"What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow.
What are brief? today and tomorrow.
What are frail? spring blossoms and youth.
What are deep? the ocean and truth."
― Christina Rossetti
1.
The Hyuuga District was silent and dark. The moonlight dressed the traditional structures with its pale fabrics and the sky resembled a cold, black pit that trapped the gaze of any pure bystander with its lunar crown.
Lihua, concealed as best as she could, patiently waited for Mirai's appearance. Ren and Ryo were numbly hiding behind her long cloak with eyes that betrayed their physical and emotional exhaustion. The woman avoided their gaze, as she felt the weight of their sorrow stabbing her very soul. Ryo didn't speak a word since he came home that night and urgently woke her up, showing her to her husband's lifeless body. Ren didn't ask however Lihua knew that he had guessed that his father would never come back home. She managed to secretly escape from the Village Hidden in the Rain with nothing but the most necessary and the boys. Without Ichirou, she would never have stayed there anyway; too much was going on, the world appeared to be bigger than ever.
She kept her gaze fixed on the entrance of the her husband's household. She felt bitter considering this was the first time she ever laid eyes on it. Ichirou had described many parts of it, always focusing on its beauty and elegance. There were the gardens he had been talking about, filled with blossoms of every kind. There was the bluish grass that she never believed existed. There were the small ponds that he would visit daily as a child, hoping to catch a glimpse of a frog.
Right then, she saw her. Ah, there was she, the person who made this place feel like home to him. His sister, which he painted in his favorite colors. Lihua saw her stepping out of the district silently, disrupting nothing but her incoherent thoughts. Her white attire and pale eyes fitted the scenery like a glove that wrapped its claws around Lihua's neck, choking her. Mirai's eyes were so much like Ichirou's. Not the color or the shape, no… Their depth and weight, their solemn stillness.
The younger woman approached quietly and stood before her sister in law.
"Lihua-san. Ren-kun, Ryo." she greeted them politely, her eyes revealing nothing of her anxiety. "I received your note… Can I offer you a drink inside?"
Lihua shook her head while her efforts were focused on her expression.
'Don't cry. Don't cry' she commanded herself.
"Did my brother tell you to come here for-" her words were interrupted by a sudden movement, as Ryo plunged himself into her embrace. The young woman held the small boy, surprised by his demonstration of affection. Ryo hid his face in her white kimono as she wrapped her arms around his head, caressing his long, black hair. Lihua witnessed her sister in law wondering and then, slowly reaching the right conclusion.
Her white eyes, her legacy, darted on Lihua's face, looking for a sign of hope and finding nothing.
"Lihua-san…" she whispered, "please, follow me inside."
"I am sorry, Mirai-san. We have to keep going, its easier to travel during the dark hours." Lihua responded lifelessly.
"We? You look tired and worn out, Ren is at his limits. Let me help you!" Mirai insisted quietly.
"No… I am going back to my father's house. Here;" She presented her with a sealed envelope, "you will find everything you need in this letter, including our new location. Come, Ryo."
"No!" the younger woman protested, holding her son tighter on her body. "Lihua! You are not safe if he isn't-"
"Enough!" Lihua yelled before she could restrain herself. She couldn't hear it. "I am going there with Ren. I should take Ryo with me, considering his situation. If you insist on keeping him here, if you think it's the best thing to do, I will oblige. Please… Say nothing more than what you want me to do."
Mirai stared at her for a few seconds before she nodded. "Ryo will stay with me. Are you certain that you are going to be safe?"
"Yes. I am a Jonin too, you know. First of my class." Lihua joked halfheartedly.
Her sister in law gave her another long gaze and then she pulled a small whistle out of her sleeve. She blew it two times and three ANBU appeared around them.
"Nana, Yoshiko, Takuya. Follow and protect them, be discreet and report back to me." She instructed them and they replied with a small nod.
"Thank you..." Lihua managed to whisper desperately.
He wasn't here. He would never come back. Their son was born out of the Hyuuga family and privilege. Only hardship and danger would follow them from now on…
"I am sorry, Lihua-san." Mirai said softly, her face like a porcelain mask, hosting her eyes that now brimmed with silent grief.
"I am sorry, too." She responded hoarsely.
"Ryo, shall we go inside?" Mirai asked her son without result. She took the letter and hid it in the folds of her robe. "Ren-kun, come so I can properly see you off."
Ren moved hesitantly and hugged her and Ryo at the same time. Lihua felt like there was no space in her lungs for air. Mirai embraced her nephew tightly before urging him to return to his mother. The boys exchanged a brief gaze.
"I am going, then." Lihua stated.
"Farewell. I am at your and your son's service." Mirai vowed honorably.
"Thank you."
There they parted without any witness but the darkest night.
2.
"Mirai,
I am writing this letter on a hurry since I am writing in secret. Tomorrow night I will meet with my informants in the government, in order to receive some tips. Of course it sound's like a trap, doesn't it?
Well, my smart little sister, it is a trap! However, I must take the bait and die. You see, I've been discovered and no one will be safe if I'm around them. You understand, right? Just like us.
Your memory was my only shelter through all this time in exile. Until I met Lihua and she gave me Ren, I thought I would always be without a family but I was happy that when I had one, it was you. I begged our parents to give me a brother but they brought something even greater at home. I am sad that I couldn't give Ren the joy of having a younger sister.
My wife, she is made of steel, however she is the softer person I ever met. I plead with you to take care of her. She is my only family apart from you and I would die a thousand more times just to keep her from harm. I have the right of a dying wish, don't I? Hehe.
I never got to receive forgiveness for my crime. You were right, I have been selfish, foolish and cruel. I should have stayed close to you, wait for you to grow up and help me make the world a better place but I was young and impatient, I hope you understand. When you came to me with Ryo five years ago, I hoped that helping you with him would earn me this forgiveness and I still hope I managed at least not to be remembered as a traitor by you. I honestly loved you, baby sister.
When it comes to my "criminal actions" I seek no remorse. I would do it all over again and that's all I have to say on the matter.
Last but not least, I am fairly certain that Ryo will develop his sharingan soon. I will make sure my death will help him evolve it even better; you don't know this about me but I know many of his Clan's secrets as well. Wish us both luck. I believe in his strong spirit but I might crack it a little bit. For that I also apologize in advance. Let him know that it was me who sent him to see me die and not you. Explain to him why this happened. This is my parting gift to my nephew. You know me, I always like to ruin what I love just a little bit, right?
About that… Love. Love is an illusion that makes us self righteous pigs. I never believed in it entirely until you taught me that it could also makes us heroes. Thank you for that. Without you, love would be another weapon in my storage. You were my home when I only had a House. Destruction and love go hand by hand in my life, I proved it with you and I proved it with Lihua and Ren and Ryo. I will not ask you to forgive me for that… I have no regrets for loving you all so blindly, so selfishly.
Goodbye for now, baby sister. I hope we never meet again.
Hyuuga Ichirou.
P.S. Lihua – yes, you little rascal – I know you will open this letter although I wrote one for you, too. Greedy, aren't we? Please give Mirai whatever she needs to contact you. Don't cry. You are ugly when you cry. I love you, too."
3.
The break of dawn shattered the nocturnal colors of the sky. The barren lands reflected the morning's glow, stealing some of its glory and life but failing to hold it. Itachi run his fingers through his hair repeatedly before he made it into a ponytail. He picked up his coat and placed his headband carefully on his forehead.
A new day was arriving but long before he locked himself in the past. This dawn had nothing to do with him or his purpose. This sinful kaleidoscope was running out of colors to blend. Everything was now turning red, even the mighty blue sky.
"Itachi, the leader calls us again" Kisame yawned.
"We must go then." He replied idly.
"Seems like your little brother is spreading chaos. He killed Orochimaru." The shark man continued.
"Ah." Itachi commented dismissively. His stomach turned. 'This is wrong', a little voice cried in him.
"Aren't you proud? That snake was a hustle."
Itachi calmly faced his partner. The man smirked and said no more.
4.
Ryo sat aloof and quiet. He was bathed and his hair was neatly combed and dry. When his mother entered the small room once again, he tried to to talk to her but he made no sound. Ryo was certain that he had lost his voice. That monster which possessed him and killed that woman stole his voice but he didn't mind. He looked at his mother and wondered if she knew the monster. Maybe she sent him there to protect uncle Ichirou. Ryo hoped that wasn't the case because his mom would be very upset when she realized that he failed.
She sat in front of him and he lowered his eyes. He couldn't look at her, she could read his mind.
"Ryo... You haven't said a word." She noticed.
He nodded timidly. She gently took his hands in hers and at that moment he couldn't take it anymore. He looked at her and started crying his eyes out, hoping that if she read his thoughts she would understand him.
Mirai's eyes popped open and she immediately brought him closer into her face, wiping his tears off his fair skin.
"What is it, Ryo?" She asked him worriedly.
The boy tried his best to speak but he failed again and as his frustration grew so did his sobbing.
"Don't worry my dear, it's all right. You just cry it out..." She whispered tenderly as she put him deep in her arms, embracing his small trembling body. "It's not your fault, Ryo. You did nothing wrong. You are so brave and I am proud of you." Mirai explained sweetly.
Ryo, listening to her words dissolving his worst fears, cried even louder and hugged her firmly back. She smelled like flowers and grass, his mom. Nothing like blood or rain. She would never lie to him. If he was responsible for his death, she would have scolded him. Instead she held him and caressed his hair and his back and she said that he did nothing wrong. Could he believe her? She would never lie to him.
"M-Mother..." he managed to stutter, speaking for the first time in almost three weeks, "Are you lying?"
"I would never lie to you, my son." She replied firmly and he believed her.
And so Ryo stayed there as Mirai hid her own tears from him, crying his fears out until exhaustion claimed him.
AN: There and back again with a new chapter! I hope you love it! It's getting harder for me to write these days, this story is heavying on me. I am doing my best because of your support! You know who you are :)