The Anachronism

Chapter 2

Two months passed after Fugaku's initial arrival with Tatsu and Itachi Uchiha was born, placing Tatsu roughly five months older. Mikoto, Fugaku's wife, wasn't too thrilled about the idea of raising another child before raising her firstborn, but she still took care of him as her own. 

They sort of functioned as a normal family, aside from the clear contrast in Tatsu's personality from theirs, and they mostly minded their own. It was all they really could do, the rest of the Uchiha clan had already agreed that though Tatsu technically was a child of Fugaku, legally speaking, he would hold no heir to any of the traditions. 

Fugaku's initial plan was to shelter Tatsu, keeping him safe and honoring his elder brother's wish, but he had to change that plan when he learned Tatsu wanted to be a shinobi. He could've tried forbidding Tatsu from pursuing that career, but it would've stayed as he stated it, simple words without authority. 

Within the four years, he'd spent with Tatsu as a member of his family he'd learned that Tatsu only responds to three things: power, fear, and beauty. The simplicity of the child always seemed to catch him off of his guard, like the time he found out Tatsu went missing because he was following around Kakashi Hatake simply to see underneath his mask. 

At the current moment he, Fugaku, was preparing to take his four-year-old son to the battlefield and show him the true nature of war. While slipping on his sandals and getting ready to head out, he heard the sound of two small sets of feet racing towards his direction. 

"No fair, you were right beside the corner and I had to go around you," Tatsu complained at his defeat.

"True, but is there really such a thing as fair?" Itachi asked as he sat down to put on his sandals.

"Hey, where are you going and why is little Itachi coming with you?" Tatsu asked tilting his head.

"I'm taking Itachi to the battlefield, he has to see what is in store for him in the life of a shinobi," Fugaku explained, standing up from where he was sitting. 

Tatsu opened his mouth ready to complain about why he wasn't invited, but Fugaku placed his large hand on the boy's head and spoke first, "A battlefield is a dangerous place, Tatsu, how would I be protecting you if I were to put you in danger?"

"But little Itachi gets to go, why can't I?"

"Itachi is destined to be a shinobi, it's a right of passage and sadly you can't participate in that right of passage." He explained, removing his large hand from the boy's head and making an exit with his other son. 

After ensuring that both his adoptive father and brother were gone, Tatsu made for an exit himself. Walking through the compound he noticed how most of the other Uchiha's either steered clear of him or gave him looks that you shouldn't give a child. He never understood why though. 

Even if he was considered to be advanced by Fugaku's standards, he couldn't wrap his head around why people treated him differently. It couldn't be because of his eyes, he'd seen members of the Uchiha clan when they're around those of the Hyuga clan and they don't give them odd looks. It couldn't be because of his hair, he'd seen Uchiha's with dark brown hair, and some of them had long hair too. 

Maybe it was his name.

"Hey, Tatsu." A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

He looked up to see the face of Obito Uchiha. Apparently, Obito was watching over Tatsu while he was trying to see Kakashi's face and they'd been close ever since. 

"Hello, Obito-kun." He said putting on a simple smile for his friend.

"I was going to go to the training grounds and practice with my jutsu, I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

"I'd love to, will the rest of your team be joining us?"

"Kakashi said he didn't want to train with me, Rin will be there, and Minato-sensei is taking care of important business."

"If Rin is there to help why am I coming?"

"Because you can learn new jutsu." That shut Tatsu up.

He'd always wanted to learn jutsu and things of that sort, but the most Fugaku had bothered to teach him was how to hold a kunai. He hadn't started in the academy yet so that was the most he could learn. 

Once they arrived at the training grounds, Rin was a clear visual for both of them as she smiled brightly at the two. When Tatsu first saw Rin and Obito together he'd assumed she was his girlfriend, but then he saw what she was like when Kakashi was also there. 

'Poor Obito, he likes her, but she likes Kakashi' Tatsu thought as he noticed Obito's change in stature. 

During Obito's training session, Tatsu learned two jutsu's, even if he couldn't perform them yet. On his way home, he took note of all of the Uchiha's who hadn't treated him differently, so far there were only three he'd come in contact with that held a conversation with him: Izumi, the one he didn't like because he didn't feel she was good enough for his little brother, Shisui, the one he'd met briefly yet still admired because of his delightful personality, and also Obito. 

A shortlist, to say the least. He'd hoped that one day he'd expand that list, maybe even add members of the Hyuga clan to it too, but at the current moment that'd have to suffice. 

Upon his arrival home, he'd noticed that Itachi was in his room seemingly deep in thought. 

"Itachi?" He called out.

"Yes, nii-chan?" The younger answered.

"Are you okay?'

"Yes." It was a simple answer, a lie, but one that only Tatsu could see through.

Even if he saw through his younger brother's lie, he didn't press the matter further, he'd rather talk about it when they were both rested. 

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A/N: Once again this is my first time doing something like this so if you see where I might have messed up something it seems out of place just let me know.