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The boy was crying; a soft, heartbreaking sound that unsettled the heavily cloaked woman.

A brown gloved hand reached out and pulled the linen closet door open, totally ignoring the sudden gasp of horror that escaped the orphanage director when she realised the woman who was adopting a child that day had stopped and was opening the closet she had locked the demon brat in.

Cool brown eyes took in the boy, looking to be little more than a toddler, who cowered in the corner of the small, dusty, lightless space. A very small child; a mop of tangled and dirty blonde hair that even when combed would never be straight, summer-sky blue eyes shiny with fear and tears, identical and identifying whisker markings on both sunken cheeks and a massive hand-shaped bruise from right eyebrow to chin.

"Come here."

The child flinched at the commanding but neutral voice and hesitantly edged onto the spot the woman gestured to, doing his best to remain curled over the vital areas.

The woman cast a cool look at the caretaker. This place was supposed to be one of the best orphanages in Fire Country. Obviously, the reports were wrong. The woman loathed people who didn't take their duties seriously.

The woman crouched abruptly, causing the boy to flinch and squeeze his eyes shut. She ignored the boy and grabbed both his hands and examined them thoroughly before moving up his arms before checking his legs for flexibility. She turned him around abruptly, pushed him into a bending position and ran her hands up his ribs and vertebrae in search of flaws. That done, she pulled him up and turned him around.

The woman pulled a smallish black case from under her cloak and took out a stethoscope which she used to check his heart and lungs for irregularities. Finding none, she proceeded to use various apparatus' to check his eyes, ears and mouth.

The woman sat back on her heels, ignoring the fidgeting and protesting woman behind her. The woman hadn't ever thought to find someone with such a physically perfect child in an orphanage, regardless of wether or not the child was the Kyuubi Vessel. The little fact that he was compliant under her hands, even relaxed once he figured she wouldn't hurt him, meant that he would do whatever she told him.

The woman stood abruptly and picked up the child.

The woman looked down at the caretaker from her height of 6'2ft. "He'll do." She turned and strode down the hall towards the administration office with the confused boy clinging to the front of her torso, leaving the gaping caretaker in their wake.

(space)

"Itachi."

The Uchiha prodigy turned at the crisp contralto of his favourite aunt and mentor.

And blinked.

Endoh Michiko lived up to her name as the beautiful wise child. Michiko was his mother's sister and a Hunter-nin captain. There was no one Itachi loved more, striking up another cord of dissension between the sisters. Itachi's mother was pretty, it's true, but the head of the Uchiha clan had first tried to court the stunningly beautiful genius sister, only to be vigorously rejected like all her other suitors, allowing only her best friend and team mate, Kazama Arashi, to get close.

Because it caused such disharmony among her fellows, Michiko had taken to covering her face and hair at all times.

Itachi had only seen his aunt's face once before and it had stuck in his memory. Skin like peach flowers, cat-shaped eyes that shone like light through molasses, hair like waves of burnished chestnut wood, a beautiful smile that reminded you of warm morning sunlight, a strong and sculptured face; this was the face that now watched him, hair cascading loose over her tan cloak.

Then he noticed the small blonde boy around Sasuke's age clinging to her thigh. Jealousy stirred then stilled as he noticed the facial bruise. Itachi new Michiko had a very strong sense of justice.

"Itachi, I want you to watch the boy and clean him up while I go talk to the Hokage."

The Uchiha shifted, sensing a change in the wind. "About what?"

Michiko smiled tiredly. "About me retiring."

Black eyes shot wide in surprise. "Retiring…?" Michiko, the Huntress, was retiring.

The tall woman laughed softly at the lost look on her nephew's young face. "I am tired, and I no longer want to kill on command." Her eyes softened. "I want a life beyond that of a mere murderer for hire. I want to travel without the burden of a mission hanging over me." Michiko looked to the sky with a wistful smile on her face. A bird of prey hung high against the fluffy white clouds.

"They say that when people see birds flying in the sky, they get the urge to go on a journey…" There was a distracted look on the Huntress's face; like she was listening to voices on the wind. Itachi wavered as he realised that, while not as thought out as Michiko's nor in the exact words, the same feeling of restless longing was in him too, rising like a leviathan from the dark depths of his being.

He hated being seen as a non-human tool; even more so by his own clan and family.

Michiko shook herself out of her trance to smile at her nephew. "Don't worry so. I'll write and visit every so often. It's not like it's the end of the world. Now, I must be off." She nudged the almost forgotten child in Itachi's direction. "All he needs is a bath, some clothes and a meal. When I get back I'll take the two of you out for lunch and shopping."

The Uchiha Prodigy reluctantly agreed and took the child's hand, leading him into the shade of his family's house, his aunt moving in the opposite direction.

(space)

Michiko's tan hood and mask were once again in place as she drifted down the hall to the Hokage's office. She paused at the desk by the door to speak with his secretary.

"Is anyone with the Hokage at present?"

The over-inflated flunky at the desk looked up and dabbed his nose with a scented handkerchief, lip curling at the cloaked woman smelling of sweat, leather and oil. "No, but Hokage-sama is busy with important paperwork and is not taking visitors."

Though he couldn't see it, Michiko's lip curled at the arrogant little man. "He'll see me. Go tell him Undoh Michiko wants a word with him in regards to the Vessel."

The little man paled and blubbered when he realised the woman before him was the one who was only marginally weaker than a Sannin. The Huntress snarled a 'Go!" at him when he hesitated.

Two minutes later, Michiko was walking past the two snickering ANBU stationed at the door and into the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, looked older than he had the last time she had seen him; four hours ago. He also had a disappointed gleam in his eye. If Michiko was a betting woman like her mentor, Tsunade, then she would bet a great deal that he thought she was going to demand the boy's disposal.

"I must say, Michiko, I am very disappointed in you. To come to me and ask for a child's execution. I-"

The brunette interrupted before he embarrassed himself any more. "Whoever told you I wanted his head was a liar. I am here about his welfare."

The Sandaime was noticeably startled and a little embarrassed. "Oh."

Michiko pushed her hood down and lowered her mask. She smirked at the old man. "'Oh' indeed." She sobered. "Before we get onto the subject of Arashi's mistake," The Hokage shifted uncomfortably. "I want to talk to you about retirement. My retirement." She clarified when she noted the flicker in his eyes.

Sarutobi frowned. "Retirement? But you aren't even thirty yet. You still have at least another ten years before you would be forced into retirement. Why now?"

The woman he had once bounced on his knee as a child sighed in a world-weary fashion. "I'm tired." She stated bluntly. "I don't want to be at anyone's beck and call. I want to travel without the burden of some mission hanging over me." She looked at him, her eyes tired as his own. "I hate it here. I want to leave."

Sarutobi closed his eyes painfully. Michiko had lost her will to continue as a shinobi. If she continued at this rate, she would either go Nukenin like Orochimaru or just allow herself to be killed on a mission. He nodded "Very well. I'll send for the papers. You will be free in an hour or so. Was there anything else?"

"Hai. Itachi."

The Hokage blinked. "Itachi?"

The brown head bobbed sharply. "If he is pushed into continuing the path he is on, he'll snap in a brutal, bloody fashion. I wouldn't be surprised if he slaughters his clan; he hates them enough to and not lose any sleep over it."

Old eyes regarded the woman before them carefully. "And how would you know this? Are you sure?"

Michiko avoided the Sandaime's gaze. "I am the closest person to him at present, so I can read him better than anyone else." The Huntress appeared to struggle for a moment. "He is…a mirror of myself, but the reflection is imperfect, almost disjointed. There is too much pressure on him. I am the only person who treats him like a person, like the child he is. I can see the resentment and discontent struggling beneath the surface. He's nine years old and he wants affection, affection no one but me in his 'family' is willing to give. I hugged him the other day and he acted like he didn't know what to do. To the clan he is an asset to be shown off. When they look at him, he is as a doll without flaw."

The old man sighed as he considered what he had been told. If what she said was true, and he had no doubt it was, then Itachi could become a big problem.

"What do you suggest I do?"

Michiko shrugged, obviously frustrated. "There's not much that can be done. If you limit the level of missions he can go on or take him outside their influence, the Uchiha Clan will throw a fit. Send him to a shrink and they'll accuse you of trying to sabotage his career. The only way to get him away from them is to either get him to agree to move out of the compound since he's legally an adult, or send him on extended low-risk missions where he is required to integrate into society and gather information. No matter what is done, the Uchiha's won't like it. But something must be done early. I won't be around as soon as I'm dismissed. I'm moving to an isolated house right next to the border of Wind Country with my successor."

Sarutobi nodded and 'hmmm'ed distractedly. He blinked and looked at her when the last processed. "Did you say successor?"

Michiko nodded with a smile. "I'll explain once Itachi is sorted out."

Sarutobi nodded and returned his attention to the matter at hand. "There isn't much I can do at the moment, but I'll work on it. If nothing else works, I'll send him to you on the pretence that you need help training your successor and have decided that he should be trained in the Undoh Clan Taijutsu styles, anyway."

The ANBU Captain in front of him cocked her head to the side in thought. "That'll work. Sasuke will be five soon. As soon as he turns eight, he should be sent to me as well to allay suspicions."

The Sandaime nodded. "Agreed. Now, onto the successor."

Michiko gave a happy wolf grin. "Two birds with one stone this is. This morning, I visited three orphanages looking for a child who fit the physical requirements to perform the Spin Dance Taijutsu Style. In the third orphanage I visited, I found a little boy locked in a linen closet with a very noticeable hand-shaped bruise from eyebrow to chin and dressed in rags. I'll give you three guesses as to who it was and the first two don't count." The momentary tightening of skin around the old man's eyes was the only hint that he was upset. Michiko had always admired his poker face. "Even if he hadn't been physically perfect and inclined to do as he's told, I still would have adopted him. This way, it's a win-win situation; I get a successor and the Village doesn't have to be scared of the 'demon'."

Sarutobi clasped his hands under his chin as he regarded her. "Why the orphanages? Hundreds of parents would give an arm and a leg for you to train their child."

"And pressure the child into teaching the rest of their clan? No. Even in our clan only those with the right form can learn it, otherwise the person becomes severely arthritic in under five years. Even the slightest flaw can cause serious damage."

"Where is Naruto?"

"I left him in Itachi's care. Even if the other Uchiha's find out he's there, Itachi will protect him. He's more inclined to listen to me and my subliminal orders that his father's direct orders. He'll fight to the death protecting him if it comes down to it." Michiko paused to consider something for a moment. "I should probably change his name too. Everyone knows it, and I don't want him excommunicated when I bring him back for the Genin Exam."

Salt and pepper eyebrows went up. "You mean you'll bring him back to be a nin for Konoha?"

"Hai. Arashi would have wanted it for his son."

The eyebrows went up further. "What makes you say that?"

Derogatory snort. "Anyone who met Arashi, took the time to compare the two and looked at the circumstances would be able to come to the same conclusion."

Sigh. "What name will you give him?"

"Kazama for his clan and in remembrance of his father. And Hisoka, I think. He defiantly is both secretive and reserved."

"Then Kazama Hisoka?"

"Hai."

(space)

Itachi was disturbed, by a small boy no less.

Despite only being with him for an hour and a half, Itachi liked the boy who didn't know what his name was. He said he was simply called 'Monster', 'Demon' or 'Brat'. From what Itachi could tell, the boy was attention starved and averse to any physical contact. During a bath, the bruises and scars told the reason why, though Itachi was more interested in the spiral Seal on the boy's stomach.

Since the boy was Michiko's adopted child, it made him Itachi's step-cousin. For lack of anything to call the boy, Itachi resigned to calling him Nii-Chan. The boy had started to shyly call Itachi 'Nii-sama'. The Uchiha Prodigy let it pass.

So here he was, pondering the little blond boy as he lay deeply asleep on Itachi's futon. Itachi had never had much time for his own little brother, Sasuke, but looking after Nii-Chan made him wonder what he was missing.

Itachi resolved to get to know his little brother after dinner that night.

(space)

For the first time in a long while, the boy was content and warm as he slept.

"Has something happened, Kit?"

"Hai. A lady came and took me away from the orphanage today. She left me with an older boy but she said she would be back soon, and she would take us both 'shopping'. What is 'shopping'?"

"It is a word given to purchasing goods in a market palace. Females use it to torture related males and mates." The boy felt his companion shudder.

"Oh. Okay. Anyway, the boy's name is Itachi and he calls me 'Nii-Chan' 'cause I don't have a name."

"Hmpf. I've never understood the human desire for naming things. I understand titles, but not individual names."

"But how would you be able to tell people apart?"

"Easily. Now tell me more about this woman."

"She's really tall and pretty. She said I'm to be a sucessen-"

"Successor."

"Right. That. I'm to be her successor, and she said something about a journey and retiring and the Hokage."

"Hmmm. Well, this will be interesting."

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