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Itachi watched as Sasuki, Naruto and Kiba played in their backyard. They have been playing for hours but they didn't seem to lose energy.

Most of the other clan children have already been picked up by their parents or someone sent by their parents. There were a few exceptions. For one, Nara Shikamaru was taking a nap just beside their pond.

Itachi shook his head, hoping none of the other children thought of pushing him into the water. Fortunately, the children were just a bit too young to think of such pranks.

"Nee-chan," Kiba bounded for her sister. "Naruto and Sasuki won't play with me."

"Are you an Inuzuka?" Hana seemed to yell. Kiba merely nodded when she yelled again, "Then, why are you being dominated?"

At that, the little boy started running towards the other kids. Hana started running towards Itachi.

"Itachi," Hana stood with her hands on her hips in front of him.

"Hana," Itachi regarded her and went back to silently watching her sister.

"Still formal, aren't we?" Hana picked up a pebble and threw it into the pond, splashing water on Shikamaru's face. He stirred but faced away from the water and went back to sleeping.

"Don't do that," Itachi told Hana.

"I'll do what I want,"

"You're in my territory," Itachi stared her down. After just the first month of dealing with Hana and her sibling, Itachi quickly learned that the only way to stop them from breaking things in other people's homes was to dominate them. As expected, she sat down, cross-legged, on the grass. This should keep her quiet for at least five minutes.

He's been using that logic for three years now. Ever since Minato had taken it upon himself to suggest something to all other clan heads.

All willing clan children should be allowed to play with each other every few days.

It was a very effective notion. Some parents were more than happy to get their kids out of their sights for a few hours. Even the Hokage was.

It was just that no one would really volunteer their homes for the play dates. Their houses had to take turns.

Today, it was the Uchiha's mansion. Itachi took care not to accept any missions for today. He wanted to look after her sister and their house.

"You're no fun," Hana finally spoke up again. Her small fang was showing through gritted teeth.

"No, I'm Genin," Itachi told her.

"But you're still eight, you've got to play," Hana barked.

"Age is merely a number,"

After a while, Hana stood up and stalked towards where all the other children were. Itachi pitied her. They were the only ones who were their age. Who were attending this play date. There was another in the Hyuuga, but they never came to play. They never came at all.

A few months after Naruto and Sasuki's marriage contract had been signed, a Hyuuga heiress had been born. Hiashi soon expressed his thoughts about his daughter, Hinata, having an arranged marriage with Naruto. Minato politely apologized, saying he and Fugaku already had an agreement prior to the proposal. Feeling rejected and outwitted, the Hyuuga became more distant than ever.

Minato thought the silent treatment would end if he would invite all the clans and their children to simple get-togethers. He said it was to bond the children for their future missions together. It was obvious that it was also to open up the secretive clans to the others. It was mostly successful, had he been directing it towards the other clans. The Hyuuga had been stubborn. Even after two years, none of their members had come, especially not Hinata.

Itachi thought he should investigate if there was something happpening in the Hyuuga compound. They might go as far as beginning a coup d'état.

"Naruto!" Kushina had her hands on her hips, her red hair running wild. "Wake up, dattebane!"

"Too early!" Naruto reached for his blankets with his small hands. Kushina pulled it away before he could hide his whole body with it.

"Today's the day Kumogakure will sign a peace treaty!" she explained. Naruto turned away. "We need to be there. Your father already left an hour ago."

Without further talking, Kushina picked up Naruto. Having only a few minutes to spare, she carried her three-year old towards the bathroom and sat him on the toilet.

"Here, brush your teeth," she said, handing Naruto his toothbrush with some toothpaste. She quickly got a washcloth and started giving him a spongebath.

Naruto didn't even give his mother the luxury to see his blue eyes, keeping them closed all the while. Kushina dressed him in clean clothes and gave him a backpack and a sandwich for a quick breakfast.

The two got out of the house, Naruto once again in her arms, and locked the door behind them.

It was the day that the Kumo ninja sign a treaty with Konoha. Everyone was there to witness the newest alliance. Almost everyone.

The Hyuuga clan was having an event of their own. The Hyuuga main family heiress was to turn three. And that meant another branch member was to be given the caged bird seal.

Everyone in the clan thought that was the most pitiful event of the day. No one realized the impending danger.

Itachi came to the Hokage soon after the celebration for the treaty had ended.

Minato knew that Itachi's concern was reasonable, and he was to be trusted. Itachi was granted permission to spy at the Hyuuga compound at that very night.

Itachi sneaked into the compound a few hours after dusk. The moon shone on the compound and illuminated the dark, quiet alleys and houses. What he saw wasn't a meeting for a coup d'état.

Instead it was another spy. No, an assasin, maybe. It was a good thing he wasn't seen by the other. Itachi decided to keep his eyes on him.

The assasin lurked in the shadows and went inside one of the houses. The biggest one, the one housing the main family, no doubt. He came out a little while later, carrying something on his shoulder.

Another form, Hyuuga Hiashi, soon came out and caught the other man before he escaped the compound. Itachi realized that it was a ninja from Kumo when his forehead protector caught light.

And that it was a child, a little girl, Lady Hinata that he was carrying. The Hyuuga clan head went into a fighting stance, rage evident in his usually calm face.

Itachi leapt down from the roof he was hiding in after weighing what consequences this event would bring.

"Hyuuga-sama," Itachi bowed before facing the assasin.

"Uchiha," Hiashi appeared confused. "Are you with this man?"

"No," Itachi said as he activated his sharingan. "I must explain later."

"Then, get out of the way," Hiashi's confused tone was replaced with an angry one as his killing intent filled the air. The other ninja didn't seem to be fazed, but didn't take any chance to move. "I must deal with this man."

"Hyuuga-sama, if you kill him," Itachi stood his position and explained as briefest as he could. "Kumogakure will start a war. It's a trap. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement."

Hiashi realized Itachi's reasoning and stood beside him once his emotions left. Itachi held the ninja in a genjutsu for a few minutes, signalling for the Hyuuga to do what must be done next. Hiashi blocked the Kumo nin's chakra points and took Hinata from his arms. He delivered a blow that knocked the ninja out but didn't kill him.

Minato stood in front of all the clan heads, his face deep in thinking. The Kumogakure ninja had been tied up and held by ANBU operatives and were being sentenced. Itachi's spying was let slip this time, seeing how things with Hinata's kidnapping were far more important. And that, had he not been there, it would've been worse.

"We cannot let this go," Hiashi firmly stated.

"Ahh, but if we kill him," Nara Shikaku spoke up. "Kumogakure will want a Konoha ninja dead in his place."

"That's right," Fugaku added. "It was in the treaty we signed."

"Damn that treaty," Inuzuka Tsume barked. "No one tries to kidnap pups and gets away with it."

"It's possible the Raikage planned to get one of his men killed by the Hyuuga," Shikaku said. "So that he may get a Hyuuga body in exchange."

"They're trying to get the byakugan," Akimichi Chouza exclaimed. All else nodded.

Hiashi knew that unlike the sharingan, one cannot take possesion of the byakugan from just a Hyuuga. The caged bird seal prevents that. But he wasn't going to reveal his clan's secrets.

"What do you suppose we should do, then?" Hiashi glared at the Hokage.