Full disclosure, some of this was taken directly from another plot I had in mind for a female Itachi. But, I thought of a way to keep Itachi as the beautiful man he is and include SasuHina.

SasuHina is the main pairing, with a good side serving of ItaShi and Uchiha-centric politics. For once, I think I can guarantee my readers a happy ending! And... this story will not include a Sasuke/Hinata/Naruto love triangle. I think that's progress for me?


Itachi returned to the Uchiha clan compound in the dead of the night, summoning 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, 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.

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 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 you. The Sandaime will know of this contract tomorrow. He 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 trembled with sincerity, "Please trust me."

Fugaku towered over his son's prostrating form and roughly grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Get up," he ordered. Keeping his gaze down, 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 has been ordered to stand down; wasn't allowed to be a part of the inner circle of Fugaku's council. They still saw him as a foolish, undeserving child even when he was well past the stage 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.

"Nii-san," 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.

"Are you leaving?" Sasuke questioned. Hopeful that his father had talked sense into him and called off the proposed marriage. Itachi remained silent.

Sasuke tried to hide his disappointment 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?"

"It's the only way, Sasuke."

Sasuke felt a pang of sadness, empathizing with the heavy sense of duty Itachi carried with him throughout his life.

"Come on, Itachi. We both know father and the council huff and puff about acting, but it's all for show. We don't have the manpower to go against the entire village." Sasuke knew he would fall further in disgrace if his father ever heard this defeatist perspective of their clan's future. But he trusted Itachi to say what was truly on his mind.

"It's my fault that you see life this way. I've sheltered you for too long, Sasuke." Itachi closed the zipper of his backpack and slung it over his shoulders, "the truth is, we are on the precipice of civil war. Our clan may be few in numbers, but we are still a formidable force."

"But you said-"

Itachi interjected, "I said what I said, because I cannot encourage a war against the people we've lived side by side with, whom we've fought with and grown up with. My words were truthful when I said we won't win. But there will be casualties on both sides."

Sasuke breathed in deeply, "But how would a marriage help this? The Hyugas would never risk going into a battle with a disenfranchised clan."

Itachi walked towards the door of his bedroom, leaning on it, he nodded his head, "The point is to avoid war, Sasuke. 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."

"But why through marriage?"

"I really 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 the severity of their current predicament.

"I don't think that is the only way to resolve the tension. The Hyuga could support us without you giving your life to a woman you would 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.

"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 stuttered 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 . "We need to retaliate. Force Danzo to provide the antidote. Get justice." he finally managed to say.

Itachi's mouth twisted into a solemn smile. "Foolish, little brother. I wish our reality allowed you to cling to that innocence. My word against Danzo holds no weight." Sasuke anticipated the action, but still couldn't stop it; two fingers poked his forehead. He swatted at Itachi's hand - he was too old for this shit.

"Itachi, are you seriously going to sit by and do nothing?"

"I've summoned Yatagarasu to locate Tsunade-sama. In the meanwhile, Hiashi and I will try to work with the Nara clan to come up with a broad-spectrum antidote." 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 pick sides, at least not at this stage."

"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.


Anyone ever wondered what it would be like if Sasuke were older and knew about the clan's plotting? Would he take Itachi's or the clan's side?

I say bros before hos/clan, lol. But, I don't think he or Shisui would have ever gone along with the massacre.