Pairings: Itachi/Yuri. Ren/Hinami. Natsuki/Yuzuki

Warnings: AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Minor character bashing

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Harry Potter and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Chapter Fifteen: A Parent's Love

Yuri would never admit it to anyone; even under pain of death or torture—but she was really nervous when they have arrived at HOMRA's not-so-secret headquarters and had seen the entire office packed, along with a very grim-looking Nara Shikaku seated behind his desk, receiving a report from HOMRA's second-in-command—Kusanagi Izumo.

Yuri recognised about half of the faces in the room as fellow jounins or chuunins. She then realised that she must be looking at what must comprise of the entirety of HOMRA. She knew from her meetings and interactions with Yata-kun and Izumo-san when she was first recruited by Shikaku that no HOMRA member would ever know the identities of every single person in HOMRA. The only person who is entitled to that knowledge is Shikaku and perhaps Izumo-san.

The fact that all of them are here…

"All right. Everyone's here." Shikaku looked up and got up from behind his desk when he noticed Yuri, Itachi, Hinami, Ren, Shisui and Hana's arrivals along with Yata.

Itachi frowned, feeling a little self-conscious for a moment due to the number of eyes trained on their group. "Is this about what…we've discovered earlier in the marketplace, sir?" he questioned quietly.

Shikaku hesitated before nodding. "I need to hear it from you before I send you off to the Hokage," he said at last.

HOMRA's existence might be that of an elite ninja squad reporting directly to Shikaku and the Hokage; but in the end, they also tend to take on jobs that couldn't be done legally—much like the officially disbanded Root before them. About half of the jobs that they take on, the Hokage had turned a blind eye to it, trusting his Jounin Commander to do what he believes is right in order to safeguard the village and their citizens.

Hinami raised both hands placating, shifting eyes around the room before focusing on Shikaku and Izumo—both who were studying the lot of them. "It's not us," she insisted. "It wasn't until the day before last when you just briefed us on our…'mission' and what you want us to do. Even Yuri and Itachi will need at least a month before we can carry out our orders."

"And even if it is us, we wouldn't string the bodies up in the middle of the marketplace like that." Ren was frowning at his uncle and adoptive father. "We still have morals. We wouldn't traumatise the entire village like that. HOMRA is supposed to work from the shadows—our existence known to the village and the world as a type of deterrent or not."

Shikaku relaxed, though he did shift guiltily at the rather hurt expression on Ren's face. "I never did think that it was you lot, but I need to make sure," he said, relaxing.

"Though the problem now lies here," Yata spoke up from next to his position beside Tatara. The teenager had a frown on his face, balancing his skateboard next to him. He is studying Yuri and her friends carefully before turning towards Shikaku. "What are we going to tell the village and the Hokage?"

There was a tense silence. "We need to come up with a story to tell the village. And the world at large. Not to mention the daimyo." Yuri said at last, pinching her nose to ease her headache. "And obviously, the fact that the Uchiha clan is plotting a takeover and that we are plotting their massacre to begin with cannot be made public!"

"Not like the village will cry a tear over them." Suoh Mikoto grunted, lighting a cigarette. A cough and pointed look from Shikaku caused Mikoto to sigh before putting the cigarette out by crushing it in his bare hands, thus causing several of the ninjas currently in the room to cringe.

"I'll worry about the cover up and the story that we're going to run with to the public in general." Shikaku said at last. "Awashima and Fushimi, I'm going to need you to work with me on this."

"Yes sir." The two mentioned echoed as one. Generally, they're the ones taking care of the clean up and public relations work for HOMRA, and are the best at their jobs.

"We need to get a general understanding of the entire situation." Shikaku muttered. "Tatara and Mikoto. You're both on investigation duty. If there are any survivors, get me a list. Make a list of the dead as well."

"Yes sir."

"And…" Shikaku hesitated. Finally, he looked at Yuri. "Yuri, will you be able to call upon the Uchiha clan?"

Yuri stared blankly at Shikaku for several moments, unsure if she'd just heard correctly.

"…Excuse me?"

Yuri isn't the only one looking at Shikaku like he'd taken a little too many hits to the head. The entire room was looking at their commander like he'd lost his marbles. Itachi, Ren, Hinami, Shisui and Hana were however looking at Shikaku like they wanted to kill him.

They knew better than anyone (save for perhaps Kakashi) that Yuri's ability to speak with and see the dead is something that she never lets anyone outside of her closest confidantes know about. And even with them, it had taken a few good years of knowing Yuri before she'd finally told them what she could do.

Apart from Shikaku, no one else in HOMRA knows what Yuri could do, and now, Shikaku is trying to oust Yuri and what she could do to everyone?

Itachi is starting to wonder if all the booze that Shikaku drinks had affected his mind.

"Sir—" Izumo looked nervous, protesting weakly before Shikaku raised a hand to stop any protests.

Shikaku looked at Yuri who looked nervous and conflicted. She kept looking at Itachi for support, with the latter glaring at Shikaku, his eyes shifting into the blood red of the Sharingan unconsciously—automatically causing half the room to tense and reach for their weapons.

"Will that be okay with you, Yuri?" Shikaku asked, looking at Yuri. "You cannot keep this hidden forever. It will come out sooner or later."

Yuri chewed on her bottom lip before her shoulders slumped. "…This information doesn't leave this room," she said at last, and Shikaku nodded.

"Like Yuri said, this information doesn't leave this room." Shikaku warned, eyes shifting from person to person. "The Hokage already knows about this. And if this information ever gets out, I will hunt down the person who did it, and I will make you disappear."

Yata looked as if he wants to faint from the sheer pressure that Shikaku emits.

"It's not really that complicated or difficult to understand." Yuri sighed, looking at the others in the room. "Have you ever wondered why my relations with the Uchiha clan is so…strained?"

Yata furrowed his brows. The rest of HOMRA looked confused. "I did hear rumours before that it is something about 'an ability'." Tatara answered, resting a hand against his cheek.

"Have you never questioned why Shikaku-sama and the Hokage knew about the Uchiha clan's plans?" Hinami spoke up at last. The medic-nin was frowning. "It is linked to the reason why the Uchiha clan strike Yuri off their ledger, and why Kakashi-san is so angry with them all the time. It is also why Itachi left. And why Obito-san had left the clan with Yuri to begin with."

"You kids know?" Awashima questioned, furrowing her brows. Even the intelligence agent of HOMRA has no idea about the mystery surrounding Uchiha Yuri, though she did wonder just why the Uchiha clan hates the child so much. More so after Shikaku-sama had brought her into HOMRA after she'd passed the jounin exam.

"We knew Yuri since we were in the Academy. Of course we do." Ren grunted. "No use beating around the bush." He looked up, rubbing at the ends of his hair in between his fingers. "Yuri has the ability to speak to and see the dead. She can also call upon spirits and exorcise them. Officially, she's the village's exorcist—sending on the spirits of those departed to the afterlife."

"The Uchiha clan doesn't like anything 'strange' or 'unusual'." Itachi added with a scowl, recalling the stories about Yuri that has gone around the Uchiha clan compound. "Hypocritical of them, since it is basically something like a bloodline limit—something that only Yuri could do."

Shikaku looked at Yuri. "Can you call upon them? We need to know what happened."

Yuri grumbled something. "I need to send them to the afterlife and cleanse the compound anyway," she finally said. "But they might not answer me."

Shikaku nodded. "Very well. Itachi and Yata. Go with Yuri to the Uchiha compound. Hinami, I need you to head to the morgue and handle the bodies of the Uchiha clan. Ren, Shisui and Hana—"

"We'll take care of any rumours going around." Shisui interrupted and Shikaku nodded.

"We're going to have a lot to handle for the coming weeks." Yata grumbled. "Who on earth killed them all like this anyway?"

XXXXXX

Yuri is scowling even as Itachi and Yata followed her into the Uchiha clan compound, bypassing the guards that the Hokage had posted at the entrance to prevent civilians and other unauthorised people to enter.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Itachi spoke up at last. He knew that Yuri doesn't like using her ability often, but will if she has to. "We can tell Shikaku-sama—"

Yata let out a bark of laughter. "I'd like to see you say 'no' to the Jounin Commander," he said sarcastically, and Itachi grunted.

"It's fine." Yuri assured Itachi even as she led the way to what had once been Itachi's childhood home and opened the door. The place within was dark, and all three ninjas could see the splotches of blood on the floor and even the stench of it. "I think we all need some closure anyway."

"What are you going to do?" Yata asked, even as they followed Yuri into what must be the dining area. The blood splotches were heavier here—there were even blood stains visible on the low table. "I know what Shikaku-sama said you can do, but what are you going to do?"

Yuri looked over her shoulder at Yata. "I'm calling them," she said simply. "Let's hope they at least answer our questions. They cannot lie to me, but they can refuse to answer."

Itachi recalled something that Yuri said before about spirits being unable to lie even as Yuri stood just before the dark blood splotches on the tatami floor and the low table. She was silent for several moments before Yuri started moving her left hand in a steady rhythm through the air.

And even Itachi could feel the air getting colder, with a presence growing in the room as Yuri did so.

"The air's getting colder." Yata murmured, rubbing at his arms, looking around uneasily. The presence—whatever it is—is giving him the creeps. He can understand to a certain extent why the Uchiha clan abhors Yuri so; though that doesn't give them the excuse to do what they did.

"Just don't move." Itachi murmured, taking one step back so that he is leaning with his back against the wall, and pulling Yata with him by the sleeve. He doesn't know what Yuri is going to do, but he trusted her.

And then, they appeared.

It appeared as wisps of smoke in the beginning—hovering above the blood stained cushions before the low table. But gradually, human shapes started to take form, and Itachi soon recognised the forms of his parents. Vaguely transparent forms, with wisps of what seems to be smoke around their bodies.

"I wondered when you'd call upon us, Yuri." Uchiha Fugaku was the first to speak. And for the first time that Itachi remembered, Fugaku spoke humbly. He wasn't even able to meet Yuri's eyes—merely looking down.

"You answered my call." Yuri sounded almost surprised. "I didn't think you would answer. I was half expecting to get one of the others in the clan instead—those that felt the strongest emotions before their deaths."

"We…have more of a connection with you, as compared to the others—excluding Kagami-san." Uchiha Mikoto was the one to speak this time. And like her husband, she wasn't able to meet Yuri's eyes.

Yata gave a loud rude snort. "Because you both are the ones why she had suffered this much under the hands of your clan to begin with?" he scoffed, glaring at the two spirits. He still felt weird—talking to two people whom he knew is dead. "I have no idea if there is even an afterlife. But if there is one, I hope that there is a special place in Hell reserved for you—especially with everything that you'd planned for the village."

Fugaku flinched. "So you knew."

"Kagami-jii told me about it." Yuri said, her eyes cold. "He asked me to stop you. That he doesn't wish to see the once proud clan go down the route of no return. But you lot won't listen to reason any longer. We were left with no other option. Though it's not like we were the ones to execute you."

"Why, Father?" Itachi spoke at last, not moving from his spot. Fugaku and Mikoto looked at their eldest. Itachi had a look of sorrow in his eyes as he looked at his parents. Regardless of what they'd done, they have still raised him, and they were still his parents. "Why did you do all that? Didn't we swear as a clan to protect Konoha and the inhabitants? When did you start losing sight of your path, and your pride and honour as a ninja?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me to understand." Itachi insisted. "I always wanted to know what made the clan go off the deep end the way they did. Why did you do what you did to Obito-san and Yuri? And Sasuke? I understand if it was me. But why Sasuke? What did he do for you to mistreat him so?"

Fugaku looked at Yuri.

"You won't be able to lie to me—not as a spirit." Yuri said calmly. "And not as long as you're in my domain. But you can choose not to answer. We need some answers to everything that had happened. And you owe Itachi these answers."

There was silence for several moments.

"The Uchiha clan is one of the founding clans of Konoha." Fugaku begun. "We helped to create this village. The clan head at the time of Konoha's founding even gave the village its name." The three current living people in the room exchanged startled looks—they didn't know that. "But the entire battle between the Shodai and Uchiha Madara happened, leading to the creation of the Valley of the End. And after that, the clan was shunned. We put up with it. But then, the Kyuubi attack years ago escalated everything. There have always been rumours that the Sharingan was able to control the bijuu. It is how Uchiha Madara had controlled the Kyuubi after all during his fight against the Shodai. That's why after the Kyuubi attack when the village was getting rebuilt, we were ordered to move to this compound." Fugaku gestured around the surroundings, "right on the edge of the village. Bit by bit, we were losing whatever footing and standing that we had with the village."

"None of you lifted a finger during the Kyuubi attack." Yata said. "If maybe you had done something, the village wouldn't have acted out."

"Maybe."

"And Yuri?" Itachi questioned. "Me? Obito-san? And Sasuke?"

"It…was the only way." Mikoto's voice sounded broken. She looked at her son and his girlfriend pleadingly. She wrapped a pearly transparent hand around her husband's, trying to seek solace and strength in that action. "We could see it. The time of the clan is coming to a close. We could no longer control the clan and their actions. The elders especially. We know that they would plan something drastic soon. When the Fourth was still alive, things weren't that bad. He never cared about the clan's history, and had always listened to us. For awhile, we thought things will improve. But then the Kyuubi attack happened, and the Fourth died, along with hundreds of people. And then, we heard whispers around the village that we had something to do with the Kyuubi attack."

"What has that got to do with what you did to Yuri and the others?" Yata interrupted impatiently.

Yuri looked over her shoulder at Yata and shook her head before turning her attention back towards Fugaku and Mikoto.

"We do not want the contempt and disdain towards us to spread to the children." Fugaku admitted at last. Itachi and Yuri's eyes widened.

"If they just leave the clan—"

"It won't work." Mikoto shook her head. "If they just 'leave' the clan to live outside, they'd still be officially part of the Uchiha clan. The contempt and disdain that the rest of the village showed us will be extended to them as well." Mikoto looked up at Yuri and Itachi who both have looks of understanding on their faces. "I… I came up with the plan to free the kids from the shackles binding them to the bloody history of the Uchiha. To free them so that the village will not see them as cursed children."

"That's why… The abuse?" Yuri could barely get her words out. Her mind is whirling.

Fugaku nodded with guilt. "In the beginning, it was truly an act on our part. But when it comes to you…" Fugaku looked at Yuri. "It got out of hand. The rest of the clan followed our actions. And when the truth of your ability came out, they freaked out. And who knows when it had even begun, but it soon became outright hostility and hatred. We truly…became a cursed clan from that point onwards. Like what the Nidaime always said our clan is."

"Obito got enough two years later, and he left with you—"

"Of course he did!" Itachi exploded. "I would have done the same thing if it had been Sasuke! Do you seriously expect for Obito-san to sit and keep quiet as he watch the entire clan abuse his sister day in and day out? What of their parents? Do they know of the 'plan'? Were they in on it?"

"No. They weren't." Mikoto shook her head, shame-faced. "But when Obito left with you…" She looked at Yuri who had a thunderous expression, "We… We leapt at the chance to have the very excuse to end the cursed lineage of our clan with us. And to set free the kids—allowing them to begin a clean slate within the village. They would be the ones that the village would never look down on or treat with contempt."

"You chased me out of the clan. It was an act?" Itachi almost couldn't recognise his own voice. "And Shisui as well. Sasuke?"

"It killed your mother to do this, Itachi, but please understand." Fugaku wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders as she sobbed into her hands. "We were hoping that you would take your brother with you when you left. But you didn't! We were out of options. We couldn't just…abandon him with you or something. How could we explain our actions?"

"…That's why you…hit him? You abused him?" Itachi's voice was odd. He looked at his parents with silent rage visible in his eyes. "Do you have any idea of the damage you've done to your son? It took me months before he would even allow anyone to get near him, let alone touch him! He idolised you! Both of you! He loved you! How do you think he felt when you…started hitting him? He still asked me to this day just what he had done wrong for you to treat him this way!" Itachi shook his head, blinking away tears. "Surely…there must be a better way? Couldn't you have just…transferred parental rights to me or something? You didn't have to do what you did!"

"I know, all right, Itachi?" Mikoto almost sobbed. "But it was the only way we could think of! There is no other way! If we'd just gone the legal route by signing over all rights over Sasuke-chan to you, what would you have thought? You would have tried to find out why, wouldn't you?"

"I…" Itachi hesitated before he bit on his bottom lip and looked away. Yeah, he would have tried to find out why. And probably, he would then find out just what his parents have been planning. His rage when he'd found out about Sasuke's abuse had overridden all rational thought that he had at that time.

"I'm sorry, all right?" Fugaku looked distressed. "I know of the mental and physical damage we must have done to Sasuke. He had always been such a gentle child. I even thought at one point that he shouldn't become a ninja. But… It was the only way."

"You're the worst parents ever if you think this is you showing your love." Yuri's voice was tinged with disgust. "And here I thought my parents are bad."

"You can hate us, Yuri." Fugaku smiled sadly at Yuri. "I know I deserved that—we deserved that. But please… Try to understand. We only want what is best for our children. Wouldn't you have done the same in our place?"

"I would never raise a hand against any child of mine." Yuri said immediately. "No matter how bad the situation is, I will find a way to fix it."

"You're strong." Mikoto smiled. "You're just like Kushina. I know we destroyed your life. Even Sasuke-chan. And Itachi. And Shisui-kun. And for that, we deserved whatever punishment that we would be getting. But please… Just remember that we did love you kids. You had still been part of our clan—our family; no matter how distantly related you are. But much like Itachi and Shisui-kun, you were cut from a different cloth. If the clan wished to have any hope or chance of ever regaining our good name and legacy, it has to start from the three of you."

"With hatred comes love." Yata quoted, speaking up after listening to the Uchihas in the room speak. The expression on his face is grim. "A parent's love. I've seen some really crazy things, especially during my time as part of HOMRA for the past two years. But this is really taking the cake. Your youngest son would probably have some serious psychological problems for the rest of his life because of this decision. He would also probably never be able to have a proper relationship with a girl because of it."

"We knew the risks." Mikoto smiled sadly. "I'd rather that our children curse us for eternity than grow up and live the way we did. The pain that we went through when we'd died is nothing compared to the pain that we gave you kids. I'm sorry." Her lips trembled. "I will beg for forgiveness, but you won't give us that, will you?"

"…I don't know." Itachi admitted. "Yuri once told me that spirits couldn't lie. So I know you're telling me the truth at least. And this is the proof that you did love us—if this is even considered love. But what you did… The damage you did to Sasuke…" He shook his head. "Damn it… Couldn't you have found a different way?"

"Forgive us, Itachi." Fugaku smiled sadly. Itachi had a strange sense of déjà vu—those are the words he'd often said to Sasuke before he'd left the Uchiha compound. "But no matter what you think of us, remember that I will always be proud of you. You have become the man that I wished I was. Remember this: protect and cherish the ones around you. It'll be too late for regrets otherwise."

"I won't become like you." Itachi vowed. "I'll sooner chop off my own hands before I would raise a single finger against my kids!"

Mikoto flinched at the venom in her son's voice.

"One last question before I send you on your way." Yuri's eyes looked suspiciously bright. "…Who killed you? And the clan?"

Yata and Itachi exchanged startled looks—they'd almost forgotten that it is what they'd come here for.

Mikoto and Fugaku exchanged looks before looking back at Yuri. But they said nothing.

Yuri smiled sadly. "Not going to answer me, huh?" she muttered. "Not that I'm surprised. I was never anything in your eyes, was I?"

"That's not true." Mikoto protested. "You're…so much like my best friend. Itachi… He couldn't have chosen his future wife any better." She looked at Yuri. "Unlike me, you won't take things lying down. Please… Take care of both my sons."

"I will do it even without you asking me to. And I'm not doing this for you." Yuri's smile was bittersweet. "Time for you to go. I have no idea where you will end up. If you're lucky, you won't end up in Purgatory."

"We have sinned. I'll accept it if it's where we will go." Fugaku said solemnly.

"Very well." Yuri nodded. She clenched her left fist before unclenching it once more. A bright blue butterfly emerged from within her hand and flew towards the Uchiha couple. Their pearly transparent forms then turned into balls of light. Yata and Itachi flinched as one as hundreds of orbs of light appeared around them. "It's time."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

The murmurings and mutterings of the other voices were drowned out by the two clear voices that belonged to Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto. Then, they disappeared.

Silence fell for a long time without neither one of the three saying anything.

Yata was the first to move. "I don't sense anything else any longer," he said at last. Not like that strange presence he'd felt when Yuri had first called upon Fugaku and Mikoto. "Are they gone?"

Yuri turned to face the two boys behind her. She nodded. "Yeah. For good this time. If I ever need to call upon them again, their time will be limited, as they have already been recalled by Death," she murmured. She turned over her shoulder to look at the spots where Fugaku and Mikoto were seated earlier when she'd called upon their spirits. "They answered. So did every spirit I ever called upon in the past. If so, why? Why have I never been able to see my brother?"

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, people! In my defense, I was busy with other stuff and had also been sick with the flu for the past two weeks. Next chapter will likely have a timeskip. And also, just a heads up, but Itachi, Yuri, Shisui and Sasuke are not the only survivors of the massacre.

Additionally, I've started posting WIP and extracts of my original novel on my WordPress blog—you can find the link on my profile. I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!