Chapter 6: The Sun's Gone Dim

Walking home after studying in the library, the sun had only set just minutes before.

Sasuke was rubbing his eyes, knowing he could go straight to bed after a delicious dinner by his mother until the gates came into view.

Wide open, no guards were on duty.

Feeling goosebumps on his skin rise and his heart stomach drop into his stomach, he swallowed his fear.

'Aniki would go in, he'd figure out what's going on.. just be like Itachi.'

"Hokage-sama!" Running into the office with its lights still on, Itachi dressed in his ANBU uniform came barging in with Sasuke in his arms before he collapsed onto the ground. Covered in splatters of blood, mask half missing, the defeated and hardened expression sent the Hokage jumping to his feet.

"My clan.. they've been massacred! Sasuke-kun has been hit with the Tsukuyomi.." Immediately with a snap of the Hokage's fingers, he was surrounded by his ANBU coworkers still on duty. Watching his little brother be taken from his arms as he sat on the floor admittedly feeling numb, the rest were dispatched to observe the exact damage done and to lock the village down.

Being left alone with the Hokage who was watching him with guarded and intense eyes, Itachi had rushed out the needed to know information in between the radioed in responses of the ANBU. The familiar situation left a heavy feeling of deja vu at the similarities and differences, and it didn't take long for individuals to be summoned and to be investigated. The orders to remain silent and patient was obvious afterwards, allowing the heir to comfort himself with the change of apology from the Hokage.

"I am so sorry for your loss, Itachi-kun. We will find the murderer, I promise you."

Bowing his head as the personal council of the Hokage's advisers entered without knocking, the obvious disrespect at such a time left the Hokage glaring.

Between the two, it didn't really need to be said for why they had to be investigated as well.

After all, no one else had known why the clan could have deserved it.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Homura had demanded on entrance, his kimono bellowing behind him as he was followed by a limping Danzo Shimura and a teary-eyed Koharu. Seeing Itachi bowing there behind the Hokage with blood splattered clothes as the village's sirens went off to initiate the public village wise lock down, the deemed Shadow Council had slowed to a stop in their complaints as the doors shut behind them.

"It appears the Uchiha Clan has been massacred by a masked figure that went by the name of Obito." Watching the council become shocked and horrified from the corner of his eyes, Itachi felt a sick satisfaction at their terrified and confused expressions. Whether they believed the story or not of someone else doing their dirty work a hour before they could demand Itachi do it himself didn't matter, because Hurizen had known immediately that whoever had to have done it must've been hired by Danzo at the least and all three at most. "It appears this Obito had been working alongside the organization Akatsuki, who have been collecting S-rank missing nin's for an unknown cause, as when he was sighted by Itachi, he was wearing their signature black cloak with red clouds and silver linings."

"You gotta tell the Old Man that Obito did it. Just a man named Obito, wearing a weird mask with only one eye-hole and his Akatsuki cloak." Watching the wind violently whip through her hair, she beamed a large fake smile at him over their sand castle. He caught Hinata Hyuuga's stare, childish jealousy and want clouding her eyes for a moment at the large smile the Uzumaki sent him.

"You say Itachi has sighted him? Why did he not report the intruder to the village sooner, then?" Hunched over yet still looking furious and suspicious, Danzo gripped his cane extremely tight.

Raising an eyebrow, Hurizen gave him a piercing and accusing stare. "The only other person that had seen the man was young Sasuke Uchiha. However to distract Itachi from preventing him massacring the rest of the clan, he used the sharingan technique, Tsukuyomi, on young Sasuke. It had put him into an inescapable genjutsu and based off his words to Itachi, he has been reliving the murder of his clan members for what feels like 72 hours when only three seconds have passed in the real world. I doubt he could have reported seeing Obito, considering the medic-nins have already found it necessary to force him to rest with the help of medication to give his mind rest from the trauma."

"Why are we trusting this Uchiha boy's words over his memories?" Almost snarling, the smirk that could've taken place on his face was immediately wiped off as the Hokage's voice became sharp.

"I already plan to have Inochi mind walk through Sasuke's memories to confirm when I go to the hospital, as I have no intention to make the poor child himself recall the memories when he awakes. Itachi is not an option, as I imagine none of us want the information of the coup d'tact getting out. I do hope you feel the same, especially now."

"Hurizen, you said this Obito used the Sharingan technique, Tsukuyomi? How is that possible?" Carefully choosing her words, Koharu's eyes revealed how panicked and confused she was. Tiredly nodding, Hurizen closed his eyes for a moment, giving a chance for the Shadow Council to publicly observe Itachi. Speaking his theory, the said teen was incredibly grateful for Naruto and Kurama's idea.

"Yes, with his physical description of wearing a full mask to hide his face, there was a single eye hole on his right side. Considering his name as well, I have an unfortunate reason to suspect that Kakashi's Hatake former teammate, Obito Uchiha may be this figure. I will have to review reports and send a squad to where his body was supposedly left from the Third Shinobi War. If he survived, I would not be too surprised if someone had manipulated any anger of being left behind against Konoha, especially on top of his treatment from his own clan before dying despite his originally pure intentions."

"Even if jisan thinks for any reason you did it, any story you tell about Obito right there will probably line up with the little stuff he already has about Akatsuki through Ero-sannin. It'll be enough until Sasuke wakes up from the Tsyunami, which will show your henged Obito bunshin doing it all." After having been caught by him during a game of hide and seek in the trees, she laughed before continuing. "He won't be able to do anything for being accused, since he's still trying to go around as Madara right now!"

Watching the four stand in silence, their expressions revealed them looking back on their memories of who Obito Uchiha once was.

Itachi could just barely remember the Uchiha himself, but having Naruto fill in the blanks from beyond his first 'death' to his own status as a jinchuuriki for the Ten Tails, it was a shock to think he could have done such a thing against the village he once loved. 'Not that he truly has, but he will commit much worse against Konoha if Zetsu does not leave his side.'

Once his story was confirmed through Sasuke's testimony, Itachi would be in the clear from the Hokage's suspicion. The advisers were a different story, their arguments to sentence every last Uchiha to death besides those ignorant of the plan reaching to every guilty Uchiha to receive a seal similar to the Hyuuga Branch only pointed their own fingers at themselves for whose fault it was.

"Hawk to Leader, no hostiles found. Discovered more survivors. Over," the radio tucked in Hurizen's sleeve went off, its setting on speaker.

"Leader to Hawk, how many survivors? Over."

"11 survivors in total, all children. Over."

Eyes widening in hope, the group held their breath in silent hope.

"Transport the survivors to the hospital immediately then disperse your squad to assist in code Red-9, over." Turning to Itachi, Hurizen waved him up off his feet. "I believe we should meet with Inochi-kun at the hospital now, my boy." Dismissing the elders with a cold nod, it went unsaid that their possibly involvement would be found. The Hokage may have not pointed it out, but he knew it was suspicious for all three of them to have be found together on such a night.

The hope of being declared innocent this time around left Itachi feeling almost anxious that when the duo arrived to the hospital, he didn't have to hide it anymore at the sight of the bloodied children, toddlers, and a baby being escorted in. All under the age of 9, it was with a heavy heart that he watched them be left unknowing why some were covered in blood or bleeding to a slow death.

Having casted a genjutsu to keep them asleep as his clone took care of their parents quietly, they were woken to animal masks and sights of sheets covering bodies. Not sure of how they gained their injuries, there were only a few that had glimpsed Obito and able to communicate it.

Each report was spelling Itachi's apparent innocence, that it was only proper for Inochi to mind-walk Sasuke by then. Confirm who was for sure dead or alive and the exact physical details of Obito.

It took several minutes before Inochi had awoken from his own jutsu and with a long glance to Itachi, the Yamanaka clan head had politely requested to speak to the Hokage outside. With chakra channeled, the oldest living Uchiha in Konoha overheard it all.

How Obito wanted revenge yet couldn't kill some of the children outright, how he had massacred so many of the adults - ruining their prized eyes completely.

Sitting numbly in his spot besides his younger brother's bed, who was laying their motionlessly with a pained expression, the heir heard the head doctor who was now overseeing all over the Uchiha survivors loudly approach the Hokage. With Inochi dismissed, Hurizen and Doctor Yamanta returned to the room.

"Sasuke will need time. We have stopped the sleeping drug and he is now just hooked to fluids to remain hydrated. We estimate that he will awaken by tomorrow morning," nodding his thanks, the hesitant look as the doctor flipped her page caught both their attention.

"Yes, doctor?"

"Itachi-san may as well be the Uchiha Head now. Will you be responsible for the other survivors, or will you be.." trailing off as Hurizen gave a sharp look to the doctor, said teen politely smiled at her for what she was asking.

"Yes, I will take responsibility for my clansmen. How are they doing?"

The poison that had been on the blade of the killer had an easy antidote, however with their small forms, the damage had been done. Decaying the functions of the five senses before attacking the organs, the eyes were the first to go.

Short of the miracle worker Tsunade who had sworn to never return, on over half their future sharingan's would never be used to their full potential, if able to unlock them at all.

The rest had no chance with their doujutsu, the possibility of blindness would rise with age and the recommendation of glasses verse contacts before their hospital stay finished was a demand or a show of neglect.

Though the poison to ruin the rest of his clansmens eyes were to ensure Danzo couldn't pick any for himself, the damaged sharingan's meant the children were no longer targets. These were the children of forgers, bakers, nurses, and animal farmers. Untouched completely with the Curse of Hatred and a lack of interest in anything shinobi, Itachi knew of his father's plans towards them.

"We will rid ourselves of them if they do not show promise in the shinobi arts. We will have to rebuild the forces if that fool of a Hokage will not go down quietly."

Some of the lack of interest in the shinobi arts were because of their parents profession. Knowing that it will not effect the future if they found themselves in apprenticeships to continue their parents path, there was already an agenda in the back of the new Clan Head's mind. Planning on visiting each child soon, he took a slow deep breath, the heavy feeling of his chest disappearing. 'This time, I will be a better brother for you, Sasuke.' His fate already changed, to thank Naruto and Kurama later had been added to said agenda.

"Hokage-sama, I'm sorry, but I must resign from ANBU."

"Effective immediately. No worries my boy, I will fill the paperwork out for you. Focus on those underneath you now, depending on you. You are more than welcome to come visit me any time you'd like to discuss or need advice." Nodding respectively, the leader said his apologies once more before leaving.

Staring at his younger brother for a long moment, the clock said it was just after midnight. Leaving the room himself slowly, the spare scroll he carried was to be filled with the needs of the children now underneath his care.

Unable to sleep peacefully, Naruto spent the night tossing and turning. Her sleeps were short, turning over to immediately check her alarm clock.

The siren had woken her and almost all of Konoha up, the flashing red lights seen from the walls and light posts making it hard to stay asleep. People poured out onto the streets concerned, trying to catch the attention of the ANBU who were too busy locking the village down to speak until the jonin arrived to settle villagers down and return them to their homes. When she tried joining the crowds though, immediately a familiar silver haired man in an animal mask blurred into existence before her.

"Uzumaki-san, all civilians must remain indoors until further notice."

"What? Nobody else is inside, why can't I go?"

She imagined he had a response prepared, but the poof and cloud of smoke interrupted him. Revealing a cat masked, purple haired woman, she turned to her future sensei and spoke quietly. Body stiffening as he nodded, he disappeared as quickly as he came. Gulping loudly as the ANBU turned to her, the request of the Hokage wishing to see her was more of a demand.

Piggy backed across the rooftops, the shinobi around her scrambling gave her own sense of deja vu until they arrived to the hospital. Allowed to walk again, the hand on her shoulder led her past the front desk and into the guarded wing.

In a crisp, lemon-scented room, her grandfatherly figure was sitting there with the Head Doctor and a member of Konoha's sealing team, though at the top of her head she knew he wouldn't be as efficient as her future self.

Hugged tightly as greeting, the next line of questions made her realize how much of a success her and Kurama's plan was.

"How were you sleeping tonight, Uzumaki-san?"

"Couldn't really sleep, kept wakin' up."

"Do you know why you kept waking up?"

"Nah, I think it's just 'cause I had a big nap after my detention with Iruka-sensei. He really makes me work hard to clean them up, ugh!"

"Has anyone visited you tonight? Did you see anyone in your apartment?"

"Yeah, Itachi was in my apartment last night! He's super cool, already a big ninja and he's not like Sasuke-teme, bein' so stuck up. But he always visits me on thursdays, 'cause I try switchin' my and teme's homework around."

"Did you have any weird dreams tonight when you did sleep?"

"Yeah, 'bout that dog that could talk. He was like, a pug? 'Cept this time, he was trying to buy his own doggy treats."

The hushed conversation continued on between the three, a genjutsu having obviously not been casted on her, including no unfamiliar signatures left in her apartment. When requested to lift her shirt and to channel her chakra, the seal team member compared her seal to the copy on a scroll, confirming nothing had been done to it. Dismissed, she watched the individual leave and was swept up into her jisans arms for another tight hug.

"Something terrible had happened tonight, Naruto-chan," he started gently. "Your friends Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha will need your full support."

Nodding in complete agreement, she was escorted into another room of the wing, an ANBU member standing guard of this room especially.

She wasn't surprised to see Sasuke on the bed, slightly beaten and pale, twitching frequently in his forced sleep. Sitting in the chair beside his bed after the Hokage left, she sighed heavily. In a combination of relief and sorrow, she knew she was being listened to when she began talking to her chakra brother.

"Teme.. I'm sorry you lost your family. I'm sorry it came to this, where you and Itachi are left with some cousins you've probably never talked to.. but it's better than nothing. Better than bein' the only one left. At least I can be here for you, ya know? Even if you don't want me to be around like usual, I will be again." Patting his hand a little roughly as she gave a sad grin, the door opening and closing quickly spun her head around.

Appearing tired and worn down at the new found responsibility, she swore she could see a light behind Itachi's eyes that wasn't there last time.

It only took a moment before she recognized it as hope. Shooting up from her seat, the blonde quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. Feeling him tense for a long moment, she smiled when he gingerly wrapped his arms around her.

Posted: 04/05/2019