Ran watched the faint smile lingering on Itachi's face, the corners of his own lips lifting slightly.
In the original timeline, Itachi had been a lonely, isolated existence—used and discarded by the village's higher-ups. In reality, those same people had always looked down on him. Returning home, burdened by his identity as a double agent, he was met with suspicion and distance from his own clan.
But from today onward, everything had changed.
Because he had a younger brother who was Hokage.
From now on, the clan would treat Itachi with warmth instead of wariness. The village would no longer avoid him—there would even be people eager to curry favor, hoping to call him "brother."
Just like the saying went: when one person ascends, even their chickens and dogs rise with them.
Ran chuckled softly and lifted his teacup. His transmigration truly hadn't been in vain. This—this warmth, this ease—felt like a real home, not the rigid atmosphere of superiors interrogating subordinates day after day.
Uchiha Fugaku spoke again, his tone serious but calm.
"Itachi, you're not young anymore. It's time to consider marriage. That girl—Uchiha Izumi—is quite good. She's pretty, and more importantly, she has a gentle nature. She also likes you."
Itachi's face instantly flushed red.
"Father! I'm still young! I haven't even reached the age for marriage yet!"
He was nearly fourteen. In the shinobi world, marrying and having children at that age wasn't unusual. But given Itachi's past circumstances…
No family had been willing to marry their precious daughter to him.
Who would want a traitor? A turncoat?
The reason Izumi had dared to express her feelings so openly was simple: her parents were dead. She lived with her grandmother, and thanks to the inheritance her parents left behind, her life was relatively comfortable. More importantly, her grandmother was an ordinary clan member who knew nothing of Itachi's role.
And Izumi genuinely liked Itachi—unreservedly so.
Even when others spoke ill of him, she would still stand firmly at his side, telling everyone, "Itachi must have his reasons."
Unfortunately, in the original story, that faith had been misplaced.
Itachi really had betrayed the Uchiha, and together with Uchiha Obito, wiped out the entire clan.
Yet even so, Itachi had given Izumi his final tenderness.
After Obito killed her, Itachi cast Tsukuyomi upon her, allowing her to live out an entire lifetime with him in that illusory world—sweet, peaceful, and complete.
Knowing all of this, Ran silently sipped his tea and looked at Itachi.
Thankfully, what he saw now was not pain—but shyness, and a trace of joy.
Ran stood up.
"Big brother, you're really not young anymore," he said calmly. "It is time to think about marriage. Izumi is a good person. She has only ever had you in her heart."
"When you were a double agent, she was the only one who believed in you, supported you, and spoke up for you."
"It's rare to find someone like that. Please don't break her heart."
"If you like her," Ran continued with a faint smile, "then as Hokage—and as your younger brother—I can take charge and hold a grand wedding for the two of you."
He wasn't doing this for Itachi.
He was doing it for Izumi.
For the Izumi who, in another timeline, had died tragically—pure-hearted, seeking goodness, yet dying in the arms of the man she loved.
Regardless of intent, her death had been tied to Itachi. That much could not be denied.
Itachi froze, his thoughts drifting far into the past.
When he was six, he had once wandered the streets alone, his mood heavy. Because he was an Uchiha, many people treated him coldly. He didn't understand why. Was it simply because of his clan?
Eventually, he sat down beside a river, staring at the water in silence.
Then—a sweet scent drifted into his nose.
He looked up to see Uchiha Izumi crouching beside him, smiling brightly.
"Hey, hey, Itachi," she said. "Why are you sitting alone by the river? That's dangerous, you know."
Itachi turned his head away, ignoring her.
Yet his eyes kept drifting back to the three-color dango in her hand.
Izumi simply walked around to the side he was facing.
"I heard that eating sweets when you're unhappy can make you feel better," she said cheerfully. "How about this—I'll treat you to some dango?"
Before he could respond, she handed him a skewer.
"Here, take it!"
Itachi stared at the pink, green, and white dumplings. He swallowed, then finally took them and bit down.
Soft, chewy rice. Sweet filling. The fragrance lingered on his lips.
Most importantly—it was sweet.
His eyes instantly lit up as he finished the skewer at astonishing speed.
Izumi laughed happily and handed him another.
"Have you eaten?" Itachi asked hesitantly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Of course. I'm already full. These were bought just for you."
Relieved, Itachi accepted it and continued eating.
"Wait for me here," Izumi said suddenly. "I'll be right back."
He nodded, still focused on the dango.
By the time he finished, Izumi had returned—this time carrying a bag with several boxes inside.
Itachi's eyes widened.
She smiled. "Seeing how much you liked them, I thought I'd get more. Want to eat together?"
Like a wife coaxing her husband, she sat beside him.
And so the two of them ate and talked by the river until sunset.
At some point, Fugaku arrived quietly atop the riverbank.
For the first time, he didn't urge Itachi to leave immediately.
Only after the conversation ended did he speak.
"Itachi. Time to go home."
The smile on Itachi's face faded, returning to calm composure.
That moment felt like a knife twisting in Izumi's heart.
"I have to go," Itachi said. "Thank you for the dango, Izumi. I'll treat you next time."
"Mhm."
He turned to leave.
Then Izumi suddenly spoke again.
"If you're unhappy in the future… you can come find me. My house is located at—"
Itachi froze.
He turned back, his eyes red-rimmed.
Izumi's eyes were red as well.
Fugaku placed a hand on Itachi's head.
"If you like her," he said quietly, "then stay in touch. Now let's go home—your mother has prepared dinner."
Itachi nodded heavily.
It was unclear whether that nod was meant for his father—
Or for Izumi.
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