Itachi trudged through the snow, his small legs dragging across the ice and snow as if he were being dragged on sledding equipment.
The sun was high in the sky by now, but even its warmth didn’t seem like it could melt the frozen crust covering every inch of his skin. He was shivering
from the cold, a thin layer of sweat coating his forehead and neck.
His face was scrunched up with discomfort and exhaustion; tinged with pale pink blush. His teeth chattered violently, sending out sharp clacks as they clashed together. His hair swaying furiously from the cold air blowing against them, his eyes widened and tears welled up as a result of the harshness of the temperature hitting him so fiercely.
The child’s feet skidded to a stop in front of a man.
“Hey, you okay kid?”
The man asked gently. His tone held no malice towards the young boy, instead, concern was written all over his features and he took care not to step too close to the child while speaking.
With shaky hands, the child reached out for the man, clinging onto his arm with such desperation that the man winced.
“H-help…”
he pleaded in a tiny voice, which barely reached past the wind. His entire body trembled, and he couldn’t seem to get enough breath. The man knelt down, gently taking the child into his arms and wrapping him tightly in an embrace. The child hugged back immediately, his head resting on the man’s shoulder.
He was so weak that he couldn’t really do anything else than lean against the man who was holding him firmly. It was only after a while that the shaking in the child’s body started to die down.
Upon seeing the child’s face, he noticed how exhausted the younger looked. The man felt his heart ache at the sight of this fragile child, and he rubbed soothing circles on his back to calm him.
The boy sighed in relief as soon as the warmth spread throughout his chest and the cold disappeared. He rested his chin on top of the stranger's shoulder, watching his breath puff into little wafts of vapor in the chilling air. A soft smile graced his little lips and his tired black eyes began to droop.
The two remained in this position, the stranger rubbing soothing circles into the child’s spine until he fell asleep.
Standing up, he wondered when the child would wake up— or if he ever would.