Izuna (Naruto Fanfiction)

Chapter Six

Shisui ran over to a familiar mop of black hair. The bundle he held cried as his older brother attempted to rock him into sleep. Coal eyes met his and Itachi's seemed to flood with relief.

"Is Izuna with you?" Itachi felt his heart drop as Shisui asked the question he was about to. He shook his head and saw Shisui's expression morph into a grim one matching his own. The older Uchiha cursed. "I went ahead to get father to a medic," He explained before adding, "He should be here by now."

Itachi scanned the shelter but it was futile. He focused again on soothing Sasuke's cries as Shisui kept searching.

He heard Shisui let out a sigh of relief and saw the tension leave his shoulders before a hand pulled him along by the shoulder.

"Izuna!" The older Uchiha called out and Itachi looked up.

His brother seemed to be asleep on the shoulder of a teen he didn't recognise. A group of teens turned around to face the approaching Uchihas.

"Ah, Uchiha-san," The one with the bandana greeted them, "Are you Izuna's family?" Shisui gave an affirming nod and scooped Izuna back into his hold.

"Thanks," He said simply. A shadow loomed over him before he could say more. He looked up and saw Fugaku.

"Fugaku-sama," He greeted despite the situation. A nod in acknowledgement was sent his way before the clan head gestured for him and Itachi to follow. He spared the group of teens one last nod before falling into step.

Fugaku led them outside the shelter, the Uchiha Police force members guarding the entrance nodding politely as they let the group pass. They made their way to a separate area filled with medic nins and nurses.

Mikoto sat up as Fukagu neared with the boys in tow.

They gathered around her as Fugaku spoke with a passing medic. Mikoto checked over them, Shisui included.

The death of the fourth Hokage was a shattering blow to Konoha's strength and morale. The mass funeral was packed with villagers and shinobi alike mourning their fallen family and friends.

They stood side by side as Sarutobi announced his position as Hokage again, then as he read from a list of names. The number of casualties was no small amount but he read them name by name. Some people let out cries as names of their loved ones were read out. There was a shocked murmur as he called the name of his own wife but he didn't falter and continued.

Izuna stood beside Shisui and Itachi, watching the people around him. There was no one on the list he particularly cared for but he remained respectful and kept his eyes downcast.

The Clan meeting after was solemn. Izuna was received with eye rolls and murmurs as clansmen saw him enter, a four year old following behind his father. That was until he glared with red pupils and the murmurs changed into shocked gasps.

It was a long meeting but Izuna remained composed throughout. There were discussions about relocation of the Uchiha Compound to the further outskirts of the village as proposed by the Hokage's advisor, Danzo.

Izuna gritted his teeth even as other members of the council spoke up in protest.

Then the topic of the Mangekyou Sharingan was brought up and Izuna couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the implications that lingered in the air. There was no way the Uchiha clan wasn't going to be accused of something unless the Hokage decided against revealing the information. Izuna knew full well what the Mangekyou could do, his brother was the first to master it and he could only imagine what he'd been able to do after Izuna gifted him his eyes before passing.

The clan head silenced the murmurs once again before announcing his intention to bring these concerns to the Sandaime in the following meeting before the council. Fugaku revealed that he would be bringing both Itachi and Izuna to the meeting, to the approval of the elders.

Just how fast Itachi and Izuna were advancing was not a secret amongst the clan or the shinobi of the village for that matter, Fukagu bragged about it whenever the topic of heirs was brought up.

The meeting was dismissed and Izuna forced his numb legs to stand, bowing to the elders before following his father out back to the temporary housing they had been granted.

"Izuna," The boy turned up to face Fugaku, his face still the same neutral expression. The older man was quiet as he kept walking before he slowed his pace. They neared the door to their temporary home but Fugaku stopped.

"The Uchiha clan is cursed," He began, "Our strength comes from love, it's what gives us the fuel, but when that love turns to hate it sparks and that fuel ignites." Izuna narrowed his eyes at the words, he'd heard this all before, even spoken these words to young Uchiha in the clan. Not that Fugaku knew that.

"I love the village," Fugaku turned to Izuna and stared into his eyes, "Where does your strength lay?"

Izuna stared at him for a moment before answering.

"My older brother." There was an indecipherable look in Fugaku's eyes as he studied his son. Izuna knew in his heart that Madara was still the source of his strength and for as long as he lived, Madara's dreams would live in him but Fugaku had no way of knowing that and he wasn't about to correct the clan head's assumption that he meant Itachi.

He knew Fugaku could tell whether or not he was lying, and he also knew that Fugaku found no lie in his words as he resumed towards the house.

Fugaku would later have this exact talk with Itachi after the oldest of his sons unlocked his Sharingan in the near future. He would feel reassured that his eldest answered the Village and so by proxy Izuna's loyalties would be secure. It is just a shame he was wrong.