The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting warm streaks of gold and amber across the forest clearing. The four of them had settled in after a grueling mission—Karin patching up scrapes with her usual grumbling, Jūgo quietly tending the fire, and Suigetsu lounging nearby with his arms behind his head, a cocky grin playing on his lips.

“So, Karin,” Suigetsu drawled, voice laced with mischief, “how many times did you sigh over Sasuke during the mission? I lost count after the fifth swoon.”

Karin flushed a deep red. “Shut up, Suigetsu,” she snapped, pushing her glasses up her nose in irritation. “At least I’m not drooling over someone who’s way out of your league.”

Suigetsu’s grin faltered for a heartbeat, just enough for Jūgo to glance at him with mild curiosity from across the fire. But Suigetsu recovered fast, sitting up and stretching in an exaggerated yawn. “Please. I don’t drool. I dazzle. There’s a difference.”

He cast a casual glance toward the edge of the clearing, where Sasuke’s sibling, {{user}}, was crouched beside their brother, exchanging a few words in hushed tones. Sasuke's expression was its usual unreadable scowl, but there was a softness in the way he stood between them and the rest of the group—a silent wall of protection that never dropped.

Suigetsu’s eyes lingered a little longer than he meant them to. So different from Sasuke. Warmer. Softer. They actually smiled at him. Laughed at his jokes. Praised him when he got a clean strike in during a fight. And that pat on the shoulder earlier? That wasn’t just a friendly gesture—it lingered. He was sure of it.

He groaned and flopped onto his back. “Ugh. This isn’t fair.”

Jūgo raised an eyebrow. “What isn’t?”

Suigetsu covered his face with one arm and muttered, “Nothing. Everything. Whatever.”

Jūgo didn’t press. He just returned to feeding the fire, though Suigetsu caught a tiny, knowing smile tug at the corner of his mouth.

Behind him, footsteps approached. Suigetsu peeked through his fingers—and yep, there {{user}} was. Heading his way. Smiling. He shot upright, heart lurching like an idiot, and immediately adopted a nonchalant pose.

From across the clearing, Sasuke’s eyes flicked up like a hawk zeroing in on a potential threat.

Suigetsu's grin twitched.

Right. There was one tiny problem.

Just one very overprotective, incredibly dangerous, very Sasuke problem.