Disclaimer: not mine

Naruto: 17

Sasuke: 7

Itachi: 13

Thanks to my amazing beta, Lazy-Hime.

Since ffnet doesn't allow those star signs I was forced to use brackets, don't let it confuse you.

(...) means sound

Chapter 4

The Yondaime Hokage and his four ANBU guards were only half a day's travel from Konohagakure, when the attack came. Eleven masked ninja, clad from head to toe in black clothes surrounded them.

Itachi noted the absence of their forehead protectors with interest. Even rogues took enough pride in their origins to wear their hitai-ate. Obviously their attackers did not want to disclose their village affiliation. It begged the question of why.

Eyes changing into their Sharingan form, Itachi rushed at their enemies. There were very, very few shinobi who could keep up with his speed. Blood gushed out of the throats of his victims, running down his blade.

Out of the periphery of his eyes he could see the other members of his team take out two more and the Yondaime was just a flash of yellow, felling one attacker after the other.

Never stopping his movements, Itachi took care of the rest of the enemies in front of him. However, he was careful to take the last one down without killing him immediately. They would need a live one to get information.

Therefore, he thrust his sword into the enemy's abdomen, swept his feet out of under him and pinned him to the ground. Thrusting two kunai through the ninja's hands to prevent him from forming any seals, Itachi looked down at his captive, Sharingan swirling dangerously.

"Itachi-kun, good thinking of capturing him alive," Minato praised the young ANBU captain.

Itachi stood up and bowed his head, "Hokage-sama."

"Now let's see who's under the mask." The blond haired man knelt down next to the captive and tore the mask off his face, to reveal the pale face and dark eyes of none other than Uchiha Shisui.

For the first time in his career as a shinobi of the Leaf, Itachi had to struggle to keep his face blank and his eyes expressionless. Instead he barked a quick order for the others to unmask the rest of the attackers. It didn't take long to identify them as Uchiha as well.

Itachi felt the weight of the stares his comrades sent his way, as he knelt down to his childhood friend, but more so the intensity of the Yondaime's sky blue eyes.

"What is the meaning of this, traitor?" he asked, his voice threatening violence.

Shisui grimaced and spat blood at the black haired teen. "Y-you are the… (Cough)…traitor. H-how c-c-c-ould you… (Cough)…let you-r-r l-loyalty t-t-o that… (Cough)…man mean more than the l-l-loyal-l-ty… (Cough)…t-to your clan?"

Itachi kept his face impassive and his voice toneless as he answered, "Because I am a shinobi of the Leaf first, a brother second and heir to the clan third."

He was glad that the Yondaime didn't interrupt the interrogation. The man simply stood next to him, giving him silent support.

"Y-y-you better f-f-ind someth-th-ing else to…(cough, cough)…p-place s-secon-nd."

Hard red eyes narrowed dangerously, but Shisui only laughed; a hacked, painful sounding laugh.

"Y-y-you h-heard right, I-i-i-tachi-s-s-an. T-there…(cough, cough, cough)…w-w-on't be a l-l-l…(cough, cough, cough)…little p-p-pest wa-ait-ting for you…(cough)…w-when…(cough, cough)…you come h-h-home th-…(cough, cough, cough)…-i-is time."

The young man's voice grew weaker and weaker, blood bubbling at his mouth. One laborious breath later the man's body shuddered one last time, and then there was silence.

Rage and worry raced through Itachi, the only outward sign of it the spinning Sharingan. Suddenly he felt his eyes burning, chakra surging into them, and heard the Yondaime's worried question, "Itachi-kun? Are you hurt? Itachi-kun?"

The burning stopped as soon as it had begun. Feeling slightly dizzy and tired, he looked up into the Yondaime's worried face. The blond man's eyes widened, then he helped the black haired teen up, keeping a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"Destroy the bodies," he ordered the three guards, "Hiei-san set camp here. Mamoru-san, go to the village and scout the situation. Alert Kakashi, Ibiki, and the Sarutobi-clan about the situation, if you can. Don't get caught, consider every member of the Uchiha-clan an enemy. Mai-san, you'll be on watch."

Without hesitation, the three carried out their orders.

Casting a pitied look at the still unsteady teen to his right, the Yondaime could only hope that Mamoru would come back with good news.

O

I

O

Kakashi cursed loudly under his breath. The day had been a mess. First there were reports about several Uchiha ninja hunting someone in the forest from the sentries, and then there was uproar at the Hokage tower when the Uchiha declared themselves the new rulers of Konoha, followed by fights on the street, between those shinobi loyal to their Hokage and the delusional Uchiha forces.

As luck would have it most of the stronger Jounin had been in the village and therefore able to beat and detain the traitors. Now the hospital was filled with seriously to life-threateningly hurt ninja; fighting against a Sharingan wielding foe came with a price.

And now Kakashi had the unpleasant task of informing the Yondaime of the treason Konoha's noblest clan had committed, as well as question Uchiha Itachi. Wouldn't that be fun?

He wasn't even an hour's travel from the village gates, when he sensed another chakra source coming in his direction with high speed.

"Reveal yourself and state your business or I will have to take you out," Kakashi called out. If it were a shinobi returning from a mission he would have to inform him if of the state of emergency in the village. If it was an Uchiha returning from that hunt in the forest, it was better to confront and kill him out here. If it were a shinobi from another village, he would have to inform him that the village would not permit entry at the moment. Fun, fun, fun.

"Kakashi-san, is it you?" came the unexpected reply.

"Mamoru? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be guarding the Hokage?"

"We were attacked. Hokage-sama has declared the whole Uchiha clan rogue. I am to gather information about the situation in the village and report to you, Ibiki-san and the Sarutobi clan."

"The Uchiha tried to usurp the village. They are all either detained or dead. I'm on my way to give the Hokage Ibiki's report."

The brown haired ninja nodded. "The Hokage is not far behind me. We made camp at a small clearing, west of the road. Itachi-sama had a problem with his Sharingan after the fight."

"So that's the current situation, Sensei-sensei," the silver haired shinobi reported, his one eyed gaze resting on the black haired teen who sat next to the Hokage, eyes closed.

"Thank you, Kakashi," the blond man replied, "We will break camp and return to the village." With a glance in the black haired teen's direction, he inquired, "Has there been any word about Sasuke-kun's whereabouts?"

Kakashi's eye widened in comprehension and he answered, "I'm sorry, Sensei-sensei. All Ibiki could find out was that young Sasuke was supposed to be the sacrifice in a summoning ritual."

"You said that the traitors were hunting someone in the forest. Could they have been searching for my brother?" the voice was cold and lifeless and Itachi's Sharingan eyes were burning holes into Kakashi.

"We don't know, Itachi. We have been a bit too busy fighting your clansmen to send a search party out."

"Sasuke didn't approach you for help?"

"If he had I would know where he is, Itachi," was the acid reply.

Minato sighed at the display of rivalry and disdain. Ever since he had taken the Uchiha heir under his wing, Kakashi had harbour a grudge against the young teen.

"We will send out search parties as soon as we can, Itachi-kun. Your nin-dogs will be very helpful in that, Kakashi. Now let's go." he ordered.

TBC

AN: Feed my muse, review.