Unbroken Bonds

6: A Mother's Resolve

Shisui heard the sound of crying; soft sobs could be heard as he made his way to his usual training spot. Confusion fluttered his brain as he stepped upon the scene of a young girl, she had her head buried in her knees, but that didn't stop the boy from noticing her unusually colored hair as it cascaded down to her waist, a light violet color. How beautiful? The boy was suddenly thrown out of his thoughts as he once again realized she was still crying. He walked closer to the girl before tapping her shoulder, the girl spun around, lifting herself off the ground quickly, and he was met with dark eyes like his.

"Um, are you- are you okay?" Shisui whispered; he had never seen the girl before, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to ask about her well-being. No one should have to cry alone. He watched as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

"My mother left" the girl started to crumple to the ground again before Shisui reached out and wrapped her in a warm embrace. He held her until the tears began to subside, which felt like hours.

When she finally pulled away, the girl wiped her eyes and held her hand out to the boy.

"I- 'm sorry I don't know you, and my mother said it's bad to not introduce oneself; my name is Senju Yuna." Shisui shook her hand, a soft smile and a light dust of pink grazing his features before she started to smile back.

"My name is Shisui Uchiha, and I like your hair."

A shriek left Yuna's body as she sat up, sweat embedded upon her forehead and tears running down her cheeks. Then, she was met with the familiar warmth of someone's arms gently wrapped around her in her bed.

"You dreamt of him again, didn't you?" The man holding her watched her nod as the moonlight that fell through the window illuminated her features as sobs wracked her body once more.

Yuna had cried every day since Shisui died. Six months had passed, and the girl barely left her bed. Itachi would visit her practically daily, except when he had a mission. After that, he spent most of his free time with her. He was scared that if he left her alone for too long, he would also lose her.

No one had been able to pull her out of her room. She had neglected her duties as the heiress of the Senju Clan, as an ANBU, neglected Sasuke, neglected her friends, she even turned away Jiraiya when he tried to come to visit her; all Yuna could think about was the pain that came with her new eye and the picture frame of Shisui she clutched at all times.

In the morning, a knock resounded from her front door. Yuna watched, eyes blurry with tears, as Itachi got up from the bed to answer before slowly shutting the bedroom door, leaving Yuna huddled in her white sheets. Then, she heard Itachi open the door; yelling immediately echoed through her house. Yuna removed herself from her bed in fear. Then, standing up, she suddenly realized she was still in Shisui's shirt. It was almost a dress on her as she had begun losing weight from not eating.

Cautiously she opened her bedroom door and walked down the hallway before peeking her head into her living room. At her door was Mikoto-San, and on the floor was poor Itachi, who was entirely shaken up from his mother's outburst.

"Uchiha Itachi!! What is wrong with you? Do you know how worried I have been? And to find you HERE? You have your own bed. Wallowing will bring you nothing but anguish." She huffed, crossing her arms before entering the living room; Yuna shuffled her feet entering the space, causing the woman to look up from the boy on the floor to the woman before her.

Yuna looked like a wreck. Her long hair had matted, her features sunken, and her eyes were dark and forlorn. Yet, there she was, Yuna Senju standing in her living room in a dead man's shirt and sweats. Mikoto's eyes widened with realization as to why Itachi had been spending so much time with the girl; she was grieving. From all points of view, she looked like she might die at any moment.