Chapter 114: Ah, This Is Really Difficult
Deep in the night, within the Uchiha residence, Sasuko lay alone in Yu's bedroom.
She wore a silk camisole nightgown, smooth black hair spread across the pillow, outlining delicate shoulder and neck lines.
The nightgown's fabric was thin, faintly revealing the girl's increasingly graceful curves. Below the hem showed a pair of fair, slender legs.
Night had deepened, yet Yu still hadn't returned.
The daytime conversation still echoed in Sasuko's mind.
Naruko's words had truly touched her—compared to Naruko's silent, devoted affection, she realized her own love seemed especially base.
She claimed to love Yu, yet wanted more to lock him firmly by her side every moment.
All these years, rather than her adapting to Yu, it was Yu who'd continually made concessions for her.
Sometimes Sasuko felt Yu was incompatible with this world—he was too solitary.
Even with daily companionship, he rarely showed emotion, like a detached observer watching clouds rise and fall.
Only when looking at her would his eyes show smiling warmth.
And she'd secretly rejoiced at this—truly base indeed.
Regarding matters concerning Yu, she was far less brave than Naruko, unable to bear even the slightest possibility of failure.
No wonder her Mangekyo Sharingan had awakened that cheating ability to "alter the past."
Her desire to be with Yu stemmed not only from possessiveness, but concealed deeper fear—fear of losing him.
In this world, after men married, they were expected to maintain distance from young women in the household.
Even though they shared no blood relation, such separation was something Sasuko couldn't accept.
She remembered Yu once saying as a child that he hoped she'd live freely, not trapped in shackles named "Uchiha Yu."
But she couldn't do it.
Long ago, she'd lost all family members. She absolutely couldn't lose her only Yu.
No matter what methods, no matter how base she appeared, she wouldn't let go.
Moonlight streamed through the window, quietly spilling across the empty bed.
Sasuko turned over, her gaze falling on the vacant space beside her—it was already midnight. Why hadn't Yu returned yet?
He'd said he had important business. She'd been sensible and hadn't used Flying Thunder God to track him.
But now the wall clock clearly pointed to two in the morning, and her heart hung suspended with worry.
She rose and draped on outer clothing, walking to sit beneath the courtyard veranda.
Night wind carried slight coolness, yet couldn't dispel the turbulence in her heart.
She couldn't help remembering last time when Shisui had taken him to a nightclub and she'd caught them.
Though afterward it proved to be just drinking, that panicked feeling remained vivid in memory.
Sasuko rested her cheek on her hand, fingertips lightly tapping her knee.
Should she go find him?
What if he truly was handling important business? Would appearing so rashly show too much distrust? Would constantly questioning even this freedom make him feel annoyed?
Various thoughts churned in her mind. Sasuko hugged her knees, burying her face deeply in her arms.
She clearly hated this anxious version of herself, yet couldn't control constantly thinking—thinking where he was, what he was doing, whether he'd encounter something else to make her uneasy.
Thinking and thinking, she couldn't help self-mockery: her current appearance was exactly like those foolish heroines in romance novels.
This truly shouldn't be her style.
To enter Yu's heart, she'd put in considerable effort over these years.
Those novels hidden beneath the bed, from innocent first-love stories to explicit adult material—she'd carefully studied them all.
The male leads in books typically needed only slight hints from female leads before eagerly pursuing them.
She'd also tried mimicking descriptions in books, displaying her best side before Yu.
Unfortunately, Yu's conservatism far exceeded her imagination. Those tactics that worked repeatedly on ordinary men completely failed with him.
Years ago she'd still maintained her tsundere facade. Now she had no choice but to say "I like you most" daily—all forced by Yu.
Because she'd gradually realized that without making her feelings clear, Yu truly would, as Naruko said, see her as only a sister for life.
Sometimes she even wished Yu could be like other men—a bit bolder...
Sasuko pinched her soft body, sighing lightly. Clearly she wasn't lacking in any aspect, so why couldn't she move that person?
Recently there seemed to be some progress. Yu's gaze at her truly carried additional meaning, but it stopped at that.
Whenever she engaged in transgressive behavior, he'd rise and go to the courtyard to swing his wooden sword—only bullying the fast-growing bamboo. If it were other plants, they'd be barren by now.
Logically, pursuing while being a beautiful girl shouldn't be this difficult. Moreover, she'd worked hard for so many years without success...
Could Yu actually prefer men?
Though aside from Naruko, few girls had approached him these years, Shisui did often come by for tea.
But Shisui had long since married. His daughter could already call out "Papa" and "Mama."
Sasuko quickly shook her head, dismissing this absurd notion.
Perhaps Yu simply wasn't interested in romance, spending all his time researching jutsu.
Over these years, he spent most of his time sitting in the courtyard drinking tea and reading scrolls.
"Ah, this is really difficult." Sasuko murmured softly. This was far harder than learning Flying Thunder God back then.
She suddenly felt some resentment toward her parents—why had they adopted Yu as their son? If they'd taken him as a disciple instead and arranged an engagement, after coming of age they could be together directly. How nice. It would save her this current torment.
Thinking and thinking, inexplicable sadness welled up in Sasuko's heart.
Ultimately, she was just a girl who'd barely come of age, still carrying much confusion and unease about feelings and the future.
When advising Naruko to give up, she'd spoken with such certainty. But did her own heart truly have complete confidence?
She'd also feel especially nostalgic for her long-departed parents on such silent, deep nights.
If they saw her and Yu's current tangled situation, what would they think? Would they support her persistence or feel heartache over her struggles?
She remembered her mother holding her, laughingly recounting how father had pursued her back then.
Speaking of emotional moments, mother herself couldn't help laughing, gentle wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.
Hearing it then had felt sweet. Recalling it now, Sasuko's heart stirred with indescribable envy.
Her parents' relationship had been so natural. Mother had even enjoyed the sweet troubles of "reverse pursuit."
But reaching her own situation, despite being so proactive, she still hadn't succeeded.
Sasuko sighed again, a wave of helplessness surging in her heart.
Now she also had to constantly guard against whether that "blonde" would seize an opportunity.
How had things developed to this point?
She could genuinely feel Yu cared for her. And her own feelings were obvious even to the blind.
So why couldn't they just... take that final step?
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