XI: From the Ashes

Once again, Itachi sat at the head of a meeting of the Uchiha clan. But in contrast to the tense atmosphere of the previous assembly this one was more somber, owing to the absence of three of the clan's members. Itachi felt that much more alone in the Clan Head's spot with only his mother there to support him.

"I'm sure you all have heard at least bits and pieces of recent events," Itachi addressed the gathered Uchiha before him. "I have no doubt that you are all aware that Tekka, Inabi, and my father are no longer with us. This meeting was called to share the most important details of the incident that took all of their lives."

Itachi scanned the gathered Uchiha, searching for any reaction. They seemed to be waiting for him. Itachi glanced over his shoulder at his mother, who stared stoically out at the room.

The young Clan Head took a deep breath. "After our previous meeting, Tekka and Inabi could not bring themselves to accept that we had put the coup plans on hold and choose a drastic course of action in a desperate bid to act out their vendetta against the village. They kidnapped the child in whom the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed and attempted to free the beast."

Murmurs spread throughout the room and everywhere he looked Itachi saw shocked expressions. Most of the shinobi seemed uncertain what to make of this. The store owner Teyaki wore a great, disapproving frown. Everyone went silent when Akihiko stood up.

"What was their reason for doing this?" the man of few words asked.

"Inspired by tales of our ancestor Madara," Itachi told a half-truth, "they thought that they could use their Sharingan to take control of the Nine-Tails and use it to destroy the village."

Everyone in the room was so shocked by this that complete silence reigned over them.

"My father and I discovered their intentions and pursued them, fearing that they would fail and endanger us all," Itachi continued with a carefully censored version of the story. "They failed to control the Nine-Tails but managed to partially open the seal on it. We had to work together with a squad sent by the Hokage in order to suppress the beast and prevent it from breaking free and rampaging. Tekka, Inabi, and my father were all killed in the ensuing struggle."

In the far corner of the room, where the younger members of the clan sat to be seen and not heard, someone stood up. Itachi was surprised to see that it was his childhood friend and former classmate Izumi Uchiha.

"Why would they think to do that?!" she exclaimed, tears welling up in her eyes. "My father died to protect the village from the Nine-Tailed Fox and it killed so many other people!"

Yes, how could Itachi have forgotten? Izumi's mother had run away from the clan when she was a teenager, eloping with a shinobi from the village who came from no clan and was of no special pedigree. It had been a topic of great controversy at the time, from what Itachi understood. Izumi had actually spent her early years living in the village, away from the rest of the clan, and only after her father was killed fighting the Nine-Tails did they return to the Uchiha Compound. Considering the circumstances of his death, it was only natural Izumi would resent the idea that her own relatives would try to set the beast loose once more.

"I was always hesitant about the coup, but I went along with it because so many of the senior shinobi thought it was necessary for the survival of the clan," Izumi continued. "But if the Uchiha would really stoop so low then we really are as terrible as some people say we are!" Izumi paused, fishing around in her pockets. She pulled out her Hidden Leaf headband and tied it on. "If that is what it means to be a Uchiha, then I refuse to be one! I am a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf, and I will honor my father's legacy if it kills me!" She pointed at the symbol on her headband, an expression of fierce determination and anger on her tear stained face.

Itachi was surprised to hear this and he was certain that many in the clan were absolutely floored by Izumi's impassioned proclamations. The idea of someone preferring to not be Uchiha? Most in the clan would never even consider such a proposition. Even Itachi, while he was fundamentally loyal to the village above all else, had never thought of himself as anything but a Uchiha.

Izumi's mother hurriedly walked over to her daughter and tried to grab her arm. Izumi jerked away from her touch. Shisui stood up and put himself between them.

"That was beautifully said, Izumi," Shisui commented. "However, I think you are taking an unnecessary step in saying that you would rather not be a Uchiha. I do not believe that being a proud Uchiha and being a loyal shinobi of Leaf are mutually exclusive."

Being one of the most talented shinobi in the clan, Shisui's opinion carried significant weight. Still, Itachi was cautious that his friend was the one taking the initiative here. They had gotten a lot of mileage out of the misperception that Shisui's loyalty to the clan trumped his loyalty to the village. The young Clan Head knew that this could be a decisive moment.

"Look at the example of my ancestor Kagami," Shisui continued. "He was one of the Second Hokage's most trusted lieutenants and a close confidant of the Third, yet he never abandoned the clan. Based on that and my own experiences in the regular forces, I believe there is great role in this village that we are currently leaving unfulfilled because we think some people are not showing us as much respect as we think we deserve. Perhaps if we embraced that role we could prove to everyone that we are worthy of that respect."

"That seems like a reasonable position," Teyaki commented, giving an approving nod of his head.

Itachi studied the room. With Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi gone, it seemed that the flames of rebellion had died down and space had been created for more dialogue. Those that remained seemed to be at least open to the idea of reconciling with the village and for the first time in a while Itachi was starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

"Very well," the Clan Head said. "If there are no dissenting opinions, then we shall put an end to all talk of a coup." Itachi felt a weight being lifted from his shoulders and he wondered how many of those present experienced the same. At the very least no one seemed enthused about advocating for the coup.

Itachi allowed himself to take a deep breath and enjoy this victory despite the costs that it had entailed. "That seems to be the end of that."

"There is one last issue I would like to discuss," Akihiko said. "What is to become of Lord Fugaku's position as head of the Military Police? Will it be passed to you, Lord Itachi?"

Itachi opened his mouth to speak but before any words came out his mother spoke from behind him.

"I will be taking over my husband's position," Mikoto said.

Glancing over his shoulder at his mother, Itachi shot her a questioning glance. He didn't remember discussing this with her. She did not respond to his non-verbal query.

"Excuse me, my Lady," Jun said. "Are you sure you should be the one do it? I don't mean any disrespect, but..."

Mikoto smiled. "Young Jun, you were still a child when I stepped away from active duty to raise my children, but I will have you know that I was one of the finest jonin in the clan. I'm perfectly capable of this. Besides, if I remember correctly you are serving with the regular forces, so whoever is in charge of the Military Police should be of no concern to you. Unless you wish to transfer back."

"No, my Lady," Jun replied. "I would actually like to stay with my current assignment. I've been inspired by Shisui's example and Lord Itachi's faith in me. I want to be a bridge connecting our clan and our village."

Itachi suppressed a smile. Despite all the troubles they had gone through, pieces were falling into place and their fortunes were starting to look up.

"If that is the final topic of discussion, then let us be done for today," Itachi said.

After he said that the members of the clan began to stand up and leave the meeting area. As the number of people in the room began to dwindle, Itachi turned to his mother.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to take over Father's position?" He asked.

"I've been wrestling with the issue ever since I learned of his death," Mikoto replied. "By tradition the Head of the Uchiha Clan would serve as the Military Police Chief, but I thought that would not work well for you."

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked, though he had to admit that the prospect of becoming Police Chief had not even crossed his mind.

"Simply put, your relationship with the Hokage is too valuable," Mikoto replied. "For the sake of the clan, you must stay in Lord Hokage's trust and be an advocate for us. Being Police Chief is prestigious, but also isolating. There is no way you could maintain your relationship with the village leadership from that position."

"I see," Itachi said. "Thank you for thinking of me."

"Always, my son," Mikoto returned. "Looks like you have visitor," she added, looking past Itachi.

Turning around, the young Clan Head saw Izumi waiting patiently for him. "Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"No, it's OK," Izumi responded. She turned her gaze away from Itachi, a blush dancing on her cheeks.

Mikoto stood up and began walking out of the room. "I'll leave you two alone."

"Um, OK, Mother," Itachi replied, uncertain as to why she felt the need to go.

"Itachi," Izumi said, catching his attention. "I just want to thank you for ending all this coup talk. I know you've wanted to stop it just like I did, so I'm glad you were able to pull it off."

"I'm glad too," Itachi returned. "I couldn't have done it without Shisui though."

Izumi giggled. "It must be nice have a reliable older brother type, huh, Itachi? Oh, I guess I should start calling you 'Lord' now."

Itachi shook his head. "No need. We grew up and went to the Academy together, so please, don't act like you don't know me."

"Alright," Izumi responded, a bright smile on her face.

"Besides," Itachi continued, getting up on his feet. "I should be thanking you, your passion and bravery was the kind of thing needed to push things forward."

"Oh," Izumi responded, blushing. "I guess I just got riled up when I heard the part about the Nine-Tails."

"Considering everything that happened to your family, I understand," Itachi said.

A moment of silence held over them, not a poignant one but an awkward one.

"Well, um," Izumi said, breaking the quiet. "I guess I should go."

"Oh, alright," Itachi replied, watching his childhood friend run off to join the final group of people making to leave the room. As he watched her leave his eyes happened upon Shisui, still waiting in the corner of the room. Itachi waved him over.

"What's going on?" Shisui asked as he approached.

Itachi double checked to make sure the last few remaining people were out of earshot. "Lord Hokage has another mission for us."

"What kind?" Shisui asked.

"We're going to investigate the masked Madara," Itachi answered.

Shisui nodded. "That would make sense, we're the only people in the village who've heard of him at this point. Got any idea where we'll start?"

"When my father died I awakened my Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi explained. "I used it to cast a genjutsu on Tekka before he died and was able to get more information out of him. Apparently this supposed Madara claimed that he had been the one to send the Nine-Tails against the village and had fought the Fourth Hokage and lost. We're going to see if we can find any evidence to support that."

"When are we starting?" Shisui asked.

"My ankle is mostly healed now, so we should go and talk with Lord Hokage tomorrow morning," Itachi answered.


Sasuke stood in the entrance hall of the Academy, waiting. It felt like all he had done ever since Naruto was taken away from him. Wait for Itachi to save him, wait for him to recover at the hospital, wait for the Hokage and his people to finish with whatever it was that they needed him for. But today was the day that his waiting would end and Naruto would return to class.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" one of teachers who had been filling in since Iruka's hospitalization asked. "Shouldn't you be heading to class?"

A frown on his face, Sasuke stared back at the teacher. His patience was running thin.

The substitute sighed. "I don't know what you're doing here, but just get go...hm?" He looked over at the front door.

Sasuke turned to see the doors open. "Naruto," he said, walking over to his friend.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto replied with a grin.

"Oh, that kid's back," the teacher said. "Whatever. Just get to class, you two."

"OK, OK," Naruto replied. "Let's go, Sasuke," he added as he started walking down the hall.

The young Uchiha followed, glancing over his shoulder at the teacher. Why was he being so dismissive? Shouldn't the return of a student that had been kidnapped and gone missing receive more recognition?

"Has Iruka-sensei not come back yet?" Naruto asked as they walked.

Sasuke returned his attention to his friend. "No, but he's expected to return at the start of next week. He's in better shape than those two people from the ramen place though, they're still in comas."

"That sucks," Naruto commented. "I was hoping Iruka-sensei would be the one to welcome me back and take me out to Ichiraku for real."

Maybe Naruto was right, Sasuke thought. If Iruka was back in class there would have been a warmer reception awaiting Naruto.

"I heard that your dad was killed trying to save me," Naruto said. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sasuke replied.

"He did it for me!" Naruto yelled, coming to halt. "I don't want anyone else to not have parents because of me, I know how much that hurts! So I'm sorry!"

"Like I said," Sasuke replied. "I don't blame you. It was someone else, a member of my own clan, who killed him and now he's dead too. It wasn't your fault."

Naruto averted his gaze. "I don't get it, why don't you hate me too?"

"Why would I hate you?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto shrugged as he resumed walking. "I don't know, but almost everyone does, been that way for as long as I can remember. Probably the reason why they kidnapped me."

"You think people hate you that much?" Sasuke questioned.

"Probably," Naruto said before his mouth curled into a grin. "But I won't let them feel that way forever. I'm going to erase whatever reasons they have when I become Hokage!"

There was that dream of his again. Hokage. Everything seemed to circle back to that for Naruto. Maybe he was right to see things that way, or maybe he was being foolish to go after a far flung goal. But Sasuke could see that it wasn't a flight of fancy or idle chatter. Naruto meant it every word of it, every single time he said it. It motivated him to rise above his circumstances. At his core, Sasuke knew that he himself had nothing like that.

They walked the rest of the way to the classroom without incident. The substitute teacher then arrived and began class without incident. Lessons proceeded without incident. Sasuke didn't get it and it was annoying him more and more. This wasn't just some normal day. One of your students had been kidnapped, disappeared, and ended up in the hospital. There was no recognition of his absence, no announcement of his return or explanation for why he'd been gone. Maybe the adults really did hate Naruto for some reason.

These thoughts burned themselves into Sasuke's brain as the day passed. He did the classwork and he learned the lessons but nothing owned more real estate in his mind than the way Naruto was being treated. It so preoccupied him that Sasuke was almost surprised when the bell rang to signal the lunch break.

The other students began get out of their seats and leave the room while the teacher gathered up his materials and exited. Sasuke glanced over at Naruto sitting a few rows in front of him, noticing that he was neither leaving to get lunch in the cafeteria nor was he pulling out anything that he had brought himself. Sasuke reached under his desk and found the lunch his mother had prepared for him before standing up and walking over to Naruto.

"Here," Sasuke said, putting his lunch between them.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded. "It's annoying to see you be so pitiful." He opened up his lunch and started shoveling some of the food into the handkerchief it had been wrapped in.

"Thanks," Naruto replied. "I forgot all about making a lunch for today, with getting out of the hospital and all."

Shikamaru turned around in the seat in front of Naruto and Sasuke. "Wait, you were in the hospital?"

"Yeah," Naruto confirmed, taking the food Sasuke offered him in hand.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked. "Choji and I were wondering where you were."

"Yeah," Choji said. "We tried asking that sub about it but he wouldn't say a word."

"Well, listen here guys," Naruto whispered, leaning in closer. "I was kidnapped."

Shikamaru recoiled back in shock. "No way, dude. I don't believe you."

"It's true," Naruto said. "They knocked me out with some crazy jutsu and ran off with me. Next thing I knew I was in the hospital and the Old Man Hokage was there telling me that he had sent a squad of super badass ninja to come and save me." The young boy was smiling, his trials now a cool story to tell others.

"I'm with Shikamaru," Choji commented. "There's no way that's true."

"He's not lying," Sasuke said. "I was there when it happened and my brother was on the team that went after the kidnappers."

"Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that," Shikamaru replied. "That sounds like it was a real drag."

Choji crossed his arms, a concerned look on his face. "Yeah, and now I'm wondering if something happened to Iruka-sensei too."

"Oh, that," Naruto said, suddenly looking guilt-stricken. "Iruka-sensei was there too. He got hurt really bad trying to protect me."

"I can't believe nobody thought to tell us," Shikamaru said. "And why kidnap you? None of this is making sense, now that I think about it." Sasuke studied the Nara boy for a moment. Apparently he wasn't the only who was finding this odd.

Choji reached out and patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you're OK, Naruto."

"Yeah, same for me," Shikamaru said.

"I'm so glad," Sasuke heard behind him in a barely audible whisper. He glanced over his shoulder to see Hinata sitting in the back corner seat and staring at Naruto's back, smiling softly. She noticed Sasuke and averted her eyes.

Turning back around, Sasuke wondered about the scene that had just played out. So there were kids other than him who cared about what happened to Naruto and that was good to see. But it still didn't explain why all the adults other than Iruka and those two ramen shop owners routinely ignored him unless Naruto was acting out in some way. Then there was the kidnapping itself and the motivations behind it. Sasuke was becoming convinced that there was a secret involving Naruto that the adults were keeping from them and potentially every child in the village and even Naruto himself. Sasuke was determined to find out what it was. He had already lost his father and Naruto had nearly been taken from him. There was no way he was going to sit idly by anymore.