"We look so stupid," Naruto said in his best imitation of an indoor voice, which was a little less than shouting for other people.
"We're having dinner with some very nice people," Kakashi said, sounding like he was walking to his own funeral. He tugged irritably at the dark blue scarf he'd wound around his neck; he'd dug it up from the bottom of a box where he kept all of his old clothes. What had possessed him to invite himself over into enemy territory? Kakashi had distinct fantasies of two body bags being carried out of the Uchiha district, sized perfectly to fit him and Naruto.
"Shirt itches," Naruto whined and tugged at the hem of the formal white shirt Kakashi had shoved him into with threats of no ramen for a month.
"Deal with it," Kakashi snapped back and tried not to touch the kunai he'd slipped up his sleeves. No permanent damage, he reminded himself and straightened his back as they approached the gate leading to the district. He gave the two bored-looking sentries a cheerfully fake smile. "Afternoon," he said. "Lovely weather isn't it?"
"State your name and business," one of the guards said, flicking his dark eyes distastefully over Kakashi's blue scarf and mask, long-sleeved black shirt and black pants. Naruto, mercifully, stayed quiet.
"Hatake Kakashi, here to have dinner with Uchiha Fugaku," Kakashi said and grabbed Naruto's shoulder in warning when it looked like he would make a run back to the village. Coward, he thought viciously, ignoring his own instinct to run back home.
"Fugaku-sama is expecting you," the sentry droned and Kakashi gave him a tight smile. "Course he is." With a steel grip on Naruto, he shepherded him through the gates and into one of the most exclusive areas in Konoha. A bright red line of swinging lanterns met them, flames flickering in the evening wind. In the distance, Kakashi could laughter and the sound of steel ringing; over there, his nose detected an okonomiyaki stand, bustling with business.
"Wow," Naruto whispered, looking around him in awe. "It's like a whole 'nother village!"
This, Kakashi thought grimly, was the Uchiha district as it should have been in his own time. Filled with life, families, children running around without care or worry. No wonder Sasuke had been driven to madness; his entire home had been wiped out in the span of a night at the age of seven. "The Niidaime granted the Uchiha this land as a gift for their faithful service to the village," Kakashi said, old lectures from Minato-sensei rising up to the surface of his mind.
"How many people live here?" Naruto wondered, trotting to keep up with Kakashi's quick pace through Main street and towards the residential area.
"Hundreds," Kakashi replied distractedly and debated whether or not to put the two of them under a genjutsu, noticing the curious looks many of the Uchiha sent them. After a second, he decided against it- the more witnesses that saw them coming in, the better. Much harder for Fugaku to murder them. "There's the main family, then several branch houses and some of the civilian families with close ties to the Uchiha clan that also live here."
"Main family and what?" Naruto asked, his hand gripping Kakashi's tightly. The bustling crowds had thinned and the excitement of the shops faded away as the landscape shifted to accommodate more trees, ponds and the occasional house, roofs sweeping gracefully in the sky. Kakashi followed the path out of memory and occasionally checked the discreet chakra markers planted on the sides of the dirt road to make sure they were going to right direction.
"Big clans, especially those with kekkei genkai, are divided up into several sections," Kakashi said, tugging his forehead protector over Obito's eye absently. "There's the main, important family. They're usually the strongest and hold the most power. The branch ones are not as strong and they don't have as much money or status. Uchiha Fugaku, who we're meeting for dinner, he's the most important person here. He's the head of the main family, which means he's the head of the entire clan."
"That means he's super powerful?" Naruto asked, nose scrunched up.
"I guess so," Kakashi hazarded, trying to ignore the way his heart was sinking into his stomach as Fugaku's grand and beautiful house slowly came into view.
"But he's not as powerful as you, right Kakashi-nii-san?"
Startled, Kakashi looked down at Naruto's bright blue eyes, right at Minato-sensei's eyes, wide and open and so trusting. "It's hard to say," Kakashi said after a long moment. "I haven't fought him before."
"Don't worry, nii-san," Naruto said confidently, squeezing his hand tight. "I know you're the bestest ninja in the whole world ever, you can definitely beat Fuguki!"
"Fugaku," Kakashi corrected automatically and wondered vaguely at the warmth that was rising in his chest.
"Right, that's what I said!"
They reached the end of the path and Kakashi stood in front of the steps leading up to the magnificent sliding doors. It looked much the same as it did when he'd first come here, twelve years old and miserable, with Obito's eye freshly implanted in his head and wondering if the Uchiha Clan Head would ask for his death. At least this time he was here for much more pleasant reasons.
Kakashi flared his chakra once and felt two chakra signatures float over towards the door immediately. The doors slid open without a sound, revealing a kind-looking woman in a kimono and Itachi, dressed in a traditional collared shirt and old standard issue black pants.
"Oh!" The woman pressed a hand against her mouth. "Please, forgive our manners, we were expecting you much later."
Kakashi prodded Naruto with his elbow. "Bow," he hissed. Looking up at Uchiha Mikoto, he smiled and bowed as well. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Uchiha-san," he said. "This is my ward, Uzumaki Naruto." To his credit, Naruto only wobbled slightly when he bent over.
"It's very good to see you, Hatake-san," Itachi remarked softly, dark eyes unreadable. "And you as well, Uzumaki-kun."
At Naruto's curious look, Mikoto smiled hesitantly. "My son, Itachi," she explained, a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "Please, come in. Welcome to our home."
The two trooped up the wooden stairs and entered a tastefully decorated anteroom covered with tatami mats. Kakashi shucked off his sandals and shoved them under a bench, picking up a pair of slippers that looked like they might fit him.
"We have to change shoes?" Naruto whispered, looking very scandalized at the pink and white house slippers Kakashi was pulling on.
"Do as I do, Naruto, and we may yet come out of this alive." Kakashi hunted around for a pair in Naruto's size and found a cheerful looking yellow one stamped with the Uchiha crest. "Take off your sandals and put these on, it's the polite thing to do."
With ill grace, Naruto yanked off his beloved ninja sandals (he'd been so overjoyed when Kakashi had bought him the pair that he'd been struck speechless) and pushed them right next to Kakashi's, his little feet dwarfed by Kakashi's worn and dirty blue sandals.
"Dinner will take a while," Itachi said from the hallway leading out of the anteroom, his voice floating over to the whispering duo on the floor. "My Mother wishes to send her apologies for leaving her guests, but the rice needed tending to right away."
"Oh, not a problem," Kakashi said, standing up in one smooth motion and tucking a squirming Naruto under an arm. "It's our fault for coming so early."
Itachi smiled and gestured at them to follow. "I have a younger brother about the same age as you, Uzumaki-kun," he said, leading them through labyrinthine maze of beautiful hardwood hallways and rice-paper sliding doors. Kakashi was vaguely reminded of the countless homes of lords he'd assassinated in the elegant simplicity of the lines. "His name is Sasuke and he'll be attending the Academy next year."
Naruto perked up at the mention of the Konoha Ninja Academy. "Really? Me too! Kakashi-nii-san said I could go next year when I'm seven and I'm super super super excited to go!"
"Perhaps you'll be classmates," Itachi mused gently and stopped in front of a unmarked rice paper door, two chakra signatures flickering behind it. "Father," he said, raising his voice a little. "You have guests."
"Enter."
Kakashi tightened his grip on Naruto and followed Itachi into the lair of Uchiha Fugaku. It was surprisingly open. An entire wall had been pulled out in the far end, opening up into a courtyard filled with beautiful plants and a well-tended rock garden. Fugaku himself sat at a low table in the middle of the room, a cup of tea in front of him, the village paper in his hands and little Sasuke sitting beside him, looking supremely bored.
"Uchiha-san! So good to see you, what a lovely home you have," Kakashi said brightly and plopped down onto a cushion, settling Naruto down beside him, across from Sasuke. "This is my ward, Uzumaki Naruto. That must be your son, Sasuke, right?" Itachi gave him an unreadable look as he settled down next to his father's side.
"Hatake-san," Fugaku said coolly, setting down the paper and looking very much like he wanted to give Kakashi the stink eye. "How...pleasant to see you."
"Likewise, likewise," Kakashi said amiably and wondered how long this torture would last. "Naruto," he nudged, "say hello to our wonderful host."
Naruto grinned. "Hiya Fugu-" Kakashi nudged him a little harder- "Fugaku-san," Naruto recovered, stumbling a little. "Nice ta meetcha! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the greatest prankster in the whole widest world and I'm gonna be the Hokage someday! Yeah!"
Fugaku looked like Naruto had thrown up all over his hakama. "He dreams big," Kakashi grinned and ruffled Naruto's hair, ignoring Naruto's squawk of indignity. Sasuke, across the table, came alive a little and smiled, chubby cheeks scrunching up. It was, Kakashi thought with a little dismay, adorable.
"What about you, Sasuke-kun?" Kakashi said, propping his elbow lazily on the table. "You're going to the Academy next year, right?"
Sasuke gave his father a quick sidelong glance before speaking up. "Yes," he said, pride swelling up in his squeaky voice. "Father said I shall be going when I'm seven years old. I'm going to be a ninja and be better than my aniki some day!"
"Hey hey, I bet my nii-san is better than your nii-san!" Naruto shouted, slamming his fists enthusiastically down on the table. Fugaku's eye twitched.
"What?" Sasuke looked like someone had punched him. The tiny six year old stood up, cheeks flushing, hands on his hips. "My nii-san is the best ninja in the village, so there!"
"Kakashi-nii-san is the best in the whole country," Naruto shot back, standing up as well. "He's the bestest ninja in the world world!"
"No mine is!"
"No mine!"
"No mine to the power of infinity-"
Kakashi raised his voice the second he saw Fugaku's temper reach boiling point. "Alright, boys," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his scruffy hair. "No need to argue about silly things like that." Itachi gave him an amused look.
"Silly?!" the boys shrieked in unison and then shot each other equally dirty looks.
"Silly," Itachi repeated in a firm voice. "Kakashi-senpai and I are ninja in service to the village. There's no need for comparison."
The back of Kakashi's head smugly pointed out that Kakashi was probably better than Itachi so there was no need to argue the point. "Right and you two will be much better than us in the future, I'm sure," he said, tugging Naruto back down onto the floor.
"Yeah, whatever, I still think you're better," Naruto said grumpily. Sasuke looked murderous and the tentative peace Kakashi and Itachi had established threatened to shatter.
"How about we play a game?" Kakashi threw in desperately. "A cool ninja game that my own sensei taught me when I was your age?"
"Game?" Naruto said, ear pricking up. "A ninja game?"
"Yes, but only if you and Sasuke play together." With a discreet movement, he gestured at Itachi to bring some ink, a brush and rice paper right now. Without hesitation, Itachi slipped from the room silently, the two younger boys ignorant of his departure.
"We will be having dinner soon." Fugaku's voice brooked no dissent.
"Just a little game," Kakashi said smoothly, plowing right through Fugaku. Kakashi had thirty years of experience ignoring three different Hokages; Fugaku didn't quite measure up to the fury of Tsunade, the implacable nature of the Sandaime or the terrifying skill of the Yondaime. "My jounin sensei taught me this when I was six." Of course, Minato-sensei had used the exercise to teach him to recognize and avoid exploding notes in preparation for the chuunin exam, but with a few modifications...
Despite himself, Fugaki looked intrigued. "Your sensei?" The Hokage went unsaid but Kakashi heard it all the same.
"It helped me pass the chuunin exam," Kakashi said truthfully. He'd exploited the basics of sealing techniques Minato-sensei had taught him and took out an an entire colony of giant centipedes. "Ah, thank you, Uchiha-kun," Kakashi said as Itachi suddenly reappeared at his elbow, setting an ink stone, brush and rice paper on the table.
"Please, Father," Sasuke begged his father, eyes going wide and all adorable. How strange to see something so cute on his revenge-obsessed and bitter student's face. How normal it looked. How right. Kakashi risked a quick glance at Itachi and filed away the soft and caring look on his face.
"Alright," Fugaku gave in but his eyes were stern. "But we finish as soon as your Mother says dinner is ready."
"Thank you, Father," Sasuke beamed.
"Yeah, thanks Fugaku-san!" Naruto cheered. "We're gonna play a ninja game!"
Kakashi ground up an ink stick Itachi had so thoughtfully provided and dipped a finger into the murky black water, testing the consistency. With a sharp nudge, he pushed chakra out of his finger and the fresh ink glowed an iridescent blue, sucking up the chakra he fed it greedily. After a few minutes, he let the flow trickle to a halt and dipped his brush into the chakra-enhanced ink.
"Exploding tags?" Fugaku observed, dark eyes keen.
"Something like that," Kakashi responded absently and began sketching out six sealing tags onto a sheet of paper, primed to explode when the release kanji was scored. "Explodes with ink instead of chakra fire. My sensei came up with it to help me understand the principles of exploding notes and sealing techniques." He finished inscribing the six tags with quick strokes of his brush and then palmed a kunai.
With swift, easy movements, the sheet was cut into six sections and Kakashi set them aside to dry on the table and started on another one.
"This is excellent sealing work," Itachi noted quietly, his dark eyes flickering with red. "Have you tried modifying it for other uses?"
"It's basic sealing," Kakashi said, worrying his bottom lip as he painted the release kanji with small, careful strokes. "Sensei came up with all these modifications for the tags. Flares, sensor tags, timed explosions. It's how he managed to work out Hiraishin in the first place."
"The Flying Thunder God Technique?" Fugaku's eyebrows rose as Kakasi nodded.
"Done!" Kakashi cut the last sheet of paper and set a casual wave of chakra wind over them, drying the twelve exploding tags in an instant. "Alright, boys." Kakashi grinned wolfishly. "Want to play a ninja game?"
"He's not what I expected," Fugaku said, sipping his tea contemplatively. His son twitched at his side, eyes easily tracking the punch Sasuke valiantly tried to land on Kakashi, only to hit Naruto's shoulder. The ensuing screech of pain was loud enough to remind Fugaku of Sasuke's much younger days.
"Which one?" Itachi asked.
"Both." He swirled the green tea around in his mouth, enjoying the clean bitter taste. "The boy is surprisingly normal for..." Fugaku paused, searching for the right word. "For what he is. If he and Sasuke befriend each other, it would be good for the clan."
"Why not for Sasuke's benefit?" Itachi asked, his son's normally soft voice hardening a little. Fugaku frowned.
"What is good for the clan is undoubtedly good for Sasuke," he said, his voice reproving. "You must not forget, Itachi, we all of us have a duty to maintain the clan's power and status in the village, as it is right. Uzumaki is now Hatake's ward, and he's recently claimed his father's seat for his own. Things are changing, Itachi, and the Uchiha must keep up." He watched Kakashi easily dance around the exploding notes Sasuke had cleverly hidden in the dirt, only for Naruto to come flying out of Mikoto's prized rose bushes, scattering pink rose petals everywhere. Kakashi neatly dodged the boy but failed to account for Sasuke, who sprang up and went straight for Kakashi's knees.
"Long ago, Senju and Uchiha came together to form the basis of this village."
Fugaku put down his cup of tea. Why was his eldest son telling him the story every Konoha babe learned at their mother's knee? "Yes," he said slowly, humoring his son. "Madara-sama and Hashirama-sama brokered peace and founded the first and most powerful hidden village."
"But Madara betrayed the clan and the village." Itachi's voice was cold and dispassionate. "His ambitions proved too great and he broke the trust that made this village what it was." His son blinked and his red eyes slowly shifted back to black as a giant plume of inky smoke enveloped the courtyard, covering Naruto and Sasuke, much to their combined dismay, judging by their yelps.
"The Uchiha have always been faithful to the Village," Fugaku said, his voice growing very cold, colder than his son's. "It is not our fault if the Hokage and the Council fail to trust us and lock us away in seclusion, using us as tools they can just throw away."
"If Sasuke were to disobey you and break a promise to you, Father, you would be disappointed, wouldn't you? You would punish him and wonder if he deserved trust, but you would still love him, wouldn't you Father?"
Fugaku tried to trace the winding web of words that his son wove around him, but could find no straight path. "Sasuke is my son," he said. "I would be disappointed, of course, but he is my family. My son."
"Konoha has feared the Uchiha, that is true," Itachi said quietly, fingering the frayed hem of his old training shirt. "And it has unjustly forced us to live in a district far from others, making us live in isolation. Small wonder that we have grown distant from the village that we have helped found and guard. If Sasuke were to grow to hate you for your distance, wouldn't you push him away even further? Wouldn't you feel as if he weren't deserving, not mature enough to deserve your trust again"
Fugaku felt something in his chest tighten. "Sasuke is not the Uchiha and I am not the Council," he said slowly, shakily finding his way in this new territory that Itachi slowly mapped out in front of him.
"Of course not," Itachi said calmly and Fugaku looked at his son, his eleven year old chuunin boy and his chest tightened even more. It seemed only yesterday when his little boy was crawling over to him, demanding to be held up in the air. "The Uchiha must protect the village," Itachi continued. "But let us not forget that we are also a part of the village, Father."
Fugaku had a half a second warning before his younger son barreled towards him, every inch of exposed skin covered with streaks of dried ink. "Papa, Papa!" Sasuke beamed and jumped into his father's arms, instantly ruining Fugaku's hakama, hand-stitched by Mikoto with the finest silk and cotton. "Did you see? Did you see?" his son babbled, clinging to Fugaku's neck with sweaty, grimy fingers. "We pushed Kakashi-nii-san to the ground and then he disappeared and it was Mama's roses and then we got all covered with the black stuff and Papa it was so much fun," he finished with a deep, satisfied smile.
"Your Mother would be very sad to see you so dirty," Fugaku tried to say sternly, but somehow his voice would only come out soft and weak. He cleared his throat and instead inclined his head at Hatake, who was casually walking into the room from the courtyard, holding Naruto clear off the floor with a tight grip on the back of the boy's shirt. To his credit, the silver haired man was entirely spot free.
"Thank you," he said gruffly and the other man just nodded back boredly.
Itachi rose gracefully from the ground. "I'll let Mother know that Sasuke and Naruto both need a new change of clothes and a quick wash."
Naruto groaned, squirming in the air. "'Nother bath?! But I had one today already!"
Kakashi shook his burden lightly. "Saa, you're a mess right now. You'll get all the cushions dirty when we sit down to eat, Naruto."
"If you'll follow me?" Itachi asked deferentially and Kakashi, along with his blond haired burden, followed his eldest son out of the door.
"You too, Sasuke," Fugaku said and lifted Sasuke from his lap and set him down on the floor.
"'Kay, Papa," Sasuke said obediently and scampered out the door, leaving small black foorprints in his wake. "Wait for me, idjit!" he heard his younger son yell and the Uzumaki boy yell something incomprehensible back.
Fugaku closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, chakra flickering like ghostly flames in his mind's eyes. He could feel Sasuke's bright flicker and Kakashi's and Itachi more tempered presences, tightly controlled and quiet. The Uzumaki boy's was like a roaring flame, coated with a malevolent chakra that was undoubtedly the demon fox tainting it. Far to the right of him, he could feel Mikoto's graceful flame, flickering in time with his own as she moved around the kitchen. We are also a part of the village, Father. When had his son, his little eleven year old boy, grown so wise?
"Oh, you really don't have to do that," Mikoto said softly, stacking up the bowls and chopsticks with easy, deft movements.
"It'll keep me away from Naruto," Kakashi said and used the reflective glass window above Mikoto's head to check on the two boys gossiping happily over the latest comic books behind them on the floor. "He's busy being a six year old. I'm too old to play with him right now."
"They grow up so fast," Mikoto said wistfully and carried a stack of bowls into the kitchen, Kakashi following her, footsteps silent. "Seems like only yesterday Sasuke-chan was throwing his mashed potatoes at the wall."
"He must have had excellent aim."
Mikoto slid the bowls into the sink and turned the tap on, pulling on a pair of bright red gloves stamped with the Uchiha crust. She smiled up at Kakashi and the corners of her eyes crinkled. "It took Fugaku a week for his hair to stop smelling like peas," she whispered conspiratorially, generously pouring soap all over her sponge.
Kakashi had a graphic vision of Fugaku covered in slimy green goop and he was suddenly very grateful that he'd missed he'd missed that particular phase with Naruto. He picked up a dishtowel and methodically began drying the dishes that Mikoto washed. They slipped into a comfortable routine, Mikoto occasionally humming a song or chatting idly about her sons. Kakashi dried the last bowl and stacked it carefully in the cabinet, absently noting the expensive craftsmanship of the porcelain dishware.
"Kakashi-san, forgive me if this sounds impertinent but..."
Kakashi closed the cabinet door and tilted his head at her, dark eye flicking over her slim frame. He waited as she clasped her hands tightly, struggle painted clearly on her face.
"Uzumaki Kushina was a very dear friend of mine," Mikoto said slowly and Kakashi's breath caught in his throat. "You were the Yondaime's student, weren't you, Kakashi-san?" He nodded tightly.
Mikoto hesitated for a moment before plowing on, her eyes growing determined. "Then you must have had a passing acquaintance with her."
Kushina-san had been the one to convince Minato-sensei to let him stay in their guest room after the incident and the one to convince the Sandaime that Minato should be appointed his legal guardian. She'd made him kitsune ramen for his birthdays and always made sure to visit him in the hospital, clucking over the seals that the medics had drawn up and switching them out for her own. In a way, she'd been the mother he'd never had.
"Yes," Kakashi said tersely. "I knew her."
"Then- Uzumaki-kun-"
Kakashi's right hand tightened into a fist. "Be careful with what you say, Uchiha-san," he said, forcing his voice to be smooth and even.
Mikoto let out a tense breath and her eyes were half-hopeful and half-fearful. "Are you saying-?"
"I haven't said anything," he said evenly and forced his hand to relax, letting it fall uselessly at his side.
Mikoto nodded and Kakashi remembered vaguely that Mikoto herself had been an accomplished kunoichi before she'd retired to marry Fugaku and bear children. It showed in her tightly trained chakra signature and her mannerisms. "That's enough," she said, her voice a gentle sigh. "Thank you very much, Kakashi-san."
Kakashi shrugged. "I haven't said anything for you to thank me for."
Mikoto smiled and pulled off her rubber gloves with a snap. "Kushina-chan was very fond of you, you know."
Kakashi swallowed. "She was a good ninja," he said. "A credit to her village."
Mikoto turned away to the end of the kitchen and Kakashi was silently grateful for the privacy she gave him to master himself. She opened the fridge door and pulled out a beautiful plate arrayed with flowering patterns of mochi in a hundred different colors. "I think the boys would enjoy this treat, don't you think so Kakashi-san?"
"Yes, Naruto would be thrilled," Kakashi said and memorized the soft, maternal look Mikoto gave him, hiding a core of hard steel. What Kushina-san had been to him, perhaps Mikoto could be for Naruto... "Very thrilled," he said. "Kushina-san enjoyed mochi very much."
"Then I'm sure Naruto-kun would enjoy them as well." Mikoto gave him a knowing look and carried the tray out the door.
Kakashi heard the polite creak of wood before Itachi's chakra unfurled next to him, whisper-soft. He relaxed the instinctive flood of chakra to his fingers and tucked a dagger back into his sandal.
"Hatake-senpai," Itachi said quietly. "I apologize for disturbing you."
Kakashi shrugged and continued to watch Naruto and Sasuke gambol excitedly like two cats in the courtyard beneath them, tearing through Mikoto's prized roses without a thought.
"Sasuke seems very pleased to have found a playmate his age," the boy said lightly. "He doesn't have a great many friends in the district and since Father refused to let him attend the civilian school..."
"You seem fond of your brother," Kakashi said, leaning back on his hands, hard roof tiles digging into his skin.
"Of course. He's my brother," Itachi said solemnly as if that were explanation enough.
Too many things didn't make sense. Why had Itachi murdered his entire clan but left Sasuke alive? And why did the Massacre happen at the same time as when Kakashi had left ANBU and Root had grown in power? Why, why, why? Over the years, Kakashi had cobbled together facts and lurked through the records, trying to figure out what had exactly occurred that night, that fateful night when the clan heir snapped and killed two hundred and forty six people.
Coming back, here, he'd gambled and made contact with Itachi, if only to keep the boy close and monitor his mental state and maybe use him against Danzou. But nothing made sense: Itachi, during his time as an Akatsuki operative, had never been known to kill a Konoha shinobi. He'd certainly incapacitated, harmed, maimed, threatened- but never, ever killed. Not even when he'd the chance and Kakashi had been helpless at his feet. Not when Sasuke had been seven and vulnerable, not when Sasuke had been twelve and driven mad by vengeance. It was one reason why Kakashi had thrown in a spiel about protecting the village, hoping that there was more underneath the underneath. And it had worked.
There was more that he didn't know about and Kakashi had a sinking suspicion that Fugaku and Danzou were at the heart of it. Clan politics. Kakashi's lip curled. He'd certainly experienced more than his fair share of it, first with his father's disgrace and later when Obito's gift had enraged the Uchiha Clan. Even then, Sousuke-sama had been obsessed with power, with the Uchiha's standing in the eyes of the village. Fugaku was much the same and no doubt he was infecting his own sons with the same nonsense, dragging his eldest son into the viper's nest. Could it be that Fugaku had driven Itachi mad? But that hardly made any sense, given what he knew of the boy
And how did it all tie into the Massacre?
"It's a beautiful home," Kakashi offered, breaking the tense silence that had sprung up between them.
"My grandfather had it built during the Third War in accordance with his views on the prominence of the Uchiha," Itachi said.
"I remember." Kakashi shrugged. "It looks much better finished and with a family living in it."
Itachi cocked his head like a bird, shifting almost imperceptibly on his feet. "You've been here before."
"A long, long time ago." Seven, eight years ago about in this body but for Kakashi's mind it was an entire lifetime ago. Kakashi tapped his forehead protector. "Your Uncle's gift had some repercussions."
"I'd heard some rumors but..." Itachi's voice trailed off.
"They objected to having a non-Uchiha bear the Sharingan," Kakashi said laconically. "It didn't help I was the son of the White Fang. A disgrace."
"I believe that your Father was a hero," Itachi said and Kakashi snapped his head to look at the boy perched at his side, heart thudding. Those who abandon their teammates are worse than scum. Your Father was a hero. The White Fang was a hero. Obito.
"What?" Kakashi croaked.
Dark eyes reflected the light of the stars above them. "The White Fang saved the lives of six shinobi on that mission. It was wrong of the village to condemn him for that." Itachi shrugged.
How strange that Uchiha Obito, black sheep and perpetual failure, would be born again as the Clan heir and the strongest Uchiha born of the clan for generation. How fitting. But the massacre...
Kakashi bit down the urge to growl. He had too few pieces and not enough information to solve the damned puzzle hovering in front of him and he was running out of time. "The village has condemned many," Kakashi said carefully, picking his words with caution. "My father, Naruto, the Uchiha."
Itachi twitched. "Yes," the boy allowed. "Fear has been known to misguide."
"But we must still protect the village, because it holds the most important thing in the world."
Itachi looked up at the older man, his eyes curious.
"The future," Kakashi said quietly and jerked his head at the two laughing boys, wrestling on the ground.
There was another long silence before Itachi spoke up, his normally calm voice now hesitant. "Kakashi-senpai...I believe...that there are some in this clan that are making...less than wise choices."
Kakashi's ears pricked and he scratched his nose casually. "Oh?"
"There have been..." Itachi idly picked at a clay tile, scratching something illegible with his fingernail. "Angry conversations. About the village's mistrust. The decline of Uchiha power."
Kakashi puzzled over Itachi's words, face unreadable. "You don't mean-?"
"Who knows what a frightened animal, backed into a corner, might do when it feels that it is going to be devoured?"
Kakashi's breath caught in his chest. A fucking coup. The Uchiha were planning a fucking coup. Of all the theories he'd come up with over the years, he'd never even bothered to think about the coup, convinced of the loyalty of a founding clan. A coup. There had been rumors of the Uchiha being discontent, powerful but furious at being sidelined in favor of others, like the Hyuuga. But to overthrow the Council and potentially assassinate the Hokage- Kakashi felt like someone had punched clean through his chest.
No wonder Itachi had killed them all, Kakashi realized numbly. The other option was Konoha being split apart by internal conflict; more than easy pickings for the rest of the hidden villages. And Danzou- the massacre fair reeked of him. Somehow, he must have manipulated the boy next to him into going against his own family while in ANBU. Eliminate threats at any and all costs. It made so much sense. No wonder Itachi had never killed a Konoha nin- no wonder he kept his brother alive. He loved him too much to kill him. No doubt Danzou used that love to kill Itachi's family.
He looked down below him, watching Sasuke leap into a flying tackle and flatten Naruto onto the ground, the two of them shrieking bloody murder at each other. His pack ruined by the fucking ambitions of Danzou and Fugaku- just collateral damage. Just two little boys, ruined by pride and ambition. Kakashi felt sick.
A bracing hand gently touched his shoulder and Kakashi blinked once, twice. "Itachi," he said quietly. "You must listen to me. We need to prevent this- this, whatever this is, from happening."
The grip on his shoulder tightened. "I have tried my best, Kakashi-senpai, but-"
Kakashi shook his head violently. "There is much, much more going on then you think," he said in a low voice. "But if the Council catches even so much as a word of this." Itachi stilled and the two of them looked at the children beneath them.
"They wouldn't dare-"
"What do you think happened to all the clans with kekkei genkai in Kiri?" Kakashi's mouth twisted underneath his mask. "One man with the ability to walk through shadows tries to assassinate the Mizukage. The next day, an edict goes out ordering the death of all with special abilities."
"The Uchiha have played with fire so long that we have forgotten how it dangerous it is." Itachi let go of Kakashi's shoulder and retreated into the shadows, face wan and pale. "Kakashi-senpai, there are a few of us in the clan who- who want to protect the village and our families."
"We are running out of time." Kakashi's lips thinned. "The Council is restless as it is. I don't think I have to tell you about how Danzou is feeling."
"I will alert them right away," Itachi said, crossing his arms over his chest. "But it's the clan elders who will prove to be the most trouble."
"Clan-village relations must be strengthened," Kakashi said absently. "I'll speak on behalf of the clan during council meetings and privately with the Hokage, but I can only do so much. The clan needs to make this happen." Fugaku needs to make this happen. Kakashi scowled and dug his fingers into the terra cotta roof, unconsciously channeling chakra.
"You speak as if you know what will happen." Kakashi met Itachi's intense stare with a droopy eye, projecting as much disinterest as he could possibly muster.
"Oh, not really," Kakashi said vaguely. "But I know the Council. I know shinobi villages. I know war."
Itachi sucked in a quiet breath. "You don't mean Sasuke...?"
"You and your friends have your work cut out for yourselves," Kakashi said and his fingers slid through hardened clay like a hot knife in butter. "Or the clan's precious future might never happen."
"It was good of you to come," Fugaku said gruffly and bowed as a man befitting his station: barely.
"Oh, well, it was a wonderful meal." The Hatake boy smiled and bobbed like an idiot but Fugaku saw the clever mind hiding behind the unseemly mask.
"Please, do come again," Mikoto said gently and she pressed her calloused, small hand against his, gripping tight. Fugaku swallowed and something inside of him softened at his wife's touch. "Dinner again would be no bad thing," he said slowly and his wife's chakra flickered brightly.
"Come over next time and I'll show you the cool shuriken trick aniki showed me," Sasuke boasted but Fugaku was too proud of his son to scold him for being so rude to the guests.
"I'll bring Ryou-chan wif me," Naruto bounced on his feet, barely held in place by the Hatake's grip on his shoulder. "He knows all these cool tricks and mebbe we can teach him to do shuriken tricks too!"
Sasuke looked intrigued and a sly look passed over his face. "Dog tricks?" Fugaku had always forbidden pets on the grounds of mess but Sasuke had persisted in bringing home stray animals, throwing formidable temper tantrums when Fugaku had carried the latest kitten or bird out to the woods. He had a distinctly unwell feeling when looking at Sasuke's face.
"Yeah, dog tricks," the blond boy said happily. "'S me and Nii-san's friend, Ryou-chan's the best."
Sasuke, the demonic child that he was, turned large, bright eyes at him. "Papa," he said in a forlorn sort of voice. "May Ryou-chan and Naruto come and visit soon?"
"Well." Fugaku swallowed as Sasuke's eyes filled with more tears. "I'll think about it," he muttered and gripped his wife's hand for support.
Sasuke cheered and the two children enacted some sort of victory dance ritual, jumping up and down and throwing their arms in the air, shouting like little hooligans. "Alright, that's enough," Fugaku said coldly. "The guests must be on their way now."
Sasuke immediately fell back into line but his lines of his face were satisfied. Fugaku thought despairingly that in some ways his children were even worse than the power plays of the council.
"Bow," he heard the Hatake boy whisper to his charge and the Uzumaki boy bowed unsteadily, bright blond hair flopping as he did. Strange, how much the child reminded him of another Uzumaki, long gone and dead...
"It was very good to see you, Uzumaki-kun, Kakashi-senpai." His eldest son bowed back gracefully, perhaps a touch more deeper than he should have as a Clan heir but Fugaku could clearly see the respect his son had for the Hatake. Interesting. Strengthening ties between the Uchiha and the Hatake could prove useful during Council meetings.
"We'll see you soon," Hatake bobbed and crouched down, letting Naruto eagerly clamber up onto his back, thin arms curled around the masked man's neck. "The night is late and I don't want to impose on your hospitality any longer."
When the silver and gold haired duo disappeared with just a flicker of chakra, Fugaku breathed out a sigh of relief.
"They were very lovely," Mikoto smiled and squeezed his hands, her dark eyes affectionate.
"Naruto's not lovely," Sasuke said disparagingly, lower lip sticking out in a pout. "He's a boy."
"Sasuke," Fugaku said warningly.
Mikoto patted her son's head gently. "If he's not lovely, then what is he?"
To the family's surprise it was Itachi who answered Mikoto's question. "A good friend," he said quietly. Sasuke beamed up at his eldest son. "'xactly," he said.
A chakra string twanged softly outside his window and Kakashi woke without a sound, kunai already in his hand (he always slept with blades under his pillow) and chakra burning bright in his left hand. There was something hovering outside his window, tripping his seals, and Kakashi reached out irritatedly with his chakra, probing the guarded presence. He thought he'd kept the damned couriers away with his anti-chakra seals outside his window-
When Kakashi recognized the presence, he let his chakra die away but kept the blade tight in his hand. With a rough hand, he jerked the shade up to reveal Tenzou's wide eyes, face looking even paler than usual. Tenzou tapped on the glass with trembling hands outside open now emergency now now now and Kakashi jerked the window open with a little more force than he had to.
He slithered out, dressed in nothing but pajama bottoms and armed with a single kunai. "What is it?" he snarled, Tenzou's tension making his hackles rise. "Did someone die?"
"No." Tenzou swallowed and his face whitened. Kakashi didn't know whether it was because of the news he was bringing or because of Kakashi's killer intent. Probably both. Kakashi found that he couldn't exactly care at the moment. Naruto was sleeping just ten feet away and Sandaime-sama had sworn that he would give him two months of leave to look after him. He was still exhausted from his visit to the Uchiha district and the sour smell of Tenzou's fear didn't make him feel any better.
"Then what is it?"
"Delta Squad's being sent out on a suicide mission."
Kakashi gripped the window frame tightly, knuckles whitening. His kunai trembled in his other hand. "What?" he asked dully.
"Captain- Genma just received- I didn't know who else to ask but-"
Kakashi closed his eye. "Danzou," he said. It wasn't a question.
Tenzou nodded miserably, dark circles under his eyes highlighted by the dim light of the moon. "Straight from the mouth of the Councilman."
"Fuck."