CHAPTER THREE

ENCOUNTERS

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Sadao sends Suzumi into town the next day to run errands. But she knows it's to add more effect to her punishment. With every food stand she passed, her stomach growled uncontrollably, and it reminded her that she had several hours before she'd even be able to touch food again. And it made her feel irritable. If didn't help that she decided to bring Sayuri along.

They weren't allowed to leave the compound often, so she decided to let the younger tag along to enjoy a day in town.

But she was starting to regret it because her sister kept running off. Not only was it uncharacteristic of a Sadachi to act in such a manner, it waas simply annoying.

Suzumi ignores the angry jolt her stomach does when she glances at a ramen stand while searching for her sister. Her hunger and the scorching sun beating down on her made her feel weak and fatigued. She wanted to find her sister as quickly as possible and leave. She'd finish the errands another time.

'Where could Yuri-Chan be?' She wonders, looking around the bustling town before her weakened state gets to her and she sways slightly, 'At this rate, I will pass out before I find her...'

Something harsh collides with her body and Suzumi scrambles to stay upright. When she looks down, a little raven haired boy is staring into the distance with panicked eyes and fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Suzumi asks, kneeling down almost immediately to check for any wounds.

"N-no!" The boy claims loudly then, shaking his head before sniffling, "I can't find my brother."

Suzumi frowns at this. Despite his sad state, she found the small boy to be very cute and precious. He appeared to be around Sayuri's age.

"It appears we are in the same predicament, as I cannot find my little sister either." Suzumi informs him, watching as the little boy stares at her, "Who is your bother?"

"Itachi" The boy answers after a small pause and a sniffle. He wipes at his eyes with his small hands before something catches his attention in the distance and he glares, "Nii-San, why did you leave me like that?!"

"I didn't leave you, Sasuke. I told you to stay put and then you wandered off." A calm voice says, accompanied by foot steps.

"Oh" The little boy, Sasuke, ducks his head, seemingly embarrassed if the blush dusting his cheeks were any indication. The interaction makes Suzumi smile until she turns around only to come face to face with Itachi Uchiha.

It was hard not to have heard about the Uchiha prodigy. The Sadachi feared the Uchiha. They were a powerful clan, and a mysterious one at that. It was because of this that the Sadachi believed the Uchiha lacked a relationship with the spirits. And thus, anyone not acknowledged by the spirits, were deemed unworthy of a Sadachi's time.

"I believe I have something of yours." Itachi says, before Suzumi notices a very guilty looking Sayuri clinging to his leg.

"Why did you run off like that?" Suzumi scolds her sister, pulling her from the older boy's leg and setting her with a glare.

"Sorry Neechan, I just wanted to try the dango! They looked so good. But when I went over, I didn't have any money." Sayuri blabbers before a wide smile appears on her face and she pulls out a stick of dango, "But that's okay, because Itachi-San bought one for me!"

"Oh, thank you." Suzumi tells Itachi despite the frown on her face. It was unusual for an Uchiha to go out of their way for a Sadachi, or anyone at that. She digs through the pouch on her side for the money to pay him back.

"I do not need your money, Sadachi-San." Itachi tells her as he walks past her, "Let's go, Sasuke."

"B-Bye!" The dark haired boy says quickly, giving them a measly wave before running off after his brother.

Suzumi watches the two go, frowning at just how strange the entire encounter was. It was the second time in her life encountering Uchihas. And they weren't as cold as many depicted them, it seemed. Or maybe she just didn't know them well enough. And she figured she never would. After all, the spirits were a Sadachi's only friend.

"Neechan-" Sayuri's voice snaps her back to reality and Suzumi looks down at her sister then. But her vision is cloudy and the movement seems to happen in slow motion.

"Let's go, Yuri-Chan." Suzumi says despite her foggy state. She takes a step forward and feels her world jolt.

"Neechan?" Sayuri calls out worriedly but Suzumi is too busy trying to ward off the black spots in her vision.

The pain in her stomach is a distant ache as she falls to her knees, trying to maintain her grip on her reality. But it appears to be a losing battle because she blinks once, then twice before everything goes black.