Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto... sigh
"...And The Hokage wants you to pass on a message to the Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand, that he should look into the actions of Kumo," the ANBU member finished.
"I see," Uchiha Itachi said. It was his first mission from Konoha in 12 years, as the previous Hokage didn't know about where his true loyalties lay, and Naruto-sama, the present Hokage, did. Naruto had been Hokage for about a year now but it had taken time to track Itachi down. Itachi did not make himself easy to find. It was good to be working for Konoha again. He had been working as a mercenary for the past 12 years and knowing his talents would be put to the use of saving the village he had sacrificed everything for would be nice.
"Hokage-sama also instructed me to tell you everything you wished to know about the affairs of the village," the ANBU with the dog mask said.
"Well then, tell (In that case, please tell me) me about the former members of Team 7." That would tell him about Sasuke, but he had also wandered about the teammates who had got his younger brother back every time the little baka managed to get out of the Village for a revenge spree.
"You already know about Naruto-sama. Before he achieved his current position, he, Sakura-dono and Sasuke-dono were always working on A-level missions together. They were together so Naruto-sama could stop Sasuke-dono from leaving. Or, if they knocked each other out, Sakura-dono could wake Naruto-sama up in time to give Sasuke-dono a speech about how important friends and bonds are and how revenge will not make him happier."
For some reason, Itachi was not surprised.
"It was said you could always tell what missions Sasuke-donohad try to run away; when he got back he would get very drunk and tell anyone he saw that 'Yes, friends and bonds were important but so was revenge and why couldn't Naruto-sama and Sakura-dono trust him enough to come back to Konoha as soon as he'd finished?'," continued the ANBU. Itachi could just hear the smirk in his voice.
"Sakura-dono has become an extremely skilled chakra sensor and an amazing medic-nin. Sasuke-dono is second in terms of pure skill only to Naruto-sama—although I hear they tie 5 times out of 6. When Naruto-sama became Hokage and could no longer go on missions, Sasuke-dono tried to escape. Fortunately, Sakura-dono was there to stop him. Sasuke-dono and Sakura-dono got married 13 years ago," the ANBU told him.
Itachi had known of his younger brother's marriage to the pink-haired member of the little baka's team, but that was the last detail he had heard. Otherwise, all he'd heard was that Sasuke-dono was doing well and being a great asset to Konoha. "Since then he has made fewer escape attempts, but still does try to escape about once a month. You're an uncle now, by the way—you have been for ten years. The child looks very like Sasuke, but he has his mother's eyes and pink hair which they have chosen to die black."
"I see," Itachi said "And the name of my nephew?"
"Itachi."
"Yes?" Itachi asked, allowing just the tiniest bit of irritation to creep into his voice.
"No," explained the ANBU member, "that is the name of the child. They decided to name him after you—he's called Uchiha Itachi."
Itachi—Senior?—almost fell out of the tree they had been sitting in.
As soon as Itachi (Senior—and wasn't that going to take some getting used to) had delivered the message to the Kazekage, he headed back to Konoha. He had to find out if Sasuke knew the truth about the Massacre. **That was the only reason Itachi could think of that Sasuke would forgive him enough to name his son after him. But the ANBU hadn't mentioned Sasuke trying to destroy Konoha, which was the only course of action he could really see his brother taking if the little baka ever found out the truth.
Two days later, Itachi arrived at Konoha. Before entering the village, he paused to put a henge on himself then headed towards the largest training ground in the Uchiha district. Knowing his brother, Sasuke would probably end up there sooner or well... sooner. In his anxiety to find out what was going on, the ten-minute journey to the training ground seemed to take an hour. When Itachi finally arrived, he concealed himself in one of the trees that the Uchiha had traditionally used for early target practice. He'd been right about the 'sooner'; it was only five minutes before his brother appeared and did what seemed to be a warm-up of five different methods of destroying targets. As soon as Sasuke's attention was fully focused on his exercise, Itachi appeared behind his younger brother, hoping just to ask questions, but fully prepared to fight. The moment he got into position, he had to dodge to avoid a shuriken thrown with pinpoint accuracy. His brother had not turned around.
"You've gotten stronger, I see," he said to Sasuke.
"Strong enough to kill you," the younger replied as he turned around and activated chidori. Itachi couldn't help but be a little disappointed that his brother was STILL trying to use that signature move on him.
"No," said Itachi, "you still do not have enough hate." He activated his Mangekyou and looked his younger brother in the eye. His brother stared back, but as soon as they made eye contact Sasuke's eyes closed as he passed out. Damn those old bad habits! Itachi thought to himself as he went to check on the little baka. Still, it really should not have been that easy. Figuring that this was the best place to stay, as someone would likely come to look for his brother and chances were that it would be someone who could answer his questions, he went back to tree and settled in for a wait.
Itachi (Junior) was surprised when his mom stopped mid-lecture about how yes, she did understand that he wanted to be Hokage, but trying imitate Naruto-sama's childhood was NOT the way to go about it. Her expression suddenly changed from angry to concerned, making Itachi curious. But he knew something was up when she instructed him to go into the room with the barriers. But it was when she said, "I'm going to go get Naruto," that he knew something was wrong with his father. He waited as she activated the barriers and closed the door. "Be safe," she told him, and left.
Now no one could get in unless they knew how to deactivate the barriers. Itachi paced as his thoughts chased each other around. If mom's going to get Naruto-sama then dad's in danger. And the only person—aside from Naruto-sama, of course— who can beat dad is That Man. Dad said he was going to the main training ground for some reviewing…I'll start looking there. Looks like I'm going too get me some vengeance.Although it was impossible to get into the barred room without knowing how to deactivate the barriers it was quite easy leave, assuming the doors weren't locked. Fortunately for Itachi Junior, they weren't.
Sakura had only been a little worried when she sensed an amazingly powerful chakra enter the village. She only really got worried when that chakra and her husband's chakra clashed and SASUKE'S indicated that he had lost. When she sensed that, she knew what must have happened. The only people who were even close to talented enough to beat Sasuke were the Jinchuuriki—but they were all allied to Naruto and would never hurt any of his close friends. Even if one had attacked Sasuke, the fight hadn't taken nearly long enough. Sasuke would have put up much more of a fight then that. There was only one person who this could be—and if Itachi (Senior) was in town, then the only person who could stop him was Naruto. Quickly she put Itachi Junior in a room so strongly protected that not even all of Team Seven's combined might could weaken them. Her son was safe—if Itachi was here for another Uchiha killing spree, he'd be. She quickly ran to go find Naruto. I'll start with the obvious places: Ichrakui's ramen stand and the Hokage's office and go from there.
Itachi (Senior) was surprised when the person who entered the training ground was a boy of about 10; obviously of Uchiha descent, aside from the eyes and vaguely pink roots. The boy—Itachi Junior, he reminded himself—immediately ran over to his father. That's right put your self in the open, become an easy target. What has my baka of a brother been teaching this kid? Also, why the pink roots? Why?
"Come on out! I know you're here!" Itachi Junior yelled, scanning the area but looking right past his uncle. Itachi (Senior) felt a deep exasperation that, in anyone whose facial expressions consisted more of changing his eyes from black to red and back again, would have been expressed as an eye roll, and used a teleportation jutsu to appear in front of his nephew. The boy seemed surprised, but recovered quickly, and said, "Hello, my name is Uchiha Itachi—" Itachi (Senior) raised an eyebrow "—Junior! You killed every one of my father's relatives with the exception of yourself. Prepare to die!" Itachi Junior started attacking his uncle. He was pretty good, for a ten year old, but Itachi Senior didn't even have to pay attention to block the attacks and occasionally return a (very) easily-avoidable one, much less activate his Sharingan. A thought occurred to him. Perhaps the kid knows something about his name. I'd better ask.
"Do you know why you were named after me? I am your uncle, yet—" Itachi Senior asked, throwing a few kunai at his nephew.
"You are not my uncle!" Itachi Junior screamed in reply.
"But do you know why you were named after me?" Itachi Senior returned emotionlessly.
"I was not, now go and DIE!" the boy screamed, beginning to go full out. Realizing that he would get nothing out of the kid he hit him with a senbon, making him that would make him pass out. Itachi Junior swayed, stared his uncle in the eye and managed to say:
"Damn you for giving me a complex!" right before he passed out.
Sakura arrived in Ichiraku's ramen stand, but could not find any traces of the orange Hokage. She ran into the stand and started checking all of Naruto's hiding places in the restaurant, yelling for him to get out here right now. All the regulars were used to this, as Sakura often lectured Naruto about how much time he spent there and how little he spent in his office. Sakura could sense that Naruto was in the village but, strangely, could not sense where. When saw that her idiot Hokage wasn't in his office she started to get a little scared but she quickly turned it to anger and started systematically checking the village. God, I hope he's all right, she thought. And if he is, I'm going to wring his neck for making me worry like this! She was passing the barbeque place, quite certain it would be useless to look there, when Naruto walked out and nearly gave her a heart attack.
"Hey Sakura, what's up?" he said.
"Where have you been? I couldn't sense you anywhere!" Sakura yelled.
"Um…" said Naruto, "I was at an annual ex-ROOT members' meeting. They all get together and talk about their reintegration successes. All the chakra must have masked mine—what is wrong?"
"It's Itachi," she said.
"Look, I swear, whatever he did this time, I had nothing to do with it. I promise I only told him about the time I painted the Hokage monument, and just because he left mine alone does NOT incriminate me in any way. Really—" Naruto tried to explain.
"No, Naruto. Not that Itachi!" she exclaimed. A look of confusion came over her orange-clad teammate's face, and then suddenly his expression cleared.
"Oh," he said. "Where?"
"Main Uchiha training ground," she said hurriedly, and Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash before the last word was completely out of her mouth.
The moment Naruto appeared in a yellow flash, Itachi immediately got out of his tree and came down to ask his questions. Unfortunately for him, Naruto started first.
"Why are you here?" Naruto asked and, noticing his unconscious friend and godson, "And what happened?"
"I'm here to get some answers," said Itachi.
The silence stretched. "And?" prompted Naruto.
"They would rather fight then talk," Itachi answered, his tone implying that this was completely obvious.
"What questions did you need your to ask your BROTHER of all people? After this it's going to be nearly impossible to keep him from trying to escape. Thank god for Sakura's idea."
"The question I need answered is 'Does Sasuke know the truth?' And if not then why is his son named Itachi? And what was Sakura's idea?"
"Well," Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck, "In order: No, Sasuke does not know, a plan and some mishearing and a chakra tie." Itachi sighed. He was glad to know his brother did not know about the coup, but he did wonder about the rest of the Hokage's explanation.
"What do you mean, 'a plan and some mishearing and a chakra tie'?" inquired Itachi.
"You see, Sakura came to me when she was eight months pregnant, worried about Sasuke's revenge tendencies and their potential effect upon the mental health of their child. Apparently Sasuke wanted to name the child 'Death to Itachi'. I came up with a way to fix both of the problems…sort of. Sakura agreed to name the child 'Death to Itachi' and spoke with Tsunade—she was still Hokage at the time—who completely agreed. When Sasuke said the name of the child Tsunade...um….misheard, and then sent me to deliver the papers the next day. Sasuke was annoyed when he thought I'd given him your papers but when Sakura point out that the dates were the same as their son's...well. Let's just say that the last time Sasuke beat me up so badly, he put a chidori through my chest.
"As to the way I keep him in the village...well. The first time Sasuke and Sakura went on a mission without me, after I became Hokage, Sakura had to drug him to stop him from escaping. She sent word to me and I sent another team out to do that mission while Sakura brought Sasuke back. Then she proposed something she'd thought of in case this day came. I would use one of the tails of the kyuubi and she would tie it to Sasuke. Since I've separated the will and the power of the kyuubi, this was perfectly safe to do," he added in a reassuring tone. "Now, if ever Sasuke tries to escape, I can reel him in." Naruto frowned thoughtfully. "For some reason, whenever I do, he gets drunk afterwards. Anyways, does that answer your questions?"
A pause. Finally, "Yes," Itachi said.
"Good. Now, please go wait for your next assignment and don't come back here. If you do, we'll have to deal with alcoholism on top of the revenge tendencies."
As Itachi left the village, he was quite happy. His brother didn't know the truth, the village was safe and he could go back to killing people to keep it that way.