In just a few days, Chizhao's routine became almost a straight line between three points.
As soon as school was out, most children talked about where to play, but Chizhao refused her friends' invitations and headed straight to her training ground on the back mountain.
Her 'study king' behavior couldn't help but make the other children feel an unprecedented level of anxiety.
In the dense forest, Shisui stood in the center with his eyes closed, listening to everything around him in the dark world, converting every frequency into vivid images in his mind.
He was completely immersed, as if even the passage of time had slowed down for him.
Suddenly, a subtle whooshing sound was caught by his ears; he drew his wooden sword, held it horizontally in front of him, and swung it forward.
A Kunai was precisely deflected by him, embedding itself in a tree trunk not far away.
Immediately after, several Shuriken also flew in from the other side with a rustle; Shisui's ears twitched slightly, his body flexibly adjusted, and he swung his sword forward.
With a few dull thuds, the sharp Shuriken were all blocked by the wooden sword, stirring up fine wood chips that flew gently, leaving several indentations on the blade.
A crow, accompanied by a harsh caw, flapped its wings and flew from a branch; from among the falling leaves, another wooden sword suddenly appeared, thrusting directly at Shisui.
Shisui, relying on his keen hearing and intuition, quickly determined the attacker's position and dodged the strike by sidestepping.
Then, he parried the opponent's blade from bottom to top, controlled the range, and slashed towards the opponent.
Chizhao, seeing this, leaped backward, tightened her grip on the hilt, and attacked Shisui again.
The sound of wood clashing echoed continuously.
After several rounds, Chizhao didn't even know how many times she had been poked, how many times she had 'died'.
At this moment, she deeply realized the terrifying aspect of Shisui.
He could adapt to darkness in a short time and achieve such a level.
If it were the full-strength Shisui, perhaps just one look would make enemies surrender automatically.
From the breeze that brushed past his ears, Shisui listened to Chizhao's slightly hurried breathing, judging that her current state was close to her limit.
He twirled the wooden sword a few times in his hand and put it away.
His serious expression was replaced by his usual gentle smile: "That's about it for today, let's take a break, you worked hard, Chizhao."
As soon as Shisui finished speaking, Chizhao let go of the wooden sword in her hand and lay on her back on the grass, as if relieved of a heavy burden:
"Shisui-nii is too strong, I'm no match at all."
A shadow fell over Chizhao's head; Shisui knelt on one knee and bent down to face her.
The sound of the breeze rustling the leaves by her ears made Chizhao unconsciously relax.
Chizhao looked at Shisui, who was smiling in front of her, unable to avoid his gaze, and her breathing also calmed down.
"But for Chizhao's current age, this level is already very impressive. I believe you will catch up with me very quickly, and maybe even be better than me when you grow up."
"Better than Shisui-nii? How is that possible...?"
"I believe in you."
These simple four words made Chizhao's disheartened words dissipate with her breath.
The warm air around them diffused between the two, coupled with the flickering light and shadow, causing a slight dizziness.
Reinvigorated, Chizhao no longer felt dejected; she sat up from the ground, patted her cheeks to dispel the uncomfortable dizziness, and regained her spirit.
"Since Shisui-nii said so, I will continue to work hard!"
"Grumble~~~"
However, the first sound of protest came from her own stomach.
Shisui lovingly rubbed Chizhao's head, his smile deepening.
"The prerequisite is, let's fill our stomachs first."
His tall figure walked forward, but unexpectedly his toe suddenly stubbed on a protruding stone on the ground, causing him to stumble and almost fall.
Chizhao, quick-eyed and quick-handed, held Shisui's arm and said jokingly:
"It seems that what can truly threaten Shisui-nii must be a stone."
Shisui, being teased, smiled good-naturedly:
"Yes, sometimes the things that pose a danger are often inconspicuous."
"Shisui-nii, why is every word you say full of deep meaning? You should really make a 'Shisui's Golden Sayings' collection."
"Eh?! Have I been disliked by Chizhao? Then I'll start to get sad."
Chizhao helplessly took Shisui's hand and walked towards the small wooden house.
The soft grass made rustling sounds as they walked, and occasionally a few wild rabbits paused to watch for a while before quickly running away.
"I don't dislike you, Shisui-nii is the best."
"Really? You don't dislike Shisui?"
Slightly tightening his grip on the warm little hand in his, Chizhao also squeezed back, promising while looking straight ahead:
"Really! I will never dislike Shisui-nii!"
Upon hearing this, Shisui smiled contentedly.
Following the footsteps in front of him, he walked each step with confidence; the dark world was endless, like a bottomless pit without light.
But the only thing he could clearly see was the slender back of the girl in front of him.
After passing through the forest, the two returned to the wooden house, one big, one small, plus a little king, all happily enjoying their delicious bento.
Shisui, who had long adapted to the darkness before his eyes, methodically put food into his mouth.
However, the puzzled Chizhao's gaze at this moment involuntarily drifted to Shisui's closed eyes.
Sensing the unreserved gaze, Shisui stopped his movements, raised his head, his brows and eyes gentle:
"What's wrong? Is there something you want to say?"
Chizhao hesitated for a moment, then looked at the crow standing by the window, and the question lodged in her throat finally broke free:
"Itachi-nii has already returned your eyes, Shisui-nii, why don't you restore your eyesight?"
"I have medical Ninjutsu, I can transplant your eyes back anytime, Shisui-nii."
A brief silence, and for a moment, only the sound of the little king chewing was heard on the table.
Chizhao secretly observed the young man's expression opposite her, worried that she might have been too offensive.
The sound of flapping wings came, and the crow flew from the windowsill to Shisui's shoulder, its black feathers reflecting subtle iridescent light under the illumination.
Through the darkness before his eyes, Shisui mentally depicted Konoha's buildings and streets, as well as the Uchiha people. A peaceful scene unfolded before him.
"Because it's not the right time yet."
The unexpected answer made Chizhao pause; she didn't rush to ask, but instead sat there silently, watching Shisui framed with the crow.
She imagined, if the young man in front of her opened his eyes, would those eyes, burdened with a heavy mission, be able to see that colorful carp?
"It's okay! Until then, I'll be Shisui-nii's eyes."
The girl's gentle words flickered in his dark world.
He saw that glimmer fall on the horizon and suddenly bloom, the scattered fragments turning into the Milky Way, covering the pitch-black sky.
The corners of his mouth curved into a gentle arc, and his smile overflowed with anticipation under the light, "Okay! Then it's a deal."
........
After the girl left, the surrounding darkness once again swallowed all sounds.
Shisui gently picked up the fishing rod and small bamboo basket that Chizhao had carefully placed by the door with one hand, and held a wooden cane with the other, cautiously feeling the path ahead.
He had nothing else to do now; the only thing he could use to pass the time was fishing.
He would catch a few more fish for Chizhao to take back, and he also needed to properly thank Grandma Huizi for the bento.
Sitting by the river and casting his hook, the only sounds echoing in his ears were the rustling of flowers and grass, and the long, melodious sound of the river.
It made him somewhat nostalgic for the days he spent with A-He.
He wondered if A-He had grilled fish to eat now.
Just as he was immersed in his memories, a steady sound of footsteps came from not far ahead, breaking the tranquility.
His ears twitched slightly, and he looked up in the direction of the sound, a warm smile spreading across his face.
"Oh! Itachi, you've come at just the right time; tonight's menu is grilled fish!"