The bell for class break rang, and the once quiet campus was instantly filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
Chizhao quickly finished her bento, tidied everything up, and then rushed out of the classroom.
Naruto, who hadn't reacted immediately, still held his fork, his gaze following Chizhao's disappearing back as he called out loudly:
"Hey! Chizhao, where are you going?"
Chizhao's voice faded with her steps, becoming inaudible.
Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his heart feeling stirred by an invisible force, making him uncomfortable.
Chizhao wandered around the campus, constantly searching for her target.
The school is only so big, where else could Sasuke go?
After turning a corner, she saw a child whose clothes bore the Uchiha family crest.
Her heart filled with joy, and she ran towards him.
The child also sensed the movement behind him and immediately turned around vigilantly.
When she clearly saw his face, Chizhao's joyful smile instantly vanished, and her steps also halted:
"Oh, it's Uchiha Toru."
Stung by Chizhao's disappointed tone, Xiao Tou frowned in displeasure:
"What do you mean? You seem very disappointed to see me, you violent girl!"
"You!"
Chizhao was about to retort, but then she remembered that Xiao Tou would one day die by Itachi's blade, and her anger dissipated.
She slowly unclenched her fists and walked steadily towards Xiao Tou.
"You... what do you want to do!"
Fearing another beating, Xiao Tou raised the Kunai in his hand and aimed it at Chizhao.
But then he felt it was inappropriate, hid the Kunai behind his back, stiffened his neck, and stared at her nervously.
Seeing Chizhao pressing closer with each step, Xiao Tou retreated a little in a panic.
"You... don't come over... don't think I'm afraid of you... I'll hit girls too when I get angry..."
He unconsciously backed away until his back was pressed against the wall.
With nowhere left to retreat, he looked at Chizhao, whose expression was hidden in the shadows and who was now very close, and subconsciously covered his face with his hands.
"I'm very sorry, I hurt you before!"
"Eh?"
Xiao Tou, surprised, lowered the hand covering his eyes, his exposed eyes full of confusion.
He didn't know what was wrong with the girl in front of him that she was bowing and apologizing to him?
She couldn't have gone crazy, could she?
Chizhao raised her head, her eyes showing sincere apology.
But when she saw Xiao Tou staring at her as if she were an idiot, she explained somewhat awkwardly:
"Uh... I thought about it, and it was indeed my fault. I shouldn't have hit you before... So... that..."
The girl in front of him had a troubled look and exuded a gentle aura, which made Xiao Tou a little dazed.
She would apologize too?
She was someone whose strength was on par with Sasuke.
Would a strong person bow and apologize to a weaker one?
"It's nothing..."
"Eh?"
Chizhao looked up and saw Xiao Tou frowning, his expression unnatural as he looked at the ground.
"I also did something wrong..."
He was a little confused now, why was the current situation different from what he understood.
In the Uchiha clan, his abilities were not even a fraction of the genius Sasuke's, and his parents often compared him to Sasuke.
Over time, his small self-esteem was shattered, but he was unwilling to accept his weakness and mediocrity.
Gradually, he learned to disguise himself.
He packaged himself as a strong, annoying bully.
He bullied those who seemed even weaker than him, gaining that pitiful self-confidence from it.
But then he met this girl.
The self-confidence he had painstakingly accumulated was shattered to the ground by her punch.
He had already regarded her as his lifelong enemy.
He would be happy just seeing her embarrassed.
But why, when he saw her bow and apologize to him, did he feel a sense of defeat?
"I... am a weak person... you shouldn't apologize to me..."
Xiao Tou's voice was very soft. He leaned against the wall, his head bowed, all his expressions hidden in the shadows.
In two years, he had grown quite a bit taller.
Chizhao looked up at the black eyes hidden beneath his hair, her voice soft, as if a gentle breeze had brushed over his unruffled heart.
"But you secretly practice Shuriken to make yourself stronger, right...?"
She gently took the Kunai from his hand and stuck it into a self-made target in front.
"Weak people don't want to try to become stronger. On the contrary, only Ninja who hold hope will become stronger."
Xiao Tou's eyes lifted from the shadows. He stared blankly at the girl shining in the sunlight, momentarily losing his ability to speak.
"So Xiao Tou isn't weak, you've actually always held hope for yourself, haven't you?"
"Maybe it's just a lack of confidence... and using the wrong method... maybe I can..."
Before she could say the words "help you," Chizhao fell silent.
The thought of the Uchiha clan turning into a living hell overnight, with even Xiao Tou not being an exception to death, brought an inexplicable pang to her heart.
Xiao Tou hadn't done anything wrong, after all.
"Maybe you can what?" Seeing the girl in front of him suddenly stop talking, Xiao Tou asked in confusion.
Chizhao didn't answer Xiao Tou's question. She grabbed his wrist, her expression serious.
"Xiao Tou, have you seen Sasuke anywhere? Tell me quickly!"
Startled, Xiao Tou gazed at the suddenly close small face, the tips of his ears tinged with a faint red.
He feigned composure, pointing in a direction without taking his eyes off her.
"I think I saw him go towards the forest."
"Thank you!"
With that, she dashed towards the forest like the wind, leaving Xiao Tou behind, who rubbed his slightly red wrist in annoyance.
How could a girl have so much strength?
When he saw the small handprint left on his wrist, the earnest face that had been so close just moments ago reappeared in his mind's eye.
The redness on his ear tips had quietly spread to his entire earlobe.
.........
Chizhao followed the forest path deeper and finally found Sasuke, who was resting with his eyes closed, on a tree with lush branches.
"Sasuke! Hey!..." She called out loudly, her voice filled with a hint of urgency.
Seeing that the person above didn't react, she took a deep breath and raised her voice: "Sas..."
Before she could shout the rest of the name, Sasuke above finally stirred.
"So noisy..."
Sasuke frowned slightly, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure.
When he clearly saw the familiar face below the tree, his expression visibly froze.
Shiratori Chichao?
He whispered to himself in surprise, seemingly taken aback by this sudden visitor.
Why is she looking for me?
"Do you know where your brother is?"
"What?!"