I: Resolution

Itachi Uchiha sat alone in his dark room, wearing his ANBU Black Ops arms and armor, everything but the mask. Tonight was the start of a very important mission, possibly the most important that he would ever undertake. The hour was late and most everyone should be asleep, everything was in place. If tonight's endeavors were successful he would prevent a civil war with a single stroke. If not, then the fragile balance of power between the Five Great Shinobi Nations and the uneasy peace between them could shatter. A heavy burden that fate had placed on the shoulders of a thirteen year old boy.

Itachi, having long since finished with the material aspects of preparing for the mission, stirred from his meditative state. Quietly, he opened the door to his room and slipped out, silently closing it behind him. Padding quietly through the house, he took a detour to his younger brother's bedroom and cracked open the door, just enough so that he could peer in with one eye. Little Sasuke, scarcely seven years of age, slept quietly in his bed. Itachi watched his brother's sleeping form for a moment and gently touched the leaf symbol on his forehead protector. These were the things that he was doing this for.

Itachi closed the door shut again, slowly as to not wake his brother. He then went to his parent's room. Unusually, the door was left open, allowing Itachi to simply peer in from around a corner. He could see the sleeping form of his mother, but not of his father. Itachi then quickly and silently searched the rest of the house, ensuring that the Uchiha Clan Head had left the building. The first part of his mission seemed complete. He left the house once he was satisfied that this was the case.

Stepping outside Itachi began to head towards the Hokage Residence with all speed. Intensely focused on the mission at hand, he was all too aware of the potential consequences. This could affect the fate of the Uchiha, of the village, of his family. As he ran he touched his left shoulder. On it was the red spiral tattoo that he had received two years previous, representing his membership in the ANBU Black Ops. The Hokage had chosen him, in spite of his clan, in spite of his youth, because of his abilities, because he was capable of performing missions of this level of importance.

Fugaku Uchiha walked in the cover of darkness, wearing a dark clock and keeping to the shadows. Tonight was a clandestine meeting, no one should know what he was doing or if they did, who he was. However, he couldn't help but wear the Uchiha crest on the back of his shirt, under his cloak. He was too proud of that, and it was too much a part of who he was, to leave that behind. Fugaku slipped into the Hokage Residence through a back entrance, near where the offices of the ANBU Black Ops were located.

Itachi had left him a note saying that he needed to meet him here, that there was some kind of intelligence that could be of use in the coup that Fugaku was planning. The Uchiha Head didn't know why his son hadn't told him through simple word of mouth, but he trusted him, his judgement, and his conviction.

Fugaku stepped into a dark room and removed his hood. "Itachi, are you here?" He heard the footsteps of someone else in the room. "Is that you?"

There was a blinding light that filled the room, forcing Fugaku to shield his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden and dramatic change in illumination. Stepping out in front of the source of the light he could see a figure. As his eyes accommodated for the changed conditions they recognized who it was that was standing there.

"Lord Hokage," Fugaku said, looking past his hands. "What are you doing here? It's rather late."

The Hokage let out a short chuckle as he lifted a smoking pipe to his lips. "I could say the same to you, Fugaku."

Fugaku lowered his hands. "Why are you here, Lord Hokage?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained quiet for a time, silently pulling on his pipe and exhaling the smoke. "I know about your coup plans, Fugaku."

The Uchiha took a step back and activated his Sharingan. "What are you talking about, sir?"

The Hokage closed his eyes as two figures stepped out the shadows next to him. To his right stood Shisui Uchiha and to his left was Itachi. Fugaku flitted his eyes between the two quickly and repeatedly, surprised to see the two brightest young lights in his clan, one his own son and heir, standing with the Hokage in this circumstance.

"Wha…" Fugaku said. He drew a kunai and removed his cloak. "Itachi, Shisui, help me. Together we can take him."

The two stood there silently, staring at him, their Sharingan active. Itachi then moved slowly, taking a few steps forward and slightly to his right so that he stood between Fugaku and the Hokage. Shisui mirrored Itachi's movements.

Fugaku stood there shocked and dumbfounded. "Itachi, Shisui, what are you doing?! This is for the good of the clan, there is nothing more important than the clan!"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged looks before the latter began to speak. "I'm sorry, Lord Fugaku, but we believe differently. The village is more important than any one clan, even our own."

"We are doing this for the sake of the clan as well," Itachi said. "You really think that the Uchiha alone can defeat the whole of the village? Even if we could, what of the war that would inevitably follow? If we go through with this we put ourselves at jeopardy."

"Fugaku, please," the Hokage said from behind the two young Uchiha, "reconsider your present course, there is no need for this. It is not too late to let this all disappear."

Fugaku gritted his teeth in anger. "You expect us to stand by and let ourselves be marginalized and beaten down by you! Everyday you, everyone in the village, treats us with suspicion and contempt!"

The Hokage let out a heavy sigh. "I fully admit that this attitude is readily found within the village. However, your current actions only lend credence to those beliefs. You should be showing them that they are wrong."

Fugaku scoffed at the statement and spat on the ground. "We are."

Itachi took a step forwards. "Please, Father, see reason."

Fugaku dropped into a combat stance. "Please, son, don't betray the clan. Don't betray me."

The younger Uchiha stared back his father, his facial expression subtle but obviously pained. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. "Shisui."

"I'm sorry, Lord Fugaku," the other Uchiha said as stepped forward in front of the Clan Head.

Fugaku's eyes widened in surprise as Shisui's Sharingan changed from their standard form, creating a four pronged pinwheel. Had the boy truly awakened the Mangekyo? Blood began to flow from the young man's eye like tears and Fugaku felt his whole world change.

Itachi watched as Shisui cast the Kotoamatsukami, the genjutsu that allows its user to influence the thoughts of the victim, on his father. Almost immediately there was change in Fugaku's body language. His body relaxed as he dropped from his combat stance. His kunai clattered on the floor as he fell to his knees in a deep bow, his forehead touching the ground. It was hard for Itachi to see his father, always so proud and strong, showing such deference.

The Hokage stepped up from behind him and placed gentle and reassuring hands on his and Shisui's shoulders. Though he said nothing, Itachi could feel some of the weight on his heart being lifted by the gesture. He deactivated his Sharingan.

"I'm sorry," Fugaku said quietly. "It was wrong of me to plan a coup, I see that now."

The Hokage took a big pull from his pipe and exhaled with a sigh. "You may stand, Fugaku. I understand, and I'm sorry that the situation in the village deteriorated to the point that you felt the need to take drastic action. I will do my utmost to change that."

"Thank you, sir," Fugaku said tearfully as he stood, though his eyes remained downcast. Itachi couldn't remember the last time his father had cried, if ever. Just what had Shisui's jutsu done?

"However," the Hokage said, "this will require change from the Uchiha as well."

Fugaku looked up from the floor. "I fear that I am not the man for the task."

"Then what do you suggest?" the Hokage asked.

"I will step down as leader of the Uchiha Clan," Fugaku answered.

Itachi's eyes widened in surprise. Of all the possible outcomes from this mission, he hadn't expected anything quite like this. He looked over at Shisui, who looked just as shocked.

The Hokage seemed to take it in stride though. "Then I guess that makes Itachi the new Uchiha Clan Head. When would this come into effect?"

"I will call a clan meeting to make it official as soon as feasibly possible," Fugaku replied.

"Afterwards you and I would need to meet to discuss our future course of action," the Hokage said to Itachi, who merely nodded in response. He then placed his hand on Itachi's shoulder and gripped gently. "Until that time, I am exempting you from your duties with the ANBU," he said with a kind smile.

"Thank you, sir," Itachi said as he stared out into space.

A pat on the shoulder woke from his withdrawn mental state. The Hokage then walked out of the room, hands held behind his back. When he left the three Uchiha stood alone in the room.

"What do you want to do, Itachi?" Shisui asked, his Sharingan deactivated and the eye that had cast the genjutsu closed shut.

"Go home," Itachi said quietly.

The three left the Hokage Residence by the back entrance which Fugaku had used to enter the building earlier. Silently and slowly they made their way back to the Uchiha Compound. Each man said not a word, Fugaku trailing behind, hanging his head. Shisui walked slightly behind and to the side of Itachi, gingerly holding a hand over his eye.

Itachi walked quietly at the head of the group. He thought of his little brother and touched the Hidden Leaf symbol on his forehead protector. He then gripped his left shoulder over his ANBU tattoo.

When they arrived at the compound Shisui stopped Itachi while Fugaku continued on home.

"We did it," Shisui said, still nursing his eye.

"We did," Itachi replied.

Shisui asked a question that Itachi had been posing himself the entire walk home. "What do you plan to do now?"

Itachi looked up at the Uchiha crest hanging above the gate leading to the rest of the village. "I do everything in my power to ensure that this never comes again."

"You'll have me," Shisui said reassuringly.

Itachi smiled, though his eyes did not avert from the crest above the gates. "I'll need you."

Shisui stood for a moment longer before walking off in the direction of his own home. Itachi stayed where he was and continued to stare at the Uchiha crest hanging above those gates. He listened for anything and everything around him but all he could hear were the sounds of silence.