Izumi

Shisui Uchiha stood alone before the waterfall. His usual cheerfulness and gentleness had become an inscrutable sorrow.

"Konoha was founded by the Senju and Uchiha Clans, yet now the little princess of the Senju Clan had been left to wander outside the village."

"After the Nine-Tails Incident, the Sarutobi Clan naturally occupied the core territory that had originally belonged to the Uchiha, growing stronger and stronger."

"Brother Shisui, could you use your position in the Anbu to uncover Naruto's origins and clear him of the demon fox stigma?"

"Itachi had been meeting with outsiders in secret."

Recalling Arata's words, Shisui's mind was in chaos.

Clear Naruto Uzumaki's name?

Thinking carefully, the Hokage had never given him an opportunity to get close to Naruto. Whenever his squad was assigned to monitor him, some unexpected mission would always interrupt them.

Yet at the time, he had only known how to carry out missions. He had never thought about any of this.

Could everything truly be as Arata had said?

Had the Third Hoshikage never intended to help the Uchiha? Was his superficial support merely a means to use the Uchiha's strength to suppress surrounding enemies and exhaust the clan's capable fighters?

On the battlefield, members of the Sarutobi Clan did indeed seem to be rarely seen.

And although those vicious people from the Mist Village clearly specialized in Water Release, they had deliberately placed the Fire Release-specializing Uchiha Clan at the very front.

In what felt like frozen time, Shisui thought of many things.

Yet he still refused to accept the truth.

"The Senju Clan declined because Lord Tobirama had dispersed its members among the various clans, hoping that the families could support one another and truly integrate into Konoha."

"Lady Tsunade left only because the war had left her disheartened."

"The Mangekyō Sharingan truly possessed the power to control the Nine-Tails. The Third Hoshikage's arrangements were also for the greater good, to ease the concerns of the other clans."

"Naruto..."

"Naruto might truly be the Fourth Hokage's child, but the Hokage had concealed everything to protect him. After all, Lord Minato had made too many enemies in the past."

Shisui Uchiha kept pondering, then overturning his own conclusions.

He truly did not want to believe that the kind, white-haired old man had been deceiving him.

"As for Itachi..."

"Shisui, you were looking for me?"

The voice in his ears shattered Shisui Uchiha's train of thought.

"Yeah. I found out why Arata wanted to kill you."

Looking at the all-too-familiar young man beside him, memories of playing, training, and carrying out missions together flooded back. He struggled to suppress the negative information deep within his heart.

Itachi Uchiha did not answer immediately, but the understanding in his eyes betrayed his feelings.

That guy really wanted to erase him.

However, over the past few days, he had also learned something.

Arata had never been in contact with the Masked Man. On the contrary, the other party had revealed two pieces of information to him:

First, he came from Akatsuki, an independent organization established long ago that belonged to no faction and aspired to create a peaceful world without war.

Second, he had once belonged to the Uchiha Clan, but now he no longer held even the slightest attachment to that decayed family. He had returned only to see old acquaintances.

Naturally, Itachi did not believe the reason he gave for returning.

"Arata said that you had recently been in contact with someone outside the clan."

"And as more and more voices within the clan had become dissatisfied with you, he wanted to remove you as a hidden danger."

Shisui Uchiha spoke slowly, without concealing anything.

Because Itachi was his best friend in the clan.

Just as he had said during the trial, he trusted Itachi completely.

"I understand."

Itachi replied quietly.

Arata had actually noticed that person infiltrating the clan. That was something he had not anticipated.

But now, everything made sense.

"So, who was that person?"

Shisui asked with great seriousness.

No matter how Itachi answered—whether it was an Anbu colleague, a companion from another clan, or anything else—he would believe him without hesitation.

But...

"I'm sorry. I still can't tell you."

Itachi Uchiha's eyes were full of apology. He did not want to casually fabricate a lie to deceive this companion who was both friend and mentor.

Because that person wanted to make a deal with him.

The contents of the deal involved Sasuke.

"It's fine."

Shisui's spirits dipped slightly, but he still put on an expression as though nothing was wrong.

Arata had openly told him why he wanted to kill Itachi, even though he knew that such an untenable reason would leave him beyond redemption.

Likewise, he had told Itachi everything Arata had said about himself without reservation, yet this was the response he received...

That Masked Man definitely was not an Anbu colleague.

Arata's words had already confirmed one point. Then were the rest of them true as well?

Shisui was lost.

Standing at the entrance to the clan compound, Arata hesitated to move forward.

The lights in his view remained as they had always been, and the scent of rice still lingered in the air. This had once been his favorite road to walk after returning from training each day.

Yet after only a few days, it had become the road he feared most.

He had clearly prepared himself for everything when he issued the challenge.

Then why did his heart still feel uneasy when he reached this place?

Perhaps he did not want to lose the care and concern his clansmen had shown him over the past five years.

After hesitating for a long while, he still followed the road forward.

Bang.

A loud crash rang out beside his ear. Someone had slammed a door shut.

Although Arata's expression did not change, his heart abruptly clenched at the sound.

"Tch. You're still alive? What bad luck."

A clansman on night patrol passed by, openly cursing as though afraid the target would not hear him.

Arata ignored him and continued onward.

The lamplight slowly stretched his shadow, bleak and lonely.

For the first time, he tasted the rejection Naruto Uzumaki had endured. The difference was that this was only his first day, while Naruto had suffered through it for years—and would continue to do so.

Swish, swish, swish.

As he neared his home, a harsh scraping sound came from the small courtyard.

Arata silently approached, only to see Izumi with her back to him, sweeping up shattered stones and glass fragments.

"Please stop throwing things around! Otherwise, I'll report you to the Council of Elders!"

Without turning around, Izumi Uchiha continued cleaning as she warned them in a low voice.

At her words, Arata's heart felt as though an invisible hand had tightly gripped it. It hurt for no reason he could name.

When she received no response, Izumi quietly stopped what she was doing and spun around.

"Arata!"

She called out, her voice trembling.

But Izumi suddenly seemed to remember something. She quickly shifted her body, trying to hide the mess in the courtyard, but what could her slender frame possibly conceal?

"You're blocking my doorway."

After a long time, Arata Uchiha finally answered coldly.

Right now, he did not want to have anything to do with Sister Izumi. Otherwise, he would surely bring her trouble.

Yet the moment those words left his mouth, it felt as though every light in his world had been extinguished, leaving only darkness.

Smack.

A resounding slap unexpectedly landed across Arata's face.

A crack was blasted into that sealed, dark world.

"I'm your sister."

"No matter what happens, I'll always be your sister."

Izumi Uchiha clenched her fists and growled. Her beautiful eyes had long since turned red.

Arata simply stared blankly at the girl before him, at a loss.

A beam of light seemed to pour in through that crack.

"Are you hungry?"

Izumi asked.

"I am."

"Sister Izumi."