Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto.

Prologue

"Itachi, what are you doing here?" A sleepy, blond haired sixteen year old asked as his longtime best friend Itachi Uchiha shook him from the realm of dreams. His dark haired friend gazed at him with sadness and hope in his dark eyes.

"Naruto, normally I wouldn't ask you for anything because you've already done so much for me. But, can you watch Sasuke for me, and make sure that he grows up safely?" The raven haired teen asked as he stepped aside to show a barely standing six year old by the name of Sasuke Uchiha who yawned and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Naruto blinked his startling blue eyes and got up from his place on the bed to kneel in front of Sasuke.

"Hey, little guy, come here." Naruto said gently and held his arms out for Sasuke to fall into while Itachi watched with a pained smile. Naruto picked up the sleeping little Uchiha in his arms before he stood up and looked at the elder Uchiha seriously.

"Itachi, what is going on?" He asked seriously when the raven turned away from him. Naruto gently rocked Sasuke when the small boy whimpered and turned his face into the crook of Naruto's neck.

"Is it them?" The blond asked as he held Sasuke to him tighter in an effort to ward off the presence of the people they were talking about.

"Yes, Naruto, they slaughtered my family and it was only by sheer luck that I managed to get Sasuke away from the compound and to here." Itachi had barely finished speaking before his arms were full with Naruto, Sasuke squished between the two carefully. He listened to Naruto sob with a broken heart; he had never liked hearing Naruto cry and to know that the blond was crying for him made it even worse.

"God, Itachi I'm so sorry." Naruto said simply as pearl like tears cascaded from his blue eyes. Itachi wiped his tears away gently and said, "Please don't cry for me, I hate seeing you cry."

Naruto nodded his head and sniffled before looking back up at Itachi. "Are they going to come looking for you and Sasuke now?" He asked before Itachi backed away from him.

"I'll have to leave, if I had a choice, I would stay here with you and Sasuke, but I have to lead them away." Itachi spoke gently and neared the window that had granted him entrance into Naruto's home.

He was just about to jump out of the window when Naruto whispered, "Itachi, please know that even though I can't love you in the way that you wish, I'll always be your friend and I do love you, even if it's not in that way."

Itachi kept his back turned from Naruto so he wouldn't see the sad smile that had graced his face and said, "I know, and you should know that not one single person but you crossed my mind when I was thinking of who would take care of Sasuke."

The two friends smiled sadly even if the other could not see it and then in a mere second, Itachi disappeared from Naruto's room.

Naruto sighed softly and placed Sasuke in his bed before covering him with the comforter. He looked at the young Uchiha and smiled at how much he looked like Itachi when he was a kid. Even though Sasuke looked more like his mother Mikoto and Itachi resembled their father Fugaku, there were a few things that the two brothers shared in looks if one were to look close enough.

He was roused from his musings when he heard someone knock on his front door loudly. He cursed softly and feared that he already knew what was going to happen.

"Uzumaki-San, the Hokage wishes to speak with you." An Anbu member with a bear mask said after Naruto had formed a barrier around his room and answered the front door.

Naruto sighed and answered with a quiet yes and the two were off to Hokage Tower.

"Naruto," Sarutobi Hirozen, the Hokage of Konoha, greeted as Naruto took a seat in front of the elderly man's desk.

"Gramps," he smiled back only to be rewarded with a sad and pained frown.

"Naruto," he began again, "Itachi is no longer a ninja of Konoha, he has gone rogue." The Hokage stated as he waved away the Anbu that were positioned in his office.

"Gramps, you don't need to say anything, I already know." Naruto said as he looked down at his hands.

"How?" The old man asked.

"Itachi came to me a while ago; he asked me to watch Sasuke for him and told me what had happened." The blond answered calmly even though it wasn't what he was feeling.

"I see, so I don't need to explain everything. That makes it easier seeing as how I won't have to see you cry at the thought of your best friend betraying Konoha and you." Sarutobi said with a smile.

"I never would have believed that Itachi would betray Konoha, my trust in him and our friendship would override any decision to betray Konoha, this is his home after all, and the place where his precious brother lives." Naruto said with a smile as he stood from his seat and made his way toward the door.

"Ah, Gramps, even if everyone believes what is said about Itachi and they hate and curse him, I will always believe in him. After all, I will trust in our friendship and when all comes to light, I'll personally drag him back to Konoha. This is where he belongs," he said when he turned back to look at the old man.

Sarutobi could only smile at the former Anbu captain and watch silently as he left.

AN: Oh this is my first Naruto Fanfiction; I hope that those of who are reading will like it. Ooh, this makes me so excited!