A/N: Hey, so this story will make no sense if you haven't seen episodes 357-359 or read the relevant chapters. This chapter relies heavily on episode 358. I change key scenes from this episode that effect the rest of the story.
I'm having trouble writing fight scenes. So, I'm pretty much going to breeze over them. I'm going to just reference what happened. So be sure to use your imagination. It's also important to know what Kotoamatsukami is. It's the genjutsu from Shisui's Mangekyo Sharingan. It's an extremely subtle mind control jutsu.
In this story Obito and Madara are actually dead. There is no one-eyed masked man. I have Danzo only having two Sharingan because I think he got his arm of eyes from people killed in the Uchiha Massacre.
Also, (I realized that I should be clearer about this) Shisui's parents are dead but Fugaku has basically adopted him as his son. By the end of this chapter Shisui is sixteen, Itachi is fourteen, and Sasuke is eight. I'm sorry for the earlier confusion.
I hope you like the story.
It had been one month after the coup and Itachi and Shisui decided to take a walk through the Uchiha district. Many Uchiha families chose to stay in their homes inside the district. Even Fugaku, the new hokage, still lived in the district and just worked in the village center.
Itachi and Shisui nodded a hello to many as they walked to the Naka Shrine. They were heroes in the eyes of the Uchiha and were treated as such. People didn't exactly know why, but they knew that without them Fugaku would have never become the new Hokage so easily. Some even whispered that without them the Hokage would have had them all killed.
Itachi and Shisui heard the whispers but said nothing to correct or affirm them. No one knew the full story but themselves and Fugaku. Both of their minds went back to the day they changed the course of Konoha's history: the night Shisui planned to use Kotoamatsukami on Fugaku to stop the coup.
~Three Years Ago~
Itachi became concerned when Shisui was late arriving at their rendezvous point before the critical clan meeting. Shisui was rarely late, and he was never late for something as important as this. Instead of just waiting, Itachi decided to go find him.
He found Shisui easily, almost as if he was hoping for someone to find him. But Itachi was surprised to find him talking to Danzo in front of the entrance to Root's headquarters. He observed the environment, and became alarmed when he spotted more guards than usual around Danzo.
He quieted his presence and listened to their conversation. Itachi wasn't surprised at what Danzo was saying to Shisui, but it did trouble him.
What if the village couldn't change? What if Konoha only started to treat the Uchiha worse than they already do? What if the Third wasn't as influential as they thought when it came to how the Uchiha were perceived?
But then Itachi remembered that they didn't live in a normal village; they were in a hidden village. It was natural for civilians and shinobi alike to harbor conspiracy theories about everything. So why wouldn't they suspect something about the Kyubi incident? He figured that with enough effort the people of the village would just file this theory away with all the others.
The atmosphere quickly changed from tense to dangerous. Danzo was still talking calmly but he was moving towards Shisui with hostility. His attack was too straight forward for Shisui to miss, but Itachi couldn't shake his unease.
Shisui handled Danzo easily. He put Danzo in a light genjutsu and began to walk away as Itachi almost revealed himself. But Itachi stopped; something was terribly wrong. Danzo faded away and appeared in front of Shisui. Itachi increased his speed trying to avoid the guards' attention.
Shisui was caught in a series of punches and strikes too quick, sudden, and precise for him to react to. Danzo had Shisui by his hair and was reaching for his eye when a bone breaking kick to Danzo's arm forced him to drop Shisui.
Danzo stepped back and his guards were instantly in front of him ready to battle. Itachi and Shisui were faced against Danzo and his six guards.
"How did you do that? How did you move so quickly out of his genjutsu?" asked Itachi. Shisui regained his bearings and stood behind Itachi waiting for an answer.
Danzo unwrapped his bandaged face, and their surprise was evident as the Sharingan in his right eye faded to nothing. "I'm surprised you don't already know, Itachi." replied Danzo.
"If it's what I think it is, I want to know how you know about one of our clan's kinjutstu. Izanagi is a forbidden technique that not even every Uchiha knows about. Tell me how you know of this."
"It doesn't matter how I know of it. You're just lucky that I didn't plan on you being here."
"Careful Shisui, he probably has another eye somewhere hidden on his body. I think that he's been trying to collect them. Do you know how to counter that technique?"
"No, I'm honestly not even sure how it works. But right now, I don't care." replied Shisui.
"I may not have been expecting you, Itachi, but I'm glad you're here. I'm going to get four eyes instead of two tonight."
Itachi and Shisui both jumped back. "Itachi, you know what to do."
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Itachi formed the signs and aimed straight at Danzo. His guards predictably stepped in to protect him.
"Water Style: Raging Waves!" That was just what Itachi wanted. The water hit the flame creating a cloud of steam. Shisui teleported behind Danzo and used his tanto to slash the back of Danzo's knees. Danzo released a grunt of pain making the guards turn to face him.
Shisui quickly put them all in a genjutsu before stepping back. Danzo used his second and last Sharingan to perform Izanagi again. Shisui was prepared this time, he countered with another jutsu.
"The Uchiha will never be trusted in Konoha. There are more people like me than like you. The Uchiha and the people of Konoha will never be one." Shisui paused at Danzo's words. He didn't want to believe him.
"Kill him, Shisui. It's the only way to stop this."
"He's right. I won't stop until I can't move anymore." Danzo waved his hand a few times to create a series of extremely powerful wind blades.
"Shisui!" Shisui's eyes widened at the power coming at him and body flickered behind Danzo. He finally stabbed him in the lower back.
"Stop this, Danzo. Our plan would have worked."
"It may have worked, but you are too dangerous. You could one day use that technique on anyone." Danzo tried with his last breaths to sew more seeds of distrust within the two boys. He only hoped that Hiruzen would be strong enough to see their doubt and do what he thought was necessary. "Sarutobi told me to take care of you. Even he doesn't trust you." Shisui took his blade out and stepped back.
"You're lying. That's what you do is lie."
"Do you really think I would attempt this without his approval? I already know I'm dead, but you'll be joining me soon enough. My death won't be in vain." They watched as Danzo died and Shisui hoped he did the right thing by killing him.
Itachi erased the memory of their encounter from most of his guards and killed two of them. Shisui turned in anger and surprise. "Itachi, why did you kill them?"
"Because if a few of his guards don't die with him, no cover story the village comes up with will make sense. Do you believe what he said?" asked Itachi.
"I'm inclined not to, but I don't think we can take that chance. If you weren't here I'm positive he would have taken at least one of my eyes. Do you really think the Hokage would set us up?"
"I just can't believe the Third would approve something like this. But it doesn't mean Danzo wasn't right. Sarutobi might have suspected he would do this and just turned a blind eye to it. You and I both know that even though Danzo is-was unscrupulous, he's still respected and cared deeply for the village. I don't think he would have done this completely behind the Hokage's back. He may not have been forthright about it, but he probably gave him some hint as to what he was planning." Itachi still wasn't sure, but he knew that their lives were in danger at present. If the Hokage was behind this, it probably wasn't over with the death of Danzo. He asked Shisui, "What do you think we should do?"
Shisui sighed, "A part of me still wants to go through with our original plan to change Fugaku's mind, but would that really change things?"
"Don't let Danzo get into your head. We need to make this decision ourselves."
"But he's right! There are too many people who think we had something to do with the Kyubi incident. And that suspicion is manifesting itself in all kinds of ways."
"I know, but I'm beginning to think that all of this may have been Danzo's doing. I think he wanted the Uchiha to become isolated from the village for his own purposes. He's clearly collected someone's Sharingan and he obviously wanted more. He may have planned all of this just to get our clan's dojutsu."
Shisui nodded slowly, "If that's really the case, then without him, things may begin to get better. We have to go to Fugaku. The clan meeting has probably started by now, but if we show up together, I know that he will speak to us. We have to hurry or none of our efforts may matter."
They made it to the clan meeting too late to have any input, but they were relieved to learn that the clan had decided to put their coup plans on a temporary hold. They wanted to make sure that in a worst case scenario that they could be self-sufficient and at present they weren't there yet.
The meeting ended and Itachi and Shisui walked with Fugaku to his home office to talk. They didn't know if they could trust the Hokage and the council, but they knew that Fugaku ultimately had their best interests at heart.
They told him everything including how they were going to use Kotoamatsukami on him to stop the coup and their suspicions of Danzo.
Fugaku seemed to have a permanent frown on his face and it only got deeper as they went on. When they finally came to the present moment he spoke. "I think the best thing for us to do in regards to Danzo's influence on village leaders regarding our reputation is to wait and see. We, as a clan, have already decided that we are currently in no position to do anything drastic without putting civilian Uchiha lives in danger. Waiting fits right in with our plans.
"As to what I'm going to do about you two..." They glanced at each other quickly before looking back at Fugaku. Itachi knew his father could be more than stern but he was also fair. Whatever Fugaku was going to decide would probably be less than they deserved for almost losing Shisui's Sharingan to Danzo.
"I want you two to continue building your relationships within the village. If this really does go away with Danzo, then I won't instigate anything. However, I think you two are wrong. You'll find that prejudice and jealousy against our clan runs far deeper than you'd like to admit. Danzo only gave people a reason to act on it. Now that the door has been opened, I suspect things will only get worse for us. For my part, I will also try my best to improve relations with the police force and the village. But I won't be surprised if we're only met with hostility. I seriously doubt that we'll see any policy or attitude changes.
"That's enough for tonight. You two go get some rest. We won't speak of this incident again to anyone. I'm going to stay up and finish some things."
Itachi was stunned. Where was the father he knew? Where were the subtle yet cutting admonishments? They both expected to be punished, but Fugaku seemed more than understanding. Itachi knew his father was not a forgiving person by nature. There had to be another reason Fugaku was choosing to keep their crime a secret.
Itachi waited for Shisui to leave before asking, "Father, why are you not punishing us?"
Fugaku leaned back in his chair and took a good look at his son, "You are young. You are both incredibly young. You misplaced your trust, and you corrected yourselves. Punishing you now would accomplish nothing."
Itachi countered, "There is another reason."
"Yes, there is. You are astute and truly are my son. I'm proud of you, and that is why I am not going to tell the rest of the clan about this. We are all proud of you and Shisui. You two are our hope. You are the brightest of our youth, and I do not think the clan could recover from knowing that both of you almost betrayed us." There was a sadness in his tone that made Itachi flinch on the inside.
"Itachi you will eventually lead our clan, and if I have anything to say about it, our village. My dream would be to see you as Hokage. I believe in your abilities, but this kind of mistake is one that you can never make again. What if Danzo's plan tonight had succeeded? Do you really think that he would have stopped at Shisui's eyes? Killing him has undoubtedly saved a countless amount of lives. But, I implore you to trust me from here on. I need you to. Without you two there willbe no Uchiha. Our family would have no future. Sasuke would have no future. You must promise me that when the time comes that you will be with us not against us."
"I promise."
"Good. Shisui, you can come out now." Itachi turned to see a slightly red Shisui appear at the window.
"I apologize for-"
"It's OK, Shisui. I'm glad you heard. I am counting on both of you. Shisui, can you make the same promise to me that Itachi just made?"
"Yes Fugaku, I promise to stay beside the clan."
"You two may be adults in the eyes of the world, but sometimes it's obvious that you're still children. I'm very proud of both of you right now."
~Three Years after Danzo's Death~
Three years after that night Itachi and Shisui realized that Konoha attitudes toward the Uchiha would never change under Sarutobi. In fact, they had only gotten worse. Many people did not accept the explanation that Danzo was killed by shinobi infiltrators from Kiri. There were rumors that his death was actually orchestrated by the Uchiha.
Itachi and Shisui had tried to make friends outside of each other and the clan as a way to dampen hostilities, but they were not very successful. Itachi nearly cringed at the memory of his only other friend and the fateful night he awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and his friend lost his life.
They finally agreed that the discrimination they routinely faced would never stop until an Uchiha was in charge. When Fugaku suggested that Shisui use his Kotoamatsukami on Hiruzen Sarutobi, they both thought that it would be for the best. No one would die and everyone's lives could begin to get better.
Fugaku led a small but effective team that did not include Shisui or Itachi to the council meeting. They placed a powerful genjutsu over the Anbu guards and announced they would be taking over the leadership of Konoha. They gave the Hokage an hour alone to decide his actions while secretly holding the rest of the council hostage. Still thinking that Shisui and Itachi were on his side he secretly met with them. That was when Shisui used Kotoamatsukami on the Third and the coup was effectively over before it really started.
No shinobi could prove a coup had actually happened. The other council members died in their sleep that night and Sarutobi became sick soon after. He died two days after appointing Fugaku his successor.
~One Month Later and Present Day~
Itachi and Shisui were brought out of their memories of the past when they reached Naka Shrine. It took a lot for both of them to get over their anger at Fugaku. He didn't tell them everyone on the council would die. They thought that evidence of the coup would be erased by genjutsu not by the deaths of the old leadership. But there was nothing they could do now and no one they could complain to. Fugaku was irrefutably in charge by their own hand.
"How did we end up here?"
"What do you mean?" asked Itachi.
"I mean, how did we find ourselves in this situation?" Itachi looked towards Shisui and couldn't find a suitable answer.
"Sometimes I'm not sure, Shisui. But we can't go back now."
"We're the only ones who know."
"Everyone knows the Third was under some kind of control. There is just literally no way to prove it."
"But we know! It has not set well with me since we did it." Itachi was sometimes astounded at Shisui's honesty despite him being a shinobi.
"There is nothing we can do about it now. It's already been six months. If we don't live with this and deal with it, everything we did it for will be undone. We must be the hope of the Uchiha as well as Konoha. I trust my father. And now more than ever we have to stay by his side."
"I think I understand what you're saying. Fugaku truly cares for the clan. To him, there is nothing more important. He will do anything at this point to make Konoha great because it will mean that the Uchiha are great. But if we can make Konoha truly accept the Uchiha and vice versa then his passion will automatically get translated to the people as well. I'm going to go talk to him."
Before Itachi could begin to say anything Shisui was gone. He looked around and sighed to himself, "But Father should care about Konoha more than the clan."
Shisui appeared outside of Fugaku's office and barely knocked before he barged in excited about his new revelation. "Fugaku, I would like to speak to you."
"Shisui, I'm glad you're here. I have just come up with a way to quell a lot of unrest amongst the other clans and a way to uplift the Uchiha in the eyes of the new generation. Where is Itachi? I have already called a meeting with the other clan heads and we will meet in less than an hour."
"I am here, Father."
"Good. I want you both to take a look at this." He motioned to Uchiha Inabi. "Go bring in the model." Inabi nodded and quickly left. "I really have to say that I'm surprised things have gone so smoothly. Everyone is remaining loyal to Konoha and they seem to accept my position. But I'm not a fool. I know that there are still rumblings amongst the shinobi. There are two things stopping them from rebelling: Hiruzen's last words and their love for Konoha. They know a civil war would destroy this village. But I have an idea that would forever unite Konoha and the Uchiha Clan."
"That is what I came to talk to you about. I'm glad to see that you were thinking the same thing. So what's your idea?" asked Shisui. Itachi could hear a small bit of disappointment in his voice at not being able to present the idea to Fugaku first.
"I'd rather show you." Inabi entered wheeling a table into the room covered by a cloth. Fugaku walked around his desk to the table. "I want to show you the new Konoha Academy!" He pulled off the cloth to reveal a model of what looked like a small campus. "This will be located on the edge of the Uchiha District so young students will have to walk through the district every day. The school will uplift Konoha's history and instill pride in all of the clans of Konoha; of course there will be a slight emphasis on the Uchiha. No other village will give their shinobi an education and training like this. And it will all be possible because of the Uchiha. What do you think?"
Itachi was astounded. This was a brilliant idea, and he only saw it doing good things for the village. "I like it. I think it's a great idea. But I don't really think there's a need to emphasize one clan over another. It would be better to talk about them equally in an educational setting."
Fugaku nodded and continued, "There are also a few other things. I will tell you with the rest of the clan heads. You may not like it at first, but you will learn to live with it. You all will. Now let's go to the meeting."
Itachi and Shisui lagged behind Fugaku and Inabi as they rolled the table to the meeting room. "Itachi, what do you think his other idea will be?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it will be bad. Why else would he have this academy already planned out? He's going to use it as a panacea for whatever hell he's about to unleash."
"I think you're right." They entered the meeting, and it looked like every leader of the village was present with 3 Uchiha police officers to every shinobi. Itachi and Shisui could feel the tension in the room as they stood along the wall with the other Uchiha officers.
"I want to thank you all for coming today. I also want to thank you for staying loyal to Konoha."
"If only I could say the same for you." muttered InuzukaTsume.
"Tsume, you know that no one believes in Konoha more than me. That is why I am here at this table with you and our other peers. That's why I'm the Hokage. The Daimyo has sent word that he supports me which makes my appointment legitimate from all angles. I know that some of you have been to see him and his decision should let you know that you will not be supported.
"In about six months' time I would like to set up a council. If you're interested in joining it speak to me by that time." Tsume snarled at him and slammed her hands on the table. The officers behind her visibly tensed as she started to speak but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned to see Aburame Shibi.
"Tsume." She shook his hand off her shoulder, but settled back in her chair calmed for the moment.
"Now that that little bit of excitement is over, we can get on with the meeting. There has undoubtedly been some strain between you all and the Uchiha. We are all too old and set in our ways to really fix the problem between us. This is why I'm suggesting we let the younger generations form their own opinions."
"And how do you suggest they do this?" asked Nara Shikaku. He had an idea where Fugaku was taking the conversation and he did not like it.
"From today, every promising academy student and genin will live with a host Uchiha family."
Inoichi Yamanaka was the first to speak. "No. There is no way we can agree with that. We all have family still in the academy, close family. I think I speak for many when I say this is unacceptable."
"It is the only way to mend our relationships. They will get to know the Uchiha and make Uchiha friends. You will be able to visit your children at any time, but they will live with us."
"Why is everything about the Uchiha? Why can't your children come live with us?" asked Akimichi Choza.
Fugaku answered him, "I would not send one of my clan to live with you all because your animosity towards the Uchiha has only grown. I cannot imagine the self-hate that could be sown inside a child living amongst those that dislike and distrust him because of his family name.
"The Uchiha feel no animosity towards anyone, and as the previously downtrodden we are in the best position to educate. We are prepared with open arms to interweave ourselves into the village. It is you all who stay closed off from us. This is how I see us integrating with the village."
"You are asking us to not only give up our youth but our clan heirs. They are all still in the Academy and nowhere near becoming chunin." said Choza.
"They will be perfectly safe. Do you really believe we would hurt them?"
"Just stop this." Shikaku did not raise his voice but his tone communicated his anger. "Stop this charade. You are holding our children hostage so we don't overthrow you like you did our Hokage."
"Shikaku, you always were the smartest one in the room. If that's how you want to see it, then so be it, but be careful about what you say especially if you have no proof. It will not help our children if you continue to think like this."
Fugaku sat down in feigned fatigue as he continued speaking. "They will not be harmed or brainwashed. They will still be your children. You will still train them and teach them. Whatever you decide to tell your children is up to you, but the Uchiha will present this to them as an information-exchange, a way for them to learn more about the Uchiha clan. Remember, it's only after they enter the Academy, and this will only be for children alive from last year back. Anyone born from this year on will not need a host family.
"There is no reason to not agree to this except for your distrust of the Uchiha. Am I right? Is anyone here willing to go against me and start a war? Who here wants to start a war over your children just getting to know the Uchiha Clan?"
Fugaku looked around the room and saw that though they didn't like it, they would live with it. "And since we're talking truths here, I might as well tell you the other half of this exchange." He sat up in his chair to show what he was about to say next was important. "We believe in diversity. Only with all of us will we continue to be the best shinobi village in existence. This is why we will all become a part of each other's family."
He continued to speak over the gasps and mutterings around the room. "Every clan will arrange a marriage between an approved female from their clan and a male of ours. And I'll let you know right now, that we will encourage our girls to seek out an heir or other high ranking members of your families although that will not be forced."
Tsume slammed her fist on the table. "I will never allow you to steal my children from me. I will kill you first." Her voice was low and guttural. Her eyes narrowed and her nails grew to resemble claws. She stood with such force and speed that her chair flew back. She was half-way across the table before it took five Uchiha officers to restrain her.
Itachi looked around the room and saw that everyone was smoldering. What was his father thinking? There is no way these people would accept this.
Fugaku kept his voice and demeanor calm no more than five feet from a snarling Tsume. "No one is taking anything from you, Tsume. Your children will still be yours. Arranged marriages are nothing new. Just because your family has always had a more…tolerant view of radical ideas about women doesn't mean everyone else shares it."
Tsume countered, "But it is not fair to-"
"Consider this a necessary burden. I only need one from each family. Everyone else will be as free to choose as they please. There are of course a few details to work out, but overall just consider it a burden of being born to a clan. And I'll tell you right now, I will accept no one less than Ino and Hana from Yamanaka and Inuzuka respectively. Hiashi you can choose between Hinata and Hanabi either will do."
"You surely don't think that I will give up my children so easily to you?" asked Hyuga Hiashi.
"No, I guess you wouldn't. But then what would you be other than a clan going against the Hokage and a village? If that's what you want, then that's what you will get. Look, I'm not a monster. The marriage decisions won't be finalized until both possible parties are at least sixteen. And they will be good matches. I bet most of the girls will be happy with them.
"I'm going to suggest we all keep the marriage policy a secret until Inoichi and Hiashi are able to explain this to their daughters. When that time comes I suggest you all go and hold a clan meeting asking for volunteers. There may already be a girl or two who has her eye on an Uchiha. That will make both of our jobs easier. If no one volunteers, then pick a girl who understands what's being asked of her and is young enough to have a few years before she is married. Do not forget that I have to force the match on my clan as well." He quickly glanced towards Itachi and Shisui. They were so absorbed in the discussion that they forgot that they were one half of the topic.
"Will you force your sons to take a wife they do not want?" asked Shikaku.
"If it comes to that, yes, I will. I know this is a lot to think about, but we have officers waiting for you at each of your homes and two will go with you from here. We have already designated families for each of your children. You can meet the families and work out a visiting and training schedule at your leisure. But your children are moving tonight. This does not have to be traumatic for them. It's up to you. After you meet the host family, you will all go to help explain the situation to the other parents in the village.
"There is one last thing I wanted to show you all. Hopefully it will help mend our relationships. Inabi." Inabi wheeled the covered table to a spot where everyone could see it and then removed the cloth. "This is a model for the new academy I hope to have completed in the next ten years. As you can see, it is a campus. The buildings and classrooms will all be state of the art, equipped to train in all affinities. The library will be the best in the shinobi world. And each clan will be uplifted and prominent throughout the academy. You will also have your own hall devoted to your lineage including one to notable shinobi not originally from a clan.
"It will also be a kind of boarding school. Once a student reaches Genin they will live on campus with their peers to promote friendship and comradery. For too long we have been plagued with a competitiveness that has more often than not resulted in serious injury or death amongst our children. This school will have ways to channel that energy into more productive activities and training. There will be multiple competitions set-up in a regulated environment.
"We will all have input on the curriculum. I don't want you to confuse this. This is not an Uchiha academy. This is what will make our young ones surpass us in every way. What do you all think?"
Shikaku was the first to speak. "I must admit, Fugaku, this seems like a good idea and something we can all get behind. But there is no way we can start working on this when you've laid a family crisis at our feet. How do you expect me to explain to Yoshino that our only son will no longer live with us? He is only eight years old."
"That is up to you. I also want you all to know that we will also be taking in Uzumaki Naruto. I have personally observed the young boy and he and Sasuke seem to be already be on the track to being friends. I admit it's more of a rivalry, but it's something I'd like to turn into a friendship. But more importantly, Mikoto seems to really want the child."
Fugaku's eyes grew dark before his next words. "I know you all think we had something to do with the Kyubi incident, but I assure you that we did not. Even if we did there is no reason for me to lie now. This boils down to trust, and you can trust us with that boy. Mikoto would not let anything happen to him now that he's a part of our family. I'm also going to make sure that Hatake Kakashi, his father's last student, will be his teacher when he's ready for it. I will not hear anything about this. It's done and if you have a problem with it you can just mull over it amongst yourselves." Fugaku paused for a few moments to let that sink in. Once he saw that no one was going to speak against his family raising Naruto he visibly relaxed.
He continued, "We break ground on the new academy the day after tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you all were there." With that he and Inabi left the room.
"Dammit!" Asuma, who had remained silent the entire time, slammed his fist down and cracked the table.
"Byakugan."
"Is it clear Hiashi?" asked Shikaku. They were all sitting in an empty classroom in the soon-to-be old academy.
"Yes. We can talk about how I'm going to kill Fugaku."
"We all want to kill him. Yoshino is still crying, and that woman doesn't cry easily."
Choza spoke up, "But what can we do? You heard Hiruzen, and all the other lands must have accepted Fugaku or else we'd be in a war by now."
"We are certainly in a tough position. They have managed to make us appear to be the would-be traitors." said Hiashi.
"I don't care what I'm seen as, if I didn't have Kuromaru I'd be going home to an empty house. I didn't have the guts to tell Hana what's in store for her yet. She might as well get used to one change before I tell her about another. I was hoping one of you geniuses would have a plan so I would never have to."
"I'm guessing that Hana and Kiba are in the same home? They placed Neji with Hinata. Thankfully Hanabi has not started at the academy yet."
"Yeah, they're together. At least until my little Hana is sixteen or becomes a chunin. This means that my girl has two years before she… I can't even say it. That family is going to see me so much they're going to want to give me my kids back."
"Well I haven't told Ino about that part either. She's only eight. She doesn't need to know yet. But I heard her ask her host family if they knew where Sasuke lived. I hate to admit it, but Fugaku may have been right about some girls volunteering. I just don't understand it."
Shikaku placed his hand on Inoichi's shoulder. "It's not hard to understand, Inoichi. All girls like the cool guy their parents hate. And with all the rumors going around, the Uchiha boys are the ultimate bad boys. I wouldn't be surprised if girls are breaking their necks trying to get Itachi's attention. It still helps me to this day that Yoshino's family thinks I'm a good-for-nothing. It makes her think of my good qualities when she defends me."
"Speaking of Itachi, I watched him and Shisui during the meeting. I do not think they knew about this, and I don't think they were happy about it." said Shibi.
"How could you tell? They didn't move their face an inch." asked Tsume.
"I could tell. As one who is used to hiding my feelings, I can tell the signs in others exceptionally well."
"Well we still don't have a plan," muttered Tsume.
"The real question is: are we willing to start a civil war? And if we are, over what? From the outside all of this may look questionable, but there is nothing here that would warrant true support from another village. At best they would help us only in order to double cross us and put Konoha in control of foreigners. Are we willing to take that chance over this?" said Shikaku.
"I am!" Tsume stood when she yelled this.
"Anyone else?" asked Shikaku.
"Do you really think that Konoha could eventually come under foreign control?" asked Inoichi
"Yes."
"Then I'm not. There has to be another way." said Inoichi.
Shikaku nodded, "I think that we should play along with Fugaku. If he's sincere, then it won't hurt us that much. We should all smother our children and their host families with attention. We have to be diligent in making sure our children remain ours. We should also be friendly to the host families. We should be exceptionally friendly to any Uchiha we come across. Make their worries unfounded and we may be able to turn this into a dark chapter of our history instead of a new volume."
Choza agreed, "If we can't prove Hiruzen was under some kind of influence when he named Fugaku, then we have to act as if it were truly his decision. This is how we protect our children. That way there won't be a reason for this to happen again. We have protected them from all of this so far. We have to continue protecting them."
"I don't call this protecting my children." said Tsume.
Hiashi nodded, "I have to agree with her, Shikaku. I still have Hanabi with me and I do not want to lose her too."
"We have to stop thinking of this as 'losing' our children. Instead," said Shikaku, "we have our own little spies in almost every Uchiha household. They may be their hostages, but the Uchiha are also hostage to Konoha. Our kids will become less susceptible to the Sharingan. Training against them every day will make them stronger and more confident. They will not be able to intimidate our children as they did the rest of the village."
Inoichi chuckled, "Basically, you're telling us to make the best of this."
Asuma gave a deep sigh. Shikaku looked towards him, "We all recognize that your clan must feel the need for blood right now. What do you plan on doing?"
Asuma took a long puff of his cigarette before letting out another sigh. "The Uchiha killed my old man. I know it. You know it. Everyone knows it, but we can't prove it. I'm going to honor my father and do what I believe he would have wanted us to do. That's to persevere and try to get it right with the next generation. As much as I hate to say it, and I hate to say it, Fugaku may end up being kind of right. I don't trust him, but I think that as long as we keep our children well educated about our history that this could make a stronger Konoha, a decidedly more Uchiha Konoha, but stronger nevertheless. I will do as you say Shikaku. I will make sure the Sarutobi name lives on next to the Uchiha name, not beneath it…or above it."
"I hate you all." Tsume stood and swatted at one of the small chairs in the classroom. "I think you would have a very different idea about all of this if you were a woman. But I know I can't do anything about this on my own. Come on, Shibi. We're going home. There's no way I'd let you sulk by yourself in that house tonight. You may be able to hide your feelings but you can never fool me." Shibi stood and nodded goodbye to everyone before he trotted to catch up with Tsume.
"If this is our decision, I'm going to go pray for our young ones. I will see you all again at the ground breaking." Hiashi stood gracefully and bowed before leaving. The rest all left one by one until the classroom was once again empty.
Fugaku entered his home with a slight smile on his face. It was almost 11pm and everything had gone according to plan. He quietly checked in on Sasuke only to find him and Naruto feigning sleep. His smile widened as he closed the door and heard muffled whispers.
He really did want Sasuke to make a real friend, and he could care less if Naruto housed the Kyubi or not. He would put Naruto in his own room once he was a bit older, for now he wanted them to bond. And he knew from experience that nothing could quell an argument like having to see the person every time you went to sleep and woke up.
He went back downstairs to the study. He was finally ready to talk to Itachi and Shisui. He entered and sat behind his desk looking at them sitting across from him. "I know you two have questions."
"Why are you doing this?" They both said it at the same time, but Shisui was a bit more animated.
"There are many reasons. Shikaku was partly right. I plan on keeping the children as deterrents to a rebellion, but there are other more important reasons. None of this would have happened if people weren't suspicious of us as a group. I don't only want to prevent that from happening to us again, I also want to be sure it happens to no one else. If we all come together, then it will be harder for us to see each other as separate groups. Of course, it will be better if everyone comes under Uchiha. This is the privilege given to us for our years of unjust suspicion."
"So you really are trying to bring everyone together? You are really doing this for the younger generations?" asked Shisui.
"Yes, and for the clan. Everything will always be for the clan. You two must believe me when I say that I don't want to cause anyone any more discomfort than I believe necessary. All of the children will be treated more than fairly and they will always be available to their parents."
"And what about Naruto?" asked Itachi.
"Everything I said was the absolute truth. Mikoto was good friends with his mother, and always wanted to take care of him. He will be good for her and Sasuke."
"And what about me, Shisui, and the other boys?"
"I meant what I said. The other Uchiha families know about this and they agreed. We had refrained from telling you because we didn't want you to worry too much about it. I have forbade everyone in our clan from talking about this until I let them know it's OK to. I want the other clans to have a chance to break the news themselves. If they still haven't said anything by a certain amount of time, I'll begin to take things into my own hands."
"Worry too much! I'm already sixteen. Does this mean I'm going to be married tomorrow?" Shisui asked nervously.
"No, I can tell you right now that I have someone in mind for you. You have time."
"Who is it? You have to tell me so I can tell you absolutely not."
"Is there someone you would prefer? I can tell you right now that if there is I will make it happen."
"No, there is no one. But what if there were and she didn't want to be with me?"
"It wouldn't matter if it were what you wanted. She would- will learn to love you."
"This really doesn't seem right. What if I can't stand the girl you choose for me?" Shisui really wanted to be clear about everything he may be in store for.
"I would first ask if someone else would be better. If you didn't have a suitable answer you'd just learn to deal with it. You could bond over your situation."
Shisui shook his head, "Aren't you being very unfair to the girl. She would have no choice at all."
"You and Itachi need to learn that you are in control of everything around you. As long as it doesn't go against me that is. Sometimes women need to be pushed in the right direction. Itachi, do you believe your mother is happy?"
"Yes, she seems content."
"Your mom seems happy to me." added Shisui.
"Your mother was a jonin when we married, but I did not want my wife to be an active shinobi. I told her that being the clan head's wife would have a lot of responsibility, and that after becoming a mother she could no longer avoid it. I convinced her that once we had children she would have to retire. She finally agreed after much insistence. Then I switched her birth control and made sure she got pregnant as soon as possible. I'm sure she figured it out, but what could she do after you were here? Absolutely nothing. It's your job as a man to take charge. Sometimes women, like children, need a little pushing, but they'll come around eventually. She will either go along with you or you just have to force her to. Men who let their wives rule them are weak, and men who can't get the woman they want don't deserve them."
Shisui began to slowly nod his head in understanding, but Itachi didn't agree. "No father, I don't believe you are right about this. What makes our wishes more important than theirs?" Shisui's nodding stopped and his face waivered. He began to wonder the same thing.
"It's not really that yours are more important. It's that you have more power and control over the situation and over her. One person has to get what they want and one person doesn't get what they want. Why shouldn't the person who wins be the one who can make it happen?"
"I think I understand." said Shisui.
"No you don't, Shisui. I'm sorry, father, but this is all nonsense. I'm beginning to feel sorry for Mom."
"No Itachi, you don't understand. If you and another student wanted the top grade in a class. You do everything you can to make sure you're happy and have the top grade, because you know that one person isn't going to get what they want."
Itachi shook his head, "That's not exactly how things work. Your happiness shouldn't have to depend on someone else's disappointment."
"Sometimes I forget how gentle you can be. Is there a girl you like, maybe Hana? You are the same age as her."
"I don't like anyone in that way, and I'm not sure Tsume-"
"Don't pay any attention to that bi- Tsume will always be a pain. She has always been a pain. What about Hinata?
"Hinata is eight years old! I'm fourteen. There is no way I would look at her and think…anything."
"You have a point there. Well, I honestly look forward to how you feel about all of this once you've felt a girl's rejection. But then again, you are one of the 'hottest' boys in the village right now. I hear you're very popular even though you don't acknowledge it. Shisui, I'm glad you're coming around. I want you both to shop around. You can have any girl you want, but it's ok if no one catches your eye." He looked over at the time. "It's late, both of you should go to bed. Shisui, you can stay over if you like."
He heard them go upstairs and wondered if Itachi would prove to be a bigger problem than he anticipated.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hoped you liked it.