Rose [Shisui Uchiha]

Thorn #1

"Ah! Shisui-san, you're early today."

She was just a measly flower shop owner in Konohagakure, someone who would sell flowers to all, both young and old.

She smiled warmly at the shinobi as he walked in with a smile on his face. "The usual?" She came away from the counter after taking a pair of scissors and headed to the right side of the store, to the roses.

Shisui let out a hum in agreement, looking around the store that he'd been to so many times. It was still the same old, the only difference was where the different species of flowers would sit. There was natural light everywhere and it calmed him since it was furnished comfortably, similar to someone's home but in a shop.

His onyx eyes flickered to the woman who owned the shop, someone he'd come to know quite well. His gaze lingered on her back, admiring how her medium length silvery-brown hair would drape over her left shoulder like a silky curtain, even in the ponytail that it was in.

"Koharu," Shisui chuckled when her name left his lips; it wasn't a foreign word, but rather a word of comfort.

"Hm?" The female turned to meet his eyes with her own amber coloured ones, wondering what was up. She had just cut a couple of roses and were beginning to remove the thorns.

"You don't need to address me with '-san', you know. We've known each other for a while now." The ninja rubbed the nape of his neck with a smile.

"Is that so?" She let out a giggle and headed over back to the counter, slowly putting together and wrapping the bottom half of the roses with a thin piece of coloured paper after removing the thorns.

Shisui just watched her hands. He always found himself observing her, seeing how skilful she was. It was almost mesmerising.

"Shisui, it's done." She handed him the roses.

Snapping out of his trance, the ANBU levelled shinobi smiled at her and took the roses, his fingers brushing against hers. At this motion, he observed the female, seeing that her eyes had flickered to their hands, then back at him. A warm colour came to her cheeks as she pulled her hand away.

"Thank you as always, Koharu."

"That's fine. I hope your parents are doing well. Oh, and of course, you too, Shisui." Koharu then remembered something, clapping her hands together, "Ah! I just remembered! Shisui, please stay here for a moment, I'll be right back!" She went to the back of the store, leaving him at the front.

Shisui just stood there, holding the roses. He wasn't sure what she had remembered, but hearing her say his name without honorifics was something he found special.

He fished out a coin from inside his pocket, placing it on the counter as payment for the roses. Every second or third day he would visit the flower shop to buy a couple of roses. It was something that started a few years ago, and from then on, he had come to the same store, to buy the same thing.

At that time, Koharu was working there. She was a few years older than he was, and a bundle of morning sunshine. Even though she was older than him, she still referred to him with honorifics, which surprised him.

It became something of a routine that he couldn't break himself of.

He looked to the pin board behind the counter. What caught his eye was a flier of the festival that would be happening in a few days' time. He thought for a moment.

Shisui heard footsteps as Koharu came back, holding something small in her hands. It seemed to be a vase of some sort. She placed it on the table, letting Shisui examine it.

"This is for you, Shisui! I forgot to give it to you a few times, so I'm glad I finally remembered!" Koharu grinned.

"For me?" His brows rose as he took the small vase in his hands. It was half the size of his hand, focusing more on vertical height. It was fully made of glass, but the glass itself had a few petals here and there, all of which he noticed were real.

"Yup! It took me a while to make, but I hope it's to your liking."

"You made this?" Shisui felt some warmth spreading his chest as he stared at her in awe. "That's amazing!"

Koharu blushed at his compliment, shaking her head, "N-no way! It's just something that I made when thinking of you...ah." She stopped herself, feeling her face go tomato red. She waved her hands in front of her, seeing his surprised expression. "N-no! I mean I was thinking about how you're always buying flowers and how you're probably using the same vase and it might be old and that you might need a new one and, and yeah..." She trailed off, her fast paced rambling coming to an end.

Shisui stared at her for a long moment, stunned. He let out a laugh, finding it cute that she was so flustered.

"Don't laugh at me!" She crossed her arms and looked away.

"No, no, it's just that you're a very interesting person." Shisui grinned and took the vase, "Thanks for the vase, I'll use it well." He gave her a nod before starting to leave the store.

Looking back to him, Koharu smiled softly, "Give my regards to your parents." She waved once, earning a returning wave until he wasn't in sight anymore.

After a few moments, Koharu's hand dropped to her side as she went to the back of the store.

Shisui looked at the vase, staring at it as he walked back to the Uchiha compound. It was the late morning, and he had a mission later in the day. In times when he had missions and didn't come home for a while, he'd normally tell Koharu and tell her to deliver some flowers to his house.

The ANBU member was greeted by his cousin, Itachi, who stood outside of the Uchiha compound, waiting for him.

Itachi was young, but he wasn't an idiot. That was how he made a name for himself in the shinobi world.

"I've noticed you're always going to the flower shop to get roses." Itachi commented. He stared at the vase and roses in his best friend's hands, "Did you get a vase, too?"

Shisui grinned and handed it to Itachi for him to see, "She made this for me."

Itachi knew right away who his friend was talking about.

Noticing that Shisui's smile was even more radiant than it was before, Itachi raised a brow, but a small smile was on his features. He looked at the intricate details on the vase, nodding his head in appreciation. "It's very nice."

"Is that all you have to say?" Shisui chuckled and took it back from him.

"Yes. It's a lovely design." Itachi paused for a moment, staring at Shisui with a thoughtful expression, "Is she the reason you go to that specific flower shop?" He always had that question lingering at the back of his mind, but was hesitant to ask it.

Shisui made a funny sound, having been caught. He laughed lightly, rubbing the nape of his neck nervously. "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm not sure." The prodigy turned to go inside the compound, "Come on, we need to get ready for the mission."

Shisui's onyx coloured eyes darkened slightly when he remembered the contents of the mission.

It was an ANBU mission from the Hokage himself, but it was more of an information gathering mission rather than a stealth and attack one.

He didn't mind too much, but the problem was where he was gathering information. The mission was based in Konoha, where there were rumours of a shinobi that had gone around killing innocent villagers; someone who had infiltrated the system.

Shisui followed after Itachi, looking towards the way that he had come from the flower shop. He was worried that this shinobi would go after Koharu.

After all, this rogue's operatus modi was to target beautiful young women.