And the road of flowers is so long

Waking up was not easy. She had been having disturbing dreams for most of the night. When she went downstairs and entered the kitchen, she found Haku busy making herbal tea. "Good morning," she greeted. "Good morning, early riser as always," Yuki said, smiling. "It's a necessary necessity. By the way, who's going to the shooting range with me today? You?" the girl asked. "I don't think that's necessary anymore," Haku replied. Itachi stood on the training ground, watching the contractors set up the archery targets: moving and static. "What does all this mean?" he heard an angry voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Akinu. Her eyes were filled with righteous anger. "Now you don't have to leave the clan territory. You can train right here. I wish I had done this earlier. So many inconveniences could have been avoided," said Uchiha. "Does it mean... " she said in a drooping voice. "This means that you will no longer train with Neji. As you have noticed, our teams have a complicated relationship, and your communication, even in this form, will be superfluous," Itachi said decisively. "You can't..." the girl tried to object. "I not only can, I demand it. It will make your defense easier. After all, when will you stop challenging my decisions? Learn to obey, at least for the short time you're part of my team," said Itachi coldly, already tired of this pointless argument. The girl turned abruptly and walked away, hiding the tears that had formed in her eyes. "What are you doing, brother?" — he heard Sasuke's voice behind him. "I take care of my team. Or do you think I'm making a mistake?" Itachi asked. Sasuke looked at him carefully. "I think there's something else behind all this that you're stubbornly not talking about," Uchiha Jr. concluded. "I have nothing to hide from you," the older brother said. "Maybe you're even hiding it from yourself." After all, if you look at it from the outside, you might think that you did it not so much out of relief for Akina, but out of a desire to separate her from Neji," Sasuke said. "What are you implying?" Itachi replied with displeasure. "Nothing yet. This is just a guess. But sooner or later you won't be able to hide it," Sasuke said, smiling slyly. Returning to her room in tears, she lay down on the bed. "Where is my vaunted power, equal to the gods? Was it really just a dream?" she thought, shaking with sobs. She closed her eyes and, clutching the emerald pendant in her palm, mentally said: "Goddess, open the way of flowers for me." The girl was lying on the bed, and it seemed that she had just fallen into a deep sleep. The pendant on her chest glowed with a bright green light. Opening her eyes, she saw the forest again, filled with the chirping of birds and the scent of flowers and herbs. "So it wasn't a dream," Akina realized. She stood on the path and walked slowly along it until she heard the sound of a stream. When she reached it, which was covered with large, glowing flowers, she walked along the stream against the current. The water covered her feet, but it didn't feel uncomfortable; rather, it was pleasant. The lotuses swayed their large heads with each of her steps, as if welcoming her. Soon, she reached the same lake, but the shore was empty. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and pushed her forward forcefully. Unable to stay on the smooth stones that covered the bottom of the stream, she fell down under the weight of whoever had pushed her, hearing the sound of a girl's laughter behind her. As she sank into the waters of the lake, she could still hear the laughter. Turning around, she saw a young girl of about the same age as herself. She had long black hair and golden eyes. Her translucent clothing did nothing to conceal her nakedness. In a panic, Akina began to struggle in her arms, fearing that she would drown. However, after a few seconds, she realized that she was not choking. "I'm so glad you came to visit me again, my child," the girl said with a smile. Her voice sounded muffled and a little blurry due to the fact that they were both underwater. "Shinju—sama??? " Akina was surprised, not recognizing the goddess in this form. She rose to the surface, dragging her with her, and soon they were both sitting on the shore. Akina was wringing out her wet hair, but her clothes were completely dry. "Is there something bothering you?" the goddess asked, her legs dangling in the water. "I wanted to ask. You said I had some kind of power. I wanted to ask why I don't have any abilities. I can't even learn basic fighting techniques. Let alone develop my chakra like a shinobi," Akina replied. "Is that bothering you?" Shinju asked again. "A little," Akina admitted. "Is it so bad to be an ordinary person?" The goddess continued the conversation. "Not in a hidden village or in a Shinobi family," the girl replied with a heavy sigh. " All in good time. Apparently, you're not ready for that kind of power yet. She'll wake up sooner or later," Shinju replied. "That's what I was afraid of," Akina sighed sadly. She had suspected that she wouldn't get a direct answer from Shinju. And so it turned out. "Would you like to drink some tea?" the Goddess suggested, and one of the large leaves of the nearby lotus rose higher, revealing two flower-shaped mugs filled with a hot, fragrant beverage. They chatted for a while longer, and the Goddess bid her farewell with a kiss. And the girl, as she had the first time, woke up in her room. Neji was sitting on the porch after his morning workout, not forgetting to hone his fighting moves and techniques. Hinata quietly approached him and sat down next to him. "Are you worried about something, nii-san?" she asked her brother. He looked at her, a slight smile on his lips. "You always notice everything," Neji replied. She looked at him carefully. "You're upset about Uchiha Itachi," she guessed. "Mostly." This renegade is interfering in my personal business and pretending to have the right to do so," the boy replied. "It has something to do with that girl," Hinata said. The guy didn't respond. His sister was obviously right about something. It was easy and calm with Akin. She didn't look at him like he was the eighth wonder of the world, but rather like a regular guy. Perhaps this was what attracted the genius of the Hyuga clan to her. The fact that she was now in the hands of someone he despised was deeply upsetting. As for Itachi, Neji believed that someone who had betrayed their clan and village once could not be trusted to do so again. However, his greatest fear was that Akina might be harmed by his actions. Hinata wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders, trying to alleviate his worries. Her gentle touch provided a soothing sensation. "Neji, I'm very afraid that something will happen to you. Believe me, no girl in the world is worth it. You can't imagine how many sleepless nights I've spent, how many tears I've shed. I've always felt guilty for your death. You've always protected me, and I won't be able to bear it if I lose you again," she said softly. Huyuga looked at her, touched her hand, and smiled. "I swear it won't happen again," he replied. Although he was lying, as he had no memory of what had happened, and didn't know what to fear. The creaking of the gate interrupted his heavy thoughts. Tokuma appeared. "Everyone is already gathered in the gym," he said. "Good," said Neji, standing up. "Have a nice day, brother," Hinata said as he left. Several days passed in hard training. Akina was making progress, but she communicated with everyone tautly, as needed. She spent her free time either in the living room or on the second-floor terrace in the company of her team, stubbornly not participating in conversations and discussions. Soon, one of the general rehearsals was scheduled. It was to be held in the main hall, as the rehearsal hall could not accommodate so many people. The members of the clan teams were asked to wear their everyday team clothes so that the organizers would not get confused. The Uchiha clan group arrived when the concert hall was already full. "I'm going to find out who we're playing for," Akina said, heading through the crowd toward her friends. "Wow, it suits you very well!" Ryoko admired, looking at Akina. The clothes clearly followed all the contours of her body and fit perfectly. "Who are we performing after?" Akina asked. "You're performing after Naruto and Hinata," Asemi replied. "Are they singing a duet?" Akina was surprised. "Yes," Kamatsu replied. Akina looked through the entire list. They were performing towards the end, while the Hyuga clan was closer to the beginning of the concert. She grabbed her number card and headed towards her team. As she made her way through the crowd towards the backstage area, she felt someone's hands on her waist. Out of nowhere, Katsu Hyuga appeared beside her. "Hi, Uchiha mouse. I have a couple of questions for you," he said, pulling her backstage. In the next moment, she was pinned against the wall by strong arms. A tall brunette with a short haircut and a dissected left eyebrow, the characteristic eyes of the Hyuga clan with a light beige tint. "So, question number one: why did Itachi attack our leader?" he asked. "I do not know," Akina replied. "The answer is incorrect. I can't believe that no one tried to figure out the reason," Katsu objected. "Itachi didn't say anything about it. He didn't even tell Sasuke about it," the girl replied. She wasn't afraid that he might harm her in a busy hall, but his hostility was unsettling. "You're lying!" Hyuga persisted. "Get away from me! Or..." Akina said sternly. "Or what?" Katsu asked mockingly. "Or I'll complain to my brother, and he'll break your legs," the girl finished the sentence. "I'll join your brother.", he heard an angry voice behind him. Katsu turned around. In front of him was a guy wearing blue jeans and a white T-shirt with a blue pattern. The color scheme of the Hyuga team. He was the same height as Katsu. He had slightly longish blue-tinted hair and light azure eyes with no pupils. Akina realized that this was another member of the Hyuga clan. "Mind your own business, Masaru," Katsu replied with an angry note in his voice. "Leave her alone. The leader is looking for you. If he finds out that you got close to this girl, he'll grind you to powder and he'll be absolutely right," Masaru said calmly. "At least I'm trying to figure something out instead of sitting around like you," Katsu said, releasing the girl. "Did Neji tell you to find out anything?" the blue-haired man continued sternly. "Fuck you!" Katsu retorted angrily and walked away. "I apologize for my clanmate's actions. He is harmless, but sometimes he loses his temper," Hyuga apologized to the girl with a slight bow and left. "Where have you been?" she heard Haku call out as he hurried towards her. "Just like that..." Akina muttered and followed him to the others. "Why are they all after me?" the girl thought. Soon, all the participants were assigned to their respective lines, and the rehearsal began. The Akimichi clan's team performed first, with a rap-style composition. The music began playing, but Choichi didn't utter a single word. As the music faded, the audience began to murmur in discontent. Akina made her way through the crowd again, heading towards the control panel where Ryoko was seated. Asemi anxiously watched the failed singer. "What happened?" Does he have stage fright? Thibault asked. "I don't understand anything. Everything was fine at the rehearsals," Asemi said in disbelief. Ryoko just shrugged her shoulders. "He's not afraid of the stage, but of the crowd," they heard a man's voice nearby. The girls turned around. Shikamaru was standing nearby. "Since childhood, he has endured ridicule because of his build. That's why he associates the crowd with ridicule. Probably, he still thinks that they will laugh at him," the guy continued to explain. "So what do we do now?" You can't take him out of the concert," Ryoko said. The situation turned out to be hopeless. Akina frantically searched for a way out of this situation. "The crowd means..." the girl thought. She approached Asemi. "Go on stage and ask everyone to spread out around the room. We need to disperse the crowd," Tibo suggested. Asemi did just that. Chooshi looked at the girl guiltily as she appeared on the stage next to him. The blonde smiled at him encouragingly and through the microphone voiced the request that Akina had suggested. Everyone dispersed around the hall. "Just imagine that you're at a rehearsal in the small hall, and don't look at the people," Asemi advised the guy. The music started playing, and this time it worked. After his performance, the audience burst into a round of polite applause. Akina, standing next to her friends, almost jumped out of her skin when she felt someone grab her hand. It was Neji. "I need to talk to you," he said seriously. "Now is not the best time," the girl replied, looking around cautiously. "Let's talk after the rehearsal," Huga suggested. "I'll try," the girl promised. The rehearsal went on as usual. Not everyone did it the first time. Performing in public turned out to be not as easy as it seems. In addition, Akina's friends were unpleasantly surprised that she did not take part in the performance of the Uchiha clan team, although some of those present in the hall were even pleased. After a few hours, the rehearsal ended, and everyone began to disperse. Akina expressed a desire to help the girls in the hall. It was necessary to de-energize all the equipment and close the hall. It took a lot of effort to convince her team leader not to wait for her. A group of librarians was walking down the street, loudly discussing the rehearsal they had just finished. Suddenly, Akina felt herself being gently pulled out of the crowd and into a nearby alley. As expected, it was Neji. The girls didn't even notice Akina's absence, too caught up in the rehearsal, until Itachi blocked their path and asked where she was. They didn't know what to say. Itachi looked at them irritably and walked through the crowd, heading towards the main concert hall, cursing himself for losing his vigilance. "I understand that this is not the time or the place, but I can't help but ask. Have you thought about my offer?" Neji said, looking at the girl expectantly. Akina sighed heavily, not knowing what to say. "Neji, I didn't even have time to think about it. I have a lot of problems right now. There's something wrong with Itachi. I don't think it's worth starting any kind of relationship right now. Especially with the head of the rival team," said Akina. "I didn't say we had to date right away. Just say yes or no," insisted Hyuga. "Please give me some more time," she asked quietly. "It's all because of Itachi. He's putting pressure on you... " Hyuga realized. "He's taking care of her... " he heard a stern voice. The girl shuddered. Neji slowly turned around. Itachi was standing in front of him. "I even decided to find out for myself where our team's most valuable player has gone," he said in a cold voice. "Is she being held captive?" Neji asked in an angry tone. "I will decide what my team's players should do," Itachi said. The girl was watching the scene with great interest. "In your team or not. You have no right to dispose of it," Hyuga insisted. "None of your business. I warned you to stay away from her," Itachi's voice was menacing. "That's right..." Neji replied defiantly. "Stop it!"!! Akina raised her voice to finally stop this pointless argument, and walked past both of them and headed away. Soon, Itachi quickly caught up with her. "How could you, we were just talking. Am I not allowed to talk to people anymore?" Akina complained. "Not with him," Itachi clarified. The girl stopped abruptly and looked at him in shock. He responded with a cold, calm gaze. She had no choice but to continue on her way. However, there was a silver lining. Uchiha's intervention saved her from having to respond to Hyuga. "Don't leave the neighborhood," he told her when they were home. She gave him an indignant look and went up to her room. "How dare he... Who does he think he is to tell me what to do? I'm not his servant!" the girl exclaimed as she changed her clothes, throwing them on the bed with a dramatic gesture. After dinner, which was clearly tense between him and Akin, Itachi returned to his room. The feeling that he had done something wrong persisted. "How does this bitch manage to drive me to the brink of insanity?" he thought in frustration as he undressed before taking a shower. The streams of cold water running down his strong body did not cool his heated feelings. The thought that his desires were completely different from those of the girl was becoming increasingly prevalent in his mind. He felt that there was no other way for him to act. Akina paced around the room in frustration, silently fuming at the behavior of the Uchiha elder. Finally, determined to resolve the situation, she left her room. After all, who else could protect her interests? Soon, Itachi turned off the water in the shower and stepped out, wrapping a large towel around his waist. As he dried his long, wet hair, he slowly removed the damp towel from his waist and tossed it over the back of a nearby chair. He reached for his clean clothes, which were lying on the bed. However, his room was suddenly invaded by an angry Akina, who barged in uninvited. Instinctively, Itachi froze in place. "Itachi, you have no rig..." Her sentence cut off abruptly. He was standing in the middle of the room, completely naked. The only thing he was wearing was a necklace of three small oval steel rings. Wet hair ran down his sturdy chest and back. She could see the contours of his biceps, smoothly turning into a symmetrical forearm, well-defined oblique lateral muscles, part of the torso, strong slender hips of long legs. Akina blushed with embarrassment all the way to her ears and, calling him a pervert, slammed the door behind her. Itachi stood there for a while, gradually recovering, then sat down on the bed, replaying the events of the last few minutes in his mind. The situation turned out to be somewhat comical. "She broke into my room without knocking, and after that I'm also a pervert," he thought, chuckling softly, not feeling awkward at all. Blazing with anger, she paced around her room. The blush didn't leave her face every time she thought of his naked body. Muscular and slightly skinny. Slight blush on the face after bathing. "The bastard, that's how he manages to put me in an awkward position all the time!" she thought indignantly. "If any of the girls were in my place, they'd be choking on their saliva." With such conflicting thoughts, the girl fell asleep. Early in the morning, Akina reluctantly trudged to the new shooting range. When she arrived at the training ground, she sat down on a low bench under a tree. She had no desire to train. Suddenly, Haru descended from the tree next to her. "Why are you sad?" he asked his sister. "It's just..." she replied vaguely, not looking at him. "Oh, this silent war between you and Itachi. And he's not doing a good job of protecting you from those who should be protecting you," Haru said. "You're always on his side," she frowned. "Aki, I'm always on your side," the guy replied, putting his arm around her shoulders. He took the bow and arrows from her and headed for the targets. Akina had no choice but to follow her brother. He pulled the bowstring and fired. As expected, I got into the top ten. The girl looked at the brown-haired man not without envy. Haru glanced at her, and she noticed that something had changed in his emerald eyes. There was a gold border around the pupil. "What's wrong with your eyes?" the girl asked. "You noticed, did you?" the guy smiled. Akina looked at him expectantly. "It's one of the abilities of our kind," Haru explained. "And what is it?" She continued her questioning. "To see objects that are very far away very closely. I sometimes use this technique. We're from an ancient clan of hunters," Haru continued. "The ability would be useful to me. But I guess even if I had it, it wouldn't be fair to use it during the competition," Akina said. "No one is saying that you should use it in competitions. Just try to wake her up, maybe she'll be useful to you in some way," Haru said. "And how is this done?" the girl asked. The guy took her by the shoulders and placed her in front of the target. "Now relax and focus on the target. Just look closely at its center, as if everything else besides it does not exist," Haru explained. Akina stared intently at the center of the target, as her brother explained, but nothing happened no matter how hard she tried and strained her eyes. "I couldn't do anything the first time," Tibo Sr. tried to cheer her up. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do it," Akina sighed sadly. "It will depend on your desire and effort," Haru replied and left. Akina continued to train, trying to awaken the technique her brother had mentioned, but nothing came of it. When she returned home, she was in for a surprise. The team leader had decided to take a break in a nearby town. "I've already received permission from the Hokage and booked a hotel room," Itachi said. "What about training?" Akina was surprised. "They'll wait," the Uchiha replied. They quickly packed up their belongings, and within a couple of hours, they were walking through the bustling streets of the city. Throughout the journey, Itachi's lips twitched with a mocking half-smile, causing Aki to defiantly turn away and gaze in the opposite direction. At the hotel, Itachi booked a large six-room suite, with Aki's bed separated by a screen. After leaving their belongings in the room, they descended to the hotel's ground floor, where a cafe was located. The table was set up as if Itachi was attempting to feed an entire village. The variety of dishes was impressive, but the most prominent place in the center of the table was occupied by a dessert dish filled with three-colored dango. Akina looked in surprise at Haku, who was sitting next to her and devouring everything within a half-meter radius. It was as if he hadn't eaten for a week. "Won't you burst?" the girl asked, looking at her neighbor in surprise. "Are you trying to preserve your waistline?" Haku chuckled, finishing his rice ball and noticing that she hadn't touched her food. "What do you want?" Akina inquired. "No, the opposite. You're skinny," the boy said, giving her a mischievous look. The girl blushed with indignation, as she did not consider herself to be thin at all. Her slim waist and well-rounded hips, as well as her slender legs for her short stature, made it clear that she did not need any figure correction, as she was quite satisfied with her appearance. "Oh, you chewed icicle! Take it back. The refrigerator is unfinished!" Akina demanded angrily. "You can't wait," Haku grinned happily, twirling a stick with a tricolor dango in front of her nose. Haru, who was sitting on the other side of his friend, laughed softly. "It's a gnawed icicle, then. I'll remember," he replied. "I can hear it from the wooden log," Haku said, making a displeased grimace, looking at his friend. As soon as he relaxed his guard, Akina stole a white rice ball from the stick. "A thief," Haku said, looking at the girl with displeasure. "In a big family, as they say..." she said, looking at the guy triumphantly. Meanwhile, Haru stole the green rice ball, and Haku only had a wand in his hands. "Two against one, then," said Yuki grimly. Tibo smiled and handed him each a dango stick. Satisfied, he scooped up both and hurried to eat them. Sasuke and Itachi, sitting opposite, watched their hilarious brawl. Sasuke occasionally cast a concentrated glance at his older brother. His light, warm smile dramatically transformed his handsome face as he watched the three of them. The Thibault's were just an amazing family, treating an outsider as if they were their own, finding something kindred in his soul. Suddenly, Sasuke realized that this was what his brother had been missing all this time: a big family, a clan that he could call his own and trust as if it were his own. Yes, they had each other, and Sasuke knew that if necessary, Itachi would sacrifice his life for him, just as he would do for his brother. But it was not enough. Did Itachi agree to participate in the competition not only because he wanted to assert his clan's equality with the larger ones, but also to experience what it was like to be the head of a large family, his clan, even for a brief moment? There was something in his gaze when he looked at the girl that Sasuke couldn't quite understand. After a short rest, everyone decided to go to the bathhouse. The local baths with medicinal herbs were truly amazing. Akina left earlier, as the women's section was shared, unlike the men's section, which had separate baths for men. The smaller baths were designed for a few people, and Itachi had already reserved one of them. However, as they approached the door of their bath, they saw Akina returning from the hallway. "What happened?" asked Itachi. "The women's bathhouse wasn't made of rubber. They asked me to come back later, so I'm going back to my room," the girl explained. "Come with us," Haru suggested jokingly. "I'm a girl, for crying out loud!" Akina was offended. "Is anyone embarrassed by her?" Haru Itachi's playful tone was matched by his absolute seriousness. "Nah, she's a 'cool kid'," Haku joined in the fun. "I don't care," Sasuke replied calmly. "I'm immune," Haru continued. "You guys are idiots!" Akina became angry. "Come to ours in fifteen minutes," said Itachi, and they all disappeared behind the door. "Is he serious?" thought Akina. "Do you think she'll come?" asked Haku of Sasuke, who was undressing nearby. "I don't know... She's a girl, after all," said Sasuke. "She'll come, you'll see, just out of curiosity and stubbornness. She probably thinks we're challenging her.She always fell for that," Haru said confidently, wrapping a bath towel around his hips. Sinking into the hot, herb-scented water after showering, Itachi took a thin towel and rolled it into a narrow strip. After the designated time, the girl reached for the door handle of the dressing room. When I entered it, I found it empty. She was plagued by vague doubts. After all, a girl in the same pool with guys is indecent. But she still wanted to visit a private bathhouse, where there was silence and peace, rather than the large hall with several pools, which was buzzing like a disturbed hive due to the large number of women there. After changing her clothes, she opened the bathhouse door and stood there in amazement. The guys were sitting in a small pool with their eyes blindfolded. "Aki, close the door behind you, or you'll catch us all cold," Haru said sternly, recognizing his sister's familiar footsteps. The girl hurried to do so. She went to the shower, which was located in the same place. The stalls were separated by partitions, which was a bit embarrassing. Itachi could tell from the ripples in the water that Akina had entered the water to his right, and he couldn't help but smile. "Haru knows his sister quite well," he thought. Her wary gaze kept coming across the muscular, chiseled bodies of the men. She realized that they were considered handsome not only for their faces, but also for the rest of their bodies. When their time was almost up, the men left the bathhouse first. Akina stepped out into the empty dressing room. She sat down on a low bench, feeling a sudden wave of weakness. Her vision suddenly darkened. "She's taking a long time," Sasuke remarked. Suddenly, they froze at the sound of a body falling. Haru rushed into the locker room. Akina was lying on the floor. He lifted her up and began to shake her, trying to bring her back to consciousness. "I'd forgotten that she doesn't like the heat," Haru said when everyone else arrived. "Are you okay?" Haku asked, kneeling next to her. The girl nodded in agreement. "Can I help you change?" her brother suggested. "No need," Akina said, suddenly feeling more energetic, and dismissed them. After the bathhouse, the girl wanted to return to the hotel, which was contrary to everyone's plans, as the boys intended to have tea in the garden. "Go ahead, I'll keep an eye on her," said Itachi quietly, so that she wouldn't hear. As soon as Akina entered the room, she went to bed. Itachi changed his clothes and sat in a wicker chair, taking a book with him. He opened it at the bookmark and continued reading:

Love is no fairy tale, no game, It’s never make‑believe or fake. Sometimes it’s fragile, sometimes small, And takes up just a little space.

Yet still it cannot bear a lie, Nor selfishness, nor cynicism. Love is both truth and life, you see, So beautiful and uncompromising.

Egoism. This word suddenly struck Uchiha. Was this what was really driving him? An unpleasant feeling arose in his soul at such thoughts. He turned the page, pushing such thoughts away. Apparently, this was what motivated him to take action, even if it was sometimes hasty and sometimes wrong. He hoped that things would change one day. After a while, he fell asleep, relaxed from his bath. The girl woke up a couple of hours later and emerged from behind the screen. The room was empty except for Itachi, who was sleeping in a chair. She approached him quietly. The white shirt, unbuttoned, was open, revealing the chiseled muscles of the chest, which heaved with a steady, calm breath. The long eyelashes of his almond-shaped eyes fluttered slightly in his sleep. His peach-colored lips were slightly parted, revealing a sensual expression. It was impossible not to admire him. However, as she recalled their past arguments, her euphoria quickly faded. Akina looked at the book with interest and reached for it, but her wrist was immediately grabbed by strong fingers. Itachi looked at her with interest. The girl involuntarily recoiled. "I'm sorry to bother you,— she apologized softly. "You have no idea how long and how much you've been bothering me," he said, and his eyes twinkled invitingly. "I didn't want to cause so much inconvenience," Akina continued, still standing next to him. He still didn't let go of her hand. "Are you feeling all right?" Why didn't you tell me you couldn't stand the heat?" Itachi asked more sternly. "It doesn't matter. Many people can't stand the heat," Akina replied, staring at him defiantly. "Let me decide what matters," he continued in the same tone. "Don't you make too many decisions for me? You're already treating me like a possession, telling me where to go and what to do," she retorted. "Akina, listen, as usual, you're misinterpreting my decisions. Has any of them harmed you?" he retorted. "Is it necessary? There's something I like and something I don't like. Or is that only a shinobi's privilege? Our lot is to obey," she replied with a hint of anger in her eyes. Without warning, he pulled her into his lap. "I wish I could." To make you obey... Just me," he whispered. "No way, I'd rather... " She didn't have time to finish. He pressed his lips to hers in an angry, demanding kiss. His lips moved hungrily over hers, his tongue touching the hollow between her lips, demanding to be let in immediately. And after her silent refusal, he increased the pressure, forcing her to open her kissed, swollen lips and to let him in, already caressing her tongue with his, causing a hot wave throughout his body and feeling the tenderness of her body. The girl tried to push him away, clutching at the open shirt, but instead her hands slid down his shoulders, exposing them. She felt as if she were falling into a sweet oblivion, struggling to maintain her composure. His hands were wrapped around her, passionately clinging to her clothes. One of his hands caressed her hair, burying itself in the waterfall, and then stopped at the nape of her neck, silencing any attempts at resistance. The girl stopped fighting, and suddenly he felt the moisture of her tears on his face. This made him stop and reluctantly pull away from her. "I'm sorry, but I don't know a better way to silence a girl," he said, trying to calm his racing heart. "Let go," she whispered, turning away. "Akina, look at me," he said in a demanding tone, shaking her by the shoulders. The girl slowly looked up at him. His black eyes burned with a passionate, captivating fire. "Stupid, you're so stupid. You can't see beyond your nose and you don't want to see, my stubborn girl. It's a pity, but no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try to win you over, I'm still out of favor with you," he said, running his fingers through the moisture on her face. "You're a worried fool," she said, and, freeing herself from his oppressive embrace, she stood up from his lap and went behind the screen. Meanwhile, he tried to relax and bring his body back to normal, calm his racing heartbeat and rapid breathing. But it was not so easy to turn off thoughts. She again turned a deaf ear to his mute pleas, and he was already getting used to it. "Why does she only see the bad in me? It's like I'm her enemy, like she's waiting for a trick from me. And where did this intemperance come from? It was so hard to stop now... What am I doing, what am I creating?" he scolded himself for his unrestrained behavior, remembering the sweetness of her lips and the tenderness of her body. Akina stayed behind the screen until evening. All the guys' attempts to find out what happened were in vain. The girl stubbornly remained silent and kept her distance from Itachi. The next day was spent walking around the city. It was fun, and Akina almost forgot about yesterday's incident. However, as soon as she looked at him, her memory would bring her back into his arms. Haru began to notice her tension. He also realized that it was related to Itachi. The next afternoon, rested and content, they returned to the village. "We should do it again sometime. Maybe after the competition," said Haku, sitting in the living room of the Uchiha manor, who was clearly enjoying his time in the city. "After the competition, we'll get a kick in the butt from Tsunade and go on a mission," said Haru. Haku sighed heavily, knowing that this was going to happen. "Yudai probably takes care of all of us on missions." Haku said, thinking of his partner."He's probably part of a team," "I think he'd rather be on a mission than doing what he's doing right now. He's just running around for his sister and her friends," Haru said with a chuckle. The others sighed in sympathy. Akina sat in the living room with the others for a while before going up to her room. Gradually, the others also left the living room. Only Itachi remained. He went to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. Returning to the living room, Uchiha found that he was no longer alone there. Haru was sitting on the couch. "Coffee?" the Uchiha offered. "Yes, I suppose so",Tibo agreed. He returned to the kitchen and, after a while, entered the room with a second cup of coffee, placing it in front of Haru. "Are you worried about something? Is it the upcoming competition?" Itachi suggested, noticing the concern on Tibaut's face. "Not really. Although these events are new to me. I believe they are also new to Haku. However, that is not my concern," Haru replied. "About your sister, I suppose," Itachi guessed. The young man nodded in agreement. Itachi was watching him. They were so different. Haru looked like his mother, while Akina had something of his father about him. His clear emerald eyes were irresistible, especially to the fairer sex. "I can't understand what's going on between you two. One minute you're fighting, the next she's running away from you, and then she's crying. Can you explain it to me?" Haru voiced his concerns. Itachi remained silent. What could he say? Whenever they were alone with Akin, everything seemed to go wrong. It was probably difficult to make more mistakes in dealing with a girl than he had, but there was nothing he could do about it. "I want you to know. If you offend her, I'll kill her! Haru said decisively, standing up, taking his silence in his own way. "Yasuharu, I would never..." Itachi tried to justify himself. "I warned you. And thanks for the coffee," Thibault interrupted. Then he went upstairs to his room. "This is getting worse by the minute," thought Itachi, leaning back against the sofa cushions. He didn't want to get into a fight with Haru, and not just because he was Akin's brother. In a fight, if it came to that, Haru was a formidable opponent. The feeling that the idyll he had been striving for was beginning to crumble was overwhelming. And Itachi had no idea how to fix the situation.