[Hokage] A rose in mourning for the summer moon

"Xia Yue."

On the morning of the rest day, I bought honey from the grocery store and heard Mikoto calling me.She stood beside the blue and white curtains of the store, carrying a vegetable basket, which contained seasonal vegetables, including a few bright red tomatoes.

Mikoto, who is carrying a vegetable basket, has long hair with slightly curled ends, lining her soft smile; the young mother is full of home atmosphere.This scene has been floating in my mind for many years.

"Xiayue, are you free today?" She said, "If possible, can Xiayue come to your house as a guest? Sasuke said that during this period of time, I can't see Xiayue all the time, and I feel very lonely."

Sasuke's appearance immediately appeared in front of my eyes.Innocent and lively child, competitive but loves to be coquettish, with big eyes like washed grapes.

"Sasuke...he won't be so frank." Thinking of Sasuke, he seemed to be able to see his angry and awkward appearance.I was amused by my own imagination.

Mikoto neither agreed nor opposed.She just smiled and said, "Come on?"

"This..." I hesitated.

"Come on." She tried her best to extend the invitation, fearing that she wasn't kind enough, there was a hint of pleading in her eyes unconsciously, "Xia Yue, come and have a seat. That child Itachi is not at home."

I can't resist that look at all.I'm afraid she will be sad.

I could only obediently follow her to the patriarch's residence.

"Xia Yue, are you still angry with Itachi?"

I gave a vague "huh".Mikoto didn't seem to know what to say, she was silent for a moment, only smiling sadly.

"Itachi, he is a child who puts everything in his heart. He is talented and stubborn. No matter how harsh demands are placed on him, Itachi will only work hard without saying a word. Sometimes I want to take care of him more Some, but don’t know where to start.”

Her voice seemed to flow from memories, it was a gurgling stream, with misty mist like mist.

"That child has very few friends. Zhishui, and Xia Yue, you are gone. Especially Xia Yue, if possible, I hope..."

What do you want?When I followed her through the peaceful streets of Konoha, opened the Uchiha navy blue curtain, and passed the streets engraved with the family crest of the flame Uchiha fans, what was behind her sentence "I hope"?

She didn't finish, just smiled again, like a sigh.

"Itachi is not a child who doesn't know right from wrong. He is a good boy, but I don't care too much about him. Applying for that matter... I don't know why that child would do that." She said, "But, Xia Does Yue know? For Itachi, Xia Yue knows better than me."

Facing the eyes full of trust and expectation, I really can't spit out any negative words.Mikoto stared at me, and at that moment, her eyes seemed to overlap with Itachi's; the wonder of blood relationship was fully revealed at that moment.

"I didn't either..." I suddenly felt a little ashamed, as if I was a childish brat, because I was too angry and made adults anxious and sad, so I had to bow my head and apologize, "Actually... I wasn't really too angry."

Mikoto smiled happily.

"Then, don't be angry for too long." She said relievedly, "If possible, please reconcile as soon as possible."

After the low-key and simple paper door was opened, there was a burst of "dong dong dong" footsteps.Just hearing this voice, you can feel the lovely innocence and liveliness.

"Mom, you're back...Xia Yue, Xia Yue is here?"

Sasuke's smiling face hadn't fully unfolded to me, but he was immediately stopped by his arrogant nature, making him turn his head and say nothing, leaving me with a very backbone "hum".

"Sasuke, don't be so rude. Didn't you still talk about Xia Yue this morning?"

Mikoto's rebuke didn't have any strength at all.She knelt down and carefully arranged the hair and collar for the young son, showing love and affection in every move.

This scene is not unusual, I have long been used to it.But suddenly, my thoughts flew back to the past, brushing away the dust of memory, so I remembered, a long time ago, it seemed to be a winter morning, I said to the child, maybe he can run "thump-thump-thump" after returning home When I went to the kitchen, I yelled, "Mom, I'm starving to death. Is there anything to eat?"But the child just looked at me puzzled, his eyes were pure and clear, like a frozen lake in winter.

Touching the youngest son's cheek at the end, Mikoto straightened up, said she was going to prepare lunch, and told Sasuke and I to play for a while.

"Mom, I don't know how to play. Xia Yue wants to practice with me. Isn't that right, Xia Yue?" Sasuke immediately forgot his awkwardness, and pulled me eagerly, like a little eagle that can't wait to show off its wings, "I'm already a qualified ninja!"

Such a proud confession can only be exchanged for the adult's doting smile.Consciously not being taken seriously, Sasuke pulled his face down in displeasure.

"I knew that mom and dad would all think that elder brother is..."

As if realizing his slip of the tongue, he puffed his cheeks and raised his head vigilantly, as if to confirm whether I heard his whispered complaint.

I pretended not to notice.

Sasuke's expression was relieved, and he ran back to the room again.When he appeared in front of me again, he was already equipped with a ninja bag and a small red bow and arrow on his back.

The little bow and arrow was given to him by his brother.The wood selected by his brother was cut, polished, spliced ​​and painted by himself.In order to make the best little bow and arrow, he didn't know how much material was wasted.

Thoughts flew away again.

"Xia Yue, practice with me!"

Sasuke is a young master who is doted on by everyone, and of course he raised an arrogant young master's temper.I think it's so cute.If I could choose, I would rather have such a younger brother and spoil him to heaven.

Children who are studying do not know the value of vacations, and want to go out and jump up and down when they have a little spare time, and they are as energetic as a lithium-air battery with a long standby time.

The child greeted many people along the way, and was greeted with smiles from many people.While dealing with many adults, he can still find time to talk to me.

"Xiayue, I learned a new ninjutsu!"

"Xia Yue, I got No.1 in the exam!"

"Xia Yue, let me show you a new trick I learned - how about it, isn't it amazing!"

The world of children is novel and interesting, and all things are worth studying; they are the little suns of their own world, gathering the light and heat of the whole world, warmly surrounding you, and making your mood alive.

Only when the excess energy is squeezed out by practice and the excitement is fully expressed, the child will remember the "business" in his eyes, and hesitatingly peek at you, his eyes become like an innocent puppy.

"Xiayue—" Sasuke dragged out his voice.

I picked up the long, flat stone and threw it out of the water with ease.Sasuke was immediately attracted by this primitive game, looked at it longingly for a moment, but immediately straightened his expression and looked at me piercingly.

I thought, oh, so serious, it seems that something big has happened.

"Xia Yue—"

"The minister is here, my lord, please speak."

The child burst into a "puchi" laugh, but quickly regained his serious expression.

"Xia Yue," he said solemnly, "don't bully brother anymore."

"……Bully?"

I thought about this accusation for a while, wondering where I got the ability to bully Itachi, could I still push him to the ground and beat him up?Or pointing at his nose and scolding him bloody, that's not bad—no, no, even if I imagine this picture, as long as those cold and calm eyes appear in my mind, I will already forget the words , with no momentum, how can he speak ill of each other?

"I didn't bully your brother," I said, "I can't beat him."

"That's not the problem."

The child crossed his arms and his face was full of "there is only one truth and I have seen it through", which is completely the posture of a famous detective Sasuke.

"You don't come to see us anymore." He pouted and complained a bit, "My brother has been distracted recently. I asked my brother why Xia Yue didn't come, but he didn't answer. But I can do it if my brother doesn't tell me. Guess it; that kind of depressed expression must have been bullied. And there is only one person who bullied my brother, Xia Yue——that is you."

Flawless logic, no loopholes, I couldn't help applauding.

"Xia-yue! Be more serious!"

"Sasuke."

This is not my calling.The voice that appeared at this moment was calm and indifferent, like a ghost floating in the air, without any warning.

Such a voice can only belong to one person.

The child's expression was visibly flustered, and he immediately tried to calm down again.

"elder brother……"

His brother stepped across the grass and came out of the shadows.He looked as usual.

It takes quiet, deep breaths to fake the same composure on the surface.

"Itachi-kun."

"Student Xia Yue."

I knew very well in my heart that my indifference was fake, and it was formed by countless self-encouragement and ups and downs; he was the real Tai Shan collapsed in front of him without changing his face.In terms of this tolerance, I am really far away.You see, his indifferent face is the same as usual, but I am the one with the straight face, who has a ghost in his heart when he sees it.

It is clear that I am the one who suffers, and I was the one who started the war first, but it is also me who is at a disadvantage. This is really frustrating.

My calmness is fake, his calmness is real.At the time, I really thought so.

With a straight face, what did I say to him?forget.Yuemo was the same as before, polite, gentle and gentle, but he refused to say any light-hearted jokes. He only held all the softness and intimacy tightly in his palm, unwilling to show a little bit of anger.

Oh, and also.It's the same as before, after I decided to be angry with him, every time I saw him, I had to say a few words with similar meaning to him.I have to hide other people, behind Sasuke, Mikoto, and even Shisui; only in private, I will tell him quietly.

"Itachi-kun, please promise me that you will never make decisions for me again."

I never asked him to say "sorry" to me.Itachi Uchiha, once he decides something in his heart, even if he says honorific words and apologizes to you on the face, his behavior will not change a little bit.This is Uchiha Itachi's own way.

He had to make a definite promise.I know this man so well.

However, Itachi never said what I expected to hear.For things that he does not approve of, he will change the subject, perfunctory, ambiguous, or he will remain silent; however, he will never spit out promises that he cannot keep.

An admirable quality, at certain moments, can also be irritating.

His response was the same that day; just silence, no commitment.In my eyes, that is the silence of stubbornness, but also the silence of refusal to communicate.

"Student Xia Yue, do you really want to join Anbu?" In the end, he just replaced the answer with another question.What a cunning approach.Coupled with that slightly frowning brow and hesitating expression, he looked even more cunning.

"No, I don't have a particular preference for Anbe. However, it has nothing to do with where I want to go. No matter what I choose, it's my own business. If Yousachi-kun has any opinions, you should tell me first, instead of directly acting for me. Make a decision." I maintained my momentum and held my head high, "We can't have a good personal relationship. It's a matter of boundaries."

In this case, I have told him more than once.

"I don't think Xia Yue is suitable for Anbu's job. This is my judgment based on my own responsibilities, and I don't mean to target Xia Yue."

And every time, he was only willing to give this kind of explanation.

"But Itachi-kun is not in charge of recruiting personnel, right? This is not fulfilling his duties, and Itachi-kun is making decisions for me without authorization."

The conversation stopped abruptly.He didn't want to say any more, and he didn't even want to explain why he insisted so much that I shouldn't join Anbu, let alone explain where the source of the conflict between him and the family elders was.And I'm not willing to compromise.

Until that time.It is by the lake that we are all familiar with, in the forest.Sasuke looked forward to our reconciliation, so he played a trick and called his brother to find him by the lake, trying to use familiar scenes to evoke happy memories of the old days and soften our attitude.

Who has the heart to live up to the expectations of a child?What's more, he is still so attentive.

I can't bear it.

A few days later in the evening, I asked him to meet in the forest.On a cliff with open walls on all sides, there is no need to worry about any ninja passing by listening to our conversation.

It's also a great place to watch the sunset.There is no longer the shelter of the roof, and it is far away from the hustle and bustle of people; the sunset is like a ballad in an old dream, sweet and sentimental.

"Itachi-kun."

"Student Xia Yue."

"Have you been busy with work recently?"

"Fortunately."

The leaves in the sunset are extremely quiet, just like the pastoral pastoral that people yearn for.From a high place, you can still see the reflection of the lake water, and the smoke from the kitchen that rises from nowhere.Someone must be planning to spend the night in the forest again.

"never mind."

"……what?"

"I said, forget it, I won't be angry with you anymore." Looking at the scene in front of me, I just felt calmer than ever before, "Itachi-kun is such a stubborn person. But, I also know that you must be self-conscious for my own good. "

"Itachi-kun doesn't want to tell the reason for doing this, so forget it. You don't want to promise that you won't do it again, so forget it. Itachi-kun also has difficulties with Itachi-kun." I sighed, "I compromised. But, The next time Itachi-kun intends to make a decision for me without authorization, can you tell me in advance? Just say it and continue to do your own thing, that's all."

any idea?Between two people, there must always be a compromise.I'll take a small step back then.Who told me that there is nothing I can do about this person?

maybe……

At that time, I already had a vague premonition: Maybe, I will have nothing to do with this person in this life.

"……I see."

Again, finally, he smiled, relieved, as if relieved.I shouldn't feel wrong, right?It should have been a relieved smile.

Unexpectedly, I recalled my previous judgment - my calmness is fake, and Itachi's calmness is real - but, is that really the case?

I have no idea.I didn't ask him.

"Thank you, Xia Yue." He paused, "Also, I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be thankful for... Well, I forgive you. I know Itachi-kun is a good boy." I couldn't help laughing, "I'm not angry with you anymore. Itachi-kun, let's make up. "

He did not answer immediately.

He looked at the forest below the cliff, at the endless undulating greenery, and the peaceful village in the greenery; the setting sun gradually set, and the warm colors gave way to the cool blue.The true face of the starry sky is emerging, deep and soft.

After a long time, he said softly, "I'm not a child, classmate Xia Yue."

I understand, of course I understand.From the outside, we are the same age. In the eyes of outsiders, maybe he is more mature than me—he must be considered more mature than me.But what does it matter?In my heart he is just a child.

However, he didn't stop there.

Itachi turned around.His face appeared completely before my eyes, and his dark eyes were just like the night sky above our heads; deep and soft.

The evening wind blew the forest with a "rustling" sound.I just realized that the child's hair was considered very long; the long black hair was tied into a bundle by him, hanging down softly, and was gently lifted by the wind.It's unbelievable that he has so many stubborn edges and corners in his heart, but his hair is as soft as a girl's.

"When I was by the lake that day, I saw classmate Xia Yue accompany Sasuke to practice. Sasuke must climb the tallest tree alone. Classmate Xia Yue stood under the tree and watched him all the time."

"That day? It doesn't matter, I also like Sasuke, since he is happy..."

He interrupted me.With a smile on his face, but a different kind of brilliance in his eyes.

Night Breeze passed his voice.Neither light nor heavy, neither high nor low.It sounds calm and calm, is it really calm?Did I hear the apprehension and caution that were carefully hidden?

"At that time, I thought, if only Xia Yue could keep looking at me like that."

He said so.

The author has something to say: true confession.

Very subtle, but also very direct in a way.