Nevermore

This was day four.

Hinamei sat in Mikoto’s kitchen quietly, her eyes locked on the sweet peaches and cream sunset and her mouth a line of worry. Footsteps trembled from the hall and she knew instantly that warm aura. “He’ll be fine, you need to stop worrying so much. You’ll give yourself a headache staring like that.” The pale girl sighed and turned towards the motherly figure, smiling as she did so.

“I know he will, knowing Itachi he’ll be the first one out of that forest. Who knows,” she glanced back out the window. The sun was almost out of sight. “Maybe he’s already waiting to come home.” A loud patter of footsteps caught both attentions and they turned to watch the smaller Uchiha come barreling into the room.

“Kaa-san! Look, I’m bleeding!” The small raven haired boy bit back on his lower lip, his eyebrows upturned in pain. He whined and continued to squeeze blood from his finger. Mikoto sighed and ruffled Sasuke’s hair, telling him patiently she’d go fetch the bandages.

“That’s what you get for messing with your brother’s kunai.” Hinamei said with a smug grin plastered on her face. The five year old boy scowled in response and turned away, his pain instantly forgotten.

“That’s not what cut me, so shut up.” She snorted and turned back to the window. Only one more day till Itachi was due to come home. Sasuke looked over his shoulder and the brooding girl and frowned. Usually, she didn’t listen to him when he ordered her around. Something must have been wrong with her. Sasuke popped his finger in his mouth and sucked at the cut before walking over to the table and sitting himself across from Hinamei. She didn’t even look to acknowledge him and he furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why are you acting so sad?” She quirked a brow at him and couldn’t help but smolder a smile as she realized just how much he looked like Itachi.

“I’m not sad, I just want Itachi to come home sooner. It’s awfully boring around here without either of them around.” Even Shisui had been caught up in preparations for the Chuunin exams as of late. Not to mention, he was involved in a lengthy training to apply for the ANBU squad.

“Well, you could always play with me.” Sasuke smiled cheekily and she returned the grin.

“I do play with you brat, this is the first time I’ve sat down in hours!” Mikoto came in to the kitchen, holding two types of bandages in her hands and looking down at them, torn between the two.

“Itachi was always better at this-“She mused to herself before Sasuke interrupted her.

“It’s all better Kaa-san!” His small hand wrapped around Hinamei and he pulled her from her chair, ignoring her complaints as he drug her from the room. Mikoto answered with a frown but waved them both off, happy to see Hinamei not so down anymore. Sasuke took Hinamei to his room, she took one look at the weapons on the floor and snorted, snatching her hand back.

“Not playing with them, right?” He looked away sheepishly and kicked one with his foot.

“Don’t tell Nii-san, please!” She waved him off with a promise and walked over to Itachi’s bed. She had been sleeping on it for the past three days as Mikoto had insisted Sasuke was too scared to sleep alone. He had denied it but she knew better. “Hinamei?” She looked at him but stayed silent as she rested her head against the pillow. It smelled just like him, breezy and soft. “Why do you like Nii-san so much?”

“What do you mean? I like you too and Shisui-san.” He shook his head adamantly and pressed forward until he sat at her feet.

“But that’s different. You love Nii-san don’t you?” She sighed and rolled over, tucking her foot in the nook behind Sasuke’s knee. She wiggled her toes and the warmth and smiled.

“Before any of us were born they decided Itachi-chan and I would one day get married.” Sasuke crinkled his nose at the idea and she continued, “We have no choice in the matter.”

“Do you want to?” Sasuke asked quietly, kicking his bare feet against the bed childishly. Hinamei’s eyes rolled towards the ceiling and she blinked, amused at the question.

“I’ve never really thought about it before. Not like it matters or anything, I’ll stay have to marry him.” Sasuke looked away shyly before a slick grin appeared on his face. He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling.

“You know, Nii-san really likes you. He won’t admit it but I hear him say your name when he’s sleeping. I guess that means he’s dreaming of you.” The boy snickered and a hot blush crept into her cheeks. Dreaming of her? She shivered at the thought and joined in with Sasuke, pushing him off the bed with her foot. He only laughed harder. A quiet knock stole her attention away and she sat up. Mikoto answered to door and a muffle of voices could be heard from down the hall. Both children ran to the doorway to see who was visiting this time of night.

“They’re right down the hall.” Mikoto said kindly, a couple of footsteps more and the ruffled head of Uchiha Shisui came into view. Hinamei’s eyes lit up and she stole towards the surprised looking boy, her arms weaved around his neck and she didn’t dare to let go.

“Oh it’s so good to see you Shisui! Why are you here?” She asked, pulling away. He shrugged and she let go, they walked into the room where Sasuke was hiding the mess of kunai and shuriken on the floor.

“Finally got a chance to go home, I hadn’t seen you two in a couple of days and just wanted to check in. How’s Itachi doing?” Her shoulders fell and she looked up at him with a pout.

“You mean you don’t know either?”

“Why would I know? I went in the forest once already, no way am I going in there again.” He snorted and sat on the bed, stretching his limbs out with a yawn. He took note of her disappointed demeanor and managed a smile through his stretch. “Don’t worry though, Itachi’s at the top of his class. He’ll be fine, right Sasuke?” The boy nodded and looked up at Hinamei reassuringly. If Sasuke wasn’t concerned then she shouldn’t be either, she nodded to herself and rolled her shoulders back up.

Everything would be fine.

Shisui left not so long after, his own mother was waiting on him for dinner and he didn’t want to keep her waiting. She stifled a yawn and looked as Sasuke, his eyes lowered. “I think I’ll go to bed early tonight, you kept me up all night yesterday. I didn’t know someone so little could talk so much.” He tried to tell her to shut up once more but was interrupted with a large yawn. He rubbed at his eyes and looked up at her with a weak smile.

“I’m tired too. I’m going to go say goodnight to Kaa-san.” He wobbled upwards and slowly stalked from the room. She took that chance to change clothes and slide into the cold sheets of Itachi’s bed. She rubbed her cheek up against the cloth affectionately and sighed, knowing Itachi was probably sleeping in dirt with a rock for a pillow. She just wanted him home. Sasuke returned and crawled into his own bed, the lights were off and all that was left was the soft glow of the pale moonlight streaming in from the window. Her eyelids pulled shut and she thanked the silence that plagued the room.

“Hinamei?” Her eyes shot open and she turned around, even if she couldn’t see him she knew he was hiding beneath his covers. “Goodnight.” She gave a small laugh and returned to gesture, rolling back over to let sleep take her. Until another small voice intruded her sleep. “Hinamei?” He asked once more and she frowned, he did this every night. Thinking he was tired until they crawled into bed and he would talk for hours after.

“Goodnight Sasuke-kun!” He giggled and rolled over in his own bed, finally letting sleep consume the both of them.

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She woke to a pair of bright onyx hanging over her bed and unwillingly yelped at the sight. “Sasuke! What are you doing!?” She pushed the small laughing boy off of the bed and sat up. The sun had just barely caught the edges of the mountains and she frowned. “Why are you up so early?”

“Tou-san told me Nii-san is coming home early soon. I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to see him when he got out!” The boy gave a cheeky grin and slapped his hands together with excitement. Early? Did that mean he didn’t make it through? Hinamei gave a concerned look at the hyper boy and he shook his head, thinking the same thought. “Everyone finished already, even Nii-san!” Hinamei shot from the bed and winced once her feet touched the cold wooden floors, but nonetheless she scampered to the bathroom with her clothes in hand.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” She said loudly as Sasuke whined from the other side of the door. She spit the water from her mouth and combed her unruly hair back, opening the door to a very bored looking child.

“Finally,” Sasuke mumbled. He had a coat shrugged around his shoulders and was bundled up tightly by Mikoto. She stood against the door frame looking worn but regardless, she smiled at the two.

“Hurry up and bring Itachi home, I’ll have lunch ready by the time you get back.” Sasuke’s dainty hand slipped into Hinamei’s and together they rushed out the door. The air outside nipped at her bare arms and she halfway regretted leaving any of her coats back at her house, but it didn’t matter now. Itachi was coming home and the next stage of the test wasn’t for a few more months. As tough as he could be she missed being around him nearly day and night. It was good for her. A slight breeze pushed the two forward and Sasuke mumbled to himself. She glanced downwards and watched him struggle to free a napkin wrapped package from his pocket. Finally, with one last tug he freed the napkin and grinned.

“I stole these for us,” he said as he unwrapped the napkin to reveal two whole tomatoes. Grinning upwards he held one up to Hinamei, she reluctantly took it. Sasuke bit into it, happily drinking up the juice and she frowned.

“You’re weird, eating a tomato like that. It can’t taste very good.” The boy frowned and through a mess of juice he corrected her.

“These ones are sweet, try it and you’d like it too.” He took another bite and slyly, she tucked hers into the pocket of her pants for later. The only sound heard as they walked was Sasuke’s mouth and the quiet hum of people starting their day. As the sun got higher her shoulders warmed and she watched Sasuke squirm under the heat. Now she was happy she had left her coat at home. It took less than she had expected to reach the gates of the forest, parents and other children had started to conform, waiting for their own kin to come out of the second stage. Minutes passed and Hinamei grew restless. The sun had finally begun to irritate her pale skin and she blinked upwards at the sun. What was taking so long? As if to answer her question almost immediately a shrill yell pierced the air and the crowd stilled around her. Hinamei braced herself and tucked the now trembling Sasuke beneath her arm. Her dark eyes probed the area until she caught sight of a slender arm reaching through the holes in the wire fence that surrounded the forest. The fence shook and the arm was pulled back in. A woman could now be heard yelling and by this point no one dared to move. “Nii-san?” Sasuke asked quietly, his voice quivering as he spoke. The yells quickly shushed and the gate was flung open, along with two small children. The first to hit the ground was a boy around her age with hair the color of slate and eyes a deep green. Red liquid fell in droplets from his parted mouth and a dark bruise was beginning to gleam from around his eye. As her eyes fell lower she noticed the deep purple imprints marked around his arm.

Sasuke flew forward, if it hadn’t been for Hinamei’s quick grip he would have made it towards the second boy.

Uchiha Itachi.

His eyes were a blazing scarlet, all three tomoe burning into the other boy’s skin. His face was like alabaster, more so than usual and his entire body shook with rage. “I don’t care what they do to me,” the silver haired boy spoke suddenly. Itachi stilled to hear him, his breath catching in his throat. “We all know that you and your dirty clan are nothing but filth to this village!” The boy’s green eyes lit up and he staggered upwards, pointing an accusing finger at Itachi. “It was unfair to let you in here, thinking you’re so much better with those eyes, you’re nothing but-“His words were cut off as Itachi had made an A-line towards the boy, kunai in hand and no later, at the other child’s throat.

“You wouldn’t want to say anything you’ll regret now, do you?” Itachi hissed, his kunai dropped as soon as he saw an instructor dash towards him and immediately, he stepped aside. The man took Itachi by the shoulders and said to him something that couldn’t be heard from where she stood. Whispers sprang up from the once quiet crowd and they shifted to move in closer to the forest walls. Hinamei stood still, caught in a gaze with a pair of crimson eyes that now seemed almost unfamiliar to her.

But Itachi broke away first and coldly, he turned his back on everything and walked away.