Uchiha Uruchi found herself saying the one word that Fugaku never would've said, never would've forgiven her for saying. But, Fugaku wasn't here in this new compound which had been built upon the rubble of the old, everything in as close to its old places as everyone could get it. Her younger brother wasn't responsible for Itachi anymore though, and there was no pressing need, especially considering what normally happened to the children who took this route.
For the sake of the future of their clan, the future Clan Head needed to remain unbroken.
So, when the Academy had recommended graduating Itachi early, when he'd been at the Academy less than a year, Uruchi had said "no".
Though she had expected he would, since frankly any child who'd been given the chance would, at least until Itachi, Itachi had not protested this decision. At least, he hadn't done so publically in front of any of the Outsiders who were split in their views of the Uchiha Clan.
On the one hand, the likelihood that the perpetrator was a Uchiha was high, given Madara's actions at the Valley of the End and the rumors that had been spreading. On the other hand however, the Uchiha Clan had paid a dear price much like the rest of the village, and everyone knew that the second the Uchiha figured out which one of them had done it, it would be a matter of hoping there was something left for the village to get retribution against when the Uchiha were done tearing them apart.
While the villagers scruitinized the Uchiha, wondering if the one they were talking to were the guilty party camoflauging themselves as an innocent member of the clan who patrolled their streets providing law and order, nobody scruitinized the Uchiha more than their fellow Uchiha who would never forgive the loss of the Clan Head and his wife which had left the clan Headless until Itachi was old enough to take Fugaku's place.
When Uruchi and Itachi got home, Uruchi turned to ask her nephew why he had not objected to her refusing his early graduation.
"Why should I object when I'm needed here?" Itachi asked as he walked into the sitting room and scooped up his younger brother who happily shrieked "'Tachi!". "With me away on missions, you would have to reduce productivity and therefore profits in order to look after Sasuke, lessening the amount of funds you would have available to support us, yourself, and your eventual retirement."
"You're such a kind and thoughtful boy!" Uruchi exclaimed, patting Itachi on the head before the boy had a chance to dodge. Itachi may have been a genius prodigy, but Uruchi hadn't spent her entire life working with her husband in the Senbei shop.
Itachi gave her one of his almost smiles and proceeded to get Sasuke ready to head outside. Presumably so they could meet Itachi's friend Shisui.