Chapter 1

UCHIHA SHIKI

Konoha was at war. The Shinobi world had turned to chaos years ago and all the ninja in the village had a face that knew death.

Except for Uchiha Shiki.

He wanted to go to fight for his village, along with Fugaku, his most trusted friend, protecting his back. But both him and Fugaku were away from the fighting for a rare moment. Because at the hospital, his child was being born.

Uchiha Akane, who Shiki had met and married years ago, was in his arms shuddering in her final breaths of labour.

They had met under a cool palm tree and he had been taken by her smile and kindness.

Akane, one of Uchiha's talented sword masters- Akane who's laugh was like tinkling bells. They had fallen so fast for each other and she had said yes when he asked for her hand in secret. He came bounding through Fugaku's gates. Smashing doors open and frightening poor Itachi in coughing tea out his nose. This was when he heard his beloved was pregnant.

Shiki had to tell his best friend from childhood, Fugaku the news first. He made Mikoto swear to him she would promise to help babysit. Shisui excitedly talked to Itachi about his new sibling. They exchanged ideas on what it was going to be like being an older brother.

Shiki too, wondered what the child would be like.

A beautiful girl, like her mother. The very idea of a baby girl, he knew would be his weakness, his preciousness who he'd love with everything he had. She would be safe, and be strong like him. But maybe wouldn't need to fight never. Not like he did. He couldn't be able to bear it if anything happened to her. And she would charm the boys like her mother if she grew up. But maybe she didn't need to grow up even. She would be with Daddy always.

Fugaku's brows twitched at Shiki's while slowly shaking his head. Mikoto and Akane giggled sipping their tea when he relayed his thoughts. Akane whispered to him maybe it was a boy like him. Who was cheeky and cleaver and very charming. He'd protect her with you always and he would be as ruthless and fearless as his father in his battles.

Shiki hummed, snuggling into the side of his very now pregnant and locked in wife. I should start learning how to braid girl's hair. He replied

Mikoto burst out in laughter at his stubbornness.

The next day Fugaku, Shisui and Itachi was roped in by Shiki to practice braiding on eachother. All under the skilful teachings of Mikoto and Akane. Akane laughed so much she begged Shiki to take just one picture.

He agreed.

Shiki had his Akane in his arms adoringly pointing at the camera for everyone to look. Akane smiling so happy and bright, her hands on both the children's cheeks. A blushing Itachi with platted pigtails. And Shisui was rolling of the ground laughing with his two high buns. In the corner of the photo was Mikoto. She smiled peacefully while dragging her husband into the frame. Just in time to capture the Uchiha clan head's face- serious and wearing two pigtails on his head.

Shiki had prepared for everything. Cooking for example when Akane couldn't after birth. He dragged along Itachi and Shisui as Fugaku taught them with spartan intensity. Fugaku tasted Shiki's miso and threw up the table. Throwing the cup Itachi was about to drink and hurling it across the yard. Shiki sighed. He would have to redo it. Again. Freaking damn it. After many failed attempts he passed a finished product of Donkatsu. It was a bit burnt on the edge and Fugaku scrutinized it.

"Why are you an Uchiha?"

"Why are you my friend?" Shiki replied back.

Fugaku bit into it. He Hnned while nodding and Shiki did a shunshin, snatching up the dish and went running to show it to Akane. Leaving a trail of dishes Itachi and Shisui had just managed to make with perfection. Along with the other 100 more dishes of the failed attempts. Fugaku's brows twitched.

"...SHIIIIKIII!"

Everything was going well. Preparations were going smoothly for the next princess. Or it could be the next prince Akane added. Mikoto would help in the delivery. For Akane's mental support with her calm reliable presence.

But they hadn't calculated a birth complication.

Mikoto's hands carefully lifted the baby girl in her blanket from Akane's arms to Shisui.

Shisui held his younger sister with extreme care, as the doctors and nurses rushed around. Mikoto was doing everything she can to help Akane pull through.

"Akane?" Finding her unsteady breaths stopping, Shiki hurriedly started CPR. Mikoto raced time to try something while her knowing eyes started flowing with tears.

Shiki kept going. Until Fugaku pulled his shoulder back and held him in place. Shiki's voice broke in grief.

"Please.. Akane." Shiki's voice was so soft and desperate, cupping her cheeks as her head rolled to the side.

All the while Shisui and Itachi stood frozen while holding the small baby. He'd never seen Uncle Shiki with those blood red eyes before. But he knew now what it had ment to have those eyes in his clan. What you had to lose. He stared and stared while the sound of wailing in the background grew tired and silent.

UCHIHA SIATA

Blackness. She couldn't see anything or feel anymore. Then suddenly light light LIGHT and her eyes were burning from it. She opened her mouth and gasped in air. EVERYTHING HURT. The pain was too much. Then she felt the warmth. A blanket. The crying and screaming continued. She didn't know what was happening, or where she was.

A murmur of voices. But she couldn't clearly see anything. It frustrated her, and her breaths, her heart was beating way too fast for it to be normal.

"...ve you Shiki. I love you Shisui, Siata... forgive..." A woman seemed to rasp out the words while breathing harshly as if it tired the woman to even breath.

She tried to see who the painful voice belonged to but failed. Was someone dying? A weak voice spoke above her, the chest she realised she was leaning on rising up and down. The woman was cradling her. Why? She didn't know anyone named Akane. Then she realised they weren't speaking in English but somehow, she understood them.

"Akane...? Please... No. Akane don't leave me...!"

Her ears were hurting from the man's screams but she could tell the woman had died. Hands pushed her out of the way, and a boy with dark locks held her as her father held on to the woman that had given birth to her. This felt too real to be a dream. She kept screaming baby screams from the shock of it all. It was impossible. IMPOSSIBLE.

"AKANE UCHIHA OPEN YOUR EYES RIGHT NOW!"

An Uchiha? Wait a minute. Shisui. Uchiha. She's a baby. In the Naruto... Manga?! Oh Sh-

UCHIHA SHIKI

A sad yet strangely beautiful story, Shiki had once heard. Was how the Sun created oceans from his tears, to show the Moon every night before he died, how much he missed her.

He always wondered if the Moon would notice how much the Sun missed her, and come back to him.

Maybe the Moon knew. But maybe she just couldn't come back to him.

Because it was impossible.

So maybe that was why she couldn't stay with him too. No matter how much Shiki's tears filled his heart and turned it black. Turned his world red.

With Uchiha Akane gone, Shiki sank into darkness.

He gave his last kiss to Akane's tomb stone. Only two years had passed but it had felt like an eternity. Shiki looked back one final time from the doorstep where Shisui stood. Unable to stop him from going, his eyes full of worry.

"Do you reget it…?" Siata's young voice called out to him, making something in his heart string twitch.

Yes. If he hadn't met her maybe she didn't have to die this way. Yes, he did when she stole his heart and left him forever like this. When he wouldn't hear her laugh again. When all that was left was one photo tucked under his breast pocket. And two beautiful children. His eyes that were fixed to Shisui, then slid to the two year old girl that had asked. Her eyes looked so much like her it was painful. Like the beautiful woman he had given his heart to. A girl. Just like he'd bet Akane. He almost felt something like warmth before he tore his face away.

"I don't regret it."

And Shiki flickered out to war.

UCHIHA FUGAKU

They had taken them by surprise.

Two elite Mist Ninja units.

Three Jounin Uchiha.

One enemy hidden base to stumble into by mistake.

Fugaku grunted. The enormous boulder lifting inches from his shaking arms, off Mikoto's leg. The bastards had started fighting them in the middle of an avalanche. One of the smaller pieces of the mountain crushing onto Mikoto as she pushed Fugaku away last second.

The mist nin were out for blood. Three Uchiha from Konoha. And the jackpot was Ghost, a flee-on site wanted ninja, responsible for the Carnage of Mist. Who was outnumbered. Defending a distracted person. Said distracted person was his well-known cousin. The one and only infamous head of the Uchiha clan. Distracted because of an injured person, his wife Mikoto Uchiha. It just didn't get any better than this.

For a moment, all hundred of them, they had stopped to smell the sweet scent of free prey. Then they shed their swords and didn't stop to blink before they lunged.

Shiki had been quicker, attacking them first. Leaping like static between them leaving a trail of screams, blood, and carnage.

But the mist unit was huge, just like the tales that were told of Hanzo's elite unit. They would be back for more. Screaming in frenzy like zombies even as their guts and limbs spilled and ripped out.

Shiki gasped as another ripped open his skin with a sword before he tore out the mist bastards throat

"Fugaku please cut it-" Mikoto choked as Shiki skewered the five Iwa ninja in a row who came running at Fugaku.

A hundred real copies of Shiki in body-flicker held them back with precious seconds but not for long. Mikoto's eyes practically begged Fugaku while she watched every second pass. As every copy of Shiki's body sported more blood and injuries.

At this rate Shiki would.

One Shiki burnt a dozen more in explosive wire. Another Shiki blitzed through, glazed-eyed in genjutsu. His sword ripping them to shreds.

Shiki would.

"Fugaku!"

Fugaku stiffened alert and flinched at Shiki's bloody back which pressed his face. Throwing back the mist nin who came swinging a boulder sized sword. He wasn't going to lose Shiki here. Fugaku lifted higher. Or Mikoto.

"No." He grit at Mikoto it was almost-

Mikoto gasped when the weight of the bolder lift, pulling out her knee. And in seconds Fugaku snapped her onto his shoulder.

Then he looked up when he saw the enemy ninja, he was too close, the blades came down.

Fugaku opened his mouth to call out something. But the shout choked into an all-out yell as Shiki stood in front of him. like lighting. With two swords through Shiki's chest, splitting it open.

Fugaku's world froze as his pained disbelieving eyes met with Shiki's.

"Shi-"

Mikoto's whisper was lost as Shiki tackled them both. His battle cry roaring in their ears and he blurs them through the Iwa nin in his flash-step. Disjointed words flew past the wind. Shiki's bloodied steps flicked away in incomprehensible speeds.

"-the blood! You need to-"

"-ut me down you bast-"

"-going to die!"

"-afe now. Shiki!"

"-to Stop Fugaku! Tell him-"

"Enough!" Fugaku's massive roar broke through the Konoha base as he realised they had stopped.

Shiki's body crashed into a tent like a ragdoll. Rolling and stopping in an awkward, lifeless tangle of limbs. His blood and organs, pooling the floor fast. At their sudden appearance, after the momentary shock, ninja started running to help. Fugaku's bloody hands held down on the hopelessly huge gap in Shiki's chest, globing out his blood and guts. Medic nin helplessly trying to attach, assess. Their hands touched then hovered, touched, then hovered. Eyes flicking to each other and shaking in guilt and despair.

Fugaku gripped Shiki's collar, and his head lifelessly rolled on response.

He shouts grew louder and louder 'You... are not. Dying on me!' He shook him. He shook the bastard. The bastard that was supposed to grin and had annoyingly stuck with him always. The ninja around them hovered in grief and horror at what they were seeing. Not sure how to stop the man, so many who had known him so stoic, and never seen broken. Mikoto sat slumped with a frozen look while gripping Shiki's hand that didn't grip hers back. Even though he had always gripped back. Always.

Fugaku fisted Shiki's hair and tightly pushed the corps' face into his arms. He gripped him frozen and silent. Not knowing what to do as the seconds turned to minutes. While Shiki's blood poured and poured endlessly out of his wound.

'What happened?' Shikaku had quickly moved towards them. Not caring right now for the spewed-out scrolls and paper drenched in blood.

Mikoto was barely there and didn't look to see who had asked. She whispered through dry lips "Iwa has a new hidden base up the northern mountains. Approximately 1 kilometre from here. Around three hundred in total, now maybe a hundred left. The intel for Hanzo's units moving through the east… … check… again. The intel… it's a spy-" Mikoto's speech slowed in realisation.

Fugaku's black kunai pinned a neck to the dirt. Blocking the gurgled-out chokes of the Konoha ninja who had begun to take off. All ninja remained perfectly still, as the intel ninja's eyes quickly turned blank. And his forehead protector shifted to that of mist.

Shikaku slouched awkwardly. At the high tension in the room. Then looked back at the composed Uchiha. He hadn't even seen him move, but it was clear the man lost too much today. No one dared bat an eyelid in case Fugaku saw wrong. Or right, Shikaku sighed. He walked closer to Fugaku and placed a hand on his shoulder, Fugaku did not move.

"You can move him inside my tent. I can give you some privacy."

Fugaku briefly glanced at him with, clearly this was unexpected from him. Then nodded. Fugaku wrapped Shiki even tighter to his chest and stood up. His eyes widening as the shift caused more of Shiki's blood to pour down his side and slosh the ground. Fugaku flinched at each splash that was made. Mikoto stared at the blood and clutched Shiki's hands. Tight enough her knuckles turned white. Fugaku didn't take one step further and his eyes shadowed over while he lowered his face to look at Shiki. Then his shoulders started to shake. Shikaku lowered his eyes and the surrounding ninja turned away from the scene. Trying to hold back their tears. Inoichi couldn't look away. Everyone held their breath to not intrude on the Uchiha's. Who were showing more emotion than they'd ever done before.

Shikaku knew the Head wouldn't be fit to be fighting today. Or maybe he would. He watched Fugaku gently hold his notorious cousin and walk. While Mikoto followed beside them, staring at Shiki's face. As if she half believed he would wake at any moment. With shaky hands she stroked Shiki's soft blood-soaked curls

The sight made Shikaku nearly let go his killing intent. The surrounding ninja's lips curled at seeing just how painful Shiki's death was to them. The man who did this, was a dead man.

Shikaku lead them. Fugaku and Mikoto moved silently and quick. He opened the tent flap and watched the pale young man's face. It pressed into Fugaku's bloodied clothes. He looked too young, and at peace. A small smile on his lips as he lay relaxed, leaning on Fugaku's heaving chest. He dropped the flap. Inoichi who had watched behind Shikaku asked for the next step.

"Get all the base operatives to move out from the North region for now."

"And the spy?"

"I want a thorough filing through his brain Inoichi. Have everyone on intel on lock down immediately. Tell the captains to kill anyone who makes a move. Also a report of any geographical information the spy has."

Inoichi nodded, at his commands an intel nin reported in.

'Shikaku-sama! Your command to move out from the northern region. If we lose the northern region it will be critical... Maybe if we hit them now we can still!'

'We don't have enough men to spare-' Another intel nin argued back.

Shikaku calculated all the possible options and priorities and merits. He opened his mouth to say something, but a passing messenger birds cry caught his eye. Reinforcements. Will probably get here in thirty minutes. This was going to be tight.

Shikaku nodded at his team

"I would say no" the room was silent. "But…if we factor in the fact they're a new base. We could take the vertical cliff side of the northern region, with weaker defenses."

The commander paused and turned to his friend.

"Inoichi, ask Fugaku in 20 minutes if he will map out the enemy base. And lead the assassination team."

"Shikaku!"

Inoichi hated when his friend's brain overrode all human necessities. Yes, no matter the cost and whatever the way, weighing the human like a piece on the board. Yes, it kept them alive. But for how long. Inoichi could see Shikaku stripping his soldiers thin. Couldn't start to begin what people, what homes Shikaku was bringing them back to.

Not Shikaku no... It was war. Inoichi turned from his friend and sighed in deep deep anger. The after effects of what this might have of the clan head. But… they couldn't afford to spare him. Or the Uchiha's. They were the best at front line combat.

Inoichi turned back to face his friend. With determined eyes Shikaku nodded apologetically at Inoichi.

"That's why you're the one who can tell him. Not me."

"Anything else you think in this plan I might warn him beforehand?"

Shikaku paused and flicked through all the information he had from different angles.

"… The reinforcements coming to join him in the raid, Uchiha Itachi and Shisui will be there."

"You son of a-" Inoichi turned and mumbled away moving towards his tent.

Shikaku looked up to the bloodied sky and sighed. He needed his sake. Now.