During the New Year holiday, Itachi and Deidara moved to Rain Ninja Village, settling in the downstream area. It wasn't far from Zaraki Kita and Konan's homes—just across a river and over a high platform, only a few minutes' walk. Similarly, Kisame and Itachi's residence was nearby. The downstream section had only a handful of homes, all spaced reasonably close and largely secluded.
Zaraki Kita didn't need to take on certain missions. Even within Akatsuki, she was only called for particularly tricky tasks. Most of the time, she tracked intelligence she deemed necessary, or tasks Nagato and Konan requested. So for most of the year, she had plenty of free time. When intelligence needed gathering, sometimes months would pass without any action.
At present, she was quite free. Regarding Itachi, things were more or less settled. Beyond subtly influencing him, there was little that Zaraki Kita needed to do. Her method of influencing—a "spring breeze" warmth to guide this lonely, isolated boy through hardship—was met with Konan's casual skepticism. A family-annihilating killer? Your warm breeze can't compete with his parents.
Indeed, it couldn't.
Thus, the so-called "spring breeze" warmth was not delivered… yet. At least she could make herself known.
"Um… I'm sorry."
It was a sincere, formal apology, expressed with proper etiquette.
Time: an afternoon in the first month of the year.
Place: a rain shelter in the downstream area.
Characters: Uchiha Itachi and Zaraki Kita.
Itachi, who had moved in less than a week ago, had grown fond of this slightly worn rain shelter. He appreciated the freedom it offered in the village—times when he didn't need to be with a partner. During these moments, he would often buy a sweet dumpling from a local shop and sit in the shelter, eating while watching the rain or recalling amusing events.
When not on missions, Zaraki Kita was a complete homebody. She did venture out for groceries, and though non-humans weren't particularly welcomed, the villagers hadn't yet reached the point of completely refusing her business. Living nearby—or rather, having an actual neighborly relationship—led to occasional encounters. One evening, while Itachi ate dumplings in the shelter, he ran into Zaraki Kita returning from shopping.
There wasn't much conversation at first, but eventually, Itachi brought a chess set from a local shop when he went out for dumplings.
Thus, playing chess in the shelter became a natural occurrence. Occasionally, Konan, finishing her work, would check in and wait for her lover and the fourteen-year-old to finish a game, then walk home together. Today, however, it was still afternoon, and Konan was busy at the village administrative center. So the shelter held only Itachi and Zaraki Kita.
Zaraki Kita looked puzzled at the apology.
Itachi's expression was awkward. He pursed his lips and added softly, "The first day I met you… I didn't mean to look down on you. I was just a little surprised."
Ah, that had been over half a year ago. If Itachi hadn't brought it up, she would have nearly forgotten.
——No need to worry about it.
Zaraki Kita smiled and waved her hand in response.
Itachi felt slightly uncomfortable. A half-year-late apology lost much of its meaning. If it had been offered on the day of the incident, it might have carried genuine remorse. But delayed until the person no longer cared—or had forgotten—the apology only soothed his own uneasy conscience. Itachi didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at social interactions, let alone handling delicate, complex relationships.
"I'm sorry, I—"
——It's fine.
Interrupted, Zaraki Kita smiled calmly.
——Anyone would be surprised by that. You couldn't sign then, but now you've mastered sign language. If you truly looked down on me, you wouldn't have bothered learning sign language with your Sharingan, so it's fine. I understand.
Itachi felt a deep sense of relief. He had wanted to express this sentiment, but didn't know how. The unnecessary apology's tension melted instantly, leaving him with a feeling of release. He felt comfortable—beyond the fact that she was non-human, Zaraki Kita couldn't evoke any dislike in him.
Zaraki Kita moved a chess piece, glanced at Itachi, and gestured,
——I heard from Konan that you and Kisame paid a lot of money to the organization?
Itachi nodded, his expression gentle, lips slightly curved.
"Yeah, during a mission I accidentally broke a vase. The organization demanded compensation, which took quite a while to repay, but it's done now."
Looking at Itachi in front of her, he didn't seem like a family-annihilating killer. His light blue cotton yukata, mid-length braid without forehead protector, and warm smile gave him the appearance of a kind neighbor boy. It was hard to reconcile this image with someone who had taken on the deadliest missions, annihilated his clan, and left only his younger brother.
——Don't worry. Even Kakuzu and the others messed up missions when they first joined. Besides, since you're working for Akatsuki, protection from the organization is natural.
"It just feels right to own up to mistakes," Itachi said. "And that mission specifically said not to break the porcelain—I wasn't careful." He pushed a chess piece forward, narrowly avoiding a trap set by Zaraki Kita.
——Do you really feel that way?
Zaraki Kita pressed him again in the game. Itachi remained calm, unfazed by the peril on the board. He moved a piece to protect his "king."
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