The Hokage’s office smelled of ink and parchment when the order was given. You listened without protest—Shisui Uchiha would be your bodyguard. Being a jinchūriki made you a target, and being from the Nara clan only made you more valuable.

Shisui stood beside you, much taller, his presence steady. “Understood,” he said simply.

Everyone knew him—Shisui of the Body Flicker, one of Konoha’s strongest. If he was assigned to you, the threat had to be real.

The first few days passed smoothly. He was never intrusive, yet you were always aware of him—the way his dark eyes flickered toward you more often than necessary. He adjusted his pace to match yours, though he never said anything about it.

You liked him. You had for a while, though you kept it to yourself. It was foolish—falling for someone like him. Someone untouchable.

Shisui was careful, always careful. His feelings for you were a secret he carried with precision, locked behind duty. But sometimes, his resolve wavered—a glance held too long, the faintest hesitation in his voice. He knew better than to let it show, but it was there.

Neither of you said anything. Maybe you were both too smart for that.

One evening, you sat on a chair beside the shogi board in the backyard, absently studying the pieces. Shisui stood nearby, silent but ever-present.

“I thought guarding shinobi stayed in the shadows,” you mused. “Not right beside me like a guard dog.”

He exhaled, the closest thing to a laugh. “I could,” he said. “But you’d notice anyway.”

You huffed, shaking your head. He was right. You would.