Characters: Madara, Itachi, others mentioned
Summary: Madara looks at Itachi and smiles.
Pairings: alluded to
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Beneath the guise of Tobi, when Madara first meets Itachi after he's joined the Akatsuki, he smiles, and for more reasons than just having the Uchiha into the fold like he'd planned.
Madara wonders how many years it's been since he last laid eyes on any member of the Uchiha clan. Well, no matter. He remembers faces well enough, and there are two to his memory that stand out especially vivid in detail.
Young Itachi doesn't look particularly like his father; he's not entirely sure where others are coming from when they say he resembles Uchiha Fugaku. From Madara's point of view, he doesn't look much like Fugaku at all.
Come to think of it, though, he doesn't much resemble his mother either. Itachi has Uchiha Mikoto's fine black hair and her pallor and not much else. The facial shape is hers, Madara muses, and that brings to mind thoughts of Mikoto herself.
She was a very pretty girl, he remembers, seemingly quiet and demure on the outside but with a spine of steel and a sharp edge that no one could escape. She was vicious in battle.
Madara remembers Mikoto well. He wonders if she remembered him.
Again, he turns to take a close look at Itachi.
Really, he looks nothing like Fugaku.
Madara smiles, and knows in an instant just how strong the blood of this Uchiha is.
Itachi will serve his purpose well.