The river reflected the starlight, and the shadows of the young boy and girl rippled on the water's surface, sometimes drawing near, sometimes drifting apart.
Uchiha Izumi tucked her hair behind her ear and subtly shifted her position closer to Itachi, her heart racing a little faster.
But under the cover of the night and firelight, Itachi couldn't see her blushing face.
"How do you know Naruto Uzumaki?" Itachi glanced at the scattered fish bones on the ground and at Naruto, who was now full and sound asleep nearby. He shook his head, "No, I should be asking how you brought him to the clan's residence?"
Konoha had a strict ban on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki interacting with the Uchiha clan. Although the ban had been lifted earlier, the current situation of the Uchiha was far too sensitive. Not only the villagers but also many within the clan had their eyes on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
"It's not like that! Naruto-kun always comes over on his own. Didn't you know?" Izumi replied, a bit surprised by Itachi's question. "I often see Sasuke walking home with Naruto-kun after school. Sometimes Sasuke seems so exhausted from practice that he can hardly walk, and it's always Naruto-kun who brings him home."
"Is that so?"
Itachi paused. Ever since Sasuke started school, he hadn't really paid much attention to his daily life. He would often hear Sasuke mention Naruto in passing at home, always begging for intense training to surpass him.
Had their relationship become that close?
"You know, you used to be a brother who never let go of his little brother, but now you don't even care about what's going on around him?" Izumi continued. "Oh, speaking of which, I saw Sasuke today. He's so different from how he was as a child; now he's cool and handsome, just like you at school."
"And now he doesn't act rude like he did when he was little; he even calls me 'sister'."
Uchiha Izumi squinted and smiled, seemingly reminiscing about their time together at school.
But back then, Konoha was still in a state of war, and their time in the ninja academy was only three years. Itachi had already been exposed due to using Shadow Clones to attend school and had graduated early to become a Genin for missions.
"...By the time I graduate, you'll be a Chunin," Uchiha Izumi sighed, then expressed a hint of regret. "It's a pity we never had the chance to carry out missions together."
"...It's not that big of a deal."
"Yeah, there will always be opportunities in the future. Even if our ninja careers don't go well, there's still life after... ahahaha." Seemingly realizing that she had inadvertently revealed her feelings, Izumi quickly laughed it off, her smile brimming with youthful emotion.
Yet, seeing her like this made Itachi's heart ache.
Because just moments ago, he had already decided the fate of the Uchiha clan.
Itachi's silence made Izumi feel a bit awkward; she couldn't help but glance off into the distance.
It had always been this way; she had never received a response from Itachi.
Nor had he ever rejected her.
As their silence stretched, a quiet atmosphere enveloped them, with only the crackling of the firewood breaking the stillness.
Naruto, still snoring, was beginning to sweat more and more.
After all, pretending to sleep by the fire was exhausting.
[Ugh, how long do I have to pretend to be asleep in this awkward atmosphere?]
Naruto had actually woken up a while ago, having overheard their conversation. With Izumi's gentle voice, it was easy to guess what was happening.
Though young, his experiences of hardship from a young age made him understand these matters quite well. He had intended to be a good friend and let them have their moment, thinking it might be interesting to listen to their sweet nothings.
But then, they all fell silent, leaving him feeling hotter and hotter...
So hot! Why does it feel like I'm actually on fire?
Naruto cracked one eye open and peeked behind him, only to see a small flame stubbornly licking at the hem of his clothes, as if it wanted to warm him all over.
"Whoa!!! It's on fire!"
With a startled shout, Naruto sprang three feet into the air and dove headfirst into the river.
"Naruto-kun!" Izumi rushed over, but before she could stand up, Itachi was already on the water's surface, pulling Naruto up.
"Thanks, thanks! Ahahaha," Naruto said with an embarrassed grin. It wasn't that he couldn't walk on water with chakra, but making such a scene must have ruined the mood for them, and for that, he genuinely felt sorry.
However, Itachi seized the opportunity to lean in close and whisper in Naruto's ear, "Stay away from the Uchiha."
Because they might want to use the Nine-Tails within you to recreate the Nine-Tails attack, to completely overthrow Konoha and carry out their revolution...
Itachi didn't voice this warning aloud. After pulling Naruto up, he quickly returned to the shore, appearing indifferent, which left Naruto a bit dazed.
He could feel Itachi radiating a strong, almost painful negative emotion that hadn't been present when he was with Izumi.
But this negative energy wasn't directed at him like it was with others.
"Itachi?" Izumi seemed to sense something and looked at her beloved with concern.
"Let's go. It's getting late," Itachi said, sharply aware that the furtive glances observing Naruto were increasing. He stood up and said to Naruto, "I'll walk you out."
"Oh, no, that's okay! I can go by myself. You take Izumi-nee home instead! Bye!" Naruto was quite perceptive. He stood on the water, patted his backside, waved goodbye to Itachi and Izumi, and the next moment he vanished in a puff of smoke with a "bang."
"Shadow Clone?" Not just the people hiding and observing, even Izumi and Itachi were stunned. When did he leave a clone behind?
Meanwhile, back at home, Naruto, already undressing and preparing to take a bath, muttered to himself, "Ugh, gotta buy new clothes again. What a waste! Maybe I can trade some gossip about his brother secretly dating with Sasuke for some money?"
"Using a clone to stay behind in the water while the main body uses the Flying Thunder God Technique to leave..." The Nine-Tails, watching everything clearly in Naruto's inner world, nodded in satisfaction like a parent who saw their child get perfect scores.
It seemed that all the daily reminders from him and Minato to stay vigilant were not in vain; after all, things were far from peaceful in Konoha lately.
And by the side, watching the Nine-Tails' reactions, Minato was deep in thought.
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Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 120+ at patreon.com/Esei01.