Aruki Dashita – I walked on
"It's cold"
"Here, use this"
"You're jacket? You'll freeze"
"I'm fine, let's get home"
"Ok"
Dark eyes closed in disgust as the couple walked on oblivious to those dark eyes hidden in the shadows. The shadows made possible by the large full moon high in the sky above him. The eyes opened once again as their owner glanced over the town illuminated by the moon below him.
He waited.
He didn't wait long however before he spotted what he was waiting for. There before him was who he was waiting for, his friend, Kana. The young girl smiled sweetly her grey eyes shining in the light.
"You're hiding again, Itachi"
Kana giggled lightly as Itachi simply glared in reply. How was it possible, for this one girl, to understand him so well and how was it that He allowed her through those purposely built walls allowing her to see a side no one else had. Not in a long time.
"Why shouldn't I?"
Itachi replied after a moment causing the girl to look up at him still smiling. She wasn't afraid like the others, afraid of the emotionless male. The weapon that he'd become, a weapon for his father and his country. Konoha.
"We'll I can't see your face if you hide away, so that means no other pretty girl could, and you know what that means?"
"No Kana, enlighten me"
Kana smiled at the words grabbing Itachi's arm pulling him out into the light of the moon before heading a step of two away to spin a few times in the clearing. So carefree and happy.
"How will that one girl ever find you if you hide. Don't start, believe"
Itachi closed his mouth his protest dying on his tongue. There really was no hope arguing with the steel blue haired girl, she always seemed to win. Itachi simply sighted and looked up at the sky.
"What is there for me to believe in, there isn't anything?"
This time it was Itachi that cut Kana off smirking lightly in the process. Kana shook her head crossing her arms looking away as if Itachi's words had actually hurt. It only lasted a moment before she giggled one again laying on the ground looking up.
"Just look at the stars Itachi, How can you not believe in things with magic right in front of your face"
"Magic?"
Kana laughed again and nodded pointing up and the sky. Itachi sighed lying down as well in an attempt to understand what she was on about but all he could see was millions of little white dots scattered across a midnight plain.
"They look like diamonds, hung from the sky, shining for only us to see, tiny little crystals floating in nothingness yet staying perfectly still, there's the magic."
"Kana?"
"I know, gravity"
Kana laughed again before sighing lifting her head onto Itachi's chest something else no one would do for fear of being mauled. The girl's eyes slowly closed as her mind wondered to the stars floating there above them. Itachi looked up again a small smile coming to his face.
"I'm leaving Konoha"
Itachi sighed slightly looking at the now older Kana, even if it was only 2 years. She'd defiantly matured slightly in the time period, matured physically that is. The girl quickly returned to normal practically knocking Itachi off his feet as she wrapped her arms around his neck crying silently into his chest.
"I'm going to miss you"
"Where are you going?"
Kana lent back slightly wiping her eyes quickly before smiling. Even with the smile it was obvious how much Kana wanted to stay her eyes screamed it and easily conveyed how sad she was to have to leave.
"I'm going back home, back to Taki"
"You have to"
Kana simply nodded before once again launching herself at Itachi crying once again. The male sighed slightly wrapping his arms around the girl in reply resting his head against hers closing his eyes.
"Kana, remember that night, in the clearing."
Kana simply nodded in reply sniffling slightly before crying again. Itachi waited patiently, surprisingly, for the girl to calm back down before he even started to think of what to say.
"Just remember that back home, when you look at the sky and see the stars, remember, only we can see them"
"Our stars?"
"Yes, stars that only we can see, we'll see the same stars so we'll still be together, and you can come visit and so can I"
Kana nodded leaning back again wiping her eyes and smiling, this time a proper Kana smile one that made her whole face light up slightly. After a short wave Kana slowly walked away back to her waiting father to leave heading back to Taki.
Itachi drifted around the village walking slowly thinking over the 6 years he'd spent with Kana, it almost felt like longer than that, but obviously it wasn't. She'd stated that she was only in Konoha for 6 years and both parties had decided to never get to close, so that leaving would be easier.
If only.
Itachi stopped ignoring the people moving around him. It was all the same now. People coming and going, living their lives, just like he would. The one things that was different. There was no colour, Kana had taken all the colour with here, now he was stuck In a monochrome world.
Itachi sighed letting his head drop as Kana's words reached his ears. 'I'll miss you' and the white Lily sitting just as his feet did nothing to make it any better. It all made sense that those words, everything, why Kana had such an influence on him and why she would miss him, everything made sense.
Itachi knelt down and carefully picked up Kana's favourite flower off the ground standing again looking down at the petals before walking on. This didn't change anything, he was a shinobi and Kana's leaving wouldn't change a thing, he was emotionless, a weapon, end of conversation.
"You ready Itachi"
Itachi simply nodded to his companion eyes focused on the waterfall before him and the blue skinned male beside him. Oh how things had changed in those 10 years, so many things had changed. Except Itachi.
"Now, Kisame"
The male muttered as the shark like male nodded disappearing through the wall of water. Itachi waited staring at the water until he heard Kisame's voice and followed him through the water seeing the 'secret' pathway into Taki open and clearly visible.
"Turns out our source was right"
Kisame muttered as Itachi walked past silently looking into the village unsure of what to even expect from the new location. After a quick look around seeing no security at all Itachi continued on Kisame walking with him both keeping their eyes out.
There was something about Taki that always stopped Itachi coming to find the village but he couldn't remember what it was. He was simply on a mission for Akatsuki now, a mission to find one of the tailed beasts and bring it back to the lair to have it extracted making one less creature to capture in Leader's plan.
"Halt"
Both males stopped and turned to face the voice seeing one male standing proudly before them with two others almost cowering behind him eyes locked on Itachi and Kisame.
"I know those robes you wear, what business does Akatsuki have here?"
"We believe that there is a tailed beast here"
Kisame responded making the two behind the male jumped and step back a little further. Itachi smirked at this and kept his eyes on the two while Kisame conversed with the male before them.
"I know of no such thing"
"And you would?"
"Kisame enough, let's go"
Itachi mummered turning and walking away from the others slowly still trying to remember what could stop him from wanting to enter this village years ago. Then it hit him, as quickly as a bullet from a gun. There before him was a garden of Lilies each flower whiter than the one next to it.
'I'll miss you'
Itachi sighed slightly and shook his head walking past the flowers after his little pause of remembrance finally knowing why he had decided against coming to Taki. First thing to do however was the mission, they could resort to friendly visits later and preferably while Kisame wasn't around.
"You alright?"
Kisame asked after a moment glancing up at the Uchiha who continued on silently as if he hadn't been spoken to at all, a clear indication that he wanted to verge away from the subject as fast as possible.
Itachi sighed walking back through the village. The extraction had gone well and still the village remained oblivious to the fact it had even happened in their back yard. Now it was time for that friendly visit Itachi had been putting off for years.
He headed back towards the Lily garden looking at them a little longer until a villager got curious and stepped forward looking wearily at Itachi as the male turned his attention from the flowers to the person. Both stood I silence a moment before Itachi straightened.
"Who lives here?"
"Kizu Kana"
The villager replied instantly glancing at the house a moment. Itachi nodded and turned back to flowers for a second before turning his attention to the house slowly walking towards it.
"Ah... Sir"
"What?"
"Kana's... not home"
Itachi turned back around now glaring at the villager for this sudden information. This certainly wasn't what he wanted to hear right now. He wanted this visit over and done with, He was just making sure she was doing ok, just promising the visit he had promised her years ago.
"Where is she?"
Itachi replied forcing himself from the safety of his head to the real world where he was facing the same issues as his head. The villager who had appeared gutsy enough at first now proved himself to be nothing more than a sheep in wolf's clothing.
"She spotted someone she knew a few weeks ago and tried to get out to see them, on the way she tripped and fell off the top of the waterfall."
One village stepped forward eyes locked on Itachi's not as cowardly as his fellow villagers. He held Itachi's gaze silently as the small crowd that had formed begun to chatter lightly probably about the villager's bravery.
"I'm Hatori, I found her body"
Itachi gasped slightly at this holding his breath for as long as it was comfortable before he exhaled. He lowered his gaze seeing another Lily sitting at his feet just as it had back in Konoha the day she'd left the village. He sighed and carefully knelt down picking up the flower before looking back to the villager.
"Give this to her"
He muttered closing his eyes to nod towards the flowed. Once again both males stayed motionless a moment before Itachi walked forward dropping to flower into Hatori's hand without even stopping.
"Who should I say it's from?"
Hatori called over his shoulder turning back to face Itachi who stopped without turning back around. Silence came between them again while Itachi thought to himself before looking back over his shoulder at the male.
"Itachi"
"You're Itachi, Thank you"
Hatori bowed slightly before straightening and smiling at Itachi who had now turned back a questioning glare on his face. After a moment Itachi went to turn but Hatori stopped him once again.
"I mean it, thank you"
"For what?"
Itachi spat now annoyed at the male for pestering him like this. He had a mission to get back to and a life to live away from all this niceties that only Kana showed him. Hatori waited for Itachi to return to the real world and to calm down slightly before he replied.
"I'm Kana's brother, thank you for making her happy"
Itachi froze once again before nodding and turning to leave collecting Kisame on the way. The sooner he was away from the village the better.
I convinced myself once that If I lost it, there would be nothing to fear, and I walked on, now, I realise it was not it I would fear losing, but her... and now, time goes on....
A/N: Such a sweet one. Hope you liked it
R&R
-Lelle