Chapter 28: Avoid Contact with Uchiha Reijin

The two of them packed up four servings of dango and left the shop. Uchiha Izumi noticed that whenever the villagers of Konoha saw the Uchiha clan crest, they instinctively avoided them. The space around them was virtually empty, with people keeping at least a three-meter distance. They didn't say a word but just stared at them silently, which gave Izumi a slightly eerie feeling.

They found a secluded spot by a small stream in Konoha, a place that felt familiar to Izumi. She remembered that before Uchiha Itachi had graduated from the Ninja Academy, they used to sit here together, eating three-colored dango. Back then, Itachi was so adorable, wanting to eat but too shy to say so.

Unconsciously, Izumi covered her mouth and let out a few chuckles.

"What's so funny?" Itachi glanced at her, not guessing what she was thinking. Holding a skewer in his hand, he recalled the scenes that had just unfolded at the dango shop. He had been under house arrest by Fugaku for a while, only allowed to leave for training. He had no idea what had been happening in the village, but now it was clear that relations between the Uchiha clan and the village had deteriorated to this extent.

Was there still any hope of saving the Uchiha clan? Did they have any worth, for which Shisui was risking so much?

"Itachi, I actually have some good news to share with you today," Izumi said, her face bright with a proud smile as she tilted her head up. She was hoping for some praise from Itachi, even if she was just Uchiha Izumi. If it were Sasuke, she might have gotten a beaming smile and some kind words.

"Congratulations! But why did you suddenly decide to graduate early?" Itachi asked, still lost in thought, his mind focused on multiple things at once.

"Of course, it's to catch up to you! I see your back getting farther and farther away, and I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up. I'm worried that one day I won't even be able to see your back anymore," Izumi said, her voice filled with determination. "So don't wait for me, Itachi. I'll be right behind you. In five years, I'll be a jōnin."

Itachi was taken aback, staring seriously at the girl beside him. He wasn't naïve—he understood what she was expressing, that her feelings were directed at him, wanting to walk by his side. But running towards him was a mistake in itself.

Right! Maybe Shisui's decision was also wrong. The Uchiha clan had already become a threat to Konoha. Even if this generation of Uchiha were saved, how could anyone guarantee that the next generation wouldn't produce another ambitious person like Reijin, obsessed with seizing the position of Hokage? If that happened, the Uchiha and Konoha would inevitably clash in civil strife.

Shisui's decision had been wrong from the start.

"Itachi, are you okay?" Izumi waved a hand in front of his face, noticing that he had spaced out.

Snapping out of it, Itachi picked up another dango from the box and took a bite. "I'm fine, just surprised at how quickly your skills have improved."

He looked at the stream, his thoughts now weighed down. He decided that he needed to meet with the Hokage later. Perhaps the Hokage could give him the answers he sought. Shisui...

"Hehe, I met Lord Reijin the other day. He's actually really nice, not as scary as the rumors say," Izumi said, giggling as she recounted her encounter with Reijin. She thought he was much better than Fugaku. After all, Fugaku always had a stern expression, and just standing there, his intimidating aura was enough to make anyone nervous. Whenever Izumi saw Fugaku, her face would automatically become serious.

"Reijin!" Itachi's Sharingan suddenly activated, his eyes spinning rapidly as he stared at Izumi. His instinct was to press her for every detail about her interaction with Reijin.

"What are you doing?" Izumi's Sharingan activated as well, her double-tomoe eyes meeting Itachi's. However, Izumi had only just started learning genjutsu. Compared to Itachi, who had been trained from a young age and mastered various Uchiha combat techniques, Izumi was still quite inexperienced.

At that moment, Uchiha Izumi felt the overwhelming power of the Sharingan's genjutsu. Her own illusions were like fragile paper, instantly shattered in the brief clash of their eyes. In an instant, she was trapped within Itachi's genjutsu.

However, Itachi quickly realized what he had done and immediately dispelled the genjutsu on Izumi.

"Sorry, Izumi! I acted impulsively," Itachi apologized sincerely, his tone filled with regret. He was also surprised as he looked at the girl in front of him. He hadn't known that she had also awakened the Sharingan. But despite possessing such a powerful tool, she had stayed in the Ninja Academy all this time. Was there a hidden purpose behind this?

Itachi's thoughts briefly wandered into conspiracy theories, wondering if the elders of the Uchiha clan had deliberately kept her in the academy for some secretive reason.

"It's okay! But wow, Itachi, your genjutsu is really strong," Izumi said, still a bit shaken. "I've been practicing genjutsu, but it seems like I can't even use my Sharingan properly."

She looked at Itachi's eyes with a mix of awe and disbelief. Despite all her training, she hadn't been able to withstand even a moment of Itachi's power. This realization left her feeling disheartened. She had been so determined to catch up to him, but now, faced with Itachi's true strength, all her earlier passion seemed to fade away.

"It's not like that. If you keep training your genjutsu, you'll definitely get stronger," Itachi reassured her, shaking his head slightly. "I'll bring you a book from the Uchiha clan's collection on genjutsu. It doesn't contain the more advanced techniques, but it should be perfect for someone just starting out with genjutsu."

This offer was also Itachi's way of apologizing for what he had nearly done—using his Sharingan to forcefully extract information about Reijin from Izumi. He knew he had crossed a line and wanted to make amends.

"Really? But… won't Fugaku-ojisan be mad?" Izumi hesitated, worried. Access to the Uchiha clan's techniques was strictly regulated based on one's status and contributions within the clan. For example, becoming a jōnin would be considered a significant achievement, which might grant someone access to certain techniques. But Izumi hadn't done anything noteworthy yet. If Fugaku found out that Itachi had given her those techniques, she feared Itachi might get into trouble because of her.

"It'll be fine. But about Reijin, you should try to avoid contact with him in the future," Itachi warned, his voice serious. Reijin was a truly dangerous figure within the Uchiha clan.