touching hers:
"So we need to supervise each other."
"For every friend you make, I gain one more reason to live."
"See." Sasuko was clearly unsatisfied with his answer, her voice muffled. "Yu is an idiot too."
She raised her reddened eyes: "You can't do it yourself either..."
Yu felt his heart tremble at those words.
In the end he could only smile helplessly, compromising: "If after trying everything, it really doesn't work..."
"Then I hope you can live the life she wants."
"Whatever kind of life you choose..."
"I'll always be here to support you."
Yu's voice was light but carried a certain solemn promise.
Sasuko suddenly buried her entire face in his shoulder, and after a long while let out a nasal hum: "...Keep your word."
The two quietly embraced for a moment before Yu gently released the person in his arms: "Now, be good and go bathe."
Sasuko reluctantly loosened her grip on his collar, her small face full of seriousness: "Yu, remember what you said."
"Don't worry." Yu ruffled her fluffy little head.
Only then did Sasuko reluctantly shuffle into the bathroom, the sound of pattering water emerging.
Yu turned to look at the moonlight outside the window, the clear radiance filling the corridor. He rubbed his wrinkled collar, Sasuko's childish yet sharp question still echoing in his ears.
For whom do we live...
The night breeze rustled through the honeysuckle bushes in the courtyard, bringing faint whispers.
Though it was already early summer, Yu suddenly felt tonight's moonlight was particularly cold.
The pattering water stopped, and the bathroom door gently opened.
Sasuko emerged with dripping wet black hair, water still dripping from the ends: "Yu, hurry up, I've prepared the bath for you."
Seeing her dripping hair, Yu said helplessly: "Why didn't you dry it again?"
He naturally took Sasuko's small hand, leading her into the bedroom.
After having her sit on the bedside, Yu took a dry towel from the cabinet.
He gently wrapped her black hair, carefully drying it.
Sasuko obediently lowered her head, but the corners of her mouth secretly curved up like a little fox who'd successfully stolen something.
When it was half dry, Yu's palm radiated gentle chakra.
Warm currents brushed through her hair, and the wet black strands quickly became fluffy and soft, carrying a faint soapberry fragrance.
"There." He lightly patted Sasuko's back. "Next time dry it yourself."
But Sasuko suddenly turned and hugged his waist, burying her face in his clothes and nuzzling: "I don't want to."
Seeing Sasuko acting spoiled, Yu's heart softened after all.
He gently tapped her forehead: "You..."
This time he was too lazy to correct his sister's small willfulness, only carefully brushing a few stray strands from her forehead behind her ears.
"Sleep early." As he stood up, he ruffled Sasuko's hair.
The door closed gently.
Sasuko hugged the towel still warm from Yu's palms, slowly curling up under the covers.
Moonlight filtered through the paper door outside the window, casting blurry light patches on the floor.
She listened to the water sounds from the bathroom next door, burying her burning cheeks in the pillow.
Sasuko suddenly had a bold idea.
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