The only reason Renji managed to injure Shisui this time was because Shisui had let his guard down—and because he had no wish to truly harm Renji. As a shinobi, Shisui never underestimated his opponents, but when faced with a boy of only four years old, who could possibly bring themselves to fight seriously?
"That was a clever tactic."
The voice belonged to Itachi, who had been silent until now. His sudden words startled Renji. Itachi wasn't exactly cold, but he wasn't someone who spoke more than necessary either. For him to openly offer praise was no small matter.
Ding!"Side mission complete. You have gained thirty points of favor from Uchiha Itachi. Current Favorability: 50/100."
The system's notification echoed in Renji's mind, and he finally exhaled in relief. Honestly, he never knew what to think about this so-called "system." Other protagonists had cheats that boosted them at every step. His felt like some faulty secondhand knock-off—a system that existed only to trip him up.
"Itachi-nii," Renji called out, "Shisui-nii already taught me a jutsu. Shouldn't you teach me one too? Look—I've already mastered the Great Fireball. Now would be the perfect time for me to learn the next technique."
Itachi studied him for a moment, then gave a faint nod. Without another word, he weaved signs and unleashed Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu. Small but blazing fireballs scattered outward, beautiful and deadly.
Renji's eyes lit up with excitement. Accepting the scroll from Itachi, he immediately buried himself in studying it. He didn't have much time—he had to master Phoenix Flower within a single day, or the mission would fail.
Shisui and Itachi exchanged a glance, then left him to his training, walking deeper into the practice field as they usually did. But as they departed, both cast their eyes briefly toward a tall tree. Behind it, a slender figure hid, her gaze fixed on Renji.
Oblivious, Renji was completely absorbed in learning his new jutsu. Time slipped away, and before long it was noon. As expected, Izumi Uchiha appeared once more.
This time, things were different. The food she carried was all of Itachi's favorites. Even the ever-composed Itachi, whose expression rarely changed, showed a flicker of surprise.
Noticing her intentions, Shisui quietly excused himself when Izumi arrived, leaving the two alone. Renji, meanwhile, crouched out of sight, peeking mischievously from the sidelines.
Itachi, a little dense in matters of the heart, shared lunch with Izumi without realizing her feelings. Renji knew full well that unless Izumi confessed outright, Itachi would probably never notice her affection—not in a lifetime.
At last, when their meal ended, Izumi suddenly produced a folded letter from somewhere. Her face flushed as she lowered her head.
"Itachi… I really like you!"
Before Itachi could respond, Izumi bolted away at lightning speed—so fast it almost rivaled Guy after opening the Eight Gates.
Watching this, Renji sighed helplessly. "Girls being shy is normal… but Izumi-nee, that was a bit over the top, don't you think?"
"Itachi-nii." Renji stepped out from hiding once Izumi was gone. He knew Itachi's keen senses—there was no way he hadn't noticed him spying. "Itachi-nii, Izumi-nee really does like you. After finding out what foods you enjoy, she's been practicing cooking every day. She even knew you loved dango, so today she skipped class just to stand in line and buy it for you."
Itachi looked down at Renji, unreadable. Then he picked up the letter Izumi had left and began reading it carefully.
As for Renji, he slipped away. He knew that Itachi and Izumi's story wouldn't resolve in a single day. If it were that simple, his damned system would have already slapped him with a time limit.