I stood silently in the middle of the road. My eyes slipped shut as I listened. It was just starting to get dark, the cool evening breeze swept across the area. I could faintly sense someone coming in my direction.
'1 km at 6 o'clock'.
I turned back to the road ahead of me and continue the walk to the hidden sound. My mind began to wonder as the steady sound of my heels clicking against the dirt road filled my ears.
'This could be a trap'.
My mind flashed back to my meeting with the Tsunade earlier that day. "We have some information on Sasuke's whereabout and I want you to check them out?" Her voice echoed in the back of my mind.
I sighed, adjusting the strap that dug painfully into my shoulder. The soft cawing of a crow above broke my self induced trance. My eyes raised to the sky. I caught a glimpse of the black bird soaring through the sky. Its dazeling black figure glid gracefully against the graying skies. With a tilt and a turn I caught sight of its red eyes. With another soft caw that came from its parted beak it disappeared with the breeze.
My body stopped moving and my eyes readjusted to the ground before me.
'I know this place'.
My eyes traveled around the surrounding area. The rows of trees and bushes looked ordinary by all account, but something felt familiar about this place. I walked to the edge of the road and shimmied my way through the shrubbery. Clearing the low branches and thick bushes I found myself in a small clearing. Small bushles of flowers lined the outsides of the clearing. Stepping to the middle I was rushed with a sense of familiarity.
"Why is this place so familiar?"
On the far side of the clearing the sound of soft trickling caught my attention.
Following the sound I found myself at the edge of a steep and rocky ravine. The soft trickling sound came from a brook at the bottom of the ravine as it bounced off various forrest obstructions.
And like a ton of bricks it hit me.
"Did I ever tell you how my mother died?" My head tilted back to the figure that stood a few feet behind me.
The figure shuffled around for a few seconds before finally stepping beside me. His aura instantly washed over me, soothing me.
"No. It seemed like you never wanted to talk about it".
His deep and calming voice was almost melodic. My hand reached out, a long slender finger pointing down the deep ravine to an area close to the start of the brook.
"She died in my arms right there".
A gentle breeze shifted between Itachi and I. His eyes following my hand to the pointed location.
"She used to take me on many of her missions. She thought it was good for me to be exposed to the life of a ninja early, so I remember accompanying her on a lot of her low ranked missions".
My voice trailed off.
"She loved being a ninja, and she wanted me to become the best ninja I could be". A soft chuckle fell from my lips as my mind escaped to memories of my mother and I training in the fields from morning to night. We trained almost every moment of ever day. At one point my father had forbade us from training for a whole week. But we just snuck out when he was asleep.
"We had set up to rest in this area after coming back from the Land of Honey". Scenes of the day came rushing back. The blood that had saturated my clothes made it feel as though it was glued to my body.
"I was playing down by the brook when a band of rouge ninjas found me. They had been following us for a while. But before I could even call for her she was right by my side ready to protect me".
I could sense Itachi's form shift closer, a hand reaching out to rest against the small of my back.
"All I can remember is my mother falling into my arms covered in blood. She had managed to kill most of the ninjas who ambushed us but.... her injuries were far more than she could handle".
My eyes shifted to my feet.
"I watched the life drain from her eyes and her blood drench my body... I remember somehow finding my way back to the village. Eventually I was found by the gate-keepers and taken to the hospital".
Silence settled over us again.
My body moved. My right hand landing lightly against his broad chest.
"Do you think we did the right thing?"
Itachi's head lowered in the same manner a dog would when being scolded. I stepped closer to him, my body almost pressing flush against his.
Our eyes met. "He's really set on killing you by any means. Was giving him that goal really necessary?".
No response.
His eyes held an impossible gaze, his face unreadable.
My hand shimmied its way from his chest, up his shoulders, up his neck, to the back of his head. Pulling his head down to mine. Pressing my forehead to his, our noses pressed against one another. "Tell me what's bothering you".
His hands stood still against his torso. "I failed".
My hand slipped to his face, cradling it softly. "You did what you thought was right". His eyes stared deeply into mine, his face softening. My heart quickened, it felt like he could read every thought in my mind, every emotion I've ever had, like he could read me like a book.
"What do you want me to do about Sasuke?"
"Nothing".
"You want me to leave him there?"
His face contorted back into its unreadable state.
'Could this be a twisted way of repentance? Does he really want Sasuke to kill him?' I couldn't ask him, my mouth wouldn't open. But.... I already knew the answers.
I sighed wrapping my arms around his body pulling him to me, pressing my cheek to his chest. His body always felt so warm and welcoming. His arms wrapped around my shoulders pulling me closer.
'I can't give him redemption or anything like that....
But at least I can offer him is solace'.