Exhausted, Sasuke sank into the couch, his body heavy with fatigue. He fished out his phone and dialed Naruto's number, urgency driving his actions. He couldn't afford to let this issue drag on any longer. As he waited for an answer, the phone rang in his ear, each tone echoing his impatience. Finally, after a brief pause, Naruto's voice came through.
"Sasuke.." Naruto said.
"Naruto..." Sasuke echoed, a wave of memories washing over him. It felt like ages since he had seen Naruto last. Currently, Naruto was enjoying a break after tackling a high-stakes mission that had pushed him to his limits. Both he and Sasuke were enrolled at Asahi, their journeys intertwining once more. When Naruto set off for his mission, he had cleverly masked it as a vacation. He had been absent for about six weeks—spending a month on the mission and two weeks on said, "vacation."
Sasuke brought his attention back to Naruto. "Been a while. Eh dobe?" Sasuke chuckled.
"Sasuke-teme! You won't believe it! I'm just hanging out at this wild hotel. The pools are absolutely massive! And the ramen, oh man, Sasuke, the ramen!" Naruto exclaimed with excitement, his voice echoing. This outburst caught the attention of those around him. Quickly, Naruto offered a sheepish apology and redirected his focus back to his chat with Sasuke.
"Well, you're leaving tonight. I need your help in my mission." Sasuke said casually.
Naruto's features contorted into a hilariously woeful visage. "I-I don't want to go! What do you want from me, anyway?" he questioned, managing to calm himself as he spoke.
"I have a mission where I have to protect these five girls. They're all sisters and dobe's, just like you."
"Shut up and fill me in."
"My mission is to safeguard Dr. Nakano's daughters while also serving as their tutor. However, there's a catch. I can keep tabs on them, but I have no means to determine if they're in danger. That's where you come into play." Naruto nodded, grasping the situation.
"You want me to sense negative emotions, right?" Naruto guessed.
"Yeah."
Naruto sighed before begrudgingly giving in. "Fine, I'm leaving tonight. I should be in 2 days."
"Alright. Thank you, Naruto."
"No issues at all, my dude. I'll see you around! Just be careful not to get too caught up with one of the sisters," Naruto remarked with a cheeky smirk.
"Shut up."
"I know you have a crush on one-" Naruto teased, but before he could finish, Sasuke abruptly hung up the phone.
"Dumbass."
In the familiar setting of the Nakano apartment, the sisters found themselves in the living room, engaged in a serious discussion about the strange events that had just occurred. Nino was uncharacteristically quiet, her mind swirling with thoughts. Sasuke had laughed at her failed attempt to drug him, dismissing it as a joke. But why was he so unfazed? He hadn't threatened to call the police or shown any anger; instead, he had thanked her for the cookies before leaving. It felt off. Nino was reluctant to admit it, but guilt was beginning to gnaw at her insides.
Suddenly, clarity washed over her, reminding her of her purpose. 'He's an outsider. He'll ruin everything we have. Exactly, we don't need a tutor. I don't care if my sisters accept him. I won't. I'm not letting him into our lives. Not mine, not theirs. He should just keep his distance. That's final.'
Yotsuba's interruption pulled Nino from her reverie. "Nino, what are you thinking about?" Nino took a brief pause, her mind racing. "Hey, why wasn't Sasuke upset?" She was at a loss, unable to unravel the enigma. The fact that the pills failed to work on Sasuke baffled her, and his strange response left her feeling even more confused. It simply didn't add up.
With a playful smirk, Ichika turned to Nino, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know, I think he's got a thing for you," she said, her tone light. Nino felt her face heat up, and after a few stuttering attempts to respond, she finally blurted out, "N-no, I really doubt that!" But her stubbornness quickly resurfaced as she folded her arms tightly. "I'm not letting him back in, no matter what you all say. I'm standing my ground."
Ichika couldn't help but tease, "Looks like Nino is about to fall for Sasuke any day now." The other girls giggled, and even Miku let out a soft laugh. "Watch out, Nino! Sasuke might just steal your heart without even trying," Ichika chimed in. Nino's irritation bubbled over. "Enough already! Just leave me alone!" she snapped, marching off to her room in a huff. She was flushed.
"That was fun." Ichika said casually. After a few moments of silence, Yotsuba declared, "Well I'm off to bed! Goodnight you guys!"
"Goodnight." Her sisters said in unison before they started preparing for bed too.
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After wrapping up his conversation with Naruto, Sasuke immediately dialed Maruo's number. However, Maruo didn't answer; his phone was set to do not disturb mode. Hours later, while Sasuke was engrossed in a TV show, his phone suddenly buzzed to life. Glancing at the screen, he saw Maruo's name flashing. Without hesitation, he switched off the TV and picked up the call.
"Good evening, Uchiha-kun." Maruo greeted courtly.
"Good evening, Nakano-san." Sasuke said as he shifted his body on the couch to sit upright.
"So, how'd it go?" Maruo asked immediately, wanting to get into the nitty gritty.
"No one participated. Although, Yotsuba tried to do some studying." Sasuke replied truthfully.
From the other side of the phone came an exhausted sigh. "None of them were interested? Not even Itsuki?" Maruo asked, clearly disappointed.
"It's not like none of them are interested. I'd say that only two sisters don't want to join us." Sasuke proceeded to mentioning the names of the girls. "Miku, and Nino."
"What's up with them?"
"Miku thinks I'm too immature, and Nino just seems to have no interest in my presence. I'm left wondering what's behind that." Sasuke toyed with the idea of exposing Nino's attitude but decided against it in the end. Fortunately for Nino, Sasuke kept his mouth shut.
"I see." Maruo responded dryly, his voice cracking up from how much shouting he was doing for the past few hours. "I'm sorry about that. I' sure you'll be able to get to them in time though."
"I will. I have also picked up their chakra signatures, so I now can keep an eye on them."
"Good to know." Maruo replied. "So, is that all? I have a surgery in 10min I need to prepare for."
"Yes. Goodnight Nakano-san."
"Goodnight Uchiha-kun." With that, Sasuke got ready for bed.
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Nino was nestled in her bed, deep in contemplation. She was baffled by her inability to send Sasuke off to dreamland. The night before, she had taken a smaller amount of the sleeping pills, which normally worked like magic. So what was going wrong?
Nino muttered in frustration, "Ugh, how irritating!" A tutor? They absolutely didn't need one! Besides, what was her dad thinking, sending a boy their age? Boys were just so creepy, always fixated on that one thing. Who knew what kind of trouble they could stir up? They might snap dirty photos or sneak away with things that weren't theirs—especially their underwear. Just the thought made Nino feel queasy. Yet, Sasuke didn't seem like your average boy. 'Maybe he's just pretending to be nice to win us over, only to reveal his true colors later.' To Nino, boys were the scum of the earth.
Nevertheless, she couldn't shake the impression that Sasuke was completely unfazed by the suggestive antics that enthralled everyone else. Here he was, in the company of five lovely girls, yet he displayed no inclination towards any naughty thoughts. Even as Ichika flirted with him in a teasing manner, he remained stone-faced. If this was all a ploy to win their hearts, he was certainly a skilled actor. But she didn't care; she was determined to portray him as a creep.
She glanced at the melatonin capsule resting on the drawer beside her. "This is stupid," she murmured under her breath. With a sigh, she swallowed the pill and soon slipped into a peaceful slumber.
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The next day, Sasuke stirred awake, dressed himself, and arrived at the Nakano residence. He knocked on the door and lingered for a moment. Soon enough, Yotsuba opened it, her excitement bubbling over as she whispered, "Good morning, Uchiha-kun!"
Sasuke lightly smiled back at her. "Good morning, Yotsuba."
Yotsuba invited him in, "Just sit on the couch, I have a few more things to round up, then we can leave." She said in her indoor voice.
Sasuke plopped down, settling in for a wait. After fifteen minutes, Yotsuba appeared, all set to leave. She took the initiative, guiding Sasuke out of their apartment and toward the elevator. The hallway was peaceful, the only noise being the gentle patter of their footsteps. As Sasuke looked over at Yotsuba, her bright smile caught his attention. 'Is there a time when she's not smiling? I might have to experiment with that,' he thought, a playful glint in his eye. It was clear that Naruto's knack for pranks had gradually rubbed off on him over the years.
Upon arriving at the elevator, Yotsuba quickly hit the down button, and they stood there, waiting. The air was thick with silence for a few seconds, but Yotsuba's patience wore thin. She finally spoke, her voice breaking the quiet. "Uchiha-kun?"
"Yes?" Sasuke replied.
"Thanks for coming with me, it means a lot."
"No problem. But if you don't mind me asking, what made you want me to join you?" Sasuke asked, now facing Yotsuba completely. She met his gaze, resting her hand on her chin as she pondered for a moment.
"I'm not sure what it is, but you have this undeniable presence that signals to everyone not to cross you. Since I'm leaving early, I was a little concerned about running into any weirdos. So, you're officially my bodyguard today!" Yotsuba said with a mischievous grin, her hands pressed together in a mock prayer.
"Hn." Sasuke said indifferently. "I see." Silence once again filled the air as the elevator door opened.
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This morning
5:00am
Unknown place
As the man approached his boss's office, the sturdy automatic doors parted effortlessly, allowing him to glide through the corridors with the ease of someone who knew the building like the back of his hand. Reaching the office, he rested his palm on a biometric pad, which promptly identified him as Ayato Haruki. A firm voice echoed from within, instructing, "Step inside."
Ayato stepped into the room and lowered himself in a respectful bow before his master. "Lord Draven."
"Ah, Ayato. What news do you bring from the mission?" Draven inquired, his gaze intense as he propped his chin on his hand. Rising from his bow, Ayato replied, "I'll be infiltrating their school disguised as a janitor. This will allow me to monitor the girls closely. It seems that the S-rank genin, Sasuke Uchiha, is a student at Asashiyama Secondary School. If he becomes aware of the mission, it could complicate matters." He hesitated for a moment, then pressed on, "When will I have the green light to proceed with the abduction?"
Draven adjusted his posture, deep in thought. "Hold off for a few days. If Sasuke notices that the girls went missing right after you started, he'll definitely grow suspicious. He's a sharp ninja, so be careful around him." Ayato bowed respectfully. "I will take my leave now." Draven nodded in acknowledgment, allowing him to depart. "You may go." Ayato then stood and exited the room.
Ayato made his way to his cubicle, unlocking his locker to don his taxi driver uniform. He then approached his desk, where he gathered the necessary tools for his duties. He picked up his communication device, a compact gadget that slipped into his ear, allowing him to connect with base effortlessly. Additionally, he retrieved his scientific ninja tool, a clever device that provided him with the ability to execute various ninjutsu. With a simple insertion of a mini scroll, he was prepared to unleash his powers whenever needed.
He snatched his keys and set off to retrieve his taxi car. After a smooth drive to the Nakano building, he parked and waited at the entrance. A few minutes later, he noticed two figures approaching the automatic doors. It didn't take long for him to identify them as Sasuke and Yotsuba. Ayato activated his communicator, stating, "I have visual confirmation of a Nakano girl. She has short orange hair and a green bow. She's with Sasuke Uchiha. I repeat, I have eyes on a Nakano girl with Sasuke." A voice responded, "Acknowledged. Maintain your observation." The call was cut off.
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As the elevator glided downward, it was just Sasuke and Yotsuba, the stillness around them broken only by the gentle hum of the elevator music. Yotsuba, her usual radiant smile lighting up her features, glanced at Sasuke and asked, "Seems familiar, doesn't it?"
"Hn."
After another moment of silence, Yotsuba asked, "Uchiha-kun?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know the layout of the school. I get lost in the hallways a lot. Do you think you could show me around?" Yotsuba asked pleadingly.
"I don't see why not." Sasuke said simply.
Yotsuba's smile blossomed like a flower in spring. She dove headfirst into a torrent of conversation, spilling out thoughts and stories that Sasuke found utterly unengaging. As they walked out of the building, her words cascaded around them, leaving no room for Sasuke to chime in. Not that he was eager to share his thoughts anyway.
The taxi caught his eye, particularly the driver behind the wheel. Sasuke was certain he had heard the conversation right. The driver was speaking to someone, and the words sent a chill down his spine. 'He's definitely keeping an eye on the sisters. Accepting her offer was a smart move. Who knows what could have happened if she had been by herself?' he mused. 'I doubt he'll make a move. He knows I'm here with her, and he wouldn't stand a chance against me. Most likely, he's just meant to follow the girls. This is going to be tedious,' Sasuke sighed.