This is a world where they choose to place a child in the ANBU. Makes you wonder how desperate they were for fresh blood. Very fresh blood. But then again, no one sees Uchiha Itachi as a child. He's killed, and didn't cry about it like a child would. Or a normal child again, perhaps. The shinobi never really produced normal children anyway - those ones died pretty quickly. So, Uchiha Itachi. The man in a child's body, but not a man either. Some weird identity that he's created for himself, that gets around all the rules. Because he's not a man yet, he can't be. He just hasn't experienced enough. He pretends though, with that aloof facade - who knows what he's seen? But he's too young to have seen enough. The wretchedness of fighting an enemy far stronger than you, watching them toy with you. The horror of closing one's eyes at night and every night, the countless corpses of old comrades marching under your lids. The breathless joy of falling in love. The hatred that is old and patient and razor-sharp, not young and scorching. The touch of eternity when one is so close to death, but just steps away and the sun seems to shine so brightly.
No, Uchiha Itachi is still a boy, and like all boys, believes himself invincible. Being in ANBU isn't dangerous to him, because he believes it is his rightful place. For one with a mutinous tongue against his own clan, he's surprisingly arrogant, despite the origin of his gifts. And the village - always the village. He would protect it forever, he believes. His heart and soul formed there, under the tears and the blood and the screams of war.
A man once said that "to a child, war is hell". He forgot that to everyone, even the winner, war is always hell. And war never ends. Itachi knows this. The war is over, the Kyuubi is sealed, and yet he hears war everywhere. On the tongues of blood-thirsty shinobi. In the Uchiha meetings where they say, we deserve better. In the life blood of the village, the shinobi. The ninja way is death. War is death. To be a shinobi is to fight, to create war. Then why does Itachi try so hard to become one, despite the horror of war he has seen? Because he believes the shinobi can stop war, at it's roots. Secret and silent, they destroy the voice of dissent before it can rise into a roar. They hide and learn and kill. One death is better than a hundred, he tells himself. Oh, but you've forgot something, Itachi, in that guarded mind of yours - that one can mean a hundred, that every one can mean a hundred. And that is why you all fight, on and on, for a word called revenge, retribution, justice. One above a hundred. And that will never change.
For Itachi, that one will always be Sasuke.
In a family, one always loves one's parents but with a different kind of love. A looser love - one has to fly the nest, after all. But siblings are something else, if they become friends and not enemies. A precious person, they say. You are never expected to protect your parents; but you will always step in front of the blade for a sibling. That is the way of the world, turned right.
So one day, when Danzo tells Itachi he can support the clan and die with all of them, or kill them himself and let Sasuke live, Itachi thinks. He's not a called a genius for nothing. He considers the parameters. Whatever happens, Sasuke has to live. He knows that. Second, the revolt of the Uchiha will probably start a war, due to the connections with the other villages. He does not want war. But more, always, Sasuke must not die.
He considers the world without his family, Sasuke an orphan. Alone. Itachi would have to flee after that. Sasuke wouldn't look at him again if he killed them all.
Itachi stops, and wonders if it's normal to be so calm about planning to kill his family. Then he remembers he's Itachi, and continues.
Sasuke will live.
Who holds the power? Shisui is dead, Danzo is alive. Itachi is the prodigy. Without him, how confident would the Uchiha be with starting this war? But they are confident, even as they watch Itachi veer from the path.
Sasuke will live.
They are confident because they believe Itachi is still, in heart and soul, theirs. And that he will side with him, when worst comes to worst. Fools.
So if Itachi was gone? They would still be strong, but weaker. And if-
If he gave them a scare- Maybe that would make them think twice. As well as re-direct their attention from the cliffs of Konoha to himself. Itachi smiles. Life is good. It feels great to escape Danzo's manipulations. Speaking of which, he has to rip the life out of him one day. For Shisui. Not yet though. Danzo is useful and has death would give confidence to the Uchiha. Later then.
Itachi plans. Danzo's "deadline" is approaching.
That night, the moon is full. It irritates Itachi. The moonlight is too bright and makes slipping through the shadows more difficult. Which is to say, Itachi does it easily.
That night, Itachi descends, an angel of darkness. Fugaku is awake already. Itachi speaks. Kills him. Places his mother under a Tsukuyomi strong enough to incapacitate her, touches a few pressure points and she lies still, softly breathing, next to Fugaku's corpse.
There aren't any screams. But still, Sasuke has to open the door. And see.
He is about to scream, but Itachi is suddenly behind him, crushing his windpipe, the sound caught in his throat.
"Shh," Itachi says. "It had to be done."
Sasuke is trembling, tears are running down his cheeks. He can see the blood. Dripping sluggishly out of his father.
"She's alive." Itachi offers, mentally rolling his eyes. ANBU has dulled him to murder and he's almost surprised at Sasuke's reaction. Just a kid. Not a kid like Itachi.
Sasuke's eyes widen as he sees she is still breathing. Itachi releases his grip. The instant that happens, Sasuke attacks him in a flurry of kicks and fists. It's a bit pathetic really. Itachi knows he himself is unusual, but does Sasuke have to be so pathetically weak? He sure wasn't at Sasuke's age. Itachi kicks him and he goes flying across the room. Lands next to Fugaku, in his blood. Screams and Itachi is pleasantly surprised to see Sasuke's eyes turn red. About time, he thinks. But it fades and Sasuke's eyes grow wider and then he is running, fear in every movement of his body. Itachi grabs him, slams him against a wall and Tsukuyomi's him. Itachi didn't really want to but Sasuke was acting up and he needed to finish this soon and get out of here. Sasuke screams again, of course, then slumps in Itachi's grip, falls silent. The Tsukuyomi showed Itachi killing everyone in the compound. Itachi thinks he's giving Sasuke a lesson in gratitude, in what could have happened. Sasuke doesn't want to think anymore. But his mother is still breathing across from him, unconscious. So when Itachi grabs him by the arm and runs, Sasuke doesn't fight back. That's what Itachi wants to believe anyway. Not just that Sasuke is weak and has given up, to his psychotic older brother. They run into the night, as the voices start to raise in the compound, the shouts as the scene is discovered. Sasuke gives out a slight sigh of relief. Itachi almost smiles. They run.
After a while, Sasuke's tires so Itachi carries him on his back. He falls asleep, which Itachi is glad about, not that he'd say so. It's just the explanation might take a while to get through to Sasuke and he's not keen on starting until they're far away.
In Konoha, Mikoto is woken up. She guesses what has happened. She doesn't cry. And when they start questioning her, she tells them all to shut up.
"It's over." she says. "We were going too far. You should be thanking Ita-"
"Traitor! How can you say that about the murderer of your husband!"
"Because he is my son, and I know him!"
"He's an Uchiha no longer."
"I don't think he cares about that." Mikoto almost wants to laugh. Are they all blind? "Shall I tell you a story?" she says. "A story a little bird told me."
They're all staring at her, frowning. They're not used to her speaking up; it's always Fugaku.
"Itachi told us. He was ordered to kill the entire clan himself or stand with us and die, as every shinobi in this village slices us down. We could not win."
"What is this?! We could win - we will win! The Uchiha-"
"No!" Mikoto shouted back. "Fugaku made me the clan head before he died, and I say no!"
"You're only a woman, why would he-"
Suddenly, Mikoto was behind him, kunai against his throat. "Eager to join him?"
He shakes his head, pushing the kunai, spits. He hits the ground, unconscious, before he can even blink.
"This was the only way." Mikoto says. "Without Fugaku, the clan will seem weakened, the coup d'etat will not happen, the elders no longer need to fight us. Fugaku, thanks to Itachi, sacrificed himself to ensure the survival of the clan. Itachi found the best way for us. Yes, we are weakened but it is about time. We have grown too proud, too confident, too eager to listen to gossip and slander. There doesn't need to be a split between the Uchiha and Konoha. It is our village, but to share with the Senju. And as long as I breathe, I will ensure a mistake of this magnitude does not occur again."
They are still staring at her. They mutter and turn away.
"Then where is Itachi, our so-called saviour?" one of them says, angrily.
"Doing what he needs to. And another thing - no one shall talk of this. This sacrifice means nothing if we do not play it right. To the outside world, Itachi has turned against his clan and fled, a missing-nin, proof of the madness of the Uchiha clan. To the Hokage, he has followed orders and reduced the threat to the village. And to the elders - well, he is always one step ahead."
It takes a week before someone apart from Mikoto notices Sasuke is gone as well. When he tells Mikoto she just smiles and smiles. She can do anything now, now her sons are together and safe. Danzo can't hurt Sasuke now - the chip is off the board. Oh, my clever boy, she thinks, I love you so much.
Although she doesn't know others outside the family - a redhead, a pinkhead, a girl wearing a coat several sizes too large for her - have noticed as well. Not that it's a threat. She should have noticed, that's all. But there's lots to do, in her new position, and many people to turn away - the ANBU to start with, with their irritating inquiries about Itachi - that she pays them no heed, when she goes to cancel Sasuke's enrolment at the academy.
Of course, Sasuke has to wake up. He slept restlessly, tossing to and fro. Itachi wondered about waking him but decided to be selfish for once. Itachi slept as well, of course, but didn't need that much. He'd eliminated weaknesses like that a long time ago. He sighs - they can't wait around all day, Danzo might still try something - and shakes Sasuke awake. He wakes up kicking. So Itachi kicks back. A little hard maybe, but hey, it's a dangerous world and no one's going to go easy on Sasuke because he's a kid. Itachi's been on enough missions to know that. Sasuke slams into a nearby tree. Itachi watches. Sasuke shouts and charges, Sharingan swirling. Itachi resists the urge to roll his eyes. He doesn't want to have to use the Tsukuyomi every time Sasuke gains consciousness. But he needs to talk to him. So Itachi moves. Suddenly, Sasuke is flying through the air again but Itachi's faster than that and pulls him down to slam into the ground. Kunai to throat. Sasuke blinks and the Sharingan fades away. His face is twitching, like he's going to cry. Itachi reminds himself that Sasuke is only seven years old and not an Itachi-seven. He's been sighing too much recently, despite the wonderful plan. Maybe the world would be a better place, he thinks, if everyone was a bit more intelligent. Everyone including his own brother. Really, Sasuke shouldn't let his emotions rule him so.
"Ready to listen now?" Itachi asks. Sasuke struggles. He waits. Eventually, Sasuke gives up, tries to turn his head away from looking at Itachi.
"I hate you." Sasuke snarls. "You killed Father. You gonna kill me as well now?"
"No. And I a reason."
"I'm not listening."
" Yes, you will." Itachi remarks. He's starting to get irritated - they don't have time for this. So he lets a bit of his killing intent though and rewarded as Sasuke's face goes pale and he falls silent. "The clan, under Father, were planning on overthrowing the Hokage and the elders, for their recent disrespect to the Uchiha, ever since the Kyuubi destroyed the village and no one could find a culprit. This coup d'etat would destroy the treaties between the villages and we would be thrown into another war. I couldn't let that happen. So I spied on our family for the good of the village. In the end, one of the elders gave me a choice - kill the clan myself and able allowed to let you live, or stand on the Uchiha side and we would all die."
Sasuke's remarkably silent, and it's not because of the touch of killing intent any more.
"I didn't like either choice. Killing our Father is a compromise, one that Danzo didn't give me. It puts the Uchiha clan out of the playing for a bit, weakens them. It's a temporary measure, but I left Mother alive could make sure the Uchiha act more carefully for the next couple of decades. In the meantime, I am a missing-nin, who kidnapped you. I'm saying kidnapped because then if the tables turn, you're still safe and able to return to Konoha."
"Why can't I return now?"
"You wouldn't be safe there. Danzo and I have some unfinished business and I have no doubt he'd use you to get at me. He won't be happy I disobeyed him. He's probably pressing the Hokage to approve the execution of the rest of the Uchiha right now, in fact."
"Then we have to go back!"
"Oh, little brother. I'm sure Mother can handle it."
"I still hate you."
"Hn." Itachi replies - he's used up his word quota for the week - and walks off. Sasuke follows him, because what else could he do. He has no idea where they are, doesn't recognize the landscape. Further out than he's ever been allowed before. But Itachi's walking like they belong here so Sasuke does the same. As they walk, Sasuke wonders - bored - what they're actually going to do, now they're out of the reach of this Dango-person. Of course, the sayings are right; speak of the devil - and a devil will come. So Sasuke really shouldn't have have been surprised when on the third day of walking, they are attacked.
Itachi notices something is wrong first, of course. Sasuke's staring at his feet, wondering what they're learning at school at the moment. Then Itachi taps him on the shoulder and he looks up, alert suddenly. He still feels like he doesn't understand his brother any more but he knows Itachi hates contact in general. So something is wrong.
"I know you're there." Itachi says. This is answered with a burst a killing intent. Sasuke shivers but Itachi just waits. He was in ANBU, remember? Then the enemy strikes into view.
"So, you're the newbie?" he says. "Though I hadn't heard it was two kids instead of one."
Itachi watches him, his Sharingan on.
"What do you want?" he asks.
The man shrugs, lifts the sword off his shoulder.
"Just finding out the competition." he says. "Friendly like, you know?" He smiles.
Itachi doesn't move.
"A Mist missing nin." he says.
"Been studying like a good kid?"
"We're not looking for a fight."
"Oh, but I am." the man replies. "Getting a bit bored."
Itachi shoves Sasuke out of the way just in time, as the man charges.
Sasuke's arm is bleeding. Kisame laughs at his glare.
"It's just a scratch, kiddo. Only having fun."
Then Itachi joins in the glaring and Kisame walks away, muttering about psychotic little kids with creepy eyes.
Itachi bandages his arm, saying they'll find a healer in the next town. Sasuke asks why Kisame is their ally now. Itachi shrugs and that's that. Sasuke knows he'll get more out of Kisame himself than his brother. He doesn't want to talk to Kisame though. So that's that.