Chapter 7 C7

These are words that can only be uttered without thinking.

Moreover, she didn't really intend to do it at the time—after all, it would hurt a lot; she just wanted to threaten the system into shutting up.

But we weren't very close, and explaining would be too much trouble, so I let it go. Kana felt perfectly justified.

However, things gradually took a strange turn later on.

Kana knew that using the persona of an orphan to deceive others and gain sympathy saved her a lot of trouble and also got her some things she wanted—Arahoshi disliked precocious brats with sharp tongues, that was his own words, and he ultimately chose to teach her illusion magic 60% because he pitied her—of course, this information was "inadvertently" revealed to Kurama Hayate by her.

Because of her background, all her eccentricities could be explained as "pitiful" in the eyes of others.

Most children who left orphanages in their past lives would resist having their "origins" discussed when they grew up, but Kana didn't actually find it tragic. It was a part of her that she couldn't let go of; whether it was pitiful or tragic, it was part of who she was.

But Uchiha Itachi... is he really this kind of gentle persona? Can he gain a new partner just by revealing his suicidal intentions?

"Then what's going on? My six-month-long strategy was rejected." Kana pondered.

Reason tells Kana that it's definitely not Uchiha Itachi.

Regardless of the reason, someone capable of committing genocide might have a soft heart, but they would never be ruthless—at least, this is not the kind of "gentleness" that the general public would approve of.

To be honest, another important reason why Kana wanted to choose Uchiha Itachi as her training partner was that he would be leaving in a few years, making his past even more difficult for others to access, and that's the mystery she wanted.

In her previous life, Kana watched this anime intermittently due to a dispute over the ownership of the TV remote, missing a lot of content. The main storyline that the system showed Kana was very much a central plot, condensing 700 episodes of the anime into one. In the story she knew, the character [Uchiha Itachi] only existed as an explanation for Sasuke's descent into darkness. However, because the system also mentioned that the brothers eventually reconciled, Kana believed that either Uchiha Itachi was a scapegoat who was framed, or the Uchiha clan was truly beyond redemption.

The reason why Itachi Uchiha accepted Kana is actually in chapter 699, which was omitted by the system—because he, too, had once been confused about the meaning of life.

Even geniuses have their troubles.

Their genius caused them profound emotional pain on their journey to explore the value of life.

This is a kind of desolate pain that people living in the human world can never feel.

Kana's excellence and precociousness might make him pay more attention to her, but it's not enough for her to occupy an important place in Itachi's heart.

However, not all excellent ninjas contemplate the value of life.

The road was too lonely. Human instinct drove him to yearn for friends, but his excessive clarity made it impossible for him to be with others. So he chose to stay away from people. When he found someone who could understand him, it was as precious as a drop of dew in the desert.

To put it in more straightforward language that's more suitable for this age group, it would be like this: having a like-minded friend who's willing to commit suicide, understands you, and can share secrets with you is just so cool, right?

Itachi had found the answer, but he knew that the girl who wanted to end her life with a short sword hadn't.

"Tomorrow at four o'clock in the afternoon, Xiaoba Hutong, see you there."

Xiaoba Hutong is a general store. It's said to be named after the owner, who was the eighth child in his family. The owner's wife recently had a baby, and now half of the store's new stock consists of baby and maternity products sourced by the owner.

As a former outstanding employee and a long-time client, Kana was used to arriving early for appointments. When she arrived, she wanted to avoid the sun so she went into the store first, only to find that the other person was already there.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that a baby was strapped to his back in a swaddle.

I had heard from the system that Itachi Uchiha was a brother complex, and that the entire Uchiha clan was a brother complex. Seeing it today, I can confirm that the reputation is well-deserved.

Itachi doesn't have mind-reading abilities, so he doesn't know what Kana is thinking.

His reason for bringing Sasuke along was simple.

When he was most confused and helpless, Sasuke was born. He saw hope and continuation in Sasuke and expected and believed that his younger brother could find a more meaningful answer than himself.

This was based on his experience, so he wanted Kana to also try to experience the vibrant and tender life.

Kana: ... "Please let the unreliable older brother walk independently and let the child make his own choices."

Perhaps they just want to be a lazy bum who doesn't care about the meaning of life? We should learn to respect every seemingly trivial and insignificant dream.

"Do you want to touch him?" Itachi asked, as if he had made a huge decision, and you could feel a hint of heartache in his voice.

Kana was completely unable to empathize with Itachi's immense reluctance to part with him, and even kindly tried to say "no" to him.

Whether it's Hyuga Neji or Uchiha Sasuke, she equally rejects every human child who can blow snot bubbles.

But then I worry that the partner I've finally found will fall through.

So, after much mental preparation, I humbled myself, bent down, and very reluctantly extended one index finger, very carefully poking a small indentation into the child's round, white, steamed-flour-like cheek.

The little baby, who had just woken up, blinked his big, dark eyes. He stared back at her with his own eyes, and in the 0.01 seconds before his consciousness returned, the Uchiha cub, whose DNA had "keep away" ingrained in him, began to cry loudly.

Kana was startled by the sudden sonic attack and froze for a moment. She then withdrew her hand, rubbed it with her thumb, and tried to wipe away the lingering sensation on her fingertips. Slowly but firmly, she said, "Life, ha, is indeed meaningless."

Uchiha Itachi: ...