Kita's crying was heart-wrenching—especially with such a beautiful face. Itachi hesitated at a distance from the pavilion, unsure whether to approach and comfort her or turn away. From a friend's perspective, he should go forward—even if it was just to hand her a tissue.
As he reached into his pocket, preparing to step closer, a familiar voice called from behind.
"Hey, weasel, don't go."
Itachi turned to see Deidara in casual clothes, a crimson yukata loosely draped over him, hair unkempt and androgynous. He held a half-eaten persimmon in one hand and a bag of more fruit in the other—apparently just bought from the street.
"You, huh? Telling Kita about the North District, aren't you?"
There was a hint of reproach in Deidara's voice. Itachi didn't think informing Kita about the North District was gossip, but to Deidara—and perhaps to others—it seemed so. Itachi simply pursed his lips, opting for honesty.
"If you hadn't told her, what if she'd never found out in her lifetime?"
"You guys from Konoha love sticking your noses in. Hmm." Deidara called it meddling, though he quickly added, "No, Tsu is from Konoha too, and he didn't meddle—just you."
Itachi crossed his arms, watching Deidara stuff persimmons into his mouth. "Are you asking for a beating? Need me to demonstrate?"
Surprisingly, Deidara didn't retort. Chewing, he fished another persimmon from the bag and tossed it to Itachi.
"Come on, stop standing around."
Itachi caught it—it was unwashed, of course. Deidara never cleaned his fruit; unsanitary as always.
"Why?"
"Tch, how dumb can you be? Hmm!" Deidara's disdainful tone made Itachi bristle. Opening his Sharingan, he glared at the golden-haired ninja.
Do you want me to show you real stupidity?
Still, Itachi followed.
They left the pavilion—and Kita—behind.
The two homes were close, separated by the river. Deidara leaned against his wooden gate, eating persimmons while lecturing Itachi, the Uchiha who had defeated him countless times.
"Caring about being non-human? Not you, not me, not the bosses or Konan. It's Kita. That cage? She put it on herself. No one told her about the North District because if she can't figure it out herself, there's nothing anyone can do. Hmm."
Itachi blinked, surprised.
"That's your conclusion?"
Deidara shrugged. "Old man's conclusion."
"It figures—your brain wouldn't get that far otherwise."
"Tch! You little weasel, you're asking for it! Hmm!"
A loud shout and a kicked slipper barely missed Itachi. He dashed home, a smug smirk on his face—Deidara's attack failed.
"Thanks for the fruit~"
Deidara limped after his lost slipper but kept up his harsh words.
"Tch! You little weasel, just wait! Hmm!"
Itachi returned home to find Kisame in the yard, digging furiously. Their small yard had originally stored junk, but Kisame had taken to planting lotus. Amegakure climate only suited lotus cultivation, so he converted the yard into a pond for both lotus and fish. Dressed in a tank top and shorts with a towel around his neck, he dug methodically.
Seeing Itachi return, Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Already done?"
"Not yet," Itachi said, placing the persimmon aside after washing it with tap water, watching his partner work.
"No games today?"
Itachi recounted the events to Kisame. Kisame paused his digging, hand resting on the spade.
"You told her about the North District?"
Itachi pouted. "No, just mentioned a new district so she could check it out if she wanted."
"Kita isn't stupid—why would you blab?"
Itachi, annoyed, tossed the persimmon core at Kisame. "I didn't blab, did I, loser?!"
Kisame shrugged, tossing the core into the trash. "Deidara's right. This is her own mental block. No one can help, not even Konan."
"It wasn't Deidara—it was me," Itachi muttered.
Kisame resumed digging. "Still, Konan really doesn't remember any of the past?"
"Yeah. I asked Kita about that technique—it can't restore memory," Itachi admitted, a trace of sadness in his voice.
Kisame put down his spade, noticing his partner's mood. "Honestly, I think it's a good thing. Love's tricky. Losing memory doesn't mean it's over. And if Kita actively pursued Konan? That could be…good for them, right?"
Itachi imagined a freed Kita going after Konan and smiled. "Yeah… you're right. Kita's still in the village, Konan too."
Kisame returned to his work, scooping wet soil. "By the way, why are you so interested in their affairs?"
"Feels like a shame. They were so good together, but now… all this mess. Tiring to watch."
"Yeah, women are complicated—especially two of them. Good things take time, I guess."
"Hey, Kisame, when did you start studying women?" Itachi teased. Kisame blushed, uneasy under his fearsome visage.
"I… have a question. What do women like?"
"Oh~ gifts for Do-kun~"
"Tch, you're getting nosier. I didn't say I was giving gifts."
"Well… aren't gifts for Do-kun?"
"No! Seriously, go work—digging or cooking, pick one."
"Can you at least tell me—if you cook, what's for dinner?"
"Instant bento works, doesn't it?"
Itachi: "…Fine, I'll cook."