Chapter 58, Chapter Fifty-Seven

She woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She frowned slightly, only then realizing that she was being held tightly in someone's arms behind her. His arms were wrapped around her chest, his long legs held her legs between his knees, his chin rested gently on the crook of her neck, and his warm breath sprayed evenly on her earlobe, as if he wanted to embed her completely into his body.

In the past, when they traveled together, the two would always remain silent.

Why this time of all, is it that they're so clingy and excessive?

Normally, he would simply keep his gaze fixed on her like a sticky spider web, and physical contact between them was extremely rare.

Sunlight streamed slowly into the room through the paper sliding door. She opened her eyes and could vaguely see dust particles floating in the air.

"Hey... Itachi, get up." She moved her body slightly, but unexpectedly the other party tightened its grip.

She felt his breathing become slightly erratic, and the tips of his snow-white ears turned a light red...

"Don't go..."

The unsettling words made Xue pause in her struggle.

Itachi woke up. He hadn't slept so soundly in a long time, and he hadn't even dreamed.

As his consciousness returned, he felt the softness of the body of the person in his arms.

His body reacted honestly in the morning; his voice was a little hoarse, carrying a slight sense of low spirits, as he said, "Don't move around."

The two strands of smooth, dark hair, one long and straight, and the other long and slightly wavy, were intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish between them for a moment.

-

When I woke up again, it was already evening.

Itachi had already washed and dressed neatly. He was wearing the same chainmail jacket and trousers that had been washed, dried, and returned to him from the laundry room yesterday, looking clean and sharp. Seeing that Yuki was awake, he considerately went over and gently tied her long hair up with a red ribbon, then tenderly helped her dress. Yuki's ears turned slightly red; she was a little unaccustomed to his actions. She didn't know where he had produced clothes that matched her size, embroidered with the Uchiha clan's fan-shaped crest on the back.

“Leave Xiaoba, Xue,” he said softly.

Xue paused for a moment, then looked up and met his dark, lifeless eyes.

She said, "And then, where to go?"

Itachi paused for a moment and then said, "I will make the arrangements."

"I don't need you to make decisions for my life."

Lin Xue understood that even she, living in another world, might have simply run away from the difficult choice between her village and her clan in that situation. Who could truly say whose fault it was? Everyone was merely a victim of political power struggles. At least, Itachi Uchiha did what he could: he protected his most cherished younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha, and also did his best to preserve what he considered the reputation of the Uchiha clan.

Uchiha Yuki was nothing more than a clansman he abandoned.

"Behind the Akatsuki organization, Madara Uchiha's identity is someone else..." Itachi lowered his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Xue frowned slightly and said, "There's no need to say any more."

She didn't want to know about the conflict and hatred between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, or about the Akatsuki organization in Itachi's eyes.

-

"Speaking of which, after Orochimaru's defection, wasn't there a new person succeeding him in the 'Void' ring?"

In the dark, deep stone cave, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out. Looking in the direction of the sound, the source was an old man who appeared to be very old, his body hunched over as he crawled. His hairstyle was very peculiar; Xue didn't know how to describe it for a moment, only that he was completely different from ordinary people. He wore a long black robe with auspicious clouds on it, which looked somewhat incongruous with his hunched body.

"Brother Sasori, isn't having me as your partner enough?" A handsome young man with shoulder-length blond hair tied in a single ponytail spread his hands, a helpless expression on his face. He wore a headband from Iwagakure with a stripe across it.

“No, I’m just curious,” said the old man known as Brother Sasori. “After all, he’s a member of the Uchiha clan.”

“Hey, speaking of which, Orochimaru, Itachi, and the new Uchiha are all from Konoha.” Deidara crossed his arms, his right golden eye darting around. “Brother Sasori, why did Orochimaru leave Akatsuki?”

Sasori was silent for a moment, then said in a serious tone, "Because Itachi dumped him, right?"

Upon hearing this, Deidara's face immediately darkened.

"Hey, what's the purpose of this meeting this time?" Hidan swaggered in, carrying his scythe, followed by Kakuzu.

At this moment, all Akatsuki members had arrived, and the full group of Akatsuki members stood in a circle around the center.

Lin Xue arrived early and stood beside Xiao Nan. Because she concealed her presence, no one noticed her.

Arranged in order, they are Pain, Konan, Uchiha Yuki, Black Zetsu, Deidara, Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu.

Just as Itachi Uchiha and Kisame arrived late, Deidara noticed that there was one more person.

"Brother Sasori, that Uchiha standing next to Konan, isn't he the one who replaced Orochimaru?" Deidara crouched down slightly, leaning closer to Sasori and whispering. Sasori's tail twitched slightly, and upon seeing the other's face clearly, Deidara didn't unleash the hidden weapon he had anticipated Sasori would attack.

"Hmm, it seems like it could become a decent work of art." Scorpion's tone was more subdued than usual.

Deidara seems to have something more to say about the definition of art.

However, Payne quickly interrupted him:

"Recently, a ninja village called Otogakure has been established, and Orochimaru is very likely related to the establishment of this village."

"Now, let's assign tasks. Deidara and Sasori will be in one group, and Hidan and Kakuzu will be in another. They will each infiltrate the Land of Rice Fields to conduct a secret investigation."

"And, regarding the members who joined recently, Uchiha Yuki. A member of the 'Void' ring, she usually carries out missions alone."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xue stepped forward, and everyone finally saw her face clearly. Perhaps because of their shared clan, she bore some resemblance to Itachi, but their temperaments were completely different. Her long hair was tied back in a high ponytail, her features were exquisitely beautiful, with delicate eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and thin lips, exuding a cool and indifferent aura. Then she returned to her original position.

Afei, who had been lurking in the shadows unnoticed, suddenly raised his hand: "Then aren't Xue-senpai and Itachi from the same hometown?"

"What a nostalgic reunion!" Afei twisted his body, looking completely immersed in a scene of reuniting with an old friend after a long separation.

It was a truly poignant moment, and Itachi's gaze toward Yuki became unreadable.

"Alright, that's enough of the reminiscing," Payne said. "Snow will temporarily form a team with Deidara and Sasori. I will recall her if needed."

-

After the meeting, the other members of the organization dispersed.

Deidara, Sasori, Yuki, as well as Itachi and Kisame remained in the cave.

In addition, there is also Afei, who clings to Xue like a piece of chewing gum.

"Senior~"

"Ah Fei has a small request~"

The tall man wearing an orange swirling mask kept twisting his body from side to side, revealing a shy appearance like a high school girl.

Lin Xue, standing beside Itachi, initially looked somewhat surprised, but quickly regained her usual calm demeanor.

Lin Xue: "......What request?"

"Hey hey hey~" Afei stretched out his hand, hovering it in the air between the two. His hand was large; even with black leather gloves, his long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles were still visible, exuding a strong, aggressive air. He said, "Senior, may I hold your hand?"

Uchiha Itachi: "......."

Lin Xue: "......"

Although she found the request inexplicable, Lin Xue still frowned slightly and hesitantly placed her hand in the man's palm.

Uchiha Itachi: "..."

Deidara looked at Itachi Uchiha, who stood quietly with a low-pressure aura, and Tobi, who looked extremely excited.

There was also Uchiha Yuki, who was caught between the two of them, somewhat confused about the situation, but whose fingers were intertwined with Tobi's.

Deidara couldn't help but laugh.

Although Deidara was quite annoyed by the Uchiha clan's unique "Absolute Territory" aura, seeing Itachi's discomfiture made the handsome blond boy's lips curl into a smile, like a beautiful golden fox. He laughed and patted Sasori's shoulder: "Danda, look at Itachi's expression!!!"

Upon seeing Sasori reveal his true form from Hiruko and put Hiruko away in his storage scroll, the red-haired boy wore an even more expressionless face than usual. Deidara's gaze swept back and forth between him, Uchiha Yuki, Tobi, and Uchiha Itachi, as if he had sensed something unusual.

Deidara: It seems he's discovered some earth-shattering secret?

-

"Hey—Afei, you like her?" Deidara glanced at Afei sideways, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"It's only natural to like Xue-senpai, I'm so shy~" Tobi cupped his face in his hands, putting on a shy, girlish look. Deidara really couldn't understand where he saw this shyness from behind the mask.

Didara twitched the corners of his mouth, a few black lines appearing on his forehead: "It's alright... that woman is just a little pretty."

"Being pretty is just the least important thing about Yuki-senpai! Deidara-senpai is not cute at all!"

Deidara: ......

Deidara truly couldn't understand what this so-called "liking" feeling was. He had joined the Akatsuki organization at the age of twelve and had been partnered with Sasori for almost four or five years, yet this was the first time he had ever seen Sasori reveal his true form in front of a new member who had just joined the organization. Normally, Sasori always controlled puppets within Hiruko, never easily revealing his true appearance.

At this moment, Brother Scorpion stood with the newcomer, both wearing Xiao robes.

When Brother Scorpion fell into the other person's gaze, it was inexplicably different from the way he usually looked at the dead.

Looking at Afei surrounding the newcomer, what... is he being isolated? Is this workplace bullying?

"Well, Ah Fei has other tasks to complete, so I'll be going now!" Ah Fei waved and skipped away.

The investigation into the Sound Village continued. The group left the Land of Rain and traveled north along the border of the Land of Fire. Upon entering the Land of Rice Fields, the weather suddenly turned cold. They rested briefly in a town, and Yuki and Deidara went to the town's bar to gather information about the Sound Village. Surprisingly, even the locals were unaware of its existence.

The Land of Rice is located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, bordered by the sea to the north, and its western neighbor is the Land of Iron, a permanently neutral country. Moreover, the Land of Rice is a major grain-producing country, and its people enjoy a relatively prosperous life. The town where their group stayed was quite developed; even the inn was equipped with color TVs and underfloor heating.

"It seems that the Sound Village is not employed by the Land of Rice Fields, but is independently controlled by Orochimaru." Yuki used genjutsu to extract information from the daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields, and after returning to the town, she shared it with the other two who were resting at the teahouse.

An exceptionally handsome red-haired youth held a teacup in his hand, taking a leisurely and elegant sip of hot tea. His amber-gold eyes, seemingly lost in thought, slowly fell upon Xue's face, who sat to his side. Xue tilted her head slightly, and their gazes met.

Deidara, sitting between the two: ......