[Hokage] One tit for another

"...Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!"

I raised my head in a daze, and through those tangled threads, I saw the anxious and worried faces of Itachi and Mom and Dad.Their mouths opened and closed, and I watched for a moment before I belatedly realized how quiet my world was.

Dou's immortal method disappeared at some point, I suddenly found that my ears were throbbing and painful, and the feeling of disappearing returned at this moment.

As if I woke up suddenly from a dream, I noticed that my hands were full of sticky blood. The blood in my pocket was not as sticky as human blood, it was cold and mushy everywhere.The pocket under my body was pierced by countless sharp arrows, bloody, fragmented, almost inhuman, his eyes were slack, and only the weak rise and fall of his chest proved that he still had a breath.

I subconsciously wanted to withdraw my hand, like a child who broke glass and wanted to stay as far away from the scene of the disaster as possible, trying to distance himself from it.

But when I stood up, I realized my self-deception.I have done it.

In front of his parents, he was like a bloodthirsty beast, cruelly killing a living person.

It was covered in blood.

So ugly, so disgusting.

I lowered my head and didn't dare to look at Mikoto's mother, my mind went blank.

In a trance, Meiqin's mother seemed to hold my face, and wiped off the blood on my face bit by bit.

Her hands are soft and warm.The warm feeling transmitted through her fingertips was dizzying.

"...You child, you can't."

I don't know how long it took, maybe it was just a moment, or maybe it was a long time before I heard Miqin's mother's voice, as if it came from a distant sky.

I looked at Miqin's mother dully and opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say.

As if time and suffering never leave a trace, this woman is exactly as I remember it.It is no longer an illusion in repeated imaginings, but it really appeared in front of me.She looked at me, smiling slightly, with a warm light in her eyes, and the gently waving breath bloomed like a flower in the morning, rendering the dark and cold air into vivid colors little by little.

The chaotic and violent lines in the sky are relieved, like soft clouds, and like the warm wind in the summer night.

Mom is still a mother, even though there is a sea of ​​blood and corpses all over the ground, she still hasn't changed.

But I am no longer what I used to be.

I still remember that Meiqin's mother's skin was very white, like snow falling in the morning light in winter, but her long hair was as black as crow's feathers, pure and clean.When she turned her face slightly to the side and smiled, the smooth black hair would fall from her shoulders and hang down beside her beautiful cheeks.

Before this, I never noticed that a person's skin can be dazzlingly white, and a person's black hair can be unforgettable.

It seems to be deeply engraved in time with a carving knife.

But now I can no longer see that kind of scenery.I can no longer open my eyes and look at her greedily, and I can no longer smile at her as if nothing happened.

At that time, my hands were still immature and soft, white and flawless, but now they are full of scars and calluses.Cold blood runs through my fingertips, and I'm used to the texture.

My palms are used to gripping the handle of a knife instead of touching my blood relatives cautiously.

I even... have forgotten how to hug.

My world is chaotic and monotonous, but my parents should not be in such a world.

How can I look at them with such "eyes"?

Everything is impossible to go back to the past.

There was never any turning back for me.

But even so, I still hope they can stay and not leave.

Itachi's burden is too heavy, and the road ahead is so long, don't leave Itachi...leave me alone in this world.

But I looked at Miqin's mother, and then at the patriarch. His expression now did not fit his usual "majestic" style.

——Their expressions are the same as Itachi's, as determined...and fearless.

I just knew it... I just knew it!

So Itachi will always be their proudest eldest son.

And I can only be a little fool sitting in the corner.

Mom and Dad's hearts are the same as Itachi's.

In any case, Itachi must undo the reincarnation of the dirty soil, and save those ninja coalition forces who are in a hard fight, even if it means sacrificing the lives of parents again.

In any case, Mom and Dad will definitely support Itachi, encourage Itachi, and be proud of Itachi's righteousness, even if they have to return to the embrace of death again.

They are always able to abandon the most important things frankly, without fear, and never waver.

But how can the garbage outside compare with them? !

Isn't this the way the world is?Countless people die every day, but everyone has their own fate, and it is their own fault.Why do they always care about the lives of others, but refuse to give a little attention to themselves?

I seem to think a lot, but I don't seem to think about anything.

But in the next second, I seemed to have completely lost the ability to think.

Mikoto's mother reached out and hugged me.

I am no longer a limp little child, and my mother can no longer hold me in her arms as easily as before.

It wasn't until she hugged me that I realized slowly that my shoulders were wider than hers, so that she had to struggle to hug me.I even became taller than her. When I was a child, I felt a warm and solid harbor. Now I realize in a trance that my mother is also a slender woman.

More and more warmth spread, seeping into my bone marrow bit by bit.Those places that were frozen by the chill that surged up from the deepest part gradually began to recover.

I froze for a while before bending down slightly so that my mother could hug me better.My hand hesitated behind her back, and finally slowly encircled her back.

It wasn't until I actually touched my mother that I was sure that it wasn't something that would be easily damaged, so I changed from that state of virtual surroundings to a real hug.

This is... the most beautiful and gentle cloud I have ever seen.

I buried my head on my mother's shoulder.

"Sasuke..."

The mother's soft voice echoed in her ears.

But I couldn't hear clearly, she was whispering something close to my ear, in the most intimate gesture, talking about a little secret that only we know.

I stared at her mouth shape carefully, described it over and over again in my mind, and imagined her voice.

What did she say?

I followed her mouth and repeated it in my head.

"Sasuke, you did a great job."

My heart trembled suddenly.

"Sasuke, I knew that you are the strongest. I've seen it all. Sasuke, you take good care of your brother." My mother hugged me a little tighter as she said this.

"Sasuke has grown into a powerful adult, isn't it very hard? But you must live strong, I believe Sasuke will be able to. No matter what, you can't give up, because you are the proudest child of my father and me .”

Proudest?

Nonsense, your proudest child is obviously Itachi.I don't understand your willingness to give up everything.

"However, Sasuke, you have to learn to rest occasionally, and don't push yourself too hard." My mother stroked my head and smoothed the unruly hair on the top of my head.

I hugged my mother tightly and gave a vague "hmm".

"Sasuke, you are also like this. You always like to carry too many things on your back." The mother seemed to sigh, "Stubborn and awkward, exactly the same as your brother and father."

totally different!

You are the kind of fearless heroes, the real strong...

"Actually, Sasuke has always been a good boy with a soft heart." The mother smiled, probably because she thought I couldn't see her expression. This smile revealed too many complicated emotions, like helplessness and worry, "but Don’t take excess guilt on yourself.”

"Sasuke is already great, don't blame yourself." My mother said, and she said it again solemnly, as if she wanted to convey it to my heart word by word.

"It's not your fault, Sasuke."

No, it's obviously...

If I had made the choice earlier, none of this would have happened.You will not have to go through such suffering.

I knew everything, but I was blind to what was supposed to be prevented out of selfishness and cowardice.

"It's fine for you, your brother...it's not your fault." My mother pressed me into her arms, as if I was a child.

Mother……

I sighed imperceptibly, I really deserve to be a mother.

Obviously he has given his life, but he still wants to give us the last bit of redemption.

"Mom..." Don't go.

I said it in a low voice, but that kind of pleading could not be uttered for a long time.Probably knowing that even if you say it, it won't help.

My mother patted my head lightly, sensing what she meant, I let go of my hand stiffly, and she stepped back a little, looking at my face carefully.

"Mom still wants to continue to sleep deeply." The mother pursed her lips and smiled, "It doesn't feel good to be disturbed at all."

"Sasuke has grown up, and he has to walk the road by himself." Mom helped me brush away the too long hair on my forehead, and looked into my eyes, "But mom and dad have always loved you."

I was stunned.

My heart seemed to be pinched suddenly, as if I was suffocating.

But it was this moment of hesitation that made my mother discover something. Her smiling expression froze suddenly, and the hand that was holding my shoulder exerted a little force.She has always been too gentle with her younger son, but at that moment, her fingers even pricked my shoulder.

"Sasuke, you..." My mother hurriedly raised her hand, subconsciously trying to touch the corner of my eye.

I quickly looked away and grabbed my mother's hand.

"I love you too, Mom." I whispered.

My mother suddenly came back to her senses, she opened her mouth trembling, and the hand finally landed on my face lightly.She looked at me very carefully, as if she was describing my facial features from a distance.

Mother seemed to choke up.

I was overwhelmed, I never thought I would make my mother cry.

But maybe because she noticed my expression, my mother quickly tried her best to cover up her gaffe. She didn't say anything, just smiled as usual.

That laugh...like crying.

I was speechless and could only lower my eyes and pretend nothing happened.

Itachi walked up silently, he seemed afraid to look at me, his long hair covered his expression.I stood in front of the pocket, paused, and got out of the way.

"Sasuke..." The patriarch came over, as if he didn't know what to say, he could only pat me on the shoulder and communicate in a way unique to men.

This is encouragement, recognition, pride and comfort.

This is a very fresh experience, because the patriarch will confront Itachi tit-for-tat, oppressed by power.But to him, I will always be a silly little son who can get hurt if he pinches him lightly.He never placed his expectations on me, and of course he didn't have such a sense of pride as a father.

"As expected of my son." The patriarch couldn't help but smile, the majestic and rigid lines on his face softened a lot, "In this way, your mother and I can rest assured."

The seals of reincarnation of the dirty soil were formed one by one in Dou's hands.The interconnected chakra lines in the air were broken, and the body made of dust gradually fell apart.

Debris peeled off layer by layer.

"My mother and I will wait for you over there."

The patriarch is obviously not good at saying goodbye, and it took him a long time to hold back such a sentence.After finishing speaking, he realized that the words were inappropriate, so he could only stiffen the corners of his mouth in embarrassment, and stumbled to add a sentence.

"...Don't come too early."

I watched the gradually dissipating dust expressionlessly, and the already embarrassed patriarch became even more uncomfortable in my silence. He hesitated to speak a few times, but he could only keep his face dry.

"it is good."

I suddenly smiled, slightly bent my eyes, and raised the corners of my mouth.

The patriarch was finally relieved, he immediately looked at Itachi standing behind me, and before leaving, he did not forget to ask: "Itachi, take good care of Sasuke."

"Take care of yourself, too," the mother added.

"...um." Itachi replied in a low voice.

These are their last words to us.

I watched the two souls emitting white light pull away from their bodies, rising, rising...until they merged with the sky.

The corner of the raised mouth was forced to come down.

As if I had completely lost the strength to support myself, I staggered and fell to my knees.