I just wanted to thank all you lovely people once again for adding my story to story alerts and favorites, and I especially want to thank those that reviewed. Reviews make me update. :) I wrote this in my journal, and it turned out TOTALLY different when I started to type! So I hope you enjoy.
I own a Sakura tree, and I have a pet weasel, but I don't own Sakura or Itachi, or anyone from Kishimoto's work.
The crickets had stopped chirping by the time Ken'ichi Haruno arrived home. The stars and full moon were the only things that helped to guide him home. The winding path seemed dull silver, but he cut across it, trampling a few flowers on his lawn. The first thing to assault his senses was the scent of chocolate. As he opened the door, a dim light caught his eyes – it was coming from the kitchen. The scent of chocolate got stronger, and then he couldn't help but to smile when he walked into the kitchen. Emi had stayed up, and was pouring two steaming cups of hot chocolate, marshmallows included. Her hair was swept all to one side, and her jade eyes that she had passed onto Sakura smiled sweetly up at him. Taking the invitation, he sat down, and slumped his head down onto the table. Emi pushed the porcelain white mug towards him, and he sat up and took a long gulp of the hot chocolate. She watched her husband carefully, and waited for him to speak. He took another long gulp, and then looked straight into her eyes.
"Kushina has a son." Emi dropped her cup, and it shattered onto the floor.
"WHAT?"
Sakura was awoken by her Kaasan an hour earlier than usual. She could hear the whacking of the wooden dummies in her backyard, obviously by her Otousan. She sat up expectantly, rubbing her eyes and smiling sleepily back up at her mother.
"What's the matter Kaasan?" Sakura asked, while hugging her bother as a good morning greeting.
"Let me go get your father, as you get ready, okay? We have a lot to do today." Emi said, gently pushing Sakura towards the bathroom. Sakura nodded her head as she got into the bathroom. When she had gotten dressed and arrived downstairs, she could see none of the servants in sight, cleaning or doing anything. She looked around with her eyebrow raised and a small frown, but shook it off as she heard her mother and father talking in the dining room. Sakura pushed back the door, and her parents stopped talking as she entered the room. They both smiled at her, but it was weaker smiles than what they usually gave her.
"Otousan, I don't understand what's wrong." Sakura said, looking at her parents, obviously puzzled.
"Sakura, have you ever wondered why, when we go into any village besides Konoha, we must dye our hair black, you must not associate with other children, and I must change my eye color to green?" Sakura looked up at her otousan.
"But… Kaasan said that it was because we had to protect ourselves, so no one could get mad and find us later." Ken'ichi nodded.
"Yes, that is true. But have you ever wondered why we needed to be protected? You've seen me fight Sakura. I can take on mere bandits. Did you ever wonder why we needed Itachi to accompany us on that trip to Rock?" Sakura shook her head.
"Otousan, I am confused. I don't know what you're trying to tell me." Sakura confessed, trying to look for the answers in her father's eyes. He looked at her and gave her a sad smile.
"I guess we'll just have to explain it all when we get to the Hokage Tower." Ken'ichi said. "We'll eat breakfast on the way there." Sakura could only come along as her parents locked the house and, for once, walked down the winding path towards the main part of Konoha.
Itachi was overly bored. He had twenty more mission requirements before he could apply to be ANBU. He wished the Hokage would hurry up and assign them to him. After his Kaasan had served him breakfast, he had left in a flash to report to the Hokage Tower for any available mission openings. Of course, there had been none. He had been walking out of the tower when Sarutobi had stopped him.
"Itachi-san, I need you in my office please." Itachi picked up his pace, which was the closest he'd come to running in excitement since he had been two. Itachi closed the door behind him, and Sarutobi motioned for him to sit.
"Itachi, I'm closing your mission objective to protect Naruto. You've been on it since you were ten, and after 2 years, this mission has come to a close." Itachi's eyes narrowed. Sarutobi sighed at the young boy's lack of verbal communication.
"He is going to be adopted by the Haruno family. In fact they are on their way now, about five buildings from here. Please get Naruto for me." Itachi bowed.
The Harunos? Why would they want Naruto? They probably didn't even know of his existence until Sarutobi told them.
He ran quickly through the hidden corridors, only to find Naruto playing in his room.
"Itachi-senpai! Are you going to help me practice with kunais today?" Naruto asked him as Itachi kneeled down to poke his stomach. Naruto giggled.
"No Naruto-chan, I'm coming to take you to Sarutobi. He has people that he wants you to meet." Naruto obediently put down his kunai next to the bare dresser in his overall plain room. He nodded.
"Okay, take me to Oiji-sama." Itachi grabbed the younger boy's hand as he always did. He briefly wondered if Sasuke would be jealous.
Sakura didn't talk the whole way there, not through breakfast, nor when they arrived at the tower. Mechanically, she walked up the stairs, and she didn't look at her parent's faces. They were quickly into Sarutobi's office, and when they walked in, she finally looked up. The first person she saw was Sarutobi-sama, who she bowed to. He had been in their house a few times. Next, she saw her Itachi-nii, which made her happy instantly, but then she saw the yellow-haired blue eyed boy behind him, which looked so much like her father it struck her. If the boy just had her father's hair and eyes, it'd be a younger replica of him. Her puzzled face morphed into a stern frown.
"Otousan, I don't understand." She said, the worry leaking out in her voice. Ken'ichi saw Sarutobi signal for Itachi to leave, but he shook his head no.
"Itachi deserves to know. He is like a son to me." Itachi stood still, next to Naruto. Sarutobi made a few hand signs and slammed his palm against the wall next to him. Itachi automatically checked for its strength, and satisfied, he brought his attention back to Sarutobi.
"Naruto, this is Ken'ichi and Emi Haruno, and their daughter, Sakura." Sarutobi said. Naruto just shook his head.
"Oiji-sama, I don't understand. Aren't they supposed to hate me like the rest of the village does?" Naruto asked, looking back between both parties. Itachi silently leaned against the wall, steadily observing.
"Naruto, Sakura, Itachi, there are a few secrets that we've been keeping from you, and from the village. Everything you hear now is an S-class secret." Sarutobi said. Both Naruto and Sakura looked at Itachi for clarification.
"An S-class secret is something that you may not tell anyone else, punishable by death." Itachi explain, and they both nodded with acceptance.
"First, we can clear up how Itachi knows the both of you. Itachi has been on a mission for the past two years to guard Naruto, and they have developed a kohai-senpai friendship. But Itachi has also been on a month-long mission with the Harunos, and has developed a close bond with them also." Itachi nodded his head in agreement with Sarutobi's words, and Naruto smiled at Sakura and she smiled back.
If Itachi is okay with him, then so am I. Sakura thought, her eyes shining at both of the boys. But her father's sudden movements interrupted her thoughts.
"Please, everyone sit down." Emi decided to stand up and put her hand on her husband's should, and he gave her a weak smile. Sakura and Naruto sat on either side of Itachi, who inwardly smirked to himself. I was not expecting this when I left the Uchiha compound today.
Emi leisurely leaned against the wall, as Ken'ichi began to pace around the room. He took a deep breath, and then let it out.
"I once lived in a place called the Land of Whirlpool…" he began, his eyes not even in this room, but wrapped in a different time.
"There were trees, beautiful willow trees that surrounded us, and oaks and maples and birch trees and conifers of all sorts. We were a small land, but we made big off the abundance of squid, octopi, crabs, shrimp, and other creatures of the sea that sold for high prices in places like Sand, Leaf, or Rock. We were a prosperous little land, not even big enough to be recognized as a nation. But we did have ninjas. There were a few great clans in Whirlpool. There was the Takahashi clan, great with weapons. The Zihetsu clan had a bloodline limit of being able to repair all forms of cellular damage, making them forever youthful and formidable in battle. And then there was the Uzumaki clan. The Uzumaki were gifted with a strange chakra. They had chakra that would form in chains. Massive chakra reserves which made the chakra form in chains, and we had an affinity for metals. The Uzumaki clan was not a huge family, but a tight-knit one. There was just one Clan elder, granddaughter of the clan's founder, the clan Head, his two brothers, two sisters that had married into the other previously mentioned clans, and their children. The clan head had five children. The oldest one was named Ken'ichi Uzumaki. The youngest one was named Kushina Uzumaki. Kushina is the name of your mother, Naruto."
Sakura and Naruto gasped.
"Otousan, that means…" Sakura exclaimed, looking over Itachi to Naruto
"That means…" Naruto said, looking back at Sakura and then at her parents.
"We're related!" They said simultaneously. Ken'ichi grinned along with his wife, and then continued with his story.
"I met Emi when Kushina was only six years old. I was sixteen. Our father didn't approve. Emi was a rogue nin, deflected from Hidden Mist. Hunter nin were after her. My father didn't condone it, so we left. We left Kushina. Kushina was the only one that approved of Emi. She is the only Mist nin I have met that wasn't bloody, and Kushina could only see good in her. After we left, we had to always be on the run. I took on the Haruno name so that my family would believe I was dead. We had to take assignments where ever we decided to stay. Always bare escapes with Mist Hunter nin. Then, six years ago, Sarutobi offered us asylum here. My hair was dyed black then, and so was Emi's, and we manipulated my chakra to make my eyes appear green. There was no way I could've known about Kushina being here, just the year before. We didn't know she had a son." Ken'ichi sighed, the frown spreading to every feature of his usually cheerful face. Emi went over to him, and slowly began to massage his back.
"Itachi-chan, I don't know if you know this or not, but the Kyuubi was sealed into a baby. Do you know what baby it was sealed into?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes.
"Hai, I do." Itachi confirmed. Then Emi directed her gaze towards Naruto.
"Have you ever wondered why the villagers hate you so much?" She asked, staring into his eyes. He nodded at her.
"Biju can't be killed. They can only be sealed away. Kushina had been the previous container for the Kyuubi. No one knew of her secret, so she led a happy life. But as she was dying while carrying you, Naruto… her strength weakened. Kyuubi was unleashed right after you were born. It gained strength, and then it attack Konoha. We don't know why. And then Kyuubi was sealed into the Yondaime's son, with his own hands. Into you, Naruto." For once, the two talkative children were rendered speechless.
"That's why they hate you. They believe you ARE the Kyuubi, Your father wanted you to be seen as a hero. Your mother wanted you to be kept a secret, but, as Sarutobi-sama told us, someone discovered your identity, stealing your chances of a normal, happy life. We would've come for you Naruto, because our Nakama is our way. Our nakama is protected before everything else. But we didn't know. We didn't know the villagers were treating you like this, or else there would've been hell to pay. So forgive us, Naruto, please." Emi opened her arms out to him, and Naruto ran into them and cried. Ken'ichi composed himself.
"In memory of my sister, and since you are family, we would like to adopt you. We don't want the villagers to be mistreated by you anymore. Wouldn't you agree, Sakura?" Itachi turned his attention to the girl beside him, her jade eyes taking in her own kaasan hugging her newfound cousin, her eyes looking at her otousan, empathy locked into her look – one look that he would never forget. As Naruto settled down into a sniffle, Sakura got up and looked straight into his eyes.
"I've always wanted an otouto." She said, suddenly smiling. He tackled her to the ground with a massive hug.
"I've always wanted a family." Naruto replied, and then everyone started to laugh, and even Itachi gave a real, genuine full smile, which was caught by both Naruto and Sakura. In a rare, priceless display of affection, he pulled both Naruto and Sakura into a warm embrace. Then their parents joined in the hug, and Sarutobi suddenly summoned a camera to his hand a snapped a picture, grinning mischievously. Emi was the first to recover from the emotional state.
"This deserves a party, doesn't it?" She exclaimed, already thinking about the foods she would prepare. Sakura jumped up, grabbing both Naruto and Itachi's hands.
"Come on Itachi-nii, otouto! We're going to have a party!" She exclaimed. Itachi quickly put a concealing jutsu on himself and his two companions as Sakura pretty forcefully pulled them both out the door, for a seven year old. Ken'ichi and Emi turned around and bowed deeply toward Sarutobi.
"Thank you for giving us back our family, Sarutobi-sama." They said together, smiling.
"Think nothing of it. Now hurry up before those children get lost." He said back, shooing them off as if they were children. Hand in hand, the couple went out the office and de-activated the room seal on the way. Sarutobi pulled his orb to his palms to watch Itachi, Sakura, and Naruto walk down Konoha's streets with black hair and green eyes, Itachi suppressing all three of their chakras.
They're going to become great one day. He mused, as he watched the unlikely trio walk down the street. There was a sudden knock at his door. Sarutobi dispelled the jutsu.
"You may enter." Kakashi Hatake came in, with a report.
"I have bad news, Sarutobi-sama." The happy moment forgotten, Sarutobi's face appeared older, sharper.
"Damn the Uchiha clan." He said.
Itachi was silently listening to the stories about his adopted ossan's childhood days, with Naruto's mother, Kushina. About how the first time she tried to attack him in a spar, she had slipped on mud and fallen flat in it, or how she would always scream "DATTABANE!" when she was excited, identical to Naruto's "DATTEBAYO!" He silently observed how Sakura tried to make Naruto feel at home, when she held his hand and asked about things he liked.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" She asked, as it was getting late and she was tired.
"I want to be Hokage! That way, everyone will see and recognize me! Dattebayo!" He grabbed the last piece of pocky and dango, splitting the dango in half and giving it to Itachi, then splitting the pocky in half and giving it to Sakura.
"What do you want to be, Sakura-nee-san?" He asked.
"Ah, I don't know." She looked over to their mother. "I want to help people; I guess I want to be a medic nin like my mom was. Naruto nodded, pleased with her answer. As Naruto finished his piece of pocky and dango, she turned towards Itachi.
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Itachi? Besides ANBU Captian." Itachi chewed his dango slowly, careful not to show any emotion in his eyes.
"I will lead the police corps." He said. But Sakura shook her head.
"I didn't say what are you GOING to be. I asked what do you WANT to be!" She said, a pout forming on her face. "Tell me Itachi-nii!" She demanded.
"I would like to be Konoha's ambassador." He said. Naruto automatically grinned.
"When I become Hokage, you will become my newest ambassador! Dattebayo!" He said, a glint of determination in his eye. "And Sakura-nee-san, you can be the top medic nin in Konoha's hospital! Then everything will work out!" He said, grinning. Sakura smiled, straight at Itachi.
"I would like that, wouldn't you, Itachi-nii?" she said, tilting her head.
"I would." Just then, Emi came into the kitchen.
"Itachi-chan, it's getting late. You know, your father may be searching for you." Itachi sighed in recognition, and got up. Naruto began to pout.
"So soon, Itachi-senpai?" He wailed. Itachi ruffled both Sakura and Naruto's hair, and Sakura got up and gave him a hug, as per usual.
"Hai. I shall be back tomorrow. You know how to reach me if you need me." He said, addressing both of them. They nodded in affirmation. Ken'ichi stood at the doorway behind his wife.
"Goodnight Itachi-chan." Itachi smirked and gave a small wave.
"Goodnight, ossan, obasan." Then he was gone, out through the window.
Sakura and Naruto suddenly became tired, and he was happy to figure out that he had his own furnished room, in orange, white, and blue. Ken'ichi and Emi tucked both their children into bed, and silently decided to help their children in whatever they could, especially when it came to achieving their dreams.
Itachi Uchiha arrived back to the Uchiha compound, and went straight to his room. He ignored his fuming father, who was worried about how a clan heir was supposed to be perceived, parading Konoha's streets at such an hour of the night. He promised his otouto that he would help him with his spar tactics in the morning. He bid his kaasan a silent goodnight, and stripped off his ninja gear, which he wore everywhere. Especially his jonin vest. The chunin vest was not something you could keep, it had to be recycled back into the village, but the jonin vest was his second item to keep as a ninja. Of course, there was his hitaiate, which he received when he first became genin, but the jonin vest had been his first real challenge. He laid on it as he was about to go to sleep. Plus, Sakura liked to wear it a lot, so it smelled like her. With these thoughts, Uchiha Itachi began to sleep.
I hope everyone enjoyed! And I'll let you guess if it's non-massacre or not. ;). I believe things will be going pretty fast in the next five chapters, so hold on to your seatbelts! And please do not forget to review. Positive flames are welcome.
