The morning sun was shining, and Itachi, temporarily relieved from his ANBU duties, was enjoying a rare moment of respite. As a new member, Danzō had yet to place much pressure on him.
It might have seemed odd, but considering Itachi's abilities, most missions posed no real challenge to him.
Especially now that he had awakened his Sharingan to the second tomoe.
Combined with his exceptional natural talent, his strength now rivaled that of a jōnin.
After taking off his ANBU uniform, Itachi didn't go straight home.
A persistent worry gnawed at him: Izumi.
If Naruto Uzumaki had "saved" Izumi, he would certainly come to visit her. So...
Itachi immediately headed for the hospital.
When he reached Izumi's room, he heard muffled sobs.
With his heightened perception, Itachi instantly recognized Izumi's crying.
What was happening?
Why was Izumi crying?
A wave of uncontrollable agitation overtook him.
This feeling was unfamiliar to him… or rather, it had become all too familiar lately: when he had caught Naruto Uzumaki holding his little sister Sako in his arms, when Sako ignored his warnings to approach Naruto, or when Izumi claimed that Naruto was the one who had saved her.
Worried, Itachi abruptly opened the door.
There, he saw his beloved sitting on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
His heart clenched so tightly he gritted his teeth.
"Izumi, you…"
"Itachi?!"
Izumi looked up, her tear-stained face only deepening Itachi's concern.
Surprised by his sudden arrival, Izumi quickly wiped her tears.
But her attempt to hide it didn't fool Itachi.
"Izumi, what's wrong?"
"I… I'm fine…" she replied, forcing a smile, her red eyes betraying the lie.
Despite Itachi's persistent questions, Izumi refused to reveal the reason for her sorrow.
"Is this about Naruto Uzumaki?!"
Itachi finally voiced his suspicion. He was convinced his intuition was right.
But then… what had Naruto done to her?
"Huh? No… no, that's not it… Itachi, it has nothing to do with… Naruto Uzumaki…"
Izumi's voice grew weaker and weaker.
"…"
Itachi clenched his fists.
...
Shortly after.
Izumi was discharged from the hospital.
The doctors had recommended she stay a few more days.
However, for some unknown reason, her vitality had suddenly surged.
A true medical mystery, like a miracle.
Could it be due to the Uchiha clan's Sharingan?
If Itachi was considered the true genius of the Uchiha, then… Izumi was the "theoretical" version of that genius.
She had awakened her Sharingan on the night of the Kyūbi Disaster.
Then, during her time at the Ninja Academy, her tomoe had developed.
Now, though only a genin, her Sharingan had already reached three tomoe.
It seemed strange, but it was real.
Too gentle by nature, Izumi wasn't truly cut out to be a kunoichi.
She had chosen to become a ninja because her father had been one, without truly preparing herself mentally.
The path she imagined had no killings or shadows.
And yet, that was exactly what defined a real ninja.
So, despite her exceptional potential, Izumi severely lacked real combat experience.
Because she didn't have a hardened heart.
After all, she had even forgiven Naruto Uzumaki, the "fox demon" responsible for her father's death.
Of course, what Naruto had done to her the day before had left her with a bitter taste.
But that confused emotion lingered, and she didn't know how to deal with it.
Itachi walked beside Izumi.
Seeing her silent and looking down, he reached out to take her hand.
But Izumi flinched and quickly pulled away, like a frightened animal.
"Sorry, Itachi… I…"
She looked shaken, as if she were suffering from trauma… a post-traumatic stress response.
Itachi's heart broke, and he clenched his fists even tighter.
When Izumi got home,
a gentle woman appeared at the entrance.
She looked like an older version of Izumi.
The same almond-shaped eyes, the same beauty mark, and… the same deep black hair.
"It's you, Itachi… Come in."
This woman was Izumi's mother… Uchiha Hazuki.
Dressed in a casual kimono, she exuded maternal warmth.
Just like her daughter.
"Aunt Hazuki…"
Hazuki was a civilian member of the Uchiha clan, not a ninja.
This was one of the reasons why Izumi wasn't particularly strong.
Without daily training from her mother, she had to rely on self-teaching.
Hence her impressive theoretical stats but lack of real-world experience.
"Aunt Hazuki, I can't stay."
Itachi politely declined the invitation.
Hazuki blinked, glancing at her daughter.
Izumi looked disturbed.
What had happened?
She would ask her later.
"All right… See you soon, Itachi."
Hazuki watched Itachi walk away, then turned toward her daughter.
"Izumi, what's wrong?"
She examined her carefully before blurting out:
"Oh… Did you and Itachi already…?"
"Huh?"
Seeing her daughter's confused expression, Hazuki realized she had jumped to conclusions… or rather, she had worried for nothing.
They weren't at that stage yet…
"I'm not feeling well, Mom. I'm going to rest…"
Izumi slipped away, leaving Hazuki to quietly close the door behind her.
...
Back in her room, Izumi began taking off her jacket before even sitting down.
A wave of intense heat surged through her.
"Hot… too hot…"
She took off her jacket, but it wasn't enough.
The heat lingered, making her dizzy.
She walked over to the fridge and grabbed a cold drink.
But even after drinking it, the thirst didn't subside.
"Aah…!"
Suddenly, Izumi collapsed in her room.
Stars danced before her eyes, her breathing labored.
The excess vital energy she had absorbed was causing a violent reaction, far more intense than what Yugao or Hina had experienced.
Perhaps it was due to Uchiha blood.
In an instant, Izumi was overwhelmed by the heat… and lost consciousness.