Wuye returned to Mikoto's bedroom carrying breakfast, only to find Uchiha Izumi dressed in a black kimono, a small bundle on her back, silently wiping the floor.
He softened his steps as he entered and placed the tray by the bed.
Mikoto was still asleep, showing no signs of waking.
Yet even in her sleep, her brows remained tightly furrowed. Clearly, her dreams were not pleasant.
Wuye gently stroked her face, bent down, and lightly kissed the space between her brows.
"Mm..."
Mikoto seemed to regain a little awareness, but she did not open her eyes and soon drifted back into deep sleep. Only then did her tightly furrowed brows gradually relax.
Wuye breathed a small sigh of relief, then tucked her blanket in and silently rose.
When he turned around, he saw Uchiha Izumi looking this way, her gaze seeming... envious.
"There are maids to handle these things," Wuye said quietly as he walked up to her.
Uchiha Izumi lowered her gaze. "I-I'm sorry... I just wanted to do something, otherwise I'd feel uneasy... I used to do this at home too..."
Wuye calmly looked at the uneasy girl, as if he could see through the fear and emptiness in her heart.
At least Mikoto still had him and Kushina to care for her. But Izumi had lost everything.
"Then do as you please. You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't leave the inner residence."
Wuye shook his head and walked out, leaving the room to Mikoto and her.
Perhaps similar pain could bring them solace in each other.
"Hey!"
As he turned the corner of the corridor, a pale yellow figure sprang out from behind a pillar.
Wuye stopped. "Temari?"
"Didn't you say you'd teach me ninjutsu? It's been a year now. I've already