It might have only been a few years, but it felt like a whole other lifetime.
After all, things had been so different for both of them. Itachi had still been in Konoha and a member of the ANBU, and—for the moment—still on good terms with his family. Everyone had praised him and had known him for the achievements he had made in his life; though Itachi himself had known then—and still knew now—that it wasn’t all true. Yes, he’d risen through the ranks quick enough, mastering the Sharingan and being chosen to be an ANBU member, but it wasn’t exactly what he had wanted. It never had been. He had done what he had because he had to; because it was the only way to make things better for everyone.
Even then things were on the verge of change; events being set in place that would cause so much to happen. The Uchiha clan had already spoken to Itachi about what they wanted him to do—and what they themselves were planning on doing. Though he hadn’t told the Hokage, Itachi hadn’t been about to let things be if they got too far. For the moment he had simply let things be; waiting, watching and listening for any information that he might need in the future. And the more time that passed, the more Itachi had begun to feel he would definitely be needing it sooner or later.
But then something had happened which changed things.
Subsequently, for once, all that would occur with the Uchiha clan seemed to disappear from Itachi's mind; everything seemed banal in comparison. For a while, at least, all that mattered was what was in front of him. Even at the times when it occurred to Itachi all he had to do, after that moment, nothing was as bad. He felt as if whatever he would have to face, he could do it, and without any trouble. From that point, he had known that his concerns and anxieties didn’t mean a thing. And it had all started with a mission.
There wasn’t going to be any fighting—that had already happened. There had been an attack on a family, and after a long, hard fight, they had all been killed—all except one. The girl—around the same age as Itachi was. But from what Itachi was told, it appeared that she was the key to begin with. She possessed powerful abilities, and had done ever since she was little. As such, it was very likely that when the ninjas had attacked her family, it had been something to do with the girl and wanting to use her abilities for themselves. When the scene had been analysed, it was clear that not all of the blood was from the family—somehow in the conflict, some of the other ninjas had been injured as well. Therefore the ANBU had concluded that they had retreated in order to get back to full health.
But then there had been the question of what was going to occur later.
After all, it was a major possibility that their goal had been to kidnap the girl and use her power, and they wouldn’t be willing to just back out of it in an instant. No; it was obvious they would try and return; to complete what they had not been able to before. And ultimately, that meant that she needed to be protected—it was what Itachi had been assigned to, along with several others to be positioned all around the house. They weren’t about to take any chances when the ninjas had managed to sneak into the village and kill the family to begin with. Evidently they were powerful, and they couldn’t take any risks—they weren’t about to let her get taken.
So late that night Itachi had headed over to the safe house. Naturally the Hokage hadn’t left her at home; not only was it not as safe, but after having had to watch her family die, it most likely wasn’t the best place for her to be. So now she was hidden elsewhere, only the Hokage and the ANBU guarding her knowing about the situation. As Itachi walked towards the building he felt that sense of quiet that was not true silence, but as if everyone was waiting for something to occur—like the tension was physically palpable in the air.
He glanced surreptitiously around, noting where there were ANBU in the trees, hidden from sight, as well as those plainly patrolling the border of the house. But Itachi didn’t stop there, passing through the doors and into the house. Inside, however, it was just as quiet, everyone knowing the situation and understanding the position they were in. Itachi couldn’t help but frown; with the atmosphere he couldn’t help but wonder how she was coping with all of this. To have had so much happen to you in such a short amount of time, and yet the idea of relaxing when everyone around you was that focused on an attack they were assuming would come…it no doubt had to be hard on her.
Taking that thought into consideration, Itachi headed upstairs, and towards the room where two ANBU were stationed outside. Turning to look at him, they nodded in recognition of who he was, and allowed him to enter as he passed through the doorway and inside, closing the door softly behind him. But what he saw there was not what he had been expecting. Whereas he had conjectured that she was a little girl, younger than 10 perhaps, he could see that she was around the same age he was. With long black hair that came down to her waist, she had left it loose to drape across her shoulders. She was currently standing on the other side of the room, gazing out the window, but as Itachi went closer she turned to face him, and immediately Itachi paused.
She was beautiful, but more than that, she was…serene. No fear was showing through, though it was clear she had been affected by her family’s death: her complexion was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes. But she wasn’t scared; in a way, she appeared…hesitant. As she stared straight back at Itachi, he automatically got the feeling that she could understand things; that she could see things other people couldn’t. Why exactly he got this feeling, he didn’t know—but Itachi was intrigued. In a sense, he felt he connected with her somehow, and he wanted to know more. Empathy rose within him at her situation, and yet a feeling of awe, too, causing his voice to come out soft as he greeted,
“You’re Imi Kanjiru, yes?”
She nodded slowly in return, as she, too, and sensed something about him. There was something in his eyes that she understood innately—she knew he was carrying a burden. The way he carried himself was not one of arrogance, though Imi could feel the power that he possessed. He wasn’t like the rest of the ANBU here to protect and guard her. Instantly—and in a way reflected in Itachi himself—she felt as if she could trust him. It didn’t make any sense; they were strangers to each other. And yet no matter how hard either of them tried…it didn’t go away.
“And you are Itachi Uchiha.”
Imi’s voice was almost a whisper, barely noticeable if not for the silence of the room. Itachi could only narrow his eyes in surprise, nodding gently at this fact a moment later. It seemed stupid to question as to how she knew; in a way, it felt obvious that she should. Imi carried a wisdom far beyond her age…a wisdom that perhaps she shouldn’t have. But it only served to connect them more. Itachi knew what it was like to feel more mature than most. Whatever it was about each other, a connection had been formed. They knew each other was special in some way.
But little did they know how far that connection went…
