Sasuke's already striking face, sculpted by the years, had shed some of its youthful immaturity, becoming even more remarkably handsome.
"Do you have anything else to do later?"
"Not really."
No sooner had he spoken than Sasuke took Chizhao's wrist and walked towards the training ground.
"Then come with me to the training ground to practice Ninjutsu right now."
Looking at Sasuke's determined back as he walked away, Chizhao's heart stirred, and she couldn't help but ask softly:
"Are you perhaps worried about my graduation exam?"
The grip on her wrist tightened for a moment, and Chizhao knew she had guessed correctly.
"Stop blabbering, your Ninjutsu is so terrible, even I can't stand to watch it…"
Chizhao exerted force, gripping his wrist in return and walking in the opposite direction.
"Hey! You…"
"You don't have to worry about this, it'll definitely be fine."
Sasuke frowned, looking a little angry, and firmly held Chizhao's slender wrist, reclaiming the lead, and continued to stride resolutely towards the training ground.
"I'm not worried about you; it's just that you, who have always been my opponent, make me feel a little embarrassed…"
The person behind him suddenly stopped.
Realizing that he might have spoken a bit too harshly, a hint of panic flashed through Sasuke's heart.
He turned to look at the girl whose expression was hidden in the shadows, and pursed his lips.
What was wrong with him?
He didn't mean it that way.
The inexplicably strange emotions in his heart made Sasuke feel a bit at a loss.
"I'm sorry, Chizhao, forget what I just said…"
He looked down at the ground, and the brief silence between them made him increasingly anxious.
Say something, already…
"What if I can't forget it?"
Hearing this, Sasuke looked up at her serious eyes, he sighed, and raised his hands as if resigned to his fate.
"I know, I know, what do you want to eat this time? I'll pay for it."
Sweeping away the gloom from her face, Chizhao's expression changed as if by magic, replaced with a wide smile, and her bright, sparkling eyes radiated golden light of anticipation.
"I want to eat tempura!"
........
In front of the newly opened tempura shop, people bustled and it was incredibly lively, already surrounded by a crowd of eager diners.
The aroma of fried food wafting through the air continuously enticed Chizhao's taste buds.
Sasuke was slightly taken aback by the scene before him, and he spoke with some difficulty:
"Hey, how about we go to another place…?"
"No!" Chizhao shook her head firmly: "The tempura at this shop is their specialty, I've always wanted to try it, but I could never squeeze in, and by the time it was my turn, it was always sold out…"
Hearing the girl's slightly disappointed words, Sasuke had a bad feeling.
"You wouldn't… want me to buy it for you, would you…?"
Meeting the girl's bright, sparkling eyes that shimmered with cuteness, Sasuke chose to close his eyes, crossed his arms, and turned his head away, no longer looking at her:
"I said I'd only pay."
Seeing Sasuke being so uncooperative, Chizhao had no choice but to pull out her trump card.
She parted her bangs on both sides, tied up her hair, and turned up her collar, directly cosplaying Sasuke's "famous scene" with her just now.
Adjusting her emotions, she cleared her throat, and began to imitate Sasuke's tone, speaking slowly:
"I'm not worried about you; it's just that you, who have always been my opponent, make me feel a little embarrassed…"
"Make me feel a little embarrassed…"
"A little embarrassed…"
"Embarrassed…"
The girl's hypnotic voice echoed in his ears, her familiar words reverberating as if with an echo, piercing his ears again and again, each sentence sending a shiver down his spine.
Turning back in indignation, he was surprised to find that she had even thoughtfully replicated his image.
Immediately, his cheeks burned, and his entire body tensed with embarrassment.
Filled with shame and anger, he couldn't help but reach out and pinch Chizhao's cheek, scolding her:
"Idiot! Hurry up and forget it!!"
She winced in pain and patted Sasuke's hand, mumbling indistinctly:
"Just one serving of tempura, and I'll immediately lose my memory!"
"Tsk! You!"
Sasuke finally let go of her hand, looking at her pitifully rubbing her slightly reddened cheek, and sighed with a headache:
"Go wait by the riverbank, I'll be right back…"
He put his hands in his pockets, his voice calm, yet tinged with a sense of fatalism.
Then, under Chizhao's admiring gaze, as if having made up his mind, he resolutely pushed his way into the crowd.
........
Sitting on the grass by the riverbank, Chizhao propped her chin in her hands, boredly watching the river in front of her.
Why wasn't Sasuke back yet…
"I'm back."
A familiar voice came from behind, and suddenly, the tempura she had been longing for appeared before her.
Its crispy golden surface and steaming aroma made her involuntarily swallow.
She happily took it, and after Sasuke sat down beside her, she said gratefully:
"Thank you, Sasuke!"
He adjusted his collar without looking away, recalling the intense scene just now, which left him with a lingering shadow from those older women.
"This is the last one, eat it while it's hot."
But Chizhao, uncharacteristically, didn't eat the food first.
She noticed that Sasuke's usually immaculate black hair now appeared somewhat disheveled.
It must have gotten messy from trying to get this last serving of tempura.
Thinking of this, she picked up one of the large, plump tempura pieces, wrapped it in oil paper, and offered it to Sasuke.
"Here! The biggest hero eats first!"
Sasuke smiled helplessly, taking the tempura Chizhao offered, he didn't immediately taste it, his gaze softened as it fell on Chizhao, and he spoke softly:
"You really do love to eat…"
After saying that, he took a bite of the crispy tempura, and his black pupils lit up slightly.
It was unexpectedly delicious.
Chizhao ate and laughed: "Because delicious food can make people feel better."
"Are you usually in a bad mood, then?"
She hadn't expected Sasuke's perspective to be so sharp, causing her mind to momentarily freeze.
"It's not like I only eat when I'm in a bad mood…"
Sasuke looked ahead with deep eyes, put the last bite of tempura into his mouth, and after swallowing it, his expression was calm:
"Then when you're in a bad mood, you can come find me, you can eat whatever you want."
His voice was very soft, blending into the breeze, rippling across the river.
"But Naruto also said something similar, how about the three of us eat together?"
Sasuke's fists clenched instantly, and he shouted in dissatisfaction:
"Huh? Don't listen to that idiot, what else could be in his head besides ramen?"
"Pffft, hahaha, sure enough, as soon as Naruto is mentioned, your expression becomes so much more animated…"
Feeling like he had been teased again, Sasuke stood up, hands in his pockets, and walked towards the riverbank with a hint of displeasure:
"Hmph! Let's go back."
"Eh? Are you angry?"
Chizhao quickly got up and grabbed Sasuke's sleeve, he paused slightly, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over a pair of brothers interacting.
Something returned to his heart.
The taste of tempura in his mouth turned bitter.
Itachi's face once again reappeared before his eyes.
A sense of guilt welled up in his heart.
Now wasn't the time for this…
Sasuke turned his head to the side, his voice low and magnetic, yet seemingly containing a bone-chilling coldness:
"Chizhao, my goal is to find that bastard who kidnapped my family and clan members."
"Now they are all missing, I certainly won't stay here."
"So I'm sorry, I might have to go a step ahead of you…"
The soft sleeve slipped from her fingertips, Chizhao stared blankly at Sasuke's departing back, her heart a mix of emotions.
What was wrong with Sasuke, again?
Did he think I wouldn't graduate and become a Ninja, and couldn't keep my promise to him?
But Sasuke, the Akuma you've been searching for is right beside you…
Should I really be the one to tell him this truth?
Will you believe me?
Will you hate me?
And how will you face Itachi-nii, who joined the Akatsuki Organization, after that?
Sasuke lowered his eyes slightly, not looking back at the girl behind him.
Then he raised his head, his gaze sharp, and walked resolutely forward.