Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy! (:
...
Sasuke was still on his journey. Now a 32 year old husband who had a daughter of his own. He rarely saw them or anyone in the village for that matter. He still had business to attend to. He was headed to the Land of Lightning and made a stop before he got there. The Hidden Frost Village was a small place that was still set in the old ways when it came to technology. It was something he felt grateful for. He stopped at a tea shop to rest.
"Welcome! My, we don't get many people out here," an old woman said, smiling. Sasuke sat down at the table and sighed. Had he been that tired? The old woman poured him some green tea. Being so far north, it was always cold. Right now, it was snowing.
"Thank you," he said.
"What would you like?" she asked, taking out a notebook to take his order. Sasuke looked at the menu on the wall furthest to the right silently before he replied.
"Some rice balls with bonito flake filling, please," Sasuke said. The old woman smiled and went to the kitchen in the back. Sasuke looked around. It looked old but clean. He noted the wood furniture. He closed his eyes and smelled the snow, the outside, and the wood from inside along with the smell of his food coming from the kitchen.
"With all the modern technology coming out, people don't even sit on these old chairs anymore. Those shiny new tea houses are going to put us out of business," the old woman said coming back with Sasuke's food.
"I doubt it. There are many people who love seeing towns the way they used to be," Sasuke replied. The woman's eyes were shining brightly.
"If you say so, let me know if you need anything else," she grinned, walking back to the kitchen. Sasuke bit a rice ball and savored the flavor.
"Granny! I brought you the stuff you wanted!" a girl shouted, walking in. She was carrying a large woven basket. When she turned to look at him, Sasuke's heart froze.
"Oh, there you are, Aiko, thank you! You know us old people don't have the strength you young ones do," the old woman said, patting the girl's shoulder.
"Wait right here, I'll bring in the rest," Aiko said, running back out into the snow.
"Who is that girl?" Sasuke asked. His breathing was heavy and confused.
"Oh, Aiko? She's just a girl that lives around here. She's an orphan," the old woman said.
"She doesn't have any parents?" Sasuke asked.
"Well, no. When her mother was still alive, there was no sign of the father. Then, her mother died giving birth to her. It's such a tragic story but Aiko doesn't seem bothered by it. She's such a peppy upbeat girl. Being such a small knit town, we all decided to get her a little hut to live in when she was old enough and have loved her ever since," the old woman said.
"Here's the other basket," Aiko said, returning with another large woven basket. She placed it down next to the other one.
"Thank you Aiko, you're such a big help, please, sit down and I'll pour you some tea," the old woman said, walking away to the kitchen. Aiko nodded and sat at the table closest to her. That's when she noticed him. She looked up and saw a man she had never seen before. Yet. There was something about him that looked familiar in a strange way.
"Hello there," Sasuke greeted.
"Hello," she replied, bowing her head slightly. The old woman came back with her green tea and some tri-colored dango.
"Thank you, granny!" Aiko said. She looked down at her dango and clapped her hands together, "Itadakimasu," she said and took a bite. Sasuke noted that she was eating the exact same thing that…no, it couldn't be. But then, why did this young girl look so much like…an Uchiha. The more he looked at her, the more he couldn't keep his thoughts off her appearance. When he looked at her, she kind of resembled his mother, but her eyes and her face. There was no doubt about it. It was like a female twin of Itachi. Who was this girl?
"Excuse me? Why are you staring at me? It's creeping me out," Aiko said. She was looking at him. Sasuke put his hand behind his head-such a Naruto thing to do-and just smiled at her.
"You look just like my daughter, if she was your age," Sasuke blurted. She looked at him curiously.
"You have a daughter?" she asked. Sasuke nodded. She looked sad.
"Then why aren't you with her? She probably wants to see you," Aiko said, staring down at her dango. Sasuke couldn't say anything.
"Now, now, Aiko, don't be rude to our guests," the old woman said returning to fill Sasuke's tea cup.
"It's alright. Actually, I'd like to ask a favor," Sasuke said. The old woman and Aiko just looked at him, curious. He looked at Aiko.
"What is it?" she asked, warily.
"Would you come to the hospital with me?" Sasuke asked. Both Aiko and the woman were completely confused.
"Why would I go there?" Aiko asked.
"Because I want to see something for myself," Sasuke said. Aiko just stared at him.
"What makes you think that I would want to go anywhere with a strange old guy?" Aiko asked, getting upset. Ignoring the old comment, Sasuke pressed on.
"Because you felt it too, when you saw me, didn't you?" Sasuke asked. Aiko stayed quiet.
"What do you plan on doing with our little Aiko?" the old woman asked defensively. Sasuke just held his hands up.
"Just a small DNA test, that's all," Sasuke said, "You can even go with us," he added, nodding at the old woman. The two girls stayed quiet.
"Why would I want that…" Aiko said, "I don't have any family," she added. Sasuke stood up, startling the two girls.
"Would you just come?" he asked. This was very unlike him. He was in the middle of a mission but the girl's appearance was haunting him and his heart wouldn't settle down.
"Well I guess there's no harm," the old woman said. She looked at Aiko who just sat there, unsure of herself.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt…" Aiko said slowly.
"The nearest hospital is fifty miles to the north, it's going to take a little while to get there," the old woman said. Sasuke knew it to be true. This old hag would slow them down a lot, but still, the tugging at his heart wouldn't stop.
"That's fine. Let's go," Sasuke said, walking out the door.
…..
I hope that wasn't too long of a chapter. Please let me know what you think! Thank you for reading! (: