He didn't mean for her to see. The way he stared at his hands... like they were curses. Itachi noticed her watching him too late. Planting his hands in on either side of him, he gave her a tiny, sad smile. Now she knows.
She was always looking at him.
Seeing such an expression on her friend’s face was surprising to say the least. The porcelain facade Itachi had carefully placed crumbled for a moment, revealing far more than anyone should see. It took Mika back to vague memories of the hospital where her cuts and bruises were treated. There’d been an older man in the same room, his face had the same look to it. Only there was a layer of terror as well, it had unsettled the girl and she had always wondered what happened to the shinobi.
Mika’s eyes went to her own hands, dark and littered with small scars. The red she could picture on them was a light pink compared to what Itachi likely saw on his own. Dark, warm, gushing red that never came off no matter how many times you washed. He was only 13 and Mika felt ill with that thought. For them this was normal, expected. For the specially skilled among them such traumas were easily hidden, some even took pleasure in know how much blood they’d spilled.
Itachi wasn’t like that. It was what Mika loved about him. His gentle nature, a boon and weakness for such a profession. So unfitting for a trained killer.
She wanted to protect that kindness, preserve the soft genuine smile he reserved for the people he cared for. Mika wanted Itachi to be untainted by the disgusting world they lived in. If only the red would wash from his skin, if only Mika could do that for him. She would take the red, every drop of it onto herself if it meant saving Itachi’s kindness.
Without speaking the girl returned the smile and came to Itachi’s side. With the greatest care she gently took his hands in her own. A silent vow was made in her mind. Mika would protect the gentleness of these hands, soft and fair despite scars and callouses from weapons. Until more people like Itachi existed Mika would never let anyone crush his spirit. No one would hurt him if she stayed by his side.
She will be a knight for the future king.
