Heartbroken? Open to all but heroscomeback)

[twinlionfists]

Naruto-kun had been in Michi no Sato for a few days now, and while after their first talk they'd shared many more, it still felt awkward and painful to be around him.

No matter that he'd said, and she understood, that he needed time to adjust to being away from the fighting and other things that had occurred back home, her heart was still heavy.

She didn't know how to talk to anyone about it. Would it be proper? Who would understand? Could she do it?

Lost in thought, she sat down in the dojo of Mikoto-san's house with the intent to meditate and clear her head, but it wasn't really working after an hour.

Comments

[itachi_san]

"Then... you do not mind if I do my stretching?"

He was polite, as always. The girl had the floor first, and he did not want to simply shoo her away. But he couldn't help but notice how nervous she seemed.

"Are you... all right?"

[twinlionfists]

"No, please do," she said, equal parts polite and nervous as hell. Nothing she'd heard from any of the other shinobi of the village had ever prepared her for actually meeting Uchiha Itachi.

"Um, I...I...I don't know," she whispered, wishing to be anywhere else but there. Except, her legs had fallen asleep while she was lost in thought.

[itachi_san]

Itachi nodded, and slid out of his Akatsuki cloak. He hung it on a hook in the back of the room, and came back to sit across from Hinata.

He was dressed very plainly, loose fitting black pants and a thin shirt. It was clear he wasn't well, and that was an understatement. Once the cloak came off, it was impossible for him to look imposing, even if he wanted to try.

"You... seem nervous, or upset about something." he asked again, though not wanting to pry. "Is something wrong?"

[twinlionfists]

Once he was out of that horrible cloak, she was able to look at him properly. He appeared to be in dire need of a medical ninja. It was amazing that he was even able to get up and walk around on his own. She allowed herself to relax a little, but activated her Byakugan, checking out his chakra flow. It was appalling low for someone his age and obvious skill level.

Should she talk to him about what was wrong with her? No, he was a stranger. It was highly improper. In fact, this was their first meeting. To speak about her feelings was difficult enough with Neji-nii-san and Naruto-kun. She couldn't even begin to imagine confiding in this man who wore an Akatsuki cloak and was the known killer of his entire clan; murdered by his younger brother even.

"Um, where I...come from... you are...not alive," she whispered. "It is...strange. A little."

[itachi_san]

He stretched a little. It was probably going to be all he could manage tonight. Everything just... ached.

"I understand..." he whispered in return. "I was... on my way to the old Uchiha stronghold to face Sasuke for the last time... when I arrived here. I know there must have been realities... in which he did... as I expected him to."

[twinlionfists]

Hinata nodded awkwardly. He was so frail, reminding her of her grandfather in many ways. "Yes, he did, and it lead to a war in my time," she said harshly.

Uchiha Sasuke and Obito were responsible for so many deaths before her eyes. It hurt to think about them. Especially when it forced her to think about her cousin.

"A war that killed many people I cared for."

[itachi_san]

"So I have heard..." he replied regretfully. "It was never something that I wanted to happen..."

No, he spent his entire life fighting, negotiating, maintaining peace in the ninja world. He killed his entire family to prevent a war from starting. And Sasuke was never supposed to turn on his own village. It wasn't supposed to be like that!

"For your comrades, for your family... you have my deepest apologies."

[twinlionfists]

"Your words will not bring the dead back, but I will accept them." She blanched as she realized how rude she was being. She raised a hand to cover her mouth as her eyes grew wide. "Oh, um, I...I am very, very sorry, Uchiha Itachi-san."

He outranked her, even as a missing nin, after all.

"I should...um, I should leave," she said, scrambling to stand up and nearly falling on her face because of a lack of circulation to her feet.

[itachi_san]

There was no way he could move to catch her, but he reached out for her wrist when she stumbled past.

"It's... all right..." he spoke softly, calmly. "I know... words cannot bring back the dead. But they can, at times, console the living... I did not mean to offend you."

[twinlionfists]

She stopped, blushing in shame as she processed what she'd done and said in front of this near perfect stranger. "Thank you for your words, Uchiha-san. Someday, they may help, but I am only offended by my own actions here."

[itachi_san]

Thin fingers wrapped loosely around her wrist.

"I harbor no illusions... about the atrocities I've committed, what I've done..." he added. "But I am not your enemy. Not here... not in a place where, as you've said yourself, the dead can be brought back..."

[twinlionfists]

She was touched by this man's compassion. He seemed genuinely contrite for the things he felt he was responsible for. "Yes, they can be," she whispered. "It was the hardest when I got here and ran into my cousin as the first person, after watching him die in front of me because of the Akatsuki's plans."

She stopped trying to escape and turned to look at the man carefully. "I have learned that there is no going back, only forward," she replied stiffly.

[itachi_san]

At that point, he let go. Though she could have broken out of his grip easily, and probably broken his entire hand in the process.

He felt her pain, and he understood it. He actively tried to stop everything that caused it.

"If it... is any consolation... there is no Akatsuki here." he added. "I wear the cloak still, because it keeps me warm. But the affiliation... it has no meaning here..."

[twinlionfists]

"Please do not take this the wrong way, Itachi-san," she said as she faced the door. "But when I see that cloak, I see Pain, who razed the entire village. When you are wearing it, it brings up horrible memories that are too fresh in my mind. So, I don't wish to be rude to you, but I think I will stay away from you."

[itachi_san]

He bowed his head politely. It was to be expected.

"I understand..."

At that, he turned away from her, and began his stretching exercises again. If she wished to leave, she was free to do so.

[twinlionfists]

She didn't leave, but instead took up a meditative position far on the other side of the room for him. There still things she wanted to process and this was the best room to do so, outside of her own bedroom.