Chapter 7: Curiosity Killed the Cat

Of the last ten days of school, today was only the second day that Itachi physically attended classes. The other eight were spent training in the woods – sometimes with Shisui and other times without – while his shadow clone attended classes in his stead. It wasn't like Itachi would be missing anything important anyways; he would retain all of the memories of his clone when it dispelled.

Training during Academy hours was a much better use of his time anyway. Almost everything his senseis had taught in these past few months, Itachi had already learned before he even started at the Academy.

The last time he physically attended classes was when their class was scheduled for some combat training. Allowing his clone to attend would have been risky, one hard hit and his disguise would have unraveled. And well, Itachi showed up in hopes that hands on training would break the monotonous and slow pace of textbook learning.

It didn't. Spending the afternoon running through basic katas and practicing the technique of shuriken throwing were hardly enough to sedate his eagerness to constantly improve himself.

His progress was leagues ahead of his classmates, who were still enraptured by how cool the substitution technique was. Some of the other clan kids in his class felt the same sense of restlessness as he did. Their clans had adequately prepared them by teaching them the basics as soon as they were able to walk; everything they were learning felt repetitive and monotonous. However, unlike Itachi, who felt a burning desire to continue improving himself, they spent their time playing. Whether through the paper balls they threw across the room when their sensei had his head turned the other way or passing doodles to their seatmates, their days were spent in carefree bliss.

Itachi was the only one who ever made use of his time to train. Perhaps, that was the difference between one who bore the weight of the devastation of war on his shoulders and one who remained coddled from the horrors of the battlefield. He was the only one who personally witnessed what it meant to be a shinobi. He was the only one who knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

The others viewed it as a game. Itachi viewed it as a form of survival.

And the stark difference between their outlook towards life was what made Itachi a recluse among their classmates. He was the quiet kid who sat in the corner, the kid that no one really knew anything about other than the fact that he was the Uchiha clan heir.

So today, when Itachi raised his hand for the first time since the school year started, that was when some of the other kids finally became aware of his presence. The clan kids only knew of him, simply because their parents were obligated to make sure their children were well-informed of which of their peers belonged to prominent clans. For the civilian kids, it was the day that Itachi turned from "that silent kid in the corner" to "the kid who challenged their sensei with hard-hitting questions."

There was a reason why Itachi had personally shown up to class today.

Inuzuka sensei had just wrapped up his brief lecture on the prominent clans in Konoha. At the mention of their own clans, each of the clan kids would shoot smug looks to their friends, signaling to each other as if to say "Did you hear that? My clan is so powerful."

Itachi was the only clan kid who didn't partake in their childish boasting.

When Inuzuka sensei turned to ask the class if they had any questions, Itachi jumped at the chance to relieve the burning curiosity from his mind. Except, the Hyuuga kid had beaten him to asking the first question.

His prideful classmate questioned if the Hyuuga clan had the most powerful dojutsu in Konoha. Itachi didn't miss the way his sensei's eyes glanced over in his direction, as if reminding himself to craft his answers in a way that it didn't offend either clan. Itachi couldn't care less; he'd rather receive an objective and honest answer, even if that meant establishing one dojutsu as weaker than another.

Of course, his sensei gave their class a scripted answer, "It depends." On the circumstances. The type of usage necessary. All throughout his spiel, Itachi had to admit that his sensei did have some good points, yet it was still too forced. So much so that it was increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that his sensei was more focused on not tipping the balance rather than putting forth his energy towards an informative response.

The Hyuuga kid didn't seem so satisfied with his sensei's answer, albeit for an entirely different reason.

Before Inuzuka sensei could even finish asking if there were any other questions, Itachi's hand was already in the air. Sitting in the last row and being of average height, Itachi strained his arm to reach higher, waving it to catch his sensei's attention.

When his sensei's gaze finally landed on Itachi, a small smile appeared on his lips. "Uchiha san, I'm glad you're interested in today's discussion. What were you wondering about?"

"You mentioned the most prominent clans in Konoha," Itachi began. "What are some of the other lesser known clans?"

Inuzuka sensei nodded and then proceeded to list off six more clan names from the top of his head. He closed out the list with, "I'm sure there are a lot more clans out there. If you're interested, you can research them at Konoha's library."

However, none of the clans that his sensei listed was the one Itachi was curious about. He had done his research at Konoha's library but wasn't able to find enough information to satisfy his curiosity. Itachi attended today's class in hopes that his sensei could offer him more insight.

"Do you know anything about the Hatake clan?" Itachi leaned forward in excitement when Inuzuka sensei nodded.

"Ah yes, I forgot about the Hatake clan. They are a small clan but have a long history of being one of the strongest shinobis of their generation. The last famed shinobi of their clan was Sakumo Hatake, also known as the White Fang. Unfortunately, he was killed in action during the Third Great Ninja War."

That part Itachi knew. Reading up on Sakumo's heroic death was one of the main reasons he was so enamored with learning more about this clan. Their clan's skill sets were quite interesting too. Clans that didn't possess a kekkei genkai rarely produced strong shinobis – there was the occasional person who brought pride to their clan, but it didn't carry on through every generation. Yet somehow, the Hatake clan, with no kekkei genkai to back their name, have produced formidable shinobis since the Warring States Era.

Sakumo Hatake was no exception. Itachi wondered if the trend continued with the newest generation.

"What about his son?" The amiable expression was immediately wiped off of his sensei's face. Blood drained from his cheeks as Inuzuka sensei's feet shifted anxiously at the front of the room. A forced smile graced his lips.

"Well, he's still young. We don't know much about him." Inuzuka sensei couldn't keep the quiver out of his voice. Nervous? But why?

If Itachi's calculations were right, the Hatake son should be a chunin by now. A genin at least. Itachi never heard of anyone staying in the Academy longer than twelve years old. "Shouldn't he be a shinobi by now? Why wouldn't you know anything about him?"

In hindsight, Academy senseis actually didn't know that much. But six year old Itachi Uchiha seemed to believe they did, so he pressed on the topic until Inuzuka sensei blurted the truth from his lips.

"He was killed in action!" Inuzuka sensei all but practically shouted. In a much quieter voice, he tacked on, "That's all I know."

Itachi mulled over his words. Killed in action, just like his father. What a tragic fate to fall onto the last two members of their clan.

War…nothing good ever came out of it.

Like always, Itachi's aim was impeccable. One after another, each shuriken embedded itself into the center of the wooden targets. Yet Itachi was merely throwing like he was doing it for the sake of running through the motions, rather than actually being invested in what he was doing.

Newfound information clouded his mind. There was no room for Itachi to pay attention to what he was doing.

Shisui didn't intend to question it. At least, not until Itachi was so out of it that he almost walked straight into a tree. And would have if Shisui didn't harshly call out his name to snap himself out of his strange stupor.

"What is going on with you? What are you thinking so hard about?"

Itachi sighed, taking a seat next to him on the rock. "What happens to shinobis who are killed in action?"

Shisui would know. He'd been on the battlefield more times than Itachi had.

"If Konoha is able to retrieve their bodies, they will get a proper burial at Konoha's cemetery. If not, then their names are etched onto the memorial stone."

"Can you take me to the memorial stone?"

Shisui wanted to ask why, but he'd long learned that Itachi sometimes had the strangest fleeting thoughts. He was the only one who Itachi ever shared those thoughts with because Shisui long knew not to question where his curiosity took him.

This time was no different.

"Sure."

When Itachi started walking up and down the rows of the headstones at Konoha's cemetery, that was when Shisui realized that Itachi was looking for someone. Who would Itachi be looking for? He was only six years old and had only been on the battlefield once, hardly enough time to become acquaintances with the other soldiers.

And any of the Uchihas who died were buried in their plot of land within the Uchiha compound.

Who was Itachi looking for? His unspoken question was answered when Itachi stopped in front of a gravestone in the very last row of the cemetery. Itachi leaned forward, bowing his head to pay his respects, before his back straightened once more.

Shisui glanced down at the headstone.

Sakumo Hatake.

As a highly revered shinobi during his prime, his name was one everyone knew about, if not for his prowess, then for the rumors that arose following his failed mission. Shisui only learned about Sakumo's demise from the gossip on the battlefield. All of this happened years before Itachi was even born, so there was no reason why Itachi would know about it, much less incite his curiosity about the Hatake clan.

"Did you know him?"

Itachi shook his head.

"Then why did you want to come visit his grave?"

"Curiosity," was Itachi's answer. "I read about their clan in the history books and was curious so I asked about them in class. Sensei told me that both father and son were killed in action during the war. I guess…I just want to see it for myself."

Shisui accepted the answer. To be honest, Shisui would have accepted any explanation. Don't question the inner workings of Itachi's mind was a lesson that only he had learned. And it was the sole reason why he had become Itachi's confidant for everything.

Even for things that Itachi never shared with his parents.

"If both father and son were killed in action, why could I only find the father's grave?"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "You didn't see the son's name on the memorial stone?"

Itachi shook his head. "Inuzuka sensei said he was killed during the war, so he should either be at the cemetery or carved into the memorial, right?"

"Right," Shisui answered. "What's his name? The son."

"Kakashi Hatake."

Kakashi…that name sounded so familiar. Shisui racked his brain for any details associated with the mention of that name. It took him a few minutes before it finally clicked for him.

"Wait, killed in action?"

His younger cousin nodded, wide eyes blinking innocently at him. "That's what Inuzuka sensei said."

Shisui shook his head. "I heard he was missing in action. Maybe it's been long enough that Konoha decided to presume that he's dead? Even so, why wouldn't they have carved his name into the memorial stone? He went missing during the war."

"Missing in action?" Itachi echoed. "Like you just don't come back to the village?"

"Yeah," Shisui said. "A shinobi doesn't come back to the village. No one saw them die or found the body, so they're given the status of missing in action. But I'm not quite sure what the criteria is to move someone from missing to dead."

"What's so bad about keeping them on the missing list forever?"

Shisui shook his head. "I don't know. Probably for some administrative reasons. However from what I know, most…" He trailed off, not quite sure if he should be sharing this information with Itachi.

"Most?" Itachi prompted?

There was no use in hiding it from Itachi; his younger cousin's curiosity was bound to lead him to seek out the answer anyways, whether from Shisui or elsewhere. "I heard that most of the time, those who are on the missing in action list for an extended period of time means that they have become nukenins."

"Nukenins," Itachi echoed. "Traitors of the village…"

On their C-ranked escort mission for the Fire Daimyo, eight year old Itachi took guard on the right side of his carriage, while his teammates, Tenma and Shinko, took the left and rear ends, respectively. Yuki sensei had taken position at the front of the group. Among the four of them, his sensei was the only one who seemed to enjoy the leisure walk as he was engrossed in an animated conversation with the carriage driver. The conversation was occasionally supplemented by the Daimyo's obnoxious laughter that floated out of the carriage.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Itachi noted the displeased scowl on Tenma's face. Their team spent the past four hours traveling at a snail's pace, bearing the full brunt of the sun's strong rays beating down on them. Everyone was weary. And grumpy. The Daimyo's laughter only served to grate on their nerves further.

The Hokage mentioned that it was an honor that their team was chosen to escort the Fire Daimyo; however, it currently felt like anything but an honor. All of them wished they were anywhere else but here.

Tenma caught Itachi and Shinko's gaze, his brown eyes shimmering with raging annoyance. For a few minutes, Shinko and Tenma silently argued through aggressive hand signs and body language. Tenma wanted to complain; Shinko, the more level-headed teammate, was warning him against it.

Endure, Shinko was saying. We're almost there.

Not really. At the rate they were traveling, it would take them another four hours before they started to encroach on the capital's territory. Three hours ago, Yuki sensei had strongly hinted that their team would like to travel at a faster pace. The idea was immediately shut down by the Daimyo, who complained of the bumpy ride that would inevitably happen if they moved faster than at a horse's walking speed.

After the initial rejection, their team didn't press the issue. Unfortunately, it seemed that Tenma was reaching his breaking point–

Everything seemed to happen in a blink of an eye. One moment, Tenma was waving his hand angrily at Shinko, and then the next, he was spinning on the heels of his feet. His hand was curled up into a fist, poised to knock on the side of the carriage to warn the Daimyo of danger when three blurs came flying out of the bushes.

Itachi had already drawn a kunai, warding off the first barrage of shurikens headed in his direction. His sensei was shouting something, but his orders were drowned out by the loud of the massive fireball that hurtled towards them. Itachi's eyes frantically darted between the carriage, and the fireball. Pushing chakra to the soles of his feet, the extra boost sent him diving into the carriage. His hands groped blindly until his fingers brushed against what he assumed to be the fabric of the Daimyo's sleeve. Hand wrapping itself around his arm, Itachi yanked him out of the carriage.

The two of them tumbled onto the ground, their momentum sending them careening into the bushes. By the time Itachi had regained his bearings from the impact, the entire carriage was up in flames.

A cloaked man suddenly appeared in front of him. Itachi jumped to his feet, barely raising his kunai in time to block the sword that came down onto him. Behind him, the Daimyo let out a strangled shout.

Face obscured by a porcelain mask painted with intricate blue markings, Itachi couldn't make out the identity of the enemy. From the intensity of the killing intent that suppressed the atmosphere, all Itachi really knew was that he – his team – was severely outmatched.

His arms quivered underneath the strength of the sword. His legs wobbled, knees threatening to buckle out from underneath him at any minute. The welcomed rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins, reigniting the determination within him.

Itachi refused to fail the mission.

The enemy ninja cocked his head to his side, his attention fixated on what was happening behind him. One moment Itachi and the enemy nin's blades were locked together and then the next, the weight had been lifted off of him. Itachi whirled around, darting forward as fast he could to reach them…

Only to arrive late.

The Daimyo had managed to escape deep into the woods, but a shinobi catching up to a civilian was no challenge. Itachi had only stepped foot into the clearing when he was greeted with the sight of the enemy brutally slitting the Daimyo's throat. His body fell to the ground with a loud thump. An assortment of weak choking noises escaped from his lips before everything went quiet. Too quiet. His head rolled over to the side, his blank and glassy eyes staring right at Itachi.

Almost as if to accuse him of why he hadn't done his job better.

The cloaked man took his time to stand upright again, taking the time to brush off the specks of dirt on his pants without a care in the world.

Unwilling tears spilled from the corners of his eyes. An invisible force weighed down on his shoulders, the tendrils of that energy wrapping itself around his arms and locking it into place. His feet refused to budge no matter how much Itachi willed it. The enemy was right in front of him. Their mission had failed, but Itachi still had a duty to eliminate any threats to the village–

When Itachi's eyes met the mask man's, every single muscle in his body locked into place. Behind the porcelain mask, Itachi saw it.

The dark pits of hell.

Was this what it felt like to come face to face with death?

"Who are you?" Itachi's voice shook, uncontrollably. Sobs wracked the back of his throat. "Why did you kill him?"

The masked man tossed the dirtied kunai to the ground, the blood-coated tip sinking into the soft dirt.

"One day when you're older and have a better grasp of corruption, you'll understand why I killed him," the man drawled in a deep voice. "As for who I am, call me Okami. I have a feeling that this won't be the last time we meet."

The man gave him a mock salute before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. The moment he was gone, Itachi felt like he could breathe again as his departure dissipated the suffocating killing intent. His legs buckled underneath him, sending him careening into the forest floor. Itachi landed face first, left cheek planted into the dirt. He laid there, tears blurring his view of the Daimyo's dead body.

His mission had failed.

The man cold-heartedly killed a civilian man.

And Itachi had been powerless to stop him.

Itachi didn't even realize he had fallen unconscious until someone shook violently by the shoulders. His eyes slowly opened, blinking away the exhaustion and tears to restore clarity to his vision.

It was Shinko, who looked to be on the verge of tears. A sigh of relief followed as his teammate reached over to wrap her arms tightly around his shoulders.

"Thank Kami you are okay!" Shinko exclaimed. "Sensei and I thought the worse when you disappeared."

Even in his half-muddled state, Itachi didn't miss the implications of her words. "What about Tenma? Is he missing too?"

Shinko pulled back from him. Teary brown eyes stared at him. The bottom of her jaw quivered.

"He's–" Shinko began, but choked sobs wracked her. Her entire body shook uncontrollably. Tears dripped down from her cheeks in hot, vicious waves, seemingly never ending. When Shinko averted her eyes, reality settled into the pit of Itachi's stomach.

Tenma was dead.

"Where is he?" Itachi demanded but didn't wait for Shinko to respond to him. Instead, he scrambled to his feet and took off running back towards the road. During the short sprint, every single patch of uneven ground and visible root was determined to trip him, to slow him down, yet Itachi somehow always managed to regain his balance to avoid face planting in the dirt.

Itachi practically bursted out of the forest. And immediately sank to his knees, the impact against the dirt-packed road reverberating through his entire body, upon witnessing the sight of his sensei squatting down by Tenma's side. Their eyes met, exchanging a long, profound look. And then Yuki sensei shook his head sadly, his hands moving to give the universal sign that Tenma was dead.

Hot tears splashed onto his cheeks. A pounding sensation wracked his head. A tight feeling appeared in his chest. His hands balled into tight fists, pounding angrily onto the ground.

No, no, no, no why did this have to happen–

He was broken out of his mantra when Shinko finally caught up to him, letting out a loud gasp. Her finger wobbled as she pointed at his face.

"Itachi, your eyes…

"They're red."

A/N: Hi again!

Fun Fact: The inspiration behind this fic was because I wanted to write a scene of Akatsuki Kakashi terrifying young Itachi lol. This was the first chapter that I wrote and was going to initially be the first chapter of the fic, but then I decided there needed to be some development on the formation of the Akatsuki and Akatsuki Kakashi first.

Excited to hear your thoughts on Itachi's introduction and what role you think he's going to play in the fic. Thanks for reading!

-MM