Hello, Planet!

❤ A little girl with a big heart can conquer the whole world with her dreams. ❤ Kayla Usagi. Fourteen. Young healer and herbologist. To this world basked in love, "Ohayo! Ohayo!" To the day, noon, and evening, "Ohayo! Ohayo!" To 'you' that I missed so much, "Ohayo! Ohayo!" And to 'you' that just sprouted, "Ohayo! Ohayo!"

[vermilioncross]

Journeying into a New World

[vermilioncross]

Rinako flies across the sand with a sure-footedness that catches Sasuke by surprise.She hadn’t seemed so confident earlier in the comfort of her living room, but under the summer sun with the rush of the waves nearby she seems careless. She twirls around the rocks and seashells, her dress billowing around her, and doesn’t bother to look over her shoulder to check that he’s following her. She is a thing of single purpose, her destination the ocean.

His stomach tightens in envy. Sasuke never feels so free. At eleven-years-old he already has a job, a planned future. Were he a romantic like his brother, he might even go as far as to say that his destiny is carved in stone.

“It’s impossible to escape fate.” Itachi says one day. They’re in the elder Uchiha’s room at the time, Sasuke laying on the floor as he pursues one of the academy textbooks and Itachi sitting at his desk. The words are said without preamble, and Sasuke looks up in surprise, concerned at the look in Itachi’s eye.

He didn’t understand the look at the time, but he understood what Itachi meant. Like so many of their Clan, they are probably destined to live short lives and die brutal and bloody.  The knowledge is like a weight on his chest, suffocating him whenever he thinks about it.

Itachi tells him not to think about it. He says that shinobi should be selfless. A shinobi should be willing to lay down his life for people he doesn’t even know. Shisui, were he still here, would only laugh loudly, a twisted smile on his face. They say jump. We say: where’s the cliff? It hurts to think of his uncle, so far away and so many years gone.

The girl’s laughter breaks him from his thoughts. He glances up sharply, surprised to find her staring at him at the edge of the shore. The waves are rolling over her (bare) feet. She wiggles her toes, and Sasuke fights the urge to kick off his sandals and dip his feet into the water. It wasn’t easy running through the sand with them on, but he doesn’t feel prepared for the unexpected with them off.

Sasuke doesn’t feel prepared for anything right now, actually. He feels exactly like he should feel if he were normal: awkward and unsure in the face of speaking to a girl. Which is ridiculous. He’s already spoken to her already. That was back in the house though, with adult eyes watching over their interactions, and being free of the grown-ups has turned the tables. He opens his mouth and immediately closes it, tongue tied.

Rinako is still staring at him. Her bright blue eyes flash like the water and Sasuke looks into them cluelessly. They’ve come to a stalemate.

[sylvannymphe-blog]

His dark eyes are so much like Itachi's. She decides this as they continue their pointless little staring contest, and her heels begin to sink into the wet sand. She blinks, and just like that, it's over,

Someone has to say something, and out here, where there's no one to embarrass herself in front of but him, she may be able to vocalize some of her thoughts.

"Have you ever seen the ocean before, Sasuke-san?"

She says it quietly at first, knowing it would be incredibly difficult to hear over the waves, so she vocalizes it one more time, louder.The wind is whipping her hair in front of her face, stinging her cheeks in a sensation that is both pleasant and not. She feels silly now. Her behavior inside the house was so stupidly uptight and formal. She was trying to act like the doll her mother wanted her to be. 

Out here, with no one watching but the sun overhead and the sand and the waves, she could be herself. Kayla wasn't a troublemaker and she was most certainly a child with a pure heart. But sometimes she wished she could be loud or run in the house or leave her dolls out of the box. Out here it was different. She could build a sand city and tear all of it down, or flop belly-first into the waves in a most unladylike motion. 

It confounded her that Sasuke had possibly never experienced these things. She intended to remedy that.

Hidari had once said that the ocean could cure anything. She knew it was a lie; Hidari spent all of his time on the beach and his illness still hung on tight.But perhaps he meant something else. The ocean always cured Kayla of her shyness and most people let their inhibitions go. Even Hidari felt better out here. He and his friends were surfers, and one of her favorite pastimes was to watch them way out there, riding the waves in. Hidari had taken her out on more than one occasion. She was good at the sport herself, though she was too small to ride anything big alone.

But then, sometimes when he was surfing or sitting on one of the rocks, staring out at the infinite horizon, he looked healthy and whole. Like nothing could possibly be wrong with the world. Those moments made her happy, but they also tore her up inside.

She shook herself back to the present. Now was not the time to revel in the wonders of the ocean or worry about Hidari.

"I-It's really pretty, isn't it? It's even prettier when you're out there in it. Snorkeling is the best! There are so many fish to see and it's so colorful...!"

She wasn't sure why she was talking about it. His eyes were studying her again and she couldn't stand scrutiny, so she started babbling rather quickly. Surely the ocean was an interesting topic, right? 

[the-rolling-girl-blog]

The rather abrupt sound of the record playing itself out woke Kayla from her slumber, and she blinked her eyes open wearily, noting the dimness of the room. She wrinkled her brows at the irritating sound, willing herself to swing her legs off the couch and stand. She had to make it stop. And she did. yawning as she reset the soothing record and heard the first strains of track number one.

The sun was setting off to her right, flooding into the house through the open doorways. The shoji screens had been pushed aside to let the cool ocean breeze in, and it danced through the room, ruffling her curtains and gently stirring the objects lying about. The pages of her book gently riffled and she looked fondly down at it, noting for the millionth time how many times it had been dog-eared and how well-worn the spine was. It had been a gift from someone special.

The house was awfully quiet, and she could feel that she was the only one around. In the distance, she could hear the waves crashing and the distant call of gulls. The orange light of the setting sun gave her house a warm glow and made her want to lay back down to sleep. She resisted it, though, walking on bare feet down the hallway and into the kitchen.

The soft pats of her feet and the sound of the record player kept her company as she pushed the door open in this room as well, enjoying the breeze for a moment more. She brushed the stray strands of her long, inky black hair behind her ear, grateful for the strong hairbands her mother had given her recently. Her hair was waist-length and terrible about slipping out of hair-ties. These worked fairly well.

She started setting out ingredients then. She only had to cook for two, but she would make more than needed so that she could send some with him tomorrow. She dug out the rice cooker, bending and trying to tug it out from behind some pans without success. She huffed, moving them back to where they were supposed to go. The cooker came out easily enough then.

Once she had the rice cooking, she got out her ingredients, carefully chopping up the vegetables and battering the fish. The sizzle of the frying meat filled the kitchen with a savory smell. She closed her eyes for a minute, letting her mind wander.

Thoughts of the waves that would be coming in soon off the Southern tip caught her distracted. The soft feeling of lips on her neck startled her, and she would have cried out had it not been for the soft voice in her ear.

"Shhh.. It’s only me, Kayla-chan….~"

The deep tone was one she was intimately familiar with. Eyes that had previously flown open now fluttered their lashes as a rosy blush settled on her pale cheeks. His hair tickled her collarbone as he placed kisses along the exposed skin of her neck, and she had to pinch her arm as a reminder to mind the chicken lest it burn.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."

She could feel his hands smoothing down her front, catching gently on the ruffles of her dress as they moved to settle on her hips, holding her to him. She blinked once, twice, and sighed softly.

"Unless you’d like burnt tempura, Sasuke-kun, I’d advise patience."

His only reply was one more teasing kiss on her neck before he withdrew, the warmth of his strong hands suddenly retreating from her. She had to remind herself that she had asked for it.

He sat patiently at the table while she cooked, reading from a newspaper and making not a single sound. She couldn’t fault him for his naturally silent tendencies. His profession required it of him.

She served the food on their second nicest china, a gift from his mother. The nicest was also from Mikoto-san. He helped her with the rice pot, taking it from her as though it was a heavy load and she was but a fragile kitten. She narrowed her clear blue eyes at him in displeasure and got a soft chuckle in return.

Once the table was set, he pulled out her chair for her and she looked between him and it for a moment, not sure if he was up to his usual trickery or not. He winked at her and she failed at suppressing her answering smile. She sank into the chair as he pushed it in for her. She reached for the plates and served out the food while he poured the tea.

This was their routine. It was simple, and it required little talking. Their silence was companionable and enjoyable, not uncomfortable. When he bent to focus on his newspaper or take a bite with his chopsticks, she would sneak a tiny glance at him.

Sasuke had grown into a beautiful man, for lack of better words. His smooth, boyish features had grown quite wonderfully into manhood. His hair was soft and inky-black. Where Kayla’s was so sinfully black it was almost blue, his was like a sheet of darkness. His eyes were dark and could be lit with anything from anger, to lust, to amusement. She had been witness to all of it. His shirt dipped just enough for her to glimpse the beginnings of his muscular chest, and she reminded herself that it wasn’t appropriate to visualize what was underneath it at the dinner table.

Kayla tended to forget a lot in her husband’s presence.

He caught her staring and flashed that infuriatingly cocky smirk at her, sending a shiver down her spine. She turned back to her barely-touched food with a hot blush.

"Kayla-chan, you should eat more." he scolded playfully. "You toiled over a hot stove to make this, now enjoy it. Besides that," he punctuated his next statement with a point to her with his chopsticks, "you’re eating for two now."

The reminder of the tiny little spark of life growing within her was enough to make her nod in agreement with him, as much as she did wish she could rebel. Food hardly seemed appetizing these days since it seemed to never want to stay put in her stomach. Since they themselves had only just found out the other day, when she had woken up only to violently heave the last night’s dinner into their toilet, they had not yet informed their families of the little Uchiha’s conception.

Kayla was pretty sure that she still had a few weeks until her bump began to show, and that was when she wished to tell her parents. The Doctors, Mrs. and Mr. Usagi, surely would be delighted, but she found herself nervous about telling them. It was hardly believable even to herself.

At first, it had seemed as though she had caught a bug. Neither of them were expecting a baby. They had been careful enough, and her mother had warned them early on that Kayla might have a hard time conceiving due to her small stature and hips. The vomiting hadn’t particularly frightened them, and she had spent a few days in bed hoping it would wear off. But it didn’t, and their suspicion began to rise. Kayla finally gave in, and gently, with her hands laced with chakra, like her father had taught her when she was small, she had probed her abdomen ever-so-carefully. Sasuke had been gone on a mission at the time, unwillingly so. He hadn’t wanted to leave while she was sick, but she had assured him she would be fine.

She told him after she had cooked for him upon his arrival home.

What surprised her the most about his reaction wasn’t his immediate excitement, the shouting and celebrating that was so uncharacteristic of him nowadays, what with all of his worrying about clan matters and assisting his brother, Itachi, or his sudden panic over being a father. It was the way his emotions changed so quickly. After a moment of each of these, he had suddenly frozen, looking straight at her. Her heart had fluttered in her chest, and she had blinked blue, happy, tear-filled eyes at him. Then he was on her like a pouncing cat, twirling her around in the air in the middle of their living room. Needless to say, she was more than a little sore the next morning.

Zoning back in on the man sitting across the table from her, she realized she had cleaned her plate while absorbed in her thoughts. He had already cleared away the dishes and was now staring at her intently, his newspaper lying forgotten.

She swallowed dryly.

The record player played itself out later, making its irritating noise in the darkness of the night where none would hear. Eventually it turned itself off, leaving only the sounds of crickets, seagulls, waves lapping at the shore, and the soft, even breathing of two lovers lying tangled in the sheets.

[vermilioncross]

Journeying into a New World

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Sasuke blinks back at the girl, uncertain he’s heard her correctly. Did she intentionally name the doll after herself? They have the same jet black hair and her outfit almost looks like an exact replica of the dolls—lace and frills and skirts that seem to billow and fall everywhere. He’s willing to bet that their eyes will match as well, but he doesn’t get a chance to verify that this fact because as soon as he asks that question Rinako presses the doll’s face into her chest as if she thinks Sasuke might snatch it away. He shakes his head sharply. Like he’d want her stupid toy. 

Rinako scowls at him as if she’s read his thoughts and gets to her feet. Sasuke tilts his head, a beginnings of interest shining in his eyes. He doesn’t think this girl is a fighter. Her mother certainly isn’t one. Are they a family like Haruno Sakura’s perhaps? It isn’t common for ordinary citizens to have shinobi children, but it does happen from time to time. Interest peaked, he studies Rinako, noting the careful way she moves and her seeming distrust of him. 

“‘Kaa-san, can me and Sasuke-san go down to the beach?”

Expect the unexpected. That’s the shinobi way. Fugaku is always saying that, always beating into his second son the importance of never being caught off guard, but Sasuke still hasn’t grasped the concept that words can land blows as easily as fists. Rinako’s question seems to come out of nowhere and Sasuke’s expression of cool indifference slips away in favor of bemusement. Wasn’t she just glaring at him seconds ago? 

Sasuke turns to Itachi for assurance and quickly regrets it. Itachi has both of his eyebrows raised. For anyone else it wouldn’t be a bad thing, but Itachi isn’t just anyone. The slightest upturn of his lips can mean endless joy and the tiniest wrinkle by his eye is the promise of a storm. Itachi is subtle, quiet, crafty, and compassionate. He’s all the things that Fugaku constantly harps about and that Sasuke usually admires. Except that right now Itachi is doing his equivalent of laughing himself silly over the situation his little brother is in. Sasuke’s lips twist in response. 

No matter. He turns his attention back to Rinako. She’s moved closer to him while he was preoccupied with the silent conversation with his brother, and the look in her eyes has transformed from distrust into a curiosity that matches his own. He assesses the situation carefully. Even if she is a shinobi he’s certain he can handle her. Not because she’s a child. Children, Sasuke knows, can be the most dangerous of opponents; no one suspects them until it’s too late. No, it’s the fact that he’s been training non-stop for a year now that gives him confidence. Sasuke graduated top of his class and has been hailed a genius. This girl doesn’t look like she’s seen a fight in her life. He nods, resolute. 

"That sounds…interesting." 

Sasuke hesitates on his wording. If Itachi wasn’t listening, he might have said “fun”, but when other Clan members are around he can’t let his mask of maturity slip. Despite the fact that he’s not even a teenager, he’s a ninja and is expected to act like one. Ninja do not play. They don’t have fun. Rinako’s words have a pull that he can’t resist, though. The scent of fresh sea breeze already tickles his nose. Just the promise of sand on his skin has him curling his toes. Maybe just this once. 

Without waiting for further approval, Rinkao races down the hallway. “Well?” she calls. “Aren’tcha gonna come, Sasuke-san?” 

Sasuke blinks in surprise, sharing one last meaningful look with his brother before following after the girl. She doesn’t wait for him. He chases after her discomboberated voice, following it through a hallway out down a tiny staircase and into the Sakyū-jō sunshine. The rolling and crashing of the ocean can already be heard, but it must be in the distance because he can’t see it. All he sees is the shining waterfall of Rinako’s black hair. 

"How far is it?" 

Hitched breath. Pounding footsteps. Neither of them stops; Sasuke doesn’t ask a second time. The green grass turns into brownish sand and Rinako tosses off her sandals with a practiced move, twirling in spot: arms out, head tipped back, skirts billowing out like a cloud. A flock of gulls fly overhead, screaming. The waves lap onto the beach. Somewhere deep down Sasuke admits to himself that it really is just as pretty as he imagined it would be. Even more so, actually. 

[sylvannymphe-blog]

The fact that he is following her has got to be a good sign. She has no patience whatsoever, so she's glad she doesn't have to call back to him. Being a child of the shore doesn't make her any less eager to reach the water's edge as she positively flies down the steps and into the sand. The sand dunes block their view of the ocean, but the sound of it is already quite loud.

It's very normal to Kayla. It's the lullaby that sings her to sleep every night when her parents are too busy to come and kiss her goodnight. It's her music when she's alone in the house and she is too short to reach the record player or the radio. The ocean is her one and only constant companion, her best friend. Everyone else leaves, But the ocean is constant and yet always changing.

The sun is very bright today, and it glares off the sand blindingly. She's too preoccupied with running in the sand, huffing and puffing from the effort, to look back at her new companion. The boardwalk over the dunes is just ahead, and she reminds herself of this as she dashes forward on stubby legs, kicking up beautiful white sand that contrasts against her dark hair.

They're over the boardwalk and back into the impossibly fine sand quicker than she'd like. But now she is nearly there, and she finds herself in the wet sand that borders the surf with its comforting spray and salty smell of the sea. There are sea shells underfoot and she dances around them somewhat gracefully, twirling happily and letting a peal of bubbly laughter mix with the crashing of the waves. Her sundress is a nuisance now, as she has already determined that she will be getting wet.

She stills suddenly, letting the surf wash over her bare feet and cleanse her legs of the sand sticking to them, a bright and happy smile dominating her features. She'd like to throw off her dress and jump in, since she was wearing her bathing suit underneath. (As would any sensible ocean-reared child.)

But as for that, she supposed it was time to acquaint herself with this boy. After all, she had heard so much about Uchiha Sasuke-san.

She turned to look at him then, quickly locating his dark hair and clothing on the brilliantly white beach, watching him for a minute in interest, unable to find anything to say. She had never been that good at first meetings, anyway, They may have been introduced earlier, but it was not the same as meeting for the first time.

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Journeying into a New World

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Yukiko ushers them inside—all smiles—but Sasuke doesn’t miss the warning glance Itachi shoots him. Behave, it seems to say. He juts out his lower lip in response and scowls, displeased with being scolded when he hasn’t done anything. All he did was make Yukiko laugh. That’s not a bad thing. Why does Itachi have to be so uptight all the time? It’s obvious that whatever they’re doing here is just going to be another round of stifling politeness, so he scuffs the toe of his sandal on the wet ground and lollygags, dragging out his last few moments of freedom. 

When he can’t possibly wait any longer outside without Itachi coming out to forcefully drag him inside, Sasuke walks up the steps and heaves one final sigh of frustration before going inside. Their house smells like freshly cut flowers and sea breeze. He scrunches his nose, unsure if he likes it or not. Like so much of what he’s experienced in this village, it’s very different than what he’s used to. Itachi gives him another reprimanding look and Sasuke rolls his eyes in return.

You’re wearing Father’s face again, he wants to say. Itachi seems to be doing that a lot these days. Maybe it’s their destiny to end up like Fugaku. He shakes his head at the thought, not wanting to examine it too closely. Their father isn’t what Sasuke considers a nice person. 

He slips shoes off and arranges them neatly before wandering inside. The first thing he notices is the walls. They’re white just like the ones at his own house, but whereas Mikoto adorns her walls with photos of the family these people have painted vines on theirs. Sasuke traces them with his eyes, hand hovering over the dark green paint, wanting too touch but knowing that he probably shouldn’t. Once he realizes what he’s doing he clears his throat awkwardly. 

"Pretty."

Immediately after he says it Sasuke kicks himself for choosing such a girly word. If Uncle Shisui were here right now he would never hear the end of it. Sasuke’s heart gives a tight squeeze at that thought. It’s been over a year since Shisui left for his mission and news of him is getting scarcer by the day. Itachi says that’s how war works; Sasuke says he doesn’t care. Logic doesn’t make him feel any better. Luckily, Yukiko just gives him a smile and murmurs a gentle “thank-you". 

It’s only after this exchange that Sasuke notices Rinako. She’s sitting on a rug, looking as neat and prim as can be, but the dolly clutched to her chest ruins the effect. He wonders how old she is. Seven? Eight? Maybe younger, if her toy is any indication. It’s been years since Sasuke played with anything. Kunai and scrolls have long since replaced teddy bears and shiny toy trucks in his world. Big blue eyes watch him curiously, and he inclines his head in her direction. 

"Hello," his voice is as mild and friendly he can make it. “Does, um, your doll have a name?" 

He’s grasping at straws here, desperately searching for something to say, but he’s almost certain that little kids like to name their favourite toys. Itachi gave him a stuffed sheep when he was about three or four and it had a name. Sasuke doesn’t quite remember it anymore beyond the fact that it started with an “m", but he does recall whispering all his secrets into its chewed ears and pretending it was a friend. Rinako probably does the same thing with this doll.

[sylvannymphe-blog]

Kayla did not expect to be addressed. That was not on her current agenda. He hadn't acknowledged her earlier when his brother had sat her in front of him, and now he chose to do so? She had no idea what to say, her mouth opening and then closing with no words coming out in between.

Said doll did, in fact, have a name. It was simply Rin, like her name, but how was she supposed to explain that without interrupting her mommy and Itachi? She blinked, once, twice, and then three times, and finally managed to answer the dark-haired boy. "H-Her name is Rin." She hugged the doll tighter, discarding the brush beside her.

And then she realized that the conversation had stopped, and that both adults were watching she and Sasuke. She wanted to hide but knew she couldn't, so instead she put Rin to the side, in the nearest chair, and wobbled to her feet, trying not to pull her own hair in the process of getting her feet on the floor. 

She noticed immediately that the boy probably had six inches to a foot of height on her. This made her scowl, as a ten year old is prone to do. They were across the room from each other and she could already tell he had the advantage. Still, her curiosity having the better of her and with the idea of listening to the adults talk already boring her in the back of her head, she found her courage and moved forward. 

"'Kaa-san, can me and Sasuke-san go down to the beach?" She hardly even glanced at her mother, eyes trained on the boy in front of her and concentrating on not falling down. The girl was notoriously clumsy,

She didn't know if Sasuke had seen the beach before, but she figured anywhere was better than in here. She made it across the room and the rug without falling on her face, much to her elation, and found herself at the taller boy's side. She listened for her mother's approval, and then she didn't hesitate. Feet that were carefully picking their way across the room a moment ago now raced toward the hallway, not waiting to hear if the boy was following. She forgot to excuse herself in her haste, and felt a pang of regret instantaneously. 

Skidding to a stop in the doorway, she flailed her arms to catch her balance and latched onto the doorway, turning to look behind her.

"Well? Come on! Aren'tcha gonna come, Sasuke-san? You can put your stuff in my room, if you want!"

All shyness forgotten as the prospect of playing in the waves brightened her mood, she practically bounced in her place. Boy, was poor Sasuke in for it now. Shy Kayla was gone and in her place was the ball of energy known for exhausting brothers and dads and keeping moms up till all hours of the night.

[sylvannymphe-blog]

OOC

((Guys! I'm going to be working on this blog today. Under the link for Character Information in my description will be things like a biography, headcanons, rules, and other stuff. I'll also try to link to these things from the main blog page. (This will require some fiddling with the HTML, so expect that to take a while.)))

[vermilioncross]

Journeying into a New World

[vermilioncross]

Sasuke is accustomed to soft-voiced people. Or, more truthfully, his brother. Itachi is the type of person who can go hours without a single word and doesn’t find the long stretches of silence to be uncomfortable. Sasuke has to prompt him into speaking the majority of the time. On the rare occasions when he speaks of his own accord, his words are beautiful, as if he’s been pondering them for long periods of time before bearing them to other souls. So when Kayla speaks Sasuke doesn’t find it unusual. He just raises one slender black eyebrow, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

"I’d like the answer to that as well, actually." He turns his attention back Itachi. “What’s going on here?" 

[sylvannymphe-blog]

As the Uchiha seemed to turn his attention from her, she relaxed. She also turned to look at Itachi, anticipating an explanation from the teenager.

The eldest Uchiha present turned to look at her mother, who still standing there watching them, wringing her hands with an expression that let you see her inner thoughts. She was still unable to get past how cute they were. She seemed to be shaken out of it when Itachi asked politely, "Yukiko, would it be alright if we came inside?"

Her mother, being the beautiful and polite woman she was, immediately switched into hostess mode. Most of the time, this would have Kayla groaning out loud.  Her mother had a terrible habit of dressing her daughter up like a doll for their guests and having her help serve food and refreshments. Instead of that,  Itachi was ushered in and the two children were left to follow. She scrambled after them, not wanting to be left alone with the young boy.

Itachi followed her mother to the living room after discarding his shoes and observing the proper formalities. She watched him watch his own brother like a hawk, making sure he did the same. It seemed that he was very strict on his brother. It was a bit like he would expect her to be had she not already been a good child in the first place. Kayla always obediently observed each formality like a princess, taught her mannerisms at an early age. She was sure that Sasuke knew his as well. She had caught on, in Itachi's stories of him, that Sasuke-kun was a defiant child and very headstrong.

Kayla immediately blushed as she followed them into the living area, seeing her dolls in a disarray. (In all actuality, they were neatly put in positions as if they were having tea or doing other household tasks). Without a word from her mother, she began scooping them up and putting them back in her elaborately painted toy chest, smoothing their dresses and hair carefully. She only kept one out. It was nearly as big as her, and it looked like someone had turned her into a doll. It had been a gift from Itachi last summer, and it was her favorite doll.

She waited, listening for Sasuke to take a seat, wondering what he would do. When she finished cleaning up her mess, she sat on the rug in a neat pile of skirts. She didn't speak and instead waited. She was taught that she was to sit and be quiet unless addressed. Brushing her doll's hair, she watched Itachi, (and his brother, by extension) with curious eyes.

[vermilioncross]

Journeying into a New World

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Sasuke follows his brother up to the door, hovering just a few steps behind him, despite how improper it is. A guest is supposed to present themselves to the hosts so that they can be looked over and approved. Itachi doesn’t correct him, however, and Sasuke is relieved. He hates looked over from head to toe, as if he’s some street urchin that might forget to take off his shoes or swing from the chandelier and drink from the facets. Itachi wraps on the door softly—once, twice, three times—and claps his wrists behind his back. Sasuke does the same but doesn’t fail to notice how Itachi manages to remain calm and still while he wrings his hands. Nervousness is unbefitting of an Uchiha. He squeezes his fingers tightly. 

"Where are we?" he asks. 

"Hush." Itachi says. His voice is as low as a midnight whisper and his eyes flick up to the door screen, making sure that no one has overheard them. “You asked a variant of that earlier and received no answer." 

A protesting growl rumbles in the back of Sasuke’s throat. 

"Manners." His voice is chiding. " You’re not an animal, and it doesn’t do reflect well on the clan, or yourself, to be so disrespectful to those who are about to take you in." 

Sasuke freezes. “What?" 

Their conversation is cut short by the loud creak of the doorknob turning. It opens just a crack, one blue peering out at them for a second as if to get their measure. Sasuke silently approves of this cautious approach. Itachi must as well because he gives a tiny nod, backing down the steps with his hands raised at chest level. 

"Uchiha Itachi of Konohagakure, ma’am. I believe you’re expecting me." 

There’s a soft yet audible sigh of relief just before the door closes once more. Sasuke frowns, not comprehending, but Itachi waves off his concern without having to look back at him. Seconds later, the sound of clang of locks can be heard. Sasuke only frowns deeper. It’s not the safely measures; he grew up in a clan of ninja and is used to such precautions. In comparison to the compound, this place is hardly locked. Sakyū-jō isn’t a nin village though, and if normal civilians need to take such precautions than they aren’t normal civilians at all. 

"If you won’t tell me where," Sasuke says, “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me why either." He glares suspiciously at the back of his brother’s jacket. 

Itachi shakes his head, but says nothing. The eye from the doorway has materialized into a woman. She has long brown hair, vivid blue eyes, and a soft expression that makes Sasuke suspect she might be a mother. He’s often seen Mikoto with such a look. The lady glances between the two of them, raising an eyebrow, but otherwise doesn’t voice the question. It’s never wise to demand answers from ninja, Sasuke supposes, when you can’t fight them. 

"Hello, Itachi." 

"Yukiko," he returns. Unclasping his hands, he reaches up and scratches the back of his neck. It’s slowly turning red, and not because of the way Itachi’s well trimmed finger nails are raking at it. Yukiko. Sasuke smirks with amusement and wonders just how many times Itachi had to insist that calling this woman by her first name was impolite before he finally gave in. “It’s peasant to see you again."  

"And equally pleasant to meet you." Sasuke pipes up. There’s a mischievous shine in his eye and Itachi turns from Yukiko and widens his eyes, a silent tell off, but that only makes Sasuke play even harder. He wraps a hand around his waist and bows, full out grinning at the ground as he holds his position. “Shall I call you that as well, or would you like something more formal?" 

Yukiko—and Sasuke doesn’t blame Itachi for floundering in his use of her name, for it feels awkward even in his own head and their father is always harping about how impolite his second son is—laughs in reply. Sasuke glances up at this, slightly memorized. She’s a small thing. Shorter and slighter than his mother, but while Mikoto laughs like a silver bell this woman laughs with her whole belly, loud and contagious. Despite himself, Sasuke grins. 

"You can call me anything you like, dear." 

She goes to return his smile, but something catches her attention out of the corner of her eye and her eyes widen, as if shocked, the smile slipping away from her face for a second. Sasuke, overly hyped about his first out of village mission, immediately thinks attack and is reaching for his kunai when a small bundle of fluttering fabric bursts out of the house with squealing yelp and flies into his brother’s waiting arms. Sasuke blinks, unsure of what to do. His hand hovers half way to his hip holster as if he’s still debating on whether or not to draw his weapon. 

"Yours?" he asks, directing his question to Yukiko. 

It’s Itachi who answers, however, twirling the girl in his arms in a high, wide circle before setting her down right in front of Sasuke. “Rinako, I’d like you to meet my little brother, Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Usagi Rinako." 

[sylvannymphe-blog]

Her moment of elation at the sight of her second-most favoritest person in the whole wide world (excepting her parents, of course) was short-lived. No sooner had she felt herself flying than she was on touchdown, not even getting to ready her landing gear as she stumbled a bit on short legs, wide-eyed. 

Crystal blue eyes met black eyes as she blinked at him, furrowing her eyebrows as she regained her bearings, pale and chubby arms outstretched to keep her balance. She stared up at the the lithe boy, noticing that even though he also had a childish look about him, he was toned. He looked like he did work and lots of it. Of course, as soon as his brother introduced him, she placed him in her mind.

This was the Sasuke that she so adored. Itachi had told her so much about his little brother, and all of that whirled through her tiny head in a confusing jumble as she faced him for the first time.

he looked like his brother. They had the same eyes and the same color of hair. Where Itachi's was silky and smooth, Sasuke's was fine and spiky. Either one would make her want to run her fingers through them. Sasuke's face was more feminine than his brother's but the girl didn't know how to put this into words. Unless she said, "You look like a girl." But she actually wouldn't do anything but stand there and look at him, dumbfounded. Her shyness had yet to kick in, and his studying of her had also gone unnoticed as of yet.

She didn't notice her mother's shiny blue eyes as she smiled into her hand, unable to bear the cuteness of it. Nor did she anticipate Itachi's eyes studying them both carefully. She did sort-of expect her father, in all of his lab-rumpled glory, to poke his head around the corner and take in the situation with interested eyes.

Mostly she just studied the boy in front of her, too petrified to move. She hated being forcefully introduced to someone. She took in his dusty travel-worn clothing and the hand hovering above some sort of pouch. She had no idea what it would hold. Finally, unable to rest her eyes anywhere, she trained on his headband. The one that matched Itachi's. She flushed red now, finally realizing that she too was being scrutinized from the tips of her bare little feet, to her pretty blue cotton sundress, to her blunt bangs and long ruffled hair. Unable to do anything, she let her arms drop to her sides, petrified.

"A-Ano, N-Nani? Wh-What's... What's going on...?" 

Her voice was barely audible, so soft and small that they might not have heard her had they not all been silent. Her parents were used to her soft-spoken personality. Itachi knew as well. It was just Sasuke who would not know. He was also an unknown. She had no idea what he would think of her.

[yumekaze]

[yumekaze]

[vermilioncross]

Journeying into a New World

The first thing Sasuke notices is the smell. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s very different. Konoha is about heat, the spice of desiccated leaves and the dry crunch of dead grass under foot. Sakyū-jō is a direct contrast. The scent of seaweed, driftwood and a myriad number of other things Sasuke doesn’t recognize. He sniffs the air, determined to catalog every smell so he can figure them out in his leisure time. 

"You get used to it." Itachi says without preamble. He’s walking ahead of Sasuke and cranes his neck to glance at his little brother, a vaguely sympathetic look on his face, but Sasuke just raises an eyebrow. 

"Used to what?" 

"This," says Itachi. He makes a twirling motion with his hand as if to take in everything around them—the ocean rolling and roaring on one side of them and the little fishing boats lined along the shoreline, the calling gulls, the trees so bright and green with life. “It takes a few weeks to adjust, but eventually you stop scrunching your nose up at the odd scents and you learn to gawk a little less obviously." 

Heat blooms at the base of Sasuke’s neck and follows up to his hairline, colouring his usually pale cheeks a fleshy pink. Apparently he wasn’t being very discrete. He can hear Fugaku in his head, insisting that it is not befitting of an Uchiha to make his desires apparent. A shinobi must use stealth. A shinobi is a shadow. Sasuke, as an Uchiha, should be the embodiment of these things. 

Only he’s not. 

Sasuke harrumphs loudly. At eleven, he isn’t stealthy nor is he very good at keeping his opinions to himself. He is simply Itachi’s kid brother, allowed to tag along on missions simply because Fugaku and Mikoto are tired of him constantly being underfoot. If he didn’t like spending time with his brother Sasuke would put up more of a fuss about constantly being shunted to the side. As it is he just shoves his hands deep into the pockets of his shorts and trots along behind Itachi, looking slightly displeased, and receives a poke on the forehead for his attitude. 

A protest springs to his lips but, as always, Sasuke quickly swallows it back down, afraid that Itachi won’t listen and half afraid he actually might. He isn’t sure which option would be worse. Blatant disregard or lack of any form of affection? Itachi does not hug, does not read him bedtime stories or tuck him in at night, does not say ‘I love you"s. The pokes on the forehead are annoying, but Sasuke understands (or at least he thinks is does) the meaning behind them. So he simply fixes Itachi with a half-glare, rubbing his forehead. The spots were Itachi’s fingers were seconds before seems to burn. 

Throwing caution to the winds, and assuming that he can’t possibly make his curiosity any more obvious, Sasuke asks: “Where are we going?" 

"If I told you I’d have to kill you."

The way Itachi says it, voice warm and humorous, implies that it should be a joke, but it isn’t. Sasuke might have been allowed to tag along with his brother, but that’s only because his parents have the leverage to make such a thing possible. He’s still a Genin, and this is still a mission. Whatever they’re doing here is probably classified. Another deep, petulant sigh. Being a child is bites sometimes. Itachi simply shakes his head, a smirk creeping at the edge of his lips, and turns back to the road. 

They trudge along for a while after that, neither of them taking, the wet slap of their boots on the pavement filling the silence. Sasuke bides his time by staring at all the unfamiliar sights, despite his brother’s advice. He’s been outside the village before, but never this far, and every sight and sound fascinates him. Do they have birds like that in Konoha? Are the rabbits here bigger, or is that his imagination? Sasuke isn’t sure, and he just lets his thoughts whirl, puzzling everything out, until Itachi puts a gentle hand on his shoulder and tells him they’ve arrived at their destination. 

[sylvannymphe-blog]

Kayla's world is very small considering that she lives on the edge of a body of water that stretches the whole world over. It consists of her little village, her house, and her family. Her mother and father were both doctors and were often very busy, and her brother was very sickly. He had a lung condition that impaired his breathing and often he ended up winded if he played very long. He also occasionally had attacks that terrified the small girl. She would be ushered from the room by her parents when this happened, never allowed to stay by his side no matter how much she wanted to.

This summer was the first time that her world had changed. It would have been okay had she known that it really wouldn't be that long, but a little nine year old girl's mind would never wrap around the fact that her brother would only be gone for a few months. Just summer. To a nine year old, months could be like years. And to her little nine year old brain, being away from the brother she idolized was incomprehensible. Last summer was unbearable. But then he had come home, and she had forgotten. But now it was happening again.

He had been gone for two painful weeks now. The boy, Itachi, had come to get him a month ago, staying with them for two weeks. He and her brother were best friends. It both mystified her and didn't at the same time. Hidari was warm, caring and perfect, and Itachi was kind and he had a very nice presence. Of course they got along. Hidari always made friends with everyone effortlessly. People were drawn to him. Even her little brain could comprehend it. Kayla was the opposite. She was small to the point that people thought she was still five or six. She was pale, frail, and her round face and big, doll-like blue eyes made her look like a porcelain doll. Her hair was black, falling to her waist in a sheet of black satin. And above all, she was shy. She couldn't stand being the center of attention and clung to the people she knew like her life depended on it. She had one friend in school, and the girl went away on holiday each time summer break rolled around.

When Itachi had first arrived last summer, an envoy from the village called Konohagakure, (Kayla always messed up her pronunciation of the village name and often said something along the lines of "Konohakugare," much to her embarrassment.) Kayla had found him intimidating and rather scary. His black clothing and the weapons that dotted his figure were disconcerting in a home full of instruments of healing. She hid behind her mother's skirts and watched with round eyes as their talk went on, really not sure what they were saying. She only knew they were talking about her older brother, Hidari, the brother that she hero-worshiped.

After serious conversation was over, her mother asked Kayla to escort Itachi to his rooms. At the moment, Hidari was recuperating from an attack in his rooms, so Kayla dared not use playing with him as an excuse to escape. Thus she was forced to help her mother by showing Itachi around, clinging to her and looking up at him with wide eyes, protesting silently. It took her by surprise when she was offered a warm smile which immediately reminded her of her brother. Her answering blush was crimson as she peeked at him from behind her mother, watching as he knelt and held out a hand to her. He didn't say anything, It felt like he didn't need to, honestly. She looked up at her mother for reassurance, only to find herself being pushed forward, toward the teenager and his dark eyes.

The petite ten year old barely had a moment's protest before her mother, Yukiko, slid the shoji screen door to the hall shut with a warm smile. "Rinako, this is Itachi-kun. Please show him to his rooms for me, Darling."

Thus the little girl was left alone with the big, bad ninja. She looked up at him and swallowed nervously, then looked at his offered hand, and, shaking out her hair to clear her fear, placed her tiny hand in his. He smiled down at her. "So, your name is Rinako-chan, ne?" She nodded, caught between fleeing, freezing, or fainting. She did none of the three, thankfully. "E-Eto, y-yes, but um, well, most p-people call me Kayla..." She watched him carefully for a reaction, leading him down the long hallway of their family home. It was an ancient house built to accommodate a whole clan, and as such, it was huge. "Is that so? My name's Itachi. I think both Kayla and Rinako are lovely names." The blush that covered the then-nine-year-old's face was darker than before, and she murmured a quiet thank you.

He kept asking her questions as she led him, and even managed to keep her talking once they were in his rooms. Slowly, he made her comfortable around him, and within three days, the hero-worship she afforded her brother became his as well. He told her exciting stories and was so gentle with her, playing all kinds of games with her and smiling at her like she was special to him. She would come to find out that he had a younger brother a year older than her and that he missed him very much. Then it became her favorite hobby to hear about "Sasu-kun."

Itachi had departed with her brother after three weeks and took her heart with him. His charming of the Usagi family complete, he whisked her brother off for a summer of healing in "Konohakugare."

This summer he had come and gone all the same, taking her brother with him once again and once again leaving a sullen, tear-stained little girl with no one but her dollies to play with.

This was how the current day and time came to be. Kayla was sitting in the living room in her sundress, hair falling down her back and pooling on the floor as she played with her dollhouse. The shoji screen doors were open to the ocean breeze and her back was turned to the front walk. She was in her own little world, silently pouting because Itachi-Nii and Aniki weren't there to play with her. 

The knock on the door-frame was unexpectedly loud, but it didn't really surprise the little ten year old. Her mommy and daddy often got house calls. She kept her back turned, watching as her mom started for the door. She pushed herself to her wobbly feet and joined her, sticking close behind her to see who had come calling. She hoped it was the old woman she called "Obaa-chan," even though she wasn't really Kayla's grandmother. She would always give the little girl something sweet when she came.

She got distracted by a dragonfly that had landed on the wall, half-listening to her mother greet the visitor. She realized at the voice that it wasn't Obaa-chan, though she could barely hear him as he spoke quietly and the waves were rather loud. The dragonfly chose that moment to fly away, zooming past the man's head and out into the blue, and she stepped after it, eyes trained on it. And then she saw who it was.

She threw herself forward, startling her mother and nearly tripping over a stray doll in the floor. He bent down to meet her, arms outstretched with that smile she so adored. And then she was there. "Itachi-Nii!" She beamed happily, giggling as he twirled her around. She was so happy to see him that she failed to notice his companion. It looked as if she was about to meet the infamous "Sasu-kun."

[usagirinako]