ITACHI'S STORY [DAYLIGHT]

-Chick in the dark night, yet to leave the nest-

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It was a mistake to try and resolve things by fighting, for whatever reason. This world had to change. This belief became the foundation of the man known as Uchiha Itachi. Itachi never forgot that day.

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The end of this Great War that swallowed up ninja from every land came several weeks after the day Itachi became aware of the meaning of his own existence. Later called the Third Great Ninja War, the conflict came to an end after an armistice agreement was concluded between Konohagakure and Iwagakure, the principal aggressors.

Although the war had been proceeding favorably for Konoha, Hiruzen, the third Hokage, established a policy of reconcilation to bring an end to the fighting with an unprecedented offer to not seek reparations from Iwagakure. Advocates for the war opposed Hiruzen's seemingly weak decision, and to keep dissatisfaction in the village in check, he decided to step down as a Hokage. This led to the selection of a new Hokage, and the hero of the Great War, Namikaze Minato, became the fourth. With Hiruzen's retirement as Hokage, the village inched towards recovery after the tumult of the war.

Itachi had a clear objective: "Become the best ninja ever, and eliminate war from this world." An adult might speak of such grandiose dream with a laugh. But for four-year-old Itachi, it was a precious and irreplaceable.

To achieve it, he would first learn basic ninja skills at the academy, take his exams, and be formally recognized as a ninja.

This, despite the fact that the boy had still not been accepted into the academy yet. But he wanted to become a ninja as soon as possible, so he was training by himself.

"I'm home." Itachi quietly slipped off his shoes in the entryway and walked slowly down the hallway.

"How was your day?" his mother Mikoto called out to him when he passed the kitchen. At that moment, a new life was growing in her womb.

'Will it be a little brother or a little sister?'

At any rate, it would be Itachi's first sibling.

"Were you training by yourself again today?"

"Yeah."

At this reply, sounding too grown-up to have possibly come from her four-year-old son, Mikoto turned around, holding her heavy belly, and shrugged her shoulders.

"Is Dad in his room?"

"He is, but right now's a little . . ." his mother said, but Itachi was already stepping towards his father's room.

After the day's training he had a question about the way to hold a kunai, and he wanted answers right away.