Chapter 9: Izumi: Thank You, Senior Shiraishi!
This was exactly what Shiraishi had been hoping for.
However, Shiraishi could not take the initiative himself.
If he were to speak first, given Uchiha Itachi's personality, suspicion would inevitably arise.
And it wouldn't just be Itachi—Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto would also become wary.
But if Uchiha Sasuke was the one to make the suggestion of coming to his store more often, the risk would be much lower.
Before long, Shiraishi escorted Uchiha Sasuke to the entrance of his home.
The courtyard gate was closed.
Suddenly, it opened, and a figure stepped out from inside.
It was an Uchiha Shiraishi did not recognize.
Dressed in ordinary ninja attire, the man carried a sharp, efficient aura.
When he saw Uchiha Sasuke, he glanced at Shiraishi a few times. After confirming there was nothing suspicious, he left without a word.
"Sasuke, go on inside. I'll walk you this far."
"Senior Shiraishi, won't you come in and sit for a while?"
"No need. I was only here to escort you home. There are still matters at the ninja tool shop—I've been away for quite some time already."
Shiraishi smiled and shook his head.
Only then did Uchiha Sasuke push open the courtyard gate.
After stepping inside, he turned back and waved.
"Goodbye, Senior Shiraishi."
"Goodbye."
The gate closed, and Shiraishi turned and left.
---
[46 — A very good big brother.]
In just one day, Uchiha Sasuke's favorability had increased by ten points, rising from 36 to 46.
Shiraishi was quite satisfied with this result.
At this pace, even if Sasuke's favorability growth slowed down later on, it wouldn't take long to raise it to 90.
After all, Sasuke's situation wasn't nearly as complicated as Itachi's.
Just as Shiraishi rounded a corner, a figure suddenly bolted toward him.
If Shiraishi were still his former self, he might not have been able to react in time. But after undergoing one enhancement, his reflexes had improved significantly.
He shifted two steps to the side, narrowly avoiding the collision.
"Thud!"
The other figure fell heavily to the ground.
Only then did Shiraishi get a clear look.
It was a young girl, around the same age as Uchiha Itachi.
She wasn't wearing a ninja forehead protector—clearly still a student at the Ninja Academy.
She had long hair, and when she lifted her head, a small beauty mark could be seen beneath her right eye. Her features were delicate and refined.
"Uchiha Izumi?"
The name surfaced in Shiraishi's mind.
An Uchiha with fairly good talent—someone who awakened her Sharingan during the Nine-Tails' Night.
By the time of the clan massacre, she had already reached the level of three tomoe.
Gentle, kind, and considerate by nature.
"Hiss—this hurts!"
Uchiha Izumi frowned slightly.
Shiraishi extended his hand.
"Can you get up?"
Izumi glanced at Shiraishi, hesitated for a moment, then took his hand and stood up with his help.
"I can. Thank you, senior."
Shiraishi noticed that when she fell, her knee had struck a stone.
A fairly deep wound had opened up—blood was seeping out, and dirt and grit were embedded in it.
"I'm currently in charge of the ninja tool shop," Shiraishi said.
"Your injury looks quite serious. We're already very close to the shop—let me take you there so we can clean and treat the wound."
Izumi hesitated.
"Senior, I'm fine. There's really no need…"
"If a wound like this isn't treated promptly," Shiraishi said calmly, "it could leave a noticeable scar."
"You might not know me, but you've surely heard of the ninja tool shop—Granny Cat's shop. It's run by Uchiha people. I'm not some suspicious person."
Shiraishi could clearly sense Izumi's caution.
Even within the Uchiha clan, the number of members was quite large.
Since Izumi didn't know him, her wariness was completely natural.
After all, being from the same clan didn't mean everyone was close.
Especially among the Uchiha.
Compared to other ninja clans, the Uchiha tended to have stronger, more extreme personalities.
There were quite a few individuals with problematic temperaments.
But the words Granny Cat's ninja tool shop eased some of Izumi's guard.
"…Alright. Then I'll trouble you, senior."
---
Shiraishi brought Uchiha Izumi back to the ninja tool shop.
Hirako Shinji immediately looked over and jumped down from the counter.
"Hirako Shinji, go fetch the tools and medicine for treating external injuries."
"Yes, sir."
Izumi glanced curiously at Hirako Shinji.
"Senior… is that a ninja cat?"
"That's right."
Before long, Hirako Shinji returned with the tools.
Shiraishi began cleaning Izumi's wound.
For ninjas, this was a fundamental skill. Even in eras without medical ninjas, every ninja learned how to handle basic injuries.
First, he cleaned the debris.
Then he applied medicine.
Finally, he wrapped the wound with bandages.
"That should do it."
"Thank you, senior."
"Sit and rest for a bit," Shiraishi said.
"It's still early, and you probably aren't in a hurry to get home. Letting the wound settle will help with recovery. Would you like something to drink?"
"No, thank you."
Shiraishi sat down across from Izumi, keeping a proper distance between them.
The shop door remained open.
"Let me introduce myself properly," Shiraishi said.
"My name is Uchiha Shiraishi. I graduated from the Ninja Academy a little over a year ago. I'm currently a genin, mainly responsible for managing this ninja tool shop."
"Granny Cat had some matters to attend to and left the village, so she entrusted the shop to me."
Izumi nodded.
"Senior Shiraishi, I'm Uchiha Izumi. I'm currently a student at the Ninja Academy."
"Then your teachers must have mentioned a certain name to you," Shiraishi said.
"What name?"
"Uchiha Shisui."
"Senior Shisui?"
Izumi's eyes widened slightly.
Shiraishi continued,
"Uchiha Shisui and I were classmates. He simply graduated early, while I graduated at the normal time. We're on pretty good terms."
Izumi nodded again.
"I've heard of Senior Shisui. The teachers talk about him, and so do the elders. They all say he's a genius of the Uchiha—extremely, extremely powerful."
"Shisui's talent really is exceptional," Shiraishi agreed.
"Senior Shiraishi, you're amazing too," Izumi said sincerely.
"You can manage an entire ninja tool shop by yourself."
"There isn't that much to do," Shiraishi replied with a smile.
"And I also have the ninja cats helping me."
A calico cat curiously examined Izumi, padding over on soft steps.
It sniffed at her, making Izumi tense up slightly.
She instinctively looked toward Shiraishi.
"It's alright," Shiraishi reassured her.
"The ninja cats won't hurt you. It's just your first time here, so they're curious."
Only then did Izumi relax.
The calico cat rubbed its head gently against her.
"Meow~"
Izumi was instantly captured.
"Senior Shiraishi… may I pet it?"
"Of course."
Izumi cautiously reached out.
The calico cat noticed her movement but didn't resist—if anything, it lifted its head slightly as if inviting her touch.
"So cute…"
"It's so fluffy. It feels really nice."
Izumi smiled, and even the pain in her knee seemed to fade.
A line of text appeared above her head—visible only to Shiraishi.
[39 — A very kind senior.]
Running into Uchiha Izumi was an unexpected delight for Shiraishi.
He had already planned to make her a target for favorability gain.
Originally, his plan was to approach her through Itachi, since Izumi and Itachi were classmates.
But now, there was no need for that.
And Izumi's favorability growth rate made Shiraishi very satisfied.
From an initial 30 to 39—faster even than Sasuke's progress.
At this rate, it might be possible to raise Izumi's favorability past 90 before Sasuke even reached that threshold.
Shiraishi gave Alice a subtle signal.
Soon, Alice became busy in the kitchen.
The aroma of cooking drifted out.
Izumi caught the scent and subconsciously sniffed, though she didn't say anything.
Before long, Alice came out carrying several cups of hot drinks.
"My lord, they're ready."
Four cups in total.
Shiraishi took one for himself and handed another to Hirako Shinji.
Alice then brought the remaining two to Izumi.
"This is fruit tea made by Alice," Shiraishi explained.
"It tastes quite good. Since you're injured, drinking some will help with your recovery."
"Everyone's having some—no need to be shy. Pick one."
Izumi hesitated briefly, then chose a cup.
Alice took the remaining one and returned to Shiraishi's side.
The ninja cats, which had previously scattered around, gathered again, meowing softly in hopes of getting some food.
Hirako Shinji drained his entire cup in just a few gulps.
In contrast, Alice drank much more gracefully, taking small sips.
Her little feet swung lightly beneath her, giving her a playful air.
Izumi lifted the cup to her lips.
Before even tasting it, a rich fruity aroma rushed in, making her feel as though her lungs had cleared instantly.
"So fragrant!"
She took a small sip.
The flavor exploded across her palate.
"Refreshing."
"The balance of sweet and sour is perfect."
"It's delicious!"
She paused and looked at Shiraishi.
"Izumi, how does it taste?"
"Senior Shiraishi, it's really good. Thank you."
"No need to thank me."
Shiraishi waved his hand lightly.
"Actually, part of your injury was my responsibility as well."
"No, it wasn't," Izumi shook her head repeatedly.
"I was the one being careless. I almost ran into you, Senior Shiraishi."
"If you hadn't helped me treat the wound, it might have gotten much worse."
"Thank you—truly."
With the fruit tea, the number above Izumi's head changed again.
From 39 to 43.
Still slightly lower than Sasuke's, but the increase itself was greater.
"Senior Shiraishi," Izumi said after finishing her tea.
She stepped down from the chair and looked at him.
"It's getting late, and my injury has improved a bit. I should head back now."
"Take it slow, and be careful on the way."
"Yes, I will."
Shiraishi walked her to the door.
"If you have time, feel free to come by again. The ninja cats seem to really like you."
"I don't have much time to play with them usually—if you come, they'll be very happy."
The calico cat poked its head out, looking in Izumi's direction.
"Alright, Senior Shiraishi."
Shiraishi watched Izumi's retreating figure.
[43 — A very warm-hearted, kind, and wonderful senior.]
"Alice really is amazing."
Shiraishi turned to look at her.
At this point, he was very satisfied with both ninja cats.
Hirako Shinji possessed elite jōnin-level strength and could protect Shiraishi's safety.
Alice, on the other hand, had culinary skills that were practically a dimensional strike against this world—perfect for raising others' favorability.
She had already proven useful with Sasuke, Itachi, and Izumi.
She would certainly be effective with others as well.
"Should I go check Ichiraku Ramen next?" Shiraishi mused.
"Raise Teuchi's favorability, then enhance another ninja cat specialized in cooking?"
"Or should I choose someone with other life skills?"
"After all, food isn't the only way to raise favorability."
"It's just one aspect."
"For now, Alice's abilities are more than enough."
---
Uchiha Itachi returned home and immediately went to look for Sasuke.
Only after spotting him in the backyard did he finally relax.
"Sasuke."
"Brother!"
Hearing his voice, Sasuke lit up with excitement.
"You're finally back!"
Sasuke quickly lifted the bag in his hands.
"Brother, do you want to eat the woodfish rice balls with me?"
"Sure."
Itachi sat down beside Sasuke.
They opened the bag and began eating.
"Really good."
Casually, Itachi asked,
"Sasuke, did you have fun at the ninja tool shop today?"
"Yeah, it was fun."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"Of course."
After Sasuke finished speaking, Itachi frowned slightly.
"Senior Hirako?"
"That's Senior Shiraishi's ninja cat—the yellow one. Probably an orange tabby."
"Senior Hirako is really strong. Someday, I want a ninja cat just as strong as him."
Only then did Itachi understand, recalling Hirako Shinji's appearance.
He smiled at Sasuke.
"Alright. Let me see."
Sasuke excitedly took out his kunai.
---
Night fell.
Uchiha Shisui arrived at the ninja tool shop.
But his condition looked terrible—exhausted, dejected, as if he had suffered a severe blow.
"Shisui, what happened?"
Shisui shook his head.
"Yashiro-senpai didn't agree to our proposal."
"He didn't agree?"
Shiraishi handed Shisui a cup of tea.
"What reason did Yashiro-senpai give for refusing?"