The Last Warmth

Chapter 48: The Last Warmth

Several days later.

"Itachi!"

Izumi ran to Itachi's doorstep and called out to him.

Thanks to Kagami's situation, Izumi was finally able to get in touch with Itachi. Otherwise, it was difficult for Izumi to see Itachi, who was usually in the Anbu.

"Ah, it's Izumi."

Itachi smiled gently and nodded at Izumi. After Shisui's death and Kagami's defection, in the vast Konoha, only his parents, Sasuke, and this girl in front of him could bring a little warmth to Itachi's heart.

"Want to go get some three-colored dango together today?"

"Ah, this, next time..."

Itachi hesitated. He wanted to say next time. He wanted to dedicate all his time to the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha. He wanted to do everything he could to find a solution to this conflict. However, as the words reached his lips, Itachi felt a pang of reluctance. After meeting Izumi for several consecutive days, he had tasted a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.

Whether it was the Konoha higher-ups or the Uchiha higher-ups, they were all too cold. Itachi had no choice but to turn himself into a machine, a machine to protect the village, without a trace of emotion, like a block of ice.

But after tasting that warmth, he seemed to have turned back into a [person]. He was reluctant to refuse that warmth, truly reluctant.

But Konoha and the Uchiha needed him.

Thinking of this, the longing in Itachi's eyes was suppressed fiercely. He smiled slightly, as if he really didn't care.

"Izumi, I still have things to do. Next time."

"R-really? But, Itachi..."

Izumi looked at Itachi hesitantly. If Itachi had directly refused Izumi's invitation, she wouldn't have pestered him. However, Izumi had clearly seen the fleeting longing in Itachi's eyes just now.

Izumi wasn't a foolish girl. She could probably guess that Itachi had something he needed to do that required him to suppress his emotions. But precisely because of this, she couldn't help but feel a little heartbroken. She didn't want Itachi to do things that went against his own will. She hoped that Itachi could live happily, just like when he was a child. Although he was a genius, he lived freely and occasionally shyly.

"Alright."

Izumi ultimately didn't force Itachi to stay. She didn't want to force him. Itachi was already under so much pressure; she really didn't dare to add more worries to him.

Izumi knew that they were no longer children.

"Itachi, go!"

However, a voice came from behind Itachi. It was Fugaku Uchiha's voice.

Fugaku looked at Itachi coldly.

"Go. Don't just focus on Anbu missions all day. There aren't that many Anbu missions."

This father, despite being the Clan Head of the Uchiha and knowing how much the Uchiha and Konoha needed Itachi, still softened his heart.

Itachi was his son, after all.

Go, go have some fun. I can't even bear to deny my son a day of leisure.

Fugaku said in his heart, feeling a pang of heartache.

But on his face, Fugaku still spoke coldly.

"This is an order from me as your father, and as the Uchiha Clan Head. You don't need to carry out any missions today, understand?!"

Itachi frowned slightly.

"But, Father..."

"Understand?!"

Fugaku interrupted Itachi forcefully.

Go, go. You've already worked hard enough, Itachi. One day is really not much. Hurry up and go!

Itachi still hesitated.

"Father, I think..."

"Don't you understand what I'm saying? You don't need to carry out missions today. I'm saying this for the last time, understand?!"

Fugaku interrupted Itachi again.

Itachi opened his mouth, seeming to want to explain further, but seeing the sternness in Fugaku's eyes, he finally didn't retort again. He nodded.

"I understand."

Deep in his eyes, there was a hint of uncontrollable emotion. How could Itachi not understand Fugaku's intentions?

It was just that circumstances forced people's hands. In this environment, Fugaku, as the Uchiha Clan Head, had to wear a mask. Itachi, as an Anbu, also had to wear a mask.

Itachi, thinking of Fugaku and the Uchiha clan, wanted to dedicate all his time to the Uchiha and the village. Fugaku, thinking of Itachi's emotions, didn't want his son to become a ninja devoid of emotion. He hoped Itachi could live a little happier.

This father and son were both thinking of each other, but they acted like they were arguing, and even their emotions had to be hidden deep within their eyes. This era was undoubtedly cruel to this father and son.

A moment later, Itachi and Izumi left together.

Fugaku stood in the courtyard, lost in thought.

"They've left. That's good."

Mikoto Uchiha walked out from behind Fugaku, smiling as she looked in the direction Itachi and the others had departed.

Fugaku looked at Mikoto Uchiha and sighed, a hint of apology in his voice.

"Itachi carries too much. As a father, I've failed this child."

Mikoto Uchiha gave Fugaku a gentle smile.

"You and your son are alike. I understand. You both did your best. It's me who can't seem to be of any use."

A smile slowly spread across Fugaku's face. He turned and walked back into their home.

"Don't say foolish things."

In the midst of this oppressive feud between clan and village, everyone involved needed comfort. Itachi couldn't bear to abandon the warmth Izumi brought him, and Fugaku couldn't bear to abandon the warmth Mikoto Uchiha brought him.

This village was too cold for them, the Uchiha. They needed to find something warm to hold onto, to keep themselves from breaking.

By the river.

Izumi and Itachi sat on a bridge, eating the three-colored dango they had bought.

"Itachi, you've awakened the same eyes as mine now, haven't you?"

Izumi said suddenly, while eating her dango.

When they were children, Izumi and Itachi had once sat in this very spot.

At first, Izumi, feeling bold, had said to Itachi with a hint of self-importance and a touch of pitifulness, that a genius like Itachi probably wouldn't like three-colored dango. Then, she had pitifully retracted the dango she had offered to Itachi, intending to share it with him, and started eating it herself. As a result, Itachi had just stared blankly at Izumi, his mouth watering.

It was from that day that Izumi learned Itachi also liked three-colored dango.

That time, to apologize to Itachi, Izumi had offered to give him a gift.

As a result, Itachi had looked at Izumi's eyes. Izumi's eyes had evolved to three tomoe due to the Nine-Tails' Rampage and the loss of her parents.

At that time, Itachi had just awakened his Sharingan and knew the pain of awakening it. Perhaps Itachi had only felt a bit of pity for Izumi.

But Izumi thought Itachi wanted her eyes. She lowered her head and said dejectedly, "I'm sorry, I can't give you this."

Now, Izumi asked Itachi if he had awakened the same eyes for one reason only.

Itachi paused for a moment, then replied.

"Yes."

"It must have hurt a lot, right? I understand."

Izumi said with pity. She just wanted to comfort Itachi. For some reason, she always felt that Itachi was suffering greatly, immensely.

Itachi was silent for a long time, then said faintly.

"Yes, it hurt a lot."

A simple sentence, yet it contained an unknown amount of pain.

Izumi smiled slightly.

"In the future, if you're in pain, Itachi, come and talk to me. I don't want to see you sad."

Itachi was stunned. He could tell that the girl before him was speaking from the heart.

"What do you say? I'm very reliable, you know! It's hard to bear pain alone, Itachi. I know that. So, if you're in any pain, please share it with me! I'm very reliable, you know!"

The phrase "I'm very reliable, you know!" was repeated twice by Izumi. She seemed to really want to prove herself to Itachi, to help him share his pain.

This time, Itachi didn't immediately agree. Izumi's gaze shifted from expectation and longing to disappointment. She forced a smile and said, "I'm sorry, Itachi. I was too presumptuous. Honestly, how could someone like me understand a genius like you? I'm so sorry, it's all my fault, I'm truly sorry. Just pretend I never said any of this."

Just like when they were children, this girl, once she started apologizing, would say "sorry" repeatedly. It was as if only by doing so could she express her remorse, making her endearingly pitiable.

Itachi's dark pupils reflected Izumi's image. Even now, he hadn't answered Izumi. Instead, he raised his hand and gently flicked her cheek.

"You got dango on your face."

In that moment, bathed in the setting sun, both of them blushed.

After a long while, Itachi and Izumi stood up, ready to leave.

However, as they turned, they saw a person wearing an Akatsuki robe, their face hidden by a conical hat, standing not far behind them, facing away from them.

Izumi was slightly surprised. This scene was exactly the same as when she had encountered Kagami a few days ago.

But Itachi showed no surprise at all. He acted as if he hadn't seen Kagami at all and walked past with Izumi.

Thus, the three passed each other. Itachi and Izumi didn't stop, as if they truly hadn't seen Kagami.

However, Kagami smiled with satisfaction. The moment he brushed past Itachi, Kagami's lips moved slightly. Although no sound was made, Kagami believed that Itachi would understand his words by reading his lips.

After they passed, Izumi turned her head slightly and looked back, but the spot was empty, as if no one had been there at all.

"Huh? Itachi, did you see that person just now?"

A warm smile appeared on Itachi's usually calm face.

"I did."

At that very moment, Itachi also said something to Kagami.

In that fleeting moment as they passed, Kagami had said to Itachi:

"She's a wonderful girl, Itachi. Don't you dare lose her."

Itachi said this to Kagami.

"Remember to protect yourself."

The setting sun cast a warm glow over the small riverbank. Even though this village could be so cold, here, people still offered their flames to warm others.

This was the last warmth.

Good morning, friends!

Originally, this scene wasn't in my planned draft; I had skipped straight past it. But after thinking it over, I decided to write it. I really didn't want Itachi to suffer constantly. Before the clan extermination, I wanted to give him a bit of warmth.

I'm not sure if I wrote it well. I'm not very good at writing romance scenes, but I really wanted to this time, so I went ahead and did it.

If it's not written well, I hope my friends will understand. Thank you!

Also, March 27th is Hanabi Hyuga's birthday. As a novice, I'd like to represent this book in celebrating her birthday.

— Happy birthday, Hanabi! You're another year older!

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