Lavender Rain [TIME TRAVEL]

Arc One: A Different Type of Halcyon: The Misty Observation

"Oh, but that's the irony,

broken people

are not fragile."

It only took two weeks to get there, but oddly enough, the trip to the Mist was relatively easy for Uchiha Shisui, as there were no signs of civilian bandits or missing-nin. 'The calm before the storm' is whispered in warning in Itachi's voice, and Shisui found both the elder Haruno's pleasant company, though he could not decide if it was because one was a retired shinobi and the other still active. But he felt at ease in their company, something he hasn't truly felt since the nine-tails attack that happened five years prior.

Haruno Kizashi was as much as he was described in his profile given to Shisui before the mission began. He was a handsome man in a strangely quirky way, with his oddly shaped hair and sharp, yet kind, eyes. Shisui liked his jovialness and playful attitude. He was like a shaded tree, welcoming everyone to take a nap underneath him from the sun.

Haruno Mebuki was a witty woman with a sweetly sharp smile, and Shisui always felt that if he ever got on her bad side, he would suffer thoroughly for it. She was a smart woman, and Shisui enjoyed their light debates, exchanging stories and memories of his auntie Mikoto. 'If Shisui was a braver man, he would have teased his auntie about her genin shenanigans.'

The only one Shisui found any difficulties talking to was the young heiress herself, Haruno Sakura. The young teen couldn't help the furrow of his eyebrows as he thought about the quiet and solemn five-year-old who had been reading nothing but thick textbooks about the Hokage throughout their entire journey to the other village. The Uchiha had learned quickly enough that Haruno Sakura was not like the other children her age, but rather a child prodigy if his silent assumptions were correct.

"Ne Haruno-chan, what is it you're reading, huh?" Shisui mused as he gave the younger girl a bright and brotherly grin. The caravan had stopped to settle in for the night, and now they all sat around a warm fire as dinner was being cooked. The scent of summer was heavy to the senses, as salt clung to his scent ducts.

Haruno Sakura scrunched her nose up (and Shisui had to hold back the urge to poke it) as she looked up from the book she was reading. "I'm reading about the different Hokages, Uchiha-san."

Shisui's eye twitched at the honorific. 'I'm not like those stuffy elders of my clan!' "You can call me Shisui-nii, Haruno-chan."

Sakura gave a slow blink as her blank jade-green eyes stared at the elder boy for a moment. "Shisui......" she started slowly, before trailing off. "san." she ended, causing Shisui to hang his head.

"I guess we can work on that later." He muttered under his breath as he glanced down at the slender girl, who went back to reading her book with an utmost serious expression on her cute face. 'Ah, I really want to poke her cheeks. Is this how Itachi-kun feels around Sasuke-chan all the time?' "Do you have a favorite Hokage, Haruno-chan?"

Sakura gave a low hum as she turned the page and answered. "I do."

Shisui watched her eyes flicker between the words, "Oh, and who is your favorite Hokage, Haruno-chan?"

"The Shodaime, Senju Hashirama," Sakura replied with a small smile that was soft on her face. This was the first smile Uchiha Shisui managed to see from her since they started their trip.

"How come he's your favorite, Haruno-chan?" Shisui inquired with a quirk of his eyebrow.

Sakura glanced up again from her book to give Shisui another gentle smile, though this time it was directed at him, and for a brief moment her eyes seemed to fill with life again. Shisui felt his breath catch at how vibrant her eyes shone beneath the campfire's glow. "Because he built a safe haven for us."