Kairos |An Itachi Uchiha Story|

xxvi. by your side

The little boy ran around the hospital with tears in his eyes. The smell of sanitation and death burned his small nostrils and his eyes stung from crying so much. He had seen too much this day and did not know how to begin to process it.

The nurse stopped him in his tracks. When asked where his family was, he could only focus on her dark frizzy hair and tired eyes. She asked the child once more and he shrugged with another rub of his raw red eye.

"I hate the war. My family is dying." His small voice cried out in the white hallway. He wrapped his arms around himself in a self-comforting way and the nurse stared with soft eyes.

"You should not be here."

"My family is dying!" The child cried out once more with a face of frustration and helplessness. "I hate war! I don't know what to do!"

His lips quivered as he continued to rub his aching eyes and the nurse braved through her own tears. Unfortunately, she herself knew not what to do and could only comfort the child.

"I hate it too... but you cannot be alone. What is your name?" She smiled through her restless purple darkened eyes and the small wrinkles in her expression.

"Itachi... Itachi Uchiha." He hiccuped and looked up once more. Even though he did not know who the woman was, her soft eyes gave him comfort in an inconsolable time. The warm color gave a feeling that safety may be possible in a time when the young and old died all the same.

"You are being very brave Itachi. I will be honest and tell you I myself have no idea what to do. But I will also tell you that all I know is that we need to be calm and strong for everyone else. That is our job, little Itachi. It protects those around us."

He wiped his eyes one last time to look clearly at the outstretched hand. It looks small and warm to him and he trusted it far more than he probably should.

"But what could I possibly do if I am sad and scared too?"

He watched her frown and kneel to his level. From the closer view, the strands of grey in her dark waves became more prominent. Her tired expression became clear to him but somewhere in the exhaustion there were still smile lines across her fair complexion.

"You asked what to do... This is how we keep people safe. One day you will become a shinobi and this will be all you know. Selflessness is part of our way. Selflessness to keep everyone safe." The words made sense to him. Even as a child, the words resonated deep within him. The answers were better than anything he has ever heard from his clan. The answers felt far more fulfilling and the answers did not make his stomach sick. He trusted the woman's words far more than his own clan due to these gut feelings.

"I would know... I treat and protect those that I do not even know. One day this will be your own job." He looked at her hand once more and slipped his far smaller ones into her palm. The fingers were cold and calloused but her palms radiated a comforting warmth. He trusted her strong resolve and made it his own.

"What are you doing out here alone? You will get sick."

He called at the familiar head of dark hair in the trees above him. The sound of the rain pouring filled the night and the cold chill of the season started to fill his bones because of it. His glowing eyes barely caught the sight of Shisui's summoning bird disappearing in thin air near her. He smiled knowingly to himself before focusing on the back of Aiko's head once more. His clothes were soaked from the rain and judging by the darkened shade of her white shirt, she had been outside for a while.

"I always feel sick... What is the difference?"

Her voice was barely loud enough to hear over the pouring rain but the Uchiha heard her clearly. The sad words were unlike Aiko's usual self and caused Itachi's brow to furrow.