Disclaimer: The characters are Masashi Kishimoto's property, I own the OCs.

Characters age:

Akane: 13 (46)

Itachi: 12 (29)

Shisui: 16

Naruto / Sasuke: 7

Kakashi: 21

I wanted to tell Itachi about Kiri. I wanted to; it seemed it was impacting me more than I had originally thought. At night, it was all I could think about when my case was not the most urgent one right now. Yet, I couldn't tell him because I couldn't find him anywhere in Konoha, which was pissing me off. Sasuke was often, more often than ever before, at our place. His parents were clearly trying to keep him away from the Compound and any negative talks he could possibly hear about Konoha, or us in particular, I didn't know. When Kushina-san asked Mikoto-san when everything was alright, she just had this tired and almost guilty smile on her face, saying it was good for Sasuke to do his homework with Naruto. Kushina-san saw how she was feeling and corrected her, saying it was good for Naruto to have Sasuke do his homework with him.

I was teaching him fuinjutsu as well. Naru would be here, of course, but he wanted to play and not really study it. Sasuke was interested in it, so he'd get annoyed.

"Nee-san." I blinked at him, Naru sleeping on the floor. "What's going on between my clan and the village?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, Mom seems happy I'm here a lot and Father doesn't really care about…well, it doesn't change much from usual on this point."

"Fugaku-sensei is always in his study?" I asked him, gazing softly at him. He nodded. "He loves you you know, I'd joke about Naru kicking your ass before and he'd say the opposite." He shrugged, beaten.

"Sure. It's the Uchiha pride."

"And he knows your potential." He put his brush down and raised troubled eyes to me. I changed seat and sat next to him instead. "I'm telling you."

"But I'm not as fast as Nii-san, I know it." I sighed and put my hand in his hair.

"You don't need to be. We all progress at our own pace. I know it's hard but focus on your pace and not the one anyone is trying to force on you. Itachi is one of a kind, sure, but growing up too fast has a lot of negatives on the long term. Don't hurry, you'll be an awesome, kickass shinobi in your own right, with your own skills, when you're older." He leaned against my arm, staring at the table.

"You really think so?" I chuckled and hugged him tightly.

"I know it. Both you and Naru, you'll give me and Itachi a run for our money when you're older. However, do not forget one thing Sasuke." I cupped his face and raised it to me so I could look at him in the eyes. "Itachi is Itachi. He has his own prowess and skills. You are you, with your own skills and prowess. You're not another version of your brother, you're you. I mean…" I pointed at his work on the table. "If it is not proof enough, I don't know what is. An Uchiha trained in Fuinjutsu by an Uzumaki? It beats graduating at seven." He smiled shyly, blushing a little and hugged me back.

"Thank you Nee-san."

"Anytime Sasuke anytime." I caught a glimpse of Naru's blue eyes, but he closed them immediately.

He could get jealous of Sasuke sometimes when he was taking too much of my attention, but he already was a caring friend. He had parents and was more spoiled, but when it came to people, he was quite sharp. He might have had noticed something off with Sasuke after all.

"And you're so my favorite Uchiha." He nodded against me.

"I am."

I needed to see Itachi. If I really were to leave…he had to know to really be careful with his brother because there were issues that could be dealt with early on.

I took a deep breath and headed for the Uchiha Compound, trying to locate him. Lucky me, he was apparently going home because he was on his way here. When I reached the gates of the Compound, I saw him about to turn around a corner.

"ITACHI!" I yelled, stopping just before the gates. I was panting and was pleased when he jumped and turned around, surprised. He blinked at my sight and retraced his steps.

"You shouldn't yell like that outside," he reprimanded me, looking around.

"Hello to you too." He sighed.

"Sure, hello." He had dark circles, was tense and…annoyed? He seemed to have a lot on his mind. "What do you want?"

"Seriously, what's going on right now Itachi?" I asked him, Sasuke out of my mind. He huffed. "I know you, there's obviously something big crushing you right now."

"It's none of your business Akane, please leave." Right, last time I left him on his own he died this moron.

"You really think I'm going to do that with the situation?" He frowned.

"Don't mention it," he replied in a quiet, yet dark voice.

"Then tell me about it Itachi! Don't keep me out of the loop or it's repea…"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then make me understand!"

"I can't. You can't understand."

"Try me!" His eyes became very dark, nasty and I understood immediately I had pushed too much.

"You wouldn't understand because your clans are dead and you're a foreigner Akane. Here, happy now?" I blinked, astonished. His glare, so dark and cold, more than I had ever seen in my entire life, wouldn't leave me. "An outsider will never understand how…" he trailed off. His features relaxed; his glare vanished. Something seemed to click in his eyes.

I was staring back at him, horrified, and probably disgusted too after all. Being from dead clans and being a foreigner were two things he knew I felt bad about, that made me reconsider my presence here. Using these to tell me I wouldn't understand…well, message received. Even to him I'd never be Konoha. Even to him I'd never belong here.

Was he talking out of anger, lashing out because I was pushy at the worst time for him? Maybe, probably yes. Lashing out like this would make me go away, that was for sure.

I looked down with conflicted eyes. At least, hopefully, it would not make him lash out at anyone else and blow his mission up. After all, I was just a foreigner. Who cared about me knowing how clans and their policies worked, who cared if I had been an advisor to two Hokages and apprentice to the Mizukage and knew politics? He didn't know about the Hokages, but he knew about Yagura, of course I'd know stuff.

Hell, who cared I was fucking sixteen years older than he was, right? Apparently, he didn't. He would rather repeat the same cycle than…

I didn't have any insultsor anything coming to mind. I wasn't even…angry really. I was just so fucking disappointed he'd use that to make me go away, that he'd use my insecurities against me to make me leave him alone.

His clan wouldn't have to worry about us being close anymore, that I was sure of. I had chosen the wrong time, I had lied, I had lied to him and for him during my mission reports to Danzou. Like hell I was really giving out serious information to him.

I didn't even picture him as being so nasty with words. I had never seen him angry though, or furious, so how could I know? I thought when angry, he'd be passive-aggressive or quiet to avoid saying anything bad but…pushed to the extremes I guess everything just came out.

"Itachi-kun!" Of course, Izumi would show up now. I glanced at her, like Itachi. She was a few meters away. "Clan meeting!" Itachi didn't move so she ran to him, taking his arm. "We have to go." She glanced at me and nodded in my direction, which I returned. "Come on!" She started dragging him away and he followed, his eyes darting between her and I.

I looked up at the Uchiha crest above the gates and smirked to myself.

Never was and never will be mine. Itachi belonged here and he didn't need me anymore. Whatever he had in me, he had it here too.

He didn't need me anymore.

The Uchiha clan couldn't stand me.

Konoha only saw me as a foreigner, an outsider who was favored by the Hokage.

Fuck it. This place didn't need me. It had enough protectors as it was. Minato-san, maybe he'd get criticism if I were to leave, but ultimately the stain on his family picture would be gone.

I didn't apprehend Kiri now. Itachi had said exactly what I needed to hear. I didn't belong here, never had, never will.

I'd see the end of the Uchiha case. I'd make sure they didn't die, that Shisui didn't die but after that…I was gone.

I was done with Konoha.

I was done with Itachi.

"Akane?" I walked past Yasuo without a look. I wiped the tear off my cheek.

I was fucking done crying for Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi was at a loss. He was tired and stressed. Before it was his clan against the village, now it was his clan cut in half and the village. One half wanted him to share their point of view, which he did. The Elders wanted to keep using him to get information about the village and their action, which he did because he couldn't lose their trust, or he'd lose information. Then he was reporting everything to Minato. Added to that his new duties as an Anbu Captain and it resulted in stress, exhaustion, and irritability.

It came out on the last person he wanted to experience this.

Her clans were dead, and she didn't feel like she belonged in Konoha. He knew that. He used that to make her go away.

He might as well have used the Sharingan against her.

He watched the moon from his bedroom. How was he supposed to come back from saying that? There was no way Akane would say it was okay now. He didn't even know what she wanted to tell him. She had not yelled at him or said anything.

It had been dead silent between them. Akane tended to use sarcasm or humor in awkward situation, but nothing. She had been staring at the ground, her bangs hiding her face. He was stunned by his own words and the venom behind them. He knew a part of him thought that way and didn't want Akane involved because of that.

He never thought he would say it out loud, or to her, and especially in that way.

He thought about going to see her, but he didn't do it. She wouldn't want to see him, and it was time to admit that currently, he couldn't keep a good and healthy relationship with her. He had to deal with his clan first and then, he'd beg for her forgiveness.

It couldn't be worse than this, could it?

A few days later, he was kneeling in front of the Hokage, the Council surrounding him.

"The Uchiha clan is still displeased with its position within the village. They feel that the repercussions of Madara's actions and the Kyuubi Attack that has been pointing in their direction made people forget they were one of the founding and noble clans of the village."

"We have failed them in that aspect," the Third admitted. Danzou glanced at him.

"However, the culprit for the Kyuubi Attack has yet to be found and only the Sharingan has been known to control a Bijuu before. Your theory about an Uchiha who went missing during the war is hardly believable."

"And it is the reason why you have ordered them not to help me with the Kyuubi Danzou-sama, we know," Minato reminded him coldly. Minato was a warm individual, and charismatic. Even as a Hokage he gave the feeling you could talk to him and joke around. Yet, with Danzou, he was as cold as ice.

"Was I wrong? You have said yourself you faced the Sharingan."

"I have watched a member of my family die because I had no back-up who could control the Kyuubi," he reminded him coldly. It shut him up. "Itachi, you may go for today." Itachi nodded and left.

Was it strange of him to think spying on the Akatsuki, with Madara breathing down his neck, was easier than this?

"No!" I blinked at Kushina-san, who had stood up in a flash. Naru was deep asleep in his bed.

"Kushina…"

"No Minato, I won't accept that!"

I had told them I was planning on leaving for Kiri soon. I saw no point in staying there, in retrospect, Kiri was happening right on time. I felt bad for Naru and Sasuke, of course, but they both had their parents, so when I had secured the Uchihas' survival, then I could leave with a peaceful mind.

"It is my birth village Kushina-san," I told her calmly. "I want to go and try to…"

"I don't want to hear you dattebane!" she told me, and I saw a tear in her eye. "Minato, if you allow this, I will not forgive you!"

"I have just heard about it!"

"Please, don't pretend you haven't been going behind my back asking her to do your dirty work for you!" He frowned and slowly stood up as well.

"Now Kushina…"

"I told her we were supposed to protect her! Aki-nee, it's what she wanted, it's what I am supposed to do as her aunt and clan member and you're just using her as your pawn for…" I was behind her, my hands pulling on the back of her shirt. She turned around and sniffed deeply.

"A Yuurei, at the origin, is there to fix their regrets, you know that. I can't pretend Minato-san's missions were glorious, but they align with my purpose here. I have things to fix in Kiri as well, I can't run from it a second time." She furrowed her brow, biting on her bottom lip.

"But…but…" I hugged her, putting my head on her shoulder.

"It's okay Aunty, I want it." She momentarily froze in my arms, and I realized how I called her. "Oh, that's weird." She hugged me tightly. "And I'm older than you guys." She started to choke me. "Help!"

"It doesn't matter," she said in my hair before pulling me back. She was smiling despite the watery eyes. "Are you really…" I nodded. "Alright, I don't see how to change your mind if you're sure." I grinned. "There are a few things I need to tell you then." I blinked. "Your parents told me why they fled Kiri. Did Akiko ever tell you?"

"No, just it was not a good place to live in," I replied, confused. I sat back down when she told me to.

"I should start by your grandparents' deaths." I curled my toes on the carpet. "I don't know all of the details, but I know your grandfather stood up to the Third Mizukage when the Bloody Mist regime was established. He was sentenced to death on the public place." I widened my eyes in horror. "Mamiko-sama…your grandmother tried to stop it and was executed as well by hanging. Your parents saw it. From Akiko's words, Ushio was not the same after that day." You bet; he was a shitty father, but he witnessed his village executing his parents. "Then, when you were born, the Third thought of him as his successor."

"But Yagura was picked because he left."

"He left to protect you." I snickered dryly, but their face remained serious.

"You see the irony in it, don't you?" I spat bitterly, crossing my arms.

"I know, but it is the truth. You know jinchurikis are close to the Kage, don't you?" I nodded. "Well, the jinchuriki of the Rokubi was starting to weaken. They had to find a new one who could handle the power of a bijuu." The pieces were clicking together.

"Like an Uzumaki," I finished for her. She sighed sadly.

"Your brother was diagnosed with his sickness when he was tested for this. Then, you were the only option possible. Akiko told me it was too high a price for the village who had destroyed his family already, so they fled." I just…stared. My eyes went to Minato-san, who nodded sadly.

"Huh." Utakata-senpai was the jinchuriki instead of me then. He was related to the Third after all.

It meant I should have been a target of the Akatsuki then.

"As if having all jinchurikis of the Kyuubi in my family tree was not enough," I muttered, leaning my chin in my hand.

"Do you want hot chocolate?" Minato-san asked me.

"Yeah plea…"

"Why are you up?" Naru asked at the entrance of the room, his plushy in one hand, the other rubbing his eye.

"Talking honey," Kushina-san replied. He pouted and climbed on my lap.

It was…a lot to take in.

March went by in the blink of an eye and suddenly, I had blown my candles. As I no longer was speaking to Itachi, he had tried to reach out once, but I had been clear to both Aunty and Minato-san I didn't want to see him, it was one less thing to think about. Shisui was distant as well now, telling me that he'd be busy for a while, and we couldn't hang out.

Now there was Yasuo's case. He was still struggling; however, Kou was on his case now. It was starting to impact their teamwork.

"Akane, are you here?" I was at the Hyuuga Compound.

"Yeah?" Kou opened the door and closed it behind himself. Despite all, he always remained the same with me. Be it when I graduated school, when I was promoted to chuunin or when I started to be busy with Root, he never stopped being the same welcoming prick friend.

"We're disbanded!" I raised a brow at him. "Fugaku-sensei just said the team was disbanded and that Sayuri and I would be taken care of by other people! Guess what, it means the medic and my clan!"

"Well, you can focus on your duty as Hinata's bod…" He shook his head.

"You don't get it, Yasuo is supposed to join the Police Forces, but he didn't want to. He said we couldn't see each other anymore and to give you the message." Okay, it was worse than I thought it would be. Minato-san had told me he could handle it with the information I was giving him about Danzou and Root.

It was the part I had to play. Keep an eye on Danzou and his movements against the Uchihas. It wasn't trying to change the Uchihas. I knew it was not going well from Itachi, and now Shisui, and how they were acting but now…

Was it the first step to isolationism? Then what, a coup? What was Fugaku-sensei's thinking here?

Itachi had killed his clan at thirteen, shortly after his birthday. Shisui had gotten me out of Kiri when I was thirteen…it would have been in two weeks. I received the letter from him three weeks later, shortly after Itachi's birthday. The clan was already dead by then.

Shit, we were close to the actual moment!

I jumped to my feet in horror.

"Akane?" I looked at him. How could this be stopped? What could possibly put people at ease with the Uchiha clan and calm the Uchihas down?

I widened my eyes, staring at Kou's eyes.

"Of course! It was in front of my eyes from the beginning!" He took a step back, confused.

"What was?" I was moving my lips, but nothing was coming out.

"The Hokage!" He blinked. I made a shadow clone who left to fetch Minato-san. "Where's Hiashi-san?"

"In a meeting."

"Where? It's a matter of life or death!"

"Calm down!" I was holding him by his collar. He carefully pried my hands off it. "Follow me." We waited next to a door for long, long minutes. When the meeting was finally over, Hiashi-san raised a brow at us, mainly me who was tapping my foot on the floor, biting on my thumb nail. "Hiashi-sama."

"It seems to be an emergency." I nodded eagerly and he gestured us to follow him. When we were in front of him, I kept fidgeting. "It has nothing to do with your work." I shook my head. He glanced at Kou briefly.

"I think he should hear it. Minato-san shouldn't be long."

He was there twenty minutes later, escorted by Hizashi-san. The second the door was closed; I activated the Soundproofing Seals I had put around the room before I went to Minato-san. I pointed at Hiashi-san.

"There's the solution to all of your problems!" He raised a brow.

"Excuse me?" Hiashi-san said. I shook my head.

"Sorry, not you in particular, the Byakugan." It had been quick, but sensei had told me Ao-san's had discovered the genjutsu on Yagura with his byakugan. Granted, it was already weakened and all, but he had. She had also told me he had been the one to see Shisui's sharingan being used at the Kage Summit.

I had been working on a seal for the Byakugan for years without thinking the Hyuuga clan, the Uchihas' biggest rivals, could actually be their greatest allies!

"Oh, of course!" Minato-san exclaimed, hitting the side of his closed fist in his open palm. "What kind of Hokage am I? I was so focused on trying to fix their issues I didn't think that another clan could be the answer."

"Hokage-sama, would you please explain to us what you are talking about?" Hizashi-san asked us. He had walked closer to his brother.

We exchanged a quick look and I nodded at him. Honestly, apart from a miracle I didn't see what could help.

"The Uchiha clan is causing issue." Kou perked up at that and I nodded somberly at him. We all sat down, Kou a little on the side. "Big issues. We had plans on opening the Police Forces like you know, but we had some issues."

"And from your tone, I take it these were not 'issues'," Hiashi-san figured out quickly.

"It was sabotage. It split the clan in two sides, there are those who want to be integrated in the village and those who think we owe them an apology for the hate since Madara and the Kyuubi Attack. They think we owe them retribution. It keeps escalating sadly, and it seems the side who wants to be peaceful is decreasing and blame the village for the sabotage because we are fine marginalizing them."

"It is stupid," Hizashi-san commented with a frown.

"Sadly, not so much," Minato-san continued. I looked down. "There are some people who see the Uchihas as a threat and would find a way to take them out because of it."

"You are talking about Shimura Danzou." Minato nodded and I looked down.

It had been a tense and complicated mission. Yamato and Kakashi had come to help me, because going behind Danzou's back was not easy. It was more me helping them actually, but Kakashi had made one talk after I broke their Cursed Seal before making him disappear. He was the one behind the sabotage and it was so obvious I had not…

I sucked.

"He has been spying on them without my permission."

"How would you…" Both Hyuuga siblings looked at me and I nodded slowly. "It explains the recurrent injuries." How right was Hizashi-san…

"The Byakugan can see through genjutsu," Hiashi-san stated. "If something were to happen again, we could see it and identify who is owner of the chakra we are seeing. Chakra, when the individual has a kekkai genkai, a bijuu or something else, is a particular color."

"Even if the Byakugan could put the village at ease regarding the Uchihas, why would they be calmed down by this?" Hizashi-san asked him. "Wouldn't they feel more controlled and marginalized?" True, true.

"Things are moving quickly," I told them. "Team Four was disbanded."

"What about it?" the Hokage asked me. He glanced at Kou, who was pale as a ghost.

"Yasuo told Kou he couldn't see us anymore and was whisked off to the Police Forces. Kou, did Fugaku-sensei show any sign of wanting to disband the team before?" He jumped a little.

"No, not that I noticed. It really was out of the blue, at least to me, he's hard to read. But I thought our team was showing that we could all work together!"

"It was," Minato-san agreed with a small smile. "It worked, for a time. Old resentment comes back if it is not treated at the root."

"Yasuo has been uncomfortable around us for a while, he was clearly torn between our friendship and his clan," I told Minato. "Fugaku-sensei's intervention can mean two things: or he's changing his mind and getting radicalized, which I find hard to believe because Sasuke is often at our place, or the majority is pressuring him and he's trying to keep them under control."

"The issue is, if Fugaku starts to give in to them, they will not stop asking for more," Hiashi-san said with a frown. I nodded at him.

"It does not sound like him though," Hizashi-san muttered. I blinked in surprise and Minato raised his brows.

"Right, you were in the same squad in both wars, weren't you?" Hizashi-san nodded.

"I can only imagine how stressful and crushing the weight he is carrying on his shoulders can be," he continued, shooting his twin a brief look. "However, during the wars he saved many people, me included and didn't look at our clans. If anything, he has the Will of Fire like any shinobi and kunoichi of Konoha."

"Peer pressure can be strong and slowly convince you on a superficial level," I said thoughtfully. "It is enough to make bad decisions though."

"So why would they be convinced then?" Kou inquired shyly.

"The Hokage could remind them he has a seal that can seal their petty littles eyeballs," I said coldly, sniffing disdainfully. They all looked at me and I shrunk back a little. "Sorry, it has been a lot for the past year." Kou pinched the bridge of his nose, mumbling an 'of course' to himself.

"Or we could hit two birds with one stone and get two thorns out of my side." Minato glanced at me knowingly. "You said a rotten root will only make the tree fall, didn't you?"

"Huh…possibly?"

"Do you want to us check something on Shimura Danzou?" Hiashi-san asked him, narrowing his eyes a little.

"Yes. Danzou was pretty close to Orochimaru and when he left, he sent his agents to make sure he'd leave the country." I averted my eyes when all the Hyuugas look at me. "Orochimaru dwelled in dark experimentations and had a thing with the Sharingan. Danzou is wary of the Uchihas like he admires what the Sharingan can do. The Uchihas are a threat, but the Sharingan is not if used by the right person."

"The hidden eye," Hizashi-san said flatly. "You think it could be the Sharingan?"

"Yes, I do. If it is, the Uchiha clan would be interested and if we take actions against him for this, they will feel supported." 'For once' I almost said. "And it could create a sense of friendship between you all because if someone knows what it feels like to have their eyes sought-after, it's you."

"If you think of an operation, it requires planning, and I won't put my clan in danger without certainty."

"I will go then Nii-san." We looked at Hizashi. "Whatever plan Minato-sama has, I can be the Hyuuga on it. Akane has a seal ready after all."

"Huh…it's an early prototype, I can't use it on anyone currently."

"How far are you?" Minato asked me.

"Early. Very early. With everything, I didn't have that much time, so I've barely sketched a modification of the one I had because I'm just done dissecting the Byakugan in depth." I glanced at the Hyuugas. "Figuratively of course."

"I'm sure with Kushina on it, it could be quicker."

"…I doubt it, and you'd need to remove the Cage Bird Seal first." I glanced at Hizashi-san with furrowed brows. "Well, I guess the most I can do right now is…no, even applying a modified seal of this importance for a short amount of time could cause too much damage."

"And a timer?" My eyes found Kou's. "I mean, your Explosive Seal have timers in them sometimes, you said it when you dumb your seals down to us. Can't you do the same with your Pupil Seal, so it activates if someone has their fingers in Hizashi-sama's socket? I'm sorry," he apologized to said man, who shook his head to say it was nothing. We were talking about securing the Byakugan after all.

"Now it's something that can be done," Minato agreed.

"Aunty can do it on her own," I added with a nod.

"Why is Kou here by the way?" the Hokage asked the Hyuugas, who pointed at me. I cleared my throat and walked to him, pulling him on his feet.

"I didn't feel like explaining everything to him. We're Team Four, maybe we can appeal to Fugaku-sensei or something? We need to talk to Yasuo first, because maybe he's our way in." I looked at Kou. "If you're up for it of course." He was unsure. Of course, he was still a genin and it was a lot what was happening.

These were internal, political and murderous plots and schemes going on, with many double agents.

"I'm in." He took a deep breath. "I'm scared, I can't lie I'm terrified, but Yasuo is my friend and Konoha my village. It's my duty to defend it." I rolled my eyes.

"You're so dramatic." He elbowed me in the ribs.

"Is that Anbu quality? It sucks!" I glared at him.

"Is there any scenario in which you see diplomacy could work?" Minato asked him sternly.

"Unfortunately, despite the state of the clan, they all need something concrete, not promises. They're way past believing those," Itachi replied.

"Last time we spoke, the sides were no longer balanced, and it was starting to look like a majority. How is it?"

"The same I am afraid. The side which wants to be integrated are now between the ages of fourteen and thirty-five. The rest tend to follow their parents to have their resentment too deep in them." Minato sighed. "They…The first side wants to follow you and believe you can make a Konoha where they can be seen as any other citizen and not just through the power our eyes have. The others…they don't want to follow a 'spoiled brat'." Minato leaned his cheek in the palm of his hand. Itachi was embarrassed to say this but was trying to hide it.

"Don't be embarrassed Itachi, I've been called that every week since I have become the Hokage." He stood up. "Now, if it comes to it, I have a plan." Now this was news. "But don't worry about it. Focus on your clan. I can promise you I don't want any bloodshed." Of course. "You are dismissed."

Later, as he was meeting up with Shisui, he looked at the sky. Minato had a plan? What plan? Did he have something that could prevent Danzou from ordering him to kill all of them? Did he have something that could magically remove all the hate in the Uchiha clan?

"Oh, not a good face," Shisui greeted him.

"I just had a meeting with the Hokage. He…has a plan apparently." Shisui raised a brow. "In case he has to intervene himself I guess."

"Well, it's better if he doesn't. I have thought of something anyway." Here they were. "I can use my Mangekyou on them to reverse the opinion." Here was his great plan that got him killed in the first. "You don't like it? It's straight to the point."

"It is, I agree. It's just…I'm not sure using this on the clan is wise."

"Neither is a potential civil war," Shisui reminded him harshly. "Have you listened to people recently? They are talking about something like this." Itachi looked down, conflicted.

He had gone down this path once and he came out of it drenched in blood.

Yet, he struggled to see another solution.

When he went home, his conversation with Shisui still in mind, he noticed Sasuke in the living-room.

"Sasuke." He looked up at him. "Come with me for a second." He followed him in his room.

"What is it Nii-san?"

"Have you noticed the tension in the Compound?" Sasuke averted his eyes and nodded shyly. Itachi had told Sasuke before he should have told him about the coup. He had to.

"Mom said it was nothing."

"She's lying." Sasuke widened his eyes. Itachi didn't want to break his brother's innocence, but he was an Uchiha, and he was from Konoha.

He had a right to know what was happening too.

"She wouldn't lie!"

"She is, like Father would too if you asked him." Itachi crouched in front of his brother and put his hands on his shoulders. "I am going to tell you something that may be hard to believe Sasuke, but it is the truth. Listen well, it is not going to be pleasant, but you have a right to know too."

It was a conversation that would haunt him for a long time.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have liked it, please do let me know in reviews! Thank you to for the reviews!

Bye!