Chapter 10: Meeting Yuki Uchiha AgainAfter Kakashi Hatake left, Naruto, feeling bored, strolled alone to the streets of Konoha.The surrounding villagers caught sight of him and immediately fell silent, stepping aside with panicked expressions.The terrifying sight of Naruto's Chakra "spiraling out of control" last time was still fresh in their minds; now, all that remained for Naruto was deep-seated fear, and the hatred and bullying of the past were gone.Naruto took it all in, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he whispered to himself, "That's right, keep fearing me, hahaha!"Just as he was immersed in this strange sense of satisfaction, three figures came into Naruto's view.They were none other than Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Izumi, and the girl who had helped him last time.In fact, back when he was rescued, Naruto had already seen through her lie; she was not Uchiha Izumi at all.The three people opposite him clearly recognized Naruto as well.After all, he had caused quite a few incidents over the past two days while using the identity of Uzumaki Naruto.For a moment, Yuki Uchiha's face was instantly filled with embarrassment, and she became even more flustered when her gaze shifted to the real Uchiha Izumi beside her.Seeing this, Naruto immediately strode forward and deliberately called out in a loud voice, "Sister Izumi~"This shout directly exposed the lie.Uchiha Izumi looked blankly at the blonde boy walking toward her; although she had heard rumors about him, she truly couldn't recall ever having any interaction with him, and her eyes were filled with confusion.Meanwhile, Yuki Uchiha, standing to the side, already had regret written all over her face.Naruto walked up close and deliberately looked at Yuki Uchiha with a confused expression.Yuki Uchiha raised her hand to pat her forehead and feigned helplessness as she explained the ins and outs of the situation...As soon as she finished speaking, Narutoimmediately put on a pitiful look, staring at Yuki and chiding, "Sister, you lied to me!"Yuki was stunned for a moment and quickly waved her hands to console him, "No, no, I was just..."The words reached her lips, but she didn't know how to explain, and she was momentarily at a loss for words.Yuki Uchiha's cheeks flushed red with anxiety, and she waved her hands frantically, "I really didn't mean to lie to you! It's just that the situation was special at the time..."Before she could finish, Uchiha Itachi spoke up from the side, "Yuki, since you can't hide it anymore, just tell the truth."Before Yuki Uchiha could reply, Naruto had already smiled and waved his hand to interrupt, "It's fine, it's fine, actually, I knew it all along."His tone was frank, and his eyes held a sincere warmth, "And come to think of it, I still have to thank Sister Yuki for helping me last time."As soon as these words were spoken, Yuki Uchiha's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, most of the embarrassment on her face faded, and her expression finally softened a bit.Compared to the adults in the village who were terrified by Naruto's out-of-control Chakra, the fear of this "terror" was ultimately much fainter among the younger generation.She steadied herself, feigned a relaxed demeanor as she sized up Naruto, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, "If I remember correctly, your name is Uzumaki Naruto, right?"Seeing Naruto nod, she took the opportunity to introduce the two people beside her, "My name is Yuki Uchiha, this is my sister Izumi, and this one—is Big Brother Itachi."Itachi's gaze swept over Naruto and then fell upon Uchiha Izumi beside him, the coldness in his eyes softening unconsciously."Izumi, you asked me last time who that blonde boy was—the one rumored to be feared by the villagers—and now, haven't you met him?"Uchiha Izumi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared at Itachi, her tone carrying a touch of playfulness, "I was just asking casually, who would have thought he..."She looked at Naruto, the confusion in her eyes fading, replaced by a bit of curiosity."You clearly knew she wasn't me, yet you deliberately called out'Sister Izumi'—were you trying to make things difficult for Yuki on purpose?""No way~"Naruto waved his hand, but his eyes darted mischievously between Itachi and Izumi."I just think that the real Sister Izumi is gentler than Sister Yuki, so it just rolls off the tongue easier."As he spoke, he deliberately stepped closer and lowered his voice to tease."And I noticed that the way Big Brother Itachi looks at Sister Izumi is much gentler than how he looks at me. Are you two...""Naruto!" Uchiha Izumi quickly interrupted him, her cheeks turning even redder, "Don't talk nonsense!"The tips of her ears were also tinged with a faint red, and she subconsciously looked at Itachi, only to collide with his deep gaze.Itachi did not look away; instead, his lips curled slightly upward, and he raised his hand to brush a fallen leaf from her hair, his movements natural and gentle, "He's not exactly wrong."This sudden display of intimacy made Izumi's cheeks flush instantly, and she quickly turned her face away, though her fingertips quietly gripped the corner of her clothes.Yuki Uchiha, standing to the side, was clearly accustomed to seeing Izumi get shy like this; she rolled her eyes helplessly and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Sister~ you blush way too easily, it's so embarrassing, stop it!"Uchiha Izumi's ears turned even redder, and just as she was about to retort, Uchiha Itachi beside her couldn't help but chuckle.He turned his eyes to Naruto and naturally issued an invitation, "Naruto, we are planning to go outside the village to carry out a mission. Would you like to come along?""But..."Before Naruto could respond, Izumi, having just calmed down a little, quickly interrupted, her tone full of concern, "Is it dangerous to bring a child along on a mission?"Upon hearing this, Itachi turned to look at Izumi, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening, and his tone carried a touch of confident admiration, "Don't underestimate Naruto; his strength might even be on par with mine.""Eh?! His strength is on par with Big Brother Itachi's?"Yuki, standing to the side, widened her eyes in shock, looking at Naruto in disbelief, as if seeing him for the first time.Naruto quickly waved his hands, smiling modestly and frankly, "No, no, Big Brother Itachi is giving me too much credit; I do have the ability to protect myself, though."He changed the subject, a flicker of anticipation flashing in his eyes, "However, if it's convenient, I'd really like to go and see; it just so happens I have nothing to do right now."Seeing this, the two women didn't try to stop him anymore, and the four of them set off together toward the Konoha gates.Uchiha Itachi spoke with a smile, "This mission is to mediate a dispute between two ninja villages. We will try our best to intervene as intermediaries to facilitate peace talks between the two sides. Barring any accidents, there won't be too much danger."Not long after, the four of them arrived at the Konoha gates.Naruto also caught sight of Aoba Yamashiro, one of the guardians of Konoha who even Pain dared not force his way through the front gate past!Aoba Yamashiro walked up familiarly, his gaze landing on Itachi, and he greeted him with a smile, "Itachi, going out on a mission?"Uchiha Itachi nodded slowly. Aoba walked to his side, but his gaze caught sight of Naruto standing to the side, and he couldn't help but hesitate, "This isn't against the rules, is it? You're taking him with you?"Itachi nodded faintly, his tone firm, "It's fine."Aoba Yamashiro still had some hesitation, but when he looked at Itachi accompanying them, his expression instantly settled.Presumably, with Itachi by his side, there would certainly be no mishaps.Thinking of this, he immediately nodded and let them pass.
