BETA: Cmedina1


YEAR SIX

Do you ever have one of those mornings when you open your eyes, the sun isn't even out, you just go like 'Nope, not today', and put the bed sheet over your head, snuggling into the pillow?

That was exactly the kind of morning I was having.

I was cuddling with my pillow, ignoring the fact that it was morning, when someone opened the door. Instantly, I recognized the scent and, if that wasn't enough, the chakra signature.

Ugh, just why, Itachi, must you come and make me be responsible?

"I'm awake." I said, but the sound was muffled by the pillow I was hugging like my life depended on it; as if nothing could make me face the day if I just continued holding it.

I didn't need to look at him to know he was judging me.

"If you're awake, then get up now."

I let out a pained groan, not moving a single muscle. "Must I? It's not like we're going to learn anything we don't already know."

"Kana." He sounded exasperated. Heh, one point for me.

With a resigned, long-suffering sigh, I untangled my frame from the bedsheets, letting go of my very comfortable pillow.

"Happy?" I snarked; that would make one of us, because I definitely wasn't.

Itachi just studied me, his face to cocked slightly to the side. "I thought you wanted to become a ninja." He pointed out.

I took a deep breath, expelling it slowly. "I do. That doesn't mean that I'm going to enjoy going to the Academy for Kami knows how long." I didn't want to have to go through school again, even if it was for ninja training. The first time around had been more than enough, thank you very much.

"So, you're going to prove Tou-sama right?"

I scowled at that.

If I hated Fugaku before, it escalated to a whole new level now.

The man hadn't been in favor of me joining the Academy along with Itachi. In fact, he had gone as far as to say I was inferior to my brother — not so directly, though. It took an all-out spar against Itachi and a full-blown exam to convince him I was ready; that, even though I couldn't win against my brother just yet, I could hold my own against the Academy students and bring honor and pride to the Uchiha name.

"Get out so I can get ready." He did, sporting a tiny smirk that just made me want to smack it away.

Ugh, one point to Itachi.

Quickly, I changed into a black sleeveless, loose turtleneck shirt reminiscent of the one Ino would wear at the star of the series, only I could tuck mine into the hem of the black short skirt I decided to pair it with. It was a comfortable outfit, I was able to move without any obstructions and that's what mattered.

Throwing one last longing look at my bed, I closed the door behind me.

Itachi was waiting for me, ninja sandals on and blank faced, though I could detect hints of impatience cracking the mask.

I rolled my eyes at him but was secretly pleased; he could still be such a kid sometimes.

Mikoto handed us our lunch bags as I was putting on my own black sandals, with Sasuke carefully cradled on one arm. Saying goodbye, we headed out; Fugaku walking a few paces in front of us.

Father didn't talk. What more was there to say? He had already grilled us on what he — and the Clan — expected of us during our Academy career for the past few days, plus he wasn't a fan of being see by others doing that.

Not that I minded at all since it gave me time to talk to Itachi.

"You do know they're not going to like us, right?" I whispered, shooting him a sidelong glance.

This time, it was him who rolled his eyes. "So you'd been telling me."

"Excuse me for trying to prepare you." I huffed sarcastically. "We're Uchiha, they think our family is just a bunch of prideful, stuck-up fools who think we're better than everyone else. So, don't be too surprised if the kids think it's a good idea to bully us."

"You've told me that repeatedly."

This kid

It was all I could do to not throw my hands up in the air in frustration at his nonchalance.

"Fine, I'll shut up now."

We made it a few paces before I heard his quiet voice. "We're going to be fine. You said it yourself, nothing we haven't already learned."

My irritation flew out of the window. Yes, I had said that, but that was before we were so close to the building itself. Now, I was just a bunch of nerves thinking about being the new kid once again.

In my previous life, we hadn't moved around a lot, but it had always been the experience when we did and I had never outgrown the uneasiness of being the new face.

Giving him a small smile in gratitude, I took his hand in mine, silently conveying that I was there with him the rest of the way. I knew for a fact he wasn't exactly overjoyed about going to school, but it was a milestone in achieving his dream and so was it mine.


The classroom was filled with kids.

No one paid us any mind and I was secretly grateful about it, not wanting to be the center of attention or anything like that.

However, when the teacher said "Now the, please introduce yourself and tell everyone your dream for the future" did my heart start working overtime. I absolutely abhorred speaking in front of people and it had not gotten any better in this life; then again, I had no practice whatsoever since the only people I regularly talked to were Itachi, Mikoto, and Shisui. The funny thing was that I could perfectly well talk to strangers if it was one-on-one, which had gotten me in trouble with my 'before' mom many times.

As if feeling my discomfort — more like internal panic — since I doubted he could hear my rapidly beating heart over the chatter of the other students, Itachi shoot me a look, silently asking if I was okay.

I put on a brave front, nodding at him. Yes, I could do this. It's not like I was going to be presenting the Nobel Prize or anything like that and they're just kids, anyway. But that doesn't mean they won't judge me.

Ugh, snap out of. You're Uchiha Kana, daughter of the Chief of the Konoha Military Police, part of the hailed Uchiha Clan known for possessing the Sharingan, you don't care what anyone has to say and you're definitely not about to lose your cool in front of a bunch of kids.

If only Shisui could see me now, I bet he'd be on his ass laughing.

One by one the students were called, each saying their dream.

I didn't pay much attention, more focused on steadying my breathing and heart.

"Uchiha Itachi"

Suddenly, my entire self was focused on my brother, who walked to the front as if he had all the time in the world.

Not going to lie, I had always been curious about what pre-massacre Itachi's dream had been and now, I got the opportunity to hear it from his own mouth.

Before sharing it, though, he patted between his eyebrows with a finger, reminiscent of the usual poke he would give Sasuke in the future, and puffed out his chest. "I'm Uchiha Itachi. My dream is…"

He stopped.

I frowned, concerned. Didn't he have a dream? I had thought for sure he did. Why wasn't he saying it and just getting it out of the way, though? Could it be that bad?

No, that wouldn't be it. He probably wanted to achieve something that the rest of the class would find absurd. Knowing Itachi, it would be something along the lines of 'world peace', that sounded more like it.

"It's alright, go ahead and say it." Well, it seemed I wasn't the only one who wanted this over with, I thought as the teacher urged him on.

"I want to be the greatest ninja ever, great enough that I can erase all fighting from this world."

I was speechless; he left me without words. He said it with so much conviction and feeling, his dark eyes shone from the depth of his dream, from how much he believed in it.

And he would, one day, become one of the greatest ninja. What broke my heart, however, was knowing that he wouldn't live long enough to see the world at peace.

I didn't hear the kid snickering in the background, I only saw what the future held for my brother and I didn't like it one bit as we clapped; me the loudest of them all, trying to convey how proud I was of what Itachi wanted to achieve, what he strived for.

Once the clapping stopped and Itachi was seated next to me, the teacher spoke again.

"Uchiha Kana."

And it was my turn.

Expelling a breath, I stood and made my way to the front keeping an untouchable air, let them think it was pride or whatever.

"My name is Uchiha Kana and my dream is to graduate in six months."

Ha! No way was I going to say my real dream here. It was personal and I didn't want to share it with kids who dared to laugh and not take another person's dream seriously.

Now, there were definite laughs all around the classroom with the teacher shushing them and telling them to clap, which they did though it was more of a sarcastic clapping as I went back to my seat.

I didn't care, though, I was going to get out of here in six months along with Itachi and then…

And then I would be invited to the Nakano Shrine meetings.

I distinctly remembered what Shisui had said one night a while ago when the three of us had been hanging out.

"I'm a genin."

"They meet regularly at Nakano Shrine."

"It's something you two don't have to know about yet."

"Why did you say that?"

The quiet question came from Itachi, who was looking at me with unreadable eyes that I interpreted to mean I had lost a few screws in my brain.

With a mumbled "Later" we continued to listen to the teacher.


It was lunch time now.

The two of us sat near the building, watching the other kids play around without a care in the world as we ate the bentos Mikoto had packet for us that morning.

The classes weren't incredibly taxing.

In fact, I dared to say one of them was a little bit of fun.

Mostly because I managed to win one over Itachi.

Oh, his face when I finished the exercise a few seconds before him was priceless! It instantly became the highlight of my whole life. Just remembering it right now made me start giggling like a maniac.

Said big brother was giving a sour look, as if knowing exactly what I was thinking about and not liking it.

"You cheated." He accused.

I tried to stop, but it was just too funny.

"I didn't cheat." I managed to gasp out, out of breath. "I just used the tools available to me."

He just humped and continued sulking, eating his food.

"Hey." I said once I managed to control myself. "Why didn't you just say you wanted to become the first Uchiha Hokage? It would've been more believable than trying to 'erase all fighting from this world.' Unless, of course, becoming the Godaime is really your dream."

I was joking but, from the pink dusting Itachi's cheeks, I quickly changed my tune.

"Wait, you want to be Hokage?" My eyes were wide as saucers as I faced my brother.

"Is that so hard to believe?" He turned to me, insulted. However, I could see the hurt he was trying to hide behind the facade.

I realized then that my opinion mattered to him; he could take the scorn and laughs from everyone else, but not from me. Something warm filled my heart just then, expanding inside my chest and leaving me speechless for a second.

I gave him a gentle smile, full of pride and all the love I could muster. "Not at all." I told him sincerely with a shake of my head. "If being the Fifth is what you truly want — no matter if it's to stop the fighting or whatever you want — I will help you. I'll have your back all the way through the path until you achieve your dream. For the record, you'd make a great Hokage. The best, even."

Itachi's small smile at the beginning of my speech became a full blown one, showing teeth and everything. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, closely followed by the time I beat him a few hours before.

"What about you?" He asked suddenly, though I should've been expecting it. "What's really your dream? And don't tell me it really is to graduate in six months, because I won't believe you." He finished sternly.

"Hey! Knowing you, you'll fly through the curriculum that fast. What would I do when you're out there and I'm stuck here? I don't like kids our age." I made a face. "And you know it's true. The only reason why I can stand Shisui is because he's not like the rest of them." Shisui had been through a war, for crying out loud. "But, to answer your question," I became serious, staring at the trees on the edge of the property. "I want to be there for you and Sasuke. I want to be strong so I can protect the both of you if and when the time comes. I don't want you to walk the path of a shinobi alone. I want to make sure you, and our loved ones, are always protected and in good health. And I want to survive." With Obito and Madara unleashing the Ten-Tails, and Kaguya and her family coming, not to mention Kara, I need to get as strong as I can if I want to keep on living.

However, all the worries came crashing down when I turned to look at my twin again. He was filled with pride, pride at my words and what I wanted to accomplish. It wasn't anything as grand as his dream, but it was something worth fighting for.

"No matter what" He said, his words catching a little. "We'll always have each other's backs."

I thought we had never been closer than in that moment.


"Hurry up, Itachi! Shisui is waiting for us." I exclaimed from a few doors down the hallway, jumping lightly from one foot to the other.

It was true, the older boy hadn't had a free day in a while and we had agreed to meet to train as soon as classes were over. Now, my dearest brother was taking his sweet time.

All around, the other students were chatting and waiting for their friends, filled with a catchy energy and I was not immune to it. Three months had passed since we started school and we were all ready to get out of here, just like the first day.

Nevertheless, Itachi's advance was cut off by a girl. She wasn't in our class, but I felt like I recognized her from somewhere. She had brown hair that reached to her shoulders, black eyes as dark as any Uchiha's, and she was kind of cute I guessed.

Not to be snoopy or anything (really, just for practice purposes), I pushed some chakra to my ears, augmenting my hearing.

Bad idea, really bad idea, worst idea ever. Suddenly the chatter intensified to a whole new level and I felt as if I was surrounded by speakers turned on at max volume. Immediately, I cut off the chakra feed, letting out a relieved sigh. Never again in my life was I doing that.

Unless I found a way to work around the multiple speakers and hone into just one voice. Hm, how exactly would that work? The bigger question though, how exactly do the Inuzuka do it? They're supposed to have the better senses, right? How did they not go crazy? Or weren't they already?

I snapped out of my train of thought once Itachi grabbed my wrist and pulled me, dragging me behind him like doll.

"Who was that and what did she want?" I asked him as we ran to our secret meeting place.

"Uchiha Izumi." He replied curtly, focusing chakra to his legs to speed up. I copied him, practically flying through the streets. "No idea. Didn't have time to find out."

I cocked an eyebrow. Well, well, would you look at that? Uchiha Izumi, uh; I knew I recognized the girl from somewhere and it turned out she was my big brother's love. Oh, this was going to be good.

"Shisui!" I called out as soon as we got to the clearing.

The boy was already there, patiently waiting. As soon as he saw us, a smile broke through his lips making him look his age and carefree.

Internally, I frowned. What could have put the tension on his shoulders?

Probably listening to the elders talk about the coup, I realized.

"Hi there, Kana-chan, Itachi." Said boy just nodded in hello.

They had foregone the use of honorifics a few months ago, pretty much after the first few get togethers.

Seeing Shisui rubbing Itachi's head brought a smile to my lips, which turned bittersweet. If only we wouldn't grow up and things would stay like this…

However, the moment didn't make me forget what I wanted to oh, so graciously share with the older boy.

"Say, Shisui." I started conspiratorially. "Did you know dearest Itachi here has a girlfriend?"

Shisui, reading my mind and following the script just like I knew he would, turned to Itachi with wide eyes and a fake 'I-can't-believe-little-Itachi-is-growing-up' face. "No, Itachi-chan." He exclaimed dramatically, drawing a long 'o'. My twin, however, was giving me the death glare. I didn't care, too busy holding back my laughter; this was just too funny. "I thought you only had eyes for me!" That's it, I couldn't hold it anymore. I burst out laughing, falling onto my knees and holding my stomach. "Who is she? Is she prettier than me? Is she in your same year? How did you meet her?"

"If you'd let me talk" Itachi said sourly. "You'd know that Kana exaggerated. I don't have a girlfriend. This one girl just stopped me to tell me she is also an Uchiha before we left the Academy."

Shisui pouted. "Aw, I like Kana-chan's version better." There was a slow, 'cat-got-the-canary' smile forming on his lips though. "I think our little Itachi has gotten himself an admirer, don't you think, Kana-chan?"

I nodded frantically, committing Itachi's sour expression and Shisui's conspiratorial one as he looked at me to memory.

"This isn't why we came here." Itachi interrupted our camaraderie, shooting me kunai with his eyes. Thank God he didn't have the Mangekyō yet and couldn't use Amaterasu or I would have been roasting like a turkey.

"Yeah, yeah." Like a little gentleman, Shisui extended one hand to help me back to my feet. Taking his hand, he pulled me up in one smooth, swift motion.

"Okay, kiddies, let's get started!" Shisui declared with too much glee to my liking. In fact, when he and Itachi turned matching sadistic smiles towards me, I knew I should have let the two of them build their friendship without me.

I was pretty sure the whole village could hear my cries for help.


Like always, thank you for reading and the reviews! :D