Chapter 7 - When Oka-san Dies.

Sasuke barely had time to blink before Itachi's hand was around his arm, pulling him away. Even with the leftover drugs in his system, his movements were powerful.

He stumbled along as Itachi dragged him out of the room. Oka-san had gone out the window, presumably to go to her 'position'. What was happening?

In the clan compound outside, people were starting to leave their houses. Sasuke was pulled along through a blue of moving Uchiha clan symbols and loud voices congregating down the streets. He tried to yell for aniki to stop, but they never paused until they had exited the compound.

Itachi shut the back gate behind him and leaned against it, looking through the gaps in the metal to observe the commotion taking place. Sasuke panted and stood by his side.

"Nii-san?" He asked. "What's happening? Where are we going? Where did oka-san go? What did otou-san mean?"

"Sh, Sasuke. I think I know what's happened with you," he turned back and gave him a calculating look. "But for now, we must find someplace within the village where we can stay for the night without being seen. I have to make sure you stay safe. Now that I know that … I wouldn't be able to do it anyway."

"Oh, we can go to Naruto's house," Sasuke chirped. "Naruto's really nice." He frowned suddenly. "Hey, why did I say that? We shouldn't go there, otou-san will be angry…"

"No," Itachi shook his head. "We'll go there. You said that for a reason, Sasuke. I want to know that reason, and the only way is to see that person again, the one you suppress. If that person wishes to go to that boy's house, then we will go. It is far from here, anyway."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but he didn't resist as aniki took his hand and dragged him away from the chaotic noise in the compound behind them.

The rest of the village was quiet in the falling night. Sasuke laughed with glee when aniki pulled him across the rooftops, the way real shinobi travelled. It was fun; the wind swept past them and aniki never stumbled on the shingles.

For some reason, he didn't need to point out the way to Naruto's apartment. Itachi already knew. Within moments, they stood in front of Naruto's door, and Sasuke stepped forward to knock.

"Won't he be asleep?" Itachi murmured from behind him. "It's late. It'll be ten in the night in a few minutes. We could take the window."

"Oh, Naruto doesn't have a bedtime," Sasuke replied matter-of-factly. "He doesn't have any parents to make him go to bed, so he likes to stay up like the adults to. I wish oka-san would let me stay up." He rapped three times on the door. Like he'd expected, there were running footsteps in the hallway inside.

Naruto opened the door and stood in the doorway with a wide grin. "Sasuke! I knew it would be you! Are you here for a sleepover again?"

Sasuke shook his head, "no, I'm here because aniki says we need someplace to stay for the night and you're the first thing that came to mind." The yellow-haired boy was looking at him with really friendly eyes. Maybe he wasn't so bad.

At that, Naruto noticed the slightly taller figure standing behind him. He tilted his head to one side, before nodding. "Your aniki can come have a sleepover too," he decided. "It'll be fun with more people!"

They stepped inside and closed the door behind them. Itachi immediately bent down to stand face-to-face with the boy. "Listen, Naruto-kun. I'm sure a sleepover would be fun, but we aren't here for that. We're here because the village is in danger and I need to find some answers."

The boy frowned. "So … no sleepover stuff?"

"No sleepover stuff," Itachi confirmed. He straightened and looked around the place, noting the entrance to the kitchen. "Do you have anything very salty?"

"Nope, but he's got lots of sour milk in the fridge," Sasuke spoke up, wrinkling his nose.

"That will do."

The two seven-year-olds followed him into the kitchen and watched as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk, checking the expiration date. Without hesitating, he opened the carton and gulped down the sour milk.

The next minute, he ran to the sink and wretched it all out in silent heaves. When there was no more left, he stood up and held his forehead. "There. That took care of most of it."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said earnestly. "I think it was from the medicine store. I didn't mean to hurt you, nii-san. I don't even know why I did it." He sat down at the table beside Naruto, who was glancing between them curiously.

"So this is your brother?" The boy asked. "Woah, he looks just like you! Then again, all the people with fans on their backs look the same."

"We do not." Sasuke pouted. "You've just never seen the Hyuga before."

"Hey, like that girl who keeps fainting around me, right?" Naruto chirped. "So she has a whole bunch of look-alikes too? That's so cool! I wish I had a bunch of people who looked like me. That would be fun."

"It is not fun," he huffed.

Itachi watched the two and then turned back to the hall. "Naruto-kun, I'm going to use your wash-room, alright? I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sure, Sasuke's nii-san! It's right down there," he pointed with one small hand, and Itachi disappeared down the corridor.

The weird feeling was back the moment he was gone. It clung at him, leeching onto the back of his mind. Sasuke ignored it, and focused on Naruto, who was going on about Mizuki-sensei and Inori-sensei. But the kitchen table still quivered slightly at how his legs were shaking. He brought his hands up to cradle his head.

"And then I saw Inori-sensei at the Yamanaka flower shop – hey, Sasuke? Are you ok?" Naruto seemed puzzled. He reached forward and pushed Sasuke's hands away, looking into his dark eyes with bright blue ones. "You're really strange today, you know?"

"Um, yeah," Sasuke managed. What was this?

You've been there long enough. Get away.

My head feels …

Before he gets back.

Why?... Why do I want to kill him?

It was hopeless. Now that aniki was gone, and the only person around was Naruto, his memories were able to easily filter back to the front. Sasuke allowed his tensed shoulders to drop slowly, and looked back up, bringing his hands down from his face.

"Naruto. Where are your kunai sets?"

His only chance was surprise. Even with leftover drugs in his system, Itachi was formidable. But he had to try, he couldn't give up. This was the person who had ruined his life.

Naruto blinked. "Um, in the sitting room. Why? Wanna practise? I mean, it's kind of late, but …"

"… yes. Let's go." He stood up, making his way out of the kitchen. The boy pattered behind him as he went slowly down the corridor towards the sitting room. It was at the end of the hall, to the right of the main door.

He paused halfway, because the wash-room was on his left. His hands slowly clenched into fists and he gritted his teeth.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, seeing him stop. "Aren't we going to go practice?"

"Yes. Yes we are."

His head spun with anger. Itachi was behind that door, probably trying to vomit the rest of the drugs from his system. The kunai were a few steps away in the other room. The windows were dark from the night outside, and the light from the kitchen didn't reach where he stood. Where he stood was darker and his shadow fell onto the ground beside him. Beside another shadow. And another.

His mind was such a whirl of unbidden emotion that he didn't notice the two hands descend onto his shoulders from behind.

"Sasuke. You're Sasuke, aren't you?"

He stilled. In front of him, Naruto was looking wide-eyed. Itachi was behind him. The door was still closed. He had left on purpose, to draw him out. How … how did he know?

"I'm assuming that you cannot do anything beyond the capabilities of your seven-year-old body," Itachi muttered into his ear from behind. "Naruto-kun, go to bed."

The yellow-haired boy was watching them curiously. "But Sasuke's nii-san, aren't-"

"Bed, Naruto," Itachi said sternly. Seeing the rebelliousness in the boy's eyes, he sighed. "You can come back after I talk to him."

Naruto nodded, but reluctantly, and with not a little sadness in his eyes at being ignored. He turned on his heel and made his way to his room, shooting glances backward as he went. Sasuke stood still, not daring to move. A cold fear was rising up inside him, and it intensified when the boy's presence was gone. Come … back.

Itachi slowly led him back into the kitchen and deposited his stiff form into a chair. He sat opposite to him under the flickering kitchen lights. The room was silent for a while, and aniki's curious eyes were on him. This wasn't the Itachi who had played as his brother for so long. This was the anbu Crow. It was strange, seeing this persona laid on top of his thirteen year old form.

"How old are you, Sasuke?"

"Seven," came his strangled answer.

"How old are you? How far into the future?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "Sixteen." He'd already known. Sasuke could see it in his expression.

Itachi closed his eyes. "I've heard of this. You must have heard of it too, then. Did you join anbu? Were you permitted access to Danzo-sama's previous research?"

Sasuke shook his head silently. He's never gone close to anbu. He only vaguely remembered Danzo as some old crone who sat on the Hokage's council. However …

"Then how did you know of this seal? How were you able to use it?"

It made sense. Orochimaru once worked under Danzo, after all. He had been the greatest researcher Konoha had ever known, before he was sent out. Despite his distasteful ways, Sasuke held a certain respect for his shishou. No one could deny that the Snake Sannin had an incredibly sharp mind, even if it became his downfall. He didn't answer.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I won't hurt you, because you are Sasuke and I've already decided that I couldn't. But I know ways to retrieve information without doing so."

"Orochimaru," Sasuke finally said. "I took it from Orochimaru."

His brother leaned back in his chair as he considered that. Somehow, there were still hints of Itachi's kindness present in his eyes. Why?

"So," Itachi said, "you have come from a time where I partially succeeded."

Partially?

"And you used the seal to return to your younger body and kill me before I had the chance to carry it out."

Sasuke nodded, seething but curious. He watched in confusion as Itachi curled his fingers into his long hair.

"It's not your fault," he said softly, mostly to himself. "It's begun, but it's not your fault. I can't blame you. I must do what I can."

What was he saying? Sasuke frowned as he watched his brother slowly regain composure. Curiosity temporarily overtook the majority of his anger, and he waited for something to make sense. A minute of silence later, his brother finally looked up. There was a pained smile on his face.

"Well, I suppose it has worked. But I never thought that you would …"

"What," Sasuke asked, "are you saying? Speak up, nii-san. You've already heard what I have to say."

"It's because I couldn't kill you," Itachi said blankly. "I failed. It wasn't even a partial success. I simply failed."

"Failed what? Failed 'testing your abilities'?"

The smile faded. "No. I failed my village. They trusted me to protect them but I've thrown them into war." His hands shook, and he looked every one of his thirteen years. "And yet … I cannot regret it even when I try."

It wasn't making any sense. Sasuke frowned again, "war?"

Itachi nodded. "The first stage will be put into action before the night is over. They'll take the civilians captive and into police grounds. The messengers will be sent out to the least loyal clans before morning," he looked up. "I was supposed to meet a certain person almost an hour ago. The coup will be declared in two hours time."

Uchiha Mikoto ran swiftly through the thin forest of the compound, towards Hiyaki's house. Hiyaki had a clear mind, he was the only one who could stop it. Branches pulled at her hair in the darkness, and only the pale light of the moon lighted the trail she followed.

She tried to calm the pulsing of her heart. It would be fine. Even if it went on, Itachi would take Sasuke away from the village, and safely to Kusa. There was no use worrying about them now, and her first son was probably stronger than anyone else in the clan. She thought wryly that Fugaku had been right in telling her to trust him, even if he was wrong in everything else.

A long shadow appeared beside her own.

Mikoto stilled, turning around and bringing a kunai up in one, even motion. Three tomoe spun in her red eyes as she regarded the shadowed figure that was suddenly so close beside her.

"Who are you?" She demanded sharply.

The figure didn't reply, instead walking closer. It stepped into a patch of moonlight that happened to filter through the trees on the way. She caught a glimpse of an orange mask.

"I asked for your name," she hissed.

The figure took another step forward, and darkness fell on him again. "Where is Uchiha Itachi?" It was a male voice, low and raspy, as if his throat had been damaged once.

Mikoto's eyes narrowed and she held the kunai up between them, "what business do you have with my son?"

His mask was half moonlight, the other half briefly visible from the glint off the black metal. He stopped. "Your son?" His head tilted to one side.

"You're not an Uchiha," she stated firmly. Her eyes swept over his form, noting a long dark cloak with some strange patterns. "You're not supposed to be here. What is your name and why are you looking for Itachi?"

He was behind her.

"Uchiha Madara."

"Coup?" Sasuke banged a fist on the table as he stood. "What coup?!"

Across from him, his brother sighed. "It's no use keeping it from you now, and I'll need all the information you can give me to fix this. The Uchiha clan was planning a coup to happen tomorrow, where they would retake Konoha from its Senju lineage. They have been waiting many decades to gather enough power for this event. But they cling to false hop; they have no chance. All they will do is cause death and damage to the village." He paused. "My orders were to exterminate them before this happened."

He sat back down slowly. Orders. So they were … that couldn't be right. Aniki had said … Sasuke held his head in his hands, trying to sort out the whir of thoughts that spun inside. Itachi was telling him that he had been ordered to perform the massacre. A part of him wavered, but the other part was wary, insisting for him to check for evidence. He couldn't simply take this on his word. But if Itachi's words were true, everything would be clear by morning …

There was only one question he could ask.

"Who ordered you?"

Itachi looked at him sadly. "It was Danzo's decision, but you cannot be angry with him, Sasuke. He is doing what is best for the village. Our clan has been blinded for too long and this has been long in coming."

Sasuke tangled his hands into his hair, "so you killed the entire clan by yourselfon his orders?"

"The fact that you say that tells me a lot about what's happened in the future. I wasn't by myself. There was someone else with me," he sighed. "I'll have to do whatever I can to make sure that person stays away from the village, now, without revealing myself to him. I have to remain here and fix things."

Where was the searing anger going? Why was it draining so quickly? Was he that depraved, to wish this much that aniki was still on his side? Why did he want to believe that so much? He couldn't persuade himself otherwise.

But that meant …

"What …" Sasuke's small form shook as he held his head in quivering hands. "What have I done? ..."

The room fell silent again. Across from him, Itachi watched almost in sympathy. "You know, it's strange. You're older than me now, but your characteristics – apart from trying to kill me – haven't changed too drastically." He stood, and came to lay a hand on Sasuke's head. "It's ok, Sasuke. You're not to blame. It was my fault for not considering this. Blame me, alright?" The weight of the hand ruffling his dark hair was affectionate. "That's what brothers are for."

No, he couldn't. Now that the image of Itachi as that man was so determinedly fading from his mind, all he saw was a thirteen-year-old boy beside him. He was thirteen, younger than Sasuke. He couldn't hold responsibility for something like this. How … how could they …

"Who was that person?" He asked. "That person you mentioned, who helped you?"

"I can't tell you that. Maybe you'll find out later, but not now," Itachi told him. "For now, know that I'm going to try my best to stop this. I can't show my face, since they don't trust me, but I can gather information during the night." He went to the hall, and then stopped and turned. "Go to Naruto. Poor boy, we've been using his hospitality while neglecting him. I'll return before you wake up, Sasuke." With that, he shunshined away.

Sasuke stood up slowly and walked to Naruto's room, still feeling slightly disoriented. He wasn't sure what to think. Was Itachi still Itachi? He stopped in the doorway of the bedroom.

Naruto was inside, making his bed. It was clear that he was fidgeting, doing whatever he could while waiting for his guest to make an appearance. His eyes brightened when he saw him standing there.

"Sasuke! Are you guys done with your family stuff? Can we play cards?"

The tiredness seeped into him, making his legs feel like they would collapse any minute. "Sure, dob-Naruto." He corrected it quickly.

"Oh, great!" The yellow-haired boy rushed around the room to grab his pack of cards, and set them down on the floor. Sasuke walked over slowly, sitting across from him while he dealt.

"You know," Naruto began, "tomorrow, we're going to go eat with Sakura-chan. Because I like her and I like you and I don't like that you don't like her," he said with all the wisdom of his seven years.

Sasuke gave him a contemplating look. "You should leave her alone," he said. "She's mean to you, isn't she?"

The boy shrugged, "she's just like that. I know that I'm probably growing on her a little. I mean, she'd never actually hurt me." He paused. "The bruises don't count."

Loud voices and the crashing sounds raged outside while they finally slept, but Sasuke was too tired to hear any of them.

He woke up with a clear head and aching sides.

"Ugh!" A boyish voice nearby groaned. "I'm hurting all over. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to put the blankets out on the floor."

Right. Sasuke sat up, looking around blearily at the dim room. The sun was only just beginning to rise, and it was still mostly dark outside. In the faint light, he could see Naruto sprawled out of the blankets they'd arranged the previous night for their 'sleepover'. He was rubbing his hip.

"Aniki said he'd be here in the morning," Sasuke muttered, slipping out of the sheets. He'd been too tired to take off his clothes, and they were wrinkled all over. He left Naruto yawning and stretching inside and went out to find his brother.

Itachi was in the kitchen, sitting at the table. His form was still, and he was looking down at the grainy wood. He seemed almost forlorn. Sasuke walked over to him.

"Nii-san? What did you find out?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to get much information. When I heard that oka-san was missing, I spent too much time trying to find her." His hands were clenched under the table.

Sasuke frowned. "Oka-san is missing?"

"Yes. Some of the others complained that she was not in her position. She was supposed to be one of the squad leaders, but she wasn't there."

He processed the information to the sounds of Naruto's pattering feet in the other room. "Let's go," he pulled at Itachi's hand. "I'll come with you. We'll find her."

"It's dangerous outside; we have to be careful," Itachi said. "The first part of the coup has been put into place, and the civilians in the eastern district have been surrounded by the police. There has been no fighting yet, but the declaration of the coup has already reached the Hokage's office and various other places. I don't doubt that there will be negotiations soon, but the clan's demands aren't anything the Hokage will accommodate. There will be fighting soon, Sasuke."

He gulped, knowing that somehow, it was partly his own fault. But the truth hadn't settled in completely, and he held on to the false hope that they would be able to stop it.

"Nii-san, what can we do?"

Itachi held a hand to his forehead. "I can't do anything at the moment; I haven't slept in two days, and that overdose is still making me faint. But as soon as I find a soldier pill, we will go to the Hokage and inform him of what has happened. Until then, Naruto needs to stay inside. Some may find this as an opportunity to target him amid the chaos."

"Chaos?" Sasuke asked. "There's no chaos, not yet." He looked out the window and to the streets below. They were empty in the early morning, and the sun still hadn't fully risen. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. "It can still be stopped, right? We'll go to otou-san and I'll tell him what's happened in the future. He'll understand."

"No," Itachi said sharply. "That will make him angrier. We'll leave this to Sandaime-sama and the council. My priority is to make sure that person I told you of doesn't interfere. If he does, Konoha will be in far more danger."

"Morning!"

They both turned at the cheery voice behind them. Naruto skipped over to the kitchen in his pajamas, making his way to the cupboards of ramen. He looked back and smiled. "I hope you like ramen, Sasuke's nii-san."

"I do," Itachi smiled as he watched the boy take out three cups. "Thank you." He turned back and spoke more quietly, "So far, that person hasn't made an appearance. If he arrives, I must remain hidden. Following the plan now would cause too many deaths."

Sasuke nodded. Fine. He would trust Itachi with the identity of this person. He'd already committed to it, after all. He watched Naruto cheerily pour hot water into the cups, before turning to look out the window.

"The sun still hasn't risen," he remarked, "why did you wake up so early, Naruto?"

"Well I usually wake up later," the boy replied. "But if you're here, then staying awake is more fun than sleeping. And I might actually be early for class today; it'll give Iruka-sensei a heart-attack for sure."

"Sasuke and I will be leaving for a little while," Itachi said. "We're going to buy soldier pills for me. We'll be back in a few minutes, so stay inside, alright?"

"Sure," Naruto chirped. "I'll keep the ramen warm!"

"He'll probably eat all three bowls," Sasuke muttered. But he stood up and followed Itachi out the door. "Where are we going?"

"The eastern district, directly outside the police territory. You can see what's happened there."

Itachi no longer held back in speed now that he knew Sasuke could keep up, and they made their way across half the village in record time. But they travelled through the alleys instead of across the rooftops where they could be spotted. In the distance, the sun was starting to rise and his brother's dark circles were more prominent in the faint light.

They stopped at the back of a shop building, where the markets led into the residential areas. Itachi held out a hand for him to pause, and peered out from the side of a building. Sasuke went to stand by him. His eyes widened when he looked out.

"They're patrolling," Itachi murmured. "This is the area the clan has the most power over, and they're making use of it." His eyes followed the shinobi clan in the Uchiha fan symbol. They walked in pairs through the streets, and some of the civilians were talking with them in pained whispers.

"How could the Hokage not see all this happened?" Sasuke asked sharply. "Surely he would have seen hundreds of shinobi walking through the streets."

"He didn't notice for the precisely the same reason otou-san chose to begin," he replied. "He expected the entire clan to be dead by morning, and the council placed their faith in me."

Sasuke felt vague pangs of guilt stir inside him. "So this is the beginning of a coup … what will the Hokage do?"

"Some of the other clans will join the Uchiha in hopes of gaining more influence," Itachi said. "The Hokage will deploy the anbu first, since they are the only ones whose loyalty he has at the moment," he pulled at Sasuke's sleeve. "Come, we'll buy the soldier pills so I can fight, and then we'll head to the Hokage's tower."

"Right," Sasuke reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the sight of the patrolling Uchiha shinobi.

They managed to travel another ten meters before loud, shouting voices sprung up behind them. Itachi froze and grabbed his arm, immediately ducking behind a building as he looked around.

"What …what was that?" Sasuke asked sharply. He pried away and ran back to the edge of the building they'd first looked out from. His brother followed close behind.

The voices became louder, echoing through the streets. Chaotic yells, mixed with the sound of a name said in desperate tones that made Sasuke's blood freeze. He peered around into the street, dreading what he would see.

A single figure in an orange mask and Akatsuki cloak stood in the middle of the dim street, surrounded by Uchiha shinobi with their kunai raised. They growled, but they made no move to approach the person.

Two bodies were limp on the ground, slowly being consumed by black fire.

A third was still alive, and the Akatsuki member's kunai was held at her neck. She was panting heavily, and blood ran down her back and pooled at her feet. Sasuke stilled. Behind him, Itachi's hand dug into his arm, preventing him from stepping forward.

"Sasuke," he whispered, "don't move. You cannot let him see either of us. It will put Konoha in danger."

He was too shocked to reply.

The loud voices in the street were silenced as the figure in the orange mask pressed the kunai closer to her neck. Uchiha Mikoto's face was set with determination. She barely flinched.

"Itachi," the figure spoke. "You are somewhere nearby. Come out."

"N-Nii-san?"

Itachi's hand tightened around his arm. With a pained expression, he brought his other hand up to clench over Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke's eyes widened.

"I dislike being kept waiting." The masked figure said again. "We had an agreement."

No. That couldn't be happening. Now that he finally had a chance to save them … couldn't he at least save oka-san?

Stop it. I've gotten over her. I've stopped mourning her. I can't let it affect me. She's not the only one who will die, even this time. I must help Itachi fix my mistake.

She looked half-dead already, with the way her blood was seeping into her clothes. Her Sharingan shone red in the faint light, spinning wildly. Over twenty shinobi were gathered around, but they didn't dare step any closer. The two bodies still flaming black dissuaded even the bravest of them. Their kunai were only held to defend themselves.

Oka-san! I have to help her!

He scratched wildly at Itachi's hand over his mouth.

Stop! This happened before. I'm strong enough to see it again. Nii-san said we can't reveal ourselves, and he knows who this person is.

"I suppose you want to know," Itachi muttered next to his ear. "That person, Sasuke, is Uchiha Madara."

Sasuke's hands stopped scratching, and fell limply at his sides. It was ridiculous, but something in his brother's voice made it seem true.

Minutes passed. Long, drawn-out minutes of silence. It made the dread churn up inside his stomach and grow, slowly. He hated every second of it. Half of him waited for it to be over, and the other half lashed out in blind denial.

"Come out, Itachi," Madara said, voice low.

For the first time, Mikoto spoke. "Don't you dare!" She screamed. "Don't you dare come out, Itachi! I don't know what you've done but you can't come out! Stay safe and protect Sasuke!"

"You do not need to tell me that, oka-san," Itachi whispered.

Fine.

No! Nii-san, help her!

Seems like it will happen again after all.

The voice inside his head stopped screaming, stopped resisting. Instead, it broke down into pitiful cries. She … she said to protect me. Me.

"Fine." Madara's words were final. Itachi watched blankly into the street as the kunai dipped into the crevice of his Mikoto's neck, slipping in easily. He drew back behind the building and held his hand tightly over his Sasuke's mouth, blocking his screams. Her body dropped lifeless beside the two other burning shinobi, red liquid pooling into her dark hair.

The shinobi surrounding them stood shocked, watching in horror as Madara's form spiraled into the single hole of his mask. Sasuke had watched the life drain from Uchiha Mikoto's face.

In the dim morning light, his wide eyes gleamed a new red.

End of Part 1.