Yukari Uchiha (English)

Chapter 12

"My father says the Uchiha are responsible for the destruction of Konoha during the Nine-Tails attack. No one wants you Uchiha here! Do you know how many people died because of you?" The tallest of them shouts at me, his voice full of anger and pain. His gaze pierces me, as if he wants to personally blame me for it.

Despite the knot in my stomach, I force myself to stay calm. My eyes remain fixed on the Genin who has now joined them, spreading his own dark aura of threat. "My brother is already a Genin and will help me punish you for the Uchiha's crimes," the boy adds with a threatening smile as the others murmur in agreement.

I stand firm and respond calmly, "Is there any proof that the Uchiha are responsible? Even if that were true, I was just a child back then and had nothing to do with it." My words seem to provoke them even more.

Suddenly, they rush at me without warning. My reflexes kick in immediately, and I dodge each of their blows without even needing to activate my Sharingan. My classmates' movements are frantic, uncoordinated. Kitsune and Yako speak in my mind: "They attacked you; you are allowed to defend yourself."

"No," I answer them resolutely in my mind. "If I fight back, their hatred will only grow." I effortlessly catch the Genin's shuriken and throw them back to fend off his further attacks.

Then I see the Genin starting to form hand signs—Water Bullets. The air suddenly feels heavy as balls of water rush toward me. I could dodge, but the others would be hit. In a fluid motion, I form the hand signs for Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni and hurl my shuriken toward the water bullets. My jutsu strikes precisely and evaporates the water, just as I had planned.

At that moment, I sense a familiar presence. I consciously relax my stance, my senses focused on the arrival of the two.

The Genin, who is still preparing another attack, is suddenly stopped as Itachi appears before him, preventing him from completing the hand signs. At the same time, Shisui now stands protectively in front of me, his presence calming, but also a clear signal to the others that it's over.

The classmates who were just attacking me with anger and suspicion freeze as they recognize the two. Sensei Iruka also joins in, his eyes flashing with anger.

"What is going on here?" His voice cuts through the tense silence, making the others flinch.

As my classmates finally run away, I feel a mixture of relief and reflection. Sensei Iruka won't let them get away with this, I think. Even the Genin who attacked me tries to flee, but Itachi remains calm and speaks in a serious voice: "As a Genin, you should understand what your mistake was and that there are consequences for it. The Hokage knows; report to him." With those words, Itachi releases him, and the Genin quickly disappears.

I take a deep breath, and as Shisui turns to me, I can no longer hold back my joy. He's back! Without hesitation, I throw myself into his arms and hug him as tightly as I can. "Is everything okay?" he asks me gently, his voice full of warmth and concern. For a moment, I don't want to say anything, I just want to savor this moment of having him back.

After a moment of silence, where I simply lean against him, I finally answer, "Yes, everything's fine. I'm unhurt, and you're back." I smile at him, but in my mind, my classmates' words are still swirling. Why do they hate the Uchiha so much?

I walk over to Itachi to greet him as well. When I look into his eyes, I notice a brief, sad expression that is quickly replaced by a loving smile. "I'm glad you're okay," he says, and his words are sincere.

On the way home, Shisui and Itachi tell me about their mission. They can't reveal everything, but they share as much as they are allowed. I'm simply happy that they're both back with me and that we can spend time together.