And the road of flowers is so long

This year's clan competition program included volleyball, basketball, and tennis. The Uchiha clan's training facility, which was primarily used for sparring and weapon combat, was quickly transformed into a gym by installing volleyball hoops and a removable net. Additionally, a basketball hoop was installed on the training ground for outdoor practice. Haru briefly explained the rules of all the games. The guys watched some tutorial videos and recorded games, and they gradually began to understand them. Soon, they decided to put their knowledge to the test and gathered in the gym. Akina was a bit late, and the game started without her. The players were divided into two teams: the Uchiha brothers on one side, and Haru and Haku on the other. It was fun to watch them. "It must be unusual to run so slowly, especially in sneakers. They probably think they're moving like turtles," the girl thought. "Who's the one who's skipping training?" Haru said to his sister with a slight reproach. "I'm admiring you. You're quite the athletes," the girl muttered under her breath as she put on her sneakers and tied her hair into a tight braid. Itachi watched her movements carefully. The girl was trying her best to hide her excitement. "Join our team," said Itachi. The girl sighed heavily and approached them. The game began. The guys from the other team were trying to keep an eye on Akina. She took a few passes, but she was careful to get rid of the ball as soon as possible, fearing a hard block. Itachi signaled to Akina to go under the other team's hoop. She did so. A fierce battle ensued between the two teams. It was fascinating to watch them. Akina couldn't help but feel envious of their ability to play a game they were unfamiliar with, adapting their moves on the fly. No matter what anyone says, no ordinary person can match a ninja's physical fitness. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she almost missed Sasuke's serve. As she turned to throw the ball into the hoop, Haku tackled her, knocking her to the ground and pinning her down with his body. Haru landed on top of him, his sneakers slipping on the slippery floor. Akina could almost hear her bones cracking. The ball rolled triumphantly out from under the pile and rolled away. The Uchiha watched this scene calmly, without taking any action. "Get off me, you morons!" Akina demanded menacingly. Itachi approached her, helping her to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked. "I don't know yet," the girl admitted honestly. Because the pain was almost all over her body. After a couple of days of hard training, she started to do better. Akina often trained alone in the gym, practicing her shots at the hoop. The guys often gathered in the manor house, watching games and developing strategies. This was the case this time as well. It was late when they finally decided to go home. When the guests left, Itachi and Sasuke were drinking tea in the living room. Itachi was overjoyed that the team was well-coordinated and conflict-free. Itachi noted that Haru was undoubtedly the leader of the pair with Haku. The brown-haired boy had an undeniable charisma as a leader. After all, Haku was used to being led. He rarely expressed his opinions during discussions, leaving it to Haru and Itachi. Haru, on the other hand, was not afraid to argue and defend his point of view. And that was something that Uchiha-senpai liked about him. It gave him something to think about. "If we were on missions together, few people would be able to resist us," he thought. The only thing that bothered him was Akina's behavior. The girl stubbornly avoided them, did not participate in discussions, and increasingly kept herself apart even from her brother and Haku, with whom she had an almost kindred relationship. She increasingly preferred to go to the gym alone or work out on the training ground. "What are you thinking about, brother?" Sasuke decided to break the silence, watching his expression change. "Basketball is difficult for Akina. The other games seem easier," Itachi explained. "You're worried about it," Sasuke guessed. "There's still a lot of time before the festival. I hope she learns something in that time," replied Itachi. "We'll learn a lot during this time. For example, how to play musical instruments and sing. I haven't regretted my decision to participate in the concert yet," Sasuke reminded us. "I can hear the doubt in my brother's voice. Since when have you been afraid of challenges?" Itachi chuckled, smiling warmly. "Why do you think I'm afraid of anything?" Sasuke replied with a frown, much to his brother's amusement. "Okay, I'm going for a walk. I'll check if I closed the gym," said Itachi, getting up from his chair. It was already quite dark. There was a silence, broken only by a slight breeze, the chirping of crickets, and the singing of cicadas. The moon was quite bright, although it was still far from being full. The guy was slowly walking along the path that circled the training ground, enjoying the nighttime walk. A group of fireflies caught his attention. He stopped for a while, watching them, then continued on his way. When he reached the gym building, he found it locked. "So I haven't forgotten," thought Itachi, and he began to walk back. A swarm of fireflies slowly moved towards the basketball hoop, illuminating the dark silhouette beneath it with a dim light. Itachi cautiously peered at it and walked towards it, moving completely silently. As he approached, he recognized Akinu. The girl was lying flat on the ground, her eyes closed. The boy examined her. There were no visible injuries on her body. He listened to her even breathing and felt reassured. She was just sleeping. "Akina," he called, touching her lightly on the shoulder, not wanting to startle her. She only took a deep breath, but she didn't seem to be waking up. Itachi noticed a basketball lying nearby. "You have to be exhausted to fall asleep on the training ground," Uchiha chuckled to himself as he picked her up. Sasuke was startled when he saw the girl in his brother's arms. "What happened?" he asked. Itachi shook his head negatively, making it clear that the girl was fine. He did not find anything better than to carry her to his room, which was closest to the stairs, and put her on the bed. During this time, Akina did not even move. The guy covered her with a blanket and left. Sasuke was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee. However, Itachi's keen gaze caught the mischievous twinkle in his black eyes. "What?" Uchiha Sr. couldn't hold back. Sasuke was as calm as a monolith. "Just imagine how Ayumi would react if she found out that a strange girl had spent the night in your room. She's in your room, right?" Sasuke asked. "My bedroom was the closest," Itachi said quietly, justifying himself. "You remember forbidding Ayumi from causing trouble for you with others, but that doesn't apply to you," Sasuke said with a sly smile. Itachi sighed heavily as he sank into a chair. It was impossible to imagine the scandal that Ayumi would cause if she found out. "And the fact that she's a civilian, and she looks at us like we're just servants, or at best like roadside dust... Well, I don't envy you," Uchiha jr finished with a sympathetic sigh. The fact that Sasuke was absolutely right about this was the most frustrating thing of all. "Well, I'll go tell her parents that she's here," he said as he left the house. Takeshi and Fumi were really worried about their daughter's long absence, and they were about to go look for her, but when they heard from Sasuke that she was at the manor, they calmed down. Fumi wanted to take her daughter away from the manor, fearing that she would interfere with them, but Uchiha said that it was not necessary, as the manor was large enough, and Akina was very tired and should not be disturbed. He was curious about how this would end. When he returned home, he found Itachi sleeping on the couch in the living room. Sasuke silently covered him with a blanket and went up to his room. The bright rays of the morning sun ran over her thick black eyelashes, forcing her to reluctantly open her eyes. Akina moved slightly. Her muscles still ached slightly from yesterday's training, but her body was beginning to get used to it. The sound of the door opening signaled that she would no longer be able to sleep, and she would be mercilessly awakened, just as her mother always did in the morning. He placed a tray on her desk, which contained tea and cookies. "Good morning," said Itachi. The girl stood up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Itachi. What are you doing here?" she asked. The guy looked at her in bewilderment. The answer was written on his face: "I'm living." Then Akina looked around and realized with a start that she wasn't in her own room. The tentacles of fear wrapped around her mind as she remembered her last visit to this room and what had happened there. "What am I doing here?" she asked in a small voice. "Don't worry, you're in my house, in my room. How was your sleep?" he asked, trying to be a gracious host. The girl alternated between blushing and turning pale as she realized that she had spent the night in a man's bed and had no memory of how she had gotten there. A wave of indignation rose within her, quickly turning into anger. "I can see that!" What does all this mean?! How did I get here? What am I doing here? — She was indignant. "Akina, calm down," he tried to soothe her. "What the hell?" She continued, while looking for something to throw at him. Found. The pillows flew at him. "You bastard! You pervert! You bastard! — she poured out unflattering comparisons. The guy easily walked away from the projectiles, not understanding what he had done. Sasuke was sitting in the living room, drinking tea and reading the latest issue of the Konoha Gazette, chuckling quietly. "When doing a good deed, don't forget to dodge the kick of gratitude," he thought. The sound of the windcatcher made him look towards the front door and sigh heavily. Ayumi had arrived. "Here comes a storm in a clear sky," Sasuke thought, wondering what to do. He had to get rid of the girl who had arrived at the wrong time. "Hi, handsome. Is my favorite at home?" she asked with a friendly smile. "Your boyfriend is getting his ass kicked right now," Uchiba Jr. thought mockingly. "No. So come back later," he replied. "That's a shame. I thought I'd find him here. Where could he have gone so early? And what's that noise coming from the second floor?" Ayumi remarked. "I'm watching a action movie on TV. I came down to make some tea," he explained. The girl looked at the guy in disbelief. "Okay, tell my boyfriend that I stopped by... and I'm not saying goodbye yet," said Ayumi, and she left, as Itachi didn't like her being in his house when he wasn't there. Itachi's room was a mess. Books, stationery, and other objects were flying at him, which he successfully caught and placed on the table. The girl wouldn't let him speak, showering him with insults. The final straw was when she threw a music box at him, which she had given him as a gift. In an instant, Itachi was on her, tackling her to the ground and wrapping her in a blanket, pinning her down with his body, preventing any resistance. "How dare you! Let me go right now!" Akina demanded. "Maybe you should at least listen to me before you judge me. I found you on the training field. You were sound asleep. I just brought you here, that's all," Uchiha tried to explain. "Who asked you to?" Akina persisted. "You were sleeping on the ground and could have caught a cold," the guy continued to justify himself. "Even bubonic plague! You don't care, do you?" the girl continued to attack. "You're on my team, and I'm responsible for you. I can't let anything happen to you," Itachi replied firmly. "Oh, really? Are you taking care of everyone like that? You're just dragging them to bed," Thibault continued, trying to fight back. "Why are you like this... I didn't do anything wrong," the guy said, not understanding why he was being treated this way. "Really... missed the opportunity... What a shame!" she said with undisguised malice. He had nothing to say, and he endured the stream of ridiculous accusations. "Let go. I can't stand seeing you," tears of impotent anger filled her amber eyes. Itachi released her and let her go. He lay on the bed, alone in the room, and his heart was so heavy that it felt like a concrete slab was pressing down on him, and he couldn't move it. No matter what he did or how he tried to get along with her, the effect was the opposite. If it had been another girl, it would have been much easier. With some of them, all he had to do was stare at them, and they would blush with embarrassment. It's like hitting an insurmountable wall. "What am I doing wrong?" he sighed. After cleaning his room, he went downstairs. Sasuke was in the kitchen, finishing up breakfast. "She went out like a torpedo," Uchihaji Jr. replied when his brother entered. "I don't know what to do," Itachi sighed in resignation. "What do you think about girls in general?" Sasuke asked, slicing boiled eggs. "Well, they're loyal companions, and they can be quite skilled fighters, as well as being brave and determined," Itachi replied after a moment of contemplation. Sasuke almost laughed out loud. "You've described an average shinobi, regardless of gender. Akina is not an average shinobi. I was just talking about girls. For example, they are cute, kind, and caring. Look at them from that perspective," Sasuke suggested. Itachi thought about it. He had never considered girls in this way. He was probably too used to interacting with kunoichi. "Sit down to eat. You think better on a full stomach," Sasuke said after setting the table, breaking his brother out of his reverie. After that, he often thought about Sasuke's words. "Cute, but not kind; caring, but not too much," he thought about Ayumi. When he thought about Akinu, it was difficult to give her a rating based on any criteria other than the fact that she was cute. But everything else... Itachi realized that he didn't know much about her. And now, with the recent events, it was unlikely that she would let anyone get close enough to truly know her. Fumi immediately noticed that after spending the night at the manor, Itachi's relationship with Akina had deteriorated significantly. The girl was once again looking at him with cold disdain. He responded with a reserved gaze, trying to conceal the fact that her attitude was affecting him. However, Fumi's keen observation skills caught onto this as well. One day, they were cooking dinner together, and Fumi decided to find out what was wrong and maybe try to fix the situation. "You've exhausted the poor boy," she said casually. "Who are you talking about?" Akina asked. "About Itachi. Who else?" Fumiko continued in the same tone. The girl looked at her, and she saw the rage in her daughter's eyes. "Poor boy?! He's the one who's poor! One of the most dangerous S-rank criminals! The ruthless, cold-blooded killer, the S-rank Jounin I've been after? Oh, how I wish it were true!" she thought, filled with indignation. "Honey, what did he do?" the woman asked, observing the range of negative emotions on her daughter's face. "You mean, he messed up... again," the girl corrected her. Fumi looked at her questioningly. She had no choice but to tell her about the reason for their latest conflict. The woman listened to her with a sly smile. "Well, his mistake was that he took you to his room when he should have prepared the guest room beforehand, right?" Apparently, he was acting like he was on a mission.: he solved the problem in the fastest way possible," Fumi suggested. "He could have just woken me up, and I would have gone home," Akina continued. "Itachi just felt sorry for you. I realized that as soon as Sasuke told me that you were staying with them," the woman smiled. "I didn't ask for that," the girl muttered in annoyance, returning to cooking. However, Fumi noticed that the volcano of indignation was beginning to cool down. "Ah, my dear, you are still very young, and you do not understand many things," she said, brushing a dark green curl off her shoulder. Akina chose to ignore this. After lunch, she intended to spend a couple of hours lounging in bed and reading a book of poetry.

A knock on her room door interrupted her reading. After permission, her brother entered. "Get your things. We're moving to a different house temporarily," he said. "Where?" the girl was puzzled. "To Itachi's house. It's better to live and train in the same house rather than running half a block to the playground or the gym," Haru replied. "Without me," the girl said categorically, determined that she would only come to their house if the sky fell to earth. "Did you forget part of the team?" Haru reminded her. His sister's whims were starting to annoy him. "I remember. But I won't be staying with them," Akina said stubbornly, getting out of bed. "Will you go against the captain of the team?" the guy asked. "He's the captain during training and games. The rest of the time, he can go to hell," the girl said stubbornly. A knock on the door interrupted their argument. "May I?" she heard a familiar voice behind her brother. He was standing in the doorway of her room, waiting for an invitation. "That's all I need," she thought displeasedly, and she turned away in a show of disinterest, making it clear that she didn't appreciate his visit. "Come in. We have someone here who's being a brat," Haru said, glaring at his sister. "Let me talk to her alone," Itachi said as he entered the room. Haru left Aki's bedroom. Itachi stood at the door for a while, glancing around the small but cozy room: a bed covered with cheerful bedding, books on the desk and a shelf, stuffed animals on the wardrobe and the windowsill. The guy stood for a while, not daring to start a conversation, and only looked at her. Smooth lines of a chiseled figure, a thin waist and a curly waterfall of rare waves of dark hair tinted with an emerald color. There is still something childish in the features of the face. The girl who challenged him. "If you think I'm guilty of something, so be it. I'm willing to admit my mistake. Please forgive me," he said with a deep bow. The young man's behavior left the girl somewhat perplexed. She couldn't utter a single word for a while. "You'll do anything for the greater good," Akina thought, doubting Uchiha's sincerity. "Forget it," she replied reluctantly, not wanting to start another argument with him. The guy raised his head and looked at her intently. "Then why don't you want to live with us? Is it because of me?" the boy asked. Akina gave him a dismissive look, indicating that this was not the only obstacle. "Do you think it's appropriate for a girl to live among guys who are not related to her?" she asked. Itachi realized that Akina was afraid for her reputation. Even if they only saw her during training and meals, the mere fact of her presence among men would compromise her. "Very well. I will assign you a wing of my house, and no one will be allowed to enter without your permission. This will be your payment for joining my team. You will live in my house, and in return, you will participate in the competitions as a member of my team," he suggested. Akina thought about it. Now it looked not just like accommodation, but like a deal or a payment. The opportunity to live in a spacious room and luxurious conditions in exchange for participating in competitions. "The largest guest room will be enough," she bargained. "Deal," Uchiha agreed. The room assigned to her in the manor house seemed huge and bright to Akina. The wide bed in the middle of the room, against the wall, was twice as wide as the one she was used to sleeping on. The white, wooden, carved furniture earned her an admiring sigh. Itachi didn't even need to ask if she liked it. It was clear. Almost the whole day was spent in hard training. Today was almost entirely dedicated to volleyball. In the evening, they returned home tired but content. After a meal prepared by Fumi, who had volunteered to cook for them, they gathered in the living room. "It would be nice if one of us participated in the individual competition. It will add extra points to our team," said Itachi. The guys studied the list of individual competitions. As usual, Akina sat on the sidelines and did not participate in the discussion. "Well, I can take the 1500-meter race," Sasuke said. "400-meter run," Haku said, looking at the list. "Pole vaulting must be interesting," Haru chose. He walked over to his sister and sat down next to her, smiling slyly. "I know who's going to participate in the archery competition," he said, looking at the girl meaningfully. "Are you crazy?" Akina looked at her brother critically. "Women of our family have always been renowned as excellent archers," Haru reminded him. "But it's not about me. And I only shot with a traditional bow, and block bows will be used in the competition. I've only seen them in a picture," the girl insisted. "Oh, that's right! So you were interested after all. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly," Haru said without a hint of doubt. Akina looked annoyed at her brother for catching her off guard. "You don't have to win. Just participate," Itachi interjected. "If you don't want to win, why bother participating?" she muttered gloomily. After some persuasion, she eventually agreed. Perhaps it was just to get them off her back. On her first night in a strange house, the girl couldn't sleep. The bed in her room was wide and very comfortable. On their first night, the guys decided not to go to their rooms and slept in one of the spacious halls of the house, which was used for clan gatherings. They spread out their futons on the floor and spent some time discussing things before going to sleep. The girl, who had already started to fall asleep, was awakened by a noise. She sat up in bed and listened cautiously. Then she put on her robe and cautiously looked out into the corridor. There were sounds of a struggle coming from below. "An attack," she thought anxiously, and for a moment she stood in confusion. Her mother had taught her to run and hide if a battle broke out, and never to leave her hiding place so that she would not be seen or heard. But now her curiosity was getting the better of her. She carefully made her way down to the first floor and slowly made her way towards the sound. When she found the hall she was looking for, she put her ear to the door, listening to the sounds of fighting and the dull thumps of something being hit with something soft. Soon, she heard loud shouts: "Catch him!" "Grab it!" "Gotcha!" "I defeated an S-rank ninja!" "Dream on!" he said mockingly. "Well, take it!!!" Akina sighed, rubbing her face with her hand in frustration. "No. That's not right..." she thought. The door to the hall opened abruptly. A displeased Akina stood on the threshold. "What the hell is going on here?" "What is it?" she asked, and the tone of her voice made it clear that they couldn't avoid a scolding. The sight that greeted her was simply adorable. Pillows and headrests were scattered all over the room. Itachi, having rolled her brother and Haku into a blanket and placed them side by side, was triumphantly seated on his war "trophies" in a thinker's pose. Sasuke was already sneaking up on him with a pouf raised above his head, but his attack was thwarted by Akina's intervention. "You should knock," he said displeased. The girl extended her hand to the door frame and knocked defiantly. "Satisfied?" Akina asked coldly, "Why are you shouting at the top of your lungs? You're making a spectacle. My children are more quiet in the library." After standing in the doorway for a while, the girl left the room, giving her team captain a disapproving look before departing. Sasuke decided to carry out the attack and shared the fate of his comrades. "You just lie there quietly," he said before leaving. As if they had a choice. Akina stood on the porch of her house, trying to suppress her boiling indignation. "It's like a kindergarten," she thought. Suddenly, a black cloak with red clouds fell over her shoulders. She jumped and turned around. Itachi was standing in front of her. "Sorry to disturb you," he said quietly. "You've disturbed not only me, but the entire village," she replied irritably. "Only if they get a little carried away," Uchiha partially agreed. "A little? I'm amazed at your carelessness. If you don't discipline them, they'll take advantage of you. I don't know about Sasuke, but I know the other two well. And since bad examples are contagious, you should learn from this. Why didn't you stop their misbehavior immediately? You should be a role model for them, not aiding their antics. Otherwise, you can forget about discipline," she scolded him. Akina kept talking, but he barely heard a word she said. Itachi watched her amber eyes flare with indignation, turning bronze in a fit of anger, and the wind played with her slightly disheveled hair. "Could another girl scold me like a naughty boy?" Uchih asked himself, trying to imagine Ayumi or any of the other girls who had left secret love letters or gifts for him. But he couldn't imagine it. He was "magnificent, beautiful, inimitable, perfect, and strong," according to the adjectives his fans used to describe him. Could Ayumi argue with him or give him advice? If he says that the sun is the moon, she will agree and call the sun whatever he wants. And she... There was no malice in her words, just indignation. It seemed that Akine didn't care about his appearance or who he was. She treated him like an ordinary person. As if he didn't have a special genome and wasn't a ninja. She might have behaved similarly with a guy from the civilian quarter. A wave of small tremors ran through his entire body. This is what attracts him to this strange girl, and it draws him to her. Itachi found himself enjoying her lectures. There was a sense of genuine concern in her voice. Akina looked at him, lost in thought, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "And I told you so," she sighed sadly, knowing that the boy would ignore her angry tirade. Suddenly, she felt his hands on her shoulders. "Trust me, we'll be the most disciplined and serious tomorrow. But I think it's important to relax sometimes. And so do you," she heard him whisper in her ear. She froze in place. Her instinct for self-preservation was screaming. "I'll keep that in mind. G-good night," she said in a suddenly husky voice, and slipped out of his arms, not wanting to delve into the details of what Uchiha-senpai had said. Only the cloak remained in his hands. Akina chose to walk away in a hurry. The boy gave her a slightly mocking look and walked away, draping the cloak over his arm as he returned to the others.