Seek wisdom through the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child. - Ron Wild
I recommend listening to Sasori's theme extended version while reading this. By the way Michiko means "Beautiful wisdom child" and Kami-sama means god or deity.
Once while I was still a part of Konoha I had a mission to assist a small village in the Land of Snow. They were being terrorized by missing-nin and bandits, but by the time my team got there it was already too late.
As we arrived the village was already burned and the fire was starting to go out. Dead bodies littered the ground, the once pure snow now tainted by the blood of the innocent. As I looked at my fellow ANBU we didn't need words to communicate we knew we still needed to search even though it was unlikely there were any survivors.
As I searched multiple homes I started drifting to the edge of the village. As I kept walking I saw a small home relatively unscathed, I put my hand on my kunai pouch ready to pull out my weapons at a moments notice.
As I entered I could see it wasn't as unscathed as I first thought, a few of the shoji doors were torn. As I entered the main living space I saw a couple in traditional clothes holding hands dead on the floor. The woman he noticed had deep black hair with a red tint and her golden eyes were fogged over in death, while her husband and had dark blonde hair and dark forest green eyes dull from the hands of death. They both were stabbed in the heart, a strange thing I noticed was they both had a smile on their faces. I could do nothing for them so I continued on.
As I proceeded to the backyard I expected to see no one there but to my surprise I saw the back of a little girl sitting on a stone bench who looked about 8 years old in a white kimono decorated with red roses with a dark green obi. From what I could see she had blonde hair in a messy bun only a few shades lighter then the man insides. I purposely allowed my boot to crunch on the snow to alert her of my presence and to not scare her. She simply turned her head slightly to acknowledge me, she had a light smile on her face. I could now tell her eyes were a brighter gold then the women insides, they must be her parents.
"Hello shinobi-san I think you are a bit late, the bandits and missing-nin already left." Her voice was soft and surprisingly light considering what just happened. "Could you please come sit here with me, it would make me very happy."
As I walked towards her I started to notice the blood in front of her. When I finally sat besides her I saw a deep stab wound on her stomach that was bleeding steadily onto the ground, with the amount of blood loss I can not save her and it seems she knows it too.
"Did you know shinobi-san that I prayed to the Kami-sama to give me a companion in my last moments, it seems they answered my prayers. They gave me the strength to sit and wait." She stopped talking and lifted her head slightly to the snowing sky.
"Shinobi-san would you tell me your name and take off your mask so that I may see the face of my last companion."
I decided to oblige her wish because she would be dead soon. As I took off my mask she turned her head to me and looked up at me and straight into my eyes. "My name is Itachi Uchiha." Her only reaction was to continue to smile.
"You have beautiful eyes though they are filled with grief. You are too young to have those eyes as I am too young to die here on this day." She continued to search my eyes until her smile dimmed.
"You will have a sad future filled with grief and self loathing. Itachi-kun,just know that you will have a happy departure with the one you truly care about by your side even though that person will not know it until later. You will die young knowing that your burden will be lifted."
I could tell my face looked shocked, she beckoned me closer and I leaned forward. She closed her eyes and kissed me on the forehead.
"My name is Michiko, live now for you won't be happy again for a very long time." Michiko how fitting.
She then slumped forward onto me and took her last breath with a smile on her face.
She was the only one that I buried in the entire village.
I took her words to heart and I'm glad that I did.
Now as I die with Sasuke killing me I am truly happy again. As I drift off into my eternal sleep I hear Michiko's voice again.
"You will die young knowing that your burden will be lifted."
It seems she was right, and I wish I could have thanked her.