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Konan leaned against the wall, staring out into the rain. Nothing ever changes around here. Not the rain, not the chill, not the sobs she was trying to stifle. She didn't know why she couldn't stop crying like this. Her mother had told her once she had been a quiet baby, barely crying at all. She couldn't remember crying much as a child either, not before.
Her mind teetered on that dangerous thought for a moment before she stiffened. Someone was behind her, close. She wiped her face quickly and spun on her heel, then relaxed slightly. It was the new recruit, Itachi Uchiha. She swallowed the feeling of tears out of her throat.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing, sorry. I was just looking around."
He was so small. So young. How did the world fill a child with so much hate? She nodded briskly.
"Well, continue."
He hesitated, then nodded in response and darted away.
Konan rolled out of bed, too restless to sleep. Hidan and Deidara were both on missions, as well as their partners, meaning that the night was quiet for once. She leaned out one of the many balcony doorways in the tower, then stepped out. She jumped back almost instantly as she nearly stepped on the unconscious body on the ground. It was Itachi, asleep and curled up into himself. She sighed in disapproval. Surely there were better places to sleep? Like in his bed? She sighed again and glanced around to make sure she was alone. There was no such thing as a steady sleep schedule in this organization.
She scooped the sleeping boy into her arms, blinking in surprise at his lightness. She carried him up to his room and laid him smoothly on his bed, then took a moment to investigate his room. It may be snooping, but he shouldn't have needed to be brought to his room if he didn't want anyone in. The room was sparse, little more than the furniture it had come with in the space. Itachi squirmed on the bed, a quiet whimper escaping his lips.
Konan bit her lip, then stepped closer to the bed. She softly smoothed his hair, and to her surprise he remained asleep. He must be really exhausted for his instinct to not wake him. She hesitated again, but sat down gently on the edge of the bed. She began softly humming a lullaby, then, when he didn't react, singing. He relaxed slowly, breath steadying out.
Konan smiled despite herself, suddenly reminded of her little brother. A little child, frail from birth. Once the war started, the starving began, he hadn't lasted long. She figured his death killed everyone a little. Her parents had given up on their own lives, giving every small scrap of food they could get to her. The year she turned seven they both went to sleep and didn't wake up. Konan stopped singing, her voice suddenly catching in her throat. She fought the tears pressing at the back of her eyes.
She stood quickly and walked quickly out of the room. Some shinobi she was, crying at every sad thought.
Konan gritted her teeth and finally dropped her reservations.
"Itachi, your hair is a mess. Come here and let me brush it."
The young man across the hall froze. He turned to face her, blinking in surprise.
"What?"
She sighed. "Let. Me. Brush. Your. Hair."
He reached up unconsciously to touch his head.
"I can- I can do it myself." He stuttered awkwardly.
"You can, but you haven't." She glared slightly, "Besides, you owe me."
He paused, confusion sneaking onto his face.
"I've been carrying you to your room every time you fall asleep for years now. Never asked for anything in return until now."
"Oh-oh," an awkward blush replaced the confusion, "I didn't know that was you. Sorry. It won't happen again."
She sighed again with more annoyance.
"Goodness, I'm not upset. Just let me brush your hair."
"Okay." He mumbled.
She pulled him into her room and sat him on the bed, then carefully tugged out his hair elastic and tossed it aside. She slowly started working a brush through the snarls in his dark hair, gently running her fingers through it as she went. His hair definitely needed washing as well, but that wasn't something she could help with. She shook her head and continued her work. The two of them remained comfortably silent until she finished.
"Thank you. For, uh, everything." Itachi mumbled.
"Don't worry about it." She paused, considering, "Don't tell any of the others, but I'm happy to help."
Itachi nodded, then disappeared from the room.
Surprisingly, this became a bit of a routine for them. After a bit, Konan didn't even have to fight to get Itachi to agree to it. It was nice, having some sort of consistency with another person. Looking after him like this brought back memories though. Memories, sweet ones, that had turned sour. Yahiko.
She'd known him first. Saved him when they first met. Always sticking to him, his loyal support. And then. Then her own weakness killed him. She'd spent hours crying afterwards. Everything she had had had fallen apart. A bit of her still wondered about how she kept going after it. But Itachi helped. He had a calmness to him, a natural comfort, once you got past his cold exterior. She was grateful for it, and from the tiny smiles he occasionally showed, he was too.
Konan sobbed; gasping through a mess of tears. First Itachi, murdered by his own brother, now Nagato, gone of his own accord. Everything-everything was destroyed. Everyone, dead, all over again. At least she wouldn't have long to keep going. At least if there was an afterlife she'd get to be with them all again. All the cruel men wishing to bring war wouldn't win without one final fight from her.