A/N: The correct answer for the artist of the last chapter was, in a surprise twist, Emily Browning. Unfortunately, nobody managed to guess it this time. Though that may have been because of the previous chapter taking the place of a hiatus notice. On another note, this chapter promises to be another long one.

All Copyrights belong to their respective owners. Covered under Section 107 and Satire/Parody Clause of U.S. Copyright Law.

Chapter 9: The Final Solution


Two hours after running around the village looking for him, I finally found Itachi coming out of the Hokage Tower. One look in his eyes said everything. No words were spoken. We just fell into step as we went to the Dango Stand where we always discussed our plans for the future.

"Tell me everything that happened in there," I demanded.

Itachi nodded before leaning his elbows on the table, folding his hands in front of his face as he spoke. "Not long after you left, Shisui came to me with one of his eyes missing. Danzo had attacked him and stole it. Before killing himself, he gave me the other one, telling me to use it to protect the village. I later had a meeting with the Hokage and the Elders, afterwhich Danzo pulled me aside and told me there was no way I'd be able to stop them from going through with the coup. My ultimatum was as you predicted; Kill the entire clan and be given a free pass to remain in the village, or they die in a failed attempt to usurp the Hokage."

I 'tch'ed in annoyance. "Figures he still looks for the violent way out. What about the plan for the kids? Will there be enough time to do that?"

Itachi frowned further in thought. "Maybe, but we'd need to get more people in on the plan for it to really work."

I thought for a minute, trying to remember who we could really trust. "What about your teammates from the ANBU? Wouldn't they help us with that?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't trust them enough to keep this from Danzo. They are members of the Foundation, so they are loyal only to Danzo."

"Damn. If we could be…" my eyes widened and I immediately facepalmed. "How the hell did I forget about that?"

"If you're suggesting we split up, I already figured we would be."

"No, not just that, but what about the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"It might work, but even then…"

"I know who to bring into the plan."

"It's just a matter of if you make it there in time," Kurama finished in my mind.

Exactly. I then asked the question I dreaded hearing the answer to. "About how much time until the mission needs to be carried out?"

He looked at the sun's position before answering. "About five hours. I'm going to do it tonight."

"So not much time to prepare, great...Is our tunnel at least out of the village?"

"Yes. It was finished while you were out in the Land of Tea."

"Okay, that makes things a little easier. I'll go around telling the kids about where it is and that we're going camping. That should at least keep them safe for a while."

"Very well." He paused, frowning. "I won't be able to kill them on my own. I'll still need to get help from someone else."

I held up a hand. "I know who you're talking about. And while I don't like him that much for being as idiotic as he is, his introductory persona is always worth the laugh. Besides, if I make my move in time, I can stop him from going too far on his part."

"Are you sure? This man is not someone that is easily beaten. I don't know if I would be able to at my current level."

"I don't need to beat him. I just need to distract him for a few seconds."


Telling the kids about the tunnel out was surprisingly easy. About an hour of running around the compound later, they quickly packed their stuff and headed out for the tunnel where Itachi's clone lead them to the old ruins of the Uzumaki village. The tunnel was just under the floor of the shed in the main house's backyard. Easy access for whoever's really looking for it. But to deflect anyone that's not supposed to be there, Itachi set up a nearly unnoticeable genjutsu that was almost like a jedi mind trick (essentially saying, "There's nothing here for you. Move on").

Now I remembered Sasuke would be training until pretty late into the evening the night of the massacre, so I didn't really need to worry about him showing up before he needed to. But there was one thing I was waiting for, and she was walking down the road right now.

"Hey," I called to her, "I need to talk with you."

The girl had brown hair going down to the small of her back and wore a high collared, purple, sleeveless shirt. She had black, baggy pants on and her shuriken pouch rest around her right leg. Unlike most people in the clan, her eyes were a lot rounder, though they still contained the Sharingan. This was Izumi Uchiha, Itachi's sta-I mean resident fangirl.

"What do you need?" she asked politely.

I didn't bother pulling my punches. "My name's Riku. Something is happening tonight, and I think you're the most qualified to help."

"What's going on?"

"The kids are going on a camping trip and we need an older member to make sure we don't get out of hand. I thought you were the best for the job."

"When does this trip happen, and where is it?"

"It's a secret where it is, but I can tell you that it's happening soon, like in the next couple of hours. Think you can get ready that quickly?"

She raised an eyebrow at me. "That's not much for me to go on, kid."

"You're a ninja, right? Haven't you been given that same stuff from the mission desk?"

"No, my missions always give me the info I need. Your little proposal is still too vague."

I sighed, muttering to myself. "Dang it, Itachi, you lied to me." I looked back at her. "At least think about it." I began to walk off, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

"Wait," Izumi called. "Why not ask one of the adults?"

"Because they're all busy with some meeting at the Police HQ. I couldn't ask Itachi because he's busy with ANBU missions, and you were the next best person I could find in this clan who wasn't a complete jerk to me for no reason."

She tilted her head in thought before shaking it. "How about this; I'll think about it, then find you again. Sound good?"

I thought about it, the nodded. "Yeah that works."

She nodded, then began walking again, leaving me alone.

Here's hoping that you make your decision before Tobi finds you.


I figured the best spot to camp out would be outside the Police HQ building. I knew it was probably a dumb idea to be there, especially since it was where Tobi would be making his killing spree, but it was the only way I'd be able to save Izumi. If I could stop him from killing her, she could be the one to watch the kids and help them grow to be good people while making sure nothing bad happened to them during the course of the show. Plus, she and Itachi would be able to keep in contact to make sure nobody found the kids that wasn't supposed to.

But all of this hinged on my being able to distract Tobi long enough to get her out of the line of fire. Me; a 27-year-old, nerdy guy in an 8-year-old body of an academy student, with a chakra disability, against a currently 25-year-old, vengeful, overpowered, insane, and almost godly missing-nin bent on killing the clan...somehow I don't like my odds of succeeding…

"Though this is definitely one of the dumbest things you've done, brat."

Retreating to the detention center of my mind palace had me seated in front of Kurama again.

"And just how would you have expected me to go about this? Just let the kids die while I hid like a coward?"

"Exactly. That's what you were like previously, what would make this situation different?"

"This time I have something to protect, and a means to do it. I'm not gonna sit back while innocent lives are destroyed just because the adults are a bunch of idiots." I took a breath to calm myself down. "Plus, with Miya and Iroh's help, however inadvertent the latter's was, I now have an ability unique to me in these countries."

"Yet said technique remains untested. You're either courageous or very stupid."

"Yeah, well, to survive imminent doom, it sometimes takes a foolhardy soul who acts first and fears later."

"You got that from one of your games."

"Am I wrong though?" Kurama stayed silent. "Didn't think so."

The sound of dirt shifting had brought me out of my mind palace. The night sky which had only been a sunset not long ago made me realize just how much I spaced out. S**t, he's here.

I watched the masked man enter the HQ building, only to hear various shouts of alarm and see blood splatter against the windows. Ten minutes felt like an eternity as fear gripped my chest. The screams hadn't stopped yet, and I knew the signal of when he'd come back out. A body slammed against one of the high windows, cracking it and splattering more blood. I gasped quietly; the body had stayed hanging from the window via a kunai.

Not a minute later, Tobi made his way out the front door of the building. As he went past one of the pillars, a round of 3 shuriken flew past his face, making him pause in his steps. He turned his head to face the newcomer. Izumi stood bravely, Sharingan blazing and arms poised to attack.

And here's my cue to start it. It was hard to focus, but I managed to making my energies clash into each other in a controlled manner. As I did this, I began moving my arms in a circular motion, channeling my lightning to them softly. I heard Tobi's voice nearly break my already straining concentration.

"Such fine eyes." Izumi threw another kunai, only for it to be deflected by seemingly nothing. She began to run, only for a chain to snap out of Tobi's sleeve, wrapping around her arms and waist. He pulled the chain, bringing her to the ground in front of him, and raised his weapon. Using my chi only, I pointed two fingers at him, and shot.

He jumped at the last second, leaving a burn mark where he formerly stood next to his chain. Damn, another inch, and that would've killed Izumi.

"Come out and play, little mouse," Tobi called mockingly.

Cursing under my breath, I jumped down from my tree, landing on the ground in a heap from minor exhaustion. "I don't think He wanted you to kill her just for protecting her family," I said with a slight shake in my voice. "Didn't he tell you of the exemptions?"

"I was told of no such thing," he replied. "I see my targets then take care of them. It's that simple." I glanced at Izumi, meeting her eyes for a second before finding Tobi two feet from my position under the tree. "Speaking of targets, I don't see why you would be worth keeping alive, boy. You have no skill to speak of, despite being an Uchiha yourself, and you're barely an academy student. That lightning you possess is weak." He knelt down to my level, his own Sharingan active. I quickly stared at his robe, taking great care not to look him in the eye. "At the same time though, it is impressive for a boy your age. Your skill with that lightning could be greater than ever if you were to join me and Itachi."

Could I really do that, though? Could I really stand to leave while Sasuke thought everyone had died? What about Itachi? He'd still get sick because of his guilt, and I'd only be there to remind him of it. How about Naruto? The Third? Shino? Hinata? Could I leave them behind just to make myself stronger?

But the biggest question on my mind was why did he suddenly want me to join him?

"I want nothing more than to be powerful. Powerful enough to never be beaten; powerful enough to be someone that can make a real difference in this world. But most importantly, I want to be able to protect those I love from anything that may harm them."

"Then do you accept my offer? Will you join me and Itachi and become the most powerful ninja in existence?"

I stayed silent for a few minutes. Feeling the tingle in my throat again, I knew this was a big choice I had to make. If I accepted his offer, I'd get to be with some of the most OP characters in the Shinobi nations. On the other hand, I wouldn't know what was happening here until it was too late, plus I'd have to be the bad guy for a few years. If I stayed here, I'd never see Itachi for over 4 years, plus with keeping track of Sasuke and Mina, I'd barely have time to myself for training. Plus, I didn't even think I'd be put on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke come the graduation exams. But I'd still be able to properly prepare for the major events and work to change them.

On a more concerning note, I knew that if I didn't join Tobi, I'd most likely be killed, and I didn't want to die. But I don't have to beat him, I remembered, I just need to distract him long enough to get Izumi out. Looking back at Izumi, she had gotten mostly out of her chains, but was watching me intently. I closed my eyes and focused again, lighting up my fingers with lightning as they slowly spun. I opened my eyes as the lightning arced around my arms as I moved them, charging up as much as I could. I aimed one arm at Izumi, and gave her only one word. "Run."

Quickly moving my arms, I recentered on Tobi, shooting my lightning before he had time to react. A direct hit to his stomach in the close proximity that he was in launched him back to the ground on his back. I had no time to think before I grabbed her arm and yanked, bringing to to her feet and out of the chains.


Tobi watched the two of them run off, debating going after them. On the one hand, they were still technically his targets, and they needed to be taken out. But on the other hand, the boy was only able to get the drop on him because of the close proximity and the surprise that he actually chose staying rather than trying to get stronger with him and the Akatsuki. The Lightning, while fairly weak compared to most attacks, had still stunned him long enough for them to get away.

The child is smarter than he looks, he thought. He knew he couldn't beat me. He went for a nonlethal approach to get away. That's saved him for now. He smirked under his mask as he got the feeling back in his limbs and slowly stood back up. But that is a mistake he'll learn not to make again. Not if he truly plans on being a ninja. The next time we meet, he's dead. He leaped back to his rendezvous point to meet up with Itachi, mentally going over everything he'd learned from the encounter.


We booked it away from the Police HQ before Tobi got his bearings. I didn't care about her questions if she asked any, only getting her out of the village. And the only way to do that was to get her to the tunnel. I made it to the shed outside the main house before Izumi finally stopped and pulled her arm out of my hand.

"What is going on, Riku?" she demanded. "Why is someone murdering our family?!"

I immediately deflected the question. "Remember that camping trip I told you about? There's a tunnel that leads out of the village in here. Find it, then head to the old ruins in the Land of Whirlpools. The other kids are already there waiting for another adult."

"Why? What is going on here?!"

"There's no time for this-"

"I'm not moving until you tell me what's going on, you damn kid!"

I stared at her, wide-eyed. Never in the few hours I've known her, nor in any of the previous source material from the HUB world, had I seen her lose her cool like that. I sighed and opened the door to the shed. "Come on, I tell you on the way."

She hesitated before nodding and following me in. As we walked through the tunnel, I told her everything about me, what I was, why I was prepared, pretty much what I told Itachi. By the end of the story, we'd reached the end of the tunnel and were staring at the trail leading out.

"As strange as it is, your story seems to be the most impossible thing I have ever heard of. Yet, at the same time, I can't help but believe you."

"Yeah, I know it's a lot to take in. But it's the truth. Now, can I trust you to look after the kids while I take care of Sasuke here?" She hesitated. "I know it's not fun, but nobody said the ninja life was. Those kids need someone to look up to. They need someone to eventually tell them the truth of what happened here tonight. You're the only one I knew I could trust with this. If I hadn't intervened, you'd have been dead, and so would they." I grabbed her leg and hugged it, fighting back tears. "So please. Help me just keep them safe. They were innocent in this."

A hand on my head made me look up at her face. Her wide (for an Uchiha) eyes were soft and reassuring. "I'll look after them and train them myself. You don't need to worry."

I sighed in relief and smiled. "Thanks. You've no idea how much that helps me."

"Though I'm sure she'll hate it, your sister will be in good hands."

Glass shattering sounded in my mind as the realization struck me.

"F**KING S**T!" I yelled in English, running back through the tunnel. I forgot her again! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!


When I got back to my house, it was eerily quiet. I slowly opened the front door, not daring to turn on the lights. The dark rooms of my house looked the same as they did this morning, only a lot creepier because I knew something was wrong. Mina was still here somewhere, and I had to find her.

As the stairs creaked under my weight, I took a few shuddering breaths to try and calm down. That was a mistake. I smelled something that stank really badly, making me quicken my pace. I came up to my parents' room and knew that's where the metallic stink was coming from. I was almost afraid to open the door because of what I might find. Gathering what little courage I had, I opened the door. At first glance, the room was empty, if a little messy. But that was normal for my parents. What wasn't was the almost black splatter covering a good chunk of the wall.

I took a few cautious steps forward, ignoring every instinct yelling at me to run. The walls were covered in blood, making it look like a horror movie set gone wrong. Looking toward my parents bed, I saw a large lump with a red stain on top. I slowly made my way over and pulled the covers back. My father's bloody, eyeless, lifeless face stared back in permanent shock. I stumbled back into the wall, hurling what little bit I'd eaten that day onto the floor. Tears spilled down my face as I continued for five minutes. I had run out of the room and into the hallway, straight to the bathroom where I continued to hurl into the toilet. My eyes itched, but I refused to rub them. I knew it was a possibility that they'd be involved, but I was hoping that wouldn't be the case.

I recovered and stood, making my way out of the bathroom. As I stepped into the hall, a loud thump alerted me to another presence in the house. I ran toward where I heard it, stopping in front of Mina's room.

No, oh God please, no. I opened the door and jumped back as a body fell through the doorway. My mother's wheezing breaths indicated she wouldn't be living much longer, if the pooling blood was any indication.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively, kneeling by her head. "Can you still hear me?"

She coughed harshly, slowly turning her head to face me. "Riku?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Mom. I'm here."

"Please," she wheezed, "protect your sister. Protect her with your life."

I nodded again, feeling tear pricking my once again itchy eyes. "I swear to protect her and anyone else left of our clan."

She smiled sadly and brought a hand up to my face. "Thank you, Riku." She took another wheezing breath, sounding like a small laugh. "You definitely have your father's eyes." I brought my own head to hers, biting back sobs. "I love you both, Riku. So...very...much."

Her hand hitting the floor broke the floodgates as more tears spilled down my face. Setting her back down onto the floor, I looked into Mina's room, hoping she didn't meet the same fate. I ran up to her bed and breathed a sigh of relief. She was still alive, just sleeping like a baby. I don't know how she's sleeping right now, but I'm glad she is. She looked so peaceful, curled up in her bed like she was. Her hair was splayed all around her head, and her mouth was open slightly, dripping some drool onto her pillow. I smiled at the scene, having a sense of deja vu that I didn't want.

The small thunk on the window sill, as well as the shadow splayed on the wall alerted me to Itachi's presence. I sighed with a smile still on my face.

"It's sad to see it actually happened, Itachi."

Itachi's reply was immediate. "I know you said you didn't want it to end like this. However, they couldn't be allowed to to live just to try to take over the village and fail." I moved Mina's hair out of her face, taking great care not to wake her up in the process.

"I get it already. Remember, my mind is older than my body." I lifted my hand back to my side. "So, are you gonna kill me too?" Itachi's shadow shifted down, but didn't come back up. "If you are, I must ask you to do one thing before I die." I turned around and looked him in the eyes. "Let Mina and Sasuke live." Itachi closed his eyes and pulled out his sword. I flinched, waiting for my second life to end. The sound of metal slicing through flesh met my ears, but I felt nothing. I slowly opened my eyes, only to find Itachi by my mother's body, a large gash where her eyes used to be.

"How long after this do I come back into the story?" he asked in English.

I stared dumbly before registering his question. "Um...about four and a half years. You and your partner in the group begin your search for Naruto after an attack on the village fails. I might be with him when that happens, though. If we should meet, we must confirm our identities."

"Shall we use our old code?"

"No, I have one better for this. I'll start by singing, 'When freedom burns; The Final Solution, Dreams fade away and all hope turns to dust.' At which point your response will be, 'When millions burn, the curtain has fallen, Lost to the world as they perish in flames.'"

Itachi nodded, committing what I said to memory. "Very well. This is the last time we will see each other for a while."

"Yeah." I looked at his eyes, holding out my hand. "See you in a few years?"

He took my hand in his and shook once. "Yes. Also, I'm sorry for this." He made eye contact with me and the last thing I saw was his Mangekyo Sharingan.


I don't know how long I was asleep, nor do I recall any dream I might have had. But when I woke up, all I could see was a white room and the sun shining through my window. I slowly sat up, taking in my surroundings carefully. The room was very plain looking, even for a hospital room. The bed was a typical metal frame with white sheets and a thin, paper-like bedspread. There was one other bed in my room, but I couldn't tell who was on it. Near the entrance of the room was a door to the bathroom, and by that was a small closet.

A steady beeping caught my attention. Apparently, they'd hooked up a heart monitor and an IV while I was knocked out. I don't remember if they did this with Sasuke in the manga or anime (I somehow doubt it), but I didn't care at the moment. There was one thought going through my mind.

Where is my sister?

As I got off my bed, I tore off the heart monitor equipment and grabbed the IV pole next to my bed. I was on a mission to find my sister, and nothing was gonna stop me. Using the pole as a cane, I took a few stumbling steps forward and out the door of my hospital room. The walk down the hall was, for lack of a better word, tedious. Other patients would get scared because of the look on my face, but I paid them no mind as long as they got out of my way. I looked left and right as I walked, looking for Mina's name on the signs.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be out of bed yet!" a doctor yelled, making his way over to me. I shrugged him off and continued on my way, only for him to grab my shoulder. Instinct made me loop my arm around his and glare into his eyes. I won't delude myself into thinking I was that strong, but something about my glare made him step back in shock.

"I will only ask once," I growled. "Where is my little sister?"

He shakily pointed down the hall in the opposite direction of where I was going, slightly stammering out an answer. "D-down that hall, in room 305."

I let him go and made my way down the designated route. I needed to be with my sister, and nothing was gonna stop me. The nurses I passed by made moves to stop me, but a fierce glare always stopped them in their tracks. Though I think I heard one of them mention the Hokage at one point.

In about ten minutes (and about a hallway and a half) I made it to the room with my sister's name on it. I opened the door slowly, in case she was still asleep, but the moment I cracked it open, the sound of sobbing reached my ears. My eyes widened before narrowing in utter fury.

Who the hell made my sister cry?!

"Just tell me what's wrong, Ms. Uchiha!" another voice pleaded. "I can't help you otherwise!"

She just continued to cry though, yelling, "I want my big brother! I want my Mommy and Daddy!"

The other voice, who I assumed was a doctor, continued to struggle for a way to say two of those three were now pushing up daisies. I couldn't take anymore and slammed the door open. My glare came upon the poor doctor who flinched under my gaze.

"Get out of here before I start punching first and asking questions later," I snarled. The guy nodded before scurrying off, probably find his supervisor or something. I made my way over to my sister and wrapped her in a tight hug. She hugged me just as tightly and continued to sob her eyes out.

"It'll be alright, Mina," I said soothingly. "I'm right here. It's okay."

Her sobs had quieted down a bit as she looked at me with big, teary eyes. She gasped quietly, making me frown slightly. "What's wrong, kid?"

"Y-your eyes, big brother," she stuttered. "They're like Daddy's were."

I immediately understood what mom meant that night. I understood why the doctors were flinching under my gaze. I understood now why everything looked so clear.

I had my Sharingan. But what level is it?

I made my way over to the bathroom nearby, tearing the IV out of my arm in the process, and looked into the mirror. Three tomoe in each eye. But why? Why is it already at its highest level aside from the Mangekyo? At this point, though, I didn't care. All I wanted was to be with my sister.

I tried cutting off the chakra flow to my eyes, and they eventually faded back to their normal dark brown color. Walking out of the bathroom, I made my way over to my sister's bed and climbed in with her.

"Big brother?" I looked at Mina, wrapping an arm around her. "Will you sing me a song?"

I smiled at her softly. "Sure, kid. Which one did you want?"

"You choose."

I thought for a moment before nodding to myself. "Alright I got one for you." I took a breath and began to sing.

"A kite above a graveyard grey
At the end of the line, far, far away.
A child holding onto the magic of birth and awe."

The sound of a flute and guitar was heard throughout the room as I prepared for the next part of my sister's lullaby.

"Oh how beautiful it used to be
Just you and me, far beyond the sea,
The waters scarce in motion quivering still.
At the end of the river, the sun down beams
All the relics of a life long lived
Here, weary traveller, rest your wand,
Sleep the journey from your eyes."

Mina grew slack in my arms, and that was my only hint that she'd fallen asleep. I sighed, leaning back on the headrest. This is not what I had planned for. But I had to make it work. If I didn't, I'd feel like a worse big brother than the one from FNAF 4.

My thoughts were derailed from another voice talking to me.

"That was a nice song. Is that one you made up?"

I looked at the speaker only to gasp quietly at the Third Hokage. He chuckled warmly and held up a hand in a calming manner. "No need to worry, my boy. I'm just glad to see you're awake. Though I must ask why you decided to terrorize the doctors here."

I relaxed my face into a neutral look. "I didn't mean to terrorize them," I replied. "I was on a mission, and they were in my way. My attitude at the time was 'if you aren't going to help, get out of my way.' My mission is accomplished, and as you can see, I'm fine." No, I really wasn't. Despite just waking up, I felt completely exhausted. Though that was probably from having my Sharingan on for as long as I did despite only just unlocking it.

The Third seemed to know my inner thoughts. "You'll have to forgive me for being unsure, but when I'm told an eight-year-old boy has unlocked his Sharingan at full power, I'm inclined to be suspicious."

I chuckled weakly. "I would be too. So what do you need, Lord Hokage? I doubt you came down here just to check up on a couple of orphans."

"That's actually the main reason I came here today. Though I wasn't planning on coming until later, this makes things easier on both of us." His face went into serious mode. "I need to know what you saw last week."

I've been out for a week? That's not what I expected from Itachi's Genjutsu. From what I remember, his Mangekyo had a limit of three days in Tsukuyomi. But then again… that wasn't Tsukuyomi he cast on me. At least, not a nightmare of it. Whatever it was, it just knocked me out.

"All I remember is Itachi telling me to 'seek the truth within the truth,' whatever that means. He'd killed my parents, but spared me and my sister. Why? Wait no, better question, is anyone else still alive?"

The Third held up a hand in a calming manner again. "Aside from you two, the only other survivor was Sasuke." I sighed with relief. Aside from Mina not being with the other children in the Uzumaki ruins, things were going according to plan. Sasuke and I were still alive (for now) and I'd be able to keep things going according to canon from here. "Though this leaves us with a problem." I looked back at Hiruzen, confused. "While Sasuke remains the blood heir of the clan, you bear the ring of the heir, despite being a far branch member. So who would be the head of the clan when you become genin?"

That is a problem. I knew at this age Sasuke wasn't ready for politics like that. He was still only eight years old. I'm a 27-year-old man in a physically eight year old body, with enough nobility training to be able to hold my own in a political setting. At the same time though, he's still technically older than me, as well as the blood heir of the clan. "While I feel I'm mentally older and more prepared to face a political setting, Sasuke still remains the sole heir to the clan. I think if anything, we could make it a joint agreement. I could teach him what my father taught me, while occasionally switching out with him when it comes to internal affairs of the clan."

The third nodded. "I think that would be a good arrangement. But the decision remains up to Sasuke." I nodded in agreement. "Now there's another matter; I can have an apartment prepared for you three to live in until the compound is cleaned. You will be given a monthly allowance for food until you become Genin. Is this alright with you?"

"I'm fine with it, and I'm sure Mina will be fine with it after she gets used to it. Sasuke will probably take some convincing, but I think I'll manage."

The third stood up and smiled in that grandfatherly way. "Very well. I hope you three get better soon. I'm sure you're missed at the Academy." He then walked out the door with a wave of his hand. I didn't even bother to raise my hand in acknowledgement, I was so exhausted. As soon as the door closed, I'd passed out on my sister's bed.


The next day, I found out who my roommate was. It was Sasuke. He'd woken up a few days before me and was taking a nap when I woke up in my fit of fear and rage. I told him what I talked about with the Hokage and he actually agreed with me that we should split the responsibilities of clan head while he learned the art of Clan Politics. Two days later, we were all released from the hospital and given our stuff to go to our new apartment (courtesy of the Hokage). Moving all our crap there was a bit of a pain, but then again, carrying six storage scrolls in as small a body as ours was difficult.

Once we'd settled in, a funeral was held for all of our relatives in the clan, which I personally requested that all but my mother be cremated. Simply put, I didn't want anyone that knew the Edo Tensei to get a hold of them. They deserved their rest, and if they really needed a body to bury, it might as well be the one that hid in plain sight. I already knew that there would be questions about my heritage afterward, but I didn't care. I'd bought a recorder flute for the occasion and played the Song of Healing as a sendoff for the souls of the clan. Somehow, I could feel that their souls were resting easier when I played. Or it might've been me getting into the song. I don't know or care which one it was.

But the real kicker came about two days after the funeral. It was a Saturday, and we were planning on going back to the Academy that Monday. Our problem was that we had nobody to babysit Mina while we were out. There weren't any adults we really trusted outside of the Hokage for the job, but we knew he was busy.

"What about filing for a D-rank mission in the office?" Sasuke suggested.

"It might work, but I don't exactly trust people when it comes to my sister. I'd say we need to screen them first before choosing what team to do the job."

Sasuke scratched the back of his head, scrunching up his face. "Well, it's better than nothing."

A knock on the door brought us out of our conversation. "I got it," I grunted as I got up. Opening the door revealed an ANBU with a bird mask on, standing at attention.

"Lord Hokage wishes to see Riku Uchiha," he said neutrally.

"When is this happening?" I asked.

"Now. I'm being asked to escort you there."

I sighed and got my sandals on. "I'll be back, Sasuke. I gotta see what the old man wants."

"Isn't it your turn to make dinner?" Sasuke called from the couch.

"I have a recipe written down on the fridge. Make that If I'm not back by 6:00." I turned to the ANBU and stood back up. "Alright, ready when you are."

He nodded and picked me up, getting a surprised squeak out of me that I will forever deny ever happening. After adjusting me on his back, he took off, onto the rooftops and to the Hokage Tower. The trip there barely lasted a few minutes, but it left me more than a little dizzy from the sudden landing in the middle of the room. So dizzy, that I fell off his back in a less than graceful heap.

"Thank you," the Third Hokage's voice intoned. "That will be all, Hawk." Said ANBU nodded then disappeared from sight.

"That's definitely one way to travel," I muttered dazedly before sitting myself up and shaking my head. Once I was clear and focused again, I looked around the office to see who all was here. A man I could only recognize as Inoichi Yamanaka stood to the Third's left. As far as I could tell there was nobody else aside from the ANBU hidden around the room. I turned my attention back to the old man. "So what's up?"

Hiruzen gestured to Inoichi. "Riku, this is Inoichi Yamanaka. He's here to help make sure things are alright with your mind and make sure we have the full story of what happened that night." I looked at Inoichi, though I was making a plan with Kurama in my head.

Hey, Kurama, wanna put that courtroom to use?

"How do you mean?"

I've got a plan that would make it difficult for him to try and access my head for information.

"I see...very well. What is your plan?"

After explaining it to Kurama, I looked back at Inoichi. "Alright, if you need to look into my head, who am I to hide the truth. Don't blame me if you find anything weird, though." He looked at me curiously then nodded and walked forward. I sat cross-legged on the floor as he walked up to me and placed a hand on my head.

"Now, are you ready?" Inoichi asked. "Once I start my jutsu, we'll both go into your mind. When that happens, only I will be able to talk to anyone here."

"Hey, I once heard a saying, 'go big, or go home,' and I think that applies here. Let's do this thing."

He chuckled lightly. "Alright then." He made a few single handed signs, then my world went black.


When Inoichi entered Riku's mind, he wasn't expecting anything like this. In front of him was a room separated by a glass window and a chair on either side. He'd seen this in some of the larger cities around the Land of Fire, but only in the local Interrogation Centers. So for this to be in a child's mind certainly raised some questions.

A knock on the door nearby got his attention as a man with what looked to be a blue suit with a silver badge entered. Almost similar to the Uchiha police. A police officer? Not too surprising, considering who his father was. The officer wore a light blue dress shirt and dark blue slacks. On his head was a stiff cap that was higher in the front and had a brim just above his eyebrows. The shoes he wore were black and very polished, like they were fresh from the box and polished even further. The badge he wore rested the left side of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" the officer asked. "The trial is about to start!"

"Trial?" Inoichi asked. "What trial is this?"

"No time, just come on." The officer had disappeared behind the door and shut it again. Deciding it would be useless to stick around, Inoichi opened the door and nearly gaped at what he saw.

At the very front of the room sat a square of desks, with the one closest being nothing more than a railing. The two desks on either side looked big enough for a person to lay down and still have some room, but high enough that bending over to look at whatever was on it wouldn't be a problem. The one at the back, and probably the tallest one, had a giant crest of a scale, both one the front of it and behind the main chair. Surrounding all but the tallest desk were three rows of chairs filled with chattering people.

The guard from before had walked up to him and pulled him toward the desk on his right. On the desk in front of him sat various papers and folders all seemingly random yet related. He didn't know how he knew this, but he had an idea that was the case.

And if anything, Inoichi thought, this place must be a courtroom. But why would his mind be like this? His musings were interrupted when the guard from earlier took a place in the center of the room.

"All rise for the trial of one Riku Uchiha. The honorable Judge Kuro presiding."

In that moment, a man with deep, reddish-brown, slicked back hair and wearing a red tuxedo entered and took his place across from Inoichi. His stature was very bulky, like he worked out for hours a day for years on end, adding to his intimidation factor. But it was his eyes that made Inoichi really think twice. They were brown and had a slight red tint to them, but that did nothing for the sheer malevolence he felt from this man.

Another man had entered and took his spot at the Judge's bench. This man was old, no question about it. His head was completely bald except for his long, grey beard around his mouth. He wore black robes that covered everything except for his hands.

The judge banged his gavel to quiet the courtroom. "Court is now in session. You may be seated." He then looked between the red man and Inoichi. "Are both sides ready to begin?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," the red man replied gruffly.

The judge then looked to Inoichi. "Are you ready, Defense?"

Inoichi looked torn between saying no and cancelling this mind walk, or just going with it to see where it goes. The guard had said this was Riku's trial, so he needed more information. Why was Riku on trial? On the other hand, this could be something his mind had conjured as a defense after the massacre. Better to try and push through to get what he needed, and it seemed the only way to do that was this trial.

He nodded. "The defense is ready."

The judge closed his eyes and 'hmm'ed thoughtfully. "I don't believe I've met either of you before. Will you please introduce yourselves to the court?"

Inoichi spoke first. "I'm Inoichi Yamanaka, and I am representing Riku Uchiha."

The red man had crossed his arms and was gripping his blazer. "I am Vladmir von Karma. That's all that is needed for this case."

The judge nodded. "Very well then. Your opening statement, Mr. von Karma."

"The defendant is charged with aiding and abetting a criminal in the murder of his clan. He was known for being close with the murderer before the incident and we have evidence that supports he may have helped in the event itself. The defendant is guilty of this."

"Hold on there, Prosecutor," Inoichi interrupted. "How are you so sure of his guilt? You do remember that the defendant is a child, and still only an academy student with a disability that nearly prevented him from being able to form his chakra correctly. How would he be able to take down one of his adult clan members, let alone help with killing the entire clan?"

Vladmir chuckled, shaking his head. "You underestimate his intelligence, Defense."

The judge banged his gavel. "That's enough. Prosecutor von Karma, you may call your first witness."


Okay, I'm impressed. I seriously underestimated Inoichi's logical thinking skills. He tore down each witness's testimony like it was nothing. Even when given little notice or evidence to work with, he still managed to work out most of the facts. Most of them, anyway. There was still one glaring problem that has yet to be resolved. Time for his final test of trustworthiness.

I banged the gavel from my position on the Judge's bench. "I believe this trial is coming close to its end. While it's been proven that Riku could not have helped commit the crime itself, one problem still remains. If it wasn't to help commit the crime, why was Riku continually meeting up with Itachi? What was he doing outside of the police headquarters?"

Both sides looked deep in thought, though Vladmir looked that way for different reasons than Inoichi, if the glanced he gave me was anything to go by. I gave a small nod.

"I have one last witness, Your Honor," Vladmir announced.

Inoichi raised an eyebrow curiously. "Oh?"

"This witness is sure to tell the complete truth of what happened that night. I believe you'll know him well, Defense."

"And who might this witness be?" Inoichi asked.

"I call the defendant himself to the stand."

I felt my consciousness leave the judge and form outside a body, returning me to my teen form. I took the stand and leaned on the railing. Inoichi was looking at me questioningly while Vladmir spoke up.

"State your name and occupation."

"Which one?" I replied. "Because I've gathered a lot in recent years."

"The name your parents gave you."

"Alright, fine. I'm Riku Uchiha's mind. And my occupation, when I'm interacting with the real world, is a student of the Hidden Leaf Ninja Academy."

Inoichi spoke up for the first time since I took this form. "Why does your mind look like this? The Riku Uchiha I know of is an 8-year-old boy. You are at least 17."

I simply shook my head. "That's not relevant to the case at the moment, is Mr. Yamanaka."

Vladmir slammed his desk, getting our attention. "Now then, testify as to what you were doing outside the Police Headquarters the night of the incident."

"Okay, sure." This time, I made sure Inoichi saw the words 'Witness Testimony' before I started speaking. I was going serious with this.

"I had gone with my family on a trip to the Land of Tea for a festival.
We were there for about a week, then we came home.
When I got home, I received a note from Itachi telling me something was gonna happen.
I just wasn't expecting something like this."

"HOLD IT!" Inoichi yelled. "Your testimony is a little vague. Could you please elaborate?"

"On what point? The note? The expectation? Or the trip?"

Inoichi thought for a minute. "The note. What did it say?"

I figured this would be the true test. There was no point in lying now. "It said, 'We need to initiate Plan B. Code Allegro.'"

"Well, Defense," the judge called, "is this statement important?"

Inoichi nodded. "Yes. I would like that statement added to the testimony."

"Okay then," I shrugged. "The note was telling me to start Plan B."

"HOLD IT!" Inoichi yelled again. "What was this 'Plan B' you were preparing?"

"It was a contingency plan in case stopping the adults from doing something stupid failed. The plan was to get those who were innocent out of the village to a secure location that only me and Itachi knew about."

"And where was this secure location?"

I smirked. "If I told you, it wouldn't be very secure, now would it?"

Inoichi backed off, frowning thoughtfully.

"Why were you at the Police Headquarters?" Vladmir asked.

"Itachi had told me he had gotten some help, and I knew of one person that we could trust in making sure the innocent got away safely."

"But why the Police HQ?"

"Somebody was killing everybody senselessly, what would your first instinct be? Find the cops, and then get the hell out."

"OBJECTION!" Inoichi responded. "The Uchiha Clan was a clan made almost completely of ninja. What need would they have to go to the Police when they could defend themselves?"

"Wouldn't you want to find your loved ones if they were an officer in what could have been an end of your life scenario?" I replied. "Anyways, I knew this person would appear near the HQ, and I was right."

Inoichi put a hand to his chin in thought. "What was the unexpected part you mentioned?"

"Ah, that. There was someone else there that really shouldn't have been."

"Someone else?"

"Yeah. Couldn't really tell who, because the asshole wore a mask, but I do know he tried to kill the person I wanted for my plan, and I couldn't allow that."

"Well, Defense?" the judge asked. "Is that statement important?"

"Very much so, Your Honor. Please add it to your testimony."

"Okay, then." I shrugged again. "A guy wearing a mask was there, trying to kill the person I was looking for."

"HOLD IT! If this man was trying to kill whoever you were looking for, I assume this means he failed. How did that happen?"

"You remember how I have my chakra problem, right? I managed to find a way around it."

"And you're saying you managed to defeat the man?"

"No. I only stunned him long enough to get out of there with my target."

The judge banged his gavel. "I believe that is enough for this line of questioning. There is nothing else that can be gleaned from the defendant that we don't already know."

"I believe this proves he was involved in the incident," Inoichi began, "but not to help commit the crime. Rather, he was trying to stop it, and Itachi had recruited his help. When that failed, he had to resort to a plan to get those uninvolved out to a safe place where they could still live in peace. But something made him come back."

"What do you believe that is?" I asked testily. "What proof do you have of my reason to come back when I could've been killed myself?"

Inoichi said nothing as he held up a family portrait. Not just any, mind you, but one that was in my memories and never left since Mina was born. A picture of my family.

"Your care for your family made you go back to the scene. Your desire to protect them made you think twice about abandoning them."

I stared at the picture, feeling tears running down my face. "Heh...Heh heh heh...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I don't know how long I continued to laugh, but once it had died down, I wiped my eyes. "Alright, Inoichi. I give up. You win." The prosecutor and judge both disappeared from my mind. "Let's meet back with the Hokage. I'll tell you everything there."


When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the office with Inoichi's hand retracting from my head. I looked at the Hokage and sighed, steeling myself for what would be a very long night. "I'll tell you everything you need to know."

Hiruzen waved a hand and his ANBU all appeared on the floor, bowing, before walking out the door. The Hokage then slammed a hand on his desk, making seals flare up briefly as the window got darker. "Who are you really?" He asked neutrally.

"Do you remember the night the Fox attacked?" They both nodded grimly. "Then you'll recognize this." I took a breath and sang.

"Thy life is a riddle to bear rapture and sorrow
To listen, to suffer, to entrust unto tomorrow
In one fleeting moment from the land doth life flow
Yet in one fleeting moment for anew it doth grow
In the same fleeting moment, thou must live, die, and know."

Both men's eyes widened in recognition.

"That song...That was you?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a spirit from what could be known as the Realm Beyond the Fourth Wall. When I was killed, the Shinigami made me a deal; I was to change the course of events here, and in return, I'd get a second chance at life with greater importance. Unfortunately, the night I was reborn, my body had extreme birth defects that would've killed me if not for one thing."

"Your, of course, talking about the Nine-Tailed Fox."

I nodded. "Without him, I'd have been dead before I was a few hours old. As for me, I knew about this reality before I came here. I'd seen glimpses through comics and TV, and it was one of my favorite shows to watch. The main focus of the show was Naruto, from age twelve to age 17."

The conversation continued like this, them asking questions, me answering to the best of my ability without giving spoilers. It was another two hours before they finally got everything they wanted and they let me go home.

"There is one thing I must ask of you, Riku," Hiruzen requested.

"And what is that?" I replied tiredly.

"Inform me when a major event is about to happen. This is your mission directly from me as Hokage. If there is any event that is related to the show you saw, we need to be prepared for it."

"Don't let him become rogue," a voice whispered in my ear. I turned around, looking for the voice, but found nothing. The peach fuzz on my neck was standing on end. "Your mission has been given."

"Are you alright, Riku?" the Hokage asked.

I shook my head. "It's fine. In terms of important events, nothing else will really happen for another four years. I'll be coming to you when the start of the series is coming. I believe that in order to keep things mostly accurate, I need to tread as close to canon as possible. Unfortunately, that meant the destruction of most of my clan. But if I can find a way to get the others back secretly, we'll be fine."

Hiruzen held up a hand. "Calm down. We will have everything under control. Just tell me when something is about to happen, and we'll go from there."

I nodded and left the room, making sure the privacy seals were turned off before I opened the door. As I walked through the village, I thought about what I had told the two about myself. Was that really the right thing to do?

"All you can do is hope for the best in the years to come," Kurama said sagely. "Only then will you know if you made the right choice."


A/N: Holy crap, that's probably my longest chapter yet, at 17 pages! With over 9600 words! And with this, the introductory arc is complete. As for this song, I felt it was very fitting, considering the content of the chapter. Name it, and you'll get a preview of the next chapter.

So, be sure to follow, favorite, review, and I'll see you next time.