Author's Note: It took me three months working in the previous TGoAT chapter to get rid of this God awful writer's block. And while I was writing this chapter, the idea for another THREE STORIES came, and I had to abide of one of them in order to get my thoughts in order again. Long story short, a whole year without the mindset for this fanfic, but I'm finally done with this hellhole. Things should go easier now in 2015, since the elections are over, the amount of headaches with family are diminished and my studies are easier to handle...

But there you go, guys. I'm not abandoning this story any day. Your positive feedback and your pleas of 'keep writing, this story can't stop' motivated me in a way only people of our FanFiction would understand. Thanks a lot for all your support, and let's hope inspiration strikes me enough to have the next chapter updated more frequently.

Fair Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei. And YES! NARUHINA IS CANON! And the kids are SOOOOOO CUTE! Boruto is his father's spitting face and personality. Himawari is the cutest thing ever! And Sarada promises to be the coolest Uchiha in history ever since her late uncle! Now I just need to wait for The Last: Naruto the Movie. Looking forward to the kissing scene, the kids making their appearance and of course, Naruto becoming Hokage the good old fashioned way. 2 days to go, and Brazil's waiting anxiously for the very first leaked movie session recorded, otherwise we'll only have the movie by July, and WE DON'T FUCKING WANT THAT!

And with all the happy joy in the world, SamHetfield proudly presents this next installment of...

The Orange Hokage

Chapter 9: The Chaos Theory

Outskirts of Kirigakure no Sato – October 10, 8:45 AM

"Well..." Jiraiya mumbled, as he tried to find some actual 'subject' to start the long conversation with Uchiha Itachi, the latest 'nuke-nin' of Konoha. "For starters... how was the village before you left?" he asked. Being a spy could very well mean having a large network, but for the safety of Konohagakure, he kept contacts with the village to a minimum. Maybe one or two messages a year, and that was pushing it.

Otherwise, invading Konoha would be as easy as killing a blind Hyuuga. Not that they were that easy to kill anyway, but you get the idea.

"Fine." Itachi answered, as the two shinobi sat in front of each other across the table in the guests' room. The Uchiha picked a full tea set and put it on the table so they could have something to drink while they were at it. "Naruto-kun has some support from the population thanks to his public status of Uzumaki heir... There is, of course, some resistance, mostly because of the people who only see the Kyuubi. That, however, means too little for him. He's determined and passionate about his goal of becoming Hokage and changing their minds."

"Oh, right... don't worry. So far, only a few clever people put two and two together concerning his father."

The Gama Sennin heard everything attentively. He felt happy, bad and sorry for his godson all at once. As an important shinobi in activity, he couldn't simply stop working and start raising the little Naruto all by himself just like that. He wanted to have a more active role in his life, but how could he? He had to defend the village from the outside. Orochimaru was still somewhere around the Five Nations, and there were rumors that a few dangerous and powerful shinobi were grouping.

And if what Itachi told in his letter was true, they had just avoided a gathering of hatred and conflicts to start a Daiyonji Ninkai Taisen. This group, Orochimaru and other forces could have very well used the outbreak to fulfill their plans... whatever they were.

"What about Sensei?" Jiraiya asked. "What did he order you to do outside Konoha? Was he the one who told you to look out for me?"

"Actually, no. I sought you on my own, Jiraiya-sama." the Uchiha answered. "But you're right regarding the first question. Hokage-sama wanted me to investigate a certain person's activities. I merely thought that you, as a spy master yourself, could do what I fail to do so: gather information in an effective network."

"Flattery will only get you so far, kid." the Sannin said. "I'm not that much of a 'helper'. I'd rather teach them, so they can fend for themselves." he finished, taking a sip of his cup of tea.

Hmm... dry oolong leaves...

The last time he drank it was a little over eight years ago, when he visited Minato and Kushina just before his godson was born. There he spoke of the time where great evils would rise to destroy the shinobi world, and a hero would appear.

The Yogen no Ko.

And then they died, leaving an orphaned Naruto with the burden of being a Jinchuuriki. Jiraiya nearly asked Sarutobi-sensei to take the kid with him, but he had a job to do and Naruto needed to stay in Konoha, not just because of the Kyuubi, but also for his own sake. Another blond-haired walking alongside Jiraiya? Now that was pushing it.

He knew the kid would suffer a lot. All Jinchuuriki did. Thankfully, this last report Itachi had just given made him feel more comfortable with himself over what happened all those years ago. So he made his decision.

"Tell you what..." he said, putting his teacup on the tray. "You helped Naruto and spared me quite a number of lessons, so I'm repaying the favor."

"I humble apologize for taking away your right of teaching your godson, by the way..." Itachi mumbled.

"Nonsense. If he has Kushina's talent for ninjutsu and books like Sensei told me, he definitely needed a bit of help. I wouldn't be enough on my own. Now then, where was I..." Jiraiya put a finger to his chin. "Oh, yes! A guarantee of your word should be enough for me to think about teaching you."

"I thought you were repaying a favor...?"

"Oh yes, of course I am repaying a favor. A huge favor, as matter of fact. But you know... first I have to make sure you are being 100% sincere on everything you told me in your letter. Consider that your first lesson as a future spy master: never, ever, and I mean ever put 100% of your faith in your contacts. Sooner or later they will betray you, that's what spies do in a regular basis. So you must always have backup of any nature."

Meanwhile, somewhere around Kusa no Kuni...

"ACHOO!"

A short, chubby figure wrapped in a black robe with red clouds was the source of the sneeze in question. His partner, a tall and wicked-looking man wearing the same eerie clothing looked at him with a twisted smile. "Maa... I didn't know that puppets from Suna had dust in them. You should take better care of your so called 'precious art'... Akasuna no Sasori. Ku ku ku ku ku ku ku..."

"Urusai, Orochimaru." the now revealed to be Sasori grunted. "Insult me once more, and I'll do what it takes to add you to my collection." he threatened. The traitorous Sannin couldn't help but chuckle. He probably got used to this kind of talk for the last 35 years or so of his life. Suddenly, Sasori started talking again. "Another thing that bothers me is that you enjoy wasting my precious time. Where is the spy you promised me?"

"Be a bit more patient if you please, Sasori-kun." Orochimaru answered. "He's still pretending to be a simple Academy student. He's graduating in 3 months, and once he does, I'm putting him under you care. Even I am smart enough to admit that you're the spy master of our lovely organization, after all."

"Hn... That I am..." the Suna nuke-nin said, happy that at least one person in the group appreciated his work. After all, it wasn't everyone who had an ancient seal that kept memories and information locked deep inside one's brain until it was broken and these memories were unlocked. Unless the examiner had both Yamanaka and Uzumaki blood in his/her veins, there was simply no way he could detect those tiny things.

A true piece of art, indeed. Oh, how he enjoyed those. If Orochimaru's lackey was as talented as he claimed, it was going to be one of his finest jobs ever.

Back with Itachi and Jiraiya...

"Well... being spy is certainly a tough job, I admit." Itachi said, getting a smirk from the old Jiraiya. After all the things and details the Gama Sennin described so fondly, it wouldn't be so easy task to learn the craft, after all. "But just like every other specialty in our line of work, it can be learned and refined upon like a weapon. I'll see to it that you will be pleased with my ability to learn things quickly, Jiraiya-sama." he bowed his head to the old white-haired Sannin, who didn't suppress his warm smile. Itachi was really different from not only the other Uchiha, but the rest of the shinobi world overall.

It almost reminded him of Minato, in a way... he certainly was gutsy enough to face him head on. Naruto had definitely rubbed off on him, even if just a bit.

"I usually don't train 'geniuses', you know? That's Orochimaru's specialty." Jiraiya joked. "But, you're right. I owe you for helping me spare a few whacks upside Naruto's head, and you proved yourself to be still loyal to the village. Besides, you're a pretty okay guy..."

"I made my decision. Uchiha Itachi, we start your lessons tomorrow."

Itachi looked up to the man in front of him, and couldn't help but keep his bow. "I thank you deeply, Jiraiya-sama... It will be an honor to learn from one such as you." And he meant it. It wasn't everyone who had what it took to learn from the Gama Sennin. Last he heard, his previous student became Hokage, and there were a few other students of his who had world-changing dreams of peace and justice, according to rumors.

For someone who witnessed the hells of the Daisanji Ninkai Taisen at 4 years old, being taught by a pacifist just like him was certainly a breath of fresh air.

"Alright then." Jiraiya said, getting his attention. "First of all... introduce me to that person." he asked. Itachi nearly widened his eyes in shock, though he held himself together. He hoped that particular subject would've been kept aside for a while longer. "I was foolish enough to underestimate his cunning nature..." the Uchiha thought. "It seems I have no other choice then... Very well. Anami..." he said louder, facing a basement door, much like the secret passages in those very old action movies.

"Everything will be alright, Jiraiya-sama means no harm. You can come out safely." Itachi said, his voice as soothing as ever.

The door slowly opened, and the sounds of footsteps climbing the stairs slowly and carefully could be heard. Jiraiya waited a few seconds to lay his eyes on this mysterious person called Anami. Once he did, he couldn't help but feel jealous of Uchiha Itachi at this moment.

After all, Anami was just as beautiful as any other Uchiha woman.

She had a long dark-blue hair, although the front part seemed a bit spiky for a girl's hair. She had black eyes, much like the rest of the Uchiha clan. Her robes poorly covered her nicely shaped hourglass figure, despite a miniscule, but still noticeable parabolic curve around her belly, which confirmed that she was way off-limits, as much as Jiraiya – or anyone else on that matter, really – was concerned.

There was something else in Jiraiya's mind right now, though. And that was not the 'condition' of the Uchiha woman in front of him.

Rather, it was the very fact that she was alive.

"Sarutobi-sensei is no fool, Itachi." he said. "More than 150 shinobi and civilian were killed that night, but a single missing body is not something that they'll simply let it go. Most likely, they will open up some kind of investigation, and sooner or later, it will lead them here." As Nara Shikaku would probably say, 'you just got yourself in a pretty troublesome situation' or some other shit like that.

Things had definitely headed towards a whole other way, that's for sure.

"It couldn't be helped, Jiraiya-sama." Itachi said, stepping closer to Anami and wrapping his left arm around her shoulders. She blushed a light pink in her cheeks and gave Itachi a warm smile. "We started seeing each other in secret for nearly four years. Okaa-san was the only person in the whole village who knew about our relationship. I believe this investigation won't bother us so soon."

"I see..." the Sannin answered. "So... Uchiha Anami is your name, right?" the teenage girl nodded. "Tell me a bit of your story. I'll see what I can do once I learn a bit more about you, and Itachi has yet to tell me how do you two plan to live in here. Kiri is not exactly the world's best resort for Kekkei Genkai wielders to live in, just so you know..." he joked, although there was some truth to his statement.

After all, if a freaking Jinchuuriki who just so happens to be Yondaime Mizukage had a grudge of sorts with such an important and essential aspect of Kirigakure's history and shinobi culture, then things had definitely gone south and the place has become the bloodiest war-zone in the history of the shinobi world, worthy of its moniker. A place that's been actively participating in wars for decades, and now with a civil war of its own:

Chi Kiri no Sato.

In clear English, the 'Village of the Bloody Mist'. Heck, not even the destruction of Uzushio was that bloody.

"Very well then..." Anami answered. Damn, she had a pretty angelical voice. It was almost as beautiful as the voice of a certain lavender princess a thousand miles away. "I'll tell you my story, Jiraiya-sama. It's up to you to believe it or not, but if Itachi-kun trusts you, then so will I."

Flashback – 10 years ago, November 18 (Itachi and Anami: 7 years old) – Anami's POV

"I heard that you are about to graduate..."

The person I'm talking to is Uchiha Itachi, my 1st degree cousin. Tou-chan was the second of 3 brothers. The eldest was Kagami-oji, who passed away 11 years ago, during the first signs of another war waging.

It was just a few weeks after Shisui-itoko became 6 years old. He's been scarred ever since.

The youngest is Mikoto-oba, Itachi-kun's mother. Tou-chan and Kaa-chan were killed when I was just a tiny baby, leaving only Onii-chan to take care of me, so she took us in, even when she barely had a child herself. I treat her as if she was my own mother ever since. Onii-chan was also very happy to have two little brothers... Before he became a Genin – and even after he did – he focused his time most solely on us, as well as helping the elderly. He was such a reliable person...

That's right. He was. The war killed him too a couple months ago... And he was just a teenager.

And now, just as the war is meeting its end, Itachi-kun is making his way through the Academy. He's just four months older than I am, and yet he's far more competent than the other students that are 4 to 5 years older. I don't particularly hate the fact that he's graduating so soon... Shisui-itoko also graduated early. At 10, when we were still babies.

I simply hate the fact that he's becoming a shinobi at all.

Being a shinobi means to die. No more, no less. It's the simple truth. Every person in my circle of family and friends died because they were shinobi. Because they couldn't stop thinking about the needs of others. That's what led them to their deaths. I remember very vividly the memories of Itachi-kun and I seeing a squad after another, giving condolences or some other stupid stuff as 'compensation' for the deceased's families.

I hate that. The job of a shinobi is sickening. But that's not even the worst part.

Itachi-kun doesn't share my line of thought. He believes that, if he becomes a shinobi, he will be able to find a way to change the system, so that things like hatred, death and pain would stop. His speeches are annoying to the point that I stopped hanging around with him. I keep my distance from him even inside the house. He's no longer the brotherly figure I held so dear in my heart. He's almost like a stranger now...

For me... he became a hopeless fool. That whole 'shinobi are adult' thing won't work with him. He's a child, with a childish fantasy of peace and love. I'm the true adult of the two of us. I'm the one who suffers. Why did Onii-chan have to die...? Why didn't Tou-chan and Kaa-chan retire after I was born? Kaa-chan could have been alive if she didn't insist that she still had strength in her to serve at the war, when she could have taken care of me...

I hate shinobi. They only kill and get killed, forcing people like me to be alone and grieve forever.

I hate that Namikaze guy who was appointed as the future Yondaime. He's not that powerful as people say. If he was, he would have protected Onii-chan and the other weaker shinobi. Isn't that the Hokage's true job?

I hate Hatake Kakashi. He has a Sharingan, and that only brings back memories of Onii-chan and the other Uchiha who died over the years. He's a thief of the worst kind. He stole eyes, power and feelings all at once.

I think I'm starting to hate Itachi-kun too... He's becoming what I hate the most, and he's so passionate about it that it makes me sick. And the fact that the clan as a whole supports him makes me want to hate the Uchiha too... A shinobi clan in its majority, filled to the root with these... people.

And I hate Konohagakure. It's a shinobi village. It hosts, trains, kills and adores those disgraceful beings. All the source of this system started way before the founding of the villages, but their existence just added fuel to a much larger fire.

But I hate myself most of all... because I have awakened the Sharingan even when Itachi-kun didn't. And he is supposed to be the genius... What does that make me, then? A prodigy? A blessing? The second coming of Madara?

I don't want any of that! I just want to run away from everything that involves the shinobi, which is basically the world in general!

I wonder if suicide is an option...

"Oh, yes... I'm graduating by the end of this semester." I hear Itachi-kun say. His voice snaps me from all my thoughts, despite the whole disdain I hold against him. I wonder how that even works... "But then again, you don't exactly care about that, Aren't I right, Anami?" he asks me. Hmph! Always trying to be the last to voice his opinions... he did that with Onii-chan too.

"That's right. I don't care about it. I'm just pointing out what everybody has been talking about for, like, four weeks straight." I say. And it's true. Itachi-kun's graduation is the talk of the century here in the compound. I had enough of people saying how awesome he is, and how the clan will return to their days of glory once he becomes clan head after Fugaku-oji.

He's 7, for Kami's sake! And he's not that special, anyway. I don't get the whole pressure on him...

"Personally, I miss the lovable brotherly figure that stood by my side and played with me every day. Now all you do revolves around training, reading and practicing different ways to say 'excuse me' and 'forgive me'. If you're going to become a shinobi like Shisui-itoko and Onii-chan, I doubt you're gonna even use half of those silly courtesies and books when you're out there killing people, anyway!" I say, hmph'ing at him, crossing my arms while I turn my face away from him, eyes closed.

"I'm not even gonna cry if you get yourself killed." I lie through my teeth. Of course I'm going to cry. Crying is what I do best, after all. Hn... I bet that Itachi-kun doesn't even care about what I told him. I open my eyes, very slightly, to see his reaction...

See? He's actually smirking! That silly sarcastic 'look at the big girl' smirk in his face makes me wanna kick him in the nose!

"Is it now?" he asks me. I answer him with an affirmative pout. He chuckles amusingly and pokes me in the forehead. I hate when he does that. It hurts a bit, and it feels like he's giving me some kind of silly lesson.

"Forgive me for being away... I promise I'll find some spare time to play when I become a Genin, okay?" he asks. Yeah, right. As if that was even humanly possible for someone so different from Onii-chan. "Now, if you excuse me, I have homework to do... I'll meet you at dinner, okay? I haven't given you your birthday gift last week, and I'm going to make it up." he says, rushing back towards home and leaving me alone.

Again... I'm all alone again... Just like when I awakened my Sharingan two months ago... And he still put the whole 'birthday gift' in the mix to remind me and himself how neglecting he was over the last two years. That idiot...

Onii-chan... I...

I miss you... so much...

Damn it all, I'm crying again...

13 months later, January 7 (Itachi and Anami: 8 years old)

Itachi-kun ran away from home. I don't know exactly why, but I felt compelled to run after him. He had this... look... in his eyes... Apparently Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba are expecting another child. The birth date is due to the end of July or so, meaning that he or she will be born a few days after Itachi-kun's birthday.

Talk about a birthday gift... being an older brother... I wonder if Onii-chan felt the same way.

Probably not. Itachi-kun seemed pretty upset about something. So that's why I ran after him. Even with all of my hateful thoughts on his profession, he's still expected to be happy and concerned about his family.

Don't be fooled by my 'concerned' remarks. I hate him as much as the Yondaime, my clan and the village. But there was something in his eyes that felt disturbingly familiar...

They had the same look I had when my Sharingan awakened.

That similarity alone made me wonder if Itachi-kun secretly held hatred in his heart. Ever since he killed his first enemy outside Konohagakure's walls, he started taking his mental training even more seriously. My first thoughts were that he was on a fool's errand. He entered the shinobi system to kill, not to bring peace. That's why I hate this job in the first place.

Peace is an utopia. He was an idiot to think that he alone would be able to change things. He still is.

So why do I feel... pity? I'm getting to the bottom of this as soon as I reach him... I know where he stays when he wants to stay alone. He climbs the giant oak tree at the central square. Sometimes using his chakra, other times by his own hands. Something about balancing chakra control training and physical conditioning.

Pretty smart for a foolish dreamer... Not like I care about that, anyway. I can see him now... He's at the top of a large branch. I'm pretty sure I can reach him with my own natural strength, no chakra required.

After all, I am an Uchiha, right? I still know how to access my chakra to strengthen my limbs, even without wanting to do anything with it. Well, enough of that. I got a clearer vision of him right now.

He's curled... almost like a ball... Wait a minute, why does he seem to be shaking?

Is he... crying...?

Now that's a sight I never expected to see from Itachi-kun. Why is he crying anyway? Isn't he supposed to be happy for expecting a sibling? Even I am eager for the child. Hopefully he or she might become to me what I was to Onii-chan, from all the good memories I had of him.

Well, let's tease Itachi-kun for today, shall we...? That's something I never have the chance to do...

"Never took you for a crybaby..." I say, getting his attention. The moment I did that, though... I immediately asked for whatever deity rules this world to forgive me for my foolish words.

Because what I saw in Itachi-kun's eyes was something that confirmed my first suspicions. His eyes, indeed, were filled with hatred that instant. Just like mine... and just like many other Uchihas over the last century or ten...

He had awakened his Sharingan. The trademark of an Uchiha. "Itachi-kun... your eyes... they're-"

"I know." he answers me, with a very cold and serious voice tone. I actually got a bit frightened. "And I feel terrible for awakening them at these circumstances." Wait, what? That didn't make any sense to me.

"What do you mean?" I ask. Why do I have the feeling I won't be pleased to hear whatever he has to say...?

"Hatred and anger... These are the keys for awakening the Sharingan." Hn... so he figured that out, huh...? I found out myself by the time I awakened my own eyes as well. But whatever are these... circumstances?

"Chichiue never told me a single legend about the Uchihas of old... Because he knew that I would have been disgusted with the harsh reality. So I read them on my own... and everything points out that the Sharingan is part of some stigma that started with our very first ancestries. But that's not the worst." Oh... so what is it?

"Chichiue probably knows about this... and yet he asks of me to do my best and make the clan proud. Saying that this will make Konohagakure acknowledge that the Uchiha are the strongest clan. And he went as far as asking that from someone who's not even born yet. You heard what he said a few minutes ago, didn't you...?" he asks me. To be honest, I heard... I was simply dismissing the though, seeing that I never particularly cared for whatever Fugaku-oji would have to say about his second child becoming a shinobi... But since Itachi-kun spoke about it, I remember his words pretty well.

It was something like: 'Wonderful news for us. Another child is coming, and if Itachi was any indication, he or she will have a promising future as a shinobi. The clan will be blessed with another prodigy.'

Disturbing for a few people, yes. For me, it was just disgusting like every other shinobi-related talk, really...

"And that's what made me angry beyond anything else." he said. "Is being an Uchiha... is our Sharingan so important, that it casts a shadow over everything else? I... I don't want my brother or sister to suffer this fate. I just don't know what to do. It's so hopeless. I hate that! I hate it all!"

So... he's finally broken. He admitted his failure and hatred. I knew that was coming sooner or later.

Maybe... I can trust Itachi-kun with my own secret sometime in a close future. He's seen and lived enough to know how hateful the world can be for people like us... He deserves to know that I hold these cursed eyes as well...

I think the events of today will make Itachi-kun and I relate to each other again, after a whole year apart.

Maybe now... Itachi-kun and I can be close again just like when we were kids.

Every time Onii-chan was busy with his Genin duties, Itachi-kun took care of me... even though we have the same age. He was always the mature one out of the three of us, while Onii-chan was the helpful and selfless daydreamer.

And I... was just the little crybaby sister.

As a matter of fact, I still am... Maybe I'm the only one who wasn't changed that much over the years...

Other than me, things have indeed changed a lot...

Funny for an 8 year old to think about that, but so many things happened over such a short period of time... I lost almost everyone dear to me, and Itachi-kun had grown so distant...

Aw, damn it. I'm starting to cry again... These damned tears just can't stop flowing down through my cheeks. Maybe I should just leave him be and-

Hm...? Why did Itachi-kun just wrap his arm around my shoulders?

"Don't be sad, Anami... Forgive me if my thoughts have concerned you. You're not the one who's in need of a friendly shoulder, so please stop crying..." he said in a low, concerned big brother voice, embracing me.

Damn it, Itachi-kun! You're the one who's suffering now, and you're still concerned about others? Stop that! I don't need your hugs and soothing words!

And yet... that's one aspect of his that reminds me of Onii-chan. When Tou-chan and Kaa-chan were killed in the war, he suffered a lot, and still he took care of me, with Mikoto-oba's help. His hugs and words were nice and warm, and I loved that...

Those were the moments that I smiled and thanked Kami that I was alive, with these wonderful people close to me... And then, these days were gone, and I knew only grief and pain.

But now... Itachi-kun's hug just brought me back those happy memories. I feel renewed, comfortable... happy to be still alive...

I think that being both an Uchiha and a shinobi made him quite a lot more perceptive than he already was. I mean... he managed to reach my heart in a matter of seconds, right? Not only that, he-

Huh... how odd.

For a brief moment, I actually had a positive thought about shinobi.

Maybe Itachi-kun's pain and company made me think more clearly about these matters...? Oh well, that's not something I'm reaching a conclusion so soon...

I wonder if I'll have more of these thoughts if I stay around him more often... Maybe I can change my opinion over everything and let the hatred go, if that's the case...

Of course, Itachi-kun doesn't need to know about any of that just yet. I'll just tease him some more.

"Hn! Says the one who's been crying because his sibling is already stealing your spotlights..." I say, poking his forehead. Hah, take that back, you teaser! Now I should jump away from the tree and start running away from him, since he's about to pursue me for both his training and the fact that I voiced my opinion for last, so he's bound to change that.

And I'm actually laughing while all of this is happening!

Wow... It's been so long since I had smiles across my face. I think that having a more thorough realization on the essence of hatred has taken that weight off my chest indeed... This feeling...

It's just so amazing!

And I actually had a more positive vision of my future, as well as the future of everyone else still close to me.

You know what...?

One day, Itachi-kun... I might actually stop hating everything. But not now... I have a lot of smiles to catch up with. But... for bringing them back to me... one day I'll tell you what I really meant to say...

Arigatou.

9 months later, Konohagakure Hospital – October 12 (Itachi: 9 years old; Anami: 8)

"Ne, Mikoto-oba..." I say, struggling as I hold little Sasuke-chan around my arms. He's heavy for a 3 months old baby. Thank Kami he's not moving around so much, otherwise I would be in trouble..."Why are we here? Did you come to visit someone?" I ask. I don't feel very comfortable here... something feels... eerie. Dark.

"Not exactly, Anami-chan." she answers me, with a very sad voice tone. Wow, I never knew she would be sad about, like... anything!

That just proves me that this world really sucks. If Mikoto-oba of all people has something to be sad about, I really haven't seen anything yet...

Okay, I lie. I actually did see something quite terrible.

The Kyuubi no Youko attacked Konoha the day before yesterday.

Itachi-kun and I were taking care of Sasuke-chan while Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba were away. We spent the night treating him like I remember Onii-chan and Shisui-itoko taking care of the both of us. Then, Itachi-kun stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the full moon and said something like 'I have a bad feeling...'

That's when things went south, and his 'bad feeling' came true in the shape of a nine-tailed demon fox.

Sometimes his intuition just makes me hate the shinobi profession even more. But it's Itachi-kun we're talking about, so he's bound to have a lot of those, anyway...

"We're here." I hear Mikoto-oba say, snapping me from my thoughts. She's in front of a big glass stand, with a view for another room in front of us. I adjust Sasuke-chan from my hold and look at the room across. To be honest, I don't see anything particularly interesting. The room looks to be empty, so why do they have over 8 Kekkai seals around the inner perimeter of the-

Oh wait, it's not empty... It has a small bed. Although I actually pay attention for a couple more seconds, and now I realize that it's a hospital cradle, with a small baby inside.

It's a very cute baby. I dare say that he's as cute as Sasuke-chan, if not even cuter.

After all, it's not every baby that has three little fox whiskers in each cheek, making me wanna pinch them... I also notice that he has a very bright blond hair. The shade of blond is higher than even the Namikaze's hair...

Speaking of which, I heard that the Yondaime's dead. Something about sacrificing his life to defeat the fox.

See? That's why this job sucks so badly! These people just paint giant target rings over themselves, and they have the gall to say that they kill and get killed because of some ethical duty towards Konohagakure and its people. It's just not worth it!

I wonder what drove Onii-chan to risk his future for this line of work...

"Kushina..." Mikoto-oba says, her voice a bit hoarse, and tears running down her cheeks. Itachi-kun's doing his best to soothe her sobs, but she seems really broken. "If only I had time to discuss things with Fugaku... I might have been able to take Naruto-kun with me and take are of him... He doesn't deserve an orphanage."

...Huh?

That kid? Being taken care of by Mikoto-oba?

Gosh, she really loves children, doesn't she? She already took Onii-chan and I in, making it four in total with her own sons. She actually volunteered to take Shisui-itoko in as well, when Takiri-oba died a year before he became a Genin... but he politely refused, because she had barely took us in as well a month before.

And she's still willing to take care of more kids? Hadn't she had enough yet?

"Mikoto..." I hear the voice of an old man. I turn around to see Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage. He reclaimed the position, just a few hours after the Namikaze's death. "I'm sorry that Naruto will be sent to an orphanage. If I have known about you, I might have changed my mind during that meeting, but it's too late." he said, pretty depressed. Damn, who knew that a single baby took priority over the hundreds of shinobi and civilian that died the last two days...

What is he, royalty or something like that?

"Don't be sorry, Sandaime-sama." Mikoto-oba answered. "At least you and a few trustworthy people will be keeping an eye on him, right?" the Hokage nodded his head. "Good... that's all I needed to know." she said, far more relieved now. Maybe now we should- wait a minute, she's still gonna say something.

"Can I... get inside and... hold him?" she asks. Wow, that was quite a question. Is this baby so important for Mikoto-oba? Now I got even more curious about him.

I'm also curious about whatever Itachi-kun has in his mind right now... he takes his time to analyze the whole scenario before saying anything, and the fact that he's been silent for the last 10 minutes is really disturbing.

Well, to me, at least. I'm not so sure about the other people in this corridor.

"Sure, go ahead..." Sandaime-sama answered. "However..." he whispered something in her ear that I wasn't able to pick up. But by her face's reaction, it must have been important. Mikoto-oba looks really serious now. I didn't know right now, but it would take me around 4 years to find out that Sandaime-sama said 'You won't be very happy with the boy's... weight'.

However, it took me but a few minutes watching Mikoto-oba hold the baby, have a terrified look in her face, break down in tears and embrace him as tightly as she could for me to figure out who he was.

Or rather... what he was.

It was very simple. As soon as I saw Sandaime-sama take his leave, looking older than when he came in, all I had to do was ask for Itachi-kun to hold Sasuke-chan – he only held him once the whole day so that was very easy to do – and take him away from that depressing scene, while I would take care of Mikoto-oba.

Once he left I made sure no one was watching me and activated my Sharingan. I was very, very, very careful doing this for two reasons: One, I was not supposed to have these eyes, as far as anyone was concerned. And two, even being an Uchiha and having the body and disposition to use chakra, I could only do so much as an untrained civilian.

I would most likely have around forty-five seconds using it before exhausting myself. Maybe less.

And when I focused the necessary chakra into my eyes and activated my accursed bloodline, that was when I figured everything out. The look in Mikoto-oba's face, the reason why that kid was put in a room filled with a series of strong Kekkai seals, the cold atmosphere... There was a strange chakra running through his belly. It took a very thorough glance at the strange scribbled pattern glowing with red chakra to figure it all out.

The baby was not royalty. Oh no, not by a long shot He was a... dear Rikudou, I can't even get the name right without having an urge to throw up...

He was a Jinchuuriki. The maximum extent of the disgraceful and disgusting nature of the shinobi system. If I had to take a guess, the Kyuubi is the Bijuu, and that seal is what the Yondaime used to defeat it.

Itachi-kun told me about them after his Chuunin Shiken. He told me about an elderly Iwa Jounin he met, who was, as he told me, the Jinchuuriki of the Yonbi no Saru. An extraordinary existence of power and balance among the Great Nations, condemned to be hated, scorned and ignored by their very own companions.

The ultimate sacrifice...

Feh! That's just another silly example of the shinobis' fake sense of humility. People who sacrifice all of their dreams and perspectives of future in the name of power. They're the villages' trump card, the table turners. A whole country can be destroyed with the power they hold. And if they don't go willingly, they're forced by the leaders to give up everything in the name of the village and the warring system they belong to.

And the Yondaime had the gall of using a baby who was probably a few hours, maybe minutes old, to hold a living embodiment of hatred and destruction within him...

This innocent boy's future is ruined. He will become a weapon and a pariah because of the Yondaime's seal... Damn, I freaking hate the Namikaze bastard. He didn't deserve that funeral he had yesterday at all! Not even Onii-chan, who was 'remembered' as a hero when the war was over, got a proper funeral.

After all, who hold funerals and burials for a body that didn't even exist anymore?

Gah! My eyes... they're hurting. Maybe I should shut down my Sharingan... it's nearly killing me-

Wait a minute, I see my reflex in the mirror... Is that... my third tomoe? Has my Sharingan... fully matured?

Has my hatred reached... its full potential?

3 1/2 years later, April 1 (Itachi and Anami: 12 years old)

"Get back here, gaki! You'll pay for that!" I hear a random shopkeeper shout out to the four winds. It seems that Naruto-chan started his activities earlier then usual. He must have put quite the effort in his new pellets-paint-eggs combo to blow up in people's faces whenever they would try to buy fresh eggs, and fall flat on the ground when they tried to chase him.

Can't blame him, though... April Fools requires a bit more handy job from the so called 'Prankster King'. But I still wonder how, in the name of Rikudou, he's learned how to jump so high, climb rails, balance himself in windows and pick so many random items, as well as carrying them all. Really, really strange for a 3 year-old malnourished child like him.

If I had to take a guess, the Kyuubi is, voluntarily or not – I don't know how the Namikaze's seal works, and I don't intent to be a fuuinjutsu specialist – giving the kid a hand with his muscle strength and resistance. Also, I can't forget the fact that he's an Uzumaki. According to what I learned from books and Mikoto-oba's stories during these last few years, they're supposed to be natural stamina and chakra freaks.

Damn, if he ever receives private Jinchuuriki training and mental conditioning – which he probably will, I'm sure of that – he's going to be the strongest shinobi in existence ever since the Shodai. I actually had to hold back a shiver in my spine thinking about that.

Although I can't help but feel pity of his current living conditions. The orphanage's administrations has been taken over last year and half by one of the civilian councilmen who harbor hatred on the boy because of the Kyuubi inside him. Since then, Naruto-chan's food and clothing provisions had been almost entirely nil... If I recall correctly, he's also been deprived of a warm blanket during the winter.

Stupid civilians... they're really dumb if they can't tell the difference between a glass and the water filling it. I should find the asshole who broke the law and spilled the beans about Naruto-chan's condition and take him to the heads of the T&I division. I'm sure that... what was his name again? Morino Ibiki...? Ah, whatever. I'm sure he would be really happy with that. Sandaime-sama would be glad too...

"Ha ha haa!" I hear Naruto-chan with his frantic boasting and laughter. I try to get a good look at him from an empty random building's rooftop. "That's right! Chase me all day long if you want! You will never be able to catch Uzumaki Naruto, -Dattebayo!"

Gosh, that verbal tick has definitely got to go. It really is as irritating as Mikoto-oba told me when she spoke about her best friend Kushina and her 'ttebane' twitch. Why I accepted this 'challenge', I would never know...

Guess that my curious side got the best of me, unfortunately...

Ever since Itachi-kun became a Jounin two years ago he asked me to keep an eye on Naruto-chan every time he couldn't. I don't know what kind of force drove him to be so curious about the Jinchuuriki, or even why he decided to keep him safe within the shadows, even with the ANBU-nin doing their job... Oh well, it's not even worth thinking about that. He simply asked me to do his 'job' once or twice per week, and that was it.

It was basically one of those 'I know something you don't, try to figure out yourself' thingamajigs where he'd poke my forehead and leave me grumbling and thinking for a long time...

That asshole. One of these days I'm getting him for this... anyway, back at the matter of the job itself.

For me, it's been a... mixed experience. Sure, the kid is just way too cheerful and cute for someone like me to hate him...

But that's exactly the problem.

Despite the increasing flux of hatred, the hidden sobs in dark alleys, the attention-seeking pranks, and mostly the fake smiles... He's slowly breaking apart my conceptions of hatred and love.

How in the freaking world he's been able to take on so much hatred without going crazy? And why do I feel a strange urge to get close and comfort him, even when he's so adamant in keeping his distance from everyone but Sandaime-sama?

Perhaps Itachi-kun was right when he told me it would be a remarkable experience... I certainly had a bunch of different conclusions about the mysteries of the essence of hatred. These eyes of mine can see a lot of stuff, but I was as blind as a bat.

If I was in his shoes, I would have most likely thrown their hatred right back at them with full force... Once I became strong enough, it would be only a matter of time before the village burned to the ground by my own hands. Sandaime-sama would be the only one left alive, simply because he's definitely faced worst during the last few wars.

And then, I'd probably be killed, but by then I would already have my hatred cleansed at last.

...At least that's what would have crossed in my mind three years ago.

But watching Naruto-chan over the years made me think a lot about what hatred truly is... and how it's born. He helped me realize a lot of things during this whole time I watched him, as Itachi-kun instructed me. All of the reasons I have to hate shinobi, this village, and even part of my family, I saw that Naruto-chan had quite a few similarities, and yet our lives were completely different, and his take on these circumstances was also a lot different than mine as well.

My parents died when I was a few months old, almost like him, who lost them since day one. He's a tough kid alright... just like Onii-chan was.

I had Onii-chan with me, and I still have Itachi-kun, Mikoto-oba and Shisui-itoko. He has no one at all... No, as far as I'm concerned, Sandaime-sama doesn't count. And yet, he smiles a lot more often than I do, though few of these are true smiles.

It still doesn't change the fact that he has a far more cheerful aura than mine, overall...

I have, in a way, respect from the clan and the rest of the village, being niece of the clan head and all. On the other hand, Naruto-chan's status of Jinchuuriki had somehow been spilled, and the large majority of Konoha hates him with a passion. I heard that there's even a group conspiring to kill him before 'the fox unleashes its fury again'... Bunch of idiots.

His reaction to this hatred? Pranks that get people's attention, so they can all remember that he exists. Shout out to everyone in his ear range that he'll become Hokage and have their acknowledgment. He's either really smart or really foolish to come up with those... and yet...

"Incredible, isn't it?" I hear a voice saying to me... I almost have a heart attack, seeing that he did approach me quite stealthily.

Again.

"Naruto-kun is already very strong. Enduring such hatred is no easy feat, and yet he-"

"Damn you, Itachi-kun!" I answer him, pissed by his stealthy approach. "It's the third time this month! Can you stop scaring me like that...?" I ask, pouting a bit. Itachi-kun just chuckles amusingly to my pout. Doesn't he ever learn?

Somehow, I think that Naruto-chan's been rubbing off on him over the last year or so. He's been acting like a child again. I don't know if that should be a good or a bad thing...

Thank Kami we're far from people's eyesight... Two people bickering at a rooftop is not such a normal sight, even in a shinobi village. Specially if one of them is not a shinobi.

"Well, you're the one who asked me to be stealthy whenever you were watching Naruto-kun like you are now, so I'm just following your advice. Sorry if it sounds negative, but your scaring issues are your own." he says, poking my forehead. Grr... I hate when he does that!

But... overall, I'm glad that at least he's here.

When Itachi-kun became a shinobi, and even before that, he's grown distant of me... Putting all his mind into training, to the point of joining Onii-chan to his nightly training sessions and not having dinner with the rest of the family. When Onii-chan died, he went further away from me, and that's when I started to hate him... as much as I hate the rest of the shinobi and Konoha, for they were the ones responsible for raising this barrier between us.

I thought that this 'barrier' would have crushed once he killed his first enemy and his Sharingan awakened... He would have realized how this world is full of lies and suffering... Itachi-kun and I could relate again, just like when we were small and had people taking care of us before they went away.

But he didn't.

Something just... 'clicked' inside his mind and he tried his best to shake away his hatred within ever since. Of course, that was just a mask... that somehow fooled even Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba. I was the only one who noticed it, because he was the closest person to me ever since Onii-chan died. If there was anyone who could know about the true darkness within his heart, it would be me. I was... no, I am the only person who's able to relate to him better than anyone else.

But he never approached me again. He was totally trapped within the shinobi system. Sasuke-chan was born in a very opportune moment. If he didn't, Itachi-kun and I would be forever torn apart, and I would hate him even more... probably for the rest of my life.

Seeing him take such good care of his little brother reminded me of Onii-chan. It made my heart warm to see him with that smile of his again. As a matter of fact, his smile was even prettier and catchy than before... For a while, I thought that things would go back to normal, and we would be close again...

Then the Kyuubi attacked, Mikoto-oba lost her best friend and a lot of her smiles, and Itachi-kun was called by Sandaime-sama to perform more missions to make up for the shinobi who were lost during the attack. Not to mention that Fugaku-oji started giving him diplomacy lessons personally. He still is the firstborn after all, and that makes him the prime candidate for the clan head position.

The house became a lot more depressing.

There were times I wanted to stay out of it all day long. If possible, even sleep outside... Of course, having no friends outside the clan walls makes things quite difficult... Speaking of it, the walls seemed a bit thicker than usual... I don't know exactly what's happening, but it looks like Konoha and the Uchiha clan are in bad terms nowadays...

Inside the walls, on the other hand, my only friend outside the main house is Shisui-itoko, and he's too close to Itachi-kun for me to even consider the possibility of sleeping in. And there's the fact that he's never there, anyway. He was called to join the ANBU last year or so. At 22 years old, almost 23... The same age Kagami-oji had when Sandaime-sama became Hokage and assigned him to his personal guard. Impressive, indeed...

And Shisui-itoko, always a humble one, usually says stuff like 'I am nowhere near Tou-san's skills'.

Hn... Yeah, right.

Anyway, back with the story... Itachi-kun has grown distant again. I was already getting pissed off with these constant flow changes. One time he is close, cheerful and I'm happy., and suddenly he goes away and I have to stay alone. This time, though, Sasuke-chan and Mikoto-oba were with me, so I didn't feel miserable like an Uzumaki without stamina.

Speaking of Uzumaki... Itachi-kun suddenly became very interested in how the young Jinchuuriki was living and whatever Sandaime-sama would do to him. That interest sparkled sometime after he became Jounin. The thing is, he never explained to me why the sudden interest. The only thing I know is that he wanted somebody to help him with all this observing, and I fit in pretty well for... some reason.

Now I actually have the chance of asking him about everything. Well, then... let's not waste more time!

"Itachi-kun... why is Naruto-chan so important to you?" I ask. He takes his time to slowly change his glance towards me. One thing about Itachi-kun is that he learned how to mask the emotion in his eyes pretty well... I don't think that there's a single shinobi in the village that can do the 'soulless tool' role so easily like he does.

That's actually a negative thought, just so you know... The concept of 'emotionless tool' is the most disgusting part of the shinobi system. It's just as bad as the Jinchuuriki system, if not even worse.

"I'm sorry, Anami... that's a secret that I don't have the liberty to tell you." he answers. Strange... I've known him for all my life, and the only one of the two of us who's been keeping secrets is me. He got used to tell me a lot about his job... gruesome and need-to-know-basis stuff aside, of course. Other than that, his colleagues, former instructors, clients, even enemies... He talks a lot about the different people he met over the years, as well as the duties assigned and the places he visits.

Weird thing, though, is that all of this only started when he started watching Naruto-chan around. How does he even do that, anyhow?!

"Feh!" I snicker. "Keeping secrets from me, acting all nice, becoming the most paradoxical shinobi I've ever met since Onii-chan... You've changed a lot, Itachi-kun." I tease him, for which he just answers with a smile. I look away for a moment. For some reason, his smiles are hard to look at. They remind me of many sad, and yet, a lot of happy things as well... and they have a strange... warmness. It makes my stomach goes all fuzzy... I don't like that.

"Sometimes..." I keep saying, trying to keep the whole Naruto-chan subject. "It makes me wonder... that seal in Naruto-chan's stomach must be really powerful, huh? It does a lot more than just keeping the Kyuu-" I'm abruptly silenced by Itachi-kun, who puts his right hand over my mouth, and his left hand under my throat, with a kunai ready to slit it.

"How do you know about Naruto-kun's seal?" he asks, his voice colder than the villagers' glares. "I'm pretty sure you've never heard about that from the villagers, and the law has been reinforced a few times ever since the first people broke it. Tell me now, or I'll report to Sandaime-sama." I gulp at his threat. I look in his eyes, hoping to see some deception in his words.

… … …

… … …

He's not kidding. He's set on to tell Sandaime-sama about it... maybe even kill me if I resist.

It seems I have no other choice, then... well, here goes nothing!

Sharingan... activated.

His eyes widen in shock, and his grip on me loosened. "H-how...?" Wow, he stuttered. That's new... Guess he also never even considered the possibility of me having these eyes too, huh? Well, that cat is out of the bag. I might as well get everything off my chest now...

"When I received the news of Onii-chan's death..." I answer him. "All hopes and joys I had left died along. I awakened these eyes as a testament of the hatred that engulfs this world. I'm pretty damn sure that you, of all people, should be aware of this. And that's what pisses me off about you, Itachi-kun!" his eyes have question marks all over them. Maybe I should have been a bit more clear about this...

"You spit on Onii-chan's memory! All this talk of peace and understanding is plain bullshit, you know that! A shinobi does nothing but suffer and spread suffering, and not a single argument of yours will convince me! All love I felt for you, who were supposed to be my second brother, died alongside your enemies, and all of those of our clan and Konoha who died in the name of this disgusting warring system! The Yondaime bastard had what was coming to him as well... He let Onii-chan die, and he sealed the Kyuubi inside a helpless baby, like the rotten coward he is! And yet, you and everybody else praise him like a hero?"

"He's not a hero! He's scum! I hate him, I hate Konohagakure, I hate this stupid system that enslaves babies like Naruto-chan and Sasuke-chan! And you support them all, so that makes you the target of my hatred too! I hate you, Itachi-teme! I HATE YOU!"

I had enough of this. Itachi-kun's so stunned that he's not even holding me anymore, so I just take the chance to punch him in the nose as hard as I can. I thought about hitting him in the forehead at first, but the bastard is covering it with a damn hitaiate, so that wouldn't work too well for me.

Well, I hit him so hard that he fell on the ground grunting in pain, so that doesn't matter right now, anyway. I should think of a way to jump out of this rooftop. If only I had a tree of sorts... Oh, there it is! Okay, Anami... you can do this. Take a couple steps back, breathe, prepare to dash...

And JUMP!

… … …

You know? That's one of the few things that makes me envious about Itachi-kun and the other shinobi... They can jump really far and high, and stick themselves to trees with their chakra quite easily.

Me? Not so lucky, seeing that I didn't get even close to the tree I wanted to jump to. And the fall's really high, too, so I'm pretty much done for...

Maybe now I can finally join Onii-chan in the afterlife, and get away from all the burdens that my hatred has put over my shoulders. I only regret that Sasuke-chan and Mikoto-oba will grieve over my death... They have grown on me a lot more than usual over these last three years. I actually tear up while falling and thinking of how much they'll suffer.

It'll be all my fault... I'm the only one to blame for the suffering they'll go through. And now that I think about it, my eyes hurt a lot... maybe I shouldn't have showed the Sharingan to Itachi-kun. It was a bad move on my part...

Well, it can't be helped anymore. My time has come...

"You're still the same crybaby... Mataku..."

If Itachi-kun hadn't suddenly jumped towards me with insane speed and caught me seconds before I fell, that is... In a moment's notice, I'm safely landed on the ground I was about to fall, Itachi-kun by my side, holding me so I wouldn't get hurt. He's still holding that kunai in his left hand, in case things go south again... I can't blame him, of course...

I'm not sure whether he saved my life, or ruined my death... But my thoughts are definitely drifting a bit more towards the latter. I lost all my previous thoughts and hopes regarding the value of my life...

"Why...?" I ask him, my voice hoarse from all the emotions going through my mind. "Why do you even insist on letting me live...? I have nothing to live for anymore... Tou-chan and Kaa-chan left me. Onii-chan left me. Soon you'll leave me alone too... and Sasuke-chan will grow up, become a shinobi and leave me as well... I'm not staying at the main house for long enough, you know that. Soon enough Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba will have no other choice but help me move to another house, leaving me all alone... If you let me die, at least I'll be able to join my family in the afterlife... Please, Itachi-kun... I beg of you..."

"Kill me."

I close my eyes, ready to receive the sharp end of Itachi-kun's kunai. Despite the differences... despite the five years of arguments... despite everything... he's always respected my opinions, and never refused a single one of my requests. Only now, at the brink of death, am I able to acknowledge that. Irony at its very best... If only I had the chance to do things right... I might've even joined him and turned myself into a shinobi... instead of condemning him and arguing, I should've been there for him... helping him to achieve the peace he so craves and fights for.

Huh... how odd.

Here, waiting for the end, I finally realize that peace is a question of faith. One must have blind faith, even if it takes you away from the desired path. It's this strong belief in something greater that will bring people and nations together in the greater scheme of things. Maybe... Itachi-kun was right, after all... peace can be truly achieved, if one truly believes in others. Maybe that's why we have Hokages. They're the ones we deposit our faith in, and they're supposed to represent this accumulation of hopes and dreams for the greater good.

Maybe the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi inside Naruto-chan in a gesture of faith...? Faith that he will be able to control the demon's powers and use it for peace instead of war... Faith that he will surpass the hatred, and find the love he needs to change the world...

I should have believed... I should have embraced this love and let my hatred go... I...

"How long do you intent to stay there, speaking nonsense?"

...Huh?

I...Itachi-kun? He... didn't kill me, after all... or is this a dream? Genjutsu? Maybe both?

The pain in my eyes dismiss both possibilities right away, though. The pain feels very real.

"It doesn't matter if you don't see any more value in your life. I consider you a precious person, and I'm sure that Okaa-san and Sasuke would agree with me. As long as you are precious to them, your life will always be valuable... as much as everybody else's." I hear Itachi-kun say. The speech, the words, the passion... That's a trait that makes him unique. This time I can't help but feel drawn to his speech, specially with that smile...

It's even warmer than I remember, and that fuzziness in my stomach has grown tenfold, but I can't look away. I refuse myself to... Now that I realize, it makes me feel... glad to be alive... Glad to feel valuable...

Glad... to be loved.

"Let's go home... Once we get there, I'll tell you everything... no lies, no secrets. Everything that's happened over the last years has a reason. I just have to ask Sandaime-sama for permission to tell you a couple things, but that won't be a problem, I believe." he says, as he stores back his weapons and carries me bridal style to the main house.

Somehow... I think that now is the time for many great changes to come. Once I learn this... truth... I'm pretty sure that the relationship between Itachi-kun and I will be different.

We can't be brothers anymore... but that won't stop us from being close friends. We can't be equals... but that never stopped him from respecting me, so maybe I should act the same way.

And most of all... I think that, from this relationship, I will most likely change my opinions over... everything. Including the shinobi system. Or rather... specially about the shinobi system.

After such a close call... I think I'm ready to live a new life.

Let's just hope this one lasts longer.

9 months later – first minutes of January 1 (Itachi and Anami: 13 years old)

I never noticed before, but the fireworks of the New Year's Festival are a true masterpiece... Now I know why people attend these festivals.

Heck, even Naruto-kun is joining the festival this year. I managed to sneak out of the compound's walls for a couple hours, and there he was, throwing plates on targets and completely nailing it. Ever since he began his training to become the shinobi Yondaime-sama wanted him to be for the future of Konoha, as well as the rest of the world, he's been proving himself to be as talented as his parents.

Itachi-kun and Sandaime-sama told me everything they could tell me about Namikaze Minato... and the truth about his sacrifice, and everything he left behind so Naruto-kun would find the love he needed to overcome a lifetime of sadness and despair. The man who sealed the Kyuubi inside his own son... did this out of love, and care for the village and the world... so we could have a future of peace.

I felt so ashamed for hating him. Onii-chan would probably be upset with me as well if I just blamed him for a thing he never wished for, which was Onii-chan's and everybody else's death. It would be the equivalent of hating Fugaku-oji for letting Tou-chan and Kaa-chan take part in the war when I was but a few months old...

Silly, right? Yeah, it took me a suicidal jump and begging Itachi-kun to kill me to realize about these things... Having Sandaime-sama and other shinobi who went through a lot like me helped too.

After watching Naruto-kun having a good time at the festival, I felt relieved. He gathered a fantastic circle of friends with that Ino-Shika-Chou trio. Both generations, of course. I heard from Itachi-kun that the Aburame and Inuzuka heirs were also part of his morning training sessions, and he planned to speak with Fugaku-oji, so he could let Sasuke-kun join the group as well. And apparently, that cute Hyuuga girl I saw that afternoon with Naruto-kun wants to be a member of the troop. One more person, and they'll have three complete Genin teams... that would be quite a remarkable feat, indeed.

Speaking of the Hyuuga girl – Hinata is her name, if I recall correctly – she seemed pretty much marveled by Naruto-kun's cheerful and lovable aura. I dare say that they will be quite the item in a near future.

Itachi-kun wasn't the only person watching them from a safe distance, just so you know...

She couldn't stop blushing and smiling at his antics. Of course... I couldn't help but facepalm very hard when Naruto-kun promised to marry her if things ever went wrong with their efforts of changing the Hyuugas from the inside. When she fainted, I held back a roar of laughter. She was just way too cute to be true. He was cute too, trying to cheer her up all the time.

In summary, four year old children starting to develop a relationship that will surely become a romantic one in the future are simply the cutest things in this universe.

Speaking of relationships...

"Tou-san and Kaa-san didn't see you at the gathering." I hear his voice, which immediately brought a smile to my face. Ever since the day he gave me a new reason to live, Itachi-kun's voice had been a lot smoother to my ears, and his smiles even sweeter to my eyes. Those fuzzy feelings in my stomach have intensified as well.

Now that I have a clear look at the teenager in front of me, I realize that he grew up a lot, and I didn't notice. He's taller, and his eyes transmit an aura even more mature than I remember.

To put it simply, Itachi-kun is slowly becoming a very handsome young man. I actually hold back a blush as I think how much more handsome he will turn out to be in the future.

"Do you still hold grudges towards the clan?" he asks. How silly, of course it's not that! "Or maybe you had a moment of realization and decided to work on your natural skills and become a shinobi? I can instruct you personally if you-"

"No, no! Keep the shinobi life away from me!" I shout, chuckling a bit with the silliness of the thought. "Just so you know, I'm pretty happy being a civilian. Sharingan aside, that is..." I think, deadpanned. "I just came here... to think, I guess."

"About...?"

I think for a while. To be honest, there weren't that many things to think about... Yeah, I came up with a lot of conclusions of my own, but they were all about one big subject.

"Life, I suppose..." I answer. "Ever since that incident, I've been reevaluating a lot of stuff I believed in, and I noticed that an impressive amount of these beliefs of mine changed a lot ever since. Of course, you are well aware of them all." he nodded affirmatively.

"I just wanted to stay alone this night to think with a clear mind about all of these changes... when I noticed it." I pointed my finger to the night sky, filled with pretty stars, and the fireworks beautifully drawing a lot of pretty patterns in it. "These things are so beautiful... and they're just a tiny speck of dust compared to the big picture of life itself."

"You could have realized that easily staying with the family..." he says. "Part of the beauty of life is having a number of precious bonds to fill it with colors, sounds and tastes..." I giggle at his humorous but nonetheless correct view of how family bonds are part of what makes us who we are.

"Yeah... maybe you are right..." I answer, a bit sorry for leaving Mikoto-oba and Sasuke-kun. They've grown even more within my heart over the last months. "But I wanted to do this alone. I wanted to start my new life outside the main house with the right foot, you know? Gotta have to be twice as tough from now on!" I raise a fist to the air, a lot more confident than back at the time I asked Mikoto-oba and Fugaku-oji to return to the house where my parents lived. They didn't exactly wanted to comply to my request, but understood that I had my own reasons to do it, and so they accepted. I'm expected to start my life there first thing in the morning of January 3.

Itachi-kun seemed to nod in acknowledgment to my decision, but he still seems a bit upset... "You didn't have to move away." he says. "Otou-san and Okaa-san also said that to you, right? They could very well formally adopt you, and everything would be settled..."

"I know..." I answer him. "But Onii-chan was offered the same honor, and yet he refused. And I still feel that I should keep at least whatever remained of my family intact. That place is still my house... my home..."

"You sound pretty positive about this." Itachi-kun responded. "All your previous fears about being left alone have disappeared. You certainly changed a lot, Anami..."

"It's all thanks to you, Itachi-kun..." I say, a warm feeling flowing within my heart after hearing Itachi-kun's compliments. "You brought me back... the girl that laughed and smiled with her two Onii-chan's... I thought I would never see her again after one brother died and the other became just another cousin. But you never, in a single moment, gave up on me. You always hoped that your words and actions would reach me, and in time they did." My tears are already flowing down through my cheeks. The little crybaby is long gone, though.

These tears are of happiness, gratitude... and love.

"For all you did to me, Itachi-kun. For all the hugs and pokes in the forehead, for the sarcastic remarks, and even in the moments of pain and sadness... Arigatou gosaimasu." I say, bowing to him. There's a tiny voice... way deep in my mind... that's been telling me that trying to hug him is not a good idea. Another voice, on the other hand... is simply demanding that I dash at Itachi-kun, wrap my arms around him and rests my head on his chest so I can hear his heartbeats, for they must sound wonderful. And also because Itachi-kun himself is very warm and comfortable to have physical contact with.

I'm trying real hard to reason between the two voices... but the latter is slowly gaining advantage, and it just needs an incentive to take over my mind and body.

"Thank you for your kind words, Anami." Itachi-kun says, a tone of sweetness in his voice that made him so much more handsome in my point of view... Oh Kami, what am I thinking?! "But I have to be honest. I forgot to give you a birthday gift over the last 3 years, so as you can see, I haven't been that nice to you. I'm sorry."

"Oh, never mind that." I say, struggling against the voice in my head, saying that Itachi-kun is vulnerable to hugs and affectionate gestures at this moment. "Once I move back to my parents' house, you can think about a nice set of homecoming gifts for me."

"Well, that is a nice idea..." he says. "However..." right now, the voice shouts louder, saying 'Accept his gift, now!' Gah, it's so irritating! "It's New Year Day, so I think that you should have them right now." Hmm... it's actually a good line of thought. "Well, where are them, then?" I ask, now excited about these gifts.

"Ano..." he mumbles. How odd of him, acting like that. "I haven't actually bought anything. But I know of a good gift for you." he reaches the hitaiate and unwraps it, making his forehead fully visible.

Is that what I think it is...?

"Whenever I'm with you, you can poke my forehead. Think of it as my personal way to make it up to you. For all the forgotten gifts and more... is that okay with you?" he asks, with a heartwarming smile across his face.

Holy Rikudou Sennin... that's the most awesome gift EVER!

"Are you serious?" I ask, leaping in joy on the inside. He simply nods in agreement. "Well, in that case... I'm gladly accepting it!" I say, stepping forward, bent of imprinting a nice mark on his forehead, to make Itachi-kun pay for all the two thousand, nine hundred and forty-five pokes he gave me ever in the forehead since we were kids.

Yeah... I counted. And now it's PAYBACK TIME!

But as soon as I get my two fingers ready, and Itachi-kun closes his eyes, ready to accept his fate...

That voice strikes me again.

Right now, it's saying: "This forehead poking stuff is not fun at all! Instead of pushing him away, it would be a lot more fun if you pulled him closer. Trick him like a shinobi would! That would teach him a real lesson..."

You know what...? The voice is actually right. I mean... Itachi-kun is just standing there, for Kami's sake! I'm more complied to follow the voice, now. It's time to give Itachi-kun a taste of his own shinobi medicine!

I was a breath of distance now... and I just needed to lift my fingers ever so slightly to poke him. But this new idea came, and now I'm carefully moving my hand around. And...

There! I pulled him by the back of the head with my hands. Our foreheads are touching right now. Itachi-kun opened his eyes in surprise. "Anami... w-what are you-"

"Shh..." I hiss, silencing him. Opening his eyes was probably Itachi-kun's best reaction ever. Because... right now, I'm being pulled by those deep and beautiful dark eyes... For once in my life, I'm not looking at the eyes of a killer, or a tool... but the eyes of a human.

Of a person who changed my life for better.

Of a young man who did, in a few years, what most shinobi weren't able to do in decades of existence, maybe centuries.

Of someone who makes my stomach feel fuzzy all the time, and I think I finally realize why that happens.

Of someone... I could no longer see as a brother... because...

I...

I...

Before I noticed, I had my own eyes closed, as I leaned even closer, and locked my lips with his own. It seems like a dream... but it's not. It's real. The feel of his lips... the urge to use the tongue and intensify this feeling... the moan of pleasure for having my kiss slowly but gradually returned, with a timid, yet fierce passion...

I'm kissing Uchiha Itachi... and I'm loving it. I wonder what took me so long to finally come together with my feelings and act on them...

I don't feel like I'm committing incest. And in fact, I'm not. After all, he's not my brother. We're both Uchiha... but we're still, by all moral and technical terms, still allowed to have a romantic relationship. Heck, a pretty good example of this is Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba. They are only 3rd degree cousins, yeah... but that's still an example of how a majority of the shinobi clans in Konoha work. And there's a good reason for that.

The Sharingan is a recessive gene.

Meaning that, if a person with more dominant genes marries into the Uchiha clan, the gene that carries the bloodline might be lost or pushed further into the recessive end, meaning that only a tiny percentage of those descendants have the chance of awakening the Sharingan in the future.

That's why usually cousins from any degree are allowed to date, get married and have children. Parents, and specially the elders support this... Itachi-kun, as son of the clan head, would have most likely been set up in a sort of arranged marriage within the clan. That almost happened with Fugaku-oji, but at the very last minute Mikoto-oba took first initiative in asking him out. She always had a crush on him ever since the Academy.

The rest of the story, everybody knows.

Right now, Itachi-kun and I broke the kiss and we're looking at each other in the eye. I'm clearly noticing the new gleam in his eyes. The love and happiness I see in his eyes is just overwhelming... I'm sure that's the first time he ever felt like that. And I can't blame him.

He wasn't so lucky as his parents with this love stuff... He graduated way too soon, and never had the chance to get along with kids his age. The only one, as a matter of fact...

Was me.

Which probably means that Fugaku-oji would, sometime in the future, speak with me, and ask me to become a suitable wife for him, saying that it's for the good of the clan, or the village, or anything like that.

And this also means that...

Dear Rikudou...

I didn't have the need to act early at all! We will most likely be betrothed anyway!

I just kissed him out of an act of urgency to claim him for me without needing to do that!

I'm the dumbest girl on the planet! That's it... I'm out of here!

"W-wait! Anami!" I hear Itachi-kun shout as I take off, embarrassed to the point I feel like fainting. Just like Hinata-chan... I feel like I reached a level of stupidity unheard of in this universe. I should probably keep our kiss as classified as the existence of my Sharingan. It might bring Itachi-kun problems with his shinobi life... and I can't even fathom what Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba would do if they found out.

I don't want Itachi-kun to feel any more pressured than he already is. I feel like I've just dug my own grave. A stupid thought, I know... but that's what happens when you act recklessly.

And yet... I feel happier than I have ever felt in my whole life. Like I could take on the whole world by myself, consequences be damned.

Is this how being in love feels like...?

I hope it does...

Because a small part of me... the part that ordered me to kiss Itachi-kun... wants this feeling to last forever.

25 months later, January 16 – Outskirts of Uchiha District (Itachi and Anami: 15 years old)

"Now then... let's see if you can do this jutsu. It's called Housenka, and unlike the Goukakyuu, it's supposed to be spread around in smaller fireballs... Almost like a fire shower. The seals are as follows: Rat, Tiger, Dog, Ox, Rabbit and Tiger again. Here, let me show you..."

Fugaku-oji is teaching Sasuke-kun the most basic Katon ninjutsu of the Uchiha clan. They can be considered our official rite of passage. If an Uchiha is able to perform these jutsu, he is worthy of carrying and wearing the fan that defines our identity.

Ever since Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun went through Itachi-kun's private training three months ago...

Okay, scratch that.

Ever since the beginning of their shinobi training more than three years ago. Fugaku-oji has been paying a lot more attention to his second son, as well as the rest of the clan overall. Shisui-itoko is an example of that. He's been receiving training to become Godaime for a year or so.

Which means that the ego of 108 cousins, 35 uncles and 17 grandparents of five different degrees increased by a hundredfold. Pretty much the entire clan is eager to celebrate the rise of an Uchiha to the job of Hokage after nearly 100 since the betrayal of Madara... He was, and still is, a grim reminder of the Uchiha's curse of hatred that nearly destroyed the peace that so many fought for.

It was because of people like him that the Senju clan sought to take over everything.

Good thing they did, though. My grandparents and granduncles were too much ambitious for Konoha's sake. But things are much different now. Tou-chan, Kaa-chan, Kagami-oji, Shisui-itoko, Itachi-kun, Sasuke-kun...

Onii-chan...

They're all good examples of how much the clan has changed over the years. We're loyal to the village. We're on the way of reestablishing a long lost relationship of trust and friendship with the higher councils. Also, we have in those three the hope of a new era for the clan.

Shisui-itoko as Hokage, Itachi-kun as clan head, and Sasuke-kun as head of the Kemu Butai. That's... a very scary thought, actually. Seeing that these three are as talented and promising as they are, it's no wonder why Sandaime-sama is putting his faith into them.

Of course, we can't mention them without talking about Naruto-kun. He is, according to what Itachi-kun told me, responsible for igniting the Hi no Ishi within Sasuke-kun, and helping Itachi-kun and Shisui-itoko revive their own. The way he carries life on with that huge smile and charismatic attitude of his... the words he says to comfort people... and the determination to get things right.

He's going to change the shinobi world forever, one person at a time... Itachi-kun believes in that, Sandaime-sama believes in that as well... Yondaime-sama believed too, even if it was just a natural act of fatherly faith.

And I believe in Naruto-kun as well. His future will be a bright one... just like Itachi-kun's and mine... I hope.

Speaking of Itachi-kun...

"You really like watching us from the sidelines, don't you?" a voice whispers in my ear, as the person behind me wraps his arms around my waist.

Itachi-kun almost startled me for a second. But after a while, I got so used to these moments that it's not even funny anymore. He's been doing that for nearly four, five years now. But over the last year, I wasn't scared of his sudden appearances anymore. Specially when they became this... amorous. He can be quite a ladies' man when he wants to.

Lucky me... or maybe unlucky. My Uchiha blood is slowly turning me into a low-level shinobi without asking me to.

"Yeah..." I answer, as I draw circles around his cheeks... I love his cheeks, because they're so soft... "This is most likely the closest I'll ever get from acting like a shinobi. Since I have nearly insignificant reserves, I can actually get away from a Kanchi Taipu or two..."

"Having the Sharingan to distinguish nearly microscopic changes in the environment helps too."

"If I had the disposition to use for more than thirty seconds, that is..." I answer him. "Or... you could simply admit for all in hearing range that I'd make a better shinobi than you, but you just got lucky! How about it?"

Heh, he actually chuckled after that one.

"Yeah, whatever..." he says. "Anyway... just dropped by to tell you that I have a mission, and I'll be back in a month, maybe a little less. Thought I'd let you know..." he tells me, as he picks his Weasel mask from his back and puts it on. That's his way of saying that he's gone full 'ANBU mode' and his heart is out of reach until the mission is over.

Damn you, Itachi-kun... you always do that! You act all lovely and heartwarming in the first minute, but then you raise this huge barrier between us. It's like you're trying to say outright that you don't have choice but to have this double life. And putting your ANBU mask on is your way to suppress your sadness in seeing me sad for watching you leave without knowing if you'll ever come back safely.

I know you will... you are the best in the force. You've become captain a couple months before turning 14, for Kami's sake! To think that you won't complete your mission and return safely is just ludicrous...

But it still hurts so fucking bad... I hate that pain!

"If you excuse me..." he says, ready to take his leave and report to Sandaime-sama that he's about to depart. I'm simply hurt – again – by the fact that his sense of urgency towards the mission and the greater well being of the village overwhelm everything... even our relationship.

It's not like I can blame him, though. I ran away that night, and Itachi-kun interpreted that as my way to say: 'If anyone asks, that never happened, okay?'. He got that one right, thankfully... No one has the slightest clue about the nature of our relationship, and we hope it stays that way until we reach a more fitting age to admit our feelings in public.

But, at the same time, it sets this need to be secretive and the least affectionate possible. Otherwise, we might get reckless and be found out. And so, Itachi-kun can act really cold at times. Almost as if he doesn't love me.

I have no such standards, though... I love him, with all my heart, and I'm treasuring these little moments with the best of my skills.

That's why, a split seconds before he leaves, I grab his hand with all my might, intercepting him. "Anami, I'm going to be late for-" Oh, shut up already.

"Take off your mask, Weasel." I ask him. "...please..." I add, trying to reach the Itachi-kun I knew ever since I was just a baby... The one that, whenever I asked, gave me a piggyback ride – even thought we were almost the same size – or helped me with my hair, or homework. I always had this 'I could have some help and love' aura over me, that just... made him do whatever I told him to.

Most likely, it's a girl thingamajig... And as a teenager on my way to become a woman, I've refined this skill over the ears, and even the all powerful ANBU captain is not immune to this.

See? He took it off! Thank you, womanly charm. I owe you a beauty sleep later.

"… … …" I try to say something, as I look at his eyes. All these thoughts never left my brain... I never voiced them out loud, though many of them have been turned into actions that spoke louder. But it wasn't enough for me...

It never is.

But what could I say to him? How could I ever be able to express in words, of all things possible, the way my heart feels when he's with me, in a way that's not cliché like a simple and lame 'I love you'? He deserves... so much more than that! But I just can't find the words! I think I'll have to tone it down to something simpler...

"Come back safely."

I lean forward and kiss him. After a couple seconds, he returns the kiss and wraps his arms around me. Dear Rikudou... it's been nearly a week since our last kiss, and yet it feels so much more than that... his kisses have become so much more intense on the inside that it's almost unbearable. I feel like any more of those will take whatever's left of my sanity and decency and rip them all apart.

How does that even work? His lips are softer than mine, and his kisses are chaster too, dammit!

"Hai." he answer me, as soon as we break the kiss. He gives me one of his melting smiles, which suppresses all my negative thoughts about his life as both an ANBU-nin and my secret boyfriend.

Indeed... our future is looking forward to be a bright one.

19 months later, August 14 – Uchiha District Main House (Itachi: 17 years old; Anami: 16)

"It's good to be here after a while." I say to Mikoto-oba, as I stroll around the kitchen I hanged around for a large part of my life. Nearly 13 years of it, as a matter of fact.

Damn... it's been almost four years already, hasn't it...? I can't believe I had to be invited for tea time to step inside this house after so long.

"Thanks for inviting me to have a cup of tea, Mikoto-oba." I say, kneeling in front of the dining table. "But... Why call me now? Sasuke-kun and Fugaku-oji aren't back neither from Academy or work... If you wanted me to have breakfast with you guys, you should have called me sooner." True enough, It's 3:15 PM right now... I thought it was pretty strange that Mikoto-oba would come over to my house and invite me here, when I could have done that right there. I didn't mention Itachi-kun because he works much earlier, and rarely joins them.

She did give me a full tea set as homecoming gifts, it would be only logical, right? Well, anyway... no matter. Mikoto-oba's about to speak anyway...

"Well..." she mumbled. "First of all, I wanted to have a private conversation with you, and I thought that my house was more appropriate than yours. After all..." she performed half of a Ram seal with her right hand. A series of six privacy seals were activated across the kitchen, assuring the confidentiality of our conversation. "It's not everyone who had the chance to befriend a Fuuinjutsu specialist during her teenage years like me."

"Kushina-sama made this for you...?"

"A few months before my first pregnancy, yes." she answered. "Half of our gossips were held in here. Tsume, Kushina and I would always gather here when things were calm and we didn't have kids of our own. Now it's so different, right?" She took a sip of her tea, sighing in a longing manner. "Tsume had her daughter Hana... and she had to fulfill her duties as the clan head. I had Itachi, and Kushina's visits diminished with time. And then, she died..."

She sighed again, this time holding back a sob. From what I heard from Sandaime-sama, Kushina-sama was, most likely, the most amazing person who ever lived on this planet. She was loud, obnoxious, aggressive, and yet, she had this impressive way to reach people's hearts when they most needed. And Mikoto-oba befriended her when they were still kids, meaning that she knew about these traits longer than most people. Most likely, she received a lot of help and comfort from Kushina-sama.

She's one of, if not the main reason why Mikoto-oba became this amazing motherly figure to Onii-chan and I when we most needed... and I'm eternally grateful to her for that.

"Anyway... the second reason why I called you here at this time..." she put her cup away, looking at me with a very serious look. I'm actually a bit scared by that look. "Is that I didn't want to disturb you when you were dealing with morning sickness for nearly a week."

The only sounds I heard after that were my cup shattering on the floor and the bamboo at the fountain.

Needless to say, I was outright shocked that she found out so easily. "W-w-wha... I-I... I don't... h-how...?"

"Your skin is paler than usual, and the weakness on your step after you leave the house is noticeable." Okay, now I'm impressed. She noticed so many flaws on my attempts to disguise it as if it was nothing.

But then again... she already had two sons, as well as many friends and relatives getting pregnant. She's well aware of the way pregnant women look and act. And she's a former Jounin to boot... I foolishly thought that she wouldn't notice...

"Don't ever think for a second that I'm scolding you, Anami..." she says to me, snapping me from a bunch of negative thoughts. Her voice is very soothing... I think that's where Itachi-kun's 'magic' comes from... "Being pregnant is not something easy to handle. But you always had, and always will have a family to support your decisions, whatever they are." She offered me another cup of tea, making it up for the scare she gave me. I'm actually grateful she did that, my throat was getting dry after that mouth gape...

"Besides... this is my grandson we're talking about. I definitely want to help you raising this child."

Okay, now she's pushing it! I spit my tea after that one.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Mikoto-oba, w-what are you talking about? I-I would n-never-"

"Cut the act, young lady!" she says in a very fierce voice tone. I actually froze a bit... again. "I noticed for a long time the way you looked at my son. For nearly 10 years you were brothers, and then you almost became strangers." I can't help but lower my head a bit. She was right. My attitude towards Itachi-kun was shameful to say the least.

"And then... around six months before you moved back to your house, your eyes changed again. But it wasn't that ominous feeling, but rather a loving one. It reminded me a lot of my crush with Fugaku..." Now I look at her in surprise. Was I that obvious? I tried so hard to imitate Itachi-kun's deceiving look, and I failed big.

"The day you packed your things, you refused to look at him in the eye. I suspected it for a while, and then, a month ago, Itachi left for an hour or two during his birthday party. I put the final nail in my 'intuitive' coffin when he came back, trying his best to conceal the smell of sex. Of course... that didn't work so well. His face was a bit too messy for an organized boy like him, and you were glowing, for Kami's sake!"

Wait... I was?

"I saw you picking a few groceries at the store within the district... your skin and smile were that of a woman who's had sex for the first time. Honestly, I'm surprised that so far I was the only one to notice. It was really obvious... maybe it's because I was the only one who suspected that Itachi and you had something going on in the first place" she said, smiling as she proved all her theories right by simply looking at my expression.

Mouth completely agape.

Damn, she's as keen as ever. Even after almost 18 years inactive, she's still quite perceptive and deceiving. A true shinobi, taught by Tsunade-sama herself. Never again I'll underestimate her cleverness after that one...

"...Yes." I say, humbly defeated. "Itachi-kun and I have been seeing each other for three and a half years, so far. Last month, during his birthday, I thought it was better to stay at home... I didn't want to compromise the secretiveness of our relationship by acting recklessly, I'm sure you understand that..." Mikoto-oba nodded.

"But..." I hold back the lump in my throat. A blissful one, that is. "He came over my house that night. Before I said anything, he... he kissed me." Mikoto-oba raises her eyebrow as I tell my story. "And he said to me... 'I couldn't have made it this far without you. I'm handing over my post of ANBU captain as of today, and by the time I'm ready to become clan head, I'll ask Chichiue to make our relationship official, and then we'll marry each other before we're 18.'"

I'm about to tear up of happiness as I talk about the events of that night. The emotion is just... indescribable.

"He's been thinking about that possibility ever since Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan were betrothed. If a young couple of children could be so adamant in telling people how much they're in love, how couldn't we two, who were dating for so long, do that? It just felt... right! And if that wasn't enough, he said 'I love you' for the first time." Great, now I can't stop crying... that moment gets me chocked up every time I remember it.

"Mikoto-oba, I... I love Itachi-kun. And he loves me in return. Will you give us your blessing?" I ask, bowing to her in respect. She may be my aunt... but she's still Uchiha Mikoto, matriarch of the almighty Uchiha clan.

Personally, I didn't think it would be easy to talk so much about what happened. Specially because that's the only part worth mentioning, of course. I don't think Mikoto-oba would be too pleased hearing about her son and her niece's romantic night. That's as classified as my Sharingan, or maybe even more...

"Anami..." I hear her voice, making me raise my head to face her. "I care a lot for you. Both as a niece, and as a surrogate daughter. I've seen you grown into the beautiful woman you are now, and you're responsible... sometimes, when I look at you... it reminds me of your brother." I widen my eyes in surprise. I can hardly say how honored I am to be compared to Onii-chan... he is my role model, after all.

But still...

"Onii-chan wouldn't accept being betrothed within the clan... He always preferred to socialize with as many people outside the walls as he could." I say.

"Yeah, I know. As a matter of fact, he was in love with a girl of his class, wasn't he? His teammate, if I recall correctly...?" she mumbles at the end, putting a hand over her chin.

"Yeah..." I answer. "Nice girl, too. Too bad she died alongside him before they had a chance to be happy..."

"True..." Mikoto-oba says, sighing longingly again. "Anyway... you've become a wonderful woman, Anami... I'm pretty sure that, if Itachi-kun loves you that much, then you're definitely doing something right. He needs your love, and you need his." she smiles at me. A smile that I see a lot from Itachi-kun whenever we're alone.

A loving one. And that probably means...

"Tonight, at the clan meeting, I'll talk to Itachi, as well as Fugaku. If things work out just fine, we could very well announce your betrothal then and there." she says, smiling with both her mouth and eyes. It looks a bit like Naruto-kun's smile, now that I think about it...

Which means that I've gained her blessing, and I'm supposed to cross the table and hug her right now.

"Thank you so much..." I say, my voice still hoarse from all that crying. "I'll be the best daughter-in-law you could ever dream of. I promise you that, Mikoto-oba..." She chuckles with my silly words, as she caresses my hair. Wow, that takes me back to the days Onii-chan would tease me and I ran to her, crying in annoyance...

"Anami... after everything's settled... you may call me Okaa-san, if that's okay with you... Got it?" she asked. That's... most likely one of, if not the greatest honor ever granted to me. To be part of this family once again. But this time, with a mother, father, brother, husband and son, all at once.

That just makes me look even more forward towards the future that awaits me.

"Now then... we should get ready. The meeting won't start until later, but I want you to help me with a few of the preparations. Shall we?" she asks me. She's already counting on me to be part of the family again, so I'm pretty much reassured that things have gone okay. Sure, I'll help!

"Hai! You can count on me, Mikoto... ... ...okaa." her eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise, followed by this heartwarming smile Itachi-kun and her share.

Wow... this is what calling one 'mother' and 'father' feels like, huh... It's... a beautiful feeling. No wonder why Onii-chan loved Tou-chan and Kaa-chan so much to politely refuse being adopted into this house. I just hope that, wherever he is, he's happy for me... and for the new family I'm gaining soon. Both those who're already among us...

And of course, the ones who are on their way to enter this world. Speaking of which...

I better start thinking of a name...

Meh. I'll take care of that once everything settles down. For now, I'll focus on getting the meeting ready.

… … …

… … …

… … …

I didn't know back then... and neither did anyone, for that matter. But later that day, Itachi-kun didn't attend the meeting... and neither did Shisui-itoko.

From that day forward... things would change... forever.

There would be no family talk... no announcement... no betrothal... no wedding...

Nothing.

There would be only grief... anger... hatred...

And death.

A month later, September 15 – Night of the Massacre

Until a few minutes ago, I was having dinner with Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-okaa- I mean... oba. Nothing has been rightfully settled yet, so I'm not yet part of the family the way I hoped to become... Mikoto-oba's still the only one who knows about my pregnancy. And my belly hasn't started to grow yet, so I'm still good. And even if it does, Mikoto-oba has a very subtle genjutsu to help me out at the right time.

She left some dinner to Itachi-kun's door about twenty minutes ago... It was the first time in a month he made it home before 6 PM. From all I've heard from him, he should have joined us right away. Fugaku-oji thought strange as well, so he decided to call him personally four minutes later. But he was suddenly gone... the plate was empty, so he did have dinner, and left soon after. Probably another mission...

But suddenly, blood started to splash around the compound's walls. Right then, we knew things went south.

Itachi-kun has started killing everyone. Of course, we didn't know that he was the one until our time was up.

They dragged me alongside, heading towards Fugaku-oji's meeting room. Apparently he's been meeting... an intriguing man. He told me the story behind the first appearing of this masked man... who wanted to mobilize the clan to take their 'righteous' spot in the village. That a failed attempt of a Godaime wasn't enough. A few weeks later, Shisui-itoko died.

Speaking of which... I don't believe Itachi-kun would ever be able to kill him. But I can't deny that something, deep down inside him, made him change. Sometimes his face showed... pain. It was unusual... specially when it's Itachi-kun we're talking about. His ability to mask emotions are remarkable, and yet his suffering is clear for me to see...

Anyway, back to the main topic... The masked man came back. He introduced himself as...

Uchiha Madara.

Yes, that Madara. The one who was supposed to be dead many decades ago. The second most powerful of all shinobi who ever walked this earth. The one whose hatred and rebellious will spread like a leper within us. I heard and read tales and reports that the Nidaime created the Kemu Butai out of an old prison and dragged the compound further from the village to be able to watch over the clan more carefully. He was afraid that a second Madara would appear, and personally... I can't blame him at all.

The mention of his name alone brought a fierce chill upon my spine. Whoever that man was... he seems to be either a fool, or a powerful man... and I'm betting on the latter. The way Fugaku-oji described the dark aura he felt talking to that man and having no other choice but to accept cooperation with the coup... he might not be the real Madara... but he's powerful, alright. Powerful enough to spread the greed and revolt within us.

Before anybody noticed, three quarters of the clan were already in favor of the coup d'etat against Konoha. I was against it, of course – I still am – but the date was already set for October 10.

Naruto-kun's 8th birthday. In the middle of the Fox Festival.

The village would be vulnerable and at mercy of an attack. The clan would be annihilated, except for me and the rest of the civilians, who would escape through the tunnels used to escort the war prisoners of the ancient prison that became our very own Kemu Butai. Funny place to be... since the force would most likely lose the battle anyway, even the ANBU would only notice the absence of the civilians way after out departure. It was, for the lack of a better term, a cunning plan devised by this 'Madara' guy.

The remaining people would most likely be led by me, the oldest 1st degree relative alive, for six years or so, until Sasuke-kun came of age. And this new generation of shinobi would learn to hate Konohagakure... to the point of awakening the Sharingan early like Itachi-kun and I did.

And to make matters worse, the state of Konoha after such conflict would call out the other nations to launch their own devices of war. The Daiyonji Ninkai Taisen would be declared, and the peace Itachi-kun craved so much for would be all for naught.

The annihilation of the clan by Itachi-kun's hands is surprisingly preventing these events to take place... A bit too much convenient, to say the very least.

Was it all... planned?

I can't think of anything else, really... and I would love to think over some more. This idea is a bit bizarre. I'd do anything to have more time to get my thoughts worked out... But the time to think is over.

He's here. At last.

"I'm guessing you know why I'm here." I hear Itachi-kun's freezing voice tone. It's so devoid of life it's just... Gosh. I guess that's either becoming an emotionless killer or a guilt-ridden teenager. I can only imagine how much he's really suffering for having to kill his own family.

His own parents...

His own girlfriend...

"You decided to side with Konoha, is that right?" Fugaku-oji asks, for which Itachi-kun nodded. "I see... I'm sure you know about Madara, and reported to Sandaime-sama about it. You've always put Konoha's safety in the first place..." he actually scoffed a bit. Itachi-kun was, in a way, some sort of black sheep. He never liked the selfish nature of the clan.

Thank Kami for the small graces.

"I hoped that there would be a time when you and Sasuke rose to greatness, but Madara came and... the fear took over my mind. To defy him was simply... suicide. If only Shisui was alive... we could have changed all of that... but now it's too late, I fear."

"I understand, Otou-san." Itachi-kun said. "Even I held back a chill on the spine when I heard you two. This man is not to be underestimated. I promise I'll make him pay for corrupting the family. My only regret is that I never had the chance to tell Sasuke the truth... I'm going to take on his hatred, and doing so he will awaken his Sharingan and improve himself further than ever. One day he'll kill me, and never again will the Uchiha name be stained."

The tears are already running down my face. To protect the family by killing us, and Konoha by weakening it with the loss of a strong clan and becoming a 'traitor'... he's sacrificing everything he holds dear. It's so... so unfair!

"So you decided to become a nuke-nin..." Mikoto-oba said, her voice tone pretty saddened by these news. "I never thought that you would go so far, Itachi. That alone shows us your conviction and love for Konoha and the Senju's Hi no Ishi. I'm proud of you, my son. But before you go... could you do me a couple favors?"

"Anything for you, Okaa-san." he said. I notice that his eyes are shimmering a bit. I think he's about to cry...

"Even though you're becoming a traitor and a fugitive... I want you to take good care of Sasuke and Naruto-kun. One is the brother you failed to be honest to, and the other is the godson I failed to raise... The village will need them. And they will need you... even if they don't know about it. Guide them properly."

"I understand."

"And also..." she took a couple steps and put her hand on my shoulder. "Take her with you." I can't help but gasp at what she just said. Fugaku-oji and Itachi-kun widen their eyes in surprise, too. They definitely didn't see that one coming. "The future of the clan rests not only on Sasuke, but on your child as well. Take care of them both, until the time is right."

The sound of his sword hitting the floor was deafening, given the silence of the room.

"Anami... is pregnant?" he asks, his hands shaking. I guess that the idea of killing both his girlfriend and his son at once hit him at full force. He actually took a couple steps back, and the sight of Itachi-kun putting that barrier between us came back to my mind.

I couldn't allow that to happen. He made it this far – we made it this far.

"Itachi-kun, I..." I tried to think of something to say, as I take my own steps forward, trying to reach him. I'm sure that his mind must be as wrecked as mine was a long time ago. And now is my turn to save him. "I... I'm sorry for keeping this secret from you. But Mikoto-oba and I were planning to sort it all out to make sure that we would get married. It would be my gift to you... for everything you did for me."

"Itachi-kun, I... I love you."

There. I've said it. After everything I tried to come up with, thinking that he deserved more than just a simple 'I love you', I decided to keep it simple. Something that Itachi-kun taught me two months ago. Things are just better when they're simple.

His face seems calmer. And Mikoto-oba whispered 'arigatou' to me. Seems like I was right to confess my love to him. Now we should just-

"Anami... leave us alone." I hear Fugaku-oji say. I turned around to face him, but before I said anything, the sound of steel got my attention. Itachi-kun took his sword from the ground. "As I said... leave us alone. You'll not enjoy the scenery." I immediately understand what happened. Itachi-kun's mind is soothed, but the time's up.

He's going to kill Fugaku-oji and Mikoto-oba, and after that he'll trigger Sasuke-kun's hatred.

"Goodbye... Anami-chan." Mikoto-oba says. The addition of the -chan suffix made me flinch a bit. The tears have returned. Right now, the person who raised me as if I was her own daughter will be killed. The woman who should have become my mother-in-law, given the right circumstances. This is my last chance to call her by the name she allowed me to call by.

"Goodbye... Mikoto-okaasan." I say, hugging her with all my strength, and crying like there's not tomorrow. "Thank you for everything... Your grandson will know about you and your wonderful heart. I'll make sure of that." she nods and whispers 'it's okay, Anami-chan... everything will be alright.' in my ear.

You know what's more amazing? She hadn't shed a single tear. That's a shinobi for you.

They endure.

"Goodbye... Fugaku-otousan." I say, letting go of Mikoto-okaasan and hugging him. He takes a few seconds to return my hug. He never was one to display affection... "Take good care, Anami." he says. "You're a good girl, just like your brother... Let's hope my grandson inherit your side of the family. I entrust to him the future of the clan and the village."

Fugaku-otousan... still thinking about the clan's strength and honor, like always. Thank Kami this particular trust on a new baby coming is a more selfless one. I'm actually happy he hopes my son becomes a promising shinobi in the future.

He will be my greatest redemption towards the clan and the village. I'll make sure of that.

"I'm going to take the secret passageway through the Kemu Butai and wait for you there, Itachi-kun." I say, for which he simply nodded. It's time to go... Sasuke-kun should be arriving any second now.

For now... I can only say goodbye to the Uchiha compound, as well as Konohagakure.

30 minutes later...

"What took you so long?" I ask Itachi-kun, as soon as he arrives at the designated spot.

"Naruto-kun... I never expected him to use the Kyuubi's chakra to break through my Tsukuyomi. It took me a bit longer to disable him and hope that he learns something from his defeat." he says, taking a map from his pouch and putting it on the floor. Because right now we've reached the stalemate of the century.

Where would a nuke-nin run away to?

Itachi-kun is silently analyzing all the available options... and I will help him to think of something.

Suna? Nah, they're allies to Konoha... even though Konoha's the reason why they're almost bankrupt. Should a war ever break out, they'd most definitely betray Konoha to save their own skin. Although the desert that is Kaze no Kuni is to blame too. They've always faced money issues because they're limited to import anything that grows... including water.

Makes me wonder how strong their shinobi must be, to have a relatively steady income.

Kumo and Iwa are simply out of question. Their history with Konohagakure is not a very sweet one. Not even the smaller countries, with or without shinobi villages, are a nice choice. Shinobi are sent to these places for all kinds of tasks every single day. Nowadays, there are shinobi from the five great villages everywhere.

And in less than 24 hours, every single Bingo Book around the Gotai no Kuni and beyond will be updated... with the picture of a 17 year old former ANBU captain who butchered his own clan. I'd reckon that... around 50, maybe 55 million Ryo would be set on his head. A... maybe S-rank.

Finding a place to hide is surely a tough task, huh... damn this globalized world! Not even the extinct Uzu no Kuni would serve as a hiding spot. Only a dumbass would try to hide in old legendary ruins, anyway. It's too obvious... And if the rumors are real, the old traps hidden beneath an ocean of lost fuuinjutsu make the place a dangerous one. Even trying to pass through the whirlpools is a dangerous task.

Uzu no Kuni is out of the question too.

Kiri would be a nice idea if the place wasn't taken by a civil war. Against shinobi with Kekkei Genkai, of all things considered... we would be like moths flying towards the flame.

"We go to Kiri." Itachi-kun says.

… … …

Wait, what?

"Are you insane?" I ask, trying to be as low as possible. ANBU has started their search, after all. "Kiri is at war within itself, for Kami's sake. And against people with special genetics like us, to make it all worse! You better have a good reason to choose this place..."

"It's the last thing anyone would expect. A Kekkei Genkai wielder taking refugee in Kiri. As a matter of fact, the reason why Kiri is in civil war in the first place is that there are people who don't accept the slaughter of people with Kekkei Genkai. If we ever need to, they'll help us."

"Of course... we won't need them." he says. I'm still confused, so I hope he explains it further.

"We just barely hit the border. There's a lot of abandoned houses around there, none fit for people to hide... I know, I was there a few months ago."

"So..." I mumble. "Let me see if I get this straight. We play reverse psychology, and hope for the best?" That seems like... a great idea, to be honest. And it looks like I got this right. He nodded to me.

But there's still something bothering me...

"What will assure that people in ANBU who knew your M.O won't look for us there?" I ask. True enough, if anyone can accomplish this task, it's the ANBU who worked alongside Itachi-kun for the last four years. The idea of being a flawless plan is kind of compromised there...

"For two reasons." he says. Well, now I'm curious about these reasons... "First is that, as of today, I became Konoha's greatest 'traitor' since Orochimaru. Everything they 'knew' about me will change."

Oh... right. I forgot about that.

"The second reason is that there is someone inside Konoha who, if my assumptions are correct, owes me for teaching Naruto-kun. And I'll ask for his help and influence to keep our location a secret."

"Who is this person?"

"Jiraiya-sama." he answers, putting the map back in his pouch and taking my hand. "We'll quicken the pace for now. The sooner we can get outside of Hi no Kuni, the sooner I'll be able to take care of you."

Itachi-kun... even with everything going on, you're still concerned about me... Onii-chan definitely rubbed off on you, you know that? If only he was still alive to help everyone out...

Well, the past is the past. I should be more concerned about the child I'm holding inside me.

Now that I mentioned it... I think I have a fitting name. Well... more like a couple names.

If it's a girl, she will be named Kibou. A name that symbolizes the upcoming hope. And if it's a boy... I'll most likely name him after Onii-chan...

It's a funny name, I know... But it will fit him once he becomes a peace-loving fool like Onii-chan, Itachi-kun, Shisui-itoko and everyone else.

His name will be...

Back at present time – Normal POV

"Well, I guess that's basically it." Anami said, taking a sip of her tea. "After that, Itachi-kun and I found quite a lot of abandoned cottages such as this one. We'll most likely connect them through underground passages... and hope for the best."

"During our escape from Konoha..." Itachi added. "I decided to write you the letter you have in your hands. I believed that, if there was anyone with experience in dealing with contact networks and had undying loyalty for Konoha and peace, it would be you, Jiraiya-sama. Sandaime-sama will be more relieved if there's a better chance of tracking the man who calls himself Madara with you to provide some assistance."

"Not only that..." Anami continued. "I... I would like to learn, if only a little bit, about the shinobi arts." The Sannin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at hearing such a phrase coming from a girl who hated shinobi for so many years.

"There will be a time that Itachi-kun won't be here to protect me, or the baby. And I promise to bring the best in me for this cause, Jiraiya-sama. Please..." she bowed her head to the elderly man sitting at the dinner table. Said man took a couple seconds to think about what he should do.

Itachi would already take classes in spying, as well as information gathering, protection and distribution. Was it worth to invest a bit more of his time to teach Anami? She was most likely too underdeveloped for her age to endure a proper shinobi training... and she was expecting a baby too, so most of the significant stuff would have to be cast aside as it is.

But she had what Itachi had. A nicely developed Sharingan, a knack for theoretical knowledge, and the most important reason to begin with: the will to protect those who were dear to her.

What do do...

"Worry not, Jiraiya-sama." Itachi said. "As an Uchiha myself, I'm more fit to teach her." the other two people in the room nodded, as they saw the reasoning in what he said. "Well, if you excuse me... I'll cook something for lunch." Anami said, heading towards the kitchen, leaving Itachi and Jiraiya alone. The Sannin rose from the chair and headed towards the door.

"Very well, then..." Jiraiya said. "Shall we begin training? I want to see what you're made of." the grin in his face made Itachi a bit worried on the inside.

It seemed he wouldn't teach him only how to be a good spy...

Meanwhile, in Konohagakure no Sato...

"Hokage-sama..." an ANBU-nin approached the elder leader, who had just returned to his office after staying over at Naruto's for the morning. The young Jinchuuriki had left for training with his friends, and after that, a lunch at the Hyuuga compound would be served. As for Hiruzen... he had work to do.

Such was the life of the Hokage...

"The ANBU had finished filling the reports and details of last month's incident. Here is the full list of Uchiha who were there that night, as well as the possible endeavors of Uchiha Itachi during that night." he said, as a large stack of papers was put on the table. The Hokage nodded in gratitude and the ANBU-nin left his leader alone to read the document, unbeknownst of Hiruzen's thoughts in his mind.

Hiruzen, for all he could care, had no need of such a report. He just needed something physical that could be useful in case someone like Danzou tried to pull off something.

But as soon as he opened the first few pages, for simple reassurance of his, his eyes stumbled over one of the first names on the list.

Uchiha Anami - Civilian Registration 401293

Age: 16 (November 12)

Family: Uchiha Himaru (father - deceased) Uchiha Ookami (mother - deceased) and Uchiha Obito (brother – deceased)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Family already deceased for a number of years.

No formal shinobi training registered

Manner of death: UNKNOWN – BODY UNNACOUNTED

Hiruzen widened his eyes. This was something he did not expect at all. He remembered Anami. It was a nice girl Itachi wanted to help. His 1st degree cousin, if he recalled correctly. She was most likely the only person outside Minato and Kushina's circle of close friends who knew about Naruto's blood relation with them. Lest his intuition was wrong, her hatred for Konoha, the clan, the Yondaime, and even herself were pretty strong.

But she overcame them all thanks to the combined efforts of himself, Itachi and a few other people.

"Itachi... what are you up to...?" he thought. He just knew that Itachi had something to do with this particular person. He just didn't know what she had that it was so special.

And even so... was it worth investigating at all? Itachi surely knows what he's doing. If he did leave her alive that night, he must have had a pretty damn good reason, because he said, very determined, that Sasuke would be the only one left alive.

What to do... what to do...

Maybe he should trust him a bit more. Itachi trusted Sasuke to him, and he would sure as hell keep his word.

Everything would be explained at the right time.

Glossary

Dai (Sanji & Yonji) Ninkai Taisen – Third and Fourth Great Ninja Wars, respectively.

Yogen no Ko – Child of Prophecy; Destined Child.

Akasuna no Sasori – Sasori of the Red Sands, S-rank nuke-nin once hailed from Sunagakure.

Gotai no Kuni – The Five Great Nations.

Kibou – Hope.

A/N: In this chapter, I had the huge challenge of creating, introducing, developing and maturing a single OC, all in one chapter. I didn't want an OC who would have some development over the story, just so he could die on me after a chapter or 10. Anami's going to be a pretty awesome addition to this story's cast. She's Itachi's beloved, after all. Anything related to Itachi is bound to be awesome anyway!

...Except Sasuke, of course. He just sucks.

*dodges shuriken* Just kidding guys! I like Sasuke, alright? I just don't like the way Kishimoto-sensei had his development fucked up during that 'I will destroy Konoha' phase. Thankfully, he's totally atoned for all of his sins, and he's about to kick ass and take names in The Last... even if he appears less than the red scarf, if the teasers are any indication. Speaking of which, OMG NARUHINA KISS! OMG OMG OMG OMG! IT FINALLY CAME AFTER 15 YEARS!

And yes, Anami is Obito's little sister. You can expect that biting his ass pretty damn later during, let's say... at the Shinobi War arc, 60 to 80 chapters from now. So yes, she's gonna have a lot of screen time after a certain few events.

And right now I'm glad to announce that next chapter starts at Academy's second year. YES! TIMESKIP AT LAST! Until next chapter then. Bye!