1 Chapter 1: Alternate Reality
Shock and disappointment were the two dominant emotions Sarutobi felt as he stared at the document in front of him.
He had announced his intention to make Itachi Uchiha the Fifth Hokage at that morning's meeting.
They had not received it well and now… three hours later he was looking at a paper outlining the actions that would be taken by the elders should he go through with his plan.
It was supposed to have been his fail-safe plan. The one that was going to appease the disgruntled Uchiha clan.
Fugaku had even promised to stand down should Itachi be given the tile of Fifth Hokage and he, the Third, had in turn promised to stand by Itachi's side as long as possible to train him in his new duties.
It was something he wanted to do anyway, but because of the threat of a coup Sarutobi had decided to take the thirteen-year-old Itachi in right away instead of waiting a few years.
Sarutobi had known Homura and Koharu his entire life. The three were from the first generation to grow up in Konoha.
They had the First and Second Hokages as their Senseis and had listened attentively to their lectures and believed in their ideals.
When Sarutobi was named as the Third he was about the age Itachi was now. He worked closely with the First and Second to learn the ins and outs of running Konoha.
His personal life had suffered the most over the years.
Two marriages had ended in divorce with both of his ex-wives dying on missions, leaving him to raise his two sons alone.
His eldest son and daughter-in-law had died three years previously, also on a mission, this time leaving behind a young infant that Sarutobi was currently raising.
His youngest son, who was now in his early twenties, had run off to work as a ninja in service to the Daimyou and hadn't so much as sent a postcard in over a year.
He tried not to dwell on everything too much… it was still difficult. Besides, he had his grandson, who was currently napping on the couch in his office.
His light breathing was usually soothing, but right now, there was just too much going on to take comfort in even a toddler's innocence.
The message he was staring at was very clear, "It has come to our attention that Itachi is an unstable individual who has, in the past, been hospitalized and removed from active duty due to said instability. Should he be named Hokage, it would be in the best interest of the village to be informed of his mental condition, and we would have to begin steps to have the present Hokage declared incompetent to fulfill his duties."
Looking out over the sunny village, Sarutobi considered the message. He could definitely gloss over Itachi's mental problems, after all no ninja was completely sane.
It was impossible in a line of work that required murder and stealth to be a way of life and remain 'normal'.
However, the part that concerned him was the last sentence.
To have him declared 'incompetent', as they put it, would require the signatures of the two elders, the head of ANBU, and the chief medical officer: Homura, Koharu, Danzo and Yakushi.
Yakushi wouldn't sign it. Sarutobi knew that for a fact.
However, he found he could no longer trust Danzo.
If Yakushi didn't bend to that man's will, Danzo would kill him without a second thought.
He couldn't loose such a skilled medic, and the chances that he could protect him from the ROOT assassins that Danzo had trained were probably zero.
He slammed his fist down on the table.
"Gampa," a sleepy voice came from the couch, "I tired. You woke me up." Sounds of sniffling and a couple whimpers made Sarutobi rise from his chair and walk over to the other side of the room.
"I'm sorry, Konohamaru." Picking up the three-year-old he walked back and forth for a while until he fell asleep again.
Laying the toddler back down on the couch he covered him back up with a small blanket and sat down on the opposite couch.
'What now?' he thought to himself.
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Itachi was in the woods next to the lake resting. He had been training since daybreak and as noon approached the unseasonably warm October weather had him sweating.
He had pulled out a book of water jutsus and was reading when Sheeta found him. Smiling, he invited her to sit down next to him.
"If you wanted to be alone, you shouldn't sit next to a lake on a beautiful fall day." She teased as she sat down.
She was wearing a pair of black pants with a black short-sleeve t-shirt that had an Uchiha symbol embroidered on each sleeve.
Her long black hair was loose except for a decorative gold barrette above her right ear.
"Maybe I didn't really want to be alone, then." Out of habit he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.
The two had been betrothed when they were ten and had become good friends.
"Lately, when we are together, you still look like you're alone. Are you sure you're okay?" Sheeta was concerned.
"I'm fine. Have you seen Sasuke's fireball yet?"
"Who hasn't? He's shown it to everyone who looks sideways at him." Sheeta laughed. "I even got a picture of it."
"That'll make him happy, I bet. So why did you come to the lake?" Itachi finally asked.
"It was bored at home. I have today off and I was missing Aya again. We would come here and go swimming. She loved the water. I mean… loves the water. I keep thinking of her in the past tense, she's been gone so long." Sheeta sighed.
Her older sister had been her constant companion for as long as she could remember and having her away for so many months on a mission was difficult.
"Did you bring your suit?" Itachi noticed she wasn't carrying anything.
"No. I don't feel like swimming actually. And it's too cold out to swim, it's only sixty-eight degrees."
"Hn." Itachi went back to reading, but noticed after a few minutes that Sheeta was now resting her head in his lap and was sound asleep.
He smiled, in spite of his mood. Sheeta was innocent and caring. She had a maternal streak that belied her age.
She also had a sense of humor and loved to tease people. He could have easily spent the next sixty years with her by his side.
Frowning he looked out over the lake. Such fantasies could never come true, and he needed to quit thinking about them.
"Itachi?" Sheeta apparently wasn't completely asleep yet.
"Yeah?"
"Right now is real. This moment, this point in time. We should live this moment and not worry about what tomorrow brings." Sheeta said quietly.
Itachi was puzzled. "What soap opera did that come from?"
"I don't know they all look the same to me. It was on this morning's episode. But… even though it's massively corny… I think it's true."
"It is, Sheeta." Itachi had to agree. There was probably nothing wrong with enjoying this particular afternoon. At least for a little while. For her sake.
Messengers delivered two different scrolls the next morning; one to Fugaku and one to Itachi.
The message to Fugaku stated that the plan to make Itachi the Fifth Hokage fell through, but reconciliation would still be possible if he was patient.
The message to Itachi explained that the Third wanted him as the Fifth, but he would have to wait a few years, and he was overriding Danzo's mission and ordering him to 'stand down'.
Both father and son had exactly the same reaction: Sarutobi could go to hell.
Fugaku was ready, at last, to enter the final stages of his plan now that talks had completely broken down. He immediately left the house to begin preparations.
Itachi was disappointed at Sarutobi's inability to control his council and stand up to Danzo.
He was also angry that the Third didn't seem to understand the threat his clan could pose to the village.
But above all, he was scared.
Frightened of the task that now spread itself out ahead of him.
The deaths he would cause, the disappointment he would see in their eyes as he struck them down, the loneliness he would feel as he walked the Earth alone, without a family, until finally he died in battle or sickness. But Konoha and Fire country would be safe.
That made it all worth it, right? Itachi wasn't sure about that anymore, but he would do his duty, just the same.
It was at 2:47am when Itachi finally realized that he could not kill his brother.
Everyone else, even his parents and Sheeta, he could kill them, although it would be hard. But not Sasuke.
However, he didn't want to send the boy to Mist as Madara, who was also the Mizukage, had suggested.
It would be a cruel life, the shinobi there were warlike and known for their love of battle.
Not to mention the fact that Madara would likely sink his talons into the boy. There was really only one solution: Sasuke would have to stay in Konoha.
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