Author's Notes: Hello readers! Here goes my first attempt at Naruto fanfiction (let alone SasuNaru...). Hope you all enjoy the prologue for what it is and anticipate (at least a little lol) what's to come!

First chapter should be out soon! Constructive criticism much appreciated btw! :D

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or anything affiliated to Naruto kthx. :-P


I Wanna Hold Your Hand

PrologueBaby Steps


Ruffled blond hair swayed against the gust of wind attempting to push it back, random strands falling over bright blue eyes wide with wonder. The darkness of the sky became washed over in bursts of bright colors, the explosions crisp and loud, even as the echo of sound continued to ring within the young boy's ears long after the tiny glimmers of light evaporated within the night sky and all that was left was a faint memory of beautiful blues, radiant reds and smooth purples against endless night.

Slowly those same eyes slid downward until they hit the large crowd of heads towering above them, the clacking of sandals against feet making up for the loud explosions and gales of laughter smothering him until the smile fell off pink lips and whiskered cheeks lost their dimpled charm.

"Naruto!" The fair-haired child squeaked as he was lifted into the air, tan sturdy hands gripping his waist until his feet floated off the ground and swung like tree branches on an autumn day. "There you are!"

"Ruuuukkaaaa!" Naruto half-groaned half-giggled. "Let me down!"

"Not until you promise not to run off again!" Iruka countered, placing the boy into a pair of much more weathered hands, the familiar masked face and upturned eye-smile doing little to make him feel all that more comfortable in the sea of unfamiliar faces. "We just moved here. We don't need to lose you the first week in!"

"Will you put me down Kashi?" Kakashi simply tucked the boy further into his embrace, not even deigning to answer the question. "But I wanna go explore! PLEASE? Let me go explore!"

"Naruto…" Iruka sweat-dropped as a series of families 'discretely' peeked over their shoulders to see who was making the commotion, already dismissing the two men and child as if they were insects before going back to their fireworks watching. "Please stop making a scene or there will be no ramen tonight!"

In two seconds the blond boy was quiet, snuggling within the older man's right shoulder as if he had said nothing at all. Both Kakashi and Iruka both let out a sigh of relief as the tiny tot quickly sagged into a miserable pile of mush as the thought of no ramen was worse than the thought of not being able to explore his surroundings the way he wished to.

So preoccupied with his tormenting thoughts of never having ramen ever again little Naruto did not notice the pair of dark eyes tracing both his and his guardian's moves as they crept into the crowd and let the fair consume their attention once again.


Pale skin glistened under the array of lights, marvelous in its solid perfection speaking of gorgeous years to come. Twitching fingers pushed obsidian locks of messy hair away from those bottomless charcoal gray eyes steered not towards the spectacle of lights composing their own symphony in the night sky but instead trained on a stick thin figure shrouded above the mess of people staring up at the pictures put together for their amusement.

Flaxen strands of silk flew forward as sapphire blue eyes were trained upwards, staring at the bright explosions with a fascination that seemed odd even for a child his age. Tanned fingers weaved through that cacophony of hair that tickled scarred cheeks, the smile large and full of glee even as it was done unconsciously.

Taking a step forward, the milky-skinned child almost stumbled, catching himself before he could continue to go on forward. Sneering at his feet with a maliciousness that people twice his age could not even conjure, swirls of regret boiled in the pit of the boy's stomach even as he knew that speaking to the strange child would cause nothing but unnecessary trouble.

Instead, gray eyes continued to watch in amazement, even as two men came up upon the child and carried him away, the crowd swallowing up the blond-haired tot in a mess of kimonos and loud sandals.

"What are you doing little brother?"

A young man nearly identical to the small child in front of him narrowed his equally dark gaze at the spot the boy kept his eyes glued to, not understanding what was so fascinating about grass and strings of commoners.

"Nothing." Breaking out of the haze he had buried himself within, short legs carried themselves away from the bushes, the word said in a brusque tone placard with implied annoyance.

"Sasuke…" Itachi sighed as he watched his little brother march back to their parents, clearly exasperated with the normal surly behavior that the boy naturally adapted into his personality without even trying. "What is going on in that head of yours…?"

Sasuke felt his eyes straying back without his own consent once he was sure his brother was no longer watching him and his parents were sufficiently entertained by the circle of snobbish friends and distant relatives that Sasuke did not care to know.

Even though there was nothing there to occupy his sight with, the distant memory of a lone boy covered in orange and shaggy blond hair flickered absently against the void scenery, speaking quietly of loneliness and obscured misery.


End Prologue – Baby Steps