Everyone Likes Sweet Food

Konoha belongs to everyone, or at least it does for now.

This place isn't Uchiha Itachi's private property, so of course, Izumi can't be driven away. Besides, they know each other as clan members…

"Huh? That's the sweet shop on the main street! Itachi, do you like sweets from there too?" Uchiha Izumi's eyes immediately spotted the food bag hooked on the crow's claw, and she exclaimed in surprise, "I often buy the three-colored dango from there too, but they're really hard to get…"

"Yes, their three-colored dango usually sells out by the afternoon…" Uchiha Itachi was very familiar with the sweet shop's business.

The crow listlessly looked at the bag on its claw. It really was all-pervasive… But did you think this was finding a common interest?

Little girl, a five-year-old's mind is still too immature…

"Caw?"

Beiyuan knew too well Uchiha Itachi's obsession with sweets, and it had to let out a sound as a friendly reminder! At this time… shouldn't a man be sharing the sweets in the bag with the little girl instead of making small talk?

"Oh, is that so?" Uchiha Itachi's small face was instantly filled with conflict, and he looked at Izumi with some embarrassment, "I didn't buy many three-colored dango… Izumi, do you like rice dumplings?"

Uchiha Izumi: "……"

"Caw~" The crow let out a cheerful cry.

Is that something a man should say? Because I didn't buy many three-colored dango, you shouldn't fight me for them… Give up, little girl! A man who won't even share a skewer of dango with you… you deserve better in the future!

"...Hoo... Hoo..."

In the air, only Sasuke, who was snoring and blowing bubbles, remained, sleeping blissfully and unknowingly in his brother's arms…

"Is the one in Itachi's arms his sister?"

Uchiha Izumi wasn't the first to say this, and she certainly wouldn't be the last. Their words didn't prove how beautiful Sasuke was, only that he was feminine when he was young…

Uchiha Itachi remained unfazed, patiently explaining with a touch of inexplicable pride when introducing his brother, "He's my younger brother. His name is Sasuke…"

"Do you need me to hold him for a while?" Izumi gritted her teeth secretly. The sight of the little boy carrying his brother in a sling was too much to bear… It was like smelling your male god's socks to determine if you could wear them the next day…

"Sasuke finally fell asleep…" Uchiha Itachi secretly glanced at Beiyuan and continued, "...Let's not. If someone else holds him, he'll cry easily."

What did the cub mean by that?

Uchiha Izumi persisted, "...I'll be very gentle…"

Perhaps feeling that women had a natural advantage in this regard and could easily gain the trust of infants, Itachi reluctantly unbuckled the sling and handed his brother to Izumi…

Then he picked up the food bag and took out a skewer of three-colored dango… This way… perhaps he wouldn't have to share it with Izumi?

"...Waaah... Waaah..."

Sasuke lived up to expectations and cried in the unfamiliar embrace, and the little girl's expression gradually became blank… What the heck!

Uchiha Itachi quickly went to comfort the child… but one crow was faster than him, landing in front of Sasuke: "Caw!"

"...Pfft... Pfft..."

"Caw!"

You damn thing… Can't you do anything besides spit? Beiyuan was furious.

Uchiha Itachi suddenly didn't feel like taking him back… Anyway, when Sasuke and Beiyuan messed around, he completely ignored his situation, so it didn't matter who he was in whose arms?

Izumi looked at the little boy's actions, her smile looking somewhat sinister and terrifying: "Itachi, what should we do now? Should I give him back?"

"It's fine… When Sasuke gets tired of crying, he'll fall asleep…" The little boy glanced at the crow again and continued, "Or, when Beiyuan gets hungry, it'll be over."

"……"

This was likely their last outing before moving. The Uchiha Clan's new settlement would soon be completed, and winter was fast approaching… After the New Year, both Uchiha Itachi and Izumi would reach the age to enroll in the Ninja Academy.

"Itachi-kun, you must become a ninja in the future… Will you go to the Ninja Academy?" Uchiha Izumi fiddled with her pigtail and whispered, "You should be able to apply directly to become a Genin!"

The crow looked at Izumi as if she were an idiot… Wasn't she stating the obvious? She had already awakened the Sharingan, so why would she become a chef instead of a ninja?

Uchiha Itachi, however, answered seriously, "I'm not familiar with many aspects of being a ninja. The courses at the Ninja Academy are essential learning."

"Then next year, we should be able to meet at the Ninja Academy! Please take care of me… Itachi-kun… I'll become a ninja too!"

A gentle breeze blew, caressing the little girl's long hair. Izumi's face was slightly flushed; she had received the information she wanted and said what she wanted to say.

Beiyuan glanced at Izumi, who was sitting there softly, then looked back at the little boy whose expression had changed slightly, and finally realized what was wrong…

Uchiha Itachi hadn't interacted with many women, apart from the violent Aunt Uzumaki Kushina who was always ready to fight, and his gentle mother at home.

Therefore, he held great tolerance for these women who were usually as gentle as water but possessed strong and resolute hearts… Izumi happened to fit this description perfectly…

"...I should go home..." After a moment of daze, Uchiha Itachi hurriedly picked up Sasuke and motioned for the crow to come up.

Uchiha Izumi was stunned for a moment, her expression gradually twisting: "...What a person..."

Beiyuan stood on Itachi's shoulder, looking back at Izumi, who still didn't understand the situation. This girl would probably be a dense straight woman in the future!

Once the crisis within the Uchiha Clan was resolved, wouldn't things be even more interesting?

It was still too early, and he had to wait. At least until… Uchiha Itachi could awaken the Three Tomoe, or even the Mangekyo Sharingan! He had to wait until he realized that the village and the clan were in irreconcilable conflict before he could start planning!

Beiyuan remembered how listless they had been when they saw Hatake Kakashi today. That proved that there was an excellent opportunity right now to delay things slightly…

"Caw…"

"Do you want to go out and play by yourself tomorrow? You can't run too far… No, I need to go home and ask Mom…"

The little boy clearly wasn't confident about letting the crow go out alone… but Beiyuan didn't seem to intend to discuss it with him, the one who couldn't make decisions. "…Caw…"

"It's impossible, I have to tell Mom about this… If she doesn't agree, you're absolutely not allowed to go out alone!" Uchiha Itachi shook his head stubbornly.

Beiyuan fell silent for a moment, leaning against him powerlessly… Not even willing to provide cover, kid, you're becoming more and more disappointing…

During dinner, when she learned that Beiyuan wanted to go out alone, Uchiha Mikoto thought for a moment, and after inquiring about its itinerary, she actually agreed very seriously.

Fugaku heard about this and looked at it with some disbelief. "It's a crow! Why would it want to go out and play…"

"Well, Beiyuan is a bird… it wants to go out and see the scenery too…" Uchiha Mikoto said with a smile, ladling a bowl of soup and placing it in front of Beiyuan. "Besides, didn't you say it's only going out for one day?"

The crow looked at Uchiha Mikoto's smile and nodded vigorously, not daring to retort…

Fugaku sighed. "Indeed, we've been very busy lately and haven't had a chance to take it out, how about I ask within the Police Force…"

"The clan members will have a lot of opinions…"

"Can we entrust Shisui with it?" Uchiha Itachi looked at his parents' worried expressions, put down his chopsticks, and raised his hand to speak.

Beiyuan glared darkly at the little boy. Can you stop ruining my plans?

The next morning, there were two more bento boxes on the family table… along with a genius Chunin waiting for the crow to wake up.

On My Life's Greatest Enemy

Part 1: Analysis of Seasoning for Old Crow Soup

Part 2: How to Prevent Adolescent Love

Part 3: Advanced Cooking Techniques for Shark Fin

By Uchiha Sasuke

To be continued