Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but the storyline and situations are mine.
"He fakes left! He fakes right! He shoots past the defence and—"
"His old man intercepts! Ha!" Minato grinned gleefully as he grabbed the basketball from his son and quickly made his way to the basket, shooting and letting out a triumphant whoop when the ball sank into the basket. "And he scores!"
"Aw man!" Naruto bent over, resting his hands on his knees, breathing hard, "I thought I had you."
"You have a long way to go, young grasshopper." Minato reached over to ruffle his son's hair, making the seventeen-year-old snort and shove him away, "Yeah, yeah. You're sure this school has a decent basketball team right?"
Minato nodded, "They're supposed to be the best in the Land of Fire."
"Well, that's at least something." Naruto sighed, sitting down in the driveway-cum-court, looking up and down the silent street lined with big houses with wide driveways and well-kept front lawns.
Minato dropped a hand onto his son's shoulder and squeezed, "I'm sorry, kiddo."
Naruto looked up and scrunched his nose, "Don't be stupid, old man. You have nothing to be sorry about. I'll adjust, I always do."
Minato smiled, his expression tinged with sadness, "I know you do, but I didn't want to do this in your final year of high school. Starting at a new school now…"
"What are you talking about?" Naruto scoffed, dislodging Minato's grip and standing, a wide grin on his face, "It's a challenge, and we all know I love challenges!"
Minato's smile turned fond, his blue eyes warming with love as he reached out and slung an arm around his son's shoulder, pulling him close, "I love you, kiddo."
Naruto chuckled, his entire being shining with warmth, "I know that."
"NARUTO!"
Both men froze and slowly turned their heads up to face what was going to be Minato and Kushina's new room, "What are you doing down there?! I thought I asked you to unpack your room! You only have the rest of the weekend and then school starts. If you think I'm going to unpack your things for you…" The fiery redhead who was Naruto's mother let the words hang threateningly, making her son swallow.
"Mom, I swear I was in my room unpacking like a good son and then Dad came up with the basketball! He asked me to—"
"Oi!" Minato reached out to hit his son on the back of his head but Naruto danced out of reach, laughing, "I thought you said you loved me?"
"Not enough to take the rap for this, kiddo. Go up to your room!" Minato tried to pull off the stern parent thing but in mere seconds he and his son were in splits, and Kushina shook her head helplessly, unable to help the smile that curved her lips.
"You two." Kushina chided, a look of fond exasperation on her face, "Get your asses back in the house and help me unpack!"
"Yes, boss!" Both blonds saluted the redhead before making their way to the house, Minato leading. Just as he was about to move past the garage and out of sight of the neighbouring house, something compelled Naruto to glance to his right. Blue eyes locked with black and Naruto blinked, pausing to take in the boy who apparently lived next door. He seemed to be the same age, but there the similarities ended. He was pale-skinned, black bangs falling on either side of his intense eyes and between them, leaving his gaze clear. The hair seemed to stick out somewhat strangely in the back; it would have looked absurd on anyone else, but on this boy it seemed to work. He was dressed in a v-neck long sleeved blue t-shirt over dark jeans; from what Naruto could tell he was fairly tall, and of lean build.
"Alright, kiddo?" Minato called back, frowning at the way his son had stopped moving, following his line of sight to the young boy next door. Naruto didn't seem to hear him, instead he flashed a smile at the other boy who seemed taken aback by the action. Hesitant, and clearly uncertain, the boy managed a small smile back before turning his head away as if being called by someone further inside his home.
"I'm alright." Naruto said suddenly, letting Minato know that he had indeed heard him. He began making his way to the front door once more, and Minato could see there was a certain lightness to his step that hadn't been there before, "I have a good feeling about this place."
Minato smiled, stepping to the side to let his son go in before glancing to the neighbouring house window once more. The boy was still there, but his head was turned and he was talking to someone standing behind him, out of sight. A good feeling, huh? Minato looked up at the orange sky and closed his eyes, listening to the leaves rustle in the wind. Konoha. Maybe it was finally time to stop and call this place home.
Sasuke Uchiha had heard the moving van come by earlier that day, and while he and Itachi ate lunch, he had heard a car pull into the driveway next door. When he'd asked Itachi about it his brother had told him about the Namikaze family of three, made up of a father, mother and son who was Sasuke's age and likely to join his school this year.
"Minato Namikaze is a highly respected political campaign manager, and he's well-known in all of the Great Nations. I think he's behind Gaara Subaku's election as Kazekage, and was supposedly in charge behind-the-scenes of Tsunade Senju's election as well." Itachi explained as ate.
"Why is he here now though? Tsunade was elected only four years ago; she has a good ten years in her at least, I'll bet." Sasuke pointed out, frowning slightly.
"Well, I can't be 100% sure about this, but I think it's because her right-hand man recently passed away. She must have asked Namikaze to step into the role."
"Is our business affected by any of this?" Sasuke asked, raising a single brow.
Itachi shook his head, "We provide security for the Land of Fire. Our men are the best trained and most respected guardsmen in the entire nation. Tsunade isn't looking to break our contract with the country, and knowing what I do of Namikaze, I'll bet he will support that decision. That's not to say he won't be giving us the once over to make sure we're the best."
"Well, he isn't going to find any problems there. You run the business extremely well, and you pick only the most qualified people to train with us." Sasuke said, pride evident in his voice as he spoke of his elder brother.
Itachi smiled, it was a rare sight to see usually but not so much around his younger brother, "Well, since you've said so, I guess it must be true."
Itachi had disappeared back into his study after lunch, leaving Sasuke to his own devices. The younger Uchiha had been playing video games in the living room when he had heard it, the sound of a basketball hitting the court. He paused his game and quickly made his way to the window, his curiosity getting the best of him. He'd expected to see the son outside, but was stunned to see the father there as well. From all Itachi had told him about Minato Namikaze, he'd expected a refined older man with a somewhat stern face and formal aura, like his own father. The man laughing and teasing his teenage son as they fought over the basketball was a big surprise. Without realising it, Sasuke watched them interact once the match was done, his attention and interest slowly shifting from the elder Namikaze to his son.
The boy seemed to be an interesting bundle of contradictions. In the span of fifteen minutes Sasuke watched his expressions shift from competitive to playful, contemplative, serious, determined and…that last expression the boy had given his father. Sasuke couldn't fully comprehend it but in that minute, he wanted to have that expression directed at him. Such a raw display of genuine love and affection, it was something Sasuke hadn't ever seen before. He knew Itachi loved him, he knew it with every fibre of his being, he knew it in his very bones; but Itachi, like Sasuke, had grown up in pure Uchiha fashion which required for a certain amount of restraint to be placed on their emotions. His elder brother had only ever voiced his love once, and that was just before his parents' funeral. He had knelt before an eight-year-old Sasuke and sworn that he would take care of his little brother, that everything would be fine, that Itachi would always love him. So yes, he knew he was loved, but to see that love displayed so clearly on someone's face was a novelty.
"NARUTO!"
Sasuke jumped, shifting his gaze to the house to see the woman standing at one of the windows on the first floor. She was redheaded and clearly annoyed with the two in the driveway. Naruto. Sasuke looked back at the blond teenager who seemed to be trying to talk his way out of trouble, the name somehow fit. He watched the two in the driveway begin to make their way into the house and narrowed his gaze contemplatively on the boy…on Naruto. Suddenly blue eyes shot up to meet his gaze and Sasuke froze, unable to look away. He watched Naruto study him for a long moment, before the blond's face split in a warm, friendly grin, his blue eyes lighting up with it. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected the smile. It wasn't the expression he wanted, but it was a start he supposed. He wanted to know this boy, he wanted to be his friend; Sasuke was more sure of that than he had been of anything before in his life. His facial muscles were unused to it, but he managed a small smile back before he heard Itachi call his name softly.
He turned back, his slight smile remaining on his face, "Yeah?"
Itachi's eyes took in the curved lips and shifted quickly out the window to see what had caused it. He noticed the blond teenager who moved out of sight and pursed his lips contemplatively. "What was all that noise?"
It was Sasuke's eyes that lightened now, his amusement evident in his tone as he spoke, "Our neighbours are entertaining to watch." Was the only explanation the younger Uchiha offered, his eyes darting back outside, lingering on where the blond had been.
Itachi pondered that for a minute before suggesting casually, "It's a bit late today, but do you want to go over and welcome them to the neighbourhood tomorrow morning? We could ask them over for lunch; it would benefit me to establish contact with Namikaze in an informal setting."
No one else would have noticed the change in Sasuke's expression, but Itachi did. "Sure, whatever. I guess we could." He said, shrugging.
"It's settled then. Come on, dinner should be ready." Itachi reached out and poked Sasuke on the forehead with his pointer and middle fingers.
Sasuke hissed, more out of surprise than pain, his eyes widening slightly. His brother hadn't poked him like that since they had been eight and thirteen. "Itachi?" He asked, confusedly.
"Hurry up, little brother. We don't want the food to get cold."
My first SasuNaru/NaruSasu fic :) I absolutely LOVE these two and I hope my story does justice to their complex relationship. Yes, as you noticed Itachi, Minato and Kushina are all alive and kicking - I thought it was a total pity how, in the show, you realise what amazing characters they are only after they're dead!
Leave a review! I'll try updating the fic as regularly as possible - it's already mostly written :)
~Living to Laugh and Love