The days had grown darker in the house. Daichi's drunken rages became more violent, his cruelty sharper. Sin would flinch at every shout, every slammed door, while Reina's heart ached, realizing she could no longer shield the girl from the full weight of his wrath.
One evening, as she sat on the steps outside the market, bag of food in her hands, Reina's mind swirled with fear and guilt. How long can I keep her safe like this? she wondered. Maybe… maybe one day she needs to be with her true family… if any remain.
The streets were alive with chatter and the smell of fresh bread, but her thoughts were heavy, distant. It was then that a familiar voice called out.
"Reina? Is that you?"
Turning, Reina saw a face from her past.... an old colleague, a nurse she had worked with in Konoha. Memories of simpler, brighter days hit her like a gust of wind. She smiled weakly, relief and nostalgia mixing together.
They exchanged greetings, catching up on small talk, and then.... inevitably..... the conversation shifted.
"Have you heard?" her friend asked cautiously, eyes darting around. "The Uchiha… they were… all gone. Cleansed in a single night."
Reina's stomach dropped. Her hands trembled, the food bag slipping slightly. "What… what do you mean?"
"They're dead… every last one." her friend said softly, averted eyes betraying the weight of the words.
For a moment, Reina felt as if the world had stopped spinning. Sin's face flashed in her mind, her laughter, her innocence. No… this isn't possible… The thought of the child's lineage, the father she had never met, being erased in one night sent a chill deeper than any winter wind.
Her heart ached.... not only for the loss of what could have been, but for the impossible choice that now loomed over her. How could she ever consider returning Sin to a family that no longer existed?
Reina's hands clenched the bag tightly. Tears threatened to fall, but she blinked them back. She had to stay strong… for Sin.
Reina's lips quivered as the weight of the news pressed down on her chest. She shook her head, clutching her friend's sleeve as if to anchor herself.
"No… no, that can't be. Not him. Fugaku" her voice broke, whispering his name like a prayer she wasn't meant to say aloud. "He's strong… too strong to fall like that. Tell me… there must be survivors. Please—tell me."
Her friend's expression darkened. She lowered her voice, casting cautious glances around the street. "No one knows the details… but they say the only one left is the boy who did it. Itachi."
The name hit Reina like a blade. Her knees weakened, her body swaying under the truth she didn't want to hear. "Itachi…" she echoed, almost choking on the word.
Her friend nodded grimly. "He slaughtered them all. His own family, Reina. No one survived but him. That's all anyone knows."
For a long moment, Reina's world turned silent, her mind spiraling. Fugaku… gone? The clan… erased? She bit down on her lip until she tasted blood, tears stinging her eyes. Her thoughts flew back to Sin.... her wide eyes, her laughter, her little hands clutching hers so trustingly.
She has no father now. No clan. No home to return to.
But the thought didn't bring relief..... it carved deeper fear. If Itachi had destroyed the Uchiha… if he had spared no one… then Sin, with her blood, her resemblance, her fire..... wasn't she just as much a target?
Reina's chest tightened. "She's not safe anywhere," she whispered to herself, trembling fingers gripping her bag of food. Not in this house with Daichi. Not in Konoha. Not even in the shadows of her father's name.
Her friend gave her a worried glance, but Reina forced a brittle smile, nodding as though she'd understood. Inside, however, she felt the crushing weight of truth: Sin was a poor soul adrift in a world that had erased her before she even had a chance to exist.