Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters, unless otherwise stated. In this case, I only own Kimi and her village.
Author's Note: Yeah, I know I'm posting this pretty early, considering the fact that I usually wait and update Juusanbi every other week. I just felt like posting something today, so here it is! Yay! I hope you enjoy the chapter! I think it's one of the longest I've ever posted up here. Woot! Enjoy!
VII
Kimi reclined face-up in the small clearing, eyes closed and a soft smile of content on her face as she soaked in the warmth of the sun. Her hair fanned out around her head, a shimmering halo of gold. Her hat lay nearby, next to one of her hands – palm up, fingers curled in a relaxed position.
Itachi watched her passively as her chest rose and fell in a slow, lazy motion. It was a calming sound – her breathing. He sat a few feet away from her, cross-legged, but still a bit stiffly. Faintly, he wished he could be as relaxed as the girl he watched, but as a shinobi, he was always on guard.
A butterfly fluttered across the grass, circling Kimi's head before coming to rest on the tip of her nose. Itachi held his breath as the insect opened and closed its wings. Kimi did not move. Did she know it was there? Was she asleep? As if to answer his mental question, Kimi cracked one eye to peer at the butterfly. A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. The butterfly continued to flex its wings.
"Hi there," Kimi said softly.
The butterfly floated away. Sitting up, Kimi laughed and stretched her arms above her head. The crooked grin she threw in Itachi's direction fell on blind eyes. When she had roused from her cat nap, Itachi had assumed a meditative stance – hands forming the tiger sign in front of him – eyes closed.
Mentally, he chided himself. He had been afraid that she would find him staring. Afraid. Itachi Uchiha had been afraid. It was blasphemous.
With his hearing – heightened without the use of his eyes – Itachi noted Kimi shifting her weight. Though he could not see her, she crept forward on her hands and knees, her face twisted by intense concentration. A sly glint flashed in her eyes.
Itachi heard nothing and puzzled over the fact. What was she doing? Then, the slight rustle of fabric caught his attention. How did she get that close? He breathed in slowly and deliberately through his nose. He detected a strange scent – slightly floral – maybe herbal? Lavender? Jasmine? Rosemary, perhaps? He could not place it.
Kimi's nose was inches from his own. He could almost feel the air moving around her.
Without warning, Itachi snapped his eyes open. "Boo!"
Kimi gasped and jerked in surprise, falling back on her rear. Her startled look rapidly transformed into one of amusement, bubbly laughter soon following. The girl's face lit up, and Itachi marveled at how she could be so carefree.
Smirking slyly, Kimi said, "I didn't know a shinobi could have a sense of humor." Her smile faltered slightly. "The only shinobi I've known have been old statues. I used to think that was a rule." Her eyes glittered. "I guess you proved me wrong."
Itachi stood smoothly. "Just don't tell anyone," he said half-seriously, reaching out to help her up.
As Kimi rose to her feet, she winked. "It'll be our little secret, hey?"
The young Uchiha chuckled and glanced at the sky. The sun had moved since they had come to the small, miniature meadow. Enough time had passed for it to be safe for the two of them in town.
"What do you say to an official tour of Konoha?"
Kimi cocked her head. "Official?"
He shrugged. "Official-unofficial."
Smiling again, wider now, Kimi nodded. "Sounds like fun."
Whispers and eyes trailed Itachi as he trotted smoothly down the side of the street. The young shinobi carefully kept his gaze forward and his face blank. He felt heat building in his cheeks and silently prayed that he was not blushing. So much for keeping a low profile.
When the crowd thinned out ahead of him, Itachi shot a quick glance to his right. There, setting the slow pace, walked Kimi. Rather, she teetered. Kimi was up on a wall – shoulder-high to Itachi – carefully placing one foot ahead of the other. She had a crooked grin on her face, arms held out for balance.
She was talking too.
". . . so lucky to live here. It's absolutely beautiful! The people here are really friendly, too." She paused to wave energetically at a woman with wild black hair and an oversized dog at her side.
The woman had a small boy – about Sasuke's age – in tow. The child, red triangles on his cheeks, was staring wide-eyed up at Kimi. He shyly returned her wave as his mother continued down the street.
Itachi groaned softly, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. This was a mistake – a disaster! What had he been thinking?
"Would you get down from there?" he asked through the corner of his mouth.
Kimi blinked innocently down at him, continuing her slow, steady pace down the wall. "Why?"
Itachi tilted his head downward, shooting a fierce glare at a pair of ogling genin and mumbling, "You're embarrassing me."
To his mortification, Kimi laughed loudly, drawing more eyes and enticing more whispers. She hopped over a loose rock, balancing precariously on one foot before continuing on. Itachi did not know whether to scowl or smirk. He had to admit to himself, though, that her antics were rather amusing.
Stifling a chuckle at the intense look of concentration on her mouth, Itachi forced a frown and hissed, "What are you doing?"
Kimi giggled lightly. "Having fun. You should try it some time. It's like chocolate – good for the soul."
Itachi sighed and shook his head, but before he could argue the point, a strange sound caught his attention – an inhuman cry of fear followed by a loud crash. The people on the street paused and looked around – Kimi included. Itachi stood still and listened. Angry shouts and fearful screams – these human – joined in.
"Hey, look!" Kimi pointed through the nearby buildings.
Sure enough, even from where he stood, Itachi could see a column of smoke and dust rising. He focused his attention in that direction. Were the voices getting louder?
"I wonder what's going on," Kimi mused aloud, continuing her balanced walk with a slightly faster step and less flamboyant waving of the arms.
Itachi continued to stand and listen. Yes. It was getting closer. The inhuman cries were there too. Not just a cry, a whinny. He scowled. A horse? He could hear the galloping hooves – the terrified scream of a spooked horse. It was running this way.
The boy's heart nearly stopped as his head whipped around to Kimi. She had reached the corner, and her knees were bent to jump down. Shop stalls lined the next street, hiding what was going on from her – what was coming.
Reacting instinctively, Itachi sprinted after her, calling frantically, "Kimi! Stop! Look out!"
It was too late. She jumped lightly down, stumbling a few steps forward into the street. Her head lifted and face froze in a mask of surprise and horror. The horse, a chestnut-colored stallion, bore down on her – eyes wide and rolling – nostrils flared and snorting wildly.
Itachi dove forward, tackling Kimi out of the way. The horse missed by barely inches, skidding as it tried to stop from running headlong into a ramen shop. More screams erupted on the street, and Itachi heard no few people calling his name. He ignored them all, though, his entire focus on the girl beneath him.
He swiftly got off of her, crouching by her side. "Kimi. Kimi, are you alright?" There was a slightly frantic edge to his voice, which momentarily puzzled him.
Kimi groaned and sat up. "Horse," she gasped.
Itachi nodded. "Yes. You were almost run down. You have to be more careful. You could have been seriously –"
Kimi suddenly jumped to her feet. Her hat fell from her head, blonde hair flashing in the sun. "No. The horse!" She turned to where the beast was frantically trying to disentangle himself from the tables in the shop. "It could hurt itself!"
Itachi stared at her, dumbfounded. The horse had nearly run her over, and she was worrying about his safety instead of her own? Where was the sense in that?
Before he could make any move to stop her, Kimi dashed toward the flailing stallion. She ran toward the thing while everyone else was running away. Was it courage or stupidity that drove her? Itachi shook his head, snatching up her hat and jogging after her.
The horse reared back, hooves flashing through the air with deadly force. Kimi walked boldly forward, hands held out in front of her in a sign of peace. She was speaking softly and gently, but Itachi could not make out the words. The horse whinnied loudly, shaking his head and snorting angrily. Heart pounding, Itachi moved closer to grab Kimi and pull her away.
The girl wove one hand behind her. "It's okay," she stated clearly, though to whom, Itachi did not know.
The stallion reared a second time; one hoof swiped the air so close to Kimi's head that the breeze from it moved her hair. She did not flinch. Instead, when the horse landed, she reached forward slowly and took hold of its reins.
Cooing softly, Kimi reached up and stroked the horse's nose. She repeated soothing words like some sort of mantra. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. Hush. Hush. That's a good boy. I'm a friend."
Amazingly, the horse calmed, his breathing slowing until slow and back to normal. Then, one hand on the reins and the other on the stallion's neck, Kimi led him out. She flashed a smile at Itachi before turning her attention to an older man approaching.
The man was breathing hard, sweat rolling off his brow. "Mikon," he gasped. "How'd you catch him? I thought for sure he'd be long gone by now. Shouldn't have brought him here knowing he was easily startled. Sorry about this." He peered at Kimi carefully. "Never seen him so calm. How'd you do it?"
Kimi patted the horse's cheek, and he leaned into it. Laughing softly, she scratched the spot for him. "I just have a way with animals is all," she said dismissively. "Mikon just needed a friendly face, didn't you, boy?"
The horse whickered softly and his owner chuckled. "Well, he seems to have taken a liking to you. Unlike him to stand so still." He thought for a moment. "Listen here. Where're your parents? I'd like to talk with them, see if there's any way you might be able to come out and help me around the farm."
The girl avoided Itachi's eyes. "I don't have any," she said softly.
Itachi blinked. No parents? He had known she was in Konoha alone – and faintly wondered why – but he never imagined that she was an orphan.
The farmer cleared his throat with an embarrassed grimace. "Ah – well, then – why don't you come back to my place with me? The missus wouldn't be too happy if I didn't offer you somewhere to stay. You could help us around the farm in exchange for the spare room."
Kimi cocked her head. "And a couple hot meals a day?"
"Fair enough."
The young girl smiled. "Then you've got yourself a deal." She looked over at Itachi, who handed over her hat. "See you around?"
Itachi nodded vacantly and watched Kimi as she trailed off behind the man, reigns gripped firmly in one hand.