Walking toward him was Uchiha Itachi, his short black hair framing his calm face. Beside him was a girl with long, flowing black hair, a beauty mark beneath her right eye, and a violet kimono draped gracefully over her form.
The two of them chatted cheerfully while sharing a skewer of dango.
The girl's smile was radiant as she said,
"Itachi, let's call this dango a celebration for you joining the Anbu. Consider it your welcome feast."
"Joining the Anbu at just eleven—you really are a genius."
The Anbu were directly under the Hokage's command, its members chosen from the very best of the village.
For Itachi to be accepted at only eleven marked him as a prodigy without equal.
Uchiha Itachi smiled faintly.
"Thank you for celebrating with me."
"You're a genius too. You've already awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan."
Izumi chuckled softly.
"Of course! I awakened my Sharingan earlier than you, and my taijutsu is pretty solid too."
"One day, I'll become a powerful kunoichi."
It was at that moment that she noticed someone approaching—Uchiha Ryosuke.
To her, he was one of the few who had treated her kindly.
Her father had defied the clan to marry a Senju woman. But he'd died tragically in the Nine-Tails' attack.
With the Senju in decline, her mother had no choice but to bring her back to the Uchiha compound.
But there she had been met with disdain, sneers, even harassment from radicals in the clan. Each time, it had been Ryosuke who stepped in to protect them.
Though his strength was ordinary, he was the grandson of Uchiha Shin, the clan's great elder. His status was far above that of a nobody like her.
"Ryosuke-nii."
"What are you doing here? Don't you have patrol duty with the police force?"
Itachi regarded the two of them calmly.
He and Ryosuke had little to do with each other. To him, Ryosuke was nothing more than an unremarkable shinobi.
Ryosuke, however, looked at Itachi with cold eyes.
So these two really were childhood sweethearts…
But Itachi didn't deserve her.
On the Night of the Massacre, he had shown no mercy.
With his brilliance, there was no way he didn't know Izumi was still in the compound.
Yet he still raised his blade.
Even against such a gentle, lovely girl.
On that night, Izumi had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Those eyes had been destined to be gouged out.
It was tragic.
Utterly inhuman.
The so-called "Will of Fire" had twisted everything.
No—this delicate, beautiful girl deserved someone to protect her.
"Izumi," Ryosuke said firmly, "be with me."
Izumi froze, her lips parting in shock.
She was a girl, after all—and Ryosuke-nii's words sounded so much like a confession.
Tentatively, she asked,
"Ryosuke-nii… are you confessing to me?"
Ryosuke nodded.
It was a confession. He wanted to take her away from Itachi.
Itachi, who had no right to such a childhood companion.
Izumi's heart fluttered.
Being liked felt… wonderful.
Ryosuke-nii was indeed kind, handsome, and dependable.
But deep down, she still liked Itachi more.
They were the same age. During the Nine-Tails' attack, he had saved her life.
He might not be as strikingly handsome as Ryosuke, but his quiet charm drew her in.
Yet… could she reject Ryosuke in front of Itachi without wounding his pride?
After all, Ryosuke-nii was a good man.
As she wrestled with the dilemma, Itachi finally spoke.
"Uchiha Ryosuke, you've gone too far."
"Izumi isn't even of age. She won't play your little love games."