Uchiha Izumi

Just then, a light footstep came from behind, carrying a faint scent of gardenias.

"Natsu, what are you looking at?"

Natsu paused Kunai in his fingertips and turned to look. Uchiha Izumi was standing under the shade of a tree not far away, holding a bamboo food box in her hand, tilting her head to look at him, her eyes full of bright curiosity.

In truth, his connection with Izumi was thanks to Itachi.

On the Nine-Tails Night, he and his cousin Itachi completely broke off their relationship. From that day on, the cousins who used to climb trees and raid bird nests together became the most familiar strangers.

He came into this world with memories of his past life, and he knew better than anyone the rot beneath Konoha's glamorous exterior, and he also knew better than anyone the inevitable annihilation of the Uchiha Clan.

At first, he thought that if he brought Itachi along and joined forces with Shisui, the three of them could protect their clan and themselves.

But he ultimately underestimated Itachi's pride. That boy, who had been called a genius since childhood, always trusted only his own eyes.

The mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the Third Shinobi World War left an indelible mark on his heart.

It was Shisui who pulled him back from the brink of collapse, and Shisui's philosophy became his only belief.

Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together.

Itachi increasingly trusted the Third, believing that only by aligning himself with Konoha could peace be achieved.

He, however, never believed in those high-sounding promises from the very beginning. The two of them drifted further and further apart.

From the initial argument to the later cold indifference, and finally, to standing completely on opposite sides.

On the Nine-Tails Night, the two finally clashed in an alleyway in the Uchiha Clan District.

At that time, he hadn't received the system's blessing yet, and was no match for Itachi at all.

As the cold Kunai against his throat, he looked into Itachi's Sharingan, devoid of any warmth, and the last vestige of familial affection in his heart was utterly extinguished.

On that night, amidst Kakkō flames and cries of agony, he stumbled across the burning street, clutching his bleeding shoulder, and bumped into Quan, who was huddled in a corner, shivering and clutching a trembling kitten.

Come to think of it, when he watched anime in his past life, he did have a strong liking for this little girl whose eyes curved into crescent moons when she smiled.

After all, who doesn't like a beautiful and gentle girl?

At that time, all he could think about was how to survive and how to pull his people out of the abyss of extinction. He had no time to think about anything else.

How old was Quan back then? He had certainly heard the saying online, "Roses don't need to grow tall, lovers will bend down for them," but with the soul of someone in their twenties, falling for a little girl was not something he was that perverted to do.

Even though the two of them were just kids standing together, he couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.

As the days went Tenten, the two gradually became acquainted.

In those years, he lived in the shadow of his clan's extermination every day, unable to sleep night after night, sitting on the roof of the clan's land watching the moon.

Only Quan would secretly slip him freshly baked Anko Dango, sit quietly beside him, and keep him company without asking any questions.

Until a year ago, he led his entire clan across time and space to this sea, the system was fully activated, and the executioner's blade that had been hanging over his head for more than a decade finally disappeared.

His nerves, which had been taut for over a decade, finally began to relax.

It was from that time that the thin veil between him and Quan was gently broken by the sea breeze.

"Why did you come up here? Have you finished your class at the Clan Academy?" Natsu raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile.

Quan rolled her eyes in annoyance and shoved the food box into his arms.

Three years ago, Natsu's parents were killed in an accident while on a mission at the border. For the next few months, he locked himself in his room and wouldn't even open the door when his uncle Fugaku, knocked.

No amount of persuasion could change anything. Izumi didn't say a word of comfort; he simply followed his mother, Hazuki, in learning to cook, and without fail, he would appear at his doorstep every day with a food box.

He didn't utter a sound even though he had several blisters on his hands. He just sat quietly beside him, watching him finish his meal bite by bite.

Their relationship warmed up little by little during those darkest days.

The food box was still warm to the touch. As soon as it was opened, the rich aroma of roasted meat mixed with the sweetness of rice wafted out. The charred venison was laid on top of the glistening rice, drizzled with a thick sauce, and two glistening pickled plums were placed next to it.

Natsu's eyes lit up instantly, and the corners of her mouth immediately turned up. "It's actually barbecue rice!"

"Hmm." Quan shook his head, a hint of smugness in his voice. "This time, we used venison that Uncle Cook just hunted. I added extra black pepper, which you like. Try it quickly, it won't taste good when it's cold."

Quan gently turned her body, her fingertips unconsciously playing with her long, flowing hair. A slight smile curved her eyes, and her soft voice carried a hint of teasing. "Thinking back, this grilled meat rice bowl is the only dish that you really like. I'm afraid none of the other dishes I made before would have been to your liking."

Natsu stopped eating, looked up at her, a smile playing on her lips, and teased her, "Of course! When you were learning to cook from Aunt Hazuki, you were probably only focused on making it look nice, and didn't really think about seasoning at all. That plate of tempura earlier was so bland and tasteless, you probably forgot about the salt shaker."

"Well, I've been going to great lengths to bring you food every day, and you're just bringing up old stories to tease me!" Quan immediately frowned, pretending to be annoyed as she pursed her lips. Her bright eyes widened slightly, making her look charming and lively, and her gentle and graceful temperament was on full display.

Natsu chuckled softly, slowly swallowing the food in her mouth, her tone casual. "How could I dare to speak frankly back then? My parents passed away suddenly, and I was depressed and full of worries every day. Even if the food wasn't to my liking, I couldn't bear to disappoint you with your good intentions."

Upon hearing this, Quan's heart softened, and all the feigned anger vanished. He sat quietly to the side, keeping the boy company as they basked in the afterglow of the setting sun. The mountain breeze blew gently, creating an exceptionally peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

Natsu finished the last bite of rice, casually wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a Kunai, and handed it over.

The Kunai was silver-gray, with intricate and twisted Flying Thunder God Formula engraved on its blade, gleaming faintly in the setting sun.

The handle was wrapped with a circle of black cotton cloth, which he had personally wrapped by hand last night, smoothing out all the rough edges so that it fit perfectly in his hand.

"Oh, by the way, this is for you." He said casually, as if handing over a freshly picked wild fruit.

Quan took it with a puzzled look, his fingertips first touching the cold metal, the coolness spreading gently from his fingertips.

She examined the Kunai in her hand from all angles, her fingertips gently tracing the raised and recessed patterns, able to feel the Chakra aura remaining within the engravings.