The Village of Konoha, a peaceful site but on the mend. After a swift, yet vicious attack by the Kyuubi, or Nine-Tailed Fox, the village was hard at work on repairing the damage and mourning all who lost their lives in the attack, both Ninja and Civilian. Although, with every loss of life a new one is brought into this world, and this child was the second child of Kagami Uchiha and Mayume Uchiha. The two new parents sat together in the thankfully-untouched hospital. Having recently named the new addition to their family Seishi Uchiha. Standing next to the parents was their first-born, nine-year-old Shisui Uchiha. Shisui stared at his new brother in awe, as he reached his index finger out he giggled a little bit as the toddler gently gripped it and squealed happily.
"So this is my cute little brother huh?" Shisui said aloud, " I think we're going to get along great." He smiled gently as the newborn wouldn't let go of his finger.
"Indeed he is Shisui, and what joy he's brought us, even in this time of despair." The tired-mother Mayume stated. She beamed a bright smile at the baby who looked up at her when she started speaking. " He's beautiful."
"Well he came from you, so I didn't expect anything less" Kagami said, smiling at his wife. He leaned down and gave her a soft peck on the lips. Leaning back up, he looked to Shisui, "Come my son, let's go see if we can have your mother cleared so we can go home and get the new one settled in"
7 Years Later
"Shisuiiiiiiiii" A young Seishi called, " Can you teach me a cool jutsu?" He asked his older brother with a puppy-dog look.
"No I can't. Remember Mom and Dad said you can't learn any jutsu until you start practicing the Fireball jutsu. That's your rite of passage as a member of the Uchiha clan. Besides you just unlocked your chakra last week." Shisui said to his cute younger brother. He continued with a grin, " What makes you think you can perform the jutsu your amazing older brother can do?"
Seishi unrelenting in his attempts to persuade his brother grabbed his black shinobi pants and looked up at him through his shaggy raven-colored bangs. " Please, at least help me with the fireball jutsu. I can't even get my chakra to heat up, it just feels the same."
Shisui looked at him and grinned "Well, maybe. I have a pretty busy schedule you know. Can't be teaching some little brat." He laughed as Seishi looked betrayed at being called a brat. As he was about to retort, a gust of wind was heard and a flurry of leaves seen as a fifteen year-old Anbu Captain Itachi Uchiha flickered next to them. At the sight of Itachi, Seishi's eyes widened at another hopeful contender.
"Itachi-nii-san" Seishi exclaimed in glee. He immediately ran up to him, hugging him in the exact same spot he did Shisui moments ago, "Can you teach me how to do the fireball jutsu, or at least make that meany Shisui teach me? I can't learn any more cool moves until I get that one down. Please? You'd be my favorite if you did." He questioned thinking he now would get what he wanted.
"I'm sorry Seishi-kun, if Shisui-kun said no, he must have a good reason." Itachi said to the hyperactive child with the smallest of smiles.
"Awww." Seishi groaned, "You're both mean. I'm going inside." The little Uchiha stomped inside and closed the door.
Both Itachi and Shisui smiled as they watched the youngest sulk away, but Itachi soon broke the silence, "You've noticed it haven't you? The clans growing animosity and isolation?"
Shisui looked back to his long time friend and nodded solemnly, "Yes I have, but what can we do? How can we stop it?"
"I was hoping you would have a good answer." Itachi replied, " I will try and talk with my father, but he has given me a mission, and if I disobey it will look suspicious." Itachi informed Shisui who nodded in agreement.
"Maybe with the Hokage's permission I might attempt to use my Kotoamatsukami and hopefully persuade the clan to abort this path. It might lead to a coup, and that'll end in the destruction of the Uchiha clan, especially with us not fighting." Shisui said looking down, "Plus with father gone and mother sick, I don't want to put more fear into Seishi's life, and I know you want to protect Sasuke as well." Itachi only nodded in response, no words being needed for that. They both stood in silence for a few moments, formulating thoughts on how to accomplish their goals.
Itachi finally broke the silence "I must head out Shisui, Anbu duty calls, we shall continue this later." Shisui only looked Itachi's way and gave a small nod. With that recognition the Young Anbu Captain disappeared from view.
'I really hope this doesn't lead where we think it will.' Shisui thought while looking up at the beautiful blue sky. ' If it does, things could be disastrous. I'll just have to make sure it doesn't. No matter the cost.' Shisui thought with a firm resolution. With that he walked away, if he was going to be prepared for anything, he needed to be stronger.
"Come again?" Said an aged Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage and known as 'The Professor'. He sat at a table flanked by his two advisors Koharu and Homura, and further down the table was Danzo Shimura, before them was a kneeled Shisui Uchiha.
"I wish to use the power of my Mangekyo Sharingan to convince the clan to not follow through with the Coup. I will do what I can to avoid bloodshed on both sides and save lives, even if it makes me a criminal for the rest of my life" Shisui stated firmly to the village leaders in front of him.
"Are you sure you wish to take this responsibility?" The Hokage asked seriously, "This is a burden no man should bear, and yet you would take it willingly?"
"Yes Hokage-sama. If it means protecting my little brother and the village I adore so much." Shisui said to the elders
The Hokage and other elders looked on with sorrow and respect, Hiruzen then answered, "I will not stop you, and I regret this falls to you. Go swiftly and may the will of fire protect you in your endeavors." Shisui nodded and shunshined out of the room. The elders conversed among themselves for a short while afterwards, and soon Danzo excused himself from the room.
Shisui soon landed in a small training field on the side of Konoha close to the Uchiha grounds. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to do.
"Please forgive me Seishi. I hope you know I'm doing this for you, and hopefully I'll be able to come back and tell you." Shisui said with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and prepared to leap off towards his destiny when he heard the rustle of leaves and the unmistakable sound of shurikens flying through the air. Snapping his eyes open he turned around and blocked all of them with his tanto. Danzo appeared from the foliage with four ROOT members by his side.
"Shisui Uchiha" Danzo spoke. "You're plan is only temporary, the curse of the Uchiha runs deep, and no doubt they will attempt a coup again, and so to protect this village, I will take your eyes and move to Plan B. I will not let your ways doom this village, I am not Sarutobi, I will take action to ensure the survival of this village." Danzo then pointed his good arm forward, "Go" he commanded his ROOT ninja forward.
Shisui gritted his teeth and launched and prepared for the first of the ROOT members who came at him with a kunai in hand, slicing for his neck. Shisui blocked with his tanto and prepared to counterattack only to have to dodge when another ROOT ninja came at him with a kick to his back. Shisui shunshined away to a nearby tree, only to have kikaichu bugs race to his legs, forcing Shisui to shunshin away again, where the third ROOT ninja jumped in hoping to lock the Uchiha down. Shisui returned to the clearing before jumping into the air, and performing several hand seals
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu" The Uchiha yelled before channeling a giant fireball at the two ROOT ninja he fought previously, the two ninja went through several hand seals of their own before they both shouted
"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall" The water wall rose up and protected the two shinobi from the superheated blast. As steam erupted Shisui smirked, having been handling the ROOT members rather easily, only for his eyes to widen at thought of a missing fourth who'd been there recently. Jumping from inside the ground came the fourth ROOT ninja aiming a Wakizashi at the surprised Uchiha. Shisui and the masked shinobi locked blades, when Shisui was about to overpower the ROOT Anbu, he instincts told him to turn around, as he turned his head, rushing to his face was the hand of one Danzo Shimura. Shisui's eyes widened in horror as Danzo's fingers reached for his right eye, only to rip it from its socket.
Shisui yelped in agony and jumped away, clutching at the now empty socket. Shisui looked up with a glare of hatred at the ROOT commander and his lackeys, who had gathered around Danzo.
"See this?" Danzo asked Shisui, while showing him his eye. "This just proves you are not strong enough. I will be having the other one now". The ROOT ninja the jumped at Shisui, only for a strong gust of wind to propel them backwards. Spiraling in Shisui's left eye was his Mangekyo Sharingan, and building around him was the infamous Susano'o. Danzo's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the coveted technique to form when only one eye was present. Shisui growled in anger, and from the chest of the Green Susanoo shot spectral shuriken at his enemies. Danzo and his lackeys jumped away from the spot the shuriken were aimed, and prepared a jutsu.
Shisui looked on in frustration 'Damn, this isn't as strong as it should be. If I hadn't gotten overconfident. I'll just have to stall and hope someone realizes what's going on soon. Hell they should, my Susanoo is a beacon, but I can't keep this up much longer'. Shisui looked on as the four shinobi he was facing all stood tall and performed hand seals, each ninja firing a different technique
Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu
Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu
Earth Style: Earth Spear
Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet
Shisui watched the four techniques coming at him, he braced himself for impact, due to the Susanoo he had limited mobility. The quad-element attack connected with a large bang, sending Shisui stumbling back, but the Susanoo held and prevented him from being harmed.
Shisui looked on and saw them preparing another attack, "I have to get out of here, no one seems to be coming" Shisui said to himself. The Susanoo crumbled away as Shisui stopped channeling the massive beast. Seeing this as their opportunity the four shinobi jumped at Shisui, who instantly shunshined away, following his tracks the ROOT operatives chased.
Three more shunshines and Shisui was out of breath. He rested on a tree trying to build up chakra for another jump. As he stood up, he heard the whistling of more shuriken through the trees, too tired to jump away, and with his depth perception being off after losing one eye, making the shuriken impossible to block, Shisui closed his eyes and braced for impact. Only for the pain to never come
Shisui slowly opened his eyes to see the back of the one person he wanted to see more than anything at that point,"Itachi", Shisui muttered softly.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I was supposed to be on a mission, but I got a bad feeling so I returned." Itachi told his best friend.
Shisui smiled "Well better late than never right?" Shisui laughed with his ever upbeat personality.
Seeing Itachi showed up gave the ROOT members pause, knowing fighting now would be futile, they fled. Itachi sheathed his sword, and turned to his comrade. Throwing an arm over his shoulder Itachi picked Shisui up and together they jumped away, traveling until they got near a cliff overlooking a river.
"Itachi, I'm sorry" Shisui said as soon as they separated.
"What for?" Itachi asked curiously.
"I wasn't strong enough." Shisui said solemnly, " Danzo took my right eye", noticing for the first time Itachi's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger. Before Itachi could speak Shisui continued, "I'm sorry, but I have to give this burden to you. Danzo will almost certainly come for my other eye, and we can't let him have it. So I'm going to give it to you, for safekeeping." Itachi's eyes widened again in shock, he watched as Shisui brought his hand to his left eye socket, and plucked out his eye. Not even a grunt in pain, only a smile as he looked at his best friend with closed eyelids over empty sockets.
"Don't let anything happen to these. Again, I'm sorry. I have placed something upon you that I wished to protect you from, so I beg you, don't let the Uchiha clan destroy Konoha. Don't let them destroy the brothers we hold dearly. Don't let this curse burn away the things we love. If I can trust anybody with this job, it'd be you Itachi." Shisui smiled, and the blood dripping from the wounds in his empty sockets dripped out of his eye sockets, similar to blood tears. Itachi however, was dripping real tears, knowing the one place this would go. Shisui unclasped his Tanto from his back and handed it to Itachi as well.
"Please give this to Seishi, and tell him not only I'm sorry, but that I love him as well." Itachi could only nod, unable to process where this was going. "Chin up Itachi, not all will be lost. I believe in you, you always were the number one Uchiha, huh? Especially with me gone soon." Shisui laughed trying to lighten the mood. Realizing it had failed, Shisui continued, "Itachi, listen to these words, words I have told you before. The true meaning of a shinobi is protecting peace from the shadows. Don't let the curse destroy you like it has much of our clan, you're better than that." Itachi still pouring tears nodded to his friend, not trusting himself to speak. Shisui smiled, sensing Itachi's nod, he then turned his back and walked to the edge of the cliff.
"Take care Itachi, please do your best, and for everything, thank you." Leaning back over the cliff, Shisui let gravity take over and pull him to the ground far below. Itachi just stared at where his best friend had just fallen. He felt a pain in his eyes as his mangekyo sharingan formed, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Right now those eyes didn't matter. Shisui did, and Shisui left him with a job.
Seishi was a wreck. The brother he cared so deeply for had apparently committed suicide, and due to the strain of the heart-break on his already sick mother, he had lost her three days later. Both funerals were held on the same day, and Seishi was absolutely numb throughout. The death of the two people he cared for the most, leaving him so emotionally drained he couldn't process the world around him anymore. After the funeral was over he was wasn't allowed to sleep in his own home anymore, immediately being taken by Itachi and accepted by Mikoto. He spent the next two days in their guest bedroom, barely leaving to use the bathroom or eat. The head family had all tried consoling him and easing alertness back into him, but their voices fell on deaf ears, muffled by a brain not wanting to listen. Seishi finally emerged from his room two days after the funeral. His eyes incapable of producing tears after extremely prolonged use. When he finally emerged it was Mikoto who saw him first. She was quite surprised since this was the first time he had willingly left the room.
"Seishi." She said with a small gasp, she immediately rushed over and knelt in front of him. "What's the matter? Are you hungry?" She said to him, motherly instincts kicking in full force. Seishi looked at her, his eyes glassy and unfocused, and said in a voice hoarse from not being used,
"I want to go home." Mikoto looked at him with sad eyes, immediately bringing him into her for a hug. Seishi was unresponsive at first, before his small arms crept around her and hugged her as hard as he could manage. His body shook as he wracked with sobs. Mikoto held him even tighter, this being the first time he had any physical contact with anyone besides Itachi. They stayed there for a bit, Mikoto ever patient with the grieving child. She stared at him worriedly knowing what the clan was about to undergo. She was never going to kick Seishi out of her home, he had a place there as long as he wanted to. Shisui and Seishi had been like another pair of sons to her. They were always around the house or out and about with Itachi and Sasuke. She loved them most dearly, but she was worried about the near future. As Mikoto held Seishi in her arms, she wondered how successful the coming coup was going to be, and if this home would belong to her much longer. She had tried to talk to Fugaku about postponing talks and preparations, but he would hear none of it. With the recent death of Shisui and Fugaku and the rest of the clan being suspicious of Itachi, she was worried about the potential outcomes. She hoped that whatever happened, her sons would be okay since they were the most important things in her life. Mikoto looked down at the mop of greasy, unkempt black hair on her shoulder. She spoke in a soothing voice,
"If that's truly what you want to do, I'll take you there." She said. Seishi looked up with widened eyes, and nodded his head. She worried about the impact seeing his home empty would have on him, but she figured it also might help his acceptance. Plus he needed to go outside, he has spent days cramped up inside and unmoving. This would also allow her a chance to grab some of his clothes to bring back with her. "Come with me Seishi, we'll go together." Mikoto said as she stood up and outstretched her hand. Seishi tentatively reached out and grasped her hand, and as soon as he did he clung to it like a life-line. Had Mikoto not been a Jounin with quite a bit of strength, his grip might've hurt a little. Seeing how she was however, it just showed her that he was still scared. "If at any point you start not feeling okay, let me know. We'll come back here and I'll make you whatever you want for dinner okay?" She said as they walked out the door. Seishi nodded but kept his eyes forward, his body on autopilot as he immediately started walking back home, dragging Mikoto slightly behind him.
They passed several of their clansmen on the way there. Most the men with grim and determined looks on their faces, and the women all looking at Seishi with a mixture of worry for him and relief for finally seeing him move around again. They finally arrived at Seishi's home after a few minutes of walking. When they walked up the small couple steps onto the porch, Seishi immediately took off from Mikoto. Throwing the door open he ran inside and looked around, hoping beyond hope that it was all just a really bad dream and he'd see his mother in bed, and Shisui preparing to cook dinner. Alas it was only dark and cold. Seishi looked all around the house, finally stopping as he looked at his mother's empty bed. He went inside and approached where she usually lay on the bed, putting his hand on the mattress gently. He then picked up the photo that lay on the table next to it, looking at all the smiling faces of his family. His father stood center with a hand on Shisui's shoulder to his right, and an arm around his mother with a lopsided grin on his face. His mother had a bright smile as she held an infant Seishi in her arms, her radiance captured within. Shisui stood under his father, doing his best to look as tall as he could. He smiled the biggest he could with his eyes nearly squinted shut with how he was contorting his face.
Seishi looked upon this picture, holding it for dear life as fresh tears finally poured forth. Mikoto stood behind him in the doorway, her hand on her heart as it broke for the poor child in front of her. Watching him cling to the framed picture like it was the last thing in the world brought her to tears as well. She had cried at the funeral sure. She mourned the loss of a son not by blood, and loss of one of her good friends. But seeing this, this small innocent child cracking under everything that he'd been through allowed her tears to fall freely. In her time as a ninja, she had experienced loss, grieved, and even told others of loss and seen them cry. But she'd never had this much emotional attachment to death, and she thought herself numb after seeing it so much. However, this proved to her that she was nowhere near the cold ninja she thought she was when she retired. She walked up to Seishi and bent down, hugging him from behind. As soon as felt her touch, Seishi whirled around and flung himself as close to Mikoto as he could. Wailing as he buried his head into her chest, he let everything go. All the emotions he'd been unfeeling to at the funeral, his not accepting they were well and truly gone, the pain it all felt of losing his last two family members in a set of days. It was all let out, and Mikoto was there to take it all. She and Seishi stayed connected like that till dusk. Mikoto finally rose, but when she went to pick up Seishi he resisted.
"Seishi let's go home. You need to eat, and I'm sure Sasuke and Itachi would love to see you up." Mikoto said in a soft voice. Seishi just shook his head. He slowly got up, with the picture still in hand, and proceeded to walk into Shisui's room and fall on his bed. Mikoto watched him with worry in her eyes. "Is this where you want to be right now?" She asked him. Seishi said nothing but nodded his head. Mikoto looked at him sadly, but conceded. Not wanting to push the child and wanting to let him mourn. She looked at his prone form and said, "That's okay. I'll make sure to send Sasuke or Itachi over here with dinner. I'll expect you at breakfast tomorrow. Don't make me come and get you." Seishi only nodded his head. She knew he'd be there, he always listened to her. She just didn't like leaving him there, but she knew everyone mourned a different way. If this was what he needed she wasn't going to force him. She sighed as she turned around and walked away. Being careful not to disturb anything on the way out. She decided she'd make Seishi's favorite anyway. She'd wait however till Itachi got home, she needed to talk to him anyway.
Seishi was unmoving as he heard Mikoto leave. He knew she was sad, but he couldn't bring himself to leave at this moment. His house still smelt like it always had, and Shisui's bed still smelled like him. Even though it had been a week since he… died. Seishi still found it hard to believe, but his mother and brother never let him be away from home so long before. The more time passed, the more he started to realize he would never be able to talk to Shisui or his mother again. Never see their smiling faces or hear their laughter. Everything inside Seishi hurt at this realization and he started to cry again. As dusk turned to night however, Seishi could feel his stomach start to wail almost as loud as he had been. He'd heard some commotion not too long ago, but he didn't care enough to check it out. Now as his stomach started protesting, he wondered if Mikoto had forgotten about him. He doubted it, but maybe he'd go over there just to check. Her cooking was really good after all, even better then Shisui's but not as good as his own mother's. As he dragged his feet to the door, he put on his little Shinobi sandals, a gift from his mother when he started the academy. She also said she'd have another one when he passed the fireball jutsu test. He didn't know what to think of that, since now he'll never know what it was. He was so close too. As he slipped outside he was hit by an odd smell.
As he peered down the road he saw the body of a man, lying still in the middle of it. "What? Is that Kazuki-san?" Questioned the small child. He jogged to where the body lay, and his eyes widened when he stepped in the dark colored mud surrounding the middle-aged Uchiha lying on the ground before him.
"Kazuki-san, are you okay?" Questioned the seven-year-old. As Seishi turned the body over his eyes widened, not exactly comprehending what he was seeing. The throat of the man before him was slashed, nearly torn off from force. Falling back and crawling away backwards, Seishi looked at the body in horror. He quickly got to his feet and made to run away, only to trip on a discarded weapon on the ground. As he slowly got from his knees, Seishi immediately ran towards the home of Mikoto, Itachi, and Sasuke. Stumbling from his lack of movement in the past week, and also avoiding all the other bodies strewn in the road. He stopped once to throw up, crying as he recognized many of the faces he passed by. Finally as he neared the home he saw Sasuke standing in the middle of the road .
Closing in on the boy, Seishi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke slowly looked up to him, his eyes glazed over, looking at Seishi, but not really seeing him. Sasuke's eyes slowly cleared as they held eye contact, before they rolled to theck of his head and passed out
"Sasuke!?" Seishi yelled in shock, he didn't know what had happened to his fellow Uchiha, assuming it was near the same as his other clansmen, he kept calling his name, praying he'd wake up. As Seishi was shaking Sasuke's shoulder, he heard the sound of sandals colliding with gravel, as someone walked up to him. Seishi looked up, seeing the one person he idolized on par with his elder brother.
"Itachi-nii-san!" Seishi exclaimed. Jumping up he ran and hugged his practically second older brother. "What happened? Why is everyone hurt? Is Sasuke okay?" He asked rapidly, his voice still hoarse. As he looked up into what he expected to be warm onyx eyes, he instead stared into the mangekyo sharingan of Itachi. Seishi flinched at first, but recovered as he knew Itachi wouldn't hurt him. Itachi looked down at his best friends younger brother, contemplating what to do. As he looked into Seishi's eyes the 3 pronged iris of his mangekyo started spinning he was ready to do the same as he did to Sasuke. Put him in a Tsukiyomi and put him on the same path he had put Sasuke on. Seishi looked up confused, wondering about Itachi, until Itachi's eyes slowly stopped spinning and faded to the warm onyx eyes he grew up looking into. Itachi couldn't do that again. He already felt worse than ever over everything tonight, and having to do a second Tsukiyomi on Shisui's little brother he had sworn to protect on top of already doing one to Sasuke was too much.
Itachi smiled softly and kneeled down to be eye-level with the child. "Seishi, I'm sorry." Itachi started, " I have stopped a great crime, but committed one greater. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I expect you to seek revenge."
"But why? What happened? I don't understand." Seishi said looking the elder Uchiha in dark eyes. Tears falling from the man, which confused the small child. Seishi started forming tears of his own.
"You will one day" Itachi chuckled. Then he performed an action he normally reserved only for Sasuke. He brought his hand up, and with his index and middle-finger, poked Seishi right on the forehead. "Get strong, and please watch over Sasuke for me." Itachi slowly got up and began walking away. Seishi ran up to him and immediately grabbed one of his legs.
"No. Please don't leave me as well. I'm so sick of everyone leaving." Itachi let tears fall from his eyes once again tonight. Everything had been harder than expected, and much harder on his mind. Not only did he Sasuke manifest his sharingan temporarily and attack him, here stood Seishi begging him not to leave him as well. It wasn't fair to any of them, but nothing in a ninja's life was ever fair. Itachi slowly pried off Seishi's rather strong clutch on his legs and moved away. Once seeing that Seishi wasn't coming after him again, he turned around once more and jumped away. Leaving the only family he had left in this world to deal with something he wished to have been able to protect them from. Taking solace in the fact that they would live would have to be enough now. Itachi needed to be strong now, stronger than ever. He hoped that they would as well, so one day they could make him atone for his sins. Seishi stood there for a few minutes, his young mind still trying to process what had happened. Looking away from where Itachi was minutes before he went back to Sasuke, but as he near'd the raven-haired child two Anbu landed near them. The Anbu with a dog mask picked him up and rested his head on his shoulder, while a boar masked Anbu picked up the fainted Sasuke. Seishi was well past his limit on what he could handle. As soon as he felt secure in the Anbu's arms he fell unconscious.
The Anbu holding Seishi looked around at the ruins of the once proud and powerful clan. "It's a shame honestly. This could have all been avoided." He shook his head, and jumped away. In his arms rested one of the last two Uchiha Konoha had. They would be put under Anbu watch for awhile just like the young Uzumaki. Hopefully the mental strain these two have and will experience isn't too much for them to live some semblance of a normal life. The Hokage was gonna have a Yamanaka work with them to help ease the strain for sure. He just hoped it would be enough.