The Littlest Uchiha

Chapter 1 - Hairclip

Mom's arms were soft and slender. Mom's smile was soft and gentle. Mom's hair was soft and long. Mom's eyes were soft and ebony, almost like darkened ash.

The little girl shifted her position as she laid against her mother's bosom. Unaware of how uncannily similar their features were, the little girl blinked the sleep away from her eyes. She felt Mom's warm hand brush against her cheek, tucking away some hair from her face. Her lips played on a small smile as she planted a small kiss on her daughters head, as all mothers do when they realize that their baby girls are growing up too fast.

"Aya-chan," Mom murmured. "Remember that you are a good girl."

Said girl nodded groggily, eyelids closing.

"I will love you always."

And as she succumbed to the wave of drowsiness, she thought that a tear rolled down her mother's cheek.

Ayano woke up with a start.

Bright sunlight filtered through the trees outside her window and splashed onto the wooden floorboards. She sat up from her futon and called out for her mother. Yet, nothing answered within the isolated house.

Ayano sniffed and shrugged indifferently, as all five-year olds do when something seems mildly odd, but not intriguing enough to follow.

That's weird. Mom usually tells me the day before if she has a mission the next day.

But perhaps she had forgotten. No. She had never missed to tell her daughter before, so why would she now? After all, her mother was very meticulous about absolutely everything. One time even, she disallowed Ayano from going out until all her small flyaway hairs had been smoothed out. Or cut away.

Also, her mother would never forget her favorite red hairclip. Ayano noted that said accessory was lying on the small dresser in the corner, forgotten by its owner.

There was no where specific to go today, however, since the little black-haired girl was a year too young to enter the Ninja Academy.

Ayano got ready and slid her shoes on and pushed the door open. Her house was isolated a bit further away from the Uchiha compound, for reasons she'll never understand. She'd used to ask with large curious dark eyes why the two lived so far away. As if the Uchiha compound wasn't isolated form the Village enough. And her mother would answer, "I don't like too many people living around me. A bit of forest and nature is nice, right darling?"

After ten minutes of walking, the little girl wandered into the market streets of the Uchiha compound. She figured she would ask some people and see if her mom was in fact out on a mission.

"Excuse me granny?"

Ayano had to stand on the tip of her toes to be barely be able to see over the grocery counter.

"Oh, well if it isn't Ayano-chan! How are you sweetie?" the elderly vendor smiled a toothless grin at her.

"I'm fine, thank you. Have you seen my mom anywhere? Is she out on a mission?"

"Oh, well, I'm not sure now. Your mother hasn't come by very often lately. She usually drops by every other day to at least say hello, or buy some vegetables. Or maybe to chat. Oh, she did tell me a good story the other day...Oh, Ayano-chan, no I haven't seen her. Say hello to her for me, will you?"

"Okay. Thanks anyways."

Quickly, she darted away before the nosy grandma could get another word out. The little wandering girl continued asking people from places her mother frequented. All shopkeepers shook their heads no, saying that she hadn't been by in a long while.

Then what was she doing when she said she was "going out?" Where did she go?

She began to ask random ninja that were walking on the street. The answered the same way. Slowly, Ayano was beginning to think that she could turn the entire compound upside-down and she still wouldn't be able to find a clue about her mother.

Her steps starting to dawdle in doubt and discouragement, she approached two ninja that were standing near the entrance of the compound.

"E-Excuse me?"

Ayano was surprised that her voice trembled a bit. She had to crane her neck to see the two taller young men standing over her.

"Yes?" the one with the messy dark hair spoke.

"H-H-Have you seen my mom?"

"Who's your mom?"

Ayano was about to answer when he raised his hand for her to stop.

"No," he grinned. "Let me guess. Uchiha Minami? Right?"

Nervously, the little girl clasped her hands together behind her back and nodded. Her large, childlike black eyes stared up at them with some worry.

"Ah, sorry we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Uchiha Shisui."

Then, he pointed a finger at his partner.

"And this guy's Uchiha Itachi."

"Of the Body Flicker!" she blurted out.

"What?"

"You're Shisui of the Body Flicker!" Ayano repeated, a bit embarrassed by her sudden outburst.

"Oh, ha ha. You know my name?"

"Everyone does!"

Ayano shook her head clear and to get back to her point.

"Have you seen my mother? Is she on a mission?"

"Uh, no...I haven't. Have you Itachi?"

Shisui glanced over at his friend. Ayano observed Itachi's black eyes and dark hair, unmistakable traits of an Uchiha.

"No," he answered.

"Oh, thanks anyways."

The little girl was about to turn away when she felt someone grab her arm. She looked back to see Shisui bent down to stop her.

"We'll help you look for her," he told the little girl.

"I don't need help," Ayano retorted, a bit more defiant than intended.

But Shisui insisted. And so reluctantly, Ayano let the two men follow her. There was really only one last place to go in the compound, and that was the cliff near the river that flowed at the bottom of the steep canyon.

Yet, Mom had always told her never to go near the edge, or even near the flat plateau of it. She felt her heart dread the impending excursion she was about to make, with the two strange Uchiha.

Hi!

This my first fanfic (on this site) and I hope you enjoy it. I initially started this on fanfiction.net but then I decided to move it here.

Leave me a comment if there's you have any constructive feedback or tell me if you like it!