The Wicked Eye Hokage: Chapter 14.

I don't own Naruto nor would I wish too, but you already know that.

Six in the morning, the dull buzzing of his alarm clock brought him from his sleep. Without thinking his chakra enhanced blow reduced the horrid machine into nothing but broken piece's that littered the ground, but it bothered him little. Sitting up his his bed the memory of the previous night started to rush back to him. 'I'm the head of the clan now.' He couldn't believe those words even as he assured himself they were true and not from a vivid dream.

Looking up towards the window the sun was just beginning to crest the eastern wall but what was to lay ahead only made him wish last night had been a dream. Hanging on his dresser was the standard black robes that were given to all ninja for the funerals of fallen comrades. 'Mother must have washed them for me.'

It was strange this morning as he would normally already be doing light warm up exercises like push up's and sit up's. His body had certainly become used to it as he had held the same morning routine since he was eleven. Once standing he could already fell the difference in his body without his routine, sliding his arm's through the black fabric they felt a touch less in tune then they normally would have liked.

Putting down the stiffness to the lack of blood flow this early he walk out of his room past Naruto and Sasuke's room where he could hear Naruto snoring as loudly as ever but over the years Sasuke had learned to wear ear plugs to avoid the insomnia that could befall him. But the peaceful look he held soon dropped as he entered the living room where Fugaku still slept on the couch.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man, most day's he was in his office as the sun came up and didn't get home until it set. Along with the fact that he had to find time out of his duty's as the hokage to find time for training, he was accompanied by guards every where he went but it was to be expected from a kage to be able to fight on par with any other sitting kage of the other great nation's.

'Twelve hour day's... I couldn't do it for thirteen years on end.' He thought to himself as he walked into the kitchen to find Mikito waiting for him.

"Morning clan head."

"Morning mother." She had her back to him preparing breakfast as he took his seat opposite from her.

"Your father and I talked last night."

"I guessed so, but he still wasn't allowed back with you?"

"No not yet, but I am glad you didn't force him out." Mikito turned to her son with two bowls, one with porridge and the other with oat's with mixed fruits. Placing the oat's in front of Itachi she sat down across from him but he could only stare at her.

In his eye's she was always picture perfect, even after sparring matches she seemed to retain an air of elegance and tranquillity, along with a seemingly effortless natural beauty but this morning his mother was anything but. This morning her shoulders hung low with little effort to raise them, her hair was messy and tangled and with the dark line's under her eye's he could tell that sleep had not been easy for her.

"So you knew he was going to make me clan head?"

"I gave him my ultimatum Itachi, but not matter what he did I'm very proud of you and happy that your now clan head. You'll make a great leader."

It wasn't often he went warm and fuzzy on the inside but he couldn't help but smile from the praise, even lightly scratching the back of his head almost picture perfect with his little brother.

"Thanks mom, but I wish it was under better circumstance's."

"I wish that was the case as well but it could have happened under worse ones as well so now isn't the time to pondering on such things, from here on out you need to lead."

'Its only day one and ill be going to Izumi's funeral while trying to sort out the engagement. It would have taken a war to make it worse.' He thought wearily to himself as he began to eat.

"Your father was about your age when he became clan head as well you know. He had such dream for the clan and it made him happy to have the responsibility but leadership takes it toll over the years."

"Father never told me anything about how he became clan head, but I heard wasn't supposed to be was he?" Itachi said not looking up from his breakfast.

"No he wasn't." Her response was flat. "After the forming of the village the family line your father belonged to was highly respected but fell heavily out of favour once Madara attempted to over throw the first Hokage. Although once the third shinobi world war cost the Uchiha nearly half the clan along with all possible heir's to the ageing clan head your father was raised to the position."

"So death has been the reason father has been placed in such powerful positions during his life?" Mikito froze at hearing this from her son.

"Itachi, I did not raise a cynical son's but you are not wrong either." She placed her spoon down on the table before taking a deep breath.

"Your father became the clan head after the line that had held it was cut down to a man defending the village during the third world war. But the man that gave his life so your father could live was the man that should have lead the clan into the future we are in now."

Itachi looked up only to see his mother's tear falling into the bowl that sat below her but before he could say anything she continued.

"While Minato did give up his life, along with the future he could have had with his son he was willing to go to such lengths in order to safe guard the village with your father leading it through such a disaster afterwards." Sighing she couldn't help but understand why her son had come to distrust Fugaku with the things that had happened during his life.

"Yes your father has gained power that rightly should not have been his. He was brought to those positions only through death, but remember this."

She gazed up with her eye's locking with Itachi's as the tears stopped falling.

"Your father would give up anything and everything to have those people back in his life, but if he give's up, those that have been taken from world too early would never forgive him. They laid down their live's for your father. They believed in him right until the end and you should to son."

Standing quickly she placed her bowl in the sink while he could only sit in stunned silence.

"Mothe-." He was cut off by Mikito.

"Son, I know you mean well with your choices but your father is doing this for the stability of the village and the stability of the clans that are evolved in it."

While about to retort the look his mother gave him soon pushed him back into reality. 'Speaking out now would only serve to upset her more and make me look like a bratty child.' He berated himself while taking a calming breath.

"I'll be only talking with Hiashi, mother. Once Sasuke and Hinata graduate they'll be both informed of the engagement and if either of them wish to opt out of it I will support their choice."

A sad smile briefly crossed her lips as she nodded. "That's as much as I could hope for Itachi."

Itachi felt the room grow colder as she left, in all his life she had had been kind and gentle. Often his mission's pushed him to be the cold emotionless killer he was trained to be and the darkness that seeped into his soul during those missions could only be held at bay for so long. Once he was home that silence was deafening and the darkness always came back with a vengeance while his mind was quite and his thoughts could race without anything to stop them.

Cold sweet's, scream's haunting his dream's and the night terror's that could only come with the job of killing fellow human beings without mercy. But all he could now think was how his father would have suffered after the battle's of the great war. Team's of a half dozen replaced with battalion's made of five hundred men facing down force's equal or greater then themselves. Just how could any human stay sane in such an environment, he had come to realise just how important she was to his sanity. But gazing back towards the living room and thinking of how the darkness would have enveloped his father during the conflicts he fought in, he couldn't thank Mikito enough for keeping him with them

Finishing his breakfast in silence he was easily able to hear Fugaku stir in the living room. Standing quickly he went to place his bowl in the sink but his father entered to the room.

"Morning." It was politer then he would have expected.

"Morning father." He replied stiffly but as Fugaku walked towards the sink he took the far side of the table to which the older Uchiha was quick to notice.

"Please son... I don't need you avoiding me as well."

"I am not avoiding you father..." He turned to look him in the eye's. "You simply wouldn't be in the compound if I was looking to avoid you." The flat dry tone left said everything Fugaku needed to know. That he wasn't lying.

"Well could we be at least more cordial around the boys?"

"You may act however you wish to and I will act how I think I should while inside the compound lord Hokage, it makes little difference to me."

Nodding his head Fugaku realised that anything further pushing on the subject now would only lead to increased tensions, which was the last thing he needed on a day like today. Sighing heavily Itachi didn't want to make matters worse but his blood still boiled on the matter's.

"I'll see you at the funeral later father but I need some air at the moment."

"Will you be talking to Shisui about your new position?"

Itachi was a mere step from the door way but his leg locked in disbeilf.

"Why would i not father? I'm happy to be clan head, so why shouldn't he be happy as well?"

"He is your best friend but he is an Uchiha as well, he is just as strong as you... He may become jealous."

Visibly controlling himself Itachi didn't react more then a spike of chakra. 'You should be more worried about your part in Izumi's death old man.' Almost giving into the voice that screamed to have his father removed from the compound Itachi mostly kept his cool.

"Father if you wish to speak about the level of trust you have in certain leaf ninja you may do so with me. But if you do mention Shisui to me to me again you will no longer reside in this compound. Is that clear?"

"Understood, Lord Uchiha." He responded as Itachi vanished from the house.

0o0o0o0o

Walking through the street's of the Uchiha compound he walked slower then normal, for the first time in his life he truly knew that this clan was his responsibility. Watching a young boy and girl run and play in the street he couldn't help but feel anxious on how well he could lead. 'No I cant think that way, I have to be strong for the clan.' Supplanting those thoughts in his mind he couldn't help but let a wry smile grace his lips as he raised his head a little higher and walked a little prouder then he normally would have.

After a few minutes he arrived at the edge of the compound a pair of Uchiha junior police were standing on guard but as soon as they saw him they were at attention so with a 'good morning sir' and a friendly wave he passed them. But exiting the large wooden gates he couldn't help but stand at the entrance looking back in.

'The gate.' He thought. It was huge, imposing and highly impractical seeing as though a ninja could simply just run up a wall beside it. But looking left and right the stone walls of the Uchiha clan stood as a testament to the isolationist views that the Uchiha have held since the founding of the village and the reason why the clan had yet to be truly integrated into the village. 'First thing's first, the clan need's to join the village in the future and these walls are holding it back. They'll be first to go.'

Continuing through the village at such an early hour felt peaceful to him, the hustle and bustle that came from merchants and traders wasn't filling the airspace it was only the odd voice that rang out in the cool morning breeze. But as he walked most of those walking gave him a wider berth then anyone else, he knew that those in the Uchiha were isolated from most other villagers but simply waking down the street like this he could help but see the emotions most had towards him just because of the name he had even without wearing their clan crest.

Finally making it to the training grounds he he couldn't help but relax with a steadying breath while taking in the scents and sounds of the forest. He always loved the forest's, even the dreaded 'Training ground 44' had been little more then pleasant place to train and be at peace with nature. 'Strange to think that only two hundred years ago most forest's on the continent were exceptionally similar before major human de-forestation and colonisation.' He thought idly to himself.

Sitting down in the lotus position he began to calm he was beginning to calm his mind and soul for the day ahead, being part of his normal morning routine he was soon comfortable but with the sounds of the forest he could also hear a slow counting. 'Fifty four, fifty five, fifty six.' Opening one eye he looked to his left only to see the vague outline of someone in the training field opposite him.

Making his was across the training ground he past the tree line between the fields too see someone during their morning workout. 'Fifty seven, fifty eight, fifty nine, Sixty.' Standing next to a tree he looked out to see an elegant kunoichi on her hands in the middle of the field performing vertical push up's. The ease in which she held her balance while her legs moved steadily reaching near horizontal with the ground at the lowest points showed her extreme flexibility and balance.

Before he knew it a rosy tinge crossed his cheeks as he noticed the long tanned coat that said kunoichi wore was currently covering the ground more then the woman's body the the ninja mesh body suit she was wearing left little to his already vivid imagination. 'Dear kami.' But as he was about to turn she seemingly stopped at sixty then kunoichi lowered herself again only to vault up back wards with a back flip and landing on her feet with effortless elegance.

About to turn his breath hitched in his throat, the kunoichi was certainly blessed with a great figure but the long flowing violet hair glistened in the morning sun. Snapping back to reality in an instant he realised he was pretty well spying on one of the most dangerous women in the village, along with the fact they had parted ways yesterday on not so great terms he wasn't overly keen to aggravate her.

Spinning on his heels quickly he glanced back one more time to see her still preoccupied with doing her hair up only to hear the echoing snap of a twig under foot followed near instantly with sharp thud from the kunai embedded within the tree square in front of his eye's. 'Fuck!' It wasn't often that he swore to himself but mentally prepared himself for a chase.

"Oh shit Itachi!"

"Morning Anko." He replied gingerly without looking back.

"Sorry about that I thought you might have been someone else." Turning to look at her, he was surprised to see Anko openly embarrassed while scratching the back of her head looking at him.

"It's alright, I shouldn't have snuck up on you anyway."

"Its ok I shouldn't have thrown something so dangerous, it's kind of a habit." He reached back to pulled the kunai from the tree which was surprisingly well embedded with such a light throw.

With Anko walking towards him, Itachi could see a nervousness in her step that he hadn't seen before. Stopping only a few steps in front of him she gave a nervous smile. "Ummm sorry about what I said with the little blond gaki."

He couldn't help but notice she avoided his eye's but with everything that happened last night he had almost forgotten about their little exchange. "I'm sorry too, I was under some stress and I shouldn't have been so angry." He practically blurted back much to his own chagrin.

But as she looked back up with a warmer smile he couldn't help but smile back. But after a few moments she noticed his attire to be the standard funeral outfit given to all ninja once they register as a genin.

"Going to that later?"

He nodded. "Sadly yes, a member of the Uchiha clan was lost."

"Yeah Izumi... I knew her from my chunin day's." She turned and looked up at the raising sun. "Me and her went drinking when I made jonin, she was a cool girl but I never saw her much after that. Different skill sets I guess."

Standing beside her Itachi couldn't help but admire the way she looked in the morning sun but was careful enough not to draw her attention. But as the silence grew he decided to hopefully cheer her up.

"You still looking for new jutsu?" He asked offhandedly only to see her eye's light up in a very similar fashion to a certain blond.

"Well seeing as you know the shadow clone jutsu I'll teach you something that can be performed with a simple shadow clone."

With both sitting down Anko listened attentively as Itachi began. "Now seeing as your able to create a decent number of shadow clones you should be more then capable of performing this technique. Now this technique is called 'Exploding clone technique'." Stating it seriously he could help but smile as Anko's eye's lit up at hearing 'Exploding'.

But before Itachi could continue Anko asked what he knew to be a good question. "So is this some secret anbu jutsu or something? I've never heard of it in the leaf jutsu library."

"It isn't technically a secret jutsu and while it is written down in the forbidden jutsu scroll's its only their because I asked it to be placed their." He stated in a wry tone to which Anko became confused with at first.

"You created it!" An accusing finger was pointed at him but he quickly brushed it off.

"Well yes I did, but in doing so I almost blew myself up so I asked it be placed within the forbidden scroll for safe keeping."

"So wouldn't the hokage or the elders be against you handing out a forbidden jutsu?"

To his credit Itachi didn't react outwardly but he couldn't help but anticipate the reaction he was about to get. "Well normally yes, but now that I'm the clan head it doesn't overly matter." The blasé tone which he used caught Anko completely off guard, so much so that she could only sit and stare at him for a few seconds before erupting with questions.

After some prompting to calm down Itachi finally got a discernible question out of her. "What! Your the head of the Uchiha now?!"

"Yes I was made clan head last night, this evening it'll be told to the Uchiha and the rest of the village."

"Congrats Itchy!" She said with a wide smile.

"Thanks Anko." It wasn't often he heard such sincerity, especially from those in the clan but he was more then happy to hear it now.

"So this jutsu how does it work?" The look of mischievousness swiftly turned to one of seriousness and discipline.

"Simply create a shadow clone with roughly one third more chakra then normal." Bringing his hand to a half ram sign a perfect clone of himself appeared beside him while a perfect clone of Anko appeared beside her.

With both clones having walked well over twenty paces about he began to explain. "Now with the normal use of chakra the spiritual and physical energy's have to be in balance but once these energy's fall out of balance they become far less stable."

Turning to the clone he ordered it to move away from the clone of Anko, once several paces away he gave it a nod and it exploded. While not enough to level a building it would certainly be deadly to anyone within a few meter radius.

Turning back to Anko it was easy to see the excitement in her eye's at the chance of learning new ways to blow things up and perhaps finally beat Yugao.

"So how does it work Itchy?"

"Well with both energy's being in balance it makes them stable, so to make them unstable you have to remove the balance." She nodded as Itachi created another clone.

"Once your clone has found it's intended target said clone has to create a sizeable imbalance quickly enough to force a rapid change in chakra stability. The easiest way to do this is by the clone forceably pushing the spiritual energy from itself leaving only physical energy behind and if it is done fast enough will make it explode."

Nodding with somewhat hazy eye's Itachi was questioning beginning to question weather or not she had understood it all but with a blink her eye's turned hard as steel with purpose. Creating five more clones Anko sent them off to different section's of the training field awaiting for further instructions.

"So you had the jutsu placed in the forbidden scroll in case someone used it on themselves?" The tone she used told him she was rather sure of herself.

'Surprising she picked up on that this quickly.' He smiled inwardly. "In a way yes, if someone was to use it with their own body it would be catastrophic to their body and to the surrounding area."

"So when did you figure out this jutsu? It must have taken a while seeing as the shadow clone jutsu is a prerequisite for even performing it."

"Well I was eleven when I mastered the shadow clone jutsu, but it still required nearly a year to perfect the exploding clone."

"What? You were only twelve when you made an original technique?"

"Well yes and no, I had created a few of my own original genjutsu's before then. I'm not much for needless destruction anyway but I did create an original water nature ninjutsu, but I was only sixteen at the time."

"What the hell! I'm older then you and I haven't even created one original jutsu." Casting an accusing finger at Itachi along with tirades from the rest of her clones, but with all the commotion the sudden explosion of one quickly caught their attention.

"Oi! I didn't tell any of you to explode yet, I'm still interrogation Itchy about stuff." Glaring down the rest of the clones did little to help.

'Shut it old hag!'. 'Don't wear those crouch less panties!'. 'Give him a grope!'. The last comment made Anko go red as a tomato and was certainly the doom of them all. With ruthless efficiency a kunai passed through the head of each one before they could even react.

"Rather fatalistic to be antagonising you like that." The coy tone dripping from his words.

"Say a word about that and you might join them!" Itachi could only chuckle seeing as she couldn't look him in the eye's.

"I haven't read the shinobi guidelines recently but I don't think that crouch less panties should be used as regular attire."

"Well despite what the clone said I'm not wearing them!"

"If you say so, but on the bright side for you the clone seemed to pick up exploding rather quickly and a fair size explosion at that." Getting back on subject was going to be far less detrimental to his health in the long run.

Looking over to the impressive hole left in the training ground she couldn't help but agree. "Didn't you say it took you a year to master the jutsu?"

"Yes but I was working on other jutsu at the time, try creating a few more and see if they succeed as well."

One hand sign later three more clones appeared around her. "Now go and blow up with no back chat!''

'Yeah, yeah don't get ahead of yourself.' After the grumbles stopped the three had formed a triangle with Itachi and Anko at the centre.

''Three, two, one, GO!" In unison all three clones detonated around them while Itachi stood gobsmacked but as the dust settled a slow clapping could be heard.

"Well done Anko, I can see that Itachi isn't a horrible teacher after all."

"Shisui! Your back looking for more snakes." Anko chirped.

"Sadly not Anko I'm just hear to see your boy frie-" He was quick to cut himself off as the deadly killer intent was levelled at him. "Ahem, as I was saying I'm just here to see Itachi about some personal things."

Before she could summon her snakes Itachi stood between them. "I wanted to see you too Shisui, I have some news you'll want to hear.'' The tone he used was loud and clear to Anko that what was going to be said was serious.

"Well I would rather keep training but seeing as you two have stuff to catch up on and I've got dango to eat I think ill call it a morning. If you want to train later Itachi I'll probably just be relaxing at the sweet's shop.''

With a smile for Itachi and a glare for Shisui she body flicked off.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"My father stepped down as head of the clan and I was his replacement."

His eye's widened slightly but his smile was wider still and grabbed his best friend. "Congrats bro! I'm proud of you." With Shisui ruffling his hair he couldn't help but feel that this is what it would feel like for Sasuke with himself. 'Big brother's.'

"Will you be saying anything at Izumi's funeral today?''

Shaking his head Itachi could see the shine in his eye's fall away. "No I wont be, I don't think I could hold it together."

"No one would say anything if you didn't hold it together today Shisui."

"Hmmph...I don't do speeches Itachi, she knew how I felt and those prick elders don't need the satisfaction from knowing I wont be with her." Pushing away from Itachi with boiling anger Itachi didn't dare go closer to his best friend while he was in this state. He had only seen Shisui enraged twice but during those times he had become truly devastating.

"They wouldn't do that at a funera-" He stopped himself as Shisui's chakra flared.

"Oh come on Itachi, you know them just as well as I do. They would act as if they would have allowed it just to spite me in the end."

"They wouldn't dare with me as the new clan head Shisui. If they were too I would have them removed for tarnishing the memory of an Uchiha!"

Giving a sad smile Shisui nodded. ''Your right but I don't need to go about making your transition harder then it already is. Trying to push against the elders in your first week of being head of the clan isn't the way to start a good relationship with them. I seriously just want today to be over so your father can assign me the mission to go after those bastards!"

"They'll get whats coming to them Shisui but you cant just of off half cocked like how you are now looking for a fight and my father know's that. He wants you to cool down first, level your head and be able to think clearly during the mission alright."

"I'm clear alright but I think it's time we go, we shouldn't be late on a day like today."

Looking up the sun had risen far above the tree's. 'Time musy have flown by when i was training with Anko.' But before Shisui could body flick out of the training ground he grabbed him by the arm.

"One last thing, tonight when I'm officially made clan head I was want you to be my right hand. If something was to happen to me I'd want you to lead alright."

"Nothing will happen to you while I'm around, I wouldn't be able to face Sasuke or Naruto after ward's. You'll be clan head long after I'm gone little brother.'' Shisui only smiled as he poked Itachi's forehead and a second later they were off.

Hello all it's the Dogekage, I'm happy to say that chapter 14 is done but I'm not overly happy on how long it took me to write. With things happening to me with work and family at the moment and most day's being the best part of 9/10 hours long its hard to find motivation to write, but I'll be sticking with this until the end. I owe it ot everyone that reads and enjoys this story so i wont ever be giving up on it, not matter how long it takes to write. With my birthday coming up soon it should be easier to find time to for at least for a while as i have some time off but other then my work has me flat out. Thank you to everyone who reviews and favourites this story, it means the world to me and I'll be trying my hardest on getting chapter 15 done as soon as possible. As always it has been the Dogekage and enjoy a cookie.