The sound of shattering ceramics was the only thing that could be heard in the almost silent room. Fugaku didn't know how to feel, he didn't know what to do. Everything happened all of a sudden, and in his state of shock he felt pretty much desolated.
"Can I ask something of you?"
"What is it?"
"If something ever happened to me, would you protect Hanako for me?"
He didn't even notice the river of tears that was coming out of his eyes. He didn't want to believe it, but seeing the dull expression that the little girl held on her face, how much effort she made not to cry...he knew it had to be true. He just couldn't bear the pain.
He was standing alone in the middle of the Uchiha secret room. The room where all of the clan meetings were held. He had broken a lot of ceramic plates used to hold the fire and light up the hall, but he would replace them later. Right now he only needed something to take out all his sadness and rage on.
Yusuke had spoken to him as if he knew what was going to happen, at least he suspected it. Was this Danzo's doing? Did the rest of the elders know what was going on?
He broke another plate. It was the last one holding the bit of fire that still remained. Now, he was left in darkness. He let himself fall on his knees and started sobbing. He did not only lose one of his clan members as a leader, but he also lost his best friend. He failed to protect him. How did he even expect to protect all of them? The Uchiha were in danger, and he knew it. He just couldn't do anything about it. Or at least, he didn't know what to do.
"Are you all right, Father?" Fugaku was so focused in his thoughts that he didn't notice the moment when his oldest son came into the room.
"I'm fine." He replied curtly. He wouldn't let his son see him in such a disgraceful state. Fugaku had shown Itachi this secret room hidden under the seventh tatami of the shrine when he first awoke his Sharingan. He had thought that he was ready to know the real secrets of the Uchiha Clan, and he still believed that it was the right choice.
Itachi came closer to his father and picked up a torch that fell from one of the broken ceramic plates. He made a fire jutsu with little chakra to light it. When the room was lit up to at least see the silhouette of his progenitor, he walked up to him and knelt in front of him to lower to his level, still holding the burning torch. "You're not fine, you were crying," he said.
Fugaku looked up at him and that's when Itachi noticed the dry tears that stained his cheeks and his eyes red from the crying. Just how long had his father been here? He hadn't come back home after he told him that Hanako needed to tell him something important. He had thought that after Fugaku left, he would come back later and have dinner with them like he normally would, but instead he was here in the middle of the night, alone, hiding in the Uchiha shrine and crying his eyes dry. What had Hanako told him that affected him this much?
"Dad, tell me what happened." Itachi didn't call him "dad" pretty often. Only when the situation called for it. And right now, he saw it much more adept now that calling him "father", which sounded much colder and what his father really needed was warming up.
"He's dead," was all Fugaku said. He was still in shock and he still couldn't believe for much that he tried. Itachi could notice it, although he didn't know just who his father was talking about. "My best friend, Hanako's father... He's dead."
* * *
"What can I help you with, sweetie?" The miss behind the counter looked at Itachi with a smile, small creases forming around her eyes.
