This is the third rewrite of the first chapter. I updated the prologue and rewrote some of the events.

Please review!

Things to note:

The important Itachi/Sasuke battle (manga chpt 402) ended about the time I finished chapter 30, so some important events that happened when Itachi was four now happen when he is eight – including the battlefield scene.

Alas… I got Itachi's birthday wrong. I wrote it as being March, but in reality it is in the summer.

I like long stories so this is a long story.

I'm going for about 80% accuracy. I'm not psychic and I can't know everything. Also, a few things get changed for dramatic effect, not to mention I have to do a lot of guessing.

Madara is in the story as a major character. Read it to find out more XD

If the first chapter is too fluffy for you, skip to the second chapter. The first chapter sets up the characters and if you are familiar with them (as you probably are) you'll be okay. I wrote the first chapter since exposition is needed in any story.

Updates are on Fridays – put the story in your alert list and you will get an e-mail when the update comes.

Itachi is a genius and is a couple years ahead of where he should be for his age group, he is also being pushed by his parents and clan to excel. If he sometimes seems older than his age, well, that is why. However, he isn't a "little adult" either, he lacks experience in years. At least that is how I tried to write it XD

And last! Sorry for the long notes. Please enjoy the story! And review!

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto.

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xx Prologue xx

Itachi Uchiha stepped out of the cave and into a rainstorm. The 21 year old member of the infamous terrorist organization Akatsuki closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky so he could feel the rain falling on his face. It pooled around his eyes and cheeks, forming rivulets that ran down his head onto his neck. Kisame Hoshigaki, Itachi's partner-in-crime, remarked that he looked like he was crying and reminded him that he would become ill if he got too wet.

Random memories threaded through Itachi's head until they finally focused on certain events; his indoctrination into the clan at four, his graduation from the Academy at eight, the Chuunin exam, his entrance into ANBU, his recruitment into Akatsuki. He remembered the valley of corpses – dead for as far as the eye could see. His friends… they had died over the years. Some in battle, some by his hand. His mother and father entered his thoughts then. He thought he had hated them at one point in his life, but now the feeling was regret. Not that he had killed them, but at the desperation that had driven his clan to the edge and the same desperation and that had driven him to stop them.

The last memory to wind its way though the young man's mind was of a boy, five years his junior. Sasuke. His little brother was out there, hunting him. And now it was time to allow the hunter catch his prey.

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Chapter 1 The New Clan Lord

When Itachi was born to the Clan Chief Fugaku and his wife Mikoto not only did the clan celebrate, but they breathed a collective sigh of relief. They now had an heir should something happen to the chief. Fugaku was not as happy and during his wife's labor he had holed up in a bar drinking. When Mikoto finally saw him he was very drunk. He wouldn't tell his wife the reason at the time, but he did not want an heir.

The next three years he stayed out of his son's life. He took his meals separate and only occasionally spoke to him. Mikoto took care of the boy by herself without complaint. He was a good child, and very intelligent. She rarely felt overwhelmed by her husband's lack of help. And besides, she had many close friends who did help.

Itachi's third year Fugaku started to show a little more interest in his son. The conversations were a few sentences exchanged concerning Itachi's well being and his progress in his studies. He still ate apart from his family and spent no real time with him.

Itachi didn't notice. To him, this is the way it was. He spent all his time with his mother, who had started tutoring him the day he asked her why so many kanji characters in his story books were the same. She told him they were words and pointed several of them out to him. He remembered them and within a week could read his favorite children's books. He cornered his father in the living room one day and pointed to several kanji he recognized in the newspaper he was reading. Fugaku felt pride that day, for the first time, and ordered his wife to set up a round of studies for Itachi. Mikoto had been so happy to hear her husband utter the phrase "our son" that she didn't think to consider arguing the fact that the boy was only three years old.

The clan found out about Itachi's progress (helped along by two bragging parents) and praised their genius heir. Fugaku started to expect progress from his son in his studies and Mikoto assured him of Itachi's academic prowess, hoping the boy didn't burn out. She let Itachi work at his own pace and introduced new things when he was ready. However, the three year old boy still played a lot. Most of the day in fact, he ran races around the house, built odd designs with his blocks, and rough-housed with his older cousins. That was also the year he understood that his family was part of a clan of ninjas. He watched his parents sparring with other members of the clan and tried to imitate them, promising them that he would grow up to be a great a ninja. The words were probably copied from the declarations of his older cousins, or even from TV, but it still made his parents proud.

Itachi's fourth birthday was a day the clan had looked forward to for years. It was the day the clan heir would be formally indoctrinated into the clan and officially become Fugaku's heir. A large party was planned for noon, then a ceremony at the clan's temple that evening.

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Itachi woke up the morning of his fourth birthday and did what he always did – he lay directly in the sun with his eyes closed. The early March sunlight felt good. It was warm, and through his eyelids he could see red. Red was his favorite color. He would lay there for a long time (his mother once timed him at thirty minutes) and think of nothing but the warmth of the sun and "red".

Climbing out of bed he quickly dressed himself, pulling on a pair of dark colored shorts and a blue shirt with the Uchiha fan symbol on the back. The symbol consisted of the outline of a fan with the bottom third colored white while the top was red. Everyone wore that symbol embroidered or appliquéd on their clothing. It was also seen on banners, walls, and several other items owned or displayed by clan members.

Next to Itachi's dresser was a clothes-stand displaying the formal outfit he would wear to that evening's indoctrination ceremony. It consisted of a white yukata and pants. Mikoto had told Itachi not to touch it unless she was with him. It was an old outfit that had great symbolic importance to the clan. He touched it anyway. Nothing happened. Smiling he slipped his feet into his small kitty slippers and ran down the hall to the bathroom to wash up.

Breakfast that morning was a surprise. When Itachi entered the kitchen his father was already sitting at the table. The young boy couldn't remember ever seeing his father in the kitchen. Mikoto saw Itachi's surprise and bowed a couple inches to remind him to show his father respect. Itachi saw and quickly bowed forward. "Good morning father and mother." His parents were strict about manners and he would sometimes get confused about when he should bow or what he should say. Mikoto had, over time, worked out several ways of helping her son by using body language.

Fugaku smiled at his son and wished him a good morning as well, then watched as the boy positioned himself on a cushion. Mikoto placed the rice, fish and toast on the table. Itachi stood on his knees halfway through the meal to make it easier to reach the table. He may have been a genius and a couple years ahead of his age in brains, but his body was small. He did have a booster seat, but it was awkward to get in and out of so he didn't like to use it.

His mother talked through the meal, while his father watched him. He never really said much. Of course, he remembered Kisa (the mother of his best friend and cousin Shisui) saying he really didn't have a chance since Mikoto talked too much. He didn't understand what that meant. If his mother said what needed to be said, then why should he or his father say it again? Repetition didn't serve any purpose. Oh well. Adults were strange sometimes.

"Is Obito going to be there?" Itachi asked his mother.

"Yes, he is. However, he has to leave in the morning so don't wear him out too much." She smiled at him, knowing how rambunctious Obito could get when playing with his two young cousins, Itachi and Shisui. They were the only Uchiha children in Konoha so it was understandable. Obito had been an only child for so many years that having two little playmates – even ones who where half his age – was very good for the 13 year old boy. It was put forth when he was young that he may have to take the place as the Uchiha heir if Fugaku did not have any children and Obito did not handle the news well; even though he was only 6 at the time. Shisui was too far on the clan's side branch to be considered. The Elders recognized the problem and finally arranged a marriage between Fugaku and Mikoto, with instructions that a child would be born within a year. Mikoto did not understand why Fugaku resisted marriage, but she knew that he did love his family, and now, looking at him watching Itachi she was sure it was the right thing and that the clan's future was very bright.

Itachi finished his breakfast and placed his chopsticks on their holder next to his plate. He then sat still and bowed his head slightly to look at his empty plate.

"Today my son becomes my heir, and the clan's future is assured." Fugaku's words were solemn and serious. For the first time in his life Itachi had butterflies in his stomach, but he sat up straight and looked his father directly in the eye so he wouldn't know he was nervous. Fugaku continued to watch him and recognized his son's bravado. It was cute and brave at the same time. Well, his life was about to change, a little bit of nerves was to be expected. After all, Itachi was a very bright and perceptive child. "Tonight at the ceremony you will swear an oath that will bind you to the clan for the rest of your life. Such a responsibility is not to be taken lightly. From this point on you and I will spend more time together as I train you to be an Uchiha ninja, and to take over leadership when I resign or die."

"Yes father. I will be a great ninja and train hard!" Itachi suddenly smiled as dreams of ninja grandeur (helped by endless hours of ninja anime) flickered through his mind. Fugaku smiled at him, guessing correctly what was going on in Itachi's head. Well, he had been a boy once too.

"If you two are finished eating why don't you go into the living room and watch TV or something until the guests arrive. I've got a lot to do in here. Fugaku, please don't go too far, I need you to help set up the extra tables outside." Mikoto started removing the dishes from the table as Fugaku and Itachi got up and left.

Itachi went back to his room. He usually studied in the morning with his mother, but today's lesson was cancelled in preparation for the celebration. Entering his room he looked around. Mikoto had cleaned it top to bottom the day before. Not that Itachi was a messy child. He tended to put his stuff away most of the time, but still, things did get out of hand eventually especially with his ninja toys and action figures.

Itachi's favorite TV show was a children's themed anime called "Ninja Chronicles" about a ninja genin who lived in a world without ninja villages. His friends formed a team that wandered the land using their strengths to earn money, gain power to defeat their arch enemy, and protect the civilians from oppression. Itachi had a couple posters from the show, as well as action figures, toy weapons, comic books and a game. He would spend hours playing ninja with Shisui. The missions were extraordinarily complex, given his age, but his near perfect memory was basically just mimicking what he saw on TV. His parents saw it as good practice and encouraged his play. He did have a few teddy bears and stuffed cats though, as well.

Speaking of cats, there were three on his bed when he stepped in the room. The sun was still shining on it and they were obviously enjoying themselves. They were all white with red patches and one had no tail. He walked over and stroked their fur. Then he grabbed one of his action figures and suddenly he was fighting for his life against three sleepy giant Neko monsters that were threatening the villagers hiding in the trash can. The cats, echoing a tradition born of generations lived with over-zealous toddlers, ignored him.

"Don't you guys want to play?" He asked the biggest one.

"No. It's nap time. Go to sleep." The cat answered him with a stern voice.

"Come on, it's my birthday! Nap time is later, but since I'm four now I don't have to take naps." Itachi liked to play ninja with the ninja cats because they had actually been on missions and could sometimes be talked into telling some great stories.

"You are still a kitten, and I'm sure Mikoto will continue to make you take naps. Why don't you go play outside?" The cat didn't even bother opening his eyes this time.

"Okay. Shisui and Obito will probably be here soon anyway." Itachi was a little dejected, but the thought of spending all day with Shisui and Obito cheered him up quickly. He ran out of his room and onto the porch to wait for his cousins. He stood there for a minute and when they didn't come he started to run back and forth on the porch, trying to keep his footfalls as quiet as possible. The porch ran completely around the large main clan house, so it was good exercise for him, even though it never really tired him out (much to his mothers chagrin). The game was to run 10 laps without making a sound. His mother told him it was chakra control training. Kisa told him the noise gave his mother a headache, but she was laughing when she said it so he was almost sure she was teasing him.

Itachi stopped running after about six laps and watched his father directing several people who were putting up tables. There were two ox carts nearby with the words "Party Rental" displayed prominently. There were several men and women wearing jumpsuits with "Konoha Party Rental" stenciled on the back. Fugaku had a piece of paper and was holding it while a couple of the men used a tape measure to determine where to put the tables. Two women were unloading folding chairs from one of the carts and opening them up. A short time later the tables formed a three sided square facing the lake. Where the fourth side would be was actually a much smaller table. Itachi wondered if someone was going to sit there or if that was where the cake would go. He hoped it was cake.

Suddenly Itachi found himself hanging upside down by his ankles and someone was tickling his tummy. He started laughing as he squirmed around to see Obito holding him and Shisui tickling him. He heard more laughter and he turned his head to see some of the clansmen had arrived and were watching them. "Caught yourself a pretty small fish there, Obito, better throw it back!" One of them yelled.

"Nah – I feel like having an appetizer before lunch." Obito yelled back as he set Itachi back on his feet. Itachi looked up at Obito with a big smile.

"I haven't seen you in forever. I'm glad you came. Did Shisui tell you he's going to the academy now?" Itachi was very excited about Shisui going to the ninja academy – he was six years old after all.

"He hasn't stopped talking about it. Ha ha ha." He laughed and roughed up Shisui's hair.

"I'm the best in my class! I'll be graduating in no time – just you wait!" Shisui loved to brag about himself, even if he had to exaggerate. No one minded though. In a lot of ways he was like Obito. A person who loved to laugh, play jokes, tease, and wasn't always as serious as he should be. Itachi, like his father, was more reserved, and tended to be serious a little too much. Something Shisui was now old enough to point out to him, repeatedly, even if all he got in return was a blank stare from a confused Itachi.

"Obito," Mikoto said as she walked up to the boys "would you take Itachi and Shisui inside while the caterers set up?" She leaned over and whispered in his ear "Don't let Itachi see until it's ready. I want it to be a surprise."

"Yes Mikoto! I will execute this mission with my life and watch over the clan's new lord as if the world depended on it!" He saluted her and grabbed each boy around the middle and hoisted them under his arms as he walked back into the house. She giggled a little at this. Obito was such a little comedian at times. No wonder Itachi and Shisui looked up to him so much. She walked down the stairs and on to the gate to check on the deliveries. She wanted the tables set up with tablecloths before the caterers arrived. They were specific about their requirements and she didn't want them to be inconvenienced.

Mikoto stood at the edge of the porch and watched as Fugaku spoke with some of the other clan members. Muscular build, medium height, with black, stern eyes and medium-toned skin he wasn't really what you would call handsome. His black hair was shoulder length and was tied at the nape of his neck. He usually held his face in a frown – not so much to look disgruntled as to look serious. He was one of the most powerful ninja in the clan and the captain of the Konoha police force. A man that commanded power and expected obedience, he was a focused individual who held clan loyalties above all else.

However, for some reason he did not want to have children. He had told her that before they got married, but because he was the eldest and heir to the clan, he had no choice. The clan celebrated when Itachi was born, and Fugaku mourned. She did not understand his behavior and he refused to explain himself. That was the first and only time she ever saw him drunk.

Mikoto, at twenty-six, was five years younger than Fugaku. She was also a couple inches shorter, with a slighter build. Mikoto had very little contact with him when she was growing up, but they had gone on some missions together after she became a chuunin. She found him to be very professional and the missions had gone smoothly and were, for the most part, enjoyable.

A sound near the ox carts startled Mikoto out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw a third ox cart pulling in. The caterers had arrived. Obito and Shisui's mothers (Kagura and Kisa) came out of the house and walked with her to greet them. Together they answered the caterer's questions, and watched as they set everything up. When they were done, the caterers put on aprons so they could be waiters.

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When Obito brought the two boys inside the house he saw the eight elders sitting in the living room talking. He put the boys down on their feet and greeted them with a formal bow. Itachi and Shisui copied him. "So how are you doing today young Itachi?" The oldest of the elders asked.

"I am well. And how are you elder?" Itachi bowed again as he spoke.

"I've been better. Old age is getting to me – I turned 98 years old recently and I feel every year of that! Of that I am proud!" He spoke in a clear, booming voice even though he looked frail and could only walk with the aid of two canes.

"Wow!" Itachi and Shisui said at the same time. Obito already knew this and just smiled. He knew what it cost the old man to be here when he should be home in bed. Itachi was that important to the clan. His smile faded at that thought as he looked at the elders smiling faces.

"If you'll excuse us, Mikoto wanted me to entertain the boys while she finishes the setup outside." Obito said seriously as he bowed. He felt very self-conscious around them, and wanted to get away. He still remembered being called in front of them when he was six years old and being told that if Fugaku did not have children he would be the clan's heir. For some reason that had scared him. Well, he wasn't the bravest shinobi anyway. That was probably it. But still, he now feared for Itachi and his future as the clan leader. He didn't know why he felt sorry for the boy. Itachi was a smart kid, and much more serious than he would ever be. He'd probably take to the role like a second skin.

"Don't you like the elders, Obito?" Itachi asked, looking up at Obito as he walked down the hall.

"Oh sure I like them. They're great! Wow, 98 years old, we should hope to live that long, huh?" Obito answered a little too quick. Itachi frowned. He could tell there was something wrong with his cousin.

"Yeah! I want to be 98 years old." Shisui answered enthusiastically. "How about you Itachi?"

"He didn't look very well." Itachi paused in thought "I wonder if he really is happy about being 98." Obito looked at Itachi in shock. How had a four year old boy been able to pick that up? Shisui, who was six, hadn't picked anything up at all. The truth was that the elder was very sick and had been for the last ten years. He was unhappy, suffered from depression and was lonely because his friends and immediate family had been dead for twenty or more years. Obito's mother was a nurse and took care of him and visited him everyday so Obito knew these things. But Itachi picked it up after talking to him for a couple minutes. This boy really was amazing.

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Ninety minutes later the caterer's had finished setting up, the presents were properly arranged, all the guests had arrived and been seated and it was time for the birthday boy to make his grand entrance. Mikoto walked into the house and headed to Itachi's bedroom. When she got there the door was open and Itachi and Shisui were playing with ninja action figures while Obito lay on the floor with a cat on his stomach looking out of the window. The boys were similar in appearance, thin build, black hair, and black eyes. They looked more like brothers. Well, Obito was tall for an Uchiha. In fact, at 13 he was already taller than his mother. When he hit his growth spurt in the next couple years she was sure he would be taller than his father, and exceed 6 feet tall when he was 20. That was a long way off though. She smiled and called Itachi over to her.

"It's time to go. Obito and Shisui, you can go on ahead. Today the three of you will be allowed to sit together, since the birthday is considered an informal occasion despite all the people who came." Usually the main branch of the family sat at one table, and everyone else sat elsewhere. That usually meant that Itachi got to sit next to Obito, but it left Shisui out and she knew that Itachi didn't like that. Shisui didn't like it either, but she knew he would have to accept his position and get used to it. As would Itachi. 'Such heavy thoughts', she said to herself.

Fugaku walked into Itachi's room shortly after the older boys left. Mikoto was brushing Itachi's shoulder length hair. She gathered it at the base of his neck and put a leather tie in it. She then checked his clothes for dirt.

"Is he ready now?" Fugaku asked, a little impatiently. He knew Mikoto was nervous and stalling. He smiled at her when she looked at him with a frown.

"Yes. I just… Well, let's go have some cake Itachi." She took his hand and followed Fugaku to the door leading out to the party area. They stopped and put on their outdoor shoes, carefully putting Itachi's kitty slippers on a shelf. They were small and easy to misplace if left on the floor.

The three walked to the party area next to the lake. Fugaku walked in front, Itachi behind him and to the right and Mikoto directly behind Itachi. Everyone stopped talking and started clapping and yelling their congratulations. The loudest was Obito, of course. Fugaku took it in stride, Mikoto blushed (much to her surprise) and Itachi got butterflies for the second time that day. He wanted to stop and take Mikoto's hand, but he knew his father would not approve so he gulped loudly and kept walking. Suddenly Itachi was lifted in the air. Fugaku was holding him in the air under his arms. "Wave to everyone, Itachi." He told him. Itachi waved both arms in the air and yelled "Hi everyone. Thank-you for coming." Fugaku carried him over to the table where Obito and Shisui were already sitting and put him down in his chair after Shisui pulled it out.

The presents were opened first. He received books, puzzles (one from the Third Hokage – who didn't come – looked extremely difficult and Itachi couldn't wait to solve it), clothes, coloring books and toys. However the best presents were a wall hanging from the elder council of the Uchiha fan symbol, a soccer ball from Obito, and from his parents his very first child-sized ninja sword, kunai and throwing stars.

When he opened the weapon's kit he stared at it, speechless. It was real. Stroking the metal of the blade his eyes widened. It wasn't plastic or wood. He was going to be a ninja.

"Do you like it?" His mother said with a grin. He partially came to his senses and sort of remembered where he was.

"Yes." He said in a small voice. Then much louder "Just you wait father and mother! I'll be the best ninja! I'll work hard everyday!" Everyone laughed and clapped their hands at this, and Obito and Shisui patted him on the back. They felt the same way when they received their first weapon set when they were four.

"Just see that you do, son." Fugaku said. He smiled but he closed his eyes as he said it and bowed his head. He silently prayed for his son's well-being. Several people noticed this unusual display of emotion from their clan leader. Itachi, however, missed it. He was stroking the metal on the sword in awe.

The cake was served then, followed by lunch, then more cake (at least for the boys, though some of the other guests were willing to show their sweet tooth's and try for seconds as well).

Everyone was talking and the background noise was pleasant. Obito regaled the two boys with tales about some of his missions, Shisui talked about his academy classes and Itachi asked lots of questions. Eventually Mikoto was jabbed in the arm by Obito's mother Kagura. She pointed at the boy's table. All three of them were face down, fast asleep. Shisui's mother looked over to see what was going on and stifled a laugh. Her son was drooling.

"I guess we could take them inside." Mikoto said softly.

"Nah, just leave 'em. They're kids, they'll sleep anywhere." Kagura said laughing.

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"Let's get dressed, Itachi." Mikoto said cheerfully. It was now late afternoon, almost evening. She had already dressed herself in a semi-formal kimono and it seemed to put Itachi off a little bit. He wasn't used to seeing his mother dressed up and he looked at her with anxious eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked with a frown as she knelt down in front of him.

"Yes mother. I just don't want to mess up." He dropped his gaze to look at the floor and his eyes were half closed. It made his face look like it had two diagonal lines running from the inside of his eyes down to the corners of his mouth. The lines were more pronounced the older he got, and Mikoto thought it made him more like his father. It was a very serious look, but also sad.

"It's okay Itachi. You memorized the speech so you won't mess up. If you get nervous, just remember that I am there with you. Now take your shirt and pants off so we can put your formal robes on." She smiled at him and she stood up and started to remove the pants from the clothes stand. "I'm going to have to help you put this one, since you've never done it before, so no complaints."

"Huh? Oh, okay." The boy was preoccupied and didn't complain as his mother helped him dress. He usually preferred to dress himself. The white pants stopped about four inches above his ankles and were fastened with a tie around his waist. White fabric strips were used to wrap the bottom of the pant legs and cover the skin down to his ankles. His new weapons holster was tied to his right leg and his kunai and throwing stars were placed securely in the holster. The white robe, called a yukata, had long sleeves and was just log enough to reach his hips. It was held in place with a long white strip of fabric that was wound around his waist several times then tied off. At the top of the yukata, two sets of ties closed the robe. The tie ends had large pom-poms on them. His mother tied them loosely so that they were joined, but hung down over his chest.

"Mother?" Itachi asked meekly.

"Yes, Itachi?" She answered and she removed the tie from his hair so she could brush it.

"I have to go potty." She covered her face with her hands and groaned.

'Why didn't I make him go before I started dressing him?' She moaned to herself. "Okay dear, I'm sorry, I should have brought it up before I dressed you. Let's get that taken care of now."

At 5pm the three Uchihas were in the living room. Itachi was now completely clothed in white and even had a white tie to hold his hair. Fugaku was wearing the exact same thing except in black. He also had the Uchiha fan symbol on his back. Mikoto was in a formal black kimono, also with a fan symbol on the back.

"I'll carry Itachi so he doesn't get dirty." Fugaku said.

"I want to walk father!" Itachi complained.

"No. The clothes you are wearing have been handed down through several generations and are very precious. We can't risk anything happening to them. One day, your son will also wear what you have on now." Fugaku explained in a steady voice.

"So you wore this same outfit once?" Itachi was in awe.

"Yes I did. Except my father was already dead so my cousin carried me to the ceremony." Fugaku remembered he had also complained about being carried and smiled slightly.

"Make sure you don't walk to fast, I can't move too well in this outfit." Mikoto complained.

"Weren't kunoichi trained to move in all kinds of different clothes?" Fugaku stated.

"Guilty!" Mikoto responded laughing. "I hate dressing up. I always wear pants on my missions and dresses around the house."

"Much more practical. No wonder I married you."

"You married me because you were told to." She smirked at him affectionately.

"Whatever. Same thing." He picked up Itachi. "You got his shoes? Let's go then."

Mikoto held Itachi's shoes by the straps and she followed her husband and son out of the house. Because it was a formal occasion she would have to walk behind them, but she could see Itachi and watch him. As they left the main house and entered the street the side branch members were gathered on both sides of the street to see their new future clan leader. As they walked by the men and women knelt down on their knees and touched their heads to the ground, then sat up and prayed for his good will. Itachi's butterflies were turning into birds. Mikoto kept her eyes on him. It would be inappropriate for her to say anything to him in front of the side branch during a formal occasion. The clan was very strict about showing weakness. She hoped her eyes were enough to give him courage, but she noticed he had that expression again. He looked down at the ground with his eyes half closed, deep in thought.

The temple was a modest Buddhist temple situated at the far end of the street from the Uchiha clan compound's main entrance. The small garden in front was well tended and had been watered to make it stand out for the occasion. As they stepped on the porch Mikoto and Fugaku slipped their street shoes off and put on their formal shoes. Itachi was set down on the ground and his mother put his shoes on his feet. He continued to stare at the ground.

"Itachi." She whispered "Remember, when this is over Obito and Shisui are going to take you to the field to play soccer." She hoped that would cheer him up, but he didn't move or even acknowledge that she said anything. Now she was worried. She hadn't thought twice about the ceremony until now. It was just the main branch and elders. All Itachi had to do was swear an oath to protect the clan and follow the words of the ancestors. She had to swear a similar oath when she married Fugaku to protect her child, the heir to the clan. She took it seriously, but as a mother, it was nothing she wouldn't do anyway so she hadn't been nervous. She would protect her son with her life, if need be. It was a fact, the oath was just a formality.

"Lord Itachi." Fugaku addressed his son by his title. Itachi immediately looked up at him and gave him his full attention. "Come with me." He walked to the side of the room instead of the altar at the front. He bent down and moved a tatami mat out of the way. He then pulled on a ring attached to the floor and a secret door opened. Itachi looked and saw that a dark stairway lead down into the ground. "I'm going to carry you down the stairs so you don't fall." He looked back at Mikoto and saw that she had taken the arm of one of the elders who had offered to help her down the stairs. Obito then came forward with a torch and descended the stairs first to light the lanterns and torches. Fugaku picked up Itachi and descended the stairs. Mikoto and the elder followed.

At the bottom of the stairs was a medium sized room with an altar at one end. Itachi looked at the symbols drawn on the walls, but to him they were just shapes. He was so nervous now that he didn't care what they were. He heard a noise and looked back into the room and saw that the 98-year-old elder had been carried down the stairs on another mans back and was now being placed carefully in a chair with the help of two other men.

One of the elders, Kentaro, who was also the head of the elder council and third in line to the clan head – after Itachi and Fugaku, stepped up to the altar and motioned for everyone to kneel down. They all sat on their legs in exact rows with Itachi, Fugaku and Mikoto in front. Itachi looked at the gathering and saw that most of them were now looking at him with sharingan eyes. The clans Kekkei Genkai (or bloodline limit) was an ability that turned the eye's iris from black to red, with a triad of black commas (called tomoes) circling the pupil. Not everyone had the ability and since it usually didn't show up until puberty, Itachi did not yet know if he did. Obito had not activated his sharingan ability yet, but he was 13 now and it was expected (or at least hoped) that soon he would. The elder said a prayer and everyone prayed with him. He then motioned for Itachi to stand up.

"Itachi, state your oath and intentions, as passed down from the time of our clan's ancestors." The elder spoke in a clear and authoritative voice, while he turned Itachi until he was facing the altar with his back to the clan.

Itachi looked up and saw a plaque on the wall. He couldn't read it though, his mind didn't seem to want to work. He looked at the elder again, who put on a stern look at nodded his head once. Itachi understood that as a warning then opened his mouth and spoke in clear and loud void, just as he had practiced with his mother.

"I, Lord Itachi Uchiha, swear to uphold the laws and traditions of the Uchiha clan. I will protect my clan and its secrets with my life. I will accept my responsibilities and never waver in my faith. I will follow the destiny set forth for the clan and ensure its ultimate conclusion. I will reward the clan when it follows the true path, and punish the clan when it strays. Should I fail my life shall be forfeit." Itachi put his hands together in a prayer and bowed to the altar. The priest then picked up a black robe that had been folded flat on the altar and opened it. He held it out and showed everyone the fan symbol on the back of the small formal robe.

"Itachi, you are now given the appointment of heir to the lord of the Uchiha clan. This responsibility is taken seriously. Know that your grandfather was killed for failing to uphold the oath." The elder looked down at Itachi as the boy inhaled sharply. He didn't know. 'I can't believe Fugaku-sama didn't tell him, even if he is only four.' Kentaro thought to himself.

"Lord Itachi, you are presented with the official ceremonial robe of a full member of the Uchiha clan's main branch." He walked over and helped the boy put it on, then tied it for him. When he finished he turned the boy around to face the gathering. Everyone except his parents kow-towed. The oldest member put his hands together and bent his body forward a little ways without leaving his chair. When they sat back up the elder lifted his hands, palms up, indicating that everyone could stand again. They all stood up and started talking, walking up to Itachi to congratulate him on his new future, and congratulate Fugaku and Mikoto for having such a fine son.

"Are you ready to go now?" Mikoto looked down at Itachi. He had gone back to staring at the ground again. About 30 minutes had passed and the birds in his stomach were threatening to turn into – well, something bigger than a bird.

"Just a minute." He answered, and walked over to the elder in the chair. "What's your name?" He asked politely.

"My name? Why would a youngster be interested in the name of an old relic like me?" He laughed good naturedly.

"I don't know. I just… I just feel like I should know." Itachi was very serious and looked the man directly in the eye. The old man was taken aback by such an intense look in so young a boy. He directed his gaze at the boy, sharingan looking deep into the boys' eyes for several minutes. Itachi didn't move a single muscle and returned the gaze.

"So. You are the one. I have not seen eyes like yours since I was a youth. The clan is assured a bright future on its assigned path and you will take it there. I had held on all these years hoping to see someone once again with those eyes. I despaired that you would never come. But here you are, standing right in front of me." The room had gone deathly silent. The eyes Itachi was being compared to… Could it be true?

He took the boys chin in his hand and held him in place. Tipping his own head forward the old man's hair slid forward, hiding his eyes. Itachi could still see them though. The sharingan faded into something the boy had never seen before. Instead of three tomoe there was a three-bladed pinwheel design. The old man's gaze was very intense and Itachi's head felt funny. A fuzziness that made the boy want to pull away and rub his eyes. The elder saw determination, intelligence, maturity, and…

'Yes, perfect.' He said to himself. This boy was capable of anything. Anything at all.

"Lord Itachi, my name is not important. It is a word written on a tombstone then unwritten by time. Your only concern is the future." He released the boy's chin and looked at the gathering. He raised his voice and in an authoritative voice, a little deeper than the way he had spoken earlier gave the clan an order. "You will support this boy and teach him everything. Nothing is to be left out. He is the prodigy and will be the one to bring forth the will of our ancestors. Failure is unacceptable."

Fugaku felt like his stomach just fell out of his body, but he did not show any emotion on his face. Did the elder just compare his son to that man? Was he truly that powerful? He remembered that he was also a prodigy who excelled at an early age in combat and strategy. However, did he really want his son to take after him? The elder was from a different time, he was young when Konoha was founded and in many ways his beliefs and actions still reflected the beliefs of his youth. It caused friction sometimes between himself and the elder, but still… Fugaku felt pride. His son. His Itachi was a great Uchiha. He would train him himself and nothing less than perfection would be tolerated.

Itachi no longer felt any butterflies in his stomach, or birds, or anything else. He felt, truth be told, empty. Like something had just been taken away from him. But what? The feeling passed after a minute though, and he felt normal again. Who was this man? He would ask someone else later. Perhaps Obito knew. Obito… Soccer!

"Mother, can we leave now? I want to play soccer with Obito and Shisui." Itachi walked over to his mother and took her hand and looked up at her with a big smile.

The old man laughed, as did everyone else. Itachi was destined to be a great person, but as a four-year-old boy he had the attention span of, well, a four-year-old boy.

"Yes, it's time to leave now." Fugaku said as he picked his son up again and carried him up the stairs. Obito helped Mikoto up the stairs and offered to walk home with them.

In the secret chamber, the men who carried the old man down the stairs walked over to him. The chamber had emptied out and the only sound was the lingering conversations of the clansmen in the temple above. They reached out to touch the old man, but he was dead. He sat in his chair with his chin on his chest and a smile on his face. They couldn't help but feel that this was a bad omen of some kind.

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Within an hour Itachi was back in his play clothes and running around a muddy field next to the lake playing soccer with Shisui and Obito. The sun had already set (it was still early March after all) but the area was lit by street lights. They weren't really playing by any rules, they were just kicking the ball around. Obito was arranging it so that the two boys kept taking the ball away from him. Itachi even managed to trip him a couple times.

"Hey! Obito!" A young female voice was heard from a short distance. They stopped running around and turned to face the sound. A girl about the same age as Obito, with brown hair and thick red painted lines on either side of her face was standing at the edge of the field, obviously not wanting to get muddy.

"Rin! How are you? Sorry about the mud. What do you want?" Obito's face had turned red. Itachi looked at him curiously. Shisui caught his attention by holding his hand up with his pinky extended. Obito slapped his hand away. Itachi had no idea what was happening but Shisui suddenly started laughing hysterically.

"Sensei wanted me to tell you that we are leaving at 7am tomorrow morning, so don't be late! Is that the birthday boy?" She looked at Itachi who was watching Shisui.

"Yes, he's the clan heir, and four years old today." Obito said proudly, turning Itachi around to face Rin.

"He's so adorable! I'd give him a hug if he wasn't covered in mud. Well, when we get back from the mission you'll have to properly introduce us. See you tomorrow. Remember, 7am!" She ran off.

"Hmmm. You trying to take my girl Itachi?" Obito said pretending to be stern.

Itachi's eye's opened wide "No! I wouldn't do that!" But Obito was laughing and Shisui had fallen to the ground.

"Okay, what's going on, and don't say 'I'll tell you when you get older'." Itachi put his hands on his hips for emphasis.

"The pinky means 'girlfriend'." Shisui finally managed to answer. "We do that at school to tease the other guys when they talk to a girl."

"Oh." Itachi was impressed with the knowledge that Shisui learned at the academy. Obito completely lost it when Itachi turned serious. He was laying flat on the ground laughing his head off. Itachi and Shisui then looked at each other, then each grabbed one of Obito's feet and proceeded to drag him to the lake.

"Wait, wait, where are you taking me?" He managed to sputter out.

"Time for a bath Obito!" Shisui said. "You need to look nice for your girlfriend tomorrow."

"Wait, the lake is cold!" He sat up and stopped the two boys. They were laughing at him now.

"Time to come in now!" Itachi's mother yelled at them from the edge of the field then turned around and walked back to the house.

Itachi ran over to the soccer ball and picked it up, then the three boys walked back to the house. When they arrived Mikoto was standing on the porch with a camera. Before the boys could say anything she had taken several pictures. They were covered head to toe in mud. Kisa then turned on the garden hose and handed it to Obito.

"You'll have to take rinse yourselves down before coming in. We have some nice warm towels here when you finish. If you hurry you won't get too cold." Obito rinsed off Itachi first, then Shisui, then himself. It was cold, but the younger boys were immediately wrapped in the towels and warmed up quickly. Obito used a towel to wipe the water off his face and opted to go home instead of staying.

"I have to leave on my mission a little earlier it turns out, so I need to get to bed. Thank-you for inviting me to the party, and I am eternally grateful for you hospitality. Lord Itachi Uchiha," Obito smiled when Itachi jumped at the formal title "happy birthday. Best wishes for the future."

"How long will your mission be?" Itachi asked.

"Can't say, we are at war after all. Actually, I haven't even been told what we will be doing. Security, you know. See you all later!" He waved as he ran off. Itachi watched his cousin run down the street. The war was giving Obito and other members of the clan a lot of work. Itachi hoped Obito would be back soon with more stories.

The two boys were guided to the bathroom where they were scrubbed down with soap and warm water. Kisa was wondering if she should take bets on how long the boy would last the next day in school before falling asleep in class. He was already asleep on her shoulder. Her husband, Toshiro, came out of the living room where he had been talking to Fugaku and they went home after thanking the head family for their hospitality and wishing Itachi a long and prosperous life.

Itachi was finally in his pajamas. It had been a long day. It felt like it had been several days. The ninja cats were asleep on his bed again. He walked to his window and looked outside. The moon was full and ground was lit with moonlight. The big, white, cold moon. He closed his eyes and stared at it. He could see red. Just like when he looked at the sun. But there was no warmth.

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Let me know what you think by reviewing. Itachi will reward you by inviting you to play soccer.

In the next chapter, the war comes to Konoha in a way Itachi never expected, and Fugaku begins training his son. Put it in your Story Alert so you won't miss the next chapter!