Inside the Uchiha Clan's Clan Head's residence, Makoto's room was utterly silent, save for the occasional faint chime of wind bells under the eaves.
The setting sun passed through the lattice of the paper window, casting diamond-shaped patches of light onto the tatami. Dust motes drifted slowly in the sunbeams, and even the old scrolls in the corner were covered in a thin layer of dust.
Sasuke's small body squirmed restlessly in the room. His dark, bright pupils were full of anxiety, his brows furrowed like a tied-up green plum.
It had been several days already, and he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Makoto. Although Makoto usually liked to play all over the place, he had never been gone for several days without returning home like this.
Sasuke clung to the top wooden shelf of the bookcase, his fingertips gathering dust. A few days ago, Makoto had found him and specifically instructed him that if he didn't return for several days, Sasuke was to go to his room and find a note.
He'd even hooked pinkies with Sasuke, saying: "You can't tell anyone about this, including Itachi."
Somewhat confused, Sasuke hadn't seen Makoto for days and could no longer sit still.
For the first time, he barged into Makoto's room. Stepping on a wooden stool, he turned the bookcase upside down, scrolls scattering all over the floor. Even the candy wrappers Makoto kept in a vase were dumped out.
"He said he left a note, but where is it?!"
Sasuke stood in the center of the room, hands on his hips, repeatedly surveying the mess he had made, his little mouth pouted enough to hang a clay pot.
He had searched Makoto's room countless times, but stubbornly couldn't find that note, 'Why didn't Makoto say the specific location at the time? Wasn't this making things difficult for me?'
Complaints aside, Sasuke took a few heavy breaths, the stubbornness on his little face growing stronger. Showing no intention of giving up, he rolled up his sleeves and started searching again.
Stepping on the wooden stool, he climbed onto the desk again, his fingertips running along the gap under the inkstone. Then he squatted in the corner, checking each dusty wooden box one by one.
The wilted cactus on the windowsill was uprooted and shaken out several times by him, but the bottom of the pot was also empty.
He even brought over the only one at home he could boss around, Shiro the dog, to help, but still found nothing.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long. Gold-dust-like light cut diagonally into the room, casting swaying tree shadows on the floor.
A long time later, Sasuke, exhausted, plopped down onto the bed, leaning his back against the wall, his fingers unconsciously picking at the cracks in the bed board.
Tap.
A tightly rolled note fell out from a crack, carrying a faint scent of ink, landing on the floor with a soft sound.
Seeing this, Sasuke's eyes lit up instantly, like little lanterns being ignited.
He rolled off the bed in a tumble, not even bothering to rub his knee which had bumped against the floor, quickly picked up the note, and carefully unrolled it.
The handwriting on the paper was crooked, like drunken earthworms crawling.
Sasuke recognized it at once as Makoto's handwriting, because his own handwriting was better looking, and he had shown off in front of Makoto more than once.
He stared at the note, the anxiety on his little face slowly fading, but his mouth tightened into a straight line, his brows locking tighter.
He pointed at the words on the note with his little finger, unconsciously reading them out softly.
"The Shinobi World is vast. I want to go see it."
"Goodbye family, I'm going on a long voyage~ Don't worry, I'll be back. Don't forget me."
"…Sincerely, the Future Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Makoto"
Sasuke crumpled the note in his hand, his little mouth pouting. He still didn't know how difficult it was for an Uchiha to leave Konoha.
He only knew that Makoto went out to play without taking him along. It was just too much.
His cheeks puffed out like an angry pufferfish. He lifted his foot and kicked the bed leg, hissing in pain, but still let out a light snort with his neck stiff.
"Hmph, if you won't take me out to play, I can go out of the village to play by myself!"
In the evening, Itachi walked into the clan's compound, his body utterly exhausted. His clothes were stained with dust, and a heavy weariness and worry were frozen between his brows, an expression too heavy for his young face.
Ever since Makoto disappeared days ago, he had put off all missions. For days, he had barely slept or rested, searching every training ground in Konoha, the banks of every river, even the remote mountain caves in the back hills.
Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Sasuke squatting on the doorstep, his small chin propped in his hands, his little face scrunched up like a bun.
"Sasuke, is Makoto back?"
Itachi's voice was a bit hoarse. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the question was somewhat redundant.
If Makoto had returned, Sasuke would have long since jumped up shouting 'Nii-san, look who's back!'.
Sasuke shook his head, but pointed a little finger towards Makoto's room, his tone full of indignation.
"He left a stupid note. Nii-san, go look yourself."
Hearing this, a spark of joy ignited in Itachi's heart. He rushed quickly into Makoto's room.
Having a clue was good enough.
The note on the desk swayed gently in the draft. The moment he grabbed the note, something suddenly occurred to him, and his knuckles instantly tightened.
The handwriting was indeed Makoto's, but it was too easy for a Shinobi to forge handwriting. One could even use Genjutsu to force Makoto to write these things.
When he saw the words on the paper, 'The Shinobi World is vast, I want to go see it', 'long voyage', and so on, Itachi's pupils constricted sharply, as if pricked by a needle.
Sasuke didn't know, but he was extremely clear. It was extremely difficult for members of their Uchiha Clan to leave Konoha, as it required strict approval from the Hokage Tower. How could Uchiha Makoto, a half-grown boy, possibly get out silently?
Moreover, just a few days ago, Kumogakure's spies had caused trouble in the village. Now the entire Konoha was under strict security. The Anbu, the Root, and the Military Police Force were patrolling like mad. Even a bird flying out of Konoha would be shot down.
How could Makoto, a half-grown boy, possibly get out?
'Unless...'
Itachi thought of the trouble caused by Kumogakure a few days ago, and that Makoto had also never returned after that very night.
Instantly, his face turned deathly pale. His fingers gripping the note turned white, and the note was unconsciously crumpled.
He turned sharply and rushed out of the room, the veins at his temples throbbing. The usually calm black eyes were now swirling with red veins, even his breath carrying a scorching heat.
After leaving home, Itachi's breathing became more and more rapid, his chest feeling blocked by a red-hot brand. He sped towards the Hokage Tower.
He had to get Hiruzen's help to find Makoto.
When faced with trouble, Itachi's first thought was to seek help from the Sandaime Hokage, not thinking of his clan at all.
The evening glow fell upon him, stretching his figure long and thin, like a string stretched to its limit, as if it might snap at any moment.
In the Hokage's Office, the air was hazy with smoke, like a steamer.
Hiruzen, holding the self-inspection lists submitted by Konoha's various Kekkei Genkai Clans, fell into deep thought.