Heart-to-Heart

At this moment, Uchiha Chen was unaware that others were already closing in.

He had successfully opened the cave. Accompanied by the sound of loose gravel, Uchiha Izumi, who had been inside, kept her eyes tightly shut and raised a hand to shield herself from the blinding sunlight streaming in from outside.

It was only when a tall figure slowly stepped into the cave, blocking the light, that she lifted her head.

The person who came into view was none other than the dust-covered Uchiha Chen.

Seeing his clothes slightly soiled from the battle, Uchiha Izumi's face froze for a moment before blooming into a smile of pleasant surprise.

Without hesitation, she opened her arms and hugged Uchiha Chen tightly.

Under the sunlight, the tear mole on Uchiha Izumi's face shimmered with a faint luster, reflecting her beautiful and endearing features.

Yet, for some reason, a crystalline tear slid from the corner of her eye. It held a trace of sorrow, but it quickly transformed into determination, eventually settling into calm.

Uchiha Chen gazed at Uchiha Izumi, who was shedding tears out of fear, and his pity for her deepened.

Uchiha Chen reached out and pulled Uchiha Izumi into his embrace. Just as he was about to comfort the terrified young girl, he heard her speak first: "Brother Chen, you aren't hurt, are you?"

Uchiha Chen heard the muffled, slightly hoarse tone of concern in Uchiha Izumi's voice.

Without overthinking, his hands instinctively pulled her even closer.

At this moment, all his emotions turned into care for Uchiha Izumi and a sliver of gratitude toward Shimura Danzō.

If not for the incident he had orchestrated, their relationship might never have been mended, let alone reached this level of intimacy.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Chen quickly replied: "I'm fine, Izumi. Don't be afraid. I've already killed the two people who came to assassinate me, and I've even destroyed their bodies."

The moment the words left his lips, he felt the person in his arms tremble slightly.

He was immediately filled with regret, wishing he could slap himself. How could he have said such a thing?

Although Uchiha Izumi had been working tirelessly to become a ninja, she was still just a child; how could she handle hearing about such things?

With this thought, Uchiha Chen was consumed by remorse, but he still tried his best to comfort Uchiha Izumi: "I'm sorry, Izumi, for letting you know about these terrible things. Don't be afraid, I will always be here to protect you."

As he spoke, he gently patted her back.

Gradually, Uchiha Chen felt the emotions of the person in his arms subside. He loosened his embrace, looked down at the tear-stained Uchiha Izumi, and gently wiped the tears from her face.

Then, he stood up, took Uchiha Izumi's hand, and prepared to leave.

As they walked, Uchiha Chen kept thinking about how to comfort her.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a small, exquisite daisy at a nearby corner.

The daisy seemed to have escaped the intense battle, its petals trembling slightly in the breeze like a shy young girl, nodding at him with a smile.

Uchiha Chen thought that if he tucked this flower behind Izumi's ear, it might lift her spirits.

Uchiha Chen stopped, turned to Uchiha Izumi, who had gradually calmed down, and said softly: "Izumi, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back with a surprise for you."

With that, he turned and ran toward the daisy under Uchiha Izumi's expectant gaze.

Because Uchiha Chen had exhausted almost all his chakra during the cleanup, his physical weakness was fully exposed the moment he turned away.

However, not long after he ran off, Uchiha Izumi seemed unable to contain her impatience. She followed closely behind Uchiha Chen, moving silently as if she couldn't wait to know what the "surprise" was.

Meanwhile, the physically weakened Uchiha Chen finally recovered a sliver of chakra thanks to the support of his Sage Body.

However, he didn't rush to use it; after all, running with chakra was never as sincere as using one's own two feet.

Thinking of this, Uchiha Chen quickened his pace, reached the daisy, crouched down slightly, and reached out to pluck the flower.

Just then, a faint sound of footsteps reached his ears.

The footsteps didn't sound like the remnants of the previous two men, but for safety's sake, Uchiha Chen carefully shielded the flower in his hand and waited quietly for the person to appear.

As he waited, he suddenly felt the footsteps were somewhat familiar, and he prepared to discern who it was.

The person appeared before him. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Uchiha Izumi, who should have stayed behind.

Looking at Uchiha Izumi, who was panting slightly from running, Uchiha Chen subconsciously ignored the anomaly in her clothes. He raised the flower in his hand, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile, intending to tease her for being so impatient to know the surprise.

However, the moment he was about to speak, he sensed something was wrong. He keenly noticed that the person before him was rushing toward him with a look of terror, and her eyes had shifted several times since she first saw him.

At first, it was anxiety; upon seeing him, it turned to relief and joy, but finally, it shifted to horror at something behind him.

At the same time, Uchiha Chen heard Uchiha Izumi's anxious cry: "Run! Senior, behind you..." Her voice was filled with fear and tension, as if a venomous snake were flicking its tongue behind him.

Before Uchiha Izumi could finish her sentence, Uchiha Chen felt a chill strike his back and heart.

Immediately following, a heart-wrenching pain spread throughout his body, forcing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. His body tilted forward uncontrollably, finally collapsing into the arms of Uchiha Izumi, who had already rushed to his side.

Uchiha Izumi held Uchiha Chen tightly, her face full of panic and worry.

She tried to cover his bleeding wound with her hands, but the blood continued to surge through her fingers. Tears streamed down her face as she tremblingly called out Uchiha Chen's name, hoping he would stay conscious.

In this critical moment, the atmosphere became exceptionally heavy, as if time had frozen.

Uchiha Chen endured the excruciating pain, struggling to open his eyes. Relying on the powerful vitality of the Sage Body and the chakra he had just refined, he clung to his final spark of life.

Looking at Uchiha Izumi, whose face was stained with blood and filled with anxiety, he spoke with great difficulty: "Don't worry... I won't die." Then, he struggled to turn his head to see who had backstabbed him.