Chapter 1

Uchiha Yuka often felt that she ought to have more than two older brothers.

Otherwise, if she were ever away from home, the two of them wouldn't even have enough players for a game of cards.

She should have a multitude of older brothers, older sisters, younger brothers, and younger sisters. And if she didn't have those, she needed countless good friends, great companions, close sisters, and sworn brothers to help the Uchiha clan grow and thrive. That way, whenever she traveled far from home, her brothers back at the estate wouldn't be too overwhelmed with grief at the sight of her belongings.

How wonderful she was, always so considerate of her brothers.

Indeed, love is a constant sense of owing.

Many years ago, in Konohagakure.

Early morning in Konohagakure was a scene of utter peace and tranquility. Crystal-clear dew clung to green leaves, catching the sunlight to refract brilliant, colorful hues.

Two loud infant cries echoed throughout the entire Uchiha Compound. Uchiha Itachi had just returned from the training grounds. As he stepped through the front gate, he heard the servants shouting inside, "They're born! They're born! The Madam has given birth! It's twins!"

"Young Master!" Momoko, a servant tending to Uchiha Mikoto, was rushing back and forth when she happened to spot Uchiha Itachi. She hurriedly waved to call him over. "The Madam has given birth. Just a moment ago she was asking after you, saying she hoped you would be the very first person to see the twins. Would you like to go take a look?"

"Mn," Uchiha Itachi replied calmly.

Momoko led him to the corridor, pushed the door open with light, cautious steps, and made a welcoming gesture toward Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Itachi lifted his foot and stepped inside.

Incense drifted through the room, releasing a calming fragrance that wasn't at all unpleasant, driving away the smell of blood.

Yet Uchiha Itachi's sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp. The moment he entered, he caught that very heavy scent of blood coming from his mother.

It was a scent that represented both new life and the brink of death.

"Mother," Uchiha Itachi called out.

The woman lying in bed slowly opened her eyes. Her complexion was somewhat pale, with a white towel resting on her forehead and a fine layer of sweat glistening on her face. Yet her smile was exceptionally warm, and the moment she turned her head to see Uchiha Itachi, that smile grew even gentler.

"Itachi," Uchiha Itachi's mother spoke in a soft, gentle voice. Her hand, resting near the edge of the bed, stirred, patting the bedside with a tiny motion. "Come here."

"Yes, Mother." Hearing her call, Uchiha Itachi walked to the bedside.

On the inner side of the bed lay two swaddling clothes containing a pair of slightly wrinkled baby faces. The two infants looked almost identical—wrinkled all over at first glance, with prominent creases on their faces and a somewhat dark skin tone that made them look a bit like miniature, undeveloped old men.

To be honest, rather ugly.

Uchiha Itachi averted his gaze and looked at Uchiha Mikoto.

Uchiha Mikoto, however, was smiling happily. She looked at Itachi with those bright, gentle eyes full of maternal love, her eyes curving into crescent moons. She raised a hand to gently clasp the boy's hand resting by the bed. "Itachi, these are your younger brother and sister. They took a lot of effort to arrive just now, and I almost didn't get to see Itachi anymore. Fortunately... perhaps there was some divine blessing in the dark, and these two children were successfully born into the world. Itachi, your future will no longer be lonely; they will always be by your side."

Itachi's expression was somewhat cold. He had always been devoid of smiles, and though he was only five years old, he was as precocious as a little old man. Hearing his mother's words, his eyelids drooped, concealing the thoughts in his eyes. He squatted obediently beside the bed, his fingers brushing against his mother's cheek to tuck away a stray lock of hair clinging to her face.

"You've worked hard, Mother."

He didn't spare another glance at the infants in the swaddling clothes. After all... from his mother's words, it was clear this pair of younger siblings had almost cost their mother her life.

He didn't know the babies, and these so-called younger brother and sister couldn't help with anything right now. They couldn't bear this pain in their mother's stead, nor could he.

Yet, to him, these were twins who had nearly killed his mother.

Wanting him to accept this pair of twins... would take a little time. *(Really?)*

Suddenly, one of the babies let out a wailing cry, interrupting Uchiha Itachi's thoughts.

He lowered his head to see Uchiha Mikoto turn around, anxiously patting the chest of the crying infant while speaking in a soft, comforting tone, "There, there, don't cry now, Mother is right here."

"Is this a younger brother or a younger sister?" Uchiha Itachi slowly let go, stood up, and spoke in a calm tone that seemed to harbor a current beneath the surface.

"Huh?"

This question caught Uchiha Mikoto off guard.

The twins looked far too much alike. The older brother in front, the younger sister in the back, even the wrinkles on their little faces were identical. Once Momoko placed them in the swaddling clothes, it was hard to tell who was making a fuss just by looking at their faces.

She lifted the swaddling clothes to take a look. "Oh, it's your brother, Itachi."

"..."

As expected, little boys were always more boisterous. Had he been just as noisy when he was a baby?

Unable to bear looking at it, Uchiha Itachi averted his gaze, only to be caught unawares as he locked eyes with a pair of eyes that weren't fully open yet, but whose pupils darted around with boundless spirit and vitality.

The owner of that wrinkled little face lit up the moment she caught his gaze, struggling to stretch out her arms from the swaddling clothes. But having just been born not long ago, her feeble arms flailed aimlessly in the air while a stream of bubbling drool spilled from her mouth as she uttered incomprehensible baby babble.

"..."

How silly.

But... rather cute.

Uchiha Itachi felt a sudden urge to smile, the corners of his lips curving upward for a split second before pressing tight again as he tried his hardest to maintain his mature and steady image in front of his mother and the newborn twins.

Clearly, they both had little old-man faces, yet one was so adorable while the other was still crying his eyes out.

Truly...

Before Uchiha Itachi could finish his inner monologue, his hand was lightly swatted by Uchiha Mikoto.

"What are you doing, Itachi? Didn't you see your sister calling you? Hurry up and hold her, don't keep your sister waiting." His mother's voice remained gentle, but that gentleness carried a hint of severity and reproach.

Uchiha Itachi quickly reined in his wandering thoughts, somewhat stiffly extending his hands toward the swaddling clothes. He placed his palms flat underneath and lifted slightly. With a weight of less than six jin, the tiny infant was steadily hoisted up.

Uchiha Mikoto turned her head to look and was so startled she almost gasped for breath. "...Uchiha Itachi! How can you hold your sister like that?! Are you holding a brick?! You wouldn't even hold a brick like this!"

Hearing the Madam's furious voice boom from inside the room, Momoko thought something had happened and hurriedly pushed the door open to look—

Only to see the Uchiha family head's usually calm and reserved eldest son standing straight and rigid, holding his arms straight out with a swaddle resting steadily upon them. The tiny infant inside was kicking and giggling happily, occasionally stretching out a hand to paw at the air before her.

Ah, wonderful.

Young Master Itachi's arms formed a perfect ninety-degree angle with his body, and the little miss was positioned right in the bend of the elbow.

"Pfft—" Momoko couldn't help laughing out loud. Having followed Uchiha Mikoto since childhood, she had also helped take care of Itachi when he was born, so she didn't need to be overly formal around Itachi and Mikoto. "Young Master Itachi, how can you hold the young miss like that?"

"Holding her that way is uncomfortable for your arm, and uncomfortable for the young miss, too. Let me give you a demonstration."

Momoko stepped forward, first soothing Uchiha Itachi's nerves before gently taking the swaddling clothes from his hands. She bent her arm so that the infant's head rested in the crook of her elbow, supporting the base with her palm while keeping her other hand free to tease the baby. She extended a single finger and waved it from side to side, drawing the infant's gaze to follow along instinctively.

"Look, the most important parts for an infant are the head and the bottom. They're still tiny and their bodies are soft, unable to control themselves yet, so we have to help them. Right here, you just need to support the young miss's bottom to keep her steady so she doesn't wobble around."

Finished speaking, Momoko handed the swaddle back to Uchiha Itachi, smiling and encouraging him, "Young Master Itachi, try again."

Itachi lowered his eyelids and once more solemn-mindedly took hold of the swaddling clothes.

His learning capacity had always been remarkably high, and being clever, he remembered everything the moment he saw Momoko do it once.

Gone was the rigid posture from earlier; this time he securely cupped the child in his hands.

Muttering words about not wanting to treat the twins well, he was actually holding her tighter than anyone.

Such a tiny, fragile, and wondrous life rested quietly in the crook of his arm, a pair of round eyes blinking and blinking like dazzling, brilliant stars in the night sky. Seeing him look over, the baby immediately parted her lips in a cheerful grin at him.

The baby's cheeks were soft and chubby, and the sight of her babbling and smiling—even with a little old-man face—was exceptionally cute.

Uchiha Itachi was only five years old at the moment, yet a sudden sense welled up within him that he already had the capacity to protect this tiny life.

He was her older brother; he ought to shoulder the responsibility of protecting her.

Watching from the side, Uchiha Mikoto felt deeply gratified. Especially when she turned her gaze to Itachi, the other infant had also stopped crying, wide eyes staring blankly at Uchiha Mikoto's face with an identical gaze.

"Mother," Uchiha Itachi raised his head and suddenly asked, "What are their names?"

"Your father mentioned it a long time ago. He picked out one boy's name and one girl's name back then, and now we get to use both," Uchiha Mikoto said with smiling, crescent eyes, speaking gently. "The boy is named Sasuke, and the girl is named Yuka."

*

A cold moon hung high in the sky, its dim light reflecting flashing blades and swords. All sorts of ninjutsu smashed into the sky, raining down seas of fire that awakened the silent village. Roofs of varying heights were shattered one by one, and shrieks of terror and despair echoed throughout all of Konohagakure.

Uchiha Itachi stood on the porch, silent and expressionless, watching the half of the sky stained crimson by the flames.

High above that sky, a massive orange beast with nine tails was roaring toward the village. Its sharp claws tore through the darkness to become the deadliest blade. The beast possessed endless power, and its orange chakra slashed across the horizon, nearly ripping the night sky apart.

Even viewing it from such a distance, Uchiha Itachi could feel the urgency of the frontline battle.

"Itachi," Uchiha Mikoto's anxious voice came from inside the room. "How is it outside? Kushina... come to think of it, her child is supposed to be born today? The Nine-Tails... chose the moment when she was at her weakest."

Uchiha Mikoto had suffered a difficult labor while giving birth to the twins this time, enduring for a full three hours before safely delivering both children. As a result, her body was severely depleted and remained extremely weak for nearly two and a half months. She rarely left the house during this period, and the two children had stayed indoors with her to recover.

She had known Kushina Uzumaki since childhood, and the two had always been bosom friends who shared everything. However, Mikoto had married earlier than Kushina; Kushina wasn't even married when Itachi was born. By the time Mikoto fell pregnant with the twins, barely a month had passed before happy news arrived from Kushina's end as well.

The two of them had even joked back then that if they gave birth to a boy and a girl, they would arrange an engagement and make their two families even closer.

"Mother."

Most members of the Uchiha clan had been called away to fight the Nine-Tails, leaving very few people behind in the estate. Itachi was one of them. Though he was young and had already shown extraordinary talent in ninjutsu, he was still a child. Uchiha Mikoto had strictly forbidden him from participating in this incident, so he remained behind to guard the home and protect his mother and younger siblings.

"The Nine-Tails has already appeared for a while now; Aunt Kushina's child should have been born by now."

"What..." Uchiha Mikoto coughed twice and pushed herself up from the bed. "I have to go out and see! Kushina, she..."

Her current condition made her completely unsuited for going outside. Uchiha Itachi naturally wouldn't allow it. He entered the room and spoke with a firm attitude, "Mother, the situation outside is critical. Before Father left, he instructed me to look after you properly. This is no time for you to go out; staying in the room is the safest option. I will protect you and the younger siblings."

"But..." Uchiha Mikoto bit her lower lip, tiny beads of sweat breaking out on her pale face. "Itachi, Kushina, she..."

Before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed in a daze.

Her body was already weak, and the overwhelming anxiety had caused a rush of blood to her head, making her faint.

Itachi called Momoko, instructing her to look after Uchiha Mikoto, and then went to check on his younger brother and sister sleeping sweetly in their crib.

Seeming to sense that their older brother was about to leave, the smaller black-haired infant stealthily opened her eyes as Itachi approached the crib. A pair of round eyes locked onto him with a gaze so burning it felt as though she could burn a hole right through his face.

Though babies couldn't speak, Itachi could read her thoughts simply from that look.

Through over two months of living together day and night, Itachi had roughly figured out his siblings' personalities. Sasuke, the younger brother, cried easily but was quiet most of the time; he didn't like going out, preferring to lie lazily in bed and sleep, or else stare blankly at the ceiling with wide eyes. Yuka, the younger sister, rarely cried, but once she started, she took forever to coax. She also adored going out to watch the bustle, especially in crowded places where her pupils would dart back and forth incessantly, refusing to miss a single thing even if it was overwhelming—she was simply willful and spoiled.

"Little smarty-pants," Itachi chuckled softly, reaching out to tap her nose before pulling the blanket back over Sasuke, who was sleeping in an ungraceful posture, and whispering, "I can't take you with me today. It's too dangerous outside, I can't put you in harm's way."

"Aah—"

Uchiha Yuka tilted her head, kicking her plump, fair little legs in the air to express her dissatisfaction.

Itachi stood firm on this matter: "Kicking won't get you brought along."

Uchiha Yuka blinked, then suddenly opened her mouth wide as if preparing to wail at the top of her lungs: "Ah—woo."

Spellcasting forcibly interrupted.

Itachi withdrew his hand, lowering his gaze to look at the tiny infant whose bright eyes held not a single trace of tears. Not only were there no tears, but those eyes, so remarkably similar to his own, were filled with a liveliness that made Uchiha Yuka's round, plump, fair little face look all the more adorable.

Uchiha Itachi sighed silently in his heart, the smile at the corner of his lips carrying a doting fondness he didn't even realize.

"I give up."

With that, he slid a single arm into the crib and scooped Yuka out.

"I'm only taking you to look around the neighborhood for a little bit, and then we're coming straight home."

***

Q and A (Spoiler Warning Chapter) Hello, everyone, see you again! A long-overdue Q&A! It also serves as the introductory warning chapter for this novel! A quick word upfront: writing a story isn't easy; if you don't like it, please refrain from harsh criticisms. There's no need to specially announce that you're dropping the novel—I look forward to crossing paths with you again in the future. (Mainly because the author has a very fragile glass heart TAT! I really hope to receive positive and encouraging feedback from everyone! Creating a harmonious comment section starts with each of us!) (Clenches fists super hard!) - Q: What is the setting for the female lead of this novel? A: Uchiha Yuka! The twin sister of Sasuke Uchiha, the dearest little sister of Uchiha Itachi, and the universally pampered darling of the Uchiha family! Her personality is roughly... a not-strictly-lawful-good, willfully spoiled Uchiha darling princess. Being willfully spoiled is just one of her many guises; she is a classic chameleon who speaks differently to different people. (Her specific personality will unfold in the main text, hahaha~) Note: Yuka might differ from the heroines I've created in the past. She is selfish and self-centered, caring only about the people she holds dear, while the life or death of anyone else is entirely irrelevant to her. (Saying too much about her traits would spoil the plot, but basically... she's quite dark, and her words can be extremely aggravating ← this is the key point, she is very blunt and only cares about her own feelings, completely indifferent to how others feel.) Her appearance is set as black hair and black eyes. Yuka's hair texture is quite similar to her mother's—smooth, long, and straight. Her hairstyle is as casual as her whim, and the little princess's hairstyle changes according to her mood. Physically, she looks very, very similar to Sasuke since they're twins. Sasuke's face has sharp, distinct angles, while Yuka has baby fat (fattened up by Itachi's constant feeding when she was little), and even when she grows up, people will still find her chubby. Her height is 165–168 cm (subject to change), and her weight fluctuates up and down with her mood. * Q: What are the female lead's zodiac sign and MBTI? A: Leo! Same zodiac sign as Sasuke, born on July 23rd. Her MBTI is ENTJ (might change as she grows older, not entirely accurate). And a special note: Sasuke's MBTI in his early childhood is ISFP, and INTJ when he grows up. Itachi has always been INFJ. (Born June 9th, Gemini). PS: The zodiac sign and MBTI are just meant to give everyone a first impression upon meeting Yuka. But people are different, and neither zodiac signs nor MBTI can serve as definitive standards for what a person is truly like. My thought is that they can only be used as a first impression, giving you a general understanding when encountering or meeting a stranger. * Q: Why set her as a child of the Uchiha family? A: Because I like Uchiha Itachi (instantly chosen). Q: Then why not write a story with Uchiha Itachi as the male lead? A: Because the older brother... bears the weight of clan duty and has no leisure for romantic entanglements (of course, that's just my personal thought). I personally feel that Uchiha Itachi is the type of person who would only consider "romance" after all matters have completely settled down. But all matters settling down only happens after the Fourth Great Ninja War, by which time Itachi had long since passed away. Besides, I don't think Uchiha Itachi being an older brother disqualifies him from being considered a main character. He is an important figure who will run through Uchiha Yuka's entire growth journey and serve as an essential guide for her path forward. The older brothers get the most screen time! * Q: What is the general direction of this novel? Is there anything special to watch out for? A: The main theme of this novel is writing about the daily lives of the female lead and her older brothers. Most of the plots and scenes will take place within the Uchiha family and... (spoilers withheld). Daily life during childhood takes up the majority. Yuka is not an isekai transmigrant; she is a native-born little girl from Konoha. It's just that she's very clever and has an eccentric, sharp-tongued personality, making her seem quite precocious at specific times. (After all, Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto were capable of producing sons as exceptional as Itachi and Sasuke! It shouldn't conflict with them having an exceptional daughter, right?) [Highlight]: This novel will feature a system! But the system appears quite late! No spoilers here. It will continue my usual tradition of writing fanfiction: deriving more unique stories on the basis of not maliciously tampering with the original plot—a warm, sweet daily-life piece filled with both laughter and tears~ However, Naruto is a finished anime, and every character in the story ultimately has their own destination. If Yuka's ending is a HE (Happy Ending) and features a male lead, it might affect the official pairings of certain characters. In other words, I am very likely to break up official pairings... As for who I'll break up, it hasn't been decided yet. (Though I haven't decided on Yuka's pairing; I want to let my daughter act on her whims and end up with whoever catches her eye in the end.) Additionally, I should note: my impression of Naruto is from a long, long time ago... read many years ago, so some of my depictions of the plot might not be entirely accurate. I don't have much confidence in my grasp of the characters' personalities; I'm writing purely based on ancient memories and temporary cramming, so I can only say I'll try my best to stay true to the original work. The childhood personalities of the kids will definitely be different, and I hope everyone can understand this. Furthermore, during the Uchiha Clan Downfall Night, both little ones are only seven years old. Therefore, during the daily interactions prior to age seven, readers might feel the two of them (especially Yuka) are a bit precocious. That's because I wanted to pull certain plots forward slightly, primarily to lay the groundwork for subsequent developments. As the saying goes: derivative fanfiction does not equal rigidly copying the original work. I will write out all the major iconic scenes one by one, but outside of those, if there are any omissions or errors, everyone is welcome to fill them in yourselves! (Bows) * Q: Who is the male lead of this novel? A: I don't know eh (thoughtful face). Yuka: That's right, she doesn't know. Why don't you ask me instead? (Pondering face) Q: Then let little cutie Yuka answer this question: who is the male lead of this novel~? Yuka: Hehe, I don't know either. Q: ... A: So why on earth are you provoking her... (Sighs) All joking aside, the male lead is undecided. If any readers reading up to this point want to recommend their favorite male characters, I'll consider them at my discretion (primarily thinking about whether it makes narrative sense and whether they would meet, understand, and fall in love). When making recommendations, try to consider Yuka's upbringing environment and living circle; characters who are too far away and have zero connection can be skipped, haha. * Q: Regarding the major events the Uchiha family will experience! What are your thoughts? A: No thoughts. Those who are meant to die will die, and those who are meant to live will live. The Uchiha clan's destruction is an event that must happen. It's not like the addition of Yuka will change that. From the moment she was born, the Uchiha clan was already heading toward ruin; this is an irreversible thing. * Q: As everyone knows, there are countless characters in Naruto who die from various causes. These characters range from good to bad, often making people feel heartache and regret. What are your thoughts on this? A: Um... am I supposed to have thoughts? Q: Well, to put it bluntly, will you revive them? Yuka: What? Revive them? Bring them back? Do you take me for an idiot?! A (dragging away the irritable daughter): Uh, consider it at discretion, depending on her mood. * Q: What is the expected word count for this novel? At what node will it probably conclude? A: A conservative estimate is around 300,000 words, subject to change depending on circumstances. I'll have a fixed daily update of 2,000–4,000 words without breaking the streak. If I need to take a leave, I'll notify everyone in the author's notes beforehand! As for the ending node, I haven't quite decided yet, but one thing is certain: there won't be a Shinobi World War. I selfishly hope for a more peaceful Konoha. Since an original fanfiction heroine has joined the mix, let's stir up that originally calm lake!!! (Super chunnibyou) * Tada! That's all! Those are the more important matters for this warning chapter! Once again, I hope everyone in my comment section treats each other kindly and harmoniously! I also look forward to having many, many readers interact and communicate with me! Love you guys!