Making Trouble

A few hours later, Itachi interrupted Arima's training.

"Arima, it's time. Let's go eat?"

Arima emerged from his absorbed training state and replied, "Sure. What should we eat? Three-color dango?"

As he spoke, he controlled the Quinque in his hand, melting it like slime before it flowed back into the suitcase beside him.

Itachi considered it seriously. "Well, if Arima wants to eat something else, that's fine too."

"Alright, stop hesitating. Three-color dango it is!"

After spending this time together, Arima had come to understand Itachi, the Uchiha Clan's genius youth, somewhat.

He was gentle and mild-mannered, but whenever three-color dango was involved, he always showed a strange hint of tsundere pride.

Was it because he was afraid people would gossip that the young master of the Uchiha Clan actually liked sweets?

Whatever Itachi was thinking, Arima made the decision in a manner that allowed no refusal.

"Itachi, wait for me. I'm taking a bath first."

Fresh from training, Arima was sticky all over. He did not want to eat in that state; it would be disrespectful to the food.

Without another word, he stripped naked in front of Itachi and dove straight into the lake beside the training ground.

"Itachi, the water's nice and cool. Want to come soak with me?"

At Arima's invitation, Itachi's brow twitched slightly.

"I'll pass."

He was the son of the Uchiha Clan head, after all. If people found out he had gone swimming naked in the wilderness, even his father would lose face.

Then again, Arima had once been a noble too, hadn't he? Itachi had not expected him to be so unconcerned with decorum.

Though he had only been a noble from a small country, a noble was still a noble.

Itachi had once visited the capital of the Land of Fire