Age 11/Year 11 [Part Two]

Saeko was almost two years old already. It felt like almost yesterday that she was crawling around on all fours. One thing that was plain to see was that she adored Itachi. Nowadays, I could see her waddling about, calling out "Tachi! Tachi!" whenever my brother was around.

If Itachi was in the house, you could bet she'd be on his tail. A part of me was happy, mostly because younger siblings were... well, not my thing, really. Babies were ugly and took up a lot of effort to look after.

And, honestly, I might have been dreading the fabled "little sister" archetype. Thankfully, once again, the world reminded me that this wasn't some story. Aside from my mother and father, Itachi was the one who took care of her, so she grew attached. Though, it's not like I don't love her or anything. She's my little sister and I'd gladly spend time with her.

...

It's just that I'm usually busy training or focusing on other things. Today was one of those days where I had nothing to do.

"Hey Saeko, how're you doing?" the youngest member of my family turns, jet black eyes rising to meet my own.

"Asque!" I winced at that. She had made small nicknames for everyone and mines was the worst for obvious reasons. Tachi just had a much better ring to it than that.

"Want to go play in the yard?" Her face lit up and she wobbled over, clinging onto my leg like a tick. My little sister was incredibly perceptive and could usually figure out what I was saying pretty easily. There were still a few times she looked super confused, but as they say, kids grow up fast.

Gently lifting her up, I headed for the pond in the back. It was a place I loved to sit down and relax in. Maybe I could watch the fish with her? Though, there were also a few other options.

Hmm.

========

"Oh? It's been a while, partner." Jubei scurries up from where I summoned him. He looks around, taking in our backyard. It's the biggest around, mostly because of my father's position. The adorable little cat summon had grown much since the time we first met. Still, he was pretty short, but the blades on his back promised pain to his enemies.

"Need me to train again?" He asked, eyes swiftly dropping toward the pound. Fish of varying sizes swim within.

Jubei's presence was rare, but the two of us met up at least a few times a month. Life kept me busy, but the small cat-ninja was my summoned partner. The head of the feline contract wouldn't have it any other way.

"Actually, I was wondering if you were up to help me keep my sister entertained?" Saeko struggled in my grip, and as I put her down, she wobbled closer to my partner.

With cute babbles and coo's Saeko latched on to Jubei's fur. The summon blew a sigh and allowed the small girl to crawl into his back.

"I expect many fish sandwiches for this." He was a grumpy cat, yet he stood firm.

"Fast!" Saeko yelled between giggles. "Fast!"

Jubei grumbled and began walking, giving my sister a furry piggyback ride. Honestly speaking, it did look a bit fun and the bright smile on her face had my lips rising.

"How much longer do I have to keep this up?" Jubei groans, tail trying to worm its way out of Saeko's grip. I winced and walk closer, pulling her from his back.

"Saeko, that's wrong." Jubei lets out a relieved sigh and begins padding the unruly mess that is now his tail. "You hurt our friend, so apologize,"

"Fast?" She looks up at me confusion fluttering across her face.

"No. Not fast," I say, keeping my voice neutral. "It's not funny or nice to hurt friends."

She reaches out for Jubei's tail and I pull her away. Of course, that isn't exactly what she wants. Saeko starts to sniffle and that soon turns into a low whine.

"This is why I don't like your kind's children," Jubei huffs, arms crossing as he stares at my sister.

I really don't have a counter to that. Saeko's incredibly spoiled. It doesn't help that my mother and Itachi give her just about everything she wants. Of course, it's not exactly as easy as telling her no. If Seako has one strength, it's the ability to make people feel really bad when she cries. For example, right now she's trying her best to get me to let her hop back on Jubei.

"No." But I won't. There are some things you're not willing to do, and letting her hurt my friend is one of them.

As if sensing my iron-will determination, her sniffling fades. Instead, Saeko looks at me with an amusing pout. She's smart, especially for a young child. Still, her adorable childishness never fails to bring a smile to my face.

-----------

After what feels like an hour, it becomes obvious that fish can only entertain a little girl for so long. Jubei also seemed to have eaten one... or two. He wasn't very open with the fact, probably because he thought these were my family's fish.

They technically were, but it's not like I paid for them. In fact, I'm sure Itachi fished out one or two from a nearby lake. If anyone would be upset, it'd be him. Which makes it a rather good idea to leave as soon as possible. I nab Saeko and start quickly walking away. She squirms in my arms and Jubai, sensing my worries, hurries after me.

"Something wrong?" The young cat asks, head snapping around periodically.

I do the same, making sure an annoyed Itachi isn't following me. There's no way he would, considering he should be out right now.

"My brother likes feeding the fish," and that's all Jubei needs to know. His face goes pale and his fur curls up.

I'm pretty sure he named some of the fish. I completely forgot about that.

"Did you eat the one with the red and blue fins?" That's his favourite. I don't think he really cared much about the others.

Jubei blows a sigh and shakes his head in relief.

"No," he says with a gulp. "It was a big goldfish."

...

Ok. I don't remember that one. Was that a new fish?

Whatever the case, a chilling realization strikes me. The small child in my hand had stopped squirming and as I turn, I see her staring at the both of us very intensely. Her eyes sparkle with the mischievous glint of someone that won't forget.

"Saeko... you're not going to tattle on your big brother, right?"

She lets out a cute giggle and turns to my right.

"Tachi!"

My heart nearly explodes, but no, Itachi isn't there. She turns back to me, a sly grin on her face.

...

My little sister is a damn manipulative little monster!

"Come on, Saeko, I'm your big brother!"

She hums and looks away.

"Tachi!"

...

I see how it is. She wants me to bribe her.

"How about my back?!" Jubei suddenly speaks up, a small hint of panic in his voice.

"Partner, I know your brother," he says with a deep breath. "I don't want to be on his bad side."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh.

My little sister is many things, but a scheming blackmailer wasn't something I expected. Though, to be fair, she's just a kid. Children are perhaps the most remorseless of all creatures. Jokes aside, she's got me in a little bind now, hasn't she?

...

Then again, Saeko's just a child. What would a decent brother do?

I take a breath and hoist the girl onto my shoulder.

"Want to try out swimming?" Her eyes sparkle with excitement. She's been eying our home's pond for several weeks now. Our mother even caught her trying to leap inside in some suicidal attempt at swimming. How the hell she got there when living in a house of paranoid ninja is beyond me. Though, honestly speaking, she probably just snuck out of her bed when mom was dealing with a visitor.

Since then, Saeko's been prohibited from swimming. It's a bit strict in the way that she's not even allowed near a body of water, but I can see why that is. Our mother is a worrywart and would likely skin my hide if anything happened to her.

"Wim?!" Saeko exclaimed, practically vibrating in my grasp.

I blew out a sigh and nodded.

"Yeah," I answered, eyes darting left and right. There was no one here- no mother or father that would leap out and punish me.

"I hope you're not expecting me to swim as well," Jubei said. He strolled by my side, furry arms crossed. As Saeko reached out for one of his ears, he stepped away.

"The grabby one is too grabby," he huffed, eyes narrowing. My little sister answered his disapproval with a frown. Once more, her eyes started to moisten. And once more, I refused her.

"It's not nice to hurt friends, Saeko," I said, turning her to face me. Held up just in front of my face, I could see her frown twist into a pout. If she didn't become a ninja, which I hoped she didn't, she'd make a great diplomat.

Honestly speaking, I didn't want to be a ninja either. Know the skills and techniques? Sure, that was amazing. But being held down by a village, anchored to their rule, and forced to murder as a basic part of the job just didn't suit me. Sadly, any and all ninja that deserted would be hunted down and killed. No exceptions. Those that lived were either incredibly powerful, stealthy, and smooth.

Whatever the case, my little journey with Saeko eventually leads us to a familiar building. At first, I was considering taking her to one of Konoha's many lakes, but that was a bit stupid. If something happened to her, I'd be incredibly far from help. Even with my new techniques, I was still pretty slow. Instead, I chose a much closer, and more importantly, safer spot.

"Hmm, have we met before, kid?" The friendly man asks. I smile and shake my head.

"No, sir," I lie, eyes turning towards the change rooms. Konoha's hot springs, home to people of all kinds. The memory of my last visit here is still fresh in my mind. It was close, but somehow, I managed to pull through.

The man's eyes fell to Jubei in his "normal cat" form.

"I'm sorry, but we don't allow pets," he said, giving us a small smile.

I stared at my partner. He stared at me.

"He's not a pet- he's a ninja trying to lay low."

The man looks at me, doubt practically seeping from his pores. Thankfully, Jubei transforms, taking on the appearance of a young boy.

"It's my day off," he says with a grumble. "I'd rather not be seen, if you get my drift."

Smooth, Jubei. Smooth.

With that, there's no hold-up and the three of us enter the hot spring. This time, I go to the appropriate side. The water is warm. The sun is refreshing. But, most of all, Saeko is in no danger.

"Wim!" She splashes about, standing in waist-high waters, at least for her. It's not exactly a swimming pool, but its enough for her.

Though, there's another matter on my mind.

"Since when could you transform?" I ask Jubei, eyes hovering around his face. The cat summon raises a brow and shrugs.

"You already knew I could transform," he said. "Why are you surprised?"

"I thought you could only turn into a normal cat!"

He rolled his eyes, stretching his body out as a cat would.

"Ok, fair point," my friend replies with a yawn. "It's something I picked up recently, but still, you never asked~"

I blow a sigh and shake my head. Even though he's not a normal cat, he sure acts like those lazy felines.

And so, I lean back, relax, and make sure Saeko doesn't do anything crazy. When she starts getting dizzy, I call it a day and nab her. She struggles and squirms, but by the time I've dried her off and put her in clothing, she's already asleep.

Like a little angel.

But, just like angels, devils existed.

My mother was, for a lack of a better word, pissed.

"You should have let me know." Her rage wasn't scalding, but frigid. Calm and sharp, like a knife. Thankfully, I had a secret weapon.

Saeko stirred in my hands, and with quick reflexes, I put the young child in Mikoto's hands.

"Moma?" Saeko yawned, a small smile on her lip. Reaching forward, my little sister planted a soft kiss on our mother's cheek.

Her spike of anger dimed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. With soft eyes, she returned the kiss and started whispering into Saeko's ear.

"I'll talk to you later, mister," Mikoto huffed, attention drawn away by my sister. "But for now, you can go to your room."

I hoped she forgot about this. But... our mother never forgets.

Slinking away, I gave Jubei one final glance. The tricky cat had turned into an actual cat and hid in the other room.

Well, there was still a bit of time left.

Maybe I could prepare some tuna sandwiches?

Those always tasted good...