To The Future

History Lesson

".... you had no right...."

"...... dangerous..... mentally unstable..."

Sarada tried to listen through the keyhole as Mama and Papa scolded Uncle Naruto.

"He needed to see her, Sasuke. And you know he's not dangerous, Sakura-chan. I wouldn't even have had to interfere if you two had told her yourself like you said you would." Thankfully, Uncle Naruto had no concept of indoor voice. His side of conversation was clearly heard by Sarada.

".....told her in our own time..."

"....our daughter..... sensitive matter...."

"Well, you're right. She is your daughter and that is why she is not going to leave this matter alone. So, just tell her, alright? It'll be like cleaning out an infected wound."

"..... would have left it alone if you hadn't..."

"...get out..."

"Fine. I'm going. You're going to thank me later, though." The sound of the door closing was heard.

"Sarada, come here. We know you were listening." Mama called out, just as Sarada was inching back towards her room.

Caught in the act, Sarada sheepishly entered the room. Mama and Papa were both sitting on the couch leaving the armchair in front of them for Sarada.

"Ask your questions. We'll do our best to answer." Papa said as she sat down, surprising her. They were really going to give her answers now?

"Who is Uchiha Itachi?" She immediately asked.

Papa sighed. He must have expected that question. "He is my brother."

Wait. What? "My Uncle?"

"Yes."

"Why have I never heard of him? Why haven't I met him before?" She fired off.

It was Mama who answered this one. "He had been dead for more than ten years. Naruto used fuinjutsu to bring him back alive from the past."

She should be more surprised at the fact that Uncle Naruto could bring people back from the dead by time travel, but she was just not.

"Even if he was dead, why have you never told me about him?"

Both her parents shared a look at that, before Papa answered. "I've had a complicated relationship with Itachi. I wouldn't have been comfortable talking about him. Your mother kept that in mind while telling you of our family."

"What do you mean by 'complicated relationship'? Do you not like him?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

Mama frowned at that. "Sarada, your father just told you he's not comfortable talking about Itachi."

Sarada moved to apologise when Papa stopped her. "It's fine, Sakura. Maybe Naruto is right and it would be like cleaning out an infected wound."

"Sasuke-kun, Are you sure?" Mama looked concerned.

Papa nodded before turning to Sarada. "Sarada, I will be telling you the history of our clan. I want you to listen carefully and treat it with the respect it deserves."

"Yes, of course."

"The Uchiha claims its lineage back to the Sage of Six Paths through his second son. We have always been one of the most powerful shinobi clans in the Fire Nation. Senju had been our bitter enemies for most of the warring clan period, until Uchiha Madara formed a friendship with Senju Hashirama. They established this village together but Madara was driven mad with grief because of the death of his brother at the hands of Senju Tobirama. He left the village and returned years later to destroy it with the Kyuubi. Madara was defeated by Hashirama but the Leaf never forgot this betrayal.

Years later the Kyuubi attacked Konoha on the day Naruto was born and thousands of people died. The Uchiha comprised of the police force and protected the civilians, therefore suffered less casualties never directly engaging the bijuu itself. Fingers were pointed and the Uchiha were put under suspicion. They were relocated to outskirts of the village where could be easily kept track off.

After living seven years under suspicion of the crime they didn't commit, the Uchiha clan under the leadership of my father, Uchiha Fugaku, planned a coup. Itachi disagreed with this, believing it could lead to the Fourth Shinobi War, and decided to spy on the clan for the village. Eventually, when there was no sign of compromise from either side, he was was ordered to kill off every member of the clan except me and pretend to be a mad mass murderer who did it for his own amusement. That was what he made me believe for years until I killed him eight years later. It was after his death that I got to know his real motivations."

"That's ......" Sarada trailed off, horrified.

Papa sighed. "For a long time, I had believed I had forgiven him for what he did and what he made me do. But now that he is back, I don't think I am completely over it."

Sarada didn't know what to say. She looked at Mama and saw her crying.

"Do you think he might harm me?" She managed to ask, her voice hoarse.

"No." Papa said with conviction. "He won't."

"You don't know that, Sasuke-kun." Papa opened his mouth to protest, but Mama stopped him. "No, listen to me. You don't really know him. After his death, you've made this image of him in your head based on the paltry number of interactions you've had. That is not him. You don't know for sure if he would harm Sarada or not, and until you do I'm not going to risk my daughter in the company of a man who's killed Uchiha children in their beds and has tortured the brother he supposedly loved."

Papa looked like he was ready to disagree but then gave out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Do as your mother says, Sarada."

Sarada could only nod before going up the stairs to her room, wiping tears from her face.