Target 9: Salt


Since Squalo barely bothered with Tsuna's school life beyond his obligation to teach him school subjects (as part being a home tutor) or, as Squalo had decided to do, make Tsuna study on his own, he would usually find himself with a lot of free time on school days. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it already, having practically nothing to do in the Varia's Headquarters beyond dull leader work in Xanxus's stead, but he would still find himself bored before the peaceful daily life in the Sawada residence without the trash he had to tolerate. In other words, Squalo, when not having to deal with Tsuna, had to distract himself by other means.

"Voi, this is it, right?!" With two leeks and a lettuce in hand, Squalo walked over to Nana at a pace considered monstrous by others, but normal by him. If anything, he had actually noticed everyone's disturbed stares directed at him but he didn't care, and Nana surely hadn't noticed that either. "What's next on the list?!"

Nana smiled cheerfully and took the vegetables from him, putting them in the shopping cart behind her. "Well, let's see..." Afterwards, she rummaged through her purse with a thoughtful expression, only to take a small sheet of paper out of it. "Now that you've brought those, we need..." She read through the list on it carefully and glanced behind her many times to check if anything was missing while doing so, not having any pen to scratch out what she already had in her possession. "Salt! That's the only thing left!"

"Salt, huh? I'm pretty damn sure I saw that at the back of this place," Squalo said, "I'll go get that!" Squalo stomped off to find salt, still with an intimidating aze and stance that made no one in the supermarket dare to even be close to any of the sections he'd move toward. In many ways, shopping for groceries with Nana was something of mutual benefit to both of them: while Nana could get that done faster, Squalo would also get his meals faster...

... Or so went the excuse he would use if anyone were to ask, as he wanted to preserve his pride. Instead, Squalo just happened to be an assassin with too much free time.


Author's Notes:


Since the last chapter, this story got 5 favorites and 4 followers, thanks a lot! This remains one of my favorite chapters in the story just because the dynamic between Nana Sawada and Squalo Superbi is the kind of thing that shouldn't be happening, but it does because of this premise and actually works. It works! Nothing happens with Tsuna here, but chapters of platonic Squalo and Nana times are a joy to write, so I have no regrets.