one_long_mission | [open] More woes

She did not mind pushing the wheelchair, trekking onwards to that may-be-there temple. It was a nice day, somewhat sunny but not too hot.

She did pause once, to watch as a flock of birds flew overhead. It wasn't long after they were going forward that she commented. "...sometimes animals are smarter than humans... Instinct doesn't burden the soul as much as thoughts and conscience do.."

Itachi glanced up. He saw the chakra from the birds better than he saw the birds themselves.

"I hadn't... thought about it that way..." Though he'd be the first to agree how much thoughts and conscience can burden the soul far more than necessary.

As they kept going, Itachi tried to place the surroundings of his dream with the surroundings of the village. "It was near... the cliffs... I remember that."

Mikoto made her house not far from the western cliff face. So it wasn't difficult to find and follow that southward.

"Ah. Near the cliffs. I actually combed those mountains over there for caves... but I can't recall if I saw anything on the ground level.." a pause and then a shrug. "That is what we'll find out."

There were a few buildings nearby, here and there, but they were houses. There weren't any that really resembled a temple or that might have once been a temple.

Perhaps the building no longer existed. Perhaps it didn't exist yet. (It was a dream, after all. He didn't know whether it showed a fragment of the past or the future.)

"Rocks... There was a rock formation. Two boulders... A big one and a small one. In the dream, I sat on the small one..." he recalled. "There weren't any other rocks there... Just the two."

"Rocks... snce we're there, might as well go around." she started going along the cliff face, watching out for anything that might have been such a structure.

"Dreams... might be so real, sometimes, that we'd like to believe them. I'm guilty of that too, even... dreaming awake." she sighed.

Rocks, unlike buildings, didn't usually get torn down easily. And from what Itachi explained, they were large boulders.

"But what good would it do... to never help your dream... become real?" he asked.

To everyone's surprise, though, eventually they came up on a small cluster of large rocks that did fit Itachi's description. And they were not alone. There was an old woman with an easel set up against one of them. It was a beautiful day, after all, and she seemed to be enjoying it through her favorite hobby.

She was not about to say it, but her dream would never become real. No matter how much she loved Sasuke... he would be lost in her world, and here? Here... no, she had no chance...

She remained silent, because he had stated something that gave hera speck of hope, and he too, needed hope. She could not take it away from him.

Once the large rocks came in sight, she hurried her pace. "We're here, or at least... something that looks like it." she announced him. Once she was close enough so that the woman could hear her, she called out and inquired about a temple.

Here, more so than anywhere else, could Karin's dream actually come true. There were plenty of Sasukes all around. And another one could arrive at any time, really. Her dream should be alive and well!

Itachi couldn't help but smile when he realized there really was something there. And the rocks were big enough that he could see them! (which meant yes, they were big.)

The old woman was startled by Karin's shout, and a streak of yellow paint ran across her canvas.

"Oh, my, my my... It looks like my little bird will be sitting on a branch. Yes it does. Yes it does." she smiled to herself. She must have been a little lonely, as she didn't answer the question so much as invite more conversation. "Don't get many visitors own in this part of the village."

At this point, she finally turned around, adjusting her glasses.

"My, my, my. Two visitors. If I would have known I'd have company, I'd have brought more paints. I have more canvas, though. Yes, right here. Right here, I do. Such vibrant red hair, what a color! You're an artist for sure, aren't you, dear."

Well, the old lady might not have heard her question, she figured, getting closer while she adressed herself at first.

She was about to reiterate her question, but...
An artist? If hair color had anything to do with artistic talent, that cousin of hers would be the greatest painter that existed. "My hair is... actually, no. I never touched a paintbrush." but she touched tape to put up her photos of Sasuke on the wail, does painting her wall Sasuke count?

"Oh, you should, you should." she smiled even brighter, beckoning them both along. "Bring your husband too, yes, yes. Everybody can paint. You strong enough to hold a brush, dear? Gods, you're almost as thin as one."

Itachi stuttered, trying to even think of a way to respond to the husband part that he didn't even realize she asked him another question.

"....." awkward moment.

"He'snotmyhusbandIloveSasuke!" she was as red as her hair, wether it was from anger of shock or blushing madly and hiding it because.. well, it might not be Ssauke but it was his brother? No, ridiculous!

She still brought them both forward, looking around in hopes to spota temple-like structure.

The old woman didn't seem to listen to that. She was busy adding her own little comments about her own love.

"Oh, my husband, rest his little soul, used to come out here and paint with me. Put the canvas in his lap like this." she set one across the arms of Itachi's wheelchair. "I did, I did. He couldn't get around much in that last year, but he made me some beautiful art, he did."

She was just as eagerly handing a brush and a canvas to Karin and setting her up a little spot right next to the big rock.

"Liked to come up here. Said it reminded him of his mother's stories, back during the old war before he was born." she added with a smile. "Said this spot used to be a shrine, once, yes she did. Had us say our vows on top the big rock. Good omens, good life... Oh, he knew her stories by heart, he did, he did!"

"A shrine?" oh now they were getting somewhere. "What were those stories?"

That blank canvas though... well, she figured some art would be fine, just to try. She wasn't sure what to paint, sighing and closing her eyes.
Strangely enough, she thought she could hear crashing waves... They didn't stop. Suddenly, she remembered where she had heard them. It was when Sasuke had buried team Hebi, and transformed them into team Taka. The sun was bright, illuminating him like some fallen god, his back to them.

This... could be a good picture, she decided.

"Lots of little tales about war and about peace. Yes, yes." The old woman replied as she carefully set her paints out on a few smaller rocks. That way, the two young visitors could reach them better.

Itachi, for all the woman's fussing, had climbed out of the chair and sat down on the grass. He hadn't really painted before either, but to decline would be terribly impolite. So he dipped his brush in the red paint and began trailing it across the canvas.

"People used to go to the shrine to grieve for those taken by the war. Friends who lost comrades. Parents who lost children and sometimes children who lost parents. The stream's long dried up, but he said it was made of tears once, he did. Sadness was everywhere. But all was not lost, no, no. See, when you left the shrine, you left the sadness there too. And the priests would sweep it away like dust in the wind. Clean the path, clean the soul, yes."

As she listened and painted, trying to recall how that rope belt and his shirt flowed in the wind and placing them in shades of gray and purple onto the canvas, it felt she was talking of a time long, long gone.

Why was the shrine not there anymore? Where would the sadness go then, if no priests would sweep it...?
She had lost no one of importance and yet.. yet she would still like to grieve for every lost chance...

It was almost like Itachi could read her thoughts. Or perhaps, he was just as curious.

"What happened to the shrine?"

"Oh, it's been years since someone's taken an interest in my late husband's stories." she beamed with pride. "You two make such an adorable couple."

She dipped her brush in the paint, and added more feathers onto her little bird.

"Some say the war finally took its toll, that the little buildings were burned to the ground. The younger priests probably fled, but I heard it said that the eldest stayed on that very rock, yes he did. Burning until he was the dust he used to sweep." it was a rather grim end to the story, so she tried to lighten the mood. "Still watches over this place, I think. Sweeping away our troubles if we let him. Goodness and kindness know no end."

"...I wish... that Sasuke could have had a place like this..." she mixed the purple with some blue, to darken it and paint the cloth he wore over his pants. "...I wish... I could be the one that sweeps his troubles away." but he would not let her. He shouldered everything... on his own.

Another sigh. She had heard much more horrible stories of what he did in the future, and as much as she tried to detach herself from him to not suffer that fate, she still could not.

"What a sweet young thing." the woman smiled warmly. "Who says you can't sweep someone's troubles away?"

Itachi gave a small nod as well. Clearly, he agreed.

"He won't let me close... in our home world, and here... here I haven't see him." she revealed, tracing the oulines of pants and those sandals with black before filling them in and adding in thin creamy-white streaks of fading sunlight.

"Then just be someone he can come to, dear. Like the shrine." she smiled, placing her wrinkled hand on top of Karin's head. "A person didn't need to go all the time. Probably forgot about it when times were good. But when they were sad, they knew where to go to ease their hearts. That time comes for everyone at some point."

Itachi merely listened. He wasn't entirely sure what he was painting, or even trying to paint. It was more abstract than anything - streaks of red, black and white. Some clouds. Some wind. He couldn't see it very well, regardless.

"I sure hope... I can grow up old and wise and happy too." That woman, she sounded happy, despite having lost one dear to her. She must have had years of happiness.

"If I can be a shrine to him, someday... then, it would make me happy too."

The old woman smiled. "Oh, I used to say the same things when I was your age. And then, one day, I did. I sure did. And he didn't leave my side until the very end, that's right."

She still had a lot of work to do on her little bird painting, but it was already taking shape. Her joy while she worked, though, was contagious. Itachi found himself smiling too. Even if his art was a lot less recognizable.

"Oh, look at me, talking on and on like a little old woman! Guess I am what I am now, yes, yes. Can't be anything else, that's right. What did you dears decide to paint?"

She couldn't help but give a sigh. Would she truly be able to find her own love too, and grow old and happy...?

Her own painting had a somewhat abstract feel to it, since the colors had little fading, but it was recognizable. She was painting the rock upon which he had stood back then, red eyes on her current work.

"I'm... painting a memory.. and maybe a wish too." this was how she could put it.

The old woman came around to look. She adjusted her glasses.

"My, my, what a strong and determined young man you have there! And healthy too." she glanced between the painting and Itachi. "You should cut that hair of yours, son. You looked pretty dashing when you were younger. Must have had all the ladies swooning, hm? My late husband was like that. Ho, but he picked me and I've been tickled pink ever since, I was, I was."

She laughed to herself as she scuttled over to Itachi and glanced down at the canvas he was working on. She squinted several times, taking in the red swirls, what looked like a full moon, and a flurry of shuriken. Or maybe they were just deformed stars. Either way, paint dripped and moved however he turned the canvas, making everything look like it was bleeding.

"What did you paint, dear?" she asked, obviously having no idea what she was looking at.

"I... don't really know..." he answered softly. "I kind of just... painted."

"Oh, feelings. I see. Feelings... My late husband used to do that kind of art from time to time, he did, he did. Well, what do they say now, that you look at them?"

Itachi looked down at the canvas, squinting. It was all a blur to him. But it did remind him of the most dangerous of illusions his mind often created.

"I... don't know that either. I'm afraid... my eyes aren't what they used to be... I guess... it's the tsukuyomi."

Why couldn't she help but blush and -still- wish she would be graced with the type of life this old woman had? Strong, determined... Sasuke was that and so much more...

Out of curiosity, she turned to look at just what Itachi had painted. It looked... colorful, at least? The tsukuyomi, he said? She tried to remember. It sounded like a name for those sharingan techniques, yet... had sasuke ever mentionned it?

"Tsukuyomi...?"

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