Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognised as belonging to other people.
Note:
This story begins before Naruto was born. He will be coming in in the next chapter or the one after it.
"Strip to your underclothes and sit on the table."
The dark-haired eleven-year-old did as told with his usual stoic demeanour, showing not even the slightest hint that he was uncomfortable with the five others in the room.
And he was.
Yondaime Hokage, Sandaime ex-Hokage, his father and Head of Uchiha Clan, Fugaku, a medic-nin and a Seal Master just in case they found one of the snake sannin's Curse Seals, were present.
The Yondaime Hokage, Kazama Arashi, was usually a kind and warm person, but even the usually apathetic Hideaki was wary of the cold steel of the blond man's eyes. It would appear that he would treat even the blameless, ignorant students of his enemy like he would the teacher. Hideaki couldn't blame him; he would do the same under the circumstances.
Sarutobi, the Sandaime, stood in the corner, face haggard since the betrayal of the man he thought of as a son. Hideaki had heard rumours that the Yondaime had wanted to imprison Orochimaru's surviving students, but that Sarutobi had intervened and instead they were on probation and under watch instead.
Hideaki's father…Hideaki had no love, no respect, no loyalty for the man, even as clan head. He regarded the man who had sired him in the same way he had regarded Orochimaru; dislike, hate even, tapered by fear and the blind obedience beaten into him as a child, to the point of apathetic defeatism. It was simply acknowledged that he had to take orders from them.
The young Jounin on the examination table blinked his neutral black eyes slowly as the Seal Master's brush painted a revealer Seal onto his back between the shoulder blades.
Hideaki became aware that something was happening on his back when chakra that felt different began freezing through the chakra pathways. He let out a sharp breath as several muscles in his back twitched and convulsed painfully.
The Seal Master made a surprised sound in the back of his throat
"What is it?" The Yondaime demanded.
The Seal Master ran cool fingers over the now still white back. Hideaki couldn't see, but the revealer Seal had flared an icy blue before dissipating.
"There is a powerful Seal hidden in his back. If it was anything below an A-ranked Seal, it would have been forced to reveal itself, but since it repelled my Seal, one can only assume it is mid A-rank or higher."
There was an angry breath but the Sandaime spoke first. "I thought that the Curse Seal was B-ranked at best."
The hand moved down the vertebrae. "It is. This is something else entirely. The chakra is too different to be Orochimaru's. If anything, I would say the chakra is demonic."
"Are you inferring that my son is a demon?!" Hideaki heard his father demand, outraged.
"Of course not. If he was, it would have manifested much earlier despite any attempts to hide it." The Seal Master replied calmly. "The same would apply if he were a Vessel. Hideaki-san?" The eleven-year-old turned his head slightly to show he was listening. "Have you ever been alone for an extended period of time and suffered any loss of your sense of time and memory?"
-Ocean eyes-Black hair-Blue skin-Cave in the Sea cliffs-Rei's dead eyes-
-"Come in from the cold, little dragon."-
"Iie. Not for several years."
-"You're lying to me, little dragon."-
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
The Sandaime sighed. "Then we will have to look further into this Seal after Anko-san's examination. Would you please wait in this room for the time being?"
Hideaki nodded and everyone but his father began to leave the room, he spoke.
"Sandaime-sama?" The old man paused. "May I have a word with you for a moment?"
The old man waved away Arashi's concerned gaze and stepped back into the room.
Once he was settled into one of the chairs, Hideaki cut his eyes to his father and back.
Sarutobi lit his pipe and addressed Fugaku. "If you would wait outside, Uchiha-dono, I believe Hideaki-kun wants privacy."
"Hideaki?" The name was spoken in a mild tone the boy was well-used to. He ignored the underlying threat.
He tilted his head slightly. "If you would?"
There was a stony silence, but after a few moments the door opened and closed behind the man.
Sarutobi inhaled softly from his pipe, eyes still narrowed from watching the confrontation between father and son.
The boy took a breath and tried to begin. "Anko is…" He hesitated. "She hasn't been taking it well." He concluded lamely. "I got her some anti-depressants this morning so she wouldn't break down during the examination." Hideaki shifted restlessly, eyes still locked on the wall opposite him, having not once looked at the old man. "Yondaime-sama's feelings in regards to the two of us had passed onto the public; shop keepers have begun turning her away, calling her 'snake-bitch'." He stopped to give the now very haggard old man a sad stare, his voice dropping out of monotone to an almost sad murmur.
"It is not so bad for me because of the clan, but even I have been called a traitor when they think I am not within earshot. She has been suffering because there has been no confidentiality. Anyone would be able to find out all the details with no hassle. They have been saying that we helped with his experiments." A look of anger passed over his face but was gone just as fast, though his voice remained hard. "Why is it we are being blamed while his old team is getting sympathy?"
"I shall look into it, Hideaki-kun, and I shall do my best for you both."
Hideaki blinked almost lizard-like at the old man. "You had better. That night, Orochimaru came and tried to entice us to follow him, we both refused for different reasons. For her to show that kind of loyalty to the village, only to have it thrown back in her face…it has cut her deep."
The Uchiha let the old man stew in guilt for a moment. "Will you sign emancipation forms for me?"
"Why?" He was startled.
Hideaki gave him a level look, looked at the door and looked back at the man. "Do you honestly think I'll get out of the Uchiha Compound before tomorrow without multiple bruises? I've had the shit kicked out of me for a lesser show of defiance then that."
"I'll take you to my office for the papers after your examination."
"Agreed. I'll move in with Anko if she allows it."
(space)
Anko turned out to have a Curse Seal and would have to stay for further observation. Sandaime had to send Yondaime out of the room to stop him from attacking her.
The Seal on Hideaki's back required an S-ranked revealer Seal to get it to show up. It turned out to be a Maternity Seal. A demon had adopted him and was feeding him chakra via a link in the back of his cerebral cortex and had been gradually altering his mindset. A Yamanaka had been sent in to poke around his mind and had left very much disturbed if the look on his face was any indication. The Yamanaka spoke aside to the Sandaime for a few moments.
Sarutobi murmured something back and the young Yamanaka Inoichi gave Fugaku a hateful look before leaving. Fugaku sent a cool look after the blonde man before giving Hideaki a look. Hideaki gave a neutral look back.
Sarutobi spoke to the medic-nin and Seal Master for a moment before they both bowed and left. He turned his attention back to the two Uchiha. "Hideaki-kun? If you would follow me to my office?"
Hideaki signed his name on the final dotted line and handed the forms back to the older man. He stood and bowed. "Thank you for understanding. If you would keep my father here for an hour or so…?"
Sarutobi nodded. "Of course. Inoichi-kun is waiting for you outside the Tower. He will be escorting you to and from the Uchiha Compound."
Hideaki stared at the Sandaime for a moment before giving one of his true smiles; one that morphed his whole face and lit up his black eyes. "Thank you, Sarutobi-sama."
He would be returning for a check-up as soon as the roving Master Seal Crafter returned from whatever mission he was on.
(space)
"It must have been hard for you."
Hideaki glanced at the blonde man running beside him. "I wouldn't know. It is the only life I have ever known."
The pair leapt over the roofs of a few buildings before Inoichi spoke again. "If you ever need anything, let me know and I'll see what I can do."
"I don't like charity cases, Yamanaka-san. However, if I ever need anything from you, I will pay you back for it with any odd jobs you need doing."
The blond smiled. "I didn't think it would be any other way."
(space)
The Uchiha heir opened the sliding door of his room and wandered in, Inoichi right behind him.
The room itself was rather plain: white paper walls and lacquered wood panelling. There was a plain, low table, a few sitting mats, a futon rolled in the corner and a locked cabinet in the northern corner. One sliding door led to a small bathroom and the other led to a walk-in wardrobe which held his formal kimonos and yukata. All his other worldly possessions were sealed in scrolls in either the cabinet in the corner or in a loose ceiling board.
Taking a key tied to a lock of hair at the base of his neck, Hideaki approached the cabinet and opened it to reveal at least ten or so sealing scrolls and a further forty or fifty smaller jutsu scrolls.
Inoichi sweat-dropped when he saw that the eleven-year-old had more jutsu scrolls then he did.
"Take these empty scrolls and put my clothes in them, would you?"
Inoichi took the three scrolls handed to him and moved into the wardrobe.
Hideaki regarded his scroll collection and reached for one of the storage scrolls. Moments later, the scroll was closed and the boy was carefully loading the scrolls into an oiled leather backpack. Content that Inoichi would be busy with his formal outfits, Hideaki used his chakra to walk up the wall and retrieve his more – ahem – sensitive jutsus: Read; anything above B-ranked.
With these jutsus were treasures from his childhood; an oddly shaped rock that sparkled in the sun, a self-bored stone, a beautifully carved jade snow leopard, some colourful feathers, his first kunai, his favourite teddy bear, the skull of a baby owl, a platinum ring his maternal grandfather left him, a picture Itachi drew for him, a picture of his old genin team minus Orochimaru, a picture of himself, Itachi and Mother, and a gold locket left to him by Rei, a lock of her hair held inside.
All these things in his pack, Hideaki replaced the ceiling board and moved on to the bathroom. Not much in there; two towels, his apple-scented shampoo and conditioner, sandalwood scented soap, a wash cloth and his extensive First Aid Kit.
Hideaki wandered into the wardrobe to find Inoichi putting the last five formal kimonos into the final sealing scroll.
"I have to go speak with my mother and brother before we leave." He told the man. "It might take some time, so would you take my pack to Anko's place for me?"
Inoichi smiled sympathetically. "Sure. I'll come right back to escort you to Anko-chan's apartment."
Hideaki returned the smile. "Thank you."
Inoichi left and Hideaki went in search of his mother and/or brother.
(space)
He found his mother in the garden trimming her favourite white Sakura vines.
"Mother? May I have a word?"
Michiko looked up and smiled lovingly at her eldest son. "What is it, Hide-kun?"
Michiko was a beautiful motherly woman with long black hair and always smelled of flowers. Hideaki knew that his mother loved him dearly, and he loved her, but only so much as one loves a favourite but distant aunt. He seldom ever saw his mother after his prodigy status was confirmed; Fugaku had filled his son's time with training and lessons, and later the missions started coming. When Hideaki was seven, he had begun to make an effort to spend at least an hour with his mother and brother at least weekly.
Michiko knew that her son didn't love her as much as other children loved their mothers, and it hurt her, but she also knew that it wasn't his fault and he was trying his hardest to keep in touch with her given the circumstances. But still she knew that it hurt them both, and Itachi, when he couldn't make it.
Hideaki shifted and looked away, saddened that it had come to this. "I've been emancipated. I'm leaving to move in with Anko as soon as I've spoken with Itachi."
Michiko's legs gave out and she fell to her knees in a flutter of pink and yellow silk. Hideaki came forward and knelt beside her.
"It's alright, Mother. You and Itachi can come and visit me whenever you want. And I'll have more free time now without father making me train and go to lessons…"
"No, no, no!" She sobbed. "Don't you realise? Fugaku is going to disown you now and name you Forbidden! No one from the Uchiha Clan will ever be able to acknowledge your existence unless the Clan Head rescinds the order! I'll never see you again!"
Hideaki gathered his beautiful mother into his arms and let her weep into his shoulder, his heart swelling painfully with love for the woman who birthed him. "I know." He told her gently. "I was just trying to soften the blow. But, while I may be leaving you and Itachi, I will be free of this cage I was born into. I cannot live out my life as an asset to be used and cast aside." He pushed her back gently so he could look into her dark watery eyes. "But…I want you to promise me, Mother. I want you to promise me you won't let him make of Itachi what he made of me. Promise me, Mother."
Michiko nodded tearfully. "I promise."
"May I take a lock of your hair? As a reminder?"
Michiko reached out, took the knife she had been pruning with and a ribbon from her sleeve cuff. Tying an under lock together, she used the knife to cut it off.
Taking the long lock, Hideaki coiled it up and put it into a beautifully embellished leather pouch around his neck.
He gave her a beatific smile and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Mother."
He stood and walked away, leaving his mother crying in the garden, one hand clutching the knife and the other curled over the slight mound in her abdomen.
(space)
Itachi was in the training yards, practicing with his kunai.
"Otouto."
The small boy whipped around, dropped the kunai on the ground and threw himself at his Aniki.
"NEE-SAMA!"
"Hiya, shortie. I have something for you."
"WHAT! WHAT! WHAT!" The little black-haired boy jumped up and down with excitement, adoring hero-worship in his eyes.
Smiling ruefully, Hideaki gave his little brother the necklet he held in his hand. It was a chain with eleven metal beads spaced an inch apart, each of the metal beads with a hole in it.
"Oooohhh!"
Deciding that decorum could be damned, Hideaki dropped onto his arse and dragged his shrieking little brother down onto his lap, wrapping him in his arms.
"'Tachi?"
"Aniki?" the little black eyed, black haired imp replied in exactly the same tone.
"I'm going away on a long mission. I won't be around as much as I usually am. I might not come back at all."
Itachi whipped his head around, eyes wide with panic. "WHAT?! Why?!"
Hideaki pulled the boy closer for comfort and so he couldn't wiggle so much. "'Tachi… Missions aren't safe games. People die on missions. This mission is very dangerous and I may die. So wear that necklet for me because," He moved an arm and, with a flick of his wrist, an identical necklet appeared in his hand, "I shall be wearing mine."
Itachi stared at the necklet for a moment before smiling up at his brother. "Okay, Aniki! I'll wear it so I'll always be close to you, even when you're on a mission." Or if I get killed. Hideaki thought ruefully.
Hideaki released his little brother and poked his forehead with his index finger.
"Good. Get back to training, squirt. If you want to be as good as I am you'll have to try harder."
"HAI!"
Hideaki left the training area. He had to speak with Mother again before he left.
(space)
Inoichi was speaking with Michiko when he returned to the garden. They stopped when they saw Hideaki approaching.
He gave the two a curious look when he came to a stop before them. He shrugged it off. "Mother?" He started softly, well aware that her eyes were still puffy and ready to overflow again at the slightest little thing.
Michiko sobbed and threw her arms around him. He gently guided her to a bench under her flowers where he let her cry out her tears until she was just shuddering.
"Leave it a few weeks, then tell Itachi I was killed on a mission. It will be better this way. If he thinks me dead, he will never resent the clan for casting me out." Michiko nodded into his shoulder, her eyes filling again.
"HIDEAKI!" The lady and two shinobi straightened as Fugaku's voice roared through the mansion, tone dangerous.
Hideaki gently pushed his mother away and stood. "I have to go. I love you, Mother." He kissed her cheek, tasting salty tears. "Goodbye, Mother."
Inoichi joined Hideaki and the two were over the garden wall and into the Branch House quarters just in time to escape the red-faced Clan Head as he stormed into the garden.
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