After they've finished with the surveillance, the trio had decided to make a stop at one of the town within the cluster. Even being the outermost city, the town was still bustling, even during the night.

"Look! It seems like there is a festival of some kind?" Mitsuki exclaimed softly as she saw the row of lantern hanging above the city's main street.

"Hoo, I guess it's time for mid-autumn festival," Kisame remarked as he saw the stretch of lantern and stalls. "Oh well, it's not like we can participate anyway."

"Huuuuh, couldn't you two just put a disguise or something, what a waste.." Mitsuki complained.

"It's not like we are here to play," said Itachi calmly as he walked away from the stretch, ignoring it. Mitsuki had almost forgotten about how Itachi's Akatsuki persona was, as she had gotten used to how relaxed he was during their previous travel together. Shrugging, Mitsuki shouted as she took a different turn from the two.

"Then, I'll go ahead and take a look, I will buy us some food back also. See you guys later at the lodging!" Mitsuki shouted.

Seeing the girl dashing upon the brightly lit street, Itachi wondered if Mitsuki still even had money after her food splurge during their travel, however, not wanting to show too much concern or any obvious changes in the persona he adopted then, Itachi decided to just nod quietly at her before walking away.


The festival was a lot more crowded than Mitsuki thought. Sea of people constantly moved in lines, while others took stops on the roadside to enjoy the various attractions and food. Among the sea of people. Mitsuki could spot quite a few people with forehead protector. Even among the people that were dressed casually, there are quite a few of them with enormous amount of chakra. It was very likely that they were either shinobi who were having their vacation or those on a mission, albeit under disguise.

"Mmm, no wonder Itachi-kun is reluctant to come here," Mitsuki thought. Among the sea of people, there must be some people who knew about Itachi's and Kisame's status as criminal, especially seeing that there were a lot of different symbol being worn by those whose foreheads are adorned by shinobi headband. Seeing how it was quite easy for her to differentiate between shinobi and civilians even among crowd, Mitsuki couldn't help but wonder if some of the shinobi might have the ability to do so as well, albeit in different way.

"If that's so, then just clothing disguise won't cut it.. Maybe I'll ask Itachi-kun more about it next time?" she thought as she took a casual stroll around the area, deciding that she will leave her future problem to her future self.


"So, how are you, Itachi-san?" asked Kisame as the pair waited together in their booked in room for their promised dinner.

"I'm better now," said Itachi briefly in a calm manner. He could tell that Kisame's concern was genuine despite how Kisame make light of his question. From what Mitsuki had told him also, it was apparent that Kisame sincerely cared about his health, some camaraderie that he didn't expect to find during his time in Akatsuki. Mitsuki had also told him how she perceived Kisame's soul as well, saying that Kisame himself seemed to be a genuine, trustworthy person. Even so, Itachi still felt a sense of reluctance in being completely honest to him, and there's no way he would disclose the fact of Uchiha massacre to another member of Akatsuki. As for the fact about his health, Itachi wondered about how he should tackle it. Thankfully, unlike Mitsuki, Kisame knew how to respect the boundaries between them. Thinking about that, Itachi let out a soft chuckle.

"Hoo? You smiled again. Was it fun travelling with Oujou-chan*?" Kisame teased suddenly, referring to Mitsuki with her newly decided nickname he had picked for her, catching Itachi off-guard. As Itachi turned his head to him with confusion, Kisame pulled back his words and diverted the topic.

"I felt bad, you know, getting fooled by that girl's scheme and letting her slip out of my surveillance. At least I'm glad it seemed to be for the better," he added.

"Better?" Kisame's choice of word surprised Itachi. It made him wonder if Kisame knew more than he let off about their travel.

"The color in your face seems a lot better now than before, and on top of that she had managed to recover part of her memories and got a growth spurt, isn't that great?" Kisame answered with another question in response to Itachi's surprised inquiry. Hearing what Kisame had to say, Itachi felt a breadth of relieve.

"I see. I guess that is so," said Itachi with a slight smile on his lips, to Kisame's delight.

"But how come this time round we got her a separate room though?" Kisame's curiosity made Itachi twitched slightly. However, before he could find an excuse, a loud step rushed towards the room and knocked on their door.

"Is it Oujou-chan?" asked Kisame, wondering. Feeling as if saved by the bell, Itachi stood up and opened the door. Behind it, Mitsuki was carrying a pile of food with sparkles in her eyes.

"LOOK! LOOK! ITACHI-KUN!" Mitsuki burst out with glee as she entered the room and placed her haul on one of the beds. "There's a lot of dango! I heard that it's called Tsukimi dango or something, and it's a festival for moon viewing!"

"Huh? You didn't know?" Kisame asked in confusion. He was under expectation that Mitsuki would know after regaining her memory.

"It's the first time I've seen something like this, somehow I feel glad," Mitsuki added with gentle smile on her face, ignoring Kisame's question. As Itachi approached to take a look at her purchase, Mitsuki pointed out to him some of her haul.

"Look, they even have a rabbit shaped mochi! How cute is that!" Mitsuki exclaimed excitedly as she showed off the cute dessert to both Itachi and Kisame, distributing them before chomping on one herself.

"You sure bought a lot though ki.. I mean, Oujou-chan," Mitsuki glared at Kisame fiercely as he almost slipped back to his old habitual nickname.

"There's so much things I wanted to try, hehe," Mitsuki replied with joy while opening another sets of food and sharing it with Itachi and Kisame.

"Didn't you say you almost ran out of funds?" Itachi's questioned made Mitsuki twitch in awkwardness.

Evading Itachi's and Kisame's curious gaze, Mitsuki replied softly, "Ah yea, it's about time I try to earn some more."

Kisame and Itachi traded a glance with each other, wondering, upon hearing Mitsuki's statement joined with her suspicious expression during her response.

"Don't tell me you spent everything you have left for all these?" Kisame dared himself to ask.

"Gikuh*!"

As Mitsuki avoided her comrades' gaze once more, the answer was clear for the two of them. In an effort to salvage the situation, Mitsuki tried to redirect the conversation..

"Speaking about it, what's our plan from now on? Any movement plan?"

"Hmm, what should we do, Itachi-san?" asked Kisame as well. As the two questioners directed their expectant eyes towards him, it was clear for Itachi that he would have to take responsibility in the mission's long term planning, not that he minded having more control over their group's movement.

"I suppose we can take our time to find information in the town's cluster. Keeping on the move will probably be better until we find something of significance," he suggested.

"Hmm, but I doubt people will spill secret information to people they don't trust tho. Wouldn't being on the move constantly hinder in that aspect. I guess it's true that since there are a lot of shinobis around we can't linger for too long though, for you two that is."

"That's where having an adult around come in handy!" Kisame said proudly, teasing Mitsuki and Itachi, "I'll try to gather information around Izakayas. Alcohol will loosen people's mouth well, and shady bar sometimes proves to be useful in information gathering about underground stuff."

"Huh? Why only you?" asked Mitsuki with a frown on her forehead.

"Ha? Technically Itachi-san is still underage, so…"

Hearing Kisame's excuse Mitsuki chuckled, "You know, it's nice to know you two are still upholding law even though you both are S-ranked criminal."

Mitsuki's retort caught Itachi and Kisame offguard.

"Itachi-san, let's kick her out of the party.. She's such a bad influence.." said Kisame to Itachi with serious tone.

"Hahahah, I'm just kidding. How about me tho?"

"You?" Kisame frowned, not sure what Mitsuki meant.

"I am definitely not underage, so I should be able to help," Mitsuki declared.

"….." Kisame couldn't believe Mitsuki's word and turned his head towards Itachi for confirmation, which Itachi carefully avoided.

"So how old are you?" Kisame asked directly, giving up in trying to get his answer from Itachi.

Upon Kisame's question, Mitsuki froze, before putting a playful pose as she avoided the question.

"You shall never ask a woman her age, you know?" Mitsuki answered playfully. Hearing Mitsuki's avoidant answer, Kisame frowned in suspicion.

"Have you ever drink sake before?"

"Erm, for ceremonial purpose, I guess?"

Kisame put his palms on his forehead, not sure how to retort to Mitsuki who was staring at Kisame with innocence and excitement. Before Kisame could figure out an explanation, Itachi intervened quickly.

"Then, Kisame can handle the Izakaya at night time, I will deal with underground dealings, and Mitsuki.."

Hearing her name being called, Mitsuki looked at Itachi expectantly.

"Can you find information from the civilians? The methods are up to you," said Itachi loosely, thinking that he would give further instruction once he had the chance to talk to her privately next time. He would prefer if the investigation can be delayed as much as possible without raising suspicion, and hopefully, Mitsuki would catch on to that. As Mitsuki's line of sight intersect with his, the two locked eyes briefly, as if communicating wordlessly. Upon seeing the complicated look on Itachi's eye, Mitsuki blinked a few times, then nodded.

"OK, understood!" Mitsuki answered lightly with a smile.

"Right, then let's discuss the schedule and our movement pattern," Itachi continued as he took out the map that Kisame had gave him earlier, along with their surveillance notes.


After spending the next few moments on explaining his plan, Itachi folded back the map as he put it back into his pouch. Meanwhile, Mitsuki and Kisame seemed to be pondering over their own route.

"Hmm if I need to stay longer in each town and you guys jump over from town to town, I guess we meet each other by evening to report progress in the closest meeting point between the towns?"

"Huh? You want to meet every day?" Mitsuki's word surprised Kisame.

"Huh? We won't?" Mitsuki replied in surprise as well.

As the two looked at him in search for answer, Itachi sighed.

"I don't think it's necessary to report in every day," said Itachi to Mitsuki's disappointment. "We'll reconvene every week to update each other, starting one week from now."

"… OK," said Mitsuki with a frown on her face as she sighed.

"Heee, don't tell me you are lonely?" Kisame teased.

"Of course, it's only been a few days since the three of us are back together," Mitsuki complained without any reservation, surprising both Itachi and Kisame with her genuine reply.

As Kisame scratched his head with complicated feelings, Mitsuki chuckled,

"Just kidding. Make sure to bring any interesting food you guys can find during our meeting OK?" Mitsuki said with a smile on her face, slightly frowning. Her expression was hard to read.

"Well, now that our discussion is done, I think I'll go back to the festival to check it out some more!" Mitsuki added as she stood up, "See you guys tomorrow? Or maybe in one week?"

"Un," Itachi nodded briefly as his eyes followed Mitsuki's movement, uncertain about what was going on in her mind while Kisame observed the two quietly.


Mitsuki kicked a pebble around as she aimlessly strolls on the festival ground. Out of money, she didn't really have much thing to do since it seemed like most of the festivities are finished already. Grumbling, Mitsuki let her feet lead her towards the riverbank and up a tree.

"As expected of the moon festival, the moon is beautiful tonight," Mitsuki mumbled as she partake in the sight of both the full-moon and its reflection on the river. Sighing, Mitsuki drifted into her thoughts. There was a lot of things going on in her head, she didn't know what to tackle first.

Firstly, the moon festival itself. Happy as she was that humanity still celebrate the full-moon while showing gratitude for the harvest moon, she couldn't help but think of her clan members and retainer. Ever since the original moon was destroyed, there were no longer celebration of the moon festival, since celebrating it would meant to mourn its loss. For more than a thousand year, up until the clan's massacre, they didn't have any chance to celebrate it even once after they were stuck within the Tsukuyomi's shrine holy ground. Remembering that, Mitsuki would really like to show her clanmates the current view of the moon even if it was not their old home's moon, as well as the festivities created by the human's to celebrate it and give their thanks. Reminded of her loss more than ever, Mitsuki felt a sense of loneliness deeper than she ever had before.

"And from tomorrow, I'll be even more alone as well," she thought, as she remembered the oncoming separation from both Itachi and Kisame. Even a week felt heavy for her when combined with the fact that she had just become even more aware of her existence's solitude. As pain trickled down her chest, she turned her sadness into a song, wishing that her voice would reach the spirits of her long lost comrades in the afterlife. As she tried not to think about her worry about Itachi's condition, as well as her fear in facing the rest of her memories, she felt the branch she was sitting on shook lightly.

"You really like high places, don't you?" a familiar voice spoke softly as he repositioned himself and sat beside Mitsuki, joining her.

"Itachi-kun," Mitsuki smiled wryly, "Why are you here?"

"Why indeed," Itachi muttered, unsure of the answer himself. Maybe, he felt that it was the right thing to do, that's all, or so he thought to himself. As his gaze fell on Mitsuki's expression, she turned her head and avoided his gaze, staring straight towards the faraway moon. Sadness was clearly reflected in her eyes as the moonlight illuminated her figure. Like many times before, silence enveloped the two while they bask in each other's presence, while also keeping a comfortable distance between them. Overwhelmed again by her thoughts, Mitsuki continued her song.

While wind carried the echo of her melancholic tune, it sounded as if Mitsuki was letting out a cry of longing which reverberates through the unfamiliar tune and lyrics. In a song about a moon long gone, Mitsuki's voice quivered lightly as she ended the song in a long note of farewell. Under her long eyelashes, the dark blue eyes stared into nothingness, seemingly drowning in her own sorrow, sending a tinge of pain into Itachi's heart as he continued to observe her in silence.

"Itachi-kun," suddenly, Mitsuki broke the silence between the pair, "did I tell you, that the invader destroyed the earth's original moon, my… our home.. along with it?"

Itachi nodded silently. Mitsuki had never told him about it in detail, but he understood the gist of it from her retelling of the past.

"I've.. never seen the original moon from earth before. I was too young to be allowed to visit the mortal land.." she continued solemnly, sad smile bloomed on her face.

"All I knew was that, it reflected beautiful golden light of the sun to guide human during the night.. and that humanity, in their gratitude would celebrate a night of full moon in festivities."

As Mitsuki continued to speak, Itachi listened in silence, patiently, as if giving her time to form her words.

"After the moon was destroyed, and we were forced to run away to our grand-shrine's land.. The night that we witness from earth has always been one of darkness and sorrow. Forget festivities, every time the night fall, every time the harvest season fell and the festival's date approach.. All we were reminded of was the loss of our families, and our home; The loss of the golden moon and its guiding light."

Mitsuki closed her eyes with a gentle smile, as if reminiscing about her pleasant, yet long gone memories. Loneliness reflected deeply on her empty gaze.

"If only, I can show them the festivities on this day, even if it is no longer the moon of our old home.." she muttered with a complicated smile. Itachi could only keep his gaze on her, unable to give her any words of comfort. The loneliness was all too familiar to him. The longing, the hopelessness of it.. He could feel her pain as if its his own, as he too.. was alone in his world, because of the path that he had chosen.

"Hey, Itachi-kun," Mitsuki called Itachi's name once more with a slight quiver in her voice, breaking the silence. As she heard no audible response, but sensing his gaze on her, without looking directly into Itachi's eye, Mitsuki continued as she gazed up onto the new moon.

"Do you think, I'd be able to see them again if I die?"

"Wh-.." Itachi's word was stuck in his throat as the dark implication of Mitsuki's word and the despair which had surfaced in her eye caught Itachi off-guard.

"I'm just kidding," said Mitsuki quickly as she glanced to her side, meeting Itachi's surprised, yet concerned glance. "I can't die, anyway.." she added as she smiled wryly, closing her eye while frowning slightly, implying the seriousness of her words.

Without waiting for Itachi's response, Mitsuki stood up and turned her back against the moonlight.

"It's late, let's go back," she muttered softly, before jumping down the branch. For a while, Itachi felt like he could see her eyes moistened slightly as the moonlight could no longer reach her face after her move, filling his heart with unease as he couldn't muster a single word for the grieving girl in front of him.


Author's note:

:') Rabbits can die of loneliness, you know..

About alcohol rule in japan, even though 16-18 is already considered adult, i think the limitation age for drinking alcohol is 21 years old IIRC, that's why Kisame considers Itachi too young to help him with barhopping.

About Tsukimi festival: https/blog/tsukimi-japan-s-autumn-moon-festival

Gikuh is a common japanese onomatopoeia / sound effect to indicate something like "getting caught red handed"