Under a gloomy sky, a dark tide seemed to hang in the air.A group of shinobi wearing green flak jackets moved swiftly through the forest.
Kokoro clung tightly to her mother's back, listening intently to the faintest movements around them. Her mother was on a mission, and Kokoro knew she couldn't disturb her.
"Kokoro, I'll set you down up ahead. Be careful, and don't get hurt," Uchiha Minako whispered softly.
Uchiha Minako was once known as Usami Minako, the daughter of the Uchiha clan. After Kokoro's father, Usami Yayoi, died, Minako restored her Uchiha name and returned to the clan, bringing her daughter with her. Kokoro's surname had also been changed from Usami to Uchiha.
Shinobi who carried children needed protection, and Uchiha Minako relied on her clan to safeguard them both. The Uchiha were a powerful family, and even as a woman from a branch line, Minako had been able to marry into another clan without issue.
Kokoro was a posthumous child. Her father had died on a mission outside the village before he ever had the chance to see her. It was said he failed his mission and was killed. Kokoro had no memories of him at all, only the knowledge that her mother missed him dearly.
Her mother was a jōnin of the Uchiha clan — one who had already awakened the Sharingan. Though it was only a single tomoe, it still marked her as a bearer of the clan's power.
Kokoro was always obedient. She knew her mother still mourned her father, and she never wanted to cause her pain.
"Yes, Mother."
Minako placed Kokoro down at the edge of the forest. Beyond lay the battlefield. Their mission was to rendezvous with the Uchiha clan's leader.
Kokoro hid behind a tree, clutching a kunai, her expression wary. She kept the weapon hidden behind her back — no one could know she was a shinobi. On the battlefield, age meant nothing. Whether child or adult, if you were a ninja, no one took you lightly. If you weren't from your own village, you were the enemy.
Once, Kokoro had seen an Uchiha child try to save an injured shinobi from the Land of Earth. Instead of gratitude, the enemy had tried to kill him. The boy had killed the man without hesitation. That moment etched itself into her heart.
War… was truly terrifying.
Kokoro herself had been born amidst the war. When she came into the world, her mother had been preparing to return to Konoha. But Minako and Yayoi had never even held a formal wedding; they were shinobi stationed at the border together. While pregnant, Minako had been excused from missions, but Yayoi's sudden death had prevented her from ever returning home.
When Kokoro was born, Minako's grief eased a little. Still, she lingered at the border for three long years, almost as if she couldn't let go of the past. It wasn't until the outbreak of the Kannabi War last year — when Konoha urgently recalled all capable ninja — that Minako, as a senior kunoichi, returned to active duty.
The Third Great Ninja War was merciless.People died every day around her. For a child like Kokoro, innocence had no time to take root. She grew up amid blood and fire.
"Little girl."
A clear voice came from behind.
Kokoro spun around, kunai raised to strike. But then she caught sight of the metal plate gleaming on the other's forehead — the Leaf symbol of Konoha.
She lowered her weapon slightly but eyed the woman warily. "Who are you?"
The newcomer had long silver-white hair and heterochromatic eyes — one gold, one blue. She wore a short blue cheongsam-style dress, and her delicate face was softened by a gentle smile. For an instant, it felt to Kokoro like the warmth of winter sunlight.
"Who was Usami Yayoi to you?" the woman asked, squatting down to meet Kokoro's gaze. "You look very much like him."
Kokoro froze, hesitant to reply. On the battlefield, it wasn't impossible for enemies to disguise themselves with a Transformation Jutsu.
"Yukie."
A familiar voice sounded from behind. Kokoro turned at once, relief brightening her face.
"Mother!"
Uchiha Minako stepped into view. Her gaze flickered briefly over Kokoro before settling on the silver-haired woman opposite.
"Kokoro, this is Aunt Yukie."
The woman — Kazama Yukie — stood and inclined her head, her expression apologetic. "She truly is your daughter… I'm sorry."
"It's been a long time," Minako said softly, shaking her head. "But it has nothing to do with you. I know what happened to Yayoi."
Kokoro blinked, heart stirring. Were they… talking about her father?
"She's still so young, Minako… and you've brought her to the battlefield?" Kazama Yukie's sharp eyes flicked to Kokoro. "She must be four now, right?"
"Yes," Minako answered quietly, stepping closer.
Several more shinobi trailed behind her — comrades Kokoro didn't recognize. But when she glanced back at Yukie, she noticed a child standing at her side.
Catching Kokoro's curious gaze, Yukie shifted to the side, revealing him fully. "This is Itachi. Since Kokoro hasn't returned to Konoha, I suppose she wouldn't know him."
The boy had a round, expressionless face framed by short black hair. His dark eyes studied Kokoro silently, and something about him seemed oddly familiar.
"Itachi? What a strange name," Kokoro thought.
"He is Uchiha Itachi, the clan leader's son," Minako explained.
The clan leader's… son? A direct heir of the Uchiha family?
Kokoro clutched at her mother's sleeve, suddenly nervous under the boy's steady gaze.
"Itachi," a stern voice called.
Kokoro turned. A man exuding quiet authority approached, his eyes softening only when they rested on the boy.
"Clan Leader," Minako greeted respectfully, stepping aside.
Kazama Yukie looked to him. "And Lady Mikoto?"
"She's already returned," Uchiha Fugaku replied.
Kokoro watched, confused. Their words carried meanings she couldn't yet grasp. All she knew was that she had just met the head of the Uchiha clan, encountered more of its members, and been introduced to the person her mother seemed to trust most besides herself.
Her mother entrusted her to Yukie then, perhaps because the war had reached its peak and the trumpet of victory had already sounded.
Yukie carried Kokoro in one arm and Itachi in the other, gently leading the two children away from the battlefield.
Itachi was a quiet, aloof child. He barely spoke.
"Itachi, you and Kokoro are the same age, but why does it feel like she's taller than you?" Yukie asked curiously, eyeing them both.
Kokoro tilted her head, studying him. It was true — she was at least half a head taller.
"Is Konoha very poor? Is he malnourished?" she wondered. Her mother always said children needed to eat well to grow tall. Did Itachi not get enough food? He was from Konoha, wasn't he?
Yukie's mouth twitched, amused. "Are you trying to say Lady Mikoto treats him harshly?"
"Mikoto?" Kokoro repeated, puzzled by the unfamiliar name.
"My mother," Itachi said firmly, speaking for the first time. "She's very kind to me. She has never treated me harshly."
His solemn tone was so serious that Yukie couldn't help but laugh softly, even as suspicion flickered in her eyes.
Perhaps Lady Mikoto was simply too strict with him.