Chapter one. I hope you're liking it so far. I don't own Naruto, enjoy!

Part One: Childhood

Chapter One

It was after noon and the day was growing old. Uchiha Itachi was out deep in a forest—one of many in the blooming village of Konoha. His eyes were closed and he was holding three kunai knives in each of his hands.

All of a sudden, he leapt up into the air higher than most normal people could go. When he was at the height of about halfway up one of the trees, he leaned back slightly, letting his arms fly behind him, kunai ready, and his chest higher than the rest of his body. Still with his eyes closed, Itachi started throwing each kunai in graceful yet quick movements. They went every-which-way, flying. One of them he actually pulled out another knife and used it to tip one of the already air-borne so that it went behind a huge boulder.

Itachi let himself down and landed in a ninja-style crouch, looking up and revealing glowing red eyes with black dots that looked like commas: Sharingan. Yet, right before this, the sound of all the kunai hitting their marks reached his ear. It was perfect.

Sasuke couldn't control his excitement and amazement any longer. He came out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind. A smaller girl followed him, her obsidian-like eyes bright.

"That was amazing, nii-san!" Sasuke cried as Itachi stood up and Sasuke came towards him. "You even hit that blind spot behind the big rock!"

"Yes, nii-san! Yes!" the little girl said, her speech a little too clean to belong to a four-year-old.

Itachi smiled at his two younger siblings. They were funny.

"Hey, nii-san, will you teach me how to do that?" Sasuke begged in vain, "Please?"

Itachi's eyes were warm as he said, "Sorry, Sasuke. Maybe some other time…." He then flicked Sasuke's forehead, ignoring his little brother's complaints.

"Then what about me, nii-san?" the girl pulled a kunai out of the nearest target with surprising strength, hopefully, looking up at Itachi while brandishing it.

"No, I'm afraid you're still too small, Kirai," Itachi almost laughed, "and anyway, you aren't even supposed to be out of the house." He switched his expression to a playfully disapproving face.

"It's not my fault," whined Sasuke, "Kirai just followed me!"

"Because you wouldn't let me come with you!" she defended.

"'Cause you're supposed to stay in the house, chibi!"

Itachi rolled his eyes, wanting to end it quickly for it was superbly annoying when they argued. "It's all right, Sasuke," he interrupted, "Just as long as no one sees us when we're with her, and it's extremely important that Father doesn't find out."

They both nodded; at least the part about their Father had gotten through both of their heads. He was very strict about keeping Kirai inside and not letting her out until the ninjutsu she was under was dispelled. However, Kirai wasn't aware of all the dangers her little secret excursions into the outside world might bring. Fear of their father kept her from sneaking out when he was around, or from doing it too frequently.

The little girl was too curious and smart for her own good. Brains would keep her out of trouble in the near future, yet, "curiosity killed the cat," as they say. Kirai looked like her brothers with hair like Itachi's and a face more or less similar to Sasuke's she stood about four feet off the ground and demonstrated extraordinary strength for a four-year-old. All together, she was an Uchiha child.

"Well, it's getting late," Itachi announced, looking up at the sky, "We should all be back before dinner-time, you know."

Disappointment was evident on both of their small faces.

"Mother will understand," continued the oldest, "but there will be trouble if you're not there when Father gets home."

Kirai stuck out her bottom lip.

Sasuke understood that he would have to assume partial credit for Kirai's escape it they were found out. Just going back home now would be easier than later. He sighed heavily, and started walking to the trail he knew would lead them home.

Disheartened, he sighed, "Ikuze."

Itachi laughed and put the youngest on his shoulders, who struggled against him a little before giving in.

"Then, ikuze!" he repeated, in higher spirits, following his little brother.

"Kirai-kun! Where in the world have you been?" their mother exclaimed as they walked into the kitchen as they walked into the kitchen as she was preparing their meal. "I've been a little worried, little girl. You know the consequences if your father finds out what you did, Kirai."

Off of her brother's shoulders, Kirai hung her head.

"I just wanted to see where Sasuke-nii-san was going. I didn't mean to…."she mumbled, trailing off, her sorrow for her actions showing.

"Kirai!" Sasuke hissed, giving his sister a little shove.

Their mother unexpectedly laughed brightly and returned to her preparations. "Well a little curiosity never hurt anyone," she said, chopping up some onions, "Just make sure you're not in a place where anyone might see you, Kirai."

All three children relaxed and Sasuke went to kneel at the dinner table. Kirai went and stood by him as Mother asked Itachi for some help.

"Sasuke-nii-san," Kirai said to him sweetly.

Sasuke looked at her and rolled his eyes, one elbow on the table resting his chin, "What do you want, chibi?" He pretended not to show any interest in her and played with the edge of the table with his other hand.

She frowned, "Don't call me that!"

"Why?" he raised his eyebrows mockingly.

"Because it's not very nice, and I'm not much smaller than you are."

Sasuke had to admit to himself that she did have a point—and a smart mouth. "I can call you anything I want, Kirai-kun!" he retorted.

She glared, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Calm down, please, Sasuke, Kirai," their mother said, a little exasperated.

Sasuke sighed once more, "All right, you win. What did you want?"

Kirai unfolded her arms and leaned towards him, "I want you to help me with throwing shurikan!" she said excitedly.

He was caught off guard, "Why me?" His arms fell away from the table and he set them in his lap.

The little girl smiled, "Because you have a lot of free time and you know how!"

"You sure I have free time, chibi?"—Kirai frowned again—"I'm training! I need to get into the Academy to become a ninja, and to…" he stopped halfway through the thought, not wishing to say what his goal really was, "…and—and showing you how to hold a knife isn't gonna help me," he saved himself. "Plus, you're only four!"

She made a face, "What does my age matter?! How old were you when you learned how to throw shurikan?"

Another point; "Argh," he rolled his eyes, not ready to give up yet. Sasuke rest his chin in his hands again, elbows on the table.

"And it's not learning how to hold shurikan—I already know how to do that!" Kirai defended, "It's throwing them that I can't do yet."

"Alright, fine," Sasuke gave in, "I'll teach you how to throw them…"

Kirai gave him a tight squeeze around the shoulders saying, "Arigatoo, nii-san!" and then ran to her own seat at the dinner table for their mother had started bringing the dishes over.

They all heard the front door slide open and then close just as their mother had sat down to eat with them. Kirai stood up at once and cried, "Daddy!" in an excited voice.

As Fugaku walked into the dining room he was attacked by Kirai, hugging his knees. He didn't smile, yet he didn't frown. Expressing his emotions well wasn't one of his strong points. He pried the little girl off his legs gently and guided her back to her seat while making his own way to his, greeting them: "Good evening."

They all nodded, and their mother passed their father his plate.

"Ichidakimasu!" their mother said brightly and everyone started eating in silence.

I wonder why Kirai isn't supposed to be here…Sasuke's thoughts wondered. I was only two when Father explained it to nii-san and I, and he kept it simple.

He couldn't ask his father here and now, not while Kirai was listening. From what Father had given out to him and Itachi since he told them about Kirai's cures, she wasn't allowed to know everything until she was much older. Itachi had explained that if Kirai knew of it, the knowledge would ruin her childhood and haunt her. Their father just didn't want their sister to loose her freedom. Childhood was supposedly the hest years anyone could go through, and no one deserved that time taken away from them.

Please review! Tell me what I need to fix and such. I love it when I get reviews so please! Next chapter coming maybe in the next week or so. It depends. Ja ne till then!