I'm Here

"Hmph! Since you're being so sincere, I'll give you a chance. But you have to agree to one condition first."

Flowing Fire shoved Ye Wuyue away, raised a finger, and spoke to him.

"Please, tell me." Ye Wuyue immediately sat up straight, ready to seriously listen to Flowing Fire's condition.

"I want you to quickly meet the requirements for materializing me in the World of the Living, then take me to eat all the delicious food in this world!" Flowing Fire said solemnly.

Ye Wuyue: (O_O)

Shinso: (O_O)

Flowing Fire looked at their expressions and asked somewhat suspiciously, "What's wrong? Is this condition difficult to fulfill? Even if it is, you still have to agree. Otherwise, I'll never give you the chance to successfully cultivate Bankai."

Ye Wuyue immediately came to his senses and quickly said, "I agree! I'll swear an oath right now!"

Then Ye Wuyue immediately raised three fingers and began to swear, afraid that Flowing Fire would change her mind.

"I, Ye Wuyue, swear upon my soul that I will cultivate as quickly as possible so that Sister Flowing Fire can materialize in the World of the Living as soon as possible. Then I'll take her to eat every delicacy in this world! If I break this oath, may my soul fall into hell forever, never to be redeemed!" Ye Wuyue wore a solemn expression as he shouted the oath.

Seeing how resolute Ye Wuyue was, and how harsh his oath had been, Flowing Fire was moved for a moment. Her beautiful eyes softened considerably.

"You... you're so obedient! Since you've said all that, your big sister can't treat you badly either. Once you meet the requirements for Bankai, I'll definitely let you pass easily! From now on, I'll protect you whenever anything happens!" Flowing Fire happily patted Ye Wuyue on the shoulder, having long since tossed aside their earlier unpleasantness.

A bead of sweat appeared on Shinso's forehead. This girl is way too easy to satisfy.

"Alright, since you've agreed to my condition, hurry back and cultivate. I'll wait for the day you bring me to the World of the Living." With a wave of Flowing Fire's delicate hand, Ye Wuyue's body immediately fell backward against his will.

Darkness filled Ye Wuyue's vision. As his consciousness returned, the pain and exhaustion in his body surged forth at once. The excitement and joy from receiving responses from Flowing Blade, Like Fire and Shinso were suppressed by the fatigue.

I'm so tired. I can't even lift my eyelids...

In the end, Ye Wuyue failed to wake up and fell asleep just like that. This was only the second time he had truly slept since coming to this world. Ever since obtaining the Spiritual Pressure Training Method, he had spent every night meditating, since meditation could relieve fatigue, restore his spirit, and increase his spiritual power. But today, he was simply too exhausted.

The next morning.

After sleeping through the night, Ye Wuyue felt greatly refreshed, and his body was no longer so fatigued. An occasional good sleep felt incredibly comfortable.

"Itachi, go get some sleep. I'll watch Sasuke for now. Aunt Mikoto said you haven't rested all night." A sweet voice sounded beside him. Ye Wuyue could tell it was Izumi's voice.

Slowly opening his eyes, Ye Wuyue saw Itachi sitting by his bed. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked as though he had not slept all night. Izumi stood nearby, watching Itachi worriedly. Fugaku and Mikoto seemed to be out.

"No, I..." Itachi had only spoken a few words before freezing. He saw that his younger brother had awakened and was looking at him.

"Sasuke, you're awake! How do you feel? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat right now!"

Itachi shot up from his chair, his expression immediately turning joyful as he kept asking Ye Wuyue questions.

"Whew, little Sasuke, you're finally awake. You worried me to death. If you hadn't woken up soon, Itachi probably would have worried himself sick," Izumi teased.

After receiving the news and coming to Fugaku's house, she had constantly felt the heavy, oppressive atmosphere here. Now that Sasuke had awakened, she immediately made a small joke, hoping to lighten the mood.

Seeing Itachi and Izumi worrying about him and being so happy for him, Ye Wuyue's eyes grew moist. Here, he could feel the true warmth of a family, something he had never known after being abandoned in his previous life.

I'll definitely protect everyone who loves me! Ye Wuyue silently made up his mind.

"Brother, I'm fine. I was probably just too tired. Sorry for making you worry," Ye Wuyue said with a smile as he slowly sat up.

Itachi hurried forward to support him, then picked up a pillow and placed it behind his back so he could lean against it.

Hearing Ye Wuyue's words, Itachi smiled and rubbed Sasuke's head. "What are you saying? You're our little brother. It's only natural for us to worry about you. You don't need to apologize."

Izumi had been smiling as she watched the heartwarming scene, but when Itachi said, "our little brother," her face suddenly flushed red. She hurriedly covered her face with both hands and turned away.

Itachi just said, 'our little brother'! Does that mean he accepts me? Ahhhh! What do I do? This is so embarrassing!

The moment Ye Wuyue saw Izumi covering her face and squirming around, he understood what she was thinking. He chuckled softly and said, "Thank you for coming to see me, Sister Izumi. Come to think of it, you and my brother really do look good together."

"Huh? Do... do we? Do Itachi and I really look good together?" Izumi turned around and asked excitedly.

Ye Wuyue's words made Izumi even happier, to the point that she was stumbling over her words.

In comparison, Itachi was much calmer. He did not notice Izumi's reaction at all. His attention was fixed entirely on his younger brother.

"Of course," Ye Wuyue answered with a nod.

Itachi and Izumi were both eleven years old now. Itachi was slightly taller than Izumi, and both wore the high-collared black clothes commonly worn by the Uchiha Clan, making them look as though they were dressed in matching couple outfits.

They were also a handsome pair. There was no need to mention Itachi's looks—he was the only member of the Uchiha Clan who used conditioner. Izumi had long, beautiful black hair as well, cascading down and covering half of the Konoha forehead protector on her forehead. A beauty mark beneath the corner of her right eye added even more charm to her appearance.

Standing together, they really were a perfect match. They were just a little young.

After receiving Ye Wuyue's confirmation, Izumi felt as though she were floating among the clouds. Hearts seemed to constantly pop up over her head as she occasionally stole glances at Itachi.

"Brother, what about the clan now..."

Ye Wuyue turned his head, his expression becoming serious. He could roughly guess that something had gone wrong within the clan.

Uchiha Setsuna's scheme to kill him and frame Danzo had been exposed, and he had nearly died because of it. No matter how good Fugaku's temper was or how much he considered the clan, he could not possibly endure this. The conflict between the hawks and doves within the Uchiha Clan was very likely to be ignited by this incident.

The smile on Itachi's face slowly disappeared when he heard Ye Wuyue's question. With his intelligence and sharp instincts, he naturally knew how serious the situation was. It was even worse than Ye Wuyue imagined.

"These matters aren't something you need to worry about yet. Father and I will handle them. Just focus on going to school. No matter how serious things get, your brother will bear it for you," Itachi said, not answering his younger brother's question. He did not think this was something a child should be considering.

"But..."

Ye Wuyue wanted to say something else, but before he could speak, Itachi held his head and pressed their foreheads together.

"Don't worry. Your brother is here."