Aiii... thank you thank you for all your reviews. Here is the third installment. Please let me know how you feel about it. >

What I Wish For

"Ohayo."

The three Juyuushi's seated at the dining table looked up to the newcomer.

Kosuke smiled. "Ohayo, Sasuke." She stood up to get the boy's breakfast. "You look much better today. Have a seat."

Sasuke took his seat at the table. Across the table, Jinpachi grinned mischievously. "Ohayo, Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke bristled at the term of endearment but didn't say anything. Kosuke put a breakfast bowl and a pair of chopsticks in front of him and Sasuke started to eat.

Jinpachi grinned even wider. "You do look so much better this morning. Looks like you had some really good sleep last night, eh? Sasuke, you lucky dog!"

The boy's golden eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kamanosuke chuckled and decided to join in. "Sasuke, there's no need to be shy with us. Pray tell, you must have had such fun that you woke up so late today, ne?"

Sasuke's cheeks colored but he tried to ignore the teasing. Contrary to his promise, Yukimura had not left Sasuke's room before sunrise. In fact, he is still in Sasuke's room right now, sleeping like a dead log.

To make things worse, Sasuke himself had woken up late. He really didn't feel like getting up .. it was so comfortable with Yukimura-sama beside him. Sasuke blushed even deeper at the thought.

Kosuke chided. "Stop it, you two. You're spoiling our breakfast."

Jinpachi persisted. It's not always that you get to see Sasuke embarrassed. "Aw, look, Sasuke-chan is already blushing. Doesn't he look so CUTE??"

"Shut. Up. Jinpachi." Sasuke's voice was so deadly and dangerous that the two male Juyuushi's burst out laughing, slapping each other on the back.

Kosuke rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to them, Sasuke." She stood behind the silver-haired boy and poured some tea. Sasuke nodded his thanks and started to sip the steaming drink.

"Sasuke-chan is drinking tea .. so KAWAAI!!" Kamanosuke said in a phony feminine voice and the duo erupted into laughter again.

Sasuke's glowered. It was bad enough that he woke up late today, and on the wrong side of the bed, worse still because it was due to the fact that on the right side of his bed was no other than Yukimura-sama. But the worst part was of course, that that was just the reason why the two was laughing at him; because they knew about it.

The sight of two ninjas laughing hysterically was really annoying, and it made his mood worsen. Still sipping his drink, the boy scowled at them from behind his tea cup. "Baka!"

"Don't call your elders by such names, Sasuke."

Jinpachi and Kamanosuke stopped laughing and everybody looked up at the voice. Leaning by the dining room's doorway was another Sanada's Juyuushi. Arms folded, he looked down at Sasuke in disdain.

Sasuke casted his eyes down. Slowly, he placed his cup down in front of him. All eyes were on Sasuke. This has happened so often, everybody knew what was coming next.

"I would expect that you know much better manners than that."

Jinpachi leaned back, already half-regretting having teased Sasuke without checking around first. The Juyuushi at the doorway was always reprimanding Sasuke excessively over petty matters. It looks like there was no exception for this morning.

Kosuke frowned and put her hands on the shoulders of the boy in front of her. "Sasuke didn't mean anything by that, Saizo." She tried to explain. "It was these two who started it."

"Don't start, Kosuke. You defend him all the time. It will definitely spoil the boy."

Kosuke started to reply but felt someone tugging at her sleeves. She looked down and saw Sasuke shaking his head, once.

No, Kosuke.

Apparently, Saizo didn't see the boy's movement. He continued, the chill evident in his voice. "I don't know how it is at where you came from, but in here, we do not tolerate rudeness towards the elders."

Kosuke gritted her teeth. Jinpachi and Kamanosuke exchanged glances. Mentioning Sasuke's origin was really going overboard. After all, it's been more than 2 years.

But the boy kept his gaze down in front of him. To everyone's surprise, he then said softly. "Gomenasai."

Saizo stared at the boy for a moment. Then, ignoring the apology, he simply turned on his heels and started to leave. Everybody else stared back at Saizo in disbelief.

Sasuke had actually apologized, (and Kami-sama knows how rare that is) and Saizo's ignoring it?!

Jinpachi raised his eyebrows. Suddenly he remembered something. Grinning, he called out. "Hey Saizo, you're looking for Yukimura-sama, right?"

Alarmed, Sasuke looked up and shook his head at Jinpachi. Jinpachi simply winked at the rather anxious boy.

Saizo paused and looked back into the room. "Have you seen him?"

Jinpachi managed a serious, business-like face. "Oh, I saw him sleeping in Sasuke's room just now."

It was only for a fraction of a second, but the pained look on Saizo's face was unmistakable. He recovered quickly and replied in an even voice. "Very well."

When Saizo was out of sight, Jinpachi and Kamanosuke snickered.

"Serves him right. Good one, Jinpachi."

"Heh, thank you." Jinpachi then leaned forward, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hey Sasuke, sorry, ne? Didn't realize the tight wad was here."

Sasuke shrugged. "Doesn't matter." He stared at his bowl for a moment. Then pushing his food away, he stood up and announced. "I'm full."

"Sasuke, you've only just started eating." Kosuke protested.

"I'm fine." Sasuke tried to smile but only managed to offer a half-grin, which felt stupid. He gave up and left the room.

Kosuke sighed and took her seat back at the table. "So much for breakfast."

"Sorry, Kosuke. It's all our fault." Jinpachi said grimly.

"No, it's not you two, it's that idiot Saizo. It's really not fair for Sasuke, he is only just eight years old."

Kamanosuke scratched his head. "I don't get it. He treated Sasuke okay whenever the boy is ill, but when Sasuke's fine, he's back to being a pain."

"Don't you know? That's because Sasuke usually gets sick when Yukimura-sama is not around." Jinpachi said. "He thinks that if anything happened to Sasuke, Yukimura-sama would hold him responsible for it."

"Nani?!" Kosuke exclaimed, certainly displeased with the idea. "Who does he think he is? The one and only Sanada Juyuushi??"

Jinpachi shrugged. "You know how Saizo is. He wants to take responsibility for anything and everything."

"Not fair. That's like the rest of us Juyuushi's don't exist." Kamanosuke said flatly.

Jinpachi snickered. "Oh, he sure wish that the rest of us don't exist. Then he can have Yukimura-sama all to himself."

"Jinpachi, that was uncalled for." But Kosuke was smiling. She stood up and started clearing the table. "Don't you have other things to do?"

Jinpachi got up. "Well, I better go check up on Sasuke first. If I'm not wrong, I think he's starting on his chores right now."

"Chores?!" Kosuke was horrified. "He only got well this very morning! Jinpachi, find him and tell him to go back to bed."

"With Yukimura-sama in his room? Fat chance."

"Well, tell him to use my room. He needs to rest."

"You go tell the boy he needs more rest, Kosuke. As for me, I'll be lucky enough if I can make him forget about today's training." Jinpachi grinned.

"Training?! Don't you dare take him out today, Nezoi Jinpachi, I'll make sure personally that he-".

But Jinpachi was already out of the room, Kosuke's voice trailing after him. It's not that he didn't agree with Kosuke. But Sasuke is rather strong headed, though in a way quite opposite than that of other children his age.

While others would balk at household work, Sasuke had especially insisted that he had his share, just as much as any other adults of the house. Sasuke was even more unrelenting about his training. Assigned as the boy's trainer from day one, Jinpachi understood perfectly why.

Sasuke was a very fast learner, mentally and physically. It was because of the Juyuushi's time constraint that the boy's training time had to be limited. If he wanted to call off any session, Jinpachi would have to prove to his pupil that the circumstances was really, truly unavoidable.

Kamanosuke appeared and walked beside him. Somehow he too had managed to escape Kosuke's berating. "You still gonna take him out training today, Jinpachi?"

They reached the end of the hallway and slid the door open. Sasuke was on the outer balcony of the house. And just how Jinpachi had expected him to be. A pail of water beside him, the boy was on his knees, scrubbing the wooden floor with a hand brush.

Sasuke looked up and saw the two Juyuushi's. He quickly gathered the things around him and stood up. "I'll be ready in a minute, Jinpachi."

"Oi, Sasuke-" Jinpachi tried to call out but the boy was already running to the shed to store away the pail and brush. He dashed back into the house. "I need to change. Just a moment!"

Jinpachi turned to face his comrade beside him and chuckled. "Do I look like I have a choice?"

Chapter 4 is coming up soon. Please bear with my chapter breaks, or are they (the chapters) too short? Please let me know. Thanks!!!!