Precarious chapter 12

"Hey Kuin, everything okay?" The boy with dark hair from the ceremony inquired, concern evident in his tone.

Kuin leaned on his desk, deep in thought even though class had wrapped up merely ten minutes ago. "Yeah, I'm fine," he responded absentmindedly.

"Hmm," the black-haired boy whispered to Hinata with an undertone of uncertainty. "Hey, Hinata, you think our classmate might be a bit... unique?"

Kuin couldn't help but overhear their conversation. He turned to the dark-haired boy, eyebrow raised. "What was that, duck butt?"

Quickly, Sasuke intervened, "I said you're a really smart kid!"

With a self-assured nod, Kuin retorted, "That's what I thought," before shifting his gaze back to the blackboard. "Huh? When did class end?"

Sasuke's eyes remained fixed on Kuin, his expression deadpan. "Class ended a while ago. We've been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes."

"O-oh, my bad," Kuin mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "I tend to daydream when I'm sitting still for too long without something stimulating."

In truth, the only classes that managed to pique Kuin's interest were the ones involving throwing practice and history. The allure of learning about the world's history had faded due to the amount propaganda he found in the textbooks.

"Feels like I've joined a cult," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. His curiosity then shifted toward the black-haired boy. "So, what's the special occasion? You usually dash home and leave me and the princess here by ourselves."

Hinata scoffed, continuing to focus on her homework.

Sasuke leaned in, whispering, "My brother is back from his mission. I was hoping you guys could join us and help me convince him to teach me some jutsu."

Kuin raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What makes you think we'd be of any help? If he's saying no to his own brother, he'd probably dismiss two random kids like us."

While saying this Kuin slowly scooted closer to Hinata. However, before Kuin could take a peek at Hinata's homework, he was jabbed in the arm. The stinging pain caused his arm to drop limply on the table. "Mother... that stings!" He clutched his arm, his irritation evident. "What was that for?"

Hinata crossed her arms and asserted herself. "You shouldn't be copying someone else's homework. I know you're smart enough to do it on your own."

Kuin pouted and protested, "But, Hinata, I don't feel like thinking today."

With a cough to regain the group's attention, Sasuke explained his plan. "As I was saying, my brother has a soft spot for animals. I thought if you bring your dog, it would convince him to say yes."

Kuin, unimpressed, deadpanned, "So you're using me to learn cool ninja stuff from your brother, huh? Are we even friends?"

Sasuke didn't flinch; instead, he nodded, confirming Kuin's assumption. "As long as our friendship is beneficial to me."

"Fair enough," Kuin conceded with a shrug. He packed up his homework since he'd already completed it. "I'm down to help, as long as he teaches me too."

"What about you Hinata? Will you be joining us?"

Hinata shook her head. "I need to go home after I'm done. My father's training me today."

Kuin shrugged "Well that sucks. Guess we'll see you next week nata. Sasuke you gotta reward calico with a treat or 2 if your plan works."

Sasuke agreed, and with that, they were ready to head to Sasuke's Home.

As they left the academy grounds, Kuin turned to Sasuke with a question in mind. "I get why you asked me, but why Hinata? How was she going to help us convince him?"

Sasuke chuckled at Kuin's naive perspective. "Nii-san spends a lot of time with girls. I was hoping that by having her around, he'd want to spend time with us."

Kuin joined in the laughter his sounding more mocking, patting Sasuke on the back. "You're quite clever; sometimes I forget that your only a kid."

Sasuke chimed in with a hint of annoyance. "Hey, we are the same age!"

"Of course, of course," Kuin replied playfully, and they continued on their journey.

Upon reaching Sasuke's compound and entering his home, they received disappointing news. "I'm sorry, honey," Sasuke's mother said with sympathy. "As soon as he ate lunch, he was assigned another mission. Maybe you'll catch him next time."

Sasuke couldn't hide his disappointment as he muttered, "Stupid nee San. Always ignoring me." He turned to Kuin, apologizing for the fruitless journey.

But Kuin didn't mind; after all, it had been a nice walk for him and Calico. "It's cool. Besides, Calico enjoyed the walk, right, girl?"

Calico barked her agreement.

"That won't do," Sasuke's mother, Makoto, insisted. "Why don't you and your pet join us for lunch?"

Kuin felt himself blush a little at the invitation. "I couldn't possibly impose."

Makoto shook her head, dismissing Kuin's hesitations. "Nonsense. The food will be ready in just a few minutes." She kissed Sasuke on the head and retreated to the kitchen.

Staring at her in awe, Kuin couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Well, damn..."

Sasuke stared at Kuin in confusion, then finally glanced in the direction Kuin had been looking. "Why are you looking at my mother's bu -"

Kuin swiftly covered Sasuke's mouth in panic. "Shut up! You might ruin my chances in the future."

Kuin's experiences with 'manga' had taught him that a woman like Makoto might get lonely with a workaholic husband. A few years of patience might just be the key to his future endeavors.

Their musings were abruptly interrupted by the arrival of a man dressed in a Konoha police uniform.

"Father! Your home early." Sasuke eagerly rushed up to greet the man. "Did something happen?"

Fugaku patted his son on the head, exuding a sense of composure as he headed toward the kitchen. "Quite the opposite, With the recent increase in ninja presence in the village, the crime rate have significantly dropped within Konoha."

Kuin, ever the inquisitive spirit, seized the opportunity to seek more information. "Inside? What about the surrounding areas of Konoha?"

Fugaku turned to regard Kuin, his expression shifting for a fleeting moment. It was an emotion that Kuin couldn't quite place before Fugaku reverted to his stoic self.

"That's outside our jurisdiction. Who might this young man be, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, not missing a beat, responded with his own unique brand of camaraderie, "Oh, that's Kuin. Just some loser I took pity on and decided to be his friend."

"Some loser!?" Kuin, stung by the remark, couldn't resist defending himself. "We're evenly matched, and you know it!"

As they continued to bicker Fugaku turned on his sharingan and observed Kuin.

"So it's true, the seal is truly empty." He began walking to his office. "That's disappointing. But it doesn't mean It can't be filled. This just means the plan will be delayed."

The Uchiha family's dinner proceeded with a sense of tranquility, the table filled with laughter and shared anecdotes. Mikoto, in particular, was engaged in fond reminiscences of her days as a Genin, her eyes sparkling with a youthful gleam.

As Kuin inquired further, he was captivated by her experiences. "This was during your Genin days, right? How far did you make it before settling down?"

Mikoto, with a hint of nostalgia, revealed, "The highest I ever reached was Jonin. I would've joined the Anbu, but little Itachi put that plan to rest."

Kuin couldn't help but admire her achievements, realizing that Jonin was the highest rank for regular ninjas. "Jonin? Isn't that the highest rank? You must've been pretty skilled to get there."

As the evening came to an end, Kuin decided to take his leave. Before leaving, he couldn't resist asking Sasuke a final question. "Hey, Sasuke, how come you always ask your brother to teach you jutsu?"

Sasuke, pondering the question for a moment, offered an insight into his thought process. "Because he knows all the cool ones. He graduated from the academy in only one year! If he's skilled enough to do that, he's got a lot to teach."

But Kuin, ever the one to explore all options, suggested another avenue for Sasuke's pursuit of knowledge. "Yeah, but Itachi is only a Genin. A skilled one, yes, but a Genin nonetheless. Why don't you ask your mom to teach you?"

Sasuke, intrigued by the thought, considered Kuin's proposal. "Kaa-san? Why her?"

Kuin, sharing his perspective, explained, "She used to be a Jonin, right? You don't get to that rank without having a lot of skills. There's no harm in asking."

Sasuke nodded, convinced by the reasoning, and Kuin knew he had planted the seeds of possibility. With a final playful comment, Kuin made his departure, lifting Calico as he prepared to leave. "I know I'm right. Gotta run before that storm cloud gets here. Don't want to get sick anytime soon."

As he headed back to his apartment, his words lingered in the air. "Maybe you're onto something, Kuin," Sasuke muttered to himself, reflecting on the newfound possibility that his mother held untapped knowledge.