A catalyst for change

The river reflected the starlight, and the rippling water drew the boy's and girl's shadows together, then apart.

Uchiha Izumi smoothed her hair and subtly shifted closer to Itachi, her heart beating a little faster.

But with the darkness and firelight concealing her blush, Itachi could not see it.

"How did you meet Naruto Uzumaki?" Itachi glanced at the fish bones scattered across the ground, then at Naruto Uzumaki, who was lying nearby, snoring after eating his fill. He shook his head. "No, I should ask how you brought him into the clan compound."

Konoha had strictly forbidden contact between the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha Clan. Although that ban had recently been lifted, the Uchiha's current situation was far too sensitive. And it was not just people in the village—quite a few within the clan had their eyes on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as well.

"No, Naruto-kun has always come here on his own. Didn't you know?" Izumi sounded surprised by Itachi's question. "I often see Sasuke walking with Naruto-kun after school. Sometimes, maybe because he's trained too hard, Sasuke can barely walk, and Naruto-kun brings him home."

"Really?"

Itachi froze for a moment. Ever since Sasuke started school, he had paid little attention to his daily routine. All he knew was that, at home, Sasuke was always talking about something Naruto had done, then begging him for special training so he could surpass Naruto.

Had they already become that close?

"Honestly, you used to be the big brother who never let go of his little brother. Now you don't even pay attention to the people around him? Oh, speaking of which, I saw Sasuke today. He's nothing like the unlikable little kid he used to be. He's all cool and handsome, just like you were at school."

"And now, when he sees me, he isn't rude like he was as a kid. He even calls me his big sister."

Uchiha Izumi smiled, her eyes narrowing, as though recalling the days she had spent at school with Itachi.

But Konoha had still been at war back then, so children like them had only spent three years at the Ninja Academy. And when Itachi was exposed for sending a Shadow Clone to school, he had graduated early and begun taking missions as a Genin.

"...By the time I graduated, you were already a Chunin," Uchiha Izumi said wistfully, then added with some regret, "It's a shame I never got to go on a mission with you."

"...That's nothing to regret."

"Sure, we'll have a chance someday. Even if it doesn't happen during our ninja careers, there's always our lives afterward... ahaha." Seemingly realizing that she had accidentally revealed her feelings, Izumi quickly laughed it off, her smile brimming with a young girl's affection.

Yet the sight of her made Itachi's heart ache.

Because just moments earlier, the Uchiha Clan's fate had been sealed.

His silence left her feeling awkward, and she glanced into the distance.

It had always been like this. She had never received an answer from Itachi.

Nor had he ever rejected her.

As neither spoke, a hush settled between them, broken only by the crackle of dry wood in the fire.

Beside them, Naruto was still snoring, but more and more sweat beaded on his forehead.

After all, lying beside a fire and pretending to sleep was exhausting.

Man, with this atmosphere, how long am I supposed to keep pretending?

Naruto had actually woken up some time ago. He had happened to hear their conversation, and Izumi's gentle voice alone had told him exactly what was going on.

Although he was young, a childhood spent struggling to get by had taught him plenty about these things. Wanting to help them along, Naruto had kept pretending to sleep, thinking it might be fun to listen to someone else's sweet nothings.

Instead, everyone had stopped talking, and he was just getting hotter... and hotter...

It's so hot. Why does it feel like I'm actually on fire?

Naruto cracked his eyes open and glanced behind him. A small flame was stubbornly burning along the hem of his clothes, looking eager to spread upward and warm his entire body.

"Whoa!!! Fire! I'm on fire!"

With a cry, Naruto sprang three feet into the air and hurriedly plunged headfirst into the river.

"Naruto-kun!" Uchiha Izumi hurried to help, but before she could even get to her feet, Itachi was already standing on the water and hauling Naruto up.

"Thanks, thanks! Ahahaha."

Naruto looked embarrassed—not because he had fallen into the water, since he had long since mastered walking on water with chakra, but because this commotion had surely ruined their moment. He genuinely felt bad about that.

Yet Uchiha Itachi took the opportunity as he pulled him up to whisper in his ear, "Stay away from the Uchiha."

Because they might try to use the Nine-Tails inside you to recreate the Nine-Tails' Attack, overthrow Konoha completely, and carry out their revolution...

Itachi did not say that part aloud. After warning Naruto, he quickly returned to shore. His indifference, as though he had done nothing at all, left Naruto a little stunned.

Naruto could sense negative emotions radiating from Itachi so intensely that they almost stung his skin. They had not been there just moments earlier, when he was with Izumi.

But unlike other people's negative emotions, these were not directed at him.

"Itachi?" Izumi seemed to notice something as well and looked at the boy she loved with concern.

"Let's go. It's late." Itachi keenly sensed the growing number of furtive gazes watching Naruto. He then stood and said to him, "I'll walk you out."

"Oh, no need, no need. I can manage. Walk Izumi home instead. Bye!" Naruto knew when to make himself scarce. Standing on the water, he patted his backside, then waved at Uchiha Itachi and Izumi. A moment later, with a Pop, he vanished into a cloud of smoke.

"A Shadow Clone?" Not only the people watching from the shadows and Uchiha Izumi, but even Itachi, who had once used Shadow Clones to pretend he was attending school, stared in shock. When had Naruto left a clone behind and slipped away?

Meanwhile, Naruto was already home, taking off his clothes to bathe and get ready for bed. He muttered, "Aw, now I have to buy new clothes again. What a waste. Maybe I could get some money out of Sasuke in exchange for telling him his brother's secretly dating someone?"

"He noticed someone watching from the shadows, left a clone in the water, then used Flying Thunder God to get his real body away." Having seen everything clearly from the world inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails nodded in satisfaction, like a parent watching a child score full marks on a test.

All those nightly reminders from him and Minato to stay alert had not been wasted after all. Konoha had hardly been peaceful lately.

Beside him, Minato Namikaze, who had been observing the Nine-Tails' reactions all along, looked thoughtful.