Qingchuan was momentarily stunned.
Truth be told, the drunkard hadn't frightened him, but Itachi's sudden appearance certainly did!
Had his sensory abilities deteriorated?
Impossible!
Frowning, Qingchuan immediately began self-reflection. Could wearing female guise for too long have brought retribution? Unlikely.
Upon careful consideration, he realized the crux of the problem. Every passerby had been stealing glances at him during his walk, some even lingering for prolonged periods. This undoubtedly increased the difficulty of spiritual perception, allowing Itachi to trail him undetected.
Wait... This realization struck him like lightning. That guy... was actually following him?!
"I'm fine, Itachi...kun." Qingchuan forced composure into his voice. "But why are you here?"
The questioned Itachi immediately flushed crimson, scratching his head awkwardly with evasive eyes. "I... just happened to be passing by."
The clumsy lie hung transparent in the air. Qingchuan's raised eyebrow signaled comprehension, yet his expression gradually twisted with complicated emotions.
Damn. This might have escalated beyond expectations. After a month of interactions, who could've predicted such developments? Beneath his shame, Qingchuan detected unsettling self-reproach. What had he unleashed?
"Disperse! Nothing to see here!" barked green-vested ninja bearing Konoha's red leaf insignia on their sleeves - members of the Military Police Force. Leading them was Itachi's father, Uchiha Fugaku.
The Uchiha clan's response time proved exceptional as always. Within three minutes of the disturbance, security forces had arrived. Fugaku's approving glance swept over his son and the subdued drunkard before addressing the crowd. Most spectators had already scattered, leaving only a few bold souls whispering unflattering comments - familiar background noise that neither Fugaku nor his clansmen acknowledged.
The patriarch's gaze then settled on the girl wearing Uchiha crest-adorned garments. Her poised demeanor and refined appearance made favorable first impressions. Yet Fugaku's eyebrows twitched at noticing his son's unusually concerned expression towards this maiden.
"Secure the drunkard," Fugaku commanded. "Itachi, escort your friend back to the compound, then report to headquarters for incident documentation."
"Yes, Father!" Itachi responded with poorly concealed eagerness.
Thus concluded the drunken farce through Konoha's efficient handling. As Qingchuan walked beside Itachi towards Uchiha territory, his successful debut performance brought no tranquility.
Itachi's behavior had genuinely unnerved him. What began as tactical cross-dressing to lower enemy vigilance had spiraled into unforeseen complications. Knowing the Uchiha clan's temperament all too well, Qingchuan shuddered imagining the consequences if his true gender surfaced prematurely. Would emotionally devastated Itachi awaken Mangekyō Sharingan then? The possibility felt disturbingly plausible.
Two choices remained:
Reveal his identity before Itachi's attachment to "Haruko" deepened, neutralizing emotional impact. As fellow Uchiha, his safety should be guaranteed.
Commit fully to this charade.
Bidding farewell to public baths.
Avoiding rainy-day training.
Never venturing out before morning... physiological phenomena subsided.
Executing bathroom routines with ninja-like speed after triple-checking privacy.
Maintaining impeccable disguise until achieving Bankai mastery.
"Yosh! This settles it!" Qingchuan resolved.
As they walked in silence, Itachi's pocketed hand clutched a note listing every purchase "Haruko" had made in Uchiha territory that day. So... Haruko preferred spicy food.