The Pendant

The next morning, Uchiha Ao stretched and got out of bed early.

"I'm exhausted."

Yesterday, after Sister Izumi had brought him home, he'd been kept busy until late at night.

Even now, his hands still ached, his knuckles slightly swollen. It was even difficult to make a fist.

"B-big brother... more."

Uchiha Ao was staring blankly at his trembling fingers when he suddenly heard Izumi mumble in her sleep, her voice nasal.

He turned to look. She was curled up beneath the covers, her eyelashes fluttering as she murmured unconsciously.

Uchiha Ao was speechless at Sister Izumi's sleep-talking.

More!?

Sister Izumi, have mercy on me.

Uchiha Ao vowed that he'd invent an automatic massage device someday.

As he grumbled to himself, Sister Izumi suddenly rolled over and laid her arm across his leg, the warmth of her palm seeping through the fabric.

Just then, the wooden door creaked open. Izumi's Mother appeared in the doorway, carrying a ceramic bowl filled with red bean porridge. A smile from the early morning touched the corners of her eyes. "Ao, I brought you—"

She cut herself off.

Izumi's Mother saw her daughter, Izumi, lying in Ao's bed, one hand possessively pinning his leg while the blanket had slipped down to her waist.

Noticing Izumi's Mother's gaze, Uchiha Ao tried to pull his leg away, but Izumi unconsciously gripped it even tighter in her sleep.

The smile on Izumi's Mother's face froze instantly. Her brows knitted together, and she set the bowl down hard on the low table. A few drops of red bean porridge splashed onto the wood, leaving dark marks. "Uchiha Izumi!"

Her thunderous yell rang out. Izumi jolted awake and sat up groggily. "Mom? Why are you..." Before she could finish, her mother grabbed her by the collar and hauled her to the edge of the bed.

Watching Sister Izumi get lectured by her mother without daring to talk back,

Uchiha Ao grinned from ear to ear.

This was great.

Uchiha Izumi noticed her little brother watching and bared her teeth at him in a fierce grimace. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and a few unruly strands of hair stuck up from her head, making her look just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

When their mother turned to look at her brother, she silently mouthed, "I'll deal with you later."

"Ao, come have some porridge." Izumi's Mother pushed the freshly tidied bowl in front of him. The steam carried the sweet fragrance of red beans.

"Thank you, ma'am." Uchiha Ao picked up the bowl. Through the rising steam, he caught Izumi glaring at him with puffed-out cheeks.

Uchiha Ao sighed, set down his bowl, and turned to Izumi's Mother. "Actually, ma'am, I couldn't sleep alone yesterday, so I asked Sister Izumi to keep me company."

Izumi's Mother narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied the helpless expression on Ao's face, which might or might not have been genuine. Then she turned to her daughter.

When Uchiha Izumi saw her mother turn toward her, she hurriedly nodded.

Izumi's Mother said nothing more, only letting out a soft sigh.

As she left, she patted Izumi on the shoulder and murmured, "Ao's still young..."

Uchiha Ao, still on the bed, couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.

Ma'am, I can hear you.

After Izumi's Mother left, the room fell quiet for a moment, broken only by the rustling of Izumi tidying the bedding.

"Sister Izumi, did Mom misunderstand something...?" Uchiha Ao got up to help her clean up.

Sister Izumi gave a soft snort but didn't answer.

Before long, the two of them had tidied the room.

"Little brother, take me to meet Hinata," Uchiha Izumi said abruptly.

"Uh." Uchiha Ao had a bad feeling.

"What, can't your big sister meet her?" Uchiha Izumi raised an eyebrow and folded her arms, her gaze making it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Cold sweat beaded on Uchiha Ao's forehead. He knew Sister Izumi didn't just want to meet Hinata.

"Of course you can, Sister Izumi! Hinata's timid. You'll scare her if you show up!" Uchiha Ao waved his hands frantically, cold sweat trickling down his temple and disappearing beneath his collar.

With Sister Izumi looking ready to draw her blade and spar at any moment, even a hotheaded tough guy from Kumogakure would be intimidated, let alone shy Hinata.

Izumi narrowed her eyes and tapped her fingertip against the table. "So you're saying I'm scary?"

Before she had even finished speaking, she suddenly leaned toward him and braced one hand against the wall behind Ao, staring down at her little brother.

"Sorry, Hinata!" Uchiha Ao apologized silently in his heart, but forced an ingratiating smile. "Sister Izumi, I'll take you to meet Hinata right now."

"That's more like it." Uchiha Izumi smiled with satisfaction.

Realizing he couldn't avoid it, Uchiha Ao had no choice but to take Sister Izumi to the abandoned training ground.

"Where's Hinata?" Uchiha Izumi quickly scanned the area but didn't see the young lady of the Hyuga Clan.

"Hinata..." Uchiha Ao had barely started speaking when he heard faint footsteps coming from behind a tree.

They both hurriedly looked that way. A person dressed in traditional Hyuga Clan clothing stepped out from behind the tree, the Eight Trigrams emblem at their waist glinting faintly in the sunlight.

"Hello, you two. My young lady had something come up today and couldn't make it."

Uchiha Izumi raised an eyebrow and looked at her little brother.

Her gaze seemed to ask, Did you warn Hinata not to come?

Uchiha Ao gave her a helpless look.

Sister Izumi, how could I dare? Besides, I've been right under your nose. What could I possibly have done?

Uchiha Izumi understood her little brother's look and thought it over.

That was true. Her little brother had been right under her nose the whole time. With her abilities, there was no way he could have pulled off some little trick without her noticing.

"Fine, then. Let's go home, little brother."

On the way back, Konoha's wind sent dry leaves skittering across the stone-paved street. Uchiha Izumi walked ahead with her arms folded, while Uchiha Ao ambled behind her.

"Come here." Uchiha Izumi suddenly stopped and turned to look at Uchiha Ao, who was dawdling behind. She slipped one hand into her pocket and pointed to the spot beside her with the other.

Uchiha Ao immediately understood what Sister Izumi meant.

He hurried over to her side and took her hand.

Sister Izumi's hand wasn't smooth. Her palm was covered in calluses, marks left by years of gripping kunai and practicing with shuriken.

"Sister Izumi, let me treat you to Three-Color Dango." Uchiha Ao knew it was her favorite.

Sister Izumi raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth lifting despite herself. But she pretended to be displeased. "You always think you can win me over with food." Even as she spoke, she was already turning with her little brother toward the Three-Color Dango shop.

The two walked side by side down the busy street. Ao stole a glance at Sister Izumi and saw that her attention had already been drawn to the colorful little trinkets at a roadside stall. She still kept a straight face, pretending not to care.

As they passed an accessories stall, Ao suddenly stopped and picked up a hair tie decorated with a bell. He waved it in front of Sister Izumi. "Sister Izumi, this would suit you."

Uchiha Izumi glanced at it, but her attention was drawn to another pair of exquisite accessories.

They were silver pendants shaped like Forehead Protectors, with little red agates dangling from the ends of their chains. Delicate flame patterns were carved into their bases, unmistakably in the style of the Uchiha Clan.

"Shopkeeper, I'll take this pair." As soon as Uchiha Izumi spoke, she had already taken out her wallet and slapped some bills onto the stall.

The shopkeeper took the money delightedly and quickly wrapped the pendants in red silk, praising her without pause. "You have a fine eye, miss. These are the only couple's set in our shop!"

Ao's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Izumi. "Sister Izumi, haven't you always said this stuff was gaudy?"

Izumi's ears instantly flushed red. She snatched the wrapped pendants and turned to leave. "Quit nagging! I can do what I want, can't I?" She hurried off, but as she turned, she secretly slipped one of the pendants into Ao's hand.