one_long_mission | [open] More woes

The old woman looked at the two of them sympathetically.

"Dear me, dear me... I never would have thought that inviting you to paint with me would have turned out like this. No, no." She hummed in thought. "The least I can do is invite you back to my home for a little lunch. Yes, yes. That's exactly what we'll do. If you can just help me gather up my paints and brushes, dear. It's not far, not far at all."

Itachi glanced at Karin and nodded. It was his choice to paint and then destroy what he'd created, even at the risk of destroying himself. He wasn't going to let the woman feel guilt for it.

Though, he certainly needed help getting back up.

She couldn't help but pat his shoulder lightly before claiming his hand to help him back in the wheelchair. "I'll gather everything... just wait a short while."

Her painting was not finished, still missing thats etting sun... She remembered she had seen something sparkle in the fading light, a trail along his chhek... Had she imagined it back then? Was she merely adding to her memories to suit herself? As she picked up the paints and brushes with the amount of care for things that weren't hers, she couldn't help but wonder.

Soon they were ready to go. She knew the option of declining for troubling her further would be disregarded as if not heard.
"Ready here. Lead the way." she quickly assesed their current location's obstacles, picking the route that had less bumps in its path.

She talked as they walked, telling a few more anecdotes of her late husband whenever something reminded her of a story. And there were a lot of things that did - a pair of squirrels chasing each other led to a tale about their school days together, a little stream led to a story of a fishing trip they took outside the village, the fork in the trail led to a bit of folklore.

Itachi fell asleep on the way there, but was nudged awake when they reached her little cottage. It was very well maintained for a woman who now lived alone. The garden was immaculate, including the bee hives that stood nearby.

"Over here, dear, there's a ramp over here." She smiled as she led Karin around the back. "My late husband was in a chair too for a little while. Our friends came over and built a ramp for the proch. Yes, yes. So kind they were. And still are, of course. Goodness me, speaking as though they'd already gone..."

Shr led the way inside.

There were very few walls. Everyting was open and inviting. (What walls there were, though, were very well decorated with paintings.) There was a sunroof in the ceiling, letting in a lot of natural light.

"Come on over to the table, right here, yes. That's good. I have some rice and quail already cooked up. Won't be any trouble at all. And I'll do the heating. Listen to your wife, dear. No more fire out of those eyes of yours."

She chuckled at that. She didn't think amaterasu could 'heat' anything, more like burn to cinders.

"I'd like it... if I had memories like that... to share in my old days." although she wouldn't have such a similar life, what with her 'school days' already over.
"...I wonder if Sasuke likes fishing." in fact she had no clue what he liked, he was pretty secretive about those things...

"I'm sure you have lots of memories to share, with all those strange powers that you... What did you call yourself, again? Shin..."

"Shinobi..." Itachi repeated.

"Yes, all the strange powers you shinobi have. Lots of interesting memories, yes, yes. You're making them right now, even. Who's to say one day, you won't be telling some young red-headed whippersnapper about that one time you and your late husband sat out by the shrine rocks and painted, and he was so critical, that he lit the canvas on fire with his eyes right then and there. Oh my goodness, what a tale that'll be one day."

I was hard to argue the fact that Karin was probably going to outlive Itachi. But Itachi did find it strange to think of himself as anyone's late husband.

"Yes, yes. Every day has a story. Every object has a memory. That's life, dear."

Red-headed whippersnapper... "I don't think -- after all, maybe it'd happen..."

No Uchiha ever had red hair, right? So maybe... just maybe if it wasn't with an Uchiha, there could be a red-headed child hearing stories...

"I wonder whose that one would be." she murmured, looking over to the painting. What if someday she would see that painting and think of a dream that never was to be realized..?

At least they had found out there once was a shrine there... and beehives. She would never have thought honey was a home produce here.

"Silly, silly. Of course you'll have stories." She picked up a pretty glass bottle from a set on the table. "Why, this little thing was a gift to my late husband from one of his best friends. Used to be filled with some kind of special healing water, he said. Used it for eyedrops, that he did, and swore by it until it ran out. His best friend never did get back out of the village to get more. Came all the way from the mountains of Yami no Sato, it did."

She polished it while she was holding it, and then sat it back amongst her little collection. Then she turned to keep an eye on the pot she was stirring.

"I do love old bottles. They look so pretty when the sun hits them, yes, yes. Like little works of art."

She gave a light hum. Healing water... How odd, she could have sworn she heard something about it back in that home world of hers... some sort of paper she'd come across when touching things that weren't hers. Suigetsu spotted her before she saw more though.

She looked at the bootles, noticing how odd the shape was for some of them. "I suppose... memories are good company, are there?" still, that water... "Why didn't he go back to the mountains though? It's that far away?"

"Far away and dangerous, he said. But he was on a mountain climbing expedition and, oh, now this was quite funny at the time, dear... His team thought they were climbing the highest peak, but they picked the wrong one. That, they sure did. How embarrassing. But he said there was a small temple at the top of this one, and they couldn't help but explore it, adventurers that they were. Not everyone came back, no. But those that did brought some kind of little treasure with them."

"Found it by... mistake, hm..."

"Oh, I doubt they could find it again if they tried!" she laughed to herself.

"...not everyone came back, hm..? Well, I suppose they weren't prepared for anything that was there, be it wildlife or otherwise." she pondered. "Although... a temple..." she couldn't help but voice the thought. "Would it have been related to the one that was in your dream?" she asked Itachi.

If it was... "It could be a long and possibly very unsafe journey if you're intending to go look over there."

"Oh, my, my... is that what sent you sweethearts out my way? Oh, dreams are such powerful stories."

"I don't know...." Itachi replied softly. "In the dream... I was a priest at a temple... All I remember really... is that there were two large rocks, like the ones... we saw where you were painting... I don't remember any mountains... Certainly not ones that were hard to get to... I remember having lots of visitors... in the dream..."

"My younger sister was very good at reading and interpreting dreams. Oh, goodness, I could tell her a dream, and she'd tell me all kinds of things. All sorts of symbols and ideas, bless her heart. She gave me a book about dreams, once. Oh, where did I put it..." She paused, straightening her glasses as she looked around. "Oh, it can wait. Lunch is ready, yes yes. Here, let me fix a plate for you, dear, and a big one for your husband. You're too thin, dear. It's not healthy."

She was about to say he wouldn't eat it all.. but she knew better than to argue. She assumed that old lady took care of the beehives and painted.. and reminisced.

It was truly a good fortune that they met this old lady that was able to bring answers to Itachi... and some easier thoughts to her own self too. "Thank you for the food... and mostly everything else too." answers were something they had too few of in here... and it was good to ahve some for a change.

She served up a plate for herself as well, and soon the table was full of life again.

"Oh, I haven't had this much company in gosh knows how long." she smiled as she ate little bites with her chopsticks. "Eat up, eat up now. I have more in the pot if you're hungry. And plenty of honey for your tea, yes, yes. Sweet tea, yes."

Itachi thanked her as well, before taking a few bites of his own.

Lunch was filled, of course, with dozens of little stories. But she told them with such excitement, it was hard not to be drawn in.

It was, karin had to admit, a quite nice dinner. The woman was truly charismatic with her easy lauughter and multitude of anectodes for each and every situation. Living so long, she had many memories, many experiences to share.

And she was right. Tea with honey -was- surprisingly good.

Once she had finished her palte, she took it to the sink, able to at least do that for their gracious host, refilling her cup as she got back to the table. "Amazing how filling such a simple meal can be."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, dear. It was the least I could do." she smiled. "Now, if you could only get your husband to agree, poor boy, you hardly touched it!"

Nevermind the fact that she'd given the one with the least appetite quite a bit more than everyone else.

"It was delicious..." he echoed. "I'm... just not a big eater..."

"I can see that, dear. Come on, then. A few more bites at least. You're pickier than my little sister when she was just a babe, oh by far."

Itachi placated her with one more bite, but it really was all he was able to manage.

"Oh, he agrees, it's just.." she did not have to answer since he did a few seconds later.

"It's not exactly pickiness either, just-- oh well." she threw him a 'sorry, I tried' as he attempted that extra bite. "Here... I'll take those few extra bites for him, that'll work?" she claimed the plate to do just so.

"I'm full... really..." He pushed the plate as much as Karin pulled it.

The old woman simply shook her head and put a hand on Karin's shoulder. "My, my, my, you did pick a stubborn one, dear. Oh, like I have any room to talk, no, no. My late husband was quite the stubborn man, but at least he cleaned his plate, he did."

"I know. I can deal with him fine though, if he listens. I know his limits though, so not being pushy is better, because then he gets grumpy. That's how men are, aren't they?" hey, she might as well make pretend small talk.

"Besides, I can clear his plates for him. Must be why he likes me so much, huh?"

"...I do not get grumpy."

Just saying those words made him sound grumpy, and the old woman laughed. "Dear me, you sound just like my late husband when you say things like that, yes, yes, you certainly do."

Karin couldn't help but laugh at the retort. She knew he did not get grumpy, had just said that to humor the old lady and make conversation and yet... yet the way he felt obligated to say that, and in that way?

"No, no you don't... I'm sure your brother is grumpy enough for the both of you."

Not all the variations of Ssauke were like that. Just the vast majority of them...

Itachi found himself laughing a little under his breath. At least this time, it didn't lead to as much coughing as it had been.

"Oh my, look at the time. I've just about kept you dears here all day! You've been such lovely company, yes, yes. Lovely couple, yes, yes, most definitely." she laughed.

"Ahah.. yes, we are, aren't we?" oh that would be one for the records. "Let's get ourselves back home, right dearest? Thank you again for the hospitality."

...it was, most certainly, something she would remember. "And don't burn my painting~"

"I won't..." Itachi insisted. "I... like how yours turned out."

"Oh, you two are welcome anytime you want." she showed them to the door, and then remembered that she'd promised them a book on dreams. "Oh! Just a moment, now. My sister's book, yes. You'll enjoy it. And it might help you uncover more about those dreams of yours, yes, yes."

She scuttled off to get it, and returned just as quickly. Since Karin's hands were occupied with pushing the wheelchair, she put it safely in Itachi's lap.

"Means I'll see you again, I certainly will. When you return it." she smiled and waved. "Bye bye, now!"

"Thank you again." she bowed her head and started pushing them the way home.

"If you want, I can try and read that book... if I were you I wouldn't attempt it for a while.."

"You're... welcome to..." Itachi sighed as they made their way back up the road. "I can't read most things. The print... I can't make it out anymore..."

This was something that had bothered Itachi for quite some time. Reading used to be something he enjoyed doing very much. Now, unless the print was large enough for him to make out, it was like nothing was on the page at all.

[open] More woes

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