III: …and a Step Back.
Sasuke stood in the tree branches, watching the scene below. Naruto Uzamaki was throwing shuriken at a makeshift target mounted on a tree branch. To Sasuke's annoyance the target was a very crude effigy of him, though most of the projectiles were missing and with every miss Naruto would get more frustrated and would miss more spectacularly. The Sasuke-target was largely unscathed as a consequence.
This had been playing out for at least three hours, almost from the moment that classes at the academy had ended for the day. Sasuke's mother was probably worried that he hadn't come home yet, but he was too focused on observing the scene in front of him to think about that. Whatever else could be said of Naruto, Sasuke now knew that this kid trained with an almost scary single-mindedness.
Deciding he'd finally seen enough, Sasuke jumped down to the ground, landing silently behind Naruto. "You know, you're doing it wrong."
Naruto jumped in surprise, then turned to see Sasuke and scowled. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice filled with contempt.
"I told you, you're doing it wrong," Sasuke replied flatly.
"That doesn't answer my question," Naruto started, "ah, whatever, just get out of my face, you jerk!" Naruto grabbed the last shuriken from his holster and threw it at the target. It grazed the effigy's check and flew past. Naruto howled in frustration and ran to retrieve his training weapons. When he had gathered them he ran back to his spot and threw them roughly to the ground, not bothering with the holster.
Naruto threw another wildly, missing the target by almost a whole foot. Sasuke sighed and stepped forward silently, picking up a shuriken and throwing it at the target, hitting the image of himself directly between the eyes. "That's how you should do it."
Naruto eyed the Uchiha boy angrily. "There's no need to show off, bastard! Now go away!"
"I'm not showing off," Sasuke said calmly. "I'm trying to help you."
Naruto stamped his feet in rage. "Yeah? Well guess what, I don't need your help! I'm going to be Hokage!"
Sasuke's anger boiled over as he yelled back. "Oh, yeah? Not like that you won't. Just watch, I'll be the Hokage instead!"
Naruto swung at Sasuke, who easily countered and threw the blonde to the ground. After dusting himself off, Sasuke started to walk away.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled from the ground. "Don't you dare leave! I'm not finished with you yet!"
Sasuke didn't stop walking and didn't turn his head as he kept moving forward. "Yes, you are."
Itachi sat in his room, numerous pieces of paper with many notes scrawled on them scattered about in front of him. He'd been furiously trying to come up with a plan to close the rift between his clan and village, but the best he could think of were half-measures and stop-gaps, no real solutions.
Itachi was distracted by loud noises and voices coming from the entrance. "Sasuke where have been?!" Itachi heard his mother say. "Wait, where do you think you're going?"
"Somewhere, Mother," Sasuke replied. Apparently he was in a sullen mood.
Itachi looked out his door soon enough to confirm that, Sasuke marching past wearing an intense scowl. Itachi got up and walked over to the doorway, sticking his head out to watch his younger brother skulk off to his room.
Turned his head, Itachi saw his mother come around the corner and open her mouth to yell something. "I'll talk to him," Itachi interrupted.
Mikoto paused for a second before letting out an exasperated sigh and shaking her head. "Fine. It's just so strange, him coming home so late without so much as an explanation."
"I know," Itachi replied. "I'll look into it."
"Alright," Mikoto said, "I suppose I should get dinner started now that Sasuke's back."
When his mother left Itachi went to track down his little brother. He found him quickly enough, pacing about in the family gardens. "Something wrong, Sasuke?"
The boy kicked at some dirt and looked up at his brother. "Nothing."
"Really?" Itachi asked, one eyebrow raised.
Sasuke stopped, his face screwed half in anger, half in guilt. "I talked to Naruto today."
Itachi was pleasantly surprised, though he did not outwardly show it. "How did it go?"
"Badly," Sasuke answered. "I tried to help him, but he said I was a show off and yelled at me. I got mad and yelled back."
"Uh huh. Were you showing off?" Itachi asked.
Sasuke stopped, stared at Itachi, and blinked. "Um…no. I mean, I tried to show him to do the throws that he was practicing…"
"Don't you think that can look like showing off?" Itachi interrupted.
Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing.
"Maybe you should try again, this time without showing off," Itachi said.
"Maybe he's just not an exceptional shinobi, maybe I can't help him and we can't be friends," Sasuke replied with a shrug.
"What?" Itachi asked, caught off guard.
"You said that the Uchiha are exceptional shinobi," Sasuke said. "That's why we're in charge of the police, right?"
Itachi had a moment of epiphany, but that would have to wait. He knelt down in front of Sasuke and grabbed the boy by the shoulders. "Listen Sasuke, being a Uchiha does not make you better than anyone else. Anyone can be exceptional, and even a Uchiha can be less than great. Now, I want you to-"
Itachi was interrupted by a loud banging on the front door. "Hold on, Sasuke, let me get that."
"Is Itachi in there? We want to talk to him," was yelled out as the young Clan Head made his way to the front door.
Itachi turned the corner into the entrance hall just as his mother was about answer the door. Upon seeing him she backed away. "It's for you."
"Where's Father?" Itachi asked as he stepped past Mikoto.
"He's at work," she answered. "He's been engrossing himself with police business ever since he stepped down. Why?"
"Just wondering," Itachi said, opening the door shortly after his mother had gone back into the house.
Outside stood Yashiro, Inabi, and Tekka Uchiha. "Ah, Itachi," Yashiro said, "we were just looking for you."
"Yes," Itachi replied, "can I help you?"
"What did you do to your father, whelp?" Inabi asked, stepping out in front of the small group.
"I'm sorry, what?" Itachi replied, thrown off by the question.
Tekka grabbed Inabi by the shoulder and gently pulled him back. "We're sorry, we've just been thinking about what happened at the last clan meeting and we have some questions."
"OK," Itachi said, wary, "you may ask."
"Has your father been acting strange lately?" Yashiro questioned.
"Not so far as I can tell," Itachi lied, "to tell the truth I've been so busy with my duties that I'm not sure if I would notice." That was at least partly true.
"Is it possible that he's being influenced by someone, perhaps even the village leadership?" Tekka asked.
Itachi took a deep breath, giving the impression that he was giving thought to an idea he'd never really entertained. "I don't think so."
"Enough of this farce," Inabi said, pushing his compatriots to the side. "What kind of genjutsu have you used on your father, Itachi? We know it was you."
Itachi shook his head in surprise and blinked several times. "I've never put my father under any genjutsu. Why would you even ask that?"
Tekka grabbed Inabi's shoulder once again, more firmly this time, restraining him. "You have been acting strange ever since you joined the ANBU. That, and we believe you capable of such a feat. Of all the clan only Shisui is your superior in the use of genjutsu."
One of Itachi's eyebrows rose. "Then are you also suspecting him?"
"No," Yashiro answered, "his loyalty to the clan is well known and beyond question."
Itachi sighed, exasperated by the fools he was speaking with. "You should not let your own preconceptions blind you."
"What was that?" Yashiro asked angrily, activating his Sharingan.
"You should not let your inflated sense of self-importance color your perceptions nor discount any possibilities." All of Itachi's annoyance with his clan's arrogance began to bubble up. "You call yourself Uchiha and think yourself superior, without gauging the capabilities of those you would make your enemies."
"Watch yourself now," Yashiro said. "You may be Clan Head, but we're still your elders."
Itachi's anger flared up. He quickly jabbed Yashiro in the stomach with his right fist, then punched Tekka across the jaw with his left, before pivoting and kicking Inabi in the stomach, sending him flying back several feet. Before Tekka could recover, Itachi grabbed him by the shoulders and spun into a throw, catching Yashiro in the motion and sending them both flying on top on Inabi.
Itachi took a few steps forward until he stood over the jumbled pile of Uchiha. He looked down upon them, his face stern and arms crossed. The three elder shinobi looked back up at the young Clan Head, their anger simmering.
"What is going on here?" Fugaku asked, walking in on the scene.
"Sir, permission to arrest Itachi Uchiha," Inabi said as pushed his compatriots off of him and scrambled to his feet.
"Denied!" Fugaku yelled with authority. It was good to see that he could still have the weight of command in his voice. "We went over this during the meeting. If you have any problems with it, keep it to yourselves."
Yashiro pulled himself to his feet, saying begrudgingly, "yes, sir." He then led his compatriots out as they left the premises.
"You will not win their loyalty through intimidation, Itachi," Fugaku said as he approached his son.
"I know," Itachi replied with a deep breath. "It's just…ah."
"Don't worry about it, Son, you'll think of something," Fugaku said as he stepped past Itachi to go inside the house.
"Actually, Father," Itachi said.
Fugaku turned and looked at his son. "Yes?"
"I have thought of something. I would like to integrate us with the rest of the village's shinobi. Other ninja will be allowed into the police force and more of our own will join the other divisions."
"Hm…interesting," Fugaku replied. "Have you spoken to the Hokage about this?"
"I'm thinking of meeting him tomorrow," Itachi answered. "If that is alright with you."
Fugaku nodded. "It is. You have my support." He turned back towards the house. "All the way, Son, to the end."
Itachi smiled softly. "Thank you, Father."
Father and son walked back into the house together without a word. The rest of the day went by uneventfully.
