"So, our conflict with Konoha can be put aside for the time being, is that right?" Naoki asked in Uchiha Yashiro's office.
Uchiha Yashiro nodded.
"Though we don't know what the Third Hokage is planning, his goodwill is obvious enough. So Fugaku and I discussed it, and we'll accept his goodwill for now and let everyone catch their breath."
Naoki reminded him.
"There are some things I can only say to you... I hope you'll remind Lord Fugaku not to let his guard down. Obito and Namikaze Minato have died one after another. In truth, the clan has completely lost its chance at the Hokage Position. The clan members may not understand that yet, but if someone stirs things up, I'm sure it won't be long before everyone sees it clearly. At that point, unless the Third Hokage is willing to appoint you as Hokage Advisor, or someone powerful appears in the village during this time and suppresses everyone's growing restlessness, the clan members' anger will completely tear apart the cordial ties between the clan and Konoha..."
"I know. I know all of that. From the moment I heard that Namikaze Minato had died, I thought of these things. I'll handle it carefully."
Uchiha Yashiro patted Naoki on the shoulder and said, "You've worked hard these past two days. Get some rest and train well. Try to grow into a pillar of the clan as soon as you can."
As he walked home, Naoki felt his steps grow lighter.
He hadn't been in this world for long, but the future of the Uchiha Clan had weighed on his mind the whole time, leaving him feeling short of breath.
Now, the trouble caused by the Nine-Tails Incident had mostly been resolved. The Uchiha Clan's crisis remained, but at least they could breathe a little easier. And with the future now seeming more tangible, Naoki was beginning to believe he really could save the Uchiha Clan—and thereby avoid the tragedy of his own fate as one of its members.
He had barely taken a couple of steps out of the Police Force when he suddenly felt a raindrop land on his face.
He held out his hand. Rain fell into his palm, its coolness prickling against his skin. "It's raining," he murmured.
The rain soon grew denser. The ruined streets of Konoha were filled with the damp smell of earth mixed with charred wood. Naoki quickened his pace and turned into a relatively intact alley, planning to take a shortcut home.
There were no streetlights in the alley. Only a few that had survived in the distance cast a hazy yellow glow through the rain, illuminating the alley's entrance.
Naoki hurried into the alley, not realizing someone was coming out. The two of them collided head-on.
Fortunately, his reflexes were quick. He instinctively turned to take the impact, but still sent the other person stumbling backward a few steps.
"Sorry!"
Naoki quickly reached out with his right hand, caught her by the arm, and steadied her.
In the hazy yellow light coming from the alley entrance, he made out her face. She was the kunoichi who had treated him with the Mystical Palm Technique amid the chaos the night before...
The kunoichi seemed a little older than Naoki, perhaps around twenty. Her eyes were round, their clear gaze like a tranquil spring beneath the dim light. The outer corners naturally tilted upward, giving her a uniquely gentle charm even as surprise flickered across her face.
Her long, dark hair was damp from the rain, and a few strands clung to her smooth forehead and cheeks. With her wispy bangs and everyday clothes, she lacked the sharp, formidable air she'd had the night before in her flak jacket. Instead, she seemed more like a lively young woman.
"It's you." She recognized Naoki too, surprise in her voice. "Oh, right. Your injury from last night... are you all right?"
Naoki scratched the back of his head with his left hand and smiled. "Your Medical Ninjutsu was excellent. I've completely recovered."
After that, Naoki had nothing more to say. He stood there blankly.
The rain pattered in the alley, shutting out all the noise of the outside world.
Naoki's hand was still wrapped around the kunoichi's slender arm. Through her damp sleeve, she could feel the scorching warmth of his palm.
The kunoichi froze for a moment, then looked down at the arm he was holding. Her cheeks flushed faintly.
"Um..." she said softly, her voice gentle against the rain. "You can let go of me now."
Only then did Naoki snap out of it. He immediately let go and stepped back half a pace, scratching his head. "Sorry, I didn't notice. I..."
"It's okay." The kunoichi lowered her head and tucked the damp hair clinging to her cheek behind her ear. The gesture made her seem a little flustered.
"The rain suddenly got heavier. I was just about to head home too."
Naoki looked at the kunoichi before him, and the image of the green-glowing hands from last night, her calm expression, and the way she'd hurried away flashed through his mind...
"I didn't get a chance to properly thank you last night," Naoki said sincerely. "Thank you for saving me."
He bowed to her to express his gratitude.
The kunoichi shook her head slightly, raindrops falling from the ends of her hair. "It was my duty. I'm a medical ninja."
"I'm Uchiha Naoki." He straightened and introduced himself. "I owe you one for last night. Otherwise, I might have..."
Before he could finish, lightning split the night sky, followed by a roar of thunder. The rain suddenly intensified, turning from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour.
"This rain couldn't have come at a worse time." The kunoichi glanced up at the sky, then looked toward the depths of the alley. "I have to go."
With that, she turned to leave.
Watching her leave again, Naoki somehow found himself reaching out and grabbing her arm.
Once again, he was holding her arm in the exact same spot. The kunoichi turned back and glared at Naoki, both annoyed and embarrassed.
Though Naoki had spent decades without a girlfriend, he'd seen enough to know he was about to mess things up. A sudden idea came to him.
"S-sorry. I just wanted to ask your name... and invite you to dinner to thank you for treating me last night."
"My name is Sakurai Hideko... Can you let me go now?"
Naoki quickly let go. Hideko clearly wasn't really angry with him, either. She smiled, then jogged away.
Only after Hideko disappeared into the rainy night did Naoki come to his senses. He tugged at his coat.
"I really am unbelievably stupid!"
With a sigh, he headed home.
He hadn't even opened the front door when he saw that the light was on in his second-floor room.
"Those two idiots. I told them not to come in through the window!"
Still riding his momentum, Naoki walked into the house with a dark look on his face. He saw the Uchiha Zongye brothers eating noodles and asked sternly, "Did you climb in through the window again?"
"Yep." Uchiha Zongxin slurped up a mouthful of noodles and nodded shamelessly.
"I told you—"
Before Naoki could finish, Uchiha Zongye cheerfully pulled him over to the dining table and handed him a bowl of noodles.
"Naoki, you can't blame us for this. You didn't give us a key, so we had no choice but to climb in through the window."
Naoki looked at the steaming noodles before him, then at Uchiha Zongxin happily slurping away. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
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