Chapter 1 has been updated to better portray Sasuke as an autonomous adult, rather than a whiny kid following his big brother around.
Itachi returned to the Uchiha clan compound in the dead of the night and summoned all the adult members to the main hall of the Naka shrine.
He waited patiently in a seiza position as each member arrived, with Mikoto, Fugaku and Sasuke being the last to enter.
Fugaku made his way to the front of Itachi's summounded audience, "It's two in the morning, Itachi. What's the reason for this meeting." The underlying tone of dread was palpable, as Itachi's actions were never unjustified or done in haste.
Gracefully, Itachi stood to meet his father and handed him a white piece of parchment that resembled a contract.
Half-awake, Sasuke found an unoccupied spot next to a wall. A good place for napping, one that was far away from his father's direct gaze. He would squeeze in some shut eye while the rest of the clan bemoaned their lost power and forced segregation. Another inconsequential meeting about the Uchiha regaining their standing, which Sasuke was sure would end in an unanimous agreement to wait for the perfect moment to strike. Which in his opinion, would never occur. The clan wasn't stupid enough to wage war against one of the most powerful nations.
While dozing off, it was only then that Sasuke realized that Itachi rarely attended these meetings. The rest of the clan believed Itach's absence was due to him siding with the village, whereas Sasuke knew his brother better. Itachi lived and breathed for the Uchihi and would never betray them. Perhaps, Itachi was disillusioned and tired of the fruitless plotting, just as Sasuke was, but had decided to call this meeting to appease his relatives' concerns about his fealty. Nonetheless, Sasuke was more concerned with sleep than listening to whatever his brother was about to say.
Sasuke was close to falling back into a deep sleep, when he was disrupted by the contemptuous questioning tone of his father, "Is this a joke?" He was fully awake when his mother followed with a question of her own, "Are you in love?"
'Fuck. Was Itachi really confessing his love in front of all these clan members?' Sasuke wondered as his eyes scanned the hall, searching for the annoying culprit who had likely forced his brother into this mess.
His attention was quickly drawn back to the front of the hall as Itachi addressed the crowd in a cool and collected manner, "Konoha is aware of your schemes of revolution."
Caught in a daze by Itachi's proclamation, Sasuke barely registered Inabi in his periphery, stomping forward.
"And how the fuck would they know that? You traitorous-" Inabi bellowed inches away from Itachi, Mikoto being the only barrier between her son and the threatening aura of her husband's subordinate.
"Let him explain," Turning towards Itachi, Mikoto asked again for clarification, "What does this mean, Itachi?"
Raising the contract for all to see, Itachi explained, "This is a marriage agreement between myself, the Uchiha heir, and the firstborn daughter of the Hyuga's main house, Hinata Hyuga. This will unite both clans and strengthen our positions within Konoha."
"We don't need help from the Hyugas. We are the Uchiha, all wielders of the Sharingan. Our clan can easily topple this village," Inabi arrogantly argued. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sasuke couldn't help but to compare Inabi to a rooster vying for dominance in a mating competition.
Ignoring Mikoto's struggle to keep Inabi tethered, Itachi continued unbothered, "You are all under surveillance. It's only a matter of time before Konoha acts to protect itself and its innocent citizens."
Hitomi, a middle-aged retired shinobi, spoke up, "Are you implying that we are the problem? We, The Uchiha, the strongest of the Leaf, who have been sequestered on the fringes of society?"
Paying no heed to the outburst, Itachi resumed, "If Konoha acts, we will lose."
Fugaku's voice boomed in the silent hall, "We will not lose," echoing Inabi's sentiment, "for we are the Uchiha." The clan members murmured their assent.
"A clan of less than a hundred cannot defeat thousands of skilled Shinobi." Itachi warned. "Our reputation amongst the villagers is in ruins. There is no trust. If called to act, the clans of Konoha will turn against us. We need allyship, which is what I am offering. Once the Sandaime knows of this contract, he and the council will have no choice but to stand down. They will not risk a civil war against two of the most powerful clans."
"Why should we wait for The Leaf to make the first move? If they are forced to stand down, we can act. We can use this opportunity to reclaim what is rightfully ours," Setsuna, a member of the police force, offered conspiringly. Other members of the clan hummed in agreement.
"If you act against The Leaf, you will force my hand to retaliate, and so will the Hyuga. You will not win," Itachi cautioned.
"Will you turn your back on your family?" Fugaku asks bitingly, the venom in his voice echoing against the painted green concrete walls.
"I will not turn my back on innocent lives. Accept this union of peace and we will regain everything we have lost," Itachi pleaded, "I promise you, I will use everything in my power to repair the relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha."
Itachi bent forward, resting his forehead against the rough fibrous material of the tatami mat, his voice quivered with sincerity, "Please trust me."
Fugaku towered over his son's prostrating form, then bent down to roughly grab the collar of his shirt. "Get up," he ordered. Submissively, Itachi easily complied.
"Nothing that happened here leaves this hall," the clan head warned. "The council and I will discuss this matter with Itachi. We'll reconvene tomorrow."
Fugaku signaled to his close associates to accompany him and Itachi back to the compound.
Sasuke paced back and forth on the engawa adjacent to his and Itachi's rooms. He hadn't been allowed to be a part of the inner circle of Fugaku's council, even though it was his sibling's future under discussion. Those in charge still saw him as a foolish, undeserving child even when he was well past the age of adolescence.
The sound of a door sliding open prompted Sasuke to retreat to the shadows of his room. One by one, each member of his father's council exited. When the sounds of multiple footsteps ceased, he quietly slipped into his brother's room. He found Itachi seated on the floor with his back against the wall and knees drawn to his chest.
"Itachi," Sasuke carefully approached the hunched over form, "what's wrong?"
Immediately, Itachi stiffened and straightened his posture, quickly dabbing the moisture from his eyes. "Sasuke," he intoned casually, as if he hadn't just been caught with tears running down his face.
Sasuke looked on in puzzlement, as Itachi rose from his seated posture to prepare a traveling bag with a few personal belongings.
"Has the matter been resolved?" Sasuke questioned. Hopeful that his father had talked sense into Itachi and called off the proposed marriage. Itachi remained silent.
Sasuke tried to hide his aggravation at being ignored and continued questioning,"Where are you going?"
"I'll be staying at the Hyuga compound for a few days," Itachi's response was straightforward and lacked any hint of emotion.
"You're still going through with the marriage?" His father allowing the arrangement to continue sparked wildfires as to the severity of the situation. Frustration grew within him for being left in the dark.
"It's the best way forward, Sasuke."
Sasuke felt a pang of sadness, empathizing with the heavy sense of duty Itachi carried with him throughout his life. That burden should be shifted so that both brothers could bear it equally. Sasuke would gladly relieve his brother of it fully, if only he would let him.
"Our situation may not be ideal." Despite being one of the most talented shinobi of his generation, Sasuke had first-hand experience of the prejudice doled down to the Uchiha. He received less compensation compared to fellow comrades of lower ranking and was selected for perilous missions before any of his peers from the same graduating class.
"But to rebel against our home will be disastrous." The Uchiha were fewer in numbers, but still a formidable force. Many would perish if civil war were to break out. Sasuke understood why Itachi vehemently proclaimed he would protect the village from the Uchiha's schemings. To see blood shed among those they grew up and fought with was akin to nightmares worthy of eye gouging.
"I've sheltered you for too long, Sasuke. There is so much that I've tried to protect you from." Itachi lamented as he closed the zipper of his backpack and slung it over his shoulders.
"The truth is, I've done a poor job at maintaining the peace between the village and the Uchiha. I've run out of options and tensions are rising. Maybe if Shisu-" Itachi's bit his bottom lip as if he were calming the tides under that calm facade, he then continued speaking in the same impassive tone deferring what he was about to say, "this marriage may not be a long-term solution but it will provide us with the ammunition of time."
"And if we aren't blessed with the luxury of time? What if Konoha doesn't stand down?" Sasuke questioned.
Itachi walked towards the door of his bedroom, leaning on the wall in contemplation, he closed his eyes and nodded his head, "Sarutobi's goal is to avoid war. If the Konoha council believes the Hyuga and Uchiha are a united force, they will not risk the decimation of two powerful clans. There is too much to lose, it will make the village vulnerable to opposing outside forces."
"I have to go now, Sasuke," Itachi pushed himself off the wall.
Truthfully, Sasuke was surprised Itachi took the time to explain the reasoning for his bold actions. Sasuke was usually left in the dark, the reason for his overall naivety about their current predicament.
"I don't think this is the only way to resolve the tension. The Hyuga could support us without you giving your life to a woman you will never love." Sasuke knew without a doubt who Itachi's heart truly belonged to. It may have been a secret to everyone else, but Sasuke could rightfully attest that he knew his brother better than most did.
Sighing, Itachi quickly explained, "A marriage. One believed to be out of love, at least at face value, will create an alliance that doesn't pit the Hyuga against Konoha." Sasuke internally cringed at being spoon fed this information. He should have been able to figure out the precarious situation the Hyuga would be in if they overtly took sides with the Uchiha.
What's in it for them?" Sasuke asked.
"There are many reasons, Sasuke. It helps them strengthen their power. Serves as protection, if Konoha ever viewed them as a threat. And are they really giving up anything?"
Sasuke scoffed and nodded his head in understanding. He was not surprised that they had picked Hinata, the rejected firstborn, as their bride for Itachi. She was a liability and an unwanted commodity that the Hyuga would be happy to get rid of.
"I have to go now, Sasuke." Itachi slid open the door.
"What about Shisui? Does he agree to this?"
Itachi hesitated for a moment, his body tensing up. After a deep breath, he answered with a barely audible voice, "Shisui... is dying." His voice trailed off, and his eyes drifted away.
"Wh-what," Sasuke stammered in disbelief.
"He's been poisoned by Danzo. The Hyuga have managed to stop the poison from spreading. But it's only a matter of time."
Itachi's words left Sasuke speechless for a moment. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Shisui, the revered Uchiha, was dying from poisoning. Despite his personal frustrations with the young man, Sasuke couldn't deny the admiration he felt for Shisui since childhood. With unparalleled skill and prowess, Shisui had always been a figure to look up to, second only to Itach and maybe his father, Fugaku.
Sasuke had never felt so powerless in his life, he couldn't imagine how Itachi felt. How could an upper ranking member of the Konoha council make such a brash move and not be held accountable. "We need to retaliate. Force Danzo to provide the antidote. Get justice." he protested.
Itachi's mouth twisted into a solemn smile. "An Uchiha's against Danzo's holds no weight."
"You're going to sit by and do nothing?" Sasuke asked aghast.
"I've summoned Yatagarasu to locate Tsunade-sama. She is our only real hope. In the meanwhile, Hiashi and I will try to work with the Nara clan to come up with a broad-spectrum antidote that will keep him alive for as long as possible." Answering Sasuke's question before he posed it, Itachi continued, "Shikaku has worked Intelligence with Shisui. He knows Shisui is too much of an asset to lose. He won't overtly pick sides, at least not at this stage, but he will assist in keeping him alive."
"What can I do?" Sasuke asked, determined to help his brother in any way he could.
In a rare show of affection, Itachi hugged his brother briefly. In a serious tone, Itachi said, "Work with kaa-san to plan my wedding. Make sure my wife-to-be will be happy." Sasuke grimaced, not pleased with the task, and was about to object, when Itachi whispered in his ear, "And be my eyes. Come to me if you think they are getting ready to act."
As Itachi left the room, Sasuke was left stunned and disoriented. The weight of the task his brother had entrusted him with was heavy and unsettling. He was being asked to spy on his own family, but he knew deep down that he would have done it even if Itachi hadn't asked. The thought of betraying his own clan made him sick, but he also knew that he had to do everything in his power to help his brother and his perseverance for peace.