[Hokage] A rose in mourning for the summer moon

I have often suspected that there is some distortion in my perception of time.Sometimes I feel that time flies, and sometimes I find that the years are long. I stumbled and walked for a long time, but I still can't see the end.

If life is a diary, I would rather record those fleeting times in detail, and take away those long and heavy times in one stroke.

I will record that a certain year, a certain month, a certain day, that is a happy time, it is worth extending them indefinitely with one stroke, until the time is like water, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle.

A certain day of a certain year.

I remember autumn.

Konoha has opened a new flower shop, and the door is full of fresh flowers.The proprietress has blond hair, a bright smile, and speaks patiently. I asked her next to what flower was at the door, and she answered carefully, saying that it was a dahlia, that was a daisy, and the one next to it was an evening primrose.

"Is there any sweet-scented osmanthus?" I asked.

The proprietress showed a regretful expression, and said no, the village does not allow the sale of sweet-scented osmanthus, because the fragrance of the flower is too strong, not suitable for ninjas who need to hide their identities.

"Being a ninja is so lonely," she said, "I don't dare to touch the fragrance of flowers when I meet them, for fear of bringing danger to myself and my companions."

I should have told Itachi about this, maybe when I went to the library, or maybe when I asked him about ninjutsu.Anyway, he knew it.

He must have listened to what I said, so he handed me a small packet of dried osmanthus not long after.

"How did Mr. Weasel know that I want sweet-scented osmanthus?"

"Student Xia Yue told me." He said.

That nonchalant expression is really convincing.

"Where did you get it, Itachi-kun?"

"I asked a friend to bring it back. The fresh osmanthus has a strong aroma, but the dried osmanthus is fine. It's just..." He hesitated for a moment, "Is the dried osmanthus okay?"

sure.The dried osmanthus is just right.

A layer of flowers, a layer of honey; watered down layer by layer, watching the golden honey soak the finely divided flowers, and the golden flowers also reveal their fragrance in the honey.

Use glutinous rice, millet, eggs and water, mix with sweet-scented osmanthus honey, and steam it to become my favorite sweet-scented osmanthus cake.

Once a person encounters the thing he likes the most, it is easy to become childish.I am no exception.The next time I saw Itachi, I put the food box containing the sweet-scented osmanthus cake in front of him, and forced him to ask whether the dumpling was more delicious or the sweet-scented osmanthus cake was sweeter. I would never give up until I made it clear.

His expression at that time was as if he had encountered an extremely nerve-wracking problem.Finally, he took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I choose Tuanzi."

As soon as I said this, before I could figure out how to react, another person next to me laughed.

By the way, I almost forgot that this person was there at that time.

"Although it's understandable, I have to say, Itachi, it's not right to answer my girlfriend like that." He held a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, and his smile was as fresh as the autumn sky.

"It's not 'girlfriend', it's 'friend'." I blamed this person a little bit, "Brother Zhishui, Itachi-kun is still a child."

I'm not a strange aunt of Lian/Tong.

Uchiha Shisui immediately choked on the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and coughed endlessly.

"Student Xia Yue, I am three months older than you. In addition, I graduated earlier than you." Itachi poured a cup of tea for Shisui, and at the same time calmly raised an objection, "No matter how I calculate, I should be Xia Yue Classmate's senior."

"so……"

"So," he said seriously, "Student Xia Yue shouldn't call me 'child'."

Before Shisui reached out to take a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake, Itachi took the lead to cover the food box and put it beside him.It seemed that he was silently declaring his ownership of the food box.

Zhishui said in amazement: "Itachi, are you protecting the food? To have such a behavior, is it really the Itachi I know?"

He kept looking at Itachi, seeing the child's cheeks flushed, showing unstoppable embarrassment.Even so, Itachi still firmly protected the food box, without wavering in the slightest.

I really couldn't bear it, so I stopped him and said, "Brother Zhishui, just let Mr. Itachi go."

Zhishui's eyes full of deep meaning focused on me.

"You still say you're not a girlfriend? Xia Yue, do you really want me to help you?" He said in a brotherly tone, "I don't think Itachi has figured it out yet. Speaking of sweet-scented osmanthus, Itachi asked me to bring it back."

"Stop the water."

Itachi gave him a look, as if telling him not to continue talking.Facing seniors who are older than him, he can still maintain such an aura. If it weren't for the unrelieved blush on his fair cheeks, perhaps this aura would be even stronger.

"No, Brother Zhishui, Itachi-kun understands very well." I voiced my support.

Zhishui was even more surprised.Even Itachi showed a look of astonishment.

"I... understand?" The child frowned and thought.

"That's right, Itachi-kun actually thinks the sweet-scented osmanthus cake is more delicious, but he's too embarrassed to betray the three-color dumpling that has been with him for many years, so he has no choice but to say that the dumpling is more delicious." I was full of confidence and thought I saw it through All the truth, "It doesn't matter, I understand everything, as long as Mr. Weasel understands it in his heart."

The child showed a pensive expression when he heard the words, and looked down at the food box at hand, as if thinking.Seeing this, I am more sure of my inference, and I am very relieved to find myself.It’s rare to find a good friend, and it’s hard to find a close friend. From now on, as long as I have materials, I will cook sweet-scented osmanthus cakes for this child with all my heart.

Zhishui was a little troubled.

"I really want to know when you guys will be enlightened." He sighed like this, but he laughed again.

I remember Shisui's words, his curly brown hair, and the docile, shiny curves like a sheep.

I remember his gentle smile and hearty demeanor—his forever young smile and demeanor.

"Brother Zhishui thinks too much. Are we still children?"

"You can't say that. You know, children have feelings too. Let alone Itachi?"

"...Stop water."

A certain day of a certain year.

I remember graduation.

Graduating at age 9 was my choice.The normal age is 11 years old.I used to think that this age was so immature, but when I graduated, I felt that 9 years old was considered a late bloomer.When I passed the graduation exam and walked out of the ninja school gate, I turned around and found my former classmates looking at me through the window.Their faces are really immature, even the alienated eyes when looking at aliens are immature.

The child had already passed the Chunin test at that time, and his small size was particularly eye-catching among a group of teenagers and young people.Perhaps in order not to be looked down upon by others, his overly serious personality became more serious, and his silent temperament gradually developed into a deeper one.

Yeah, that's about when people started using the word "deep" when referring to him.Deep at first, then unpredictable, accompanied by awe, accompanied by suspicion.Even the same race is no exception.

And he responded with silence all the way back.Always silent.

"I'm holding back."

"Congratulations, student Xia Yue."

"What a polite way, Itachi-kun."

He looked at the sunset in the sky without smiling.The magnificent colors melted in his eyes, and were swallowed up by the deep black without arousing the slightest fluctuation.

"I thought Xia Yue would graduate earlier." He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

"I think it's more suitable for me to play steadily."

"Is it appropriate..." He was silent for a moment.

"Actually, you don't have to become a ninja after graduating from a ninja school." As if talking to himself, Itachi said softly, "I don't think the life of a ninja is suitable for Xia Yue."

"why?"

"Student Xia Yue is not someone who enjoys fighting."

"If you put it that way, isn't Itachi-kun the same? You should even say that you are very tired of fighting."

He didn't answer.He always does.All the topics about his heart, all the words that may touch his thoughts, he always refuses to answer.

He just retracted his gaze, stared at me with those eyes that could drown out all the brilliance, and repeated: "You are not suitable to be a ninja."

Calm, decisive, almost misunderstood as condescending contempt.

I'm sure Itachi doesn't mean anything contemptuous, but what kind of thoughts are those deep eyes hiding?I never understood.

The only thing I can do is to tell him clearly what I think.This is the only way I can communicate.

"Itachi-kun, for me, becoming a ninja is the only way to understand the world. I want to understand a more real world, instead of curling up in a warm illusion and living a well-behaved but useless life."

He stared at me silently, with a gradually understanding look.

"Ah, yes," he said.

"That's it," I said. "In the future, when I've gained enough insight, maybe I'll want to do something else. Look elsewhere, think about life paths more. But that's all things in the future."

That year, by his side, I looked at the brilliant rays of light over the land of the Uchiha clan, full of optimistic longing.

"The future is very long." I said, "You too, Itachi-kun, you're just - um - a little old. You're still a child."

——By that time, are you willing to make some changes?You don't like fighting either, maybe we can re-program some career paths together.As long as we grow up.

I didn't ask this question out loud.I think, let's wait until then.

The child who had become a Chunin shook his head lightly.

"The life of a ninja is full of pain," he said, his expression calm.Being too calm will appear deliberate, and what it shows is the extreme depression in nature.Unresolved depression, depression without outlet.Depression, the complete opposite of my ethereal optimism.

"Being a ninja requires endless patience," he said.

The sunset that falls in his eyes is different from the light that falls in my eyes.But when I looked at him, I just felt that the glow was equally beautiful and exciting.

I defended myself: "Even so, I would rather choose painful sobriety than comfortable ignorance. As for when the pain comes..."

"what?"

"When the pain strikes, just eat a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake." I said, "There is nothing that one dessert can't solve. If there is, just two."

He looked at me for a long while, and a smile escaped his lips.That smile dispelled the depression, like the sun dispels the dark clouds.

If it wasn't for his too immature appearance, my heart would "thump" a few times when he laughed.

"As expected, it's what Xia Yue would say." He said in a soft voice, "I see."

What does he know?Is what he knows really what I think, or is it just another thought of his own?not understand.

It is very difficult for one person to fully understand another person.No one can do it.

So, when you can laugh, just laugh.

We watched the sunset in the west and the moon and stars in the east in the backyard of his house.The wind chime sang lonely above the head, and the frightened deer in the courtyard sighed in silence.His young brother was running around freely around us, chasing a bird and running back to cuddle up with him.He is smart, articulate when he speaks, and his eyes are soft and carefree.

Itachi would call his brother's name from time to time, play games with him, wipe the sauce off his mouth, and his every move was full of love.

"Sasuke."

He would call that little kid repeatedly.

"Sasuke."

"elder brother."

The little child would take the initiative to hug him, full of trust and intimacy.

"elder brother."

Then twilight merged, and night came.Young children fall asleep, and the dreams of grown-ups are close at hand.I was thinking about the tasks for the next day, using my imagination to describe Xia Nin's life, but when I turned around, I saw Shisui's figure.He and Itachi exchanged short words that no one could understand but them.

And in the clan land in the night, I saw more than one pair of eyes.Eyes hidden in the shadows; eyes full of anger and excitement, sleepless.

And the clansmen who have long forgotten their names, at some point, looked at me with intriguing eyes and said, you are coming soon.

"Don't forget the kindness of the clan, Xia Yue, that's where the kindness lies."

The clansmen said so.