Disclaimer: 'Naruto' belongs to M. Kishimoto, Viz, TvTokio. I make no money from this.

Warning: Not beta'ed. You know the drill.

Chapter Ten: Confrontation

Night was hot and humid, almost feverish in its intensity. Those unfortunate who were not allowed sleep wandered aimlessly under a full moon. Second December's nights rarely brought such a hazy mood to a shinobi village- as if it was put under a spell. In a far part of the village, in the Uchiha Clan's house all seemed calm and quiet, but in one of its rooms- one person was still awake. The room itself was nothing special: it had a desk and a bed in which one could clearly distinguish a form of a small child.

The figure laid still, unaware of being watched by another being hidden in the shadows. The watcher didn't move, didn't even flinch when a raven landed on the window sill, its intelligent eyes looking inside the room.

Suddenly, the air shifted as the intruder walked with practiced silent grace to the bed. The moonlight revealed hard and worn features and many would hardly recognize the usually imposing man that was Uchiha Fugaku. His gaze, always so sure and cold, was now filled with love and shame as he looked at his sleeping son. He hesitated a moment before reaching towards the child's unruly hair. But his hand never made it- he stopped it inches away from the boy. He closed his eyes and when he opened them there was no love, no shame; only burning determination and resolution. Fugaku turned from his son and left the room, soundlessly closing the door.

The raven, satisfied with what it had seen, flew away with a soft fluttering of its wings.

"What did he say?"

Minato sighed and put his arms around his fiancée. After his… talk with Sandaime he was too angry to return home. Kushina knew better than to try and seek him out. He hated acting this way- he didn't want to alienate her but it was unavoidable. He was a shinobi, he could control his emotions.

That's why the times when he couldn't were better spent in some isolated place where he could let out his anger on some unsuspecting tree. Or rock. Or mountain.

He sat down and sighed heavily. He didn't sleep that night and judging by dark circles under the woman's eyes, neither did she. He immediately felt guilty even though it was completely ridiculous. While he didn't tell her anything, she still chose to suffer with him. It was one of these things he couldn't quite grasp about her.

"Nothing unexpected." Kushina snorted at that. "Sure, that's why you are so angry. Just tell me what happened."

Minato could already feel the headache coming.

"What the fuck do you mean you won't do anything?!"

Sarutobi just looked at him heavy eyes and made no reply. After a moment of silence, Minato spat through his clenched teeth, trying unsuccessfully to calm down: "Why?"

The Third Hokage stood up and walked to the window. He turned, apparently watching the beautiful view before him. Then he said softly: "What would you have me do?"

Minato took a deep breath and answered: "Send an investigation squad and have them observe the Uchiha Clan."

"Hm. And I'm supposed to do this based on… what exactly? A hunch?"

Namikaze gritted his teeth. "I told you, why…"

"What you told me doesn't indicate in any way that Uchiha are planning something that could be considered a danger to Konoha."

Minato watched him in disbelief but suddenly narrowed his eyes. "You knew?" Sandaime shook his head "No. I had no idea."

"But that means they did defy you! They left the village without your permission!"

The older man sighed and looked straight at Minato. "Danzo has the power to give orders without notifying me."

"WHAT?!" Danzo, the leader of ANBU, that power-hungry son of a… "When did you come up with that?!" "You are the last person I need to explain this. We were… still are… at war. Time is the key. If I had to give out every order for every shinobi out there- our efficiency would drop- we couldn't allow that. That's why Danzo, the elders and I have equal executive power. It's only temporary though." He added as an after-thought.

"Then ask them-"

"I also allowed Clan Heads to send an investigation squad if the situation called for it."

There was a moment of silence. "So, that's it, then? We can't check if they are planning something, we can't force them to tell us the truth; we can't DO anything because you gave them these "privileges"-"

"Minato." Sarutobi's voice turned stern. "I think, and please don't be offended; you grew too attached to that Uchiha boy." Namikaze gaped at him. "What are you-?"

"It's understandable. After Obito-"

"What Obito has to do with anything?" It was bad enough he questioned his objectivity but he also had to drag Obito into this?! Obito, whose death was his failure, his fault, if he was just faster, smarter… "It's not about him anymore! There is something suspicious about this, it needs to be investigated properly, it could endanger the whole village!"

"What if there's nothing? What if you are wrong?" Hokage wasn't looking at him anymore- his gaze was fixated on portraits of the First and Second Hokage. "They didn't trust them either." He whispered. "If I do this and Uchiha notice, it will only fuel hatred. They could become a very danger you speak of. I can't risk that."

"But if they ARE planning something, you are risking open war again!" Sandaime turned his head towards him. "I'll trust them." Minato clenched his fist so hard he felt blood run through his fingers.

"What about Itachi? Doesn't it seem odd to you that Fugaku would send his only son to battlefield?"

"Well, the war is ending after all… And the child will have to learn eventually-"

"Stop, just stop!"

"He may become a great asset to Konoha-"

"I said STOP!" he slammed his fist on Sandaime's desk. The pure brute force behind it was so great that the wood crumbled as if made of paper. Hokage didn't even blink. "You have NO idea…"

"Now, don't be a hypocrite." scoffed Sarutobi "I know you- you thought about it as well."

Yes. He did. He also thought about Itachi's eyes when he first met him. These inhuman, wild, animalistic eyes…

"It doesn't change the fact that this child's innocence was destroyed forever. He went through hell, with no one to turn to, no one to trust. I was only able to pick up pieces- nothing more! He's just as broken as he was before! And yet-"

"I'll say it again- you grew too attached to him. Minato-" Namikaze hated the pity he saw in the older man's eyes. It just enraged him more. "You are too kind. One person is not capable of fixing the world even if it's you. Our world is beyond help. As long as shinobi exist, there will always be children like Itachi, you can't stop this."

Minato looked at him in cold fury. "Maybe the shinobi system is wrong. Maybe we just shouldn't exist."

"If you are going to think like this I don't suppose I should make you a Hokage, then."

"Oh, don't worry" replied the younger man, smirking ironically. "I'm already beyond help. In this case: I'm already a failure. All I can do is to insure that incidents like this won't happen again. But remember: there will be someone one day that will fix this. He will put an end to this never ending hatred. It will happen just as surely as that you will grow to regret not listening to me. Conflicts should be resolved when they are still young- letting them mature will come to bite you when you last expect them." And with a flash, Namikaze Minato was gone.

"So, let me get this straight: Sarutobi Hiruzen- the Sarutobi Hiruzen- trusts you enough to be a Hokage but not when it comes to clans, is that right? Well, maybe your little confrontation with teme a little undermined your position but still! I guess the man is going senile…"

Minato was grateful that she was taking his side (or any side that's against the Uchiha) but he knew she also was puzzled by his reasoning. He sighed. "You don't have to make me feel better. I know he's logically right." Kushina bit her lower lip. "Well, everything can be explained rationally- or as rationally as it comes to these red-eyed bastards- but there's nothing that disproves your own theory… I guess it really is the matter of trust." And then as an after-thought she added: "Just for the record- I don't trust them. I wouldn't trust anyone who could do something like this to a child." She grimaced. "It's… revolting."

Minato hid his face in his hands. "I know, but… You weren't there. You haven't heard him say all of this- in that moment I already knew something was up and yet… Maybe it is just a hunch- just a feeling." He snorted. "Is it because of this war that I'm starting to see enemies even among my allies? Or maybe I'm right? What then?" he laughed mirthlessly. "They are truly masters of deception- I don't even know whether I'm jumping to conclusions because of my personal feelings towards them, or because they really are plotting something. And now it got even more personal." He rubbed his temples. He was so tired.

Kushina frowned. "You know, I think you are being a little unfair towards yourself. You never were prejudiced against Obito, who was from the Uchiha Clan… And even though I'd really like to see you punch that Fugaku-teme, who really is the most… unpleasant person I ever met- and I met a lot of scum in my life!-, I know you'd never really do it, no matter the circumstances. Now that I think about it- yesterday was actually the first time you confronted him out in the open." She smiled. "That's more like my way of doing things. Should I feel flattered?"

Minato didn't answer, just pulled her closer to him. "Who could blame me? After what Itachi said… I don't think I'm able to forgive myself that I let something like this happen just under my nose! And now he's with them- I doubt they will give him the proper care he needs! I-"

"Minato." For some reason, Kushina sounded amused. "You are acting as if Itachi was your son." She laughed at a bewildered look she was given. "Maybe you should just go to sleep- you're really starting to sound a bit self-hating to my taste and that's unlike you. Relax, I'll take care of everything." she grinned and got up. Minato shifted away. He knew that smile and it never boded well. 'Okay, screw the supposed coup- now I'm worried!'

"Where are you going?" it usually pays off to be wary around his fiancée. Other times, it really doesn't matter.

"Someone has to take over that rehabilitation process until you are fit to continue, of course."

'And you are the one to do it?' thought Minato skeptically but didn't dare say that aloud. The expression on Kushina's face was indicating that She. Meant. Business.

In a matter of seconds, kunoichi had showered, dressed and was already at the door.

"I'm going out! See ya!"

Minato only had the time to think: 'Itachi is doomed.' before his fiancée's next words reached him:

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot! You have a meeting with that old pervert at 11 o'clock! Something about Hokage preparations or whatever!"

Namikaze looked at the clock.

It mercilessly stated 10:57.

'Why do I love her again?'

Something was different.

Itachi couldn't place it. The number of stones in the backyard was exactly 138, the grass was the same shade of green as before and there was 7 koi in the pond. Like always.

And yet something changed. He furrowed his brow. Was it the oak in the corner? No. Or maybe these strange flowers that his mother was so fond of? No, that wasn't right. Even the birds on the fence didn't look out of place.

'Strange. It almost feels like-'

"Itachi-kun."

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his mother called him. He turned around and caught her annoyed expression. Mikoto grimaced and said carefully: "You have a guest."

Itachi was bemused. 'Who-? Oh.' He brightened instantly. 'Minato-san!'

But when he entered the living room it became apparent that he was mistaken. On one of the mats sat that strange woman he met yesterday. He tried not to show his disappointment but he had an inkling that the redhead caught on it nevertheless. She seemed oddly out of place, especially sitting in the most inappropriate position he'd seen. His father would definitely not approve.

The woman- Uzumaki-san he recalled- smiled brightly and somewhat mischievously at him.

"Hey there, kid! How is it going?"

Itachi was taken-aback for a moment but quickly remembered himself. "Good, Uzumaki-san, thank you for asking." Kushina raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. Instead she turned to Mikoto and her smile turned utterly sadistic. "Well, Itachi, your mother decided that you need some time from these stifling walls and agreed for me to take you out for a dinner. Doesn't it sound delightful?"

It was difficult to judge who was more surprised about this confession, Mikoto or Itachi.

However it was Mikoto who first found her voice.

"Just wait a sec-"

"Oh, don't be so modest Miko-chan. It was your idea after all. I'm so deeply touched that you'd trust me with your only son's well-being." With that, Kushina pulled out a tissue out of nowhere and wiped away her (fake) tears. Mikoto gritted her teeth and was about to retort back but a soft voice stopped her.

"May I really go, haha-ue?" asked Itachi. Mikoto's argument died before she could even form it.

"Um, I mean… Itachi-kun, you… want to go?" The phrase "with her" was left unsaid.

Itachi hesitated but after a moment quietly replied:

"If it's alright, I… I'd like to go." He blushed, not used to having such conversation with his mother.

Mikoto bit her lower lip but didn't say anything. Instead she turned to a silently cackling Kushina, she put her hand on the other woman's shoulder in something that only looked like a friendly pat.

"I sincerely hope you'll take good care of my son, Uzumaki-san." 'Or I'll chop your head off.'

"Not to worry, you can count on me, Miko-chan." 'Please, as if you could, hoe.'

And without further ado, Kushina took Itachi's hand and sprinted away from the Uchiha compound with the poor child flying helplessly behind her.

"Ichiraku Ramen, here we come!"

'HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Teuchi thought himself to be quite successful in life. He had a beautiful wife and an adorable daughter (even though sometimes, Kami help him, he wished she stayed clear of the kitchen). He loved his job and though it wasn't the most profitable job in the world, he prided himself to be the best in this line of work. Yes, life was good.

But there were times when even he, the master of ramen, found himself surprised.

Teuchi didn't like surprises. Teuchi didn't like surprises that appeared out of nowhere. Teuchi, especially didn't like surprises that appeared out of nowhere in the form of a female red haired ninja with a black hole instead of a stomach.

It always caused him to drop whatever he was holding, usually a newly made bowl of the-best-ramen-ever, goddamnit.

"Say, Teuchi, you sure you don't need help with the stand? I mean, you're such a klutz, I've no idea how you manage to run this place by yourself…"

Teuchi quickly reminded himself that 80% of his income consisted of Uzumaki's bills and yelling: "It's all your damn fault, woman!" would definitely lower that to a zero.

He bravely put a well-practiced smile on his face and said: "How may I help you today, Uzumaki-san?"

Kushina snorted.

"Cut the crap, Teuchi. Do we really have to go through this every time I come here? I mean, I practically leave here, you know- show some emotion, man!"

The man sighed.

"Seriously, Kushina… You really need to lay off ramen- it's not healthy. You need some variety in your menu- some vegetables would do wonders for your figure."

"Minato, you aged." Shinobi rolled her eyes. "And what did you mean "would do wonders for your figure"?! You implying something, old man?" At this point a dark menacing aura surrounded Kushina and her green eyes glowed dangerously. Teuchi only smirked and replied back: "Well, let's just say you can't be young forever, can you?"

Kushina growled once more, before calmly sitting down: "I actually do like vegetables- I just prefer ramen more, thank you very much." With that she grinned happily, all traces of killing-mood gone. "Anyway, I will have the usually and the brat will have the same." She pointed to the… something that was laying on one of the stools and was suspiciously silent.

Teuchi frowned. 'Brat?' He squinted. Now that he was looking more closely he could identify the object as a child- quite young one at that. 'Is he two? Nah, three at most.' The kid's face was green and he looked as if he just survived a hurricane attack. The Ichiraku owner shrugged before returning to his work- it was none of his business.

Behind him, Itachi seemed to finally regain consciousness. He glanced warily around, the action not missed by the woman sitting next to him. She gently put her hand on his shoulder and whispered in a soothing voice:

"It's alright. Remember where you are and with whom. I may not be Minato but I'm tougher than I look." she winked at him and Itachi let himself relax. She was different from her fiancé, that was true, but not in the bad way. While Namikaze Minato was serious and contemplative, Uzumaki Kushina seemed more playful and carefree but at the same time just as dependable as the future Yondaime.

'It's the hair.' thought Itachi looking at the red-head as she devoured her ramen. 'It must be the hair.'

They didn't talk much. Surprisingly, even with such an open and talkative woman sitting right next to him, Itachi didn't feel uncomfortable. She was definitely more perceptive than his parents gave her a credit for.

"I'm surprised." came a soft voice. Itachi turned to the woman, a questioning look on his face. "I thought asking about Minato would be the first thing on your mind. And yet, you don't say anything." said Kushina between mouthfuls.

Itachi fidgeted in his seat before answering.

"I-it's not that I'm not curious…I just didn't know I should ask…"

Uzumaki looked at him from the corner of her eye. She sighed and said seriously:

"Teuchi, can you give us some privacy?" Teuchi raised his eyebrow but nodded and left them alone. Kushina turned to Itachi.

"It's understandable- you don't have to hide it, but…" she stopped, thinking about her next words. Finally, she said:

"Minato used to mentor a gennin team."

Itachi looked at her in surprise. "I-I didn't know." 'Never bothered to ask' he admitted to himself.

Kushina waved it off. "Not surprising. But I believe you must have known one of his students. He was your cousin, after all. His name was Uchiha Obito."

Itachi felt himself blushing. "I-I'm sorry, but… I don't… I don't know him." Kushina frowned but after a moment she mentally slapped herself. "Ah shi-, I mean, don't worry about it- even if you met him, you wouldn't remember- you were too little."

"What happened to him?" asked quietly Uchiha.

The jounin tapped her fingers on a tabletop, choosing her words carefully. "He died. He was sent on a mission to Grass and died. Minato came back too late- he managed to save Obito's two other teammates- Kakashi and Rin."

Itachi flinched violently, hearing the name of that place. And before he could help it, he felt dread pool in his stomach. He could see where this was going. His cousin died in Grass whereas he lived- was he in Minato-san's eyes only a replacement for Uchiha Obito- the one he couldn't save? He felt oddly betrayed- he thought Minato-san cared for who he was, not who he represented… He turned away from Uzumaki, hiding his face- he didn't want her to see his tears.

"You're probably wondering why I'm telling you this stuff…"

'I don't want to hear it. Please, just don't say it because if you do, you'll make it final. At least now, I can pretend I'm wrong…'

"Minato is that kind of a man who wants to protect everyone. He doesn't care how- he simply doesn't want anyone to die. Whether it means his own safety would be endangered, it's of no concern to him. Isn't it foolish? Not wanting anyone to die? After all, people die all the time, especially at war. Imagine the horror he felt when it was one of his students that died because he was on a different mission at the time." She closed her eyes. "Whether he saved you because of your resemblance to Obito- I cannot answer that. He probably thought about it at first, but truthfully: you are not like him at all." A smile. "Minato…" When she opened her eyes, there was a soft look in them. She wasn't looking at Itachi anymore- her gaze was already far beyond him. "He knows how to connect to people. This is truly a rare skill and for a ninja to have it… Well, it can be both a blessing and a curse. He wants to save, protect any person he meets. If you were from Iwa, Ame or whatever he would have saved you regardless. He's just that type of a man."

That… wasn't exactly what Itachi expected to hear. He felt his lips twist into a silly grin- he half-heartedly tried to hide it. However, Kushina wasn't finished.

"And because he's such an idiot, he's always worried. Now he's very much concerned for you." She was no longer smiling- Itachi felt his own grin disappear as well. "When he's worried, he makes me worry for him- and I don't particularly like the feeling. Do you understand?" she asked. "He'll become Hokage soon; he won't be able to always be there for you. At the same time, we can't allow to sacrifice your future just like that."

Itachi bit his lower lip. "What should I do then?"

Kushina leaned over and gently put her hand on his shoulder. She wore a gentle smile.

"Know your limits, grow, and become independent. You'll be a ninja- you can't always depend on others to help you out. Even as a normal person- it's not always possible. But always know that no matter what, there are people who you can count on. After all, there are some things you can work out on your own, aren't they?" Itachi's eyes widened slightly but soon he smiled. He understood what she meant after all. He nodded.

Uzumaki grinned at him but mentally she was frowning. 'I honestly don't know how Minato is able to treat this boy as a little kid. He's not blind- he must have noticed this as well.'

"Well, let's go brat. Your mother is probably planning on sending half your clan after you- we better get back."

"Okay, Uzumaki-san."

'Behind this childlike face…'

"Come on! You make me sound so old. Call me Kushina."

"Yes, Kushina-san."

"Augh!"

'…rests an old and weary soul.'

Itachi was walking through the streets of Uchiha compound. He shouldn't feel as happy as he did but there was nothing he could do about it. He liked the thought that he was helping Minato-san, even if not directly. And hadn't he himself said he would be alright? He promised. Kushina-san was right- he couldn't always rely on Minato-san- that's why the next time they met, Itachi would show him how much he grew. He will make Minato-san proud.

Suddenly he stopped. Something was not right. His heart rate quickened but he tried not to show anything. He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down. After a while he opened them and discreetly observed the streets. He was alone. He resumed his walk, appearing as casual as possible. It was only when he was in his room, he allowed himself to bury his face in his hands, hiding from the world. It became so obvious now.

Someone was watching him.

A/N: Hehe, hi! It's been a long time but chapter 10 is finally up. I passed my exams meaning I have a lot of free time so I'll try to wrap up this story before October (hopefully before Kishie trolls my fandom). But I some good news (or bad news), it won't be the end of the story so... yeah, I know I said that already, just felt like reminding-_-;

Thank you very much for your reviews- any author's greatest joy is an ability to evoke desired emotions in his readers. Seriously, i love you guys *sniff*

There won't be a preview this time, because I intend to update soon.

See ya!