Yatto kimi ga tsubuyaita, Kasuka ni kikoeta no wa
Seiippai no sayonara
Sono kotoba atari ni hibikite
Sakura no kigi wa yureta
Mai ochiru hanabira de
Kimi ga kasun de iku
Your head bowed just a little, with sorrowful eyes
You finally murmur, only faintly audible
An earnest 'Good Bye'
Those words resounded around me
While the Sakura trees were swaying...
And losing all their flower's petals
You vaguely walked away...
<
*~*~*
Sorano quietly made her way their marked meeting place, admiring the several Sakura trees that surrounded her. The same place they've been meeting each other for the past 3 years, ever since they were 10.
“Itachi?” she called softly through the dense forestation that surrounded her. “Are you there?” she whispered, looking behind a large tree stump.
“Sorano.” a smooth voice called from behind her, easily gaining her attention.
A bright smile formed on her face as she walked over to her close childhood friend.
“Why'd you want to meet me here?” she asked curiously, once she found herself before him.
“I need to explain something to you.” Itachi replied uneasily.
Sorano's smile slowly dwindled down to a confused frown. “What do you need to explain-”
“You can't tell a soul either, Sorano.” Itachi added, taking hold of her shoulders firmly. “Promise me you won't.”
Sorano slowly nodded her head, her mind going out of control thinking of what Itachi would possibly have to tell her.
“I...The elders...” he began, letting go of her shoulders slowly. “They've ordered me to carry out an assassination.” he finished, just above a whisper.
Sorano let out a low sigh of relief. “That's it Itachi? You've done assassinations before, this one shouldn't be any different-”
“I've been ordered to assassinate the entire Uchiha clan.” he explained further, looking back at her over his shoulder.
Her eyes widened slightly, as Itachi's words clarified in her mind, replaying over and over and over again. “You've been ordered to do what?” she asked almost inaudibly.
Itachi clenched his fists tightly. “To kill our clan.” he replied firmly.
“...Why!” Sorano asked, taking hold of his wrist firmly. “Why would you ever follow such an order!”
“Sorano-”
“Itachi! You can't! Do you have any idea how many lives you'll be ending!”
“Sorano, I don't have a choice-”
“I won't let you!” Sorano countered, not giving Itachi an opportunity to explain himself. “Why would you even consider doing that?” she asked, tears building up at the back of her eyes.
Itachi turned around fully to where he could gaze into Sorano's onyx eyes.
“Does this make any sense to you Itachi?” she asked further, rage growing each second. “And why would you think it'd be alright to tell me this!”
“Because I thought you'd be the only one who could understand.”
“Understand that you're about to kill my clan?!” she retorted, while a single tear flowed from her eye.
“Your objections will not change my mind.” Itachi whispered, turning back around. “But I was hoping to have some sort of blessing from you.”
“Blessing?” she asked, fighting back the remaining tears. “Blessing for what?”
“I told you this to give you an opportunity to run, along with your family.”
“How will that help?”
“I wouldn't have to kill you, Sorano.” Itachi replied simply, looking back at her. “Will you take advantage of it, or no?”
Sorano looked down at the damp forest ground that sat below them. She veered her gaze to the vibrant pink Sakura trees that gently blew in the spring breeze. “What about Sasuke?” she asked quietly “Are you going to kill him too?”
“I haven't decided yet.” Itachi replied just as quietly.
“When?”
“...tonight.”
“Tonight? Why tonight Itachi?” she asked, allowing the remaining tears to flow freely.
“I was ordered to have this mission completed by tonight, Sorano.”
She grew quiet as she slowly slid to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. “What will you do after wards?”
Itachi sighed silently, walking over to his childhood friend.
He gently tucked a loose strand of black hair behind her ear before taking her into a tight embrace. “Just...say good bye, Sorano.” he whispered.
“No.” she replied simply, pulling away from his hug before standing up. “How could I? Why should I?”
“Because I won't be coming back.”
“And what the hell do you expect me to do Itachi! Just say good bye and forget about you!”
A sad smile formed on Itachi's face. “Yes.”
Sorano clutched her heart through her shirt tightly. “Tell me this is a sick joke, Itachi.” she commanded “Please.”
Itachi shook his head no slightly. “I'm afraid it's not.”
Sorano placed her head into her hands, sobbing quietly. “Why are you telling me this...?” she asked between sobs.
“To ensure the possibility that our paths will cross again some day.”
“I can't.” she sobbed, rubbing her eyes, attempting to rid the tears that stained her face. “I can't say good bye Itachi.”
“It won't be the last one.” he reassured her.
A heartbreaking silence came across the duo, as Sorano continued sobbing quietly.
After a few moments, her onyx eyes managed to find Itachi despite being filled with sorrow. “G-good bye...Itachi.” she said almost inaudibly.
“Find your family. Bring them away from the village tonight.” Itachi instructed while walking over to her. “Thank you, Sorano.” he whispered, kissing her cheek lightly before disappearing from sight.
How could you leave so easily, Itachi? Sorano asked herself, hugging herself tightly.
Fushizen na chinmoku no naka
Hibiku bokura no kodou
Mata aeru meguriaou yo
Sore sore no asu wo sagashit you yo
Setsunasa ni yasashisa kureta
Ima kimi ni arigatou
In that unnatural silence,
Our throbbing resounded
We'll meet again someday, by chance
So search in each and every tomorrow...
The kindness you gave me in that instant,
I'm thanking you for it.
*~*~*
“Tora, in position.”
“Ryu, in position.”
“Tori, in position, everyone split up.” Sorano commanded, using her ANBU code name.
“Got it.” her teammates responded simultaneously.
“Hopefully we won't find anyone.” Tora commented quietly.
Speak for yourself, Tora. Sorano thought to herself as she jumped down from her previous hiding place.
She swiftly traveled from one corner of the room to the next, searching for the one person she's been after since that day over 3 years ago.
Itachi, please be here. She pleaded mentally, checking off each room she searched to be empty.
“Tora: up here is clear.”
“Ryu: down here also, have you found anything Tori?”
“Not yet.” Sorano responded, approaching the last room in the hallway. Please...
She opened the door cautiously, doing all she could to conceal each ounce of chakra that ran through her body.
“Sorano.” a cool voice called from beside her.
Sorano slowly swiveled till she finally faced the one person she's been pursuing. The one person who ruined her life. The one person who saved it.
“Itachi.” she gasped out, tears almost instantly falling from her onyx eyes.
A sly smiled formed on Itachi's face as he slowly closed the door she walked through. “It's been a while, hasn't it Sorano?”
“Why are you doing this?” Sorano asked, completely ignoring his question. “Why don't you just come back to the village and explain what happened?”
“Don't you think that if I had the opportunity to do that, I would've a long time ago?”
“I'll go with you! If they try to kill you, then I’ll die with you! Just come back.” She pleaded, ignoring the tears that gently rolled down her cheeks.
Itachi gazed at her before turning his attention to a window that gave the view of a small lake.
“I guess our paths ended up crossing, didn't they?” he asked thoughtfully.
“Do you ever plan on coming back...?” she asked between sobs.
“Of course not.”
“How could you just leave me-!”
“I didn't have a choice!” he replied “Believe me, if I had the decision, I would've never done what I did.”
“You can still do something about it, Itachi.”
Itachi shook his head. “Now I have something else to worry about, Sorano.”
“What?”
“Sasuke.” he replied simply, looking over his shoulder at her.
Before she had an opportunity to notice, Itachi disappeared, reappearing behind her.
“Haven't you cried enough?” he asked quietly into her ear, wiping her tears gently.
“I'll stop crying once I'm not alone anymore.” she replied quietly.
A sad smile formed on his lips as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I'm sorry, but I won't be able to fulfill that order, Sorano.”
“Tori! Where are you!” one of her teammates roared through their communication devices. “We've got a big fight down here, and we'd really appreciate your help!”
Sorano grew silent, thinking about the words that flowed from Itachi's lips so easily.
Why do you still find it so easy to hurt me, Itachi? She asked herself before looking behind her.
“I still can't-”
Where did he go? She asked herself, looking all around the room carefully, even going to the point of activating her sharingan.
She sighed deeply as she wiped the few tears from her face as she walked back through the door before closing it.
“Tori, where the hell are you?”
“I'm sorry, I thought I found something. I'm on my way right now.” She responded, preparing the go back the way she came.
Concealing himself perfectly, Itachi watched Sorano as she disappeared from sight, preparing the assist her teammates as she said she would.
I hope I’ll be able to see that smile, just one more time. Itachi thought to himself before making his detailed escape silently.
Wasure wa shinai sa
Mata aeru namida wa nukou
Sore Sore no yume wo kanae ni ikou yo
Sabishisa wo tsutsundekureta
Hohoemi wasurenai
Forgetting is next to impossible...
Wipe your tears away,
Hereafter, your dreams will come true.
The loneliness you were wrapped in ended
Don't forget to smile
*~*~*
3 more years have passed since the day Sorano last saw Itachi.
She quietly gazed out her bedroom window, carefully studying the several Sakura trees that thrived outside her home.
Despite their beauty, the never failed to revive the memories that still continued to plague her.
She slowly pulled her knees towards her chest, just as she did when she was 13.
“I'll never forget about you Itachi, no matter how hard I try.” She said aloud to herself as she began crying herself to sleep- the same way she has every night.
Boku wa itsudemo soba ni iru
Mata aeru meguriaou yo
Sore sore no asu no sagashite yo yo
Setsunasa ni yasashisa kureta
Ima kimi ni arigato
I'll always be by your side
We'll meet again someday, by chance
So search in each and every tomorrow...
the kindness you gave me in that instant,
I'm thanking you for it.
*~*~*
With a sad smile, Itachi looked up at the cloudy sky above him, feeling his heartbeat slow with every passing second.
I'm sorry...Sorano...It seems like our paths won't cross again. He thought to himself as he slowly allowed his eyes to drift shut.
He forced his eyes opened just one more time to look over at his baby brother, Sasuke.
His smile grew slightly bigger as he noticed the rhythmic breathing that gave his brother life. Forgive me, Sasuke. But it ends with this. He thought to himself as his eyes once again drifted shut.
Thank you again for that day, Sorano. Please...don't forget to smile. Itachi's last thought were blurry images of Sorano and Sasuke flashing through his mind, to end with an image of both Sasuke and Sorano smiling brightly in each others arms.
Good bye.
Marude sou kono hanabira ga
Tabidachi wo shukufuku shiteriru you sa
Sabishisa wo tsutsundekureta
Nukumori wasurenai
Ima kimi arigato
Like those flower petals
We'll take off as if knowing we were blessed
The loneliness we were wrapped in ended
I won't forget the warmth
Right now, I thank you
*~*~*
Sorano collapsed to the ground, shaking violently as she let series of tears flow through her eyes.
Why do I feel like this? She asked herself, not being able to control the tears. Why do I feel like I’ve lost something once again?
Sorano managed to raise her gaze over to a small picture that sat on her bedroom dresser. One of Itachi, herself and Sasuke just before Sorano became an official genin.
Why do you keep doing this, Itachi? She asked herself hugging her arms tightly.
“Just say goodbye.” Itachi's voice advised as if he were beside her.
She swiftly looked to her side, only to look into darkness. “Itachi?” she called out to the darkness.
“Please, Sorano.”
Sorano raised from her position on the ground, looking around her thoroughly with her Sharingan.
“Say goodbye.” Itachi repeated softly. “Everything will be fine.”
“I can't.” she cried quietly, finally realizing that he wasn't with her physically. “I can't do it, Itachi.”
A ghostly Itachi appeared next to Sorano, placing a translucent hand on her own. “I'll always be with you.” he reassured her softly. “Just say good bye, Sorano.”
Sorano's sobs intensified slightly. “I don't want to.”
“You have to.”
“Why did you leave me?”
“I never did.” Itachi replied quietly, with a sad smile gracing his features.
“Then why do I feel so alone?”
“Because you've never let go of the thought of being alone.” He replied “Just say goodbye, and I promise, you won't be alone any longer.”
Sorano tightened the grip she had on her shoulders slightly, fighting back the tears long enough to murmur those few words.
“Good...bye.” she whispered “Good bye Itachi.” she repeated a little louder.
With a sad smile, Itachi's figure slowly disappeared. “I'll always be by your side, Sorano.” Itachi whispered before he disappeared completely.
Despite her sobs, Sorano couldn't help but feel some sort of comfort come over her. Good bye Itachi. She repeated mentally shutting her eyes tightly.
Sabishisa wo tsutsundekureta
Nukumori wasurenai
Ima kimi ni arigato
The loneliness we were wrapped in ended
I won't forget the warmth
Right now, I thank you