Even if she didn't want to accept Uchiha Itachi's kindness, Sakura truly had no change of clothes. The pale pink short-sleeved shirt and plain white shorts fit perfectly. Both the material and style were tasteful—Itachi's eye for detail was impressive.
Honestly… I don't even know how to use a washing machine or a dryer. In the past, she didn't need to. If clothes got dirty, she simply switched to clean ones. Next time, fresh clothes would be ready because she had a nagging mother and a father who laughed all day. Now, if clothes got dirty, they wouldn't magically clean themselves. If she didn't wash them, they'd remain dirty.
Sakura recognized the power button but didn't know what to do next.
When the wooden door opened, a tall, rough-looking man with bluish skin appeared, wearing a sleeveless vest and striped shorts. He looked briefly startled at seeing Sakura, presumably coming to fetch the mop from the backyard. This must be Itachi's roommate, known as Kisame Hoshigaki.
"Need help?"
"How… do I use this?"
Kisame had never seen a woman who couldn't operate a washing machine. Sakura refreshed his perception of women entirely. She took a few steps forward, pressed some buttons casually, and the machine whirred to life. Then she went inside, mop in hand.
Mopping the floor, Itachi cooking while wearing an apron, and Sakura… feeling awkward. Only she seemed out of place, while the other two "terrorists" remained calm.
"Kisame, why didn't you say we were out of soy sauce?"
"I forgot, I'll buy some tomorrow."
"And no minced garlic either."
"Yeah, I know. Speaking of which, maybe we should restock ingredients?"
"They're just used up tonight. Hey, when will the lotus in your yard be ready to eat?"
"You're already thinking about my lotus flowers before they bloom? If you want some, go buy it yourself!"
Itachi stirred the food calmly, replying, "They're meant to be eaten, aren't they? I saw a big fish in your pond today."
"You want your Kiki cat to deliver food to me? Go catch it yourself."
"No, Kisame, those fish aren't ornamental. If you raise them, it's to eat them, right?"
"If that shop owner hadn't tricked me into thinking they were ornamental, that pond would be full of rainbow sharks!"
"Anyway, they've become fattened koi. Might as well eat them; otherwise, they'll outgrow the pond."
"Outgrowing the pond isn't your problem." Kisame said. After mopping, he returned the mop to the backyard, lazily sat on the sofa, and Kiki jumped into his lap. The hulking man held the cat gently, burying his face in the fur and inhaling deeply.
Is my door opening wrong? Why does this scene feel so surreal? The hulking man cuddles a cat, the clan murderer cooks… weren't these guys supposed to kill without blinking? Ruthless? How come…
"You're Haruno Sakura?"
Kisame, still holding the cat, looked unusually energetic. Sakura blinked, nodding sheepishly.
"Roommate's Kisame Hoshigaki. The boss said to watch over you. Don't worry, I'm not interested in a little kid without all her hair."
Uh…
"Cough, Kisame, can you ever speak normally?"
Itachi sighed. He walked with dishes from the semi-open kitchen to the table, placing them down before returning. Kisame put the cat down, stood, and entered the kitchen to help with the food. "That's the plan. Dinner."
He placed three sets of bowls and chopsticks. Before he returned to the table, the door opened again. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed youth stood there—Sakura recognized him as Deidara.
"Hey, weasels, sharks! I made extra rock cakes for you, take some!"
Without entering, Deidara tossed the warm rock cakes at Kisame, who caught them—but one was so hot it burned his hand and fell to the floor.
"Hot!"
"Hot is the delicious part! Haha, I'm off to deliver some to the boss!"
The door closed as fast as it opened—barely a minute passed. Itachi said with amusement, "Lucky you, Sakura. Bring the soup over."
"Huh? Oh!"
Slightly flustered, Sakura carried the hot soup carefully. The vessel burned her hands, so she shook it to cool it. Kisame observed the typical clumsy gestures of a woman but didn't comment, simply placing the rock cakes on a plate.
Itachi smiled, "If it's too hot, touch your earlobes."
"Huh?"
"They're cool. Try it."
Skeptical, Sakura felt slight relief when her fingers touched her earlobes.
The meal was cooked entirely by Itachi, except for Deidara's rock cakes. It looked simple but smelled and tasted appealing.
Kisame set the table. Itachi retrieved cold drinks from the fridge. Unsure of what to do, Sakura just helped move chairs.
"When we were in the village, we cooked during holidays. If busy, we ate out. Here, this is for you."
Itachi handed her a can of lime juice and added, "I've reorganized the chore schedule. Three of us: Monday and Tuesday, Kisame cleans. Wednesday and Thursday, me. Friday and Saturday, Sakura. Sunday, big clean-up."
Kiki jumped onto the table. Itachi picked him up, pampering him. He fed a bite to the cat while Kisame said, "Yeah, whoever's on duty does dishes. Clean Kiki's spot too. Monday and Tuesday you cook, Wednesday and Thursday Sakura, Friday and Saturday me, Sunday we eat out."
"Settled." Itachi said, breaking a rock cake and placing it on Sakura's plate. "Try this. It's a specialty of the Land of Earth. Crunchy and delicious."
Sakura blushed but whispered, "Thank you."
Itachi smiled and continued eating, "You don't seem like the girl who argued with the boss earlier."
Kisame, sensing a story, immediately perked up.
"Hmm? What's going on? Tell me!"
Sakura recounted the previous day's events, mortified. Besides eating the delicious dishes cooked by these rogues, there was nothing to distract her. Hmm… these rock cakes are really good. And this beef stew is quite tasty too.