An Uchiha's True Worth

Unexpected Detour

Inasa Uchiha watched behind them as they ran keeping an eye on his wife only a few feet ahead of him. Imawe charged ahead. They dodged behind a tree to assess the situation before moving on. Only one enemy behind them. Imawe began to take a step when she heard a sound right below her. A coo and then a gurgle. She grabbed her husbands wrist. She saw the dead body first. A young woman lay sprawled on the ground. Imawe turned her head away. The woman had been gutted. Her throat had been slit as well. "Imawe," Inasa whispered. He could sense the enemy getting closer. Imawe walked silently up to the basket that held the infant. The poor child was covered in blood. The blankets were even soaked in it. As she reached down to uncover the child's face, a kunai struck the tree ahead of her. "Fool," Inasa growled. In the next second, the enemy lay at his feet. "Imawe, we need to leave." He stopped when he saw that his wife had picked up the child and held it in her arms. Imawe looked at him with pleading eyes. He sighed and shook his head. "We can't." He says simply. "She looks like an Uchiha." Imawe says. Indeed the child had the raven black hair and onyx eyes. "If the clan were to find out, we would pay a high price." He walked over and opened the dead woman's eyes. They were intact. She was definitely not an Uchiha. He pulled out his kunai and put it to the infants neck. "It would be better to put the child out of its misery than to create misery for ourselves." Imawe turned away from him to protect the child. "Imawe." He growled softly. Her eyes pleaded with him. They had been married for ten years and had never been blessed with a child. The clan leaders looked down on them for not fulfilling their responsibility to increase the clan's numbers. Inasa sighed. "Let's at least get the child cleaned up." Imawe smiled. She found a river only a short distance away and began to unwrap the child. The child's  black hair was already to its shoulders. Imawe smiled when she learned the baby was a girl. Inasa groaned. Another challenge. But as he looked at her, she became silent and looked directly at him. Holding out her pudgy little hand. He let her grab his finger. She smiled then. Imawe watched her husband and sighed. They returned to the village with their find. The following morning they took the child before the clan leaders. The elders took pity on the couple and allowed them to keep her. Only because they assumed she was an Uchiha due to her similar features.

     The following morning Imawe met Mikoto Uchiha for tea. When she saw the baby wrapped in her friends arms, she beamed. "Have you named her?" "Her name is Shinpi." Mikoto smiled. When Imawe told her what had happened that led to them to acquiring her, she wasn't surprised. "How is Inasa dealing with it?" She asked. "She's growing on him. She watches him with such fascination when he holds her. Almost at though she's learning what she can from him just by sight." Shinpi was the perfect child. She never cried unless she had a need to. Imawe would watch her entertain herself. Babbling away. "You should bring Itachi over to meet her. We could spend the day together." Imawe tells her. "That sounds wonderful." Mikoto replied. "I'll be back in a moment." She left and after a few moments she returned holding Itachi's hand. "Good morning, Itachi." Imawe tells him. He bowed. After a moment, his eyes found the bundle that Imawe was holding. He looked at his mom. She nodded. When he pulled the blanket back, he watched the baby. He smiled when she reached out and poked his cheek. He let her grab his finger. For a moment, she simply watched him. Tilting her head. A frown crossed her face for a moment. He brushed his hand over her hair. This made her smile and pull his finger up to her cheek. Itachi smiled at his mom. "She likes you." Imawe tells him. Itachi blushed for a moment. Before long Shinpi was sound asleep. Itachi was curled up next to her beside the bed she slept in. The women spent some time just talking. Before long it was time for Mikoto and Itachi to return home. Imawe prepared dinner for her husband before feeding and bathing Shinpi and putting her down for the night. As they ate dinner, Inasa watched his wife. She had a glow he had not seen since they first met. "How was your day?" He asked her. "It was wonderful. Mikoto came over to visit and brought Itachi. It was nice to talk to another mom. This is so new." He smiled and took her hand. "Just remember, it was your idea." He got serious for a moment. Imawe watched him. "Inasa, what is it?" He nodded. "I can't help but worry about when she gets older. We have no idea where she comes from. Once the clan learns that she's not an Uchiha..." Imawe held his hand tighter. "My love, whatever happens, we will be alright. She needed us. And truth be told, we needed her." Inasa kissed her. "Your right, of course. No sense in worrying about things before they happen."