Alright. Here's the first chapter of my rewrite. So far I think I like this one better but then again I started out with more information. Anyways I'll let you start reading.
Disclaimer: This will apply to all chapters because I don't like to admit this. I don't own Naruto or any of the characters from Naruto.
Ch. 1: History
Nanami Tsukino was smiling at her training partner and friend as he told his little brother about their clan's duty. The little boy told them both that he was going to be on the police force when he grew up. Nanami smiled at him, "I'm sure you will, Sasuke,"
The three of them walked to the Uchiha compound. Nanami had been living with them for several years now. When she turned seven her clan was ready to enroll her into the academy in Konoha. The problem was her clan's compound was up in the mountain a day's travel away from Konoha. Her father, Setsuna Tsukino, and Itachi's father, Fugaku Uchiha, had been best friends since their genin days. So Fugaku had offered to let her stay with them until she was finished with her training. She became a genin and stayed so she could train with her team. Now she was a chunin and stayed because she wanted to.
Her parents both came to visit every once in a while. For the most part she spent her time with Itachi. The two of them had been friends since they had been kids. This pleased their fathers. Nanami was her father's only child and he was the head of the clan. Whoever married her would be made head of the Tsukino clan. When the two fathers found out about Nanami's and Itachi's friendship then they had made and arrangement. A marriage was arranged between their two kids. Nanami would become head of her clan and Itachi of his but they would have each other for support. It seemed like the perfect plan.
Neither Nanami or Itachi complained when told. Mostly because when they had been told they were to young to even know what marriage was. When they were old enough to understand they still hadn't complained. Nanami had, by this point, fallen for her friend though she hadn't told anyone. Itachi just didn't complain about much. In fact he didn't talk much at all unless it was necessary. For him there just wasn't a reason to complain so he didn't.
It wasn't like Nanami was a bad person. Itachi considered her one of the few people he could stand to be with with for longer than five minutes. That was quite an accomplishment. Nanami was odd for a girl though maybe not for a shinobi. She had thick dark hair except for a single white lock on her brow. She wore her headband in her hair with that single lock free of it's constraint. Her storm cloud colored eyes were filled with intelligence and humor. She was easy to get along with for a most part though she did have a quick temper. If Itachi was honest he would admit that he would rather face an army of S ranked criminals alone than Nanami when she was angry. She was both violent and sadistic once her temper was ignited. However, Itachi wasn't going to admit any such thing...ever. Other than when she was angry, Itachi actually enjoyed her company though he would never say that out loud either.
They arrived home and Fugaku wasn't happy that Itachi was late. No one offered an excuse. Nanami wanted to because Itachi actually had a good reason. Sasuke had injured himself training and Itachi had gone to get him and help him home. Itachi didn't give excuses though nor did he explain himself to anyone even his father. She knew her friend wouldn't appreciate it if she said anything on his behalf.
Fugaku asked them to follow him because he wanted to talk to Itachi. The three kids sat across from Fugaku with Itachi in the middle. The boys' father gave Itachi praises for his accomplishment on getting to go on the mission that would ensure that he would become an ANBU. He also informed everyone that he would be accompanying Itachi on the mission the next day. Neither Itachi or Nanami had missed Sasuke's reaction to this news. He had been looking forward to his father attending his entrance ceremony for the Academy but that was tomorrow as well. If Fugaku went with Itachi on the mission than he couldn't be at Sasuke's entrance ceremony. Then Sasuke wouldn't be able to enter the Academy. Fugaku had to be there.
Itachi looked at his father and tried to hint at his father not to come to his mission. Fugaku didn't take the hint though so Itachi got blunt. He said he wouldn't be going on the mission because at least one of them should be at Sasuke's ceremony. Fugaku took the hint that time. When Itachi and Nanami were alone she smiled at Itachi.
"You're a great brother, Itachi." He nodded his head in acknowledgment of what she said. She just shook her head, "You're so articulate. I think I'll go deaf from all the talking you do."
He smirked, "You talk enough for the both of us."
She punched his arm gently in retribution for that comment. The two of them headed to the training grounds. Nanami had asked him for some help with a jutsu before he left and he had agreed to help her. Nanami was glad that Itachi looked after Sasuke. The older brother wasn't much on showing emotion but it was obvious he cared for his brother. It was just as obvious that Sasuke was struggling to get out from under Itachi's shadow. Nanami knew Itachi worried about that a little. He didn't want Sasuke to hate him but it was probably inevitable. She wished she could help her friend but as long as everyone compared Sasuke to Itachi the problem wouldn't go away.
The next day Fugaku was among the other parents at the entrance ceremony. Nanami was standing next to him with a smile. When Sasuke looked back at them she waved with her usual bright smile. He gave her a shy smile then looked at his father. The smile faded. Nanami glanced up at the man next to her and frowned. Then she elbowed him. His eyes opened to glare at her.
"You could at least pretend to be a proud parent," she whispered with heat. "He can see the look on your face after all."
Fugaku glanced at Sasuke then gave a small nod. Nanami rolled her eyes. She was beginning to think that being dense was in the Uchiha bloodline. It had taken Itachi several months to figure out how she felt about him and even then he only found out because he found a note she had written with her confession on it. Now Fugaku wasn't taking the hint about his youngest son. She just prayed that gene had missed Sasuke.
After the ceremony the instructors sang Itachi's praises and said they expected great things from Sasuke. Nanami shook her head. It would be hard on Sasuke to live in his brother's shadow. It was one of the benefits of being an only child. She didn't have to worry about being compared to older or younger siblings. It had to be hard especially if said sibling was a genius like Itachi.
A few hours later Nanami found Sasuke in the training area. He was sitting there with a frown on his face. Nanami seriously thought he was way to serious for a seven year old but what did she know. Itachi had been the same way. Maybe it was just an Uchiha thing. She knelt down beside the younger Uchiha with a smile.
"What's on your mind?"
He glance at her, "I want to be as strong as brother."
"Oh is that all. Alright then," she said cheerfully as she stood up.
He looked at her in curiosity, "What?"
"Get up. I'll help you train if you want."
He grinned. Nanami was one of the few people who could hold her own with Itachi. She had a high level of intelligence and amazing chakra control which didn't surprise anyone. The Tsukino clan was known for it's medical nin skills. Almost everyone in the clan was a medic and it had always been that way. Sasuke also knew that she had a kekkei genkai but he didn't know what it was. He just knew that it made her hard to beat for some reason.
Sasuke stood up and she helped him with his training. The two returned home a few hours later. Sasuke had actually improved a lot. Itachi was there when they returned. He could hear his brother chattering excitedly about his improvements. Nanami made several comments about how he could improve even farther and that she would be happy to help him. The little boy thanked her and ran off to tell his mother. Nanami turned to where Itachi was hidden.
"I know you're there. How did today's mission go?"
He stepped out of the shadow. She could always tell when he was there no matter how well he hid himself. His response was short as usual, "Fine."
She smiled, "That's good."
He began to walk inside. Nanami frowned. He was acting strange. Itachi had always been distant but this was different. She wished she could understand what was going on in his head. Nanami wanted to help him but he wouldn't talk about whatever was on his mind so she couldn't do anything. She released a frustrated sigh and went inside.
Sasuke got his first report card and was very proud of the job he had done. Nanami and his mother had smiled and complimented him on a job well done. His father's reaction wasn't nearly as great. He had complimented Sasuke but it had been different then how he praised Itachi. From outside Nanami had shaken her head at Fugaku. He really was a hard man to please.
Later that night both Nanami and Sasuke had been awoken by the sounds of shouting. It had been coming from the meeting room. The two of them listened for a moment. Fugaku was upset because Itachi wasn't going to some meeting the next day. The two outside the door exchanged glances. Then they heard Itachi's voice, "The two of you should be in bed."
Sasuke slid the door open the rest of the way. Itachi looked back at them while Fugaku stood up and scolded them, "What are you doing roaming around at this hour?"
Nanami's temper rose to the occasion, "Being woken up by a hot headed Uchiha while he yelled at his son for things beyond his control."
Fugaku's eyes narrowed while Sasuke looked up and Nanami in shock. No one had ever spoken to his father that way before. Nanami just kept glaring at his father and he didn't get the impression that she was going to back down anytime soon. Fugaku eventually looked away. She was right. He couldn't very well get upset when he was the reason they were up now. Nanami then ushered Sasuke back to bed and returned to her own. She had just wanted to make a point. Fugaku didn't scare her and he couldn't boss her around.
The next day Nanami was standing in the doorway behind the two brothers while they talked. Itachi was promising Sasuke that he would always be there for him even if he hated him. Nanami gave a small sad smile. A couple of men from the Uchiha clan walked up to the house and called for Itachi.
They had questioned Itachi about his reasons for missing the assembly. Then they asked him about the suicide of Shisui Uchiha. When Nanami heard that he had killed himself she gasped. Itachi had cared about Shisui a great deal. It didn't surprise her when he had gotten pissed off by their accusations. It also hadn't surprised her that he looked and sounded upset. He probably was. His best friend was dead and he had just heard the news. She wondered why they had expected him to act normal.
What had surprised her was Itachi's rant about the clan. Something had been stressing him out a lot recently but he wouldn't talk about it. All he would tell her was that he was handling it. Now here he was talking about the end of the clan. The rant just got worse when Fugaku showed up. Nanami was afraid another fight was going to break out when Sasuke shouted.
"Big brother you have to stop!"
Itachi seem to snap out of whatever had gotten a hold of him. He bowed to the men and told them he hadn't killed Shisui. He then apologized for his words. The apology was accepted and the group of men left. Fugaku headed inside and Nanami saw it. In Itachi's eyes. The pain and grief. Then his Sharingan changed into something else. She didn't know what it was but she did know that it wasn't normal.
Itachi stood and left. Nanami followed him. He had stopped in a clearing with a small lake in it. The water was crystal clear and there was a thick forest surrounding the area. Nanami knelt beside him. He didn't say anything or even look at her. Itachi just continued to stare out at the lake with emotionless eyes. She reached out and touched his cheek. Then he looked at her.
"I'm so sorry, Itachi. I know what Shisui meant to you. I wish there was something I could do for you." He just looked back at the lake. She turned his face back to her, "You know it's ok to cry. I won't tell anyone."
"Crying is a weakness," he stated. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt her tears on his neck and asked, "Why are you crying? You barely knew Shisui."
"I'm crying for you. You're hurting and there's nothing I can do. Itachi, I love you. That means if anything hurts you, it hurts me."
For a moment he didn't move or speak. Then he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. Silent tears fell down his face. It was ok right now. He could be weak just this once. She wouldn't tell anyone. Nanami just held him while he cried for one of the few friends he had.
After that day, Itachi had spent a lot of time on missions. It was like everyone was trying to keep him busy. He had asked Nanami to keep an eye on Sasuke. He knew that his brother was slightly unsure of what to do because Itachi and Fugaku were barely civil to each other. Nanami promised to watch him so she did. She watched as he worked day and night to master the Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu that his father had taught him. She watched his father call Sasuke his son for the first time when he had succeeded in completing the jutsu. She had also heard Fugaku's warning to Sasuke not to follow Itachi's path. Sasuke was a smart boy and eager to learn. He wanted approval from his father and acknowledgment from Itachi. She knew he would work hard to achieve both of those. A smile formed as she watched him train. He was already working hard to achieve his goals.
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One night Itachi asked her something that caught her off guard. She looked over at him, "What?"
"I want you to promise me that if anything happens to me or my clan you'll watch over Sasuke."
"What do you mean? Is something wrong?" she demanded.
He looked at her with those sharp onyx eyes, "Promise me, Nanami."
She looked at him for a moment then sighed. Once again he was going to leave her in the dark. Her tone held resignation, "Alright, Itachi. I promise."
He nodded then went to bed. She sat there for a moment wondering what that was all about. He just kept getting weirder and weirder. Something was definitely bothering him now. Not only that he was scared of something. She wished he would let her help him.
Nanami had been visiting her clan the day Itachi had attacked his clan. When she heard about it she had run to the Uchiha compound along with her father. Sure enough everyone was dead but Sasuke and Itachi was missing. When she heard that Sasuke was in the hospital she went to check on him. Nanami personally treated his injuries while he was there. Her father told her that Fugaku had left a will that put Sasuke in his care. Nanami looked at her father with determination.
"Father, let me take care of him."
"Are you sure, Nanami?"
"Yes."
"Alright then. He'll be your responsibility. What will you do?"
"I think he'll want to live alone. I'll only be a reminder of Itachi anyway so it's best if he has his own apartment. I'll just make sure he had money and is taken care of."
"So be it," Setsuna Tsukino agreed.
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While Sasuke was still in the hospital Nanami talked to everyone about what had happened. Sasuke had already stated that it had been Itachi. Nanami believed him. She didn't want to but she did. Later the two of them returned to their compound and told everyone what they had learned. Her father looked at her. He knew she was going to cry as soon as she was alone. He also knew that would be the last time she would cry for Itachi. Tomorrow, when she comes out of her room, she would start training so that when she saw Itachi again she could make him pay. Setsuna looked over at his mother, Lady Kimiko.
"I'm worried about her. She loved Itachi."
"You're wrong, dear. Nanami still loves Itachi. She'll just bury it in angry and sorrow so that even she won't know it anymore. The feelings she had for Itachi won't go away even with time," Kimiko stated as she watched her granddaughter walk back to her room. Nanami took after her mother, Ayame, with everything but her eyes. The color of her eyes was just like Kimiko's and everyone who had Tsukino blood in their veins. Kimiko knew that Nanami's temper would override her sorrow just like it would with her mother.
"What can we do?" he asked helplessly. No father liked to know that his daughter would be suffering especially when there was nothing that could be done about it.
Kimiko smiled, "Train her. Help her get stronger. Allow her to watch over Sasuke. Then when Itachi returns and turns her world upside down again, we support her no matter what."
Setsuna looked over at the closed door. He new beyond it was his little girl in excruciating pain and there was nothing he could do about it. As a father and friend he cursed Itachi. He glanced back down at Kimiko and nodded. He would train Nanami and so would everyone else in their clan. They would help her get stronger so that next time Itachi showed up she could punch him in the face.
Nanami wasn't in her room. She had gone out her window to find someplace to think. The girl found herself in the clearing where Itachi had cried for his friend. She wondered if that had been fake too. If it had been Itachi was wasting his talents as a shinobi. He would make millions as an actor. She looked up at the stars as the words to a song came to mind. Silent tears fell down her face as they played over and over again in her head.
You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be
You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
but we lost it
All of them memories, so close to me
Just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Nanami fell to her knees and just cried. She would allow it this one time. It was ok just this once but tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow she would have to be strong. This would be the last time she cried for Itachi. That was a promise. But tonight...tonight she was too sad and angry to be strong. She had loved him...well, she loved who she thought he was. So she would cry for what was lost. Tomorrow she would be strong again.
That's it for the first chapter. I hope you guys liked it. I did forget to mention that I don't own the song either. When I was writing that particular part of the chapter the lyrics just seemed to perfect for the situation not to put in there so I did. Anyways please review and tell me what you think.