I was about four when I first met this old woman. I saw her carrying groceries as she walked at an oh so slow pace while Sasuke and I were playing hide and seek in the woods. There was this eerie feeling that told me to stay away from her but my curiosity to know was stronger. Leaving Sasuke for a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt, right? Like the foolish child I was, I walked up to her.
"Hi!" I greeted. "Do you need help with that?" I pointed to her bag of groceries.
"You would help me?" Her voice was so shaky, I wondered who left this old lady on her own.
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked, taking her groceries.
She smiled so brightly. She looked so happy. That is when I let my guard down. The old woman led the way to her home, "Thank you for helping me." She stopped in front of her house. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
Not wanting to be rude I agreed, walking in to the house. "Alright." I smiled. "My name is Ichigo. What's yours?"
"Yuki. My name is Yuki." She gave me a cup a tea. As we drank she told me stories about her life. About when she was young. I was there a while before hearing Sasuke calling for me.
"Thank you for the tea, I must go now." I bowed. "Is it alright..." I pause. "If I come here again?"
"Of course. Until then." She smiled, unlike before this one was sad.
"...Until then." With that I left. Tackling Sasuke when I saw him.
Days like this happened constantly. First it was every couple of weeks. I would go over to the old lady's house and drink tea while she told stories, sometimes helping her with things. No one else knew that I went there. Not dad. Not mom. Not Sasuke or Itachi. It wasn't that I didn't tell them. It's just that they never asked.
Months passed as this became a daily thing. Everyday was new exciting stories. But one day it was different. I should have left as I noticed that she looked uncomfortable upon my arrival, but I had full trust in this woman. Like usual, she gave me a cup of tea. She told me a story until I drank the last drop. Then I got dizzy, everything was looking blurry. I swayed in my seat.
"I don't feel too good." The question, did she do this?, ran through my head. I refused to believe she would do such a thing. There was no way, right?
"I'm sorry..." That was the last thing I heard as I blacked out.
I don't know how much time passed before I woke up. Minutes? Hours? Days even? Where am I? I was in a bed. I sit up.
"Ugh." My body aches all over. It feels weird. What did she do to me? "Is this her room?" I stand up, my knees trembling. I see a body on the floor. It was the Yuki... It was Yuki! I shake her with my hand.
"Old lady... Wake up... Come on..." She was cold. Dead. She was dead. "Ngh..." I clutched my stomach. It hurts... What did she do to me? I lift up my shirt...
"What is this?!" A tattoo?... No, what is this!? "I have to get out of here..." I limp out the house, my body hurts too much to be able to run.
"- go..."
I walked towards the direction of the distant sound.
"Ichigo..! Where are you?!"
It's Itachi!. It's his voice!
"Itachi!" I muster up all my strength to call out to my older brother. "Itachi! I'm over here!" I limp as fast as I can in his direction.
"Ichigo!" He was in front of me in seconds. "Whe- Where were you?! You've been gone for four days! We couldn't sense your chakra! E-Everyone thought you were dead! What happened?!" My composed brother was distressed. That was something I have never seen before. I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to tell him everything, but I was too weak. I was hurting. I was starving. I hadn't had anything to drink in days.
"Itachi..." I spoke nearly above a whisper. He looked concerned, I must've looked bad.
"What is it?" He calmed down.
"Let's go home." I look at him with pleading eyes.
"You must explain later." He picked me up and ran towards our house.
"I will."