The days passed and were more or less the same. Mitsuki worked hard, continuing to ignore the derogatory remarks she received. She had the support of the Academy Sensei and Itachi, who had become her regular partner whenever classes required it, and Aruna seemed to make sure that neither of them were bothered by hatred or jealousy from some of their class members. The Uchiha himself did not seem to be very popular, and it was not uncommon to see the others trying to provoke him, challenging him regularly in the corridors, but he remained unmoved most of the time.

One day, annoyed by the lack of response from their victims, a small group of students took Mitsuki to task as she was walking home. They surrounded her, giving her no chance to retreat and insulted her. Mitsuki took it without a word, without a look, thinking that retaliating in any way would only make the situation worse. And above all, she was convinced that she deserved all this hatred, she could only atone for the wrongs of her family by letting these people express all this accumulated hatred. Someone then walked up to her and shoved her:"So the monster! When are you going to show us your real face?" the boy exclaimed, whom she recognized as one of her classmates.

Mitsuki looked down at her shoes, hoping that the storm would pass by on its own again, but the boy pushed her even harder, knocking her backwards. The group giggled at seeing her humiliated and dusty. Mitsuki tried to stand up, but the boy, older and taller than her, grabbed her by the hair before lifting her up.

"Do you know who she is? Do you know why they want to hide her name from us? Did you recognize the bloody look in her eyes?!" the apprentice-ninja shouted, presenting her to everyone as she winced in pain while continuing to dodge the glares now directed at her.

"Please, let go of me...", Mitsuki pleaded, feeling the situation slipping away from her.

"This girl is Mits ... ", began his tormentor.

But he was interrupted as a stone grazed his ear. He immediately released his grip, quite upset, dropped his victim to the ground and looked for the thrower.

"Where are you hiding, you coward?!" he shouted, more angry than ever.

A shadow jumped from a roof to stand in front of Mitsuki, who was hiding her head in her hands.

"Come with me," a voice she immediately recognized whispered softly.

"Itachi-kun..."

She grabbed the hand he held out to her and stood up.

"Where do you shitheads think you're going?" the assailant asked, a sadistic smile spreading across his lips.

"Step aside," Itachi demanded, his gaze darker than usual, one arm placed back as if to protect his friend.

They stared at each other, when another boy, almost of age, interrupted them:

"Hey, little brother, what are you up to?"

The crowd parted as he passed, and Mitsuki's attacker swelled with new pride as he no longer found himself alone against the Uchiha, who he knew was much stronger than he was.

"Oh, Big brother! I was teaching that little brat a lesson! But the other Uchiha interfered...

- Oh yeah? Do you really want to pick on my little brother just to impress your girlfriend?

- I'm only asking you to step aside, we don't want any conflict, just to pass...," Itachi tried, guessing in advance that it wouldn't be so easy.

- I don't think so!"

The older brother had hissed that last sentence before disappearing like a draft in what must have been a substitute technique.Mitsuki let out a small cry of surprise before she felt her feet being lifted off the ground again. She struggled but this time the teenager had grabbed her by the throat, proud of his show of strength.Whereas she suffocated, he plunged his glance in her ruby eyes and exclaimed:

"Well, well, well! Little Hata is back with us!"

A heavy silence settled in the crowd, barely disturbed by Mitsuki's gasps as she clung as best she could to the boy's arm, trying in vain to free herself from his grip. In his brain, everything was accelerating, and if he was missing his breath a little more every second, what horrified him the most in this moment was to see the hatred growing in each of the looks around them. It finally took only a few days for her identity to be recognized, and although she had expected it, it only added to the despair she had already felt when she was kicked out of the orphanage where she had grown up.

Itachi's blood ran cold, determined to come to his new friend's rescue, he swung around in a crouch, kicking the teenager in the shins. His movements were so fluid that it looked like choreography. But the boy blocked it with a gesture and laughed in his face:

"And what could a little Academy brat like you possibly do against a Chûnin like me?"

He tightened his hand around Mitsuki's neck, under the bewildered eyes of his friend.

"That kid will only bring misfortune to Konoha, just like all the rest of her family before her! She should pay for their crimes, and instead she's being taught to become even more dangerous! I will stop this right here and now!"

The crowd booed Mitsuki, and stones were thrown in the direction of the unfortunate woman. She couldn't breathe, and couldn't even struggle.Itachi was struggling with the youngest brother who had grown wings at the touch of his elder brother and thought he could compete with the young brunette. But he was soon sent a few meters away, after a very quick fight led with grace and precision by the young Uchiha, who then quickly got in between the projectiles thrown by the crowd and Mitsuki. He took them all, protecting with his thin body his friend whose sight was progressively blurred.

"ENOUGH!", shouted an authoritative voice.

The crowd dispersed instantly, and the teenager immediately released his hold around the girl's neck who collapsed to the ground again, barely caught by his friend, before her head hit the ground. Itachi clutched her to his chest, releasing the strands of her hair that fell on her livid face to make sure she was breathing again, which she confirmed as she coughed, desperately seeking the oxygen she was missing.

"What is this circus? Do you know what happens to murderers in Konoha?!" the 3rd Hokage lectured as he approached them, "I refuse to allow anyone to take justice into their own hands, especially on an innocent soul, who was only a newborn at the time of the deeds you accuse him of, Kenan!"

The older brother, Kenan, clenched his fists before snarling in anger:

"She's just like them! Are you going to let her decimate families like they did before? Are you going to let her become a Konoha ninja, let her gain power, give her all the keys to slaughter us? The Hata, Kyûbi, and now her again?! My father and older brother paid with their lives for their last encounter with that damned clan!"

"We will not let anything like that happen, and Miss Hata made sure of that before anyone else. She is my responsibility here and I will not allow anything to happen to her. Young Kenan, you will come to my office with your brother, we will talk about your punishment together... Itachi, could you accompany your young friend to the hospital to be examined please? And please take the opportunity to have your wounds healed."

Itachi nodded and helped Mitsuki to her feet, then slid one of her arms over her shoulders before slipping his own hand around her hips to hold her staggering. He thus advanced slowly in direction of the hospital, supervising of the corner of the eye that she takes again her spirits without difficulty, while trying to guess what she could feel after this difficult ordeal of which he did not even understand the direction, ignoring what the teenager accused her. The brunette looked into the void, without a sound, simply letting herself be carried by her companion.

"Forgive me, Mitsuki-chan ... ", murmured the boy.

Mitsuki gave a twitch, and asked him in a weakened voice:

"Why?

- I should have protected you, I should have been stronger and prevented everything from going downhill...

- It's not your fault, Itachi-kun. And you did more than enough... You put yourself in danger... for me. I'm not worth risking your life, Itachi, don't do that again, I can't forgive myself...

- Don't talk nonsense, the boy got angry. And what did you want me to do? Watch you get stoned? Let you suffocate in silence? You don't have to pay for mistakes that aren't yours! Did you hear the Hokage? I wouldn't allow anyone to attack you like that either. And I will put my life on the line as many times as necessary, for you, Mitsuki."

The girl felt her legs go weak. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she couldn't control them anymore. All the tension, all the insults, the constant fear that had been building up for so long, all the pain seemed to be coming out of her little body. Itachi made her sit on a nearby bench. She turned her head away, one hand on her face to hide, unable to contain herself. The boy crouched down in front of her, grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger, and forced her to look him in the eye:

"I'll always be there for you, Mitsuki-chan. Always. You're my friend, and I can't bear to see my friend continue to be unhappy. You're not alone, Mitsuki-chan, and you'll never be alone again, because I'm here."

Mitsuki sobbed more and more, and Itachi sat up next to her and hugged her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, her releasing all the pressure and him stroking her back to help her evacuate. When she seemed to calm down, he lifted her head, and tenderly wiped her cheeks, erasing the last traces of her past ordeal. Mitsuki let him do it and gave a thin smile of gratitude.

« Thank you Itachi... for everything...", she whispered.

He smiled back, and helped her to her feet, finally leading her to the hospital. There, he refused to leave her alone and waited in the corridor for the doctor to finish examining her. Aruna, who had been warned about the altercation between his students, walked towards him, looking worried.

"The Hokage told me that there was an assault on Mitsuki... How is she? And you... Are you hurt?" he questioned as he saw the barely dried marks on the young Uchiha.

- I only have scratches. Mitsuki was barely standing on her legs and looked painful when I brought her here, she's scared too Sensei...

- I don't understand... Why do you want to hurt her so badly...

- It was about her family...

- Oh...so they already know who she is." Aruna sighed.

Itachi gave him a questioning look.

"You were a baby too, you can't remember... But I guess you'll find out sooner or later, so it might as well be from me, rather than from her detractors. His family... created chaos before being decimated. We never knew why, they were a respected clan, just like the Uchiha or the Hyuga, but from one day to the next, everything has changed. But I prefer to leave it to her to tell you more about it, if she ever wants to."

Both remained silent for what seemed like an eternity before the doctor came out into the hallway. Aruna and Itachi stood up simultaneously, and without further ado, asked in the same voice:

"How is she?"

The doctor told them that apart from some bruises and scratches, she was doing well. He preferred to keep her overnight for observation, however.

"Can we see her?" asked Aruna, concerned about leaving her alone after what had happened.

"She needs to rest, she's exhausted. I've given her a sedative with her painkillers, she looks like she hasn't slept properly in a while. I will allow you to say goodbye to her, it will probably make her happy, and she was worried about you, Mr. Uchiha, but quickly! Go home afterwards, it's already late."

The two men didn't wait a second longer and entered the room where Mitsuki was lying in bed. She smiled at them, obviously pleased with their presence and thanked Itachi again.

"How are you feeling?" asked Aruna as she adjusted the blanket over the little girl.

"A little better... just... tired.

- I'm glad to hear you say that. We need to talk for a moment, Mitsuki. And then we'll let you sleep it off.

- What is it, Aruna-sensei?, asked Mitsuki.

- I spoke with the Hokage, and it seems unreasonable to let you live alone...  You're not safe at home alone, if they find out where you live, what happened today could happen again and the consequences could be much more... disturbing... So, if you accept it, I propose you to come and live with me. You'll be safe there, and I'll make sure you have everything you need.

- That's very kind, Aruna-Sensei, but I can't accept. You must have a family and I don't want to bother you...

- I live alone, Mitsuki. And I would be happy to take you in. So if you have no other arguments..."

Mitsuki pinked before surprising her Sensei by catching her in her arms.

"In that case ... I accept, Aruna-Sensei. I'm so grateful..."

Aruna returned his embrace awkwardly, unaccustomed to this kind of affection, and replied:

"And I am happy that it suits you. I'll leave you now, I'll go get your things so you only have to settle down."

Mitsuki grabbed the keys to her room from her satchel on the bedside table and handed them to her teacher, who promptly walked out.

"I could walk you home every night," Itachi said with a smile.

- You don't have to, you know...

- I know, but it's inevitable since we'll be taking the same road!

- What do you mean?

- Don't you know that? Aruna is part of my clan, he's an Uchiha, we'll almost be neighbors!" the young dark-hair rejoiced.

Mitsuki laughed softly before running her fingers over her sore throat, looking a little bothered.

"I'll have to leave you..." Itachi began reluctantly.

- Oh ... please stay a little longer ..., the girl asked him with a pout.

- But the doctor said...

- A tiny bit."

Itachi pretended to grunt, unable to contain a wide, benevolent smile. Mitsuki shifted on the edge of the bed, beckoning him to sit next to her. He abdicated once again in front of the supplicating and irresistible look of his friend, and took his place by lying down facing her. The girl turned to him and they talked about everything until Mitsuki fell into the arms of Morpheus. Itachi didn't dare to move, she looked so serene, and when the doctor came in to make sure they were okay, he found them sleeping head to head. He sighed, but couldn't help but find the picture adorable, and since, as he had asked, Mitsuki was resting well, he just covered them with a sheet before leaving them.

The next day, just before noon, Mitsuki was allowed to go out, not showing any worrying signs, and the doctors were reassured that she was well taken care of. Itachi accompanied her to the Sensei's house. From the outside, it looked huge compared to the small room the girl had been assigned. A delicious smell of breakfast on the fire was coming out of it, causing the two children to scream in their hungry stomachs. Aruna, having sensed their presence, opened the door with a broad smile and invited them in.

"Are you still here, Itachi?" he said to the boy, a little teasingly.

Itachi blushed as he looked at his feet.

"Well..." he stammered, "That is..."

Aruna laughed and reassured him:

"You didn't leave her last night, did you? Don't worry, I went to tell your parents on the way home, so they don't have to worry. I made lunch, you must be hungry! Will you stay with us a little longer Itachi?"

The boy gladly agreed and they followed Aruna to the table. He brought three bowls of ramen, which Mitsuki smelled with undisguised pleasure.

"I am happy to come and live with you, Aruna-Sensei. But if you're a real cook!" she exclaimed and took her chopsticks.

Aruna laughed more and more, and the three of them ate in a good mood, forgetting for a moment the worries of the previous day.The hour passed and Itachi finally returned to his family. Aruna gave his protégée a quick tour of the house, and ended with her new room."You can decorate it as you wish, of course," he said to end the short tour.Mitsuki was amazed. The room was spacious and very bright, despite the setting sun. It even had a small bathroom all to herself.

"How can I thank you, Aruna-sensei? This is too much!" she said, embarrassed.

"Start by being on first-name terms with me, Mitsuki. We're going to live under the same roof from now on, there's no Sensei here, and I hope that with time, you'll be able to consider me a bit of a family...", the teacher asked warmly.

Mitsuki lowered her head, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes once again. A family... She had never imagined that she would ever know that.

"What's wrong Mitsuki?", Aruna worried, looking for what he could have said wrong.

"Yes... Yes, of course I am. It's just that... a family... it's so... unrealistic!", the girl replied emotionally, "But Aruna... are you... Are you sure you want me here? I didn't know you were a Uchiha... and I know that..."

"The past is the past, Mitsuki. You are in no way responsible for what happened. I believe in you, and I hope I can give you everything you've been missing. I will never replace a father or mother, or even a brother, but I am here. Let me be there for you."

Mitsuki sat on the edge of the bed before bursting into tears.

"It's going to take time, Mitsuki, and we'll take all the time you need," Aruna whispered as she took her in her arms, "You have nothing to fear here, you can let your emotions out. I only want you to be happy. Master Sarutobi told me everything you've been through so far, and I want you to know that from now on I'll do everything I can to see only your beautiful smile light up your face."

They stayed like that for a while in silence. Mitsuki was very touched by all these kind words, her two friends had become her most precious thing. Her heart softened, masking a bit the pain and anger she felt until then. She could hardly believe it, but now she had a real home, and a solid shoulder to lean on daily. She will be able to sleep more peacefully, without having to fear any attack during the night. And, to top it all off, her best friend was now close by!The following days were quieter for Mitsuki. Black eyes kept following her on her way, but nobody dared to attack her directly for the moment, for fear of having to deal with the 3rd Hokage. Her previous attackers had been heavily lectured, and sentenced to long hours of community service, in order to "think about the consequences of their actions, and the meaning of the headband worn by the older of the two". He had also been deprived of it for a while, and it was rumored that they had even been threatened with exile if they thought of doing it again.