The Clan
Itachi Uchiha didn’t make mistakes. He didn’t have any oversights when he committed himself to a mission. Once he had set a goal or received directions, he achieved.
Until now.
He crouched on a lamp post outside Obito Uchiha’s home. His clansmen’s blood cooling on his ANBU armor. Obito was the last stop before Itachi went to his father.
Obito hadn’t been involved in the coup. The clan had left him out of all the clan wide meetings. He hadn’t been made aware of the growing discontent. In the years since Obito had returned to the village, he had quickly worked his way up the ranks of the village government, forgoing the traditional police path of his brethren. Becoming jounin two years after his return and becoming the Third Hokage’s right hand man shortly after that.
Obito was the popular choice for the next Hokage. Itachi remembered watching jealously as Obito was easily able to walk through the village without arising suspicion. Not even Sasuke had that level of trust from the village elders. The ANBU didn’t have orders to observe Obito. Only orders to watch the jinchuriki child.
However, Lord Third hadn’t told Itachi to spare Obito. And Itachi hadn’t thought to ask.
He reached into his pouch and took out the vial of nerve gas. This odorless gas would render both Obito and the jinchuriki unable to wake, but Itachi would have to be careful. The gas would send a regular shinobi into a coma, and a civilian to the afterlife. In Obito and the jinchuriki, who both had enhanced healing abilities, it would merely force them into a deep sleep for several hours. Unfortunately for Obito, he would not be waking up.
Itachi gulped. The Nine Tails child so far hadn’t had any moments in which the fox broke free, but surely waking up to find the corpse of his adopted father would cause some sort of reaction… How many people would die if the child went on a rampage?
Itachi remembered the night the Fourth Hokage died. The Nine Tails… Itachi might have to kill the child along with Obito.
Itachi flicked inside the home and quickly released the gas, and with a mask over his nose and mouth he would stay safe.
He looked into the room which belonged to the jinchuriki. It was a mess, with the child spread out like a star fish on his bed. Even without the nerve gas, the child was likely tired after chasing Sasuke around the previous day. Itachi’s fingers tightened around his blade. No, he would not kill this child tonight. But if he went on a rampage in the morning, Itachi would dispose of him then.
He turned to Obito’s room. Books lined the shelves on one side, along with a desk littered with scrolls. No doubt many contained confidential information shared only in the upper echelons of the village.
Obito was star fished in his own bed as well. And snoring. Well, it wasn’t like he needed to worry about attack within his home. He was always under guard from the ANBU, as the guardian of the jinchuriki. And physical and ninjutsu based attacks were meaningless to someone with Obito’s abilities.
But only if Obito was conscious to use his abilities.
Itachi raised the blade and held it over the other Uchiha’s neck. One side rippled with scar tissue, the other side lightly tanned, Obito had always had a touch of color to his skin, something inherited from his non Uchiha father. However, in the grave he would be just as pale as his brethren.
Before Itachi could slit Obito’s throat, the air above the bed whirled. Itachi’s eyes widened and he jumped back, how could Obito have woken up from the gas so soon!?
But it wasn’t one of Obito’s weapons that came out of the kamui dimension, it was a man.
The man wore a mask which had two holes for a pair of mismatched eyes to glare at Itachi. Itachi didn’t loosen his grip on his weapon, even as the other man settled casually on the edge of Obito’s bed.
“Itachi Uchiha. What a good little lapdog you are.”
“Who are you? And what do you want?” Itachi schooled his features, even though he was in the presence of someone else who could use kamui, something that should be impossible.
“I’m nobody. And I don’t really want anything you can give me. It’s more what you can do for me. Itachi.” One of the eyes winked. “Or specifically, what you can’t do for me.”
Itachi readied his stance for attack.
“You did just see me use kamui right? Your attacks are useless against me. But if you want me to leave you alone, then I suggest you leave this man be.”
“I can’t. I have a mission to accomplish.” Itachi said plainly. “I will not fail.”
“You’ve already killed the others. The coup won’t happen now. Besides, we both know that this one had nothing to do with the coup. He’s too much of a loud-mouthed idiot for something like that. He’s the Hokage’s favorite. His death doesn’t further your mission.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
“Well, I’ve tried to reason with you. Now it looks like I have to play bad cop… which is funny since your family is the police.” The man laughed and leaned back on the bed. One of his hands moved closer to Obito’s, who would be unconscious for several more hours, unaware that this scuffle was even happening.
“If you touch the man in this bed, I will kill your little brother.”
Itachi couldn’t hide the fury on his own face. “You think that will work? You obviously don’t know me.”
“I know you agreed to kill your clan to avoid a war. Your mission is to kill everyone tonight. Except for Sasuke right? Wouldn’t you hate if he died anyway? It’s not like you can stop me since I can use kamui.”
“Your mission will still be a success if you leave this one alive.” The masked man continued. “Plus your little brother will have someone looking out for him right here in the village. They’ll make such a cute little family… Two orphaned Uchihas and the Nine Tails jinchuriki.”
Itachi chose not to respond, or retract his weapon. This man could use the kamui, just like Obito. Realistically, Itachi knew that there was no chance to beat him. After all, once Obito fully mastered his abilities there was no way to counter him. Or at least, there was no way yet.
“I’m a powerful man, Itachi. But I’m also a genius just like you. I can tell what you’re thinking… You’re worried that if you let this one live, the village will counter by killing your little brother.”
Again, Itachi chose silence.
“I can promise you, if you let this one live, I’ll keep my eyes trained on your little brother and make sure the village keeps its promise to you. And if it doesn’t, well my kamui can get into here faster than any of the cheap parlor tricks that your mangekyo has. Hell, I’ll even let you join my top-secret organization. We could use someone smart for a change. If the village takes any move against your little brother, we can tear this place apart in no time.”
Itachi sheathed his blade. “Are you the man in charge of the Akatsuki?”
Both of the mismatched eyes crinkled, like the man was smiling. “Yes! Does this mean you’ve heard of us?”
Despite the presence of the nerve gas, Obito sighed, and actually managed to move, retracting the arm that was closest to the masked man and turning to face away from the shinobi, laying on his left side. The masked man turned and looked down at the extensive scars.
He turned back to Itachi. “Let’s talk later. Your mission isn’t completed. Meet me at this location in three days, we have much to discuss.”
He handed Itachi a kunai with a scrap of paper tied around it. “You are dismissed.” The man’s eyes grinned again. Itachi guessed that the man wanted to make sure he didn’t come back and kill Obito. Either way, he was right. Itachi still had to deal with his parents and with Sasuke. He flickered out of the small home and headed to the clan head’s home.
Kakashi sighed and looked down at Obito. It had been years since he had been this close to his former teammate. He had been watching from afar, astounded at his growth. There had been one time when Obito had decapitated someone with a chain while in his kamui dimension, which had been Kakashi’s sexual awakening.
Kakashi even had to laugh because Obito still slept the same way he did as a kid. Even now as a splendid shinobi.
There had been many times over the years when Kakashi had hated himself for faking his death when he did. If he had only waited a few months, he would have had Obito at his side.
But if Kakashi had remained a leaf shinobi, would he have been able to protect Obito from Itachi like he had just now? Kakashi didn’t know. But for now, Obito was safe.
Kakashi had protected him this time. But he knew, it still wasn’t enough. The scars on Obito’s right side were so extensive… How much pain had he gone through, all because Kakashi hadn’t been able to protect him.
“I will look after him from now on, Rin.” Kakashi whispered as he stood up and went to the room where the jinchuriki stayed.
Logically, Kakashi knew that this child and Obito shared no blood. But the way they both sprawled in their beds, like no one would dare hurt them was the same. The child’s blond spiky hair stood out in every direction, just like Minato’s. And like Obito’s.
The room was a mess as well. Kakashi recognized several traditional Uchiha toys that the clan passed down to their children. Obito had had several, not that he was playing with them when he went off to war. Among the jinchuriki’s toys were several frog themed ones. Jiraiya’s gifts most likely.
Kakashi wondered if Minato-sensei had been watching over his spoiled son.
On the table next to the bed was a set of goggles. Something in Kakashi’s heart clenched at the thought of the kid wearing them on his forehead, with his wild hair shooting out from every direction.
Someday this child would be Kakashi’s enemy. But for now he was Obito’s.
~ A few days later ~
“I’m sorry I haven’t been by to visit you.” Obito gathered the recently plucked lilies and set them in the vase he kept at Rin’s grave.
“I have been so busy for weeks with all my new responsibilities from Lord Third, and Naruto, and then something truly horrible happened.”
The wind picked up for a moment and rustled Obito’s hair. He liked to imagine it was Rin embracing him from the afterlife.
“My cousin Itachi… He killed the entire clan Rin. It was so horrible…” Against Obito’s wishes, tears started gathering in his eyes. He had tried his best, but he still cried when he suffered severe emotional pain. “All of them were slaughtered in one night, except for me, Naruto and Sasuke. Instead of killing me, Itachi gassed me and Naruto with some sort of drug that the medical corps had never seen before, and if Naruto hadn’t been a jinchuriki, and I hadn’t had Hashirama’s cells, we would both likely be dead. I can’t believe my little cousin could do all of this.” Obito wiped his tears.
“I have this huge hole in my heart Rin, it’s been there since you died. And now it’s so big I’m afraid it will swallow me and drown me in grief. And Lord Third asked me to look after Sasuke, never mind that the boy has just lost everything. Sasuke isn’t like us who grew up without families. I can’t imagine how he feels right now. I wish Bakashi were still here, he would know how to console someone.” Obito looked up at the sky.
“I don’t even know how to talk to Sasuke. Despite us being from the same clan, we’re so different. It’s not like when I’m with Naruto.”
“And that’s another thing Rin, I feel so guilty because I’ve been forgetting that Naruto is Minato-sensei and Kushina’s son. I think of him as my own, and because of Lord Third’s policy I can’t tell Naruto that I’m not his Dad. He is so mischievous Rin! He is always pulling pranks around the village, and bringing frogs into the house, and he can’t throw a shuriken to save his life… But he is so easy to love. I wish you were here with us, I know you would adore him.”
A soft breeze ruffled Obito’s hair, and the lilies he had set at Rin’s grave. Obito had asked not to know the specifics of her death. Partially because his heart couldn’t handle more pain, especially when he had been so fragile upon his return to the village, and now because he wanted to remember Rin as the kind and caring friend he had had, not how she died.
“Daddy!”
Obito looked up sharply at the graveyard gate, where Naruto was waving at him wildly. He quickly sped over to where Obito was and threw himself into Obito’s arms. “I finished shuriken practice! My teacher said you were here, and I walked here all by myself.”
“How did shuriken practice go? Did you hit the target? Or the teacher hmm?”
“I almost hit the target! But I almost hit the teacher again… After dinner can you practice shuriken with me?”
“Of course. Every Uchiha needs to learn how to throw a shuriken. Even ones who spend more time pulling pranks than practicing.” Obito laughed and started tickling Naruto.
Naruto started laughing and batting Obito’s hands away. “Nooo! I spend lots of time practicing! I’m just not as good at throwing shuriken as I am at catching frogs. Guess what! I snuck a whole bunch of frogs into Gramps’ office today! You should have seen his face!”
Normally Obito would laugh and then scold Naruto, but his heart was still heavy after his talk with Rin. Naruto noticed Obito’s lack of good mood.
“Daddy? Who are you visiting?” Obito hadn’t brought Naruto to meet Rin before, mostly because he had been struggling to explain death. But now that the entire clan had been slaughtered, and Naruto understood death, Obito supposed that he could introduce them.
“This is my friend Rin. She was on the same team as me. She saved my life a bunch of times, and I saved her life too.” Obito turned Naruto towards the headstone.
“Is she gone like the rest of the clan?”
“Yes. She has been dead for a few years. She was your Aunt.”
“My Aunt? What does that mean?”
“It means that she is your family.”
“Does she love me?”
Even though Naruto was energetic and mischievous, for all of his loud nature, he was a very insecure and clingy child. Obito blamed the fact that the village didn’t know how to treat a kid jinchuriki, and the fact that Obito often left on long missions. Naruto was very insecure about being loved, and Obito had to frequently remind him that he and Obito were family and loved each other.
“Yes she does. You know, when we were little she made a promise to me. She said that no matter what happened she would always watch over me. Something tells me that she’s been watching over us the entire time.” Obito reached over and poked Naruto’s forehead gently. “I think she is also watching over you.”
“Do you think she protected us when the rest of the clan was killed?” Naruto’s eyes were wide. He had tried to act brave, but Obito could tell he had been scared ever since they both woke up to find the entire clan slaughtered, only them and Sasuke spared. No doubt that much death had made Naruto even more clingy with Obito.
“Something tells me that she was.” Obito reached over and pulled Naruto into his arms. The little boy immediately melted into the hug. Naruto was very tactile, unlike Minato-sensei. Obito wondered if Kushina had been like this when she was young. “Anyway, what do you say we get some dinner and then work on your shuriken? You’ll need those skills if you want to get through the academy you know.”
“Alright!”
“What do you want for dinner?” Obito rarely asked that question because the answer was always obvious, Naruto’s favorite food was ramen. If Obito didn’t stop him, he would have it every day for all his meals.
“Umm… I was thinking we could have something that Sasuke likes.”
“Sasuke?” Even though Naruto and Sasuke had both been treated like the clan babies, they hadn’t really gotten along. Sasuke usually ignored Naruto, and Naruto tried to get his attention. More often than not, Obito had come home from missions to find Naruto chasing Sasuke around Fugaku’s house.
“He’s all alone… His Mommy and Daddy aren’t around anymore. Don’t you think he’s lonely? I know I get lonely whenever you go on a mission, but his parents aren’t coming back.”
“I think it’s a great idea. Let’s go ask him.” Obito stood up and held out his hand which Naruto immediately took. Together they headed back to the deserted Uchiha compound.
~A few years later ~
Naruto was still covered in bandages from his scuffle with Shukaku’s jinchuriki. Obito couldn’t believe that Naruto had managed to go toe to toe with the One Tail, much less actually manage to subdue the beast. And according to Obito’s ninja cat who had been watching the fight, Naruto hadn’t needed to rely on the Nine Tail’s strength to win either.
Obito still prickled with unease when he remembered the first time the seal weakened. It had been on their mission to the Land of Waves. Obito had been fighting Zabuza Momochi, but not really trying as he had been too preoccupied watching Naruto and Zabuza’s kid fight. Normally Obito would have made mince meat of both Zabuza and Haku, but Naruto had asked to fight the Haku kid along with Sasuke. His bright blue eyes combined with “Dad, nothing is gonna happen to me, Auntie Rin is watching over me!” made Obito acquiesce. At which point Obito had decided not to kill Zabuza until he could get a little more information as to how such a strong s-rank criminal had become Gato’s henchman.
Then things had rapidly spun out of control, and the Nine Tails chakra made all of them look like fools, but thankfully Obito managed to subdue the fox before too much damage could be done.
And now here they were, Naruto still bruised and injured after taking on Gaara in order to protect his friends. Part of Obito was so very proud of Naruto, he had grown so strong in such a short amount of time. Managing to summon the same toad as Minato was no small feat, and then defeating a tailed beast without killing the jinchuriki host? Naruto would grow up to be a magnificent shinobi. Another part of Obito was disappointed in himself. He should have been there with Naruto. But Orochimaru had come to the leaf prepared. While Orochimaru had been killing Lord Third, hundreds of undead soldiers had been released in the village, keeping Obito busy.
And now Orochimaru knew the edo tensei technique. This was not good. Obito reached up and placed his hand over his heart. If Orochimaru reanimated the wrong person the end of world would be near…
But now was not the time to worry about that.
Obito looked down at his right hand, which was clasped tightly in Naruto’s sweaty little paw. His normally sparkling blue eyes were downcast. Obito’s other hand rested on Konohamaru’s head, who was in Iruka’s arms.
The picture of Lord Third stayed upright in front of them, even as it was battered by the rain.
“Do you think Gramps is watching over us like Auntie Rin?” Naruto asked quietly.
Obito felt himself smile. “Yes. I think he is.” He looked at Naruto. “Everyone in the village is the Hokage’s family, and he will always watch over us.”
Naruto tightened his grip on Obito’s hand and moved closer to lay his head against his father’s side.
That night after Obito had cleaned all of Naruto’s wounds and left the boy to his self in his room, there was a knock on the door. On the other side was one of the ANBU. “Uchiha-san. The Council would like to see you. We will have agents watch the jinchuriki while you are gone.”
“Alright, just let me change out of my funeral clothes, I have a feeling this is an important meeting.” Obito said.
~ Miles away, in one of many hideouts ~
“I can’t believe that Orochimaru. He managed to attack the village, and didn’t even bother with the jinchuriki.”
“Orochimaru doesn’t care about that kind of power.” Kakuzu crossed his arms. “He merely wanted to make them suffer. Even though there are far better ways than killing the Third Hokage.”
“Any idea who the new Hokage is going to be?” Kisame asked.
Pein turned his ringed eyes over to Zetsu. “Zetsu? You were there observing Orochimaru’s failed plot.”
“The new Hokage is someone named Obito Uchiha.”
The masked man on Zetsu’s other side gasped.
“Ahh. One of yours’ Itachi?” Kisame grinned at his partner.
All eyes turned to the Uchiha next to Kisame. “Yes.” Is all Itachi said.
“How come he’s still alive? I thought you killed all the Uchiha.” Sasori asked.
“I couldn’t kill Obito.” Itachi said plainly.
“Why’s that?” Kisame asked with a wide grin. “He one of your friends?”
Kakashi’s eyes hardened behind his mask as his sharingan bore into Itachi’s face. Kakashi even managed to get it to whirl into the mangekyo. Thankfully, Itachi recognized the threat for what it was.
Itachi for his part appeared unbothered. “Obito’s power far surpasses my own. He has had the mangekyo sharingan for years, granting him access to the most powerful visual jutsu in our clan. I could easily take down everyone else, but not him. So he lived. That’s all.”
“Just how strong is this guy?” Deidara pouted. “I thought you were the strongest Uchiha!”
“Obito has an ability that was previously thought only hypothetically possible. A space-time ninjutsu which can nullify all physical and jutsu based attacks. He can also teleport anywhere he wants, at will. He is faster than the Fourth Hokage. And due to certain circumstances which were never revealed in detail, Obito lacks the weaknesses other Uchihas have. That being stamina and chakra. His chakra reserves are on par with some of the jinchuriki, and he can withstand battle for much longer than other members of our clan. In short, he should be avoided in battle at all costs.”
“Sounds interesting. Maybe if all of us work together, we can take him down. I’m sure I could get us a hefty reward if we sold his eyes on the black market.” Kakuzu said.
“No.” Everyone immediately turned to the masked man at Zetsu’s side.
“Kashi?”
“Listen, I’ve given you each a lot of free reins on your missions. But on this one issue, you will obey me. None of you are to kill the Hokage. I don’t care if he is in your way. None of you will lay a finger on him, or his eyes.” Kakashi’s voice was firm.
“That is because… The Hokage is mine.”