226. The Public Beach

Izumi spent his summer in Tabane's world doing research since Karin agreed to have a pair of Sharingan transplanted into her eye sockets. Izumi also took Sasuke's cells and blood so that Karin's body would not conflict when using the Sharingan.

One day when Izumi invited Itachi to Tabane's laboratory to help Karin. Izumi asked Itachi, then Itachi reached out his hand to send his spiritual energy to Karin as well as created an illusion.

About an hour later, she felt pain in her eyes, then it spread throughout her body. Izumi immediately came to her side and checked her out. Her nervous system was contracted, her blood pressure rose, and her heart rate accelerated.

From the statistics and data Izumi got after examining Karin, she could conclude that there was a conflict between the Uchiha and Karin's DNA after Itachi sent his spiritual energy and created an illusion for Karin.

Izumi jumped into action by calming her nervous system with his Devil Fruit power as he turned his fingers into thin needles.

A few minutes later, Karin's condition turned to normal while Izumi also sighed in relief. He could only stroke Karin's head, who had fallen asleep due to the conflict in her body earlier.

When Karin woke up the next day, Izumi, who was checking Karin's condition, was shocked. Her eyes have a pattern of five-pronged stars in each eye.

"As I expected. Bringing Itachi here was the right decision." Izumi exclaimed inwardly.

"Karin, what happened when you felt pain yesterday?"

"Hmmm?" Karin just tilted her head in confusion.

"I mean, did you imagine something?"

After digesting Izumi's questions for a while, Karin understood. Then she answered.

"I dreamed about my mother being tormented as a result of being used by the ninjas in the Kusagakure village, then my feelings overflowed."

"I see. So that event triggered the awakening of her Mangekyō Sharingan, huh?" Izumi said secretly.

Izumi smiled.

"You should rest well. If you're feeling better, try to get used to using your eyes."

Karin nodded and tried to adjust her condition. After checking that Karin's condition had improved, he left her so she could rest.

— — — —

A week before summer vacation ends, Izumi decides to head back home. He was contacted by his friend and invited to the beach. As summer vacation was almost over, Izumi agreed.

Izumi spent his time with his school friends during a summer vacation training camp. Also, he created a holographic computer and a prototype Duel Disk. Other than that, he taught Karin some Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu as well as transplanted Sharingan into her eyes.

The next morning, Tōru, Hiroyuki, Shou, Jin, and Tsukushi come to Izumi's house. They were dressed lightly with bags filled with a change of clothes.

"Oh you guys, aren't we going later? Why so early?"

Jin pointed at Tōru, Hiroyuki, and Shou, then said.

"The three of them can't wait to go to the beach to see the bikinis."

"Pffft. Hahaha. Come in for a moment! I'm not ready yet."

Izumi let them in, and they sat in the living room while waiting for Izumi to get ready.

After Izumi packed his things, they got into the car Jin was driving.

"Is this your car?"

"Well, it's my dad's. It's just that he has another car, so I use it sometimes."

Jin just answered Izumi's question in a tone like someone was showing off. But after Jin said that, Hiroyuki responded with a scornful expression.

"Izumi-san, isn't the way he talks annoying? Look, his expression is like telling us "hehe, I have a car, where's yours?" Isn't it?"

Hiroyuki's face looks cute, if Izumi remembers, his expression looks like Tanaka Ryūnosuke from Karasuno when he picked a fight. Izumi chuckled at that.

"There's nothing wrong with showing off, I also want to buy a car, it's just too bad I don't have a driving license."

"Why should you care about a driving license? Just buy it!"

Hiroyuki responded to what Izumi said. Meanwhile, Jin refuted.

"You fool, of course, you can't. You need to have a driving license if you want to buy a car."

Even Izumi nodded.

"It's exactly what Jin said."

Hiroyuki scratched his head. He didn't know that someone who wanted to buy a car also needed a driving license.

"How about asking your father?" Hiroyuki asked again.

"I can't. He is working overseas."

"By the way, is your new job making so much money that you want to buy a car?"

Suddenly, Jin asked. Jin still remembers how Izumi told the coach that he got a new job, so he rarely joined the training. As far as Jin knew, Izumi was just a novelist. Besides, he might earn some money from his cake shop. Jin wasn't sure if the income from the two was enough to buy a car.

Izumi replied with a smirk.

"Hehe, although my income is not much, there is a prospect. Nevertheless, my novel will be adapted into an anime. Maybe the chief editor is currently making a schedule for the VA auditions."

"Wait, what!?"

"Seriously?"

They know that Izumi wrote two light novels, but Izumi doesn't tell them the titles of the novels. Thus, they didn't know whether Izumi's novels were famous or not. They just thought Izumi didn't want to say it because the novels weren't so popular. But, Izumi's statement just now surprised them, which was the opposite of what they had thought.

Izumi told them everything about the novels and the title of his novels that he had been hiding all this time. To their surprise, it turns out that Izumi's novel is in the top 10 in popularity. No wonder his novels were adapted so quickly.

Jin said with a grumble.

"If I knew that, I wouldn't have bought it and just asked you."

"Hey hey, if you don't buy it, I don't get any money, you know."

"That's your problem, not mine."

"The hell. You guys, you should buy my novels! Don't be like him!" Izumi cursed Jin, who then turned to his other friend while pointing at the former. But they answered in unison.

"No."

Then they all laughed at Izumi.

— — — —

While on the way, Izumi was quite curious about which beach they would go to.

"Shichigahama, to be precise at the Shobutahama public beach."

Jin who was driving answered him.

"Oh?"

Shichigahama does have many beaches, but only a few places are allowed to swim, one of which is the beach that Jin mentioned earlier.

After 2 hours of traveling, they arrived at the location. Given that today is the last week before the summer holiday ends, it's not surprising that the public beach is so crowded.

Hiroyuki and Shou looked excited at first, but when they saw all the visitors on the beach, their spirits dimmed.

"Why are so many not wearing a bikini? Ahhhh, that sucks."

"We shouldn't have come to this beach!"

The others just laughed at their words. It was as they both said. They all go to the beach to see the beautiful view, of the women. Too bad their fantasy did not come true.

Even so, since they had already come to the Shobutahama public beach, they didn't want to go to another beach.

Izumi and the others took their luggage from the car and headed to the beach. Not only their personal belongings were brought, but also two umbrellas, a mat, and three portable beach chairs.

The six of them were already wearing their swimming trunks, they just needed to take off their shirts. When Izumi wanted to take off his clothes, Tsukushi asked.

"Is it okay?"

"What for?"

"Don't you have a tattoo under your shirt?"

"Oh, I don't mind. Besides, why need to cover it up? I've already done it anyway."

Izumi answered Tsukushi's question casually. He didn't feel that tattooing his body bothered other people, although there might be people who didn't really like tattooed people.

And as he expected, his tattooed body caught the attention of the people around Izumi and the others. Izumi didn't care and started relaxing on a portable beach chair while applying sunscreen to his body. Not only Izumi, but his friends too.

After that, Tōru gave a suggestion.

"Shall we have a swimming competition?"

"Swimming competition while looking for a bikini that was washed away by the waves?"

"That's quite interesting."

Hiroyuki and Shou both nodded. Then, Tsukushi with an innocent and slightly embarrassed face said,

"Isn't that too much?"

"What do you mean, Tsukamoto? It's only natural that men are a bit perverted. You should get used to it! Also, you need to learn to get close to a girl, for example, your childhood friend! Maybe your shyness will lessen."

Because Jin felt that Tsukushi didn't act like a normal boy who was a bit shy by nature, Jin gave him some advice.

"Why do you even suggest a swimming competition, isn't it obvious the winner?"

Suddenly Izumi said while pointing at himself with his smirk. However, Jin immediately replied while pointing at Izumi with his index finger.

"Don't think that just because you have the stamina of a monster, you excel in swimming. Swimming is a lot different from when we sprinted with the football club members."

When training with the members of the football club, even though Izumi restrained himself, he still ran faster than almost everyone and even entered the top three fastest players out of all the club members. But what stood out from him was his endless stamina. He never looked tired even though the other members were already exhausted.

"If you really believe you can win, let's make a bet! The losers have to buy drinks for all of us. Or, are you afraid?"

"Sure, who's afraid? I accept your challenge."

Because Jin immediately agreed to Izumi's challenge, he got ready and walked to the shore. While Izumi just followed him from behind casually.

They both caught the attention of many people. Jin has a handsome face and is so attractive, plus his long blonde hair is like a person from a western country. It was no wonder that he attracted attention. As for Izumi, his good look isn't below Jin at all, his shoulder-length black hair tied in a short ponytail and slightly long eyelashes really match his appearance which makes his appearance so attractive.

"Then, let's get started!"