Winter brings a host of changes to the leaf village and its resourceful residents. Night hours are blazed with restaurants and markets in preparation for Konoha's Winter Festival.
Today marks the first practice workshop for Izumi, and she is by the training grounds with a congregation of genins and chunnins.
The intensive workshop comprises of both theoretical work and gruelling practical training. Those who successfully complete the training may be nominated on merit for the Council's Mission.
The Council's Mission is a prestigious assignment that involves escorting influential people between villages. The prestige comes from the recommendations given by the influential person and the enormous sum of money. It is often a one-off mission, with the occurrence happening only twice a year at most.
The Hokage, together with the village's council and senior members, determine who is assigned the Mission.
Uchiha Itachi was given the Council's Mission three years in a row.
But this year, Izumi is determined to take the winning streak from him. As the majority of nominees are of jounin status, joining the practice workshop is the main way to be nominated as a chunnin. But no one has ever fully completed the workshop in the past two years.
"That's going to change," Izumi says.
"I'm banking on you to get through the entire thing this year, Izumi," Nanami says.
Nanami graduated together with Izumi, yet has only made chunnin recently. And though she lacks confidence in ninjutsu skills, her analytical abilities are exceptional.
"Yes! I won't let you down," Izumi answers brightly.
"Five weeks of this every day. I'm glad we are exempt from missions."
"Nanami," Izumi says disapprovingly, "Five weeks is nowhere near enough for good training, and besides we aren't entirely exempt from missions. We are only allowed a maximum of one mission a week."
"Eh?" Nanami groans, "You have way too much stamina."
x
"That theory lesson was a killer," Nanami says, "Glad that's over now. Izumi, how about some food to finish off the day?"
They file out the classroom, heads filled with new facts and tactics concerning large haul missions.
"No can do, I have a report to write that I haven't finished," Izumi answers.
That is a lie. And Nanami sees right through it.
"How many times have I told you? Your excuses won't work on me, no matter how convincing you come across," Nanami replies disinterestedly.
Then, her spine straightens and a look of immense curiosity inundates her features.
"You're not going to see Itachi again are you?" She adds suspiciously.
Perhaps it is the sudden accusation, but the red flush across Izumi's face is a non-verbal confirmation to Nanami's question.
"Keep at it and he might think you're a stalker," she continues.
"We're close friends. No way would he ever think that."
But a slit of unease opens somewhere at the back of her head. It trickles slowly, until she feels it in the pits of her stomach.
The last thing she wants is for Itachi to accuse her of stalking him, or consider her in any way that may be a hinderance to their friendship.
"Are you alright? You look pale all of a sudden? Did my theory hit you that hard?"
Nanami peers closely, until Izumi can see the little freckles on her face and count the number of frown lines on her forehead.
"Speaking of which, I don't think you'd be able to ambush him anyways if you wanted," Nanami continues, and she points sharply at the large windows overlooking the village.
Itachi and Shisui are deep in conversation, as if the world around them has ceased to exist. There is a heavy look of concern and anxiety flickering between them, albeit for several brief moments, Itachi's expression is almost inexplicable.
When they disappear behind a wall of houses, Izumi stares glumly at the ground.
Itachi is hiding something, and whatever it is, the level of concern is escalating. She is unsure how it is affecting him, and though he has made a promise to her, she gets the horrifying sensation he is deliberately barring her from the truth.
"Izumi?"
"Yes? Oh…yes, you are right. Not that I was going to ambush him anyways," she answers swiftly, "And those two are always together so I can't be the stalker here," she finishes self-consciously.
"They're best friends, a bit different I suppose. Though at least your interest in Itachi provides some form of entertainment to your life aside from missions and study," Nanami breathes.
Before Nanami, Izumi does not refute the veracity of her statement. But internally, she does not want to believe her interest in Itachi extends further than friendship. Yet a small part of her wishes for something else.
And she knows, be it intuitively or a fact, Itachi will never see her more than a friend.
"Lots of people for you to scout and be interested in," Izumi says.
"What's that supposed to mean? You know my standards are high, I'm not going for the bunch of wusses in our cohort."
"Shallow, are you not? But I get you, it seems us girls like to focus more on the powerful."
Nanami stares guiltily at her hands.
"I told myself I would never be shallow in that way, yet I seem to only venture towards men who are strong, and powerful and intelligent. The only problem is, they don't treat women very well, they always like to see us as a burden," she says sadly.
"Not all are like that," Izumi answers quietly.
They are momentarily silent.
"Sorry, Izumi, I didn't mean to offend you, I just-"
"It's okay," she interrupts, "it just so happens that the powerful and intelligent have zero capacity for respect. I think, the ones that has it all, there are only so few of them left."
"Itachi is great, is he not?" Nanami asks.
She stares inquisitively at Izumi, as if desperate for an answer that all hope may not be lost for powerful people with a good heart.
"Yes."
And whether that is a lie, Izumi does not know. She has known Itachi for so long, yet the many years of friendship between them may not be enough for him to entrust her with important information.
"You picked a good person then," Nanami says lightly, and she breaks through Izumi's reverie, "Maybe I'll be able to find someone one day."
"It's not a competition," Izumi laughs, "And also, I think Shisui is a great person."
"Eh?" Nanami stares, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means exactly as I say it means. It's time for training, see you!"