Uchiha Sasuke is happy! No, scratch that, he's ecstatic! Today is finally the day he's going to meet his little brother! He's been waiting for months for this day to come even since mom said he's going to be a big brother! He's so giddy he could barely stay in one place!
"*chuckle* Sasuke, he won't come any faster even if you stay at the front door."
"Mou, Aniki!" pouted Sasuke.
Itachi merely chuckled at his little brother antics. True, even he feel excited to meet his new little brother.
"Come, let's go to the living room. We'll wait there."
"Hai…"
As he walked, he felt his father's chakra entered the Uchiha compound. But something is wrong. He couldn't detected his mother's chakra with him. He could only wondered as his father went nearer to their home. He hope that nothing bad happened. What if his little brother didn't survived? Maybe mother went through some complications in giving birth? What if- no no no! He can't jump to conclusion to soon. Surely his father will give some explanations, right?
The little boy who soon to be 3 years old quickly ran to the front door when he heard the door opened. Itachi followed.
"Dad! Welcome home! Huh? Where's mom? And Otouto?"
"Father, welcome home."
His Father grunted as response.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Both your mother and brother are fine. They went through easy birth."
"Then…"
"Hokage-sama want to see your little brother, that's why your mother stay behind."
"Hokage-sama?!"
Fugaku shook his head. Even he didn't know why the Hokage want to see his youngest son. Perhaps it's due to the marking that his youngest has below his left eye. He has some knowledge about it but he can't be too sure.
"Come, let's go meet your mother."
At this, his two sons brighten up considerably. Sasuke even more so.
"What's his name?"
"Uchiha Tomomi."
"He…he so small." Sasuke is at awed at his Otouto. Small tuft of black hair on his small head, a pair of closed eyes, small nose, small lips. Everything is small! He wonder if he looked like this when he was a baby.
"But a little too small, don't you think mother?" Ask Itachi. A small contended smile at his lips seeing his new youngest brother snuggled comfortably in his mother's arms hiding half of his small face. A small movement from Tomomi brought out a new question.
"What is that marking?"
A Japanese character, 精 is marked below Tomomi's left eye.
"It is his birthmark."
"What does it mean?" Sasuke asked. He can read but he can't recognize a kanji.
"It is a character for 'Soul'. It mean he is special. You'll protect and care for your brother won't you Sasuke, Itachi?"
"Leave it to me!" Sasuke exclaimed, raising his arms high in the air.
Itachi nodded. Though he is still curious what does the character truly means. He had read once about a historical figure with the same marking on the same place somewhere in his Academy syllabus. He mentally noted to ask Shisui later. The older cousin is more of a history geek than he is anyway even though he often research the history of Konoha.
However, that note is thrown out of the window when Tomomi opened his eyes. He mentally gawked, as his youngest brother eyes is not onyx black like him or Sasuke or his parent. Instead, Tomomi's eyes is the colour of the deep ocean with a tint of electric purple on it. Hands down, it is the clearest and the prettiest pair of eyes he had ever seen.
"Pretty…."
And it look like his dear younger brother, Sasuke share his sentiments.
Mother chuckled. "Isn't it? That's how he got his name. Do you want to hold him Itachi?"
Wordlessly Itachi held out his hands. Mikoto then placed her youngest son into the arm of the genin. Itachi could only stay silent when the beautiful orbs of the barely a day infant hold on to his onyx one. Tomomi feel light in his arms.
"I want to hold him too!" whined Sasuke making Tomomi shifted his head to look at the where the sound came from, breaking the eye contact with his holder.
"You can't Sasuke, Tomomi is too heavy for you." Mikoto said gently to his pouting son.
As if consoling his older brother, the youngest Uchiha let out a gurgle and moving his tiny fist toward Sasuke.
Immediately, Sasuke offer a finger to which Tomomi grasp tightly for an infant. This motion make a smile erupted from Sasuke's face. When the marked infant smile, showing his toothless gum, Sasuke's own never fade throughout the night.
"You want another sign beside the mark? Whatever for? Wait, on second thought, don't answer that. *Sigh* other sign hmm…. Ah. There is one or maybe two or three."
He sure can cry, thought Itachi while holding the crying baby. His mother has set him and Sasuke aside and told gently to them that Tomomi has weak body. He will get sick often and need their support as his brothers.
Another wail come from his fevered youngest brother.
"Shh….I'm here Tomomi. Aniki's here."
Hiccup and strangled breath rose from the youngest Uchiha but he has stopped crying. But it won't be for long. He will feel discomfort in a moment and he'll cry again. He continued to rock the baby. After a moment, his youngest brother breath become steady. He has fallen asleep. It is a relief. When Tomomi cried, he won't let go. That's why Itachi is the one who holding him. He doesn't mind. Even though Tomomi already five months old, he is still light enough to hold for a prolonged time. But he can't stand Tomomi's cries. He feel helpless because he can't give comfort to his little brother.
And what Shisui told him didn't help either. How can it help when his older cousin told him that all baby except two, who have the same mark as his little brother never past their first year. It doesn't matter if the baby is from civilians or ninjas, the fever is too much for a new-born.
Though in a small part in his heart, Itachi hope Tomomi will be different. He hope his little brother will live. His family will be devastated if Tomomi dies, even his father. He noticed a glimpse of proudness on his father's eyes whenever Tomomi let out a gurgle in his vicinity, and it is not because of the stories either.
The person who has 精 mark on his or her body is called Successor. The first Successor ever recorded is when the Konoha first founded. The Successor act as a mediator between Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, thus nickname 'Peace' as he was able to get between the strongest shinobi ever known. There is also a rumour that Peace has another nickname, 'Riddle Child' as he like to talk in riddles that didn't make any sense even to the smartest man.
The name Successor came from Peace himself. He said that what people like him are called. There is more to the stories but only Madara and Hashirama know the truth in addition to whomever shinobi that the Hokage trust.
The wide known stories about Successor is they are very strong and talented with large chakra reserved. If not, then they are incredibly smart as Peace himself, even though was a not a fighter, are noteworthy seal master. He was able to do anything with just a small stroke of his brush.
The second Successor is Senju Izumi. Daughter of Senju Tobirama. Extremely talented kunoichi that was able to bring medical ninjutsu to the next level. Although Senju Tsunade is the one brought said jutsu soar, she based it on Izumi's theory. Technically, it is Izumi's skills that enable medical ninjutsu to as it is today. She died in Shinobi First World War, but not before bringing down hundreds of shinobi with her water jutsu.
The third Successor is a Hyuuga. Hyuuga Hiroto, like his predecessor is a talented shinobi. Though he only lived until late teen, he is revered as a long range specialist in contrast to Hyuuga specialty in taijutsu. He was able to use his palm to pushed bullets of chakra into his enemy's bodies from afar and disrupting the chakra flow and shut it down rendering it unable to use if the enemy is lucky. According to Hiroto, the technique has fifty-fifty chances. Shut down the chakra or the body exploded. He died in Shinobi Second World War.
The fourth Successor is not a Konoha Shinobi. In fact, he is not a ninja at all. This unknown Successor was born in an unnamed village nearby Amegakure that specializes in genjutsu. It is unknown whether this Successor is a man or a woman, but he is known as Illusive Bird as he always disappear in flock of birds that came out of nowhere if any shinobi tried to come in contact with him. Konoha shinobi included. There is no specific birds that he used. It always different each time. He interfered with battle every now and then with his genjutsu. As the Shinobi Second World War end, he disappeared.
There is rumor that fifth Successor was born somewhere in Kirigakure. A male child that was born few years before the Shinobi Third World War. But he was forgotten as he disappear.
All in all, the conclusion is each Successor that lived grows to become a great shinobi except for the fifth one.
Sighing, he placed the sleeping Tomomi beside Sasuke, who is also taking a nap. Mother forced him to when he refused to sleep in excuse to take care of his Otouto by threatening that he can't play with his precious little brother when he got better.
Itachi chuckled when he remembered Sasuke's pouting face. His smile remained when he noticed Tomomi's fever receded. Then a frown decorated his face when he remembered his youngest brother will have fever again in the next few days. The next fever will certainly be even worse than the one Tomomi currently had.
Sighing again, he got up and went to practice his shurikenjutsu.
"Be prepared for sleepless night. Hah! What kind of face are you making? During infanthood, a Successor will fall sick. Many time. Over and over. Once they're recover, they'll fall sick back and this process continue once their body are strong enough. If the young Successor has siblings then don't separated them. They will not get infected. It is better for the Successor anyway to be surrounded by familiar chakra."
Gulp.
"Ah…Hm? What?"
"There is something you still not telling us regarding this topic."
"Do I? Well, if you must know. Most of the time they died."