Chapter Twenty-Seven: Izumi III

[A/N: This chapter focuses on Izumi's inner turmoil. But after this the story will move forward again.]

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December 31st, Year 68, Training Ground 23

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It's been three days since the attack on the compound, and we were instructed to seek shelter while the higher-ups handled the intrusion. Nobody is really talking about what happened during that time or how we all suddenly fell unconscious and were brought outside the compound.

But I know what I saw, and I'm sure he has something to do with it...

I glanced intently at Kuro, my wayward teammate, who was lounging lazily under the tree he affectionately named Benny while answering some of Kabuto-kun's questions. We had just finished our training for the day and were now relaxing.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather the courage to bring up the topic that had been nagging at me since that night. "Hey, Kuro," I started, trying to be direct, "during the attack, before I fell unconscious… I saw some familiar dark tendrils. They looked just like your shadow technique, the one you used during our duel."

Kuro raised an eyebrow, looking at me with droopy eyes. "Huh? We had a duel? When did that happen?"

Feeling a tinge of irritation, I persisted firmly, "It was back in the academy! Don't pretend you've forgotten. You… you even..." I paused, biting my lip before refocusing. "Never mind, just answer the question, please."

Kuro still didn't reply, but looked at me with a raised brow.

"I'm not saying it was you for sure," I continued a bit defensively, pressing on, "but it just seemed too familiar to be a coincidence. Did you... Was it you who saved us, Kuro?" I part of me thought that it was impossible… but a greater part of me seemed to already know the answer.

Kuro yawned, pretending to be uninterested. "Save you? Nah, that sounds like way too much effort. Why would I bother with something so troublesome?"

Kuro's dismissive yawn didn't deter me. "Kuro, this is serious. Lives were on the line, and I need to know the truth."

His lazy gaze met mine, and he responded in a nonchalant tone, "You know, Izumi, if I were you, I'd just thank the people who worked hard to save everyone instead of worrying about useless things."

His evasive answers only fueled my determination. I wasn't going to give up easily. But pushing further seemed fruitless at the moment. Maybe it was time to seek answers from someone else. "Fine, I'll drop it for now," I said, trying to hide my frustration.

Kuro's smirk seemed to imply he had won this round. "Good call. Now, let me take a nap before I have to go back home and get nagged by Mom…"

As we sat there, I couldn't shake the feeling that Kuro knew more than he was letting on. It might be time to seek help from Izuna-chan, someone close to Kuro. If anyone had answers, it was likely her.

…

…

After a while, I decided to find Izuna-chan and share my suspicions with her.

She should have just returned from her mission, and I found her in the forest behind our compound where she usually practiced.

She was practicing her Shuriken Jutsu, she looked as cool, calm and mature as ever while doing so. Izuna-chan was really incredible!

Noticing my presence, she stopped her practice and greeted me with her usual calm face, "Izumi-san, good afternoon. What brings you here?" Her politeness never failed to impress me.

"Hey, Izuna-chan," I called out as I approached her. "Welcome back! How was your mission?"

Her expression softened, and she replied calmly, "It was challenging, but we managed to complete it successfully. It was supposed to be a simple delivery mission, but we ran into a C-rank rogue ninja and his companions on the way." She proceeded to inform me about her mission, and I couldn't help but be intrigued by her experiences. Izuna-chan had been a ninja for a long time and was doing exceptionally well.

"Really? You are so amazing, Izuna-chan! I'm sure you will become a Chunin, no, a Jonin in no time!" I cheered for her, earning a slight smile from her as she thanked me for my support.

"Thank you for your well wishes, Izumi-san. And that actually reminds me… I will be taking part in the next Chunin Exams, which will be held at Sunagakure. So, I will be out of the village for a while," she informed me in her composed tone. It didn't surprise me that she was already taking the Chunin exams; Izuna-chan was talented and dedicated.

"I have no doubt you'll become a Chunin for sure," I replied, my admiration for her growing even more.

As we walked back towards the compound, we talked about a few other mundane things, cherishing the time we spent together. Izuna-chan's presence always had a calming effect on me, and I was glad to have such a reliable and supportive friend by my side. And I decided to take her opinion on the matter that was bothering me.

"Izuna-chan, I've been thinking a lot about the attack on our compound," I began hesitantly, "and something doesn't sit right with me. Before I fell unconscious, I saw something familiar. It looked like Kuro's shadow technique, the one he used during our academy duel." I told her the thing that has been bothering me so much.

Izuna-chan's eyes flickered for a second, even though she maintained her calm exterior. "Are you certain about this, Izumi-san?" There was a certain hint of something in her voice, but I couldn't quite pick it up.

"I'm not entirely sure," I admitted while looking down, "but it felt so familiar, you know?... And Kuro's behavior has been strange lately. He seemed evasive when I asked him about it." I finished with a sigh.

We kept walking while listening to the sound of crickets and birds who were finding their nests as light was slowly becoming dim.

Izuna-chan remained silent for a while, her gaze thoughtful and understanding. "It's natural to be curious, Izumi-san. But you should think about the matter more rationally. Jumping to conclusions won't help you," she said in a comforting tone, her wisdom always having a calming effect on my restless thoughts.

"You're right, Izuna-chan. I don't want to make baseless accusations, but I can't ignore my instincts either," I replied with a slight furrow of my brows, my emotions starting to surface. I couldn't help but rant, feeling overwhelmed by my conflicted feelings about Kuro.

"I don't know what to do honestly… Kuro… The thought of him has been on my mind for a while… He is a lazy bastard, infuriating, doing weird things all the time... and yet, people loves him… and he even has you as his friend…" I struggled to find the right words, my frustration evident.

I shook my head frantically, trying to compose myself before looking at Izuna-chan with a determined expression. "Izuna-chan, I-I think that Shadow was indeed Kuro's… I just feel it."

She stopped walking and looked at me, her expression serious. "And what do you think that means?" she asked slowly, prompting me to delve deeper into my feelings.

"I will be honest… A part of me just wants to blame him… It's… it's my bias… I am not proud of it… It's just when we entered the academy, my perception of him was truly bad… and the things he did in class didn't help improve it at all," I admitted, feeling a sense of relief as I let out my pent-up frustrations.

Izuna-chan listened to me silently, her lips twitching slightly, as if suppressing a smile.

"But then… that lazy, insensitive fool! Goes and defeats me during a challenge I sent him myself… After that, he keeps doing all these things that make me more and more confused. I don't know whether he is the good guy or the lazy asshole that I thought he was…" I continued to rant, finding solace in opening up to someone I looked up to, someone I considered my best friend.

Izuna-chan remained attentive, encouraging me to share my thoughts.

"The more I get to know him... the more mysterious he becomes… Apparently, the villagers love him, almost everyone in the shopping district knows him… Kabuto said he has seen Kuro helping people around the village, without even thinking twice… Then there is his strength… Why is he so strong? I think even our Sensei knows Kuro isn't showing his full strength, and still he doesn't say anything… He doesn't seem to give effort and still he is better than us…" I paused, taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts.

"I feel confused… He keeps appearing in my mind… I want to hate the lazy, insensitive guy... but then… and then he- then he… makes me so frustrated… Is he really a lazy fool? Because even if no one else realizes it… I am sure that the shadows that saved us all were his… I… I am just sure of it. A part of me really dislikes him, you know… and another part of me… a traitorous part of me wants to thank him… wants to believe it was his shadow that protected us… and want to be grateful for his heroic work of saving everyone… it wants to see his smile…" My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I finished my emotional outburst.

What the heck was I even saying? Now Izuna-chan will think I am a weirdo.

But she didn't say anything. Silence hung between us, and I nervously looked up to face Izuna-chan, who wore a serious expression with a faint frown, studying me intently.

"Izumi-san, do you hate Kuro?" Izuna-chan asked directly, her words making me shudder for some reason.

Did I hate that guy? A part of me wanted to shout out, 'YES'... but the other part of me wanted to smack myself for even considering it.

In the end, I could only say softly, "I don't know..."

Izuna-chan nodded at that and resumed her walk, and I tried to keep up. It was then she said, "I have known Kuro-kun for about 5 years now... I might know him better than most people really." She spoke slowly, her gaze fixed ahead, before looking at me with her usual calm face. "And during all that time... I came to realize one thing about Kuro-kun." She finished with a slight smile.

I looked at her, trying to understand what she meant, so I gave her an inquisitive look as she stopped again. The moon seemed to have risen early, casting a gentle glow on the scene in front of me.

With a full and gentle smile, Izuna-chan said with emotion, "Kuro-kun is amazing."

I never thought I would get to see that expression on Izuna-chan's face. She looked so pretty when she smiled like that...

Still feeling dazed, I listened as she continued, "And I, for one, know that if Kuro-kun wanted, he could do some amazing things... And your suspicion might just be the reality of things." She informed me gently.

Her words resonated within me, and I felt a mix of emotions. Uncertainty, concern, and a glimmer of hope that my instincts weren't entirely off-base. Izuna-chan's insight made me feel less alone in my suspicions. She knew Kuro-kun well, and if she saw the same potential in him, then maybe I wasn't just imagining things.

"Then... then... why doesn't he say anything? Why doesn't he take the credit? He has saved so many people... He is a hero. He must have risked his life. Then why does he stay silent? Why does he hide in the shadows..." I asked, frustration lacing my voice, my eyes tearing up with emotion.

Izuna-chan gave me a comforting smile as she took my hand and looked me in the eye. "A few years ago, I asked him why he doesn't show off his prowess... Do you know what he said?" Izuna-chan asked with an amused glint in her eyes.

"That, it's troublesome?" I replied, feeling a hint of amusement myself.

"That, it is troublesome," she nodded with a small laugh.

We shared a laugh at that moment, a brief respite from the weight of our worries. But Izuna-chan's demeanor turned serious again as she continued, "Yes, but I also think Kuro-kun has his own reasons to hide his strength... And I respect it. I will support him however I can. I will get strong enough so that he doesn't need to risk himself and try to save everyone like he did a few days ago. I will, at the very least, be there with him." Her voice carried determination and unwavering support.

Izuna-chan... really liked Kuro... didn't she? I had always suspected that, but seeing her resolve confirmed my thoughts.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, which surprised me. Why did I feel this way? I felt a pang in my heart. And that made me remember Kuro's smile… he was much, much more than just a lazy boy, I wanted to know more about him…

And with that realization came another truth—I had a crush on Kuro.

…

…

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Okay, don't kill me, this chapter is necessary for future events to make sense and also kind of a declaration of Izuna and Izumi's feelings. How this develops, you can only find as the story goes on. But you know, crushes, are just that crushes.

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