Having held the baby for over two months now, Uchiha Itachi had long since grown adept at picking up Yuka.
To keep Yuka from slipping off while he leaped through the air, he had even wrapped a strip of cloth around his waist, strapping her tightly to his chest to prevent any accidents.
Supporting the bottom of her swaddling clothes with both hands and putting strength into his legs, he made a clean, decisive leap and landed high up in a large tree.
Standing high gave him a far view.
Though the two of them had not yet left the Uchiha Compound, standing in the tree allowed Yuka to see firsthand how the Tailed Beast Kurama was wantonly ravaging the village.
Little Yuka did not understand what any of this was. She only understood that the boundless flashes of fire burst forth like fireworks, igniting the very night sky. The ink-black night was torn apart by fiery orange, presenting a gorgeous and poignant spectacle across the heavens.
This light was bright and enduring, bathing her little face in a rosy glow.
Watching this scene, Yuka's dark eyes were filled with excitement and curiosity. She tried her hardest to stretch out her chubby little arms, attempting to reach out and grasp that dazzling orange-red glow that was bright enough to light up the night sky.
Uchiha Itachi took in her every reaction and tightened his embrace around her just a fraction more.
"Yuka." As an elder brother, it was his job to provide guidance at a time like this. "That is the Tailed Beast Kurama. It destroyed the village we depend on for survival, it destroyed the peace of the village, and it is very dangerous. All Tailed Beasts are synonymous with danger, and we must stay away from them."
Yuka did not understand what Itachi was saying. She tucked her hands into her sleeves, turned her head, and looked at Itachi with bright, sparkling eyes, the confusion in her gaze quite evident.
"…Never mind." Uchiha Itachi smiled silently and reached out to stroke her head. "You're still too young to understand. Big brother will talk to you about it later."
Yuka emitted a meaningless, single-syllable baby sound: "Da~"
It sounded rather like she was acting spoiled.
Such baby talk, if addressed to anyone else—even Uchiha Mikoto—would be completely incomprehensible, but Itachi understood. He tried communicating with his baby sister: "Do you want to take a closer look?"
Yuka opened her little mouth and babbled.
"No, it would be dangerous." Even as Itachi refused with his words, his hand had already moved up to cover Yuka's mouth—a motion that could only be described as flowing and effortless.
"…"
Any crying or fussing was nipped right in the bud. It seemed this particular method wasn't going to work on big brother this time around.
It was a good thing Yuka couldn't speak yet, or she certainly would have kicked up a fuss.
Fine then, acting spoiled didn't work. Better drop it.
Seeing that her big brother was firm, Yuka stopped making a fuss about getting a closer look. Once her curiosity was suppressed by her brother, even the most magnificent scenery lost its appeal. Bored, Yuka smacking her lips, tilted her head, leaned against Itachi's shoulder, and drifted off to sleep with soft, even breaths.
Only Uchiha Itachi remained standing alone in the tall tree, wide awake, watching that scene in the distance.
That night, he held the sleeping Yuka and watched for a very, very long time. He watched the Fourth Hokage, with his dazzling blond hair, dart across the battlefield like the Yellow Flash. He watched him single-handedly hold off Kurama's attacks, and finally, under the illumination of that blinding golden light, Kurama's orange Chakra gradually dissipated. With a deafening roar, it vanished completely, and the village returned to peace once more.
When the loud explosion rang out, Itachi had instinctively covered Yuka's ears. But when he looked down, he saw that Yuka was sleeping exceptionally soundly. Amidst the deafening roar, she simply rolled over, buried her head deeper into the crook of Itachi's arm, nuzzled affectionately, and smacked her lips without the slightest sign of waking up.
In contrast, Sasuke back in the room had been frightened awake by the loud noise and was crying incessantly. Even through the doors and windows, Uchiha Itachi could hear Momoko inside gently soothing his startled younger brother.
Sasuke was usually accustomed to being quiet and was very easy to comfort. After Momoko coaxed him for a few minutes and fed him a little, Sasuke quieted down and drifted back into a deep sleep.
Itachi lowered his gaze once more to look at Yuka, who was sleeping so peacefully.
He couldn't help but massage the bridge of his nose.
His younger siblings truly had completely different personalities...
*
The next day, Uchiha Itachi accompanied Uchiha Mikoto to attend the funeral of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki.
The funeral was held very quietly. Following last night's great battle, Konohagakure was severely damaged everywhere. Countless high-ranking ninja were injured, the hospital was spinning in chaos, and manpower was stretched thin everywhere. Consequently, the Hokage's funeral was hurried and simple, with only a sparse handful of mourners in attendance.
This was Uchiha Mikoto's first time going out since giving birth, and she remained silent the entire way.
She silently bowed to the portrait where Kushina's smile remained as brilliant as ever, silently offered incense, silently recited the eulogy, and finally turned away. The moment her back was to Kushina, the tears she had held back the entire journey could finally be contained no longer, dropping pat, pat, down, while the hand holding Itachi tightened slightly.
Sensing the turbulence in his mother's emotions, Uchiha Itachi silently held her hand the whole way, trying to lend her strength through the gesture.
"Mother, excessive grief is harmful to your health."
Prodigy though he was, Itachi had not yet experienced the pain brought by the death of someone important to him. He had followed his father onto the battlefield before and witnessed the cruelty of war; many people had died in that war, including quite a few familiar faces from the Uchiha clan, but they hadn't been his close kin. He had been shocked by the cruelty of the war, but he had not shed tears over it.
Kushina Uzumaki was a good friend of his mother's, and to him, she was merely an aunt he had met a few times—not someone terribly close—so he could not feel the same grief as his mother.
Even so, the fall of a hero was truly lamentable.
The Fourth Hokage was a hero, and so was his wife.
"Itachi." Hearing his voice, Uchiha Mikoto forced back her tears and managed a strained smile. "I'm fine. The wind is just too strong; some sand blew into my eyes."
Uchiha Itachi: "…"
This obvious lie was transparently easy to see through, but he could understand it. This was probably the adult world.
They did not want children to see through their forced strength and momentary fragility, so they chose to use well-intentioned lies to deceive the children.
He saw through it all, but since the person telling this lie was, after all, his mother, he could accept it and would not expose her.
"Alright, then I'll block the wind for you, Mother." With that, Itachi genuinely stepped in front of Uchiha Mikoto, using a height that didn't even reach her waist to shield her from the wind and sand.
"Thank you, Itachi." Uchiha Mikoto's mood improved slightly. She gently patted his head, took a deep breath, and turned to ask the person beside her, "Kushina's child... that baby born yesterday, where is he now?"
The person replying sighed and said, "At the Third Hokage's place. That child is truly pitiful... born not even a day and already without parents, and even Kurama has been sealed inside his body. Who knows what's going to happen to him in the future..."
"I see. Thank you."
Uchiha Itachi was led by Uchiha Mikoto to the market, where they bought numerous baby products.
"Oh dear, I forgot to ask if it's a boy or a girl." Uchiha Mikoto looked somewhat troubled as she picked out infant clothes. "I suppose I'll just buy two of everything. Consider it a welcome gift for the child. When Yuka and Sasuke were born, Kushina sent two identical sets of matching brother-sister outfits. They looked so adorable wearing them—that orange little dress you said looked so pretty on Yuka last time, Itachi? That was a gift from Kushina."
She chattered on, buying a pile of things all at once, seemingly trying to soothe her yearning for her friend through retail therapy.
Uchiha Itachi's five-year-old arms bore a weight they should not have had to bear, but given his regular, rigorous training, this weight was nothing to him. He carried the bags effortlessly, his hands full.
When the two of them finished shopping and arrived at the Third Hokage's home, the person who opened the door showed no surprise upon seeing them.
"Ah, Mrs. Uchiha. Please come in."
"Is it a little boy?" Uchiha Mikoto peered into the crib at the blond baby boy. A baby boy not even a day old, he looked nothing like the wrinkled little old men her own twins had been at birth; his face was chubby, and he had faint whisker-like markings on his cheeks, making him look utterly endearing. "What's his name?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"Naruto?" Uchiha Mikoto smiled, reaching out to gently stroke the baby boy's cheek. "A lovely name. Giving him his mother's surname... it also holds Kushina's longing and hopes for him. That's wonderful. May he grow up healthy and happy."
Itachi obediently placed the large and small bags he was carrying inside the room, then stepped forward to take a look at the baby as well.
Uzumaki Naruto?
There was indeed a resemblance to Aunt Kushina between his brows—round eyes, a round face. To be this round right after being born, he looked very well-nourished.
Still, compared to his baby sister, he fell far short.
Ever since he had set eyes on his sister, no other infant in the world could catch Uchiha Itachi's eye!
His sister was the cutest baby in the entire world!
Unaware of the endless stream of thoughts running through her eldest son's expressionless mind, Uchiha Mikoto tucked the blanket in around Naruto, turned back, and said, "Thank you for taking care of him. I'll come check on him from time to time."
Just as she finished speaking, she was called outside.
The person who had come wore Konohagakure ninja attire, looking somewhat like an ANBU operative with dark-hued gear, and every one of them wore a grave expression.
Uchiha Mikoto was momentarily startled. She glanced around the circle of Jonin, not recognizing a single familiar face among them.
"What is it?"
"…"
The adults spoke near the doorway in voices so low and soft that Uchiha Itachi could only catch a few isolated, fragmented words, piecing together roughly what they were discussing from the stern and solemn expressions on the adults' faces.
"For the protection of this child... or perhaps... as much as possible..."
"How could this happen...?"
"The Jinchuriki... limit contact... the higher-ups..."
"I understand."
After the conversation ended, Uchiha Mikoto's newly calmed emotions sank back into stillness. A heavy, blocked feeling weighed in her chest; she couldn't describe what she was feeling at the moment. But as she stood at the doorway and looked once more at the sleeping baby in the crib, a sour ache gripped her heart, and a complex wave of emotions welled up inside her.
*I'm sorry, Kushina.*
*The village you risked your life to protect, the child you vowed to guard with your death, yet...*
Ah. Uchiha Mikoto sighed silently, then turned and softly called out Uchiha Itachi's name: "Itachi, come here."
Uchiha Itachi stepped out the door, obediently refraining from asking his mother what they had just been discussing. His gaze swept over the Jonin without leaving a trace, entirely unnoticeable.
And those Jonin were entirely focused on Uchiha Mikoto, paying him no mind whatsoever.
Uchiha Mikoto silently exchanged farewells, and only after they had walked out the door did her expression ease slightly.
"What happened, Mother?" Itachi asked.
"Nothing. Mother was just wondering what will become of this child in the future. If Kushina knew that the village and the child she and Namikaze Minato gave their lives to protect would..." Uchiha Mikoto sighed. These were adult matters, and since Itachi was still young, she could not tell him about them. "Ah well, such is fate. Just like the Uchiha clan, we all have our own destinies."
She reached out to ruffle Uchiha Itachi's hair again, taking his hand as they slowly walked home.
Itachi asked with some curiosity, "Mother, what is the destiny of our Uchiha clan?"
"…If you asked your father that question, he would probably say..."
Itachi imagined his father's usual sternness and the things he frequently said: "To secure a bright future for the Uchiha clan?"
Mikoto blinked, then smiled in surprise and patted Itachi's head. "Oh~ Itachi really understands your father. That sounds just like something he would say. As expected of the son who makes him so proud."
Itachi replied modestly, "My younger brother and sister will also make Father and Mother proud. In the future, they will become outstanding ninja as well."
"Oh? Is that so?" Mentioning the two little ones waiting at home, Uchiha Mikoto's mood lifted a little more. She pondered for a moment and answered earnestly, "Well, they're still much too small right now. What they want to do in the future should be for them to decide, especially Yuka... She has such a lively personality and isn't one to sit still. Who knows, she might not even have the patience to study ninjutsu."
"I can teach my sister ninjutsu," Itachi interjected without hesitation. "Whether Yuka likes it or not, she needs to learn ninjutsu."
"Eh? Judging by how doting you've been with Yuka lately..." Itachi's answer somewhat exceeded Uchiha Mikoto's expectations. For the past two months, Itachi had practically revolved around his baby brother and sister, spending an exceptionally long time hovering over Yuka and paying meticulous attention to her every need. She had assumed Itachi would spoil her to the point of letting her do whatever she pleased. "I didn't expect you to be such a strict big brother?"
Itachi answered this question with absolute earnestness: "Mother, this world is far less peaceful and tranquil than we imagine or what we see. Only by making herself strong can Yuka have a foothold in this world; otherwise, she will encounter many dangers."
Mikoto gave Itachi's little head a light tap. "When we get home today, I'm going to ask your father what kind of ideas he's been instilling in you every day. Itachi, you're only five years old; you shouldn't be thinking about so many heavy things. We should focus on the present! For instance, Itachi, what do you plan to do the moment we get home?"
"I plan to go see Yuka first."
"Then Yuka will be very happy. Every time you go see her, she's always so happy."
"I'm also very happy to see my sister."
"Oh? Aren't you happy to see your brother too?"
"I'm happy about that too."