A Father's POV

Fugaku and the New Uchihas

When Itachi announces that the Kyuubi container and a pink-haired civilian girl are now members of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku wonders what he's done to deserve this.

Mikoto sighs, but doesn't say anything. In fact, she seems almost pleased by this development, which makes Fugaku question the sanity of his wife. It's not a great development, considering large amounts of his time are spent worrying about the mental state of his eldest son, and worrying that his youngest would follow a similar path (Sasuke idolises Itachi, which, in Fugaku's opinion, is a very bad sign).

"Would you stop?" Mikoto laughs, her voice far too light given the current situation. "I think it's cute."

Fugaku continues to glower. "She has pink hair. And he is the son of Kushina Uzumaki." Who cares if the boy housed the Kyuubi; this is the real concern. Fugaku doesn't make a habit of disrespecting the dead, but…he doesn't exactly have fond memories of the woman.

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say — he often forgets that his kind, respectable, sane wife had been best friends with that psychopath — and Mikoto's expression darkens. "Deal with it," she says.

Fugaku decides he is the Uchiha clan head, and if he doesn't want to 'deal with it' then he won't. So he decides to make his point very clear by staring ahead, mustering up his best scowl, and crossing his arms across his chest.

Mikoto rolls her eyes and walks away.

...

Flying Mint Bunny

Itachi is four years old. Mikoto suggests Fugaku take him along to their next clan meeting. Fugaku is resistant, which wouldn't have just shocked him if he'd heard this four years prior — it would have had him wondering if he was losing his mind.

In Fugaku's mind, the clan is everything. Itachi will be clan head some day (and dear God, does that thought terrify him), and that means getting him used to things like clan meetings from a young age.

Now though…well. Fugaku's son is strange. For God's sake, the boy has tried to poison him on numerous occasions with those…scones. He'd have random outbursts, talk in an odd manner, and at times even converse with himself.

Taking him to an enclosed area, where the most important members of the clan were gathered, seems like the worst idea ever.

When he tells this to Mikoto, she scoffs and tells him to get over it.

So Fugaku takes his son along with him, feeling jittery and apprehensive, and at first, things seem to be going fine. The elders look approvingly at Itachi, the seemingly perfect Uchiha (although Fugaku's eye does twitch slightly at Itachi's "it's the eyebrows, isn't it?" in response to a comment about how handsome he looked), and Fugaku hurries the meeting along before Itachi can say or do something that'd have the elders worrying about the future of the clan.

Things seem to be going smoothly - and then Itachi laughs.

Fugaku's eye twitches, and he hurries along. He is a man on a mission. Get this over with, say goodbye, take Itachi home, and let him be Mikoto's problem. She's good at this. He is not.

"Oh Flying Mint Bunny, I know they sound like idiots right now, but we can't say that."

Keep talking. Keep talking, dammit.

"Did you say something, dear?"

Fugaku winces as one of the elders addresses Itachi. His son glances up, surprised.

"Oh, did I speak aloud?" he asks, perfectly articulated as usual. Had things been different, his son's obvious intellect would have thrilled him. "Sorry, I sometimes forget myself when I'm speaking to Flying Mint Bunny. Carry on."

"Flying Mint Bunny?" Fugaku blurts out before he can stop himself.

'Goddammit.'

Itachi smiles. "He's my friend. Sorry, the meeting was getting a bit boring, and Flying Mint Bunny stopped by for a visit, so I thought I would — "

"Well, I think we should wrap this up!" Fugaku says hurriedly.

One of the elders shakes her head, frowning disapprovingly. "Fugaku," she says, "I understand that Itachi is still young, but having an imaginary friend is unbecoming for the future Uchiha clan head."

"We're dealing with it," Fugaku promises, with a strained smile.

"Imaginary friend?" Itachi says, his voice rising. "Flying Mint Bunny is not imaginary!"

"Itachi," Fugaku says sharply.

His son glares at him. "He is not! Just because you can't see him doesn't mean he isn't here. You just don't have enough magic."

Everyone stares at Itachi, their disapproval growing, and Fugaku feels the sudden urge to snap, not at his son, but at them, to say, "He's just a child dammit, get over it."

He doesn't do this, partially because it isn't the appropriate, dignified thing for him to do, and partially because Itachi is murmuring quietly to the empty space near his shoulder again, and there is no way in Hell that Fugaku is encouraging this behaviour.

He wraps up the meeting, buys his son some dango on the way home so he will stop talking, and tries to ignore the way Itachi offers some of it to the empty spot by his head.

(If he'd paid closer attention, he might have noticed the dango seemingly being devoured by the empty air).

...

AN:

Hey guys, sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter out! Hopefully you enjoy it! I'll try not to take as long with the next one.