Milk tea—sweet, smooth, with a hint of vanilla and milk. Uchiha Izumi felt like she'd remember this flavor for the rest of her life.
Under the moonlight, Uchiha Itachi quietly watched Izumi sip her drink slowly. In his memory, Izumi had liked him for many years. She'd spend her meager allowance to buy him tricolor dango or natto every day, and sometimes even made him delicious bento. But this was the first time he had ever given her something of his own accord.
"Itachi, thank you." Izumi smiled, eyes half-closed as she took another sip of the milk tea.
"You're welcome," Itachi replied gently.
"By the way, that bottle you threw just now—it looked like a sealing scroll. Is it a new jutsu you developed?" Izumi asked curiously.
"Yes," Itachi nodded. "I saw how hard it was for you every day, carrying things for the Daimyō's wife. So I created this jutsu to ease your burden. That way, you won't be so exhausted anymore."
"Huh? You developed this technique just for me?" A rosy blush spread across Izumi's cheeks. Her heart felt as sweet as honey. So he does care about me… He even created a jutsu just for my sake. I'm so happy.
"That's right. This 'universal capsule' can store a large number of items—tools, luggage, anything. From now on, when you go out, you won't need to carry heavy loads. Just bring one capsule."
"Mhm!" Izumi nodded joyfully.
But her smile faded slightly when thoughts of the clan's future surfaced in her mind.
"Itachi, did you attend the clan meeting today?"
"Yes. At the meeting, my father officially stepped down and named me as the next head of the Uchiha clan," Itachi said with a calm smile.
"What? You've become the clan head?" Izumi gasped.
"Yes."
"But will the more radical members of the clan accept that? How did you get them to submit?" Izumi asked, a bit puzzled.
After all, among the clan, even Uchiha Fugaku—known as 'Captain' in public and 'Clan Head' only during meetings—rarely received full respect. The Uchihas were proud and headstrong. If even Fugaku struggled to rein them in, how could someone as young as Itachi do it?
"Because I'm strong," Itachi said simply, pointing to his eyes.
In Izumi's line of sight, Itachi's dark irises shifted to a scarlet hue—first the three-tomoe Sharingan, then the intricate pattern of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"That's…"
"This is the Uchiha clan's Mangekyō Sharingan," he explained.
"I see… That's incredible," Izumi murmured, entranced. She stared into his eyes with admiration. As expected of the man I love… So young, and already awakened the Mangekyō. He really is exceptional.
"So from now on, you don't need to worry about me anymore," Itachi said seriously. "And you don't have to stay in the Daimyō's estate, putting up with nonsense while taking care of pets. There's no need to keep enduring it."
"Itachi, that might not be possible," Izumi said gently. "I'm not there just to care for pets or assist the officials. I serve as a bridge between the Uchiha and the Daimyō's household, helping raise our clan's influence and quietly gathering intelligence for us in the background.
"It may seem like a small thing, but when you run for Hokage in the future, I might be able to help sway the noblewomen to whisper in the Daimyō's ear."
"Besides, I get along well with the ladies at the estate. They treat me kindly."
"Actually, word of your genius has already spread across the Land of Fire," Izumi added cheerfully.
"If you work just a bit harder, you could become Hokage like the Fourth did. With the Daimyō's backing, you'd be the youngest Hokage Konoha has ever seen."
"So you've been working silently behind the scenes all this time?" Itachi felt a wave of emotion swell in his heart.
"Oh, and Itachi," Izumi said, eyes gleaming with excitement, "if these universal capsules can be mass-produced, I could talk to the noblewomen and help sell them quickly. The profit margin might be low, though."
"That's fine," Itachi replied. "Even if the profit is small, with help from the Daimyō, nobility, and government officials, the business should grow quickly. I'll ask Father to start acquiring factories tomorrow and contact the other clan leaders so we can expand production right away."
"Mhm!" Izumi nodded again.
"Oh, and Izumi—be careful these days. Danzo may lash out like a cornered animal. I'll assign an ANBU senior to protect you in secret starting tomorrow," Itachi said seriously.
"Got it. Don't worry, I can take care of myself. I'm not weak, you know," Izumi replied with a playful grin. After all, she had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at a young age—her strength was on par with most Jōnin.
Her reason for becoming a shinobi had always been simple:To walk the same path as the one I love.
And now that Itachi was so outstanding, she had to keep up—She couldn't let him leave her behind.
"Oh right—Itachi, you know about the Twelve Guardian Ninja, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I've heard of them. Why?"
The Twelve Guardian Ninja were twelve elite shinobi assigned to protect the Daimyō of the Land of Fire. They were a personal and independent unit directly under his command, known for their exceptional strength. Their symbol was the "Fire" character on the cloth tied at their waist.
In the original timeline, Sarutobi Asuma—the son of the Third Hokage—had once been a member.
"I heard something… Some of the Twelve Guardians believe that the Hokage is unnecessary. They think the Daimyō should hold all real power over shinobi affairs. Now that the Fourth is dead and the Third is aging, they're planning to strike—an assassination that would destroy the Hokage line entirely and allow the Daimyō to take full control of Konoha," Izumi reported gravely.
"Let the Daimyō control Konoha? Is he aiming to merge the ninja world and the ruling government?" Itachi pondered.
"I think that's the idea," Izumi said. "The goal is probably to test who among the Twelve truly serves him. After all, no one sleeps peacefully with a tiger beside their bed. Konoha is like a kingdom within a kingdom. It's no wonder he's restless."
"Yes, makes sense," Itachi nodded.
Put yourself in his shoes—if there were a powerful organization right beside you, wouldn't you feel paranoid? What if you woke up one day and found yourself overthrown?
Right now, Konoha and the Land of Fire were like the Uchiha and Konoha:Only one voice could be allowed.There was no room for compromise—Only overwhelming power could settle who was rightful.
"In fact," Itachi continued, "I heard something myself while in the ANBU. The Third Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma, is planning to go undercover and join the Twelve Guardians under a false identity. His goal might be to divide the group and sabotage the Daimyō's plan—to prove that without Konoha, the Daimyō is nothing."
"So be careful in the Daimyō's estate. Don't get caught up in anything. If things turn dangerous, don't force yourself—just run. Survival is victory," he cautioned.
"I will, don't worry," Izumi said sincerely.
"One more thing, Izumi. If you get the chance, leak this intel to the Daimyō or the Twelve Guardians—deliberately. That way, if Asuma is killed, the Third won't be able to do a thing. He'll be silenced by the loss.
"If Asuma dies, it will only deepen the rift between the Hokage faction and the Daimyō. Given how the Uchiha have always been suppressed by the Hokage side, the Daimyō will likely want to win us over.
"That's when you subtly hint that the Uchiha are willing to form an alliance with the Daimyō.
"As long as the Daimyō isn't a fool, he'll agree to our terms. And once I gain the support of the major clans… I'll become Hokage.
"I'm only thirteen. That'll make me seem naïve and easily manipulated, which will reassure both the Daimyō and the clans."
"I understand. I'll do it," Izumi nodded seriously. This was the first time Itachi had ever asked her for help. She was determined to complete the task—no matter what.
At the very least, she needed to ensure that Asuma and the Twelve Guardians suffered heavy losses—ideally mutual destruction. That way, the Daimyō would turn against the Hokage faction, giving Itachi the opportunity he needed to rise.