Waning Moonlight

Itachi stared at the red and orange sky in front of him.

It was evening, the sun just setting as the birds returned home. Everyone was busy getting ready for the night time but even so, Konoha was quiet, eerily quiet.

Night was threatening to close in as the orange merged to red and the hues turned to light purple faraway on the opposite horizon. The orange glow was cast on every object in the path of light, making them appear surreal.

The sun was a deep red, almost as if it knew what was going to happen.

Itachi was sitting on the edge of his bed, his view on the other side of the open screen door. He sat and watched, his eyes only blinking when needed to. He wanted to remember every noise, every scene, everything he could right now. Especially about this evening.

There was no noise, there was no movement, there were no thoughts.

It was peace; Itachi hadn't felt that in a while. A long while.

He had been in the same position for some time now, the cool breeze from outside fanning his warm skin. Itachi's eyes closed momentarily, taking in the fresh scent of the summer air. His ears became sharper as he heard noises beyond the walls of the compound.

Nothing.

It was pure silence and Itachi savored every moment of it, because it would be the last time he would get to feel it. It was bliss and he knew he would never get to feel that either.

And then his ears picked up a slight distraction. Footsteps. Only one pair. And they were approaching closer and closer. Itachi didn't make any movement; his eyes only opened up. He knew those soft, calm, composed footsteps.

They were his mother's.

Itachi didn't change his aloof expression. He didn't do anything other than anticipate his mother to come in through the door. His mind fell into chaos suddenly when the footsteps stopped.

Itachi sighed and then the screen-door slid open. She entered and slid it closed again.

Itachi blinked, heard the footsteps shuffle again and he felt his mother sitting next to him. From the corner of his cold gray onyx eyes, Itachi could see that she had just finished her chores. She seemed exhausted but that was well masked. Only her eyes would show her real emotions. Only her eyes.

But they'd be closed when it'd happen. And he wouldn't know what she was thinking.

"Itachi-kun…." His mother said. Her calm soft voice broke his almost trance-like state. Almost.

He didn't make any movement, other than look properly at her face. She really looked tired now and her face held a concerned expression. She opened herself to him for the time being. Itachi made no change in his emotions and neither did his façade change.

He was trained to be that way.

"Yes mother," Itachi replied after a second's gap. His voice was thick with the blankness the ANBU were made to use. Nonetheless, his mother recognized the fact that emotion was hidden in it. She couldn't make out which one. Either way, she just smiled. And hoped that he would open up more.

Because right now, he looked more troubled than ever.

But still, she continued smiling. Like always.

"If you need anything, Itachi-kun, I'll always be here for you…" she said, referring to the current situation and to the other mother-to-child moments they'd share later on. And then, unexpectedly, she reached up to Itachi's hair, and then ruffled it, almost as if she missed doing it. Itachi grew up too fast, and he'd never had time for family. And the moments he had had, there was little interaction.

She'd made those little interactions count at least, Itachi thought.

"Has Sasuke returned from the academy?" Itachi asked, the coldness still in place. He never liked his position in the Shinobi. He always had to keep the façade up, no matter where.

"No, he hasn't. You wanted to see him?" she answered. Oh, he didn't want to do it. He couldn't do it. Her concerned face… it was too much.

"No, mother," Itachi replied and turned his face away, now looking outside. He didn't want to see it, he didn't want to face it, he didn't want to know what she'd think; it was too much for one boy alone.

It was night now. The sky was speckled with stars and the one lone moon sat on its throne in the sky. It was too bright, again, almost as if it knew what was to occur. There was still no noise, no bird, no crickets, no buzz from the people, no nothing. It was starting to crawl into his flesh, into the very being of his soul. The fact that'd he'd never get peace.

Itachi didn't like it, but nobody never cared what he liked or didn't. That was the reason why it was going to happen in the first place. And Itachi was only hopeful that Sasuke wouldn't be there. He wouldn't have to explain him much. Sasuke was still young. Still so immature and untainted by the realities of the world. He'd know later; he'd know them when he was much more wise.

"Are you hungry, Itachi-kun? Dinner is done…" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts.

So calm, so peaceful. Itachi would miss this. He didn't answer her. He couldn't. He didn't want to. He was afraid that he'd tell her something entirely different. He just lowered his head and stared at the floor. His mother didn't say anything more. The bed groaned as she got up. She seemed to have paused before leaving; it was taking her a lot of time to leave, Itachi thought. The screen slid closed finally and Itachi let a quiet breath out he didn't know he was holding.

Silently, he got up from his bed and went to his drawer. Itachi looked into his mirror. He stared at the man opposite of him.

Itachi looked so frail, his eyes betraying so many thoughts. The Sharingan wasn't swirling in his eyes anymore. He stared at the coal black eyes, staring right back at him. He looked so pitiful.

A hand raised up to touch the reflection in the mirror.

It was real alright.

And he alone was to blame for the sin. He lowered his head and hoped.

To him, hope was now a very big word.

Itachi only hoped that Sasuke would forgive him when he'd know the truth, he only hoped that his dear little brother would understand.

He only hoped that all he did for Sasuke wouldn't be in vain.

Because it was costing him his sanity to do so.

All credit goes Kitsu3 for the beta-work she's done for poor ol' us.

A big huggie from me.