When Izumi finally returned to the village after her recent mission, her first stop was home. The familiar streets of the Uchiha district felt both comforting and watchful, as if every rooftop and window carried the eyes of her clan.
She pushed open the sliding door. "Mom!"
Uchiha Hazuki appeared from the kitchen, her eyes lighting up instantly. Without hesitation, she opened her arms wide and swept her daughter into a tight embrace.
"I missed you so much!" Hazuki exclaimed, holding her close. "Come, tell me everything—every little thing—you did while you were away."
Izumi smiled warmly and nodded. "Mm!" The two of them walked inside together, their voices filling the home with the warmth of reunion.
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, pipe between his fingers. The familiar smell of tobacco hung faintly in the air. Across from him stood Sarutobi Muraki, delivering his mission report.
"So," Hiruzen said, exhaling a slow stream of smoke, "I didn't expect your team to encounter a full-scale ninja battle. I understand the situation… but tell me—how did Uchiha Izumi perform?"
Muraki bowed slightly. "Very honestly, Hokage-sama, she was excellent. Her aptitude is impressive. She learned the Fire Release technique I taught her in no time at all."
The Third Hokage tapped his pipe thoughtfully. "Yes… her aptitude is indeed good. But compared to Uchiha Itachi or Uchiha Shisui, she's still far behind." He waved a hand. "That will be all. Rest for a while before you take on another mission."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Muraki bowed again and departed.
Hiruzen walked to the wide window of his office, gazing down at the bustling streets of Konoha. Merchants hawked goods, children darted through the crowd, and ninja hurried across rooftops. He took another slow puff, lost in thought.
---
In the days that followed, Izumi found herself assigned to simple missions—tasks that were far from glamorous but still served the village. She helped farmers plant rice in waterlogged paddies where leeches as long as her arm squirmed through the mud. She climbed steep forest paths to gather medicinal herbs for the apothecaries. She tracked down wayward cats for the daimyo's wife and even helped move heavy furniture in the daimyo's grand mansion.
Over time, Izumi built an unexpected friendship with the daimyo's wife. The noblewoman was fond of beauty treatments, and Izumi's skill with such matters—combined with a bit of chakra control—produced results the woman adored. It wasn't long before the lady began summoning Izumi specifically for her treatments, paying generously for each visit.
In those days, Izumi found a rare kind of peace. When she wasn't working, she trained in Ninjutsu, and in the daimyo's mansion she enjoyed a degree of comfort and indulgence she could never find in Konoha.
---
One sunny afternoon, after tending to the lady's cats and completing her latest beauty treatment, Izumi and her team left the mansion with noticeably heavier pockets.
"Hahaha… the daimyo's wife's money is way too easy to earn!" Yamamoto Kawa laughed, nearly skipping down the road. The tip he'd received was so large that his grin practically split his face.
Even Muraki, who was usually composed, looked pleased. Akimichi Jiro, however, kept a more level head. "Let's be honest—it's thanks to Izumi that she was so happy. We're just benefiting from her hard work."
Muraki clapped Izumi on the shoulder. "You've done very well. She spoke highly of Konoha to the daimyo himself, and as a result, he's decided to increase our funding. You've made a real contribution to the village. I'll recommend that Hokage-sama reward you."
Izumi waved her hands modestly. "Oh, no, really—it's nothing. It's all for the village."
The group continued down the road, chatting in high spirits. The sound of flowing water soon reached them, and as they neared a river bend, they spotted a lone figure sitting by the bank.
The man had a shock of wild white hair, his posture relaxed as he held a fishing rod over the water.
Muraki froze for a moment, then his eyes widened. He strode forward quickly. "Jiraiya-sama! Long time no see—I didn't expect to find you here!"
The white-haired man looked up, equally surprised. "Oh? Isn't this Muraki? What brings you here?" His eyes flicked to Izumi and the others. "Out on a mission, I see? What a coincidence."
Yamamoto Kawa blinked. "Hey… do you know who that is?"
Akimichi Jiro leaned in to whisper, "Don't you know? That's Jiraiya—the Toad Sage—one of the Legendary Sannin."
"Wha—?!" Kawa clapped both hands over his mouth. "You're kidding! That's my idol! I… I have to get his autograph!"
While her teammates whispered excitedly, Izumi sized Jiraiya up in silence, extending her senses toward him. The sheer density of his chakra made her eyes narrow slightly.
He's strong. Very strong.
She tilted her head, thinking. Could I beat him? Probably not… but I could escape if I needed to. Still, I need to fight more people like him if I want to keep improving.
Kawa was already hurrying forward, fumbling in his pouch for paper. Izumi and Jiro followed more slowly, joining Muraki as he made introductions.
"These are my students—Izumi, Jiro, and Kawa," Muraki said.
Jiraiya studied them, rubbing his chin. "Hmm… the new generation of Konoha ninja. Not bad at all." His expression softened with a trace of nostalgia. "Time really flies… I was your age not that long ago. Now I'm the old man."
Muraki chuckled. "Not at all. You've gone from a commoner to one of the Legendary Sannin—you're a role model for every ninja without a clan. Even Hokage-sama hopes you'll return to the village soon."
Jiraiya waved a hand dismissively. "I still have research to do for my books. But if Konoha ever truly needs me, I'll come back."
Muraki leaned closer, lowering his voice with a conspiratorial grin. "Jiraiya-sama… how about I treat you to a drink or two in the next town?" His tone carried a certain unspoken implication.
Jiraiya scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Eh? Is that really okay? You've just finished a mission."
"What's wrong with that? We planned to rest in town for a day anyway. I can use the time to teach the kids some Ninjutsu."
Jiraiya chuckled knowingly. "In that case… I won't refuse."
The two men started toward the town together, their conversation quickly drifting toward topics that made the younger trio exchange blank or exasperated looks.
Izumi glanced sideways at Kawa's wide-eyed expression. "What's wrong? Didn't expect your idol to be like this?"
Kawa blinked, distracted. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing," Izumi said innocently, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh.
---
Once they reached the outskirts of the town, Muraki gathered the three students. "Alright, before we part ways, I'll teach you a Ninjutsu. Watch carefully."
He pulled a shuriken from his pouch, then moved through a rapid set of hand seals. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The single shuriken split into over a dozen identical copies mid-flight, each one striking a tree with a satisfying thunk.
Muraki turned, smiling proudly. "Well? What do you think? You'll be learning this jutsu this afternoon."
"Yesss!" Kawa cheered, practically bouncing. As a commoner, chances to learn high-level techniques were rare. Every Ninjutsu Muraki taught them was precious to him.
Muraki thought to himself, This is an A-rank technique. It should take them a while to learn… but their talents are good. With enough practice, they might surprise me.
"Oh, and Izumi—keep practicing the tree climbing and water walking exercises I gave you," Muraki added.
After giving his instructions, Muraki and Jiraiya waved them off and headed toward the red-light district with suspiciously cheerful expressions.
---
The three students began their training in a quiet clearing.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
The repeated calls and the thwip-thwip-thwip of weapons quickly filled the air.
Kawa groaned. "Too noisy with all three of us practicing here! I'm going over there." He pointed to a spot further down the riverbank and walked off.
"Fine by me," Izumi said. She gestured toward another direction. "I'll practice over here."
Jiro shrugged. "I'll stay right here."
The three split up, each disappearing into their chosen training spot, the afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees above.
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