Under the shade of the trees, a cool breeze stirred.
Akashi's heart sank even further. He took several deep breaths to calm his restless thoughts, but couldn't hide his disappointment.
If only he'd taken a quick look before bringing it over.
Now it was too late for regrets. He could only accept his loss.
Still, getting something was better than getting nothing. He collected himself, tucked the scroll into his backpack, and headed out onto Konoha's streets to wander around and distract himself from his disappointment.
Along the way, familiar faces on the street greeted him one after another.
There were few shinobi in the Uchiha Clan as well-liked as he was. Although he was controversial within the clan, outside it, Akashi's sunny-boy image was hugely popular.
The only one who could probably compete with him was Itachi, with his cat ears.
From both sides came the calls of vendors at the snack stalls. The spices on the grills released a hot, fragrant aroma, while thick sweet soup and plump dumplings looked mouthwatering.
Unable to resist, Akashi walked over.
"Boss, how much for the grilled squid?"
"Twenty ryō a skewer, or three for fifty."
"I'll take..." Akashi's hand found only a single bill.
He'd planned to make do with a bowl of ramen for lunch. He'd brought only a hundred ryō, and even the cheapest ramen cost sixty. He'd wanted to add some chashu, too.
He watched the delicious food sizzling on the iron plate and could only swallow his saliva.
Just then, a voice came from behind him. "Two skewers. I'll pay."
Akashi turned around and couldn't help but freeze.
It was Itachi Uchiha. A faint blush tinged his tender face. After several days of rest, his injuries had mostly healed; only the swelling on his face remained.
He was wearing fluffy cat-ear accessories. They were extremely cute.
"Akashi, let me treat you." Itachi held out the squid skewers.
He still called him the same thing, but now with even more respect.
"That's awfully kind of you. I'll get you next time." Akashi made a token protest, took the skewers, and bit into them. "By the way, you really did put on the cat ears."
"I lost, so of course I have to keep my word."
"Nice. They suit you." Akashi smiled.
With that, he waved goodbye and turned to leave.
Itachi hurried after him, forcing a helpless smile. "Akashi, don't rush off. Let's talk, okay?"
"I'm busy. Definitely next time."
Grrr—
Suddenly, his stomach rumbled at the worst possible moment.
Ichiraku Ramen was right next door, and Uncle Teuchi was the chef. Ever since opening his own shop, he'd had great business every day.
Seeing this, Itachi immediately played his trump card. "It's on me!"
Akashi had no intention of stopping, but his steps faltered. He hesitated for a few seconds, then reluctantly agreed for the sake of a free meal.
The two of them went into the ramen shop.
Uncle Teuchi greeted them, a towel draped over his shoulder. "What can I get you two?"
"Two large bowls of ramen, with an extra serving of chashu."
Akashi held out his hand with practiced ease, smiling brightly.
Beneath his chef's hat, Uncle Teuchi's broad face softened into a warm smile. He nodded and headed to the back to prepare their food.
Soon, two steaming bowls of ramen were set on the table.
Uncle Teuchi had kindly added extra toppings, and the aroma filled the shop.
Akashi immediately slurped up his ramen, while Itachi sat beside him at a loss for what to do.
The atmosphere turned awkward for some reason.
At last, Itachi summoned the courage to break the silence. "Akashi, do you hate me?"
"Hm?"
"I can tell. Whenever you look at me, there's a sense of distance in your eyes. But when you look at other people, it isn't there."
"Is there?" Akashi paused with his chopsticks in hand. He hadn't even realized it himself.
Come to think of it, Itachi was a perceptive child. That was exactly why he'd ended up on the wrong path.
His face flushed red. "Please tell me why!"
Akashi slurped down the broth, polished off his bowl with relish, and patted his stomach. "Do you care that much about what other people think? I don't have anything against you. You're just being immature."
"I'm already seven!" Itachi protested.
"Seven? Hahaha..." Akashi couldn't help laughing. "At that age, you'd be better off reading more at school. Your problem is that you know too little, think too much, and are full of yourself."
He'd listed three flaws in one breath, trampling all over Itachi's pride.
Itachi fell silent for a while, then slowly began to speak. "I went with my father to the battlefield during the Third Shinobi World War. Corpses were everywhere, and the blood flowed like a river. The stench was unbearable. I wondered then, why had the world become like this? I wanted to change it, and I'd been working toward that ever since I was little. Was that wrong?"
Akashi sighed. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to change the world. But why do you think you should be the one to change it?"
"Huh?"
"What makes you think you're some kind of savior? That you can force your ideas on other people? That you have to attend clan meetings, have to make ridiculous suggestions, and have to believe you can make sacrifices on everyone else's behalf?"
"Akashi, I..."
Itachi couldn't manage another word for a long moment.
Akashi shook his head. "Being stupid isn't the problem. The problem is being stupid and liking to think."
Stupid?
Everyone had always praised him for being clever.
Why did Akashi always come up with such unconventional opinions?
Itachi found the conclusion hard to accept. He looked at Akashi seriously, with a hint of stubbornness.
"What, you disagree?" Akashi teased.
"I can't exactly be called stupid, can I?"
"Fine. I'll test you with a question." Akashi burped and said, "If our three-man squad ran into a rogue shinobi from Sunagakure whose strength was about the same as yours, what should we do?"
Itachi thought for a while before answering. "I'd attack with ninja tools first, observe his abilities and how he responds, and gather information. He's probably good at Wind Release, which my Fire Release counters. With the Sharingan, I could strike before he has a chance to use a jutsu."
"Not a bad analysis, but wrong."
Akashi shook his head.
Itachi frowned. "Then should I start with Taijutsu?"
"Wrong."
"Shadow Clone?"
"Wrong."
Akashi shook his head again.
Itachi fell awkwardly silent. He'd even mentioned gathering information about the opponent! That was where he'd gone wrong last time, and he'd thought Akashi was testing him on that very point. But Akashi had decisively rejected every answer.
"So what's the right answer?"
"Obviously, we attack together."
"T-together?" Itachi's mind reeled.
Akashi nodded. "It's called a righteous three-on-one. What's the problem?"
There was no problem. If a three-man squad ran into a rogue shinobi, of course they'd swarm him and give him no chance. Why fight one-on-one? I really hadn't thought it through as carefully as Akashi.
Itachi admitted that he'd lost again.
"All right, that's enough chatting." Akashi stood up. "I have to train this afternoon."
"Wait, Akashi!"
Itachi looked at him eagerly. "Can I come with you?"
Akashi's head began to ache. He was just about to refuse when Itachi continued, "After the clan meeting, I asked my father for two new jutsu. We could discuss them together."
Two new jutsu?
That made Akashi hesitate. If he hadn't managed to get anything out of Fugaku, he could always get something from his son instead.
But having learned his lesson, Akashi was much more cautious.
"They wouldn't happen to be the Great Dragon Fire Technique and the Shadow Clone Technique, would they?"
"How did you know?" Itachi froze, his eyes widening.
Just as he'd thought!
Are all your scrolls photocopies? Akashi cursed inwardly and gave a low snort. "Forget those two. Maybe next time."
As soon as he'd spoken, he took off running before Itachi could say another word.
Itachi was still immersed in his surprise.
He couldn't understand how Akashi had managed to guess those two jutsu out of all the possibilities. He was incredible!
Unfathomable!
As for Akashi's advice, it also made him reflect: had he really been overthinking things?
Before you continue