Water out of Sunlight: At Nakano River
My first answer to this meme.
array_of_colors asked for a story that happens five minutes after what I wrote in this drabble about Shisui. I should post it in a comment rather, but the story got too long. So here we are.
Title: At Nakano River
Characters: Shisui, Itachi
Genre: General
Rating: PG/K+
Word count: 971 (more less)
Warnings: Not really. The story isn't spoilerish if you know who Shisui is. There are some hints to the revelations of the latest chapters, but these are not clearly noticeable. However, the story makes more sense if you know what Itachi told Sasuke about the clan.
Summary: Under starry sky they both meet at Nakano River. It's just a meeting, like all these meetings they have already had, but this one is... different. Nothing can stop changes, however, Itachi is not the only one that has changed...
I do not own Naruto. If I did, it would be a completely different story.
The place is peaceful; peaceful to the point it seems to be almost impossible and that might be the reason why Shisui loves it so much. There is a short moment when he thinks that if he ever was to choose in what way he'd like to die, he would like it to happen here. He wonders how it would be to feel cold waters of Nakano River closing around his body, embracing him, and for a short while he lets himself get lost in his thoughts.
Time seems to lose its meaning and it's as if in some way it stopped existing at all. The gentle gusts of wind keep forming waves on the water surface and play with his hair. Leaves rustle silently as if whispering about some secret matters not known to everyone. A few clouds move lazily through the starry sky and when they happen to cover the silver surface of the moon, shadows change their shapes and move in a completely unpredictable way, turning this peaceful place into a part of some illusionary world he can barely recognize. Then the clouds are gone, the moon starts to shine and everything is bathed in its silver light again.
How long have they been standing in this way - he, looking at water and pondering, and him, just standing there and saying nothing? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Shisui couldn't say, however, some silent voice in his head whispers that it's been no more than five minutes. Five minutes only, but it feels like ages to him.
'Still can't get rid of this old habit of yours?'
Itachi finally breaks the silence and Shisui is somewhat surprised that the boy hasn't done it earlier, as that silence has become somewhat awkward, tiring and in some way almost... scary. The thought itself is rather disturbing and makes him think about all these things that have changed so far.
He raises his head slowly and glances at the boy. No, not "a boy", the man rather, he corrects himself, as Itachi stopped being a boy once he was accepted into ANBU. He quickly notices that Itachi looks tired; so tired that for a short while Shisui feels a twinge of guilt for having insisted on the meeting on this day and at this hour, but the feeling quickly disappears.
He continues to watch the boy and he knows he's being watched as well. Itachi's face is a bit paler than usual and Shisui is sure that these strange shadows under his eyes are not only the result of the moonlight, but also an effect of Itachi's taking difficult missions. Yet even though exhausted, he is still wary and his dark eyes are focused on Shisui, as if he expected something to happen.
He's changed a lot, Shisui realizes. They've both changed, but it's not something that could be avoided. Shisui knows that with every day that passes by there is less and less of that old Itachi left. There are moments when he wonders what happened to that boy who used to come to ask him, his "older brother", to teach him some new technique or to train with him, but he knows the answer. ANBU changes everyone and, although Itachi never says anything, there are moments when he seems to struggle inside as if fighting with himself. Yet Itachi says nothing and Shisui has never asked.
Itachi is not the only one that has changed.
The thought appears in his mind out of nowhere and for some reason it makes him avert his eyes in order not to look at Itachi directly as it's not something that he could manage at the moment.
He wonders if Itachi can notice the change. Shisui knows he's changed, as no one in the clan can be the same anymore once the truth, that truth, is revealed. Once it has happened, nothing is the same, even the way they look at this world and one another. And even Shisui happens to be afraid that one day he'll not be strong enough to go against the path that has been decided long before his birth and he'll give in, following into darkness that many before him have chosen.
All of sudden he feels tired; too tired to think or to do anything. He watches Itachi, wondering when he finds out the truth as well and what his reaction will be then. Should it be him, Shisui, that would reveal it to Itachi? That would warn him about things that might happen?
The older Uchiha moves his eyes to water again. The stars reflect in the water like in a gigantic mirror and there is something calming about this view. In that moment, under that starry sky one decision is made; the decision about things that should be done and said.
'Let us fight, Itachi,' he says and smiles at his cousin. 'Let us fight like we used to do that.'
There is a glint of surprise in Itachi's eyes, but he says nothing and takes a kunai in his hand instead. He closes his eyes for a short while and when he opens them again there is a flash of crimson in them; the sign that his Sharingan has been activated. He could start the fight, but he stands still, the hand clutching on the kunai, and waits for Shisui to move.
For some reason Shisui's smile is even wider when he sees it. It's as it used to be, but today is different. He watches Itachi and Itachi watches him and suddenly both of them start to move in the same moment. The fight has begun and there is no time to ponder on anything anymore. There is only one thought left.
Let us fight in this way, Itachi, until one day we meet to fight to the end.
A/N: ummm... to Shisui's words about the path. I checked the raw - Shisui's suicide note says: I can't go against the path any longer. Thank you, translators, for changing the meaning >_>;
x-posted: FF.net
array_of_colors asked for a story that happens five minutes after what I wrote in this drabble about Shisui. I should post it in a comment rather, but the story got too long. So here we are.
Title: At Nakano River
Characters: Shisui, Itachi
Genre: General
Rating: PG/K+
Word count: 971 (more less)
Warnings: Not really. The story isn't spoilerish if you know who Shisui is. There are some hints to the revelations of the latest chapters, but these are not clearly noticeable. However, the story makes more sense if you know what Itachi told Sasuke about the clan.
Summary: Under starry sky they both meet at Nakano River. It's just a meeting, like all these meetings they have already had, but this one is... different. Nothing can stop changes, however, Itachi is not the only one that has changed...
I do not own Naruto. If I did, it would be a completely different story.
The place is peaceful; peaceful to the point it seems to be almost impossible and that might be the reason why Shisui loves it so much. There is a short moment when he thinks that if he ever was to choose in what way he'd like to die, he would like it to happen here. He wonders how it would be to feel cold waters of Nakano River closing around his body, embracing him, and for a short while he lets himself get lost in his thoughts.
Time seems to lose its meaning and it's as if in some way it stopped existing at all. The gentle gusts of wind keep forming waves on the water surface and play with his hair. Leaves rustle silently as if whispering about some secret matters not known to everyone. A few clouds move lazily through the starry sky and when they happen to cover the silver surface of the moon, shadows change their shapes and move in a completely unpredictable way, turning this peaceful place into a part of some illusionary world he can barely recognize. Then the clouds are gone, the moon starts to shine and everything is bathed in its silver light again.
How long have they been standing in this way - he, looking at water and pondering, and him, just standing there and saying nothing? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Shisui couldn't say, however, some silent voice in his head whispers that it's been no more than five minutes. Five minutes only, but it feels like ages to him.
'Still can't get rid of this old habit of yours?'
Itachi finally breaks the silence and Shisui is somewhat surprised that the boy hasn't done it earlier, as that silence has become somewhat awkward, tiring and in some way almost... scary. The thought itself is rather disturbing and makes him think about all these things that have changed so far.
He raises his head slowly and glances at the boy. No, not "a boy", the man rather, he corrects himself, as Itachi stopped being a boy once he was accepted into ANBU. He quickly notices that Itachi looks tired; so tired that for a short while Shisui feels a twinge of guilt for having insisted on the meeting on this day and at this hour, but the feeling quickly disappears.
He continues to watch the boy and he knows he's being watched as well. Itachi's face is a bit paler than usual and Shisui is sure that these strange shadows under his eyes are not only the result of the moonlight, but also an effect of Itachi's taking difficult missions. Yet even though exhausted, he is still wary and his dark eyes are focused on Shisui, as if he expected something to happen.
He's changed a lot, Shisui realizes. They've both changed, but it's not something that could be avoided. Shisui knows that with every day that passes by there is less and less of that old Itachi left. There are moments when he wonders what happened to that boy who used to come to ask him, his "older brother", to teach him some new technique or to train with him, but he knows the answer. ANBU changes everyone and, although Itachi never says anything, there are moments when he seems to struggle inside as if fighting with himself. Yet Itachi says nothing and Shisui has never asked.
Itachi is not the only one that has changed.
The thought appears in his mind out of nowhere and for some reason it makes him avert his eyes in order not to look at Itachi directly as it's not something that he could manage at the moment.
He wonders if Itachi can notice the change. Shisui knows he's changed, as no one in the clan can be the same anymore once the truth, that truth, is revealed. Once it has happened, nothing is the same, even the way they look at this world and one another. And even Shisui happens to be afraid that one day he'll not be strong enough to go against the path that has been decided long before his birth and he'll give in, following into darkness that many before him have chosen.
All of sudden he feels tired; too tired to think or to do anything. He watches Itachi, wondering when he finds out the truth as well and what his reaction will be then. Should it be him, Shisui, that would reveal it to Itachi? That would warn him about things that might happen?
The older Uchiha moves his eyes to water again. The stars reflect in the water like in a gigantic mirror and there is something calming about this view. In that moment, under that starry sky one decision is made; the decision about things that should be done and said.
'Let us fight, Itachi,' he says and smiles at his cousin. 'Let us fight like we used to do that.'
There is a glint of surprise in Itachi's eyes, but he says nothing and takes a kunai in his hand instead. He closes his eyes for a short while and when he opens them again there is a flash of crimson in them; the sign that his Sharingan has been activated. He could start the fight, but he stands still, the hand clutching on the kunai, and waits for Shisui to move.
For some reason Shisui's smile is even wider when he sees it. It's as it used to be, but today is different. He watches Itachi and Itachi watches him and suddenly both of them start to move in the same moment. The fight has begun and there is no time to ponder on anything anymore. There is only one thought left.
Let us fight in this way, Itachi, until one day we meet to fight to the end.
A/N: ummm... to Shisui's words about the path. I checked the raw - Shisui's suicide note says: I can't go against the path any longer. Thank you, translators, for changing the meaning >_>;
x-posted: FF.net