[Hokage] A rose in mourning for the summer moon

That child, Uchiha Itachi, was so quiet that he was almost taciturn.

While I was staring out the window in a daze, he just used the pillow of the hospital bed as a pillow and quietly flipped through a book.He raised his head only when the nurses were checking on him, and asked when he could leave the hospital, in a polite but distant tone, not like a real child.

Nurses are caring people, and they always smile and say, "Although there is no major problem, it would be better for Itachi-kun to accept some more observations. Mrs. Mikoto thinks so too, right?"

Once when I was going to the bathroom, I heard them secretly talking about Itachi, lamenting that Itachi's father was too strict to take such a young child to the battlefield.

"Even if it is the patriarch of Uchiha, it's too..."

"Mrs. Meiqin is crying."

"But, Itachi-kun is really a strong child... No, it's not appropriate to describe it as a 'child'. He is calmer than many adults, isn't he?"

"Speaking of which, it wasn't that Itachi-kun was hospitalized because he felt unwell, right? Dr. Fujii also said that Itachi-kun was not injured at all. It was Mrs. Mikoto who was too worried and insisted that Itachi-kun be hospitalized."

"It's so powerful, I don't know how to describe it..."

"Yeah, looking into his eyes makes one subconsciously want to use honorifics...Actually, it's a bit scary, right?"

"Ah, what are you talking about! It's a bit too much... But, it's true..."

When I returned to the ward, there was a third person there.It was a young woman with long black hair, with a tender beauty that could be seen at a glance, and an imperceptible alienation.Perhaps the child in my ward had inherited a detached temperament from his mother.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Meiqin." I held the hospital plate in one hand, and freed the other hand to close the door of the ward.

"Good afternoon, Xia Yue." She smiled politely, and glanced at the closed door, "Today... Xia Yue's parents didn't come either?"

Her gaze was tinged with sympathy.

"I didn't come. However, my father has paid for my hospitalization and meals, so please don't worry."

"Xia Yue... is really a sensible child."

Mikoto seemed to want to say something, but in the end she just smiled again and skipped the topic.She sat by Itachi's bed, watching her child; Itachi ate the bento she brought from home, his movements were steady, and even the chewing sound was almost silent.

As if aware of his mother's gaze, Itachi raised his head, somewhat puzzled.

"Mother?"

Mikoto gently patted his head.I noticed that the child frowned imperceptibly, as if resisting this cub-like gesture, but finally just pursed his lips patiently.I think there is something unusual about this kid Itachi.

"Why don't Xiayue go to dinner with us? Just today." Meiqin said suddenly, "I heard from the doctor that both of your children were discharged from the hospital today."

"Ah, this..."

"Mother……"

I looked at Itachi, and he looked at me.The silent and patient expression on his face deepened, obviously he was not happy with Mikoto's proposal.

But Mikoto showed a persistent side.

"That's it?" She showed a happy smile, and the alienation between her eyebrows disappeared at that moment, "Itachi's father still has work tonight, if Xia Yue and Itachi are willing to accompany me for dinner, it will be very reassuring .”

That's a nice smile.Mikoto's smile is always gentle and beautiful.

I can't say no to a smile like that.

"...Okay, thank you Madam Mikoto."

"Just call me Auntie Mikoto."

Itachi looked at his mother, then glanced at me again.He has a pair of black and white, moist and clear eyes that only a child can have, but his eyes are as quiet as the darkness deep in the forest.

"I see."

He put down his chopsticks, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, and lowered his eyes.

"I'm done, mother."

During that time when I first met Itachi, I thought for a while that he hated me, but of course it was just a misunderstanding.In Itachi's own words later, his scales were not so narrow that he was distracted from hating a child.A bit of an odd word, somewhere between Secondary Two and Mature, but that's probably the truth.

Uchiha Itachi doesn't like to be in contact with mediocrity, but he himself is too talented, so most people in this world are classified as "mediocre" camp.This kind of personality makes him increasingly arrogant and unapproachable, but I know that he is actually very gentle in nature.

Yes, Uchiha Itachi is arrogant and cold, but he is a gentle person.Needless to say.

Few people have discovered this, and I only discovered it later.However, people will find this out someday.

Like they'll find out the truth someday.

Mikoto invited me to a sushi restaurant for dinner.In the evening, the sky turned overcast, and soon it began to rain lightly.The ward was on the first floor, and I stood by the window and waited for a while, thinking that if my parents came to pick me up, I would tell them that I was going to have dinner with my new patients.

Of course, none of them actually appeared, and the picture I imagined of their arrival was always just a fantasy painting.This is also to be expected.

The nurse who came to work the night shift saw me and said hello to me.

"Xiayue, I just saw your father at the izakaya. He was so drunk that he probably won't be able to pick you up."

"Okay, I know."

I close the window.There was a slight rustling sound from the hospital bed next to it, it was Itachi making the bed of the hospital bed.He has dressed neatly, even his hair is meticulous, and now he is committed to making the place where he stays for three days meticulous.

He glanced at me, nodded slightly, his eyes were quiet, without any emotion.

It rained harder.

Mikoto opened an umbrella and handed another to Itachi. "Little Weasel, can I trouble you to share an umbrella with Xia Yue?" She said in a negotiating tone, "I'm sorry, mom only took two umbrellas."

Itachi nodded very calmly - he has a calm demeanor in everything he does, even though he is still a child. "I see." His tone was flat, he took the umbrella and shook it lightly, and in a blink of an eye a transparent "flower" opened in the rain.

"I'll just grab an umbrella."

He stepped into the rain first, propped up the umbrella, and then looked back at me.Delicate raindrops hit the transparent umbrella surface, and there were still a few wisps of light in the sky.I suddenly realized that the sun and rain are very beautiful, and the child holding the umbrella is also very beautiful.

I always unconsciously use the word "child" to describe others, to all my peers, even to those older than me, including Uchiha Itachi of course.Coincidentally, he also likes to call his peers that way, including me.

Two people who call each other "children" in their hearts.Kind of smug and funny.

At least Mikoto on the side smiled.

"You're so handsome, Little Weasel." She also opened her umbrella and smiled at us in the rain, "Mom, you don't have to worry."

"Yes, mother doesn't need to worry." The beautiful child replied sternly, and then showed some doubts, "What was mother worried about?"

"Ah, this..."

It was a good night, calm and serene.The sushi was delicious, and the person who bought me sushi was also very nice.

At that time I thought very clearly.

This world is not as beautiful as I imagined, but there are still beautiful things in this world.In order to cherish these good things, I will do my best.

Live, but not just live.

Not the brightest, not the most talented, unable to go too fast.But step by step, I will go on.