Forever My Heart

No Winning Or Losing

"Itachi-kun!" Izumi was definitely startled to see him...or rather appear unexpectedly. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to train myself," answered Itachi slowly, looking down at her oddly. "This is what I normally come down here for."
"Oh." Izumi's cheeks blushed pink, embarrassed. "Right," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I knew that! I'm just surprised to see you here again, that's all. I-I mean with you on missions and all, or being with your team, so I didn't...I-I mean..." She looked down at her lap, her face now beet-red beneath her hair strands. Then she took a deep breath and lifted her head, looking more confident. "Hello!" she said cheerfully.
Nice save. Itachi hid his amusement well. She had no idea that he had been watching her from high in one of the trees for the past hour, including the last ten minutes of her lounging in the middle of a target field.
"You shouldn't be napping around when this field is only meant for training," he told her in reply. If others had come by and caught her lying on her back, seemingly asleep in the grass, they would without doubt think she was a slacker, when he already knew that wasn't the case. "You should be taking advantage of your time here."
Smile dropping, Izumi's eyes widened at his blunt words, and then glared. "I am training!" she exclaimed indignantly, pouting up at him. She rolled to her feet, wiping the grass stains off her backside. "I was just taking a break, that's all! Also, the sun is out and today just happens to be beautiful for November, you know. Remember when we used to do cloud watching?"
Izumi always liked to take advantage of weather changes. Even when it was grey, gloomy, rainy, or stormy, she would not waste the opportunity to use them for her own entertainment rather than complain about it like most others do. She especially loved when it rained or snowed, always dancing around and sticking out her tongue to get a taste, letting such condensation wash over her face, leaving her cheeks flushed from the damp. Itachi shared that type of interest with her, using the weather forecast to meditate in certain ways while adapting to the changes surrounding him. And she knew it.
Itachi smiled a little reluctantly, nodding. "Yeah, I remember...but that was in a playground, Izumi," he answered in a firmer tone, "not in a field full of targets. What if someone came here for weapons training, threw a sharp kunai the wrong way, and you got hurt in the process?"
"I wouldn't have gotten hurt-"
"You didn't even sense me approach you..."
"That's because you can sneak up on
anybody without even trying, even the grown-ups! How am I any better?"
Ignoring the fact that she made a good point, Itachi gave her a serious look. "Anybody can sneak up on you if you continually distract yourself. A shinobi must always watch their back. They must always be aware of the changes in their surroundings, especially when approached by any enemy ninja and other dangers... even in their sleep." His mind kept wandering back to that cold chakra he felt over a month ago, and the thought of Izumi becoming a kunoichi without paying attention to the most basic of the shinobi rules, taught as part of the recitation of the Shinobi Handbook every morning at the Ninja Academy….well, it scared him. "You should know this, Izumi, because if you don't-"
"I know, I know! I'm sorry, okay?" groaned Izumi loudly, really annoyed. Itachi can be such a snob sometimes, especially when it comes to rules….but like always, he was right. Sighing, she looked at him, calming down. "So, how come you're not with your teammates?" she asked.
"I was…We just got back two days ago, completing a total of five missions since I've last seen you."
"Were they hard?"
"Not that hard." Not for me, anyway, he thought, recalling Tenma and Shinko's few mishaps that he had to quickly fix and direct. "There were just a few complications in team work, making each mission last longer than they should. In the end, they were completed without further injuries or complaints."
"Oh….well, I'm glad you're okay," she said, folding her hands behind her straightened back. Her eyes drifted up to his Leaf headband. "I knew you would, of course, but….is it normal for a genin team to be that busy, Itachi-kun?"
Noticing her concern, he shook his head. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," Itachi tried assuring her, giving her a gentle smile. "You still have plenty of time to prepare yourself."
Izumi sighed, looking gloomy. "Four more years, right? Seeing you already graduated, it seems so far away." Then she brightened, trying to be more positive. "Well, my goal is to make it in at least three. It's not nearly as good as you did, but it's still an accomplishment, right?"
"Ah." Itachi looked at the row of targets and nodded. "You seem to already be a natural at shuriken."
Izumi blinked, then sobered up. "No, not really," she mumbled, cheeks tinting pink, before walking over to each target to pull out her kunai and shuriken. Itachi followed closely behind, watching her silently. "I used my Sharingan for these ones and got every single one the center, obviously...but before that, I can't seem to perfect my throws. It's like my hands are not big enough to get them all in or something. You and Shisui-nii make it look so easy!"
He thought about telling her that it was her distracted mind that was shaking her focus, but then he realized what she just said. "Shisui- nii?" echoed Itachi. When did she stop calling him 'Shisui-san?' Has Shisui been seeing her lately?
Izumi paused, and turned to face Itachi. "Oh! Yeah, he comes over to visit sometimes when you're away," she said. "He's even helped me with my homework and training." Then twiddling her shuriken in her fingers bashfully, she added, "I...I one time accidentally called him nii-san and tried to take it back when he looked all surprised, but he told me it was okay, so I stuck with it."
Itachi was silent. Izumi noticed and started to worry. "You're okay with that, are you?" she said quickly. "I'm-I'm not trying to steal him away or anything, because I know you two are very close, like real brothers-"
"I know you're not," interrupted Itachi, his gentle smile returning. "I'm really glad you see Shisui that way, and I'm sure he feels the same way about you. As a sister, I mean," he quickly added, face heating up and causing Izumi to fight back a smile. His expression saddened, looking lost in thought. "It's just that….I just realized I never referred to him as such. Not once."
Izumi stepped closer, catching Itachi's eyes with a small smile. "I'm sure he knows, Itachi-kun," she said softly. "You know, Shisui-nii did tell me that you also spoke to him so formally, before we became friends. He says that you're the type that likes to keep things neutral, even with your closest people. I think I get what he means, too." Itachi looked at her questioningly, and Izumi shrugged. "Like how you don't call me 'Izumi-chan' like the others."
Oh. Itachi's eyes widened slightly. "D-Did you want me to? I mean, do you still...?" he asked her, struggling not to stammer when feeling his throat dry nervously.
Now that she mentioned it, he knew that after knowing her this long, he had every reason to give her the suffix '-chan,' more so than anyone else, since it was a term that referred her as his close childhood friend….but he never did. He never went as far as referring to people other than '-san,' or '-sama,' 'sensei' or (in Sasuke's case) 'otutou.' When he stopped calling them '-san,' it usually meant he was more comfortable with them, and people seemed to quickly pick up on that around him.
Izumi chuckled, a fist covering her guilty smile. "Maybe I did at one point, when we were younger and barely knew each other," she confessed, "but I don't mind now. It would feel a little strange if you did start calling me '-chan,' actually."
Itachi felt his heart lighten at her words. She knew him so well that….that he was just so amazed how he had found a friend like her. How grateful he was that she was in his life….even when they hardly saw each other anymore. A lump started to form in his throat, swelling until it hardened, becoming painful to swallow. He didn't know what to say, especially when seeing her so close to him, still smaller than him, radiating with warmth, comfort, and familiarity….he felt lost in all of it.
"And anyway," Izumi dropped her fist from her mouth, still beaming as she reached up and patted his cheek playfully, her eyes sparkling, "I don't have to look very hard to know that you care, Itachi-kun. I know you do, because otherwise you wouldn't have saved me from the kyubbi attack, or from those bullies. You wouldn't have bothered to walk with me and back to the Academy every day, or come by to visit when I was hurt or sick. You wouldn't have offered to…." Her gaze drifted downward when her smile dimmed slightly, "….to be my future husband, if you didn't care. So there's no need for names or titles. Only actions. That's what I believe."
Her hand started to drop as she finished talking, but only for Itachi to catch and hold it just in between them, surprising Izumi. His thumb pressed tightly into her palm while his fingers slowly enclosed around her hand, squeezing with a gentle ferocity. Izumi watched in silence, her expression soft but confused as she studied his face, which was completely unreadable. His ebony eyes were heavy-lidded and mysterious in deep thought. He was either burdened….or at peace. It was honestly hard to tell, and it made her tremble slightly with nervousness, especially when feeling the steady pulse from his palm meeting hers.
Itachi-kun….
Watching his own hand caressing her soft, dainty little hand, holding it just below the level of his chin, Itachi observed the softness of her skin, yet dotted with tiny cuts and scabs from punching and palm-heeling the posts. Callouses of her hard training, showing only a tiny grain of the strength she truly had stored within her.
"….Izumi…." he said softly.
"Yes?"
"….I…." There was hesitation in his tone, but Izumi was patient. When there had been a flash of uncertainty in his eyes, it disappeared….before replaced with resolution. His hold on her hand then shifted as it lowered, now gripping it more forcefully when he tugged. "Spar with me."
Izumi's eyes widened. "Huh?"
"You're going to spar with me," said Itachi, looking her straight in the eye with a hardened expression. He looked….older. "I want to see what you can do for myself." He started pulling her toward the center of the field, causing Izumi to drop her shuriken on the ground.
"I-Itachi-kun, wait! I don't….I mean, I can't….."
"Why not?" Itachi let go of her hand and turned to face her. "You always kept asking me to spar with you, and I always kept putting it off. I'm telling you now that I'll do it."
Izumi looked unsure, and slightly scared. "Itachi-kun, I….I'll lose! I won't be able to beat you no matter how hard I try! I-I'm weak…."
"Don't!" Itachi cut her off sharply, causing Izumi to stare at him in shock. "I don't want to hear you call yourself that again. You won't grow stronger as both a person and a ninja if you continue this way of thinking."
"Itachi-kun…."
"This is not about winning or losing. This is about testing and improving your abilities. With your Sharingan activated, you might even have a better advantage in predicting my attacks and defenses. I want you come at me with everything you have. Hold nothing back." Seeing Izumi's unease grow, Itachi then smirked. "Hn, don't worry. I'll go easy on you."
Izumi gaped, then frowned, before hardening her expression and readying her stance. "Easy, huh?" she retorted, closing her eyes. When she reopened them, her Sharingan was activated, spinning and ready. "Okay, fine! I'll make you eat your own words, crow boy!"
With a yell, she charged.
Crow boy? Cute. Itachi's smirk grew when Izumi raised her fist, her hair flying in the wind as she lunged….
….
(Twenty minutes later)
Izumi landed backwards on the ground, arms and legs spread out like a star as she panted in exhaustion. Entirely spent, she gasped out between breaths, "You….are….impossible! Can't….catch….you…..UGH!" She groaned loudly, her mouth dry with thirst and her skin damp with sweat as her heart threatened to burst. "Itachi….kun….can we stop now….I can't….move anymore….." She opened one eye to peer up pleadingly at Itachi, who was still standing.
He appeared to be completely unfazed by their fight, although it was hardly a fight, since it was Izumi throwing the punches and Itachi dodging or deflecting them. The two had been at it for about twenty minutes, though it felt much longer to Izumi. During that time, she had given it her all in trying to hit her prodigal friend, her frustration rapidly growing as her already low confidence rapidly dwindled when Itachi effortlessly dodged her every move. His blank expression didn't so much as twitch when he one time paused to catch her flying kick, before grabbing her wrist, and flipping her in a circle like a spinning top until sending her sliding across the grassy field on her back. Other than that, neither one had touched the other. Even though Izumi could predict his moves with her Sharingan, it didn't mean her physical prowess matched with Itachi's.
Her Sharingan didn't last five minutes within the sparring. She had it deactivated right after Itachi used that taijutsu move on her, knowing that if she kept it up any longer, she would lose consciousness from wasted energy. Luckily, her dojutsu managed to reflect the maneuver, quickly memorizing its accuracy before she was tossed aside. It would be a handy technique to mimic in later battles, but not this one, apparently, if Itachi didn't even try attacking her.
She felt so pathetic. She was the Sharingan user here and Itachi was still better. Izumi could almost hear Noriro's voice building up for criticism and her Uchiha cousins silently sneering at her or laughing cruelly at her wounded pride….
"No, I thought you did extremely well," said Itachi. "You've improved a lot since last year."
He sounded sincere, but still, Izumi couldn't help giving him a wary look. "You're just trying to cheer me up," she moaned.
Itachi shook his head. "You're definitely quicker on your feet, your punches are more accurate, and your kicks are flexible. There wasn't enough power behind your blows, though it could be because your chakra levels were already drained from your earlier training. Your taijutsu is more efficient and your stamina level has increased since I last perceived, like your willpower…..Izumi, after what I've seen you do in regular martial arts alone, your fighting skills excel beyond the average grade level for a third year, already scratching the surface of reaching genin level." Itachi paused while sitting down next to Izumi, who slowly sat up and leaned heavily back on her hands for support. He glanced at her with knowing eyes. "You have surpassed most of the kids our age, in speed and agility, as far as I know…."
"Not speedy enough," grumbled Izumi, causing Itachi to sigh.
"You're still progressing, and that's to be expected...I just think you're missing something very important," he said carefully. "Something than I think can drag down the best of shinobi…."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?" asked Izumi glumly.
"Motivation," he said.
"…."
Itachi looked away and tilted his head up to gaze toward the clouds, which were drifting over the bright sun. "I also noticed that you were holding back too much."
Izumi made a noise of disbelief. "You're one to talk! You didn't even try to attack me, Itachi! Not once, except for that...that grab and throw defense move, and even then it just felt like a swing and toss, so that it didn't hurt!" She frowned thoughtfully. "Yet, somehow it felt like a..."
"Like a strategy?" Izumi's eyes widened, before Itachi continued, "If I revealed more offenses than necessary, you would have not only seen right through them, but would have also copied them, or at least some of them, depending on your physical abilities. That one move I showed you before was something that might come in handy for you in the future, but your performance techniques should be entirely up to you."
"How very thoughtful of you!" said Izumi dully, her face heating up with the idea that he revealed that move on purpose, not out of carelessness. Although, a part of her wasn't surprised.
"Also, you could have used your weapons on me during our spar, or a genjutsu from your Sharingan."
"How would you know that I can use genjutsu yet? I don't think they start teaching that to kids until fourth year in the Academy..."
"It's simple: for one, you told me yourself that your great-uncle has been spending the whole year training you how to master the Sharingan, not just control it. Before, I noticed that you have all three tomoes in one eye, but your other still has two, meaning they're not fully developed yet. When you first awakened your Sharingan, I remember that you already had two tomoes, because not only was your father's passing traumatizing to you, but your mixed blood created a serious chakra imbalance, eventually breaking the immune vitality system that keeps the Sharingan asleep for young Uchiha when you were in great distress. With the amount of chakra you actually have awakened, if you had managed to control it on your own, you probably are already capable of forming genjutsu. Powerful ones, too, at your Sharingan's stage level. At this point, you probably could have hypnotized me, take control of my body in any way you liked, even if just for a short period of time. And the fact that you haven't fainted once during our spar, your body has already been exercised to withstand your dojutsu's power."
Itachi was starting to feel Izumi's nervousness grow. He looked at her, seeing such emotions also showed clearly on her face. "But you already knew this, didn't you?"
Still quiet, Izumi laid back down on the grass with a thump and stared up at the bright sky with a neutral expression. "Do you mind passing over my canteen, Itachi-kun?"
"Ah. Where is it?"
"Near my bag….Thanks."
Itachi did as she asked, picking up the wooden container and handing it over to her. Watching her drink it too quickly and choke it down the wrong way, she started coughing. Itachi chuckled and rubbed her back. "Alright, take it easy," he soothed her as she started to breathe normally. She felt so fragile beneath his hand, despite her hidden strength. "So, why didn't you try using genjutsu on me?" he asked.
Izumi shrugged, before wrapping her skinny arms around her bent knees, where she propped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know," she said slowly. "Maybe….maybe it's because the jutsu is too controlling. It makes you feel trapped and helpless, unable to do anything in fear of only harming yourself, you know? It's scary just imagining it. I hear lots of stories from my family members saying that the powers of the Sharingan are used to torture people. And that the Uchiha police…." She tightened herself further into a curled ball, her voice becoming muffled and small. "Ojiisama prides himself in his genjutsu, I know that….but he says that the best genjutsu user is Shisui-nii, because he can do it in long distances."
"Ah," Itachi agreed. Shisui had always been the best in not only the whole clan, but the whole village. It was often debatable that if Shisui continued in his line of work and excelled in his talents, he could become one of the most powerful shinobi in all the Five Nations before he turned eighteen. It was the grown-up's words in the clan meetings when both Itachi and Shisui attended, and for once, the former agreed. Shisui Uchiha, also dubbed as Shisui the Teleporter, was a name that spoke for itself.
"Anyway, during my home training, I….I got to see what being in a genjutsu was like," said Izumi quietly. "More than once, actually."
Itachi looked at her, eyes widening. "What? Your great-uncle casts genjutsu on you?" he demanded, eyes narrowing as he stared at her, who was now covering her face to avoid his gaze. "Izumi, tell me."
For all he knew, her great-uncle could have been making her see dark, gruesome images that could be giving her nightmares for life. Izumi may seem cheerful and at ease most of the time, but….so did Shisui, and he knew the older prodigy had seen as many terrible things as Itachi did during the war.
If that was the case, then wouldn't this be labeled as abuse?
"Look, it doesn't matter," said Izumi, lifting her head now. "It's not as bad as it seemed before, but what I'm trying to say here is that genjutsu techniques creep me out. That's why I prefer taijutsu." She smiled. "It feels more honest and real, challenging your own physical strength like your opponent's. I remember Otousan always preferred an honest fight, meaning he would rather give his enemy a chance to defend themselves than trap them before he would….you know…." She grimaced as she drew a finger across her neck, unable to finish.
"Kill them," murmured Itachi.
"Mm." Izumi nodded solemnly. "That. I really can't imagine Otousan ever killing anyone, though….I just hope it's because they were really bad people if he did. Maybe not even, then….I don't know…."
Itachi was silent, watching Izumi as he processed her words. Her innocence, her naivety…..
How fortunate she was, not to know….what human beings can truly be capable of….but one day she will. She will be forced to face reality in the shinobi world, when she will be forced to kill or watch others be killed, and her childhood would truly come at an end…..
Four year-old Itachi stared out into the wasteland, keeping his eyes on the rising sun beyond the horizon, showing the first signs of morning light breaking through the smoke and ashes. It was there he would look when surrounded by blood and corpses, the air heavy with the putrid odor of death, smelling of ashes, steel, and rotting meat. The sounds of the tag-bombs kept pounding in his ears, their explosions trembling through his bones. The sprays of dark blood fogged his vision, spilling out from human flesh from the mere swipe of a blade, cutting off the gurgling screams of the dying men and women.
The smell of smoke, fire, blood, and burning flesh brought bile to the child's lungs, but he learned to swallow it down. Like his tears. He had forgotten how to cry.
So it was the silence that he cherished. The rising sun that he looked to. He did not know why. Only that the morning sun seemed to be a medicine to his hidden anxieties. The one thing that reminded him of home. His life...
Home….Where is home? Where is life? There is nothing. Nothing…..There is no….
"W-Water….water…."
Life? Itachi's head turned in the direction of the croaky voice, a spark of concern blooming in his chest when he spotted a body among many others raising a weak, bloodied hand. Without thinking twice, the toddler sprinted over to the injured man and knelt down next to him. He quickly noted the shinobi's nation emblem on his hitai'ate's metal plate: Suna. While lifting the man's head, Itachi brought up his canteen, yanking off the lid with his teeth, and poured some water into the man's open mouth.
When he was finished, as Itachi put away his canteen, the shinobi croaked, "T-Thank y-" His words were cut off with the widening of his eyes when spotting the boy's weapons sack, though Itachi was looking away as though unaware, trying to spot any more living victims. The air suddenly got thick with tension.
Without warning, the Sand Shinobi jumped to his feet, raising a kunai above him-
SLASH!
Blood splashed the dirt, spraying across the child's blank face. It wasn't until the body landed heavily on the ground that Itachi's eyes widened in shock, processing what just happened. His arm was extended, hand gripping a bloodied kunai knife that was as large as his little face. The man's blood dripped from the steel blade. The look of shock and pain remained frozen on the now-dead shinobi's expression, throat slashed cleanly open.
Itachi's arm must have reacted to his instincts, moving on its own, flawlessly. He was not sure what to feel about it. Only emptiness and confusion.
I was only giving him my water….
When Itachi stood up, still staring down at the body, he felt his father approach behind him.
"Tousan, why did this shinobi try to kill me?" he said in his childish voice. "I didn't do anything..."
"Because this is war," answered Fugaku grimly.
"War?"
"It's not a war between people, Itachi. It's a war between nations. That's why strangers kill each other without meaning."
Death. There is death everywhere. So much death….
Itachi felt heavy. Heavy with darkness. Emptiness. Loss. Exhaustion. Feelings that were too much for his young body to process all at once. After months of seeing people die horrible deaths, after months of tears and bloodshed, of war and despair….Itachi could not recall was it was like to feel happy. Had he ever been happy? Had it been an illusion, something his memories would tamper with in order to escape the reality of this cursed world?
"Is that what it is?" the four-year old genius whispered.
"That is what the shinobi world is," said Fugaku, glaring down at Itachi, before looking ahead. "Listen Itachi...never forget this sight…never forget what you have seen. Let this grow with you, and define what your views as a true shinobi should be."
Death meant loss of life. What is the purpose in life, when it can only be taken forever? What is the point in all he was seeing? Why was this happening, only to bring more death? More despair….What is life, when there was death?
Itachi just felt empty. "Uh-huh…" he muttered, his eyes hollow as he stared at the field of bodies with his father. He didn't need his father to tell him. He couldn't forget this sight even if he wanted to. Nor the feeling of hot blood coating his tiny hand like oil.
"Itachi-kun?"
It's kill, or be killed, in the shinobi world.
Izumi was leaning toward his face on her hands and knees, looking closely into his distant gaze. It seemed hollow and blank, totally closed off. She grew worried and placed a hand on his cheek, which was alarmingly cold. "Itachi-kun…." she whispered.
Izumi….she's….
Itachi's eyes refocused on her face. His breath hitched when seeing her face hovering an inch from his own, close enough to be drawn to the glittering ruby flecks in her dark-brown irises. Divine, curious, and afraid, even as they tilted with her head. Filled with such emotions, unlike his own.
"What are you thinking?" Her voice was gentle and pure, soothing his mind and soul. "What's wrong?"
Feeling her so close, so captivated by her present gaze, Itachi could only lean closer a millimeter closer. Izumi was frozen where she was, her eyes steadily growing wider at his closeness, cheeks burning up….until she felt two warm fingers press against her temple. His lips twitched upward when he pressed harder, until Izumi flopped backwards onto the grass. She was stunned, but his fingers didn't move even when he leaned over her. With his head blocking the sun, his body was overthrown with a dark shadow that barely revealed his features, except for the light in his ebony eyes, which were tired and old, yet filled with a spark of humor.
"I'll tell you one day," he whispered, "but not today."
Izumi's cheeks were still blazing pink when she stared up at him with wide eyes, but it wasn't until he lifted his fingers from her forehead and laid down next to her that she huffed, laying a hand on her forehead where he poked her. "What was that for?" she complained.
Itachi hid his amused smile by turning his head. "Oh, nothing. I do the same thing to Sasuke sometimes."
"Yeah, I noticed. But why?"
"Just to see the same reaction as his on your face."
Izumi gaped and slapped his arm lightly in mock anger, giggles burbling out of her, while Itachi rolled in his lips to keep from laughing.
"You're weird, Itachi-kun!"
"Hn."
Izumi lifted her head and raised an eyebrow at him. "Huh? You think I'm weird, too?" When Itachi didn't answer the girl's demands, at a loss of how to answer in fear of incurring her wrath, Izumi's blank expression changed to a happy grin and laughed while lying back down, stretching her arms above her head. "Good! We have something in common, after all."
"Hm." Itachi smiled at her, feeling his head relax against the grass as she stretched with content. Then he tensed, remembering what he originally came here for. "I probably should get back to training…." he began, moving to sit up.
"Oh, Itachi-kun, just give it a few minutes," sighed Izumi, staring up at the sky with a sleepy, but happy expression. "I know you're dedicated, but even you need a break every once in a while. You're getting wrinkles, you know. Okaasan says getting wrinkles when you're still young means you're not sleeping enough."
"….T-They're not wrinkles," mumbled Itachi, his face heating up, fighting the urge not to touch the small lines under his eyes.
"Heh." Izumi chuckled. "Just lie down and watch the clouds with me for a little bit, will you?"
"….Okay," Itachi said softly, lying back down. Maybe just for a few minutes….
They watched the sky in silence. Blue and white with a shade of gray as the clouds passed the afternoon sunlight. It was peaceful and quiet, save a few birds fluttering overhead.
As some minutes passed, Itachi half-expected his female friend to start pointing out the clouds and their shapes, particularly the three ball-shaped puffs in a row that looked similar to a dango….but all he heard was slow, steady breathing. Blinking, Itachi turned his head sideways to find Izumi asleep beside him, her hands folded partway on her stomach and her head tilted to the side, pillowed by her long brown hair. Her face was smoothed out and relaxed like a baby's, her mouth slightly parted as she inhaled and exhaled, and her eyelids began flickering. Watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, he knew she was completely out.
Looking back on their sparring, counting how many times Izumi used her Sharingan, the amount of chakra spent could have forced her to push beyond her limits and use whatever conserved energy she had left. She must have been fighting hard not to pass out, thought Itachi. She's definitely gotten stronger. It was impressive that she stayed awake, even after exhausting herself, but Izumi had always been an energetic girl. He was proud of her for making it this far, but for now she must be really tired.
Though Itachi didn't know what Noriro was doing to her, and wasn't comfortable to his training methods, it had definitely exercised her strength. At least enough to handle her Sharingan. But with a third tomoe? Something must have distressed her enough to bring her halfway to the third stage in activation. Did Noriro make her see something in one of his genjutsus? The sickening clench in his gut screamed yes. Even though Izumi wouldn't admit to anything, Itachi planned to confront her great-uncle. It would be a bold move, and he would probably risk disrespecting one of his clan's noble elders, but if Izumi really was undergoing mind-torture….
His hands, having grabbed a fistful of soil and grass, tightened.
No, he was probably jumping to conclusions. Itachi never liked Noriro. He knew that the elder knew his grandfather, his father's father, and that Fugaku respected him as a coercer of the Uchiha, but it was Noriro's orders that sent toddlers to the war zone. He was cold and steely old man who thought lowly of the next generation and strived to keep them under his thumb. Perhaps even the clan leader, Fugaku. Itachi seriously hoped not, but with every meeting he attended recently and watching many clan members continue to protest to his father, he grew increasingly worried. His father was one of the most resilient of people he has ever known, but they say even a mountain of stone can be brought down with time and persistence.
Itachi wondered about his own preservations when his Sharingan awakened. He already studied practically everything there was to know about the dojutsu. More than ready to master its visual prowess when it came. His clan was already expecting him to awaken his Sharingan. Shisui had first awakened his at age seven during his time in the war, managing to reach the final stage of his awakening after the loss of both his parents. Izumi had awakened hers at age six during the fox demon attack, which was even younger, even though she was half-blood and had considerably much weaker chakra levels. Still, both were already considered to have maintained their eyes too early an age, while most other Uchiha first awakened their Sharingan much later in life, sometimes at ten, eleven, or twelve years old with only one tomoe each eye, or they don't inherit the Sharingan at all.
So why was it taking so long for him? He too had seen many horrors that would forever haunt his mind and soul. What made his own experiences different than his friends?
His eyes were still on Izumi's face when they started to grow heavier, fluttering with fatigue.
Days like this were rare to come by. With no missions, no pressure from his family or neighbors….just silence and peace.
With her.
Finally.
Just a few more minutes….and then I'll….
He let his eyes close.
….
"Itachi-kun."
At the sound of his name being called, his eyes flew open. Above him was Izumi, leaning over him. Her hair was loose over her shoulders and one side of her face carried a soft glow of pink and gold. Her brown eyes shined from its light like stars, rippled with transcendent rouge.
"Up and at 'em, sleepy-head! Have you been dreaming?" Izumi teased him.
"Hn?" Itachi realized he had been staring at her and blinked back to reality. "What….no. I don't remember…." He squinted and rubbed his eyes, letting out a tiny yawn, but found his body shivering slightly. The temperature seemed to drop really low. When he opened his eyes, he looked beyond her head and gasped when seeing a bright pink sky, rippled with clouds of white and dark violet.
"It's sunset already?" he said. Had they been asleep for that long?
Izumi nodded. "Yeah. I don't know about you," She nudged him, "but I guess we both really needed our sleep. Good thing nobody came by and noticed, right?" Then her teeth started chattering as she shivered, hugging her arms. "It g-got really c-cold, too. I guess I should have brought my jacket, after all. Oh, well, I should probably be getting home anyway. Are you cold, Itachi-kun?"
Itachi shook his head. "I'll be fine," he told her. After glancing up toward the sky, he sighed. It looked like he didn't get to practice with his shuriken, after all. That was a first.
He stood up and held out his hand, which Izumi took with a smile as he pulled her up to stand.
Once they gathered their things together, Itachi offered to walk Izumi home, which she gladly accepted. Not that she couldn't get home by herself like during their first year at the Academy, since she had improved much on her self-defense ever since Itachi graduated, but it was excuses like these that she would gladly take to spend more time with him. For all they knew, tomorrow Itachi would go on a mission and they wouldn't see each other for another long period of time. Which reminded her….
"Are you going to come to the Winter Festival?" asked Izumi, as they walked together through the compound.
"I don't know. I might have a mission."
"Well, maybe they can let you have a break this one time?"
"I wouldn't mind one, but I don't think I can turn down a mission if I'm needed."
Izumi frowned. "Not even for your family? For Sasuke-chan?" For me, she silently added, knowing how selfish that would sound.
Itachi was quiet for a moment, not looking at her. He appeared aloof, as usual. Whether he was feeling guilty, or just didn't care, Izumi continued persistently, "Itachi-kun, I already know you're not the type who gets excited over birthdays or festivals, not like I am, and that's okay. But this is Christmas. This is supposed to be the time for friends, and family, and happiness, and gifts, and games, and sweets, and lights. And if it gets cold enough, we might get snow again, like last year."
"There is more likely to be missions in the winter," said Itachi. "If it snows, somebody could get trapped in their homes, or in a storm."
"Then use a fire style jutsu," complained Izumi. "Your mission would be done in a heartbeat. Or better yet, somebody else can do it for you. Come on, Itachi-kun, at least tell me that you'll try to be there. At least for your family."
After a few heartbeats, Itachi glanced at her pleading round eyes. Then his cheeks heated up when he looked away, hiding his face behind his bangs. Knowing he was caving, Izumi laughed and hugged his arm. "Thanks, Itachi-kun!" she sang. "You can even invite your teammates if you-" She broke off, smile fading instantly when spotting the sneers of nearby Uchiha kids who were hanging near an open shop.
Their gazes were dark and skeptical when watching the two at the corner of their eyes. They were leaning toward one another, whispering. She recognized two of the girls from her private lessons, glaring daggers at her.
Swallowing uneasily, Izumi quickly withdrew from Itachi and clasped her hands in front, her face blazing hot with mortification.
Her sudden change in mood didn't escape Itachi's notice. At the corner of his eye, he too noticed the other kids, but had never paid them any mind until now.
His ears even picked up on a few words that had his body tensing.
"...look at mutt..."
"...pathetic..."
"She's not even that pretty..."
"...has no chance..."
"Itachi-san's being way too polite with that mutt..."
"So, um….are you and your team going to enter the Chunin Exams this year?" said Izumi, forcing a smile to hide her discomfort. She was clearly trying to distract herself from their witnesses.
"No, I'm too young to enter," muttered Itachi quietly, but his eyes were hidden from her view behind his bangs while his gaze shifted to those kids.
Had he really heard correctly? Yes, he had. They called Izumi a mutt, like referring her to a dog. It was disgusting. Though he appeared aloof on the outside, on the inside he was boiling. Itachi had heard some of the adult Uchiha grumble every now and then about a "mutt" before moving on. He had his suspicions of who they were referring to, but here were the Uchiha's young generation carrying on their superiors' shallow behavior.
Izumi's fake smile faded and was replaced by genuine surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know that. I just thought that….you know…."
"Hn. Stupid mutt…." muttered one of the Uchiha boys.
Itachi stopped walking now. Izumi stopped with him, watching him worriedly. He was glaring at the ground, expression empty except for the twitch of his eyebrow, covered in shadow.
"Um….I-Itachi-kun?"
The other group seemed to notice as well, turning to face the two.
"Can we help you with something?" spoke an Uchiha boy from the group, no doubt the one who had last spoken.
There was a long pause. The air began to grow thick with tension. On one side was one other boy and two girls, watching with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, while on the other Izumi watched with open nervousness, her hand curling up to her chest.
Then his head shifted, revealing a piercing dark glare directed toward the kids.
The other boy and two girls in the background flinched at the eight year-old's deadly look, shuffling uneasily. The boy who had spoken out merely twitched but otherwise kept his face blank. He was taller, perhaps eleven or twelve years old, since his voice was cracking, with spiky shoulder-length dark hair with a shade of green, tan skin, and small coal-black eyes. The boy crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the cafe. "You're Itachi, right? The clan leader's son?" he said.
Even when Itachi still didn't answer, the boy continued, "Hey, you got a problem?"
Itachi's glare remained in place. The longer his gaze held, the more uneasy the group of kids grew. Even the boy started to slowly lose his composure. "Quit staring, will you?" the boy snapped, growing angry. When he blinked, his Sharingan activated, though it only revealed to have one tomoe in each eye, meaning it was only recently awakened. "I said, you got a problem?"
Itachi wasn't in the least bit intimidated, but Izumi's breathing quickened anxiously. Her eyes moved to the girls, one whispering into the other's ear, who sniggered while the former jerked her head toward Izumi.
Izumi already knew those girls from her home lessons. They were a few years older than her and a few inches taller, their black hair long and silky and their faces already developing the sharp Uchiha beauty that all the boys at the Academy would definitely trip over for. Aiya and Hayami. They looked similar except for their hair length, their choice in clothing, the shapes of their faces, and the looks in their expressions.
They were also both her cousins.
In appearance they were beautiful and were already considered by their superiors on the verge of becoming exceptional young Uchiha women, worthy of their family name. They were groomed well and respected, but above all, they were pure-blooded . They made that pretty clear on plenty of occasions around her, finding every opportunity to remind Izumi in order to keep her in place. Around them, Izumi's insecurities always came back whenever they bullied her, driving her further into the ground with merely their threatening glares. It was scary, especially with their Sharingan activated, despite being only on their first stages.
Now here they were, slightly intrigued and nervous altogether by Itachi's presence, leaning against one another as they wondered if their male friend and the eight year-old prodigy will start a fight. But otherwise, they kept to themselves, not interfering, out of obligation to the guys. Izumi, however, felt tempted to do the opposite and stop this fight before it happened.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Itachi finally spoke, cooly.
The boy raised an eyebrow, while his friends watched the exchange with widening eyes. His eyes were still red. "Oh, yeah? And what gives you that idea?"
Itachi turned to face him fully, his expression grave. This boy was definitely familiar. The composed, yet open arrogance on his face and voice tone spoke in volumes. Then he remembered. He had vaguely seen this boy during a few of the clan meetings. Itsuki Uchiha.
"I don't like hearing you insulting my friend," Itachi answered bluntly. Behind him, Izumi's eyes widened.
Itsuki smirked and closed his eyes. "What makes you think I insulted her?"
"I heard you. You called her a mutt."
"You heard wrong. Kid like you should know better than you go around accusing people and start minding your own business," He opened his eyes, and they were black again as they leveled toward Itachi lazily, "even if you are the clan head's son."
Itachi tensed, clearly getting angry, but kept his ground. He didn't want to start a fight. It was obvious that this boy Itsuki was trying to get a reaction out of him. Probably try to make him do something he will later regret. He will be sorely disappointed, since it takes more than a smug attitude to bait Itachi, but if this guy knew what was good for him, he would stop talking before he met an even worse end of this exchange. Itachi wondered if Itsuki knew what he was capable of, even without the Sharingan.
Then he felt a small hand take his shoulder-sleeve. "Itachi-kun, let's go," pleaded Izumi, tugging his sleeve.
Itachi didn't budge, while he kept glaring back at Itsuki.
Izumi could literally feel the quiet sneers of the girls across from them on her, probably earning herself more of their loathing for trying to pull away the clan heir, but she ignored them and focused on Itachi. "Itachi-kun," she said quietly. "I want to go home. Please. Just come with me." She tried pulling him away, but not too forcefully.
His hardened eyes still focused on Itsuki, who stared back with a smug expression, his body slowly started to budge from Izumi's gentle pull, her eyes fixed on his face. "Itachi-kun….come on…."
Finally, Itachi let her pull him away and soon they started walking down the road, leaving the Uchiha kids behind. They watched the two leave before turning back to their conversation as if there had never been an argument.
Finally looking away from the group, he closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to calm down the anger that had been slowly manifesting, though nobody would have realized it until he unleashed it. All he could feel right now was Izumi's hand still clutching his shirt, guiding him down the road with a mixture of care and caution, as though wary of discovering whatever emotion he had been building up previously.
Itachi had almost forgotten that Izumi had never seen him angry. No, he had scolded her every once in a while, or showed his annoyance only a handful of times around her, but she had never seen him dangerously angry. She hadn't even been conscious when he had beaten down Iwao Akimichi for her.
So with chilled discomfort, Itachi and Izumi walked on in silence, until they were far away from the other Uchiha children. And kept walking, slowly. Normally, Itachi thrived in silence, but this kind of silence was suffocating. Izumi was just too quiet, obviously affected.
Finally, as they were nearing her house, Izumi finally murmured, "Are you okay?"
"Hn," grunted Itachi.
Izumi bit her lip. "I'm sorry about that."
"It's them who should be sorry, not you."
"Mm. Yeah, you're right. They're nothing but bullies." She gave him a small smile, though her eyes were sad and shining. "Thank you, Itachi-kun."
"Ah." Itachi nodded, his expression that had been tight with silent anger now softening from her small, but lovely smile. He didn't know exactly what she was thanking him for, since he felt like he didn't defend her well enough, despite trying to avoid any violence, but he didn't ask.
He already knew of Hazuki Uchiha's reputation as an outcast, but to have her daughter suffer just as much, if not worse? What made things worse was that Itachi was resolved to ignore them. Many times he imagined himself confronting every single Uchiha who dared insult his female friend, but that was not his way. If Izumi had been verbally attacked before, it had not been in his presence. They were smart enough for that, at least, but it didn't reassure him in the slightest.
He was just so angry at himself for being so ignorant. For not being able to protect her from her own clan…..
"Well, here we are," said Itachi, as they approached her house's front porch.
Izumi nodded. "Yeah." She took a step up the porch ahead of him and paused, looking around. "Wow."
Itachi tilted his head curiously. "Is something wrong?"
When she turned swiftly around to face him, her hair sweeping her back at the motion, she was smiling brightly at him. "Oh, nothing, just having a memory rush!" she said, cheeks tinting pink. "We really used to sit around here a lot, didn't we?"
"But what's so memorable about just sitting around?"
Izumi gave him a playful pout. "Oh, come on, Itachi! You know what I mean!"
Unable to help it anymore, Itachi smiled, and Izumi's goofy pout switched to a cheeky grin.
"Hey, Itachi-kun?" Izumi blushed and clasped her hands behind her back. "Do you think….we can train together again sometime?"
"…."
"….."
"….I'll think about it."
Izumi fell over on the steps in shock, her eyes wide and white. "Whatdoyoumean'you'llthinkaboutitwhenIhavetobetheonewhoasks! Itachi!" she shouted, her face steaming red.
While Izumi was trying to catch her breath, she noticed that Itachi was laughing. Hard. He just couldn't resist.
Then Izumi laughed in delight, drawn by his rare show of joy.
Guess he did have some sense of humor, after all.