SCARLET ; itachi uchiha

〔 三十 二 〕 a stirring of memories

The shine upon the calm river,

it was something Akane always loved to see as it refracted the light like flowing jewels and was melting beautifully under thickness her eyelashes and fiery carmine hair.

It was said that when the light hit the water, then the water bounced off the light, the refraction from the water would be projected on the trees or on the soil, and it created—in a sense—a portal to second hidden world. The water emphasized the permanence of the passing time, activating her imagination to the duality of past and present. Time had changed all the seasons and landscapes, yet she felt that she was still stuck in the ambiguity as the mud water.

Plethora of images were playing on her mind, and the refraction of the water was a part of the succumbing experience towards the past. And there, she had a moment to pause.

______________________________________________

Two days before Shisui's death, and four days before the massacre.

Akane hadn't seen Itachi since she came back from the village. She didn't want to intrude his time with Izumi and bother his preparation time for his night mission. Shisui told her that Itachi would be back by the morning, but again, she didn't want to disturb his rest.

Now, it was late afternoon, and the slanting course of the sun had painted the village in yellows and oranges. She was thinking to buy him some dango, then locate him in this vast area of the Uchiha Compound, and surprise him.

Akane was making her way to the favorite tea and sweet shop of Itachi. It was located in the Uchiha Compound itself, and Akane had determined to be careful while she walked around there; although, with her fake short black hair and fake onyx eyes, she could also be mistaken as an Uchiha.

Once reaching the shop, the huge だんご sign welcomed her. She cheered to herself, squealing like child she was as she could taste the scent of the hanami dango on the tip of her tongue. She missed eating those; it was their go-to snacks when they finished training or after Itachi's mission. True, there were other dango shops outside the village, but each chef had their own interpretation of taste, and this specific dango shop had even more in-depth taste of sweet nostalgia.

But upon entering, waylaid and beckoned, she bumped into someone.

"Sorry!"

"Sumimasen . . ."

They both said in unison.

The person fixed her eyes at Akane, whilst Akane traveled her gaze from her face to the dango she was holding gently against her chest—both keeping the silence with perplexed and shocked faces.