[Hokage] A rose in mourning for the summer moon

I'm sure that "Fox Raiding the Village" took place in the autumn, more precisely, on October 10th.

Novels and Mythology always like to use the term "evil breath". I have recklessly commented on this term as a symbol of human's poor imagination, because the authors can't think of more detailed and vivid words, so they have to give such a hasty Dry, perfunctory narrative.

Until I saw with my own eyes that the sky was engulfed in red, and the huge tail of the demon fox spread out on the horizon; every trace of air became thick and heavy, like countless sinister breaths.

Every second is creepy.

Disaster came without warning.

During the day, I skipped afternoon classes, hid in the forest and read novels furtively. I was so engrossed in reading that I lost my face in shock when I was caught by Itachi.

"Didn't you say you're taking care of the kids at home today!"

At that time, Itachi's younger brother was only three months old.Sasuke was only three months old, a baby who couldn't even see the world clearly.

The person who captured me was just a child.

The child pinched the spine of my novel with one hand and pushed me away with the other, easily preventing me from taking the novel back.

"I said that I will go back to take care of Sasuke at night."

When he said "evening", he emphasized his tone for emphasis, and his expression was serious and serious.

It was as if putting on such a stern expression could hide his helplessness.

Itachi is only 6 years old, but he speaks and acts like an old man, of course it will make people feel guilty.So I justified myself in a voice as thin as a mosquito.

"I just called classmate Xia Yue. You look so flustered, what are you looking at?" He looked at me intently, thoughtfully, and then read the title of the book printed on the spine, ""And 500 Days of Cohabitation with White-haired Fox Boyfriend"... What, what is this?!"

Is it my honor to make Uchiha Itachi stutter in surprise?Although this stuttering ferret is still so small.If it were someone else of the same age, they might not even be able to read all the characters in the title of the novel, right?

He stared at me blankly.

I stared blankly at him.

"cough……"

There must always be someone who is the first to end this resentful silence.Let me take this responsibility without hesitation.

"This is the legendary forbidden/book that is not suitable for children." I said in a serious tone, "So, for your physical and mental health, Please return the book to me right away... Woohoo!"

The so-called gap between a genius and a mortal is:

Even if I spent all my life's sincerity and sincerity, I swiftly pounced on him at the moment of fooling him, and saw that my fingers had almost touched the edge of my beloved novel——

thump.

The sound of entering water.

Even so, he was able to throw the "criminal evidence" into the lake without hesitation.

"In this case, for Xia Yue's physical and mental health, let's properly dispose of this forbidden book." Itachi said calmly.

He still kept his hands raised.The surface of the lake on the side is calm and wide, and the ripples caused by the foreign objects are rippling away in circles.

"Is your 'proper handling' waterboarding this poor and innocent novel? It's so cruel..." I couldn't help but groaned.

At that time, in that afternoon with lush forests and sun as thick as syrup, by the sparkling lake, I must have had a funny expression in my stupid eyes and wide open mouth.

Because the child curled the corners of his lips and smiled.

"Didn't you say it was banned/book?" He said unhurriedly and politely, "It's for the sake of physical and mental health. Please cheer up, student Xia Yue."

"Ah, ah, that can't be thrown away..." I was sad, my voice was weak, and I almost burst into tears, but I still tried to struggle to deny it, "I borrowed it from the library, it is public property..."

"That's not the case, student Xia Yue. The title page of the book is not stamped with the library stamp, I have read it."

Itachi pierced me mercilessly

I was downcast.

"Okay," I confided the truth sadly, silently held a funeral for my lost novel in my heart, "I bought it myself at a second-hand bookstall..."

Farewell, my hard-earned pocket money.It is my fault that I failed to properly treat your sacrifices. Please rest in peace.

Moments later, I clearly remember, I heard laughter.It was the laughter of a child, as if after holding back for a long time, it was finally unbearable and forced to laugh.

That laughter was as pure as the wind blowing across the lake.

"Give."

A familiar cover appeared before my eyes.On the plain cover, the title is sneakily printed in tiny fonts: "500 Days of Living Together with a White-haired Fox Boyfriend".

It's my novel, that's right.It was being held in the hand of the child who had just let out a laugh.

He didn't even throw it.

"Don't watch it secretly next time. Although I can't understand what's worth watching, but if Xia Yue thinks it can relax..."

Maybe it was because my gaze was too straightforward, which made the child put away his rare smile vigilantly and return to his inherent seriousness.But eyes are not deceiving.If he is usually like a bow that is tense at any time, at this time—at that time, he is just a tall and straight tree: the leaves are still deep green, but the branches are shaking easily and happily in the wind.

"Itachi-kun, so... were you joking just now?" I couldn't help asking, "Are you playing tricks on me?"

His eyelashes moved.That was the first time I noticed that he had long eyelashes, and that every slight flick of his eyelashes gave away a hint of his true emotions.

He didn't answer directly.

"In short," he stuffed the book into my hand, skipping the topic, "let's start today's practice. Don't be lazy, student Xia Yue."

When he doesn't want to answer, he skips the topic as if nothing happened, but keeps his eyes smiling. I have only seen Uchiha Itachi.Like all those quiet, deep, dark and sad, and those soft, silent, silent and inclusive, I have only seen him.

There is also a possibility that I only remembered these qualities in him and ignored others since then.Those qualities only remind me of him, and those words only remind me of him.I salvage all the memories about him in my memory, and I salvage endless associations.

"A combination of work and rest is the right way... Look at the trick! Itachi-kun, regret the teasing just now!"

"Student Xia Yue, please pay attention, sneak attack is considered cheating."

"A ninja who can't sneak attack is not a good ninja."

"This is just your sophistry, classmate Xia Yue."

Something else happened that day.The trivial and trivial things belong to Uchiha Natsuki's daily life.

For example, it was on the evening of that day that I ran into that woman at the gate of the village.

She leads a child and returns from the direction of the neon light.It was a well-dressed beautiful woman with a smile that a mother should have on her face; the child held by her was still in the toddler stage, with a pair of ignorant and innocent eyes.

As long as you take a serious look, you will know that he is just an ordinary child, not a weirdo, nor a genius; he is different from me, and also different from Itachi.Just a normal kid.

If so different, why do we share the same last name?

The woman saw me.The shadows crept up her brows and eyes, creating a mean look; I could hardly resist telling her that it took away her beauty.

The child she was holding also saw me, and reached out to me curiously, "babbling" words that children only understand.

The woman hugged the child tightly, her brown eyes staring at me coldly.

"Let me tell you," she said suddenly, "it's better to move out?"

I didn't speak.Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Itachi frowning.

"People with other surnames shouldn't live here. Just tell your father so when you go back. It's good for you to move out, too?" she said.

"Don't worry about it," I said.

But the woman continued to say: "Your father is weak and incompetent. He drinks so much that he can't get on the stage every day. Isn't this because he can't bear the pressure brought by the surname 'Uchiha'? It made me follow suit." Being gossiped about."

"You yourself abandoned your husband and daughter and are mean to others, and you are gossiped, what does that have to do with us?" I said, "Leave us alone, anyway, you have not fulfilled your mother's duty. If you don't want to continue to be talked about If you don’t, don’t continue to talk to me, this is the gate of the clan, if someone sees it, they will say that you are bullying children.”

What a stupid woman - I didn't say that.

She blushed with anger. "I don't know how to behave like this. It really is a child taught by that man. It's really embarrassing."

The woman picked up the child and walked forward angrily.The child was held too tightly by her, and suddenly burst into tears.She hurriedly slowed down, patted the child on the back gently, and coaxed him, her voice and movements were full of affection.Compared with the mean appearance just now, he is really a different person.

I turned my head away and saw my shadow reflected on the bluestone slabs of the clan grounds.The stone has been polished over the decades, and the setting sun pours over it like honey on bread.This is a warm and sweet feeling.This is how many, many families feel to me.

I didn't stop looking at my own shadow until I couldn't see their backs or hear their voices.

"Itachi-kun, I'm sorry."

"Why does Xia Yue have to apologize?"

"Itachi-kun has to rush back to take care of his younger brother, isn't he? I'm sorry for delaying your time because of me."

Itachi shook his head. "It's not too late to go back now." He replied calmly, his eyes flicked to the front, "The one just now was..."

"Ah." I said.

"Student Xia Yue...?"

"Nothing, just a little surprised." I said, "I thought, Itachi-kun is the kind of person who wouldn't ask questions."

"……yes."

"Yeah. But, it's not a big deal. What Itachi-kun saw just now is my biological mother. If I remember correctly, her name is Zhijiang." I smiled, "What a mean woman , right? Ah, there’s no need to answer this one. I can do things like bad things about her by myself.”

Itachi said nothing.He just looked at me, hesitated for a moment, and finally patted my shoulder lightly.For him, such consolation is already trying his best.

For me, it is enough.It's just a trivial matter, not even worthy of grand consolation.

That is our day.It is one of countless days, the day before the disaster.

It will be many years later, when all the foreshadowings buried in the dark are uncovered, and when all the troubles left by the past finally happen, I will know that that day is an important turning point in our destiny.Because it is about surnames and bloodlines, it is inevitably about us.

It is the fate that I walk step by step, and I will eventually deviate step by step.