Day to Die

"I can't believe that Haruka-nee had a mission today! And that she's going to be gone for a few weeks!" complained Sasuke a few days after Haruka had left.

"Yeah! It's so boring without her," said Michiru with a pout.

The two children were walking out of the academy after a long day of learning. They ignored the other children looking at them and talking about them. They were popular with their classmates and had their own little fan base, much to their annoyance. The only good thing was that Itachi and Haruka told them that they suffered from the same problems.

"Let's go train!" said Michiru after a few minutes of walking. Sasuke looked at her. "That way we can show Haruka-nee how good we've gotten!"

"Yeah! We can even get Itachi-nii to help us tomorrow!" said Sasuke with a smile.

"You know what Haruka-nee told me?" asked Michiru as they turned to walk to a training field.

"What?" asked Sasuke curiously.

"She and Itachi-nii are together!" said Michiru with a huge smile.

"Really!" said Sasuke with a similarly huge smile. "Yes!"

"And we didn't have to do anything!"

"Great!" The two children laughed as they then ran to the training fields.

Once they got to the training fields, they practice their fire releases as well as practiced with their kunai throws and such.

~Several Hours Later~

"Sasuke, we should head back," said Michiru as she started to pick up some Kunai.

"You're right," said Sasuke as he helped her. He had been so focused that he didn't noticed that it was so late already. "Oka-san is going to be so mad at me for being late for dinner."

"Yeah. So will my caretakers," said Michiru as she paled. The two looked at each other and then laughed.

Once the two were done picking up the weapons, the ran to the Uchiha compound, laughing and joking the entire time. Once they got close to the compound, they both stopped.

"I thought I saw someone there," said Sasuke as he looked up at one of the power polls.

"I thought I saw someone too," said Michiru as she moved closer to Sasuke.

The two held hands as they slowly walked closer to the compound.

"It's so quiet," said Michiru in fear.

"All the lights are out," said Sasuke as they rounded the corner. They both stopped in fear.

As they looked forward, all they could see were the bodies of their clan members on the ground.

"Sasuke?" said Michiru with tears in her eyes.

"My family," said Sasuke as he looked on in fear.

"Sasuke, what do we do?" asked a terrified Michiru. Sasuke turned to her.

'I have to keep her safe,' thought Sasuke as he held her hand tightly and started walking forward. "We need to see if we can find anyone."

The two ran until they reached Sasuke's home. They, out of habit, took off their shoes and ran to were Sasuke's parents usually were, only to see that they weren't there. They went room by room, trying to find them, until they got to the last room. Sasuke was about to open the door but stopped in fear.

"Sasuke," said Michiru after a silent minute. Sasuke took a deep breath and opened the door.

They walked in, only to see Sasuke's parent already dead. They then watched as a man came out of the shadows. They back away in fear, only to notice it was Itachi.

"Itachi-nii!" said Sasuke as he looked to see his brother on the other side of his parents. "Oka-san, Oto-san, I don't understand! Who could do something like this!"

"Sasuke!" said Michiru as Itachi threw a shuriken, cutting Sasuke's shoulder.

"Itachi-nii? What are you?" asked Sasuke in fear as he pushed Michiru back. "What are you doing? Itachi-nii?"

"How foolish," said Itachi as he activated his Mongekyo Sharingan, forcing the children to see the horrors he had caused.

The children screamed in pain as they saw, image after image of the people they knew being slaughtered like animals. They fell to the floor in pain, with Sasuke even throwing up.

"Why did you do this?" asked Sasuke as he struggled to look up. "Itachi, why?"

"To test the limits of my ability," said Itachi, uncaring.

"Test your limits? That's all? For that alone, everyone was?" questioned Michiru in shock.

"It was necessary," said Itachi with his eyes closed.

"Don't fuck with me!" yelled Sasuke as he stood up and ran at his brother, Itachi simply punched him in the stomach, causing him to fall onto the floor.

"Sasuke," said Michiru as she got up and grabbed the shuriken from the wall. She then ran at Itachi to try and protect Sasuke. Itachi simply broke her wrist that she held the shuriken in and kneed her in the stomach, dropping her next to Sasuke.

Itachi went to take a step closer to her, pulling out a kunai, but was stopped by Sasuke who had jumped up and grabbed Michiru's non broken wrist and pulled her out of the house.

The two ran to the front door, quickly putting on their shoes, and ran out, trying to find someone to help them. Tears streamed down their face as they came to the realization that everyone was gone.

"Don't kill us!" pleaded Sasuke as they ran. Not even a second later, Itachi appeared in front of them.

"No," whispered Michiru in fear.

"This has to be a lie! This isn't how my nii-san is!" declared Sasuke in fear.

"I played the role of the nii-san you wanted to test your capability," said Itachi with an emotionless face. "The one who will test my capability, you have that potential."

"What about Haruka-nee?" asked Michiru as she cried, seeming to stop Itachi. "Didn't you just tell her you loved her! She said that when she got back that I could help her pick an outfit for your date!"

Itachi watched the children, clenching his fist.

"She is a true test. When she is stronger, I will face her," said Itachi as he kept a straight face, but his mind was a hurricane. 'I'm sorry, Haruka, but this is the only way I could protect you. You will keep the two of them safe for me. I know it.'

"I will let you two live," said Itachi as if his heart wasn't being destroyed in that moment, "if only for my sake. Haruka can train you.

You both have the potential to activate the Mongekyo Sharingan, like I have, but it will cost you your best friends life."

"No way!" said Sasuke in shock.

"Like I have," said Itachi.

"Shisui-nii," said Michiru as she looked at Itachi.

"Yes, that is why I was able to obtain these eyes," he said to them, uncaringly. "At the main temple of the Nakano Shrine, underneath the seventh tatami mat on the far-right side, is the clan's secret meeting place.

"There, you will find the history of the Uchiha Clan's doujutsu and for what purpose it exists. The real secret is there."

'The real secret?' thought the two children. Itachi smiled.

"If you two unlock it, then the number of people who have the Mongekyo Sharingan, including me, would be four." 'Haruka would never willing activate it. I would never force her to.' "If that happens, then there is a reason to let you live. But at the moment, you both aren't even worth killing.

"If you two want to kill me, then hate me, then maybe one day, you can kill me," said Itachi as he activated his Mongekyo Sharingan, causing the two children to gasp. "When you both have the same eyes as me."

The children simply looked at him, then passed out.

~Some Days Later~

The two children simply sat on the bed together, not looking or saying anything to anyone. They only had each other left, unless Haruka came back, but at this point, they feared that Itachi got her too.

"Michiru, Sasuke, you have a visitor," said a nurse as she opened the door. The two didn't look up, simply continued to stare at their laps.

"Is that how I get greeted?" asked a familiar female voice. The two looked up in shock to see Haruka there along with her Sensei.

"Haruka-nee!" yelled the two children as they jumped off the bed and ran into her arms. They cried as she hugged them close to her.

"I'm sorry you two had to go through that while I was away, but I'm here now. I will protect both of you," said Haruka as she glanced at her Sensei. Shikaku Nara nodded at her.

"I'm going to go. You three can stay with me while we clean up the compound," he told them. Haruka smiled.

"Thank you. Your son is their age, right? I think it would be nice for them to have someone else around."

"Yes. He has several friends that I'm sure will be there. I'll see you later. Make sure to get check before you leave, Haruka."

"I know," said Haruka in a tired voice as her Sensei walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Are you hurt!" asked Sasuke in fear.

"I'm exhausted, more than anything," she said with a sigh. "Let's go sit on the bed. I have to talk to you both about some things."

"First, I'm going to tell you what happened on my mission. It's important that I do. Second, I want you both to tell me what happened, in detail. I know that scares you, but the more I know, the better I can understand. Thirdly, we will discuss what will happen from here. Do you both understand?" asked Haruka as she sat the two children on the bed next to each other, Sasuke on the right and Michiru on the left.

"Yes," said the children as she looked at them. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Okay. First, don't be scared from what your about to see," she said as she opened her eyes to show them her Mongekyo Sharingan. They both gasped.

"How did you?" asked Michiru in shock.

"Itachi said that you had to kill your best friend!" screamed Sasuke in anger.

"No. You don't," said Haruka, shocking the two children as she turned her eyes back to normal. "One of my teammates died in front of me. He was like a brother to me. That is what activated this. It's a misconception that we have to be the killer. Simply losing someone you love is enough."

"Then why did Itachi say that?" asked Sasuke, confused and angered.

"It might be because that's what he thinks causes it."

"So, we don't have to kill our best friend to get them?" question Michiru in fear.

"No," said Haruka causing the two to sigh in relief. "Now tell me what happened."

The two children went on to tell her about everything they could remember from that day. From when they left school, to when they confronted Itachi. They told their story with faces full of tears, but they kept strong.

"What are we going to do?" asked Sasuke.

"Well first, I need to figure out why Itachi did this," replied Haruka as she looked at them.

"But we already told you why," said Michiru in confusion.

"But I don't think that's the truth. Not that I don't believe that's what he told you. But I've known Itachi for a long time. You may not have known this, but when Shisui died, he came to me. Itachi cried, so there's no way he would have hurt him.

"You also said that he said I was a test. If I was a test, then why did he get so embarrassed when we told your mom we were going to start dating. He blushed like no tomorrow when she brought up future weddings and kids."

The two laughed at that, remembering it as the only time Itachi lost his cool.

"There is a reason. One we don't know about. It might have something to do with the meetings the clan was having."

"Meetings?" asked Michiru.

"You mean the ones at the shrine?" asked Sasuke as he tried to think about it.

"Yes. I could never go since I always had missions. Itachi even asked me about them and seemed relieved when I told him that I never went to any of them. Something might have been going on with the clan that we didn't know about," said Haruka, causing the children to widen their eyes. "I know this might be hard for you both to believe, but it think that the Clan was planning something."

"Planning something?" asked Michiru. Sasuke gasped.

"Yes. I'm not sure what it is, but the only way we can truly find out is by finding Itachi. Do you understand."

"Yes," said the two with determination.

'If Haruka-nee thinks something was wrong, then she has to be right,' thought Sasuke as he looked at the older girl.

"Haruka-nee, what do we do now?" asked Michiru.

"Now. We clean up. My other teammate and her family, as well as several of the Ambu are cleaning up the compound as we speak. We will then go in and make in like it once was. It will be hard, but we can do this, together.

"After that, I will begin training you both. You will not let revenge guide you. Do you both understand? Revenge is a double-edged sword. You make a grave for your enemy and yourself."

"We understand," said the children.

"You heard Shikaku-sensei. We will stay with him for a few days then move back into the compound once it's all fixed up. I expect you two to get along with his son. I might even ask Hana to bring her brother Kiba along."

"He's so loud though," complained Sasuke with a pout, causing Haruka to chuckle.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! And Shikamaru is always sleeping!" complained Michiru.

"Well, I was talking to Sensei during the trip and he told us that their compound has a forest with deer in it. Maybe the two of you can get Shikamaru to take you to see them," said Haruka with a found smile as the kids eyes widen in surprise.

"Really!" asked Sasuke in shock.

"Yes. Really."

"Can we feed them?" asked Michiru with a blush.

"I'm not sure. We can ask him later. Okay?" asked Haruka as she patted the children's heads. They both nodded. "Good. Now let me go get checked out by a doctor, and then we can leave. Sound good?"

"Can we come with you to see the doctor?" asked Sasuke with a small blush.

"Of course," said Haruka as she backed away from the bed, letting the children jump off of it. Sasuke took her left hand while Michiru took her right, and the three then left to find a doctor.