#ryū no ryokan [ canon verse ]

[kusunokihime]

[ @turtle-medic ] [ Starter Call ]

     It’s become everything she ever wanted.

     With the war over and done, the world and its people healing, this is exactly what they needed. With Konoha’s help, the village she was born in, stolen from, and returned to has regrown from the ashes and become a place of peace, healing...and purpose.

     While running it is nearly a twenty-four hour job, Ryū revels in it, knowing she’s making a difference and breathing life back into her homeland. Any village (though primarily Konoha) can bring its most needing patients here for the care and peace they need to heal.

     And that’s precisely what’s happening today.

     Having received word that Konoha is bringing a small batch of specialty patients escorted by one of their medics, Ryū herself meets them at the entry to the village, smiling warmly as she beholds a rather famous brunette: Nohara Rin, the unintended jinchūriki of the sanbi.

     Bowing respectfully, she then asks, “You must be Nohara-san, correct? I already have the rooms for these patients ready. We can go get them settled in, and then you can all rest after your travels!”

[kusunogatari-a]

[ Welcome Home ] [ @kyuuzuchiha ] [ Suigin Ryū, Uchiha Sasuke, Tsunade, Hatake Kakashi ] [ Verse: Ryū no Ryokan ]

When everything is said and done, she’s just glad she has a home to return to.

After a string of struggles - what parts of Sasuke’s training they had the time for; hunting Itachi; the subsequent seeking of revenge against Danzō, the Kage; the war…Ryū is exhausted. Never in her life did she guess a simple medic would get involved with anything of such a scale…let alone survive it all.

So after the finale, Sasuke’s trial, and the tentative re-settling of the world…she wants nothing more than to just go home. Not to the little house in Konoha. She can’t go back. Not after everything Sasuke went through…everything she learned about the village that put him and his family through Hell. Where she never really felt she belonged, anyway. Konoha may not be completely evil - simply where a few had put their roots - but nor can it be home.

The travels with Hebi, rechristened Taka, led to changes in the medic she never thought she’d face. Though she still feels much, overall, the same person…there’s still a knowing that she’s not.

Once Sasuke is cleared of his charges and given back his reins, there’s a handful of years he simply…disappears. But not in a way unexpected - if anything, she more than understands. If she herself can’t bring herself to stay…however could he? And though he left without warning, she knows why he didn’t say goodbye.

Because he won’t be gone forever. Because there’s no need to say farewell with the understanding between them. He’ll come back. It’s just a matter of when. When he’s ready.

In turn, Ryū insists on relocating. Despite Tsunade’s arguments and Kakashi’s appeals, she refuses to back down. Konoha needs rebuilding. Replanting. Its roots have been shaken and what grows again must be better than before. And though she could be useful…she’s tired. Tired of being useful. There’s a promise to return…someday. Impermanently. But after so long of calling home a second place to live…she knows it’s time to go back, and regrow her own roots.

The time alone is spent as it was during her training. Caring for the manor, reinvigorating the remnants of the village she needs to survive. It has everything she needs, if only she gives the effort.

And all the while, she waits.

It’s in the Spring two years after the war’s end, up to her knees in the paddies along the river, that the shrill cry of a hawk widens her eyes and lifts her head. The avian circles and spirals down before carefully alighting upon a proffered arm, extending a message-bearing leg.

Short, and to the point.

I’m coming home

A few days later, the tripwires beneath the torī gate echo with a body’s passing, and they’ve hardly begun to still again before she’s out the door and running barefoot. The winding path along the river falls to her footsteps, crossing bridges as the trail dictates best before she meets him. And as over-the-top as she knows the action to be, and how likely above and beyond it is, Ryū can’t help but run into him full-force, staggering them both back several paces before coming to a stop.

“…I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

The manor greets them both, and it’s not long before they’re each seated with a cup of tea. Leaned against Sasuke’s side, there’s little need for talking, just each quietly taking in the presence of the other.

“Have you been here all this time?”

“Can’t you tell?” is Ryū’s reply, light with teasing. “It’s been a lot of work getting things functioning again. You should have seen the weeds in the paddies when I got back.”

Sasuke gives a soft huff of a laugh. “Well, you’ll have an extra hand with that from now on.”

“I’d better.” There’s a long sigh. “…it’d be a lot easier if this place was still a village like it once was, ne? Many hands make light work, after all.”

Dark eyes slide to their corners to give her a glance. “…why can’t it be?”

“…you mean besides the lack of people, buildings, and general appeal?” is her dry reply. “Who do you know that would want to come live up in the mountains, with only water wheels for power, so cut off from everything else?”

“You want to be here, don’t you?”

“This is where I was born. I’m a bit biased.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

Ryū breathes another sigh. “…I don’t…”

“You might be surprised who would find a place like this more appealing than the hidden villages right now,” Sasuke rebukes. “Certainly not all, or a majority…but likely more than you think.”

For a long moment she doesn’t answer. “…well, it’s not something that could be done in a day, anyway. The only things left besides the manor are rotting, charred foundations and old bridges that probably need work. It’d take a lot to get things up and going again…and even if there is some kind of appeal to it…it’s less so with so little to start with.”

Quiet reigns for a time, Sasuke’s gaze caught out a sliding screen. It’s one of the valley’s many foggy days, the warm valley air and moisture hitting the cooler atmosphere up between the snow-capped peaks.

“…onsen…”

“Hm?”

“The hot springs,” he muses with a nod of his head toward the outside. “…there’s a number of them, right?”

“I…yes. The mountain range is volcanic. It’s the same system that makes the springs to the north, in Yu no Kuni. Why?”

“…that’s your appeal.”

Watching Sasuke as he speaks, Ryū’s gaze eventually follows his own, blinking with a brow furrowed in thought.

He sees he has her attention. “You told me when we first came here…the manor was built big in preparation for a clan that never grew. It has rooms. Even if it’s just to start, until you can build something else…it could be like a ryokan. This valley used to be self-sustaining. It could be again. You could raise all the food, run the springs, book the rooms…it would take work, and likely help, but if you could get it going, I bet it’d run just fine.”

“…it’s so out of the way, I -”

“You keep saying that like it’s a bad thing. People like getting away from it all. If you can make this place seem worth it, they’d get here one way or another.”

“There isn’t even a road!”

“Hire someone with doton to put one in.”

Ryū deadpans. “You talk as though I’m made of money. I might have my own valley, but that didn’t exactly come with its own fortune,” she teases.

“No, but you have to give something to make something. Just…think about it. You could advertise it as some healing getaway. Get all those old folks with money up here thinking it’ll help them live longer. Maybe even have some actual patients up here if they need long-term, more natural care. Those with money could help pay for those who need your help.” Sasuke gives her a glance tempered between stern and imploring. “…you could breathe life into this place again, if you want. You don’t have to - it’s yours to do with as you please. But if you want to see it filled with people again…it is possible.”

The healer goes quiet, eyes flickering back and forth as she stares at nothing and thinks. It seems so far-fetched at a glance, and yet…

“…I’ll think about it,” she eventually relents, looking back to him. “Not exactly something I can or should decide so quickly, ne?”

“No. Food for thought, is all. If it’s what you want, you can make it happen.”

“I think you’ve vastly overestimating me,” she retorts with a smile.

“Or perhaps you’re the one underestimating yourself.”

Ryū gives a sigh that dissolves into tired laughter. “…I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

Once the sun sets behind the valley walls, Ryū lingers along the master quarter’s balcony, arms folded atop the railing and staring out into the dark. Along her left arm, her right-hand fingers trace along the paths of her scars in thought. Sasuke’s musings have plagued her all day, and as ardently as she tries to push them aside, they insist on stealing her sleep.

…she knows Yamato. Vaguely, at least. His mokuton would make short work of buildings. The manor can serve as the ryokan proper, just so long as she can ensure her own quarters would be kept from guests’ prying eyes. And she’s more than certain that her teacher could help provide the chakra necessary. The same could be said of anyone she’d find to create a road from Hi no Kuni’s floor and through the mountains. As loath as she is to disrupt the forest, hopefully it could be done with minimal interruption. There would be bathhouses to build for the springs, quarters for the inevitable staff she would need for the onsen, the ryokan, the crops and likely shops that would follow the money of the visitors. Animals would have to be brought up, raised, and tended to. The fields - most of which have just been beyond her means - will have to be ploughed, seeded, irrigated…and all that just to feed people. Hopefully she can rely on more natural sources of power, given how limited it is up here - fire for lights, and cooking. Maybe a more “rustic” experience is marketable…

And when it all comes down to it, she just might have the leverage she needs to get a running start. If she can strike a deal with Tsunade - promise Konoha healing for its most needing here for little or no charge - she might be able to get the necessary shinobi help to get things going. And Sasuke is right - if they can attract tourists with ryō to spend, they should be able to keep themselves afloat in spite of Konoha’s allowances.

…it would take time, work, and manpower…but she just might be able to do it.

“I figured you wouldn’t be sleeping.”

Having sensed his approach, Ryū doesn’t rebuke him. “…you’ve planted quite the seedling idea in my head. It insists on my attention, and now it’s growing out of control.” There’s a sigh, head bowing before she half-turns to look at him, doubt in her eyes. “…do you really think it would work? That I can do this?”

“I think we can do this,” he shortly retorts, arms crossed in his yukata. “You hardly think you’re going to be doing it alone, do you?”

“Well, no, but…”

“Then stop phrasing it that way. The more you do so subconsciously, the more you’re going to worry.” Stepping up beside her, obsidian eyes flicker about in the darkness before glancing to her. “…I know I’ve been gone for a while.”

“You needed to -”

A slight furrow of his brow cuts off her interruption. “…I know you’ve been doing this all by yourself. And before we met, you did the same. You’re used to being on your own, even after the time we spent traveling with the rest of Taka. And once that was over, you slipped right back into that mindset. It’s easy for you to do…and I know why. I do the same.”

The Uchiha’s expression manages to soften. “…neither of us have to do that anymore. As alien as it feels, we’re no longer alone. I know it’s reflexive to doubt it. But if you think we went through everything we did to end up not having each other’s backs…you’re vastly mistaken.” A brow perks. “You held my soul in your hand. What about that makes you think we’re not stuck with each other?”

A sheepish kind of guilt lowers Ryū’s gaze. “…I didn’t…mean it like that…”

“Yes, you did.” Just a hint of amusement lifts the corners of his lips. “I’m not chastising you, Ryū. I’m just trying to get it through to you.”

It’s her turn to furrow her brow, risking a glance back up. “…it…?”

Sasuke can’t help a light sigh. She can be just as oblivious as Naruto sometimes, he swears. His right hand threads fingers with her left, and his brow comes to rest against her own, feeling her tense. “When I say you’re not alone…I mean I’m here with you. For as long as you’ll have me. By your side, facing anything.”

Greys widen, staring into charcoals even as they threaten to spill.

His tone softens, lowers, slows. “Because there’s few, if any, who know what I know. Who have felt what I’ve felt. Who understands as you do. And I’ll be damned if I’d ever let a person like that go. When I say you’re not alone…I mean it’s because we’re not. Together.”

She’s shaking like a leaf, barely daring to breathe.

Sasuke looks hung up for a second, caught in a kind of indecision. But apparently he overcomes whatever obstacle there was, because he finishes his rebuttal with a simple, “…it means I love you.”

To her own surprise, Ryū doesn’t crumble right then and there…maybe because, in reality, she already knew that. It was never plainly said, but…more than implied through actions. It’s not so much a confession as it is an affirmation of an unspoken understanding. Nevertheless, she still has to swallow thickly before murmuring, “…I love you, too.”

In return, a kind of apprehension melts away from his expression, and a warm, true smile lifts his lips, gaze softening. “…we’ll do whatever you decide. This is your home. One you’ve chosen to share me with. If it’s what you want to try, I’ll stand by you. Success or failure, I’ll still be here. We’ll make due. If I can help take down a rabbit goddess, I’m fairly sure I can handle anything else Life can throw at me. At us.”

Ryū manages a shaky laugh. “…I guess that’s true. Anything else is rather mundane in comparison, isn’t it?” There’s a pause, her gaze torn aside with thought. A small part of her, admittedly, is loath to let strangers into her home. But the rest knows she could do good here. Hot springs are good for one’s health. This place, the home of her clan, has always been one of healing and respite. And she could help those who need more intense care - she could continue her work, but on her terms. In her home, without Konoha breathing down her neck. And the valley could be filled with voices again.

It helped her find herself once before. Maybe it can do so again.

“…we’ll talk about it more in the morning…for now, I think I better try to sleep.” Ryū gives a weary smile. “Not sure I’m up for much more tonight.”

“Understandable. Best get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Ryū watches him turn to go, hesitating a moment before imploring, “…stay?”

A glance is tossed over Sasuke’s shoulder, gaze unreadable.

“Just…so we’re not alone?” After a pause, she adds, “…I know it’s selfish, but…I’ve missed you. It’d be nice to just…have you near. Like when we traveled…?”

There’s a blink, and then a hint of a smile. “…I was hoping you’d ask.” Reverting his retreat, he joins her in shuffling beneath the futon’s covers, eventually settling into stillness.

For the first time since their parting, she sleeps with a smile on her face.

When morning comes, Ryū rests on her left side, feeling Sasuke’s chin atop the crown of her head, arm slung over the dip of her waist. Judging by his heart rate and chakra patterns, he’s about as deep into sleep as he can get. And as guilty as she feels for leaving, she manages to slink away unnoticed downstairs. At first she thinks to start breakfast, but…something else pulls her outside.

Leaning against the archway of the manor yard’s gate, arms fold into her yukata sleeves across her middle, staring out into the rest of the vale. There’s clouds of lingering morning fog, but sunbeams struggle to part them as it rises over the eastern peaks. Dew adorns every aspect of green, catching the light and turning everything crystalline.

Here and there, steam rises from vents and springs, adding to the misty, almost ethereal atmosphere.

This is probably what she loves most about home.

It’s not long before she senses Sasuke’s approach, resting his chin on her shoulder. “Have you been up long?”

Smiling at the gravel in his tone from sleep, she shakes her head. “No…thought I’d just…come out here and see if I could picture it.”

“Mm…” Silence for a moment before Sasuke asks, “And…can you?”

Ryū sighs. “…I think so.” A hand begins pointing. “The onsens, of course, would have to be near the pools. I’ll have to map out just how many there are, but…there’s more than enough for a women’s set of pools, men’s, and a unisex. Any smaller ones we could put private rooms near.”

Sasuke listens, a small smile on his face.

Pointing west, she goes on. “Most of the old farmland is that way - I’m sure the old fences for livestock have all but rotted away…they’ll have to be rebuilt. It’ll be far cheaper to raise our own than have it brought all the way out here.” A moment to think. “…we can put staff houses over there…and if anyone wants to open shops, they’ll probably go more east. We can put on festivals for the holidays.”

“That would be nice…” His head tilts to glance at her. “…you’ve put a lot of thought into something so hypothetical.”

“…maybe it’s not quite so hypothetical anymore. Besides, if I want to do this…I need to do it right. Plan for every detail. This place used to run completely autonomously. It had everything we needed…and it can be that way again. I’m sure of it. I can still do my work, and we can be at arm’s length from Konoha.”

“…just that far?”

“We’re going to need their help,” is her tired reply. “Yamato-san would be able to do the building so quickly. And if I can make a deal with Tsunade - offer my help with patients in return for their support - it will be all the smoother.” Ryū, in turn, glances to Sasuke. “I know it’s not ideal, but…it would give us a much-needed boost.”

“…this is your little project. Do whatever you feel you must.” After a few moments of silence, he asks, “…so, will you do it?”

Staring out into the valley, something in Ryū’s heart thrills like a struck temple bell. “…I will.”

They take a few days to lay out their plans - every detail - figuring out just what to say to convince Konoha to lend their aid. Ryū can only hope the village will find enough worth in the endeavor to let them try. Once they’ve accounted for every argument, every loophole, they take their leave and make their way back to the hidden village.

It’s only a two day trek, and yet something about it brings a comfort Ryū now realizes she’s been missing: traveling at Sasuke’s side, staring into a campfire’s flames off the roadside. They can’t be nomadic - not anymore…not now - but the small taste of what was helps ease her into the fact that he’s returned. And that this time, he won’t be going anywhere.

To her dismay, their return doesn’t go unnoted. Pardoned or not, Sasuke still has his reputation, and both stares and whispers follow them as they go.

“Don’t worry about it. You know how they are…just need something to talk about.” He hardly seems bothered, expression lax and gaze trained ahead. Sparing Ryū a glance, there’s an expectant raise of his brow. “There are far worse things a person could do than sling a few words around behind my back. It’s fine.”

She knows he’s right, of course. But that doesn’t stop the sour glance aside. “Still doesn’t make it okay.”

“We’re here for a far more important purpose than telling off some gossipers, Ryū. Don’t let it bother you.”

She bristles up for a moment, prepared to counter, but eventually deflates. …if only they knew. Knew what he’s faced, what this place has done to him…! That would make them think twice… It still irks her, how everything that happened is just…left in the past, unaddressed. It feels wrong.

Her posture wilts further with a sigh. …at least he won’t have to put up with it much longer… From here on, she’ll handle Konoha on her own.

For now, however, it’s the pair of them that approach the administration building, let in without a hitch thanks to a hawk sent before they’d left. Within the Hokage’s office is Kakashi behind the desk, and Tsunade beside it. The Godaime still gives an ever-so-slight narrowing of her eyes, but Kakashi offers no reaction beyond a subtle smile that squints his gaze.

“Ah, you made good time - Tsunade-sama made it here just before you did.”

“What is this all about?” the blonde cuts in, clearly in no mood for small talk.

Ever practiced in Tsunade’s shortened temper, Ryū doesn’t take the blunt inquiry personally. “I have a proposition for you - for the village. One that, I believe, will benefit us both.”

“Does it involve you coming back?”

“…no.” There’s a moment to regather her patience. “…I want to rebuild Kusunokizan.”

Both Kakashi and Tsunade’s brows lift in surprise. “…and how would that benefit us?”

For a moment, a retort sits atop Ryū’s tongue - a counter quip asking about how Hi no Kuni’s supposed forces did so little to protect them from destruction in the first place. But she swallows it down, instead offering, “I want to turn the manor into a ryokan - one with two purposes. One for guests for onsens built from the hot springs, and the other to be like…hospice care for those who need it from Konoha.”

That gets Tsunade’s attention. “…go on.”

Ryū then lays out her plan, going into every detail, every step that would take them from now to then. “There’s so much potential there - potential that should not be wasted. All we need is Konoha’s assistance, and we can make it a reality. In return, we will accept any patients requiring long-term care for no charge from Konoha and their allies.”

Kakashi, having only asked the occasional question, leans back in his chair, expression thoughtful as arms fold over his chest. “…so, you can continue your work, and remain home.”

“Exactly. Those within Konoha who need our help the most can get it without cost - in a place that’s without the stress of a hospital, or the rush of a hidden village. Be it for a recovery…or for their remaining days.” There’s a slight wilt to Ryū’s shoulders. “…my home has been empty for twenty years, now. I want to see it live again. The ryokan, the onsens…it’s all part of a wish to see it full of faces again. To make it a place of healing again. I know I can make this work! I just need a little help to get going - then there won’t be anything standing in my way.”

The Rokudaime tempers into a smile. “…well, it sounds like a veritable cause to me…don’t you agree, Tsunade-sama?”

Ambers flicker between Ryū and Sasuke. “…he will be staying with you?”

“Yes ma’am.” Without hesitation, Ryū’s left hand takes his right.

Tsunade gives her scarred arm a glance, and something softens in her gaze. “…very well. I’ll draft up the official documents, and get the people we need. We’ll help you with construction of your requested buildings, and the road. Then we’ll have to determine what supplies you’ll need, and a loan for them you can begin to pay back with your services once you’re on your feet. As for finding employees…you’ll have to vet them yourself. I’m not about to hold your hand through everything.”

Ryū can’t help a small, wry smile. “Of course not.”

Official negotiations take hours. With each agreement Konoha relents, their debt stacks a little higher. All throughout, Ryū pays sharp attention, not letting anything slip. Only every so often does Sasuke interject, leaving most of the talking to her. Instead, he takes to watching her from the corners of his eyes, a hint of a smile on his face.

“And with that…I believe we have our framework,” Kakashi finally announces, the windows behind him long dark. “It will take time to get things organized, but hopefully within a few days, we can get started!”

“Thank you again for your help,” Ryū offers, giving a respectful bow. “I’m sure we’ll all come away from this making lives better.”

“I believe we will.” Handing her her copies, Kakashi gives Ryū an eye-crinkling smile. “We’ll let you know once we’ve got everything ready on our end.”

The young healer gives a curt nod of her head. “We’ll remain in Konoha until then.”

Only once they’re out of sight of the administration building does Ryū sag against a wall with a shaking sigh. “Gods, I’ve never been so pent up in my life…”

Sasuke gives a soft snicker. “You held up rather well. Come on…we should get some food in you, then some sleep.”

“Sasuke?!”

The pair glance up to see a familiar face, which wastes no time closing the gap between them. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you two! Where’ve you been?”

“Home,” is Ryū’s short reply, giving Naruto a weary smile. “Sasuke only just got back a few days ago.”

“Then…what are you doing here?”

“…how about we find a place to sit and eat, and we’ll fill you in, ne?”

“Sure, sure!”

It’s not a meal with Naruto unless it takes place at Ichiraku’s. With Naruto on Sasuke’s left and Ryū on his right, the pair of them explain their endeavor in a handful of words.

“Whoa…that’ll be awesome! I’ll have to come spend a week or two, eh?” The blond gives a grin. “Come drive the teme nuts for a while!”

“I’d like to see you try,” is Sasuke’s retort, taking up another mouthful.

“We’d love to have you,” Ryū amends, giving Sasuke a look, but not without a smile.

Watching them for a moment, Naruto blinks before squinting. “…wait a minute…”

“Hm?”

Humming thoughtfully, he looks them both over for a long moment, Sasuke’s expression blank while Ryū’s is simply confused.

“…what’s all this ‘we’ stuff, huh?”

“…what do you mean?”

“Everything you’ve said! It’s been ‘we this’ and ‘we that’ - is there somethin’ I don’t know about?”

“I fail to see how it’s any of your business,” Sasuke rebukes, pointedly staring at his bowl.

Ryū giggles into a hand. “Well, Sasuke is staying with me, in Kusunokizan. He’s going to be helping me.”

“…mm.” Blues squint further. “…and?”

Flushing pink, she just replies, “…and what?”

“Are you, y’know…a thing…?”

“Naruto, your habit of butting in my business clearly hasn’t gone away while I’ve been absent.” The Uchiha’s tone is a bit more growling, eyes sliding to their corners. “There’s enough gossiping going around without you giving anyone else something new to talk about.”

“But you are, right? It’s totally obvious! You were all googoo-eyed a second ago!”

Ryū blinks. “…was he?”

“I don’t do googoo eyes,” Sasuke retorts.

Hesitating at his slip of temper, the medic puts a hand on his arm. “He’s just teasing you, ne?”

Sasuke sighs, shoulders losing their tension at her touch. “…as always.”

“There, see! You just -”

“Naruto!” Ryū cuts in, giving him a sheepish smile. “Maybe not now…ne?”

The blond just pouts, arms crossing with a harrumph. “Teme finally gets a girlfriend and I don’t even get to give him any crap about it…”

“There’ll be time for that later,” Ryū assures him with a laugh. “For now, we’ve had a long few days. We’ll probably be in the village for a few more - maybe we’ll catch up more after we’ve had a chance to rest, okay?”

Naruto considers that before sighing. “Yeah, yeah…I’ll butt out. No sense being a third wheel, ‘ttebayo…” Putting down his fare, hands stuff in his pockets before managing a softer grin. “…still. Good on ya, Sasuke. It’s about time.”

Watching him go, it’s Ryū’s turn to exhale. “Some things never change…”

“Tell me about it.” Getting as close as Uchiha Sasuke can get to pouting, he pushes his bowl up and digs out some ryō. “If you ever consent to him staying for more than three days at a time, I might do something drastic.”

Ryū just laughs. “I’m sure you could survive more than that.” Abandoning her stool, she takes his hand in both of her own, tugging him with a warm smile. “Come on - it’s still early yet. Let’s wander around for a bit, ne? We’ve both been away two years, after all!”

With Naruto gone, Sasuke softens with a small smile. “As if I can refuse you.”

They wander the thoroughfares for a time, hand in hand, just watching the village settle into night. She has to admit, part of her missed this…but she also tells herself there will be lights and laughter back home soon enough. She just has to be patient.

Taking a room at an inn, Ryū sits along the bed’s side as Sasuke readies for the night. It’s almost like the day hasn’t sunk in yet. Sasuke’s weight settles behind her, drawing her glance over her shoulder. “I guess now we play the waiting game.”

“Consider it a practice in patience.”

She scoffs, smiling. “I’ve mastered senjutsu - I have the patience of a saint.”

“After everything I pulled you through, I think I know that better than anyone.”

There’s a hum of agreement, joining him beneath the bedclothes and resting her cheek atop his shoulder. “…things are going to get hectic for a while.”

“I think we can handle it just fine.”

“That we can.”

A few days are spent in Konoha, leaving the Hokage to their business until they hear back. Until then, the pair mostly just hang about the village - browse shops, wander streets, peruse cafes, and simply sit about and watch the village go about its days. And every so often, a familiar face comes up and says hello, surprised to see them - especially Sasuke.

Saying a fond farewell to Hinata, their latest companion, Ryū gives a light sigh. “…it’s strange how much people have changed in just two years, ne?” When there’s no reply, she turns to see Sasuke with a hawk on his arm.

“Looks like we’re ready to go.”

As she’d expected, they find Yamato among a small group in Kakashi’s office, alongside a doton kunoichi and several fūinjutsu specialists.

“They’ve managed to condense your supplies into some scrolls,” the Rokudaime explains, gesturing with a hand to a stack of them on his desk. “Just…be sure to be careful when unsealing them, eh? Don’t need you being crushed. Otherwise…I think you’re free to get started!”

“Well try to be quick and get these two back home soon,” Ryū replies with a smile. “You’ll have to pay us a visit once everything’s up and running, Kakashi-senpai.”

“That I will.”

Once the group of them make it back to the foothills of the mountains, Ryū and the doton user take the lead, mapping out the best route for the road. “I’d like to make it as…unintrusive as possible.”

“Sure, sure! And maybe Yamato-taichō can put a small something halfway up - y’know, in case there’s rain and people need a place to duck out.”

“That’s a great idea!”

Within the valley proper, the kunoichi splits off to go back and start her work, and Yamato puts hands on his hips. “So…you said there’s someone here to help with chakra?”

“Mhm!” Sending Fubuki up the mountain to fetch Suigin, Ryū uses the time to point out where everything will go. “I hope it’s not too much?”

“Depends on what your friend can help out with.

In spite of herself, Ryū smirks. “I think she can handle it.”

Behind her, steam obscures the path down the peaks, billowing out until clearing to reveal the dragon sage.

Yamato pales.

Declining her head, Suigin offers, “You have need of my help, little one?”

“Yes, shishō.” Explaining the plan, Ryū delights as the sage nods.

“Simple enough. Shall we begin, Yamato-san?”

Expression still shocked, the shinobi just nods.

Following Ryū’s instructions, the group begins work on buildings for staff, for shops, for onsens and livery barns. By nightfall, the silhouettes of them peer out of the mist.

Nevertheless exhausted, Yamato and the kunoichi both take to sleep almost immediately after Ryū ensures they have a home-cooked meal.

“I hope they’re not too overtired,” she muses as Sasuke dries the dishes she washes.

“They’re shinobi - one day of work, no matter how straining, isn’t about to kill them.” There’s an amused glance her way. “You worry too much.”

“If you were a medic who knew almost anything that can go wrong with a person, you’d do nothing but worry, too.”

“…fair enough.”

Within a few days, the road reaches from Hi no Kuni’s floor to the entrance torī gate, and every building on their list is empty, but built.

Thanking the pair again, Ryū sends them off after rest and one last meal, staring out at the work they’ve done. “…this is real, right? I’m not dreaming?”

“If you are, then so am I.” Arm around her waist, Sasuke stands at her side. “Now the hard parts, hm?”

Making up flyers, Ryū sends them to every major village in Hi no Kuni. Advertisements for the positions she needs filled, giving a romantic view of the project. And slowly, people begin to arrive.

Vetting them takes time, but eventually she starts to get an official roster for her staff. Farmers begin to work the fields, bringing families to fill the houses. Onsen workers receive training, ryokan staff being beating back the tide of dust in the manor, and the livery handlers begin fence repairs as animals are brought in. And within a few weeks, they’re ready to start as the time flies with the rush of preparations.

All the while, Ryū juggles the financials and schedules, thankfully at least partially prepared after some of her work in the hospital. Sasuke lends aid, and together they find a shaky foundation.

“…now to just find people to come.”

More flyers. More enticing offers to try and bring people in. And at first, no one does. Nerves wind tighter with each passing day, Ryū taking to staring out toward the road with a worried hand at her chin.

But then it starts. All of a sudden, like a floodgate’s been opened, an entourage of people appear. Taken aback and yet eager, Ryū starts settling them in as she’s been practicing for weeks, all smiles and polite bows.

Not far behind them, to her surprise, is Kakashi. Giving him a suspicious look, she can’t help but ask, “…was this your doing?”

“There might have been a kage meeting a few days ago,” he admits, looking aloof. “…and I might have mentioned it. And I might have urged the others to mention it, in turn, to their more up-and-up citizens.”

“You did not…!”

“I said I might. Plausible deniability, Ryū.”

Expression shocked, she eventually laughs. “I think my debt just got a whole lot deeper, ne?”

“Give me a room with a good view, and we’ll call it even.”

The days are busy, from sunup to sundown. But Ryū relishes in it, working alongside Sasuke to keep things under control. After the initial rush, things settle into a pattern, and everyone seems to find their niche. Each night finds them all exhausted, but with a humbling sense of accomplishment.

Standing out in the balcony one night, Ryū just…looks at the lights, and listens to the voices of the voices in the ryokan - all merry, some tinged with drink. Even at this hour, guests linger in the pools, and the homes of the locals are still lit from within.

It doesn’t feel real.

There’s no surprise when Sasuke joins her, embracing from behind. “Is this how you imagined it?”

“…and so much more. Look at this place, Sasuke…look how alive it is. How happy.” Overwhelmed tears bead along her lids. “…I never thought I would see something like this. It’s just…beyond what words can say. It’s not just some empty graveyard of ghosts and half-forgotten memories. It’s real again.” She draws a shaky breath. “…it’s not empty. I’m not alone…”

Sasuke softens, bringing his head around to her cheek with his own. “…no, you’re not. And never again will you be. Look at all you’ve done.”

“It was your idea,” she retorts with a sound half-sob, half-laugh.

“And together, we made it happen. But you know you’re the heart of this place. It was your home before it was anything else. You opened it up to a future - brought it life and light again.”

Chest near bursting, Ryū’s eyes close in contentment, nuzzling against him softly.

“…welcome home.”

     THIS IS SO LATE I’M SO SORRY. I’ve had blocks like you wouldn’t believe OTL Also it got really rambly but tbh I love writing stuff like this so I just...went overboard. Also because I wanted it to be worth the darn wait, lol      I also adore this verse and writing them together in it just...! Is good. I’ve never written a prologue to it before, just stuff after it’s all been said and done. So this was neat to write!      I hope it was to your liking! And not too all-over-the-place like my longer stuff tends to get, aha~ If you want anything changed let me know, but for now I’ma go collapse cuz GOLLY this is long xD      Also since this IS for the giveaway doohickey, just a quick thank you, Boo, for you being a mutual for all this time. I adore writing with you, and I hope this is a lil something given back to show my appreciation ;w; <3

[kusunokihime-a]

ღ Rubbing your leg against theirs under the table.

[ Acts of Affection ][ @despairinghxpe ][ Accepting ]

     She’s technically breaking a self-imposed rule, reading over a dossier at the table. Typically avoided as both a means to keep from spilling on the document…and dividing her attention. So though she’s turned to the center of the table, eyes of grey are drawn aside as she none-too-subtly tries to read.

     …key term tries as something - or someone, rather - attempts to steal her attention back with a stroke of his leg.

     “…ah…?” Peeling her gaze from the paper, Ryū turns to Itachi with a questioning look, brow furrowed as he keeps his eyes on his food, her own still held half-aloft. A blink, and then a knowing smile. Two can play at that game, shifting her weight to press her knee to his own. “Gomen…guess I’m a little too focused.” Work is never-ending when you literally live amongst it.

     But surely she can let it lie for a little while. Nothing wrong with getting a little…distracted.

[kusunokihime-mobile]

Sugin Ryū

INFO

Full Name: Suigin Ryū Age: 20-22 (default, varies by verse) Date of Birth: October 15th Ethnicity: Native of Hi no Kuni Orientation: Panromantic / Demisexual Gender: Cisgender Female Residence: Konoha; Kusunokizan Occupation: Regenerative surgeon in Konoha Hospital Kekkei Genkai: White Hands of Healing, River of Vitality Chakra Natures: Yin; Yang; Yin/Yang Blood Type: A- Location associations: Hi no Kuni; Konoha; Kusunokizan Team: N/A Rank: Sage

BIOGRAPHY

Ryū was born in a village in mountainous northeast Hi no Kuni known as Kusunokizan, wherein her clan was based. The clan, with the surname Suigin, had always been focused around medical ninjutsu and defensive barriers: a peaceful clan with no shinobi training. When the village was attacked when Ryū was only four by Iwa rebels, she remained the only survivor, found later by Hi no Kuni ANBU cleaning up the bodies.

Taken to Konoha, she was deemed unfit for adoption due to her kekkei genkai (the village wanting to keep her isolated as a ‘valuable resource’). When it came time to join the Academy, she refused, insisting to be trained solely at the hospital to hone her medical ninjutsu. The council relented, giving her private lessons for the basics in her village-assigned quarters when not training under other medics.

By age twelve, she was certified as a full-fledged medic after completing the necessary exams. Joining the staff full-time, she worked diligently to continue her work and further her training as she was able.

When Tsunade returned to Konoha, the Sannin admitted to recognizing Ryū as the daughter of someone she knew briefly before the girl’s birth. Given a new interest in her roots, Ryū put in a request to revisit her home village, wanting closure about her past. When she arrived, she found the ruins of her village, but also the singular dragon sage, Suigin, that had called the mountains home for centuries, and was the source of her line’s prestige. Desperate to further her training and learn more about her past, she decided to stay in the ruins of her home to receive the training she would have had, had the village never been destroyed…including her sennin state, barriers, and powerful medical ninjutsu.

She remained in Kusunokizan for nearly three years, returning shortly before Naruto when her teacher heard from the other sage, Gamabunta, that great change was coming over the land. Feeling she would be needed, she decided to return to the village to lend aid however she could. With fully-mastered medical ninjutsu and sage arts, she is a force to be reckoned with, comparable to Tsunade with her healing prowess, and capable of mighty defense with her barriers. Though she has no combat training, she can hold off most shinobi with her defensive techniques, never resorting to violence, but able to hold her own nonetheless.

PERSONALITY

Ryū is a rather muted individual, usually presenting as shy, quiet, and polite. She always uses honorifics unless previously asked not to, or if she has a very close, personal relationship where they are not needed. Caring and maternal, she abhors violence and confrontation, playing peacekeeper in volatile situations. She can be stubborn, especially when defending her beliefs and morals. Though she is usually level-headed, certain topics or situations can get a rise out of her temper, which is steely and cold (though it can be more fiery if she is physically confronted, or during other personal circumstances). If a loved one or innocent is threatened, she will not hesitate to face a foe to do what she can to protect them.

APPEARANCE

Ryū has white, wavy hair that falls to her mid-back (she usually wears it up in a high tail with framing locks around her cheeks and a tapered fringe while working - otherwise, it’s worn down), fair skin, and grey eyes. Her body shape is hourglass, with a C-/D chest. She stands at approximately 170 cm. Blood type is A. Birthday is October 15. She usually wears clothes in greyscale colors, with separate sleeves and a coat of her own design, alongside standard dark shirts and pants. A small pack is attached to her right leg, and carries medical supplies. She wears open-toed/open-heeled dark-grey boots that reach just below her knee. After completing her sage training and returning to Konoha, she had a tattoo of her clan crest put on her left shoulder blade, in order to always take a piece of home with her wherever she goes. It's simple black ink, about the size of a deck of playing cards.

STATS

NINJUTSU      5/5

TAIJUTSU     3/5

GENJUTSU     1/5

INTELLIGENCE     3/5

STRENGTH      2/5

SPEED     2/5

STAMINA     2/5

SEALS     3/5

TOTAL     21/40

VERSES

White Hands of Healing

Main canon verse. Leaving Ryū a virtual stranger to any other characters, this verse sees her as a blank slate for interactions and forming new bonds with muses. In this verse she's in the same age group as Itachi by default, but it can be adjusted as necessary. An orphan from the third shinobi war, she's taken back to Konoha and raised there to become a medic to make use of her bloodline. She eventually becomes a top-tier healer and sage after learning under her family's teacher, and otherwise lives out her days in Konoha. She has an optional child in this verse, Reika II, for next gen interactions.

Into the Abyss

Secondary canon verse. When Ryū and Obito have a chance meeting during the timeskip, it leads to a whirlwind romance that - though shallow at first - soon grows in both affection and danger. After the war, Obito survives, and after their share of struggles, they have a family of their own: a son, Reiji. But as happy and loving as the family is, the stigma against Obito remains... Ryū is three years younger than Obito in this verse.

What Remains

Secondary canon verse. Jiraiya, returning after the Kyūbi's rampage, discovers his daughter Ryū in Konoha. Deciding to stay, he takes her in and fulfills his role as Naruto's godfather, raising the pair of them as his own. Ryū later befriends Uchiha Itachi, the pair becoming childhood sweethearts. When Itachi later becomes Hokage as a peace deal with Konoha, the pair decide to get married and have a daughter, Usagi. Ryū is Itachi's age in this verse.

Ryū no Ryokan

Secondary canon verse. Ryū returns to her home village after the fourth war, and with Konoha's help, repairs the village and turns it into a mountain retreat for both wealthy guests and long-term patients from any land. She runs it alongside her master Suigin, finding giving her home new purpose and returning at last. Ryū is 22+ in this verse, but it can be adjusted.

Wild Child

Secondary canon verse. Ryū, the last survivor of Kusunokizan, isn't rescued by Konoha, and instead is raised by the dragon sage Suigin. Practically feral, she lives more as a dragon than a human up in the mountain peaks. Age can vary.

A Life Anew

Secondary canon verse. Ryū is taken from Konoha by her uncle, Ao, wanting to protect her from the world of shinobi. But the pair are later discovered by Jiraiya. Despite their bad blood, the men decide to use their common concern for Ryū to help raise her together outside Konoha. Ryū is Itachi's age in this verse.

A Light Amongst Shadows

Secondary canon verse. In this verse Ryū is the same age as Shisui (headcanoned as eight years older than Naruto). Mostly follows canon up to 699 - Ryū is found by Uchiha Manami, Shisui's mother, and the two children grow up as friends. After his apparent suicide, and later the massacre of the clan, Ryū steps up and helps raise Sasuke. She's lightly involved in other canon matters, and when Shisui is revealed to be alive after the war, they bond again and eventually marry and have a family. But not everyone is happy more Uchiha are alive...

Best Years of Your Life

A modern AU typically revolving around high school or college years. Kept vague for plotting! Age can vary.

Catch 'Em All

Pokémon verse. Ryū, having been raised by Hiruzen (Mr. Fuji) in Lavender Town, helps him take care of orphaned pokémon. But when the threat of Team Rocket looms, he has her take all of them to Fuchsia to be released into the Safari Zone reserve out of their reach. Armed only with her bonded pokémon, a shiny Dratini, she makes the journey alone, eventually becoming part of the staff and helping manage the park and protect its pokémon. Her team eventually consists of her Dragonair, Chansey, Charizard, Kingdra, Gyrados, and Rapidash. Age can vary.

Divine Light

Fantasy verse - based on original lore but can be adapted for more general fantasy threads. Ryū is a Lux el'ven, or light elf: one of the last of her kind after the wars. Able to heal, make barriers, and create portals in time, she wants to help rebuild the world of the el'ven and reforge the Elemental Council of the twelve elements to solidify peace. Age can vary.

Healing Waters and Scorching Flames

Avatar the Last Airbender verse. Ryū is a waterbender from the South Pole, from a small, isolated clan that focuses on healing. Age can vary.

Like Magic

Harry Potter verse. Ryū, a Hufflepuff, dreams of one day being a Healer like her mother was. Age can vary.

To Rule Them All

Royalty / Medieval verse. Ryū is the princess of a matrilineal line in the kingdom of Kusunokizan. A neutral state, there's pressures mounting from neighboring kingdoms to finally choose a side. Age can vary.

Of Monsters and Men

A modern monster verse based on original lore, but can be adapted for other verses. Ryū's default in this verse is a hybrid of snowy owl harpy and succubus, but I've also written her as a siren and a mermaid! Age can vary.

When Dead Walk

Zombie verse. Kept vague for plotting!

(Other verses are available upon request - please IM for more details!)

ABILITIES

Sage Mode (Sennin Mōdo)

Sage mode taught to her by her teacher, Suigin. She has 2 years of training as of the beginning of the Shippuden seasons.

White Hands of Healing (Iyashino Shiroi Te)

Kekkei genkai. Allows for faster, more efficient healing. Chakra can be guided through user’s own keirakukei to heal injuries directly. Has a calming effect, and can be used to sedate/calm patients.

River of Vitality (Katsuryoku no Kawa)

Minor kekkei genkai. While in Sennin Mōdo, can passively gather Nature chakra, though at a slower rate than meditation.

JUTSU

Wall of Defense (Bōei no Kabe) (Sennin jutsu)

Barrier that repels anything physical; not genjutsu or sound.

Wall of Incineration (Shōkyaku no Kabe) (Sennin jutsu)

Barrier that incinerates anything physical with highly-condensed chakra.

Wall of Mirrors (Kagami no Kabe) (Sennin jutsu)

Barrier that reflects light, and renders anything beneath it unseen.

Soul Retrieval (Tamashī no Kaishū) (Sennin jutsu)

User enters the void to retrieve a single soul.

Snare (Shikake-sen) (Sennin jutsu)

Makes nature-based chakra tripwires that can alert her to physical movement. Is affected by distance - the further she is from the set lines, the weaker the signal until it disappears completely.

LINKS

[ Asks ]  [ Character Tag ] [ Inbox Calls ] [ Starter Calls ]

[ ref artist ]

[kusunokihime]

[ tag dump ]

[kusunokihime-a]

▲

[ Send ▲ to pull my muse into your muse’s lap ][ @despairinghxpe ][ Accepting ]

     It’s yet another busy morning, and she’s been running around since before dawn, as per usual. Eyes trained on a document as she strides across the sitting room, the grip and tug on her other wrist catches Ryū by surprise.

     “Wha-?”

     She stumbles slightly as ankles cross, but manages to land haphazardly on Itachi’s lap by the time she comes to a stop. For a long moment she’s in a daze, a bit disjointed by the sudden shift.

     Giving him a glance, it’s confused before she reads his expectant expression. “…is this a sign I should take a moment to slow down…?” the medic asks, a smile growing on her face. Apparently someone thinks her attentions are needed…elsewhere.

     “…I suppose I could do so for you…”

[kusunogatari-a]

[ As You Wish ] [ @despairinghxpe ] [ Uchiha Itachi, Suigin Ryū ] [ Verse: Ryū no Ryokan]

“Itachi...Itachi, wake up...!”

Obsidians fogged with sleep open to look at the gentle whisper. A small halo of white chakra lights Ryū's face, blooming from her palm to illuminate an eager smile and sparkling silvers. “...what...?”

“I want to show you something.”

The Uchiha's brow draws. “...what time is it...?”

“After midnight.”

“Ryū, what...? Why now?”

“Because, it's your birthday now, silly.”

Itachi stills, taken aback. “...how do you know that...?”

“It's in the bingo book.”

A brow perks. “You...looked at my bingo book entry?”

“Well...how else was I going to find out? I knew you'd never tell me if I asked.”

After a pause, the raven sits up and chuckles. “...fair enough. All right, then...what are you showing me...?”

“Well, it's going to be a bit of a walk...feel up to it?”

“...I suppose.” There's little use in lying – she'll know the moment he feels weary. And it's more than likely she'll simply carry him, if she's determined enough.

She's done it before.

“Okay...come on!”

Once he's dressed, Itachi lets Ryū lead him through the house to the paths outside, the glow of her chakra to guide them. Fireflies stir as they move, the air warm and heavy with moisture. But rather than into the buildings, she takes them toward the valley's wall. “One rule: don't take your eyes off your feet.”

“I'm not about to trip.”

“That's not the point – just do it!”

“All right, all right...”

She should have said climb rather than walk.

The stairs are unforgiving, carved right into the steep mountains that form the vale's edge, worn by generations of her line and their journeys. After several stops for breath, the pair ascend to the crest of the shelf-like cut into the mountain where the shrine rests.

As Itachi calms his lungs with hands on his knees – tired, but not ill – Ryū turns back to look the way they've come. “...okay. You can look now.”

“What am I...?” Looking up from his hunkered posture, Itachi stills.

Having ascended through the fog line, a blanket of white obscures the valley floor. It almost looks as though they're standing among the clouds themselves. But the sky is clear, and above them is a wide expanse of star-splattered sky – so many, there's hardly a patch of black to be seen, no light to dull them. At this height, Itachi almost feels he can touch them.

Between the plumes beneath them and the heavens above, it's as if everything else has ceased to exist, leaving just the two of them in a void of starlight and mist.

“...I've spent quite a few nights up here like this...too tired to make my way back down after a day of training. But it still takes my breath away...”

Itachi manages to tear his eyes from the view to her figure, even more ghost-like in the moonlight. “...I can see why.”

She in turn gives him a glance and a smile. “...I thought this would be better than any thing I could give you. I know it might be hard to see, but...”

“...I can see what I must just fine.” Scarlet of Sharingan blooms from the black, but it's not the stars he's looking at.

Hesitating as she notices as much, there's a tick before she asks, “...want to sit down...?”

A nod is his reply. The pair of them drop to the plateau's edge, Ryū carefully cozying to Itachi's side. “So...is this worth a little lost sleep...?”

“Very much so...thank you. I've seen the stars many nights, but...never quite like this.”

She gives a hum, head leaning upon his shoulder with a soft sigh. “...happy birthday.” The offering is quiet, her apparent happiness at the milestone still tempered by the somber knowing that he has few of them left...if any.

“...you know, you haven't told me yours.”

“Hm?”

“Your birthday.”

He can feel her cheek rise against his shoulder as she smiles. “True...and I have no bingo book profile for you to cheat from...”

“Well then, you at least have to give me a hint.”

Ryū is quiet for a moment. “...it's the tenth day of the tenth month.”

“Drat, I've missed it, then...”

“Just a few more months...” Ever so slightly, her tone tinges airily, trying to cover up the fact that time is not on their side.

“...not long at all. I'll try not to miss it...days often get lost on the road.”

“...fair enough. I suppose I can forgive you if you do...”

He turns his head to glance at her, but she keeps her gaze forward and upward.

“...enough about that, though. This is your birthday, now. Maybe we'll see a comet, and you can make a wish...?”

“I have very little left to wish for with any possibility of coming true.”

That draws her gaze. “...you can't think of anything...?”

“Mm...perhaps one thing...but I've no need for comets.”

There's a draw of her brow, but it raises in surprise as Itachi's smile tilts into a soft smirk. “...all right, then...what do you want?”

“Just a little something...” In a slow but fluid motion, he tilts around to bring his face to hers, stealing a kiss as her expression softens.

“...is that really what you'll use a wish for...? You know you need only ask. In fact...I wouldn't even mind if you didn't.”

“...then perhaps I'll think of something else, and...save it for later.”

That finally brings a smile back to her face, and her head returns to its perch upon his shoulder.

“...as you wish.”

     Hello and welcome to the sappiest thing I have written in...a very long time x’’D But hey, it’s Itachi’s birthday, and this is the first time I’ve celebrated it in...a while. Because I typically forget, rip.

     So while this verse can’t really have a happy ending, I figured I can at least give it happy moments. Hence a really mushy birthday blurb for him. And of course it’s shippy because when do I ever not write shippy, I mean...come on.

     Anyway...while I have a few other Itachi floating around in my mutuals, I haven’t really interacted with any of them, sooo...I’m being biased and writing this for Phoenix’s Itachi specifically, buuut you can take it however you want lol

     Because Itachi in general needs some happiness and love, okay.

     ...and now it’s getting late and I still have drafts to do sO I’m going to stop my blabbering and go see what else I can get done xD

     Happy birthday, Itachi - you’ll always be my problematic fave <3

[kusunogatari-a]

[ Reunion ] [ @despairinghxpe ] [ Uchiha Itachi, Suigin Ryū ] [ Death mention, blood mention ] [ Verse: Ryū no Ryokan ] [ From here ]

“Yurusei, Sasuke...kore de saigo da...”

For a long moment, he feels...nothing. Odd enough, all things considered, and yet...beneath the first thoughts of confusion...elation overwhelms him.

...there's no pain in his joints. No burning in his chest. Staring up into fathomless white...he takes a deep breath for the first time in uncounted years...and feels no urge to cough.

He feels...nothing.

A hand rises, laying atop the fabric of his shirt. He can feel the textiles beneath his fingertips. But...everything else – the aches, the pains, the burns and the blood – it's gone.

Part of him wants to simply...collapse in relief. Physically, no – he's already prone against some unknown surface...though he can't tell up from down in an endless void of white. He wants to let go of the facade – drown in tears from his own eyes. But for some reason, nothing comes.

“...chi...”

Itachi stills. ...no...

“...Itachi...?”

He stares, unblinking, into the void. For a moment his chest is frozen...and then a clenching pain. Not like that which he felt mere moments before his death. No...this pain is not physical.

That voice...

The urge to rise is halted. He doesn't want to look. Doesn't want to be reminded. And yet...he knows he can't linger here forever. Not with proof he's not alone, trapped in the singular purgatory he expected.

But the guilt quickly replaces his relief.

Slowly, without pain, he sits up, lingering for a moment before pulling himself to his feet. For a time, he stares at his palms, seeing them marless. His clothes are whole, neither torn nor bloodstained. And he can see the lines of his hands without a hint of blur.

And still he delays, not wanting to turn around. Yet, at the same time...unable to resist.

Unable to get his last memory of her from his mind.

He turns.

There's no blood. No wounds. No evidence of his misdeeds carved into her brow. Just an expression full of so many emotions, he wonders – as he always does – how she can feel so much. Silvers widen with shock, disbelief, and rapture...before softening into relief and tears.

“...Ryū...?”

As though beckoned, she runs to close the gap between them, lurching against him and nearly knocking them both to the floor. Fingertips claw into his back, brow hidden in the crook of his neck as hot tears soak into his shoulder. Without restraint, she sobs against his collarbone, and a glance shows a tearful smile along his skin.

Itachi stares in a strange blend of confusion, affection...and horror.

“Ryū...Ryū, stop.”

“I've been w-waiting for you, I...!”

Prying her from his person, Itachi stares at her in disbelief. “But...”

“I knew I'd meet you here eventually, but...I had no way to know when. I...!”

Grip tightening along her arms, Itachi's gaze hardens. “...you shouldn't have waited.”

“...but -?”

“You shouldn't...be here...!”

She stares with those damnable doe eyes, looking for a moment in shock. But understanding soon softens her face. “...Itachi...”

“The only reason you are is...is because of me...!” His hold begins to shake. “...you have so much more to do. To...live for...! And my selfishness took all of that away...!”

Ignoring his grip, Ryū lifts her own hands, easing along his jaw before cradling his cheeks. Thumbs peel away tears of frustration and guilt. “...I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew the risks.”

“But -!”

She silences him with a look. “...you knew so little of who I was before we met. We both knew pasts were a sensitive subject. I had a kind of happiness. I was enthralled to do my work.” A pause. “...but...there were avenues of life I'd never had the chance to take. I think you knew it well enough – you just didn't know the reasons why. But once the days would end? Once the work was done...? I was alone. As I'd always been.”

Her head tilts, softly smiling as she looks over his face. “...we were so odd a pair, in some ways...and yet in others we made perfect sense. You...were the first person I let beyond my borders. And as...foolish as that seemed, in hindsight – knowing so little about you, or your past, beyond the horror stories – it brought me something I'd never had. I knew how temporary it was fated to be. The danger it threatened to bring. But...”

Smile shaking, she gives a tearful laugh. “...I would not trade one moment of that happiness you brought me for a lifetime. I know you feel guilty...and I know why. I'm not stupid. But it's just as much my fault, if not more. You forget...this was all a two-way street.”

With a gentle urge, she brushes their brows with a closing of their lids. “...I made my choices. We both did. But I don't harbor any hatred for you, or what happened. I took a gamble...and I lost. At least...in part. Yes, my life was cut short, and yet...” She allows a humored twist of her lips. “...I have to wonder what the rest would have been worth without you in it...”

Itachi scoffs. “It's still a waste...!”

“And it's nothing that can be undone. Were I still living, I would be grieving you just as ardently. True, my existence did not – does not – hinge upon you. But...you became far too large a piece to ever have been lived happily without.”

She spares a hand to lay to his chest. “...there's no changing this reality now. No use in harboring guilt. Let it go, Itachi. It's over...all of it.”

He gives her no reply.

“Every burden you carried has been shed from your shoulders. Even mine. Your fight is done. Rest.”

Slowly, finally, he lifts his arms around her shoulders, bringing her to his chest. For a long moment, there's no movement – just silence that betrays their acceptance.

After a time, she urges enough space to look to him with a smile. “...come on. We have to find the others.”

“Others...?”

“They've been waiting for you, too. Just...more patiently than I.”

Itachi stiffens.

“...they told me about you. When you were younger. About what happened.” Ryū softens. “...I know you couldn't tell me...but at least now I know.” A gentle smile. “...I always thought there was more to you than met the eye. I just...never could have imagined how much.”

“It's nothing I'm proud of. I did as I had to. Nothing more.”

“...as I said, we made our choices.” Slipping from his grip, she trails a hand along his arm before taking his own. “...shall we go?”

Pain overshadows his face. “...I don't know if I can face them.”

“They've forgiven you, you know. They want to see their son again. Would you deny them that, after so long...?”

Silence as he hesitates.

She is patient. “...I'll be with you.”

“...very well.”

Taking up his other hand, Ryū gives Itachi a warm smile. “...besides...don't you think you should introduce me...? Properly...this time...?”

A pause, and then a tilt of his lips.

“...I suppose you're right.”

THIS ISN’T THE DRABBLE I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER THAT ONE’S GONNA BE WAY LONGER. Also it’s for Mads. But this one was shorter so I thought I’d tackle it first =‘D

SO. Uh...I kinda sorta upset Ryū yesterday rewatching a certain sibling fight. And in the midst of her angsting over my shoulder. she insisted on this particular scenario, continued from that ask I sent you =‘D Of course she didn’t do so until AFTER I’d gone to bed, so...I had to write it today.

It’s sappy as all heck bUT I am such a sucker for this kind of overblown fluffy stuff, okay. Allow me my vices xD I just thought writing it out is the least I owe her for upsetting her so badly yesterday...and also because this is super sad and yet also kinda super sweet. It’s sort of a bad end, but...at least they’re together?

And yay for after-death meeting the parents, pfffft.

ANYWAY. I have to run for a bit, but sometime today I’ma try to tackle that long Mads drabble. It’s super AU and yet? I have high hopes for it, if I can pull it off without making it weird =‘D WE’LL SEE

Until then, enjoy this little angst-fest =‘D #sorrynotsorry

[kusunokihime-a]

[ @despairinghxpe ] [ x ]

     Her knowledge of the mind, admittedly, is nowhere near that of the body. The body has rather strict rules, and patterns. The mind, in comparison, is a labyrinth full of dead ends and circles. And the way genjutsu molds it, plays with it, is yet another facet that escapes her understanding.

     Ryū meets his eyes, and she sees his meaning. It’s not a matter of distrust in him...but rather herself. Itachi hides his demons away. In a manner of speaking, she does too. Though she largely doesn’t mind an intrusion on his part...she’s not sure she wants to revisit what haunts her. Partly due to the pain...and partly due to the fact that her training should have rendered them harmless.

     Which means this is only a sign of her failure.

     One hand wraps over the other at her front, and her grip tightens, and her lips twitch. “Am I to bare my ugly side when yours is still so well-hidden...?” she asks teasingly...partly. She can’t begrudge Itachi his secrets. It’s as close as she’ll get to lashing out, if only to hide her apprehension.

     She trusts him - really, she does. She just doesn’t trust herself.

[kusunokihime-a]

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

[Send “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” and my muse will reply ][ @despairinghxpe ][ Accepting ]

     The first reaction is surprise.

     Itachi is not one to wax poetic, yet nor is he typically so blunt. He handles his word with care, often having no solid meaning and leaving you with endless, meaningless conclusions - webs of words to keep you at bay from truths he has no intentions to give. More often than not, he speaks more to fill the air than to impart meaning. A verbal barricade of tripwires.

     The second is disbelief.

     Not the sort born of wonder, but a knee-jerk reflex that those words are not for her. They never have been. She is colorless, a backdrop for those far more vibrant. Her appearance taught her silence in the face of enmity. She is unseen unless she’s needed. No more, yet room for less. Never a pretty face - just a useful set of hands.

     There’s a reason the others always called her yūrei with that hiss between their teeth.

     Together, they result in little more than confusion. She knows Itachi rests upon a throne stitched from lies, and yet…she also feels he’s never lied to her. Omitted truths, given them in halves…but something still tells her he’d rather spin her silence than a lie. 

     But…she can’t bring herself to believe him. There’s far too much overgrowth - affirmation to her antipathy - to be cut through quite so easily.

     So after a pause held far too long, she gives him a smile that doesn’t reach her silvers.

                                              “…apparently not.”

[kusunokihime-a]

[ @despairinghxpe ] [ x ]

Orochimaru’s laugh is slightly crazed–though as he steps off Manda his lips tilt into a smug smirk. He has Kusunokizan under his thumb now–all the springs, all the people there–are his. He will own them all..and so he will continue on his quest.

“Oh, a healer? How quaint.” He walks toward her confidently, his hips swaying slightly, “Won’t you give me a tour?” It’s kind, though he’s sure his attitude is sure to change with her reaction, “I’ve never seen a village such as this before.”

     Guests and patients alike hidden in their rooms, it’s only Ryū who stands between the sannin and the belly of the vale. Irritated chakra rolls from her form in waves, stirring the grass and the hems of her clothes. She stares at the intruder, eyes wide and pupils shrunk to insidious slits.

     “There is often more to a person than meets the eye,” is her ice-like reply, sharp and cold with warning. She knows she can’t take the sannin on alone. But already she feels the approaching chakra of her master, alerted to the breach. 

     It’s just a matter of time.

     Watching his approach, she takes no retreating steps, fearing neither pain nor death. She decides to play coy as she waits. “I’m afraid I’m all booked up at the moment. If it’s a tour you want, you should have made prior arrangements. We don’t often take walk-ins...”

     Arms fold beneath her bust. “This place is a rarity in a world like ours. Which is why I must admit, your presence makes us...uneasy. Your type so often bring misfortune and ruin in your wake...”

     Descendent from the mountain cavern, a streak of silver reaches the valley floor and coils at the medic’s rear. Pearlescent teeth bare with a roar that shakes the air as Suigin faces the unwanted guests. Ebony claws the size of her person spaciously envelope Ryū in a protective hold as she stares at both Manda and his summoner. There’s not quite a call yet for confrontation, stuck in a standoff as intentions remain obscure...but the sage makes it clear: there is only one master of this dip between the peaks.

     “...she may have been one an eon ago...but I’m afraid a falling out has left my master with a distaste for serpents.”

[kusunokihime-a]

[ tuck ] to place a blanket on my muse.

[Send one to see how my muse reacts ][ @despairinghxpe ][ Accepting ]

     It doesn’t seem to take Itachi long to notice Ryū’s odd sleeping patterns. The medic, too absorbed in her work, often simply crashes where suits her best when exhaustion befalls her. More often than not, it’s at her desk…though he occasionally finds her elsewhere around the ryokan.

     This time, however, she’s in her usual perch, arms folded atop her records as she dozes in her chair. There’s dried ink along one cheek - apparently a half-dried form was her previous pillow before she shifted.

     She’s heard his complaints before - her futon is a mere ten paces from her desk, and yet she often forgoes it to squeeze every last moment of wakefulness out of herself before simply passing out. It typically leads to moving halfway through the night.

     But when she wakes in the dark this time, she feels a weight atop her shoulders. Stirring, Ryū glances aside to see her bedclothes’ blanket wrapped around her seated person. Looking to its typical resting place, she pauses to see it occupied.

     Apparently someone got tired of waiting.

     A guilty, sleep-ridden smile tilts her lips, and she gathers herself and her cover before simply arranging both along Itachi, settling back down with a contented sigh.

[kusunogatari-a]

[ Again ] [ @despairinghxpe ] [ Uchiha Itachi, Suigin Ryū, Uchiha Sasuke ] [ Death mention ] [ Verse: Ryū no Ryokan ]

...this will be the last time.

She can feel it – a knowing that settles into her bones like an ache. When Itachi seems to unstitch himself from the shadows, something about his demeanor feels...final.

When he takes his leave, this time...he won't be coming back.

Looking to him from her desk, she slowly lowers her pen – accounts will wait. Instead, she rises to her feet and turns to face him fully, doing her best to maintain a calm facade. Nevertheless, there's a hesitation – something she thought they'd long moved past.

But it's not the wariness of strangers. It's the pause of two people who know...this is the end.

“...I have an important battle soon,” Itachi murmurs. “...I must be in the best health I can manage. If...you wouldn't mind.”

Ever so slightly, her expression wavers, sadness in her eyes. “...I'll...see what I can do.”

A silence blooms, and grows.

Head bowing and eyes closing, Ryū tries to steady herself. “...I can't change your mind...can I...?”

“No.”

The blunt reply is expected, but it doesn't stop her flinch. “...I'm sorry. That was a selfish question.”

“And yet, it was expected.” Finally, Itachi is the first to move, taking several paces to close the gap. And yet still, he does not touch her. “...after all...it's clear that this entire...” A pause. “...arrangement has been a selfish dealing for us both for quite some time.”

For a long moment she stares to one side before braving a look to his eyes. “...has it?”

“At the very least, it was foolish on my part to engage in that which was doomed from the start...and yet...” With a small sigh, the Uchiha relaxes, if only just. “...I knew, in the end, this would only hurt you. That...in the end...any hopes it gave you would be for naught. And I...apologize.”

“...don't do that.” The reply is little more than a whisper. “I knew what I was getting into. I'm not that stupid.”

“You're not -”

Her head bows, shakes, stopping his retort mid-word. “...I feel just as self-centered. I don't...want you to feel regret. This wasn't your plan. I'm only making things more complicated.”

“...then, shall we simply both accept the blame, and move forward?”

Barely heard, an ill-humored snort escapes her. “...very well.”

A hand reaches – first tucking hair behind her ear, before cupping her cheek. Eyes close, expression pinching as she battles herself. Nonetheless, she leans into the touch.

“...I do not wish to leave you with regrets, either,” the Uchiha murmurs. “I can be spared until morning. But then, I'll have to go.”

“...understood.”

He can hear the clip to her tone, struggling not to fall apart. It's been a long time since he's faced painful goodbyes. Arms pull her to his front, feeling her brow tuck to the crook of his neck. Tears, warm against his skin, soak through his shirt as her fingers dig into his back like needles.

Itachi's jaw clenches, his own grip tightening as best his weary form can manage. Breaths deepen as he fights back any urge to slip, face burying into the snow of her hair.

Selfish...

Eventually she forces herself to part from him, stubbornly ignoring the blotching of her skin, red after her allotted outburst. She's every part disheveled by emotion, but she sets her jaw and tells him to sit. Palms glow white as she looks him over, watching her knuckles as she refuses to meet his eyes – she can feel him watch her every move. Hours pass at an agonizing pace, what little good she can do done until there's nothing left. His body is battered, but anything else would take far too long.

Besides...she knows, in the end, it won't do any good.

One hand pressed to his chest, she stares at it as the chakra recedes, not daring to move lest she crumble again. But he slowly takes her wrist, removing her touch and replacing it as he weaves their fingers. Knowing what he wants, she offers the other without resistance. A gentle yet insistent tug pulls her to his lap. Her head bows as his own cranes upward, brows meeting and eyes closing before they shift their angle. As they have uncounted times before, mouths meld. And not for the first time, she paints his cheeks with tears.

Hands drag along her sides before slowly ridding her of the obi holding her yukata in place. The fabric parts, letting fingers drift against her skin unhindered.

As always, his hands are cold.

She can't help a shiver that echoes her trembling, breaking the kiss and tucking to the crook of his neck for a moment. All the while, she grips the chest of his shirt, knuckles white under pressure.

Skimming along her shoulders, he urges the garment down her back, pooling at her elbows as she refuses to loosen her hold. But all it takes are fingers at her wrists. With that, it shrugs to the floor.

Lips ghost against her collarbone, occasionally puckering and begging bruises from her skin. As he grips the dip of her waist, her own fingers weave through loosened hair, head lolling according to his attentions to let them fall where he wills them.

They've danced this dance before, but never this slow – never this careful, never this soft. Fingers beg clothes to the floor until there's nothing left, bare bodies migrating to the blankets of her futon. Touches linger, a desperate attempt to memorize every plane and valley of skin before they're gone forever. They writhe with a renewed passion born of desperation, every action exaggerated – breaths hot and heavy like summer fog, thrusts slow and punctuated with whispers. Hair, blankets, all muss in the wake of their fervor.

It stops only when she concedes to sleep.

Moonlight that manages to spill through her windows – the narrow time when it peers between the valley walls – illuminates her unconscious figure. Pale skin is peppered with purple, snow-white hair haloing her head in untamed waves. Breath whispers between bruised lips, a hand up on her pillow as she dozes.

In the shadows, at her side, Itachi simply...stares, crimson gaze appearing to glow as he takes her in.

Should all go well, he won't see another sunset. He knows there's little point. But the dōjutsu takes in every detail, memorizing her perfectly. Every goose bump, every stray hair – the way her lashes disappear against her cheekbones; the way her chest swells with each breath.

One last memory to take with him where he goes – the last among a collection he's garnered without her knowing. A way to enjoy her company whenever he strays too far.

Absentmindedly, fingers trace along her collarbone, unnoticed against her fatigue. Every moment he lingers, the drive he needs to vanish seems to dwindle a little further.

“...I can't change your mind...can I...?”

Yet he wishes she could. Gods does he wish. But wishes are nothing to knowing...and he knows what he must do.

Carefully, he leans his weight forward, pressing lips to her brow before ghosting to her own. It begets a soft sigh, her head turning in her sleep to face him. As she does, the angle lets a traded tear slip down her cheek before slithering to her pillow.

Atop her, his head bows, jaw clenched with bared teeth as he shakes. Against his will, emotions find form along his lashes, dripping from his skin to hers. Fingers clutch the hem of the blankets, just as they did the hilt of a sword nearly a decade past. He won't kill – not this time.

...not literally, at any rate.

It takes him a long moment to recover before he slips from their tangled nest. Clothes adorned, he debates one last look back. In the end he can't refuse himself, a glance thrown over his shoulder.

She's still as stone, asleep.

Just as silently as he appeared, the Uchiha vanishes...for the last time.

___

She hears the news just a few days later, whispered between jōnin marveling at the fact: Uchiha Itachi, mass murderer, dead at his brother's hands.

Sasuke, however, is unaccounted for.

No one seems to notice as the medic loses weight, bags under her eyes as she often vanishes from view, cheeks pale yet blotched with a red that matches her eyes when she reemerges. No one can hazard a guess as to what makes the woman so listless, often caught staring into nothing for hours at a time.

And as the world approaches its tipping point, no one has the time to care.

The war, however, seems to stir something within her. With conflict looming, she seems to rekindle, burying into her work until her fingers bleed and her knees give out. She runs herself ragged – never before has she been so weary, so thin, so desperate.

She's nowhere near the battlefield, but even she does not escape the snippet of the illusion that drowns the world.

Within it...he returns. No longer does he hide. Together they walk the valley floor, arm in arm, gazes warm with love and turned only to each other. Happy and carefree, at last.

...but a dream is just a dream.

Things fall into a strange kind of normal after that, the ryokan busy as ever as the world reassembles itself. She hardly notices the passing time anymore, lost in the rush of morning to night.

It's all she has left.

So when a certain stranger finds himself at the mouth of the valley, she has no idea what's yet to come. Dark eyes stare at a place he's never been...and yet of which he has uncounted memories. Standing beneath the torī gate, Uchiha Sasuke loses himself in a moment of deja vu.

He has never seen this place...yet, these eyes know it all too well. Already he knows the lay of grounds, the springs, the inn itself...and the house that sits at the valley's end.

Not to mention the woman within it.

He's not sure what he expects to find. But the memories have plagued him like nightmares since he took his brother's eyes. Memories so vivid, so detailed, the lines between them and his own begin to blur. In quiet moments, images of her smile, her hands, her hair...the adoration in her eyes as she looks at him – no, Itachi – stare at him within his mind.

They implant a burning curiosity of the woman that – however temporarily – stole Itachi's heart. A piece of his brother's missing history – a subject shrouded in mystery – that still lives and breathes.

What end coming here will bring him to, he can't know. But something tells him he'll have no peace until he sees her...

Again.

     *SWEATS*      So...uh...*wipes brow* I got a random idea while listening to a song today while afk. And uh...the ending there just kinda...popped into my head in addition to the initial angst? lol      ...I actually have written something similar to the ending before as a random idea, but...it wasn’t for any specific muse - rather, just as an AU for Ryū’s main fic with the Sasuke from that. Only it, uh...goes a lot further than that x’’D      So this is TECHNICALLY DIFFERENT. In a lot of ways, actually. But, I dunno...I can’t remember if it’s canon, but I’ve always loved the idea of the Sharingan copying not only jutsu, but whatever it sees PERFECTLY. And that the memories also stay with the Sharingan that saw it, hence Sasuke ending up with Itachi’s memories. And just...I dunno. I have to wonder what Sasuke would think, seeing this mystery woman in his brother’s memories. If he’d go looking for her, whether it be to find out more about his brother’s life during their separation, or just...to see just who managed to get that close to him.      ...I DUNNO I’M WEIRD OKAY XD      Anyway, have some random angst. Because I love angst. Especially romantic angst xD Hopefully it’s okay - if not I can change it lolol      *throws at Phoenix and runs away*

[kusunokihime-a]

MadaRyu and ItaRyu

[Ship meme! ][ @despairinghxpe ][ Accepting ]

[ MadaRyū ]

notp / not really / meh / I could / sometimes / maker, yes / my otp babbies

and answer:

Who is the most affectionate? Outwardly, probably Ryū

Big spoon/Little spoon?Mada must be big spoon. I think he’d grump otherwise x3

Most common argument?That the other isn’t taking care of themselves well enough lol

Favorite non-sexual activity?…probably napping together

Who is most likely to carry the other?Mads carries the marshmallow :3

Nicknames?Ryū calls him stubborn Mada. He calls her naggy snowbell

Who worries the most?Depends on the subject. But Ryū’s a major worrywart.

Who tops?Madara…most of the time :3c

Who initiates kisses?Both

Who wakes up first?Madara

Who says I love you first?Ryū, probably lol

[ ItaRyū ]

notp / not really / meh / I could / sometimes / maker, yes / my otp babbies

and answer:

Who is the most affectionate?Ryū, outwardly

Big spoon/Little spoon?Tbh they’re just about the same height, so…either? And protective medic is protective so I can see her being beeg spoon sometimes

Most common argument?Itachi’s lifestyle’s effect on his health =/

Favorite non-sexual activity?Ryū reading to Itachi

Who is most likely to carry the other?…tbh? Ryū carries Itachi. Her fragile husbando

Nicknames?I’m gonna go cheesy and say karasu and fukurō x3

Who worries the most?Ryū overall, but I can see Itachi worry about his own subjects

Who tops?…probably Ryū just because she has more stamina…? Hopefully Itachi doesn’t mind :3c

Who initiates kisses?Both

Who wakes up first?Ryū - gotta get up and get the valley going. Husbando needs his sleep

Who says I love you first?Ryū…?

[kusunogatari-a]

[ Kindness ] [ @despairinghxpe ] [ Uchiha Itachi, Suigin Ryū ] [ Verse: Ryū no Ryokan ]

“Ryū-sama! Ryū-sama, quickly – Uchiha-san is -!”

Before Fubuki can give an explanation, Ryū is a blur of grey and white, catapulting down the stairs before her tousled blankets lie still.

Bare feet carry her down the path to his room within the ryokan, nightgown aflutter as Fubuki follows. “He began convulsing, crying out! I feared someone else may come looking.”

“No, you did just as I wanted,” Ryū replies shortly – not out of temper, but concentration. The door opens without a sound at her touch, eyes training without thought to his futon.

Just as her summon described, Itachi's entire form is stiffened, face contorted with agony and body seizing. Crossing the room, she braces a palm to his brow, chakra searching for the source of his distress.

Unintelligible words are moaned under the man's breath, too garbled to make out. Giving him a harried glance, Ryū sets her jaw and looks deeper, slipping into a sage state as she prepares for the worst.

But what she finds begets a pause.

Unless she's mistaken...it's nothing more than a nightmare.

Her surprise takes her aback for a moment, Itachi continuing to twitch as his mind remains submersed within the visions of his subconscious. But she regains her place of mind, shaking slightly before shifting her grip to his temples. Chakra seeps in, seeking to wake him.

“Itachi-san...Itachi-san, wake up!”

All at once, eyes snap open, already blaring red with Sharingan. For a split second, she sees him stare in fear, tears beaded along the lashes of his lids.

The next moment, her spine contorts as he pins her back to the bed, wrists held in a painful grip that forces an anguished cry. He leans over her, chest heaving for haggard breath as every inch of him shakes.

A long moment passes as they simply hold positions. Ryū stares up, face still slack with surprise as draconian eyes stare into Sharingan. He doesn't seem to see her for a moment, likely still swimming through the wake of his nightmare. Eyes are still gaped wide, staring, but not eliciting any trace of an illusion.

At least, not that she can sense.

Staying as still as she can manage, not wanting to trigger another response, she can't help the lift of her chest with each breath, and the pounding of her heart within it.

She tells herself it's just the tension.

But eventually, he blinks, and some semblance of emotion creeps back into his face. Brows draw in confusion before worry paints his gaze, orbs fading from red to black. “...Ryū...?”

She ignores his slip of decorum, hardly daring to move as she awaits his full return to reality. “...it was a nightmare,” she murmurs. Unconsciously, her hands flex in his continued grip, and he drops them as though burned. Embracing one, she watches him sit back, staring at his palms in continued confusion. Slowly, she sits up, watching him carefully.

There's still an unfamiliar tinge of openness to his expression – a raw look at his bewilderment and residual perturbation. “I...I'm sorry. I did not mean to lash out.”

“...I've faced worse,” is her gentle reply, not wanting to break whatever spell he's under quite yet. She almost feels like she's...prying, watching him like this. But there's still so little she knows about him, she can't bypass the chance.

“That doesn't matter. I could have killed you.” The realization seems to finally sober him, and regret sharpens his visage.

“I'm not as easy to kill as I look.”

“I do not mean to be rude, but...you and I are of far different tiers.”

She ignores the small sting to her pride. As sickly as Itachi may be...he's still a trained shinobi. The offense to her defense. And both his learning and his application far outstrip her own. “...either way, you didn't.”

No reply. He only lets his hands fall to his lap, a kind of weary defeat on his face.

After a small pause, she decides to test their boundaries.

“...do you...need to address what you saw...?”

“It's nothing you need concern yourself with, Ryū-san.”

The return of the suffix. “...your mental health is still your health,” she argues gently. “Even it has its limits.”

Silence. “...I know the shadows of my mind well enough. They do not need treatment. They need rest.”

The enigmatic reply begets a small sigh, expected. “...you'd be surprised what simply voicing your troubles can do.”

“My troubles are my own.”

Another sigh – curter this time. “...is there nothing you will tell me?”

“I cannot, in good conscience, damn you with what lies in wait within my mind. You are -” Itachi hitches, as though catching himself on the brink of a thought best left unsaid.

“...I'm what? You think I can't handle it?”

“...I do not want you to handle it.”

“Have you ever considered the possibility that I offer my help out of something softer than duty?”

To her own surprise, he looks up with a hint of awe, but says nothing.

Her shoulders wilt as she sighs. “...I know what you've done. I can't pretend to know why. But everything I see about you – everything you let me see – baffles me. Because there is nothing in the man I know that suggests the blood lust or the death of soul required to do what you have done.” She pauses, letting her words echo.

Ever so slightly, she shifts, expression softening. “...there is nothing about the man I know...that suggests I cannot offer him kindness.”

She stares, refusing to drop his gaze. “...and the more of these slips I see – tiny fractures in this...facade you've carved for yourself – the more I am convinced that you, more than any man I've ever known...is not only worthy of kindness...”

Just a touch – and yet, in these circumstances, an emboldened distance –  she leans toward him. “...but that you...more than any man I've ever known...is in need of kindness.”

Silence.

He returns her stare, expression smoothed into that infuriating mask of his. It seems he spends a moment looking for a retort.

“...and how do you know what you've seen is not the lie? That I am not luring you into a false sense of security? How can you trust this 'man you know'...?”

A small snort of disbelief escapes her. “...you're good, Itachi-san...but something tells me you're not that good. I saw the state of your mind. That nightmare was no act. Something is haunting you to the point of breaking your mind as you sleep. And no man who feels no guilt would be so bothered by his dreams.” Greys continue to peer at him, unblinking.

She can see the irritation at her insistence. But whether it's truly out of his intent to fool her...or the wish that he could..she's not quite sure.

“...your secrets are you own,” Ryū eventually murmurs. “I won't pry them from you. But...” A pause, and a tilt of her head. “...I do not spill the confidence of those I aid. Anything I learn – from anyone – is something I take to my grave. Even the ghosts of someone like you.”

To her surprise, it's he who looks away, gaze falling to his hands upon his lap. But she doesn't miss the flicker of his gaze to the hem of her nightgown, astray after their struggle.

She cares little for propriety, especially in the face of an emergency. Her path as a medic has taught her that her body is simply a vessel. She has no shame in it. And in all honesty, she's done more with far less.

“...just...consider it,” is her eventual offering, seeing she's not about to change any more of his mind this night. “I can't make you trust me. And someone's word is only worth so much. Just...” Another sigh and wilt of her shoulders, turning to look at him again. “...please realize...I'm not someone you have to hide from. It doesn't mean you can't...but nor does it mean you must. There's nothing I want from you, Itachi-san. You have nothing to prove to me.”

Taking to her feet, she makes it to the door before turning around. “...hopefully your sleep comes easier from here.” With a clack, the door closes...and she leaves him for the night.

     =n= I still dunno if I like this...something about it is bugging me, and I can’t put my finger on what. But I’ve tried fiddling with it like five times to no avail, so...HECK we’ll just post it as is, lol      A whiiiile back, I wrote an ItaRyū drabble from my fic verse where Itachi suffers from nightmares. Granted, their relationship and the setting are COMPLETELY different, so it turned out nothing like this one. But it’s one I’ve wanted to revisit for a long time. So I thought, why not now in THIS verse?      Of course I STILL dunno what it is about it that bugs me, but...hopefully it’s still halfway enjoyable nonetheless, lol - just a random moment from the point between them meeting, and actually dropping the act and accepting their feelings.      ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Itachi stop being so stubborn. Let someone be nice to you for a change. Yeesh. You’re breaking my heart, man.      Will I ever stop being thirsty for this ship? Prooobably not, lolol

[kusunokihime-a]

[ @despairinghxpe ] [ x ]

“Hm..?” Itachi knows that chakra, so after he cracks an eye open, he rolls over and lays a hand on her arm. It’s hesitant, tired, exhausted. He needs rest and it seems like the only place he can get it is with her.  He sleepily sighs and murmurs, “Sleep with me?”

He wants to apologize for coming to her to rest, to sleep, but..he cannot bring himself to continue speaking. He’s taken his medicine and the anti-inflammatory is acting like a sedative. He can’t do much else. It isn’t long before he’s back asleep, unconsciously moving a little closer to her. His hands move and rest at her waist and his lips press to her forehead.

His actions say more to her than his words ever will. He doesn’t have to misconstrue these–he doesn’t have to speak in circles to confuse. This is as truthful as she will find him.

     It’s a request she can’t refuse.

     At his touch, everything about her stills, the world she knows set aside as he steals away every aspect of her attention. She softens - partly out of somber knowing that the invitation comes out of a kind of necessity, borne of what he inherently lacks.

     And yet, partly from tender acceptance, always eager to give what he asks for. So often he leaves his desires unspoken, out of a self-inflicted penitence. All she wishes is to give, and yet it’s rare that he accepts...let alone seeks of his own volition.

     “...of course,” is her murmured reply, a warm and softened smile blooming across her features. She settles against his side, seeing just how weary he is. His form soon wilts back into sleep, still seeking with reaching hands she does not shy from. Instead, she simply mirrors his desire for touch, watching him rest uncensored beneath the press of his lips.

     She knows the view is a rare thing. Itachi is seldom open with his actions - even lesser so with his words. So for the moment, she takes what he offers for as long as it’s there...

          ...because everything about him is hauntingly temporary.