Trash Fish Little Brother-Con

Some time later, at the hot spring inn.

"Ah—this feels so damn good! Oh my God, it feels amazing~"

Xiu leaned against the artificial rockery beside the private hot spring pool, tilting his head back to look at the sky. His feet soaked in the water, and he held a glass of nonalcoholic cocktail in his hand.

Uchiha Izumi, dressed in a black swimsuit, soaked in the pool. She held Xiu's ankle with her left hand and wrapped a white towel around her right, gently and meticulously scrubbing his feet.

Only after she had scrubbed both feet spotless did she look up at Xiu. Seeing him gazing at the sky, the corners of her lips rose uncontrollably.

"Mm, all done! Now only your butt hasn't been scrubbed. Take off your bath towel!"

Izumi said this with an utterly casual expression, then reached out to tug at the towel around Xiu's waist.

Before she could succeed, though, there came a loud splash.

Xiu raised his foot to block her path. Caught off guard, Izumi's pretty face slammed directly into the sole of his foot.

Xiu lightly ground his foot against her face, as though stubbing out a cigarette. "One VIP seat on the Interrogation Department's electric chair! Taste the Konoha Child Protection Law's electric shock, you trash-fish little brother-con!"

"Huh?"

Uchiha Izumi froze. After blanking out for a second, she grabbed Xiu's ankle. "You clearly agreed to let your big sister scrub you! How could you be so rude, Xiu? Slurp..."

"???"

This time, Xiu froze.

Once he realized what had happened, the corner of his mouth twitched as he shot Izumi a disgusted look.

Just as he was about to say something, several powerful whistling sounds suddenly tore through the air.

Xiu's expression turned cold. Black Susanoo ribs instantly appeared, spreading skeletal arms around Uchiha Izumi to shield her.

Clang, clang, clang...

Several shuriken struck the Susanoo, ringing crisply before falling into the hot spring pool.

The sudden turn of events stunned Uchiha Izumi.

The two followed the direction from which the shuriken had come and saw a slender, beautiful figure standing on the roof, staring at them with vacant eyes.

"Big Sister Kurenai? Why are you..." Uchiha Izumi's face suddenly changed. "No, Xiu! She's being controlled by Genjutsu!"

"Obviously. This amateur..."

Xiu calmly pulled his ankle from Izumi's grasp and slowly stood up. "Protect Auntie. I'll be right back."

"Got it!" Izumi nodded and turned to run into the building.

Seeing the two move, Kurenai Yuhi turned and leaped onto a distant rooftop, fleeing toward the edge of the village.

"What a clumsy lure. You're certain I'll follow, huh? Fine, as you wish. Let's see what this is about!"

Xiu sneered, ripped off his bath towel, and casually pulled a pair of oversized shorts from the Kamui Space. "Good thing I had the foresight to keep clothes in the Kamui Space."

Time returned to that morning, on the back mountain of Naka Shrine.

"I need your help."

Itachi looked at the long-haired man wearing a tiger-striped mask before him and extended an invitation to join forces.

The tiger-masked man crossed his arms and leisurely sized him up. "Aren't you... that little brat from back then? You've grown so much in the blink of an eye."

Itachi's expression remained calm. "Drop the act. You noticed long ago that I was watching you, didn't you?"

"Hmph, sharp as ever." The tiger-masked man cocked his head. "So, what do you want me to help you with?"

"Kill someone."

"Who?"

"Uchiha Xiu."

"..."

The tiger-masked man fell silent for two seconds. "I've heard of him, but isn't he only six?"

"He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. If I'm not mistaken, that elusive ability of yours comes from your Sharingan, doesn't it?"

Itachi stared at the single eye beneath his mask. "When his Mangekyō activates, its effect looks identical to yours!"

At that, the tiger-masked man immediately fell silent. "A six-year-old with Mangekyō... are you serious?"

Itachi wore a solemn expression. "Not only that, but he has enormous chakra reserves and terrifying monstrous strength. In Taijutsu combat, even Jonin cannot resist him. He can also stably summon Susanoo."

"...Do kids develop this fast nowadays?"

The tiger-masked man felt as though his entire worldview was collapsing.

He had visited Konoha half a month ago, and at the time, he had only heard that the Uchiha had produced a six-year-old Three Tomoe genius.

Yet only a few days had passed, and he had already awakened Mangekyō?

And most importantly...

His ocular technique was actually Kamui?

And it was Kamui in both eyes.

To be honest, he was truly tempted. But he also knew exactly how troublesome Kamui with both eyes was. It would not be an exaggeration to call it absolutely invincible.

"You don't need to go all out. You only need to restrain his space-time ocular technique."

Seeing the other man remain silent, Itachi said, "As for the rest, you needn't worry. It will be enough if you can create a single instant of opportunity for me."

"..."

The tiger-masked man pondered for a moment, seemingly considering whether it was feasible.

A few seconds later, he nodded. "I can help you, but I want those Mangekyō eyes of his."

Itachi frowned. Honestly, he did not want such a broken ability to fall into someone else's hands, especially not this person, who clearly had serious issues.

But it did not matter. He had already considered this. "Deal. If you can get them, they're yours. But I need to make preparations first."

"We're acting today? You really are in a hurry. But how do you plan to lure him out?" the tiger-masked man asked.

"Just control a random passerby and have them deliver a message," Itachi said flatly.

"That simple?" the other man asked, puzzled.

"He's proud to the point of arrogance." Itachi spoke calmly, without the slightest doubt in his analysis. "Even if he notices something wrong, he won't take it seriously."

"But what if he's so arrogant that he can't even be bothered to investigate and just kills the messenger?" the tiger-masked man asked curiously.

Itachi: "..."

Come to think of it, that was entirely possible!

Hadn't his father been pinned to the ground and beaten senseless by Xiu before he could even finish talking?

After thinking it over, Itachi ultimately decided to use someone Xiu knew to lure him out.

Thus, one hour later...

Wearing nothing but oversized shorts, Xiu chased after Kurenai Yuhi all the way to the eastern forest.

"He actually chased her out wearing only oversized shorts?"

From a treetop, the tiger-masked man spoke with emotion. "That really is arrogant. At least, I wouldn't have the courage to do that."

Itachi Uchiha: "..."

As the two spoke, Xiu noticed them as well.

In a flash, he appeared behind Kurenai, raised a hand to her shoulder, and dispelled the Genjutsu controlling her.

The instant the Genjutsu was broken, Kurenai's mind suffered a backlash, as though someone had struck her with a heavy blow.

She groaned and nearly collapsed, but Xiu caught her in time.

"Xiu..."

Seeing a familiar face, Kurenai Yuhi felt a wave of relief.

But when she noticed Itachi Uchiha ahead of them, her heart immediately leaped into her throat again. "Be careful. It was Itachi Uchiha who controlled me."

Xiu folded his arms, looking down on him. "Yeah, I followed you here. There isn't anyone else around."

"Heh, looks like I'm being ignored."

Hearing Xiu's words, the tiger-masked man chuckled.

Xiu swept a cold glance over him. "I said people. Why is an animal like you butting in? You reek of simp. Who the hell are you trying to impress by acting like some expert?"