Notes:

Obligatory grammar warning

—oOo—

Uchiha Itachi seems to be burdened with the same fate once again. Ever since his not so quite disastrous five years old birthday, his life starts to only revolve around training and... a lot more training. Of course, this is not a brand new thing. He would even say that this new life's training routine is not as arduous as the one he had before. There is an obvious lack of physical training. Perhaps this is due to his age. Instead, his teachers constantly keep trying to push him into mastering his supposedly unknown and new innate talent. There is nothing unknown or new about these eyes.

Ha… unknown innate talent. Itachi doesn't quite understand how his Sharingan is able to manifest in his current body. After all, he's an Uchiha no more, at least in blood. Or perhaps, these eyes follow him along with his rebirth due to his spiritual connection to the life he had before.

Person. He believes that they are formed by their own perceived sentience and memory. What exactly is it that makes him Uchiha Itachi? Is it merely his body, or is it his sense of self? The error which causes him to retain his previous memory seems to be responsible for making him an Uchiha Itachi still.

—oOo—

His new body is relatively weaker than the one he had before. Back then, before his illness started to ravage his body, his physical capabilities were not the best amongst the shinobi of his rank. This predicament is rather daunting, especially when there is no familiar telltale of chakra to protect him. Whether cursed energy is an acceptable substitute or not, he has yet to know. With all the instructors they have assigned him to, and the subsequent duty his nominal father arranged for him. He has no time to experiment for himself.

Though his father doesn't give an impression of being bothered or displeased by his lack of physical strength, it is probable that he regards this as a minor annoyance. He doesn't make it his habit to guess what other people usually think, but Itachi has already seen enough of how his clansmen treat their fellow members who have no innate talent to understand his father's or better yet, his clan's views on this matter. Their treatment gets significantly worse towards those who have below-standard cursed energy.

This attitude also stretches toward the main family. His older cousin, weirdly enough, has no lick of cursed energy inside his body. According to this world's law and logic, this should have been an impossibility. This lack of cursed energy makes it hard for other people to detect his presence. This is quite ridiculous, since every single time he enters Itachi's line of sight, he takes so much of his attention that it becomes distracting. Or perhaps, his brain simply categorizes him as someone dangerous, someone that could potentially harm this weak body of his.

To put it simply, he is overwhelming.

The teenager is obviously strong. Forget it, he is outrageously strong. At an age of fifteen, he eclipses all the clansmen's raw physical strength combined. Despite his capability, his older cousin also gets short-end treatment from everyone around him. It doesn't seem to bother him, most of them only dare to run their mouth and whisper to each other. Well, it is quite understandable. Nobody wants to actually pick a fight with someone who is able to use them to wipe the floor in a matter of seconds.

—oOo—

Ever since he got his Sharingan, his father decided that he is someone who is worth investing in. His father's lack of presence becomes a rare commodity. These days, he often asks Itachi to accompany him. The man speaks of no serious matter, most of the time, he only inquires about his technique's progress and training, something that he could easily obtain by asking his instructors.

Truthfully, Itachi is glad. He doesn't know what to do if he actually has a caring parent in this second life. This business-like relationship is relatively better.

His father and mother had been caring in their own ways. His father constantly pushed him harder due to his responsibility as a clan leader and the desperate need to make him stronger, especially when their life was so entrenched in war. There is simply no way to separate the word shinobi from war. Does he have some kind of hatred towards that type of society, when war and violence become a commodity to live? Perhaps.

To survive in that world, he had to be strong. There was no other viable compromise. Or else, he would have no agency in life. Behind his strict words and treatment towards his sons, he knew… his father did care.

But his current father… he could not see any emotion resembling fatherly love that he had found behind his father's facade. Itachi should not have been surprised. After all, this is the same man who lets the clan discriminate against someone they perceive to be 'weaker' than them, even when they share the same blood. At the same time, Itachi shouldn't have judged, the Uchiha clan also had the same tendency. Though, they were more low-key in their disdain against their kins who have no Sharingan. Ah... it was less of disdain but more like a stigma that those who didn't have these heaven-blessed eyes were seen as useless.

In the grand scheme of things, blood matters a little. Both now and then, it rings true.

His father's interest causes him endless troubles, especially from his older brothers. The older ones have no time to bother him when they have their own duties, but the younger ones… They constantly sway in front of him while spouting countless nonsensical words. They cannot arbitrarily enter his courtyard, so they always do this every time they train together in the dojo.

He knows not of their names and finds no purpose in learning that, but he certainly knows their general habit. They have never actually gotten along with each other before. It is evident in the way they fight or the way they utter snide comments toward one another. But… it seems that he has become an exception to their conflict, a unifying agent, a target for them to isolate.

Nothing harmful. But well… he admits, they are a bit of an annoyance.

" – Hey, are you listening?..!" a boy in front of him yells when Itachi doesn't react in the way he wants. Ruminating silently, Itachi finds no obvious similarity between them and him. Perhaps his guess that they are probably only his half-brothers is valid. He ignores them while waiting for their instructor to arrive, but the boy looks like he is about to combust with the way his face turns so red.

He has no energy for this. They are kids no matter how grating their presence might be.

"Seventh Brother, is there something you need?" Itachi thinks that he should be grateful. Sasuke certainly never behaved like this, even when he came from a similar background as these kids. Right, his younger brother was adorable, even when he was on his murderous rampage. He still remembers how his brother's eyes widened when Sasuke thought that Itachi was going to gouge his eyes.

The boy is fuming and visibly annoyed. Though, he looks like he has already started to calm down and prepares his little speech, "no, don't think that you will be the heir – ", he snorts and seems to gain confidence the more he opens his mouth, "after all, your mother is just a filthy wh – ", he catches himself from cursing but then attempts to smooth his sentence, "outsider."

Um, the classic 'your mother' insults… It doesn't work. He never even once gets a glimpse of his birth mother since the day he gains proper consciousness. Itachi believes the boy's statement. It is reasonable to attribute his mother's lack of presence due to her improper identity in the eye of the clan.

So… technically, he is a bastard.

Nothing to lose sleep over.

He may have no affection for his birth mother, but it doesn't mean that he has unlimited patience. Tired of these increasingly bothersome and frequent remarks, he contemplates using his Sharingan to weave subtle suggestions inside their head. They will find him boring and decide that they have better things to do than constantly bothering him.

Yes, they need a gentle hand to guide them away from running their mouth before they would insult someone they shouldn't, and get into trouble in the future. Really, they should have thanked him.

An easy thing to do. He should have done this the first time they approached him.

—oOo—

"You did something to those brats." Itachi hears a sudden question from someone that he never thought would willingly approach someone from the main house. It's not even a question anymore. He speaks as if it is a fact… and it is.

It has been two months since he planted those harmless suggestions on his bothersome brothers. The technique works perfectly fine without needing him to periodically reinforce them. During that period, he finally found time for himself and tried to explore the difference between the then and current Sharingan. He finds no chakra in this world, so he doesn't know its repercussions on his previous Sharingan techniques.

There is no obvious difference between them, at least not on his basic Sharingan ability. The only notable thing is that he is able to semi-permanently enforce his will on others without a specialized Mangekyou Sharingan technique at play. He had no Kotoamatsukami in the past, and he doubts he would have it now.

"Third Brother." He politely greets the fifteen years old and tries to shift his expression into an approachable one, a faint smile, only to find that his face refuses to budge. In the end, he settles into the usual impassive front he always wears. The teenager didn't ask, so there's no need for him to provide any confirmation.

His third brother—well, his cousin's mouth involuntarily twitches when he hears the way Itachi addressed him. "I'm not your brother."

"Well," should he disagree or what, in the end, he settles, "that's true. " He has no other brother except his dear younger brother. Remembering that, it has been quite some time since the last time he thought about Sasuke. He clearly remembers the way he used to constantly think about him, thinking about all the plans he designed for Sasuke's future.

It's weird… or maybe it's not.

His death seems to take something out of him. Something that used to cause him to constantly worry about Sasuke. Honestly, he feels strangely free. Perhaps… This is what people call finally having peace of mind. Itachi thinks… he did the right thing regarding Sasuke after all.

"– but you are ranked third in this generation." The teenager doesn't look like someone who cares about small talk, so Itachi assumes that he is simply too curious to not ask, especially when there is no one else except them in the dojo.

"You're a brat who talks like those old men." Silence, Itachi makes an educated guess that the teen probably refers to the clan elders. "Are you even that ol' Naobito's son? With the way you behave, it seems too good to be true." Itachi doesn't deign that with an answer. He only gives the older teen a deadpan face.

Receiving no response and presumably realizing that he talks too much than usual, the older boy decides to directly ask, "well, how were you able to get those brats to shut up?" The crux of the matter. It is obvious that the older boy hates his clan. He doesn't even attempt to hide it. It's only right. They treat him like he is lower than useless. And in turn, he treats them with the same fervor, if not more.

Itachi contemplates whether he would tell him or not. Though, he does have something that he would like to ask the older boy in front of him. Um, he already decided. "I will answer your question if you answer mine."

The teen in front of him raises one of his eyebrows. "Oh, what is it?" He sounds unenthusiastic. He probably is.

"Why are you so strong?" Obviously, it is impossible for his body to naturally be that strong without some outside factor. He has no cursed energy to enhance his strength. So… What is it that makes him especially strong to a ridiculous degree?

He doesn't seem to expect that question, or perhaps he assumes that Itachi should have known about it. "Ho… Why don't you ask your teacher?"

"I have a first-hand information resource in front of me. Why should I ask others?"

"Hm…" He hums as if considering his answer, then he finally decides to end his fake musing. "Heavenly Restriction."

"Heaven...?" He zeroes on that particular word. Is it merely a naming choice or is there literal heaven somewhere out there, "what is that supposed to do?"

"Well, that's where you have to look for yourself. My answer. Now." The older boy doesn't like him much. Not that Itachi ever tries to be likable, he has no talent in that regard, but most people do like a polite child, so it must have been his dislike towards the clan that causes him to have an aversion to being around him on an extended amount of time.

Feeling a little bit petty, he gives him a similarly short answer. "Compulsion."

"With your fancy eyes." Once again, not a question. He already forms his opinion, so there is no need for Itachi to elaborate. "Fine, keep your secret."

"Thank you," a pause, "I will."

Deciding that their conversation is finished, the older teen walks away from him and opens the sliding door, and leaves the dojo.

—oOo—

Notes:

I don't think Itachi will feel guilty imposing his will onto someone else especially if it's not harmful, after all this is the Itachi that mindfuck the little brother that he obviously loves (just remember this Itachi has never been summoned for 4th ninja war), that Edo tensei-d Itachi is aware of his flaw when he dealt with Sasuke. But this one, he obviously thinks he's correct especially since it brings him peace of mind. For all of his wisdom (that Kishimoto obviously overdone, I mean, he says that at the age of seven Itachi has the wisdom of a Hokage. God, I facepalm so hard. Itachi is a genius but I don't think he's particularly wise), he surprisingly has the worst tunnel vision. In the case of Sasuke, he's hellbent on keeping him safe and alive… and he did, he succeeded. But damn, he never takes Sasuke's feelings and mental condition into consideration.

Hard to detect and silent footsteps, Toji is halfway to becoming an assassin.

I don't know how someone from a big clan addresses their same-generation first cousin. So I use this system where they call their first cousin in order of seniority. Gege said that Naoya has many older brothers, though the number is unknown, so in this story, I wrote him as the seventh son of Zen'in Naobito (but the ninth in overall rank). Toji has an older brother, so I placed him in third place according to seniority. Regarding Maki and Mai, I don't know if at least one of their parents is Naobito's sibling. So, please tell me if you know.

Regarding Sharingan, I will nerf some of its (MS) ability but add another function instead. Sigh, I still want Satoru to be the strongest. When I think about it, the Six Eyes itself doesn't have a raw fighting technique (unlike Sharingan), but when it is combined with Limitless, it becomes space-time bending OPness.

15 yo Toji be like arguing with a 5 yo kid, but then immediately leaves. Well, he is reasonably uncomfortable around someone that can potentially bend his will.