Age: 15

Itachi was thankful for his friends, he had an entire day off for today but if his parents had known they'd have made him train on his own. However, his two childhood friends covered for him saying there in fact was work and quickly ushered him off before his parents could investigate any further.

He enjoyed his studies and usually Shisui would've actually come over today to train with Itachi, but today was special not just because work was canceled-but it was his other friend Chiharu's birthday. She'd never admit it, but Itachi liked to think she had the same natural talent as he and Shisui but never really got to show it being underestimated for being sickly and quiet.

She lived with one of Shisui's aunts and his two younger cousins. Chiharu was a year behind Itachi in everything having started late in her training due to her parents. There were no birthday celebrations prepared for her and so Shisui and Itachi just wanted to spend the day with her. They found a secluded area to play, though admittedly the play turned into skill competitions. So despite stealing Itachi away from training, he was training anyways. Though training with friends in a playfully competitive environment was greatly appreciated. They'd taken a break from practicing ninjutsu to play tag.

So far neither of the two boys could catch the fleet footed girl and so teamed up together to chase after her. She was fast sprinting through the open field they were playing in. She was smart running way from the forest knowing it'd give the two boys an advantage in chasing her in the dense trees, Chiharu was faster but only on open ground.

Chiharu laughed as she ran ahead of the two boys throwing herself down and rolling down the large hillside they were on to roll to a stop in the middle of the field of flowers at the base. The boys looked down to see her laughing madly her hair splayed out around her and her arms and legs spread wide, "C'mon what are you waiting for!" she laughed up to them and they followed rolling to stop on either side of her in the flowers.

She turned to look left to Shisui and then right at Itachi through the wall of flowers that stood between them. Her smile was radiant and contagious causing both of them to break out in wide grins. Shisui glanced over to Itachi and the way he looked at Chiharu, Shisui wasn't even sure if either of them were aware of how they felt-maybe Itachi but he pushed aside the feelings for the sake of their friendship and his duties. Chiharu most likely didn't notice because she loved everyone she ever met as if they were a long lost member of her family.

Shisui got to his feet a quick plan springing to mind, "Well-uh I have to be going now." And with that awkwardly departed leaving Chiharu and Itachi lying in the flowers together. She turned her head to look at him, her hand reaching out to find his. She managed to find his hand and she let her hand lay next to his, their fingers brushing.

He looked at her, the white flowers making it appear as though she was glowing brightly. Her cheeks were flushed from happiness and laughing as she stared at him, he could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily from running around trying to catch her breath and realised he was trying to catch his breath as well.

"Itachi, you know why my name's Chiharu?" she asked him suddenly that smile still playing on her lips, it was like her to suddenly bring up something random to start a conversation.

"No." He answered her sincerely his dark eyes staring into hers that were like the darkest pools he'd ever seen. Her eyes were one of the prettiest things about her, she may be one of his closest friends and like family but it didn't stop him from noticing how attractive she was becoming.

"My father was worried because I was sickly, so he thought if he named me for a thousand spring times I'd live long enough to see a thousand spring times." She answered him and stared up at the sky smiling, "I hope I can make his dream come true, but my dream is to spend all of those springs with people I love. My friends, my family…" she trailed off sighing and allowing her eyes to flutter shut. There was a long moment of silence between the two of them.

"Hey Itachi?" she asked him rolling on her side to face him her eyes slowly opening, "Do you think there'll come a time where the Uchiha clan interacts more with the village? Maybe we could form an alliance and bring peace everywhere. It's so nice and peaceful here in the village… but why can't the world be like this?" She asked him with her soft voice that took on a dreamy quality.

He smiled softly at her, she was every bit the same as Shisui and himself when it came to her ideals. All she wanted was peace, "I can't say, it's so easy to say that conflicts could have ended peacefully when we look back on them. And that's why, because we are looking back and we can see where we went wrong. But we can't always see where a decision will take us, especially in terms of combat and warfare, we go with what we think is right and hold to it. That the decision is right even if the decision had drastic consequences." He answered her taking her question as serious rather than just playfully expressing her wishes.

Chiharu smiled, "Itachi that's not what I meant." She playfully teased knowing he thought she was serious with her question and not just being wishful. Her free hand reached forward gently tapping his nose gently, "That's what I like about you you're too smart for your own good."

He snorted through his nose at the comment "What did you want to hear?" he asked her.

"That the world could be at peace." Chiharu answered looking to the sky, the bright blue reflected back into her eyes as she stare at the clouds overhead, "But I feel bad for whoever it is that has to make the world peaceful." She murmured after a long minute of peaceful silence between the two of them.

"Why is that, wouldn't you be happy that they made it peaceful?" Itachi asked her, though he supposed he already knew the answer.

Chiharu's eyes closed, "Because the people who make the huge influences on this world always have to give up the most because they are the only ones who will give up on important things. And whoever this peacemaker is… they must be a gentle sort of person who will be forced to do very bad things." She answered mumbling to herself.

"I hope you're not saying you're going to be this peacemaker." Itachi answered her both playfully but also worriedly, though during missions she always did what she had to do she wasn't naturally inclined to hurting people. She could kill, he'd seen her do it, but it always weighed heavily on her conscious; she never moved on, always carrying those people with her like baggage everywhere she went. It would be like her to become a peacemaker. He never said it to her face but he thought it was the best for her to be sickly, it kept her out of the field-it kept her from killing, it kept her mind sane.

Chiharu's eyes snapped open and glanced over at him, "It can't be me, I get too squeamish when it comes to violence. I don't like to hurt people and the people I know I don't want to give up." Itachi moved his hand closer to hers in the grass, linking their fingers together, Chiharu gently squeezing back.

He opened his mouth not quite sure what it was he was going to say when suddenly a dark shadow loomed over the two of them, "Itachi!" Sasuke yelled as he threw himself at his brother. Itachi let his brother land on him and catch him in a huge embrace, "I'm back from school!" Sasuke explained as Chiharu sat up giggling at the sight.

Itachi couldn't help but feel as though the moment was spoiled but smiled at the sight of his little brother who was the most important person in his life.