A Maiden's Thoughts

After the celebration ended, Senya took Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Xiu, Uchiha Zhi, and Uchiha Yurisa to the Akimichi BBQ Restaurant, which he had booked in advance, for a hearty meal.

After Senya returned home, Anko and Kurenai followed closely behind to pay him a visit.

Getting some exercise after a meal to aid digestion is also a fine choice...

The moon climbed to the center of the sky. Several hours passed, and Anko and Kurenai lay exhausted on either side of Senya, fast asleep.

"Sigh, you two, you really are terrible at this yet so eager to play..."

Senya pulled them both into his arms and drifted off to sleep just like that.

It was at this very moment, as Senya fell into a deep slumber, that Uchiha Izumi lay alone on the bed in her room.

She covered herself entirely with her quilt, burying her head in her pillow, recalling every little detail of the private training sessions Senya had been pulling her into over the past few days.

Yet, at the same time, memories of Itachi would pop into her mind from time to time.

Two different sets of memories appeared in Izumi's mind simultaneously, leaving her tangled in conflict and feeling a sliver of guilt in her heart.

It felt as if an angel and a devil were hovering on either side of her.

The little angel said: "Izumi, think about all the time you've spent with Itachi Uchiha since you were children. He is your childhood sweetheart, after all. Besides, Uchiha Senya is the Vice Clan Head; how could you harbor such feelings for him?"

The little angel was right, but...

"Stop thinking about that Itachi. To put it nicely, you're childhood sweethearts, but in reality, you were only attracted to him when you were little because he looked cute, acted cool, and had excellent grades at the Ninja Academy."

"For all these years, haven't you just been throwing yourself at him? Since he graduated, how many times has he actually paid attention to you? The few times he did were only because you spent every day camping out at the dango shop waiting for him. He likes sweet dango, not you."

"His heart only holds the village and his precious little brother. What's so great about Itachi? Look at Vice Clan Head Senya. Not only is he handsome, but he became the Vice Clan Head at such a young age. Under his leadership, the relationship between the clan and the village has improved, and his strength is surely no weaker than that Uchiha Itachi."

The little devil's words left the little angel with no room to retort, for every sentence was the truth.

Izumi shook her head vigorously, only to realize there were no little angels or devils—it was merely the struggle within her own heart.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally fell asleep amidst her chaotic thoughts.

The birds chirping outside the window woke her up.

She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead, recalling the conflict from last night. She hadn't reached a conclusion before falling asleep, and upon waking, she found herself tangled in the same problem again.

She got up, dressed, and walked to the washroom, looking at herself in the mirror.

Her dark, silky hair looked a bit messy, likely from tossing and turning on the pillow last night.

She brushed her teeth, washed her face, combed her hair, and walked into the living room, where her mother was already sitting at the table with breakfast prepared.

Seeing her daughter looking so listless, Uchiha Hazuki thought back to past events and formed a guess.

"Izumi, what's wrong? Did Itachi ignore you again, making you unhappy?"

"Oh my, I told you long ago that you and Itachi aren't on the same path. He is the Clan Head's son; even if you were together, you wouldn't be happy in the future."

Izumi was stunned by her mother's words, but hearing her say this now felt different than before—it brought a sense of sudden realization.

"Mom, you're right. It's impossible between Itachi and me. But the person I like isn't Itachi. I was just attracted to his excellence before."

"Hm? It's not Itachi?"

Hearing her daughter's words, Uchiha Hazuki was a bit surprised. It had been years; why the sudden epiphany today? Could it be that the boy Itachi...

Seeing her mother's serious and displeased expression, Izumi felt she might have misunderstood something.

"Mom, did you misunderstand?"

Uchiha Hazuki paused, but she voiced her thoughts anyway.

"Isn't it that Uchiha Itachi bullied you?"

When those words came out, Izumi was left speechless.

"It's not that guy Itachi at all!"

Seeing her daughter deny it personally, and with that bashful demeanor, Uchiha Hazuki, as a mother, was suddenly filled with curiosity and a new guess. It seemed Izumi had found her true sweetheart.

"Not Itachi? That's good then. But if it's not him, who do you like? Tell Mom, and I'll help you analyze it."

Uchiha Hazuki sat in a chair wearing a gray kimono, her hands resting on the wooden table, propping up her chin. Her right hand toyed with the braid hanging over her shoulder. Her skin was delicate and pink, her face flawless; aside from a few faint lines at the corners of her eyes, she showed almost no signs of age—a poised and elegant beauty.

Her husband had passed away during the Third Shinobi World War, but fortunately, he had left behind a wealthy estate. To care for her daughter, Uchiha Hazuki had given up her position as a Jonin, choosing to stay home and devote herself to Izumi.

This left Uchiha Hazuki with little to do in her daily life, often feeling bored. It was only after learning about Izumi and Itachi that she found some amusement in teasing her daughter.

However, this was also to help her daughter vet her choices. Seeing that her precious daughter finally had a sweetheart, she had to learn all about him.

Uchiha Hazuki's moist, bright peach-blossom eyes remained fixed on Izumi with a smile, which eventually made Izumi unable to hold out any longer.

"Oh, I'll just tell you. It's the Vice Clan Head."

Izumi pulled up a chair and sat down, lowering her head to keep her mother from seeing her blushing face. Her slender fingers twisted together in her lap, mirroring the tangled state of her heart.

"It's actually Senya? That little one... it seems my daughter has a good eye. Senya is much better than Itachi."

Hazuki began to recall the changes in the clan over this period. Although she was no longer a Jonin, she could still gather plenty of information within the clan if she wanted to.

Whether it was his brilliant performance at the clan meeting, his integration of the clan's internal strife, or his handling of the relationship between the clan and the village, he had done well in every aspect.

She had also attended the Police Force celebration last night. Thinking back now, she realized that Izumi's actions at the end weren't about avoiding suspicion—it was just that her daughter was too shy, which was why she had turned away so quickly.

Izumi watched her mother sitting across from her, beaming with a smile that made her delicate frame tremble with laughter. Her gaze drifted downward, landing on her mother's chest, before she instinctively looked down at her own, which was still only slightly raised.

Then, she thought of Uchiha Yurisa.

A wave of dejection washed over her.

Hazuki caught the direction of Izumi's gaze and saw her daughter's sudden look of "inferiority," causing the corners of her mouth to lift once more.

It seemed that when it came to how to become a woman in the future, she would have to teach Izumi a great deal more; her daughter still had much to learn...