Izumi and Mikoto

[Acquired Materials: Byakugan's pupil power, Taijutsu, Gentle Fist: Mountain Breaker.]

Yamei walked along, analyzing the materials he had obtained from Neji.

If everything went as expected, the Uchiha clan massacre would happen around this time. Perhaps he could find an opportunity to sneak a peek at the Scroll of Sealing then.

And then there was Shisui. He hadn't contacted Yamei in two years; Yamei wondered how he was doing.

Shaking his head with a sigh, Yamei heard a sweet voice.

"Hello, I'd like an order of takoyaki."

Turning his head, he saw a young girl standing in front of a stall, her face full of anticipation. There was a mole at the corner of her right eye.

? (Uchiha Izumi.jpg)

"Uchiha Izumi."

Yamei immediately recognized the girl. She was Itachi's childhood friend, a genius from the Uchiha clan who had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Izumi also noticed Yamei staring at her and curiously approached him. "Hello, can I help you with something?"

"Uh... nothing, I just wanted to buy some takoyaki," Yamei said, pointing at the stall.

"Ha, you like takoyaki too?" Izumi looked at Yamei with a hint of surprise. "I really like this takoyaki; it's delicious. But you're still young, don't eat too much, okay?"

"Mhm, mhm, my name is Hyakawa Yamei. What's your name?" Yamei extended his hand.

Izumi, without any hesitation, shook Yamei's hand. "My name is Uchiha Izumi."

Magic Hand!

The moment he felt the touch of Izumi's palm, Yamei immediately used Magic Hand.

[Acquired Materials: Pupil power enhancement, Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique, Taijutsu]

[Mind Blank triggered...]

"Mmm~"

"!!??"

A suppressed moan sounded in his ear, and the smile on Yamei's face froze instantly.

Like a machine, he mechanically turned his head, only to see Izumi's face flushed red. Then, with her body suddenly weak, she leaned against him, using the hand holding his.

Yamei quickly reached out and supported her, feeling her trembling body.

Izumi's head rested on Yamei's shoulder, her warm breath blowing on his neck.

"Are... are you okay?" Yamei asked with concern.

"I... I'm fine. C-Could you please help me find a place to sit down, Yamei? Th-Thank you."

Izumi lowered her head, her face burning, her voice filled with shyness as she quietly requested.

She didn't dare look up at Yamei, unsure of what was happening to her.

She just felt like all her strength had suddenly vanished...

Her pants were also wet from spilled fish soup, which was uncomfortable.

"Oh, oh, okay, okay!"

Upon hearing this, Yamei quickly helped Izumi over to a nearby stool.

However, Izumi had no strength to walk. After only a couple of steps, she stumbled and almost fell.

"Ah! I twisted... I twisted my ankle..."

With a yelp, Izumi winced in pain.

"Ah, d-don't move, I'll carry you there." Yamei scooped Izumi up in a princess carry. Just as he was about to take her to the stool, his nose twitched.

"Cough... cough..."

Yamei coughed awkwardly, pretending not to notice.

Izumi's eyes were watering from embarrassment. Her face turned red all the way to her ears. She tightly hugged Yamei with both hands, resting her head on his shoulder, too ashamed to look at him.

Ah! This is so embarrassing!

What's wrong with me!

Why!? Why did holding hands with this boy turn me into this?

It's over, I'm sick!

After placing Izumi on the stool, Yamei looked at her pained expression, slightly contorted by the pain. "Let me massage it for you, or it might swell up."

"Ah... this... this might not be appropriate..." Izumi hesitated, about to refuse, when Yamei had already reached out and taken her foot.

Her pretty face flushed, and she frantically tried to pull her foot away from Yamei's grasp.

But as Yamei gently massaged the painful spot, a soothing sensation made her stop.

"How is it!? Does it feel much better?" Yamei asked, turning his head.

"Mhm, th-thank you," Izumi said. Looking at Yamei, who was massaging her foot with a gentle smile, she was momentarily lost in thought.

After a moment, Yamei put down Izumi's feet. "Your dumplings seem to be ready. I'll go get them for you, and then I'll take you home. You don't look like you can walk like this."

Izumi looked at her feet and could only nod in thanks. "Then… I'll trouble you."

"It's no trouble," Yamei said, waving his hand. After picking up the dumplings and handing them to Izumi, he crouched down slightly, signaling for her to get on.

Izumi showed a shy expression, hesitated for a moment, then leaned onto him, wrapping her arms around Yamei's neck.

The two walked slowly towards the Uchiha Clan's territory. Along the way, Izumi opened the dumplings and fed one to Yamei from time to time.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two, making them look like a couple in love.

Finally, the two arrived at the Uchiha compound. As soon as they entered, Yamei felt many gazes fixed on him.

Some were from the Anbu, and some were from the Uchiha Clan.

"It's really tense," Yamei shook his head. After finding out where Izumi lived, he escorted her home.

"Thank you for today, Yamei! I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow!" Izumi said gratefully.

"Haha, I'll look forward to it then," Yamei replied with a smile and left after saying goodbye.

Staring at Yamei until he disappeared, she finally withdrew her gaze and patted her slightly flushed cheeks.

"What's wrong with me?"

Suddenly, she remembered something, her pretty face turned red, and she quickly ran into the bathroom with a change of clothes.

Meanwhile, after leaving Izumi's house, Yamei's eyes instantly turned into Three Tomoe, and the gazes that had been watching him disappeared.

"Since I'm here, I'll go find Itachi along the way."

Yamei headed in the direction of the Uchiha Clan leader's house.

On the way, the Uchiha clan members who passed by him acted as if they didn't see him, completely ignoring him.

When he arrived at Fugaku's house, Yamei knocked on the door.

"Coming."

A gentle voice sounded, and as the door opened, a beautiful woman appeared before him.

Gentle and virtuous, time had not left any marks on her face. She looked like a girl in her early twenties, with a mature charm that a younger girl lacked.

Uchiha Mikoto!

Mikoto was stunned by the unfamiliar face before her and asked curiously, "Excuse me, who are you?"

"You can just say Aunt Mikoto, hello, my name is Hyakawa Yamei, and I'm here to see Itachi." Yamei extended his hand.

Upon hearing that he was looking for Itachi, Mikoto's face lit up with joy. Thinking he was one of Itachi's friends, she quickly reached out with a smile.

"Hello, hello, Itachi will be back in a while. Please come in and wait."

Magic Hand!

[Material acquired, pupil power strengthened, Chakra, Water Style: Water Wall Technique.]

[Sly Steal triggered. Congratulations on obtaining a pair of Uchiha Mikoto's original stockings.]

"..."

Yamei's heart skipped a beat.

What on earth was going on today!! Why were the side effects of Magic Hand triggering one after another today!

"Ahem, Yamei-kun?"

Mikoto retracted her hand, but it was still held by Yamei. Her face turned slightly red as she called out.

"Ah!? I'm so sorry… I was spacing out just now." Yamei quickly withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket.

Mikoto glanced suspiciously at Yamei's hand. The moment they let go of each other… she seemed to see something appear in his hand…

"Yamei-kun, please come in and wait. Itachi will be back in a while."

"Okay, then may I ask where Patriarch Fugaku is?"

"Oh, Fugaku went to a meeting. He'll probably be back tonight."