Rose

Thorn #10

"I can't do what you requested, Koharu." Shisui had come in late after he finished his ninja duties. He was as normal as ever today, because he didn't want his personal life bugging him at work and everyday activities.

He always remembers to buy flowers for his home, though.

Or really, he just found himself making his way to Koharu's shop.

Wouldn't he find this awkward? After all, I technically destroyed his image of me and am not who I think he is, Koharu smiled at him, shaking her head and waving her hand in dismissal.

"It's fine. You can forget about that. It doesn't matter anymore. It was an unreasonable request to make, after all." She went over to the roses, but then stopped, turning to the lilies. "Today, do you want lilies instead?" There were different coloured ones that she was looking at, all very beautiful.

Shisui stared at them and then at her. He took a step closer, his brows knitting together slightly.

Ah, he's suspicious. Koharu caught on to that look.

Shisui had to think about everything a lot. After he took a look at the request that Koharu made, he was certain that something was happening behind the scenes that he didn't know about.

"Koharu." He stated her name almost like a demand.

"Have you decided which colours you want?" She asked, looking over her shoulder. She turned around just slightly to face him with a smile.

Shisui didn't say anything for a moment, but then shook his head, "No, this time I don't need flowers."

"Oh? But these lilies are very exquisite. They're on me, today. If you don't want lilies, that's okay. Really, I'd like you to go to the outskirts of Konoha and put this on a grave." Koharu just gave him another smile and went to handpick a few white lilies, "After all, my sister recently passed away, and I'll need someone to go and put these on her grave while I'm here tending to my shop to get ready for the next day."

Shisui looked at her with confusion, then he thought. He thought hard about what Koharu had said so far. If she wasn't a mystery, then he didn't know what she was. He had suspicions about who she was and what she really did, but that was only the surface.

Ever since he received that request from her, he wondered, what did she really mean? It was already suspicious enough that it was on the day that she confirmed his thoughts about her being part of ROOT ANBU, and by talking to her now, he knew that there was a lot more to the situation than what he's thinking.

"Will you do that for me?" Koharu turned to him, taking a few steps forward so that she was an arm's reach away.

"…when did your sister pass away?" Shisui asked, watching her closely. She had an overcast of orange, from the sunset coming in from the window. He could see the silvers of her hair, having come out of the high bun that she did today.

She really is beautiful, he found himself thinking. And, his chest clenched painfully when he realised it.

"Shisui, you look really sad." Koharu pointed out. She took his hand and put the flowers in them. "My sister passed away only a couple of days ago. Her grave is on the outskirts of the village."

"Why do you want me to do it? You're finishing work soon, aren't you?" Shisui held onto the flowers when she pulled her hands away.

"I am, but I have a few things I need to attend to. So, please, go in my stead." She gently patted him on the upper chest, near his shoulder.

He fell silent after a moment, then sighed gently. "Okay, fine."

"Sorry, Shisui. I'll explain to you when you come back." Koharu put her hands together in an apologetic motion, "My sister's name is Momoka, so look for a wooden grave with that name."

Not a cement one, but a wooden one? Shisui went to the outskirts after he left the shop. Of course, he wasn't sure if Koharu was lying or not, and why he kept going there, but he was glad he did. Otherwise, he wouldn't be getting anywhere with her.

Shisui spotted a huge tree, and next to it, he found a grave. It was shoddily done, but it was good enough for a grave that wasn't in a cemetery.

I wonder if this is Momoka's…and why it isn't in a cemetery.

He read the writing on the wood, then placed down the flowers in front of the cross. He put his hands together.

Rest in peace, Momoka.

Once he did, he looked around. It was quite a deserted area, and not one that merchants of any kind would go.

Koharu said Momoka died 2 days ago…but why isn't the body in a cemetery? Did Koharu bury her herself? Shisui wondered. He took a step back from the grave and examined it.

If anything, whoever knew about where the grave was, was either the killer or the one who had buried them.

Koharu's in ROOT ANBU, so she doesn't feel like others do, so—

Shisui stopped his thoughts, an image of Koharu's request coming to his mind.

But if she wanted her family out of the village, then…

Shisui's brows knitted together in realisation. Wait a minute. All those who are in ROOT ANBU have no families and are orphans that are trained from when they were young.

Doesn't that mean Koharu is…wait, she might be lying again?

So many thoughts went through his mind that he didn't know what to think. He went off back into Konoha.

I can't see mother anywhere, Koharu scanned the area of the Uchiha gates. She was sure that her mother would come by to go get some medicine or get checked.

Unless she's not coming, today? She wondered with a thoughtful expression.

"Why have you been here so long? You're not waiting for Shisui, are you?"

Koharu didn't even flinch when she heard the voice from beside her. She turned to him, deciding whether or not to let him in on her thinking, considering he had been there for a whole 10 minutes when she was there, just not making a sound until now.

"I'm surprised you're up here, Itachi." Koharu mentioned with a casual smile. "Shouldn't you be at home resting for your next mission?"

When he didn't respond, Koharu looked back to the entrance. "And no, I'm not. I'm waiting for someone else."

"Are you talking about this woman?" Itachi got something out from his pocket. She turned around and took a look, staring at a photograph of her mother.

It was the first time in a while that Koharu had made such an honest expression, of actual surprise.

When Itachi saw it, he chuckled, putting it away. "I've done some research on you."

"You seem to have." Koharu commented with a sigh. "Yes, that's who I was waiting for. She's my mother." She easily let slip. If Itachi had done some research, he would know. If anything, it was already strange that he was right then and there when they never really had any contact apart from when she was with Shisui.

Itachi merely nodded.

I see. So Itachi does know. But does that mean Shisui told him, or does that mean he found out by himself? Koharu wondered.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your sister." Itachi said after a moment.

Koharu's eyes widened just slightly, and she turned to Itachi with another mound of surprise. "How did you find out?" She spoke gently, but she was assertive in tone.

"I saw what happened. I was following a ROOT who was tailing you."

"So you were stalking my stalker."

"Hm."

"Itachi, is this the first time we're properly talking?" Koharu asked, curious. "If you knew I was part of ROOT, I'm surprised that you didn't tell Shisui."

The prodigy kept silent, mulling over his options. He could very well tell Koharu about what information of hers he had gathered, but he didn't want to do that. What he wanted to know was whether or not Koharu had any shred of emotion left.

He was finding it strange that Koharu was in ROOT ANBU even with her real family alive. Normally, ROOT ANBU don't have families to turn to.

He didn't find too much information, but enough to know that she isn't the typical ROOT ANBU.

I'm sure she has a heart, Itachi had actually followed her to her sister's grave and was present there the whole time. She didn't notice him at all, but he was there, so he was there to witness whatever humanity the rest of ROOT lacked.

"Anyway, don't worry about keeping this all a secret. Shisui already knows. I plan on telling him everything tonight, or at least very soon." Koharu stood up and prepared to go. Her mother probably wasn't going to come by since she was there the other times, and pretty recently too.

Itachi kept silent. He only decided to meddle in her affairs because he got suspicious. Who was this person who was suddenly so attached to Shisui? What made him look so preoccupied all the time?

"You can stop staring at me now. I'm done here so I'm going home." Koharu gave Itachi a little nod and formed a hand sign, leaving soundlessly like the wind.

Itachi stayed there for a moment longer, knowing that Shisui would come find him.

I wonder what she'll decide for the mission Danzo entrusted her.

"Itachi, why are you hiding up a tree?" Shisui laughed when he landed on a branch near the front of the estate. He had looked for Itachi and found him just sitting there, staring at nothing.

"I was relaxing." The younger male responded.

"Relaxing?" Shisui raised a brow, then made a confused expression, "Wait, you never use that word—"

"Don't you have somewhere to be now?" Itachi asked.

"Huh?" The older Uchiha questioned the younger with his eyes.

"Your girlfriend." Itachi spoke monotone, but it ultimately got the older one going.

Huh? Itachi noticed something a little different. Compared to a few days ago, the Shisui crouching before him now had a different light in his eyes. It was like he had figured something out.

"Oh, yeah, Koharu said she wanted to talk to me." Shisui grinned.

Ah. Is she going to go through with the mission? Itachi wondered, slightly alarmed. He didn't know Koharu's true nature at all, so he wouldn't know if she would go through with it.

She didn't show any malice earlier when they were together, but that could very well be a fabrication to catch him off guard.

"Okay." Itachi just nodded. He was going to have to follow Shisui.

Shisui grinned and waved at his best mate before jumping off the branch and onto the ground and leaving to go to Koharu's.

Oh—there was one more question I forgot to ask her.

Was she a lie to Shisui?