A smile beneath the mask.
1.
Mirai's mission was complete, finally. This one was quite difficult even for her, a jonin of the Hyuuga. She had managed to hurt herself at minimum; only a couple of broken ribs, a twisted left wrist, six stitches on her left temple and other than that a few bruises and scratches. She walked proudly towards the medic ninja of her clan.
The old woman smiled when she saw the young heiress.
"Ah! You have returned, Mirai-sama!"
"Don't sound so surprised, Ayuna-san…" Mirai commented, giving the lady a half smile.
"I am not at all surprised. It is only natural that you would never be late to return. These missions that the Grass Village is assigning you are way below your abilities… Let me see you now." She ordered the girl. Mirai winced but undressed to reveal her wounds.
"You must be in pain!" Ayuna exclaimed.
"It isn't always below my skill. The mission, I mean." Mirai teased the medic.
"You imp. You move like nothing is blocking you." The old woman scolded her kindly as she started to tend to her wounds.
"Pain isn't an obstacle for me, Ayuna-san." The girl mused.
Ayuna looked at her. "How is your leg, by the way? Any problems?"
"It's fine."
"It is not a shame to ask for painkillers, Mirai-sama." The medic coaxed quietly.
Mirai smiled halfheartedly. 'My pain, no one can kill it. Not some herbs for certain.' She thought to herself. She examined the scar on her right hip, where pain never left her. It's been two years…
"It's been two years, Ayuna-san. I barely remember that I was injured." She claimed.
"We remember, Mirai-sama. Wasn't it for you, our clan's secrets would have been compromised."
"They didn't. Don't forget that most of our secrets are being told, not written."
"They insulted our clan and almost killed you. They will pay when we find them." The medic promised, calm wrath in her words.
"Ayuna-san. It will be taken care of, in time. You have nothing to worry about. I will protect our clan and all our members. All our secrets and lore. You just count on me more." Mirai said. She had repeated those words a thousand times by now.
"I count on you, Mirai-sama. We all do. You are the bright future of our House and you have proven yourself more than enough. You maybe find in your heart that we are here to support you,too." Ayuna replied serenely.
Mirai nodded and put on her kimono again, covering her bandaged body.
"Thank you, Ayuna-san. Don't-"
"Don't tell anyone that you were injured. I know." The woman interrupted her.
Mirai smiled and left the minka with a small bow. The moment she slipped her feet in her shoes the first drops of rain begun to fall around her. The girl raised her eyes upwards and a few heavenly tears landed on her face.
'Why are you crying?' she mentally asked the sky. 'Don't you like what you see?'
It was rainy and she had no mission but to stay home and maybe talk with her father about some diplomatic affairs. It was almost noon, so they could have this conversation during dinner instead. Mirai turned her back on the Hyuuga district and headed for the riverbank in the forest. She noticed many people running inside and covering themselves from the rain as she strolled among them, going at the opposite direction, enjoying the weather rather than avoiding it.
Mirai enjoyed the blue tint that everything in nature was dressed in, she breathed the scent of the earth and the grass and she appreciated the stillness in creation. The landscape was stopped in time for the rain to fall violently.
'You are a lot like fate' she thought 'everyone can see that you are hanging above us, they can predict your outcome. They will prepare their best; they will even defy you but you, Rain, will fall upon us, no matter what.'
She smiled to herself as she entered the forest and walked by the river. She stood under her favorite tree, an old willow that allowed her to feel a little secluded and watch the river from a small distance. She lowered the shoulders of her kimono that was now soaking wet and then she shook little droplets from her freshly cut, short hair that barely reached her shoulders. She sat in seiza and peered on the surface of the river, hoping to catch a glimpse of her reflection and recognize what she saw.
She was almost fifteen now. After a three year career as a jonin of her village and her clan, Mirai had no time to appreciate the river or the rain. The water was always red, always flowing at a direction that every shinobi will meet. 'Every human.' She corrected her thoughts.
War was at their doorstep but no one accepted it, out of optimism or out of foolishness. Mirai possessed none of these traits. She had already made preparations and the Hyuuga of the Grass would endure. Her parents would have already retire wasn't it for her desire to remain on the battlefield. She had too much rage in her heart to keep it inside wooden roofs and paper walls. If she survived the war, she would find a way to have this small house in the woods and be quiet there, instead of the Hyuuga district.
The surface reflected the mask of an Anbu. Mirai sighed as she turned to face her subordinate; they had strict orders not to accompany her while they were in Grass grounds but they ignored those orders quite often out of concern.
She looked at the man behind her without getting up only to realize that his attire wasn't the one of a Hyuuga or even a Grass Anbu. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and she immediately started to calculate odds. The Anbu didn't seem hostile or friendly so she made no move, appearing calm and confident instead.
The man sat on one knee in front of her, his long black hair sliding from his back on his chest, and looked at her through his mask. Something in his posture and presence was oddly familiar.
"Can I help you?" she inquired solemnly, arrogance flooding her voice. It was right then that she noticed the red shine of his eyes. Sharingan. Was it a thief or an Uchiha? Mirai couldn't decide which scenario was preferable.
"I was hoping to find you, alone." His muffled voice was barely audible behind his mask and the rain.
"Congratulations, you did it. What are you going to do now? Ask me on a date?" she mocked him intentionally trying to get a better read of his behavior. She would swear she heard a low, brief laugh. Could he be…?
The man lowered his mask, revealing his handsome face and terrifying gaze. Mirai's eyes popped open. She never imagined seeing him reach her age but there he was, way taller and larger than before, his features molded nicely to become those of a man, his gaze even heavier than rain or fate. He deactivated his dojutsu and his eyes became velvety black again.
She didn't move. Uchiha Itachi in Grass Village couldn't be good news. A few months ago, Mirai was travelling at the Water Nation to gather some information for the Fire Nation when she accidentally encountered some interesting news about him. He was alive and had joined a criminal organization called the Akatsuki. Mirai didn't have the time to look into them but she wanted to travel again at the end for the year to find out more since it appeared important. He was around fifteen, too. He was hunted from many different organizations and he had managed to elude them and even make contacts and find comrades. He was a tough opponent.
She looked at him and he returned her stare, his headband still on his forehead, the absolute proof of his treachery. Then, suddenly she attempted to put distance between them but he stopped her as he grabbed her forearm. She activated her eyes and put her free hand between her legs only to pull a kunai from her kimono's layers, breaking her seiza posture.
He held her firmly.
"Are you worried that I will kill you?" he asked cockily,his voice deeper than she remembered it.
"You cannot kill me but thankfully you put your entire clan out of their misery." She hissed sarcastically.
His eyes became terrorizing but his calm expression didn't waver.
"Put your weapon down." He ordered and Mirai witnessed her hand lower. Genjutsu.
"Poor tricks, Itachi." She commented as she released herself from his influence. "I have some of those, too." She claimed as she grinned. He defied her words and kept his eyes glued on hers.
"I didn't come to fight you." He insisted but it was already too late. He was caught inside her illusion.
As he blinked, Sasuke appeared before him, tears of pain and rage on his alabaster face.
"Why did you do it, big brother?" the boy asked him.
'It's an illusion' Itachi reminded himself, however he was tempted to allow it to exist a little more, just to see his little brother's face.
"Why did you kill mother and father? Why did you kill them all?" Sasuke tried to attack him but Itachi avoided his kunai.
"Why did you leave me alone, why did you not kill me, too? Wasn't I Uchiha enough for your blade?!" the boy screamed as he attacked again, this time freeing his forearm from Itachi's grasp.
"ENOUGH." Itachi's voice was booming and strict as he stopped Mirai's genjutsu and his little brother disappeared from his eyes only to be replaced by her. Her kimono was still revealing her legs and shoulders; it was still dripping with water. She smiled maliciously at him.
"I've heard many stories about your genjutsu, Mirai. It seems that you've got yourself a terrible reputation, always showing your opponent their loved ones, suffering."
"I didn't think you had any loved ones left, Uchiha Itachi. You slaughtered everyone. Who did you see?" She asked, her eyes blazing.
There was a little distance between them now. Itachi looked at her without a reply.
"Was it Sasuke?" Mirai continued ruthlessly. "He must be around eight or nine now. Maybe I should finish what you couldn't?"
Itachi was no longer calm. His sharingan activated and he leaped on the branches of the willow, his intentions hostile.
"I can accept your insults and bitterness, although uncalled for. However, I will not tolerate your arrogance. You are inferior to me, you always have been. That's why you didn't gather the courage to do the right thing. Ichirou would make a far better successor of the Hyuuga clan. You are nothing but his cheap knock-off." He said, successfully trying to make her lose her calm demeanor.
Mirai's eyes widened and her fair skin became pale.
"What would you know of Ichirou?" she hissed as she also leaped on the branches of the old tree, a few feet above him.
"I met him; he is much more pleasant than you are." He replied coolly. He was still furious about her mention of Sasuke.
Her eyes were even wider now, horribly terrifying as the byakugan was active.
"What would traitors and murderers know of honor and responsibilities? Birds of feather flock together, Uchiha Itachi! You and he are both trash!" she yelled at him, attacking him simultaneously with her gentle fist style. Itachi avoided every single strike with extra caution.
He had heard a few rumors about Mirai. She only attacked to kill, her illusions were always lethal and she rarely suffered any damage. He could feel it on his skin, her intention to kill him.
"You have taken my words into your heart, haven't you?" he asked her as he managed to push her away. She gracefully landed at a lower branch and glared at him.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"That you should fight me seriously." He reminded her.
"Do you currently prefer to have a 'friendly' sparring with me then?" she mocked him.
"I told you, I don't want to fight. Although, I must say you are making me waver." He warned her.
"Then why are you here? Why did you mention my brother? Did he send you?" she inquired. Itachi noticed massive amounts of chakra gathering around her clenched fists. She was about to attack again. He had hit a nerve. He always thought that Hyuuga Mirai wouldn't be easily carried away but he did the same mistake as soon as she mentioned Sasuke.
"Would you believe me if I told you that I just wanted to talk with you about nothing in particular?" he tried to convince her, his voice tired.
"No." she replied simply.
"Well, when someone lies so often, they shouldn't expect anyone to believe them at the end." He mused.
Then, they both landed on the grass. Itachi looked at her. "Why did you stop attacking me?"
"I do not trust your words at the slightest but I trust my instincts." She said.
"What is it that they tell you?"
They locked eyes again, measuring each other. Mirai hesitated.
"Tell me." He insisted.
"You honestly want to talk?" She dared to ask, unable to believe her own words.
He nodded.
"Why?" she asked as she deactivated her dojutsu.
Now it was his turn to hesitate. Her gaze insisted.
"I think we might be similar." He explained, finally.
"Similar, how?"
"Will you cover your shoulders?" he suddenly requested.
Mirai was taken by surprise. "You must have seen many women with exposed shoulders." She objected.
"Not in your class." He replied, mystified. Mirai was perplexed.
"You invaded my privacy." She reminded him. There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he took a few defensive steps, approaching her. The girl glared at him, half arrogantly- half confused. He proceeded to softly touch the wet silk on the edge of her shoulders and bring it slowly back to its original and proper place.
Mirai was ready to react to a possible attack but it came in the form of a shiver down her spine. She knew that he noticed. He appeared somehow absent-minded as he took a step back.
"Why did you cut your hair?" He asked simply.
"It was in the way…" she replied defensively, unable to read his motives.
"Do you cut anything that gets in your way?"
"Yes."
"I envy you." He said with a half-smile.
"Aren't you also like this?" She implied.
He shook his head. "I keep my hair long, don't I?"
She realized she had been smiling. This feeling of familiarity, this strange identification grew between them again. He smiled, too.
"That's all I needed to know." He hinted.
She frowned. "You are leaving."
"I will come back and if I don't, I am confident that you will find me." He said.
"What makes you so certain?" she demanded, obviously upset by now. All of these emotional shifts had tired her.
"You cut everything and I don't." He explained. "We will dance some more, I believe."
"Your mask." She said, without looking away, her index finger pointing at his Anbu mask that was left on the grass by the river.
"I don't need it anymore. Keep it. I heard that you are now an expert at intercepting Anbu teams, you might find it funny." He replied serenely.
"I heard that you joined the Akatsuki." She countered. "Why do you keep falling? Didn't you have enough?"
He halted and looked deep into her eyes, communicating words that would never be spoken.
"I am falling for a reason and you are rising for another. Let's discuss more next time. Your bodyguards will arrive soon and I'd rather avoid them." He said hastily as he lifted his index and middle finger and started to disappear.
"Next time?" she asked him, a little louder than she intended.
He might have smiled as his form dispersed.
2.
Mirai was sitting in her traditional Japanese sauna, enjoying a steamy bath, her thoughts lost at this evening's events. She didn't mention their meeting to anyone. It resembled a dream, a violent, confusing dream-
"Good evening." A voice she didn't recognize shuttered her piece.
She looked at the open window and saw a man sitting there. Not any man; the famous Copy Ninja of Konoha, Hatake Kakashi.
"Now now. I really have to change security measures in my own house." Mirai said coolly although he had honestly scared her. She never felt him approaching.
"Don't blame them. I am sorry to interrupt but I wanted to talk with you, privately." He explained lazily, his dark grey eye – the only one that was visible- wondering outside the bath and away from her nakedness.
"I suppose you are not here to ask me on a date neither." She said half upset-half jokingly.
His gaze popped at her direction and she got out of the hot water without one single sign of shyness. He immediately looked away, clearing his throat and Mirai rolled her eyes. One of the most important weapons a shinobi could possess, were their looks and she knew. She put on a silky robe and walked to stand by him. He looked at her, unimpressed.
Mirai smiled, her diplomatic mask on, and spoke. "To what do I owe the honor of your presence, Konoha shinobi?"
"I have intel that Uchiha Itachi might have been near Kusagakure." He informed her, strictly.
"You are not very conclusive." She said, her focus on her vitals and expression. If anyone knew, she didn't want it to be Konoha.
"Hyuuga Mirai. If you have any information, I must ask you to share them. It would displease our higher ups otherwise."
He was threatening her and truth be told it was working. Mirai smiled politely.
She leaned closer to his face and his eye remained in apathy. "I have nothing to say that would please or displease anyone. Leave." Her voice was cold and unfriendly.
"You have three days to reconsider." He said simply. Mirai then heard the sound of a kunai been stuck on the floor between them but she didn't look at it, pretending that she expected his move. "This is how you can find me." He gave her a nod and run out of the minka, his steps leaving no trace on the mud. Mirai knelt by the weapon that was almost completely sunk inside the wooden floor and took it out. A map was carved on its blade.
She sighed.
"Excellent."