I'd always been wary of Uchiha boys. They had a penchant for volatile emotions. Stoic and guarded in one moment, fiery and impassioned in the next.
I was thirteen years old on one of the hottest summer days in Konohagakure. So, I wondered why my red-haired younger friend Kushina Uzumaki dragged me to the training grounds in the forest. It was one of the few places she was allowed to go without her guards. Several children from Konoha's noble clans sat on a low-lying wall, throwing shuriken at wooden targets a few metres away while other Village kids watched. I recognised the boy sitting between Hyuga twins Hiashi and Hizashi. He was the nephew of the Uchiha clan leader. Fugaku. When he saw me and the Uchiha crest on the back of my sleeveless purple dress, he lifted an eyebrow and spun the throwing stars to the farthest tree before jumping down from the wall.
"Ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, you name it, I can do it! The Chuunin Exams are mine. Then I'll be one step closer to being the first Uchiha Hokage," he boasted. He stopped to look at me a while longer than everyone else. But my eyes floated to Shikaku Nara, already a Chuunin and the most intellectual person I'd ever met. He folded his arms in discomfort, ready to get out of the heat with his friends Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka.
"Anyone up for a contest?" asked Fugaku trying to win my attention back.
"I would like to try if you don't mind," came someone from behind.
A humble boy with spiky blonde hair stood in Fugaku's empty place at the centre of the wall. Now it made sense why Kushina wanted to come here. Minato Namikaze. The younger boy became an overnight legend in Konoha when he'd lone taken on several Hidden Cloud Jounin kidnappers to rescue Kushina. They'd become completely enamoured with each other ever since. Fugaku rolled his eyes and sighed knowing Minato was about to steal his shine. But he soldiered on. They had a shuriken throwing contest to determine who could throw theirs the farthest into the woods. After several rounds of showcasing their skills, Fugaku conceded to Minato's prowess. We all clapped for them and went our separate ways to finally cool off. Kushina went to congratulate Minato while I walked on ahead until Fugaku stopped me.
"Hey, wait. What's your name?" he called, tapping my shoulder. "I'm Fugaku, sturdy and strong in stature like the tallest mountain peak of our continent."
"Mikoto," I introduced myself simply as I turned to look at him.
Fugaku froze and stared at me, mouth slightly agape. A shade of red brushed his cheeks when I stepped closer to him. He gazed deeper into my onyx eyes, getting lost in them.
"Um…if you…n-n-need a s-sparring partner…Uchiha-style F-ire Release. Let m-me know, Mi-Mikoto." he stammered. His blush grew deeper.
I knew what all this meant. But my eyes were still firmly set on Shikaku Nara.
One day, another boy from my clan with long black hair, Inabi Uchiha, cornered me against a wall after confessing his feelings to me.
"Can I get a kiss?" he asked obnoxiously, putting a hand on the wall and edging closer to my face as I recoiled from him.
"No, leave me alone," I replied on the verge of fighting him off. He was better at taijutsu, but I was one of the best fire-release jutsu users in our clan.
"C'mon don't be so stuck up babe, you're not even a noble."
"You should respect when someone refuses you," came some from behind him.
Shikaku Nara pulled Inabi away from me. Seeing the smarter Chuunin with rugged scars cutting across his face was enough for Inabi to back off. His attitude towards me soured after that. Everytime he internationally ignored or rolled his eyes at me, I'd laugh about it with Kushina. As for me, getting rescued by my crush was my ultimate teenage fantasy. More importantly, it opened up the opportunity to talk to him more frequently. Over time, Shikaku and I became good friends. When we were free from missions, I enjoyed chatting with him in awe of his mature wisdom and genius while hiding my true feelings.
Until I decided I wanted to confess to him when I was sixteen. After getting advice from Kushina who already had a boyfriend - Minato - I donned my best indigo-toned dress to tell him. As I rounded the corner to the marketplace, I saw him sitting at an outdoor restaurant with Choza. Another woman with black hair and dark eyes sat between them. As they all laughed and ate together, Shikaku rubbed his hand over her lower back and she leaned into him. My heart threatened to fall out of my body. I turned and ran down the street until I found a wall to hide behind. My eyes burned with tears as I crouched down. After several minutes, the silhouette of someone standing in front of me caught my attention. I looked up.
Fugaku held out a flower bouquet in his hands and bowed to me. I stood up and walked over to him. There was a sincerity in his eyes that immediately captured me. I accepted his flowers without promising him anything. From then on, I took an interest in Fugaku as a friend. We trained and passed the Chuunin exams together. We saw each other often as he lived near the main house of the noble Uchiha family. My home was further down the street within our clan compound, then located just outside of Konoha's town centre. Eventually, my daydream fantasies of Shikaku were replaced by those of Fugaku. When I finally made Jounin and was sent out on more missions, I'd find myself thinking about him during our downtime. I'd think of his smile, his soft brown eyes, the way he looked at me, the way he spoke to remove my insecurities and how he remembered even the most insignificant details I told him about myself.
One evening, on a full moon night when stars glittered the night sky, he took me above the Hokage Monument overlooking the entire Village and confessed to me. He stared away, nervously running his fingers through his hair, waiting for my response. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my lips onto his as my answer. That was our first kiss. Sweet, relieving and simple. He then took my hand.
"One day, when I become the first Uchiha Hokage, I'll bring you back here. I want to make you proud of me, Miko. See me as worthy of being your man."
Now, I had a boyfriend too. Fugaku Uchiha. We'd stroll around the Village hand in hand, attend Uchiha festivals together and talk for hours on picnics by the lake. Months later, on a warm mid-morning, I sat on the stone steps outside of Nakano Shrine along with many other Uchiha children. It was customary for us to sit there while our parents held their conclave clan meetings inside. Fugaku came strolling up and sat next to me before letting out a tired sigh.
"I heard you awakened your Sharingan?" I asked.
"Yeah. My uncle died on the mission in front of me. It was Hidden Stone shinobi. The Tsuchikage has a grudge against the Uchiha that goes back to Madara. Anyway, my uncle had no children, so I've been chosen as the next clan leader and Police Chief. My lessons for the role start tomorrow," he spoke in a low tone.
"My condolences to your family. But what about your dream to become Hokage?"
"Bahhh, it was never going to happen, not with Minato being the frontrunner. Besides, I overheard my sensei say he wouldn't feel comfortable with an Uchiha Hokage. He said we should all just stick to the Konoha Military Police Force."
I stared at him tossing his kunai in the air and catching it. At that point, it was impossible for him to disguise his hurt and anger from me.
"So what do you think our parents talk about in these meetings?" he asked, trying to distract me.
I shrugged and then pulled him into a hug. He held onto me tighter than usual.
The more time I spent with Fugaku, the more my love for him blossomed. When we turned eighteen, he'd take me to izakaya bars around The Land Of Fire. The feel of his arms around my waist and lips resting against my ear as we slow-danced, strengthened my desire for more of him. But our lives were about to move faster as we slid into adulthood. Territorial disputes, battles to acquire Tailed beasts, assassinations, and attempted kidnappings brought the shinobi world into regional conflicts. This increased the number of Jounin-class missions I was sent on. My Sharingan awakened when my sensei was killed by Hidden Cloud shinobi. I sustained injuries but pulled through. Fugaku took over as Uchiha clan leader and became Chief of the Konoha Military Police Force. He was given the status of Tokubetsu-nin for his genjutsu prowess and mastery of Uchiha Fire Style Jutsu.
Despite our busy schedules, we still made time for each other. When I came back from missions, he'd throw a shuriken into my open bedroom window with a love letter attached. He waited under the streetlamp outside for me to write and throw it back. He was always relieved that I'd come home alive from every mission and painfully anxious that I might not one day. Sometimes we'd hide in back alleys at night to escape the high-pressure responsibilities of our lives and just stand in each other's arms. Fugaku would take to a smoking habit he'd developed. Then, I'd discard his cigarette and lock my fingers into his. He'd gently move to press my back against the wall and kiss me deeper. We wanted nothing more than to be together all the time.
Thus finally, I was twenty years old when Kushina came skipping to my home. She whispered in my ear, "Don't freak out but, Fugaku told some people who told Minato who told me that he's planning something special and life-changing for you, if you know what I mean," chimed Kushina, still an older teenager. She swung my arms in the air excitedly. I didn't know how to feel in the moment but butterflies fluttered in me when I thought about what she could mean. It was hard to keep personal secrets in such a close-knit Village, and sure enough, rumours spread that the noble Uchiha family were making moves behind the scenes. Nobody was more jubilant about this than my mother, an excitable, glamourous woman. She wore makeup every day and had her hair pinned up with beautifully hanging floral kanzashi pins. So, when she heard Lord Fugaku and his parents were coming to our home one night, she dolled me up. My eyes and hair were embellished with her finest scarlet jewels and red liner. I wore an Uchiha fan crest patterned kimono from the Uchiha garment shop, gifted to me by my grandmother.
When they finally arrived, I sat on my knees with my mother in our living room while my father, Fugaku and his parents spoke in the next room. Then, my father opened the sliding door sitting on his knees and slipped his hands inside his long robe sleeves.
"Lord Fugaku has asked for Mikoto's hand in marriage," he announced.
My mother couldn't help but let out a squeal and squeezed my hands. I beamed up at her.
"Now daughter, you don't have to answer right away. If you need time to think about it—
"Yes! Yes, I accept the proposal!"
"Oh my. Well, that's taken care of."
He slid the door closed again and spoke on the other side for a minute. When he slid the door open fully this time, Fugaku was there with his parents. We gazed up at each other simultaneously. My heart gave a jolt. His brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail behind his head and he wore the signature Uchiha navy blue robes. He stared at me as if he saw me for the first time. The same mouth agape, face turning red, stunned look. I smiled brightly at him.
Fugaku's father cleared his throat. "Mikoto will be marrying into our noble family. Therefore, she will have to end her shinobi career and begin cultural training to become First Lady of the clan. She will also inherit our estates and family assets. We Uchiha are a warrior clan, so she will also learn our specific Fire-Style Jutsu and combat fighting techniques—
I couldn't resist and stood up to bustle to Fugaku, then fell into his lap and quickly kissed him. His eyes remained open in shock and so were our parents.
"Apologies, she's just overjoyed," came my father, trying to be stiff and formal.
"No matter. We are all very thrilled for this momentous occasion," Fugaku's mother chimed.
We moved with our parents to the low-lying living room table and signed our names onto the scroll to register our marriage. With our gazes firmly locked, we could see our future in each other's eyes.
Our wedding day was unforgettably magical. The ceremony was held at Nakano Shrine. I was bundled into multiple layers of a luxury woven silk ivory bridal kimono with a white Wataboshi hood on my head. Fugaku was a prince charming in his flowing hakama trousers and black haori jacket that had the Uchiha fan crest on the back. We were surrounded by friends, family and clan elders sitting on either side of us. But through each stage of the ceremony, from prayers to vows and the sake exchange sipping, even the brief slow dance they afforded us, our eyes were squarely on each other. When he looked at me with eyes glistening under the glowing light, I knew he was the man who would love me forever.
As newlyweds, we learned to be partners and work together. Through my noblewoman cultural training, I learned to become a homemaker and how to conduct myself socially while Fugaku worked as Police Chief, Uchiha clan leader and ran our house finances. We finally shared a home, we shared a room, we shared a bed. Fugaku and I never had trouble pleasuring each other. Whether straddling, laying on top, or going down, we explored every curve and crevice of each other's bodies. He loved my breasts and I loved our final cries of satisfaction as he finished inside me.
One year into our marriage, I walked down the veranda of the noble family home where Fugaku's parents lived. A clan elder sage woman who'd lost most of her eyesight to a rare Sharingan overuse illness walked towards me and brushed past my shoulder. She stopped and touched my lower abdomen.
"An energy amasses inside your body. It could bring either great hope or great calamity to the Uchiha."
She was known to have the gift of foresight and prophecy. I stared into her milky black eyes uncertain of my beliefs. Nevertheless, a few weeks later when Fugaku and I visited our parents for lunch, I had trouble keeping food down as nausea engulfed me. It was time for a checkup at Konoha General Hospital. I sat in the hospital room chair with my hands over my knees, waiting in anticipation while the medical-nin looked over my papers. My heart gave a jolt when she turned to me beaming.
"The tests have come back positive. Congratulations Lady Mikoto. Your due date works out to be June 23rd."
A wave of euphoria washed over me. I wanted to scream and squeal and cry. But I held it in to share it with the man who made it possible. I ran home as tears of joy overflowed from my eyes. I found Fugaku feeding the koi fish in our front garden pond. He dropped the bag of food pellets when I told him. My arms stretched wide as he ran over to scoop me up and spin me around. The air was punctured with our cries of laughter and elation. A new phase of our lives was about to begin. Life, hope, purpose, love. All culminated to this moment.
We were going to have a baby.
Despite the early onset of morning sickness, the first few months of my pregnancy were relatively smooth. I watched my body change and my abdomen enlarge in the most incredible ways. The second trimester, however, was greeted by the worst news any expectant parents could hear. During my prenatal checkup, medical-nin informed us that I'd developed a health complication. The powerful chakra from the growing baby had caused my blood pressure to increase to dangerous levels. The condition was made worse by old injuries I'd sustained during my shinobi battles. Both of our survival now hung in the balance. Fugaku clutched my hands tightly as I shuddered at the news. Though our joy had turned to fear and panic, he was the steady arm I needed to keep me hopeful.
"You're the strongest woman I know, Miko. We'll get through this to see our beloved child in the end," he soothed me while stroking my hair.
Every week, medical-nin healers managed the two chakra networks flowing inside me. Fugaku quit smoking and would massage my legs and belly to relax me. I did jutsu training to strengthen my body. It was an anxious several months, but we got through it together with the help of Konoha's best medical ninjutsu team.
My labour began on the afternoon of June 8th. Two weeks earlier than the expected due date. Before I was wheeled into a birthing chamber, Fugaku pressed his forehead onto mine and squeezed my hand tightly. We stood in that position for several minutes, listening to each other's breathing, holding onto hope, but possibly preparing for the worst. I'd prepared my whole shinobi life for death. Every mission carried the risk of not coming home alive. Now facing the same peril, I would at least fight for our child. This same condition ended the life of Kakashi Hatake's mother during childbirth. Sakumo Hatake overcame his despair because their child survived. Fugaku would have to do the same if it came to it. He reluctantly let go of me as I was whisked away.
The medical-nin lowered me into a birthing pool where chakra could be monitored. I sat back as they instructed me to focus on breathing. The agonising spasms under my abdomen intensified. The longer it went on, the more my chest ached. Then my breath fell short. The room glowing green with medical ninjutsu swam in front of me.
"Doctor, her blood pressure is spiking. The baby's chakra is overpowering."
"Reinforce the Chakra Control Technique."
"Now she's haemorrhaging!"
"Pull her out! Take her back to the delivery room! We need to perform an emergency cesarean before she bleeds out."
All I could hear were distant voices as I was lifted out and lowered onto a stretcher. Outside, Fugaku ran towards us in a panic as the medical-nin carried me away.
"Fugaku…" I whispered weakly, "If I don't make it, promise me you'll take care of our baby. Please…"
"No, don't say that Mikoto, I can't live without you. Please don't give up. Fight for your own life as well..."
The world was getting dimmer and voices became more distant and muffled.
"She's about to go into shock, quickly!"
"Get the baby out now, my fuinjutsu will stop the bleeding."
The doctor infused her chakra into the scalpel and I passed out.
My mind was foggy when I eventually woke up. The immense pain in my abdomen rendered my lower body motionless. I turned my head to look around the room. Fugaku sat in a chair, his head lowered between his knees and hands tightly gripping his hair.
"Where's our child?" I whispered.
His head lifted up instantly. "Miko?! Oh my…oh you're awake…oh thank the gods," he breathed. "Doctor, she's awake," he called.
"Where's our baby?" I asked again hoarsely.
Fugaku looked at me solemnly. My throat tightened. "Don't tell me…we lost..." I choked. The heart monitor beat steadily faster.
"No, he's fine. Please Miko, remain calm. There were some problems, but they stabilised his condition during incubation."
"He? It's a boy?"
He nodded, smiling and pressing his forehead onto mine. "He's so beautiful. Thankfully, he looks just like you, the one with all the beauty. I can't wait for you to meet him. You're a Mother."
Tears fell from my eyes. "And you're a Father."
Later, the head medical-nin came back in. "Good Afternoon Lady Mikoto. You gave everyone a scare there for a second. We're so thankful that you're still here with us."
"Thank you for saving us. What your team has given us can never be repaid enough."
She bowed to me in thanks. "Just to bring you up to speed, your son was delivered this morning on June 9th. He is late preterm so we're monitoring his condition. There were some health complications, but he's expected to make a full recovery. To prevent him from developing a life-threatening heart and lung illness later in life, he must avoid overusing his chakra. Your little one has some seriously powerful chakra. Let me bring him out so you can see him."
She came back holding our tiny bundle. He had a few licks of black hair and a pinkish tinge to his skin. She placed him in my arms as my tears fell once again. I couldn't stop kissing his forehead.
"Have you thought of a name?" I whispered to Fugaku.
"Yes. It was just me and the little guy for a while so I've had time to think of one."
"Let's hear it."
"Itachi. Itachi Uchiha."
My firstborn child. Itachi. Our calm and gentle baby boy. His squishy round cheeks. His tiny curled fists. The cooing, gurgling sounds from his little mouth were everything to us. He'd fall asleep on my chest after I'd nursed him. I'd sometimes hear him struggle to breathe and his heart beat irregularly at times. But he pulled through completely. I had a new purpose in my life. To love him unconditionally for the rest of my days. The whole Uchiha neighbourhood came to see Itachi and sent us their well wishes. I placed him in Kushina's arms when she and Minato came to visit. She was learning how to hold her own baby one day. Fugaku and I lay on our futon bed and placed Itachi between us, swooning over what our love had brought into the world. Itachi would stare up at us in wonder with his large round onyx eyes that were so like mine yet resembled his father the longer I looked at him. Fugaku loved to lift him up in the air for a fit of giggles. "That's my boy Itachi," he laughed with the baby.
My heart was bursting with love for our little family.
When Itachi turned one, Minato and Kushina got engaged. Since Kushina had no family left, I arranged her wedding attire. The Uchiha garment shop created a colourful iro-uchikake bridal kimono that matched her red hair. Kushina had become like a younger sister to me. On their special day, I brushed and styled her updo with floral pins and one of the only jewelled mementos she had left of her mother, a beaded swirl-shaped hair clip, as the final touch. Minato and Kushina had an intimate wedding of our few friends, Minato's family and notably Lord Jiraiya The Toad Sage, at a local shrine in central Konoha. They looked simply ravishing as they strolled down a pathway tunnel of Sakura trees afterward.
Back at home, Itachi was showing signs of rapid ninjutsu development well ahead of his years, despite being a preterm baby. At over 18 months, he'd memorised hand signs from a children's ninjutsu training manual that his grandmother read to him. He could catch, grip and throw toy shuriken with ease and control the chakra in his hands and feet to jump and grab a fruit from the counter. We were all so proud and impressed by his early skills, but Fugaku had an eagerness for him to learn more that concerned me.
Meanwhile, in the shinobi world, political tensions, violent battles and terrorism were growing more threatening. Leaf Village ANBU had to deter two invasion attempts by shinobi groups disguising what Lands they came from. Regional stability was at a breaking point. All of this came to a head when the Hidden Stone Village began an annexation campaign to acquire the Hidden Grass and Hidden Rock Villages, claiming it was part of their territory. Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand shinobi were deployed to protect the border between The Land Of Earth and The Hidden Grass Village - our allies and buffer to The Hidden Stone's encroach towards the Land Of Fire's border. The counter-response was swift; The Hidden Cloud and Mist Village came to defend the Hidden Stone in their own alliances. Smaller Villages such as The Hidden Rain, Hidden Waterfall, Hidden Snow and Hidden Valleys were swept up in the conflict as the Five Great Nations prepared to battle each other on their soil.
Thus began the Third Great Shinobi War.
Konoha's shinobi forces were sent to support the war effort while several squads remained to protect the Village and the border. Shinobi children were graduated from The Academy earlier to increase the number of personnel. Itachi was two years old, and I was terrified of how the war would affect our very young family. Kushina and Minato delayed having a child as he was deployed to the battlefield. Kushina having lost both parents to conflict, didn't want to bring a child into the unrest.
As the war raged on into the next year and a half, Konoha lost more than half of its shinobi battalions. The Hidden Stone were a literal crushing force to be reckoned with and the Hidden Cloud's Raikage had joined the fight, demolishing our troops with his lightning attacks. By the time Itachi was well over three years old, Konoha had a severe shinobi shortage. The Hokage had no choice but to conscript new and retired shinobi into combat. Our allied group was losing ground in two key areas - the central town in the Grass Village and Kannabi Bridge, a few kilometres north of it.
This meant Fugaku and I were enlisted along with children as young as four and seniors as old as 85 years old. The world was falling apart. Fugaku and I were devastated to leave each other and our young child behind to face a certain death in war. We laid together as much as we could, knowing that copious amounts of sex was prohibited when drafted. We simply chose to make love like we'd never see each other again. We held onto Itachi as much as we could before handing him over to his grandparents and kissing his head, hoping our sacrifice would lead to a better world for him to live in. I would depart for the central Grass Village town while Fugaku was stationed on the border between the Hidden Rock Village and The Land of Wind. The Hidden Grass town had virtually been reduced to rubble when I arrived. The few war-torn buildings still standing housed Konoha's remaining shinobi fending off The Hidden Stone shinobi. Weeks went by as we used our collective power to try to push them back into their own land. Itachi's fourth birthday came and went. I thought of him every day.
As our shinobi units dwindled, news from other frontlines, however, was positive. Extraordinary shinobi from The Leaf were changing the tides in our favour, namely Minato and Fugaku, both given 'flee on sight' orders from our enemies. They earned new monikers across the shinobi world. The 'Yellow Flash Of The Leaf' and 'Wicked Eyed Fugaku.' Eventually, The Hidden Mist withdrew after several of their ninja swordsmen deserted the Village to go rogue. This made the Hidden Cloud disengage their war support. The Hidden Stone finally began to retreat back into the Land of Earth. This town in the Grass was the final frontier. I'd heard word from our troop communications that Fugaku had brought Itachi with him onto the death-strewn battlefield. I wanted to wring his neck for it, but to do that, I had to make it home alive. Every day that passed lessened the possibility. The Hidden Stone shinobi were gaining on us to capture the town. We were surrounded and trapped inside the building we hid in. Our allied backup troops from the Hidden Sand were on their way to help us remove the Hidden Stone once and for all. But they were days away and it was only a matter of time until we were discovered.
Meanwhile, a personal crisis had sprung up on me by surprise. A dizzying nausea was hitting me in waves and further drained my battle-weary body. I started throwing up into the dilapidated toilet in our building's hiding spot. One of my comrades, a kunoichi from the Hyuga clan, held my bangs away from my face.
"Mikoto, I can see a new chakra network developing in your lower abdomen," she whispered with her Byakugan activated.
I sat on the cool floor to take a breath and felt numb.
"Listen, I don't judge shinobi for breaking the prohibition rules. But maybe the rest of us should use our remaining strength to help you escape. Surely the top officials would permit desertion for a pregnant lady."
"No, it's as you said. I broke the rules, so I must deal with the consequences," I said.
We both rejoined our troop who'd just received more good news from the war front. "The battle of Kannabi Bridge was won by us! Konohagakure! Thanks to the efforts of Team Minato and who they're calling 'Kakashi the Sharingan hero'. Wait, isn't that Sakumo's kid? He's not even an Uchiha."
"At least we've won this war," said another shinobi from the Aburame clan, "We can now die in peace knowing our efforts weren't in vain."
"I'm going back to my family," I replied simply, "I will not die here. I can't die yet."
"My few remaining insects tell me The Hidden Stone is only a few hundred metres away, combing the area for us. Judging by their search patterns and speed, we have less than an hour before they find our whereabouts and bring this building down to crush us."
I mustered up as much strength as I could to launch my last-ditch effort. With my injuries bleeding, chakra fading and nausea threatening to drain my senses, I activated my Sharingan. Hundreds of Hidden Stone shinobi surrounding us were now less than a block away using a chakra-sensing technique to feel for our presence through the stone walls. I gathered my breath. All the breath I could muster and weaved hand signs. Horse. Tiger. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger. The fire I released came from deep within my chakra core behind my belly. It came from my will to see Fugaku, Itachi, my family, my Village and my comrades alive. To save the child growing inside me. The fire formed a ring around our building, giving away our location. Hidden Stone Shinobi quickly mobilised towards us. The building shook as their shinobi used a collective jutsu to try and collapse it. I stayed calm and fed my fire jutsu with more stream of breath.
The ring of fire fell to ground level and spread outward. As my final trump card, I used another Fire Jutsu to enrich it. The flames licked up into the skyline forming a curtain of fire as far as the eye could see. The ring of fire had now taken on a life of its own, expanding in circumference and consuming everything in its path. I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. We would have to wait for it to burn itself out. Half the town burned in a boiling, raging blaze. Grass, trees, homes, buildings, all the remnants of the old life of its fled residents, now reduced to black and ash. Hidden Stone Shinobi began to retreat. My comrades gaped at me in awe. I couldn't spare even a single inch of my chakra or I would die. Thankfully it was over. It was all over. The Hidden Sand shinobi arrived two days later to suffocate the remaining fires with sand jutsu. I was rushed to a prenatal medical care tent at our nearest base. The Hidden Stone surrendered and settled for a truce with the Hidden Grass and Hidden Rock, brokered by The Hidden Leaf.
The Third Great Shinobi War was finally over.
The end of the war brought profound social and political changes to Konoha. We established ourselves as a major power among The Five Great Nations. The Third Hokage stepped down to take full responsibility for the mass casualties. His successor was narrowed down to the two heroes of the war - Minato and Fugaku. Minato was eventually chosen as The Fourth Hokage. I had earned the name 'princess of fire' within the clan for burning down the Grass Village town. Then, the Uchiha Sharingan gained fear and notoriety across the shinobi world because of Fugaku and Kakashi. The Leaf declared a week-long mourning period for our fallen comrades. Kakashi's implanted Sharingan from his fallen teammate Obito caused a major controversy among the Uchiha. But Fugaku ultimately quelled the clan's disapproval, allowing Kakashi to keep the Sharigan in memory of his friend. Meanwhile, a post-war baby boom blossomed in Konoha. The noble branch of the Hyuga clan was expecting a child. So were Shikaku and his wife Yoshino Nara, as well as the Aburame, Inuzuka, Yamanaka and Akimichi clan leaders with Fugaku and myself. Even better news was that Kushina was expecting too. She and Minato were beyond elated. Their child was due a few months after mine.
When I returned home, I had no emotional capacity to argue with Fugaku for bringing Itachi to the battlefield. The war had taken its toll on our mental health. The three of us needed time to heal and come together again before the new baby arrived. Fugaku and Itachi would lay their heads on my burgeoning belly when I sat down. They helped me around the house and carried our grocery bags. We all anticipated the arrival of our newest family member in late July. Fortunately, this second pregnancy was a breeze compared to the near-death experience of my first. As Itachi reached his fifth birthday, he'd mastered most of The Academy's shinobi education curriculum while he was still a year away from enrolling. I knew he was going to make an excellent student.
In the meantime, his baby sibling was coming. When the time came on July 23rd, Fugaku and Itachi waited outside my delivery room at Konoha General Hospital as I gave birth naturally. After hours of agony, euphoria washed through me at the sound of my crying baby. The medical-nin placed the baby on my chest. I laughed in delight and kissed his forehead. Another boy. He already had a mop of black hair and blush-pink cheeks. Fugaku and Itachi came into the room after I nursed him for the first time.
"Itachi look, you have a little brother."
He stared in wonder at the tiny person bundled up in my arms. I moved the baby closer so he could get a better look and touch his cheek.
"He's so…small. I'm like that too. Mother, I will do my best to protect him as his big brother." said Itachi.
"Aww that's so sweet of you," I chimed, putting an arm around Itachi and kissing his head.
I lifted the baby so Fugaku could scoop him up and rock him in his arms.
"Do you have a chosen name for this little one?" I asked him.
"Yes, an old traditional one for shinobi. It's the name of Lord Third's father. He gave us his blessing to bestow the name should it be a boy."
I thought for a second until a light went off in my head and I beamed up at him. "Sasuke. What a fine name for our boy."
Fugaku lifted the baby in the air while Itachi and I looked on. "Sasuke Uchiha. We will teach him to honour the Uchiha name," he said proudly.
My second-born son. Sasuke. Our little energy bunny. A happy, smiling and inquisitive baby attached to us all. He'd cry and whine when we put him down because he always wanted to be held. He'd release bursts of baby giggles when we kissed his face and cuddled him. He'd crawl around following us, touching everything in his path. Our little one was truly the heart of our family. As Sasuke's features slowly came in, it became more evident that I'd given birth to my genetic twin. His face was nearly identical to mine. All our Uchiha neighbours who came to see him agreed.
"Woah Lady Mikoto, you sure have some strong genes. I wouldn't be surprised if your grandchildren came to look like you as well," they would say.
As for Itachi, he was fully enamoured with Sasuke. He'd watch me nursing him and ask to help me bathe and change him. When it took several attempts for Fugaku to pat his back and settle him after nursing, Itachi would ask to try. He loved reaching out a finger so Sasuke could grasp it, then gently poked his forehead. I was so proud of Itachi's involvement. He took his big brother duties seriously. This made me hopeful they would grow up to become close siblings. More than anything, Sasuke's arrival made our family feel complete.
When Sasuke turned three months old, it was about time for Kushina to have her baby. But with her being the jinchuriki, the details of her giving birth were kept top secret. There was so much I didn't know and couldn't ask about. Then, on the late afternoon of October 10th, I strolled through central town carrying Sasuke bundled in my arms when I finally saw her. A heavily pregnant Kushina walked down the main thoroughfare road that led to a lesser-known exit on the far side of The Village. Lord Third's wife and medical-nin Lady Biwako Sarutobi, accompanied her. She looked very serious and on high alert. This deterred me from waving at Kushina who luckily spotted me and came tiptoeing towards me.
"Oh, Mikoto. Sorry about all the secrecy, security has been tight on me!" Kushina chimed spiritedly, "But I'm glad I ran into you before my turn. And you had a little girl!"
"He's a boy. Sasuke, named after Lord Third's father," I said to Lady Biwako.
"Oh yes, Lord Fugaku came to clear it with Hiruzen and me before his birth. We are honoured," she said.
Kushina gently poked his cheek. "Awww, hello there little Sasuke. Since our children will be close in age, we can organise play dates and they can become best friends. By the way," she said, cupping her hand and leaning closer to me, "How much does it hurt exactly?"
I chuckled. She was so jittery and glowing with excitement. The headstrong young girl had bloomed into a mature confident woman whom I was proud to have watched grow up. "So, there are things that scare even you. You'll find out soon enough," I teased.
"Alright, that's enough chatter. We have a strict schedule to keep. Let's keep going Kushina," came Lady Biwako, whisking her away.
"See you on the other side Mikoto. The next time you see me, I'll be a Mother, y'know! Please come by to see our baby," she waved. I waved back, beaming at her.
That full moonlit night, Fugaku and the Military Police Force were out on an all-night patrol in the Village centre. I assumed it was more security protocol for Kushina's baby delivery. While I was at home preparing dinner, Sasuke became restless and cried constantly. It took an exhaustive effort to calm him down to a low whining. I felt irritable too; an uncomfortable dull ache throbbed in the chakra behind my eyes.
"Itachi sweetie, can you mind Sasuke for me? I just need to step out quickly and get some drops for my eyes," I asked.
"Sure Mother," he replied.
I placed Sasuke bundled up in a sling in Itachi's hands and sat him on the veranda outside so our neighbours could keep an eye on them.
"Hmmm, what a strange smell…" Itachi remarked as I left, "Very foul."
I hadn't noticed until he said it. The night's breezy wind carried an unpleasant odour that ached my eyes further. I hurried down to the marketplace to buy natural medicinal ingredients to make my grandmother's homemade eye drop recipe. Downtown Konoha was bustling with nightlife shoppers, diners, drinkers and families converging under the glow of yellow street lamps and brightly lit lanterns for social gatherings and community bonding. I bought my effects and chatted with the pharmacist before quickly heading back home. The nasty scent grew more pungent until the air was ripe with it.
As I walked down the street, the wind stopped completely. Sound was sucked from the area. Everything went quiet. Villagers peered around to make sense of what happened. Then, my Sharingan self-activated sensing danger. I caught less than a second of bright orange light and hit the floor before—
A massive explosion hit the downtown area and sent a booming shockwave rippling through the entire Village. Everything around me went flying. Screaming people, buildings, walls, shops, trees, and market stalls were all swept away in an instant. When I got back up, there were only a handful of decimated buildings still standing. The area had otherwise been wiped clear. I cried out seeing the bloodied mangled bodies of Leaf Villagers littered across the ground amongst piles of debris. The remaining survivors fled as I searched the area for people buried under rubble. Then, crowds of people came running past, pointing behind me as they screamed. The foul smell was now fully potent. I stopped and turned around slowly.
The colossal, hissing Nine-Tailed Demon Fox stretched over the dark sky, cloaked in a menacing orange hateful chakra. My heart dropped. Kushina. I was rooted on the spot. The Nine Tails furiously bared its fangs and puffed its chest to the heavens before letting out a deafening, snarling roar that shook the earth. I covered my ringing ears from the sonic assault. Then, all nine of the fox's tails curved up ready to bear down on us. One of the tails was close to our neighbourhood. I bolted for home just as all the tails came down in a thunderous crash, whipping and gnashing around.
My Sharingan helped me see straight as the ground shook violently and the tails destroyed everything in their path. I dared not think what had happened to our home. My children. My husband. I let out a cry of dread. One of the tails sent a debris field of bodies, boulders, trees, wood, and building parts hurtling past me. I pulled a child and a senior woman out of the way and covered them. A shrieking noise came from the fox as an enormous ball of swirling purple energy gathered from its mouth and it spat it out into the east of the Village. Another ear-splitting blast erupted across the Village as the chakra ball swept through and flattened the entire area. My hearing went for a few seconds. The Nine Tails continued its rampage as I finally reached my home. My throat tightened. Our house and neighbourhood had mostly been destroyed by debris.
"Itachi! Itachi!?" I screamed.
"Over here, Mother!" he called. He hid in a gap within a collapsed wall behind the remains of our house. Sasuke was still bundled in his arms. I ran and scooped them up crying in relief they were safe. Then, I took Sasuke in my hands and led them out towards an alley where we could take cover.
"Mother lookout!" yelled Itachi.
My Sharingan detected the giant boulder speeding towards me from behind. But my body wasn't quick enough. Itachi jumped into the air and cut the boulder in half with his hand's chakra. Its two sides flew past us and took out a row of thick-trunked trees. Shock froze my body. If it had hit me, Sasuke and I would've been crushed into our finer parts. I picked Itachi up using my other arm and headed into the alleyway. His chakra control skills were simply sublime.
"Thank you beloved, you saved mine and Sasuke's life. You're a blessing my son," I said to him.
A blinding white light emitted from high in the sky. Then a massive toad landed on top of the Nine-Tailed fox as it gathered more dark energy around its mouth. Before it could release, the fox vanished completely in the blink of an eye. My Sharingan caught a glimpse of Minato for a nanosecond. The explosion blasted somewhere far in the forested mountains in the Land Of Fire. The Village and skyline were finally clear of the vicious demon fox. I heaved a sigh. Sasuke stirred restlessly in my arms but was otherwise unscathed. Itachi was as cool and calm as ever. He spoke to a young girl Izumi Uchiha behind me to calm her down.
With the destruction over, members of the Police Force came to escort us and other survivors in the area to the nearest evacuation bunker. Hundreds of terrified and injured Leaf Villagers poured into the bunker for shelter, sustenance and medical support. Once at capacity, the doors were sealed for security. When the doors were opened again in the early morning, most of the debris had been cleared and bodies collected. Disaster relief tents were being set up to house families in the interim. I headed to Konoha General Hospital with Sasuke still in my arms and Itachi holding my hand. The hospital was overflowing with injured people getting treated where they were, in the outside courtyard, staircases, hallways and crowded rooms. I stood outside the glass window of the newborn nursery in the maternity ward. There were only two babies in there. A boy with dark hair and another with yellow-blonde hair, pinkish skin and three whiskers on either of his cheeks. He was a dead ringer for Minato Namikaze. I let out a silent prayer of thanks. Their baby survived.
After several minutes, Fugaku turned the corner of the hallway and came towards us. His face was grim and sombre. Tears danced in my eyes as I stared at him in hope. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head bitterly. I knew what that meant. No words needed. They didn't survive. Kushina was gone. Minato was gone. Fugaku picked Itachi up with one arm and pulled me into his other arm. I tried not to cry too loudly onto Fugaku's shoulder. I had to be strong for my children. My heart ached at the tragedy of their son's fate, that he would never know his bright, strong-willed mother Kushina and humble, dignified father Minato.
"Oh Kushina…Minato..." I cried in anguish.
The Nine Tails Attack and the death of the Fourth Hokage, along with thousands of Leaf Village citizens left lasting and devastating consequences on Konoha. An emergency committee was set up to rebuild the Village's infrastructure and reinforce security measures. Lord Third Hiruzen Sarutobi was reinstated as Hokage and declared another week-long mourning period for the victims of the attack when we'd already buried so many after the war less than a year ago. Konoha's leadership announced to its angry residents demanding answers that they managed to seal the demon fox in a new jinchuriki host, a boy named Naruto Uzumaki. Nobody knew who the boy was, or why he was chosen, except for those of us who had known his parents. The Village was also prohibited from telling the boy what was inside him. Many weren't satisfied with the explanation and believed there was far more to the attack than they were told.
As for the Uchiha, the worst was yet to come. After weeks of investigation, the Second councilman to the Hokage Danzo Shimura made a statement to the leadership and the public that he suspected a mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Attack. He believed the culprit was a member of the Uchiha clan because our Sharingan had the power to control Tailed Beasts. Our clan expressed outrage at the accusation. Fugaku attended dozens of committee meetings to explain that the Uchiha were also victims of the incident as much as other Konoha residents. Most of our neighbourhood and part of the Police Force Headquarters had been destroyed. Our clan had suffered dozens of fatalities too. But the public latched onto Danzo's explanation. Decades of stereotypes about our aloofness, self-interests and the fearful history of our intimidating dojutsu played into their prejudiced beliefs. Konoha and its leaders came to mistrust the Uchiha clan.
So, with growing pressure to act, Leaf Village leaders decided to ban all Uchiha members from central government, stripping us of all political power and representation. All Uchiha were also subsequently banned from interacting with the jinchuriki boy Naruto. As clan leader, Fugaku vehemently fought and protested the unfounded discrimination, but had little support from other leaders to change things. Once the post-disaster town planning was complete, the Uchiha clan was relocated to an outskirts district of Konoha, a far distance from the town centre. Danzo used the excuse of moving us closer to our ancestral land of Nakano Valley. But this only stoked the start of the clan's discontent.
As we begrudgingly moved into our new residences, our family dynamic changed when Itachi started attending The Academy at six years old. He was quickly labelled a genius child prodigy and a 'once in a generation' talent for his abilities. The whole clan heard and boasted about how he excelled to the point that his sensei agreed to move him through the shinobi system quickly. He progressed faster than what they could teach him. As proud as I was of his achievements, I was fearful of Itachi carrying the darkness of a shinobi while so young, especially after what he'd witnessed on the war front. Sasuke fell into his brother's shadow and faced unfairly high expectations for him to excel as well. I made sure to give him the love, attention and support he longed for from his father.
Itachi began going on missions at eight years old. We got less family time, Sasuke missed his elder brother dearly and began to idolise him. Then, when one of his teammates, Tenma Izumo, was killed in front of him, Fugaku and I sat Itachi down to explain his newly awakened Sharingan. To my dismay, Itachi became more withdrawn, solitary and distant. I'd lie next to him in his bed so we could talk and he could open up to me. He said he wanted to become Hokage and stop all the fighting in the world. Fugaku became less fatherly and more like a commander towards him, which was made worse when Itachi was admitted into the ANBU too early.
All of this had led us to this moment: our frustrated, angry and slighted clan projecting their ambitions onto Itachi and Fugaku, seeing them as vessels to launch their own assault on Konohagakure. Soon.