A/N Vignettes depicting the lives of Itachi and Shisui Uchiha.
(Creative liberties were taken, I did not follow canon) For Okaasama's ship of the month challenge.
Remembrance
It rings like a dream
With flavors of happiness
And I awake torn
The earliest memory Shisui had was of having a baby in his arms. There'd barely been a spec of hair on its head, face wrinkled in infant fury. The black eyes scowled, and cheeks swelled as it took a deep breath.
As a three-month-old babe, Itachi had a wail that could wake the four closest neighbors. Even then, Itachi had been a master at chakra control because there was no way he could have had such lung capacity without it.
All it had taken was Shisui making a kawing sound for the cry to quiet to curious silence. Shisui probably would have made a funny face had he been older, but as a child, he'd merely looked up and mimicked the noise of the first thing he'd seen. A crow.
After that, Mikoto passed Itachi off to Shisui whenever his mother visited.
Shisui had a strange fondness for crows for as long as Itachi could remember. Even when there were none around, he'd cry out 'Kaw-kaw, Kaw-kaw' and swoop down and pick Itachi up from the ground whenever he fell from attempting to walk. Then, within moments, all his tears would be wiped away, his skinned knees dusted from dirt, and his sob would dissipate into laughter at being tickled under the armpits.
The only thing that changed with time, besides Itachi needing less help, was that Shisui gradually grew better at making the noise until one could not distinguish between an actual crow and Shisui, much to the chagrin of the Uchiha elders and the delight of the two boys.
On days when Shisui skipped going to the academy or avoided his genin team, they could be found underneath a window of a house kawing at the break of dawn just to get the old fogeys out of bed. After being chased off the property, they'd train with shuriken and kunai until they grew exhausted. During summer, they'd delay going home, spending their time by the river dashing each other with water and looking for fish.
They were blissful memories. Full of happiness. The reality of being a shinobi had not yet permeated Itachi's naive mind. It was about landing a bullseye, seeing whose fire jutsu could burn the largest, and walking up trees. Shisui was better, his mentor and best friend.
Later in life, when on the road, and the sound of cicadas imbued the air – Itachi would close his eyes and listen to the echoes of childhood laughter in his head.
But the end of summer eventually came.
The Kyuubi attacked.
Tears
Pouring from my soul
Shoulders just can't stop shaking
You are beside me
During the attack, Shisui's father convinced him to protect the citizens and children. So he'd gotten as many as he could to the bunkers. But once he felt the task complete, with several chunin and a jounin arriving to lend aid, he'd abandoned his duty. Because there was one not there.
With every breath he took in his lungs, he called just one name. When he jumped over debris and inspected every inch of the Uchiha compound, he only looked for a black ponytail. His clansmen and woman rewarded and revered him later for pulling them from the wreckage of their homes or utilizing jutsu to dampen flames. Their faces were just a blur, though. Moving on had been his only focus. Help and go quickly because each second passed made the dread pool thicker in his belly, curling in his skin like a snake and constricting his throat.
When the fighting stopped, it left a strange silence in its wake. Though gone, the beast still felt as if it were consuming the air. Even though his legs trembled, he pushed on. Looking and looking.
He found his father first, buried in the rubble. He touched the headband and ran a hand along the dusty face, placing his fingers below the nose. No breath. From the red seeping through the bricks… he didn't have to be a genius to know what he would find should he take the time to unbury.
His father was gone.
He needed to keep looking.
Seconds turned to hours, and the worst feeling entered his bones as if he were rotting from the inside out. His heartbeat had been in his ears, the imagery of finding Itachi like his father all too real. Vomit rose in his throat.
But then, there Itachi was.
Just standing at the edge of the woods. Not moving.
Dust and dirt covered the younger boy. Dried blood coated the blade, which was gripped tightly in his hand. And the Itashi's eyes, the swirl of black and red, stared right through him.
Shisui grabbed his chin. Forced the red eyes to look at him, but they wouldn't focus. No matter how many times he said his name.
The world began returning to life around them, the animals and birds emerging, but Shisui still felt a pain deep in his lungs with each breath he drew.
Then a "kaw-kaw!" rang in the air as a crow sprang down from the branch to consume the dead nin several feet away.
Itachi blinked. Once. Twice. He then gripped Shisui in a firm hold, clutching like a lifeline.
His sweet, sweet Itachi cried in his arms without making a sound.
The world changed after the 4th died. Regardless of the loss his clan had felt upon the fox tearing the village apart, the wound unseen was the divide wrought by the beast's wake. The stares of the villagers were cold. During the rebuild, they were forced to the outskirts. The other academy students were cruel.
The only solace Itachi could find was in the moments Shisui would drop from the trees with an ANBU mask hanging loose at his neck to give him a poke on the forehead. "A few more years, you can leave them all behind. Join me."
A few more years? No. Itachi had no desire to wait that long. The second he became a genin, he put himself to the task. He only wanted to run along the rooftops again with his cousin. He soon became chunin. And then, extended to him by his best friend, the blank empty eye holes of a cat mask.
Itachi stared, attempting to discern the expression in the dark eyes that typically smiled. But there was no humor or joy or love to be found. Instead, he looked like all the other ANBU surrounding them. Empty.
That evening they walked in silence on the way to the compound. So silent that the tiny sniffs Shisui made were the only things Itachi could focus on. Eventually, he turned on Shisui and shoved him against a tree. Just to see him. Force him to have some emotion. What had he done so wrong?
"I wanted you to be a child, just a little bit longer."
Itachi almost missed the words because he could not tear his gaze away from the tears trickling down Shisui's cheeks.
Credulity
Humor in your gaze
I am left with more questions
Why can't you speak truth?
From his perch in the trees, Itachi looked down from the branches at Shisui, holding Sasuke by his shoulders.
"Are you ready?" Shisui asked the young boy.
Sasuke nodded with determination. His cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Ready or not, Itachi, here we come!" Shisui yelled out.
Without hesitation, Sasuke began walking off… in the opposite direction of the tree, Itachi was in.
Itachi hid a chuckle. He had such a foolish little brother.
Shisui quickly snagged the knee-high boy by the shoulders once more. "Do you remember what I told you yesterday, Sasuke?" Shisui asked, turning the boy back around and kneeling at eye level.
Sasuke tilted his head from side to side, his lip in a pout as he wanted to start searching.
"What did I say?" Shisui prodded.
The boy looked down and then up again at Shisui before lifting a finger. "That we could track Itachi with chakra."
Itachi had to press a hand to his lips to hold in his laughter. Had Sasuke bothered to follow the line of his actual point, he would have found Itachi then and there.
Shisui covered his own laughter with a coughing fit.
When he recovered, he looked directly into Sasuke's eyes. "Right, do you remember how to do that? Because I've forgotten."
Sasuke's nose scrunched before a light entered his eyes. Itachi leaned down as far as he dared, hoping to catch the series of steps on chakra tracking they'd gone over. Itachi had been precise in leaving a trail that would force Sasuke to go through all of them.
Sasuke let out a tiny giggle. "Nope."
"You don't remember anything?" Shisui asked, giving the young shoulder a shake.
"Nothing."
It was going to be awhile.
Itachi rested his butt upon the branch and swung his feet, feeling grateful that Shisui signed up for this.
The drums pounded out a rhythm in the background. Dancers moved on the street, fire twirling upon sticks and several using chakra up into the air.
Shisui closed his eyes, enjoying the hum of bodies around and below him. There was laughter and awe, chatter and clatter. Finally, he opened his eyes as several gasped for breath at the display before him.
They were just displays of genin power, nothing that interesting. The citizens whispered with excitement, though. Wondered by the production of fire and water and the chakra used to manipulate the elements.
As the display of dancers moved further down the street, a small child pointed up at him, drawing her mother's attention. He smiled even though the child couldn't see it behind the ANBU mask and gave a wave. The young girl waved back and giggled, stuffing her face with more sweets. Her mother was a bit warier and gave a sharp and short wave in return.
He turned back to analyzing the crowd, looking for those who didn't belong. Thankfully the night had been relatively quiet. Most people enjoy the festivities to the fullest. In the crowd, he spotted his two favorite people.
Itachi carried young Sasuke upon his back, and the little boy pointed here and there at everything, excited at all the displays.
Shisui gave a snicker, happy he'd been able to trade ANBU shifts with Itachi so he could take Sasuke out. Decision made, he dropped into the crowd and made his way over.
Itachi paused, sensing his presence.
Sasuke, still animatedly talking, hadn't even realized his older brother had stopped walking.
Shisui poked Sasuke on the shoulder. "I've heard you've been causing trouble. Are you a bad boy?"
Sasuke's eyes widened, clearly not recognizing him. He then promptly burst into tears. "I didn't mean to be bad."
Whoops.
Itachi glared, and Shisui scrambled to undo his mask so Sasuke knew who he was.
The boy clearly needed more training. The current crow mask left much of Shisui's hair visible - it should have only taken a moment to recognize his curly locks even in this amount of light.
Apologies
It rings like a dream
Shoulders just can't stop shaking
Why can't you speak truth?
The Uchiha clan was turning on the village. And the village, on them. The world was cracking and smoldering and horrible and terrible, but with his one remaining eye, he could still see the desperation of something upon Itachi's face for something better.
There was one person he trusted to fulfill his wish. Just one. For what he was about to ask. For what he was about to do. But if there was someone who understood him, who had any chance of succeeding where he had failed… There was only Itachi, just like there had always been.
The second he lost his eye, a plan began forming. He knew what must pass, what had to be done. Midst being carried away, it had become tangible. He finalized it when his friend leaned him against a tree, the concern in his gaze all-encompassing.
Itachi loved far too deeply. And that is why Shisui knew he'd do it, without question.
For some reason, he and Itachi always ebbed and flowed. They could move in unison so often. And from far away, Itachi had known something was amiss. But would he have known had it been a different Uchiha in danger?
Shisui knew the answer would be no. There was just them versus the world. But not for long. He wouldn't live much longer. Not for his plan to work.
He smiled ever so softly.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Breathing is harder than dying. Living is more complicated than dying. And perhaps, that is why, after all this time, he kept the path, and continued to struggle. He would take the more arduous route. It was why he forced his limbs to move, his lungs to expand even though they wanted to shrivel and collapse within him. Jumping from a cliff was far too easy.
He tried. Oh, how he had tried. But every decision seemed like a wrong turn. Every cut of blade, every genjutus causing a scream, every dream ending in a nightmare, but he at least continued existing. And why? For Sasuke.
But he wasn't going to be able to hang on any longer. This was it. He rested his weight upon the stone seat.
"Kaw-kaw." The crow summons looked down upon him. Its black eyes were solemn.
Itachi extended his arm, and it hopped upon and cocked its head.
"Kaw," Itachi said back to it, feeling foolish and reminiscent like he was a child again. And he could feel the cool water upon his feet and slippery river rocks with algae. His ears rang with laughter, splashes, and the call of birds. He could almost hear a voice telling him stories and teaching him jutsu.
"Kaw-kaw," the summon took flight and popped out of existence, leaving silence in its wake.
Sasuke had finally shown himself.
This was the beginning of the end.
Itachi closed his eyes and, with a sigh, gathered the last of his chakra reserves. He hoped, regardless of how foolish his brother was, that he wouldn't be weak in will like him.
"Sorry, Sasuke, this is it."
Renewal
Humor in your gaze
With flavors of happiness
You are beside me
The hum of cicadas fills his ears. Birds call to one another. The sun's warmth seeps deeper and deeper, removing the chill he'd been feeling.
Had it been late summer? Had it been this warm? What had he been doing?
He takes a deep breath, lungs fully expanding. There is tightness, but it feels good.
How long had it been since he'd breathed like this? He lets it out slowly. Some part of him stiffens, waiting for pain or for coughing, but for the life of him, he can't think of a solid reason why. It's a bit disconcerting, but – his lips pull into a smile – everything feels so good he doesn't let the thought bother him a moment longer.
The grass brushes against his cheek. His toes dig into the dirt, and his fingers flex and stretch, grazing something soft in passing, just out of reach. But the sun, he could soak up the sun forever.
He takes another deep breath, and his body seems to straighten in relief, as if before some strenuous weight had twirled him into a knot.
Did the air always feel like drinking cold water on a sweltering day? Not that the day is overly hot. It's perfect. The light breeze brings the smell of flowers, freshly toiled earth, and, if he's not mistaken, something sweet and doughy. Dango.
Finally, even his frozen toes are warm. Could he lie here forever? There wasn't anything to do, was there?
"Kaw-kaw."
His lashes flicker open, and he raises a hand to block the sun as he squints, looking up to the sky for the noise maker.
"Kaw-kaw," rings out beside him.
He shifts, turning upon his side.
Coal eyes stare upon him. The body fully facing him. A smile is on the thin lips like they are holding in laughter; the curly hair, a mess.
Itachi's bones ache at the sight, and his mind attempts to whisper something important. But all the imagery that comes is that of a waterfall and a pang ripples in his chest, and before he can stop it, a tear trickles from his eye.
The tear is captured quickly and wiped away. "Leave it to you, Itachi, to cry in the one place where you shouldn't be able to."
With his name comes the memories of a lifetime passed. But more importantly, the whispers grow louder and louder, repeating just one word over and over again. He knows who is before him. Knows them better than the partner he'd fought beside for three years. Better than his own parents. Better than -
"It's been a long wait."
"Shisui." The word leaves his lips and grounds him in the present. The end has finally come, and it is over.
"This way," Shisui calls out, pulling Itachi along behind him. His fingers are not letting go of the wrist. As they cross the fields to go into the woods, he must tighten his grip as the wrist becomes smaller and smaller and the world becomes larger.
He glances behind and watches the tall, brooding man become younger with each step they take. The tear troughs are shrinking and shrinking. The dark, solemn orbs blink at him in confusion.
"Shisui," Itachi tries again, and for a moment, Shisui sees the age regress and the sharpness of features return with a vengeance.
"No," Shisui says, "it can wait. This way." He tugs again, pulling the young man along until the knee-high grass comes to their hips, and they reach the shadow of the trees.
Shisui closes his eyes and listens for the slow churn of a river not far away. He continues, pulling his cousin along until they are at the banks. He turns back again once they reach their destination. Both of them are back to being children.
He pulls up his pant legs, tying them in place.
Itachi's gaze surveys the landscape, head twisting, trying to place the location though there is no location to place.
Shisui kneels to do Itachi's pant legs as well.
"Alright, come along." Shisui gives a pat on the shoulder and then begins crossing the river. He pauses, though, realizing he's not being followed.
He turns and splashes water at the now younger boy. "Let's go, Itachi."
"Shisui," Itachi says, his eyes no longer like a child's but of a man having seen war. His gaze once more surveys the landscape. His lips open and close before he finally faces him. The tear troughs grow, and, in a blink of an eye, there is no boy on the riverbanks but a man. "Don't," Itachi says, "leave me again."
Shisui goes back to the side Itachi is on. And soon, they are at eye level.
"I haven't," Shisui says, his voice low out of puberty. "Not since I arrived and found you. I've not left your side. I've been waiting. Passing the time by telling stories, speaking of jutsus, and kawing like a crow."
He extends his hand.
A breeze of wind rustles the leaves. Cicadas sing. The water ripples and glistens from the specs of the sun that find an opening in the canopy above. A crow caws.
And two young boys cross the river, laughing and splashing each other as they go.