Gentle Sister Izumi

"These annotations are notes I made during my own research!" Tsukino Chinatsu stood on tiptoe and leaned in. "Although some parts might not be entirely accurate, they are definitely more useful than a standard acupoint chart!"

"Thank you, Sister Chinatsu." Uchiha Ao only felt his hand being gripped even tighter after he finished that sentence.

Tsukino Chinatsu's cheeks flushed slightly as she waved her hand. "No need to be so formal! If there's anything else you don't understand, just feel free to ask me!"

"It's fine. I've also studied acupoints for a while, so I can still manage to teach my younger brother. There's no need to trouble you, Chinatsu." Uchiha Izumi spoke with a smile, though a subtle chill hid within her syrupy-sweet tone.

Tsukino Chinatsu covered her mouth and giggled as if she hadn't noticed. "Sister Izumi is still so protective of your brother! But it's alright, Ao-kun, you can come ask me anytime you have questions!"

As she spoke, she pulled out a sticky note to write down her address, intending to tuck it into Uchiha Ao's hand, but Uchiha Izumi intercepted it.

She maintained the smile on her lips as she took the note. "I appreciate your kindness, Chinatsu, but my brother has been busy training in ninjutsu lately, so I'm afraid he won't have time to wander about."

She suddenly turned to look at her brother, the slight upward curve at the corners of her eyes masking a warning. "Right?"

"Uh..." Uchiha Ao actually wanted to say he had no plans to practice ninjutsu recently, but seeing the dark tide surging in Sister Izumi's eyes, he swallowed the words back down his throat. "Right, I need to practice ninjutsu myself, so I'm afraid I won't have time to go out."

Tsukino Chinatsu blinked, her smile stiffening for a moment before returning to normal. "Is that so? Then you must come find me to play once you're done training, Ao-kun!"

"Definitely, definitely." Uchiha Ao agreed verbally, but he was already planning to drag Sister Izumi away.

His goal had been achieved; if he stayed here any longer, his hand would lose all sensation.

Just as Uchiha Ao grabbed Sister Izumi's wrist, she countered by gripping his hand, the heat of her palm startlingly intense.

Uchiha Izumi continued to smile at Tsukino Chinatsu, though the tips of her hair stirred without a breeze. "Since you're so enthusiastic, Chinatsu, why don't I bring Ao to visit you another day?" Her voice was cloyingly sweet, yet carried a trace of coldness.

Tsukino Chinatsu stepped back half a pace, a cold sweat already seeping out from beneath her white lab coat.

She suddenly realized that the way Uchiha Izumi looked at her was like gazing at a corpse—the same look she had once seen in the hospital anatomy lab, directed at specimens soaked in formalin.

"No, that won't be necessary!" Chinatsu waved her hands in a panic. "I have to follow my mother to study medical ninjutsu lately..."

"I see." Uchiha Izumi released Uchiha Ao's hand but took the opportunity to drape her arm around his shoulders, pulling him entirely into her embrace. "That is truly a pity."

As they turned to leave, Uchiha Ao heard the sound of Tsukino Chinatsu letting out a sigh of relief behind them.

Was Sister Izumi really that terrifying?

But thinking back to Sister Izumi's expression today, it was even colder than when he was caught by Hinata.

Uchiha Ao finally understood how Tsukino Chinatsu felt.

"Little brother, are you thinking about that woman?" Uchiha Izumi's voice popped up out of nowhere.

"No, not at all." Uchiha Ao hurriedly waved his hands.

If he dared to say he was thinking about her today, he feared he wouldn't live to see tomorrow's sun.

"It's good that you aren't. That woman is no simple character." Uchiha Izumi was satisfied with her brother's answer, paused, and continued, "She is a bit of a psychopath."

Uchiha Ao nearly thought he had misheard when he heard this.

He thought the girl seemed quite gentle; how could she be a psychopath?

However, since Sister Izumi said so, he couldn't be bothered to care whether Chinatsu was a psychopath or not.

In any case, they wouldn't have much interaction in the future.

The two continued walking toward home, Uchiha Izumi's arm never loosening its hold on her brother, as if she were afraid he might suddenly vanish.

Pedestrians on the street grew sparse, leaving only the dim, yellow glow of streetlights to cast mottled shadows on the ground.

On the other side, Mo—

"Amazing! So you actually have someone you care about!"

Tsukino Chinatsu knew of Uchiha Izumi's situation, but the more she understood, the more incredible it felt.

At this age...

She had long wanted to dissect Izumi-chan's body.

It was only because she couldn't beat her that she hadn't acted on it yet.

Back home, Uchiha Ao couldn't help but spread out the acupoint chart Tsukino Chinatsu had given him.

The yellowed paper was densely packed with annotations, the ink varying in depth, with some areas even heavily circled in red pen.

Seeing his brother's serious demeanor, Uchiha Izumi didn't say anything this time and turned to walk into her own room.

"The acupoint chart is a bit complex, but that's fine; one night should be enough."

The Otsutsuki Bloodline not only granted him talent in ninjutsu and chakra but also bestowed upon him a powerful memory.

Uchiha Ao sat alone in his room, the soft light falling upon the acupoint chart Tsukino Chinatsu had provided.

On the yellowed paper, those dense annotations were clearly visible, the ink varying in intensity, with simple diagrams drawn in some places to aid understanding.

He frowned slightly, studying it with total concentration, muttering to himself from time to time.

"The marking for this acupoint is different from the standard ones, but it does seem to have its own logic."

He gently tapped his finger on the location of the "Jianjing Acupoint" on the chart, next to which Tsukino Chinatsu had written: Stimulating this point can quickly relieve tension in the shoulder muscles; it has a miraculous effect on muscle strain caused by frequent use of ninjutsu.

Just as he was immersed in his study of the chart, a sudden breeze blew through, causing the window to rattle slightly.

He looked up instinctively, then lowered his head once more.

Before long, however, a sudden rumble from his stomach made him realize he had been researching for so long that he hadn't even eaten dinner.

"I'll take a break and get something to eat before continuing," he muttered to himself, rising to walk toward the door to find some food in the kitchen.

As soon as he opened the door, he ran straight into Uchiha Izumi.

"Sister Izumi, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Uchiha Izumi was carrying a steaming clay pot; a few grains of rice clung to the porcelain-white rim, clearly showing she had just stepped away from the stove.

"I knew you'd be hungry, little brother." She pursed her lips and set the pot on the table. The moment she lifted the lid, the sweet aroma of red dates and yam filled the room. "I made porridge and brought some pickled radishes. Eat up."

Uchiha Ao gazed at the thick rice porridge in the pot, where a few pitted red dates floated on the surface like decorative rubies.

Only then did he notice the spots of rice starch on Sister Izumi's sleeves and the fine beads of moisture clinging to her hair, evidence that she hadn't had time to tidy up in her haste. "Sister Izumi, did you cook this specifically for me?"

"What else? Can't a sister care for her little brother?"

Uchiha Izumi's eyes curved into crescents as she reached out to gently ruffle Uchiha Ao's hair, her movements as soft as if she were handling a fragile treasure.

She sat on the cushion nearby, resting her chin in her hand as she watched him eat with relish, her gaze brimming with tenderness. "Eat slowly; no one is going to snatch it from you." As she spoke, she picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped a smudge of porridge from the corner of his mouth.