Caught In The Rain
Author: shattered-words
"blah" - talking
'blah' - thinking
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She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the afternoon sun, but soon that wouldn’t be necessary as she noticed the clouds darkening the heavens. It was going to rain. A shudder passed through her entire body as she hurried from the school building. The normal summer day had turned quite chilly all of a sudden.
Her brother was not here as she had expected, which is why she was even there to begin with. This was not their home, not their village. She had heard them mention a name and now she tried to remember it. ‘K-K... Kono-something.’ Shaking her head, she instead tried to recall the route she had taken from their Inn.
It had been almost a week that her brother had left for the Chunin Exam and she had been left to her parents. However, they had been called away on missions and she was left alone on most days. She was lonely when her brother wasn’t around and he had to go train or on missions. Even then, she had known that he wasn’t too far and that he would return later that night. When he had told her about the exam, she realized that he could be gone more than two months, and she didn’t know if she could handle him being away so long.
She had been chastised that she should not behave so childishly since she would soon start her training to be a ninja. Even then, she couldn’t help it since she had only turned four this past year and when she started the Academy she would already be six years old. The thought of training to be strong like her Nii-san had made her happy and she had tried to be less childish for his sake. He had told her that he didn’t like to see her crying or upset.
So, when he had left, she had tried to hold in her tears but had shed them by herself after her parents went off on a mission. She was surprised that her mother was still shinobi since she was ill on most days and had been since before she could remember. At times, she noticed that she could not lift anything too heavy but she always joked that at least she was still as fast as a shinobi should be.
Then they had been called to this village for the exam and she had been ecstatic before immediately starting to pack without being told to. When they had arrived at the ryokan, which was the same one as her brothers’, she had gone to look for her Nii-san as her parents had settled them into their room.
She had been greatly disappointed when she had discovered that he wasn’t there. His Jonin instructor had had been there though, and he had told her where he might be. So, she had left without telling her folks and had gone to search for him at the training grounds near the Academy.
When she had arrived, it was only to discover that he was no where to be seen. Her search had led her to the educational building but its halls had been empty and almost frightening. Now her figure ran along, but knew she was lost and the clouds were getting darker. With a crack of thunder that caused her to yelp in fear, the rain came. First it was only a light shower before it became a downpour.
However, all of this escaped her notice as she gasped when the first drops of water hit her skin. She hadn’t noticed that her flesh had been very hot, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. And as the rain increased, the slight sting she had felt turned into agony. She stumbled along, trying to find something remotely resembling shelter. So engrossed in the pain and trying to keep from falling, that she didn’t notice the taller figure until she crashed into them.
Another cry left her lips as she hit the ground, her face becoming soaked as she wailed in pain. She didn’t pay any attention to the person she had slammed into, since she was curling into herself to lessen the impact of the rain on her.
The young girl didn’t know what was happening, and couldn’t even think straight anymore. She might have been lying there for hours screaming before arms moved to lift her as something shielded her from the rain, and then she was being carried off. It felt like the world was passing like the flash of pictures so it was almost like a dream.
She was so tired, so very tired. ‘I want to sleep.’ She whimpered softly, curling into the hold that had her against something solid and firm. The arms weren’t soft, but the hold was gentle. ‘I feel so warm.’ Then she felt the darkness dragging her under its suffocating weight, and she knew only silence.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The sound of voices reached her ears as she felt the blackness subside slightly. Her body felt sluggish and if she moved too fast, pain shot through her entire being. Where was she? She couldn’t remember anything, the last thing being that she had been looking for her beloved older brother.
A moan left her mouth, so soft that it might have been missed by many but she suddenly felt a presence in the room. Fingers moved to push her messy bangs out of her face, some of the strands stuck to her skin with perspiration. If any had taken the time to notice, they would realize that her sweat was very different than others. For a long time now high temperatures had not caused her to sweat. Only physical movement could cause the sweat, and even then there was no disturbing scent. It reeked of burning embers, almost like a pleasant musk.
As her eyes opened she saw the ceiling overhead, but it was blurred and shaking. Her gaze darted from side to side to try and clear it, yet she found that she could not control it. Her eyes rolled back into her head several times, and she didn’t know if she lost consciousness before she opened them again.
The person was pressing a damp cloth to her forehead and she instinctively flinched. She was confused but her head was throbbing incessantly so her thoughts were redirected to the pain. Her mouth opened as she tried to speak and she moaned again when she found that it hurt, feeling the taste of blood at the back of her throat. It was several moments before she realized that the person had left the room, but by that time they had returned.
Her ebony orbs shifted to them when she was able to regain enough clarity and control to her eyes. The room was dark so she only saw a shadowy figure. “Nii-san?” she whispered hoarsely, wincing at the discomfort it caused her to speak.
A soft laugh followed as a cool hand was placed against her enflamed forehead. “No dear, I am not your Nii-san,” a voice replied kindly, and she could tell that it was a woman. She removed her hand and replaced it with another damp cloth, which she realized was a compress. “You have a fever, Tenshi.”
The darkness was lifted slightly as the woman sparked a flint to light a lantern. She was revealed to be a woman in her late twenties, maybe early thirties, with light black hair and matching eyes.
She made a face at the name, causing the woman to laugh again and it was clear and warm. It reminded the young girl of her mother. “Where am I?” she asked quietly, wincing again. It hurt to talk and she wondered why. She couldn’t remember what had happened to her or how she had gotten there.
“You are in my home,” she replied before moving to stand. When the child turned to look where she had been sitting, there was a bowl of water there. For the first time she realized that she was tucked into a futon on the floor of what she took to be the formal room for greeting guests. It was too hard to make out anything and she figured that perhaps it was nighttime. “My son found you wandering in the rain when you bumped into him.” She hesitated, drawing the girl to look at her. “He said that you were screaming.”
A confused look crossed her features at those words, not understanding or remembering this. When she moved to sit, her sight tilted before she fell back down on the pillow with a whimper. The woman was beside her, lifting her head gently as she felt something press against her lips.
She felt cold water fill her mouth and she swallowed automatically. It relieved some of the pain and she sighed when the glass was pulled away. “You should stay in bed until you get better. Where do you live? I’ll send my son to inform your parents.”
She frowned as she remembered that they were in a village that was not their own. “I don’t have a home here,” she muttered, causing the woman to frown slightly. Her head turned to the side, eyes narrowing slightly but not saying anything. The shadows cast by the lantern made her face look almost sinister but the smile returned, and it was comforting.
“Are you an orphan, dear?” the woman asked then. She had felt someone at the door, in the hall but didn’t pay it too much attention when she realized it was her younger son. He must be curious about the girl that his older brother had brought home with him. The girl was so small compared to him and he had been able to lift her easily. He was ten years old now after all.
The girl shook her head and immediately regretted it as she moaned softly. “No, my mommy and daddy are at the… r-riokan, I think.” It appeared she had trouble pronouncing the word, but the woman knew she meant ‘ryokan’. “Nii-san is taking a test,” she said proudly and grinned so brightly it seemed to light up the corners of the room that the lantern could not.
Chuckling softly, the older woman gave a nod as she understood what the girl meant. She was most likely from a foreign village and had a brother taking part in the Chunin Exam. Though she was confused and worried about what her older boy had told her. There had to be a reason the girl had been out on her own in the rain and screaming like she was in terrible pain. “Do you know what ryokan your parents and brother are staying at?”
She saw her smile lessen before she pouted sadly. “Shirimasen,” she said quietly. “I got lost when looking for Nii-san.” A sniffle came from her and the woman offered a sympathetic smile.
“Don’t fret, dear,” she reassured her. “We’ll find them. Now, why don’t you tell me what your name is? It might help in finding them quicker. Do you know the name of your village?”
The smile returned to her face when asked to give her a name before she stopped and gave her what could only be a suspicious look. “Are you a stranger?” she asked innocently, naively.
Mikoto couldn’t blame her and was glad that her parents had instilled the knowledge of never talking to strangers. The little girl was so adorable and there were a lot of sick people in the world. It was especially dangerous here now, since they had all sorts of people from other villages, and some of the shinobi were to be taken as a serious threat.
“No, I’m not.” The look didn’t lessen and she laughed again, amusement leaking into her voice. “If I tell you my name, will you tell me yours?” When the girl nodded enthusiastically she noticed that she did it without groaning.
“Watashi no namae wa Uchiha Mikoto dess.” It was given with a pleasant smile at her. “Hajime-mash’te, dozo yorosh’ku.” Her playful tone caused the younger one to giggle.
She gave another grin and she couldn’t help but return it, yet with less intensity. “Ashikaga Arisa!” she chirped and then she moved to sit up. Mikoto placed a hand on her forehead and frowned. Her skin was burning but her eyes were clear.
“Maybe you should lay down dear, you’re burning up.” Her hands gently forced her to lie back down as the younger one whined in protest. “You’ll get worse if you try to strain yourself while the fever is still affecting you.”
“But... But I’m bored,” she suddenly said, pouting. “And I wanna find Nii-san.” In this light her eyes were even darker than usual and so one would not see the crimson that tinted the edges and pupil.
“I’m afraid that isn't possible at the moment. It’s still raining and it has gotten late.” She picked up the compress where it had fallen on her lap when she had sat up. “Not to worry, though. We’ll check tomorrow morning if anyone has reported your absence.”
Her hands moved to wet the compress, but stopped as she saw the glint of tears appearing in the child’s eyes. She sighed and laid a calming hand on her forehead. “Don’t cry,” she soothed as she started to regardless of her words.
“Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. You’re safe here.” Slender fingers brushed away her tears as the girl continued to sob softly as she cooed her with comforting words. “Sleep, Tenshi.”
She hummed a song to her, hearing as she sniffled and as tears continued to course down her face. After several minutes, Mikoto heard as her breath became even to indicate that she had finally fallen asleep. The fusuma opened behind her, and the light that had been coming in through the ramma, now flooded the room and reflected off the strands of the child’s ebony hair. She could have passed as an Uchiha since most of their clan had dark hair and eyes.
“How is the girl?” she heard her husbands' voice. Most people regarded the man as a very serious and quiet person, but she knew him better than anyone. He was quiet because he preferred to listen more than speak and he had never been one that could easily express his feelings. She knew that he loved both their boys, even if he never showed it.
Mikoto suppressed a smile as she saw a small head peer around the corner, casting a curious look at the sleeping figure. “Her fever is very high but she was lucid enough,” she responded quietly so as not to wake her.
She turned down the lantern until the flame died, and then rose gracefully from her seiza position and moved to the door. She ushered both males away before closing the door and plunging the room into darkness once again. “She is asleep now.”
“Of course she has a fever after traipsing around in the rain at her age,” Uchiha Fugaku said as he glared at the door that led into the room the girl was currently in. To Mikoto, it was obvious that he was more upset at the girl’s parents than the girl herself. She appeared to be no older than their youngest, maybe younger. “Did she give you her name or her parents?”
“I’m afraid I only got hers. She’s from one of the visiting hidden villages, but she became upset before I could get her answer.” She motioned to them to leave the hall. “Sasuke-kun, you should be in bed,” she chastised the boy.
He moaned his displeasure but she only pointed toward his room. After sighing in defeat he complied and headed off to bed. Then the two adults made their way toward the kitchen where Mikoto started to make tea.
Their older son, Itachi had not gotten home yet but they knew that he was training hard. He had applied for the Chunin Exam this time around, and while she was worried because he was still so young, she knew that he had the skills to become the next prodigy of their clan.
Already, some called him a genius but even so, he was still her little boy. She wanted to hold onto that image just a little longer, thinking that he had grown up too fast for her to keep up.
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She had stumbled out of the futon, becoming slightly frightened since the room was so dark it wanted to swallow her up. Crawling across the straw tatami mats since she swayed and became nauseous when she stood, she reached out for the Shoji sliding door. She hadn’t tried the fusuma sliding doors on the other side of the room, since she had trouble opening them. The Shoji were easier since it was only the wooden frame with washi spread over it.
She pushed it open quietly, and paused to listen to make sure no one had heard her. The house was silent and dark, but the moon cast its pale light comfortingly over her.
Moving on her hands and knees, she peered over the edge of the engawa and saw that the wooden doors had been left open to allow air to circulate. She paused in shock at the luscious garden laid out before her eyes since she hadn’t been expecting it. Never had she seen such a beautiful sight before, so her lips turned into a smile. Her village did not have anything like this, only sand. Lots and lots of sand.
Arisa moved to find a way to get down but her hand slipped and she toppled over the side with a squeak of fear before she hit the ground hard. A wail threatened to spill from her lips at the pain that went through her, but she bravely stifled it. She had to be strong, just like her Nii-san had told her to be.
She crawled over the still damp grass, and came to stop in front of the small koi pond, seeing the dark forms of fish when she peered into the shallow water. A smile crossed her face before she sat down next to it, hearing the soft clank of a bamboo stick every few seconds. It was a fountain, where one end of a bamboo stick was sealed off and positioned so that it faced upwards.
The water flowed into it and when it came to be too much, the open end fell to spill its contents into the pond below and then fall back with a clank when the water emptied. Then it happened all over again, in a constant yet strangely soothing loop. Arisa suddenly wished her brother was with her, knowing that he would have enjoyed this garden.
A hand wiped at her now damp cheeks, trying to cease her soft crying. She didn’t want to wake anyone up, knowing that it was most likely late already. The rain had left a chill in the air and she shivered slightly. She pulled her legs against herself, and blinked in confusion when she saw what she was wearing.
Before, she had on white shorts and a red tank top shirt with a cat design. Now she had on white pajama bottoms and a shirt to match. They were loose but still fit her, and now the knees and legs were covered in mud and grass stains. She had crawled across the garden, still finding it unpleasant to stand up.
The girl had been sitting there a few minutes, her head nodding forward every few seconds as she became drowsy, when a voice startled her. “What are you doing here?” The voice was cold and she shivered and turned dole eyes on the figure that loomed behind her.
It was a boy a few years old than her. She hadn’t even heard him approach. He had longer hair than her brother and it almost reached his shoulders, but it was black just like her nii-san. His eyes were hidden by his bangs and he wore black clothing with ninja sandals that resembled her brothers but his were blue.
“S-Suminasen,” she muttered as she peered at her hands in her lap. She had come to shift around so she faced him. “The room was dark.”
“It’s dark out here,” he responded quietly, no emotion in his tone. His words were true but the moon gave her illumination, and the walls that surrounded the garden and house made her feel secure.
She chanced a look at him and saw that he was still staring at her, and even if she could not see his eyes, she felt them on her. He was obviously waiting for a response.
“The moon gives light,” she finally responded. He snorted sardonically as if saying that it was obvious and she spoke again. “The garden is not dark like the room because of the moon.” She turned her gaze to the side so her face was lit with the moon’s light and she smiled softly. “I never been in a garden. It’s pretty.”
Itachi observed the little girl before him, her onyx hair falling in silky waves to her shoulders and reflecting the moon’s pale light. He had the same thought as his mother in that she could pass as an Uchiha, but when she turned her face he saw something in her eyes. The pupils had a blood red soaked into the center and the edges, and which reminded him of his clan’s blood line ability, the Sharingan.
“Okaa-san said you have a fever,” he finally spoke, seeing as she turned so now her face was shadowed again. “You should go back inside before you become worse.” He was normally a very reserved person, often keeping away from social activities, but something about the girl made him almost want to smile.
She was so innocent looking and small as he recalled when he had carried her. He briefly wondered why the girl, who looked as young as Sasuke, had been screaming. Itachi had been a ninja long enough to know pain when he heard it.
“Onegai, I don't want to go back to the dark room,” she pleaded but Itachi could see the delirium in her eyes. No doubt the fever was still devastating her health, but her voice tugged on his heart which he didn’t think he had anymore. Sighing, he ran a hand though his slightly longer hair before turning to look at the house, and except for a few kiriko lanterns that were lit here and there, it was pretty dark.
“Do you want to get sicker?” he asked her instead, pinning her with what he hoped was a stern look. She lowered her eyes as he heard her sniffle so he almost groaned.
“I’m scared,” she mumbled quietly, wiping at a stray tear. He sighed and she lifted her eyes to him. The taller boy turned and so she got a better view of his features. It was obvious that he was not as old as her brother, but he was definitely older than her. She also saw that he had black eyes, just like the woman, and what she took to be bags under his eyes as if he hardly slept. For a moment she wondered if he was the son Mikoto had talked about and which had been the one that had carried her here.
Itachi was at a loss and he thought about calling his mother so she could sit up with the girl, but he didn’t want to do that. The thought of forcing her back into the room and leaving her to cry didn’t sit well with him either. So, in the end he decided there was only one thing to do. “If I stay with you until you fall asleep, will you go back?” he asked her, although he wasn’t looking forward to it.
When she didn’t answer, he grew slightly agitated before looking down. He blinked in surprised as he saw her head slumped down. She had fallen asleep while he had been thinking on what to do with her. What a strange, yet riveting little creature.
After a moment, she fell forward and he moved swiftly to catch her before she hit the ground. Lifting her up easily, since she was practically weightless, he turned and carried her back to the room. Her small hands were clutched around his shirt as she buried her face between his chest and shoulder. “Nii-san,” she whimpered. A smile and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks at how cute the child was.
Passing through the still open sliding door, he slipped in quietly and laid her down. When he went to pull away, she moaned sadly and held onto him. He sighed and moved to settle next to her as the girl immediately snuggled against him in her sleep.
He wondered who her brother was and he smirked since he felt slightly envious. Itachi wished he had a cute little sister like her, and while he cared about his younger brother he had always wanted a sister.
He had come home later than usual and knew that the house’s occupants were already asleep and had gotten a quick bite to eat before heading off to bed. Imagine his surprise when he saw a small figure sitting in the garden beside the pond.
At first he thought it was Sasuke but the hair had been a dead giveaway. Then he had seen the way her head kept lolling down every few seconds before she straightened and knew she was falling asleep. When she did, it was certain that if she didn’t fall back then she’d take a nose dive into the water.
Approaching quietly, he had seen that she was wearing a pair of his Otouto’s pajamas and they fit her slightly too big, a testament of her small size. They were also dirty and covered in grass stains, leading him to believe that she must have fallen making her way over here. Most likely, she had lost her balance because of the fever.
When he had spoken, she had been jerked awake and then turned wide, frightened eyes on him. He knew that his voice had been cold, but at times that’s the way it was. A smile had threatened to cross over his features as she had tilted her head back to look up at him, face set in that innocent, yet scared look.
He suppressed a sigh as he rested his head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling above him. After a few moments, he felt his own eyes flitter closed and before he realized it, he had fallen asleep.
He woke up just before dawn and had wiggled away from the smaller body without waking her up, and slipped out of the room and into his own. He hadn’t planned on spending the night there, but he really didn’t see any harm.
The soon to be Chunin plopped down on his bed and closed his eyes. He determined that he still had half an hour before his mother came in to wake him up and he felt like being lazy just this once.
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“Nii-san!” she cried out happily. Moments later, she slammed into the taller boy’s legs and hugged them. He laughed as she almost knocked him over and ruffled her hair affectionately as he gave a sigh. It had been a harrowing night. He’d been so worried that he had gotten very little sleep and one could tell by the strain on his handsome features.
His ebony orbs were half lidded, and now he finally felt the tension leave his whole body. The dark locks of his hair were tousled and wild, being held back by his hitai-ate which had an hourglass symbol etched into it, and he still wore yesterday’s training clothes.
When the older woman approached he lifted his gaze and quickly gave her a low bow. “Domo arigato gozaimass, for taking care of Ari-chan,” he said politely. He would have actually wanted to thank her son, since he had been the one that had found her. However, he had been informed that the boy had set off just after dawn to train.
“It was no trouble,” she replied. “You will visit again before leaving, won’t you?” This was asked toward the young female.
“Oh, can I, Eizan-nii-san?” she asked her older brother eagerly.
He looked down at her eyes, wide with pleading and he sighed as he scratched the back of his head. “If Oka-san and Tou-san say it’s okay then I’ll bring you over.”
The older woman chuckled when he realized that the young girl had her brother wrapped around her little finger. She watched as they bowed and turned to head toward the ryokan and their waiting, worried parents.
The thirteen year old boy lifted the smaller girl into his arms as she squealed happily, locking her arms behind his neck.
“Arisa, you know you shouldn’t have gone off without Okaa-san and Tou-san knowing,” he lectured her softly. She pouted and nodded, tightening her hold on him. “We were really worried something had happened to you.”
“Gomen, Eizan-nii-san,” she said, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder where she had rested her head. “I wanted to see you.” Her eyes closed as she sighed happily and glad to finally be with her beloved and only sibling. “I missed you.”
The older boy chuckled softly and shifted her a bit more securely in his arms. “I missed you too, Chibi.” He nuzzled his nose against her cheek, causing her to giggle. “So, how was your stay at Uchiha Mikoto-san’s house?”
She grinned as she lifted her head and he found himself smiling back. “Mikoto-san was really nice,” she replied, waving her arms around for emphasis, to which the shinobi laughed again. “Oh, I met a boy.” The way she covered her mouth, made it seem as if it were a secret.
Eizan arched a boy as he smirked. “Oh? And who is this boy you met, hmm?” he asked her while poking her side, eliciting another giggle from his little sister.
“Mikoto-san said his name was...Ucyiwa Itasi,” she mispronounced his name, but grinned all the same. “He looks mean, but you know what?” She lowered her voice and leaned closer to his ear.
He also leaned closer as he saw her eyes shift from side to side, as if making sure no one was listening. “What?” he asked, since he knew it was the response she was waiting for. At times, the girl was so cute and silly. She was certainly energetic.
“I think he’s nice,” she said as she smirked almost smugly. Eizan formed his mouth in the shape of an ‘o’ as if he were surprised. “And cute!”
“Aha, you’re replacing me!” he accused. He promptly started ticking her as she refused the claim between peals of laughter that pierced the silent morning. The ever brightening heavens showed no signs that it had rained last night.-
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Translations:
Nii-san: older brother
Tenshi: angel.
Iie: no
ryokan: a traditional inn
Shirimasen: I don’t know
Watashi no namae wa Uchiha Mikoto dess: My name is Uchiha Mikoto.
Hajime-mash’te, dozo yorosh’ku: How do you do, pleased to meet you.
Fusuma: sliding doors of wood and heavy paper are opened or closed to alter the size of a room.
Ramma: carved wooden lintels above the fusuma; separate the rooms.
Shouji: sliding doors open onto the engawa. A door consists of a wooden frame and Japanese paper, which allows light to filter through.
washi: traditional Japanese paper
engawa: is a space outside, like a veranda (it’s raised about a foot above the ground), covered with a sloping roof. It may be enclosed by heavy wooden doors, or opened to allow air to circulate.
koi: a type of fish
Suminasen: Sorry/Excuse me
Okaa-san: mother
Tou-san: father
Onegai: please (pleading)
kiriko lanterns: paper lanterns with designs painted on them, they are usually used to illuminate during festivals
Otouto: little brother
Gomen: sorry
Chibi: small, little
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End.
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Chapter notes: If I owned Naruto, It'd be called 'Gaara'. So isn't it a shame that I don't own it? Although, I claim ownership to my original characters. A one shot connected to my upcoming fanfic, 'Glimpses of Fire'. Enjoy.