The Cunning Brother-Con

"Tch, why was a graduation assessment taking so damn long?"

Inside the Ninja Academy's indoor training ground.

Uchiha Shu stood with his arms folded, impatiently tapping his right foot against the floor. "What kind of work efficiency is this?"

Iruka had said that early graduation required approval from the Hokage and told them to wait here. After applying and returning, he had said they needed to wait a little longer. That little while had turned into nearly half an hour.

"Come on, Xiu, don't be mad. Once this is over, I'll take you out for spicy ramen, okay?" Seeing his impatience, Uchiha Izumi softly tried to soothe him.

"Ramen, huh..." Xiu looked thoroughly disdainful. "Was Konoha having a famine? Was there nothing else to eat?"

It was true that he liked spicy food, but what he liked was spicy crayfish, Sichuan hotpot, and things like that. What was so good about some lousy ramen?

After transmigrating to the Shinobi World, he had naturally been full of anticipation for Ichiraku Ramen and the like. But after trying it once, he had found it disgustingly rich, especially that tonkotsu ramen.

Besides, the Shinobi World's food culture was inherited directly from Japan's, so spicy food was practically nonexistent. The spiciest food in the village was mapo tofu made by a Chinese restaurant called Jūjūya.

(Jūjūya was an izakaya specializing in Chinese cuisine. It appeared on page 23 of the Book of Soldiers. God knew why there was Chinese food in Naruto.)

After learning that Xiu liked spicy food, Hazuki had taken Xiu and Izumi there once. Xiu had taken one bite and been so annoyed that he laughed.

"Then what do you want to eat? I'll take you," Izumi said expectantly, looking at Xiu. "Or I could learn to make it for you?"

"Forget it. Let's have Ama Kuri Ama. Since there's nothing I like to eat, I might as well have something you like."

Xiu sighed. In the years since he had transmigrated here, he had barely eaten a proper meal.

Most days, it was pork cutlet rice, curry rice, tempura—basically fast food.

Stuff like sushi, which he would not even have bothered touching with his chopsticks in his previous life, had somehow become high-end cuisine here.

"You can't make what I like," Xiu said listlessly.

Izumi tilted her head. "Then you have to tell me what you like, right? Is it hard to make?"

"Of course. First, you have to render beef tallow, and then—"

As Xiu spoke, he suddenly froze. After two seconds of silence, he slapped a fist into his palm. "Oh, right! I can make it myself!"

As a young man from the internet age, he had watched plenty of short videos—wilderness construction, traditional crafting, cooking tutorials, and, of course, comedy clips and dark jokes.

He had long since memorized the process for making hotpot base. He had even followed several creators who cooked their own base, always thinking that he would buy the ingredients and try it himself whenever he had the time.

Didn't he have the chance now?

As for dipping sauce, he could not make sesame oil, but he was from the north and a true sesame paste devotee. He could still make sesame-peanut sauce.

Thinking about it carefully, there really were quite a few dishes he could make!

"Huh? I didn't know you could cook, Xiu. That's amazing!"

Uchiha Izumi did not doubt Xiu's words in the slightest. Especially after seeing those items last night that could practically be called divine artifacts, she had developed an inexplicable confidence in him.

She bent slightly, bracing both hands on her knees as she leaned close to him. Her big eyes did not blink. "Can you teach me when you make it? Then I can cook for you every day from now on."

Xiu raised a brow. "Every day?"

"Hehehe~"

Izumi gave a silly laugh, looking as though she had been found out. A faint blush spread across her cheeks.

Ever since her mother had exposed her feelings last night, she had completely let herself go.

Although Xiu kept saying he wanted to build a harem, he did not actually interact with girls at all. Most of the time, he never even left the house and just trained at home.

Izumi admitted that Xiu was very handsome. In fact, she had never seen a boy better-looking than him. But if he would not even interact with girls, then no matter how handsome he was, could he expect girls to beg to join his harem?

At the end of the day, wouldn't she be the only one left by Xiu's side?

She, Uchiha Izumi, was this beautiful, and her strength was outstanding among her peers. Surely she could not fail to keep hold of even one home, right?

Besides, what did Xiu know about such things at his age?

As long as she guided him properly, she was completely confident that she could raise Xiu into a devoted sister-con—scratch that, a good man.

She had already made up her mind. Since her brother-con secret had been exposed anyway, she might as well strike while the iron was hot and get a verbal agreement first. Once Xiu grew up, it would be easier to force him into submission—scratch that, make him take responsibility.

Izumi's dark eyes spun mischievously. "What's the problem? Didn't Xiu say yesterday that you wanted your big sister to become your wife?"

"Did I say that last night?"

Xiu sneered. What a cunning brother-con!

"I don't care! That's exactly what you said!" Uchiha Izumi moved closer to Xiu as she spoke, covering her mouth and whispering into his ear. "Xiu, you wouldn't want those things from last night to get exposed, would you?"

"???"

Not far away, Iruka watched the two whispering together and sighed sourly. "A girl next door, childhood sweethearts... Xiu really is someone to envy."

Izumi's teacher laughed beside him. "He's just a little too unappreciative. Izumi is very popular among the boys her age."

"Then these two children must be very close..."

An aged voice sounded out. Seeing who had arrived, Iruka and the other teacher quickly stood straight.

"Lord Hokage."

"Mm..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe as his gaze passed over the two teachers and settled on Xiu and Izumi.

Kurenai Yuhi followed beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, curiously examining the two as well, with a trace of surprise in her eyes.

The girl with the tear mole was already very pretty, while the boy beside her was so beautiful that it was difficult to tell his gender.

Judging by his appearance, he seemed like the gentle sort of handsome boy.

"Hello, Lord Hokage!"

Uchiha Izumi politely inclined her head, her gentle demeanor completely unlike the lovestruck way she acted around Xiu.

Uchiha Shu did not deliberately start trouble either. Though he disliked the man, he still gave the Third Hokage a slight nod.

This was the second time he had met Hiruzen Sarutobi. The first had been at the entrance ceremony.

"Mm, hello to you both."

Seeing how polite Izumi was, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed a kindly smile.

Uchiha Shu's personality might be difficult, but this child Izumi was still very gentle.

Judging by how clingy the two had looked when he arrived, the children must have been quite close. At the very least, Uchiha Izumi was someone capable of influencing Xiu's attitude.

"I heard from Iruka that the two of you wanted to graduate early in order to ease your family's financial burden. What filial children you are."

Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. "Early graduation is not without precedent. For example, Kakashi, one of the village's elite jonin, and Itachi Uchiha of your clan were both geniuses who graduated early."

"But that was during wartime. Since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, I have not supported students graduating early. Still, since you have your reasons, I gave it serious consideration..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused. "This is not a time of war. Without the pressures of war, the required standards for shinobi must naturally be raised. So I can approve your application, but the assessment will likewise become more difficult. You must demonstrate sufficient strength to prove yourselves."

"I understand..." Xiu stood with his arms folded, wearing an arrogant expression of invincibility. "So I just need to defeat you, right?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "???"