Izumi and Mikoto

Materials acquired: Byakugan Dojutsu Power, taijutsu, Gentle Fist: Mountain Breaker.

As Yamei walked, he analyzed the materials he had obtained from Neji.

If nothing unexpected happened, the night of the Uchiha Clan annihilation would take place around this time. Perhaps then he could find an opportunity to take a look at the Scroll of Sealing.

And there was Shisui. Two years had passed without him contacting Yamei. He wondered how things were going over there.

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

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

Turning to look, he saw a young girl standing expectantly before a stall. There was a black mole at the corner of her right eye.

?(Uchiha Izumi.jpg)

"Uchiha Izumi."

Yamei immediately remembered the girl. She was Itachi's childhood friend, a genius of the Uchiha Clan, and a girl who had awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Izumi also noticed Yamei staring at her. Curious, she walked over and asked, "Hello, is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh... it's nothing. I just wanted to buy some takoyaki." Yamei pointed at the stall.

"Huh, you like takoyaki too?" Izumi gave him a pleasantly surprised look. "I really like the ones from this stall. They're delicious, but you're still little, so don't eat too much."

"Mm-hm. My name is Hyakawa Yamei. What's your name?" Yamei held out his hand.

Without any guard up, Izumi shook his hand. "My name is Uchiha Izumi."

Magic Hand!

The instant he felt Izumi's palm, Yamei immediately used Magic Hand.

Materials acquired: Dojutsu Power enhancement, Fire Style: Great Fire Dragon Technique, taijutsu.

Mind Blank activated...

"Mm~"

"!!??"

A suppressed sound rang out beside him, and the smile on Yamei's face instantly froze.

He raised his head stiffly, like a machine creaking into motion, and saw Izumi's face flushed red. Then, her whole body went limp, and she leaned against him using the hand she was holding.

Yamei hurriedly reached out to support her, feeling her body tremble slightly.

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

"Are... are you all right?" Yamei asked with concern.

"I-I'm fine. P-please, Yamei, take me somewhere to sit down. Th-thank you."

Izumi lowered her head, her face burning hot. Her voice was shy as she made her quiet request.

She did not dare look up at Yamei at all. She had no idea what was happening.

She just suddenly felt like all the strength had drained from her body...

Her pants had also been splashed wet by spilled fish soup, making her feel uncomfortable.

"O-okay, of course!"

Hearing that, Yamei quickly helped Izumi toward a bench nearby.

However, Izumi had no strength to walk at all. After only two steps, she staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

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

With a twist, Izumi narrowed her eyes in pain.

"Ah, d-don't move. I'll carry you over." Yamei scooped Izumi up in a princess carry and was about to take her to the bench when his nose suddenly twitched.

"Cough, cough..."

Yamei coughed awkwardly twice, pretending not to notice.

Izumi's eyes practically spun with embarrassment. Her face reddened all the way to her ears as she tightly wrapped her arms around Yamei and rested her head against his shoulder, not daring to look at him.

Ah! This is so embarrassing!

What's wrong with me!?

Why!? Why did shaking hands with this boy once make me end up like this?

It's over. I'm sick!

After setting Izumi down on the bench, Yamei saw the slight pain on her face and said, "Let me massage it for you. Otherwise, it'll swell up."

"Ah... th-this isn't very appropriate, is it..." Izumi hesitated and was about to refuse when Yamei had already reached out and taken hold of her foot.

Her pretty face reddened as she hurriedly tried to pull her foot from Yamei's hands.

But when Yamei gently rubbed it, a soothing sensation spread from the painful spot, causing her to stop moving.

"How is it? Does it feel much better?" Yamei turned his head and asked.

"Mm-hm, th-thank you." Izumi looked at Yamei, who was massaging her foot with a gentle smile, and could not help but stare blankly for a moment.

Before long, Yamei set Izumi's foot down. "Your takoyaki seems to be ready. I'll go get it for you, then take you home. You don't look like you can walk in your condition."

Izumi looked at her foot and could only nod gratefully. "Then... I'll have to trouble you."

"It's no trouble."

Yamei waved his hand, picked up the takoyaki and handed it to Izumi, then crouched slightly to signal for her to climb onto his back.

Izumi wore a shy expression. After hesitating for a moment, she leaned onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

The two slowly headed toward the Uchiha Clan. Along the way, Izumi opened the takoyaki and occasionally fed one to Yamei.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, making them look like a couple deeply in love.

At last, they arrived at the Uchiha Clan compound. The moment they entered, Yamei felt many gazes fixed upon him.

Some belonged to the Anbu, while others belonged to the Uchiha Clan.

"They really are at each other's throats." Yamei shook his head. After asking where Izumi's home was, he escorted her there.

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

"Haha, then I'll look forward to it." Yamei accepted with a smile, bid her farewell, and left.

Izumi kept staring after Yamei. Only after he disappeared from sight did she withdraw her gaze and pat her slightly flushed face.

"What's wrong with me?"

Then she suddenly remembered something. Her pretty face turned red, and she hurried into the bathroom with a change of clothes.

Meanwhile, after Yamei left Izumi's home, his eyes instantly transformed into Three Tomoe Sharingan. The gazes watching him from all around immediately vanished.

"Since I'm here, I might as well go find Itachi."

Yamei headed toward the Uchiha Clan Head's residence.

Along the way, every Uchiha Clan member who passed by him acted as though they could not see him, completely ignoring him.

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

"I'm coming."

A gentle voice rang out. As the door opened, a beautiful woman appeared before him.

Gentle and virtuous, time had left no marks on her face. She looked like a girl in her twenties, yet possessed a mature charm that young girls lacked.

Uchiha Mikoto!

Mikoto was startled by the unfamiliar face before her and asked curiously, "May I ask who you are?"

"You can call me Aunt Mikoto. Hello, my name is Hyakawa Yamei. I'm here to see Itachi."

Yamei held out his hand.

The moment Mikoto heard that he was here for Itachi, her face brightened. Thinking that he was Itachi's friend, she quickly smiled and held out her hand.

"Hello, hello. Itachi won't be back for a while yet. Please come in and wait."

Magic Hand!

Materials acquired: Dojutsu Power enhancement, Chakra, Water Style: Water Wall Technique.

Opportunistic Theft activated. Congratulations, you have obtained one pair of Uchiha Mikoto's original-flavor pantyhose.

"..."

Yamei's heart skipped a beat.

What the hell is going on today!? Why are Magic Hand's side effects triggering one after another today!?

"Cough, cough... Lord Yamei?"

Mikoto pulled her hand back, but she could not free it from Yamei's grasp. Her face reddened slightly as she called out to him.

"Ah!? I'm terribly sorry... I was lost in thought just now." Yamei withdrew his hand with lightning speed and shoved it into his pocket.

Mikoto gave Yamei's hand a suspicious glance. At the instant he had let go of her... she seemed to have seen something extra appear in his hand...

"Lord Yamei, come in and wait. Itachi won't be back for a while."

"Okay. Then may I ask where Clan Head Fugaku is?"

"Oh, Fugaku went to a meeting. He probably won't be back until tonight."