Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Uchiha, Hanako or Pinwheel Madness. Those last two belong to Loeka and I am penniless.

What Makes a Genius?

Itachi Uchiha was only four, but at four he knew many things. He knew for example that the sky was blue, the grass green and that he had a twin. He knew that having a twin was different than just having a brother or a sister not only because they were the same age and looked more alike than any pair of siblings, but also because it was rare and special; the only other person he knew that had one was the head of the Hyuuga clan. He knew that at the end of the day the sun went down, and that during the night the moon took its place accompanied by the stars who came out to shine their light down on them. The stars, they made patterns called constellations, and he could point to every single one. He knew for example that in the first month of the year came the Ox, and in the fourth month came the Tiger, and in the last came the Ram.

He knew that the Uchiha were his clan, that their Doujutsu was called the Sharingan, and that they were one of the two founding clans of Konoha. Their symbol was a fan; red to represent the fire that they could control with ease, the white to represent the control they all exercised and prided themselves upon. He knew that his father was the Clan head and that he, being the eldest twin, was the official heir. He knew that one day he, too, would be the head of his clan and the Police force, keeping peace within the walls of Konoha.

He knew that he liked ravens, because they were so sleek and elegant. Seeing one fly, gliding in that blue expanse that was the sky and seeing the tiniest black feather adjust to a change in the airflow, always brought a smile to his face. He knew how to perfectly throw Kunai whether it was made of wood or blunted metal because he adjusted his body just like the raven did. He knew how to flow through the motions of the Kata's that he and his sister were learning because if his chakra flowed, so could his body, and if he could adjust his body, so could he adjust the ebb and flow of his chakra in order to increase the strength of his senses.

People always thought that he was the smartest of the two, and if you looked at it in terms of pure skill, this was perhaps true, but Itachi knew better. Hanako was very loud and outspoken for an Uchiha, though not as brazen as his cousin Obito. No one was. Hanako was not as good at her Kata, her stances or her Kunai throwing and she wrestled immensely with the strengthening of her senses. She spoke more than he did, casual speech came a lot easier to her (he'd even call it her preferred way of speaking), and, if she could get away with it, would curse. Those were all things that people tended to notice and remember, and it was why he was often the only one categorized as a genius.

They were wrong, his sister was just as much a genius, if only in different things. Itachi was not the one who knew many, many melodies and could sing like the best of them. She herself said that he was better. He countered that she just liked his voice more, which was just her opinion and not a fact (he failed to take into the account that the same could be said for him). She'd conceded that maybe he'd had a point, and the smile she'd given him had been worth it.

Itachi was not the one who could draw such very beautiful birds with charcoal, and he'd tried. He was good, but Hanako's creations were marvels to behold, especially when compared to the drawings of his cousins. He could retain details with almost perfect clarity, even without having actived his clan's bloodline limit, but his twin could add upon and change to her very whim the things reality showed her. He had tried that, too, but he felt compelled to draw what he knew he had seen. She could create out of nothing, whereas he could only copy. That's not to say he didn't have any imagination, but he knew that hers was so much grander and because of this he suspected that she would be better at Genjutsu.

He itched to find out if this was the case, and couldn't wait till the moment that his parents decided that the two of them were old and mature enough to start training them in the usage of chakra. He already thought they were, and his sister was more than inclined to agree with him, but their opinions in this matter were rather moot. It was for that simple reason they kept their training a secret, because if their mother ever found out... Neither of them were exactly keen on finding out what their punishment would be, because sometimes his mother scared him.

He knew that Hanako's imagination was grander than his because ever since he could remember, when they laid in bed together ready to go sleep she either hummed a melody or told him stories. Not the ones he read, from where he had gained a love for the written word and wide vocabulary, but ones that she made up. There was a whole host of them, and he loved them all but one. One of his particular favorites was the one called the little Ningyo.

It was about a little Ningyo, a princess to be precise, who had the most beautiful of voices. She wanted to become human, because she'd fallen in love with one. An evil witch heard this plea, and answered that if she gave up her very beautiful voice, she would become human. The foolish princess agreed, but thankfully in the end, after defeating the evil witch, gained both. He'd told her this, and she'd called him girly with a grin. What he never told her that it was because he thought of Hanako as a Ningyo, because in his mind she had the most beautiful of voices and just a like a Ningyo could lull sailors to sleep, Hanako could hum him to slumber.

Her favorite seemed to be the first one she'd ever told him; the one about Warrior Mulan, who had apparently become the first Kunoichi ever when she'd saved the Land of Fire from war by pretending to be a Shinobi. He also knew why it was her favorite, it was, after all, the reason he liked this story the least.

See, having been three at the time, he'd asked if his mother knew who the first ever Kunoichi was. It had been during dinner and she'd replied with no. Very proud to know something that his mother didn't he started to tell the story. At the end his mother, face normal but Sharingan blazing, had asked who had told him this story, he pointed to his sister. Hanako was, at this point, red in the face from holding in her giggles. Very slowly it occured to him that the combination of the word 'story', the fact that both his parents had their Sharingan active and that his sister was holding in her giggles could mean only one thing and he'd whispered with wide eyes, "She's not real?" That was enough to set his sister off and, apparently, his parents.

It was the first and only time he had ever heard his father laugh out loud as the most he'd gotten out of him was a chuckle, one of the few times he had seen his mother do more than laugh politely, Kushina usually being the one to bring it about, as well as the first time he had seen his sister literally roll on the floor because she was laughing so hard. Most notably, though, that was the first time that he felt stupid and ashamed because of someone his age.

He didn't take it too well. For two whole days he stewed, sulked and lashed out at Hanako even when he knew he shouldn't. For a while emotion controlled him instead of the other way around, until eventually his sister did something amazing: she apologized. She did so by giving him a beautiful charcoal raven, the first of many as it would turn out, and he forgave her. He was four now, and though he would never ever admit it to her, he was glad she'd made him experience that.

Itachi knew that other people would always call him a genius, and not his sister. He knew that his sister was smarter than him, but not in the ways other people would ever really see or praise. Itachi didn't mind that. Because Itachi might be a genius, but Hanako was Hanako and she was his. And just like he knew that the name Mulan would bring smiles to the faces of his family for all eternity he knew that that was all that mattered.

AN: Hello there good people, I know its been a while again, but here is something a little different. This here story is based upon Pinwheel Madness by Loeka, a budgeoning SI that you guys should definitely check out. You can find it in my Favorites. This was originally supposed to be a one-shot but its turned into more, and this is only the first chapter, the following one should be Hanako as seen by her Father, Fugaku Uchiha. Also, I'll let you guys in on a little secret: the next chapter of Responsiblity is all but ready to be posted, its in the hands of my Beta. It'll go up one of these days. Anyways, tell me what you guys think of this.

Cheers,

Ray the Red