Clear Mirror, Still Water, and a Pure Heart

After bantering with Shisui for a while and finishing our meal, the two of us—plus one little baby—curled up on the warm side table, sipping tea and nibbling on fruit.

Itachi's baby teeth had started to come in, and while I was still debating whether he could handle oranges, Shisui across the table had gone silent.

I looked closely and saw he was resting his head on his left arm, fast asleep.

He must be exhausted from going out on missions.

I made a shushing gesture to Itachi, shoved a Milk Bottle into his hands, and told him to be a good boy.

Then, I leaned over the table myself, observing Uchiha Shisui as he slept.

His bangs had fallen slightly, shading his furrowed brows, and I could see his long, slender eyelashes through the gaps in his hair.

I turned to glance at little Itachi, who was quietly drinking his milk, and a sudden pang of bitterness hit my heart.

Tch, two eyelash-gods in one room.

Shisui's face was half-buried in the crook of his arm. From my angle, he was perfectly still, his sleeping posture radiating pure fatigue; if not for the faint, rhythmic sound of his breathing, he would have looked as lifeless as if he'd fainted.

My heart ached for him, so I scooted closer and let him lean half-against me. After a while, I felt his entire body slowly relax, his breathing becoming steady and calm as he drifted into the twilight of his dreams.

I brushed Shisui's bangs aside to reveal his profile, smoothing out his brow bit by bit and lightly touching the marks beneath his eyes.

"You're only so young, how do you already have tear troughs?" I sighed, wondering if I should get some eye cream for him to use.

The Uchiha tendency toward premature aging really did manifest most vividly in the greatest geniuses.

I touched my own under-eyes with a lingering fear. Thank goodness, smooth and wrinkle-free. I poked the forehead of little Itachi, who was still dutifully drinking his milk; though he couldn't understand me and wore a completely innocent expression, I still gave him a stern warning not to overwork himself in the future and avoid a fate of dying young.

"You are not allowed to become a prodigy!"

After that, I quieted down as well, adjusting my posture to make Shisui more comfortable.

For a time, the sunset on the floor was like blood, and the room was filled with a profound silence.

Near dusk, there was a soft sound at the entryway downstairs; someone had returned.

My arm and leg were numb from Shisui's weight, and just as I was fretting over how to get up, the person in my arms heard the noise and woke up in an instant.

The haze in those eyes lasted only a heartbeat before they returned to clarity.

This was the instinct left behind by a ninja after long years of combat.

Seeing me frowning as he woke, Shisui thought I was angry and quickly said, "Sorry, Akatsuki... I feel so relaxed when I'm by your side that I just fell asleep without realizing it." His voice was raspy from sleep, and he sounded so honest he was like a different person.

"I wanted you to sleep a little longer," I said, struggling to move. My half-numb body was in agony, and I winced as I tried to stretch. "That's why I didn't wake you."

"It's already evening, I should go." Shisui looked at the clock and stood up, carefully helping me up as he did.

Mikoto had already turned on the lights downstairs, calling my name and Itachi's as she headed up the stairs.

Shisui heard her and hesitated, seemingly wanting to jump out the window, but I grabbed him by the sleeve.

"What are you running for? Come with me to see Mother."

Mikoto naturally liked Shisui.

Her affection was always wrapped in gentleness. Watching the two of them talk, I felt a trance-like sensation, as if I were seeing my first meeting with Mikoto all over again. Shisui went from his initial awkwardness to being completely at her mercy by the end, accepting everything—whether it was having his cheeks pinched, his hair ruffled, or being fed and teased—with total composure.

He was, after all, just a boy.

When I handed little Itachi over to Mother, he was already fast asleep; he had been exhausted today, so he was sleeping especially soundly.

I changed into my outdoor clothes and told Mikoto I would be staying at Shisui's place for the night to ask for guidance on ninjutsu and shuriken techniques, so I wouldn't be back to sleep. She hesitated for a moment, then sighed and agreed.

Before leaving, I stroked the blade of Murasame and solemnly hung it by my bedside.

"Aren't you going to stay with your mother?" Shisui was waiting for me at the gate of the compound, the night breeze ruffling his clothes and hair.

I looked at him and slowly stopped walking.

This scene felt so familiar, as if I had been waiting for it for a very, very long time.

"I told her I was going to spend the night at your place." I said it without even hesitating, only realizing the ambiguity of the words after they were out, though fortunately, Shisui didn't tease me for it.

It had been a long time since I'd been out at night. I walked side-by-side with Shisui down the street as the shop lights flickered on one by one, the red, orange, and dim yellow glow blurring the darkness.

I tucked my bangs behind my ears, letting the cool air brush against my cheeks, breathing in the scent of the streets and the hearth fires to my heart's content. My heart felt sweet, warm, and completely at peace.

By Shisui's side, it felt as though even time itself would settle down.

I didn't know when our hands had become linked—perhaps when we were weaving through the crowd, or perhaps when I had been lost in thought—but regardless, it had happened so naturally.

Two boys holding hands—surely... that shouldn't be strange, right?

"Akatsuki's birthday is in mid-February, right?" Shisui held a skewer of dango out to my lips. I took a bite; the filling was sweet, and the outside was coated in a salty teriyaki glaze. It was delicious.

"It's... the teens of February, I think," I said vaguely, snatching the dango from his hand.

Because I basically never celebrated my birthday, even the date was a blur to me.

"Remember, it's February 15th," Shisui sighed, his gaze sweeping across the night market. "What gift does Akatsuki want?"

"A gift?" I thought about it solemnly for a moment, but finding no answer, I turned to complain to Shisui instead: "Who asks someone else what they want for a gift?" I pretended to threaten him, "I want the gift you choose for me!"

"That's a real headache, then." Shisui didn't fall for my act at all; instead, he grabbed my hand and swallowed the last dango, which was infuriating!

Hatake Kakashi rarely passed through the bustling districts of Konoha at night, because all those people holding hands under the lights—especially the parents and children filled with happiness—only served to highlight his own solitude.

But today, he had become so lost in his study of Lightning Release ninjutsu that by the time he realized it was late, the surroundings were so dark that only the electrical sparks in his hands were flickering.

It was too late to go fishing, but his stomach still needed to be filled. So, he chose the shop he was most familiar with, which served his favorite and most perfect meal—

"Salt-grilled saury, miso-glazed eggplant, and a bowl of rice." Sitting in the shop, Kakashi slowly began to relax. The noisy sounds outside faded from his mind, and just as he was about to drift off, he was brought back by a crisp voice.

"Shrimp tempura! And a grilled fish, yes, and an order of doteni!"

Kakashi frowned and looked to his left, where two familiar figures were sitting. Black hair, black eyes, and the fan crest embroidered on their backs—they were dazzling.

The two geniuses of the Uchiha clan.

These two were truly too conspicuous; every move they made drew the sidelong glances of everyone in the shop, yet they remained completely oblivious. Especially that Uchiha Akatsuki, whose doll-like, delicate face was brimming with a sweet smile as he acted spoiled and cute toward the boy beside him, instantly attracting several infatuated customers to the shop.

Although Hatake Kakashi was indifferent to physical appearance, he had to admit that Uchiha Akatsuki was unfairly beautiful.

As he slowly withdrew his gaze, a strange thought suddenly popped into Kakashi's mind.

Anyone with a younger brother like that would never be able to refuse any of his requests.

"Here, Kakashi, a gift of fruit wine." The simple shop owner already understood this white-haired boy well and knew exactly what he truly needed.

"Thank you." Kakashi took it and downed it in one gulp.

Although drinking was prohibited for minors, having a glass occasionally helped him sleep soundly, free of dreams for the night.

When I had finally played enough and stepped into Shisui's house with him, I still kept a tight grip on his hand.

It was the most simple and antiquated residence imaginable.

Pushing open the creaking wooden door, a tall, old tree stood beside the main house, its dense branches rustling in the cold wind. The moon shone from behind the tree, scattering starlight across the desolate courtyard.

"Sorry, it's a bit humble." Shisui lit the lantern at the entrance, brightening the yard.

I didn't find it humble at all; on the contrary, I was quite curious, though it was too dark to explore properly.

"Sit here for a moment, I'm going to prepare some things." Shisui led me to a low table inside the house. A pool of moonlight spilled across the floor from the window, so beautiful I wanted to reach out and catch it.

The low table in front of me had the grain of carved wood; I touched it with my hand, and it felt very rough.

I laid my head on the table, imagining Shisui reading, studying, and practicing ninjutsu here. Living, growing, finding joy, and worrying in this house...

All by himself.

"Here you go, young master." When Shisui returned, he had changed into a yukata and brought one for me as well.

"I've drawn the water for you, go take a bath."

The bathroom in Shisui's house was also very old, but it had been fitted with white tiles and filled with hot water, making it just as comfortable to soak in.

I submerged myself in the hot water, covering my eyes with a white towel, and let out a sigh of comfort.

Steam curled in the air, and the water rippled with a gentle sound. I turned off the light, and through the glass window behind me, I could see the moon. I leaned against the edge of the tub, my entire body relaxing to the extreme.

"Akatsuki, you've been soaking too long." I didn't know how much time had passed; the water had turned lukewarm. I continued playing with the medicated soap by the edge of the tub, pretending not to hear Shisui's calls, filling the room with the scent of herbs.

"Akatsuki?" Two more knocks followed, "I'm coming in."

The moment the sliding door opened, I splashed water at Shisui, laughing triumphantly as I watched him retreat a step in a disheveled state.

But I hadn't even finished laughing before I was subdued.

By the time I was wrapped in a bundle by Shisui and sitting on the veranda to have my hair dried, my face was already bright red.

That hateful little Uchiha!

In the tree, a few crows cawed against the moonlight, sounding somewhat desolate. They landed in the courtyard in groups of three or five, using the light to peck at the grains of rice on the ground.

I tilted my head back, looking at Shisui through the gaps in my hair, "Are these crows yours?"

"In a way. Ever since I can remember, they've always been here." Shisui said, pressing my head down while his hands never stopped moving.

For Shisui, the crows must have been his only companions in his early childhood.

"Shisui, start teaching me kenjutsu tomorrow." I suddenly grabbed his hand, my eyes burning with intensity.

"Akatsuki, you've been pushing yourself a bit too hard lately." Shisui frowned.

Having seen me laid bare in the bathhouse, he had witnessed the collection of bruises and scars on my body, and he was clearly displeased.

"I want to graduate early." I explained my reasoning, "This is Father's intention, and the desire of the clan as well."

Seeing his expression shift, I paused for a moment before hesitating, "And I myself..."

"Akatsuki, do you know what becoming a genin entails?"

Shisui's grip tightened, "The world outside is currently at war."

"I know..."

"Once you graduate, you will have to face the battlefield, and that place..." His voice sank, "is not somewhere someone your age should go."

"I..." I began to grow anxious.

"I know what you want to say," Shisui interrupted me, "but growth in ability cannot be rushed, and you certainly shouldn't force yourself to progress through such extreme methods."

He had guessed it all...

"Akatsuki..." Shisui covered my hair entirely with a towel, his hands stroking it gently, his tone filled with emotions I couldn't quite decipher.

"You are clearly still just a child; why must you live so exhaustingly?"

I froze, my fingers clenching tightly.

Since transmigrating, I had never spoken to anyone about the suffering and exhaustion of these past few years. How lonely, terrified, and out of place a soul from another world could feel drifting here—no one would ever know, and even less would anyone care. Because no one likes to listen to complaints, and no one keeps the hardships of others at heart.

My eyes turned red, and I sat there listlessly. My emotions drifted as I sat motionless, feeling the warmth atop my head.

I knew deep down that people could never truly understand one another unless they had endured the same tragedies.

Uchiha Shisui, a genius youth even more gifted than I. To the outside world, his halo shone brilliantly, yet no one knew how much hardship and heavy pressure Shisui carried that remained hidden from view.

Whether it was the special training he endured or the expectations of the clan, each was a pressure, a hurdle. If I, with the soul of an adult, could barely withstand it, how much more so for Uchiha Shisui, a child with no one to lean on?

This world was too cruel; there were too many things constantly forcing young children to grow up, their bodies and minds suffering devastation at every moment.

This world is too cruel.

But—

But in this treacherous and unpredictable ninja world, when Fugaku chose me to be his eldest son, when my mother pushed me into a strange family, and when I finally donned the perfect mask of Uchiha Akatsuki over these past five years, there was actually someone who still saw me as a child, seeing the real me hidden within.

"Little Akatsuki—" Shisui looked at me, sat down by my side, and began to coax me again.

"Sorry, I'm being too long-winded, aren't I?"

Shisui turned my face to look at him.

His eyes were as gentle and bright as ever, yet I was suddenly overcome with unbearable sadness.

Since my birth, I at least had a mother to confide in. But what about Uchiha Shisui? Who did he have to confide in, and what could he rely on? How many times had he stumbled along his path, and how much suffering had he endured?

Why, when he was the one standing in the rain, was his heart filled only with the desire to hold an umbrella for others?

Uchiha Shisui, what kind of person are you, really?

I lunged forward and hugged him, holding him tightly, wanting to offer him warmth.

Yet he smiled as he always did, his arms reaching out, and instead, I was enveloped by his body heat.

Under the eaves, Shisui and I were like two small beasts licking each other's wounds, or perhaps two leaves huddled close together in an autumn rain.

Only each other, warming one another.