Hitoshi laid down, his energy entirely spent. He had spent the past week almost completely sleepless, as his nightmares had constantly been plaguing him, even during the waking hours. In total he had probably gotten ten hours of sleep in the past five days.

Hitoshi knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up for the entire trip. He was hoping to though. At least the Nara Compound had soundproof walls, so he didn't keep the clan up with his screams at night. But in this house, he would be sure to wake up everyone. Given that Zabuza was likely to show his face tomorrow, giving everyone else a sleepless night was a bit shitty and dangerous to say the least.

His problems weren't worth that much anyways.

The ginger stared out of the window in his room. He was sharing a room with Sakura, because Kakashi didn't trust Naruto and Sasuke around the boy. Not for innapropriate reasons, so get your head outta the gutter, but because they might trigger his trauma in some way.

Sakura was the least traumatized and therefore he least likely to bring up a traumatizing memory. And also because the other alternative was to have Hitoshi share a bed with someone of the male species, and the silver-haired jonin wasn't about to let that happen. He'd read enough Icha Icha to know what the possibilities were.

The ginger glanced at his pink-haired teammate, who was sleeping without a care in the world. Hitoshi was extremely envious of the girl's ability to sleep so well. He sighed and glanced up at the full moon. Hitoshi scowled, his golden eyes glinting harshly in the light of the celestial body.

'Jigoku no Hi... no one was supposed to know.' The ginger thought to himself. 'No one was ever supposed to know that I was him. Goddamit. There was only ever one person who knew, besides my parents, and it was supposed to stay that fucking way.'

Hitoshi's mind drifted to the soft voice that would greet him every time he would visit. The gentle caresses as he would take care of Hitoshi's wounds. The meaningful conversations they would have over the dinner he had made especially for the ginger. And the lullaby he was sung before being pulled to sleep in the arms of the only person he trusted.

The ginger clenched his jaw and shut his eyes so hard he saw swirling patterns. Hitoshi had promised himself that he wouldn't think about that person.

But it was so damn hard.

Especially since the ginger missed him so damn much.

Hitoshi sighed, forcefully releasing the tension in his body. It was no use to dwell on the past. Sure, he was out there somewhere, but Hitoshi was sure he didn't to get caught up with him again. Especially considering who his teammate was.

Hitoshi shook his head and walked back to his bedroll. He let Sakura have the bed, given that she was a girl and he already had the sleeping bag.

'It was the bedroll that he gave to me-

I need to fucking shut up, dammit!'

Hitoshi dragged a hand down his face, sighing angrily and slipped into the sleeping bag. Why did that guy keep popping up in his mind? It had been almost six years after all.

Hitoshi's mind flashed back to the one night of decent sleep he had gotten since he had killed his sisters. The infinite looping of that one memory. His mind reeled back even further, to when he told Sasuke that his mother had helped to kill the Uchiha Clan.

The ginger bit his lip as guilty shivers ran through his body. He tried to push out the guilt he felt, but it was too much. Hitoshi just tried his best to stay silent as tears streaked down his face.

There were very few things Hitoshi regretted. Killing his sisters was one of them, a haunting memory that would hopefully lessen its pain with time. But there was one thing Hitoshi could never forgive himself for, something that brought so much dread to him anytime he even glanced toward Sasuke.

He was partially responsible for the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

::

A younger Hitoshi stood on the roof of a building, glancing down at the torch-lit compound. He had come on an assassination mission, with a single target. Uchiha Itachi.

The ginger weaved through the shadows, his eyes like rolling balls, glancing around constantly. Little did the small boy know, but a set of eyes were watching him as well.

After searching the compound rather thoroughly, Hitoshi came to the conclusion that Uchiha Itachi wasn't in the compound, which was strange. According to his information, the boy had just returned from a mission and was staying in the village until the birthday of his younger brother, Sasuke. The boy was apparently turning two.

Hitoshi leapt out of the compound and into the surrounding woods. He would have to go search the village next.

"Looking for someone?" A boy's voice rang out through the trees. Hitoshi glanced towards the source and saw the person he was sent to kill. The Uchiha's dark eyes stared into his golden ones, and the two stared silently for a moment.

Hitoshi rushed to attack the boy, who matched him easily. The two traded a few blows, before Hitoshi managed to land a solid hit on the Uchiha. Itachi skidded backward and gave the ginger an appraising glance. "So... you're Jigoku no Hi... hn."

"Yes. So?" The two locked eyes once more.

A rustling in the trees caught Hitoshi's attention, and he turned to look at it. His eyes widened a slithering vines launched out of the brush, wrapping around his body. One curled around his throat, cutting Hitoshi's air supply off. A blonde woman walked out of the tree line with a knowing smirk.

Hitoshi's pupils shrank in fear as he struggled to release himself from the vines. The woman tutted, stepping closer. This made the ginger flail all the more urgently, his target completely forgotten.

"Oh... Hitoshi..." Yamiko tutted, her emerald eyes filled with glee. "You're such a bad boy... disobeying me like that."

Hitoshi seized in fear. "D-Disobeying you? O-Okaa-sama, y-you told me to kill him- hgk!" The ginger choked as the vines squeezed tighter not allowing him to speak any longer.

"I did?" The woman put a finger to her chin, as if trying to remember something. "No, I don't think I did." Her smile returned, this time more maniac and delighted.

Tears filled Hitoshi's eyes as he stared at the woman, now petrified into submission. The vines loosened just enough for him to speak. "I a-apologize Okaa-s-sama... P-please don't hurt me... please..."

Yamiko chuckled and the vines grew tighter. A blissful and pleased smile crossed her face as the boy choked, blood coming out of his mouth. "Oh, it is so delightful when you beg like that. Unfortunately, it won't save you. You should know that. It never does." She laughed, and Hitoshi clenched his eyes shut, tear spilling down his face.

Then everything went black from the lack of oxygen.

::

Hitoshi woke up in a bed. That alone set the boy on edge. He hadn't ever slept in a bed before, so that was enough to scare the shit out of him. If Yamiko found out that he was on the nice furniture with his filthy body, then she would torture him more.

The ginger shot up, eyes wide and frantic, glancing around in terror. This wasn't even his house! What had happened? Where was Yamiko? Why were they in some random house?!

The door creaked open and Hitoshi's petrified golden gaze snapped to it. In walked a very calm Uchiha Itachi, carrying a tray of food. He glanced at Hitoshi as though the boy was a normal part of his room. "Do you like onigiri?" The black-haired boy questioned, setting the tray down on the bed.

Hitoshi was still confused, but his mouth automatically replied, "I've never had it."

Itachi gave the boy a sad look. "Given what you were shouting under my genjutsu, I'm not that surprised."

"G-Genjutsu?" Hitoshi questioned. He thought back to how Yamiko had just popped out of the forest. The ginger sighed. "I'm an idiot."

Itachi shook his head, passing a plate of onigiri to the boy. "That Genjutsu was designed to be so frightening, people wouldn't think about why it was happening. And given that you're ... what, six? It worked better."

Hitoshi didn't reply and gave a wary glance to the onigiri. Itachi noticed. "It isn't poisoned, if that's what you're wondering." The Uchiha told him. "If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you while you were in that Genjutsu."

Hitoshi gave Itachi a glance. "Why didn't you?" The ginger questioned. "You clearly knew that I had come to kill you."

"I... don't know..." Itachi admitted. The two sat in silence before Itachi picked up one of the onigiri and held it up to Hitoshi's mouth. "You need to eat. You're all skin and bones."

Hitoshi hesitated, but ate the rice ball. It was filled with salted salmon, and was the most delicious thing Hitoshi had ever tasted before. Itachi could see a sudden sparkle appear in Hitoshi's eyes and it made him smile slightly.

The ginger happily ate the rest of the onigiri that Itachi had brought him, delighting in the salted fish. The only food the boy had been subject to up until then was unseasoned oatmeal.

Itachi watched as the ginger smiled after finishing the onigiri. 'It's like taming a puppy.' Itachi thought to himself, smiling slightly himself.

Hitoshi gave him a content look. "T-Thank you for the really good food."

Itachi felt his heart clench at the sight of the now very polite and adorable child. It really was like taming a puppy. A very adorable puppy. "You're welcome." Itachi nodded, taking the plate from the ginger and putting it on his nightstand.

"I'm sorry for coming here." Hitoshi apologized. "I was only doing what Okaa-sama told me to do. I can only do what she tells me to." The ginger was shaking in fear as the Genjutsu flashed through his mind again.

Itachi gave the boy a sympathetic glance. The ginger-haired boy had gone from calm and content to downright terrified. He knew that his Genjutsu had done nothing to help the boy. A memory of his mother comforting Sasuke when he was crying flashed before his eyes, and the Uchiha got an idea.

Itachi crawled into the bed with Hitoshi, and the ginger gave him a confused look. Itachi laid down and tugged Hitoshi down with him, holding the boy close to him comfortingly. The ginger was stiff and surprised for a moment, but he eventually relaxed. It didn't take long for the ginger to fall asleep in his arms, with Itachi soon after.

::

Hitoshi had returned to his mother with nothing to show for the mission. This earned him a week without food and she choked him and cut him for a few hours each day. Hitoshi took it all in stride however. There was something keeping the ginger going now.

Itachi said he could come back.

::

Over the next three years, Hitoshi would visit Itachi anytime he was allowed to leave for a mission. Of course, he always got his missions done beforehand. He had to, otherwise Yamiko and Shikage would stop sending him out. And then he couldn't see his best friend anymore.

The two had grown extremely close in the past few years, with them both getting insanely attached to the other. It was getting to the point to where Hitoshi couldn't sleep without being snuggled up to the raven-haired Uchiha, safe in the arms of the only person he fully trusted.

Yamiko started to notice how Hitoshi would jump at the chance for any and all missions. It didn't matter if it was assassination, theft, surveillance, etc. The kid took them all. And Hitoshi was always late with them too. He always took an extra day or so then what he should be taking, which was making Yamiko suspicious.

She had trained Hitoshi to come back after every mission, promising dire consequences if he did not. Of course, the ginger kept coming back, but what if he realized he could leave for good? Yamiko couldn't have that.

The woman had one of her snake summons follow after the ginger on the next mission he went on, and found that he went to the Uchiha Compound after he had completed the mission. She saw how that Uchiha boy greeted him, and the obvious affection in both boys eyes.

If she didn't fix this soon, then her little plaything would leave forever. And Orochimaru wouldn't be too happy about that.

::

Hitoshi was down in the basement again, sitting on his knees, waiting for his mother. He had to wait like this so Yamiko wouldn't get upset with him not showing the proper respect. Hitoshi grinned into the darkness. It was mission day. He was going to be able to see Itachi again.

The door to the basement creaked open and Hitoshi stopped smiling. It wouldn't be good for Yamiko to see him being happy. She despised it when he felt any kind of joy.

To his surprise, both Yamiko and Shikage walked down the stairs, not just Yamiko. Normally, Shikage wouldn't get involved in the mission process. He was the one that trained Hitoshi in Taijutsu, while Yamiko trained him in pretty much everything else. And Shikage had never bothered to help with the missions before, so what had changed?

The two stood in front of him and he bowed. "Good evening Okaa-sama, Otou-sama." He greeted, forehead resting against the cool concrete floors.

Yamiko started giggling, which was never a good sign. "Get up, I want to see your face while I talk to you." She sniggered, vines pulling his hair back and forcing him back onto his knees.

This confused Hitoshi further. He usually wasn't allowed to leave his bowing position until she had left. Why did she do so differently tonight? The ginger also noticed a shit-eating grin on Shikage's face. "What is it, Okaa-sama?" Hitoshi questioned, glancing warily between the two adults.

Yamiko started laughing. "Oh, Hitoshi. You remember your little Uchiha friend... don't you?"

Hitoshi froze. No... she couldn't possibly know about Itachi. And yet, the gleam in her eye told the ginger that she definitely did know. "Y-Yes..?" Hitoshi answered, his golden gaze bouncing between the two gleeful adults.

Yamiko began laughing harder and Shikage joined in, frightening the young boy. They usually only laughed like this while they were torturing him or while they were playing with their daughters.

"I killed him!" Yamiko cackled and Hitoshi froze.

This... couldn't be happening.

Itachi... he... he couldn't be dead. It just wasn't possible.

...Was it?

The two adults took one look at the boy and began laughing even harder at the dumbstruck look on his face. "Y-You killed Itachi?!" He questioned, tears streaming down his face.

The adults howled with laughter, and Yamiko managed to calm down enough to say, "Not just him, but his entire clan as well!"

That meant...

Hitoshi was about to throw up.

Yamiko had killed the Uchiha Clan.

Because of him.