Wildflower Book 1 | Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter49: Silent Tears

He watched as calloused but pale hands took a searing hot kettle with not so much as a cloth for protection. Her half-finger gloves did nothing with the way she held the thing. She poured the water slowly into a small dish wher tiny drangon shaped tea pets sat. She then moved to the other kettle, where she had previously placed her dried tealeaves. An array of bright colours were released into the water, like how a paintbrush would do when you put it into water. Tama put down the kettle, and took the lid of other one.

Slowly, as if in ritual, she moved it all the way along the rim before putting it aside and taking out the tealeaves. She put the lid back on, and began to pour into the cups respectively. She picked up the first cup and lifted it above the tray. Itachi's heart must've stopped when he saw that he was her target. There was a long pause before he reached out and accepted the cup.

"Here you go.", Tama said softly, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Itachi swallowed. It had been exactly ten years since he had the chance to do anything casual with Tama, so this was a breath of fresh air. He would relish every moment of it.

"Thank you.", Itachi said, his voice equally soft. If only Sasuke was there with them, surely that would have been far better. Itachi took a sip of his tea in silence as he watched Tama serve Kisame, hee girls, and then Shisui.

That last one was... There was something there that he didn't quite like, something in Shisui's gaze. A deep regret, coupled with longing. The way he looked at Tama, it was...

Itachi lowered his cup and stared at Shisui as he sipped his tea. His gaze was locked onto the girl as she took her own cup, and he looked rather lost, deep in thought. A memory suddenly resurfaced from years ago, one he didn't initially think much about.

Itachi had just joined Anbu and was placed in Balck Ops, Inu was tasked with getting him familiar with the base. Shisui had already been in Black Ops for some years by then, and Itachi was dejected to find that Tama was under T&I. The different factions didn't operate as one, so he wouldn't have the chance to see her.

However, he was shocked when his first mission was with Suzume and Inu. Suzume was Tama. What was she doing on Black Ops mission? It would be useless to ask really, because no one seemed to mind her being in the Black Ops Barracks.

Suddenly, as they were about to leave for their mission, Inu was called aside by one of the other captains. While they waited for him, Suzume played with a pendant in her hand, one that Itachi recognised immediately. Days before their sixth birthday, Itachi accompanied Shisui to an oddly feminine store, where he bought a gold rimmed pendant with a deep, blood red stone in the middle.

Itachi blinked the memory away, and then surveyed Tama. No mater who bought it for her, Tama never did wear the gifts she got, instead opting to keep them in a safe place. It would be impossible to deduce whether or not they were an item, or if she liked Shisui by looking at her material possessions. She cherished every single thing that she was given. Itachi sighed, and looked at Shisui, only to find that he was already staring at him.
Itachi coughed. Luckily, he didn't have anything in his mouth.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit sick.", Shisui said, effectively catching Tama's attention. Itachi shook his head in spite of his bright red cheeks.

"Just a bit hot.", he said as he averted his gaze and sipped his tea. The little ones were already fixing their tent. Naturally, as sisters, they would share. Itachi wondered if Tama and Shisui would be doing the same. Suddenly, he couldn't control his thoughts, and he found himself choking on his tea as a horrid sight overtook his mind. In the next second, he was coughing wildly into his hand.

Kisame immediately struck his back several times in an attempt to save him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You never choke on tea.", Kisame asked, clearly worried for his little friend.