Note: I've survived finals, so that's nice. What isn't nice, is the long wait for this chapter. I'm honestly sorry and thank you to all the people reading and reviewing. It really does make me motivated to write when I see people are still reading.

CypressOury: Oh, I misread the first review, my bad. Still a no though.

Entity9SilverGen: Thank you, I'm glad the time skip fit. I was worried it would seem off.

Also, to the guest, the time will eventually come for that to happen. Most of these children are too unique to be forgotten, even after all the years, I would say. Thank you very much for the review, I'm glad you think it flows well!

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Throughout the night, Sasuke seemed sulky. The elder members noticed this but didn't comment. It wasn't unusual for Sasuke to sulk, after all. They assumed it would ease but by the end of the weekend. It normally didn't last long. The younger ones, however, were either annoyed or concerned to see their 'brother' upset.

Sasuke sat in his room, ignoring the occasional knock from Naruto or Gaara asking him if he was alright. He didn't want to talk to them. Both of them got to join their idols, but he couldn't. Just because it was 'too dangerous'. He knew his brother and Kisame had some of the hardest missions in the Akatsuki besides the zombie duo, and realistically it made sense they wouldn't want him to join them. To call out his idolization of his elder brother as a bad thing, though? How was it wrong that he wanted to be like him? There, he couldn't see the reason, that didn't mean he had to like it.

Just as his anger was cooling down, however, his door opened. He turned, giving the intruder a nasty glare, Sharingan blazing. He didn't even care to focus on who it was as he growled. "Don't you know how to knock?" he barked, words trailing off as he realized who it was.

Tobi had entered, closing the door behind him. He wore his normal orange mask, his Akatsuki coat hanging off him. Sasuke had trailed off not out of fear, but rather surprise. Tobi rarely came to visit them, but when he did, he was normally playful and loud. Now, however, he held himself upward in a straight position. His shoulders were pushed back. Despite not being able to see anything past one eye, Sasuke could see the focus of it. The focus on him. The teen's words had died in his throat, not sure why he was here. Had someone been hurt?

The man locked Sasuke's door, slowly making his way towards the teen. "Sasuke~, you seem upset, my boy." he hummed, though his voice, not its normal playfulness. It was much deeper than Sasuke had ever heard it before, more serious. None the less, he still felt wary of the older Uchiha. His brother had never told him why exactly, but he had warned him against trusting the other.

Sasuke didn't let his nerves show, or so he hoped, instead of bringing his hands up into his lap. "Hn, it's none of your concern," he spoke, hoping to give him the cold shoulder would make him either get to the point or move on. Unfortunately, it did neither.

"None of my concern? Why, Sasuke, of course, your distress is of my concern. I'm the oldest Uchiha alive, and you're the youngest. It is my duty to make sure the next generation is strong. You're the baby of our clan. The future. How could I not watch out for you?" he cooed in a way that made Sasuke weary.

Sasuke pointed out with doubt, scooting away as Tobi sat beside him, "You didn't care for the future of the clan much when you killed them with Itachi." knowing Itachi himself had done it to create a new future, but unsure if Tobi's plans aligned with Itachi's plans. Not when Tobi had said he killed them because 'they were mean to Tobi'. The man had to of done something wrong.

Hearing Tobi speak in the first person was odd, Sasuke noted. "No, no. That was the past of the clan. It needed a fresh start, with those strong enough to carry it. With Itachi, you, and me. We can make a truely fierce clan..." he paused for a moment, before sighing. "Or, rather, Itachi and I can."

Accusation quickly left Sasuke's mouth. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm strong! I'm intelligent! I could be just as strong as Itachi one day!" he barked, fist clenching.

Tobi nodded. "Yes, of course, I have no doubt you can even surpass Itachi. The only issue is..." he trailed off, much to Sasuke's annoyance. "Well, you don't have the right environment to grow into someone who could make a mark in our clan's new history. Your brother loves you far to much to ever let anything happen to you. He killed the clan and went back on his plan within a year. He just can't let you fly out of your nest. Not that it's a bad thing. It is good he cares for you. It will make for a good life on your part. Yes, sheltering you is for the best, I suppose. Itachi and I can focus on building up the clan's power and you can perhaps father the children. Maybe you can help teach them morals or such while we protect you to give you the chance. Yes, that seems like the best plan since Itachi won't want you hurt."

Sasuke frowned. "I don't want to be protected. I'm strong, and Itachi will teach me to be a good ninja. He just wants me to get a good start with lower-level ninja, that's all." he reasoned, trying to defend his brother despite still being angry at him.

A chuckle escapes Tobi. "Oh? Is that what he's told you? I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but it's just hard to imagine. You know he sees you as a mere child, and I don't see that changing once you start doing low ranking missions. If anything, he might be content with you doing C-Rank missions forever. After all, you would never object. Look at you now. He killed your family, you forgave him within a month. He supported Konan in taking you from the leaf, you forgave him from taking your home away. He forced you into a new family, you forgave him. He shoved you to the side when you expressed you want to get stronger, and now you'll obey him and ask Yoi or Shu, won't you?"

"My big brother only wants the best for me. He killed them and took me to keep me safe. He doesn't want me to go on missions to keep me alive. He..." the teen blinked as he came to the bitter realization. His brother did do everything to keep him safe, yes, but was it true? Did Itachi do it because he didn't trust him to be strong enough on his own? Would he ever see him as his own person or just an eternal younger brother?

Hearing Sasuke's silence, Tobi decided the time was right. It was time to make him move. "You know Sasuke, it's like I said. I'm only here to do what's best for our clan. Perhaps...no. Itachi would kill me to even suggest such a thing. This is exactly why he doesn't like me." he sighed.

Sasuke frowned at the older man, "What? Do you know what would make big brother understand that I'm not weak? Tell me." he demanded.

"Well...perhaps if you disobeyed him, just this once. It would hurt him, but it would prove the point that you can make your own choices and forge your own path. Perhaps if you chose a different mentor than him, but someone strong. Someone who would have missions ranked just as high as his and Kisame's." Tobi suggested.

Sasuke was all too emotionally driven to fall into the manipulation. "What about you? You're an Uchiha, so we'll have similar strengths, right? Not to mention you have a lot of solo missions, besides your main ones with Deidara. There would be a lot of chances for you to teach me things Itachi never would out of fear I would get hurt. Please, Tobi? I won't get in the way, and if brother asks, he won't get angry at you because I'm the one who asked." he reasoned.

Tobi only smiled, wrapping an arm around the poor oblivious teen. "Of course I'll teach you. I'll make you stronger than even Itachi himself," he promised before making his exit.

Sasuke had quickly headed to sleep after that, content with this new change in plans. It was unnerving to act against his brother's wishes and join an Akatsuki member, yes, but he knew the only way for him to get strong was to go outside his comfort zone. It would be alright, he knew it would. If he was able to forgive Itachi for the clan's death, why couldn't he forgive Tobi?

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The next morning, Sasuke woke up in a fairly better mood. He headed to breakfast as per usual, meeting up with everyone and sitting on the side of the table where the teens usually ate. Slowly people filled in, taking their seat, and beginning to eat the eggs Itachi had oh so perfectly made. Breakfast continued in idle chatter, for the most part, the only thing of any importance to anyone being Nagato giving out a few missions.

Sasori and Nagato needed to send in the confirmation letters saying that they would take Gaara and Naruto on as students before they could take them on any actual missions. They figured that they could wait a day. Tobi, on the other hand, had stayed up the night before writing it already. He was prepared to deliver it on the way to his mission and simply take Sasuke with him. He stood, not giving the others and glance, and heading for the door as if it were ordinary as he spoke. "Sasuke-kun~ Let's head out! Tobi needs to deliver something and you're coming with him~." he giggled, reverted to his eerily childish self in front of the others.

Itachi was of course immediately on the alert. "Go? Where are you and Sasuke going?" glancing at his brother for an answer, and only receiving a shrug as the teen turned on his heel.

After a moment of thought, Tobi already gone, Sasuke gave him a brief answer. "Tobi agreed to train me, upon my request. He's the only person with a Sharingan willing to, after all." stepping out before Itachi had a chance to interfere.

Itachi stared wide-eyed at the door, momentarily snapped out of his cool persona. "Konan, Nagato! He can't train under Tobi! He could get hurt, Tobi's missions are far too difficult for him to assist with. You just sent him on an assassination mission, Nagato!"

The red-haired man could only frown. "Itachi, I wasn't aware Sasuke had chosen to mentor with Tobi. I assumed he would be going with you, hence why you got guard duty today." sighing. "I hate to put him in any danger, but he is a ninja too, Itachi. If he didn't feel like putting his life forward, he always had the option to go into the medical field. It's his choice to make. Once he returns home tomorrow, you can speak with him on it. You may try to convince him to transfer over to another, but you can not force him."

Itachi could only look around at the others in a desperate way, hoping someone would side with him and say Sasuke shouldn't be allowed to, but not a single person in the Akatsuki seemed willing to take away Sasuke's choice. He knew it was wrong to force him, but Itachi had dedicated his life to protecting the baby which had laughed so carelessly in his arms all those years ago. He couldn't help but wonder if his constant protection was the reason Sasuke's undeniable hero worship had begun.

He clenched his fist, rising with a false wave of calm covering his face. "Very well. I will be heading out to my gate duty. Kisame, come, we have the same mission. Let us go together." heading to the door before even getting a response from the shark-like man. The screeching of a chair being pulled out told him Kisame was following,