But after using her powerful spiritual perception, she picked up a familiar life signature. Her younger brother was in her room, breathing evenly like a trickling stream, with no trace of disturbance.
Still, she couldn't completely trust her perception. She grabbed the black robe draped over the screen and hurried to her room.
She gently pushed the door open, making it creak softly, then Uchiha Izumi crouched down and slipped inside without a sound.
She walked over to the bed and leaned down to gaze at her younger brother, examining him carefully from head to toe.
He was indeed fine. In fact, he was sleeping soundly in her bed.
"As long as my little brother's okay." Uchiha Izumi patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
After Shisui had easily beaten her with genjutsu, she'd come to understand her weaknesses.
Her ninjutsu and Taijutsu were both strong. In those areas, even Shisui couldn't match her.
But she didn't have the Mangekyō Sharingan, and she was completely defenseless against genjutsu from Itachi and Shisui.
She'd be on her knees after a single exchange.
So, to push herself to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, she had used her younger brother.
She'd used genjutsu to recreate a scene where he died. The hard part was that she had to believe the illusion was real—in other words, she had to believe her brother had truly died right in front of her.
And to achieve that, she didn't know how many times she'd used genjutsu on herself.
She still remembered the first time she cast the genjutsu. In the illusion, a kunai was buried in Ao's chest, and blood gushed out like a fountain, staining his smiling face red.
Of course, in the end, she still hadn't truly believed that her younger brother had died in front of her.
But after the false alarm just now, she'd managed to touch the threshold of the Mangekyō.
It probably wouldn't be long before she truly awakened it.
Standing over her sleeping younger brother, Uchiha Izumi carefully reached out and hugged him.
What Uchiha Izumi didn't know was that her younger brother had actually woken up the moment she released that burst of ocular power. He'd simply sensed her coming and kept pretending to sleep.
That ocular power just now...
Uchiha Ao had experienced the ocular power of Shisui's Mangekyō, and the burst Sister Izumi had just unleashed was already nearly on par with Shisui's.
Uchiha Ao trembled slightly in bed, not from fear but from being stunned by that almost tangible power.
What the hell? How could I, the one with cheats, still be falling behind Sister Izumi?
Uchiha Ao lay in bed, trying to look calm, while ranting furiously in his mind.
Uchiha Izumi had no idea her younger brother was busy ranting about her in his head.
Once she was sure he was safe, Uchiha Izumi didn't hesitate. She climbed straight into bed.
Her bed was a little smaller than the one in her brother's room, so the two of them barely fit.
But...
That made her feel even safer.
Uchiha Izumi curled up on her side and gently wrapped an arm around her younger brother. The boy's clean, fresh scent lingered at the tip of her nose.
The bed was narrow, bringing them so close together that they could hear their heartbeats overlapping.
But when Uchiha Ao caught a whiff of sweat from Sister Izumi, he silently shifted in her arms.
Sister Izumi, go take a bath!
Uchiha Izumi thought he wanted to get closer, so she tightened her arms and pulled the boy further into her embrace.
Forget it. Sister Izumi could do whatever she wanted.
Uchiha Ao didn't exactly mind.
The night passed without incident. The next morning.
Morning light filtered through the mottled window lattice and spilled into the room. Uchiha Izumi opened her eyes groggily, and the first thing she saw was her younger brother's sleeping face, right beside hers.
The boy's eyelids fluttered slightly. His breathing was long and even, and the corners of his mouth were curved in a faint smile.
Only then did she realize that her arm had gone completely numb, yet she still stubbornly held Ao close, like a mother beast guarding her young.
Uchiha Izumi checked the time. Worried their mother might see them, she had meant to get up at once, but then she reconsidered.
Wait, that's not right.
Wouldn't Mom freak out if I used genjutsu on her?
Uchiha Izumi was annoyed with herself for not thinking of that sooner. Otherwise, she could've cuddled up with her brother in bed right in front of Mom.
But it wasn't too late to think of it now.
Hehe.
A sly, mischievous smile spread across Uchiha Izumi's face as her fingers unconsciously stroked the soft crown of her younger brother's head.
The morning light gilded the boy's outline. Ao's eyelashes fluttered in his sleep, completely unaware of what his sister was plotting.
"Izumi, it's time for breakfast!" their mother called from outside the door, followed by a few gentle knocks.
Uchiha Izumi jolted. Her ocular power erupted in an instant.
The not-yet-fully-awakened Mangekyō spun rapidly in her eyes, the Tomoe twisting like flames.
Uchiha Ao had been sleeping just fine, but the burst of ocular power woke him instantly.
Damn it, couldn't she let him sleep this early in the morning?
But when he sensed Sister Izumi beside him, Uchiha Ao immediately closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Oh, it's Sister Izumi. Then it's fine.
Izumi's Mother gently pushed open the door. A satisfied smile curled Uchiha Izumi's lips.
Her fingers trembled, and the still-unstable Mangekyō glimmered faintly blue. An invisible genjutsu spread over their mother like a veil.
In the false scene woven by the genjutsu, the room was empty. The bedding was neatly folded, and morning light fell gently across the bare floor.
"Strange, where did they go?" Izumi's Mother muttered, scratching her head. She glanced over the bed without noticing a thing.
She grumbled and turned to leave, her footsteps gradually fading away.
"Phew..." Uchiha Izumi let out a long breath, her tense body relaxing. She buried her face in her younger brother's neck again. "That was a close one."
Her warm breath brushed against Ao's skin, carrying the lazy softness of early morning.
The room fell quiet again, with only the occasional soft sound of their breathing.
As noon approached, Uchiha Ao was no longer sleepy at all.
"Sister Izumi, let go of me. I want to get up!"
"Let's lie here a little longer," Uchiha Izumi mumbled. Her arms tightened around him like iron pincers, and she rubbed her face against Ao's neck.
Uchiha Ao felt a little helpless.
Sister Izumi being so clingy wasn't all good.
Whatever. I'll use a Shadow Clone today.
When he realized Sister Izumi had no intention of letting go, Uchiha Ao quietly gathered chakra.
With a soft poof, a Shadow Clone identical to him appeared beside the bed.
The Shadow Clone shared his consciousness, so even without an order from the original, it knew what to do.
The Shadow Clone smiled at the original, curled up in Sister Izumi's arms, and winked at him.
The original helplessly waved at the Shadow Clone, telling it to hurry up and leave.
The Shadow Clone understood. It quietly slipped out of the room, then used the Body Flicker Technique to reach their usual spot in the blink of an eye.
Before you continue