Two Years Later, a New Konoha

Uchiha Itachi walked through Konoha, unable to believe how much it had changed.

Cars came and went, the streets bustled, and then there was...

"Get him! Beat him to a pulp!"

"Keep hitting him! Come on!"

"Susanoo!"

"Mere gravel is no threat to me!"

On the Game Console, a man in red armor stood with his hands clasped before him and looked down disdainfully at the fallen Uchiha Itachi.

"Five wins in a row! Five wins! You promised to buy me barbecue if you lost. No backing out!"

The familiar voice reached Uchiha Itachi's ears, and a vein bulged on his forehead.

"Lord Hokage's here! Lord Hokage's here!"

The people nearby hurriedly shouted.

Everyone scattered like startled birds.

"You promised me barbecue! Don't run away!" Uchiha Yoru shouted anxiously.

"Come with me!" Uchiha Itachi grabbed Uchiha Yoru by the collar and dragged him away.

At the Uchiha Clan Compound.

"You brat, who puts his own brother in a game?"

"You put our ancestor in there too! Aren't you afraid he'll rise from his grave? And those embarrassing lines!"

Not listening, not listening. You can preach all you want. Not looking, not looking. I couldn't care less!

Seeing the guilt on Uchiha Yoru's face, as though his lecture had gotten through to him, only made Uchiha Itachi angrier.

Who's preaching? Who couldn't care less?

"You're officially a Jonin now. Shouldn't you contribute to the village and take on some missions?"

Uchiha Itachi spoke with earnest patience.

"Mm-hmm, I get it. I'll pick up a mission later!"

I'll take a D-rank mission, send a Shadow Clone to do it, and keep playing!

Uchiha Itachi grew furious. "You asked me to push technological development and have Orochimaru put his inventions to use in Konoha. Was it all so you could live like this?"

"You loaf around all day, doing nothing but playing games and sleeping!"

"Is this what you wanted?"

Uchiha Yoru said, "What else?"

Uchiha Itachi: ("▔□▔)

Uchiha Yoru:

"Don't you have a dream?"

"I do!"

"Then tell me! Whatever it is, I'll help you achieve it, even if it takes all of Konoha!" Uchiha Itachi said excitedly.

"I want to play every game in the world!"

Uchiha Yoru declared his grand ambition.

"Get out! Now!"

"I'm really leaving, then!"

"Go!"

Uchiha Itachi watched Yoru skip away and held his head.

"What possessed me to believe Uchiha Yoru could have some grand ambition?"

"Father!"

Uchiha Fugaku walked in, and Uchiha Itachi greeted him respectfully.

"Itachi, don't pin your hopes on your little brother. As long as he's happy, that's enough."

Clearly, Uchiha Fugaku had heard their conversation.

He had changed a great deal, though. He was much gentler than before.

After all, Uchiha Itachi had become Hokage, so he no longer had to worry about the Uchiha Clan's standing in Konoha.

"Mm."

"Actually, there's something else I came to discuss."

"Itachi, you're not getting any younger."

"Shouldn't you start thinking about marriage?"

Uchiha Itachi suddenly looked flustered. "My duties come first right now, don't they?"

"Even if you aren't thinking about marriage yet, shouldn't you at least get engaged?" Uchiha Fugaku asked.

Uchiha Mikoto came in too. "I think Izumi would be wonderful!"

"You two are going to settle this today! Izumi, don't wait outside. Come in!"

Uchiha Mikoto called out, and a blushing Izumi entered.

She kept fiddling with her fingers, looking terribly shy.

"Itachi, give her a clear answer today!"

Uchiha Itachi asked, "Izumi, would you want that?"

"Whatever you want."

"Mm. All right. We'll get engaged first, then marry when Sasuke and Naruto come back." Uchiha Itachi was a little embarrassed himself.

It was the first time he and Izumi had spoken openly about their relationship.

They had both understood each other without saying a word, never quite bringing their feelings into the open. Neither had expected his parents to do it for them.

"Then go on a date! I'll discuss the engagement with Izumi's mother!"

With that, Uchiha Mikoto ushered Itachi and Izumi out.

"But I still have work."

Uchiha Fugaku said, "Shikaku will be happy to cover for you. Go on your date."

At the Hokage Building.

Shikaku Nara: So much work. So much work. So much work...

Uchiha Itachi and Izumi walked side by side down the street, both a little awkward and neither quite daring to speak first.

"Itachi, let's get some dango!"

Uchiha Izumi took Uchiha Itachi's hand. With him, she had to make the first move.

Despite all the changes in Konoha, the dango shop was much the same as ever.

"Four skewers of dango!"

"Thank you!"

Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Izumi sat outside the dango shop.

Uchiha Itachi gazed up at the sky. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this relaxed.

"Itachi, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering what Yoru's up to now. Izumi, why are you looking at me like that?"

Uchiha Itachi looked at Izumi's puffed-out cheeks and indignant expression.

"Nothing."

Uchiha Izumi turned her head away, silently cursing Uchiha Yoru. Yoru this, Yoru that! You have a beautiful woman right in front of you, and you're still thinking about Uchiha Yoru.

"Izumi, do you really like me?"

"Why ask that all of a sudden?" Uchiha Izumi blushed and rubbed her fingers together furiously, her thoughts a mystery.

"I'm not good with words, and I don't understand what you're thinking. Yoru always says I'm as dull as a rock," Uchiha Itachi said glumly.

What he didn't know was that if Konoha had a list of its most desirable men, he would certainly be on it. He was handsome, powerful, and Hokage of Konoha—the man of many girls' dreams.

But Itachi spent every day in the Hokage Building and only came out now and then. How could he know?

"That's not true! Don't listen to Yoru's nonsense!"

"What would that flirt know? He spends every day teasing Hinata, Karin, and Ino. He doesn't understand a thing!" Uchiha Izumi hurriedly protested.

"But I..." Itachi seemed to have more to say.

Uchiha Izumi grabbed his collar and kissed him.

"Do you understand how I feel now?"

Uchiha Izumi's face flushed with shyness.

Uchiha Itachi nodded blankly, as though he still hadn't caught up.

"You blockhead!"

"Come on! You still have half a day off. Let's go eat something good!"

Uchiha Izumi took Uchiha Itachi's hand and led him out to explore the new Konoha.

Hidden nearby, unnoticed by either of them, a gleaming camera lens had already trained itself on the pair.

"So I'm a flirt, huh? Just you two wait. You'll be in the Konoha Express!"

Uchiha Yoru's figure slowly vanished into the bushes.