My Pain is Yours
Chapter 10: A Song of Sorrow
Days had passed and Aiko still had not returned. Shinsei sat, alone in her room, watching raindrops streak down the glass windows as the heavens cried. She drew her knees to her chest, folding her elbows atop them and burying her head in her arms.
She just wanted to see Aiko.
Then, there was a knock on Shinsei's door and she leapt onto her feet, hoping that Aiko had returned.
However, she was disappointed upon reaching the door and opening it to find none other than Kisame.
"Hey Gaki," Kisame greeted cheekily, forcing his way in. "What are you up to?"
Shinsei frowned. "I don't want to see you."
The rain continued tapping against the windowpane as Shinsei turned away from Kisame, her eyes clouded with thought. Kisame snorted and left the room, muttering that it didn't matter what she did. Shinsei closed her eyes. Why was she still here? She touched the glossy window with her fingertips, lifting them and leaving behind traces of her being there for a moment.
But even a mere moment was all it took to make a difference.
With a hidden sigh, Shinsei slumped onto her bed, still entranced by the falling rain as she began to sing a sad song of nothingness in a language that even she didn't know. Such a sweet sound was heavenly as her voice slowly began loudening, a high, enchanting sound like bells only more beautiful. Her voice was like an angel's; a being sent from above.
Itachi and Kisame listened outside the doorway, both rendered speechless.
The Uchiha listened to the voice that had altered to both a comforting and saddening sound, and gazed at the wall, his mouth a tight line. Kisame noticed the almost glazed look in his partner's eyes and frowned; he had never seen Itachi so sullen before.
"Itachi," Kisame murmured, eyes softening.
The raven-haired male refused to look at his partner as he replied in a cold, hard voice, "Bring Shinsei downstairs. I'll wait for the two of you and then we can discuss our plan of action after Hidan, Kakuzu, and the medic nin return." His eyes wandered to the ground, down the hall.
It had been almost too long since he had heard Shinsei's singing.
When Itachi began walking away, Kisame reached out and stopped him, firmly clamping on to his shoulder. Itachi tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as if to question his partner's actions. Kisame held back a sigh and nodded silently to Itachi. The Uchiha lowered his gaze again and shook off the shark-man gently before descending down the stairs.
Glancing back into Shinsei's room, Kisame decided that he would wait until her song was finished to beckon her back downstairs. He stood at the doorway, still watching as the redhead's back was turned to him. Her song was almost at an end.
But as she continued singing, Kisame could have sworn he saw a tear sliding down her cheek.
Placing his head in his hands as he waited for his partner and Shinsei to join him, Itachi kept his onyx eyes closed, willing the demons defiling his memory to leave him in peace. This was not what he had wanted. He did not want Shinsei to be as miserable as he had made her.
Maybe it would've been better if he had just ended his life after murdering his clan.
A pair of footsteps interrupted Itachi's unreadable soliloquy and he lifted his head from his hands to find Shinsei and Kisame entering the kitchen. Itachi narrowed his eyes at their arrival and stood up, scraping his chair across the floor.
Shinsei bit back on her lip as Itachi swept by her.
"I'll be back in a couple minutes," Itachi murmured. "Bathroom."
The redheaded kunoichi watched in pain as the man that she had chased after and searched for slipped out of her reach again and ascended up the stairs. She hung her head as he disappeared, leaving her alone with Kisame. The shark-nin placed a heavy hand on her back.
"Are you hungry?" Kisame asked gruffly.
"No, I'm not," Shinsei replied, bringing her hand to her face to wipe her hand across her eyes.
"Are you still crying, Gaki?" Kisame grumbled.
"I don't need your pity," Shinsei said sharply and Kisame detached his hand.
Reverberating throughout the chambers of his mind, Kisame could still hear her song echoing in his eardrums, her heart-wrenching song that made even his stomach knot in sorrow. He said nothing, not wanting to upset her more so than she already was as the rain pounded on the roof outside. Shinsei's sapphire jewels crept over to the door again.
Aiko still had yet to return.
A sort of discomforted snort left the Akatsuki shark's lips as he noticed the tears threatening to spill over in Shinsei's eyes again. An agitated sigh escaped him as he muttered, "She'll be back when she gets back. Rest assured, soon you won't be so bored."
"Why has Itachi changed so much?" Shinsei whispered.
"Huh?" Kisame whirled around.
"He isn't the same," Shinsei glanced to the cold, tiled floor and clutched her chest.
"I still don't get what you're saying," Kisame growled.
Shaking her head, Shinsei allowed her red locks to tumble over her face, her bangs covering her glistening eye. "If you don't understand then I don't want to elaborate." Why was she so unsettled by the situation? Why couldn't she just forget about Itachi and run away?
The truth prodded at her mind, causing her many restless nights; it was because she loved him, and had ever since the day they met. What hurt even more is that he knew how she felt, he had seen that smile adorning her lips when he spoke her name, he had seen the way her eyes brightened up when he looked at her; he knew.
Then, the sound of footsteps plodding down the stairs disrupted Shinsei's thoughts.
Shinsei detected Itachi's return immediately as he rejoined her and Kisame.
"Sit down," Itachi ordered.
Not knowing whether or not Itachi heard her, Shinsei accommodated his demand, sitting between him and Itachi. Itachi sat at the head of the small table, focus seemingly somewhere else as he sighed inwardly. Shinsei watched him with careful eyes.
"We are running out of time, Kisame," Itachi murmured, "we need to figure out what we're going to do when Hidan and Kakuzu get back from their mission."
"What do you mean?" Shinsei asked quietly.
Itachi ignored her question and continued. "If it is all right with you, Kisame, I suggest that we take our search for the Jinchuriki to Kumogakure and then work our way east; Deidara and Sasori are currently headed to Sunagakure to find the Shukaku."
Itachi looked over at the stove where a kettle began to squeal. Shinsei hadn't noticed it before and watched with watering orbs as Itachi got up, poured the water into a mug, stirred in some tea and sat back down. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion.
"Is that course of action acceptable to you, Kisame?" Itachi asked, blowing gently on his tea.
"Uh, sure," Kisame replied, chancing a glance at Shinsei who was gazing at Itachi.
Finding a chance to speak, Shinsei sadly whispered, "What about me?" Itachi's eyes lowered to the table and he leaned his back against the chair, not saying anything. Shinsei could feel her emotions coming to a boil, ready to pour out as the tears swarmed around her orbs.
"I do not know what we are going to do with you yet," Itachi replied callously.
Shinsei's breath hitched and the tears cascaded down her cheeks.
Why?
"Itachi," Kisame cringed. "What are you…?"
Itachi said nothing and watched as Shinsei averted her eyes from his. His eyelids fell over his onyx orbs; it was better this way, better for her to hate him too. Kisame swallowed hard as neither his partner nor the seer said a word, tears continuing to streaming down her face.
Shinsei clenched her fists.
Why won't he act the same around me anymore? We used to be so close! This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me! Damn you Uchiha Itachi! Damn you! It's your fault I left Konohagakure in the first place! I came looking for you! I threw my goddamn life away for you!
Standing up abruptly, Shinsei allowed the chair to fall down behind her with an echoing bang. Itachi and Kisame looked up at her as her chest heaved, more tears welling up in her eyes. She parted her lips and whispered, "I hate you, Itachi…!"
Shinsei stormed out of the room and went running up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her loudly and hardly enough that the pictures fell off the wall, causing the glass protecting the pictures within to shatter. Kisame winced and looked at the Uchiha.
Itachi sighed and sipped his tea, placing it down on the table. He glared at Kisame with cold Sharingan orbs. "The tea isn't warm anymore, Kisame."
Upstairs, Shinsei threw herself onto the bed and cried. She slammed her face into the pillow and sobbed into it, her emotions flooding from her as she wept bitterly. That wasn't how she wanted it to go. She didn't want Itachi to hate her. She didn't want to leave him.
Damn it! What am I supposed to do? What do I do now? He hates me! I know he hates me!
Then, the door clicked open behind her.
Shinsei flinched.
"Go away!" Shinsei screamed at the intruder. "Just leave me alone!"
There was a pause and then Shinsei heard an all-too familiar voice. "Shinsei?"
The redhead sat bolt upright and jerked her head anxiously to the door. Standing in the doorway, soaked with water dripping off of the frayed ends of her hair, was Aiko. Shinsei leapt off the bed, meeting Aiko halfway. "Aiko! You're back, oh you're back!" Shinsei threw herself into her friend and Aiko reached out to embrace her tightly.
Catching Shinsei in her arms and holding her trembling friend to her chest, Aiko waited a moment as Shinsei sobbed into her chest, silencing her anguished wails by becoming one with Aiko. The brunette began stroking Shinsei's hair and whispering softly.
"What happened?" Aiko murmured, clutching Shinsei. Her voice hardened. "Did they do something to you?"
"N-no!" Shinsei sobbed harder. "I just need to tell you something…but you can't tell anyone!"
"What is it?" Aiko asked, lowering her voice. "Just tell me; you know I won't tell anyone."
Shinsei clung to Aiko, digging her nails into Aiko's back and continuing to cry. Aiko wasn't sure whether or not Shinsei was going to tell her, but the redhead whimpered, "I-it's about…m-me…and the Uchiha clan…" She cried harder. "I can't keep this in me any longer!"
Little did Shinsei know, someone else lurked just outside the door.
Author's Note: -3- Please review!