— I swear, if I have to sweep the whole house again, my hands are going to fall off.
— Do you think they'll come off at the wrists, or will just the outer skin peel off?
— Shut up and help me figure out how to get out of this.
— Hmph. Well, you should just stop pissing Mebuki off.
— Hmph. Traitor. You always take his side and act like the good son, even though you always call Mom and Dad by their first names.
The twins' grumpy snorts left a brief moment of silence, which was quickly filled by the voice in Yashin's head.
…
"Hehe… the only thing missing is for her to call you an ass-kissing bitch."
…
— Shut up. This has nothing to do with you.
Although confused by the delayed response, that didn't stop the older sister from answering.
— Of course it has to do with me when it's about you and your "good son" act that always gets me punished.
…
"The girl might not be very bright, but even she's aware of your nonsense. I wonder if, in addition to this brat, deep down you also want to get into bed withyour mother."
…
In addition to being speechless, Yashin felt outraged.
What kind of crap was that damn parasite in his head spouting now?
It was one thing for it to try to egg him on to sleep with Sakura someday, with its sporadic mentions of the subject; however, for it to now try to do the same with Mebuki…
If it weren't for the fact that he still hadn't found the damn door to his own mental space, he would have already set out to tear that bastard to pieces; however, ever since the last time he'd been dragged to that place, he'd never been able to set foot there again, even though that place was supposed to be his.
Unable to vent his anger, the pink-haired clung even tighter to his sister.
— You… How many times do I have to tell you not to get so close to me?
— Why are you acting shy now, when not long ago you were staking your claim on me in front of your friend?
— I-I… that wasn't…
Before Yashin could ease his bad mood by enjoying his little sister's embarrassed face and her clumsy stammering, the echo of the insidious laughter in his head soured his mood once again.
…
"Restore their friendship while simultaneously inciting them to fight each other, so that, at some point, their conflict escalates to the point where they kill each other. I must admit that even though you often act like a bitch, your depravity in this sort of matter really far surpasses me. I regret having judged you too hastily, thinking you were just an imbecile driven by lust."
…
The voice's words almost made the pink-haired spit blood.
At what damn moment did he come up with something like that?
No. How the hell did he reach such a deranged conclusion?
He just wanted to see some skin and a couple of sweaty bodies tangled up together—nothing more.
When did such a pure desire turn into the filth that the dog in his head had just described?
However, even though he wanted to tell him to go to hell, this wasn't the right time or place; besides, defending himself against those accusations was also far too embarrassing.
As the pink-haired tried to recover from the blow he'd just received, the innocent voices of his sister and the ghost in his mind echoed at the same time.
— Hmph. Don't get any funny ideas. I was just trying to protect you so you wouldn't be fooled by a bad woman. That's all.
…
"Well. Anyway, don't let it go to your head just because you finally did one thing right. Besides, if you're going to act like the whore who'll make those two brats hate each other so much they'll want to kill each other, you shouldn't be so biased in your favoritism."
…
What the hell…?
Had they actually agreed to act like tsunderes?
Not wanting to answer anyone, the pink-haired guy just let out a sigh.
Putting his insincere little sister aside, Yashin didn't know what to make of the parasite in his head. Either its wild speculations were a way of messing with him, or it was deranged enough to have reached that conclusion.
Either way, all he could do for now was let it slide, just like the barking of a rabid dog… at least until he found a way to return to his own mental space.
— Anyway, have you thought about how we're going to get out of Mom's punishment?
— Why are you dragging me into your nonsense? You're the only one in trouble.
— Are you sure?
— …
— Hmph. Well, if that's the case, then neither of us is going home tonight.
Seeing Sakura stop abruptly and feeling her tiny fingers dig into the flesh beneath his hakama, Yashin felt a headache coming on again.
Why did all the damn Harunos always have to be so damn irrational?
— Bratty little brat… Ugh. I mean, Sakura. Are you actually planning to sleep on the street?
— Yeah. If that means I won't get scolded and forced to clean, then I'd rather sleep outside.
— Damn it, and why are you dragging me along with you? I don't have… Ugh. Damn it! Loosen your grip, will you? You're going to tear a chunk out of me.
Instead of responding like a human being, the irrational older sister just snorted before turning on her heel and starting to walk in a random direction that wouldn't take her home.
— Hey, hey. Are you serious? What's wrong with doing a little cleaning in exchange for sleeping under a roof? If we stay out here, we're going to freeze.
— Hmph. You only say that because you never have to do any housework.
— Hey, you can't blame me for that. That's my privilege for being born a man.
— You male chauvinist pig. Well, if you're such a man, why don't you walk on your own?
— Stop! Stop! Are you really that eager to fall into a ditch with me again? Besides, there's no point in getting mad at me. Even if it's not the same elsewhere in this damn world, at least here in Konoha—and even more so in the Haruno clan—everyone's a chauvinist. The feminist revolution isn't ready to sink its claws into this place yet. Not even in our own home. You know how traditionalist Mebuki is, despite her appearance. Otherwise, that woman would never have taken care of that good-for-nothing Kizashi, and the poor wretch would've already died in some ditch after a night of drinking or after offending someone with one of his jokes. I'm not to blame for that.
— Shut up, don't say bad things about Dad.
Despite her words, Sakura still couldn't hold back her laughter.
— Whatever. If that's how things are, I'm definitely going to change them.
— Ah… sure. A new goal right after declaring that you're going to become the strongest Kunoichi, challenging the status quo of the clans. You sure are motivated.
— Shānnarō. I promise you I'm going to do it.
— Well, being a… What? A social revolutionary? Well, being that will definitely be easier than becoming the strongest Kunoichi.
After all, even though surpassing the "legendary loser" was plausible for his disappointing little sister, the Rabbit Goddess was another matter entirely.
Although, come to think of it, the pink-haired guy wasn't sure if it was right to consider that alien a Kunoichi.
Well, she was able to use chakra and had a pair of breasts. Hagoromo must have drawn power from there, so there didn't seem to be a problem.
After shaking his head to shake off his ramblings, Yashin spoke again.
— If you're persistent, maybe you'll succeed when you're fifty or sixty. Although enduring society's criticism and the loneliness that comes with thinking differently from others will be difficult, I wish you good luck.
Before the pink-haired could finish his tirade, Sakura's footsteps had already stopped, and her smiling face had faded into a sickly pale.
— W-what? You're joking, right? Why does it have to be so hard?
The flippant laugh she received in response only served to heighten the little girl's fear.
— "Joking?" Actually, I'm being kind.
Although Yashin didn't know much about domestic violence or the social control women suffered—whether they were ordinary civilians or clan members—the fact that most of them became mere housewives after marriage, even after having had careers as ninjas, spoke volumes.
And that was limited to Konoha alone.
What happened in other villages and the rest of the countries was a mystery that didn't particularly interest him.
At least here, they still had the right to an education, and if they were strong and influential enough, they could even aspire to become Hokage.
— Maybe if you became the female version of Hashirama Senju, you could do it in less time. However, if you follow the traditional path without being willing to endure all kinds of hardships, you'll surely fail. Most likely, even before you turn twenty, our parents and the clan will pressure you into marriage. After that, you'll give up your career as a kunoichi and be reduced to nothing but a servant for your children and your husband, just like Mebuki.
Perhaps feeling sorry for his little sister's future—or, more likely, tired of all the chatter—Yashin let out a long sigh before gently stroking Sakura's head.
— Well, if you're lucky, you'll end up with someone better than Kizashi.
The pink-haired didn't know which was worse: a father who tells bad jokes all the time or a closeted gay man who left her for years to raise her children as a single mother.
Not even Naruto's past was as miserable as his little sister's future.
However, as he felt the tremor beneath Sakura's grip, the pink-haired's benevolent smile turned into an amused smirk.
Still, even though Yashin was satisfied with the brat's terrified reaction, he couldn't help but wonder how the hell they'd ended up talking about that.
Before he could make sense of it all, Sakura's desperate voice rang out again.
— Y-you can't let that happen to me.
— Hmm… so what do you want me to do?
— I don't know, but you have to do something.
Although he wasn't interested, his sister's pleading green eyes gave the pink-haired some ideas.
— So, how about serving me instead?
— …
— …
As soon as Yashin saw his sister's expressionless face turn crimson, he immediately clung to her with all his might.
Shame or anger—he didn't want to guess. However, the veins standing out on her broad forehead seemed to reveal which emotion was dominant at that moment.
— You… Shānnarō, what kind of perverted things are you thinking?
— Hey, hey. Just think about it. If you keep this up, you'll end up becoming a Mebuki 2.0. On the other hand, if you decide to accept my offer, you won't have to please anyone else but me. It's a great deal, no matter how you look at it.
— And what exactly do you mean by "pleasing you," you pervert?
— Hmm… for starters, you could speak to me more kindly and stop calling me a pervert.
— So, how exactly should I refer to someone who… who gets that thing hard while telling his older sister to serve him? Huh?
The pink-haired boy's look of realization—as if he'd made a great discovery—only served to fuel Sakura's anger.
However, before the older sister could completely lose her temper, Yashin hurried to explain himself.
— Ahem. Ahem. That was just… it's not what you think. Just a natural biological reaction I can't control.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could say in his defense, so his best option was to try to change the subject and use his chakra to force his rebellious friend to come down and stop prodding his sister's back.
— In any case, my intentions are pure. If you're willing to listen to me, I can spare you that fate.
…
"I wonder if that's how your friend Epstein justified himself in your past life."
…
Yashin had to bite his tongue to keep from cursing after that comment.
Although he didn't remember much, he was sure he'd never been invited to that bastard's island, let alone shared his tastes.
— Hmph. And how exactly do you plan to do that?
— Well, for starters, I could stop Mebuki from punishing you.
— That's not enough.
— Of course not. You haven't agreed to obey me yet—why would I bother helping you?
— Why am I your cute older sister?
— Hmph. Good luck cleaning the whole house and becoming a neglected housewife.
Although evident from her snort, Sakura's bad mood was also noticeable in every step she took once she resumed walking.
— Fine, I'll stop calling you a pervert, but help me with the punishment.
— …
— What?
— Are you admitting that you're going to serve me from now on?
— Of course not! It's just a one-time deal, just this once.
— Hmph. Being docile definitely isn't in your nature. Anyway, I'll make an exception this time, so hurry home.
— Where do you think I'm going?
— Hmph. Anyway, just stopping calling me a pervert isn't enough.
— You… don't get carried away.
— Ugh. Stop squeezing. Damn it, you should at least apologize for hitting me this morning.
— I didn't…
— You didn't, what…?
— …
— …
— I… shouldn't have hit you.
— And the magic words are…?
— … I'm sorry.
— What did you say? I couldn't hear you.
— Don't get carried away.
— Tch. You're not cute at all.
Distracted by their trivial chatter, the twins continued on toward their house.
As soon as they walked through the front gate, they came face-to-face with Mebuki's angry expression; however, before the grumpy woman could say anything, the younger Haruno traded his arrogant expression for an innocent smile capable of melting any mother's heart.
Sakura's dark eyes spoke volumes about what she thought of her brother's fawning attitude, especially when she saw the pink-haired pull several items from the sleeves of his montsuki to give to their mother.
Her inner child roared with rage, condemning him for being a self-righteous bastard; however, after telling herself that the pink-haired was only doing that for her, she huffed and walked back to her room.
In the end, Sakura realized that perhaps it wasn't that her mother didn't favor her, but rather that she didn't have enough money to compete.
Being the favorite child seemed to be quite expensive.
…
After cashing in a few coupons for beauty salons and massages, along with some sparkling jewelry, Yashin also made his way to his room.
The day had been way too long.
He really needed a good rest.
Besides, he also needed to have a word or two with the parasite in his head.
Today's comments had crossed the line.
However, just as he opened the door, ready to crawl in and collapse into the embrace of his mattress, the figure of the girl hidden beneath the sheets on his bed made him stop dead in his tracks.
Perhaps unsettled by the silence that followed his footsteps and the creak of the door as it opened, Sakura poked her head out from under the blankets to look at her younger brother.
— Why are you just standing there?
— …And why are you in my bed?
As he asked the question back, Yashin closed the door.
— Why is your bed softer than mine?
— The mattress is a special order from the capital of the Land of Fire.
— Oh… Did you order it through Shino?
— Something like that.
After taking off his montsuki and the top part of his kimono, the pink-haired walked over and sat on the edge of his bed.
— So… what's this all about?
— … I'm going to sleep with you.
— … Are you serious about me being your property?
— Shut up, that's not it.
No matter how expressive his little sister was, Yashin couldn't understand what was going through her head.
Shame and seriousness were a strange combination on her little face; still, there was no need to make a bigger deal out of it than it deserved.
After shrugging, the pink-haired crawled under the blankets next to her.
Although at first she'd expected him to do or say something, Sakura remained silent, her eyes fixed on his profile.
Perhaps, in the end, it had just been another irrational whim of the brat, or maybe she was trying to make him uncomfortable after he'd teased her so much on the way home.
Just as Yashin was beginning to let his chakra flow to stimulate certain parts of his brain and finally get some rest, Sakura's muffled voice reached his ears.
— I'm sorry for hitting you this morning.
— … You already told me that.
— … Yeah.
— Is that all?
— No. I also wanted to thank you.
As she spoke, the pink-haired girl's arms wrapped around her younger brother's torso.
They were so close that Yashin could feel her breath tickling his neck.
It felt strange to him; however, it wasn't unpleasant either.
— Why?
— … For keeping my friendship with Ino from ending.
— When did I do that?
Sakura's reply was a soft laugh that fluttered against her brother's neck once more.
"I don't have the best grades in the class for nothing, you know? Don't think I'm so dumb that I don't notice, and I can assure you Ino isn't either."
— …
— So, thanks.
— If that's what you want to think, fine. Although I'm surprised you'd say you're not stupid when you practically wanted to throw away your first friend for a guy who isn't interested in you.
— You… shut up. You don't need to say that.
The faint rustling of the sheets as Sakura tried to hide her face among them barely allowed Yashin to make out her murmur.
Too tired to argue with her, the pink-haired boy closed his eyes; however, the girl's soft laughter and the movement at his side made him open them again.
Once more, he found himself staring into her bright green eyes.
— It's just like before. When they bullied me and you protected me, I always wanted to sleep with you, no matter how cold you were toward me. I thought your illness had changed that too, but you're still the same little brother who always looks out for me.
The affection was palpable in every one of her words.
— It's been a long time since we did this.
However, there was no trace of warmth in Yashin's gaze.
Even so, Sakura didn't care and curled up against him again.
Unconsciously, the pink-haired's hand moved to stroke his sister's back.
That… wasn't fun, but it was interesting.
Such naivety was adorable to watch, and at the same time, it made him wonder how she would react when she really got to know him.
To tell her at that moment that he had never defended her out of love or affection, but because she was his twin, his disappointing counterpart, his property by right of blood relation; that for someone to humiliate her was the same as humiliating him.
No one should even think of touching his property, and as for whoever did… well, back then, the restraint he now professed so strongly was the least of the pink-haired's concerns.
Hence his little sister's good reputation and his own poor standing among the rest of his peers.
In the end, saying all that would be very simple, and the reaction would likely be lackluster.
That's why he didn't explain himself.
Surely there would be a better opportunity for her to see who he really is.
In the meantime, all he could do was look forward to that moment and enjoy her growing dependence on him.