It was evening.
Despite taking their time on the road, the two finally made it back to the Hidden Rain Village.
Following Jūzō, Itachi met with Pain. A flicker of restless curiosity stirred in his heart, but he quickly calmed himself.
He wasn't tempted to test Pain's strength; rather, he wanted to see if he could set up a trigger-based genjutsu on him. However, knowing Pain had some of the abilities of the Rinnegan and that his body was merely a puppet, Itachi lost interest.
The two also met with Kakuzu to hand over the bounty.
As always, Jūzō handled the conversation with Kakuzu, while Itachi stood silently behind him, blending into the background like a shadow, perfectly concealing his presence.
---
"Want to grab a bite to eat?"
The two strolled through the village, where a light drizzle fell endlessly, creating a strange and somber atmosphere.
Jūzō asked casually.
"No, thanks. After days on the move, I'd rather freshen up and get some rest."
Itachi gently declined Jūzō's suggestion. He wasn't in the mood for food—he just wanted a good night's sleep.
"Alright."
Jūzō didn't press the matter. After bidding Itachi goodbye, he strolled leisurely into a tavern.
---
Itachi walked along the rain-soaked streets toward his room.
Knowing this rain was part of Pain's *Rain Tiger at Will Technique*, he had no desire to linger outdoors, as it gave him the unsettling feeling of being watched.
Back in his room, Itachi enjoyed a hot shower before drifting into a sweet, deep sleep. Compared to camping outdoors, the comfort of a bed was a rare luxury.
---
*Knock, knock, knock...*
While Itachi was in the midst of a pleasant sleep, a knock at the door broke the silence.
He opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Itachi realized he had slept through the night, and daylight now poured into the room.
The knocking grew more urgent.
Snapping out of his daze, Itachi got up.
"I'm coming…"
He responded softly, stretching lazily before getting up and freshening himself. Then he opened the door.
---
"What's got you knocking this early?"
Itachi looked at Jūzō, who reeked of alcohol, and asked in mild exasperation.
"We've got a new mission…"
Jūzō, clearly annoyed by Itachi's sluggishness, walked into the room, grabbed the teapot on the table, and gulped it down like a man parched.
Itachi frowned slightly at Jūzō's behavior, finding it unsanitary to drink straight from the teapot without a cup.
But considering they'd be heading out on a mission soon and the servants would clean and replace everything in the room by the time he returned, his irritation subsided.
---
"Are we going the wrong way?"
Seeing Jūzō heading straight out of the village, Itachi asked in surprise.
"I already picked up the mission details."
Jūzō's calm reply suggested he anticipated the question.
"Oh."
Itachi understood why they didn't report to Pain directly and instead headed out immediately.
"What's the objective this time?"
The monotony of their missions prompted Itachi to ask.
---
"Money."
Jūzō didn't even turn around as he gave the curt reply.
Hearing this, Itachi felt his question had been redundant.
Of course—it's always about money. The Akatsuki's operations revolved around gathering funds.
Since Jūzō had spent the night drinking and hadn't slept, he wasn't in the mood for conversation.
Itachi didn't speak further, quietly focusing on the journey ahead.
---
As night fell, the two ate some rations before Jūzō quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Itachi took the first watch, glancing at Jūzō, who was already snoring. He wondered how Jūzō managed to stay awake until nightfall after walking for hours.
Initially, Itachi assumed Jūzō would collapse from exhaustion after only a few hours of travel. To his surprise, Jūzō endured until night.
This sudden burst of diligence from his usually lazy partner left Itachi feeling slightly unsettled. He wasn't quite sure how to handle this unexpected change in their dynamic.
---
Late into the night, while Jūzō slept like a log, Itachi decided not to wake him.
Instead, he summoned two shadow clones to stand guard. Leaning against a tree, he allowed himself to slip into a light sleep.
The night passed without incident.
When Itachi woke up the next day, the sun was already shining brightly.
Meanwhile, Juzo had prepared a few small animals, placing them neatly on a large leaf. He was focused on carving a wooden figure in his hands.
"You're awake, kid."
Juzo immediately sensed the movement on Itachi's side and spoke gently, almost like saying good morning.
"Uh…"
The sound of Juzo's voice brought Itachi back to full consciousness.
Rubbing his slightly numb legs, Itachi stood up, stretched his arms, and twisted his waist.
"Ugh, living outdoors really gives you a sore back…"
He moved lightly for a while and used some chakra to alleviate the discomfort, then sighed softly.
...
Hearing Itachi's complaint, Juzo rolled his eyes but refrained from responding.
Still, seeing how quickly Itachi regained his energy, Juzo couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
"Being young is great…"
Juzo's sigh was filled with nostalgia and emotion.
"You're doing pretty well yourself. Even at your age, you can drink all night and still walk for a day without rest."
In response to Juzo's comment, Itachi instinctively retorted with a remark that was a complete verbal knockout.
Watching Juzo's suddenly crestfallen face, Itachi found it amusing.
He casually handled the ingredients Juzo had prepared and began grilling them.
Before long, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, instantly uplifting both of their spirits.
...
"Want a drink with that?"
Seeing the meat was ready, Juzo pulled out a jar of wine and asked lightly.
"I'll have a cup."
Itachi, though slightly exasperated by Juzo's newfound love for drinking, recalled that the man's wine was quite good and nodded in agreement.
"Kid, you'll understand once you're older…"
Sensing Itachi's confusion, Juzo added this remark suddenly.
"Oh, when I was just seven years old, I already had female classmates giving me lunch and snacks."
Itachi replied on a whim, not knowing why he said it, in response to Juzo's seemingly random comment.
The harmonious atmosphere instantly turned silent.
Juzo froze for a moment, then looked at Itachi's handsome face and fell into a speechless daze.
After a long while, he downed a glass of wine, saying nothing more.
"Was she pretty?"
Watching Juzo drink gloomily, Itachi took a sip of the wine handed to him.
"She was…"
Juzo replied instinctively, then decided against saying more.
"Don't worry. Even though you're ugly, you've got a great personality. One day, you'll meet someone who appreciates your inner beauty."
By this point, Itachi had realized Juzo was probably nursing a heartbreak, so he spoke gently to comfort him.
"Shut up…"
Itachi's words only made Juzo feel even more dejected.
"I'll have you know, I'm a master of romance theories. Just a tip or two from me, and you'll be able to woo the girl of your dreams."
Juzo's declaration made Itachi roll his eyes, yet he began to speak at length, completely ignoring Juzo's reaction.
"Oh? So how many relationships have you been in?"
Juzo finally showed some interest in the conversation.
"Well… I'm still too young for relationships," Itachi admitted reluctantly.
Juzo's question left Itachi momentarily at a loss for words. He thought back to his past life as a perpetually single man. Even in this life, he hadn't been in a relationship yet.
Still, recalling the countless dating guides he'd read in his previous life, Itachi felt confident, speaking with unwavering certainty.
...
"Pfft."
Juzo immediately lost interest upon hearing Itachi's response and turned his attention back to the grilled meat.
Unbothered by Juzo's dismissiveness, Itachi remained enthusiastic.
As a learned man, how could he be rattled by a little skepticism?
"Can you tell me what happened? Let me analyze it for you," he asked eagerly, ready to showcase his expertise and prove himself a love guru.
"It's none of your business! Eat up—we've got a long road ahead."
Juzo sighed and shot down Itachi's enthusiasm with a grumble.
...
In the end, Juzo never opened up about his troubles.
Thus, Itachi's first attempt at being a relationship coach ended in vain.
Still, Juzo's refusal to overshare helped alleviate some of Itachi's frustrations.
The two resumed their journey, continuing their daily grind.
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