Stand By Me

STAND BY ME - chapter 30

Itachi told me that day he would be coming home late - he was out on a mission. I stayed home, and decided to do some cleaning early in the morning now that Daichi was here - the little boy currently asleep. Soon after, I would prepare a heartwarming breakfast just for him.

I hummed while I began to sweep the wooded floors, careful so as to not knock anything over with the broom. Much to my attempt, within moments, my shoulder had bumped into the corner of the bookshelf.

"Ouch." I mumbled, rubbing my skin. My eyes followed the papers that were floating off the bookshelf.

"Hm? What's this?" I eyed the document which laid on the ground now. The front cover was blank, except for these bolded words.

"Confidential: Do not open. Signed for Itachi Uchiha. 04/10/'13."

I knew what that date was. The date was signed four years ago - the year Itachi had left the village for that long and gruesome mission.

I gulped and felt tensed, almost immediately.

Why would Itachi keep this hidden from me? I thought. Why would he choose to leave a confidential document in such an open space? I asked. As if it was deliberately waiting to fall into my hands at some point in time.

Should I dare open this document? I gulped once more, setting aside the broom, and picking up the scattered papers.

—

My heart began to beat profusely. I was so frustrated that I forgot to breath.

"What's this about? A coup d'etat?" I said outloud.

I set the heavy papers aside, and rubbed my temples. This must have been why Itachi, Shisui, and Kayumi were acting strange towards me all those years ago. Their clan was suffering and I did not even notice. I felt ashamed. I felt moreso angry.

Itachi was going to hear an earful from me once he got back.

Pit pat pit pat pit pat.

I heard tiny little footsteps make their way into the living area. It must be the child.

"Daichi." I said his name, and quickly grabbed the documents, hiding them back into the shelf.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up, let me prepare some breakfast for you. Sit." I smiled, motioning to the chair. I was angry, and confused, but I decided to not let the innocent child notice.

—

He was feasting harvestly on the morning meals I had prepared.

"Mm, this is so good!" Daichi exclaimed, his hands moving faster than I could keep up with my eyes.

"Slow down, you'll get the hiccups."

"Hai."

For the next couple of minutes, it stayed rather silent between us. And that is when the thoughts began to brew in my mind.

Why would the Uchiha clan plan a coup d'etat against the Leaf?

Itachi was a loyal man - no doubt, but why would the Uchiha shoulder all this pain on my husband? On Shisui too, my best friend?

Most notably, Itachi and Shisui's efforts had been enough so that the coup d'état came to a halt, and the village remained at peace, but why? Why a coup d'état in the first place?

More importantly, exactly who put this document in my house? I knew for a fact that Itachi would not carelessly place a document in such an open space. That fact alone convinced me that it was not him who placed it so publicly.