Kairos |An Itachi Uchiha Story|

xviii.you slap my hands

The walk to the Uchiha compound was quiet, though tranquil as the small boy sat piggyback on his brother while they walked with the amber-eyed foreigner.

She is the girl who's fear caused her to cling closer as they got closer to the home of the Uchiha. The steady gaze of the onyx eyed Anbu caused the nervous smile of the girl to worsen.

He did not breathe a word as he continued his rhythmic pace toward the entrance.

However, his feet stopped when he realized the girl he was to protect had planted her feet to the ground. He brushed off his confused little brother who was originally starting to doze off due to the steady sounds of his older brother's sandals.

"I-Is your father home?" She questioned with a false smile that deep down annoyed the hell out of Itachi.

"No." His eyes glared flatly at her as if asking, am I that stupid?.

He waited for the girl to catch up, knowing she would cling to him once she did.

At least as close as she could without touching him.

Itachi sighed in annoyance and wrapped the small girl's hand in his own, ignoring the thoughts that fought such an action.

The look he gave her reminded her flushed face that he was doing it for her benefit, not pleasure, yet she did not seem to mind one bit.

She smiled at the warm feeling in her palm.

At the ability of feeling in general.

To have someone show affection toward her and not be her grandmother or the snake.

She glanced at the sly smile on the boy's face who held on to his brother so to not fall off and she smiled to herself. Sasuke was not sneaky at all.

She felt her heart dance.

"Oh! Aiko I didn't think you would come back after what happened last time." The woman laughed nervously while she played mindlessly with a loose dark strand.

The girl flashed a polite smile even though she grimaced inside.

"I'm happy I'm allowed here, Mrs. Uchiha." The woman gritted her teeth even though she smiled bright and slightly nervous to the girl. She reminded herself that Aiko was not an Uchiha like herself and so she was not allowed to like her. But looking at how close her sons stood by Aiko's side, looking much more happy than they have for a long time (and that was saying something about Itachi who stood stone-faced)...

"Please sit, I am preparing dinner and lucky for you, Fugaku is on a mission." Mikoto winked before beginning toward the kitchen but paused when Aiko called her.

"Would you like me to help?" She offered and the woman smiled lightly at the idea of having the ability to speak to the girl without her protective son blocking her questions.

"Sure."

Aiko stirred the pot of noodles while Mikoto chopped at vegetables while listening to the girl hum to herself.

"So, Aiko are you a ninja?" She questioned the girl who did not even blink at the sudden question.

"Only on special missions, I am actually Anbu ranked but I do not participate in the village. I like cooking much more than the battlefield." Mikoto was pleased to hear the second part far more than the first half. "In fact, if I did not come from a struggling land, I would never have become a ninja." The woman could not stop the smile on her lips but she was sure glad that Aiko could not see her face.

But she also did not know that Aiko could sense her emotions and that she reeked of satisfaction.

"The Land of Rain, correct?" Aiko hummed even though feeling the woman's satisfaction while she spoke of her home in a dark light caused her to turn sour and annoyed on the inside. "What is it like growing up there?"