𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 | shisui uchiha

A Friend in Need

The sound of laughter coming from Shisui's home as he approached was alarming.

Quickening his pace as he neared the front door, the Uchiha wrenched the door open and darted into the house, jumping over the genkan and out of his shoes as he headed towards the sound of his mother's voice.

"Shisui! Back so soon?"

Shisui's face collapsed into a look of confusion as he came face to face with Haruki, who was sitting at the dining table with his mother, a steaming hot cup of tea nestled between her hands as she smiled at the Uchiha.

"What's going on?" grumbled Shisui, wondering whether he was hallucinating from a lack of sleep.

"You didn't tell me you knew Haruki!" chirped his mother as the dejected Uchiha returned to close the front door, before trudging his way back to the kitchen and joining the pair at the dinner table. "Haruki's been over the past couple of nights to help me with things while you were gone. You never told me about Haruki!"

"I didn't think I needed to," said Shisui, glaring at Haruki out of the corner of his eye. The Hyūga merely whistled under her breath and picked up her mug, taking a sip of her beverage. Shisui's mother got out of her seat and walked to the cupboard to retrieve a cup for her journey weary son, happily explaining to Shisui just what she and Haruki had gotten up to in the past couple of days.

"Well, you could've at least told me that you gave her the money to do our grocery shopping while you were away! I was almost about to go out and do it myself!"

As Shisui's mother leaned up to grab a cup, Shisui's eyes widened and he mouthed, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" to his comrade, who continued sipping her tea without a worry.

"Sorry, it must've slipped my mind," said Shisui, his glare at Haruki intensifying as his mother turned around and rejoined the pair at the table.

"Never mind about that," insisted his mother, who was called Namiko. "I'm just glad you finally made a friend who isn't a clan member. Lord knows so many of your relatives walk around as if they have a stick up their ass."

Haruki spluttered as she found herself snorting up tea at Namiko's comment, letting out a cry of pain as the tea burned her in the process. Namiko immediately shot up, reaching for a towel and passing it towards the howling Hyūga. Shisui merely slapped a palm to his face, embarrassed that his mother was talking about her own family like that to an outsider.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," apologised Namiko as she watched Haruki dry herself up, the latter's eyes filled up with tears at Namiko's sudden remark. "I shouldn't have spoken so out of line."

"Okaa-san, really?" sighed Shisui, hanging his head as Haruki continued to laugh regardless of the burn her nostrils were facing. "I do have other friends, you know. I just don't invite them over."

As he looked at Haruki, the look in his eyes said, "And they don't invite themselves over, either!"

Taking it as her cue to leave, Haruki finished cleaning up her area and rose to her feet, bowing to Namiko.

"Thank you for the tea, Uchiha-san," smiled Haruki, pushing her chair back as she stepped back. "I guess I'll be heading back home now, if you don't mind."

"No, thank you for coming over! Shisui, be a good boy and take Haruki home, won't you?"

Before Shisui could protest, Haruki shook her head.

"It's fine. Shisui needs to rest up. We have a mission the day after tomorrow," she said, nodding curtly at her comrade. "See you then, Shisui?"

"Will you join us tomorrow evening as well, Haruki-chan?"

"I don't want to intrude while Shisui's here, you know."

"That's no problem! Right, Shisui?"

With a defeated sigh, Shisui slumped down on the table. Right now, he had no energy to argue with either of them.

"... right."

"Okay, if you insist," smiled Haruki. "I'll see you two tomorrow night."

"Let me see you out," said Shisui, suddenly sitting up and getting to his feet.

"Goodnight, Haruki-chan!" called out Namiko as the pair exited the kitchen. As soon as Namiko was out of earshot, Shisui thumped Haruki on the back of the head and hissed, "Are you crazy?! What are you doing?!"

"Repaying the favour!" whined Haruki in complaint, rubbing where Shisui had hit her. "I'm not doing anything bad, am I?!"

"No, but I told you we'd talk about it after I got back to the village!"

"I couldn't wait that long."

"What are you trying to do, Haruki?!"

"Relax, don't get your panties in a twist," said Haruki smoothly, reaching for her shoes and slipping them on. "Your mother's pretty cool. Very funny."

"Haruki," said Shisui warningly, arms crossed as Haruki stood by the door. Finally, she sighed and said, "Alright. If you don't want me to come around anymore, just say it. I still want to help out, though."

"I don't- ugh!" sighed Shisui, aghast at the situation. "Why are you doing this?!"

"A friend in need is a friend in need," said Haruki, gripping Shisui's arm and nodding at him. "Don't think too much about it. You can thank me by giving me a pay raise when you become Hokage."

"Hokage?!"

"See you tomorrow, Shisui," beamed Haruki as she backed out of the house, waving at the Uchiha as the door slowly shut.

Shisui could only groan.