Sleeplessness

Izuna has always been respected by his clan for his sharp skills and cool demeanor. However, when he is with Koki, the mature shell he usually tries to maintain quietly falls away, revealing his long-hidden childlike nature.

Before Koki could even stand still at the stall, she impatiently grabbed his arm and dashed through the crowd like the wind, whispering, "Hurry up, the next place is sure to be even more interesting!"

In the blink of an eye, the two stopped in front of a sugar figurine stall. Koki looked up and her eyes lit up instantly. The sugar figurines that filled the table were all exquisite and lifelike, as if they could jump off the bamboo sticks at any moment and step into this mortal world.

Izuna, always decisive, didn't hesitate. He pulled money from his purse, tossed it with a clatter in front of the old stall owner, and called out loudly, "Uncle, could you please make us a special one?"

The old man chuckled and agreed, his hands dancing across the warm sugar syrup. Before long, a sugar figurine was born from his fingertips.

Izuna happily accepted it, turned to face Koki, raised his arm, and held the sugar figurine to Koki's mouth with an undeniable domineering air, but his reddened ears secretly betrayed the nervousness in his heart.

The boy's fresh scent, mixed with the sweetness of syrup, lingered around Koki's nose.

Koki Izuna's move, felt a gentle tickle in her heart, a tender smile playing on her lips, and softly replied, "Alright."

Izuna instinctively held his breath, not daring to even let his chest rise and fall easily. His hands, which had been so skillful and precise on the battlefield that day, were now trembling slightly because of the sugar figurine. For this ninja who was used to controlling every subtle movement of his body, this was unprecedented.

After a long while, when Koki still hadn't received the candy, she grew suspicious and softly called out, "Izuna?"

Izuna swallowed hard, trying to suppress the overwhelming excitement that was raging like wild grass. He gritted his teeth, tried his best to calm down, and slowly brought the sugar figurine close to Koki's slightly parted lips.

That's... Uchiha Izuna?

In a corner of the street, a young man with silver hair and a cool demeanor stood silently with his arms crossed.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his cold and handsome face hidden in the dappled light and shadow, his gaze fixed on the intimate couple in the distance, his body motionless.

After a long while, Izuna affectionately took Koki's hand again, their fingers intertwined tightly.

Tobirama stood ramrod straight, his face as cold as ice, his innate nobility and arrogance on full display. When his gaze fell upon those tightly clenched hands, although his expression remained calm, his fists unconsciously tightened beneath his sleeves, his knuckles turning white and cracking.

Despite his usual calm and self-possessed demeanor, he was suddenly overcome by an irresistible urge to severely punish the second young master of the Uchiha Clan to vent his anger.

Tobirama Senju turned resolutely, his steps hurried, and he disappeared into the flowing crowd in an instant.

"Izuna, shouldn't we go back?" Koki's voice was gentle with a hint of languor.

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked up at the sky, which was fragmented and torn apart by the treetops.

Just then, a beam of light pierced through the leaf curtain and shone precisely on his face.

Under the gentle caress of the light, Koki's eyes sparkled like stars, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly, as if holding a faint smile.

A shadow seemed to flit through the treetops in the distance, its movement light and brief, causing only the slightest tremor in the branches and leaves.

Koki suddenly turned around, her gaze like lightning, shooting straight at the place of the disturbance, but she only saw branches and leaves swaying and rustling in the wind.

He remained vigilant, his eyes narrowing slightly, a cold glint flashing in them before his expression returned to calm. He naturally reached out and took Izuna's hand again with his long, slender fingers, then turned and left.

Above the dense canopy, Hashirama Senju clung tightly to the thick branches, using the lush foliage to conceal himself in the verdant shadows.

His body was tense, with only the rapid rise and fall of his chest and heavy breathing revealing the turmoil in his heart.

His heart was pounding, and the breathtaking glimpse he had just caught kept replaying in his mind—the stunning profile of Koki looked up, and his hands naturally clasped together with Izuna's.

The lush green bamboo grove, as dense as jade hairpins, forms a natural emerald screen, behind which lies a small courtyard. The bamboo shadows sway all around, a gentle breeze blows, and the courtyard is filled with a refreshing coolness.

Madara Uchiha, dressed in a black silk kimono with mysterious totems outlined in silver thread, walked leisurely along the corridor, his robes fluttering, until he stopped in front of the narrow doorway.

Through the open shoji doors, Ban's gaze pierced through the cloud-soft wool carpet and landed precisely on the person inside the room.

Inside, Izuna was immersed in his own world of handicrafts, kneeling devoutly before Koki, his back arched in a focused curve, his neck straight, intently following Koki's movements, asking questions with endless curiosity.

The silver needles in her hands danced across the plain fabric, the delicate stitches gradually unfolding. Izuna was completely immersed in the process, a look of enjoyment on her face, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.

Upon seeing this, Madara frowned slightly. He had just escaped from his busy clan affairs and wanted to chat with Koki to relieve his fatigue, but when he stepped into this familiar courtyard, he witnessed Izuna engrossed in what he considered to be nothing more than a girl's leisurely pursuits.

In the past, no matter the hardships or ingenious schemes, even when she had to disguise herself as a woman to sneak around, Ban always showed her bare face and faced the challenges head-on, always avoiding makeup and embroidery.

But at this moment, Izuna's focused expression made Madara pause in surprise, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

The Uchiha Clan members are naturally beautiful, with stunning looks. Even without makeup, they are breathtakingly beautiful. In a bustling place, they are no less beautiful than a courtesan. Privately, people have to admit that the Uchiha Clan is beautiful.

Madara stood outside the door for a long time, then finally shook his head slightly. After a brief pause, he turned and walked away steadily and slowly along the bamboo corridor, leaving the small world inside the house back to Izuna and Koki.

Night falls, all is quiet, and it should be a time when people are deep in their dreams.

However, when Madara Uchiha returned to his room and lay down on the tatami mat, he tossed and turned, his quilt in disarray, yet he could not find a moment of peace.

Tobirama Senju was also struggling in the quagmire of insomnia. When he closed his eyes, he saw the figures of those two, laughing and talking. When he opened his eyes, he was filled with bitterness.

Listening to the rustling of bamboo leaves and the chirping of insects, watching the water droplets slowly drip from the water clock, I endured the long, dark night, anxiously awaiting the dawn.

And then there's the Hashirama, hidden in the shadows, harboring secret thoughts. In the stillness of the night, he leans alone against the window, the bamboo shadows swaying outside, seemingly stirring his heartstrings. Inside, the candlelight flickers, his thoughts rise and fall, and he can't sleep all night.