Series: Naruto
Setting: AU
Prompt: 23. Tower Block
Rating: K
Word Count: 1, 222
Warnings: None
Summary: When stuck in the darkness, the one thing people need is shelter.

Are You There?

Elements can bring people undone in the most unsympathetic conditions, excruciating high temperatures will dehydrate the body leaving a quench for water that needed to be drank unless it couldn't be received, sucking the life out of a person until they couldn't stand no more causing an adverse effect. Extreme cold brought on the same effect only by the chilling of organs especially in a blizzard situation, ferocious winds relentlessly berating a body staining exposed skin with red from wind burn as they trudge through the waist deep snow looking for any kind of place to hide. While it took its toll on full grown adults that were tougher to handle the weather, the frail smaller body of children weren't, the little ruby eyes poked up out of the icy wall around him, pushing himself to go further still driven by an aspiration that he wouldn't give up on.

Endlessly he had been walking looking for anyone around that would help him, that would pay him the time of day just for a moment asking everyone in near voiceless cries if they knew the way to his friends house or even home, missing his mother terribly. When it came to the end of trading hours the people around started to disperse leaving only drifters on the streets, heading back to their warm soothing houses before the storm hit with vengeance to trap them out away from the creature comforts. Shivering furiously Itachi passed the large built up areas of apartments that the rich had taken a liking to spanning as far as he could see, each one had electronic locking devices and pin coded needed to enter the premises so he couldn't sneak inside to escape. Finding the shelter of a large overhanging tree, he scuttled underneath opening his bag up, stomach growling painfully demanding that he got some of his mother's Homemade chicken noodle soup but shaking the box of sultanas towards it he showed it that it would be the dinner for the night as well as the milk that's weight was increasing, starting to turn from a liquid into a solid.

The sun was starting to set bringing forth the darkness that would plummet the temperature down ultimately causing his tiny frame damage that could only be detrimental for his health. Finishing up his dinner, the Uchiha moved between the row of towers behind the metal fences, peering into each one looking for anyone that could have been around, determined that he would find someone that would be able to help him. He had never relied on anyone previously in his life, always wanting to do things on his own, just to be left alone so he could carry on without the hindrance of someone being in his way from learning what he wanted to but the sinking feeling he held, clinging to the bars shaking with all his might in a plea, he just wanted to see him.

Street lights started to hum from the electricity flowing through them, flicking a few times before coming on strong to light the darkening roads and footpaths with night now upon them. Mikoto dejectedly pushed open the front door to the near desolate house, not greeted with a subtle welcome home that he would have gave her knowing that he was happy to see her home even if his words didn't describe it to vividly. Only the child in her arms sleeping, sucking his thumb comfortable with his position, closing the door brushing the snow off her shoulders utterly silent to keep the emotions that wanted to flood out inside. She had to be strong for her son, she was the backbone of the family but right now she felt as if she was going to have a nervous breakdown. Placing Sasuke down on the bed she changed him out of his clothes into his bed time ones, rocking with him in her chair while giving him the last feed needed so he could sleep peacefully after his big day out, patting his back gently to settle the milk in his belly, tucking him into his cot to sleep out the rest of the night.

Creaking of the door opening up brought her to her feet abruptly, running straight to it waiting for the little boy to come through in his return, whimpering his name kneeling down with open arms awaiting him only to look up at see Fugaku with bags of take away. Standing back to her feet she announced that Sasuke was in bed and that she wasn't hungry, stepping up the stairs to the bedrooms going into Itachi's instead of her own, hand brushing against the light to turn it on with everything one except for a few boxes. Today they were meant to leave with only minimal things behind from the removals trucks taking everything to the new place, scattered boxes left for final pick up where all that remained. Looking down at one of the boxes that had Itachi's adorable writing over it marking what he had put inside for safe keeping, Mikoto opened it up removing a soft teddy bear that she had got for him in preparation for the day he was born, moving to the corner sliding down against the wall, hugging it tightly.

"Please, bring my baby back" she begged, sobbing hot tears into the animal. It was past his bedtime now. He would have been petrified and alone.

Staying up late at night was a big feat when you were young, always wanting to keep yourself awake to make it all the way to midnight so you could say that you were just as good at the big kids but always seemingly passing out not long after nine latest always happened. Itachi wasn't good at staying up late as it was, only now the fight to keep his eyes open was proving a hard task, closing them dropping his head down, snapping them back up with a conscious look around to repeat the process again. Night time was the indication that the time had came to having a bath, jumping into bed snuggling up with warm pillows and blankets except the early onset of hypothermia settled into his body trying to take him into an unnatural sleep.

Itachi knew that he was in trouble that he couldn't get himself out of, little arm struggling to get up high enough to call attention to himself, managing to get his footing on a compacted mound of snow that been pushed away from the gate, elevating himself just that little bit higher. Randomly picking a button to press, his hand smashed against the buzzers for the apartments, deliriously calling out Deidara's name until someone answered on the other side, wanting to know who was causing the disturbance. Answers made no sense in his own head nor to the one listening in finding it hard to speak in coherent sentences, sliding down the pile onto the ground looking through hazy long lashes listening to the approaching footsteps.

Scooped up into arms with a gasp, Itachi tried to open his eyes up further but it was like they were glued into position unable to lift any higher but fall lower. "Momma…" he muttered at the soft featured shadow looking over him, passing out in her arms.