Return of the Uchiha

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter One – The Letter

Tsunade looked up as the group of people she summoned filed slowly in. Fortunately none of them had been waiting long since she summoned the leader of the group over an hour before and the rest just 20 minutes ago.

Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Iruka stood in front of her in varying degrees of attention. She was glad that for once Kakashi had that damned porn of his put away. Naruto looked like he was about to explode; he hadn't been on a mission for a while. Sakura looked like she was reviewing the latest patient that she'd been working on. And Iruka was obviously wondering why he was here instead of at the Academy teaching.

"Sit down." Tsunade leaned back in her chair and looked at the group in front of her. "I received a message early this morning. One that I never thought I would see." She sighed. "It's one that will more than likely cause a great deal of controversy in the village but I also think that it would be the best thing for the village."

"Who is the letter from, Old Lady?"

Tsunade threw the first thing that came to her hand at Naruto who ducked out of the way but he wasn't able to duck Sakura's punch. Tsunade grinned viciously at his yelp of pain then sobered. "It is a letter from Uchiha Tsubaki…the wife of Itachi."

Words spewed from three of the four people in front of her. Only Kakashi remained silent. Tsunade held up a hand quieting the others and looked over at the Copy Ninja when he spoke.

"I'm surprised that she's waited this long. But, if I'm correct, her daughter should be ready to start school."

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. Chouko, that the oldest child's name, is ready to start school. Tsubaki-sama would like her to attend the Academy here in Konoha since any civilian school would not know how to deal with a shinobi child."

Sakura frowned at Kakashi. "How did you know that Itachi was married and had a child?"

Kakashi looked at her, his dark eye contemplative. "Remember that mission that Ino went on alone about four years ago."

"Yes." Sakura nodded. "You disappeared about the same time."

"I was Ino's backup. She was primary and didn't know I was there until the end of the mission. Word came that the Akatsuki were working with a daimyo and that Itachi had a mistress there. It turned out that the so-called mistress was the daimyo's daughter and she was married to Itachi and they had a child together. The daimyo decided to that he could get a better deal with some rogue ninjas and made plans to get rid of Itachi and his partner. Tsubaki-sama found out and, with a little help from Ino, alerted Itachi."

Naruto gaped at Kakashi. "Ino helped an S-Class criminal?"

"No, Ino helped the S-Class criminal's wife." Corrected Kakashi. "Tsubaki-sama's father had promised the leader of the rogue ninjas that he could have Tsubaki-sama. Just as he had given her to Itachi but she was willing to be with Itachi because he was kind and protected her. And as Itachi's wife and mother to his child, she certainly wasn't going to be unfaithful to him and certainly not with a pig like Inoue Kotetsu.

Sakura shuddered and both Naruto and Iruka both made faces. It had been four years but they all remembered that name. For a time he was the most hunted man on the continent. Orders were that if an ANBU team had the choice of capturing or killing a member of the Akatsuki or Inoue, they were to choose Inoue.

"So why didn't you and Ino bring her back here at that time?" asked Iruka.

Kakashi smiled. "Tsubaki-sama was clever. She had let Ino know that there was a plan set up to keep her, Chouko-chan and certain members of the household safe. But she didn't give Ino specifics. She managed to drug Ino and escape. Itachi and Kisame arrived, made short work of Inoue and his crew. The daimyo was killed during the fighting. And we weren't able to track down Tsubaki-sama."

Sakura stared at him in shock. "Not even with Pakkun and the boys?"

Kakashi smiled wryly. "Not when they end up at a major trade road and someone uses a water jutsu that drenches everything for five miles around." He looked at Tsunade. "So why are we here?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "You were requested. Well, not Iruka specifically. Tsubaki-sama wants you, Kakashi, as the leader of the team. Naruto, as my successor, she wants to discuss Itachi's return. Sakura, she wants you as a medic. She also said that she wanted an Academy teacher." She looked at Iruka. "She didn't name you but you've trained with these three so you know how they work. And, I'm guessing, you will be asked to assess Chouko-chan for her eligibility for Academy entrance. You will also assess the other child," she picked up the scroll and reviewed it quickly. "His name is Masanori and he's two."

Iruka nodded thoughtfully. "She's an Uchiha. I'm guessing that Itachi has trained her for years." He looked at Tsunade, his gentle brown eyes unusually hard. "I will NOT recommend that the child become a genin!"

Tsunade smiled at the teacher, not at all angry at his firmness. "No, we've learned our lesson there."

Sakura frowned thoughtfully. "She wants a medic? And the younger child is two?" Sakura nodded to herself. "I suspect that she may be pregnant again. And depending on how far along she is and how long the trip will be, having me there will be a good idea."

It was Naruto's turn to lean back in his chair and he stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Itachi's considered to be an S-Class criminal. Which is, for the most part, is true." Sakura and Iruka stared at him; obviously he knew something that they didn't. When Kakashi didn't react, they knew he knew what it was as well. Naruto nodded. "I have to admit my instinct is to say bring him home. But, I'll talk with his wife before I make my final decision." He straightened and looked at Tsunade, his blue eyes solemn, "But, Tsubaki-sama and her children will be brought here. Does the scroll say what her plans are once she arrives here?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Other than rebuilding the Uchiha district and Chouko-chan attending the Academy, no."

Naruto squinted thoughtfully. "I doubt that Itachi has any idea of the current condition of the Uchiha compound." The five ninja all snorted. The Uchiha compound had become a place where children, both shinobi and civilian, dared each other to go and scare themselves silly. After two children had been seriously injured when a house collapsed on them, Tsunade declared the place absolutely off limits and had all of the buildings razed to the ground. All that was there was weed covered earth and trees.

"So, where do you think they should live?" Tsunade was curious to see what he would come up with.

"Well, not with any of us." He grinned at her then at Kakashi and Sakura. "We don't have enough living space on our 'estates' yet. I'm going to ask around. I'm sure one of the clans will be happy to provide them housing. And it will also provide extra eyes on them."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. The boy had come up a good idea. "Any idea which clan?"

Naruto grinned at her. "No offense to my lovely wife, but my first choice will not be the Hyuuga. I think I'll go to the Yamanaka first."

"Good idea." Said Tsunade. "Kakashi, do you have an idea of who you want to take with you?"

Kakashi stared at her for a moment. "Well, it depends on the budget I'm allowed."

Tsunade grinned. "Let's put it this way, what she's offering it would support every shinobi in the village for months! You can take whomever you want."

"I'm going to take up on that!" He turned to Sakura, "Speaking of the Yamanaka, will Ino be able to go with us?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. The morning sickness is still kicking her butt. And Chouji is worried to death about her so that scratches him off the list."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully and tugged at his mask. "I'll take Team Gai." Despite the death of Maito Gai, that team kept the name in his honor. "And I want at least half of the ANBU teams available probably 2/3rds of them."

Tsunade stared at him in shock. "Why that many?"

"Neji can be charming when he wants to. And he knows how to relate to a noble lady and knows how to give household staff orders. I'll probably put him in charge of her household. And I want to take as many ANBU as I can because if another nation discovers that there are Uchiha children and a possibly pregnant Uchiha wife, they'll instantly become targets."

Naruto nodded. "We'd protect them but having lots of our people will be a deterrent."

Sakura turned to Naruto. "Will Hinata mind watching Obito while we're gone?" Obito was Sakura and Kakashi's toddler. Hinata was six months pregnant with Naruto's child.

"I'll ask her." Naruto stood up and stretched. "Is there anything else you want from us?" he asked Tsunade.

"No." Tsunade turned to Kakashi and tossed him the scroll. "They are in Iron Country."

Kakashi scowled. The trip to and from was going to be a long one. "I want to get going as soon as possible then. We'll be able to travel fast but the Uchiha household won't be able to. And I'm going to make sure that they travel as light as possible." He glanced through the scroll then cursed lightly. "Tsubaki-sama, the two children and 47 retainers?"

"That many?" Sakura said in dismay.

"Yeah. Twenty-three of those are under the age of 18 though. I've got an idea how to handle it though. But I need to get to planning."

Naruto jumped to the window. "I need to talk to Hinata then I'm going to talk to Inoichi."

Tsunade flapped her hand at all of them. "Good. Go and prepare!"