The Secret Revealed

Itachi appeared at Shirohime's doorstep with his still unconscious brother in tow late in the night, having made sure to take an overly circuitous route to make sure he wasn't followed. She opened the door, shocked to see the state of young Sasuke. She brought them in and had Itachi lay Sasuke in her bed beside Karasu while she prepared a pot of tea to help calm their nerves.

"What happened?" She asked Itachi softly, placing one of her hands over his.

"Someone killed our entire clan," Itachi said coldly, his face a blank mask. Shirohime was somewhat heartened that he squeezed her hand, showing that he hadn't shut down completely.

"What about Sasuke? Did he see it?" She asked him, worried for the sake of the young boy's sanity.

"I don't think so, but there was a strange man with a mask. I think he possessed the Sharingan," he said, going on to explain everything that had transpired in their compound. He even told her about his parents' missing eyes.

"I didn't have time to check, but I'm certain that whoever took my parent's eyes took everyone's," he said as he finished his recap.

Shirohime rose to serve the tea as the kettle whistled, young Sasuke began to stir at the loud noise. Itachi went to the bed where his brother lay beside his son, thinking that he had hoped they would meet under better circumstances.

"Where am I?" Sasuke asked groggily, his eyes only partly open.

"You're safe, Sasuke," Itachi said gently.

"Is everyone really dead?" Sasuke asked, his voice making it clear that he was on the verge of tears.

"How do you know everyone is dead?" Shirohime asked softly from the other side of the bed, having sat beside them when she brought the tea.

"He showed me," Sasuke replied, covering his eyes.

"The man in the mask?" Itachi asked. Sasuke nodded.

"He said his name was Madara, and that he had come to cleanse the clan. He made me watch as he killed everyone, somehow looping the vision of him butchering our parents and taking their eyes. He said 'the Uchiha of today don't deserve to possess the Sharingan'," he said, the tears he was holding back now flowing freely.

"Shhh. You're safe now. You're here with your big brother, and with me," Shirohime said to the boy, gently cradling his head as he crying grew into full-blown sobs that shook his small body. Itachi was impressed anew by her maternal nature.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Sasuke asked her after his sobs died down. "I-I'm sorry, it's not that I don't appreciate your help, but I don't know you," he added with a face of shame and confusion.

"It's okay, Sasuke. My name is Shirohime. I'm a 'friend' of your big brother," she said with a giggle and a smile.

"She's more than a friend. She's the mother of my son, your nephew, the baby laying on the bed beside you," Itachi said, much to Sasuke's surprise.

He went from staring at his brother in shock, to Shirohime, and finally to little Karasu beside him on the bed. After looking at Karasu for a few seconds, he turned back to Itachi.

"Why did you hide this, Itachi? The family would've been happy for you," Sasuke said.

"It's because I'm a member of the Hyuga family's main branch that ran away," Shirohime said in answer to Sasuke's question when Itachi failed to offer one.

"Oh," Sasuke said, understanding perfectly well now why they would keep their union and their child a secret.

"What's his name?" Sasuke asked his brother.

"Karasu," Itachi responded, eyeing his brother carefully.

"Would you like to hold him?" Shirohime asked Sasuke with a warm smile.

"Can I?" He asked, turning to Itachi.

"Go ahead," he answered with a chuckle.

Sasuke held Karasu lovingly, visibly becoming attached to the baby even though he had known of his existence for only about two minutes. Sasuke took in a shocked breath when Karasu opened his eyes slightly for a moment, seeing the pale color of the Hyuga. He looked at his brother with a mischievous grin.

"If you brought home a baby with Hyuga eyes, mom and dad would have had a heart attack," he said, giggling.

"Mom might have been happy for me, but dad definitely would have chased me out of the house," Itachi replied with a smile of his own.

Sasuke let out a large yawn before leaning back with Karasu still curled up on his chest. The two were asleep within seconds, making Itachi and Shirohime smile at the sight.

"Thank you," he whispered to her as he held her.

"The two of you are always welcome here," she replied as she kissed his cheek.

The two of them joined the children on the bed, falling asleep peacefully as they cradled Sasuke and Karasu between them.