After the celebration, Uchiha Hikaru took Uchiha Izumi, Uchiha #1, Uchiha #2, and Uchiha #3 to enjoy a hearty al at the Akimichi BBQ restaurant, which they had booked in advance.
Later that night, Hikaru returned ho, followed by Kurenai and Anko.
A bit of exercise after dinner helped with digestion...
The moon rose to the center of the sky. Several hours passed. Anko and Kurenai, thoroughly exhausted, had fallen asleep on either side of Uchiha Hikaru.
"Ah, you two are so naive and playful..." Hikaru murmured softly.
He pulled them closer in his arms and drifted off to sleep.
Elsewhere, Uchiha Izumi lay awake alone in her room.
She had pulled the blanket over her head and buried her face in the pillow, replaying every mont of the past few days—when Hikaru had given her special training and guidance.
But intertwined with those fresh mories were echoes of her past with Itachi.
Two emotional forces clashed in Izumi’s mind, leaving her torn and guilty.
It felt like an angel and a devil were whispering into her ears on either side of her.
The little angel whispered, "Izumi, think about all those small monts with Uchiha Itachi. He’s your childhood friend, soone you’ve admired for so long. Besides, Uchiha Hikaru is the deputy clan leader. How could you have feelings like this for soone in his position?"
It made sense—but...
The little devil interrupted: "Let go of Itachi already. Sure, he was impressive at the Academy, but you were just drawn to how cool he seed. And after all these years, hasn’t he kept you at a distance?"
"You used to wait at the dango shop hoping to see him. He only spoke to you a handful of tis—and not because he liked you, but because he liked sweet dango. He cares more about the village and his precious little brother than anything else."
"What’s so great about Itachi, really? Look at Hikaru. Handso. Strong. He beca deputy clan leader at a young age and has already improved relations between the Uchiha and the village. His strength might even rival Itachi’s."
The devil’s words struck deep, and the angel beside her had no rebuttal—because it was all true.
Izumi shook her head, realizing that there were no actual angel or devil—just her own conflicted heart.
Eventually, she drifted into uneasy sleep.
Birdsong outside the window stirred her awake.
She slowly opened her eyes, rubbed her forehead, and thought back to the emotional chaos of the night before. She hadn’t co to any conclusions... and now that she was awake, the sa worries returned.
She got up, dressed, walked to the bathroom, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her long black hair was a bit ssy from sleep, strands tousled from tossing on the pillow.
She brushed her teeth, washed her face, combed her hair, and walked into the living room. Her mother was already sitting at the table with breakfast ready.
Her mother glanced at her daughter’s tired face. Based on past experience, she imdiately had a few ideas.
"Izumi, what’s wrong? Did Itachi ignore you again and leave you upset?"
"Oh, I’ve told you before—he’s the clan leader’s son. Even if you two were together, you’d never be happy."
Izumi froze at her mother’s words. But this ti, instead of feeling disappointed or defensive, she felt sothing click inside her.
"Mom, you’re right. Itachi and I... we were never going to happen. But it’s not him that I like. I was only drawn to how impressive he seed."
"Hm? It’s not Itachi?" She raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. After years of her daughter quietly pining, this shift felt sudden.
Izumi noticed the change in her mother’s expression—serious, maybe even a little displeased. She worried her mother was drawing the wrong conclusion.
"Mom, don’t misunderstand."
She blinked, then voiced the concern in her heart.
"Did Uchiha Itachi do sothing to you?"
That was too much.
"It’s not that guy!" Izumi snapped.
Seeing her daughter flustered and a little pink in the face, Her curiosity only grew. She leaned in slightly.
"It’s not Itachi? That’s a relief. So, if it’s not him... who is it? Co on, tell —Mom will help you figure it out."
She sat back, relaxed in her gray kimono, resting her cheek on one hand while twirling a strand of her long hair with the other. Her skin was smooth and fair, only lightly marked by age. Even with a few faint wrinkles near her eyes, she remained a beautiful and refined woman.
Her husband had died during the Third Shinobi World War, but he had left behind enough wealth to support their household. She had stepped down from her role as a Jonin to raise her daughter full-ti.
With little else to do these days, she found mild entertainnt in teasing her daughter. For years, Itachi had been the source of much gossip—and fun. But now... this was sothing new.
Her sharp, bright eyes sparkled with amusent and anticipation.
Izumi, unable to handle the pressure of her mother’s gaze, mumbled, "It’s the deputy clan leader..."
She pulled out a chair, sat down, and lowered her head, trying to hide her blushing face. Her fingers fidgeted nervously in her lap, mirroring her tangled emotions.
"Hikaru, huh?" She mused. "Well, I can’t fault your taste. He’s far better than Itachi."
She thought back to everything that had changed in the clan recently. Though she no longer held an active position, she was still well inford.
From clan etings to diating internal disputes, from political influence to improving village relations—Hikaru had handled everything with strength and grace.
She had even attended the celebration at the Police Departnt last night. Reflecting on Izumi’s shy reaction at the end, she now realized her daughter wasn’t avoiding suspicion—she was just flustered.
Izumi caught her mother watching her with a grin, and imdiately felt self-conscious. Her eyes drifted downward, then widened slightly as they landed on her mother’s chest.
Her own gaze dropped instinctively to her own body—her chest, still modest by comparison.
She thought of Uchiha Yurisa (#3).
A pang of inferiority crept in.
She caught her daughter’s gaze and her reaction. The corner of her mouth lifted again into a mischievous smile.
Seems like there’s still plenty this daughter of mine needs to learn... about being a woman.
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