"The day we cemented our friendship as brothers was one that I could never forget. Like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, we formed our own little team- together in every capacity but official. To this day, I've never been able to forget the fond memories I had with them, for however short it may have lasted. They were my brothers for all intents of the word- and like Naruto always says, a family is more than blood. And the memory of us as we were, my birthday and the days after it- it was one that I would hold onto for many days afterwards, even through the humbling times that would shortly follow."

Naruto's laugh was the first warning that he got, mischievous and cheeky, as though he'd planned a great prank and pulled it off. As such, when Mitsuo stopped in the doorway to their apartment, the door wide open, his expression was schooled carefully. Remember my training, remember my training. My emotions are mine, not theirs to be read.

Granted, that training was for a serious mission and not for the fact that your five-year-old brother had made the house bright orange. Not the stitchless sofa, not the worn kitchen, and not just the few books they owned. The whole house was bright orange. It was something like a nightmare, because while he had no problem with the bright orange for Naruto- even though it made being a shinobi slightly more difficult- but the whole house?

It was terrifying. Not "I will hunt you down and kill you so brutally you won't know you're dead" levels of terrifying, but still somewhat high on the list. He stared into Shisui's eyes which were staring at him with a wry smile, and he knew that he was on the receiving end of a genjutsu, because even though the villagers made him nervous at the best of times, he trusted Itachi and Shisui with his life.

They would never put him under one if they intended to cause him harm. There was a slight strain in Shisui's face as Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Mitsuo to turn to face him, the strain evident on his face too. It only seemed to relax after the hand contact, only reaffirming the fact that it was not, in fact, the Sharingan's genjutsu, but a general area of affect variant. Or maybe a sensory one, even though he'd not heard anything abnormal.

"We're not quite ready. Just give me and Naruto a second."

Shisui said, turning away. Itachi reassured Mitsuo as he fought against his instincts to dispel it. Though not harmful, the uncomfortable feeling of remaining in one rolled over his skin. His experience with genjutsu had been courtesy of Itachi because he trusted nobody else to put him under a low-levelled one. If the village hated his guts, they would take all the chances they could to add a little bit more torment, hence why he was so reluctant to let anyone else do it.

But once he realised he could trust Itachi, he learnt quickly about them. It helped that he was a Sharingan user, and well adept with genjutsu thanks to his Kekkei Genkai. It shouldn't have surprised him that his birthday- the celebration of it- began with a prank, especially with Naruto's penchant for them. He was just thanking his lucky stars that he hadn't actually painted the house entirely orange, which seemed like a very Naruto thing to do.

"Okay, you can dispel it Mitsuo."

He placed his hands in the required action and dispelled the genjutsu, relieved to see the apartment looking fairly normal. Normal in the sense that it wasn't bright orange. The amount of effort they went through was tantamount to how much they cared about Mitsuo's birthday. Confetti was draped along the floor, so thick that you couldn't even see the wooden floorboards beneath. The colours were bright and cheerful, blues and oranges and pinks and reds.

The colours of sunsets and the colours of family. There were banners all over the place like they had done for Naruto's birthday, but they were brand new, made of what looked like clean linen and the most obnoxious paint available. Balloons were bouncing off the walls, each one having different symbols etched into them, spinning and refracting small beams of light.

Blankets were draped over the sofas and between the one table that they had, making a den, the likes of which he'd not had since he was a small child. Underneath, there were various selections of food, another mimicry of Naruto's birthday.

On the savoury side of things, there was narutomaki; the pink tube-like treats with pink swirls in the middle, onigiri; smelling delicious and neat, the rice white and fluffy with chilli through it, Karē Pan; crispy and holding curry within, and of course, Ramen; specially ordered from Ichiraku, filled with egg and pork and of course, naruto fish.

Of course, there were other more sweet things too, such as wagashi; a selection of rice cakes and rice dumplings such as yokan and daifuku, taiyaki; shaped like a lucky fish, a biscuit containing red beans, and mushi pan, a pale sponge that had several fruits running through it like a sweet jam. They smelled heavenly, some versions of the food so expensive that Mitsuo often tried to create his own variants where he could.

Of course, some were impossible to make conventionally, because he lacked the specific tools he needed. The door to the kitchen was shut firmly, Sasuke lingering beside it protectively, as if his entire mission was to stop people from going inside. Namely, me.

"Do you like it Mitsuo? Do you do you do you?"

He laughed at his younger brother's excitement, nodding as he allowed himself to relax, messing around with Naruto's hair. Itachi walked over to Sasuke, closing the door behind him, poking him in the forehead in a brother to brother ritual.

"I love it, but where did you get all the food?"

"Oba helped. So did Teuchi-san."

That explained a lot. They were the only two who would cook for the Uzumaki brothers without trying to poison them, and while Dog helped out a lot, the last time he tried to cook, it had ended up in a kitchen soaked with a water Jutsu. ANBU were good at many things, but Dog, it seemed, didn't possess a talent in cooking. It was a lot of food for just two people to prepare, and it must have taken them a long time to make it. And while he appreciated it, he was all too much aware of how they could have better spent their time. Still, dipping his head, he smiled widely, not wanting to disappoint the excitable Shisui and Naruto, who were bouncing off the walls. You wouldn't think there was a nine-year age gap between the two of them if you compared their behaviour.

"Presents presents presents! We got you presents!"

Naruto jumped up and down, so heavy on his feet that he was convinced that the floor was going to cave in underneath them. Mitsuo placed his hands-on Naruto's shoulders, holding him down with a chuckle, as Itachi and Sasuke came closer, the latter focusing on the kitchen door like it had personally insulted him. Mitsuo looked at the elder Uchiha's, his head tilting, blinking his bright blue eyes.

"You didn't have to get me presents- the food- the house- would have been enough."

"We have to get you presents; it wouldn't be a birthday otherwise."

Shisui told him blankly, daring him to disagree. Naruto jumped forwards into Mitsuo's arms, forcing him to rely on his lightning-quick reflexes to catch his brother and adjust into a better grip. Naruto's arms snaked around Mitsuo's neck, his legs around his waist, and pressed his head underneath Mitsuo's chin. He pulled back so that he met his brother's blue eyes as Naruto placed the palm of his right hand onto Mitsuo's whiskered cheek.

"You get me presents Mitsuo! It's only fair you get some too! Even Dog brought something!"

Forget all the jutsu in the world and all the weapons in the world. The most dangerous weapon was Naruto's baby blues, able to turn even the sternest and cold-hearted person to a pile of mush on the floor. They were more mesmerising than the Sharingan, an endless ocean, holding so much faith for the one he called brother. It was a hard expectation to live up to, but Mitsuo was determined to.

"Alright alright. Let's open them then."

The grin on Naruto's face was one he never wanted to be removed. It deserved to stay there for the rest of his life.

The presents he got were ranging from small to large, but all of them had love put into them, and in the end, that was all that really mattered. Shisui had gotten him two things. One, a statue of three small crows. They were carefully etched, flying one above each other, connected by a fine string. It didn't seem significant to any outsider, considering Itachi's and Shisui's significance with crows.

It was their summon after all, and there was a kind of significance between them. But for there to be three- it was as if they were their own band of brothers. He may not have the crow summon, but the fact that it was there? It was unofficially declaring that they were all brothers, be damned what the Uchiha's would say. Mikoto would likely be approving, but Fugaku? He would be the complete opposite, and unfortunately for Mitsuo, what Fugaku said, often went.

The second present was something more intricate, several scrolls filled different kind of jutsu and seals alike, and a book about seal basics. Shisui also promised to give him more pointers on the Body Flicker. Itachi hadn't got him anything physical, apart from a book about wind natures, but he had the promise that he would teach Mitsuo the Uchiha Clan's Great Fireball Jutsu- against his father's wishes of course. He also promised to teach him Lightning Flash, a basic lightning Jutsu that would get him well on his way to mastering more lightning Jutsu.

But there was one thing from the two of them that Mitsuo hadn't anticipated- a lone scroll separated from the others, different in nature. It was separated for some reason, and it made him wonder what was so significant about the scroll that it had to be kept aside.

"That is a scroll containing how to do the summoning technique. I'm sure you remember what we were taught about them."

Itachi said to him, leading to Mitsuo nodding as Naruto squirmed to be put down, running around the house and over to Sasuke, who smiled at Naruto as the two whispered conspiratorially. I'm so glad that Naruto's beginning to get over the attack: and I think I have Sasuke to thank for that. His blunt attitude where he doesn't mince his words makes it simple for Naruto, without bluntly calling him an idiot.

"Yes. It'll take me to whatever place I have the closest affinity for since I don't have a contract."

Shisui and Itachi both nodded, casting their eyes to the scroll before nodding. There were many benefits to the summons, from messengers to combatants to distractions. It was well-known that one person could have many summonses, and that summons did not have to answer the… well… summon. He wasn't going to immediately try, because he did know respect.

And respect did not include intruding on whatever summon he went to, just because he wanted to try it out. That would get him kicked out of their home for sure. Plus, he'd be ditching his birthday party, which was also disrespectful. Mitsuo was a big believer in mutual respect going a long way.

"I'll be careful."

Naruto and Sasuke had worked on a present together, even though Mitsuo had specifically said that he didn't need any. But between the two of them, they'd gotten him some new clothing, Naruto knowing his style far better than others. For the ever-practical Mitsuo, presents that had use were ones he preferred. That didn't mean he didn't appreciate the ornament that Shisui had gotten him- it would be going in his room, in pride of place.

Dog had also gotten him a present, and it was a picture. It wasn't a photograph, but it was a hand-drawn picture- someone had obviously taken a lot of time with it. It was a picture of Minato with his Hokage cape flaring out behind him, his right arm around Kushina, whose red hair was draped down and along her back.

In her arms, there was Naruto, with a dusting of blond fuzzy hair, and his ever-present baby blues, jagged and shining even within the confines of the painting. In between the two of his parents, there was his young six-year-old self, his skin pink and colourful, his eyes alight with brotherly duty. They all looked so content in the painting, their parents proud and tall, a tale of a life that could have been had the events of six years ago not happened.

The painting was so lifelike that Mitsuo could have sworn it was just a real-life picture, except there was no chance for it to have been taken. He stared at it in-depth, for far longer than he should have, memories of his mother and father in front of him, swimming before his eyes. Haha. Chichi. Are you… proud?

"There is no need for war. Not so soon after we lost the Yondaime. It's not right for us to be treated the way we are, but it's not right for us to uprise against the village either."

Itachi said aloud, flashing an apologetic glance at Mitsuo for bringing up his father. It didn't upset him to think about his dad, although at one point it might have. He'd been forced to spend less and less time at the new, more remote, Uchiha Compound, ever since Itachi had gotten word of the Coup D'état that was waiting to happen. The conversations had been subtle, the meetings even more so.

They hoped to use Itachi's position in ANBU as an advantage because they believed that he could easily defeat the Third with his Sharingan. The only Uchiha left out of the meetings was little Sasuke, in which Mitsuo often took him on Itachi's behalf, the two boys having a "sleepover." Of course, strictly speaking, Mitsuo wasn't supposed to know about those meetings either, but when you had two friends-like-brothers who were both sitting in the meetings, and they trusted you implicitly: you knew the secret.

Shisui, while also in ANBU, didn't have much sway as Itachi did, despite Shisui also being skilled. Whether it was because Itachi was a captain or because he was next in line for the clan-head title, Mitsuo didn't know- he didn't know enough about the inner workings of a clan to find out.

"Do they think it will be different if an Uchiha becomes Hokage? They are no more perfect than you or me."

They continued on for a few seconds, kicking the dust as they walked, paces uneven and loud, a contrast to the normal silent and fleet-footed shinobi that they were.

I can see the point of both sides, but there were far better ways to approach this. Nobody can prove that the Kyūbi was controlled by a Sharingan. Nobody can prove it wasn't one either, especially with it being the most likely answer. But just because it was the most likely didn't mean it was the right one. Nobody could say the Uchiha's were involved, there are only suspicions. They should be watched, maybe, but not isolated like they are nothing better than trash.

"I want the path of peace for both sides. There need be no more bloodshed… not over a stupid pair of eyes. A stupid bloodline."

This was the first time that Shisui had actively spoken against the bloodline he'd been born into, downright dismissive. Mitsuo couldn't relate, because while he had a strong bloodline, there was no Kekkei Genkai of the Uzumaki Clan that was heard of. His mother had her chains, but he wasn't sure if that was just an ability she developed like the seals. And with Namikaze just being a family name, there were no Kekkei Genkai there either.

Nor a clan, but again, he was hoping to change that.

"There's got to be something we can do to bring about peace."

Mitsuo thought out loud, adjusting the hood of his jacket. His fists curled at the idea of another fight, one where his friends, the closest thing he had to a family, would be dragged in the middle. Fighting had lost him his family once, had kept his father away from him for the longest time, and he would be damned if he let his family escape or die in front of him again.

I have friends on both sides of the fight! What can I do without dooming the other to a hellish peril? The Uchiha have their Sharingan- some of them do anyway- but there is plenty of other talented shinobi in the village: it would be a blood bath. And because of my fealty to the Hokage, I'd be forced to fight against the Uchiha's, regardless of my own opinion on the matter. I cannot choose between the civilians of Konoha, of Dog and my Father's pride, and Shisui and Itachi, my friends within the village.

He paused, his thoughts freezing in the moment as his blue eyes shone, deep in thought. There was no way they were powerful enough to even consider trying to compel them to be peaceful. Genjutsu… none of them knew a genjutsu strong enough for it to even phase anyone.

Nothing shy of a Kekkei Genkai would work, and ones that actually managed to way someone's entire way of thinking were as rare as someone rising from the dead. Wait… Shisui's Eyes! What about Kotoamatsukami?

Mitsuo wasn't exactly the most knowledgeable about Shisui's Mangekyō's power, beyond the terms of "an incredibly powerful genjutsu, beyond the likes of any conventional jutsu." He could be barking up the wrong tree with his suggestion, but there was always the chance that it was a viable idea.

"What if… Shisui uses Kotoamatsukami? There'd be no bloodshed... we could convince them to abandon the coup. Or at least if I understand it right…"

They all hesitated, turning to look at one another, each with different faces. Itachi was difficult to read, but undoubtedly knowing that it would be needed to be used on his father of all people. It was bad enough that doing anything to influence a clan head was treason, but it only got worse once you brought family ties into it.

In an odd display of affection for him, he pressed his hand on Itachi's shoulder, the gesture fleeting but comforting. Itachi did not pull away, letting the touch linger before Mitsuo removed it himself, letting it drop by his side limply.

A father should not have to be suspicious against his son, and a son should not have to hide from his father. A best friend should not have to spy on someone he called brother. Simple rules, that didn't always work out in someone's favour.

That never worked out in anyone's favour. Mitsuo knew the importance of bonds, even if he was somewhat lacking in that department.

A shinobi may have to be able to work in the harshest conditions, but it didn't mean they weren't allowed to react badly to an eventuality. If someone's closest ally was massacred in front of them, they were expected to compartmentalise until here was a safe time to grieve- one couldn't serve the village or get revenge if they were dead. It was better he reacted now, regardless of how stoic, then when he was operating on a mission.

"Would it work on Fugaku?"

Mitsuo asked outwardly, voice quiet and solemn. It was the most unfavourable situation to be in and had he been able to do it himself, he would have happily taken the burden off of his two friends. It hurt him to betray the Uchiha, but they were so much not in the right. It hurt in a way that Mitsuo was unfamiliar with because although he did not talk to Fugaku, it felt as if he was betraying the trust of Mikoto. Neither side was in the right, and the three of them didn't want any kind of bloodshed.

Even though Mitsuo didn't care for Konoha, and they had done nothing for him and his brother, it didn't mean he wanted the whole place wiped off the map. There were kind people here, like Teuchi-san, Dog, and they didn't deserve to have their home eradicated because of something so petty.

The war they were going to instigate would drag innocents in the middle, blood was strewn across Konoha streets, the cries of children as slaughters happened before their eyes.

Orphans, both Uchiha and other clans and civilians, too many to deal with, genin forced to fight people out of their expertise. He took in a shallow breath to dismiss the images that could all too easily change into something else.

"It would work on anyone."

Shisui murmured aloud, eyes swirling to life in his commonly unused Mangekyō Sharingan. In a way, Mitsuo could relate. Because just like how the seal on his stomach and the scar on his arm was an unwelcome reminder of what he contained within him, and what happened, the Mangekyō was a reminder of when he'd let his teammate die. His normally dark eyes came to life in a swirl of red, the normally beady pupils shaping themselves into the unique four-pointed pinwheel.

"I'll help however I can. You have my word, Shisui."

Mitsuo told him with conviction, completely missing the small smile on Shisui's face. It was hard to smile in such a situation because nobody won; not Shisui, not Mitsuo, and especially not Itachi. In an oddly affectionate way, Mitsuo brought Shisui into a shy hug, as Itachi followed suit. While Shisui was the most affectionate out of the trio, the other two weren't exactly against emotional displays- they just couldn't indulge in them often for fear of being declared incompetent to do fieldwork.

Little did either of the two of them know that a year from now, the band of brothers would be forced to separate, walk down paths of life that neither of them could follow the other.

"Brothers."

Mitsuo said, with conviction and strength, bearing his soul to those he trusted the most. They all linked their fists, staring at one another with blazing determination. Who would have guessed that a chūnin and two ANBU would try and avoid war? Shisui linked his fists with Itachi and Mitsuo as they all echoed, with Konoha at their backs.

"Brothers."

It was both a vow and a pact.

Author's Note

Thank you all for the reviews! I read them all, and they really make me feel appreciated!

Thanks!

~Cait