Autumn Leaves [Itachi Uchiha]

1. We walk towards

Even now, you would never forget that day. It was the beginning of autumn; the leaves were beginning their transition from green to orange and the days were a little chillier. You were taking a walk in the forest behind the Shrine to kill off time.

And it was also that day. You met him.

Not having met any of the villagers, you were startled when you saw someone amidst the trees. You hid by the thousand-year-old tree and observed the figure. It was a young boy - maybe around 6 or 7. His black hair was pulled into a low ponytail and matching dark eyes looked around his surroundings before it landed on you.

The young boy was also surprised to see someone else here. In the search for a better training ground, he had stumbled across this forest. It was almost a perfect place to train, located not far from the Hokage rocks, with a range of different terrain. Yet, strangely, he saw no one else around - at least till now.

You stood before him stood next to a grand tree that reached its arms straight into the sky. The sun, filtered by the foliage above, cast a gentle light upon your form. You seemed like an angel that has descended upon him.

"Hello," he greeted you politely. But before he could introduce himself, your utterance cut him off.

"An Uchiha..."

The boy was visibly shaken as he looked down on the shirt he was wearing. But as he had remembered, today, he only wore a plain black shirt which didn't have the Uchiha symbol printed anywhere. He returned his now confused eyes to your figure. Seeing this, you hesitated, your brows furrowed together ever so slightly and you bit gently onto your lips "this is the Shrine of Fire".

'Shrine of Fire', everyone in the village knew about it. The sacred ground where the Maiden of Fire resided. The Maiden of Fire was a familiar name as well. The older generation often spoke praises of this Maiden - hailing her to be the guardian of the village. Although for the younger children, she was like the children-eating monsters from the folk tales - a story the adults made up.

"My apologies," the young Uchiha immediately fell to one knee, "it was not my intention to break into the Shrine". He must have accidentally taken the wrong path. Hearing no response, he glanced up quickly. Even with a glance, the boy was stunned by your beauty. Perhaps, beautiful was not the best way to describe you, the Uchiha had seen his fair share of beautiful people. A pure white kimono was draped over your form; you wore no extra accessories, only a small, orange ribbon loosely held your hair together. Yet no one could overlook you. You had a unique aura - it was calming yet dignified - one that made the people who have laid their eyes one you stare in awe. You held yourself tall and upright, yet boundless tenderness was held within your eyes. If someone could fit what he imagined the Maiden to be like, it would be someone like you.

"I will leave immediately", he said, reverting his gaze to the ground.

"Wait," you finally spoke. This time, he heard it more clearly. Your voice was gentle and slightly breathy. Yet there was also a sense of authority to it - it made people want to obey. "Don't tell anyone that you have come here and who you saw", you warned.

"Yes," he answered.

"One more thing," you spoke again. But before you continued, you paused and considered your words. "You can use this forest for training as long as you keep it a secret."

Now, this surprised the Uchiha; he had expected some kind of punishment. But instead, he has been granted permission to enter this sacred Shrine?

"I would not dare," he ended up refusing almost immediately after he recovered from his shock. Even though he was quite fond of this place, he did not like the idea of breaking the rules.

You nodded. You had hoped he would stay but found no reason to keep him longer.

"That eye. Be careful," were the words you left him before you turned away and left. A faint smile made its way onto your lips. What you had tried to do was ridiculous. This meeting today should have only been an only anomaly. At that time, you blamed your curiosity. You believed you were merely curious. Curious what it would be like to be human. Curious what kind of person would be able to break through the shrine barriers. Yet, as absurd as it may sound, perhaps at the time you already knew, he was the person you have been waiting for.

But for now, you had to return, return to the Shrine, return to loneliness.

The Uchiha watched as the small figure slowly disappears behind the trees. Even he could sense your melancholy. But, he took no action. You both had your different paths to walk, and that path should not cross. Though what you said at the end did confuse him, what did he have to be careful of?

---

When you arrived back at the Shrine, a hooded figure was already waiting for you. You didn't stop, nor did you pick up your pace, you simply steadily approached the figure.

"(Name)-sama" "Hokage-sama" you both greeted each other politely. You then led the way into the side of the Shrine where your meetings took place. You passed through several rooms, yet all of them looked the exact same. Each room only had the bare essentials; no additional personifications were made as one would to their home.

You soon arrived at a room with a small table and two cushions on either side of it. You headed to a small compartment that was connected to the room to prepare some tea while the Hokage took his seat at the table. His sky blue eyes watched you as you worked at the kitchen sink. No matter how many times he would come, he still couldn't help but pity you who had been trapped within the Shrine since you were born.

Hearing him sigh, you came out of the kitchen area carrying your small tray. "Is something the matter, Hokage-sama?" you asked, "this isn't time for our usual meetings".

Indeed, it has only been a week since your last monthly meeting. But after discussing with his wife, he decided it was best to confide in you.

"Kushina will be giving birth soon," the young Hokage said. You nodded, you were one of the first people to hear about this news. "We are thinking of selecting a place away from the village." Minato continued to explain.

"Are you sure? In these kinds of circumstances, I believe she should retreat into the Shrine. I can protect her here." you asked. Indeed, there were rare circumstances where the rules of the Shrine can show some leniency and you were sure the village elders would understand this decision.

"Even if the Nine-Tail was to be released, I will be able to reseal it" Minato declined. In the slim chances where the nine-tail was to escape, it would cause havoc in the village and he would like to avoid that. Not to mention, the Maiden was to be prioritised, even above the safety of his own family. As long as the Maiden exists, Konoha lives, that is what the Third had told him when he handed the role of the Hokage to him. Not to mention... If he, the Hokage, was to die, you had to be there to appoint the next Hokage with the help of the Elders. "When Kushina is giving birth, I want you to activate a protection barrier. Anyone, or anything, should not be able to exit or enter the village," he explained.

You nodded, "don't worry, leave the village to me". Even though you had never left the Shrine, you loved the village from the bottom of your heart. Every day you could hear laughter from the village below, you were sure it was a place filled with happiness and joy, worthy of your protection. So even without getting told, you were sure to protect it.

Minato smiled. Having you protect the village gave him a lot of reassurance. But as he thinks about what you had to carry on your shoulders, he can't shake away his feelings of sorrow. For as long as the village existed, the Maiden has been here to protect and guide them. Yet, she has been trapped here, unable to meet anyone other than the Hokage.

It was the rule to prevent the Maiden from interacting with other people. It was to make sure the Maiden would remain loyal to the Hokage, but more importantly, would prioritise the village over any personal emotions.

Theoretically, Itachi would both be tiny at this point in the timeline, but I think all the kids in Naruto are strangely mature so it's ok right hahaha

Originally published: 21/04/2020