After the celebration ended, Senya took Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha Xiu, Uchiha Zhi, and Uchiha Yurisa to the Akimichi BBQ Restaurant, which they'd booked in advance, and they ate to their hearts' content.
When Senya got home, Kurenai and Anko soon followed, dropping by to visit him.
Getting some exercise after dinner to help with digestion wasn't a bad choice, either...
The moon climbed to the middle of the sky. Several hours later, Anko and Kurenai lay exhausted on either side of Senya and fell asleep.
"Honestly, you two. You're all talk and no game..."
With his arms around them, Senya drifted off to sleep.
At the same time, as Senya fell into a deep slumber, Uchiha Izumi lay alone on her bed.
She had pulled the covers over herself and buried her face in the pillow, thinking back on the little moments from the past few days when Senya had taken her aside for private training.
But memories of her past with Itachi kept surfacing, too.
The two different sets of memories clashed in Izumi's mind, leaving her hopelessly conflicted and feeling a little guilty.
It was as though an angel and a demon were floating on either side of her.
The little angel said, "Izumi, think about all the memories you and Itachi Uchiha have shared since you were children. He's your childhood friend, after all! Besides, Uchiha Senya is the Vice Clan Head. How can you have feelings like that for the Vice Clan Head?"
The little angel had a point, but...
"Stop thinking about Itachi. To put it nicely, you're childhood friends. In reality, you were just attracted to him because he was cute and cool when you were little, and because he got good grades at the Ninja Academy."
"Over all these years, haven't you always been the one chasing after him? Since he graduated, how many times has he even paid attention to you? The few times he did, you had to camp out at the dango shop every day before you could see him. He likes sweet dango, not you."
"He only cares about the village and his adorable little brother. What's so great about Itachi? Look at Vice Clan Head Senya. He's handsome, and he became Vice Clan Head at such a young age. Under his leadership, relations between the clan and the village have improved. He's definitely no weaker than that Uchiha Itachi."
The little angel couldn't argue with the little demon. Every word it said was true.
Izumi shook her head and realized there was no angel or demon. It was just her own inner struggle.
She didn't know how long it took, but eventually she fell asleep, her mind still wandering.
Birds chirped outside the window, waking Izumi.
She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She remembered how conflicted she'd been the night before. She'd fallen asleep before figuring it out, and now that she was awake, she was right back to agonizing over it.
She got up, got dressed, and went to the washroom, where she looked at herself in the mirror.
Her black hair was a mess, as though she'd been rubbing it against the pillow all night.
After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and combing her hair, she went to the living room. Her mother had already set out breakfast at the table.
Uchiha Hazuki saw her daughter looking listless and, remembering what had happened before, guessed what was wrong.
"Izumi, what's the matter? Is Itachi ignoring you again and making you unhappy?"
"I've told you before, you and Itachi aren't right for each other. He's the clan head's son. Even if you got together, you wouldn't be happy in the long run."
Her mother's words caught Izumi off guard. But hearing them now felt different than it used to. Instead, they made something click.
"Mom, you're right. Itachi and I could never work out. But Itachi isn't the one I like. I was just attracted to how exceptional he was."
"Hm? It isn't Itachi?"
Hearing her daughter say that, Uchiha Hazuki was taken aback. After all these years, why had she suddenly come to her senses today? Could that boy Itachi have...
Izumi noticed her mother's expression turn serious and displeased, and thought she'd misunderstood something.
"Mom, did you get the wrong idea?"
Uchiha Hazuki paused, then voiced what she had in mind anyway.
"Didn't Uchiha Itachi bully you?"
That left Izumi at a loss for words.
"It's not that guy Itachi!"
Seeing her daughter deny it outright, and noticing how shy she looked, Uchiha Hazuki couldn't help feeling curious. She had a new theory, too: Izumi must have found someone she truly liked.
"It isn't Itachi? That's good, then. If it's not him, who do you like? Tell me, and I'll help you figure out whether he's right for you."
Uchiha Hazuki sat in a chair wearing a gray kimono, one hand resting on the wooden table as she propped her chin up. With her other hand, she toyed with the braid draped over her shoulder. Her skin was rosy and smooth, and her face was flawless. Aside from a few wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, there was hardly a trace of age. She was an elegant, beautiful woman.
Her husband had died during the Third Shinobi World War, but thankfully he had left them a comfortable inheritance. To care for her daughter, Uchiha Hazuki had given up her position as a Jonin and chosen to devote herself to looking after Izumi at home.
That meant Uchiha Hazuki rarely had anything else to do and often got bored. It was only after she learned about Izumi and Itachi that she found something to tease her daughter about and make life a little more entertaining.
Still, she was only trying to make sure her daughter chose well. Now that the daughter she treasured had finally found someone she liked, she had to learn all about him.
Uchiha Hazuki kept her moist, bright, almond-shaped eyes fixed on Izumi with a smile. Izumi was the first to crack.
"Fine, I'll tell you. It's the Vice Clan Head."
Izumi pulled out a chair and sat down with her head lowered, not wanting her mother to see her flushed face. Her slender hands twisted together in her lap, just like the knots in her heart.
"So it's Senya! That little rascal. Looks like my daughter really does have good taste. Senya's much better than Itachi."
Hazuki began thinking about how much the clan had changed lately. She might no longer be a Jonin, but she could still find out plenty about the clan whenever she wanted.
Whether it was his impressive performance at the clan meeting, his handling of internal strife, or his work resolving relations between the clan and the village, he'd done an excellent job in every respect.
She had gone to the Police Force celebration last night, too. Thinking back, she realized that Izumi's quick turn at the end hadn't been an attempt to avoid suspicion. Her daughter had simply been too shy.
Izumi saw her mother sitting across from her, smiling brightly. Her body trembled along with her laughter, and Izumi's gaze drifted downward. She noticed her mother's chest, then instinctively looked down at her own. It had barely begun to swell.
She thought of Uchiha Yurisa, too.
She felt dejected at once.
Hazuki saw Izumi's gaze and noticed her daughter suddenly looking "insecure." The corners of her mouth lifted again.
Looks like she'd have to teach Izumi more about becoming a woman. Her daughter still had a lot to learn...
Before you continue