Her name was Uchiha Izumi, and like himself, she was from the Uchiha Clan.
"So it really is you. Do you still remember me?"
Izumi sounded delighted, her sweet smile blooming on her face.
That day, Itachi had used a pebble to defeat many kids their age, which left a deep impression on her.
After all, the other party was the Uchiha Clan Leader's son. Even though he hadn't started school yet, his reputation as a genius was already quietly spreading within the clan.
"Sorry, I'm not interested in ninja games."
Itachi assumed Izumi was here to invite him to some ninja game, so he refused without even thinking about it.
To him, instead of spending time playing ninja games, he'd rather use the time to train and improve his own strength.
As for ninja games, besides wasting time, he couldn't think of any other important meaning.
"Itachi, you're really not good at communicating with people, are you?"
But Izumi wasn't upset, she just smiled.
"Because there's no need."
"No need? How could there be no need? Playing together, isn't being happy the most important thing?"
Izumi looked at Itachi in confusion.
In her eyes, working hard together with friends towards something and finding happiness was the most important experience.
"...I just think it's a waste of time."
Itachi spoke honestly.
"Itachi, you really are strange. I often see you training alone in the forest—don't you get bored?"
Izumi asked.
"No. Working hard to improve myself is what makes me happy."
Itachi rebutted Izumi's view.
"But Itachi, you're already very strong."
"No, not strong enough."
Far from enough.
Training is hard and exhausting, to the point his body would be worn out and drained... Yet, every time he thought of that ninja battlefield, hellish like Asura's realm, and wanting to stop that kind of fighting, this strength was still not enough.
He wanted to become a ninja better than anyone, only then could he rely on his own power to stop war from happening.
With such a grand goal, even if training was hard and tiring, he savored it, no longer feeling hardship or exhaustion.
"I see."
Izumi thought about it for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
Since he felt training alone was a truly happy thing, to keep pestering about such topics would come across as impolite.
Then her gaze shifted to the Sasuke in Itachi's arms.
"Is this your little sister, Itachi? She's so cute."
Izumi leaned in closer.
"Not a little sister, he's my younger brother."
Itachi corrected Izumi's mistake.
Izumi blushed: "I-I see, I thought she was a girl like me. Umm, can I hold him for a bit?"
She looked over with hopeful eyes.
Itachi hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to pass Sasuke to Izumi, suddenly Sasuke's rosy little cheeks twitched and he started wailing, clearly not willing to let someone else hold him.
"Sorry, looks like Sasuke doesn't really like you."
"..."
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going. Goodbye."
"..."
Itachi ignored the dazed look on Izumi's face, holding Sasuke as he left directly.
What a strange girl, Itachi thought to himself.
The events that afternoon were just a trivial interlude for Itachi, and he soon forgot about them.
To Itachi, Uchiha Izumi was not someone especially worth remembering.
After dinner, his father Uchiha Fugaku and mother Uchiha Mikoto both went out on their own errands, so only he and his younger brother Sasuke were left at home.
He opened the door and sat out on the corridor.
The moonlight poured down like water, as soft as gauze; its brightness, more dazzling than usual.
So Itachi sat like that, holding his younger brother Sasuke, quietly taking in the sight of the moon from the corridor.
Soon after, a refreshing night breeze with a trace of warmth gently brushed against Itachi's cheek.
"?"
Itachi looked up, still staring at the full moon hanging in the night sky; its light as dazzling as ever, glaringly pale and eerily cold.