Izumi Won't Die

Kiyoshi took the water. "Thanks."

Izumi sat down beside him, unscrewed her bottle cap, took a sip, and asked, "Who do you usually train with in class?"

"Myself."

"Don't you have any friends to train with?"

Kiyoshi thought for a moment. "...I do."

"Who?"

"Sasuke."

"Sasuke Uchiha?" Izumi's eyes lit up. "The clan head's son?"

"Yeah."

"Do you train together often?"

"Sometimes."

Izumi smiled. "That's good. Sparring with someone at your level helps you improve a lot faster."

Kiyoshi said nothing and lowered his head to drink.

A breeze swept across the training field, stirring the loose strands over his forehead.

He lowered his water bottle, his gaze settling on Izumi's profile.

She was watching the others on the field with a faint smile. Sunlight fell across her face, making her look gentle.

As Kiyoshi watched her, he suddenly felt that the scene looked familiar. Not because he had seen her before, but because an image flashed through his mind.

In the original story, a girl had been killed by the Masked Man. No name, no lines, no struggle-just a flash of a blade.

He remembered that scene.

He remembered the girl wearing Uchiha clan clothes, her black hair tied in a low ponytail.

He glanced down at Izumi's hair. A low ponytail, black hair, Uchiha clan clothes.

With a blank expression, he set his water bottle on the ground and asked, "Do you usually wear any accessories?"

Izumi paused, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Accessories? Nothing special... why?"

"No reason."

He lowered his gaze to the sky beyond the far end of the field. A low ponytail, black hair, Uchiha clan clothes. The girl Obito had killed in the original story had no name, no lines-just a flash of a blade.

But she was Uchiha Izumi, not an NPC. She would die on the night of the massacre. He couldn't let her die.

Izumi noticed his distraction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You were looking at the sky."

"...I was thinking."

"About what?"

Kiyoshi remained expressionless. "When afternoon training would end."

Izumi smiled. "Soon. One more round of sparring, and then we can leave."

Kiyoshi stood and brushed the dust off his pants. "Then let's keep going."

During the third round, Kiyoshi deliberately slowed down.

He didn't want Izumi to think he was too strange. A first-year student whose Taijutsu was good enough to earn praise from a Genin was already abnormal. He didn't want too many people noticing him.

So he held back a couple of times and let Izumi land a hit.

Izumi stopped, looking a little worried. "Did that hurt?"

"No."

"You clearly could've dodged that."

Kiyoshi kept a straight face. "I didn't react in time."

Izumi looked at him without speaking, but there was a hint of disbelief in her eyes. Of course she didn't believe him. He had dodged faster strikes, then gotten hit by a slow one. Who would believe that?

Still expressionless, Kiyoshi continued his defensive movements.

Izumi didn't press him. She finished the last round of sparring and lowered her hands. "All right, we're done."

Kiyoshi nodded.

Izumi put away her Kunai and glanced at him. "Your Taijutsu really is good. We can train together again if we get the chance."

"Yeah."

"Where do you usually train after school?"

"The Back Mountain."

"Where on the Back Mountain?"

Kiyoshi glanced at her. "...Why are you asking?"

Izumi smiled. "So I can come train with you when I have time."

Kiyoshi fell silent for two seconds. Shisui was on the Back Mountain; he couldn't let her see him. Besides, he had to practice the Jiahao moves after school. If she caught him whipping his head around and spinning on the ground, he was done for.

He remained expressionless. "No need. I'm fine training alone."

Izumi looked a little disappointed, but didn't insist. "All right. Then we can train together at school when we have time."

"Yeah."

Izumi turned to leave, then looked back after a couple of steps. "Oh, Kiyoshi."

"Yeah?"

"When you said you were thinking about when afternoon training would end, you were actually thinking about something else, weren't you?"

Kiyoshi kept a straight face. "No."

Izumi smiled without calling him out, then turned and left.

Kiyoshi stood where he was, watching her receding figure. A low ponytail, black hair, Uchiha clan clothes.

He lowered his head to look at his hands, clenched his fists, then released them.

With a blank expression, Kiyoshi turned toward the classroom.

After walking a little way, he stopped and glanced back toward the field. Izumi had already gone, leaving only a few students still putting away equipment.

He lowered his head, his lips moving. His voice was very soft, as though he were talking to himself.

"...You won't die this time."

He turned to leave, but had barely taken a step when a voice sounded behind him.

"What did you say?"

Kiyoshi froze midstep.

He turned around.

Izumi stood a few steps away, holding a water bottle, as though she had come back for something she had forgotten. She looked at him, confusion in her eyes.

"What did you just say? I didn't catch it."

Kiyoshi stared at her with a blank expression and stayed silent for a second.

"...Nothing."

Izumi tilted her head, looking puzzled. "You said something about 'won't die'... who were you talking about?"

"I didn't."

"You did."

"You misheard."

Izumi stared at him for a while, then smiled. "All right, maybe I misheard." She lifted her water bottle. "I'll get going, then. I still have class this afternoon."

"Yeah."

Izumi took two steps, then looked back again. "Kiyoshi."

"Yeah?"

"You really do have a strange way of talking." She smiled. "But that's not a bad thing."

She left.

Kiyoshi turned and headed back, his face expressionless. This older girl wasn't just gentle; she was clever, too.

After walking a little way, he faltered.

Wait. Why did I say "this time"? Doesn't "this time" imply there was a "last time"? If she heard that, would she think I meant she'd died once before?

He continued walking, his face still blank.

Forget it. Even if she heard everything, she'd just think a kid was talking nonsense.

He quickened his pace. The setting sun shone on his back, stretching his shadow long.

[System notification: Host's first contact with key story character "Uchiha Izumi" detected. Face value +30 (Taijutsu performance earned a Genin's recognition). Awkwardness value +15 (adamant denial after being overheard talking to himself). Totals: awkwardness value 810, face value 1060.]

[System notification: Friendly reminder: the target character heard at least 70% of the host's statement, "You won't die this time." The host is advised to keep his voice down when talking to himself next time.]

Kiyoshi walked a little faster on his way home. Who would take a six-year-old saying "You won't die" seriously?

After walking a little farther, he stopped again and looked up at the sky.

The sun was sinking, painting the horizon orange-red.

He spoke softly.

"This time, I mean it."