Jealous Sister Izumi

Before long, Uncle Ichiraku brought the ramen to the table one bowl at a time. The steaming noodles filled the little shop with an enticing aroma.

"Here you go, eat it while it's hot," Uncle Ichiraku said with a smile, then turned to serve the other customers.

Uchiha Ao looked at Hinata and said pointedly, "Hinata, it's my treat today, so make sure you eat your fill!"

Hinata's cheeks instantly flushed. She said nothing, simply picking up her chopsticks and lifting a small bundle of noodles to her mouth.

The two walked out of Ichiraku Ramen. Hinata looked completely satisfied, while Uchiha Ao instinctively patted the wallet in his pocket. The moment he did, his smile froze, then slowly stiffened across his face.

"Ao-kun, th-thank you," Hyuga Hinata said softly.

Noticing Hinata looking at him, Uchiha Ao pulled himself together. He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "D-don't mention it."

He'd really been careless. He hadn't expected Hinata to eat so much. One meal had cost him half a month's allowance.

Since his parents had passed away, he'd been receiving an allowance from the Uchiha Clan.

But because Sister Izumi's family had taken him in, he'd hardly ever touched it.

Yikes. Can I afford to keep Hinata fed until I finish the mission?

Uchiha Ao panicked inside, but still had to act calm. He raised a hand and rubbed the back of his head.

Maybe I should borrow some money from Sister Izumi?

"Ao-kun, what's wrong?" Hyuga Hinata asked curiously, noticing how distracted he was.

Uchiha Ao shook his head, banishing the thought.

"It's nothing, Hinata," he replied casually.

Before long, they reached a corner. Hinata followed a member of the Hyuga Branch Family one way, while Uchiha Ao turned and headed in the other direction.

As he walked, the moonlight stretched his shadow long behind him. He began turning over ways to make money.

Just as he reached the entrance to the Uchiha Clan Compound, Uchiha Ao ran into Uchiha Izumi, standing with her arms crossed.

Sister Izumi gave him a knowing look and drawled, "Little brother, you're back awfully late."

!!!

Alarm bells rang in Uchiha Ao's mind. His instincts told him that Sister Izumi had definitely been waiting for him here on purpose.

"Big Sis~" Uchiha Ao's face instantly broke into an ingratiating smile. He hurried over to Uchiha Izumi and affectionately hooked an arm around hers. "It's so late. What are you still doing out here, Sister Izumi?"

Though Uchiha Izumi was furious, she didn't push Ao away. She merely looked at him coolly, her eyes seeming to see right through him.

Uchiha Ao felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze. His arm tightened around Sister Izumi's, and his smile grew even more strained.

"Sister Izumi, wh-what's wrong?" Uchiha Ao asked cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.

Uchiha Izumi snorted and turned her head away. "You know perfectly well."

At her words, Uchiha Ao immediately realized that Sister Izumi must have followed him earlier that day. He promptly came clean and told her everything that had happened.

Uchiha Izumi kept a stern face as she quietly listened to her "womanizer" little brother's explanation.

"Big Sis, that's all there is to it. Hinata and I are just friends. I felt sorry for her, so I wanted to help," Uchiha Ao said honestly, his eyes full of sincerity.

"Hmph." Uchiha Izumi turned away with a soft snort, looking like she wanted nothing to do with her "womanizer" little brother.

Seeing that Sister Izumi was still angry, Uchiha Ao clung to her arm and tried to appease her. "Come on, Sister Izumi, don't be mad. I'll buy you Three-Color Dango tomorrow~"

At the mention of Three-Color Dango, Uchiha Izumi's lips lifted slightly. But she couldn't let her little brother off that easily.

As the princess of the Hyuga Clan, there wasn't much she could do to Hinata directly. But her little brother was another matter. If he didn't behave, she'd have to "punish" him properly.

"I might stop being mad, if you do something for me," Uchiha Izumi said with a soft snort.

Uchiha Ao's eyes lit up. As long as Sister Izumi wasn't angry, he'd do anything.

"No problem, Sister Izumi!"

Uchiha Izumi turned around, keeping her expression cool, though she secretly felt rather pleased with herself. Little brother, I've got you wrapped around my finger.

"Fine. Since you put it that way, I won't hold back." She paused, then continued, "Starting tonight, you're going to be my pillow every night. No arguing!"

When Uchiha Ao heard the condition, he figured being a pillow wasn't a big deal, so he promptly agreed.

That night, Uchiha Ao lay in bed, quietly waiting for his sister to come.

Because of Izumi's Mother, Sister Izumi had to wait until she was asleep before coming over.

The door creaked open softly. Uchiha Izumi tiptoed into the room, moonlight spilling over her as it streamed through the window.

Uchiha Ao lay on the bed. Seeing her little brother lying there obediently, Uchiha Izumi, who had already been eager to get started, climbed onto the bed at once and hugged him from behind.

With Sister Izumi hugging him from behind, Uchiha Ao went completely stiff. He'd been pretending to be brave, but now his mind had gone blank.

"S-Sister Izumi, what are you doing?" Feeling her tickle his armpit, Uchiha Ao tried to hold back his laughter. He squirmed, but didn't dare move too much in case he threw Sister Izumi off.

"Sister Izumi, stop tickling me! I'm ticklish!" he begged, almost in tears, his voice warped as he struggled to contain his laughter.

"Hmph, don't move!" Sister Izumi's voice carried an unmistakable authority, though its slightly rising pitch betrayed her excitement.

Picking on my little brother is so much fun. I think I'm getting hooked. Maybe I should tie him to the bed? Then I could tease him all I wanted, and keep those girls outside from luring him away.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Uchiha Izumi hurriedly shook her head.

No, no. He'll hate me if I do that.

At that, Uchiha Izumi stopped tickling him and settled down, holding her little brother quietly.

"Big Sis, are you... sleepy?" Uchiha Ao asked softly when Sister Izumi suddenly went quiet.

Sister Izumi hummed quietly. "Go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow." She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of her little brother's body, a sweet sense of contentment welling up inside her.

The night passed in silence.

Early the next morning, Uchiha Ao woke to the clear chirping of birds. Sister Izumi was already gone.

Maybe she went to the Ninja Academy, Uchiha Ao thought to himself.

He left his room and went to the living room, where he saw Izumi's Mother busy in the kitchen.

"Good morning, ma'am!" Uchiha Ao greeted her politely, his voice still drowsy and groggy from sleep.

Izumi's Mother turned around with a warm smile. "You're up, Ao. Go wash up, then come have breakfast."

Uchiha Ao answered and walked toward the washroom, still bleary-eyed.