The Strength of the Weak {A Naruto Fanfiction}

The Strength of the Weak - Chapter 1

"As long as Otou-san says yes," he agrees. Sasuke and Satomi cheer in their seats, scarfing down the food as quickly as possible. Itachi watches on, a feeling of brotherly joy creeping into his gut. His twin siblings were enthusiastic and growing up to be lovely children so far.

"Onii-chan, when are otou-san and okaa-san coming home?" Satomi whines impatiently. Itachi tilts his head in thought, subconsciously bringing a hand up to his chin.

"They should be home any minute, I believe," Itachi decides, picking up his dishes as well as Sasuke's and Satomi's. The twins stand up and run to their room to presumably, 'get changed without onii-chan's help,' while Itachi cleans the dishes before Fugaku and Mikoto's return.

"Onii-chan! We're ready to go!" Sasuke shouts, running out of the hallway with his shirt on backwards and pants not buttoned up. Satomi follows mere moments after, with her shirt inside-out and her shoes on the wrong feet. Itachi sighs lightly before going to fix their clothing.

"Looks like you two still need a little more practice, ne, Sasuke, Satomi?" Itachi teases playfully, putting their clothes on the right way. Sasuke puffs his cheeks out and turns his head to the side, while Satomi blushes and looks down, both of them embarrassed. As soon as Itachi finishes fixing their clothes, the front door opens, Fugaku and Mikoto waltzing in.

"Otou-san! Can Itachi take us to the park, please?" Satomi cheers, running up to her father's legs and jumping up and down. Fugaku peers down at the child before flicking his eyes up to Itachi, who was carrying Sasuke.

"As long as Itachi doesn't have any training," Fugaku decides, planting a hand on Satomi's head. She smiles and whips her head to Itachi, who was regarding his father.

"I finished training yesterday, otou-san. I am free today," Itachi says, to which Fugaku grunts and continues on through his house.

"Be back before the sun sets," he instructs, leaving them to do whatever they wanted. Mikoto regards them with a small smile, before following after Fugaku hastily.

"Let's be off then," Itachi muses, taking off towards the park with Sasuke in his left arm, and Satomi holding onto the right one.

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"Onii-chan! Look how high we are!" Satomi calls from the top of the swing set, having climbed up it with Sasuke. Itachi smiles and places a hand over his eyes, as if trying to see something from a distance.

"It's pretty hard to see you two, you got very high up. Now, how are you going to get down?" Itachi asks. Sasuke and Satomi look at each other, before simultaneously looking at the ground. Sasuke immediately looks disheartened, having no solution as to how to get down. Satomi, however, looks to her side at the poles that they climbed up.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, don't you think we could go back down the poles? Jumping down isn't our only option," Satomi advises, shuffling herself towards the poles extending towards the ground.

"You're a genius, Satomi-chan!" Sasuke cheers, following after Satomi as they both slide down the poles. Itachi gazes at the scene, a small smile on his face. Maybe Satomi wasn't the useless daughter Fugaku made her out to be.

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"Otou-san! Okaa-san! We're home!" Sasuke calls upon entering his home. The sun had just begun to set, so Itachi had decided to take Sasuke and Satomi home before it got dark out. Satomi and Sasuke took off their shoes, before running into the kitchen to go greet Mikoto.

"Okaa-san! When will dinner be ready? We're starving!" Sasuke says, sitting at the dinner table excitedly. Satomi plops down next to him with a large grin, awaiting Mikoto's response.

"It will be ready soon, Sasuke-kun, Satomi-chan. Would you two set the table for dinner, please?" Mikoto asks. Sasuke and Satomi get up and grab the dishes and silverware from the end of the table, working together to set the table for five people.

"Itachi! Fugaku! Dinner is ready!" Mikoto calls, having finished making dinner and serving each plate. Everyone settles into their seats, picking up their chopsticks and muttering out a quick 'itadakimasu.'

"Itachi, how is your training going? I expect you to be the best of the best, especially since you were a top graduate. We have high expectations and I trust you won't fail me," Fugaku states, taking a bite of his katsudon. Itachi closes his eyes and takes a sip of his tea.

"It is going well, otou-san. Tomorrow my team and I have a mission to guard the Fire Daimyo," Itachi responds quietly. Sasuke and Satomi gasp in awe, staring at their older brother with wide eyes.

"Wow, onii-chan! I wanna be just like you when I grow up!" Satomi declares, a determined sparkle in her dark eyes. Fugaku frowns at his singular daughter. Mikoto, however, smiles at her daughter encouragingly.

"You'll do great things in life, just like your older brother, Satomi-chan. Isn't that right, Fugaku?" Mikoto says pointedly, practically daring him to say otherwise. Fugaku, however, isn't afraid of a challenge.

"I doubt you will be as great as either of your brothers. Females rarely awaken the sharingan and without it, you will never live up to your truest potential," he asserts. The entire table is stunned into silence at Fugaku's blunt statement, Satomi having stopped eating with her eyes cast downward.

"Otou-san..." Sasuke trails, looking at his twin in sympathy. She was on the verge of tears, clenching her small fists on her lap. Mikoto glared at her husband, who merely ignored her. Itachi frowns to himself, continuing to eat despite the tension in the room.

"After dinner, Itachi, go straight to bed. You need to be in peak condition for your mission tomorrow," Fugaku says, getting up from the dinner table and making his way to his room. The remaining at the dinner table finish their meal in silence, Mikoto taking over clean up while Itachi and the twins get ready for bed.

"I'll come tuck you two in once I'm done with the dishes," Mikoto assures Sasuke and Satomi, as they get up from the dinner table. If they heard what Mikoto said, they didn't show it.

"Satomi-chan, don't listen to what otou-san said! I bet you'll awaken your sharingan and be just as powerful as me and onii-san!" Sasuke states when he and Satomi entered their shared bedroom. Satomi bites her lip to keep from crying and wipes her eyes.

"You're right, Sasuke-kun! I'm gonna prove otou-san wrong and become the most powerful Uchiha kunoichi ever!" Satomi declares with finality. Giggles erupt from their throats as they change into pajamas and climb into bed, waiting for their mother patiently.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Satomi whispers out suddenly. Sasuke tilts his head in confusion and glances at his twin sister, who was laying on her side facing him with a gentle smile on her face.

"For what, Satomi-chan?" he asks. Satomi locks eyes with her twin, showing the vulnerability she felt within herself.

"For believing in me even when otou-san doesn't. I'm gonna work hard to be just as strong as you and onii-chan, and someday I'll even save you two! Then otou-san will have to believe in me!" Satomi announces, as soon as Mikoto walks in. She smiles fondly at her two children, walking up to each of them individually and tucking them in lovingly.

"You'll definitely be just as strong as your brothers, Satomi-chan. I believe in you, as well as Itachi, even if he doesn't say it. Either way, we all love you and want the best. Goodnight, darling," Mikoto soothes, kissing her only daughter on the forehead, before exiting the room.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun. I'll see you tomorrow," Satomi yawns, letting her eyes close. Sasuke watches his sister fall asleep before rolling over and doing the same, a smile on his face.

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