And the road of flowers is so long

According to the overall results of the competition, the Uchiha clan team took the fifth place. In Itachi's opinion, it's not bad at all for the first time. He was sitting on the porch and looking at the table of his team's participation in competitions. "And what do we have for today?" Sasuke asked, appearing behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder and resting his chin on his other shoulder. "Archery competition, third stage, singles tennis, 400-meter run, and basketball with Aburame," replied Itachi. "You're worried," remarked Sasuke, causing his brother to lean back against him. "Not for myself. She's participating in almost all of them. It might affect her physical condition," replied Itachi with concern. "That's it. Yes, there are no exemptions for teams. I see you're not doing well, and it's because you're not listening to me," said Uchiha Jr. "You're not much of a love expert," said Itachi with a chuckle. "Well, I'm better than you. I can give you some advice on how to approach a girl. Girls like to feel special, and they like someone who surprises them... In a good way. As for the rest, I'm just as much of a theorist as you are. Getting interested is half the battle, the main thing is to keep it. Well, if you want to seduce, it's up to you to Jiraiya," Sasuke replied, laughing. "Oh no, I can certainly do without his advice," Itachi laughed softly. "I bet he'd offer to spy on her in the bathroom... I wonder if you would agree?" Sasuke teased. "By the way, you can borrow a couple of Kakashi's books. Here are your instructions for action," the younger brother persisted. "Sa-su-ke," Itachi said angrily, as it seemed to him, but the smile did not leave his face. He sat like that for a while, and it felt so light and calm to feel the warmth and embrace of his brother. "It's a good thing we have each other," thought Itachi, until he heard a crash in the kitchen. When they entered, they saw Akin standing on a chair near the cupboards. Spoons, forks, and knives were scattered on the floor. "Sorry, it was an accident," the natural disaster said guiltily. "What were you doing up there?" Sasuke asked sternly as he picked up the dishes from the floor. She handed him a can of cocoa. Itachi picked her up and put her in a place safe from stabbing objects. "Why didn't you ask for help?" He said sternly. "I can do it myself," she said grimly. "It's obvious, she made the bedlam herself," Sasuke replied with displeasure. "I'll help," the girl rushed to collect the dishes, but Sasuke stopped her. "Sit down already, or you'll get in somewhere again." "Let me," Itachi said, taking the jar of cocoa from her, "I'll make it myself, if you don't mind." Akina sat down at the table with a displeased look, realizing that the owners were seriously worried about the safety of their kitchen and considered it clumsy. After a couple of minutes, Itachi placed the finished cocoa in front of her. In the 400-meter race, Haku won a landslide victory. His team had no doubt about that. No one could match his speed. The basketball game ended with a slight advantage for the opposing team. As she stepped onto the court, Akina looked at her opponent, Chizuru Hyuga. She seemed confident, with her team captain by her side, as only they were allowed near the court. Itachi touched her shoulder in encouragement. "Good luck," he said quietly. The first set was tied, but at the end of the second set, she slipped and skidded across the court on her knee. As she examined the abrasion, she noticed a few drops of blood. "That's bad," she thought. "Do you need a break?" asked the referee, who had approached her. "It wouldn't hurt," she said, breathing heavily. With a slight limp, Akina approached Itachi. He meticulously examined the wound, guessing that the girl was getting tired. "Maybe.".. Uchiha began, trying to hide his concern. "Maybe that's enough. Just treat the wound. I can go on," she cut him off. "We can reschedule the game if necessary," Neji said, coming up to them. "No need, I'm fine," Akina replied, realizing that she couldn't win anyway, and even more so in this state, but the girl was full of stubbornness" and determination to finish the game. She sat down on a bench. "Maybe we should really postpone the game," Itachi agreed with the captain of the opposing team, examining his injured knee. "Just treat it and apply a tight bandage," the girl said stubbornly. Itachi had no choice but to comply, in order to avoid her displeasure. Akina moved her leg, barely feeling any pain. She ended the second set with a loss, and, predictably, lost the third. The third stage of the archers' competition was the "ring". Targets were placed in a circle at different heights, with the archer standing in the center. The objective was to hit 20 targets within 3 minutes. Akina watched sadly as the civilians began to be eliminated from the archery competition. She caught a worried look from Neji Hyuga. "You're afraid I'll get eliminated too," she realized, understanding his concern. If an archer completed the task faster, it would earn them additional points, but the key was still accuracy. Neji hit all the targets within two minutes, eliciting a thunderous cheer from the spectators. "As expected from the genius of the Hyuga clan. Only one thing comes to mind: Neji, you are magnificent. After three stages, he is in first place. It is unlikely that anyone will approach this peak." The commentator was excitedly broadcasting from his seat. When it was her turn to shoot, the girl slowly examined all the targets and the distance between them. She pulled the visor of her baseball cap over her eyes, ostensibly to protect herself from the bright sunlight, and prepared to shoot. As expected, her long-range vision ability, as her brother called it, was activated. Akina's movements were swift and precise. When she finished shooting, the stands erupted with cheers and applause. "Incredible. Just incredible. Today is a wonderful day. Two minutes and fifteen seconds of active elimination of civilians. The second result in the third stage. The Uchiha clan team was truly impressive this time. I believe everyone will be eagerly awaiting the next stages of the archery competition." The commentator was jubilant. The girl hurried out of the arena, followed by the bewildered gaze of Hyuga Neji. The entire Uchiha clan team was returning home. The boys were walking in front, sharing their impressions of the day, while the girl, as always, trudged along behind. "Does your leg hurt?" Yasuharu asked, stopping and waiting for her. Akina shook her head no. "I'm sorry," she said softly, almost crying. The boys stared at her in surprise. "Aki, what are you doing?" Haru didn't understand what could have upset his sister so much. "I failed tennis. I..." she said, sobbing and wiping her tears. Her brother came over and hugged her. "Come on, but shooting is great," Yasuharu reassured her. "You know that I..." she said quietly, her voice breaking. "If we're walking too fast and your knee's too sore to keep up, you should have said so. There's no need to get upset about it," said Itachi, who had approached her, as if there could be no other valid reason for her tears. Akina turned and looked at him. "You've been gone a long time," said Sasuke, sounding annoyed. The girl walked away from her brother and continued on her way. Itachi watched her with a wary expression. Akina yelped as she felt strong arms pick up and lift her. "Itachi, I can walk on my own," she protested as she was carried in his arms. The boy seemed oblivious to her protests and continued walking at a steady pace, carrying her as if it were effortless. "Stop yelling, you're attracting attention." If you're being carried, then run... That is, sit still and don't kick," Sasuke corrected with a frown, as Uchiha Sr. caught up with him. Akina shamefacedly fell silent in the arms of her team captain, resting her head on his shoulder, which caused a warm smile on his face. So soon they reached the house. As soon as the girl was in her room, there was a knock on her door. "Let me take a look at your knee," said Itachi after he entered. From his determined, worried expression, Akina knew it was useless to object. He carefully removed the bandage. Only a few streaks of dried blood remained as a reminder of the fall. "Yes, it's not serious, but it will still hurt," he said, reassuring her. There was another knock on her door. It was Yasuharu. "We're going to get groceries, then go to the beach. Be ready to leave in a couple of hours," he said and disappeared through the door. "Go without me," the girl replied softly. "If it's hard for you to walk, I can carry you again, it's not difficult for me. It's just that going to the beach was planned a long time ago, and you should be with us. We're a team. If you're afraid for your knee, you don't have to go swimming, although wear a swimsuit anyway, just in case," Itachi said. The girl sighed, realizing that she couldn't get out of it. When they arrived at the beach, it was empty. The guys decided to swim first, then eat. They dropped their bags and started undressing. Akina sat next to her bag of food, trying not to stare at them, which was difficult. Itachi was standing in front of her, half-turned. He was slowly pulling his T-shirt over his head. Akina noticed his narrow hands with long, strong fingers. Her gaze slid over his gradually exposed strong back, moderately broad shoulders, well-defined muscles of his arms, which turned into a graceful hand. He shook his head, releasing the tangled hair in his T-shirt. Those, as if mocking, whipped his back and side. His fingers slipped behind the elastic of loose breeches. He slowly bent down to remove them, and the girl had to look away from him when she noticed a playful grin on his lips. The knowledge that he had noticed her studying gaze made her feel uncomfortable. However, as she turned away from Itachi, her gaze fell on Sasuke's figure. He had already removed his T-shirt, tossing it onto his mat, and was now working on his pants. Slowly, he pulled them off, revealing his firm buttocks encased in swim trunks, as well as his well-proportioned thighs that transitioned into strong calves. Soon, he stepped out of his clothes and stood upright. His shoulders were slightly wider, and they smoothly transitioned into a well-developed torso and a narrow waist. His figure appeared more muscular than his brother's, perhaps because he was slightly shorter. With a sigh, Akina turned away from him, fearing that he would notice her observing him. But on the other side of her, Haku was completely undressed. He was wearing only a pair of tight swimming trunks, and he was slowly combing his hair, which fell in a shiny black wave down his back, before gathering it into a bun and securing it with a tight hairnet, as he always did when he was in the kitchen or busy with something. Akina preferred it when he let his hair loose, and it covered his back almost to his waist. His slight thinness and wiry muscles gave his figure a certain elegance. Every muscle could be seen on his body. However, the smooth line of his thigh made his legs look slightly like a girl's. Despite this, his every casual movement was filled with incredible flexibility and boyish grace. Next to him stood Yasuharu. His long, unruly bangs were trying to cover his emerald eyes. He stood with his arms crossed over his well-developed chest, quietly conversing with his partner. Despite his young age, Tibo had a well-proportioned figure. Broad, strong shoulders turned into a developed chest, into clearly outlined oblique muscles and cubes of the torso. The smooth hemispheres of his buttocks, covered by tight boxers, turned into the molded hips of his legs, which were long relative to his height. The muscles of his biceps are clearly visible, as well as their play with each minor movement. Akina buried her face in her bent knees in protest. "It's what kind of self-control you have to have with this beauty parade. God forbid I become like those fools who are in love with them, who surround me," she thought, feeling herself blush, not admitting that it was quite pleasant to look at them. "Aren't you going to undress?" Itachi asked, drawing attention to the only female representative in their company, who is still sitting in a bathrobe. "No," she muttered. At the same time, she looked as if she had been offended by something, and she looked like an angry hedgehog. "If you want, I'll help," he said, crouching in front of her. "Don't," she squeaked, imagining how he was going to help her, and she blushed even more, which did not go unnoticed by Uchih-senpai's attentive gaze. The girl caught his mocking look. "Pervert," she began to get angry. "Haru, can I have a word with you?" he called to her brother. As soon as he looked at his sister, he knew what was going on, and he marched over to her. "Aki, what are you doing? Are you on the beach or something?" Haru was outraged. "I'm not going swimming," Akina replied. "Are you going to sunbathe in your clothes too?" Haru persisted. "What difference does it make what I will wear and what I will do? You wanted me to be here, well, get it, sign up. The rest is none of your business, and neither are you," Akina replied irritably. "Okay, please turn away for the faint of heart," he said, stepping up to the girl with a darkened look of displeasure. The guys turned away together, pretending that it didn't concern them and that they weren't interested in what was happening behind their backs. "You wouldn't dare!" "I dare you." "Fuck off!" "Aki, you're acting like a child." "And you're acting like a maniac!" then there was a scuffle. "Aki, you wore something like that about five years ago. I couldn't wear a normal bikini," Haru laughed, examining a one—piece blue swimsuit with a picture of a panda holding a pink ball, after he finally pulled off her robe. "Look, I'm not telling you what kind of underpants to wear," Akina got really angry. "If you're embarrassed to take off your clothes, you should have just said so, and we would have turned away," Haru replied, not understanding the reason for her indignation. "What's the point?" she replied angrily, her face flushing red. After hearing her last remark, the guys could barely contain their laughter. "Okay, if you don't want to swim, that's up to you," Haru conceded, and the guys headed towards the river. It should be noted that everyone was an excellent swimmer. In a few powerful strokes, they were far away from the shore. Haku swam up to Haru and splashed water on him, accidentally hitting Itachi nearby. "Hey, what about me?" Itachi complained. "That's right," Sasuke said, splashing him from the other side. The boys looked at each other and started splashing him more actively. Itachi had to dive underwater to avoid their attacks. Akina sat on her mat and watched them play. "To be ashamed of you... If you weren't here..." she suddenly remembered the fragments of the girls who had attacked her, not understanding why she was thinking about it now. "What if Haru had a brother like Haku instead of me? They have so much in common. I only came to him with my complaints and fears. What good would a sister like me be to him," Akina thought, hiding her tears in her bent knees. Gradually, the beach began to fill with people, and it seemed that the competition had come to an end. The boys swam closer to the shore, where they could rest their feet on the sand. Haru kept casting anxious glances at his sister, and Itachi, who was wringing out his wet hair, noticed this. The women who had arrived at the beach and spotted the village's most handsome men became unhealthily active, trying to position themselves near them, casting languid and interested glances at their beautiful and muscular bodies. After standing in the water and realizing that they were attracting too much attention, they headed back to the shore, stubbornly ignoring the signs of attention. As they approached the girl sitting alone, Itachi took a towel from his bag and began drying his wet hair. Sasuke approached his brother, took the towel from him, and began helping him. The elder Uchiha did not object to the assistance. Haku did the same, removing the net from his hair. Haru took his towel and began drying his hair from the roots to the tips, while he dried his head. Haku froze for a moment, but then smiled. Noticing Akina's silence, Yasuharu sat next to her when he finished helping his friend. "What's the matter this time?" he asked, noticing her red-rimmed eyes. "Nothing," she replied in a voice that was still raspy from her recent sobs. "Okay, let's go. We need to talk," he said, taking her hand and leading her towards the water. The others didn't interfere with their family drama. He led her into the water, just enough for it to reach her calves. "So what have you been thinking about again?" the guy said irritably, looking at the girl sternly. "I'm sorry for being so useless. I'm weak, and I'm not any good at all," she said, looking at the ground guiltily. "You're so stupid. You've been thinking about all sorts of nonsense. You think that people only love you because you're useful. That's not why I love you," Haru said, putting his arms around his sister. “But if it were Haku in my place, for example, you would…” she began to weakly object. “Yes, we would train together, he would not need protection and would not follow me around since childhood, would not drag himself to my bed because he is afraid of thunderstorms or he had a nightmare, disturbing my sleep at the same time. He would not need to be pulled out of all sorts of troubles that he would get into because of his imprudence,” Haru said. Akina looked down guiltily. "And I wouldn't be as strong as I am now," he finished his monologue. The girl looked at him in surprise. "Your weakness has made me stronger, and I wouldn't be who I am today without it. So, you're the driving force behind my self-improvement. And I love you for being a part of my life," he said with a smile. "I love you too, onii-chan," she replied softly. "Enough with the fear of the others. Haven't you gotten used to them in all the time we've been living together? Her brother suddenly began to scold her. Akina pulled back and looked at him, confused. "You don't put me in anything at all. You don't even consider yourself a girl. I'm your "boyfriend." Don't you think it's a shame? Tell me, would Itachi ask another girl to go to the sauna with you? I doubt it very much," she argued. "You wanted to be treated as an equal, so you can have it. By the way, it's not customary for Shinobi to be shy. Or do you think they carry screens with them in the field? Sometimes you have to change clothes and swim in the same pile," Haru explained. "But I don't think that the girls in front of you strip naked. And anyway, we weren't on missions then. By the way, there are no girls in your three," Akina reminded. "But there are others. We sometimes had to be in mixed groups. So decide for yourself whether you want to be treated as an equal or as a girl," Haru said. "As an equal girl," she concluded. "Speaking of girls. We've been living in Konoha for a long time, and why don't you have a girlfriend yet? Is there really no one in the village that you would like?" The guy sighed heavily and looked away, blushing slightly. "Do you really want to know?" he asked his sister, hesitating a little. She nodded affirmatively. He looked around the beach and noticed a group of three girls nearby, who were staring at him and talking to each other. Behind them, a little girl of about three or four years old was playing with a brightly colored ball. The girl was chasing the ball, but every time she reached it, she accidentally kicked it with her foot, and as she bent down to catch it, the ball would roll away, and she would have to chase it again. The guy smiled warmly as he watched the child play. However, the girls took his smile as a compliment. "You saw he smiled at me," one of them said, blushing. "He didn't need you, you mop, he was looking at me," another one shouted at her. "What does he care about you? Have you seen yourself in the mirror? If anyone should be paying attention, it's me," the third one said confidently. "He was looking at me!" "No, he was looking at me!" "He was looking at me!" A couple of minutes later, a bunch of fighting and screaming girls were writhing on the sand. Akina watched in amazement, then slowly turned her gaze to her brother and sighed heavily. "I feel for you, brother," she said, patting him on the shoulder. "And you think I'm going to date someone like that," Haru replied with displeasure. "Well, not everyone is like that," Akina said hopefully. "Most of them. You just have to ignore them. Of course, there are some who follow you on the streets, shove a letter of confession or a gift into your hand with trembling hands, and then run away as if a predator is chasing them. I don't even have time to thank them. I managed to grab one of them by the hand after she gave me the letter. When she saw that I was holding her hand, she fainted. I don't do that anymore," the guy said with a sad sigh. His sister just looked at him with a sympathetic expression, unaware of the difficulties her brother was facing. They slowly stepped out of the water and walked back to the others. "So, which of those girls were you looking at?" Akina asked, her curiosity piqued. Yasuharu pointed to the little girl with the ball. "Ah, I see. They're too old for you," she concluded with a serious expression.Haru looked at his sister with a sly grin, realizing that she was teasing him. When she reached her mat, she saw that the boys were lying around it. Itachi was lying on his side, with his head propped up by his hand, reading a book he had brought with him. Her gaze involuntarily lingered on his long, stretched-out legs. Sasuke was lying on his stomach, with his head resting on his folded hands, apparently dozing off a little. Droplets of moisture, dripping from his unwashed hair, gathered in the hollow along his spine, slowly descending in a winding path from his broad shoulders to his narrow waist, and disappearing into the area of his wet swim trunks. Haku lay on his mat at her head, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand to protect them from the bright sunlight, and elegantly bending one leg. His other hand rested on his torso, seemingly slipping off it. His hair was braided, which lay along his body, apparently so as not to get dirty in the sand. Watching the whole gorgeous picture, Akina sighed resignedly. "That's how they become preoccupied maniacs. And if this goes on, I have every real chance of joining the army of fans salivating over their charms. So that this does not happen, it is necessary to see their vices and flaws. So they're bad... "That's it," Akina thought, lying down on her mat between the Uchiha brothers. A slight, thoughtful smile never left Uchiha's face. Akina, on the other hand, kept casting wary glances at him, wondering what could possibly be making him so amused. His eyes darted across the neat lines of the book. They stayed on the beach for a while longer, then had a bite to eat and returned home a little tired, but quite satisfied. Unnoticed, evening descended on the village, street lamps were lit, and only the Uchiha clan quarter was immersed in darkness. Light was only lit near residential buildings. It was creepy to walk around such a place at night, but those who lived here were already accustomed to the creaking of torn shutters and doors, the rare howling of the wind, walking through the empty rooms where life once boiled. Itachi sat in his room, remembering today. Her fight with her brother. How, as he lay on his mat, he would occasionally look up from his book to steal a glance at her. She never noticed him staring at her sloping shoulders, her high, firm breasts, her slim waist that transitioned into her rounded hips, and her slender legs with narrow calves and feet. Surprisingly, this brought him pleasure, even though he had not touched her. He remembered the lines he had read. The boy went to the window and opened it as usual, letting in the fresh night air. And then the smile left his face when he heard the metallic ringing coming from afar. "There's a fight going on somewhere," Uchiha realized, tensing up. Itachi was on the windowsill in an instant and left the room. The sound led him to the Tibot house. "Is it another attack?" he worried. His eyes flashed with the crimson of an activated Sharingan. He glided like an invisible shadow through the canopy of tall trees. The sound led him to the garden. He froze, becoming invisible. In the darkness, he saw a familiar face. Once again, he heard the sound of steel clashing and the silver glint of the moon peeking out from behind the clouds, illuminating the focused expression on Yasuharu Chiba's face. From his movements, he realized that he was just training. "He found time to train, but why so late?" thought Itachi in confusion, sighing in relief. He couldn't see his opponent as he was under the shade of the trees, reasonably assuming it was Haku. "Okay, that's enough for today. Weak attacks, but you can make up for it with speed and dodging," Haru said to his opponent. "Weak attacks? Haku?" Itachi wondered to himself, finding Yasuharu's advice to be inappropriate. Recalling their joint training sessions, he noted that, despite his graceful build and short stature, Yuki was not a weakling at all, and he had no equal in speed. When Itachi saw Haru heading in his direction, he chose to hide so as not to be noticed. When he returned to the house, he saw Haku coming down from the top floor. "Wow, you can't sleep either," he remarked. Uchiha-senpai looked at him in disbelief, wondering how he had managed to get there before him and change into his pajamas.