"You live in a place like this?" Following Tsubaki to her residence, Itsuki couldn't help but frown.
It was just a small suite, barely larger than his old house.
The living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and balcony were all there — but together, the whole place couldn't have been more than thirty square meters.
There was only one room, furnished with a wardrobe and a tatami mat.
He remembered Tsubaki mentioning before that she lived with her younger sister.
"Conditions are limited, but having a home is already something to be grateful for," Tsubaki said with a small smile. "I was planning to move out, but... some things happened. Never mind, let's not talk about that."
"You sit for a bit. I'll go change and make dinner. Consider it thanks for the Captain's care during this mission."
The mission had been somewhat thrilling, but in truth, Tsubaki had simply tagged along; she hadn't needed to lift a finger.
It was a complete free ride.
Itsuki glanced at the tiny kitchen that could barely fit one person and waved his hand.
"You go ahead. I'm not helping."
He opened the [Fabrication System Chat Group], seeing that Asuma had already sealed the Rogue Ninja Leader's corpse into a scroll and returned to Konoha ahead of them with the injured Kiba and Akamaru.
By Itsuki's estimation, they should have arrived by now.
Kurenai Yuhi was leading the rest of the students back more slowly.
These kids rarely left the village, and none of them were in a hurry to return — especially Hinata and Ino, who were eager to meet Karin in person. That little meeting had been... deliberately arranged.
Itsuki understood the situation and didn't bother to interfere.
As he looked around, his gaze landed on a photo sitting on the living room table.
Picking it up, he realized it was a picture of Tsubaki and her younger sister.
Tsubaki was in casual clothes — her figure wasn't particularly striking, but not as flat as when she wore her uniform vest.
She smiled brightly, her arm wrapped around a younger girl's shoulder.
When Itsuki looked closely at the younger girl's face, he froze.
Wait a second.
"I remember now!" Itsuki slapped his forehead.
He finally realized who Tsubaki was — what an unexpected coincidence.
It was... a bit karmic.
"She's cute, right?" Tsubaki walked out of her room, now dressed in the same clothes from the photo.
Seeing Itsuki holding the frame, she smiled warmly.
She wore a dark blue short-sleeved top, capri pants, and slippers — simple and unpretentious, treating Itsuki like family. The sight gave off the feeling of a friendly neighbor.
Even though she was older than Itsuki, her petite build made it hard for anyone to think of her as an older sister type.
Itsuki looked her up and down and smirked.
"Small, yeah — cute too. But she's still got time to grow. If she grows naturally, though, her potential might not be very high."
Tsubaki blinked for a second before realizing what he meant, and her face turned crimson.
"Get out of here!" she shouted, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him. "I was talking about my younger sister!"
"If you like bigger, she'll be fine — she's just still young."
Indeed, Tsubaki's younger sister already had a curvy figure. In a few years, she'd probably outshine even Kurenai Yuhi in terms of femininity.
But honestly, Itsuki wasn't interested.
"Trying to set me up with your little sister?" Itsuki teased, leaning in closer with a grin. "Sorry, but I prefer someone like you. Of course, if you're offering both sisters, I'm not completely against it."
"Dream on!" Tsubaki huffed, rolling her eyes as she pushed him away. "Can't you be serious for once? What have you gone through to be like this at your age?"
After a moment, her voice softened. "I already have a fiancé."
She didn't say more and turned back toward the kitchen.
Itsuki smiled faintly. He already knew this.
Mizuki's fiancée — Tsubaki.
Mizuki, the man who tricked Naruto into stealing the Scroll of Seals and got beaten senseless for it, now sat rotting in prison.
And Tsubaki's younger sister — Chie Mai — was the one who'd helped Itsuki awaken his Wood Release.
Of all the coincidences...
At this point, Chie Mai should've been retaking classes at the Ninja Academy, trying to officially graduate as a Genin.
Itsuki had considered paying her and Ryota back, but lately, he'd been too busy.
Going out of his way to mess with minor characters would've just made him look petty. He decided he'd wait for a natural opportunity instead.
He hadn't met Mai again yet, but he'd already encountered her older sister — and was even having dinner in her house. Life was funny that way.
He didn't intend to bring up any of that to Tsubaki.
Tsubaki was Tsubaki. Mai was Mai.
Even if Tsubaki really wanted to set him up with her sister, she'd be disappointed.
Perhaps because her fiancé had come up, Tsubaki's mood dipped noticeably.
The atmosphere turned a bit heavy.
Itsuki tried cracking a few jokes, but she wasn't in the mood.
After dinner, feeling the awkward air lingering, Itsuki decided to take his leave early.
"I'm sorry, Captain," Tsubaki said as she walked him to the door, forcing a smile. "I might still be tired after the mission. I'm not really myself today. Next time, I'll treat you again — properly."
"Don't be so formal," Itsuki replied, waving it off. "I already consider you a friend. If something's bothering you, you can talk to me anytime. I'll help however I can."
Then he added with a grin, "And don't call me Captain anymore. That was just temporary. Just call me Itsuki."
He reached out, intending to pat her shoulder reassuringly.
But Tsubaki immediately flinched, stepping back and crossing her arms protectively, leaving his hand hanging awkwardly midair.
Realizing her overreaction, Tsubaki blushed in embarrassment. Both of them ended up laughing at the absurdity of the moment.
"Alright, I'm going. See you next time!" Itsuki waved as he turned away.
"See you next time!" Tsubaki called after him softly, murmuring under her breath,
"Thank you, Itsuki... Captain."
By the time he left, her mood had noticeably lifted.
Outside, the sky hadn't completely darkened. Ino and the others had just finished meeting Karin and hadn't yet returned to the village.
Having nothing else to do, Itsuki suddenly remembered something.
He bought some fruit and small gifts, asked around, and made his way to another house.
This was the home of Endo Daisho, the Jonin who had once been his team leader.
Daisho happened to be home that day, resting between missions. He was surprised to see Itsuki.
After a short talk, he learned that Itsuki still remembered how he had once pleaded with the Third Hokage on his behalf — and had come specifically to express his gratitude.
Because Itsuki's current work was classified, Daisho hadn't known what had become of him and had been worried.
Itsuki told him everything he was allowed to share, thanking him sincerely once more.
"There's no need for that. I was just doing my duty as a teacher," Endo Daisho said, helping him up.
His tone grew reflective, "Now that you've become a ninja and even joined the Anbu, there are some things I can finally tell you."
"In truth, every batch of students I was assigned was marked for elimination from the start. You and Ryota were the same back then — that's why I had to be so harsh."
"Whether someone can become a ninja is actually determined during their time at the Academy. The graduation exam is mostly a formality. But don't blame the village — it's for your own good."
"If someone doesn't have the aptitude to be a ninja, sending them on missions would just be irresponsible. Getting eliminated, accepting that, and choosing another path isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"But for those who refuse to give up, there's always the option to retake classes and try again. Just remember — after that, all the risks are on you. The village can only give you one more chance to fight for your future."
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Konoha Harem Chat Group: I Can Fabricate the Future (Completed) is now on Patreon!
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