Chapter 69: I Love Studying Too
When Yu brought the two little girls back to the residence, Sasuko kept her cheeks puffed out the entire time.
Why did buying lunch end up bringing back Naruko?
But Naruko removed her shoes and placed them in the shoe cabinet with practiced ease, even straightening Sasuko's carelessly kicked-off shoes.
This naturally executed action made Sasuko even more unhappy.
She shouldn't have taught her that "treating someone else's home like your own is the way to be a good guest"—who knew Naruko would implement it so thoroughly?
In the kitchen, Yu opened the food box and began preparing cold noodles.
Calling it "making" was generous—it was really just pouring the shop owner's pre-mixed noodles into a bowl and adding some special sauce.
Naruko eagerly raised her hand: "I'll help!"
Yu smiled warmly at her: "Then could you handle the plating?" He handed over a set of porcelain bowls.
Sasuko immediately squeezed between them: "I want to help too!"
"Sasuko will be in charge of..." Yu glanced at her height, which barely reached the counter even on tiptoes, "taste testing."
What followed was: Naruko earnestly distributing side dishes to each bowl, Yu skillfully mixing the noodles, while Sasuko supervised like a foreman, demanding to taste every spoonful after it was mixed.
"The saltiness is just right." Sasuko began giving instructions, suddenly telling Naruko who was plating: "That bowl has too few cucumber strips!"
Naruko hurriedly added more cucumber strips, but her hand trembled and scattered them everywhere.
Sasuko seized the opportunity to complain: "Yu, look how clumsy she is!"
Yu suppressed a laugh and took the chopsticks from Naruko: "Let me handle this." He deftly arranged the toppings into small mountains, finally sprinkling fine bonito flakes. "Are you satisfied now, Miss Sasuko?"
Sasuko looked at the three bowls of exquisitely artistic cold noodles and nodded while turning her face away.
Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, making the sesame oil in the sauce glisten translucently.
Naruko secretly dipped her finger to taste the sauce, and Sasuko caught her red-handed:
"That's so dirty!"
"It's all going to end up in your stomach anyway!"
...
Soon the noodles were ready. Yu used magnetic force to smoothly transport the three bowls to the dining table, the glistening noodles trembling slightly in their plates.
When Yu sat down on the tatami, Sasuko immediately claimed the spot on his left, using her eyes to signal Naruko to sit opposite.
Naruko didn't think much of it and obediently knelt across from them. After tasting the cold noodles, her eyes widened in delight as she began eating enthusiastically.
Sasuko raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you already eat at the noodle shop?"
"Yu's cooking tastes better!" Naruko said sincerely with bulging cheeks, sauce still on the corner of her mouth.
This made Yu smile: "Thanks for the compliment. Next time you want to eat, just let me know in advance."
Sasuko immediately became unhappy, inwardly grumbling that Naruko really knew how to push her luck, but outwardly added with tsundere agreement: "Yu's noodles are the best."
Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise—normally Sasuko showed little interest in noodle dishes.
He ruffled her head: "If you like it, eat more. Look how much Naruko's enjoying it."
Naruko suddenly looked up: "Want to get dango together tomorrow? I know a newly opened shop—"
"No." Sasuko immediately refused. "Tomorrow Yu is teaching me ninjutsu."
"Eh~ What about the day after?"
"No time the day after either."
Naruko's face fell disappointedly. Yu laughed and smoothed things over: "How about when Sasuko learns Flying Thunder God, she can take you to the farthest dango shop?"
Naruko suddenly became curious about the jutsu: "What's Flying Thunder God?"
Yu put down his chopsticks, condensing a faint chakra glow on his fingertip: "It's a space-time ninjutsu. Like this—" The chopsticks in his hand suddenly disappeared, appearing the next second beside Naruko's bowl. "It can instantly transport objects or oneself to marked positions."
"So cool!" Naruko's eyes sparkled. "Can it transport ramen? When I'm hungry I could directly transport Ichiraku ramen home!"
Yu smiled: "Theoretically yes... if you mark it in advance." He lightly tapped Sasuko's forehead. "Sasuko's making good progress—she's already mastered basic coordinate calculations."
Sasuko pretended not to care as she fiddled with her bangs, but the corners of her mouth secretly curved up.
Naruko cupped her face dreamily: "If I could learn this too, I could transport myself to Sasuko's house anytime to eat Yu's cooking!"
Sasuko immediately became alert, grabbing Yu's sleeve.
Yu heard the expectation in Naruko's words: "Does Naruko want to learn too?"
Naruko's big eyes blinked, her voice soft: "Can... can I learn too?"
"Of course you can." Yu smiled at Sasuko. "Sasuko gets bored learning alone and keeps spacing out. Having a companion will help you supervise each other." He deliberately added, "You two can even compete to see who learns faster."
Sasuko had been frowning, but her eyes brightened slightly at the last sentence. She made a show of disdain: "This dummy dead-last probably can't even learn it..." But under the table her hands fidgeted, secretly calculating how far ahead she was. She'd definitely make Yu see Naruko's true dead-last nature!
Naruko immediately puffed out her chest indignantly: "I'll definitely learn faster than Sasuko! In the last shuriken test I hit one more target!"
"That's because your throw went crooked and hit my target!"
"Did I hit one more target or not?"
"D-dummy, you can't count it like that..."
...
Watching the two little girls argue about who would learn faster, Yu found it amusing: "Eat your noodles first, or they'll get soggy." He pushed the cold noodles toward them. "This afternoon Sasuko needs to review the theoretical basics anyway—Naruko can listen in."
Naruko's eyes lit up with joy, her twin-tails bouncing happily—this was the first time Yu-niisan was teaching her ninjutsu! She quickly sat up straight, even arranging her chopsticks neatly: "I'll definitely listen carefully!"
Sasuko undermined her from the side: "You can't even use Clone Jutsu properly at school. Don't come crying when you can't understand."
This made Naruko immediately lower her head in embarrassment.
"Mmm... I'll definitely understand this time!"
Yu gently mediated: "Don't be nervous. Sasuko had me explain things several times when she first learned too."
Sasuko's face flushed as she secretly pinched Yu's side: "That was... I just didn't hear clearly!"
She stole a glance at Yu's smiling profile.
Naruko regained her confidence and nodded vigorously: "Mm!"
Yu-niisan was so gentle and patient—she could definitely learn it.
After the meal, Yu's fingertips moved slightly and the dishes automatically cleaned and returned to their places. Then he led the two little girls to the living room.
Sasuko had originally wanted to naturally sit in Yu's lap like this morning, but catching sight of Naruko following behind, she felt somewhat conflicted. Finally steeling herself, she pretended to be calm and leaned into Yu's embrace.
Naruko looked on enviously: "Is this how Sasuko usually studies ninjutsu at home?"
Sasuko's cheeks reddened, but she deliberately lifted her chin: "That's right!"
Even if she had to be shameless today, she'd make Naruko recognize who Yu valued most!
But Naruko blinked her azure eyes and asked shyly in a small voice:
"Then... can I study like this too?"