Chapter 1
She stared at the child in her arms. Dark hair. Dark eyes closed. Pale. A beautiful child. Pretty, some would say. He twitched, his brow’s furrowing. She pulled him closer, her hand sweeping through his hair, in a comforting motion. He quieted down, although the furrow in his brow remained.
She wanted to take him and run, she wanted to leave and never come back to this wretched village. This village that made her gentle hearted cousin kill their clan. Her beautiful cousin who used to gift her flowers with a shy smile, who would light up when they brought up his little brother. Her cousin, who— anytime he would go on a mission outside the village— would come back with all sorts of sweets, toys, and unique clothing for the members of their clan. Her sweet, sweet cousin, who had come back after his first mission crying his heart out to her, he couldn’t go to anyone else, not even his parents, who would look heartbroken but would tell him that it was his duty. All because of this accursed village. She hated it. She wanted it to burn, wanted them all to burn.
She kept petting Sasuke's hair as he slept. They were still in the hospital, they were to be let out in a few hours to go back home. To the compound where their family members were murdered, where she and her cousins used to run laughing and playing, with their parents watching with fond eyes and exasperated smiles. To the compound where she shared her best and worst memories. To the compound where she watched her parents and her aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins be killed.
She watched as Sasuke slowly woke, his eyes opening slowly as he slowly took in his surroundings, before he suddenly flipped his head towards her in panic. She watched as eyed her in relief, his eyes desperate. She clutched closer to her, as a mother would her son and kissed his forehead in reassurance, “I am here, I’m not going anywhere, Ototo. Do not panic. You’re ok. I’m ok.”
She watched as his eyes watered, his mouth twisting in an effort not to cry. He nodded his head, burying himself in her chest.
She kissed his forehead again, and rocked him slowly as she felt the tears seeping through her clothes. She raised her head to the sealing, her chest aching as she heard his muffled sobs. She loved Itachi, but for whatever reason that he did what he did— it was not worth this heartache. It was not worth Sasuke’s tears and it was not worth her dead clan.
She had no doubt that Itachi loved their clan, every Uchiha grew up with the notion of ‘the clan above all else’, and they all had that drilled into them, and she knew that Itachi was loyal to their clan, but then again, did she? Because the Itachi she knew would have never killed a pet that belonged to a member of their clan, let alone their whole entire clan. Hundreds dead. All for what? She did not know. But, she knew that whatever excuse the village had conjured up was not the truth.
She held Sasuke’s hand as they stared up at the gates of the Uchiha compound.
She swallowed as she reached to open them, the stench of bleach prickling, as they walked into the dead compound.
They walked until they were in the middle of the compound, the silent houses surrounding them.
She looked down at Sasuke as he gripped her hand as if it was his lifeline, his frame trembling. With a deep breath, she bent down and picked him up, hiding his face into her neck. She looked at the house that stood proud in front of her, and backed away. She walked further into the compound, heading for her own house. She did not think Sasuke wanted to be in the house where he found his parents murdered. At least, it wasn’t her house her parents were murdered in. She had already passed that place, and didn’t deign to even glimpse at it when they walked past.
She slowly opened the door, the faint scent of her mother consuming her mind and making her heart jump. She stood for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing it in, her heart felt like it was going to burst with the grief she was feeling.
Her father had always complained about the smell, stating that a shinobi should not have a scent distinct to them, but she knew he loved it. She remembered how he always knew when her mother walked through a room, by her scent alone. How even though they did not show affection in front of company, anytime they were alone she would watch as her father would hug her mother from behind and pick her up, and spin her around, she— laughing and protesting, him— laughing and mocking her that she was a kunoichi, she could get out of his arms if she so wished— and she would, only to turn around and pick him up and—
She opened her eyes when she felt Sasuke move, she blinked rapidly, putting him down.
She watched as he looked at the house, there was still pain in his eyes, but not as bad as when he’d looked at his house. She moved them both to the couch, sighing as she felt safer than she had in four days. Ironic, really.
Sasuke sat in her lap, his head nestled into her neck once again. “I’m tired, Kai-nee-san.” He murmured, into her skin.
She combed through his messy hair with her fingers, “it's not even 0900, sa-chan.”
He shook his head, yawning.”I’m still tired, nee-chan.”
she smiled faintly, burrowing her face into his hair. “I know, sa-chan, me too. But we have to get up, we both have to take showers, and..” start cleaning up the houses “.. and then you can take a nap, but after that, we have things to do.”
She felt him tense up, and she knew that he knew what she meant.
He parted from her, standing from the couch she was sitting on, and she watched as he struggled to control his facial expression, “I will not fail you, nee-san.” He said, seriously.
She blinked up at him, a tiny smile forming on her face through her heartache, she loved this sweet boy, “Thank you, Ototo. I love you, sasuke-chan.”
He blushed, his cheeks becoming the colour of those tomatoes he so loved, “I love you too, Kai-nee-san.”
They were going to be ok, she was going to make sure of it. If only for the sweet boy, in front of her.