Chapter 4
“Ace? Who is that kid you have on your back?” Sasuke silently stared at his student who had a sheepish face but bright smile.
On Ace’s back was a boy with messy blond hair, a scruffy face, and wore a large black top hat with a pair of blue goggles wrapped around it, a blue jacket with the sleeves rolled up, a cravat and a pair of light blue cyan shorts held up by a belt with an elaborate flower-design buckle. The boy appeared to be around the same age as Ace, though he looked like he’d been through quite a rough time.
Sasuke silently observed the kid, his sharp eyes scanning every detail. Ace looked back at him with a slightly guilty expression, but his enthusiasm remained.
“Uh, he was just... knocked out in the forest,” Ace explained, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I thought I should bring him here, you know? He looked like he needed help.”
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, his eyes flicking from the unconscious boy to Ace. “Are you sure it’s not because you knocked him out?”
Ace’s face instantly flushed, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “What? No! I didn’t knock him out! I just... found him like this. Honest!”
Sasuke gave him a pointed look, his expression deadpan. “Sure, Ace. Just like the last time, right?”
Ace hesitated, then quickly nodded. “Alright, alright! Maybe I didn’t exactly find him... but he was passed out when I got there! I swear!”
Sasuke exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. “You really need to stop bringing in unconscious people every time you go out. What are you going to do if this one wakes up and decides to fight you?”
Ace shrugged casually, his grin returning. “I’ll handle it. I’m getting stronger, sensei. Besides, he looks harmless.”
Sasuke glanced at the boy still lying unconscious on the couch, his brow furrowed in thought. “We’ll see. But next time, be more careful about who you ‘rescue.’”
Ace puffed his chest out proudly. “I’ll be fine! I’ve got your training, after all!”
Sasuke left his lip twitching at his student’s words. He couldn’t understand why or how Ace always seemed to bring unconscious living things back with him. It was as if he had some unspoken knack for finding them.
Sabo slowly opened his eyes, blinking as his vision cleared. The first thing he saw was a face hovering above him, a boy with silver eyes and a freckled face staring down at him with curiosity. The boy’s expression was serious, but there was a hint of concern in his gaze.
"Hey, you’re awake," the boy said, his voice a little rough, as if he hadn’t spoken in a while. "You’re lucky, you almost got yourself knocked out pretty badly."
Sabo blinked again, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He felt a bit disoriented, the last thing he remembered was... running through the forest, and then... nothing.
"Where... where am I?" Sabo croaked, his voice dry.
"You’re at a safe place," the silver-eyed boy replied. "I found you in the woods. Looks like you were knocked out cold, so I brought you here."
Sabo’s mind raced as he tried to piece together the situation. He was in an unfamiliar place, with a kid he didn’t recognize.
"Who are you?" Sabo asked, his voice clearer now, though still with a slight rasp.
The boy straightened up, folding his arms with a small, confident smile. "I’m Ace," he said, his voice a bit brighter now. "And that guy over there is Sasuke—he is the owner of this house."
Sabo’s gaze shifted to the man standing nearby. Sasuke was tall and calm, his eyes watching him with a stoic expression. He looked like someone who had seen a lot, someone who wasn’t easily startled or moved by much.
Sabo sat up slowly, feeling a little more steady now. "I’m Sabo," he said, glancing back at Ace. "And you really didn’t have to bring me here. I wasn’t expecting any help."
“No problem!” Ace cheerfully answered, he then scratched the back of his head.
Sabo chuckled weakly, finally noticing the warmth in the room, the soft atmosphere, and how calm everything felt. He didn’t know who these people were or what kind of world he had stumbled into, but somehow, he felt like he could trust them.
"Well, I’m glad you found me," Sabo said, looking at Ace. "I owe you one."
“Don’t mention it!” Ace smiled brightly at him as his silver eyes shined. Sabo felt he was blinded.
Sasuke shook his head with a helpless smile, he guessed that Ace must be happy to meet someone his age. He knew Ace needed someone like Sabo—a friend, someone his age, someone who could understand him better. If the kid wanted to help this boy, Sasuke wouldn’t stop him. The world was harsh enough, and Sabo seemed like he could use a break just as much as Ace had.
"You’re welcome to stay as long as you want," Sasuke said, his voice as calm and serious as ever, but there was no hint of rejection in it.
Sabo looked up at Sasuke, surprised by the offer. "I... appreciate it," he said quietly, grateful but still unsure of how long he wanted to stay.
Sasuke, sensing the boy’s uncertainty, added, "There’s no need to rush anything. Rest, recover. When you're ready, we can talk about what comes next."
Sabo nodded gratefully.
“Alright, Ace it’s time for you to write a report on the experiment you did.” Sasuke grabbed Ace’s shirt and dragged him to the near table stacked with papers.
Sabo watched with a raised eyebrow as Sasuke effortlessly dragged Ace towards a nearby table piled with papers. Ace, who had been happily chatting with him, let out an exaggerated groan of protest.
“Ugh, not again, sensei! I just got here!” Ace whined, but Sasuke didn’t even flinch at the complaint. He simply sat Ace down at the table and shoved a pen into his hand.
“You’ve been avoiding this for too long,” Sasuke said, his tone still calm and unbothered. “Now write your report. We don’t have time for distractions.”
With a sigh, Ace flipped open one of the many notebooks in front of him and began scribbling down his notes, though it was clear he wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.
Sabo chuckled softly, watching the interaction. It was clear the two had some sort of routine, and Sasuke's no-nonsense attitude seemed to have a calming effect on Ace, even if the kid didn’t always appreciate it.
“So, what’s the deal with these experiments?” Sabo asked, leaning back slightly in his seat, still curious about what exactly Ace was working on.
Ace glanced up briefly, looking mildly frustrated but still trying to focus on his task. “It’s not really an experiment,” he said with a shrug. “Sensei makes me do these reports on random stuff he teaches me. Mostly about chakra and whatnot. It's boring, but I can’t escape it.”
Sasuke, overhearing the conversation, gave a small, dry smirk. “It’s important,” he said. “Understanding the theory behind what you’re doing is just as crucial as the practice. You can’t be a true ninja without both.”
Sabo raised an eyebrow at Sasuke’s words. “A true ninja?” he echoed, still not entirely clear on what that meant.
Sasuke glanced at Sabo, his eyes calm. “Yes. A ninja isn't just someone who fights. They are strategists, healers, and experts in various disciplines. If you want to truly master anything, you need both theory and practice.”
Ace, now fully engaged in the task, gave a loud sigh. “Great, more lectures...”
Sabo smirked, “I think I can understand why you’re not thrilled.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” Ace muttered under his breath, but he picked up his pen again, starting to write as Sasuke stood nearby, silently observing.
It was peaceful, the room filled with pen scribbling on paper.
Sabo let the quiet settle in, his body relaxed, and soon the weight of the day caught up with him. His eyes fluttered closed, and he drifted off to sleep, the peaceful atmosphere soothing him after everything that had happened.
When Sabo woke up and stretched, blinking as his surroundings slowly came into focus. The house was quiet, with only the faint sound of something splashing softly in the background.
As his senses sharpened, Sabo noticed that Ace was hunched over a small bucket by the table, his silver eyes fixed intently on the fish inside. Ace’s hands were glowing faintly with green.
Sabo rubbed his eyes in an attempt to see if he was seeing things or was Ace’s hand glowing green?
“What the...?” Sabo muttered under his breath.
Ace didn’t seem to notice Sabo’s gaze. He was too focused on his task, his expression serious as the chakra flowed from his palms into the fish. The injured creature in the bucket twitched, and Sabo could see the small wounds slowly start to fade away, the fish beginning to move more freely.
Sabo, still processing what he was witnessing, finally spoke up. “Hey... uh, Ace? What’s going on? Your hands... they’re glowing.”
Ace paused for a moment, his eyes flicking up to meet Sabo’s, a slightly sheepish smile forming on his face. “Oh, that? It’s chakra. I’m healing this fish. Sasuke’s been teaching me how to use chakra, and... well, it works on living things, like people, animals, and even fish.”
Sabo blinked, trying to comprehend what Ace had just said. “Chakra? Is that... is that what you’re doing?”
“Yeah, it’s a form of energy,” Ace explained, his voice casual as he continued healing the fish. “It flows through your body, and you can use it for a lot of things—like healing, fighting, or even walking on water.”
Sabo’s jaw dropped slightly, his mind racing to catch up. “That’s... that’s insane. So you can heal people with that? Like, really heal them?”
Ace nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been practicing. Sasuke’s taught me a lot. It’s not perfect yet, but I can do some stuff.”
Sabo just stared at him for a moment, completely stunned. He’d never met anyone like Ace before. He didn’t know what chakra was, but if Ace could heal a fish so easily, what else could he do?
"That's... amazing," Sabo finally said, still in disbelief. "How do you learn to use it?"
Ace shrugged, his expression shifting to a more confident smile. "Mostly practice, and Sasuke’s always showing me what to do. You’ve gotta focus and control it, or else it’s useless."
Sabo nodded slowly, still trying to wrap his head around everything. "And you think you can teach me how to do that too?"
Ace grinned. "I could, but it’s a lot of work. Sasuke’s the real expert. Maybe he can help you if you’re serious about it."
Before Sabo could respond, he noticed Sasuke entering the room from the other side, his usual calm expression on his face as he observed the scene.
"So, you’ve learned how to heal a fish, huh?" Sasuke said, his voice quiet but with a hint of approval in it.
Ace looked up at Sasuke, beaming. “Yeah, I’m getting the hang of it! The fish is all better now!”
Sabo was still processing the idea that the boy he had met only one day was capable of such a feat. Maybe this world wasn’t as simple as he thought.
“For your first time, you did an incredible job. No one your age could achieve this, so be proud.” Sasuke gently rubbed Ace’s head, his tone carrying a rare hint of pride and joy.
Sabo watched the exchange in quiet amazement. He had never seen anyone talk to their student like that, especially someone as serious and stoic as Sasuke. The small gesture of rubbing Ace’s head—something so simple yet warm—caught Sabo off guard.
Sabo, who had been quietly observing the interaction, couldn’t help but smile. “You’re pretty lucky to have a teacher like him,” he remarked, sitting up from where he was laying.
Ace shot him a cheeky grin. “I know, right? Sensei might seem grumpy, but he’s the best!”
Sasuke’s eye twitched slightly at being called grumpy, but he didn’t bother to correct Ace, choosing instead to turn his attention back to Sabo. “And you,” he said, his voice steady but not unkind, “should take it easy for a bit. Your body needs more rest.”
Sabo chuckled nervously. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you.”
And so, two days passed with Sabo’s body steadily recovering, thanks to the warm meals Sasuke prepared and the comfort of a soft, warm bed—a luxury he hadn’t experienced since running away from home.
During this time, Sabo got to know more about Ace. It didn’t take long to realize that Ace was an extremely curious child, always asking questions, poking around in things he probably shouldn’t, and occasionally wandering into situations that could only be described as dangerous.
“Ace,” Sabo said one evening as he watched the boy climb a tree near the house, “do you ever stop to think before you do something?”
Ace grinned down at him, unbothered. “Where’s the fun in that?” he called back before swinging down from a branch and landing on his feet.
Sabo shook his head, but he couldn’t help the small smile that crept onto his face. “You’re going to get yourself into trouble one day, you know that?”
“He already does,” Sasuke interjected, his tone dry as he worked on writing something at the table. “It’s practically a daily occurrence.”
Ace pouted. “Hey, I’m not that bad!”
Sabo chuckled at their interaction, finding a strange comfort in the dynamic between the quiet, serious teacher and the lively, fearless student. It was clear that, despite the scolding and dry remarks, Sasuke cared deeply for Ace. And in return, Ace seemed to thrive under Sasuke’s guidance, even if his curiosity sometimes got the better of him.
When Sasuke asked him again if he wanted to stay, Sabo didn’t hesitate for even a second before giving his answer.
“Yes, I want to stay,” he said firmly, looking between Sasuke and Ace. There was no doubt in his mind.
Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment, his face calm as always, but there was a subtle sense of approval in his gaze. “Very well,” he said simply, as though he had already expected the answer.
Ace cheered, throwing an arm around Sabo’s shoulders. “See? I told you he’d let you stay! Now we can train together!”
Sabo couldn’t help but smile at Ace’s excitement.
Being with these two—Ace with his boundless energy and curiosity, and Sasuke with his quiet strength and steady guidance—felt more like home than anywhere he had been in a long time.