Ch. 10

Time Marches On

Danzo was found dead in his residence the next day with some incriminating paperwork. In the end, it was concluded that several spies that Shimura had been helping spies in the village, spies that had taken advantage of the chaos to steal illicit information that the old war hawk had been holding before making off towards the border. Jiraiya was sent after them to retrieve it. The investigation was very closed door and in the end, all the Hokage had said was that Shimura had been discovered as a traitor to the village and given a traitor's funeral, all honors stripped from his name.

Under orders from the Uchiha clan head the next day, all items were removed from the clan buildings before they were sealed up again.

When Martial Law was ended a week later and the clan tried to get into their old clan grounds, they found most homes couldn't be opened. Unable to break the seals, the Hokage gave them his sincerest apologies and gave them the nicer and larger clan compound across from his as an apology for their lost homes. When Jiraiya finally returned a month later the clan was already happily settled into the new compound and opted to sell the old compound to the village, all but Naka shrine.

Well before Jiraiya's return, however, Moriko had been introduced to the Uchiha clan by Hiruzen as Jiraiya's future apprentice and a lost member of the Uzumaki clan. Her little brother 'Naisho' waved shyly at the other small children as the Hokage smiled as he watched. Hiruzen hoped that giving Naruto a new start would start to right the wrongs done to the young boy in due time.

Since Moriko and 'Naisho' lived across the street at the Sarutobi Compound she would come over often so her 'little brother' could play with the other clan children. Itachi was a shadow that followed her wherever she went when he wasn't doing missions. A lot of the time they talked. The rest of the time the chunin would have her throwing shuriken and kunai with him or practicing katas when around the other little kids so no one was in danger of throwing weapons. When asked by some of his clan members why he was teaching her Uchiha forms he had solemnly stated with a blank face that she needed to learn how to fully protect herself.

A week later, when Itachi's abnormal socialness with the young woman was commented on at the weekly clan meeting, Fugaku revealed to the clan that she had been badly wounded saving his drugged heir and youngest son from assassination the night Martial Law had been declared and had killed in their defense despite still being a civilian. After all, Itachi had only one friend from the clan the rest kept at a distance. His going out of his way to spend time with others would always be commented on.

(All the older ladies had immediately begun whispering about getting her married into the clan for her protectiveness and strength. She was also very good with the children. Fugaku made it clear she could most likely be the head of her own Clan in a few years' time, putting a stop to the marriage talks. The old Oba-chan had huffed at him before continuing their talks elsewhere over tea after the meeting.)

When the attack on the two heirs was mentioned with resentful and fearful tones Fugaku halted his clan's angry muttering of oppression.

He very clearly stated that the subversive elements, (indicating that there had been many, maybe as many as had disappeared that night,) had been discovered and dealt with by the Hokage as soon as he had found out. The much older generations' eyes had widened as the Hokage's actions for the past week were put in another light, including their move to the heart of the village and the removal of many old laws. (Perhaps even the traitor Danzo's death.)

"The appearance of the Creature was very fortuitous indeed," commented old Naomi as the rest of the elders shot one another speaking looks.

"It's amazing what one can do with shadows," he commented offhandedly as the elders traded more speaking glances. That another Clan had acted, even in secret, to help right the wrong done to their clan over the years was a balm that soothed the wounded Uchiha spirit. That their village leader the Hokage had acted so decisively to right the wrongs done also hadn't hurt.

"Will we be inviting the Nara and Hokage-sama over for tea then?" his wife had asked softly as she took his hand to give it a squeeze. He squeezed back, grateful for her quiet understanding of what could not be said between them.

After that, all the old ladies in the clan seemed to take a liking to the quiet but kind Uzumaki woman. More than a few times Moriko wandered away from the clan compound looking a bit bemused as she carried a hamper of tasty foods and sweets.

...

When Moriko and 'Naisho' were ready to depart the village the Uchiha clan wished them safe journeys and good luck on Moriko's training with Jiraiya. She looked a bit bewildered when she was presented with a large scroll filled with jutsu that the Uchiha had written down for her. Meeting Fugaku's eye, she nodded before bowing deeply at the gift.

Over the past month, she could see that his behavior with his son had clearly changed for the better as he made an effort not to be so strict all the time, especially in private settings. Her eyes drifted down to Itachi who was looking up at her with a blank face but mournful black eyes. She gave the scroll to Jiraiya so she could kneel down and hug the boy. The older men of the clan were stoic at the unusual sign of affection for their culture but the Oba were in a tizzy at her affectionate nature. The fact that Itachi had allowed it spoke volumes.

The boy whispered something to her and she nodded before whispering back before she stood. Moriko surprised a few of the Clan with hugs that left the older women looking a bit tearful to see her go.

Eventually, the clan dispersed as Jiraiya and his group left. Itachi didn't leave remaining in place as he watched her go. Mikoto Uchiha watched her boy's blank face remain the same though his eyes grew from sad to pensive as he stared after the now-distant head of red hair.

"What's on your mind Itachi?" she finally asked, wondering if he would really answer or be vague like usual.

"Oto-sama said that Jiraiya-sama would take on one student to learn seals," he finally stated and Mikoto wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. Uchiha could grow dangerously obsessive and he was already starting to make long-term plans to keep the redhead in his life.

"He did," she said softly and her son nodded, something resolute filling his black eyes. She sighed, almost not recognizing the determined look in his eye. The clan had been pushing him hard since he was four to be everything they wanted for the prestige of the clan. Makoto wasn't sure what he would do to achieve something he actually wanted for himself.

"Did he leave a starter scroll?" he asked. Mikoto almost said no. She nodded. He gave a small bow to his mother before leaving, the proper sign of respect that he should. After seeing the young woman give her son a hug while Mikoto had been given a respectful bow, she began to wonder if they could even mend this chasm they had built between them and their eldest child. It was no wonder that the small signs of affection from someone that genuinely cared had affected their son so deeply. As she turned to watch him go, her determination to fix this filled her heart. She would talk to her husband about this.

...

A few miles outside Konoha Jiraiya looked to the side uncertainly taking in the glum faces of the two Uzumaki, not sure how to get them out of this funk. He blushed when Moriko caught him staring.

"I wasn't staring at you!" he cried as she shot him an incredulous look. Suddenly she started giggling and Jiraiya's face flushed red.

"See if I ever try to cheer you up again!" he huffed as he sped up to walk ahead of them. He yelped when his long hair was gently tugged before he turned to give her an affronted look. She grinned wider and Jiraiya turned away sputtered and red-faced. He grumbled to himself as he heard her giggling with the boy.

"Not even the first day yet and she's already teasing me," he grumbled as her laughter followed. This was going to be a long journey.

OMAKE

Itachi paused as he entered the house, eyes going wide at the raised voices.

"I have been going easier on him! Any further and we are going to be holding him back on purpose!"

"You don't understand what I'm trying to say Fugaku! I mean go easier on him at home or when there are no expectations! We are about to lose our son, and he is already making plans for it!" cried his mother, causing Itachi's stomach to drop as dead silence filled the kitchen.

"What do you mean he's already planning for it?" Fugaku demanded dangerously as his wife sighed.

"Tell me Fugaku, if he could be anywhere in the world, where do you think he would be right now?" she demanded as further silence followed the statement.

"I know that there are some things you can never tell me, but why is he so attached to that woman?" she demanded as his father sighed, the sound of him sitting at the kitchen table clear to Itachi.

"Itachi was drugged and very vulnerable. You and I both know how much he loves Sasuke, and Sasuke was asleep in his arms when they were attached. She took a sword through her gut, all the way through for them, and kept going. She crushed the throat of the ninja that tried to kill them then brought them into the shelter of her home where the seals would protect them. He helped patch her up and saw the wound clearly.

"Itachi is a smart boy. He said if she wasn't an Uzumaki, she would have died from a wound like that. When I asked him, he said that she didn't even get a chance to talk to them, but she didn't hesitate. She just saw two kids appear in her backyard, saw an attack coming, and put her life on the line without hesitation." he said quietly as Mikoto's breath caught. It was quiet before Fugaku spoke slowly.

"I suspected she was protective, maybe even fierce. It seemed almost too hard to believe. So I decided to test her and voiced displeasure at Itachi not being able to sense the genjutsu. Do you know what she said?" he said quietly. There was silence.

"She said 'If he's expected to defend himself from fully trained elites as a chunin, I can see why he doesn't feel safe enough at home to get enough sleep.'" His mother made a sound that was a mix of hurt and disbelief.

"He feels safe with her. And from the few times I have been able to spy on their talks, she has never said something hurtful or used anything he has told her against him. If not for the way her eyes cut into me after my comment, I would almost think her docile. That is why he follows her around all the time, why he has asked me for the starter scrolls to fuinjutsu, Mikoto. He knows he can be himself around her because he knows it's safe," his father said. The sound of quiet crying began to fill the kitchen and Itachi had to breathe deep and slow to fight the tightening in his chest.

"We've already lost our son," Mikoto cried quietly as he heard his father sigh.

"We will give him the scrolls, but we have not lost him yet. I am trying Mikoto, to not correct him at every turn or chastise him for every action. I cannot say much but I can say this; our clan is no longer under the pressures it was once under and Itachi will not have to bear the brunt of them any longer. We can finally start being a family once again, a little at a time," said his father. Itachi felt a lightening in his heart, a great relief he had not felt in years under the clan's crushing expectations. With that, he took a leap of faith, if only to see if he could trust his family or if they would only take the knife he handed them to stab him with.

Itachi came around the corner and his mother's startled gasp alerted his father as they stood in each other's arms. They watched him with stunned eyes as he walked forward and wrapped them both in a hug. Mikoto's eyes filled with fresh tears as she knelt to hug her boy back. Fugaku hesitated, face stunned before his eyes softened into something she had not seen in a long time. He knelt so that he could wrap his arms around his wife and son, warmth blooming in his chest. How many years had it been? Far too many. But it seemed their eldest had taken their proclamation to be a family again to heart and Fugakua would not betray the act of trust he had just shown. Indeed they had not lost him just yet.

AN: Naruto has been renamed Naisho to hide his identity. It means confidential or secret in Japanese.