"Itachi! Naozumi!" Emi called from the kitchen of her home in Suna. Two boys ran in from the garden. One was six years old, long black hair and onyx eyes. He looked just like an Uchiha. The other, four years old, red hair with a white streak running through the wavy locks and teal green eyes.

"Mamma!" The youngest one shouted and opened his arms up for her to pick him up. Emi smiled and held out her hand for eldest while the youngest rested on her hip, being careful not to knock her slightly swollen stomach. She was expecting her third child. The boy slowly took her hand and sighed. Emi looked down at him worried. She was aware that her eldest looked nothing like Gaara and he only had some of her facial features. She knew he didn't feel a part of their family because of that.

"What is it Itachi-kun?" She asked as they walked into the hallway.

"The villagers say that the Kazekage isn't my father." He said looking down at the floor. Emi sighed and stopped, placing Naozumi down on his feet.

"Grandpa is in the lounge, go play with him." She said with a smile while kneeling on the floor. Naozumi's eyes lit up and he ran into the lounge. There was silence until a small cry of shock can from a man who was clearly too engrossed in his adult book and relaxed to notice a small child creep up and pounce on him.

Emi looked at Itachi and smiled. "I was hoping to tell you this when you were older and able to understand it better. But I don't want those idiots hurting you." She told him and hissed the last part about the villagers, Itachi looked at her confused. "They are right when they say that Gaara-kun isn't your father." She added after taking a deep breathe. Itachi gasped and looked shocked. "Your father was Uchiha Itachi."

"Uchiha? I'm an Uchiha!? Mamma why are you with Gaara-sama? Why aren't you with my papa? Why do I have papa's name?" Itachi asked confused and slightly angry. Emi frowned when he used Gaara's name instead of papa like he used to. She knew she would be bombarded with questions.

"Yes you are an Uchiha, your real father died in battle, protecting Konoha." She explained the already agreed lie between herself and the others, even Sasuke agreed to it during one of his visits when Itachi was only a few months old. His hate for his brother and Konoha had gone and he wanted to be a part of the new Uchiha's life. "Do you remember Sasuke-kun? He visited us last year." She asked the boy and he nodded slowly. "Well, Sasuke-kun is your uncle." She added and smiled as Itachi's eyes lit up but then he frowned.

"Why are you with Gaara-sama now?" He asked again trying to understand how it all worked. This is why Emi wanted to wait, but she knew if he didn't know now and the villagers carried on telling him things, he would drift away from her. She didn't want another Uchiha taken by the curse of hatred.

"Well I knew Gaara-sama when I was a little girl, before I moved to Konoha, I lived here in Suna." Emi started to explain. "When your father died, Gaara-sama looked after me, I was pregnant with you when he died. That's why you have his name. I know you'll be just as strong as your real papa." She added trying to hold back her tears. Itachi noticed and hugged her.

"Mamma do you love my new papa like you loved my real papa?" Itachi asked and Emi nodded with a small smile. It seemed that Itachi was accepting Gaara as his father and wasn't angry about it either. "Then Gaara-sama will be my papa…" Itachi went quiet for a moment. "Mamma?" He looked up at her.

"Yes Itachi-kun?" She asked worried something else was wrong.

"Can I meet my real papa?" He asked looking down upset. Itachi had no idea how much he looked like Itachi even though he was really Madara's son. She couldn't see any evil in the boy, he was innocent and she hoped he would stay that way for as long as possible.

"Yes, I have some pictures of him, I'm sure Sasuke can bring some when he next visits. When we go to Konoha soon, I will take you to his resting place." She told him with a smile. Sasuke had been keeping away in case Itachi noticed their likeness to each other and he wanted to avoid any questions. Now this was out in the open he would visit more. Itachi smiled happily, he was upset he wouldn't know his real father but he understood that his mother needed another man to look after her and him. "Come on, let's see Grandpa, and make sure that he and your brother haven't destroyed the lounge." Emi said with a smile as she stood up and held her hand out for Itachi.

The pair walked into the lounge to find Kakashi standing on the ceiling while reading his book. Emi looked around for Naozumi but couldn't see him anywhere. She started to panic.

"Dad! Where's Naozumi?!" She shouted at him worried and angry that he would let the young boy out of his sight. Kakashi looked down at her confused.

"He was here just two seconds ago and rambling about seeing Gaara-sama." Kakashi said as he looked around for the excitable four year old. If he didn't know better he would say the child was really Naruto's. He couldn't work out how that child never ran out of energy. Then again the child could be jumping around with endless energy and then go out like a light less than a second later. He still couldn't work how that child could give him the slip too, he was just like Gaara in that aspect. Emi started to panic even more and Kakashi came down from the ceiling. Itachi tried to calm his mother down by hugging her leg as she held him close to her, not wanting to lose him either.

A few seconds later, sand started to swirl in the lounge. Gaara appeared, holding a giggling Naozumi in his arms. Emi ran to them and hugged them both tightly.

"The sand transported him to me, it appears he's learning how to control the sand. Or the sand is trying to teach him." Gaara said with a small smile playing on his lips while he sighed.

"Mamma!" Naozumi cried and reached out for her. "Sand took me to papa!" He cried happily as she took him in her arms. Emi sighed, she would have to watch him like a hawk now.

She sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to her for Itachi to sit. She had watched him as he watched them hug and smile. She knew he was feeling left out, she could see the sadness in his eyes. Gaara noticed the change in Itachi as well. He had watched the boy grow and treated him as his own but he knew that Itachi always knew he wasn't really his son.

"Itachi-kun." Gaara called to get Itachi's attention as he jumped on the sofa and cuddled up to Emi.

"Papa?" Itachi looked up at Gaara with worry in his eyes but his voice didn't show it. He was worried that now he knew the truth, Gaara wouldn't want to be his new papa anymore.

"Your mother has told you?" He asked as sat down on the sofa opposite where Kakashi had also made himself comfortable. Itachi nodded and looked down. "You are still a son to me Itachi-kun, blood related or not." Gaara said with a smile as Itachi looked up in shock. He smiled back and ran to Gaara, jumping on him to hug him. Gaara laughed and hugged Itachi tight to him.