Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Gotoubun no Hanayome.


Chapter 6:
Let's Study!….or not

Fifteen year old Ichika had gone through a big transformation as of late. For one thing, her hair was no longer the same as the rest of her sisters'. It made her stand out more, not that it really mattered to her all that much. Having long hair had just become bothersome for her. The others said it suited her, so that was a plus.

Anyway, her looks aside, Ichika had a big problem to face. Some wouldn't see it that way, but to her it most certainly was a problem. That's why she had to come to the park today after school.

'Why does this keep happening?'

Ichika mentally sighed. It really was bothersome to face the same situation over and over again. She wasn't trying to come off as disrespectful, but those were her honest thoughts.

'Well, it's not like they can understand.'

They didn't know her. That's why she shouldn't begrudge them for not understanding her situation.

"N-Nakano-san!"

Ichika turned to the newcomer and plastered another fake smile on her face. It was a boy from her class. He was the reason why she was here today. In simple terms, it's because he had asked her out yesterday. Today was meant for her to give him her official response, but she could have done so the moment he had confessed.

"I'm flattered, but I'm not interested."

It was a resounding no.

Ichika didn't enjoy doing this. It was the fourth guy in two months that she had to reject. She didn't understand why so many guys had taken a sudden interest in her. She didn't think she was doing anything special to draw attention to herself.

So why?

The dejected look on her classmate's face didn't help her feel any better. It never did. He probably wouldn't talk to her again. None of the other guys had. While it did hurt, Ichika knew there was nothing she could do about it.

"Looks rough."

Ichika nearly had a heart attack when Naruto suddenly appeared behind her, giving her one of his usual laid back grins.

"Y-You…..!"

"Oh, did I startle you?"

Ichika glared at him. "What do you think!?"

So that was a yes then.

Naruto laughed. Unlike Ichika with her school uniform, the blond was in casual clothes. A pair of jeans and a green long-sleeved shirt. It was one of the perks of no longer being in school.

The jerk.

"Hahaha, my bad. I thought for sure you heard me."

Yeah, right. Ichika knew he had done it on purpose. It was his trickster nature at play. But, as much as she loathed to admit it, Ichika could never get him back. He always saw her coming before she could catch him off guard.

It was the worst.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. Ichika was sure she hadn't told him about this. Or about any of the other guys who had confessed to her.

Naruto guided her to one of the nearby vending machines in the park.

"Miku told me to come. To make sure things didn't turn violent," he explained as he inserted some money into the machine.

Ichika's eyes softened a little. So Miku was watching out for her. Sure enough, the second guy she had rejected had reacted rather…..poorly after she turned him down. Thanks to the training Naruto had given her, she had managed to slip away before he had a chance to do anything. It was still something she wanted to avoid repeating.

"But man, look at you." Naruto turned to her with another grin. "Already getting asked out. So grown up."

Was that supposed to be a joke?

"You know it's not fun for me, right?"

Naruto shrugged as he handed her a drink from the vending machine.

"I wouldn't know. I've never been in your shoes before."

Ichika looked at the drink and nearly blanched.

It was a Matcha Soda. Only Miku could enjoy something like this.

'Heaven only knows why.'

It just tasted so…..weird.

"But it can't be so bad," Naruto said after some silence, taking a sip from his drink. "Being honest is better than dragging things out, right? Less pain for everyone involved."

Ichika let out a sigh. "It's not about that. I just don't know anything about romance."

It was still an alien concept for her. Sure, she didn't mind cracking the occasional joke, or even some physical teasing. But an actual relationship? Ichika couldn't fathom that.

Especially when she couldn't even understand her own feelings.

Naruto looked amused.

"I think that goes for everyone your age."

Or even those older. At the very least, Naruto didn't understand romance either. And he probably never would. Now that he was stuck here, the chances of him experiencing it were close to zero.

Ichika gained a sly smile and said, "Isn't this the part where the cool brother steps up and explains the situation to the helpless sister, hm?"

Naruto deadpanned before flicking her on the forehead, getting a yelp from her.

"W-What?" Ichika rubbed her forehead. "That hurt!"

"I know."

"H'mph, you lack tact!" Ichika stuck her tongue out. "Is that why you're still single, hm~"

"Something like that, yeah." Instead of looking annoyed by her words, Naruto turned somber. This only surprised Ichika, who felt her throat go dry. "I probably don't deserve romance."

What?

"How can you say that?" Ichika asked softly, unable to comprehend why Naruto of all people would be saying that.

"Hm, I guess 'deserve' wasn't the right word." Naruto took a second to reconsider. "I guess it's more like…..I probably won't ever be able to find it."

Ichika still didn't understand. "What's that supposed to mean? Romance can happen for everyone, you know!"

Even someone like her could understand that. Because…..as foreign as romance was to her, she did know what it was like to experience those feelings. She just had no idea what to do with them, or how people got the bravery to express them.

"Circumstances are different for everyone."

"What kind of circumstances could make someone say that?"

Naruto couldn't answer that. "It's not important, alright? Besides, this is about you. Not me."

Ichika wasn't satisfied with that. "You're still keeping stuff from us, aren't you?"

But of course he was. Ichika still vividly remembered that day at the hospital, where Naruto and her mother had gotten into some kind of argument. She had made the others come with her, because she was curious about what was happening with this mysterious person. In the end, they hadn't been able to hear much of anything. Only seen what came of it, and that was a mentally broken Naruto.

'What is he hiding?'

That's all Ichika could ask herself.

"Anyway, I'm just glad you didn't need my help." Naruto put on another smile and ruffled her hair. "And if you do decide to date someone, make sure you tell us. We gotta make sure he's got our approval, alright?"

Especially from Nino. If someone wanted to date one of her precious sisters, then Nino would make sure they were qualified. She could be brutal like that.

It was meant to be a quick joke, but Ichika didn't laugh. Instead, she swallowed her fear to open up a little.

"Y-You shouldn't think like that. B-Because…."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you still on that? There's no reason for you to worry."

It was his problem. Not hers.

This just made Ichika angry. He was always worried about them, but they couldn't do the same for him? What kind of nonsense was that? She didn't like it, nor could she just stand idly either.

"Just listen to me, idiot."

Her earlier hesitation was gone, and it made Naruto look at her with surprise.

Not waiting for a response, Ichika stepped closer to him and poked the blond on the chest to emphasize her point.

"I don't know what kind of troubles you've been in, or even what's troubling you now." Mostly because he refused to talk about himself, but that was beside the point right now. "But there is no such thing as someone who can't find love. Even for you, I'm sure there is someone out there for you. Y-You just have to wait to find her."

Ichika started to lose her nerve by the end, but she fought through it. She was sure she was blushing too, but that didn't matter. She was fired up, and she wasn't about to let Naruto feel down about himself. She couldn't be direct, but she would still try to get her point across with what little she could say.

Naruto was still surprised. He never expected Ichika to be like this on the subject. Nino, sure. But Ichika?

'She's growing up, after all.'

Funny. He was getting advice from a girl younger than him. He was pathetic, huh?

"Ahahaha, you're pretty amazing, huh?"

"H-Huh?" Ichika didn't know what to say, and only blushed further at the sudden compliment. "W-What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to make fun of me? This big sister won't allow it!"

Naruto almost snorted. First, he was the reliable brother, and now she was treating him like the brother that needed to be looked after.

Make up your mind, Ichika.

Ichika puffed out her cheeks. "You just thought something bad about me, didn't you?"

Pfft, of course not.

"I should flick your forehead this time, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, if you can."

"You're so mean. You need to work better on your manners. Treating a lady like this…..."

"A lady? I don't see one. Do you?"

"Aaaahh, you make me so frustrated!"

"Then I guess I'm doing my job, huh."

Not as just some kind of protective bodyguard, but also as a brother.

The pair stood around arguing about silly stuff for a few more minutes before they decided to go and get something to eat. It wasn't very fun at first, but Ichika ended up enjoying herself that day.


'That day…..'

Ichika had no idea why she was suddenly remembering that day, especially now when she was about to start her audition for a new role that had been recommended to her.

But isn't that how it always was? When she was in a bind, recalling fun moments like that day always put her at ease. It calmed her nerves, to know that she had someone like Naruto to rely on. It was embarrassing, but she couldn't help it.

'But…..things aren't that simple anymore.'

Perhaps that was her one regret. The bond between her and the others had always been strong, but ever since their mother's death cracks had started to form. Now, those cracks were finally starting to show themselves. Thankfully Ichika and Nino had been able to come to an understanding, mostly because of Nino's actions. But it had happened, and their relationship remained intact.

Now, it was Nino and Itsuki who were at odds. Unlike last time, Ichika didn't have Nino to fall back on. She wasn't the solution to the problem.

'But here I am, working instead of being there for them…..'

It was another crossroad for her. Ichika didn't know if she was making a mistake, or if focusing on her career was the right thing to do at this point in her life. She only knew that her heart had led her here.

'For better or for worse.'

Besides, they had Naruto. There was no way he was going to leave the situation as it was. Ichika was certain of that.

"Nakano Ichika, you're up next!"

Ichika looked up and smiled. But was it fake? She didn't know. She just knew that she was taking her first steps toward her future.

So maybe it wasn't fake, after all.


"Ahahaha, you're not messing with me, right? This isn't some kind of prank that you're all in, right? Because I'll be okay with it if you say it is. Yep, yep! We can all laugh about it together. Do you see this face? This face is ready to laugh when you are!"

"Uwah, I think Uesugi-san is broken…."

"Your face probably isn't helping him cope, Yotsuba."

"Say what!? How can you say that, Naruto-sensei! Making fun of someone's face is rude!"

"It wasn't a joke."

"That makes it worse!"

Fuutarou wasn't as laid back as Naruto and Yotsuba were about the situation.

"Will you two focus!?"

The three of them were now in the quintuplet's apartment. After clearing up the misunderstanding outside, Fuutarou had tried to make amends with Itsuki while also stopping himself from going off on Naruto.

Stupid blond brute. Fuutarou was lucky his arm wasn't permanently broken. The hospital bill would kill him!

Ultimately, his big important mission had ended in failure. Like, complete failure. Itsuki hadn't bothered to listen to a word he was saying and barricaded herself in her room. Miku had followed suit, declaring that she had no interest in studying.

Which led to the present, where Naruto, Yotsuba, and Fuutarou stood around in the living room with no idea of what to do next.

"It's not all bad." Naruto tried to be positive about the situation. "You got Yotsuba right here! She's willing to start learning."

Said girl sprung into a mock salute. "Aye, aye!"

That did settle Fuutarou's mood…..if only a little. He still needed more information, though.

"Alright, run this by me again. You're all quintuplets, and I'm supposed to tutor all five of you?"

"That's the gist of it, yeah." Naruto went to the fridge for something to drink. "Didn't their father tell you about this?"

"It wasn't in the job description."

Either that, or his cute little sister had failed to mention it. But….no, no. There was no way he was going to doubt his precious sister. She was too pure for something like that.

"Hm."

Had the man done this on purpose? Naruto wouldn't put it past him. But why?

"And anyway, there are only three here!" Fuutarou crossed his arms. "Where are the remaining two?"

"Ah…." Yotsuba poked her fingers together. "W-Well, it's better to think that Nino won't be joining us today."

Naruto nearly tripped at this, which Fuutarou ignored.

"And the other?"

Yotsuba started to chuckle, but it was forced. "I-I have no idea where Ichika is….."

She didn't know where Nino was either.

Naruto almost tripped again.

Fuutarou looked like he had just been run over. That's how painful the situation felt anyway.

"S-So two of your sisters are missing, and the other two don't want anything to do with me. Did I get that right?"

Yotsuba slowly nodded.

Fuutarou was ready to collapse and curse whatever deity was out there. "It's only my first day! Why is all of this happening!?"

He needed that money dammit! Finding another job that paid this well was sure to be impossible!

"L-Let's stay positive here," Naruto said as he joined them with a glass of orange juice in hand. He looked a bit nervous about something, which only made Fuutarou suspicious. "We just have to get Itsuki and Miku to agree to come out of their rooms. We can deal with Nino and Ichika later."

"Ah, that's right!" Yotsuba perked up. "We have Naruto-sensei with us. They'll make sure to listen to him!"

Naruto wasn't sure about that. Itsuki wasn't acting like herself. Ideally, dealing with Miku would be easier. She was just being stubborn about the situation, doubting herself like Ichika always did. It might take some time, but Naruto was confident that she would see that studying and passing wasn't a forgone conclusion for her.

Fuutarou just needed to prove himself as a competent tutor.

'The problem here is Itsuki…..'

They needed to deal with her first.

Naruto came to a decision. "Let's split up. Yotsuba, take Fuutarou to Miku's room. Try to coax her out however you can. I'll handle Itsuki."

Fuutarou didn't see a problem with that. The blond seemed to be closer to the sisters. If he was trying to help, Fuutarou would take it.

He was still pissed about earlier, though.

"I'm on it!" Yotsuba didn't waste anytime dragging Fuutarou upstairs with her. "Miku is actually the smartest one, so I'm sure you'll get along with her just fine!"

She said that, but Fuutarou wasn't optimistic about the situation.

Naruto watched them go before turning his focus to Itsuki's door. It was the first one on the second floor.

'How am I going to tackle this?'

He needed a better outcome than what happened with Nino, that's for sure.

Naruto recalled his earlier conversation with Ichika.


"What's going on, Ichika? Why did you call me out here?"

Naruto didn't mean to sound as impatient as he did, but there was too much stuff going on inside his head for him to notice.

Ichika didn't seem to mind, sporting a resigned smile.

"Not even a hello? Or a 'wow, you look really cute'? You're totally making this big sister sad, Naruto-kun."

Just like with Nino earlier, Naruto was treated to Ichika in her new school uniform. And like with Nino, Naruto admitted that the girl looked good. If it were any other time, the blond's gaze might have even lingered for a few more moments.

This wasn't one of those times.

"Did you need something? Shouldn't you be getting ready for you new tutor today?"

They weren't walking in the direction of her apartment, which made Naruto confused.

"Not even a budge, huh?" Ichika hid her disappointment. "Is something troubling you? You're not usually this short-tempered."

Naruto didn't think he was angry. Just…..confused. Not just with Ichika.

"Something unfortunate happened this morning, and I'm trying to see if I can fix it."

"Oh really?" Ichika hummed. "That's funny, because I was going to ask you to do something along those same lines."

Naruto eyed her. "Does it have to do with Nino?"

Ichika didn't bother to hide her surprise. "How did you know?"

"She came to my apartment this morning, angry about something."

She had also tried to come on to him, which resulted in him denying her advances. But he wasn't going to share that with Ichika.

"I should have known." Ichika sighed. "She was bound to come to your place first. I'm guessing she's not there anymore?"

"No." She wasn't answering any of his calls either.

"So she's really being an idiot about this." Ichika shook her head. "No, maybe we're the idiots….."

Naruto stopped walking, which made Ichika stop as well.

"What happened?"

He guessed it involved Itsuki, but beyond that he didn't have a clue.

Ichika was more than happy to fill him in, and after she did Naruto was left feeling guilty.

'So it's because of me.'

He should have guessed something like this would happen. Out of the five, Itsuki had been the most attached to their mother. After her death, it was Itsuki who had been affected the most. Naruto had done everything he could to make sure her pain didn't escalate further. He didn't know if he had succeeded in that or not.

Ichika could guess what he was thinking. "Are you blaming yourself for this?"

"Yes. Because it's my fault."

"It's not."

"How can you say that?"

"Because." Ichika blushed. "We're the ones who decided this. Not you. Itsuki has to realize that."

Naruto felt second-hand embarrassment but brushed it aside. "So what? Are you with Nino on this?"

"I confessed, didn't I?"

Naruto had no proper response to that.

"But I can understand where Itsuki is coming from as well," Ichika admitted. She wasn't like Nino. She had been thriving on the status-quo for a long time now. It was only because Nino had decided to kickstart this whole thing that the situation had developed for her.

Itsuki was probably thinking the same thing. She didn't want things to change, and if Naruto accepted either her or Nino, things were definitely going to change. There was no denying that.

Change was scary. It brought uncertainty, which was a feeling no one wanted to experience. Itsuki was trying to avoid that.

But at the same time, Ichika was making strives in order to fix that. To not let the fear overwhelm her. Itsuki needed to learn that as well.

"It sounds like making everyone happy is almost impossible," Naruto said, sighing after thinking about the situation again.

Ichika smiled. "Almost. If anyone can fix it, I'm sure you can."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but….."

"I'm just speaking from the heart. I've been told it goes a long way to helping a situation."

"Ichika….." For a moment, Naruto was left feeling stunned. It was almost like the girl was shining, something that had been missing before. He didn't know if something else had happened to her, but in that moment Naruto couldn't help but think she was stunning.

"Well, I may also just be selfish by leaving this to you," Ichika said, smiling at her own words. "But I genuinely think there are only things you can do, which are impossible for me to replicate."

What she could do for Itsuki and Nino…..

'Nothing.'

There was nothing she could do. Because she was certain she was also being selfish when it came to following her desires, which would only put her at odds with Itsuki and even Nino.

"Well, I'll be looking for positive results when I come back~"

Come back?

"Wait, where are you-"

"I have an audition to get to!" Ichika winked at him before taking off down the street. "Tell our tutor I'm sorry for not coming in today!"

Or ever.

"Ah-!"

Naruto wanted to tell her to come back, but he stopped himself. Why? Well, because of what he said earlier. About being happy with her newfound dedication. If he stopped her, wouldn't that make him a hypocrite?

'Ugh, to hell with it. I should focus on Nino and Itsuki first. I can find a compromise with Ichika later.'

Yes, that was a good plan.

Wasn't it?


Naruto still didn't know if he was making the right choice, but whatever. One problem at a time. First, he needed to get Itsuki to calm down. After that, he would have to find Nino. He had been hoping the girl would show up by now, but clearly she had different plans.

He placed the orange juice on the table before making his way up the stairs to Itsuki's room. He was only able to knock on the door once before the door opened and he was pulled in before he had a chance to say anything.

Fuutarou and Yotsuba were left standing out in the hall wondering what they had just witnessed.

"S-Such power," Yotsuba said with a look of awe.

Fuutarou could only shake his head. He was happy Yotsuba was cooperating with him, but why did she have to be such an airhead?


"Kneel, right there."

Of all things Naruto expected Itsuki to say, this was not it. He still complied, if only to get her more warmed up for their conversation.

Itsuki stood before him, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. She was in her casual wear. Or what she considered casual anyway.

"I didn't think you were going to show up today."

"Why wouldn't I?" Naruto frowned. "I promised your dad that I would make sure everything went well."

A promise that he was failing to keep, but let's not focus on that.

"First of all, we don't need that tutor!" There was a strong distaste in her voice that it caught Naruto off guard. "He's the same age as us! Isn't there anyone that's more qualified?"

"He's the best in his school," Naruto said in return. "And this only came about because nothing else was working."

It was unorthodox, but if it worked there was no reason to complain. Naruto wasn't going to let Fuutarou not have a shot here. He deserved that much at least.

"Why are you so against him anyway?" Naruto had to ask. "Do you know him?"

Itsuki huffed. "It doesn't matter. We don't need him. End of story."

'God, she sounds just like Nino…..'

It was frightening, how similar these sisters could be sometimes. If Naruto wasn't so used to it, he might have questioned if he was talking to Itsuki or Nino right now.

"You don't know that. How can you say that without giving him a chance?"

"Because…..!"

Because she was being stubborn? Because her pride was on the line? After being insulted, Itsuki didn't want to be helped. She didn't want to appear like more of a dunce than she already had. She knew she was probably coming off as unreasonable, but her annoyance wouldn't let her come clean.

Naruto suspected something like that. "Are you going to come outside and accept his help? Please? It's not going to kill you."

If anything, it might even benefit her! Totally a win-win situation.

Itsuki was silent before turning away from him. "Is that all you have to say?"

It wasn't.

"I don't think we should talk about that right now-"

Trying to get her to cooperate was his only objective here.

"No, we should. I need to know." Itsuki lowered her heard. "They both confessed to you, but you haven't given them an answer. Is it because you don't feel the same way? What's your plan?"

She wasn't holding back, huh. She was cutting straight to the heart of the matter. And without answering her, she probably wouldn't come out.

So be it.

"I don't know, okay?" Naruto finally said it. There it was, the big truth. "I don't know. I don't know what to feel. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. I don't even know how to act around them. This wasn't how it was supposed to go."

Romance. Naruto had already been sure it would never happen to him. He was from a different dimension for god's sake. His background was completely different from anyone here. No one could possibly understand, or even come to accept him if they learned the truth. That's why he was sure any relationship would ultimately fail, so trying to get in one was pointless.

But Nino and Ichika. They both claimed otherwise, that they could accept him no matter what.

And it gave Naruto hope. Was it real, though? Or just a fake hope that he was trying to convince himself of? If he did open himself up…..would it really allow him to connect to someone else? To finally be honest after so many years?

Naruto was afraid. He didn't want to scare either of them away, which could very well happened if he accepted their feelings.

That hope still remained, though. Which is why he was stuck. Those two sides were clashing, and it left him like this. He didn't know what to do.

Hayato's words came back to him, about how the heart could be irrational. Naruto was seeing how true that was. Even though he knew that he shouldn't risk it, that keeping the status quo was definitely for the best, he still hesitated.

Naruto hated this.

"You know that's not going to cut it, right? You have to do something." Itsuki clenched her fists. "If you're this unsure, then rejecting them is the answer."

Naruto stared at her, his face unsettled. "That….."

"Just think about it. If you t-truly felt the same way they did, then there would be no hesitation. I-It should be obvious. Instead of giving them hope, you should be honest about it. A-And reject them."

Those were the harshest words Itsuki had ever said in her entire life. It wasn't just from the words themselves, but the sentiment behind them.

Itsuki was betraying her sisters. She knew she was doing it, but she didn't stop herself from saying those words anyway. She still believed this was the right thing to do. It had to be. Having Naruto love one of them more than the others…...it would only lead to sadness. She was sure of it. This had to be the right answer, the one where everyone remained happy like they had been so far.

"Then why did you stutter?"

Itsuki ignored the question.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but the words never came out. He was drawing a blank.

How could he respond to that?

Itsuki only turned to look at him again when she heard him stand up.

"Naruto-"

"I need to go."

Almost like he was running away, Naruto marched out of the girl's room. But he needed to think. Alone.

Regret started to fill Itsuki's heart. Where certainty had once been her foundation, now doubt started to take its place. One look at Naruto's face spelled it out for her.

'What did I…..'

What did she just do?

It took some effort from Itsuki's part to run after him, but by the time she got to the hallway outside, Naruto was already out the door.

"Naruto-sensei!" Yotsuba and Fuutarou were out in the hall too, having just barely caught Naruto's retreating form.

It was then that Itsuki found herself on a receiving glare from Yotsuba.

From Yotsuba.

"What did you do!?"

"I….." Itsuki could say nothing, too stunned by Yotsuba's glare to form a coherent response.

Even Fuutarou looked surprised. From what he had seen of the girl, she was all sunshines and rainbows. So this was really surprising.

Yotsuba's glare lasted only for a second longer before she took off running down the stairs and then for the door. It was only for a split second, but Itsuki was certain that she saw Yotsuba crying.

What had she done?

Fuutarou looked at her, unsure of what to say. But as it turned out, he didn't need to say anything as Itsuki retreated back into her room without a word. Her face was in shock, mostly as a result of her own actions.

It was Miku who stepped out after, her face blank.

Fuutarou glanced at her. "So you came out."

She had turned him away earlier, rather harshly too, but now she came out of her own free will.

Fickle girl.

"You can't help us," Miku said bluntly. "You just saw the mess we're in. Do you truly think that you can get involved in that?"

He wasn't supposed to. He was just a tutor. His job didn't require him getting personally involved with them or their problems. Unfortunately, Fuutarou realized that it wasn't going to be that simple. If he wanted to get paid, then he probably needed to do something about all of this.

T'ch, dammit. It was only his first day, and he wanted to tear his hair out. He was already at failure's door, and he hadn't even begun tutoring anyone yet.

In face of all this, Fuutarou had only one question.

What the hell was he going to do?


Things started out so well, but now everyone is divided. And poor Fuutarou is stuck in the middle. Will he step up? Run away? Why bother asking when the answer is obvious?

Or is it?

So many easy questions.

Anyway, that's all from me.

Till next time.