The figure that came into view made Uchiha Chen's pupils contract abruptly. It was actually another Uchiha Izumi!
He never could have imagined that two identical Uchiha Izumis would appear before him.
The difference was that one of them clutched a bloodstained long sword in her hand.
As Uchiha Chen looked at her, memories of all the moments he had shared with Uchiha Izumi over the past month flashed through his mind.
Throughout their time together, she had always called him "senior." So... the one holding him was the real Uchiha Izumi. The one before him—the person he had protected all this way, who had even stabbed him—had to be an impostor!
As he recalled all the strange things that had happened along the way, the fury in Uchiha Chen's heart surged. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, and his breathing grew weaker and weaker.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!"
The footsteps of death drew closer, reaching deep into Uchiha Izumi's heart. The atmosphere froze in an instant.
Strangely, though, there wasn't the slightest trace of killing intent around them.
That extreme contrast made Uchiha Izumi's heart pound. Intense fear surged through her like a tide, and she couldn't help retching.
As she watched the figure slowly approach, her eyes filled with despair and helplessness. It was as if all the light had been drained from them.
Just then, Uchiha Chen's feeble voice sounded by her ear. "I'll hold her off. Run!"
Suddenly, a powerful force surged in. The darkness around them quickly faded as Uchiha Chen shoved her away with all his strength, then charged resolutely at the impostor.
Just then, strength welled up from somewhere within Uchiha Izumi. She grabbed Uchiha Chen's hand tightly!
"I'll never let you die, senior!"
She spoke with determination, then took two steps past Uchiha Chen. Her hands swiftly formed Hand Seals, her movements crisp as she unleashed everything she had gained from a month of training.
A massive fireball, like a burning meteor, hurtled toward the impostor.
At the same time, she gripped her Kunai tightly. Its sharp edge glinted coldly, as if waiting for the enemy to dodge so she could drive it straight through her chest.
But a crisp clang of a blade suddenly rang out, echoing across the sky.
Incredibly, someone had cleaved the enormous fireball in two with a single slash!
The sudden turn of events made Uchiha Izumi hesitate for a split second. In the next instant, she and the Kunai in her hand were sent flying, leaving behind only a figure with one leg suspended in the air.
Badly wounded, Uchiha Izumi could only collapse to the ground in pain.
After all, she wasn't even a proper ninja yet!
Even as a genius of the Uchiha Clan,
she was powerless before an assassin who had been carefully trained, and could only be killed in an instant.
Thinking of the senior who was about to die, she felt utterly defeated by her own weakness. On top of that, the senior who had devoted himself to helping her over the past month was in danger, and she could do nothing to help. This profound helplessness stirred such intense emotions within her that an eerie red light began to shine from her eyes.
Two black Tomoe began swimming through her eyes like fish.
At this critical moment, Uchiha Izumi successfully awakened her Sharingan—and it manifested as a Two-Tomoe Sharingan from the start!
But Uchiha Izumi had no time to dwell on the strange change in her body. Once the pain had eased a little, she struggled to her feet and looked straight toward the two figures, desperate to find out how her senior was doing.
Meanwhile, when Uchiha Chen saw Uchiha Izumi get knocked away, he felt a sudden wave of relief. He had been afraid the frail girl would charge in without regard for herself and get stabbed to death.
Now, only he and the impostor were left.
At that moment, a piercing whistle suddenly reached his ears. The woman holding the sword had worn an expressionless face, but when she saw that she was about to kill Uchiha Chen, a twisted look of delight finally appeared on it.
However, when she saw the strange change in his eyes, a moment of confusion crossed her mind.
She had never heard of Uchiha Chen's Sharingan having any form besides the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
But the thought passed in an instant, and she buried her confusion deep inside.
She tightened her grip on the long sword. She knew that as long as Uchiha Chen died, whatever changes he underwent would no longer matter.
Then a scorching heat suddenly swept over her, as if it were about to melt the hand holding the sword.
Black flames, like demons, instantly melted the long sword and raced up her arm, spreading across her whole body. The assassin, who had never once shown her true face, was gradually burned to a charred corpse in Amaterasu's blazing inferno.
Silence fell all around, as if even the air feared the terrible black flames. And that was the horrifying sight Uchiha Izumi witnessed as she got back to her feet.
Having drained his last bit of chakra, Uchiha Chen toppled backward like a puppet with its strings cut.
Uchiha Izumi snapped back to her senses. Her eyes filled with panic and fear, and she rushed toward Uchiha Chen without hesitation.
She stretched out both arms and held his frail body tightly, as if she could use her own strength to keep his life from slipping away.
With the last of his strength, Uchiha Chen tremblingly took the daisy he had carefully protected all this time and gently tucked it behind Uchiha Izumi's ear. An indescribable tenderness showed on his face. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he let out a faint laugh. "You look beautiful..."
At his words, Uchiha Izumi's tears poured out like a bursting flood, and she sobbed heartbrokenly.
"Senior, hold on! I'll take you to the hospital right away. You'll be all right..."
As she spoke, she tried to lift Uchiha Chen, but he stopped her.
He slowly pulled a blood-soaked package of Three-Color Dango from his clothes and said weakly, "These are your favorite... Too bad I couldn't protect them..."
Looking at Uchiha Izumi's tear-streaked face, Uchiha Chen forced a faint smile and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine... It's just that I still don't know if you like me too..."
Before he could finish, Uchiha Izumi, already sobbing uncontrollably, interrupted him. Her voice choked with tears, but her answer was firm. "I like you, senior... After spending this month together, I've fallen deeply in love with you..."
As if he had heard the answer he wanted, Uchiha Chen's breathing gradually grew weaker.
Even his Sage Body couldn't save his life after his heart had been pierced.
The long journey and the attack she had just endured had pushed Uchiha Izumi's body and mind to their limits. Uchiha Chen's death was the final straw that broke her spirit.
At last, unable to bear the pain any longer, her vision went black, and she fainted atop Uchiha Chen's corpse.
Before she lost consciousness, her Sharingan spun rapidly, flashing with dazzling light. When three Tomoe appeared and slowly came to a stop, her consciousness sank into endless darkness.