Author's Note: So this story is on FanFiction, Archive of Our Own, and Wattpad… And all of these platforms have something that peeves me off.
Fan Fic because it's slow, and not being able to use special characters, or links. I know it's to protect from hackers though.
AO3, it's easiest for adding chapters. I wish it had covers.
Wattpad, it looks cool, best of both worlds, but I find it a bit annoying. Sorry.
Citations: Itachi's Story: [Daylight] pg. 16-19
Chapter's Song: "Annie" by Safetysuit
Chapter 4
You're A Gift
June
"I'm turning five-years-old…" Itachi had a clear objective: Become the best ninja ever, and eliminate war from this world.
An adult might speak of such a grandiose dream with a laugh. But for four-year-old Itachi, it was precious and irreplaceable. To achieve it, he would first learn basic ninja skills at the academy, take his exams, and be formally recognized as a ninja.
Despite the fact that the boy had still not been accepted into the academy yet, he wanted to become a ninja as soon as possible, so he was training by himself, but it was enough training for today.
"I'm home." Itachi quietly slipped off his shoes in the entryway and walked slowly down the hallway.
"How was your day?" His mother Mikoto called out to him when he passed the kitchen. At that moment, a new life was growing in her womb.
"Will it be a little brother or a little sister?" Itachi thought.
"Were you training by yourself again today?" Mikoto's meek voice asked.
"Yeah." Itachi nodded. At this reply, sounding too grown-up to have possibly come from her four-year-old son, Mikoto turned around, holding her heavy belly, and shrugged her shoulders. "Is Dad in his room?"
"He is, but right now's a little…" His mother said, but Itachi was already stepping toward his father's room. After the day's training he had a question about the way to hold a kunai, and he wanted an answer right away.
"Why should the fourth be Minato?!" The fierce voice on the other side of the closed sliding door stopped Itachi in his tracks.
"You don't know who could be listening." His father's even tone replied. "Keep your voice down, Yashiro."
"But I just can't accept it. The only name other than Minato put forward for the selection of the Fourth was Orochimaru-sama! Why did not a single person say your name, Fugaku-sama?" The man named Yashiro demanded of his father.
In Itachi's head, Yashiro's face popped up. A man with narrow eyes and closely cropped white hair. Although he was older than Itachi's father, he served him as a subordinate.
"It's just as you say, Yashiro. I cannot accept this either." Another man's voice contributed to the conversation.
"Inabi…" His father spoke the name of the master of this new voice.
Uchiha Inabi was a leading ninja in the Konoha Military Police Force. His distinguishing feature was his long black hair. He was also Itachi's father's subordinate.
"Ninja from the other lands trembled at the mention of 'Wicked Eye' Fugaku during the Great War." Inabi continued.
"The head of the Konoha Military Police Force. That is my position in the village." Fugaku showed no sign of bitterness. He had decided to put it beside him after talking with Yasuo.
"There's talk it's all the administration's plan!" Yashiro shouted, and then spat out, "Village officials don't want the Uchiha Clan standing on center stage. They said nothing in the village about all the work you did during the Great War, Fugaku-sama. Because of that, it was Minato and the Sannin, and even Hatake Kakashi… Who has The Sharingan, despite not being a member of the clan… If the people can make a fuss over Minato and Kakashi, then your name should also—"
"Enough." Fugaku's controlled voice cut Yashiro off. "My son is listening."
Itachi winced slightly.
"What is it, Itachi?" Fugaku's stern voice cut through the screen door to Itachi's heart, filling with disappointment in himself upon impact.
"He noticed me… Rookie." Itachi berates himself, gritting his teeth. Having no other choice, he pushed the sliding door open.
Inside were four people: his father Fugaku, Yashiro, Inabi, and one more, a man with a dot on his forehead, another subordinate of his father's, Uchiha Tekka.
"What is it?" Fugaku crossed his arms.
"I wanted to ask you about shuriken." Itachi didn't waver, despite feeling a bit intimidated.
"I'm busy right now. Ask me later." Fugaku shooed with his voice.
"All right." He quickly slid the door shut as he spoke.
The instant it was almost entirely closed, a crimson light grew in the eyes of the four men. Sharingan. The kekkei genkai inherited by members of the Uchiha Clan.
Returning to his room, Itachi recalled the air filling his father's room. And then for some reason, the battlefield he had seen with his father came back to life in the back of his brain. The very picture of Hell, overflowing with evil intent, and malice.
The aura hanging over the men in his father's room was the same ominous air he had felt on the battlefield.
"What is Father thinking…" There was no one to reply to his murmured question.
"Itachi…" Fugaku stood in his doorway.
Itachi leaned up. "Father…"
"What did you want to ask me?" His father's voice and eyes looked so tired.
"Would you be able to train with me tomorrow?" Itachi decided to ask instead.
"Tomorrow's your birthday…" Fugaku acknowledged, surprised by the request.
"Yes, I want to train." Itachi nodded.
"Okay. If that's what you want." Fugaku shrugged, closing Itachi's door, right as it was almost closed, Itachi heard, "Goodnight, son.
Akina walked the dark streets of Konoha, she came to a lineup of people, peeking to the side beyond them, she wondered what the lineup was for. She touched the woman's sleeve in front of her, "Excuse me, ma'am?
The woman fell forward, knocking the old man in front of her over, and the man in front of him over, and the man after him over, woman after him over. They fell like dominos. Akina fearfully gasped, "Are they dead?"
Akina ran the other way, but she only seen people falling towards her, and the last person that fell— Was her own mother's pale corps before her feet.
"AH!" Akina woke in a cold sweat, she then hugged her legs; she tried to hold back tears, thinking of Itachi's face on the battlefield that day. She rubbed her eyes, and looked to the calendar on her desk. June 9th circled in red.
"Today is Itachi's birthday…" She then looked at the gift wrapped in silver paper with a red bow. "I should get some fresh dango before I head over."
She got up, going to her closet. She changed out of her lavender pajamas, and into her maroon yukata.
Once dressed, she trotted down the stairs, happily. No one in the kitchen to be seen, no sign of any cooking this morning. She opened the fridge; there was plenty of food, but no eggs. "No breakfast… Dad spaced it."
Yasuo thought he hid it well, but Akina could see he was still deeply grieving the loss of her mother. She loved how much he loved her, but sometimes it affected their daily lives, like when he stays up late missing her, and doesn't make breakfast or sits for hours staring at her picture and forgets daily chores.
Akina proceeded to the fridge, and poured herself a glass of milk. She drank it, and washed her cup. She went to the entryway, stepping down to slip her sandals on. As she opened the door, she announced, "I'm leaving!"
Akina walked at a casual pace through The Village streets, still troubled by her nightmare and her dad's broken heart. She stopped as she by-passed The Academy and looked up at the Stone Faces. "They've carved Minato-sama's face into the mountainside."
She then smiled, knowing Itachi's face would be up there someday, and so she proceeded into The Dumpling Shop.
The Mochizuki Princess tried to make her way through the busy streets, holding a paper bag, and the silver wrapped birthday present. She jotted into the woods to avoid the crowds, this was a longer way, but it would take less time to not be following other people slowly. And these woods led right behind the Uchiha Compound.
"That's my boy! You got it." A man's voice cheered.
"Fugaku-sama?" Akina breathed her thought out loud.
"Itachi-kun, good morning…" Akina ducked under a branch to come into view.
"Good morning…" Itachi was surprised to see her, and holding gifts, too.
"Good morning, Fugaku-sama." Akina's head bowed.
"Good morning. Akina can train with you." He looked down at his son, arms crossed.
"But, Father…" Itachi began to argue.
"I have work, Itachi." He insisted. "I'll see you at home for your birthday dinner."
"Yes, Father." Itachi's expression was sad as his brows furrowed, once Fugaku was far enough away, Akina dangled the paper bag in front of his face, making Itachi's brows relax and raise. He looked past the brown paper bag to his smiling friends face, her green eyes glittering.
"I brought dango." Her voice was soft, but not entirely shy sounding, it was dignified, and soothing to Itachi.
"Thanks." He took the bag, still looking bummed out.
"Are you not having a party?" Akina asked, puzzled.
"No," Itachi shook his head. "I told my Father I just wanted to train."
"You should have a party…" Akina's brows furrowed, raising her finger to what seemed like she was disciplining him.
"I could care less about a party… It's the same every year." He rolled his eyes up to the sky.
"And you train everyday." She argued.
"A party for a yearly milestone doesn't change much. Training makes me stronger." He looked at the targets on the tree. Akina did the same, seeing how he almost had five bull's-eyes.
"And that yearly milestone is to celebrate you becoming stronger… For you being alive. Life is a gift." Akina's expression went somber.
"Life becomes a gift if you work hard and achieve greatness." Itachi took a deep breath.
"Well, your accomplishments are to be celebrated, but your life is still a gift regardless of them." She insisted.
"How so?" He looked back at her with his onyx eyes, and she swallowed, thinking of a reply.
"Your baby brother or baby sister is going to have a birthday… Is your baby sister or brother important?" She knew this would corner him.
"Yeah… Of course…" He slowly replied, knowing where she was going with this.
"Why? They haven't accomplished anything…" She smiled.
"Well…" He rolled his eyes up again, thinking, and then his eyes came back to hers, smirking.
"Every life is sacred and to be cherished." Akina insisted. "You're no different. I think you should be celebrated."
"You really make me think, Akina-chan." Itachi admitted.
She just awkwardly smiled. "Come to my birthday party on the eleventh…?"
"Of course." He nodded. "I don't know about life being a gift, but your friendship sure is a gift."
Akina smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear, and then handed out his gift to him to change the subject. "You can open it."
"Thank you…" He took it, and slit the paper open with his finger, and a kunai for the tape on the box. He pulled out a kunai holster. "Whoa, a holster, and cool more kunai…"
"It has your name embroidered on it." She pointed.
He looked on the inside of the strap to see the characters for his name. Itachi's dark eyes had so much light in them some how as he looked up at her. "Thanks!"
Itachi and his mother Mikoto entered the Mochizuki Clan's Compound. White walls, and traditional houses with greenery everywhere, trees in the front yard of Akina's home, they entered, to slip off their shoes, Mikoto wearing a pastel blue kimono, Itachi wearing the same, but with tan pants.
A maid came to the entrance to bow, Mikoto bowing back. "Welcome, Mikoto-sama… Right this way."
They went through the dark wooden halls that led to the back of the home, the dining room having many sliding doors that led to the backyard. Akina spotted Mikoto, and with glee she made her way to Itachi.
She wore multiple kimonos of different shades of pink, the top kimono being mauve. Itachi smiled, seeing how pretty she looked, he handed her the gift he held. "Happy Birthday, Akina-chan."
"Happy Birthday, Akina dear." Mikoto smiled.
"Thank you." The girl smiled back.
"Where's your family?" Mikoto asked, holding her very pregnant tummy.
"They're over there…" Akina pointed, Mikoto nodded to go join in on adult conversation.
"Come sit with me," The girl smiled, as she took the gift to her dining table in the house, all the doors were opened so they could oversee the party. "I can open it?"
"Please do," Itachi nodded with a smile, kneeling down to the pillow at the dining table.
Akina peeled the red paper off the big box. Seeing the tape, she awkwardly smiled. "I don't have a knife in these kimonos."
Itachi took out a small knife that he flicked open, and cut the tape. Akina proceeded to pull out the gift from inside the box; she pulled out a beautiful backpack, it was a cream color and perfectly rectangle with a strap that snapped together at the front between both handles. "Oh wow…" Akina smiled.
"You'll need it for missions, eventually." He smiled.
"I love it! Thank you. This is the best gift." She rambled.
"Really?" Itachi asked, puzzled and blushing slightly.
"Everyone else got me kimonos for the most part," She shrugged. "This will be for my missions and travels. I'm so excited."
"Me, too." Itachi smiled.
"Come see my birthday cake… You'll love it…" She took his hand, and pulled him along to the side of the house, but she stopped, hearing a group of Mochizuki girls speaking. They stood in front of the table around the corner where the cake was presented.
"Well, she's a tomboy, and she's a smart-mouth." A snobby girl in a yellow kimono whispered.
"My mom says she got her dad's personality and her mom's looks." Another girl in green pointed, both girls with pin-straight black hair and onyx eyes.
"I don't think she's nearly as pretty as Ruri-sama." The girl in yellow refuted.
"She's fine, yeah. Not that pretty for a princess." A Mochizuki boy added, he also had a pin-straight bowl cut and onyx eyes.
Depression came over Akina, every word feeling like a betrayal. Itachi noticed and placed his hand on her shoulder, Akina then looked back at him. "Don't listen to them."
"I don't care…" She shrugged.
"Then don't be shy here…" Itachi passed her and proceeded outside to the porch to blankly look at the Mochizuki children that were gossiping. Akina then slowly proceeded out from the shadows; the children were surprised. They all bowed. "Happy Birthday, Akina-hime!"
"Thank you." Akina held her flat hand to Itachi as she introduced him. "This is Uchiha Itachi."
"Why, yes… You're the heir to the Uchiha Clan, correct?" The one girl in a yellow kimono eyed up and down.
"I am." Itachi nodded.
The Mochizuki boy scoffed and turned away. The girls then followed, one girl in blue bowing before following the others.
"Thanks," Akina sincerely breathed to Itachi.
"We're both five-years-old now…" Itachi shrugged, looking up at the clouds. "We have to learn our roles in this world."
"Being a good daughter and friend is all I care about..." Akina looked up at the clouds, as well. Itachi looking over at her, she slowly glancing at him, her green eyes were glittering again. "You're a good friend… And you'll be a great older brother."
Itachi was taken aback, him contemplating what to respond, all he could manage at that moment was, "I hope so."