Kakashi looked down at the Uchiha she had just rescued and thought.
It was odd to see that he didn't look dead inside, as Sasuke normally did when he wore the same face. But now that Kakashi was up close, she could clearly see that the shape of his mouth was different.
"I'm alright, thanks to you stepping in." Izuna weakly wiped some of the blood from his face.
It was highly suspicious for someone from another clan to step into a conflict like this without a reason.
Especially when their clans weren't allies, Izuna would have thought she was trying to lull him into a false sense of security to kidnap or drug him…
But with his low chakra and her impressive skill, he didn't see any reason she would have bothered with such underhanded means. She could have just knocked him out already.
The young Uchiha beamed up at her sheepishly. "Would you mind me asking why?"
Kakashi was reeling from the bright look on his face. What?
That was so wrong on so many levels. Seeing Sasuke's face smiling like that really weirded her out.
"Maa, they were ganging up on you." Kakashi shrugged off the unease. "And I don't like bullies."
That is it?
Izuna was momentarily taken aback. Was she truly just doing it out of the kindness of her heart?
"Still, I'm deeply in your debt." Izuna bowed his head in thanks, but as he moved, pain flared in the cut on his leg, and he lost his balance, tipping forward.
Before he could fall face-first into the forest floor, Kakashi caught him with an arm around his waist. "Little Uchiha-kun, don't go hurting yourself now."
Standing so close, Izuna had to keep himself from gaping as he realized she was taller than the average man, which unfortunately included him. So even if he wanted to argue against being called little, he had no leg to stand on.
Still, he was a grown man, and this was quite embarrassing.
"My name is Izuna." Izuna looked up at her with as much dignity as he could manage while being held around the waist. "Please use my name instead of calling me little Uchiha."
Eh?!!
Uchiha Izuna?!!
There had only ever been one Uchiha Izuna mentioned in their history books. And there had never been another Uchiha Izuna because no one had dared to name their child after the one and only Uchiha Madara's little brother. Follow the newest chapters on NovelPing.
This guy couldn't possibly be him, right?! Right! It must have been a popular name in this era!
Kakashi realized at that very moment that she might have profoundly fucked up.
Still, she swallowed her panic and casually draped one of his arms over her shoulder.
She was pretty sure Izuna's death was the catalyst that accelerated Madara's descent into a deep obsession with achieving peace through control.
Kakashi would rather this guy not be injured with her close by, because that might just lead to the Hatake being wiped out sooner than planned.
"Alright, Izuna-kun," Kakashi said, adjusting his arm over her shoulder. "I have a cart waiting for me on the travel path. Let's get you there before you collapse."
Izuna had accepted his fate because he couldn't walk on his own without risking losing the leg, and even if he wanted to, he could just sit down. Sticking to the dead bodies didn't seem like a good idea when they could attract wild beasts.
Kakashi started walking, half-carrying him through the forest as if his weight was nothing.
Izuna couldn't help but glance at her from the corner of his eye. Most of her face was covered by a cloth mask, but from what he could discern, she looked outstandingly beautiful.
He would have called her face delicate if not for the deep, harsh scar that cut through one of her eyes. It was shocking she hadn't lost that eye.
As someone from a clan that valued their eyes, he couldn't help but wince in sympathy. That scar must have hurt for years, maybe even still does. Eye scars were miserable like that.
Izuna's gaze flicked down to where she had him slung over her shoulder, and he held back a sigh.
She was acting like Izuna weighed nothing! And while her shoulders weren't broad, they were impressively sturdy.
No ordinary kunoichi should have possessed that kind of strength! Hell, most shinobi didn't possess this kind of casual strength!
God, that was such an embarrassing experience. Couldn't she have at least pretended to struggle a little?
His brother could never hear about this!
"I hope you would let me properly repay you for saving my life, my lady." He cleared his throat, trying to regain some dignity.
"You should call me Kakashi." Kakashi sent him a dead look. "You should worry about being able to stand on your feet before worrying about repaying me." Get faster updates on g.com.
Oof.
Izuna quickly nodded along. "Of course, Kakashi-san."
Clearly, she had disliked being called a lady more than Izuna disliked being called short.
Thankfully, it didn't take him long to reach the cart, so Izuna didn't have to face the awkward situation he had created.
Shū was still crouched at the injured Uchiha's original position, preparing bandages. The moment he saw Kakashi returning with another stranger leaning against her, his eyes looked pained.
"Ah, you found another Uchiha."
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched, and her smiling eyes turned a little meaner. "Shū-kun already knew the guy we found was an Uchiha?"
Shū could see her questioning why he hadn't said anything before letting her leave. With Sensei in imminent danger, Shū quickly clarified.
"I had only identified the Uchiha crest on his back after you left, Kakashi-sama." Her eyes narrowed at him with annoyance, and Shū quickly corrected himself. "I mean, sensei."
Honestly, she had been on edge ever since they left the village, and meeting these Uchiha seemed to have soured her mood.
Shū couldn't blame her. Getting involved with the Uchiha like this was really unfortunate.
He would have suggested they just leave him, but even he wasn't that cruel, and they looked pretty pathetic.
Looking at the Uchiha leaning on Kakashi-sama's shoulder, his side pressed against hers, Shū would have said it was inappropriate. But he knew that if the man had any strange ideas about her, Kakashi-sama might actually kill him. Like the last suitor who dared.
Shū really hopes she doesn't kill any Uchiha today. They were so not up for a war with the Uchiha if something like that got out.
He wisely kept his mouth shut and almost let out a sigh of relief when the Uchiha man let go of her to kneel next to his still very much dying clanmate.
"How is he?" Izuna asked, his eyes glued to his subordinate.