"Good Tomomi. Come. Don't you want this?" said Sasuke while jiggling a wooden toy in front of laying infant.

Little Tomomi were perfectly contended to watch the toy moving and jiggling about. After a while, Tomomi wanted the toy. It's his favourite, but it's clear that his older brother won't give him what he want. So with great efforts, he pushed his hands and knees forward. He repeat this motion again. After another two or three move, he got the toy. To express his glee, he gurgled and giggled, making his older brother too, giggled.

The youngest Uchiha bite down the toy, coated it saliva and thrust the toy into the older Uchiha's face.

"Ewww! Tomomi!"

The three years old wiped the drool off his face. Pouting when Tomomi laughed at him but he let it go as his Otouto just recovered from a new round of fever. In just three months, Tomomi already have fever more than he count on his two hands and feet.

"Itachi, Sasuke, its lunchtime."

Called Mikoto as she stood in the dining room, both of her hand set the dishes down. The former kunoichi is very happy that both of her sons spend a lot of their time with her youngest, even though he always cry because of his fever. She wonder how much longer does her youngest must suffer. Tomomi does not have weak body. Oh no he's not even though that what she told her other sons and she will not consider the possibility of her baby dying.

The Hokage has told her a Successor baby always sick. Peace told the First Hokage it's the body's way to cope in this world. Third Hokage thought it is prudent to share this piece of information. According to Riddle Child, a Successor is not supposed to be born, so the world tried to reject it. As a way to prevent it, the child's chakra is forced to coat the soul. As a baby, the chakra coil is not developed, forcing it out brought pain to the baby, thus the fever.

First Hokage does not understand what Peace mean by 'not supposed to be born'. But of course, when inquired, he talked in riddles.

Sensing all of her sons come nearer, he set Tomomi's portion on the table. The young Successor food consists of sliced banana and seedless grapes. Mikoto smile at her sons when they entered the dining room with Tomomi in his oldest brother's arms. Itachi then hand over his youngest brother to his mother.

"Tomo-chan." Cooed Mikoto. "Let's eat, ne?"

Tomomi let out gurgle and giggled at his mother, liking the way she called him.

Mikoto smiled brightly at her son.

XXXX

"Aniki."

"Hmm?'

"Tomomi will be alright, won't he?"

"…Where this question come from?"

"Tomomi always sick. When will he recover?"

"Soon Sasuke. Mother told us Tomomi has weak body so it is expected."

"….hnn…."

"Don't worry too much. You'll be there for him right?" said Itachi while poked his little brother forehead.

"Un!"

Itachi smile softly at Sasuke.

XXXX

"Aniki!"

Itachi turned his head to look at his youngest brother who called for him. At thirteen months old, little Tomomi could already walked albeit clumsy. Light footsteps accompanied by constant chanting of 'Aniki', Tomomi hugged Itachi's left leg and buried his face in it.

"Up!"

With a soft smile on his face, he indulged the little Successor. Tomomi squealed on his way up to his brother's arm. The youngest Uchiha snuggled into the crook of Itachi's neck and inhale his scent. Sighing softly, little Tomomi rest his face on Itachi's shoulder.

After his first birthday, Tomomi no longer have fever. This is the longest time he had been healthy. A month before his birthday though, he had the worst. Worse than the previous sickness he had. So much, that he had to be admitted to the hospital because he fainted three days straight. The doctors can't do anything except sedated him but the medicine do nothing to his body as his fever was not caused by his body defence mechanism.

But after Tomomi woke up, his fever gone, disappeared completely, much to the Uchiha family relieves and the doctors alike. Tomomi ups and about, cheerful as any child his age. Well, as cheerful as any hungry child anyway.

"Play!"

"I can't. I have practice with my team." Itachi was actually going to the entrance. Ready to go out.

Tomomi blinked and pouted.

"Sorry. Another time."

As response, Tomomi merely tighten his arm around Itachi neck and hide his face. He want to hug longer, Itachi thought, right to the bull's eye. Itachi also tighten his hold around his little brother's bank and stay still for a few minutes.

"I'll be going now."

Itachi gently let Tomomi down on his feet. He continued his way to the entrance with the youngest Uchiha in tow, following like a little duckling.

After the young genin wore his ninja sandals, he beckoned Tomomi over with a wave of his hand. Like an obedient little kid he is, the young Successor went over to Itachi. The older Uchiha then poked his youngest brother forehead gently as he always done to Sasuke and Shisui to him.

"Go play with Sasuke."

Tomomi nodded. He gave a smile that Itachi love oh so much and waved his tiny hand until Itachi closed the door.

XXXX

One day, Tomomi throw a tantrum. The reason being? Both of his older brother, Itachi and Sasuke will be out of the village for three days to stock up supplies and what not. But Tomomi didn't care, what he understand is his he will not be seeing both of them for a long time. Sure, three days is not supposed to be long but still.

As a result, the little Successor seeing both of them off with a frown on his face. No amount of hugs and promises from Sasuke and Itachi managed to lower his frustration. He know why he can't come. He's too young, as Itachi said it. Even if his oldest brother didn't told him why, he know. His understanding to his surrounding is even better than the younger of his older brothers.

After they're gone, he continue to sulk. Only after Shisui come to play as he promised Itachi, does the young Uchiha is a little bit happier. The two years old like the older cousin very much. He's funny and smell nice. He like to hug the young prodigy as much as he like hugging Itachi and Sasuke.

"Yo! Baby Tomomi!" greeted Shisui to the young Successor with enthusiasm.

"Shisu-i!" Tomomi squealed upon his seeing his favourite cousin. Running to Shunshin prodigy, he proceed to tackle himself to Shisui's legs.

"Aww! Miss you too little princess!" Said Shisui as he picked his young cousin and twirled him around.

Tomomi didn't understand why his favourite cousin called him a princess. Princess is a tittle for a girl and he knows he is not one. Unbeknownst to him, Shisui called him that because of his face. Tomomi didn't noticed as he never when out of the compound, but citizens that is not part from Uchiha clan would have mistaken him for a girl because he look like one. Even ninjas were fooled. His standard purple Uchiha shirt and black pants did nothing to tell others his true gender. The young Uchiha is even a lot prettier than girls his age, and his name that is commonly used by female didn't help either.

"Show me Shunshin!"

XXXX

The next day is a lot more bearable. He accepted that his older brothers will not come home soon and sulking around will not make them come home any faster. Shisui is a shinobi and he got duty to uphold. But Tomomi is lonely.

Sighing, he moved his brush to complete a kanji. His mother has gave him a brush and a few empty papers for him to practice writing when Tomomi told her he got nothing to do. 精. He touch the mark on his cheek. Mother has told him it is read as 'Soul', but he like to read it as 'Life'. It seem fitting to him as he's a cheerful child in both this life and his past life that he barely remembered. He often dreamt about it ever since he understand that his dream is not really a dream, but a memory. There is a woman, like his mother yet at the same time is not. There is also a young girl, probably the same as age as he is now always holding his hand. There was not any father figure in his past life. Maybe, as he dream he will know. Even though, the place where their face should have been were replaced with mosaic pattern.

As he repeat the kanji, an idea suddenly come to him. He been wanting to try it for a while now. Positioned the brush at the top, he brought it down. Position the brush at other place, he repeat the motion, only instead of downward, he brought it to the left. His are like glass, as if hypnotized, he concentrated on completing what he started.

After a while, he finished it. Another man in his dream, no, not quite a man, a boy, red haired, wearing a kimono and have the same mark below his left eye always done this. But in that dream, Tomomi is not an observer standing at side-line, no, he is the boy. He been wondering what the weird picture does so he been trying to copy it.

He does the same thing the boy – him – did. He brought his hand over the weird picture and push the foreign energy in his body that always make Itachi's steps silent, the energy that his oldest brother always imbued into his kunai before he threw it, into the paper.

The weird picture glow bright red and he screamed.

XXXX

"Each Successor inherited the memories of his predecessor."

XXXX

Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto

Even though I proof-read it many times, I still feel that there are still some mistakes. Please forgive me for that if it disrupts your reading.

Enjoy