7. In Memory of Nani

Itachi studied Yuri. At first glance, she looked incredibly like him. The same eyes, hair, skin, and nose. But she was also even more like Nani. She had Nani's lips, the same way the moved, the same way they smiled, and a hundred other small things.

Yuri was definitely Nani's daughter. The gullible girl, Nani had fallen madly in love with him. They had been fifteen then. They all were fifteen, Itachi and his children's mothers. But out of all of them, Nani stood out.

Those girls, they were so naïve and foolish. All five of them had assumed Itachi had loved them. They assumed wrong.

But Itachi had to admit, he didn't feel as annoyed by Nani as the others. He closed his eyes and remembered.

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"My name is Nani Lim. What's yours?" the girl asked him, flashing a wide smile.

"Itachi." He had answered simply.

Itachi avoided looking at the girl. She was no doubt a simpering idiot, just like all the other girls who fell in love with him. But then when he thought of it, the girl could become useful. He wanted four children to suit his purposes. And although there were the others, this girl would do as well.

Itachi finally looked at her. She was not like the rest. It was her eyes, those eyes of hers. They had a certain…intensity. A depth to them.

He would use her after all.

"I'm not from around here." Itachi remarked casually. "Do you mind showing me around?"

Nani smiled and nodded. Foolish girl.

"This is a small village. The kind that never prospers." Nani sighed. But her voice was thick with resentment and bitterness. "The five main villages take horrible advantage over us smaller ones."

"You are a ninja?" Itachi asked as his eyes fell upon a headband with a small 1 marked on it. "Why a one?"

"It's kind of corny. The 1 stands for the fact that we're number one. Which we're not, obviously." Nani snorted.

So this girl had a brain. Made her even more desirable.

Eight months later

Itachi came back and was pleased to see that Nani was pregnant. Maybe his child would have the same intensity in his or her eyes.

"Nani." Itachi said and she spun around.

They were in a pitiful garden, not like the ones back in Konoha that he was used to. Nani had been standing the whole time, probably daydreaming.

"Itachi." Nani snapped. Itachi was surprised. The other ones who were about to have children had been delighted to see him. Nani was different.

"It's been so long." Itachi stated. "You are pregnant. With my child?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Nani sighed.

"Does anyone know who the father is?"

Nani fidgeted. "No. No. Nobody knows. They think it was some traveler passing by one day, and they are absolutely right on that."

Itachi nodded. "Seeing as I am from one of the five main villages, I think it would be wise not to ever let a anyone know."

Nani gasped. "You're right! They would despise her!"

"Her? Are you sure it will be a girl?" Itachi asked.

Nani tucked some of her brown stray hair behind her ear. "Quite sure. I can feel it. I will name her Nani, after me."

"Name her Mikoto." came out of Itachi's mouth before he could control it.

"Mikoto? Why Mikoto?" Nani had a skeptical voice.

"That was her grandmother's name." Itachi sighed. "My mother's. Never mind, name her…" Itachi paused and said the first name that popped up. "Yuri. Yuri Mikoto Uchiha."

"Yuri Mikoto Uchiha. Sounds good." Nani had a very thoughtful expression on her face. "Uchiha. That sounds familiar. Itachi? Where did you go?"

Itachi was nowhere to be seen. But really, he was hiding behind a tree.

Two months later

Itachi watched the girl in amusement. She was a tiny thing, still unable to walk. She was asleep, but her fingers curled and uncurled slightly at random moments.

His first child.

The girl would no doubt look more like him than her mother. She had his black hair (and a lot of it, for a baby) and onyx black eyes. His eyes.

Itachi felt a small twinge of regret. He wished that the girl would have Nani's eyes. Instead, she had his. How disappointing. But still, she looked like an interesting child.

Nani looked the same as always, maybe a little fatter from her pregnancy. She smiled and went over to the small thing's crib, which was a simple, small one. The baby stopped gurgling and fell asleep.

Taking care of a baby was not what Itachi ever intended to do, no matter how strong of a servant it would grow up to be. That was Nani's job, Nani and the others.

Itachi felt a little proud, but quickly shook off the feeling. No, he must not ever think of the girl as his daughter or him as her father. That would only complicate things. Feelings complicated things. And the small thing must just be a tool to use whenever necessary.

Itachi dropped from the tree, but he still stared in the window. Now Nani noticed him, and gave a worried glance in his direction. She relaxed when she saw who it was.

Nani came and opened the window. "Itachi." she breathed.

"Is that Yuri?" Itachi asked, even though he knew the answer.

Nani nodded, cheeks flushed. "Yes, she is! Isn't she a darling."

Itachi looked around, and something seemed to be missing. When he realized what it was, he asked. "Where are your parents?"

Nani blushed. "I've been an orphan ever since I was nine. My parents were killed during a skirmish with Konoha."

That explained why a fifteen-year-old girl with a daughter of her own lived by herself. Of course, he parents could have disowned her, but what sort of parents would they be then?

Itachi inspected Yuri even closer. The thing was now asleep. He made a mental note never to call Yuri "it" or "thing" in front of Nani. Nani seemed like an overprotective mother already. At least she truly loved her child, unlike his own mother.

Itachi turned around and took a few steps before Nani cried out, "You're leaving?!"

"Yes." Itachi answered. He didn't have time to associate himself with those two right now. And he had to check upon his other potential children.

"But you just got here! Yuri, I mean you own daughter-" Nani sputtered indignantly before Itachi raised up a hand to silence her.

"I am from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where your own village skirmished with, and the very same place where the ninja who killed your parents came from. I will visit later. But I think you should ponder this, I am a danger to you and your child every second I am here." Itachi said.

He ignored Nani's wide-eyed look and left.

Ten months later

Yuri had grown even more. At eleven months old, she could toddle slightly before falling down. Her hair had grown longer and thicker and darker, and her eyes had become more like a certain rogue ninja's.

Nani was nowhere to be seen. Itachi sighed in frustration. Stupid girl! She should constantly be with Yuri. Yuri would always be in danger, mostly from Orochimaru. And what if Konoha found out if she existed? They would swoop in and take her.

Itachi walked closer to the thing. It looked up at him with gigantic eyes. It did not recognize him, but he hadn't expected it to.

"Hello, Yuri." Itachi said. "Do you know who I am?"

Itachi inwardly kicked himself. Of course she didn't know. He braced himself for the girl to start bawling, but she didn't. She looked up at him with curiosity shining in her eyes. At least he had a little brother, that way he knew how to deal with brats a little.

"Yuri!" Nani came out of the house.

"Momm-eee!" Yuri called out "Momm-eee!"

"Hello, Nani." Itachi said in a happy voice. Well in an attempted happy voice, but it sounded a lot like he was being strangled. Well, it was the thought that counted.

"Itachi!" Nani gasped with delight.

She had apparently forgotten or dismissed the whole "I am from Konoha" thing, Itachi thought with amusement. However, outwardly he said, "How are you doing? How's Yuri?"

"Oh, she's just fine. She said her first word, Mommy, and is learning how to speak at such a young age!" Nani glowed with motherly pride.

"Ah. What about her development as a ninja?" Itachi asked.

"Ninja? She's not even an year old!" Nani laughed.

Itachi was quite serious though. "Nani, my daughter will become a shinobi. Or I'll take her away."

A bit of fear flickered though her eyes. Itachi instantly regretted it. "I apologize. It is just that I come from a long line of ninjas, and I want a bright future for our little Yuri."

"Yes." Nani relaxed. "You may be right."

Yuri stared hungrily at her father. Itachi knew that the sharingan was threatening to burst out of this girl, and she was committing his face to memory.

About two years later

Yuri perked up instantly when she saw who it was, "Daddy-I mean Father's here!" she hollered.

Nani came out of the room.

Approaching age three, Yuri had sprouted up, growing too fast for Itachi's fatherly side, too slow for his shinobi side. Her hair was shoulder length and as dark as ever. Itachi wanted to cut it short, but didn't ever mention it. He didn't want anyone to know that he cared that much for a little brat. Kisame would never let him hear the end of it.

Itachi had visited several times, about once a month. Yuri had grown used to him. She called him "Daddy" when she younger, but Itachi quickly corrected it to "Father." Still, she would accidentally slip and say Daddy.

Yuri was his favorite. There were the four others, but they seemed more like insurance compared to her.

"You weren't here for my birthday!" Yuri accused. Her face deepened into a huge scowl.

Itachi merely shrugged, but it did bother him. Just slightly.

"You are never here for her birthday." Nani sighed. She had grown older and more mature looking at age eighteen. Itachi was beginning to see a resemblance between Yuri and Nani whenever they scowled.

"Don't make that face, Yuri." Itachi told his little daughter, but she ignored him.

"Yuri, go in the house now." Nani said. Yuri looked up to her mother and scampered in the little shack. Itachi followed.

Yuri was now staring at him with wide, worshipful eyes. "My father is the best!" she cried out proudly.

"Yuri." Nani warned.

Yuri made another face. "Fine! I'll never ever ever say that again!"

Itachi had discussed it with Nani already, that it would be wise to keep his visits a secret. And they had taught Yuri to never mention her father at all.

Yuri was now chatting to Itachi about a little kitten she had found the other day, but he just ignored her. Then his eyes roved to her bandaged arm.

"Yuri, what happened to your arm?" Itachi asked.

Yuri made another one of her faces. She stroked that little bandaged place on her arms and said very fast, "Iggy Snedders made fun of me again, and then he and some of his friends started pushing me so I started beating them up, but he got his thirteen-year-old brother to help him and he pushed me really hard and hurted my arm bad."

"Ah." Itachi said. He exchanged a glance with Nani. She mouthed, "We'll talk about this later."

That night when Yuri was sleeping, Itachi finally approached Nani and they started talking.

"Her progress as a ninja is good. Too good." Nani gulped. "They suspect that the father is a ninja from the five main villages. So they bully her, all the children. And the adults approve! Our daughter is an outcast!"

Itachi couldn't care less, but didn't say so.

About ten months later

This time, Itachi was quite shocked. (Of course, he hid it.) Nani treated him with an icy, distant politeness and forbid Yuri from ever coming near him. She shot glares at his direction and sent Yuri into another room before sitting down to talk to him.

"I know what you did." was the first thing Nani spat out at Itachi.

"Indeed? What did I do?" Itachi had a feeling what Nani would say, though.

"You. Killed. Your. Family." Nani said slowly and clearly. "You killed them all."

Itachi immediately defended himself. "They had it coming. And I kept my little brother alive."

Cue the enraged Nani explosion. "HOW COULD YOU! I LOOKED UP "UCHIHA" AND FIND OUT YOU KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, YURI'S FAMILY! HOW DO I KNOW YOU AREN'T GOING TO MURDER MY LITTLE GIRL!"

Itachi felt a stab of annoyance. Pitiful girl. She didn't understand anything. There had to sacrifices made to help in the grander scheme of things. "I am not going to kill Yuri. And I have my reasons for wiping out my weak clan."

"Mommy?" a small voice whispered. They both looked up and saw a scared looking Yuri peeking from behind a slightly open door. "Daddy?"

Nani's face softened up considerably. She almost smiled. "It's all right, Yuri." Then her face stiffened as she turned to Itachi. "Go. I never want to see you again. Don't come near me or my daughter."

Itachi sighed, got up, and left. Still, it didn't matter. He would come back for Yuri one day and force the sharingan out of her by…well, Nani should enjoy her time in life right now, because she hasn't got much of it left.

Between one and two months later, at Yuri's fourth birthday

Itachi looked at the pathetic shack where his goal was. Poor Nani, not much of her life was left.

He could hear them talking. Yuri was laughing, a joyful little sound. Too bad she wouldn't be laughing anymore. She would become like him, a human tool.

Itachi looked into the window. There was the little girl and her mother. On the small table, there was a cake and a teddy bear. How disgustingly cute. Well, Yuri wouldn't have time for that in the future.

He entered.

Yuri's eyes brightened instantly as her father came in. Nani's lips visibly tightened and she said, "Hello, Itachi. You're actually here on your only child's birthday for the first time."

Well, if she died, she should at least know the truth. "She's not my only child."

Nani was shocked. "What? Not your only child! I thought you loved me!"

"Yuri is one of many. I needed offspring for an experiment of mine, and I was quite pleased when you produced one."

Pure fury distorted Nani's features. "HOW COULD YOU!" she shouted.

"Mommy? Daddy? What's wrong?' Yuri asked in a puzzled voice. The girl did not understand.

"Yuri, please get in the room." Nani told her, waving her hand to dismiss the girl.

Yuri obediently left the room, but glanced questioningly at Itachi, and then at Nani. Stupid girl, she should prepare herself for what would happen next.

"Itachi, please, leave. You have been nothing but a burden upon our daughter." Yuri said angrily. Her deep, intense eyes were different, filled to the brim with the uncontrollable anger.

"A burden? I am not a burden." Itachi immediately replied.

"Yes, you are! Everyone wonders who that girl's father is and the children tease her! The adults snub her! She's been doing so excellently at ninja skills for a child her age that everyone's talking about it. Do you know who they say the father is? Some ninja from one of the five main villages who took a liking to me one day! They treat her like dirt. People from a small village like this hate the five main ones!" Nani ranted.

This was so troublesome. So Itachi, in boredom, tipped over the table. The cake fell, squashed. The teddy bear followed soon after.

"My teddy!" Yuri cried out. She ran to the toy that was on the other side of the room. She was vulnerable, so defenseless that Itachi couldn't help but hesitate before saying, "Yuri. Daughter, look this way."

That obediently little girl looked up reluctantly. Then he fell on her and made a single slash on her arm. Instantly, she started screaming as blood oozed from the cut.

"Yuri!" Nani yelled. She started running to her.

"Yuri, look at your mother." Itachi whispered in her ear. Yuri looked up. In that second, Itachi slashed with his kunai.

Yuri screamed and screamed. Nani didn't. She was dead. Even in death, her eyes were deep. Itachi looked at the body, the corpse which the person called Nani once occupied. Now he had sent her away. But…he would miss those eyes.

Itachi approached Yuri. Damn, the sharingan had not come out of this stubborn girl. One thing left to do. He made a series of slashes on her arms. She screamed even louder and tears dripped down her eyes. He hated doing this, but it was all necessary.

Soon, the crimson eyes with curved pupils came out.

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"Father?" Jooyeon asked. "You all right?"

Itachi snapped out of his daydreaming. "Yes, I am."

The end of another chapter. This is all about Itachi's memory of Nani. I had a bit of a writer's block, so I chose to clear up Yuri's past instead.

Byakugan789, you're right, I should add more details and stuff. I'm always open to suggestion to improve my writing skills!

About a certain part I…ah…omitted. Well, this isn't rated M so I thought it would be better to just skip over that part.

Thanks, everyone!