Chapter 11: Big Brother (Part 1)
"Welcome…!"
Today, nearly every customer who came to Ichiraku Ramen felt like they were seeing things. Standing shyly by the door, greeting guests with a soft smile, was… wasn't that kid from the Uchiha clan? When did someone from the proud and aloof Uchiha family start working part-time at a ramen shop?!
Time passed slowly, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, the warm orange glow of sunset bathed the world in a soft, golden-red light.
Although Sasuke had spent the entire day as the shop's greeter, he still felt a little embarrassed. What he didn't realize, however, was that his shy and awkward demeanor had attracted a huge wave of female customers to Ichiraku Ramen. Most of them had stopped by just to catch a glimpse of the adorable, innocent Uchiha boy.
"Finally, the day's over!"
As the last customers trickled out, Ino and the others stretched and rubbed their shoulders, settling around a table to enjoy a bit of post-work relaxation.
"I'm so tired…" Sasuke slumped into a chair, clearly exhausted. After a full day of smiling nonstop, he felt like his face was going to freeze in place.
"Well, thanks to you, business today was booming!" Ino giggled behind her hand. "Most of the customers were women too—looks like you're very popular, Sasuke!"
"…" Sasuke's face stiffened as he recalled the… traumatic encounters with a few bold female patrons. It had been nothing short of a nightmare.
"Tch, what's wrong with those people? All over Sasuke like that. Don't I look cool too?!" Kiba grumbled, clearly feeling a bit jealous. He'd been working here for days and not one person had complimented his looks. Was this the so-called curse of the gifted?
"That's because you're nowhere near as cute as Sasuke," Shikamaru said flatly, cutting straight to the point. "From what I've observed, most adult women seem to be drawn to shy, adorable boys like Sasuke. On the other hand, your wild and overly energetic vibe just doesn't appeal to that crowd. Not nearly as popular as the cute-boy type."
"I'm back…"
Just then, Sakura returned, dragging Naruto behind her. He was carrying a backpack that contained the results of today's secret mission.
"What exactly were you two up to?" Ino asked curiously.
"That… is a secret for now!" Sakura replied mysteriously, then immediately pulled Naruto and Sasuke upstairs to the second floor of the shop.
"What's with her today…?" Ino muttered, totally baffled. "Sakura's acting really strange…"
Upstairs in the resting room, Sakura took the backpack from Naruto's arms and began pulling out several outfits and accessories, neatly laying them out on the bed.
"All right, this is it. Try these on here so I can see how they look. I'll also teach you exactly what to do," Sakura said eagerly. Without waiting for a response, she pushed Sasuke toward the bed and pulled the curtain closed to give him some privacy to change.
Sasuke hesitated, clearly flustered. Something about these clothes felt... off. But when he thought of his brother, he silently gave himself a pep talk: Come on, Sasuke, no matter what it takes, if it helps bring Nii-san back, it's worth it.
More than ten minutes later, Sasuke finally stepped out from behind the curtain, face bright red, looking extremely self-conscious in his new outfit.
"Ugh—!"
Sakura instantly covered her nose and took a few steps back. This level of cuteness is borderline illegal! A shy little Sasuke dressed like that was far too much to handle.
"Perfect! That's exactly how you should wear it—and the expression is spot on too! Now, just remember these two lines…"
Steeling herself, Sakura began pacing with her hand on her chin, carefully coaching Sasuke on what to say and how to deliver it.
A few minutes later, after Sasuke nodded to show he understood and gave a brief demonstration, Sakura finally allowed him to go change back into his normal clothes.
"Sasuke…"
"What is it?" Sasuke turned back with a puzzled look—and in that outfit and expression, he looked ridiculously cute.
Click!
Sakura lowered the camera, absolutely delighted with the candid shot she had just captured.
"Nothing. Go ahead and change," she said with a satisfied grin.
Still baffled by Sakura's strange behavior, Sasuke left to change. Meanwhile, Sakura turned and noticed Naruto staring in the direction Sasuke had gone, totally dazed.
"Naruto?!"
"Ah! Wh-what?" Naruto snapped out of it after Sakura flicked his forehead, looking completely disoriented.
"What were you daydreaming about just now?"
"Sakura… is he… a boy or a girl?" Naruto asked with difficulty. Sasuke's appearance just now had completely shaken his understanding of reality.
"Of course he's a boy!" Sakura laughed. "But just now, that's what you call a trap—a boy who looks like a girl. Cute on the outside, but still a guy on the inside!"
"Th-that's terrifying…" Naruto shuddered at the thought, chilled to the bone.
By the time Sasuke returned in his regular clothes, Uncle Teuchi and the others had already finished making dinner. For the first time, nine of the future Konoha Twelve had gathered together.
After dinner, everyone headed home. Hinata was escorted away by Hyūga clan guards, and Sasuke—still clutching his backpack—nervously returned to the Uchiha compound.
"Honey, don't you think Sasuke was acting a little strange today?" Mikoto Uchiha asked, watching her son dash straight into his room the moment he got home. "He seemed really nervous."
"He's a kid. Of course he'll have little secrets," Fugaku replied with a wave of his hand. "As long as he doesn't turn out as overly mature as Itachi, I'll be happy."
At that, both parents fell into a brief silence. Their eldest son, Itachi, had matured far too quickly, leaving them little sense of what it was like to raise a child normally. They could only hope Sasuke would grow up differently.
Meanwhile, in his room, Sasuke clenched his fists. He had made up his mind. He began changing clothes again.
"I'm home…"
Under the moonlight, Uchiha Itachi returned. Finding the main room empty of Sasuke, he frowned. "Where's Sasuke?"
"In his room. He ran in the moment he got back and hasn't come out since," Fugaku replied from his seat, watching his overly composed son with a sigh. He couldn't help but blame himself for putting too much pressure on the boy.
"Itachi, go call your brother. Dinner's ready!" Mikoto said as she came out of the kitchen carrying dishes.
"Understood," Itachi nodded and headed toward Sasuke's room, ready to apologize for standing him up earlier that day.