Introduction: How did it come to this?

Itachi was perched atop a cable tower, looking down at his house. His legs had begun to shake in anticipation of what was to follow; namely, he was about to murder his parents. No. I've already decided on this, Itachi thought as he steeled himself, the small inkling of doubt fading in his mind.

Itachi's parents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, had announced that they were planning a coup-d'etat on Konoha, the village that was their home. The consequences of this rebellion were clear in Itachi's eyes; Konoha's current stability would be shaken by the coup-d'etat, breaking down into a gruesome civil war. Furthermore, Konoha's weakness would reflect on the rest of the Fire Country, and other villages would take the opportunity to steal from the country and become more powerful themselves. Next, this would devolve into the other villages, nay, countries, fighting each other for the Fire Country's resources. Effectively, the Uchiha clan attempting a coup-d'etat would lead to a Fourth Shinobi World War. To prevent this war from happening, Itachi decided to nip the problem in the bud before it could bear the fruits of disaster; off the clan before the clan can off anyone else.

Without another moment's hesitation, Itachi leapt from the tower onto the roof of his house, and crept into the chimney. There was no fire at the bottom, as Fugaku and Mikoto had already gone to bed this late at night. Itachi's little brother, Sasuke, was also not present; Itachi had knocked him unconscious after he left from the Ninja Academy, his face concealed by his Anbu mask, so that Sasuke would not interfere with the night's grim events.

Itachi took a bundle of rope and, silently and carefully, tied his parents to the floor, their arms behind their backs, and their legs fastened together, bent at the knees. It looked like they were kneeling. Itachi wanted to get this dirty business over with as soon as possible, and with his parents tied up, they could not fight him or run away. Once he had secured the rope and got behind his parents, Itachi gave each of them a sound punch to the head; his mother hit with his left hand, his father hit with his right.

Both parents woke up, instinctively looking behind them, Fugaku with his Sharingan active. Fugaku's gaze was met with Itachi's own Sharingan looking down on him. Mikoto then looked down to see herself and her husband tied to the floor. She tried to loosen the rope that bound her, but it was too tight. Both parents realized what was going on immediately afterward. Fugaku deactivated his Sharingan and Mikoto relaxed, taking a deep breath.

"So you've chosen their side, then." Mikoto said, not as a question, but as a matter of fact.

"Yes. I love my home too much to see it destroyed." Her son replied, drawing his tanto.

"I'm disappointed, Itachi." Fugaku exclaimed. "You could have killed us while we were tied up, but you chose to wake us instead. I'm sure it would have been easier for you to kill us in our sleep."

"Before I kill you I need answers." Itachi replied.

"Then ask away." Mikoto responded.

"I need to know. Why did you decide on the coup-d'etat? Surely you're aware of what risks accompany that decision. And also, you're both my parents. You loved Sasuke and me, and you had worked so hard to strengthen the ties between the village and the clan. It just doesn't make any sense to me, that good people like you could throw it all away with this bloody rebellion. So please hear your son out one last time. How did it come to this?" Itachi asked, holding back his tears.

Fugaku answered; "So you wish to see the story from our side? Very well, but you've been warned. Only sadness awaits your ears."