He grabbed the boar's hind legs and dragged it laboriously to the edge of a stream. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he took a deep breath before pulling out a knife from his kitchen kit.
With surprising efficiency, he skinned the boar, removing the hide and cutting large chunks of meat. Using spices and herbs he had brought with him, he improvised a rub which he rubbed onto the meat. Then, he gathered some dead branches, lit a fire with flint, and made a rudimentary barbecue.
The smoke rose slowly into the night sky. Shikai, sitting by the fire, watched the flames dance over the meat as it grilled.
He tore off a piece, still smoking, and brought it to his mouth. After chewing for a moment, he made a slight face. "It's not great... but it'll do."
In a matter of minutes, he had devoured half the boar. His passive regeneration seemed to provoke an insatiable appetite. Once satiated, he lay on his back, gazing at the stars piercing through the canopy.
"This world is a pain..." he murmured, closing his eyes, ready to ponder his next step, which was to learn the basics.
'These damn lazybones! Logically, as part of a clan, I should already have had my basic training. As expected by the Naras, nothing to do but sleep, eat, and play shogi; nothing interests them.'
'Additionally, in the future, I'll need a foundation for some experiments...'
As the young Nara-Senju lost himself in his thoughts, a noise in the bushes snapped him out of his reverie.
"Who's there?" he shouted, positioning himself on alert. Then, a small girl emerged from behind the bush with an embarrassed expression.
***
POV: Shikai
I narrowed my eyes, observing the frail silhouette slowly emerging from the bush. A little girl, probably around four or five years old, advanced timidly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She wore a tunic that revealed scratches on her arms and legs, likely from brambles. She had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail with a few strands framing her face. Her eyes were black, and she had a distinctive beauty mark under her right eye.
She seemed nervous, hesitating to speak as she hid an object behind her back. "Sorry... I... Um, I was looking for someone, and I saw the smoke from afar. I thought he might be here," she finally said, her voice slightly trembling.
I raised an eyebrow, sizing her up before responding in a neutral tone. "Hmm, and who are you?"
She lifted her head a bit, evidently remembering her manners which she seemed to have forgotten. "Oh, my clumsiness. I'm Izumi, from the Uchiha clan. And you?"
I sighed, sitting down by the fire with a nonchalant air. "Shikai. Just a regular orphan from the Nara clan."
I had no energy to engage in small talk with her. She was a bit pretty with a bit more talent than others, but that was about it. In the manga, she was just a foolish kunoichi in love with Itachi.
In short it's Itachi's sakura in less boring that said. Her person was totally useless for my future plans. As I intended to save the Uchiha clan, she might survive and develop the MS.
"I'm sorry about your parents," she replied softly, sitting down by the fire as well.
"Too many 'sorries'," I said, raising my hand to interrupt her. "Then, why are you sitting? Weren't you supposed to be looking for someone?"
She lowered her head slightly, embarrassed. "Ah... Yes. But the night is a bit cold, and... I got lost. So... Can I stay for a few minutes?"
She placed a carefully wrapped bento on the ground before curling up slightly, enjoying the warmth of the fire.
"If you want," I replied simply, averting my gaze to avoid continuing this conversation.
Izumi hesitated for a moment before asking, "By the way, haven't you seen a boy around our age? With mid-length black hair and eyes... black, deep, almost captivating, as if they could..."
"Shut up," I grumbled, annoyed. "No, I haven't seen him, okay? Now, be quiet. I need to take a nap."
Izumi seemed offended but said nothing. She nodded softly, her gaze fixed on the fire. I watched her out of the corner of my eye.
'The Naras really have this in their DNA, this need for calm,' I thought, stretching out closer to the fire, a mocking smile appearing on my lips.
However, the peaceful atmosphere was quickly shattered.
"Hey... Shikai, do you want to help me look for him?" she asked with a small smile.
"No."
"But..."
"No," I repeated firmly.
She then made an adorable pout, with pleading eyes.
"What do you think? That I'm a child?" I retorted with boredom.
"Isn't that the case?" she replied, perplexed.
"... Yeah."
She seemed satisfied with my answer and continued with confidence: "Mother told me that, if I made this face, boys could never say no to me."
I turned onto my side to ignore her. "Then she lied to you. Now, leave me alone, will you?"
Izumi frowned but remained silent.
...
Izumi's piercing voice broke the silence and pulled Shikai from his half-sleep. He grunted, irritated, sitting up slightly to see what was going on.
Before them, a boy around their age had just appeared. His jet-black, mid-length hair framed a face of cold beauty and imposing presence. His eyes, as dark as the abyss, seemed to pierce the world with a terrifying serenity.
"Itachi!" exclaimed Izumi, a radiant smile lighting up her face.
Without hesitation, she sprang to her feet and rushed towards him. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Are you okay? You're not hurt?"
Itachi barely moved to avoid her clinging to him. True to himself, he remained impassive, his voice calm but slightly distant. "I'm fine, Izumi. No need to worry."
Izumi seemed slightly disappointed by his detached attitude, but that didn't stop her from speaking with enthusiasm.
I observed the scene in silence, my eyebrows furrowed. Our gazes met, and the young Uchiha fixed me with an indecipherable expression.
"I'll stay for a while," Itachi simply stated, completely ignoring any potential objection from me. He walked towards the fire, sat down without ceremony, and politely thanked Izumi for the bento she had brought.
Itachi opened the bento, revealing carefully prepared food. He began to eat slowly.
Izumi, still in awe, sat not far from him, an admiring glow in her eyes. "I knew you'd like what I prepared! I did my best thinking of you."
"Thanks," Itachi replied simply, without looking up from his meal.
I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"Well, make yourself at home..."
'Fucking genocidal maniac...'