After dinner, everyone at the table began to leave, and I naturally stayed until last. Once everyone else was gone, I could only helplessly reach out and take the slender fingers of the person beside me. Seeing her flushed cheeks, I felt rather helpless, but could only look at her with affection.
Afterward, I followed her to the room where she slept. Once inside, we slipped out of our clothes, and I gently gathered Izumi into my arms. After a long while, once her excitement had passed, I gazed quietly at her as she gradually drifted into a deep sleep. That's right—tonight, the one sleeping beside me wasn't Mikoto, but Izumi.
After dinner, Fugaku left with Itachi and Sasuke. I'd been fantasizing about having an intense "battle" with Mikoto tonight, but just then, Izumi, beside me, had somehow gone red in the face, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.
At last, she raised her head. Her limpid eyes shone with determination, like a droplet of water slipping past. "Senior, I want to be with you tonight."
Her words rang in Uchiha Chen's ears like thunder, instantly shattering every romantic notion in his mind. His eyes widened in astonishment, and for a moment, he couldn't respond. This unexpected request had completely thrown his plans into disarray, leaving him at a loss.
Of course, he knew that when Izumi said those words, she wasn't harboring any complicated thoughts.
She simply wanted to spend the first wonderful night after confessing her love with the person she adored—to enjoy their intimate whispers, dream about the bright future ahead, and then fall asleep peacefully in her lover's warm embrace.
When he saw her slender hands clasp tightly around his dangling ones, he sensed unwavering determination in her gaze, mixed with a trace of anticipation that was difficult to detect.
Faced with such an adorable girl, how could he possibly bear to turn her down?
So, smiling, he gently drew her into his arms and said helplessly, "All right, I'll do it. Tonight, it'll just be the two of us."
As soon as he spoke, he reached out to stroke her back and looked up, meeting the encouraging gaze Mikoto sent his way. He returned an apologetic look, his expression making it clear that he was postponing their "battle" for now.
When she replied with an understanding look, he immediately leaned in and kissed her, making up for it with a passionate kiss.
Then, under her teasing gaze, he followed Izumi into her room. He wouldn't do anything inappropriate with Izumi, who was still too young. Instead, he held her in the moonlight's silvery glow and quietly listened to what was on the girl's mind.
He listened as she spoke expectantly about the future, expressed envy over Mikoto's figure, fretted over her own age, and finally voiced her deep hatred for Danzo.
Uchiha Chen gazed silently at the girl before him, her eyes filled with anger and lingering fear, and couldn't help but chuckle affectionately.
Hearing his unconcerned laugh, Izumi immediately sat up in a huff, turned around, and straddled Uchiha Chen, playfully pounding his chest. He didn't resist, letting Izumi vent her fear.
Once Izumi had finished, her pallid face gradually flushed. Uchiha Chen said fondly, "All right, don't be angry. I've already avenged you. Want to see?"
Under Izumi's expectant gaze, Uchiha Chen's Sharingan slowly appeared, the Tomoe in its center turning gently. A genjutsu shot into Izumi's eyes.
Just as Uchiha Chen was about to create a scene showing how he'd humiliated Danzo that day, he suddenly felt a force reflect the genjutsu back at him.
His eyes flickered with surprise. When he came back to his senses, he saw Izumi looking at him in confusion, as if asking, "What's going on? Has it not started yet?"
Looking at the girl straddling him beneath the moonlight, her Three-Tomoe Sharingan turning faintly in her eyes.
I said nothing. I simply reached for the Forehead Protector lying on the clothes beside us, held it out to her, and smiled.
"Congratulations, Izumi. You've awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan."
As I spoke, her gaze filled with shock and disbelief, and her pupils gradually aligned with the Forehead Protector in my hand.
Once she realized what I'd said was true, she jumped up from me, overjoyed. But suddenly, her foot slipped, her balance gave way, and she nearly fell to the floor.
I noticed at once and quickly reached out, pulling her into my arms.
Izumi should have noticed the change in her eyes as soon as she awakened her Sharingan. But perhaps because she had seen me die today, awakened her eyes right afterward, and then fallen unconscious, she had automatically activated a defense when my genjutsu stimulated her just now.
With that thought, I explained my guess to Izumi in detail. As she listened, it was as though her ears filtered out every other sound, leaving only the memory of my death, which she engraved even more deeply in her heart.
Thinking that Danzo had nearly cost her senior his life, she was furious and ordered me, "Senior, the Sharingan isn't important right now. Hurry up and cast that genjutsu on me again!
"I want to see with my own eyes how you humiliated Danzo." After saying that, she hid her Sharingan and stared straight at me.
Looking at Izumi, who'd forgotten all about her Sharingan, I had no choice but to do as she said.
"Understood, my dear wife." Before she could get too embarrassed, my genjutsu hit her. With her cooperation, it worked perfectly this time.
In the genjutsu, Izumi watched excitedly as I unleashed my power at the Root Base, making Konoha's lofty elder, the leader of Root, the famous Ninja of Darkness, lick the soles of my shoes. The anger in her heart immediately dissipated.
Even after the genjutsu ended and she returned to reality, she was still in my arms, thrilled and unable to calm down for a long time.
After finally settling down, Izumi seemed to think of something and began acting coy.
"Seni~or, could you take me along next time too?" Seeing the mischievous look in her eyes, I instantly understood what she wanted.
I readily promised, "Of course. I'll take you with me next time." As soon as I finished speaking, I felt something warm and soft against my cheek. Izumi had kissed me there. She immediately hid in my arms, embarrassed, and wouldn't come out no matter how I coaxed her.
Helpless, Uchiha Chen watched as the person in his arms gradually relaxed and fell asleep. In the end, all he could do was kiss the wisps of hair on her forehead, whisper, "Good night," and fall asleep beside her.
The next few days passed unusually peacefully. Every morning, after breakfast, Uchiha Chen trained with Izumi to improve his strength.
At noon, he would bring delicious Three-Color Dango and sweet Red Bean Soup to the hospital to feed Anko, using the opportunity to raise her affection for him.
In the afternoon, he would stroll through the village, hoping to run into some familiar faces.
At night, he took turns staying in Mikoto's and Izumi's rooms.
To his delight, he really did see several familiar faces over those few days.
The first to catch his eye was Kurenai Yuhi, who looked about ten years old. She was walking alone up ahead, with a somewhat weary-looking Asuma Sarutobi following behind her. Sakura's young mother was holding the adorable Sakura in her arms, exuding a captivating charm.
There were also a few people who looked familiar, though he couldn't recall their names.
Uchiha Chen didn't casually go up and strike up a conversation with them. Instead, he quietly stood to the side, watching everything. After all, there was plenty of time. There was no need to rush.
One morning, sunlight streamed through the window and scorched Uchiha Chen's cheeks, waking him.
He got up, stretched, quickly got dressed, and headed to the training ground as usual to train with Izumi.
However, when he returned home, he saw Mikoto carrying Sasuke and strolling along, apparently planning to go out for a walk.
The familiar scene flashed through Uchiha Chen's mind, reminding him of someone he'd already decided would be his in the future—his wife, Kushina.
He vaguely remembered that in the original story, Naruto was born on the same night that Uzumaki Kushina met Mikoto, who was carrying Sasuke. That connection immediately made Uchiha Chen realize that tonight might be the long-awaited Night of the Nine-Tails!
With that thought, Uchiha Chen decided it was time to act. He needed to meet Kushina now. Without hesitation, he offered to accompany Mikoto for a walk. She gladly agreed. Then, with the child in her arms, the two of them walked slowly toward the village, looking like a happy newlywed couple.