Facing the Darkness, Back to the Dawn

"Nii-san!"

Uchiha Itachi had just stepped through the door.

A little figure crashed into him.

At the sight of Sasuke's aggrieved little face, a smile finally touched Itachi's deathly expression. He crouched down gently.

He extended the index and middle fingers of his right hand.

And tapped Sasuke lightly on the forehead.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?"

"That rude Shinji Uchiha came to our house this morning and said all kinds of nonsense to Dad. I didn't like the way he treated him!"

Sasuke complained, "Dad's the Clan Head!"

Itachi frowned slightly and stroked his brother's forehead. "Sasuke, don't be rude to Big Brother Shinji. He... saved my life."

"Hmph!"

Sasuke turned his head away with a pout. "Even you say that, Nii-san? Are you telling me he's stronger than you?"

"I don't believe it!"

Itachi patted Sasuke's head. "Yes, he's stronger than me. In every sense..."

"Huh?"

Sasuke lowered his head, crestfallen.

Itachi didn't mind.

He only smiled wryly and looked up at the house before him.

In the warm glow of the lights,

his parents' silhouettes showed through the window. His father seemed to be drinking tea, while his mother...

Was she sewing Spring Clothes for Sasuke?

Faint laughter drifted out. Itachi looked back at Sasuke's aggrieved little face, his gaze turning distant. "Was I wrong... from the very beginning?"

Shinji Uchiha bent over and pulled at Shisui's eyelid, clicking his tongue in wonder. "Do you know what I've been most curious about since I came into this world?"

Shisui swatted Big Brother Shinji's arm away in annoyance.

"All right," he said glumly. "If you want to lecture me, just say it. I won't argue. I forgot your warning and told them about my Sharingan without asking you."

"You've got it wrong."

Big Brother Shinji picked up a wet towel and wiped the dried blood from Shisui's face. "It's not what Kakashi's face looks like under that mask, or the Fourth Hokage's secret history that made you blush. What I'm most curious about is the Uchiha Clan's eye structure!"

Splash!

Big Brother Shinji tossed the towel into the basin, and dark-red blood spread through the water.

Hands on his hips, he marveled, "You know, an Uchiha can lose an eyeball, leave the socket alone for ages, then pop in a fresh one whenever they like and see perfectly again. That's not how normal humans work!"

Shisui glared at Big Brother Shinji with his one remaining eye.

His face said he was questioning everything he knew.

"Fine, I'll stop teasing you." Big Brother Shinji sat down, resting an arm on his raised knee. "So Danzo took your Kotoamatsukami."

"Yes..."

Shisui sighed. "I never thought he'd attack me so openly, right there in the village. If it hadn't been for Heavenly Rock Cave..."

"Stop! That's a small problem. Now that we know which eye he took, we can avoid its Dōjutsu and take it back easily. Let him look after it for a few days."

Big Brother Shinji rubbed his chin. "What matters more is that Danzo made his move right after you told those old fossils about the Mangekyo Sharingan... Tch."

"You can guard against outsiders day and night, but it's the traitors at home who get you."

"Looks like it's time to give the Uchiha Clan a thorough cleaning."

Shisui started. "Big Brother Shinji! They're clan elders—our seniors! Don't go too far. And the Clan Meeting's coming up. Don't leave them anything they can use against you..."

Big Brother Shinji turned his head.

His eyes snapped open.

Three Tomoe spun in his blood-red pupils, seeming ready to merge. The overwhelming pressure of his ocular power left Shisui struggling to breathe.

Once again, he felt just how terrifying Big Brother Shinji's ocular power was!

Even the Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't compare!

Staring at Shisui, Big Brother Shinji said slowly, each word distinct: "Get this straight! I'm not the one who turned against them. They betrayed the clan first! They betrayed you!"

"And betraying you means betraying me!"

“You should be glad you survived! If you'd died tonight, wiping out the entire Uchiha Clan afterward would have meant nothing to me! Do you understand?!”

Shisui stared at Big Brother Shinji in a daze, then lowered his head in guilt.

"Stop looking so guilty!"

Big Brother Shinji seized Shisui by the collar and hauled him up, staring into his one eye. "You're a powerful Uchiha! What are you so afraid of?"

"..."

Shisui hesitated. "At least let them keep some dignity."

"Dignity? That's for people, not animals who sell out their own clan and conspire with outsiders to assassinate one of its brightest!"

Big Brother Shinji gave a cold laugh, stood, and kicked the basin over. His gentle eyes turned icy. "This time, they've really made me angry..."

Shisui froze.

Looking at Big Brother Shinji's straight-backed figure, he smiled helplessly. "Then what will you say at the clan meeting?"

"Say?"

Big Brother Shinji laughed in disbelief. "You think any of them will dare speak up for those old men?"

The moon stood high overhead.

At midnight, the Uchiha Clan Compound was utterly quiet, save for a few yawning guards around its perimeter.

A large black Crow flapped down beside an imposing courtyard.

Perched on a utility pole, it swiveled its pale-gold eyes toward a window in the courtyard. Then it suddenly cawed and flew off!

Clang!

A loud crash came from outside the courtyard.

Nearly eighty but still robust, Uchiha Shimizu got up cursing, threw on a coat, and opened his door.

"Whose brat is up making noise at this hour? Can't an old man sleep?"

"Elder Shimizu. It's been a long time."

Whoosh!

A figure appeared before him in an instant, barely a fist's width away!

A pair of scarlet Sharingan stared straight at him. There was no warmth in those eyes, only cold, savage cruelty that hardly seemed human!

"You...!"

Shimizu staggered back two steps in shock. "Shinji Uchiha?! What do you think you're doing?"

"What I should have done."

"What?!"

Before Shimizu could say another word, an arm wreathed in brilliant blue lightning pulled free of his chest, dragging a spray of blood with it.

The chirping of the Chidori still rang in his ears...

Three Tomoe had only just appeared in his aged eyes when they began to fade, until they were gone...

"You...!"

Thud!

Big Brother Shinji kicked him to the ground.

The Lightning Blade dissipated from his hand as Big Brother Shinji blocked the doorway. Moonlight stretched his shadow across the floor, swallowing Shimizu's hunched, withered figure whole.

"You old bastard. You conspired with outsiders and murdered your own people. When you reach the Underworld, I hope you can still look your old friend Kagami Uchiha in the eye!"

"Shisui is his grandson, you animal!"

"Fireball Technique!"

Big Brother Shinji raised one hand, formed the Tiger seal, and breathed out a small fireball as fierce as the sun. It swallowed Uchiha Shimizu's body whole, though the flames spread no farther.

A moment later,

only a human-shaped patch of ash remained on the ground, twisted and ugly.

Big Brother Shinji gave the ugly remains one last glance, then turned away.

He had plenty more trash to clear out tonight!

That night, blood rained down on the Uchiha Clan!

Dawn spilled across the earth.

It bathed the Uchiha Clan in light.

The new year was near.

Today was the Clan Meeting.

Itachi rose early and went to the Uchiha Clan's private Training Ground, tirelessly honing his Throwing Technique again and again.

In the morning light,

two young Uchiha walked toward him together.

"Did you hear? Those old men in the clan who were close to the village all died overnight. Not even their bodies were left! Good riddance!"

"Seriously? They were old, but they all had Three Tomoe and the strength of elite Jonin. Who could sneak into the compound and kill them without a sound... Shh! It's that freak! Come on, let's use another training ground!"

"Yeah, let's go!"

"Just our luck!"

They avoided Itachi as though he carried the plague.

Itachi was unmoved. He stood with his hands behind his back and looked toward the Uchiha Clan on this unusually lively morning, full of new life.

Understanding flickered in his eyes.

"So... that was all it took."

"The remnants of the old era have been smothering the new. To change the Uchiha Clan completely, all it needs is one strong, clearheaded Uchiha willing to stand apart."

"To turn his back on the dawn and face the darkness."

"Big Brother Shinji... I think I understand now!" The gloom in Itachi's eyes gradually cleared.