X: Scorch Marks

Itachi stood in a world of red skies and stark black and white figures. Before him was Tekka, no longer carrying the wounds Itachi and Fugaku had given him.

"What is this?" the traitorous Uchiha asked, looking around.

Itachi frowned, wishing that Tekka was gagged. In that moment a rope appeared in Tekka's mouth.

"I see," Itachi commented. "This is some kind genjutsu, isn't it?" He glanced down at his own hands. "I'm not sure exactly how I cast it, though."

Tekka tried to yell something but his words were lost in his gagged mouth. He made to leap at Itachi but the Clan Head willed for his enemy to be bound in a pillory and Tekka suddenly found his head and hands trapped by a wooden contraption. Itachi took a step forward and raised his sword above his head. "This is for my father," he said as he brought the weapon down on Tekka's neck. The traitor's head was severed from his shoulders and it rolled on the pitch black ground. Watching it, Itachi only wished that he could kill Tekka again. As soon as the thought came to his mind Tekka was once whole and bound before him.

Flipping his sword to an underhanded grip, Itachi drove the blade through the back of Tekka's right thigh. Forcing his enemy to his knees, Itachi pushed the weapon further to pin Tekka to the ground. He materialized another sword in his hand and repeated the process with Tekka's other leg.

"Now," Itachi began, walking around to Tekka's front and willing the gag to disappear. "Tell me everything you know about this masked man claiming to be Madara."

"I already told you," Tekka replied.

"Come on, there has to be something," Itachi said. "Did he talk about when he last took control of the Nine-Tails? When he fought the First Hokage, perhaps."

"I'm not telling you anything," Tekka responded. He howled in pain as Itachi willed another sword to pierce Tekka's shoulder, pulling him closer to the ground and pinning him there as well.

Itachi knelt down in front of the traitor. "Tell me."

"Fine," Tekka grunted. "He didn't talk about fighting the First Hokage. He said he had been behind the Nine-Tails' attack several years ago, but the Fourth Hokage defeated him before sealing the beast."

"Did he want revenge?" Itachi asked.

"I assume," Tekka answered.

"But why wait so long?" Itachi questioned. "Not mentioning the idea that he could still be alive after that much time. It seems unbelievable."

"I don't know if he's the real Madara," Tekka said. "But he's powerful, he demonstrated that when he revealed himself to Inabi and me."

Itachi frowned. None of this was making sense. How could Madara Uchiha be alive? Putting aside the fact that he was supposed to have been killed by the First Hokage after betraying the village, his natural lifespan would have run its course years ago. Even accepting that Madara still lived, it didn't explain why he waited so long to attack the village when he theoretically could have taken control of the Nine-Tails at any time. On that thought, where did the Nine-Tails even come from? Something that powerful doesn't just appear and disappear unless someone of the level of the Kage can seal it away.

Itachi lifted his arm over his head and materialized another sword in his hand. "You'd better hope you have more answers for me," he said to Tekka.

The traitor looked back with a determined defiance in his eyes. "I have nothing more to offer you, so just kill me. It's clear at this point that I never had a hope of stopping you from destroying the clan."

"It was never me that was going to destroy it," Itachi replied before he swung his sword. In the moment before his blade struck Tekka, however, the red and black genjutsu world they had been in faded away. Itachi woke up back in reality, staring into Tekka's dead eyes. Whatever technique Itachi had inadvertently used on him, he died before it could reach completion.

He could also feel that it is was extremely chakra intensive, the degree of exhaustion he felt in that moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Pulling himself to his knees, he also saw that whatever length of time he had experienced in the illusionary world, almost none had passed outside of it. Kakashi was still working on repairing Naruto's seal while Tenzo suppressed the Nine-Tails' chakra under Guy and Shisui's guard. And his father's charred remains were still burning with the black flames of Amaterasu.

Itachi pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he hobbled on his cut ankle. He made his way to his father's corpse, now nothing more than a pile of melted skin and bones. Itachi felt unsure of himself in that moment before he began to weep. The tears fell from his face and evaporated on coming into contact with the black fire.

"I'm sorry," Shisui said, joining Itachi and putting a hand on shoulder. The Clan Head turned to his best friend.

"I just...can't believe he's gone," Itachi replied.

Guy approached the pair of Uchiha. "You should be proud, your father died as a shinobi should: protecting others." The green clad jonin clenched his fists and began crying. "You should honor him by using the springtime of your youth to its fullest!"

Itachi stared at Guy, uncertain what to make of his statements. But then he smiled. "I see. I think. Thank you, Guy."

Guy nodded in response. The moment was followed shortly by the green chakra linking Tenzo to Naruto's seal dissipating.

"It's done," Kakashi said, sitting down next to Naruto's unconscious body. "The seal is repaired."

"Then the mission is a success?" Guy asked.

"Seems to be," the ANBU captain replied, pulling his headband back down over his Sharingan eye.

Itachi put his arm around Shisui's shoulders. "Help me. I'd like to speak with Kakashi alone."

"Sure," Shisui replied, helping his clansman make his way to Kakashi and Naruto. He sat Itachi down next to them before taking his leave.

"I'm glad that I was able to save him," Itachi said, looking down at Naruto. "I promised my little brother that I would, I don't think I would have been able to face Sasuke if I had failed."

"Is your brother close to him?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, they've recently struck up a friendship," Itachi commented. "I'm sure Sasuke was quite traumatized by witnessing his new friend being kidnapped."

Kakashi nodded, staring off into the distance. "Good to hear he has a friend who cares that much for him. Seems we both had reasons why we couldn't fail this mission."

Itachi glanced at his ANBU mentor out of the corner of his eye, watching his body language. "I suppose so. He's the last legacy of your teacher, the Fourth Hokage, after all."

Kakashi turned to Itachi, his one visible eye as unreadable as ever. "You could say that. I certainly don't think I could have faced Minato-sensei in the next life if I had failed here tonight."

The two prodigies sat there silently for a time, Naruto laying between them.

"I'm sorry about your father," Kakashi said, breaking the quiet. "I know how hard it can be to lose a parent."

"Thank you," Itachi replied.

"But if I could ask just one question," Kakashi continued. "What was that fire technique Tekka used? Was it related to the Sharingan?"

Itachi hesitated, uncertain if he should share this information with someone not of the clan. But then he realized that Kakashi wielded the same eye as him, he had every right to know. "It is called Amaterasu, a deadly fire jutsu created by the Mangekyo Sharingan."

"Mangekyo," Kakashi repeated. "That some special form of the Sharingan? Seems you Uchiha have been keeping secrets from me."

"It's nothing against you personally," Itachi replied.

"I'm sure for some of you it is," Kakashi retorted. "You heard Tekka call me a thief, didn't you?"

Itachi paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "My apologies, but while some of my clan might feel that way, I've never begrudged you for it. In fact, I respect your ability to command a power you were not born to wield."

"Yes, yes," Kakashi commented. "Pleasantries aside, what is this Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Itachi took a deep breath, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were not being overheard by the others. "It is a rare and powerful manifestation of the Sharingan that not many even within the clan are aware of. I myself only learned of its existence relatively recently. The reason for this is that the Mangekyo is only attained by a Sharingan wielder witnessing the death of someone they care for deeply and even then only a select few have the capacity to use it. Tekka, for example, probably acquired his after seeing Yashiro's execution while Inabi apparently did not. It's part the reason why its existence is kept secret, for fear that power hungry members of the clan might kill those close to them in desperate and potentially futile bids for strength."

"I see," Kakashi said, a look in his eye suggesting that he was thinking back to very painful memory. "It does indeed sound like a dangerous power. And did you acquire it just now?"

"Yes, I believe so," Itachi answered. "I'm still not entirely certain as to what the new abilities of my eyes are, but they are not without cost. Their chakra consumption is very high and the backlash can damage the eye."

"I think I understand," Kakashi said, standing up. The student of the Fourth Hokage carefully picked up Naruto and held the boy in his arms. "Let's get to the hospital."

"I'll come too," Itachi commented, trying and failing to stand up on his injured ankle.

"Guy!" Kakashi called out. "Help Itachi."

"Sure thing!" Guy answered, walking over to the head of the Uchiha clan. The jonin knelt and offered his back to Itachi.

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm fine," Itachi began, trying desperately to get onto his feet. He faltered when he tried to put his weight on his injured ankle, falling onto Guy's back in perfect piggy-back riding position.

"Let the flower of your youth bloom!" Guy yelled, taking off at a sprint. Itachi held on for dear life, uncertain if this was preferable to just limping the distance to the hospital.


"You've got visitors," a nurse said in a singsongy voice as she opened the door to the hospital room.

Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the medical professional. "Thank you, you can send them in."

The nurse nodded and sidestepped out of the doorway, clearing the path for a pair of visitors to enter. Mikoto, worry writ large on her face as she laid eyes on her eldest son, and Sasuke, his expression subdued as he stared at the floor.

"Honey," Mikoto said, walking over to Itachi's bedside. "Are you going to be OK?"

"Yes, Mother," Itachi answered. "It'll take some time for my ankle to fully heal, but otherwise I'm in one piece."

"Thank goodness!" Mikoto exclaimed. "And your father?"

Itachi hesitated for a moment, feeling the words get caught in his throat before he finally forced them out. "He gave his life for the success of the mission and to protect the clan."

Mikoto's eyes began welling up with tears. "I...heard...but, I couldn't..." Her sobbing prevented her from getting anymore words out as she fell to her knees and cried into Itachi's bed sheets. It was clear that she'd been told of her husband's demise but couldn't bring herself to believe it fully until Itachi had said it himself.

Sasuke pulled on Itachi's sleeve. "Brother, is Naruto OK? Can I see him?"

"He's alright, Sasuke," Itachi replied. "Unfortunately, the Hokage has placed him under special protection for the moment, so you can't see him yet. But I promise you'll see him again soon."

"Are the ones that took him dead?" Sasuke asked. Itachi watched, shocked as Sasuke lifted his eyes to reveal a pair of Sharingan. They had clearly only recently awakened, with only a single tomoe in each eye. Yet they burned with hatred.

"Yes," Itachi answered. "Tekka and Inabi were both killed."

"Good," Sasuke replied as he stared forward unblinkingly. "If they weren't I'd have to kill them for taking Naruto and killing Father."

Mikoto stopped crying and placed a hand on Sasuke's head. As soon as she touched him it seemed to lift his anger and his Sharingan deactivated.

"It's OK, Sasuke," she said. "You don't have to worry about that."

Mikoto stood up. "I think we should leave. Itachi, I'll make you something special for dinner once you get back."

"That would be lovely, Mother," Itachi replied.

Mikoto smiled at her eldest son before turning around. "By the way, Itachi, Izumi was asking after you."

"Oh, I see," Itachi said. "I guess she must have been worried after everything that happened."

"Come, Sasuke," Mikoto said. Sasuke ran over to his mother's side and took her hand. Together they left the room.

Now alone, Itachi wrestled with the questions in his head. Who was this supposed Madara? Were they truly behind the Nine-Tails attack? It all ended up circling around itself, unknowns leading to unknowns. The only thing Itachi knew for certain was that he needed to find out more. He glanced out the window to see his mother and brother walking out of the hospital.

The sound of the door opening caught Itachi's attention. "Lord Hokage," he said as he turned to see the village leader step into the room.

"Hello, Itachi," the Hokage said, closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry about your father's death."

"He died as a shinobi should," Itachi said, thinking back on Guy's words. "I intend to honor his sacrifice."

"Good," the Hokage replied. "I've already taken reports from Kakashi, Tenzo, Guy, and Shisui. I would like to hear your version of the events now." The old shinobi pulled out a chair and sat in it.

"It was as you thought, my Lord," Itachi began. "Tekka and Inabi were desperate enough to try and take control of the Nine-Tailed Fox. They didn't seem capable of doing so when they partially released the tailed beast. We were able to defeat them and repair Naruo's seal, though my father gave his life to save Kakashi and Naruto from Tekka's final attack."

"Shisui mentioned that Tekka and Inabi were inspired to attempt this by a masked man bearing a Sharingan and claiming to be Madara Uchiha," the Hokage said. "The others did not include such a detail, is there a reason why?"

"We overheard Tekka and Inabi discussing the supposed Madara," Itachi answered. "We confronted them on the issue but Kakashi and his team arrived after, they did not hear about it."

"Do you believe there is validity to what they claim?" the Hokage asked.

"I don't see a reason for them to lie," Itachi commented. "I was also able to...place Tekka under a genjutsu shortly before he died of his wounds. I pressed him for more information and he said that Madara claimed to have been behind the Nine-Tails attack and planned to destroy the village before he was stopped by the Fourth Hokage."

The Hokage stroked his chin in thought. "Hm. A Madara like figure could certainly explain some of the mysteries of that horrific night."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "What mysteries, Lord Hokage?"

"Forget I said anything," Hiruzen responded. "In the meanwhile, you've done a service to the village, and as you said it was not as a shinobi of the Leaf but as the head of your clan. I would like to reward you for your service."

"I can't ask for anything," Itachi said. "I'm just glad that the village was saved."

"Nothing at all?" the Hokage asked. "I can't ask you to keep putting these responsibilities on your shoulders without offering something in return."

Itachi glanced out the window, seeing Kakashi and Guy walk out of the hospital. "There are a couple of things, actually."

"Go ahead and ask me then," the Hokage said.

"First," Itachi started. "I would like for Kakashi to be assigned as Sasuke's teacher when he graduates from the Academy."

"Interesting request," the Hokage commented. "Any reason as to why?"

"I believe it's another way to bridge the gap between the clan and the village," Itachi explained. "There are many among the Uchiha who view Kakashi as a thief for using a Sharingan despite not being one of us. I think having him teach Sasuke would be a good way to demonstrate the folly of that view."

"I understand your perspective," the Hokage said. "Unfortunately, Kakashi is a young man who has suffered a great deal of tragedy over the last several years and it has taken an emotional toll on him. I am uncertain how well suited he is to be teaching genin or taking care of children."

"Then please, Lord Hokage," Itachi said. "Help Kakashi be ready for it, there's still a few years before Sasuke graduates. Who knows, might even do him some good."

The Hokage sighed. "You have made your case, Itachi, I will see what I can do. Was there something else?"

"Yes," Itachi replied. "I would like to be the one to investigate the supposed Madara and any possible connection to the Nine-Tails attack."

"That is certainly something worth looking into," the Hokage said, "and you and Shisui are the only people alive who heard them discussing the masked Madara. I will grant your request. Once you are healed you and Shisui will report to my office to begin your investigation.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Itachi said, bowing his head.

The village leader stood and returned the chair to its prior location. He walked out of the room without another word being said. Once he was alone, Itachi found himself falling asleep in short order.


Armed with a pair of crutches, Itachi made his way down the walkway leading to his home.

"Do you need any help?" Mikoto asked, walking alongside her son.

"No," Itachi said. "Just get the door for me."

"Sure thing," Mikoto replied before she rushed ahead to open the way into the house.

Itachi strode through the doorway, stopping to take off his sandals as his mother closed the door behind him. "I think I would like to spend some time alone in the garden."

"OK," Mikoto replied.

Itachi walked down the hallway. He stopped as he passed his parents' bedroom, looking in to see the empty bed. It was strange to think that his father was not somewhere out there. He couldn't help but wonder if he could have avoided this tragedy if he had simply made a different choice somewhere along the way. Itachi shook the thought from his mind before continuing on to the garden. When he reached it he sat down on the edge of covered walkway connecting it to the rest of the house and laid his crutches down on the ground.

He sat there for some time, enjoying the ambience of the garden. He was eventually distracted, however, by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"What is it, Sasuke?" Itachi asked, looking over his shoulder at his younger sibling.

"Welcome back, Brother," the boy said.

"Yes, thankfully I only spent one night in the hospital. I'm glad to be out," Itachi replied.

Sasuke nodded, but then just stood there, turning his foot against the ground nervously.

"Do you have a question for me?" Itachi asked.

"Brother, why did they take Naruto?" Sasuke responded. "I thought about it and it just doesn't make much sense. Naruto's an orphan, so it's not like there was anybody to demand money from or anything. And why would members of our clan do it?"

Itachi studied his brother for a moment. Clearly he was also questioning things and was becoming more aware of secrets that were being kept from him. Not so different than Itachi himself, really.

"Does it have something to do with that fox-boy nickname?" Sasuke asked. "I asked the bullies who were calling Naruto that and they said they heard it from their parents. Is there some sort of secret about Naruto the adults are keeping from us?"

Indeed the boy was starting to piece things together. Itachi knew that his brother was sharper than the average kid his age and if bits of information kept falling in front of him Sasuke would follow them back to the source. Itachi supposed that all of the children in the village would eventually learn of Naruto's nature as a Jinchuriki at some time or another. Still, that didn't mean Sasuke should learn about it right now.

"Like I told you, that's just a cruel nickname," Itachi said. "Probably has something to do with those whisker like birthmarks on his cheeks."

"Uh-huh," Sasuke responded, seemingly unconvinced by the answer.