This time, the reason Izumi was able to harm Shisui at all was entirely due to Shisui underestimating him—and his unwillingness to really hurt the four-year-old boy. While Shisui was a capable ninja who rarely underestimated an opponent, anyone facing a child as young as Izumi would likely hold back.
"Clever approach," Itachi suddenly said, breaking his usual silence. Izumi was genuinely surprised. While Itachi wasn't cold, he certainly wasn't one to speak unnecessarily. To receive praise from him was no small feat.
"Ding—side quest completed. Gained thirty points of favor with Uchiha Itachi. Current favor: 50/100."
The system's notification sounded, and Izumi exhaled in relief. He really didn't know what to make of this system. Everyone else's "cheat codes" seemed to help the protagonist—but his? This one felt like a second-hand trick that was more of a trap than a boon.
"Itachi-dono, Shisui-dono entrusted me with a jutsu. Are you going to give me one too? Look, I've already learned the Great Fireball Jutsu—now I'm ready for the next technique."
Itachi nodded at Izumi and immediately demonstrated the Fire Style: Phoenix Flower technique. Izumi's eyes lit up. He carefully took the scroll from Itachi and studied it intently. Time was short—he had to master Phoenix Flower within a single day, or the quest would fail.
Shisui and Itachi exchanged a glance and paid him no further attention, walking deeper into the training ground as usual. Yet before leaving, both glanced toward a large tree, behind which a small, slender figure crouched, her eyes fixed entirely on Izumi.
Izumi immersed himself in learning the new jutsu. Time flew by, and by noon, Izumi knew it wouldn't be long before Izumi's older sister, Izumi-mi, appeared again. This time, however, she brought food that Itachi liked. Even his usually impassive expression flickered in surprise.
Aware of her intentions, Shisui used her appearance as an excuse to leave, while Izumi watched secretly from the sidelines. The usually stoic Itachi and Izumi-mi ate lunch, seemingly oblivious to her feelings. Perhaps with Itachi's personality, if she never spoke, he might never realize them at all.
Finally, their meal ended. Somehow, Izumi-mi produced a letter, lowered her head, and said, "Itachi, I really like you!"
Before Itachi could respond, she dashed off like a streak of lightning—faster than even Guy when all Eight Gates are opened. Izumi couldn't help but shake his head. He understood that shyness was normal for girls, but this was a bit extreme.
"Itachi-dono," Izumi said, knowing Itachi would have noticed him. Once Izumi-mi was gone, he stepped out. "Itachi-dono, Izumi-mi really likes you. Ever since she learned what you like to eat, she's been practicing every day. She even knew you liked tri-colored dumplings, and today she skipped school just to stand in line for them."
Itachi looked at Izumi, thoughtful, as he picked up the letter Izumi-mi had left and began to read it carefully. As for Izumi, he quietly withdrew. Matters between Itachi and Izumi-mi wouldn't be resolved in a single day—if they were, this frustrating system would surely have imposed a time limit.