Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

AN: As always, thanks for the reviews, favs and follows. Sorry about the slow updates, been a little busy with real life obligations. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to rate & review.

Previously

Before father left, he turned around and–

"Sasuke. Yuki. You have been enrolled into the academy. You will start tomorrow."

As I tried combing through my hair for the 5th time, I sighed audibly.

Everyone said that I looked like Madara and all it took was one look into the mirror to tell me why.

My shoulder-length hair was spiky and absolutely untamable. Even my right bangs were starting to cover my eye. So all in all I looked like a–

"A young feminine version of me. Hmm. I wonder if this has to do with my spiritual essence or chakra mixing with yours?"

"Probably. Wonder if I could use my hair for Ninjutsu when it's longer. Maybe like Jiraiya."

"Possible. Though I find it distasteful."

I examined my attire and nodded absently. It consisted of a sleeveless black turtleneck with the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back and a pair of black shorts. A utility belt and Sasuke's pair of black gloves completed the outfit.

Satisfied, I joined Sasuke as Itachi walked us to the academy. Looking around, I felt a deep sense of foreboding settle down in the pit of my stomach.

The ring of increasingly empty housing around the Uchiha compound. The tense attitude of the guards. The wary glances people gave our way.

The warning signs of the Uchiha massacre were already appearing.

" Next match: Neji Hyūga vs Yuki Uchiha "

After we both formed the seal of Confrontation, I looked up to meet Neji's icy glare with a cool stare of my own.

" You should give up now. I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl, so you're only delaying your inevitable fate" Neji smirked.

A flash of anger coursed through me and had to resist the urge to pound him into the ground.

"Perhaps you should. The Gentle Fist targets the chakra pathways, strike fast and avoid contact with his hands. Give no quarter, for you will receive none in return."

"Hajime!"

I feinted with a lazy left hook, and Neji responded by swiftly sidestepping, with both arms blurring towards both my shoulders, no doubt to incapacitate them and end the match swiftly.

I redrew my arm and begin a fast combo of kicks and punches, only for Neji to go on the defensive and smoothly block all of them. Damn. He's fast.

Dodge. Counter. Deflect. Begin a new combo.

It continued until I was cradling a limp left arm and Neji sported nasty bruises on his chest and both forearms.

" Perhaps you should give up now, since you're the one whose delaying the inevitable," I parroted his earlier words with a smirk.

Visibly enraged, Neji charged, with an arm already aiming towards a Tenketsu point on my shoulder.

Exactly what I wanted.

As I felt my other arm go limp with an intense flare of pain, my front kick connected with Neji's already bruised chest, sending him stumbling back… Before my roundhouse kick followed and sent him flying. And then he crashed ontot the ground. Hard.

"Match goes to Yuki Uchiha. Though both of you should moderate your strength, this is a friendly match, am I clear?"

I nodded my assent.

"Good. Now form the seal of reconciliation and bow."

Neji just stalked off.

I shrugged. I didn't expect any less from him.

" Yuki-chan! That was a great match, sorry if my cousin took it so seriously. Here I'll unblock your chakra network," Hinata said with admiration clear in her voice.

"Thank you Hinata-chan, I'm sure you just need some practice and you'll be just as good. Have some faith in yourself and don't sell yourself short, especially not to people like your cousin," I replied as I smiled warmly at Hinata.

Ever since I had arrived at the academy, I had developed a friendship with Hinata as well as Sakura and Ino. The latter friendship having developed over Kunoichi classes.

Apparently while I excelled in other classes, Kunoichi classes were the bane of my existence. Having lived my past life in a hospital bed and the current one training non-stop, I had no idea how to act like a girl.

Ino and Sakura had jumped on the chance 'to help me get in touch to my feminine side' much to my chagrin. Though I had a pretty good idea what or who *CoughSasukeCough* they wanted.

Not long after I joined the academy, I also befriended Naruto, through a clichéd offering to share food while he was starving. The fact that it worked only told me how bad the situation regarding Naruto was. He was so starved for recognition and attention that such a simple thing was enough to win him over.

Admittedly, there were rare times when I wished I hadn't done so, since his boundless energy and enthusiasm would wear me out really quickly. But he was Naruto, he would later become a loyal and trusted friend, so I bore with it and tried to help him as best as I could.

As we neared the clan compound, a commotion could be heard.

Sharing a glance with Sasuke, we leapt onto the gate of the compound to gain a better view of the courtyard.

The sight that greeted us was alarming, to say the least.

Itachi was surrounded by a ring of Uchiha clansmen, all of them in a combat stance and Sharingan active.

" Did you think you could fool us with this nonsense?! That Shunsin no Shisui would commit suicide over something like this? That our clan is narrow minded? "

Oh No.

" He must have killed him for his eyes! So hand them over before we execute you traitor! "

The accusations continued to be flung at Itachi, but a single word sliced through the commotion.

"No." That was Itachi.

Then it began.

Itachi was a pacifist at heart, but even he had a breaking point.

And by slandering and dishonouring his best friend's sacrifice by brushing it off as if it were nothing but an annoyance, they had pushed him past his limit.

Ducking under a wild swing, Itachi swept his assailant off his feet before slamming him into the ground so hard that it cracked.

Casting a potent genjutsu on the two rushing to meet him, he then substituted out of the way of a massive fireball… before delivering a flurry of blows that even the Sharingan struggled to see, leaving the caster of the fireball as a bloody mess quivering on the floor.

They were so thoroughly outmatched that it was laughable.

But Itachi found that he didn't care.

As the last of his attackers fell, clutching his head and screaming in incoherent terror, Itachi straightened from his crouch.

"Itachi! What is the meaning of this!"

Fugaku Uchiha's voice rang through the courtyard.

"Father, please stop this madness! The Uchiha cannot stage this coup! A civil war will tear Konoha apart! Think of Shisui's sacrifice, think about the clan!"

"What I'm doing is precisely for the clan! For too long the Uchiha have been shunned! Oppressed! The Uchihas will take our rightful place as the leaders of Konoha and if there is war... So be it."

Itachi blurred through the gates of the compound, unable to stand the growing despair he felt.

He needed time to think.

Kneeling at the cliff where Shisui had thrown himself into the river, Itachi made a silent prayer.

Shisui, my friend, I have failed. The clan will not change their mind; I fear for Konoha should they succeed.

As the bush behind him parted, Itachi had already placed a kunai against the throat of–

"Yuki?"

Yuki and Sasuke were standing in front of him, eyes wide with worry. He wondered why they were here and told them as much.

"Aniki are you alright? Sasuke and I are here for you… No matter what…"

Itachi turned to look at the river.

"I've failed someone and I fear for both our village and our clan."

Yuki ran forward and embraced Itachi in a tight hug with Sasuke doing likewise.

"Aniki, it doesn't matter, all you can do is to do better from now on and we'll be right beside you. We still have each other and nothing will change the bond we have."

Despite being so young, his little sister always was wise beyond her years. Itachi often saw much of himself in her, of how she seemed to be on same path of life he was. And it broke him to see her like that.

Then there was Sasuke. His foolish little brother who idolised him and was well on his way to be a great ninja. But he could be brash and immature at times and was balanced out by the quieter and more levelheaded Yuki.

"Indeed nothing will ever change it." Itachi responded quietly.

"Yuki, Sasuke, go back to the clan compound, I'll be back later."

When Sasuke left, Yuki turned around.

"Itachi… I am not blind to what is happening in the clan and I know you intend to save it. But please don't sacrifice yourself Itachi. You don't need to bear this burden alone."

"I'll try Yuki. I'll try."

It was all he could say. How could he bear to tell her that he could very well cause the entire clan to be killed?

He shunshined away. He needed to speak with the Hokage.

I looked at the spot where Itachi had been standing and uttered a silent prayer to Shisui.

Itachi wasn't the only one who had failed him.

AN: I think I could use some practice in writing fight scenes :P

Anyway, next up is the Uchiha massacre.