The melody of "Between Love and Hate" seemed like encouragement on the surface—but up close, it was a slap in the face, sharp and mocking. Who would've thought Itachi could be so ruthlessly sarcastic beneath that calm façade? It wasn't just a blow to the body—it struck straight at the soul.
Uchiha Izumi gazed at Itachi with deep affection, eyes sparkling with devotion.
Her man… was amazing.
She felt like her life had been worth it.
Izumi began to wonder—had she saved the shinobi world in a past life to deserve someone like Itachi?
To meet him must've cost her the luck of several lifetimes.
"It's done. Did you manage to follow?" Itachi asked, lowering the jade flute from his lips.
Before being reincarnated here, he had been obsessed with music. Honestly, Itachi suspected that someone like Mai Zhenhong (the composer) must've been some kind of Immortal Emperor in his last life—how else could he compose so many pieces that pierced the soul?
Especially "Between Love and Hate"—that song had gone viral all over DouYin.
"Ah?" Izumi blushed. She had been completely entranced by Itachi's presence and the melody, having retained absolutely nothing he had taught her.
"No worries. If you didn't get it this time, we'll go through it slowly," Itachi said gently, smiling.
"Sound is produced by the vibration of matter—it's a wave that propagates through a medium like air, solid, or liquid, and is detected by the auditory organs of humans or animals.
The object that first creates the vibration is called the source of the sound.
Sound travels in waves. If the frequency of vibration lies between 20Hz and 20,000Hz, and the human ear can perceive it, we call it sound.
Sound is created by vibration. Wind, too, is caused by moving air.
When air vibrates within that audible frequency range, we hear the sound of wind."
There's an old saying: The wind itself is silent. The tree itself is silent. But when wind meets tree, there is sound.
In truth, sound is simply wind causing air to vibrate, much like ripples spreading on a water's surface. When those ripples reach your ears, your brain interprets them as sound.
"To put it simply," Itachi continued, "Sound Release, or Ototon, is a derivation of Wind Release. By controlling airflow, we generate sound.
As for Genjutsu—it's a form of mental assault, belonging to the Yin Release category. It uses subtle cues—gestures, sounds, visuals, even smells or items—to manipulate the target's mind, triggering hallucinations.
Now, Sound Release can do more than just confuse. It can calm, relax, excite, sadden, delight, or inspire nostalgia.
A master of Sound Release can use a single note or melody to stir hearts and disturb minds.
And then there's Talk no Jutsu—using vocalized Sound Release to cast Genjutsu via speech. It's the art of persuasive speech so powerful, so emotionally resonant, that people subconsciously submit to your will—as if hypnotized.
At its peak, Talk no Jutsu is Sound Release ultimate transformation. It makes the listener believe your words are absolute truth—so much so they act in accordance without even realizing they've been manipulated.
Some examples include:
Talk no Jutsu: Wound Reopening Technique – using harsh truths and painful memories to strike psychological blows.
Talk no Jutsu: Gentle Persuasion Technique – appealing directly to the heart, motivating allies or changing enemies.
Talk no Jutsu: Empathy Resonance Technique – narrating personal experiences to invoke emotional connection, drawing the target into a Genjutsu of shared pain and sympathy.
Talk no Jutsu: Inspirational Wisdom Technique – like a heartfelt lecture, disarming emotional defenses, making the target completely vulnerable, and susceptible to illusion."
"Does that make sense now?" Itachi asked calmly.
Izumi: "…"
Brain: You totally got it.
Mouth: Nope. You didn't.
One look at her bashful, embarrassed expression and Itachi could tell she hadn't understood a word.
"That's alright. Sound Release is a nature transformation of Wind Release—it takes time to learn." He offered reassurance.
By Jōnin level, most ninja had mastered at least two chakra nature transformations.
Though Izumi had awakened her Mangekyō Sharingan, it didn't necessarily mean she could manipulate Wind Release.
"Actually—I can use it!" Izumi blurted quickly.
Itachi was about to reply when he noticed her Sharingan activate—three tomoe spinning, then merging together into a heart-shaped Mangekyō.
"Mangekyō…!"
In Itachi's vision, a single red string stretched out from Izumi's chest… and wrapped around his own.
"This is my Mangekyō ability—Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto," Izumi said.
Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto—also known as the Great Land Master—was a god of civilization, the deified spirit of a nation's soul, said to have shaped the lands of Japan and wielded divine power.
Aside from protecting agriculture and commerce, his most sacred role was presiding over the annual "Divine Gathering" in the tenth month—where the eight million gods of the land came together to decide the ties of fate among mortals.
And "ties of fate" weren't just romantic bonds—they included every meaningful connection between people.
In essence, Ōkuninushi governed karma.
"This red thread connects us," Izumi explained. "And through it, I can share life with you—our abilities, memories, even our lifespan or souls. We become eternally bound—sharing life and death. As long as one of us lives, the other can't die."
"Itachi… this thread can only bind to one person, ever.
Would you… be that person?" she asked, eyes shimmering, cheeks flushed with courage.
Those words took everything she had.
It wasn't just a confession—it was her soul laid bare.
Ever since awakening her Mangekyō, Izumi had known—she could never leave Itachi again.
Itachi: "…"
The Eye of Soul Reflection… So this is what she saw, when she awakened it—that she wanted to be bound to me, even in death?
This red thread wasn't just symbolic. It was cause and consequence made manifest.
Once tied, all his secrets—all his abilities—would be exposed to her.
There'd be no more hiding… not even a stash of emergency ryo.
"Don't worry," Izumi promised. "If you don't agree, I won't access your memories or anything. I'll never violate your privacy."
"…Idiot."
Itachi looped the red thread around his finger, then gently tapped the tip of her nose.
"Two souls, bound for a lifetime,
Whose hearts ache from longing in separate places.
If we can't embrace despite yearning—
Then who is spring meant for?"
"Izumi," he said softly, "I accept your confession."
"From this day on… you're my bride-to-be."
"We'll marry when we turn eighteen."
"…Huh?" Izumi froze.
"Huh what? You don't like the sound of that?" Itachi teased, taking her hand in his.
"I do! I do—I love you! For a lifetime!"
Izumi beamed, resting her head on his shoulder with a dazed, lovestruck smile.
The one I love… loves me back. What more could I ever want?
"Alright then, I'll pass along everything I know about Wind Release, Sound Release, and Talk no Jutsu. Oh—and Rasengan, Flying Thunder God, too…"
Itachi began transferring his knowledge directly to Izumi, everything he could think of.