1635—A small port town south of Nagasaki

Sixteen year old Uchiha Itachi gazed out at the village extending below his home. For years, foreigners had entered their country, bringing with them modern weapons along with their God while turning small seaside villages into thriving communities. Interested in enlightenment, the people welcomed them, but as time passed, interest turned into fear and distaste. The foreigners were seeking to take away their history and culture so to create a mirror of themselves. Knowledge of such caused strife and malcontent. Even now, stirrings of violence had tainted the once quiet port town with its vulgar violence.

"Nii-san?" Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke, padded out onto the small balcony overlooking the village. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course not, Sasuke." Itachi ran his hand through his younger brother's thick hair. "I was just thinking."

Sasuke smiled happily up at his brother. "About what?"

"Different things." Itachi tucked his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. "The world around us seems to be shifting and changing."

"That's good, isn't it?" Sasuke cocked his head. "Sensei said that change is hard, but not always bad."

Itachi chuckled faintly. "Your sensei sounds wise."

"He's boring." Sasuke crossed his arms and glared at nothing in particular. "Why can't you be my sensei, Nii-san?"

Itachi smirked down at his brother. "I doubt I am wise enough to be a sensei, otouto."

"Yes, you are!" Sasuke looked pleadingly at Itachi. "You're smarter than everyone."

"Even Otou-san?" asked Itachi with a gleam of mirth shining in his eyes.

Sasuke nibbled on his lower lip looking uncertain. It was a trick question after all. "Well…maybe not as smart as Otou-san…but definitely smarter than sensei."

Itachi chuckled and turned his gaze out over the landscape highlighted by the afternoon sun. "I like the way your sensei thinks. Change can be good. I wonder if the change coming on the wind will be good or bad."

Sasuke attempted to look interested in Itachi's musings. "I tried to leave the compound to go play but Otou-san wouldn't allow me to leave. He's being so strict lately."

"It's because there have been some incidences with the foreigners," explained Itachi.

The last thing he wanted was for his brother to be worried. Worry was for the elders in a family and not for the children. Sasuke didn't need to know the true threat simmering just beyond their sight.

"Stupid foreigners. They all need to leave."

Itachi turned a hard gaze on Sasuke. "Does that include our Okaa-san?"

Red flushed across Sasuke's cheeks. "No! I never want Okaa-san to leave."

Sighing, Itachi relaxed from his defensive position. "Forgive me, Sasuke. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Tears welled into Sasuke's eyes, but he swiped them away before they could spill over. "I didn't mean to say anything bad about Okaasan…but the other foreigners are bad. I heard the villagers talking about it the other day. Things will be better if they all leave."

"Be careful, Sasuke. Don't forget who you are. We might not seem to be foreigners, but we cannot deny our blood. We will never be truly accepted, regardless of how we act or how much wealth our family possesses." Itachi turned from the village. It wasn't lost on him that many of the ships were setting sail from the previously thickly packed port. He had read the edict on his father's desk. Things were about to get very dangerous for the Uchiha family.

"Itachi…no one would hurt Okaa-san for being born a foreigner…would they?" Sasuke eyes were wide on his pale face.

Itachi turned his gaze from his brother before he could see the truth in his eyes. Individually, people were good and honest; but as a group following someone such as the shogun, they were dangerous. He had seen his father speaking with foreigners recently and had his theories of what the next few days would encompass now that the violence was reaching an apparent peak. "Otou-san will ensure our safety, Sasuke. You should believe in him."

Sasuke smiled, apparently relieved by his brother's assurance. "I trust you, Nii-san."

Itachi smiled down at his brother. Sasuke's innocence was a blessing while his world hung on the precipice of destruction. He desperately wanted for his brother to maintain that naïve mentality for as long as possible. There was no greater crime than the ruination of innocence. "Would you like to go sit with Okaa-san? I'm sure she would enjoy the company."

Sasuke brightened visibly. He was always closer to their mother than their father. He adored both parents, but it was their mother who was more active in Sasuke's rearing.

As they walked along the interior of the main building, Sasuke jabbered on about various topics ranging from what would be served for dinner that night to his weapon training. They were just rounding a corner when their father stepped from his office.

"Itachi. Sasuke. Come with me." He turned and reentered the office with no further explanation.

"Itachi?" Sasuke looked up at his brother. "Has something happened?"

Itachi shook his head, not knowing how to answer such a loaded question. "Let's see what Otou-san wants."

Upon entering, Itachi's eyes widened at seeing his mother weeping openly on a pillow beside a low table. Tears spilled down her cheeks, smearing her previously meticulous make up. Seeing her sons only caused her tears to increase and fall in large drops to splatter on her floral designed kimono. Her silent cries became audible sobs in their presence.

Fugaku approached his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder. She buried her face against him and wept into the silk of his clothing. "It will be alright."

"We have to send them away." Mikoto gripped her husband's summer kimono with desperate hands, uncaring that her fingers wrinkled the previously smooth material. "Please. I don't want them to die because of who I am. We should not have waited so long. I should not have begged for more time with them."

Fugaku stiffened at her words and shifted his gaze from his desperate wife to his two sons. They stood with pale features while gazing upon their parents. Neither spoke though they wanted to.

Sasuke's hand latched onto Itachi's kimono. Under the shock of seeing such distress on his parents' faces, he looked more a child and less like a boy of eleven. His eyes shimmered and his pallor became even more pronounced with each wail coming from their mother.

This was the loss of innocence Itachi had feared. He knew without possessing foresight that Sasuke's childhood was over as if an oni had stepped forward and sliced it away with powerful claws. "Otou-san—"

"Why do we have to leave?" Sasuke interrupted and turned a confused gaze on his father. "Otou-san will protect us."

Itachi's face remained neutral. His only sign of his distress was the clenching of the hand held stiffly at his side. "This is because of the Catholic priests?"

Fugaku gave a huffing breath. "Amongst other things. There has been a recent series of edicts passed by the shogun. We are banned from practicing the western religion of Catholicism and foreigners are banned from entering the country. Non-foreigners are no longer allowed to leave the country."

"Tell them," insisted Mikoto, her pale skin looking almost ashen. "Please."

"As you know, your mother was born to foreign parents but upon their death, was adopted into a local family while she was still an child. Regardless of whom we know she is, she is still considered a foreigner and you half breeds." Fugaku placed a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "Local villagers have been attacking anyone of foreign blood in an effort to drive them out. My position has protected you so far, but it's growing unsteady. The longer you remain here, the more risk you place upon yourselves."

Itachi swallowed the thickness gathering in his throat. "I thought as much."

Fugaku's face shone with pride in his son. "You are an intelligent man, Itachi. You will become great some day."

"My sons." Mikoto held out her arms to her children. "I will miss you and always watch over you."

"Okaa-san? You're going away with us, aren't you?" Sasuke looked wide-eyed at his mother. "I'm not leaving if you don't come with us."

"Sasuke!" Fugaku leveled a hard glare on his son's frame. "You will do as you're told. You leave tonight. I've arranged for passage to Europe on the ship, The Madonna."

Itachi opened his mouth to speak when the sound of shouting began to grow in timbre outside their home. The shouts were growing so loud, all four residents paled. It had begun more quickly than any had thought. Waiting until nightfall was no longer a plausible option.

"Otousan?" He turned his gaze to his suddenly pale father.

Fugaku placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. "Do you remember the secret exit I showed you?"

"Yes, Otou-san," answered Itachi, though it literally hurt to do so under the pain throbbing through him. His honor prevented him from showing the full scale of his distress to his father.

Fugaku stalked quickly to his desk and removed several pouches filled with European gold and several pieces of intricate jewelry. "Take these. The captain assured me that he would see to you and your brother. Your uncle in England is expecting you. I've kept a dialogue with your mother's foreign uncle for several years. I'd thought to send you both to England to learn about the foreigners before the anti-foreigner campaign began."

"Otou-san—" Itachi began to argue only to have Fugaku shove the bag at him.

"Take your brother and leave. I'll buy you time with the villagers. I can delay them long enough for the two of you to reach the ship. It wasn't scheduled to sail until tomorrow so it should still be there. Tell the captain that you are my sons. He should be expecting you." Fugaku shoved the pouches of money into a leather bag and looped it over Itachi's head.

"What about Okaa-san?"

Fugaku smiled sadly. "She refuses to leave."

"Otousan…perhaps we can reason with the villagers." Itachi searched desperately through his mind for some sort of plan, but fear clogged his thoughts. He was afraid for his parents and for his brother. Fear destroyed any hope he had of persuading his father and mother to come with them.

"This is the best I could give you, Itachi. Please care for your brother. Do not dishonor me or your family name." Fugaku turned to where Mikoto clung desperately to an openly crying Sasuke. "Sasuke, it's time for you to go. Itachi will keep you safe."

"I'm not leaving without Okaa-san." Sasuke refused to release his mother. His hands tightened around her waist and his face buried in her bosom.

Fugaku wrapped a hand around Sasuke's bicep and wrenched him violently from Mikoto's arms. The slap that followed resounded loudly in the room. "I won't have my only offspring die because the younger acted like a child. It is time you became a man like your brother."

Itachi's heart clenched at the defeated look in Sasuke's face. It was not lost on him of Sasuke's longing for their father's approval. That it had come to this broke something inside him. They were being forced to flee their home and all they knew towards a very uncertain future. Death was almost a certainty considering how volatile the villagers had become.

"You have to leave now." The rabble outside the gates to the house was becoming incensed and more vocal with each passing moment. "Itachi…take care of Sasuke."

Itachi gave a final bow to his parents. His heart was ripped from his chest as he latched his hand around Sasuke's wrist and dragged his brother crying from the room. He could feel his own tears trickling down his cheeks. Every ounce of his being longed to remain with his parents.

He led Sasuke to a small closet in one of the guest bedrooms. The floor panel was lifted away to reveal a small throughway. There was barely any room to maneuver and only the faint light from the above rooms provided any illumination in their slow trek through the underside of the house. It was an insurance escape route Fugaku's father had installed in the house upon its construction. War was always breaking out amongst neighboring provenances, making a wealthy family's home a key mark.

"Itachi," whined Sasuke as he tugged insistently at his brother's arm.

"Be quiet," hissed Itachi. Through the thin walls lining the lower portion of the house, he could hear the cries of the villagers in their anger and his father's attempts to delay them.

They were angry for a lot of reasons not completely related to the foreign presence. The new edict allowed them the chance to vent that anger, even if it was at the wrong persons. That the Uchiha family was caught in the middle of it was regrettable collateral damage.

Sasuke's crying grew louder as they finally reached the removable board and crawled out into the fading light of the garden. "Sasuke, I will hit you if you don't stop crying."

Itachi watched the flicker of fear and hurt cross his brother's features. It couldn't be helped. They needed to move quickly and silently if they wanted to reach the port before the villagers returned or the ships sailed. He needed Sasuke to help him if only by his silence.

As they moved through thick foliage, Itachi froze upon hearing a woman's scream. It was their mother. There was no denying that her scream chilled the blood of both brothers. The sudden silence was more horrifying than the resounding scream. It was a death toll if ever there was one.

"Okaa-san!" Sasuke screamed and attempted to pull away from Itachi.

There wasn't time to think. Itachi threw his brother over his shoulder, grunting under the solid weight, and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The coarse foliage slapped against him and still he pushed forward. His bare feet were bruised and bloody by the time they emerged from the thick overgrowth near the road leading towards the port.

His parents were dead, but there was no time to mourn. His father had trusted Sasuke's protection to him and he needed to do what he could to fulfill that promise. He would fully mourn the loss of beloved parents when both of them were safely aboard their vessel. Until that time came, he was forced to tamp down the burgeoning emotions before they spilled over.

Sasuke's sobs against his shoulder blades ripped his heart into shreds. He was always closer to their mother than Itachi. He was the second son and though she loved both her sons dearly, Sasuke was particularly special to her.

"Okaa-san," he whined against Itachi.

"Stop crying, Sasuke." Itachi sat Sasuke to his feet just outside the mostly deserted village. "We have to get to The Madonna. Father said he arranged for us to have passage on it."

Sasuke stifled his whimpers as best he could. His hand gripped at Itachi's and he was led through the mostly deserted village. The few villagers not involved in the rabble currently ransacking the Uchiha home sealed themselves in their homes upon seeing Itachi and Sasuke racing through the streets towards the nearly deserted port.

Only three ships remained in dock. Itachi glanced frantically between them. He could speak several languages but not read them. He would not be able to read the name of the ships emblazoned on the stern of the ship.

His eyes blinked back tears before focusing on an elder man shouting out instructions to men loading one of the smaller ships. "Perdón? Excusez-moi? Excuse me?"

"What do you want, boy?" The gruff old sailor turned watery eyes to Itachi and Sasuke.

Sasuke ducked immediately behind Itachi, a small whimper escaped as he buried his face in Itachi's back. "Itachi—"

"I…look…The Madonna." Itachi winced at the broken sound of his words. His emotional stress made it difficult to focus enough to translate in his mind and then speak the appropriate words. It was rather embarrassing considering the hours of practice his father foisted on him with the various languages.

"The Madonna? She hauled anchor a few hours ago when the villagers began to become violent." The man coughed and spat out a wad of phlegm to the ground at Itachi's feet.

Itachi paled as he slowly worked to translate the man's words. "Haul anchor?"

"She's gone, boy. If you thought to join the crew, you're too late. Now get out here. I've got to get this ship loaded up. We sail on the evening tide." The man shooed Itachi and Sasuke away while continuing to bark orders at the frantic crew.

"What did he say, Nii-san?" Sasuke's lingual skills were much weaker. He'd probably only been able to catch a few of the words spoken, if any.

Itachi swallowed down the panic beginning to curl in his abdomen. "It left without us."

Sasuke gave a small panicked whine. "What are we going to do?"

"Get yur fuckin' arses in gear."

Itachi gave a startled jerk at the coarsely spoken words. He watched as the pale haired man began barking orders to men loading several large crates. His skin was a healthy tan and covered with various tattoos working up his arms and across his bare back, giving him an exotic appearance despite his foreign looks.

Most of the words coming from him were lost on Itachi. They were probably the seamen slang his father had spoken of. He might as well be speaking a language Itachi was unfamiliar with.

"I want those crates in the hold in a half an hour. If they aren't, Cap't Pein will have yur fucking arses for his dinner."

A barking laugh preceded the words. "Hidan, you say the nicest things about our captain."

"Shut yur fuckin' mouth, Kisame. You might be first mate, but I'm the quartermaster…so shove off." Hidan scowled at Kisame before returning to his directions. "Get to work you lazy arseholes."

Itachi swallowed the light gasp. He'd never seen such a huge man as Kisame. His shoulders alone could carry both Itachi and Sasuke. Darkly tanned skin and thick dark hair held from his face by a wound bandana around his brow gave him an intriguing appearance. The two scars marring one cheek added to his features rather than deterred.

"Itachi…I'm scared."

Itachi pulled Sasuke close. He was equally terrified. With all the supplies the men were heaving into the hold of the ship, they planned a long journey, probably to Europe.

The wheels in his head began turning. Outcomes and probabilities flowed easily through his mind. The ship was massive and the hold stocked with large quantities of food and crates of goods to be traded in the west. Hiding would be a simple matter for two slender boys.

This would be their only chance to leave. It was attempt to survive in the wilderness or stowaway on the ship. These men were coarse and violent. They could very well kill them if they were discovered but attempting to survive in the wilds was an almost certain death sentence. Itachi had little knowledge outside that of books and scrolls. He would never be able to keep both himself and his brother alive for long.

His eyes followed the movements of the sailors as they worked to load the supplies. They were dirty and coated in sweat, but they would be his and Sasuke's best chance at surviving. He was certain his father would forgive them for pushing aside their honor and sneaking aboard the ship.

If they were going to escape on this ship, they needed to move into position now or else the large pile of crates would be too small to hide in without being detected. He would need Sasuke's trust and assistance for this to work. Without it, they would surely fail.

"Sasuke, we're going to sneak aboard that ship. Do you trust me?"

Fresh tears tracked down his brother's cheeks as he nodded. "I trust you, Nii-san."

Itachi pointed to several of the large crates and barrels. "We need to hide in those until we're on the ship. You'll need to be very quiet. If they find us, they could kill us. If we don't eat much, we should be able to stay unnoticed until the ship docks."

"But—"

"I'll look out for you, otouto. I promise." Itachi pulled Sasuke into a hug. "Now hurry. They're all gone for the moment."

Itachi wrapped a hand around Sasuke's wrist and dragged him towards the large crates. Most were packed so full not even Sasuke's smaller frame would fit into them, much less Itachi. He was beginning to think the gods were against them leaving when he opened a barrel filled with apples. There was enough room for Sasuke to squeeze inside.

Sasuke gave a low whine as Itachi sealed the lid on the barrel. The sound brought a twinge in his heart. His brother deserved better than this so soon after their parents were killed.

Moving away from Sasuke's barrel, Itachi searched frantically through the stacks of crates. Sasuke was safe, but he still needed to find a place. Time was becoming short and the sailors were bound to return any moment.

He peered desperately into crate after crate in search of somewhere he could squeeze his body. One of the crates was filled with yards and yards of silk. It was packed full, but Itachi was desperate. He took an armful of the precious material and threw it into the nearby alley. The crate was half empty before he was able to make room for his body. Just as he slid the lid into place, the clumping of boots on the wooden pier echoed through the silent evening.

"Get off your arses or I'll assign you deck duty."

Itachi's breath stuttered in his throat as the crate he hid in was lifted. His eyes clenched shut and he fought to keep his gasping breath from giving away his presence. Think of Sasuke, he prayed.

"Fuckin' 'ell, this crate is damn heavy."

"Stop yur whining, you worthless seadog."

Hours could have passed or perhaps it was mere minutes. The crate was slammed into the ground, forcing an unintended grunt from Itachi that was thankfully overshadowed by the sound of other sailors setting down their crates and barrels. His ears strained, hearing the ribald laughter and accent thick slang thrown back and forth. The language sounded coarse and grating to ears normally used to hearing the melodic and smooth language of his birth.

His breath panted and sweat dripped down his temple. Time ticked by in slow succession. The voices continued to sound too loudly for him to risk leaving his hiding place.

Was Sasuke still safe? He needed desperately to see his brother. He had been terrified of their plan and with so much time ticking by, he was probably in a serious fright.

"Get up deck and start releasin' the riggin'. We're sailin' on the evenin' tide. These slant eyed bastards want us gone, we're gone."

The shouts and laughter filtered away, leaving only the creak of the ship. Itachi poked his head from the crate to look around. The room was black as pitch, only a small bit of light trickled in from beneath the door.

He took a deep breath after the stifling crate space, only to wince at the odors. The first smell assailing his nostrils was that of stale water and thick mold. An undertone of sweat and salt added to the scent, causing him to wrinkle his nose in distaste. Ships were quite unpleasant.

The floor felt slick and slimy under his bare feet as he stepped from the crate. "Sasuke?"

He dared not speak above a whisper. The store room in the ship was small and he was uncertain how well his voice would travel through the walls. "Sasuke!"

"I'm here." Sasuke's head poked from the barrel he hid in. His cheeks were smudged with dirt and his summer kimono ripped on one sleeve. Otherwise he looked well or as well as Itachi could tell beneath the cover of darkness.

Itachi pulled his brother into his arms and buried his nose in the short prickly hair atop his head. "I'm sorry."

Sasuke shuddered, tears pouring from his eyes as he buried his face in Itachi's chest. "I was scared."

"I know." Itachi held onto Sasuke for another moment before pulling away. "We can't stay here. We need to move to the back where they won't see us if they come in here."

Sasuke nodded shakily and held close to Itachi as they moved to the back. A small squeak followed by the sound of tiny feet running across the wooden floor had Sasuke crying out into the material of Itachi's kimono.

"It's just a rat, Sasuke." Itachi attempted to keep his voice neutral to calm his brother though his insides were squirming at the squalor that was their new living space. "We need to be very quiet. These men might kill us if they find us."

"Itachi—" Sasuke's eyes went wide in fear.

Itachi took one of the lengths of silk from the crate and spread it out on the ground in the corner. It wouldn't provide much padding, but it would keep them from sitting on the filth covered floor. Only a small amount of light filtered in from other room, forcing Itachi to use his hands to secure their small hiding place in a deeply shadowed corner.

Exhaustion weighed heavily only him when he finally settled against the wooden floor. Sasuke curled against him, his head laid upon Itachi's lap. It was small comfort to either of them.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi's eyes fluttered open though he was unable to see his brother's face. "What is it, Sasuke?"

"Are Otou-san and Okaa-san dead?" The whisper was tinged with barely concealed pain. The unseen tears were present in Sasuke's voice and it tore at Itachi. His brother should never have to go through this.

"I don't know, otouto." Itachi stroked his hand through Sasuke's hair. "When we get to our uncle's home, we'll have to ask him if he can find out."

Sasuke mumbled under his breath. "He's a foreigner. What do you think he's like?"

Itachi gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know."

"I want to go home, Itachi."

For the first time, Itachi allowed his grief to overwhelm him. It poured in rivulets through him, ripping and shredding his soul into tiny pieces. "Me, too."

To be continued…

AN: Re-edited chapter. Written for Gaia77

Sakoku Edict of 1635-This decree is one of the many acts that were written by Iemitsu to eliminate Catholic influence, and enforced strict government rules and regulations to impose these ideas.