October 10, 7 pm; Uchiha Estate…
The Uchiha along with the Senju are the founding clans of the Hidden Leaf Village. Though none of them have held the office of Hokage, they have acted as the police force for the village. Using their clan's kekkei genkai, the Sharingan, they have become respected, feared, and loathed, due to some members of the clan's propensity for stealing jutsu. Under the leadership of Uchiha Fugaku, along with his wife Mikoto, the Uchiha unbeknownst to her, have begun plotting a coup d'état to overthrow the Fifth Hokage and her administration. Not all Uchiha were in on the coup, namely Fugaku's wife and children, and cousin Shisui, so to pull it off successfully he decided to begin at midnight, the night of the Kyūbi festival, tonight. As fortune, would have it his eldest son Itachi, nephew Shisui, and Mikoto, had been sent away on a mission for ANBU, stationed with the Guardians of the Daimyō, and aiding in an escort mission for the Shrine Maidens, in that order. Out of nowhere, Uchiha Itachi appears in front of his father, his mission now beginning…
Two weeks ago, …
Fortune, had nothing to do with it, Uchiha Shisui found out about the coup, and informed Mikoto of the plot, yet by the time that happened, it was too late to stop. Therefore, he and Mikoto went to the Hokage, and informed Tsunade of everything they knew about the plot, and with tears in her eyes, and shame in his, swore on the lives of Mikoto's children, they knew nothing about it, until it was too late. It was fortunate, Itachi was in the Hokage's office when his mother, and cousin came in, because he heard everything his traitorous father was plotting, and for once he broke his iron discipline.
There was no love lost between Itachi and his father, that was for damn sure, but he never thought Fugaku would be so ambitious, as to put the entire clan, and the village in jeopardy. Itachi was shaking with rage, and doing everything in his power to remain still. It did not work, because Tsunade and his family felt his Killing Intent (KI), even if while trying to mask it. "Raven, front-and-center," the Hokage snapped, "the rest of you, get out!" The other three ANBU guards left, quick and silent as shadows. He was there, before she closed her mouth. "Remove your mask," she ordered. He did.
Mikoto gasped, "Itachi!" Shisui's eyes widened, "Itoko!"
Tsunade held up a hand, forestalling their dialogue, "I take it, you disapprove of your father's plot?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama, I do, the village is more important than any single clan, even a founding member," he said, letting passion enter his voice!
Tsunade studied him to determine if he was acting or being truthful. She decided to test him, "So, what do you think should be done to thwart this insurrection, Shinobi?"
Itachi considered the carpet as he pondered, trying to come up with the best resolution for everybody, then he came to the only answer, that would cause the least amount of harm to the village. He surveyed his family members, the resolution wide in his eyes, yet he could not say it out loud. Regrettably, they came to the same decision he did, they looked in his eyes and hardened their hearts against their clan. The three of them, turned to the Hokage and together they said it, "Extermination of the entire clan, to the last person, before their plot can come to pass."
Tsunade constricted her eyes, "I suppose, I could have ANBU…"
"NO," Itachi shouted! "No," he said again softly, "I will do it, and it cannot be a mystery over who did it, there must be a witness, or some evidence pointing to me."
"Why do you feel it necessary to do this yourself, Itachi," the Hokage asked?
"Because, the rebellion must be kept secret, if there is one thing most people love talking about, it's a good mystery, if nobody knows whodunit, then there will always be snoops looking for clues." He reflected some more upon it, "Besides, it's my clan, and it is my job to take responsibility for what goes on inside it, even… its demise."
Mikoto's eyes were filling with tears, and she silently cursed her husband for leading Itachi to this decision, "Itachi, if you do this you will become a missing-nin, hunted for the rest of your life." Shisui could not speak, his throat thick with emotion, and eyes downcast in disgrace at his own cowardice, because he could never volunteer to assassinate his clan, but rely on another to do it.
"I know, haha-sama," he said, quietly, "but I cannot think of another way for us to put down the coup, and still allow the Uchiha to still retain some honor. If I do this, then it will just be me, who will lose everything, you, Shisui, Sakura, and Sasuke will still have the possibility of retaining some respect." He looked to the Hokage for approval.
Senju Tsunade, considered the man before her, barely fifteen, and already assuming a burden that would destroy most men, twice his age. Finally, she nodded, and affirmed, "Very well, if you are committed to this course of action then, I will accept your resolve. Once you step out of this office, there will be no turning back, you must all see it through to the end." Tsunade looked at Mikoto, "and on the same night this is all taking place I will send you, Mikoto on a mission with your old team, Kushina and Hitomi, you may tell them what we discussed here then, understand?" She looked at Shisui and noted his shame, "Uchiha Shisui, I am sending you to replace Sarutobi Asuma, as a Guardian to the Daimyō. I need to inform the Daimyō of this turn of events anyway, and many of the official channels, even the clandestine ones may be compromised, therefore you will do it personally."
Mikoto and Shisui nodded, and in unison, replied "Hai, Hokage-sama," giving a deep bow.
Shisui turned to Godaime Hokage and asked, "Hokage-sama, I have one request to ask of you before we adjourn."
"Very well," she said warily.
"This incident will most likely awaken, Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, an advanced version of our Sharingan," Shisui explained, to which she nodded in understanding, "as powerful as it is, those who use the Mangekyō run the risk of going blind."
Tsunade again, nodded in understanding, "I have read as much from my Oji-sama's notes concerning Uchiha Madara, where are you going with this, Shisui," she asked suspiciously? The other Uchiha were also looking at him curiously.
Shisui closed his eyes, when he opened them his eyes were active. They were configured in an octagram pattern, ۞ "I have only used mine sparingly, from when I killed my brother for selling secrets to the enemy during the last war in Iwa, I still retain much of my vision. The only way to stop it however, is to take the eyes of another with the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Tsunade's eyes were wide in understanding, "So, you want to exchange eyes with him, once he develops, the Mangekyō Sharingan."
Shisui nodded, "Correct, Hokage-sama, it will be the only reward we can give Itachi, for his service to the village, and we only need to exchange a single eye for it to work."
"I'm not doing this for any reward," Itachi exclaimed in agitation, "who gets rewarded for killing their family?!"
The Hokage for the first time smiled, "You are not being rewarded for killing your family, but for service to the Leaf. Shisui is being rewarded for the same thing, therefore I am allowing this to happen. One month after the coup attempt, we will meet in Tanzaku, where I will perform the operation myself."
"But, Hokage-sama…" Itachi began to protest.
"I happen to agree with Tsunade-sama on this, musuko-kun," Mikoto chimed in, "you need to get something tangible out of this, or you might come to resent the Hidden Leaf, and turn against it." She enfolded her son into a tight hug, letting her tears begin to fall, "I will not let your sacrifice be in vain, not even by you, so as your superior, and your mother, I am ordering you to exchange eyes, with your cousin, when your Mangekyō Sharingan activates."
Looking in her eyes, he kisses her cheek, and replies quietly, "Hai, Haha-dono."
One week later, …
A week passed since, the meeting in the Godaime's office. During which, Shisui left for the capital, and Tsunade called in the students from her genin team: Uchiha Mikoto, Hyuga Hitomi and Uzumaki Kushina. She ordered them on an A-ranked escort mission from the capital of Kasai Daimyō (Fire Lord) to Hi no Tera (Temple of Fire) in the mountains of Hi no Kuni (Fire Nation). No men were allowed on the mission, since Shrine Maidens had to remain pure, until they reached the temple.
They were only allowed to take the kunoichi of their own genin teams: Uzuki Yugao, Inuzuka Hana, and Mitarashi Anko, now all chunin, as back up. The request came from the Daimyō directly, who specifically requested which Jonin, he wanted for the mission, allowing the Hokage to add any extra personnel she saw fit, as long as they were women. They were to leave on the ninth. They would reach the capital within half a day, but would be slowed considerably since, the twenty Shrine Maidens while fit, were not up to the standards of kunoichi, they would reach the temple by the twelfth, and be back home no later than the thirteenth.
It was an incredible stroke of fortune, when the day they received their mission on the seventh, Mikoto's daughter came home excited, because her best friend, had asked her and her cousin, to accompany him to the festival. "That's wonderful, darling," she did not have to fake her enthusiasm. Naruto always had a special place in her heart, second only to her children, and well above her husband, especially now, "That'll go well with the birthday party, being held in his honor at the Senju estate." Mikoto smiled, "His mom and I won't be there, because we have been given a mission by Hokage-sama and Daimyō-sama, himself, so it's up to you and Yoshi-chan to make him feel special. It is his tenth after all." She peered at her daughter, "Do you remember your tenth a couple of months ago, Saku-chan, how he made it special, just for you?"
Sakura's face became dreamy, as she remembered her birthday party, back in July and Yoshiko's a month after that. Naruto never wastes his gifts, always giving something practical, but heart felt. Sakura thumbed the two Raiden sai on her hips, which he gave her, made from the swords, known as Kiba-ken, one of the seven swords of the mist. His mother collected it, then gifted to Naruto, after she vanquished a swordsman, named Raiga. He gave them to Tenten's father to study, then had the blades reforged into Sakura's sai. They retained the lightning enhancing abilities of the Kiba-ken, and are a great asset to Sakura's arsenal, and work well with the Uchiha Interceptor Fist, in which Sakura specialized. I am one of the few Uchiha, able to use our clan's taijutsu styles, without the Sharingan. Even Itachi could never do that.
He did the same for Yoshiko a month later, when he gave her a pair of cho-ken (butterfly swords) that did the same with Yoshi's fire, water, and earth affinities, that the sai did for Sakura's lightning, he named them, Akuma cho-ken (Demon butterfly swords). The cho-ken work quite well with the Senju taijutsu: Yūgakatsu zan'nin'na uragiri taijutsu. On both, and with the aid of his mother, he added a blood and transportation seal, that allows only the owner, to wield it, and call it to them. "Hai, and I have his gift stowed at Yoshi-chan's."
Mikoto smiled, "good," she said, then continuing in earnest, "now on that night, I do not want you coming near the house, for the entire night. On the day before Naruto's birthday, I want you to take everything you're going to need for a weekend stay over to the Senju estate, and make sure your little brother is with you at the party."
Sakura was eying her mother, the tone of voice Uchiha-tono was using was not that of a mother talking to her child. It was the voice of a clan head, giving an order to her subordinate, with the mother's voice there might be some wiggle room, but not with the clan leader. Her mother's power in the clan was equal to her father's, and clan bylaws stated that one cannot over-rule the other. Since the day they could understand, every Uchiha knew the rules of hierarchy within the clan, and clan leader's commands supersede a parent's instructions, even if that parent happened to be the clan leader. "H…Hai, Haha-tono."
Mikoto smiled, but her tone remained grave, "Your brothers have been given their own instructions, but I will tell you what I told Sasuke. Sasuke is to be at the Senju estate, at 9 pm; you, Yoshiko, and Naruto, are not to be out later than 9 pm. Until further notice from me, or the Hokage, you are not to listen to, or obey, anything my clan coleader, your father tells you to do. Keep this conversation secret, even from your brothers, especially from my clan coleader, your father. Rikai dekimasu ka?!"
Obviously, something big was happening within the clan, probably ninja business, definitely a power struggle, and in clans like the Uchiha, even children of the clan could be used as political cannon fodder. The only thing they could do, is keep their heads down, and try to weather the storm. "No, I do not understand, haha-san, but I will follow your commands, Uchiha-tono."
A/N: The attack on the Uchiha happened exactly as the anime depicted, with the obvious exception being that Mikoto and Shisui survived. Sasuke should have followed his mother's orders.
10 October, 9:30 pm; Kyūbi Fest
Kyūbinokitsune Festival is a day of celebration and remembrance, of the events that happened on this day, exactly ten years ago. Some of the villagers remember it as Yondaime's day, commemorating the day they lost one of the most powerful shinobi, and second most powerful Hokage. For Naruto, this day has always held some bittersweet emotions, it is the day he was born, and the day he lost his father. In the nine years since his birth, his mother has always strived to make each birthday, more memorable than the last. As he strolls down the lane toward the Uchiha estate, his eyes reflecting the ambient light of the stars, and the crescent moon, he found it ironic, that on the most memorable birthday of his life, his mother is away on a mission from the Daimyō. The reason it was so memorable, was tonight he got his first real kiss. They have kissed him before, but tonight they were able to slip away from the adults, found a secluded spot and commenced kissing. Sakura was the first to kiss him, followed immediately by Yoshi-chan.
When he reached the Senju estate, Naruto was resplendent in a formal sunset-orange kimono men's short shirt, a scarlet-red hakama, with an obi of the same shade, adorned of course with a pouch, the same color as his kimono top, for his ninja tools (1). His new kamaha blades, strapped to his left hip, in the traditional daitō, both with the usual blood and transportation seals. They were birthday gifts, replacing the tsurugi blades. The harness and scabbards, being gifts from his mother, before she left on her mission, which can be adjusted to any configuration, and shaped for any blade he may own, durability seals included.
Over it all, a yellow haori, the same shade as his hair, which was kept short (2) as per shinobi regs. Near the top on both sides, about the size of a silver dollar, were a pair of scarlet-red spirals, leading into sunset-orange cyclones curving in the opposite direction to the spiral, that was encircled. Looking very much like a yin-yang symbol, with the origin of the spiral a sunset-orange dot, and the center of the cyclone a scarlet-red dot. It is the combination of the Uzumaki/Namikaze crests. An identical version of the same design, could be found on the back, about the size of a dinner plate. The Uzumaki spiral, about the size of an en-shuriken could be found on Naruto's right side, near the bottom of the haori, the Namikaze cyclone is on his left. On Naruto's feet were a pair of closed, scarlet-red, shinobi sandals.
The Kamaha were a joint gift from Yoshiko, her family, and Sakura. They were twin blades, shaped like a crescent moon, wider than traditional katana, about as wide as the hand of a grown-up. It had a generic tsuba, which Naruto quickly swapped for one showing his combined family crest, a gift from his Mikoto-oba-san, that, and an ovular-shaped, ivory hilt, with slight indentations for his fingers, allowing him a better grip. The Kamaha-ken, like Sakura's Raiden-sai, and Yoshiko's Akuma-cho-ken were designed to be used with Naruto's wind chakra, and yet, the truly unique characteristic of the blade, he mused. The killing edge was on the inside edge, of course with my wind chakra, every edge is a killing edge. I'll have to begin practicing leaf cutting again, to get the feel of the blades.
The evening with Sakura, Yoshi, and her family could not have been more fun. After presenting him with their gifts, and making a detour to honor the fallen at the memorial stone, all went out to the fair grounds. "Sakura-chan and Yoshi-chan looked prettier than normal tonight," he murmured, to himself, "so pretty, I could barely talk." In his mind, Naruto flashes back, remembering his two best friends' attire this night. Sakura-chan's kimono was almost formfitting, the same midnight-blue as her normal clothes, only a mixture of cherry and plum blossoms adorned the front and side, and the Uchiha family crest emblazoned upon the back, with silver-lame trim, and a vertically-striped, silver, and crimson obi. Her beautiful, satin black hair, was gathered into a thick black braid, with a heavy-duty crimson ribbon tied in a butterfly fashion. When she hugged me, I could feel the sai, I got her in sheathes, along her arms, he remembered.
Yoshiko was just as beautiful, as always, she wore her long ivory-white-hair up in a loose bun, held up by bo shuriken (4). She wore an earth-tone leopard-print kimono, with an obi the color of her hair. The backside of the kimono showed a curious intermix of her mother and father's clan crests. The Senju crest was the color of her hair as well, and sewn vertically along her spine, where it was superimposed over the Uchiha crest. It reminded Naruto of a tree in autumn, with the sun shining through the bare branches. I remember, the hilts of her Akuma-cho-ken, sticking out to her sides from the rear. Their physical appearance, was so breathtaking it shut-down, what few brain cells he had, reducing his eloquence to, "Wow."
All of a sudden, he could hear sounds of conflict, coming from the Uchiha Estate, and at the same moment, the wind shifted, and brought him a metallic scent that he hoped was actual rust. Speeding up into a run, Naruto dashed toward the entrance, but before he got there, leapt on top of the wall. What Naruto saw, he wished until his dying day, that he could forget. Everywhere he looked dead bodies, littered the street; men, women, and children, though thankfully nobody under six years of age could be seen, lay as they fell. Quickly, moving through the hand signs, Naruto quietly said, "Futonjutsu: Kaze no Bunshin (Art of Wind Technique: Avatar of Wind), two wind clones, whirled into existence.
There are a few drawbacks to having such large chakra pools as the Uzumaki. One such drawback common to all Uzumaki, they could not produce the standard Academy clone to save their life. Accordingly, over the years they have developed, alternatives for their unique liability. Elemental clones; using a single hand sign, they produce clones based on their elemental affinity. They require a little more chakra, in conjunction with a little elemental chakra, to produce. As a alternative for of the standard puff of smoke when they form and dispel, they do so in a way that reflects their element. While not as solid as Kage Bunshin, they are still physical constructs, having the same physical abilities, and able to interact with other physical objects, with all the knowledge of their creator, when dispelled, share whatever information and experiences they gathered, though none of the physical aspects. The creator must still train his or her body to gain the benefits of physical exercise.
Naruto sent one clone to get help, he was not deluding himself, anybody who could kill this many people, never mind that they were some of the strongest shinobi in Konoha, would not break a sweat taking out an academy student a year shy of graduation. Motioning for the other to follow, Naruto using everything he learned from school, and his mother, ghosted silently toward the sounds of fighting. He leapt light and quick from roof to roof, within the estate. Naruto and his clone lit upon a roof, and hearing voices on the other side, lay down. Wiggling, and crawling until they could peer over the apex of the roof, the Narutos looked upon another scene out of a butcher shop. What caught their eyes, and blew their mind, was the identity of the person who seemed to be doing the killing.
Itachi; Uchiha Itachi, was standing not fifty yards away in the middle of the street, perpendicular to their position, was the heir to the clan, that had just been slaughtered. Itachi is a prodigy in the shinobi arts, and praised as the best of his generation. He has consistently scored the highest in every subject, quickly learning any skill taught to him, even teaching himself jonin-level techniques. Graduating from the Ninja Academy, at seven in one year, became a chunin at the age of ten, and joining ANBU at eleven, he was always someone Naruto looked up to, and viewed as a role-model. It was difficult for Naruto to reconcile, his hero with someone who could commit wholesale slaughter, never mind that it was his own clan.
Naruto firmly set that aside, and focused his attention on the figure lying at Itachi's feet. Naruto zeroed in on the person, and saw it was Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi and Sakura's nine-year-old brother. Though they did not get along as well as Sakura and even Itachi, before tonight, Naruto considered Sasuke his friend.
As good as his vision was, Naruto could not determine from this distance, if Sasuke was still breathing, though unless Itachi was talk to himself crazy, Naruto would assumed Sasuke was alive, since Itachi seemed to be talking to him. Naruto had been sent here, by Sakura to get Sasuke, and right now, she had more authority over him, than even Naruto's own mother. He thought of a plan, he touched his clone, and in a frequency that only foxes, cats and dogs could hear, relayed his strategy to his clone.
Naruto knew that standing toe-to-toe with Itachi would only insure a quick death, luckily killing the treacherous bastard, was not a part of his plan. Distracting him, and causing him pain, was. Naruto unseals a thin-shelled ceramic sphere from his blade harness, the radius of a 500 ryo coin (5), then pulling out three en-shuriken (4) he threw the shuriken with all the expert skill he has kept hidden from most of his classmates, a little wind chakra added some extra angular momentum. Itachi of course expertly deflects the thrown shuriken with his still bloody ninjato, which is enough to take his attention off of his little brother. Naruto quickly kawarimis himself with Sasuke, "Hey, Itachi-teme, try to hold your breath," and throws the ball on the ground, which shatters! Naruto II quickly kawarimis himself, with his creator, just as a tiny explosion from the ceramic ball sends a powdery substance shooting into the air. Naruto II dispels in Itachi's direction, sending a gust of wind through the powdery miasma. The powder covers Itachi, and it begins reacting to his skin, where it instantly begins burning, causing the eldest Uchiha child to scream in agony.
"What is this, its burning me up," doing his best to wipe it off, which only succeeds in spreading it and causing the reaction to speed up?
Naruto speaks from on top of his roof with Sasuke thrown over his shoulder, in a fireman's carry, "That's my Hayai aku hokori (Quick lye powder), the one used by you ANBU to dispose of Nuke-nin, fitting really! The ceramic ball, was a delivery system I've been testing to see how effective they would be in the field!" Naruto grinned a humorless grin, "I was actually going to get you to test them, next week, never thought I would end up, testing them against you! You'd best get to water quickly once it gets through the skin the reaction speeds up!"
Naruto's voice becomes thick with anger, and scorn, as Itachi shunshins away, Naruto hears a distant splash, "Don't worry, traitor! I'll take care of your little brother and sister for you," Naruto begins shouting, having no idea he is scorning the savior of the Konohagakure no Sato, "AND MY HAHA-SAN WILL LOOK AFTER YOURS!"
Not wasting anymore time, Naruto begins running for the hospital. He, no longer innocent, of the ugliness of this world, still a child in visage, has begun to put away childish things. His only fear, telling his best friend, that her older brother has murdered her entire clan. "Happy Freakin' Birthday, To Me," he cursed!