Arashi Uchiha

The sun dipped towards the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest path. "We can stay there for a short while," Shisui said, pointing towards a small cabin nestled among the trees. It looked abandoned, its weathered wood and overgrown vines whispering tales of neglect.

"Shisui, what if they find us?" Tsuki asked, his voice laced with worry. "Won't you get in trouble for helping me? And whose place is this?"

"Relax," Shisui reassured him with a gentle smile. "Nobody knows this place exists apart from me, and we won't be staying here for long. Besides," he added, his tone turning serious, "I have a few questions for you. It's really important that you answer them for me."

Tsuki nodded, his curiosity piqued. "Questions? Sure, I'll answer them."

They entered the cabin, the silence pressing down on them. The only sound was the wind whistling through the gaps in the wooden walls. Tsuki's eyes scanned the interior. It wasn't as small as it had appeared from the outside, suggesting it had once housed a family.

The air was thick with dust, and the floorboards creaked ominously with each step. Furniture, shrouded in white cloths, hinted at a life interrupted, a home left behind. 

Drawn to the fireplace, Tsuki noticed a picture frame covered in cobwebs. He carefully lifted it, brushing away the dust and grime. His eyes widened as he recognized the figures in the photograph. 

"No way! Is this you, Shisui?" 

The picture showed a young Shisui, his features softer and more innocent, sitting on his mother's lap. His father stood beside them, a proud smile on his face. Even as a child, Shisui's resemblance to his present self was striking. 

"His mother looks so kind..." Tsuki murmured, his eyes lingering on the woman's gentle smile. A pang of sadness tugged at his heart, a reminder of the love and warmth he had never known.

"Yeah," Shisui said, his voice tinged with a melancholic echo. "And that's my mother. This is our cabin. We used to come here for holidays when I was a kid. Before my father lost his leg, and before she died..." He carefully replaced the photo, a veil of sadness falling over his features.

"She was beautiful," Tsuki offered softly, his voice filled with empathy. He pulled the cloth from a nearby chair and sat down, closing his eyes and resting his head on the armrest. The silence of the cabin, punctuated only by the creaking of the old wood, offered a moment of respite from the turmoil of the outside world.

"Tsuki," Shisui began, his tone shifting to a more serious note, "I've been secretly investigating something, and I think you can help me figure it out."

Tsuki opened one eye, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Man, you're always investigating things secretly, Shisui."

"That's true," Shisui admitted with a chuckle. "But this one is really important to me, and maybe to you, too."

Tsuki's curiosity was piqued. "What's so important about this place other than it being your family's?" he asked, sitting up straighter.

Shisui took a deep breath, his gaze turning distant. "During the Nine-Tails incident," he began, his voice heavy with emotion, "my mother was giving birth to my kid brother. I was going to have a younger brother. She died with the child when the Nine-Tails destroyed the hospital."

Shisui looked down, his shoulders slumping slightly. "If only I had been in the village then," he muttered, "maybe I could've helped her escape, or at least save my little brother." He shook his head, dispelling the painful thoughts.

"I've been searching for survivors from that day," he continued, his voice regaining its strength. "Children born on the same day and in the same hospital. At first, my search was proving to be useless. I hit a lot of dead ends. But then, recently, I had the idea to check the hospital records again, and I found something interesting."

"Something interesting?" Tsuki leaned forward, his Rinnegan gleaming with curiosity. 

"Yeah," Shisui said, his voice low and serious. "At first, I found a kid named Arashi. He's supposed to be around your age, from the Uchiha clan. My grandfather's name was Arashi too. I don't believe in coincidences, so I looked into it." 

He paused, his gaze intense. "Turns out, just by chance, the person who was erasing Arashi Uchiha's existence died while trying to hurry it up. He left quite a few traces of Arashi, and I followed them. Tsuki, you never had any parents."

Tsuki smiled faintly. "I mean, isn't that kinda obvious?"

"Heh," Shisui chuckled lightly, but his eyes remained serious. "No, not like that. I meant, there's never been a Tsuki Uzumaki. There's only one Uzumaki in the village."

"Naruto..." Tsuki realized, his heart pounding.

"Yeah," Shisui confirmed. "He's the only Uzumaki in Konoha."

"So then... who am I?" Tsuki's voice was barely a whisper.

Shisui took a small, stained piece of cloth from his pocket and handed it to Tsuki. 

Tsuki stared at it for a long moment, his Rinnegan tracing the faded bloodstains. "This is..."

"A piece of cloth that tore off," Shisui explained. "It's the same one my mother was carrying Arashi in when she tried to escape. I know it is because I recognized it. But more importantly..." Shisui's gaze intensified. "I was able to extract a faint chakra signature from it, likely from my baby brother. And when I compared it to your chakra signature, Tsuki..."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"They were a match."

"Wait..." Tsuki's voice was barely a whisper, the revelation settling upon him like a heavy blanket. "So that means..."

Shisui's gaze held Tsuki's, his own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I don't know how to say this, but... Arashi... you're my... brother."

The word hung in the air, echoing through the quiet cabin. Tsuki's mind reeled, trying to grasp the enormity of this newfound connection.

'All this time... Shisui...'

He squeezed his eyes shut, tears finally breaking free and cascading down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for taking this long... Arashi."

Shisui stepped forward, kneeling before Tsuki and enveloping him in a warm embrace. "I'm so sorry, brother," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Tsuki clung to Shisui, the warmth of his embrace a stark contrast to the coldness he had always known. A weight lifted from his heart, a sense of belonging he had never experienced before. 

'I can't explain it... But I felt something lifting off my chest at that moment. Maybe it was because...'

He opened his eyes, his tears mingling with a newfound hope. 

"I have a family." 

(Edited on: 21/09/24)