Chapter 2 – The Forgotten Hero

My family members were always interested in what I did. I knew that they had a lot of love for me, which I appreciated, it could just be because I was the youngest member of my family – by far. My brother was twenty years older than I was. My father was fifty-two years old when I was born and my mother was twelve years his junior.

Now that I think back, I must have been a complete accident. Whether I was or I wasn't didn't matter, though. Even with the huge age gap between my parents, it didn't stop them from truly loving each other very much. It didn't stop them from loving me, either. They understood each other, unlike most of the other couples in our clan. They didn't force themselves into a marriage in order to procreate. For us, the Uchiha, it was essential, or else we would have died out long ago.

Lots of death tends to happen when we were always among the first of our village's clans to be sent to the battlefield.

No matter how strong we are, death is unavoidable. It was a major contributing factor in the clan's growing resentment towards the village, hatred towards our place of birth... I never understood why they felt that way. We weren't the only clan in Konohagakure that was treated like that. The Uchiha suffered a great deal during the chaos that war always brings, but so did the Senju, Hyūga, Sarutobi, Kurama, Nara… the list of clans who suffered could go on and on and on. The grief so many people had to bear is truly horrifying.

In fact, the Senju only had ten surviving members, yet they never showed resentment. They were once a big clan, just like us. But they died protecting the Land of Fire during the First and Second Shinobi World Wars. They never showed any hatred or regret in spite of that while the Uchiha, who were at least ten times as large and still going strong, did.

My family did not share the opinions of the majority of our clansmen. The fact was that we were a battle-oriented clan – abilities came with responsibilities, after all. So it was only natural that we were sent to the frontlines during war. That was just how life was. As far as I could remember, my family had always been the outcasts of the Uchiha. Whether it was our view on the village, or simply us as people, there was always a rift between us and the rest of our clan.

Was there a reason in particular for this rift? I didn't know. I never went through the trouble to figure out what was right and what was not. Even when I was a child, I could tell there was something different about us. Maybe it was good, or maybe it was bad. It didn't matter back then. I was a child and children tend not to worry about things like that.

"Shisui, do you want to go fishing with me?" Toshi shouted from the doorway. He was carrying his fishing gear, ready to go to the river bank.

I dropped the toys in my hand and ran towards the doorway. Overflowing with excitement, I ran fast, just a bit too fast, causing myself to bump into the tall man that was my brother.

"Easy there, tiger," Toshi said gently.

Toshi's eyes twinkled with amusement at my little mishap. If I had crashed into Mother rather than him, I knew what I was in for. She would tell me off for running around dangerously. I always thought our house was pretty safe, but that didn't stop her. Oh well, mother, I'll watch where I'm going next time…

"C'mon, let's get your shoes on." He took my trainers out of the shoebox and untied the shoe laces. I held out a hand, gesturing him to stop helping me to put on my shoes for me.

"I can do it myself." I gave him a V-sign and stared at him entreatingly.

"All right then, Chibisuke." Toshi chuckled and patted my head lightly. I gave him a cheesy grin in return.

My brother loved fishing. The few times he wasn't on border patrol during the Third Shinobi World War, he would fish. Because he was a sensor and was a part of an elite team of ANBU, he could only come home for two days three times a year. He had been on his post since I was three and one year had passed so far in what would be a decade-long war. Konoha had reluctantly joined the war a few years after it had begun, for she must defend herself from other countries, for her children.

My father was one of the Hokage's closest advisors. When he had the time, he would play with me, but he was usually too busy. So, I had spent most of my formative years looking up to my grown-up niisan, before he became a part of the army. He was a loving big brother with the best smile in the world. He always smiled whenever he was around me.

Unfortunately, by the time I had learned how to hold a decent conversation, there was very little time I had left with my brother.

No one saw it coming. I had so many questions to ask and so many things I wanted do with my one and only sibling, but I never got a chance to hear the answers or make those memories. I never thought that the next time I saw him, he would be lying peacefully in that dull, wooden cage. He would be sleeping soundly for eternity, and we were only there to see him off with the rest of village watching, showing him the respects he deserved.

Mother was crying into Father's shirt, caught in a consoling embrace. They both wept uncontrollably. Heartbroken. I didn't understand. Toshi was probably fooling around and pretending that he was still sleeping in the middle of the day. He liked to scare people a lot. He thought it was fun and I had fun too, because I was never fooled by his act. Toshi was just sleeping. Wasn't he? He was smiling. I knew it. Niisan was trying to pull a prank on us again.

To honour the late national hero that was my brother, Father wiped away his tears and prepared himself for what he was about to do. He sent a stream of dragon twisted flames towards my brother's body, reducing it into ash. My eyes widened and I started shaking in terror. I was shaking in fear. Father must have gone mad and the woman next to him could not have been my mother, since she didn't stop her husband from setting his own son alight.

Adrenaline raced through my veins, making my heart pump furiously in my ears. I ran towards the callous blaze at top speed, trying to get to my beloved niisan, but a blond man tried to grab me before I could get too close. I ducked under his arm, still running. Before I could get to Toshi, before I could wake him from his deep slumber, that blond man flashed in front of me once again. This time, he lifted me into the air, giving me no chance to reach my brother.

"Let me down, Minato!" Tears streamed down my face as I angrily kicked and punched in mid air. He was niisan's best friend. Why did he let whatever was happening happen? Why did he just stand there?

"Please, Shisui." I glared into his sapphire blue eyes. They were misty. He was holding tears back, not letting the tiniest drip fall. His sorrow drained my anger, leaving me empty, but I refused to give up hope. Niisan had to come back. I look back to the blazing flames, wishing Toshi would jump out alright.

"Niisan! I promise you. I won't throw away all your fish food anymore. I'll hide them next time."

There was no answer.

"Wake up now, please! I'll be good. I promise." I prayed that he would take my eager bait, spring up from that furious sea of fire.

I couldn't see clearly anymore. My eyes were blurry and filled with tears. My nose was running as I choked on my hasty breaths. I could only make out the vicious colour of burning flame.

"Wake up, Toshi! This isn't funny anymore!" I screamed so loudly that people could probably hear what I said on the other side of the country.

I could only shout, in hopeful anticipation that my voice could reach niisan's ears, and then - maybe just in time - he would stop his stupid joke. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, my hope leaking away with every unanswered call.

It wasn't funny, Toshi. It never was.