One: Pure Love

It was Itachi's first day at the academy, and he didn't quite know how to feel. On one hand, he was excited to finally be old enough to start. His parents were proud of him. On the other... He didn't know if he wanted to follow this path, didn't know if he would be any good. He was scared he would mess up. Then again, he was scared to be too good... In short, it was overwhelming.

He kept his head down as he took a seat towards the back of the classroom. He didn't want to stand out, sitting in the front. That was for overachievers, which he wasn't. He thought about the look that had been on his father's face when he'd been dropped off outside. He'd been beaming with pride for his oldest son. Itachi sighed a little, thinking of those eyes on his back. Always on his back.

Then Itachi's eyes were drawn to the door. Class would begin soon, but there were still some students arriving. One came in just as he glanced at the door, and in his curiosity he couldn't help but stare.

She kept her head down, and her long black hair fell over her face. She carried her books close to her, like they were a shield but also as though she were shielding them. She, too, took a seat in the back, all the way across the room from Itachi. When she sat down quietly, and set the books down in front of her, she looked up, almost suddenly, right at Itachi.

Who knows how long they would have been frozen like that, eye to eye, if the instructor hadn't announced the start of class. They both had to turn away and pay attention. But even while looking at the teacher, her face haunted his vision... Her face, and her deep, dark eyes. So sad, so wise for one so young. So like his own. He couldn't help but wonder...

Class was dismissed temporarily for lunch. Itachi stepped out behind the crowd, searching for his own lunch in his bag even while his eyes scanned the yard for the girl. He spotted her sitting alone in the shadow of a tree, watching the other children. None of them seemed to notice her. Come to think of it, no one had paid her any mind at all... Except for him. Quietly, Itachi made his way across the yard to where she sat. She looked up as he sat down.

"Do you mind?" He asked, gently.

She smiled slightly. Even that was almost sad. "No." She said.

He started eating his onigri. She only had a little bit of bread. Itachi swallowed the bit he'd been eating, then broke off part of what was left and offered it to her.

She looked at it, her eyes glancing from the onigri to Itachi's eyes then back. He smiled. "Here, take it. My mom made it for me. It's really good."

"Thank you." She said.

That was it. They sat in silence for the rest of lunch, neither one sure what they should say or do next. Itachi was about to say something, but they were called in by the bell before he got the chance.

As he sat down in the classroom, he glanced over to her, and this time they shared a smile.

...

After class, Itachi was about to walk home when he saw she was headed in the same direction. "Hey!" He said, running to catch her.

She stopped, and turned to him. She smiled again when she saw it was him. "Oh."

He grinned. "Mind if I walk with you for a while? I don't know where you live..."

"You don't even know my name." She pointed out.

"No." He agreed, laughing. "Mine's Itachi Uchiha. What's yours?"

She paused. "Mi... Minori. Minori Uchiha."

Itachi's smile faded as he wondered why she seemed so scared. "What's wrong, Mi?"

She shook her head. "Walk with me."

He did, and they were silent for a long time, until there was no one else around. Then Minori spoke up again. "Sorry. I... I wish I could tell you, but I can't."

"I'd never hurt you Mi." Itachi said, and as he did, he realized it was the truth.

She smiled. "I know. That's why I'll tell you... someday." She said, looking up at the sky.

Itachi smiled. "I can wait."

Soon they came to an old, lonely building. "Here's my stop." Minori said, quietly, opening the rusty gate. Itachi shot the building a questioning glance. "I didn't know anyone lived there..."

"I do." She said. "See you." She ran along the dusty path, opened the door, and vanished into the darkness.

Itachi stared after her for quite a while. Wondering. Why didn't she live in the Uchiha district, like all the others? What was she so afraid of?

"See you." Itachi said, letting go of the rusty bars.

…

The next day, and for several days after that, it was much the same. They avoided each other mostly in the day, except sometimes at lunch, and would walk together. They would mostly talk when they were away from everyone else.

"Tachi-kun?" She asked one day, as they were walking home, just outside the old gate.

"What is it Mi-mi-chan?"

"I... I want to tell you something." They both stopped and stood still.

"What is it?"

"You're a really nice person."

Itachi smiled. "So are you."

"You're smart, too... You have the best grades in our class."

"So?" Itachi asked. "You're not bad yourself, are you?"

"I could be better. I mess up on purpose."

Itachi wrinkled his brow. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't... I don't want attention."

Itachi looked at her. "Why not?"

"Don't you understand?" She asked. "Don't you feel their eyes on you?"

Itachi frowned. "...Yeah. I know." He felt the same way. But he didn't want her to know that.

She opened the gate, then stopped and smiled at him sadly. "I'm glad I met you. I like you a lot, you know that?"

Itachi felt his cheeks grow warm as he smiled shyly. "I... I like you a lot, too, Mi-mi."

"I'm glad we got to be friends."

She turned away and walked up to the house silently. Itachi stood there, staring after her longer than usual. Wondering. What was this feeling?

He felt happy, yes, but there was something on the edge of it... Something dark and frightening. While her words had reassured him, there was something final about them, too.

Reluctantly, he let go of the rusty gate, and headed home as usual.

...

The next day at the academy, her seat was empty. Itachi couldn't stop glancing to it, because it's emptiness left an emptiness inside him... And fear.

He ate alone at lunch.

After school, he ran down the road until he came to Minori's house. Standing at the gate, he threw down his bag and grabbed the bars of the rusty gate. "Mi! Minori! Can you hear me?" He shouted. There was no response, but the frantic beating of his own heart. "Miiii-chan?"

He finally gave up, and kicked the gate open. Hopefully her parents would understand. He ran up the path and started pounding on the door. "Hello?"

Then the door gave slightly, and slid open a crack. "Hello?" He asked, barely a whisper, now.

No response. Itachi bit his lip, and pushed the door open with his hands. It was dark inside. He slipped off his shoes and stepped in. To his surprise, there was dust all over the floor. Weird. He felt a deep dread descend on him.

As he walked through the house, he saw no signs of life inside at all. It was like it had been abandoned for years. "Mi-chan?" He pleaded, quietly. "Mi-mi? Minori?"

There was no response.

He finally had to head home and pretend like nothing was wrong. At school, he checked the records, not trusting to ask the instructor, but there was nothing about a Minori Uchiha having ever attended the academy. Like she had never existed. But she had. She had to.

After that, Itachi saw no point in classes. He had no passion for them. He never had. But he couldn't let his father down... He graduated within the year, a truly gifted individual. Like he had to be. For his father, for Sasuke. For Mi-chan, wherever she was. He had to find her... The sooner he graduated through the ranks, the sooner he could dedicate himself to that. The sooner they could be together.

So Itachi thought.