A/N to Returning Readers: Unfortunately, there is no new chapters - but I rewrote parts of this story and fixed up some grammar! If you have time, reading this twice will definitely have some new material :)

Enjoy!

Prologue

The amount of attempts at her life was laughable, but she survived each one. Still, did that really matter? Because in the end, Itachi Uchiha was still dead and she was still terribly alive.

Chapter One

15 Years Ago

When Itachi woke up, it was to darkness. His breathing raced and he desperately squeeze his eyes shut as if it would keep out the darkness in his mind and within seconds, he was calm again. It was another night where the nightmares got to him - where his mind pulled images of splattered blood and ninjas - men, women, children - all falling...and he blinked, trying to clear his head again. He tried to distract himself as he fell back to his bed.

So he thought about the warmth of a baby in his arms, the way his little brother prefered Itachi over his mother or father. The way the baby's eyes brightened when Itachi around. And closing his eyes, he finally found peace. But in the edge of his mind, he thought about his entry to the Academy tomorrow. Itachi could only sigh.

0-0

"Hanako! Wake up!"

With a groan, the five year old Hanako Hyuga pushed herself up and took a deep breath, listening the chirping outside noises, and in the next instant her eyes flashed open and she was out of her room, running to the kitchen set of her home.

It was September, and the cherry blossoms' flowers drifted from the wind and casted a great carpet over the Hyuga Clan's household. Hanako and her father lived on the outskirts, a location that symbolized their distance from the Main branch of the family. As far as hierarchy went, Hanako and her father Hiraku Hyuga were at the lowest level. So low, that the kekkei genkai trait was so weak in Hiraku's daughter that it was non-existent.

That was right - Hanako Hyuga did not possess the byakugan.

The young girl was running, her pale blonde hair whipping behind her from the wind. Hanako's eyes – eyes so dark it melted with the pupil – were wild and excited. She was finally starting her first day at the Ninja Academy at the age of 5. Even without the Byakugan, it was without a doubt she was skilled based on her jonin father's extensive training.

"Hanako, come on – you're going to be – oh. " Hiraku's pale eyes were wide with shock at his daughter's speed. He sighed and tousled her hair. While Hiraku had dark hair and light eyes, common traits of the Hyuga clan, Hanako was a spitting opposite image of he and his deceased wife. Sometimes, he wondered how Hanako was his daughter.

But looking down at the sweet smile, and the single dimple on his daughter's cheek, she looked so similar to her dead mother that Hiraku's heart ached.

Looking at Hanako now, she displayed no sign of trauma at the lost her mother. Nothing but the cries at night, and the dampness of her pillow every single morning showed how badly Hanako missed her mother.

"Let's go, Hanako."

0-0

"Irahime and Hanako Hyuga, middle row."

"Hmph." Irahime curtly looked away at Hanako with a faint look of disgust, and moved away from the blonde child. "We're not related," she reminded at her sensei with an edge of bitterness in her tone. The teacher was distracted with studying the list but looked up anyway. He was momentarily confused when he looked at the two Hyugas – two completely opposite young girls. In fact, he thought, the other one doesn't even look like a Hyuga. Still…

"Just stand in formation, Irahime, we have to be ready for the ceremony. Hanako?" He looked at the other girl, she was smaller than the rest of her class but the look in her eyes were century-old. If the sensei had thought that Irahime was bitter, it was nothing compared to the daggers that Hanako was shooting in the other direction. Even Hanako knew to not even dare to fight with another Hyuga member, not when her intermediate family was on such a lesser scale.

Still, the anger in her eyes were ablaze.

She stiffly stood next to the other Hyuga girl, her eyes cold and staring indifferently in front of her as she waited for the Opening Ceremonies to begin.

"Itachi Uchiha."

Hanako looked to the side, the voice breaking through her thoughts. Distractedly, she watched the dark haired boy walk to the line. Her eyebrows pulled together. She thought that he looked sad, and it wasn't just because of the growing tear troughs beneath his dark eyes, but it was the look in them. It was something she saw in those eyes that was similar to her. A loneliness and discontent for the world.

The buzz that came from the crowd silenced and Hanako looked up to see the elders.

"A new generation has risen this year to make this village stronger…" The Hokage had arrived and he was making his welcoming speech. Hanako drifted off again. She always had a short attention span, even for a child. Instead, she scanned the crowd in front of her, looking at the families. They were full of proud parents, parents with high standards, parents that who loved their children, and even parents who looked like they were too busy to be here.

But they came in two.

And hers did not.

Hanako gripped her chest slightly, her eyes fell to the ground. Hanako loved her father, but seeing him standing alone amidst the other families made her feel more alone than she ever had in a long time. Her mind constantly went around in circles of self-pity and angst to the point that she didn't notice that the ceremony was over and that her future fellow classmates had disbanded and joined their family.

"Hey."

It was a male voice that brought her attention back to reality. She looked up to see the dark haired boy, standing in front of her with a mildly confused expression. "It's over, you know." He said slowly, as if unsure of her mental capabilities. "You can go." Hanako opened her mouth to say something but the boy's attention moved to his father who was calling him. "Itachi Uchiha!" Hanako stared.

So he was an Uchiha. Her fist clenched and she stared at the boy in front of her. He stared back, black eyes sympathetic. He was about to say something, but then shook his head slightly and went off to talk to the Sensei with his father. She stared at his back, her anger growing until she was shaking with it - with rage and jealousy.

I bet he will unlock his kekkei genkai. And I never will.

Hi, Naruto Fandom! How you doing? :)

Just a note, but I actually did not watch all of the Naruto episodes, nor did I watch Shippuden, rather I watched specific episodes and fell in love with Itachi's character. His complex personality and history made me itch to write a story in a different perspective of his life.

Hope you enjoyed this!