At the first day of your academy, you enter the classroom wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, the light color contrasting greatly with your twin's black one. Was it a stunt on your part to make the both of you poetically look like the embodiment of Yin and Yang?

Nah, you just like the attention it brings.

"Good morning!" You cheerily greet the few people already in the classroom; next to you, Itachi uncomfortably avoids eye-contact with any them.

Hah, what an awkward loser.

You know you only have a year before Itachi graduates, so you'll milk every moment while you still can.

"This is my younger brother, Itachi! I hope you guys would befriend him, because he doesn't know how to!"

"Kama." Your twin scolds you, brows furrowing in embarrassment as he attempts to bury the bottom of his face in his high neck collar. The light blush dusting his cheeks doesn't escape you, nor does it escape your classmates, which made a few girls giggle at his, admittedly, adorable predicament.

You're making this way too easy, dear younger brother, you snicker amusingly to yourself.

Nothing too interesting happened in your first day.

~*~*~

After two weeks of his absence, Shisui finally makes his appearance at your usual forest clearing at your usual time. If you remember correctly, his team had a C-rank mission to Yugakure, and it would seem that he had just recently returned.

Or maybe not, as he could have already returned a week ago and took a week break before meeting up with you again.

You don't know.

"Aha! I knew you were holding back!" Shisui exclaims triumphantly, his back on the ground as you crouch over him with a kunai poised near his throat.

"No, you were just distracted," you correct him, before removing yourself from his personal space. "Something's bothering you,"

At your voiced observation, he visibly cringes.

"You could tell?"

"Your voice isn't as annoying as usual. Less grating, y'know?" You tell him, as you wave your hand around dismissively. "Wanna talk about it?"

That last bit definitely caught him off-guard, as Shisui now looks at you with wide dark eyes that's sparkling with... with something.

You decide you don't like whatever that look was.

"You're... offering me to confide in you?" He asks, the palpable disbelief in his voice making your eye twitch.

Why the hell would he assume you wouldn't?

...Well, he's right, but still.

"The fuck?" You express, taken aback. "I was asking if you wanna talk about it to a Yamanaka,"

"Oh..." He looks away, disappointed.

"I don't do feelings," you lightly shrug, before keenly following, "but I do secrets! How about this: I tell you a secret, then you tell me a secret?"

"W-why-- what secret?" Shisui eyes you skeptically, not bothering to cover the curiosity in his tone. You keep forgetting he's still a genin.

He's turning eight this year, right?

"Any secret. I'll tell you mine, only if you agree to tell me yours. I can even go first," you bargain, as he takes a moment to think about your offer.

Really, he has nothing to lose. If you share a petty secret, he can share an equally petty secret. If you share a deep one, well...

It's all up to him.

"... Okay." Shisui finally agrees, and you give him your usual smile.

With practiced sleight of a hand and a brief burst of chakra, three kunai are suddenly embedded on the furthest visible target, each with the middle of a shuriken pinned between the wood and the blade. They all hit dead center.

And you look like you haven't lifted a finger.

"Woah, that's--" He pauses, before pointing at you accusingly. "So you really were hiding your talent!"

"Well, I like my free time; so, don't go blabbering this to others. I don't do well under pressure, you see." You nonchalantly explain, and just before Shisui could lecture you about clan pride and serving the village to the fullest of your abilities like a brainwashed moron, you continue. "Plus, with Father's...priorities, I can't have little Sasuke compete with two prodigious siblings. I'd imagine having an inferiority complex won't be good for him,"

"That's... uncharacteristically thoughtful of you," he says, looking as if he's considering something.

"Hmph," you huff, not really offended. "Now it's your turn,"

"I..." Shisui hesitates, mouth opening and closing as if he's still thinking of what to say. You watch him disinterestedly yet patiently, and eventually, he takes a deep breath before confessing, "I have the Mangekyou Sharingan."

Silence permeates in the forest clearing, the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves being the only available white noises in the background. You catch sight of a bead of sweat trailing down the side of Shisui's temple, his discomfort practically plastered all over his face.

Poor guy looks like he's about to have a panic attack.

"Ah, I see," you hum understandably, as Shisui looks like he's anxiously anticipating for something. "I'm hungry, wanna get some takoyaki?"

"Huh? You... Don't you..." He trails off, his dark eyes tracing your face for whatever the hell he's looking for.

When you don't say anything about his confusion and only wait for him to walk with you, his body practically uncoils itself from his self-imposed tension.

"Yeah, I'd like that," He sighs, finally following after you, as his lips curl up to a small, relieved and appreciative smile. "Thank you, Kama."

"Oh? What for?" Shisui only rolls his eyes at your playful cluelessness.

"Like you don't know." He scoffs.

Like you don't know, indeed.

(The next week, Shisui taught you the Shadow Clone Jutsu.)

~*~*~

Months had already passed since you attended the academy.

Like you expected, some kids attempted to bully Itachi for his 'arrogance', but you just told them that he's smart in school but dumb in social interactions which explains his stuck-up vibe. They leave him alone after that (or was it because you gave them a warning glare?).

Itachi is still conflicted on whether to be annoyed or thankful for your intervention, though.

When a few persisted on harassing your younger brother, flatteries and quick diversions from you were enough to have them shift focus onto yourself. The next thing you know, they became your acquaintances of sorts.

... Which led you to now being the most popular boy at the academy.

Honestly, you have no idea how it snowballed to that.

Or maybe it's something you did irrelevant to that.

Was it the times you asked random kunoichi students to braid your growing hair everyday? Was it your occasional pranks that the boys couldn't help but admire how you were never caught? Or was it the simple fact that you are the Uchiha heir and are brothers with the Great Prodigy, Uchiha Itachi?

Who knows?

While you don't remember how you gained your popularity, you certainly don't remember doing anything to earn the ever-calm Inuzuka Hana's ire.

"I don't get why you're so popular; what's so great about you anyway?!" Hana confronts you under one of the schoolyard's trees, where you often eat lunch with Itachi. You finish chewing when you decide to answer.

"I don't know," you shrug. "I can't even lick my own chin. Can you?"

"I bet I can!" Like the six-year-old she is, she then proceeds to make herself look like an idiot by trying to reach the bottom of her face with her tongue.

You'll admit, her determination is something, but...

Wow... What a dumbass.

While Hana is too busy watching her tongue that's trying to stick to her chin, you choose to disappear from the area, with Itachi immediately following after you.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the right action to take, because the next day, the Inuzuka heiress declared you to be her rival in the middle of your classroom for the majority of your classmates to witness. She didn't take 'no' as an answer.

When you told this story to Shisui, he laughed so hard that he almost started crying.

~*~*~

You and Itachi are both seven, when Itachi finally becomes a genin.

You, on the other hand, choose to remain at the academy.

Fugaku's disappointment (and maybe curiosity?) in you was evident in his eyes, but for whatever reason, he didn't voice any comments about your average performance.

You expected the lines of, "I'm disappointed in you" or maybe even a sneer at your direction.

Instead, he told you, "Work hard."

However, that didn't mean Fugaku didn't make any changes when Itachi graduated while you lagged behind. He decided to separate your and Itachi's joint training sessions, preferring to spend more of his time and effort in training Itachi.

You don't take offense to that; it's better that way. It's not like you'd accomplish anything. In fact, more free time!

You're done wasting the time of a man who puts effort in raising proper shinobi for the clan, when all you've always done was the bare minimum for his standards.

Inevitably, the elders thought the same and managed to pressure Fugaku in having your title as heir transferred to Itachi. You gave no objections.

Neither did Itachi.

Itachi's honoring as the new Uchiha heir was a quiet clan affair.

Sasuke is one when he takes his first steps.

~*~*~

"You could've graduated early, y'know?" Shisui throws a haymaker punch, followed by an uppercut to your chin to which you evade with a lean on your left. His fist misses a few millimeters like the rest of his unsuccessful strikes.

"I know," you say, jumping to create distance before delivering an axe kick from above, aiming to distract him enough for you to perform a leg sweep fast enough to catch him. He dodges; he's getting faster.

You don't regret sharing Shisui your secret-- however light this secret may be.

Spars with him have become more exciting. More spirited.

More honest.

That's one less secret, one load lighter.

It feels freeing, even if temporary.

(It makes you want to hurl because you've already decided a long time ago.)

"You could've kept your status as heir," he tells you, and you don't doubt it.

"Yep,"

"Why let Itachi take it?" Shisui is caught off-guard when you suddenly catch his fist to pull it behind you, disorienting his footwork, and ruining it completely when you tangle one of your legs with his. The next thing he knows, he's on the ground again, your palm ghosting his neck as if it were a kunai.

That's 2-1; your win for today.

"I'll admit, I didn't see the heir replacement coming," you confess, before offering him the seal of reconciliation. "However, I didn't let Itachi take it; it's more like, Itachi lets himself take it. He didn't give any objections either, y'know?"

"Itachi doesn't want to be the new heir," Shisui gives you a skeptical look as he accepts your offered seal.

Ah right, sometimes you temporarily forget that Shisui is also friends with Itachi. Of course he would've easily picked that up.

(Shisui isn't wholly yours, like how Sasuke, Fugaku, Mikoto aren't wholly yours because you and Itachi are twins, so you have to share, and you're already lucky enough to have at least half of something in this world where you don't belong--)

"I know, because I know my brother best," you say, as if his observation was obvious, "but you see, one of Itachi's major flaws is that he only chooses when there's no other choice."

Because he does not live for himself.

"I don't get it." Shisui honestly tells you, and you give him a wry smile-- the smile you show when you wordlessly tell him that you know something he doesn't.

"You will."

~*~*~

The thing about Fugaku giving more of his time to Itachi is that Itachi now has lesser time than before-- both for himself and for Sasuke. Yours doubled though, with your shadow clone handling academy work and Hana's antics for you. Now that Fugaku barely trains you, everyday is basically free day for as long as you (your clone) still attend the academy.

What do you do during your free time? One might ask.

Well, lots of things, really.

(So many things to do yet so little time.)

However, what you particularly enjoy doing is pissing Itachi off... with Sasuke. Apparently, the only way to have an expressive reaction from Itachi is through your little brother which, in hindsight, should've been obvious.

Had Fugaku not been a slave driver to Itachi's chakra reserves, you've no doubt that Itachi would've left a shadow clone to watch over Sasuke after all the bullshit he had to witness whenever he gets home.

Needless to say, Itachi angrily yelling out your name became a repetitive music in the household.

~*~*~

"I'm home, I-- Kama, what are you doing?!"

"What does it look like? I'm helping Sasuke walk on the ceiling."

Sasuke claps his hands excitedly above his head, as you hold his waist and chakra-stuck yourself on the high-ceiling.

~*~*~

"I'm h-- Kama, don't throw him like that!"

"He likes it, though."

Sasuke continues laughing, even when you throw him across the room for your shadow clone to catch.

~*~*~

"... I'm home, Sasuke... Kama..."

"Why did you greet me like that?"

"Because I feel like you're doing something wrong."

"Oh, so feeding Sasuke is wrong, now?"

"... What are you feeding him?"

"Ketchup."

"Kama!"

"What? You want some?"

"Kama!"

Sasuke cheers at the spoonful of the red condiment.

~*~*~

It's in a usual, quiet dinner when Sasuke finally says his first word.

"Kama!"

Every member of the household swivel their heads at the innocent, smiling toddler, the food now forgotten as they process what little Sasuke had just said.

"Kama! Kama!"

It's even funnier when Sasuke reaches out for Itachi, despite calling out your name.

Meanwhile, you take a stealthy sip of your miso soup, resisting the urge to laugh at Itachi's priceless reaction of shock, disappointment, disbelief, and eventually, realization.

"... You planned this." He murmurs defeatedly, and you let out a chuckle.

It's the long game that pays this handsomely.

"It's not my fault that you keep shouting my name around Sasuke," you tell him with a shrug, but a small victorious smirk makes its way to your lips.

Without looking, you know that Fugaku and Mikoto are as equally amused as you are, with how their chakra flickered accordingly.

Everything about the scene was surprisingly domestic and normal, and it temporarily made the timer in your head stop ticking like an executioner pausing from raising his axe.

Even if it's only for a moment, it feels like you belong.

(They've felt so real.)

~*~*~

"Itachi!" Sasuke lightly slaps your cheek with his uncoordinated motor skills, as you let him sit on your lap to play with your face and hair. With Mikoto grocery shopping and Itachi training with Fugaku, it's only you and him.

Just you and Sasuke.

(It feels surreal.)

"No, I'm not Itachi," you softly say, your gut coiling and your heart stuttering. "I'm just Kama."

Sasuke does not understand you, so he only laughs as he continues to pat your face.

~*~*~

OMAKE: Different, Yet Utterly The Same

Itachi doesn't know what to think of Kama.

He and Kama are two sides of the same coin; one side literally and figuratively the opposite of the other.

Itachi knew that his twin was vastly different from himself, from his appearance and clothing preferences, to his personality. It was a wonder how they're even related.

Kama was expressive, troublesome, and alluring in a way that would draw people in. Itachi was not those; he was nonchalant, obedient, and intimidating in a way that would distance others from himself.

Itachi and Kama may belong to one side opposite of the other, but regardless of how different they are, they are still ultimately from the same coin. They are doubtlessly, inherently the same.

Because in spite of how conspicuous Kama may be, he's only showing what he wants to show. Itachi knows that Kama is just as secretive as he is, if not more so. No matter how irresponsible Kama likes to act, Itachi thinks that he's the one who cares the most. Despite Kama's charisma, Itachi can see that he has no desire to connect with the people who flocks to him.

Uchiha Kama is a walking contradiction.

Itachi once confronted him about this, with the mixed intention of curiosity and wanting to know more about his brother.

"So?" Kama raised a brow at him. "You are too."

Itachi regretted asking him to elaborate.

"People say you're perfect, but you're one of the most flawed people out there. You claim to be a pacifist, and yet your hands are very familiar with holding a blade," Kama listed down, with each comment echoing within Itachi's mind alongside his harsh self-criticisms.

"Is that what people think of me?" Itachi's brows furrowed, heart feeling heavier than usual.

"Hoh?" Kama smirked. "Who cares what other people think of you? Shouldn't you care about what I think, since I'm the one currently in front of you?"

"What do you think of me?" Itachi rephrased, and Kama's smirk turned into a sharp, wide grin.

"I think you'd always be my foolish younger brother."

Itachi did his best to not let his annoyance and dissatisfaction for Kama's answer show.

"But above everything else," Kama followed, looking away, his grin no longer found on his face, "I think you're only human."

Itachi doesn't know what to think of Kama, but...

He knows his twin is smarter than he lets on, with his occasional sharp but subtle stares; the way he knows just what to say.

Kama is just so deliberate with everything he does, that Itachi couldn't help but think that for whatever reason, Kama intentionally fixed him to be the new heir.

Itachi doesn't like not knowing things; for, it blinds him from the bigger picture. However, if there's one thing he's sure of: his brother thought this was the best for him.

Because surely, his older brother wouldn't set him up for future grief.

Kama wouldn't.

Would he..?

~*~*~

BONUS:

Kama: Shout out to my parents for making the perfect kid!

Itachi (without hesitation): Congratulations, Sasuke.

...

Fugaku: Yknow what? Forget it, Im not even shocked anymore

Kama: Oh thats no fun

Fugaku: This has become the norm for you, Kama

Kama: I'll have to try harder next time

Fugaku: Please dont

Kama: I feel like I've been issued a challenge

...

The more Kama interacts honestly and genuinely with people, the more you'd have access to his intentions and feelings. However, the more he lies, the more he comes off as detached to both the people and the audience. Basically, if you don't understand why he did/said something, chances are: he's lying or telling half-truths.

I'm not sure if I'm representing that vibe right, but if not, please do tell me because I'm still experimenting.

Also, yeah, if you caught the hint, Kama is definitely a sensor. It will play a huge part in his future jutsus.