The next day.
When Gua arrived at school, Izumi finally returned his lunchbox, but it was filled with piping-hot food.
It was the breakfast Izumi had prepared for him that day.
Gua felt that this probably counted as a sign that they had buried the hatchet, so naturally, he would not refuse.
Life returned to normal.
Gua finished the food. Today, he could take the lunchbox home and finally give his mother an answer.
Izumi said nothing more about it. She laughed and joked just as she always had.
Gua thought his father was a genius.
Giving a girl breakfast really was a great way to win her over.
Time flew, and the days slipped by.
Another week passed.
Before he knew it, it was Friday.
Two days off awaited him tomorrow.
Gua looked at the Great Fireball that had been idle-training on his panel for a week. He felt the time had come.
His Great Fireball could definitely crush Itachi's now. Add in the month and a half of idle-training his Taijutsu and eyesight had received, and he felt his chances of winning were excellent.
So he decided to invite Itachi to go mountain climbing.
"Mountain climbing?"
Itachi was very surprised that Gua had taken the initiative to invite him.
But after a brief moment of surprise, he readily agreed.
"Of course, Gua. No problem."
Having successfully invited Itachi, Gua prepared to head home, satisfied.
Tomorrow, I'll nip the culprit behind the clan massacre in the bud.
Just thinking about it feels great. The huge weight that's been pressing on my heart for six years is finally about to be lifted.
"Gua!"
On his way home after school, Izumi called out to him.
It was Friday.
Before Izumi even spoke, Gua had already guessed what she wanted.
Izumi wanted to invite him shopping again. She really never gave up! She had to invite him every Friday, as though she were an NPC that spawned on a fixed schedule.
The problem was that he had never once accepted her invitation.
That made Gua feel a little ashamed.
"Gua, do you have any plans tomorrow?"
Sure enough, Izumi asked the same question again.
Looking at Izumi walking backward in front of him, her eyes full of anticipation, Gua gave her an apologetic smile.
"I invited Itachi to go mountain climbing."
This time, Izumi did not get angry. She kept walking backward with her hands behind her back, a smile never leaving her face.
"Gua, why do you spend every weekend with Itachi?"
Gua thought for a moment.
"Because Itachi's a really good friend, I guess."
Gua did not know whether he was just brushing Izumi off or speaking from the heart.
How could someone who massacred his clan be a really good friend?
But it seemed that, aside from the clan massacre, there was nothing else about Itachi that bothered Gua.
And the massacre had not happened yet.
Gua shook his head, dismissing those wandering thoughts.
I'll just deal with Itachi tomorrow, and everything will be fine.
Save the Uchiha, save the clan, save my family, save myself, and we'll all have a bright future.
"Then am I a really good friend of yours too, Gua?"
Izumi asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah."
Gua nodded.
He had answered without even thinking about it.
How could Izumi not be a really good friend?
Wasn't Izumi much better than Itachi?
Itachi is a mass murderer.
Izumi is an angel.
Hmm... where did that comparison come from? It feels weird.
A saying suddenly came to Gua: Guard against fire, guard against thieves, and guard against junior girls. You'd better watch out, Gua.
"Hehe, I'll let you in on a secret. You're my best friend too, Gua!"
Izumi leaned close to Gua's ear and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Gua had not expected Izumi to come so close all of a sudden, and his brain froze for a moment.
Izumi had already slipped away.
They had reached the point where their paths parted. Izumi's home was not in the Uchiha Clan Compound because she was a crossbreed... no, that wasn't right. Izumi was born from a marriage between an Uchiha and a shinobi from outside the clan, so she was not a full-fledged Uchiha.
Naturally, her home was not inside the compound.
Gua turned to watch the girl running away.
Izumi suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved excitedly at Gua as she shouted.
"Gua!"
"See you next week!!"
Izumi's little hand waved in the air like a small flag fluttering in the wind.
"See you next week."
Gua replied.
His voice was quiet. He guessed Izumi probably had not heard him.
But Izumi had seen him.
Izumi hummed all the way home, singing a song her mother had taught her while she was still alive.
"We watched the vapor trails fade away, so dazzling that we always wanted to turn away..."
Her song drifted away on the wind.
Izumi did not understand the lyrics.
Gua had gone too far to hear them.
"Gua!"
A slender figure approached from behind. It was Orochimaru. He was still far from Gua when he spoke in his hoarse voice, almost as though talking to himself.
Just as Orochimaru was about to step forward and catch up with Gua.
Someone blocked his path.
Orochimaru slowly raised his head and met the eyes of the man before him.
"What a coincidence, Clan Head Fugaku."
Orochimaru showed none of the embarrassment of someone caught red-handed in a scheme. His expression did not even change.
"Orochimaru, are you planning to target the Uchiha? To target an Uchiha child?"
Fugaku regarded Orochimaru with a dark gaze.
Targeting the Uchiha, and a child at that, was something he could not tolerate as clan head.
Even if the other man was one of the Sannin.
The Uchiha and the village had not yet reached the point of being irreconcilable enemies. At least in Fugaku's eyes, they were all still part of Konoha.
And he knew Orochimaru's ways all too well.
Their recent investigation had already led them to this man. He was undoubtedly connected to the recent shinobi disappearances, but Danzo's interference had kept them from obtaining any evidence.
"Target the Uchiha? I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean, Clan Head Fugaku," Orochimaru said in his trademark hoarse voice.
"Weren't you planning to target that child, Gua?" Fugaku's expression darkened.
"Heh."
Orochimaru sneered. "Accusing me, one of the Sannin, without any evidence would hardly reflect well on the Uchiha if word got out. Besides, Clan Head Fugaku, you're a member of the Police Force. Surely you understand better than I do that you need evidence to arrest someone."
Fugaku's expression shifted uncertainly.
Ever since Mikoto had mentioned Gua to him that day, he had been observing the boy from the shadows. Then, today, he had spotted Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had followed Gua the whole way. Fugaku did not believe for a second that he had no ulterior motive!
But just as Orochimaru had said, he had no evidence and could not arrest him.
"If there's nothing else, Clan Head Fugaku, I'll be on my way. Oh, right. These recent shinobi disappearances have been giving me quite a headache. It seems a lot of people suspect me. Surely the Police Force won't treat me that way, Clan Head Fugaku?"
Just as Orochimaru was about to leave, he stopped again and turned to address Fugaku in a mocking tone.
Fugaku nearly exploded with anger.
But he could endure it!
Orochimaru chuckled.
Without another word, he turned and left.
Only after Orochimaru's figure had vanished completely did Fugaku look away. He turned his gaze toward the Uchiha Clan Compound.
"Gua and Itachi are going to the Back Mountain tomorrow. I'd better keep a closer eye on things. Orochimaru's been restless lately."
Before you continue