Remnant bones

Through the gap, the reddish afterglow that sprinkled into the room reflected on the closed eyes of the white-haired man, causing him to frown sensitively and gradually wake up from his sleep.

Half of my body was completely numb because of being a "meat pad" all night. When I moved a little, I felt a tingling pain and itching like a needle prick, and I couldn't help but gasp.

Using the other arm that was still movable, he pushed back the overly long bangs that blocked most of his sight.The chaotic brain gradually woke up, and the white eyes were narrowed. The first thing that came into view was the smooth black shoulder-length hair on the chest, and the faintly steady heartbeat in the ear.

...Itachi?

Before the consciousness can react, the body has instinctively lowered the sound of its own breathing, and has become extra cautious in every move.

After a night... well, looking at the scenery outside the window, it is now dusk. To be precise, it should be a day's rest. Most of the physical strength that was originally consumed due to the onset of the disease and the blood succession boundary mutation has recovered.I don't know if it's because of the conflict between the two forces running rampant and canceling each other out, the recovery time this time is much shorter than usual.

However, compared to me, who is simply exhausted physically and needs time to recuperate and buffer because of my weak constitution, Itachi's exhaustion comes more from the spiritual aspect.

Walking between the two forces for a long time, the pressure on him from both sides has accumulated and superimposed, making him overwhelmed.And after this "mission", when the source of all these things no longer exists.At the same time of relief, the emptiness of his heart undoubtedly made him at the most vulnerable moment in his life, but he still had to bear the despair and sadness of having to let his most important brother live by hating and cursing himself.

The violent ups and downs of complex emotions can't be vented and confide, under that expressionless and indifferent face, the soft heart has already been scarred... and the only thing he can do is to put the blood welling up in his throat, pretend to be Swallowing it as if nothing had happened, the only result is to add injury to injury.

Tired...

On the mature face with a hint of strangeness, there is the silent gentleness that only those who are close to her have ever seen. It is faint, but it cannot be ignored.

Under the backdrop of my current tall figure, that person who is not considered short among my peers still only reaches my chest, making her look even smaller, but it also makes it easier for me to embrace him as a whole. in the arms.

Wearing a simple silk bathrobe, Itachi curled up and rested his head on my chest, as if he could only fall asleep peacefully by listening to the heartbeat that was close at hand.The delicate face is far less vigilant and tense than what I have seen before, which makes the usual cold and hard lines undoubtedly softened a lot.It also made that face, who was actually only 13 years old, finally have a bit of carefreeness that this age should have...even if this is just a temporary illusion.

Both he and I understand that from the moment of choice, hell is always with us... even such a complete relaxation pretending to be nothing is a luxury for us.

It is precisely because of this that it needs to be cherished even more.Those who have lost it once will not make the same mistake again.

So sleep well...

Even if we leave the village where conspiracy and hypocrisy are intertwined, it does not mean that we can no longer be bound by everything.What we are doing now is just a prelude to the beginning.

The so-called "peaceful life" is destined to miss those of us who were born in darkness and can only be buried in darkness.

With half-opened eyes, he looked up at the sliver of blood-like crimson beyond the gap in the window.I lay there motionless, letting my consciousness drift further and further away in a blank mind.I didn't want to think about it, and I didn't want to think about it. Before I knew it, I subconsciously chose to meditate to wait for the person in my arms to wake up.

When I was brought back to my senses by the swollen and stinging pain because of the movement of my left arm, I happened to see the pair of tightly closed eyes, the eyelashes trembling slightly, revealing the night light shrouded in a layer of light water mist behind them. eye.

"Are you awake?" I asked softly.

"Hmm..." Getting up from my chest, Itachi supported his upper body with one hand, and scratched his hair with the other hand.

After waking up for a while, he looked at me with some surprise, but he obviously remembered what happened before the break this morning. He turned his face unnaturally, with a slight intention to cover up his embarrassment, and said, "Now is When is it?" Obviously there is someone beside me, yet I am still sleeping so soundly...

"Around six o'clock in the evening, Guixie and A Fei should have gone out." It's not that I didn't notice his plan, but I just replied cooperatively.Speaking of it, I don't know if it was because of Kisame's signal that the annoying masked man didn't come to make trouble.

When I came to this village on the border of the Fire Country this morning and temporarily settled down, the Uchiha clan on the side of Konoha caused a lot of trouble. In order to prevent being chased by ninjas and reacting too late, I proposed two people Share a room to avoid accidents.

Although Kisame had a disdainful attitude towards those ninjas who were most likely to chase and kill them, he did not raise any objections. He just glanced at me with an ambiguous expression, and consciously dragged Ah Fei to the next room to catch up on sleep.I didn't deny his speculation and attitude. I also admitted that I made such an arrangement because I was not at ease with Itachi's physical condition at the time, but Kisame cooperated so well, which made me feel that he, as Itachi's partner, might It's a good thing.

At least if it was A Fei, I might "humanely destroy" that kangaroo for him... I don't bother to care what secrets he hides.

Seeing that Itachi had got up, he planned to change clothes.I, who woke up much earlier than him, naturally didn't want to lie down again.He tried to move his entire left arm, trying to sit up, but found that even the simple movement of bending a finger was extremely difficult.As a last resort, I had no choice but to give up and ask the "culprit" in front of me for help: "Give me a hand."

Dazed for a moment, Itachi immediately realized that this was a "good thing" he had done, bent down with reddish ears, grabbed my outstretched right hand and lifted it up.

With his help, I finally got up from the bed.Enduring the numbness that was more tangled than the pain, after moving for a while, the left hand finally recovered its normal function.Beside him, Itachi had already changed into his only black tight top and trousers of the same color. Because the white vest and protective gear were too conspicuous, I put them in the scroll for him before.

It's not good to just go out dressed like this.I frowned, and suddenly remembered that I also needed to add some clothes, so I made a decision immediately: "If you don't mind, accompany me to a place first."

Putting on the slightly larger windbreaker, Itachi nodded.Before "Xiao"'s mission was officially issued, he had nothing to do, and it didn't matter where he went.

After I finished packing my clothes, we went downstairs and left the room together.The original plan was to go on the road at night. As for where the ghost sharks went, I can find them directly with the bone bell.

I randomly found a neat clothing store on the street, and I signaled Itachi to pick a few as a change of clothes according to my preference.On the other hand, he turned his attention to the kimono hanging further inside.I touched the material, but fortunately, I have never had any requirements for patterns, so I just took a few pure white monochrome robes out of habit.

"Do you like white?" I have never been used to these cumbersome clothes that hinder activities too much. After taking a few close-fitting black tops and trousers, Itachi next to me picked up a white background with light blue camellia printed on it. kimono, suddenly asked.

"I don't like it." He replied without hesitation, saying so, but I handed the several pieces of white kimonos to the clerk's hands, and ordered them to settle the accounts together: "Compared with white, I prefer black." A kind of pure black that can cover up all traces.

"...Why?" Obviously it suits him well... Looking at me with some surprise, Itachi couldn't help asking.However, after the words were spoken, he didn't expect to get an answer.

This kind of question sometimes probes too much into personal privacy, and he is not a person who likes to get to the bottom of it.

"The color white is too pale and feeble... No matter how you cover it up, you can't erase any stains on it." The confession was beyond his expectation, the volume coming from the plain lips, only Enough for the two neighbors to hear clearly: "It's not suitable for people like me whose hands are already stained with blood."

I've decided long ago that I won't hide anything from him anymore.

"I only wear black clothes when I decide to kill people..." I brushed a pure black kimono with my fingertips, but did not stop at all. The bottom of my jade-white eyes also hides the opposite darkness Shentan: "The white color is just because Junma Lu likes it."

"It's like almost everyone thinks that I am suitable for white and takes it for granted, but no one thinks about it." It's just because of this extremely deceptive indifferent appearance.The thin lips could not help but sneer, and sneered: "I just catered to their ideas, that's all."

There was a trace of astonishment on Itachi's face.

He never thought that such words would come from the population in his heart who had been subconsciously classified in another world.It was unavoidable that I was shocked by this, but I didn't feel it was too abrupt... It seemed that under the layers of camouflage, this kind of reality was really taken for granted on that person.

"Is that so..." Faintly aware of my intentions, the black-haired boy put down the things in his hands, without the slight barrier from before, and the subconscious desire to keep a distance, and stared straight at me frankly.

"If you don't know what to ask, just listen to me." The indifferent eyes gradually softened on Itachi's body.

I took the clothes wrapped by the clerk, and I didn't care about the surprised eyes of others. I took his hand very naturally and walked on the street of this strange village: "Be my only 'audience'."

Itachi didn't answer, but tightened the right hand he was holding with him.

However, it was only a short distance of one street, and between the alternation of steps, I whispered like a self-talk, talking a lot, a lot...

From the remote village in the country of water where Kimomaro and I were born, to the fall of the Kaguya clan in the frantic flames of war; Tortured by the genetic disease brought about by the blood succession limit, he had to sacrifice his life for Akatsuki for an extinct secret technique; from being interested in Konoha, which gave birth to countless geniuses and monsters in Orochimaru's mouth, to by coincidence, in the Snow Country The first encounter with him at the bottom of the valley...simple, straightforward, but true.

And some things, although I didn't omit them, I just mentioned them lightly.

Just like I mentioned the difficulty of genetic diseases, but I just skipped the nightmare-like feeling when it happened; it explained the opportunity for me to meet Akatsuki, but ignored the tragic process of the battle , and the painful price I paid... What I have explained is more about the people who exist in these processes.

For example Orochimaru, Dodo, Jugo, Gaara, Yae, Shiro, Zabuza, Kaorin... Also, my most important brother, Kimomaro.

For that child who is truly as pure as snow, I will give everything... even if I have found another equally important person.

Having said that, I couldn't help but pause, but I didn't dare to look back at those black pearl-like eyes.

"I see."

At this time, Itachi spoke for the first time in my statement, his tone was full of clarity and understanding, but he didn't receive any slight ridicule: "I, understand..."

I understand the feeling of pinning my hopes on that blood relative, looking for the value of my own survival; I also understand the weight of the promise in the "deal" between the two that night...

——【I will do my best to fulfill your 'wish'...】

It's just because the "wish" that two people have devoted their lives to pursue is so similar.