Kōfuku - Happiness, bliss, tranquility, or contentment
What if Sasuke always knew about Itachi? What if Sakura's story was different? What if Shisui lived and so did Itachi? What if Naruto had an elder sister?
When a mysterious young girl is found f...
Y/N ran, as fast as her short, stubby legs could carry her, panting heavily, her lungs burning, ignoring all the hustle and bustle, the commotion, the surprised yelps and frustrated yells of the villagers she whizzed past and bumped into, she ran, straight to the Hokage tower, bursting through the doors to the Hokage's office, her 5 year old self hyperventilating.
"WHERE IS HE? ANIKI! WHERE IS ANIKI!", she cried, nay yelled, in despair.
Kushina walked in behind her, slowly, looking apologetically at Minato, but also in grief.
Kakashi and Rin watch as the 5 year old cried like the child she was, screaming as if Obito was a toy which she would get back if she threw a huge enough tantrum, if she shed enough tears... As if it would undo the death that dragged her Aniki to heaven by the hand, so cruelly, mercilessly, an adolescent whose dream was yet to be fulfilled. She thrashed around and wailed, while Minato and Kushina could only watch their adoptive daughter fall apart, yet again in her fragile short life, and do nothing to comfort her. The Fourth could only stay quiet and steel himself to stay stoic while tears unknowingly spilt forth from his eyes.
The heavy oak door to his office to reveal Fugaku and Mikoto, both distraught at the loss of their dear nephew, and behind them... Itachi. Confused, at the bewildering grief that flooded the room and him, even though he never really bonded much with Obito.
Y/N continues screaming and thrashing around, child that she is, not yet the stoic woman she'd grow up to be. Unable to bear it anymore Kakashi yells "SHUT UP!"
Y/N freezes, quietens out immediately. She stares at Kakashi. Just stares, hard, unmoving, stone cold, challenging him. A sudden heavy, thick almost murderous aura floods the room, her voice turning dark and ominous, deeply threatening in a way that shouldn't belong to a child.
"What did you just say to me?"
Kakashi gulps, stunned at her reaction.
"You... couldn't even save my Aniki, even after he was such a good friend to you. I hate you", Y/N says, her sentence piercing deep into the white haired boy's heart, ripping it to pieces.
His eyes moisten with guilt and overflowing pain, at her harsh words and at the sheer reality of them. His eyes follow her as she walks out of the Office, no one daring to stop her, frozen in place in the uncertainty and indecision whether to comfort her or convince the masked boy it wasn't his fault. No one except for the other 5-year old in the room, who had the uncanny ability to actually read the room even at this age. He walks behind her, silently, following her to keep her safe, mentally at least.
He finds her perched on a tree branch, overlooking a cliff , dangerously close to the abyss that would mean impending doom. She looked up at the glowing full moon tonight; in it's glorious silver light, Itachi could see the silent tears gushing down her face like a calm dying waterfall.He sat at the foot of the tree, giving her space, letting her cry it out, as her mind floats away to distant happy sweet-nothing memories that would soon become her treasure and salvation.
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It was a day off for the Fourth's family and his students, so they all set out together on an outing, a picnic on a hill together; the weather was pleasantly cool, the sun shining gently upon the pretty meadow like a fairytale. Kakashi helped Kushina with setting up the tents and camp while Rin went out to fetch firewood. Minato, Y/N and Obito however, on the excuse of 'getting some meat to eat' went fishing to the nearby stream.
In the light blue sky birds flew, in a pretty line, and the water was a clear crystal blue of sapphire, the fish swimming though the river in a mesmerising pattern visible through the clean transparent water. The rocks behind which they hid, green with soft moss and algae, the trout swimming up to bite on the bait. Despite Obito and Minato being older and more experienced, it was Y/N who caught the most fish. 'Beginner's luck' they said but both of them knew the only fishing line with worms on them was Y/N's. Both of them simply held an empty rod, sitting back and watching the excited and triumphant smile on the girl's face when she caught a fish, revelling in the innocent happiness it reflected, laughing at the cockiness and arrogance of the girl at having caught the fish.
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She'd smile again, Y/N, but it would be more mature, broken, re-shaped by the ways of the world, before it broke again. And again. And again. And again. Until she smiles, persevering, yet again, years later, when at last she knew how to love, how to laugh, how to live, but have no one to love back, to laugh back, to live with, even though all those she had promised to keep safe were well and around her. When she smiles a bittersweet, wistful smile, that no one will notice, nor revel in.
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A/N Heavy, 896 words. Y/N's gonna have a lot going on for her in the next few years. "Getting crushed by a rock" thing's over, next we'll have the "kyuubi" and Naruto and the massacre. And then the Akatsuki. What do you think can she take it?
