The Moon is White

Chapter 29

Itama slowly came to a halt in front of the intimidating double wooden gates with a giant uchiwa painted on it, smiling nervously at the guards he sees watching him at their post on the watchtower. He avoids directly looking into their dazzling Sharingan orbs, knowing better than to hold their sharp gaze.

Exhaling a shaky breath, he parts his lips while revealing a crumpled letter in his hands, "I am Senju Itama. Uchiha Ryouta-sa...-ma invited me over."

The guards whispered to each other, their lips barely moving before one of them jumps down and strides confidently towards him.

'The guards sure are pretty' he couldn't help but take notice, all pale skin, delicate features, and lithe figures, the opposite of many Senju who were olive-toned, sharp-featured, and broad-shouldered. Not as good looking as his shishou, obviously, but definitely above average. It increased their intimidation factor. Beautiful people do that, he reckons. Roses have their thorns.

When the guard stopped just two steps away, Itama politely nods at the shorter man and hands him the letter. While the guard scans the contents with his intimidating kekkei genkai, Itama inwardly whines about how Dara-shishou would have his skin for acting so timidly.

But he couldn't help it.

Their clans have been warring for centuries. Other than Dara-shishou, other Uchiha shinobi scare the living crap out of him, having never personally met any of them outside the frontlines, where bloodlust and killing intent dominated the entire field.

Itama was a field medic, never once has he attended his clan's council meetings. Although he was the head of his department, he was often too busy and left it to his assistant. Hence, he has no prior experience in any diplomatic settings. Even now, he was clueless about what to do after having handed the letter over.

Should he say something else?

Thankfully, before he could do something that would make Dara-shishou dropkick him out of sheer embarrassment for having a dunce for a disciple, the guard made a hand signal and the giant wooden gates part.

"I'll guide you to where Ryouta-sama is. Stay close, Senju. Do anything and..." The guard made a cutthroat gesture to emphasize his warning. Itama swallows nervously with a nod, Adam's apple bobbing. Seeing such a delicate, pretty man do something so vicious, in a way, was scary. With Uchihas, one can never trust their outer appearance.

Dara-shishou and this guard were such examples.

As they were walking through the compound, he discreetly observes the people in their surroundings. There didn't seem to be many children out and about, but he reckons it has something to do with his clan's presence intruding upon their home. As for the ones who were, all of them seemed trained, even if it was slightly, and within an adult's reach.

They were cute little tykes, too. With big, innocent eyes and chubby cheeks. Super adorable!

Tobi-nii and Hashi-nii would have loved to play with them. Kawa-nii, though, dislikes children younger than fifteen (despite being 16), thinking them too immature and bratty. Itama could only sigh at that, seeing that Kawa-nii was an immature brat himself. He loves his third older brother, but sometimes, the urge to clothesline him to high heavens was high, especially as of late. There was just something... wrong about Kawa-nii. Puberty, maybe?

"Ryouta-sama is waiting inside." The voice of his pretty guard guide snaps him out of his musing.

Itama turns to smile at the Uchiha, bowing politely. "Thank you, Uchiha-san."

"Hn," was the gruff response before the man gestured impatiently for him to get a move on.

Itama enters the two-story building and, on habit, switches his sandals for an indoor guest slipper, which, cutely enough, has a smiling crocodile design. He laughs at that.