A/N – Hello, my faithful readers. This fanfiction idea actually came to me nearly a year ago when I read "Konoha's Bomber (Naruto fanfic)" by HysteriaDominion. It's on Wattpad if you want to read it. I didn't particularly enjoy it – everything seemed too rushed and illogical for my liking – but it sparked an idea. Naruto being Deidara's little brother. Aside from that, my fanfiction and HysteriaDominion's fanfiction have nothing in common, so do not accuse me of plagiarism or the likes of. Plus, mine is a major AU so I guess that changes this. Well, I think that's enough for this author's note.
Summary: In this alternate universe, Naruto is the little brother of Deidara and has absolutely no relations to Konoha. He is not the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, nor does he hold the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He is simply a boy who loves his big brother and wants to become a ninja of Iwagakure. Follow his and his brother's adventures as they try to protect one another from the outside world.
Inspiration: "Konoha's Bomber (Naruto fanfic)" by HysteriaDominion on Wattpad.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it. I do, however, own the plot of this fanfiction and any characters of my own creation that I decide to put into the mix (minor characters that don't really have a relevance to the story like a waitress or a doctor of some sorts).
Chapter 1
"Mama, what's going on?" Deidara asked, clinging desperately to her skirt in partial fear. There were people walking in and out of their old and rundown home, collecting his minuscule amount of stuff. He watched from behind his mother as the people who wore Iwagakure's headbands proudly on their person continue to take his stuff. She sighed heavily, like something heavy was sitting on her chest as she squatted down in front of him so that the two of them could stare into each other's eyes. The brown-haired woman pushed a baby into her son's quivering arms that she'd previously been holding. Breaking eye-contact with her, he turned to look down at his brother. He sniffled, the baby boy's eyes closed for his midday nap. Deidara cradled his younger brother cautiously, looking up slowing. His eyes widened as he saw the tears already starting to form in his mother's eyes. "Mama-" He started before being pulled into a hug.
"Shh…" The woman hushed him, rubbing his back soothingly like she'd done every time he had a nightmare, "I'm sorry, Deidara. I'm so, so sorry."
"What? Why are you apologizing?" The six-year-old boy whispered out, tightening his grip on the baby in his arms, "Mama, what's going on?"
"Son, you have to understand something." Her blue eyes drifted down to the blond-haired baby, tears starting to trail down her face, "Your father and I are very, very poor… too poor to take care of you and Naruto."
"M-Mama, what are you s-saying?" Deidara mumbled out, tears starting to collect in his eyes the longer she talked.
She pets his hair lovingly, pulling back from the hug to look him in the eye, "The village does not agree with us when we say that we can care for you two… they think we are unworthy parents."
"B-But, why?" Sadness and fear were evident in his eyes as he started to shake.
Smiling sadly, the woman brushed the hair out of his face, "Don't worry, baby, you're going to be alright. They're going to take care of you, give you a better home where you'll be loved and sheltered. You have all the things that you've wanted that we couldn't provide for you and Naruto."
"B-But I want to stay with you and Daddy!" He proclaimed, the baby in his arms shifting in his sleep.
The mother of two put her shaky hands on his shoulders, "I know, baby, I know. It's no longer our decision."
The door to the boy's room opened, revealing the grieving look of a blond-haired man. He walked in, falling to his knees in front of the three. He gave them a grim smile, his wife pulling them all into another hug. "D-Daddy…" Deidara whispered out, uncontrollably sobbing, "Y-You can't… We've g-got to stay t-together, Daddy…"
The older man smiled, "I'm sorry, kiddo. Just know, that we love you so much and that we'll always be proud of you."
"It's not f-fair." Tears slid down his face, broken eyes staring back at his parents. Naruto was slowly waking up in his arms.
"Sometimes life is not fair, kiddo, but I hate it as much as you do." His father said, kissing the top of his head, "Just imagine all the things you'll be able to do when you're out of here. You can go to the academy a-and have money to eat out… and g-get to… to do a-all the things that… that y-you wanted to do… with your l-life." At this point, waterworks were also starting to leave the man, making his words stumble out.
"Mama, Daddy… I d-don't want to leave." Deidara cried, the two parents squeezing him tighter, "I don't w-want to leave."
"We know, baby… we know." The mother stated.
His father sniffled, pulling back momentarily to look at his son, "Deidara, c-can you promise me something?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Be safe and always protect your brother, okay?" The blond-haired man asked.
"A-And promise to tell him about us!" His mother said frantically, "He won't remember us as he grows up."
Deidara's bottom lip quivered as he looked down at his brother, who was now very awake. The baby stared up at him with sad eyes, as if he knew something was wrong. He looked back up at his sobbing parents, feeling fresh tears in his eyes again as he nodded slowly, "I promise… I'll protect Naruto with my life."
"G-Good." She sobbed.
"Excuse me." A voice broke their moment, three heads twisting around to see a stocky looking man at the doorway, "It's time." The father and mother nodded sadly, standing up. They helped Deidara up and walked out together. "This will be the last time you will ever see each other. Make your goodbyes count." The same man stated heartlessly.
"Mama, Daddy, I love you." Deidara smiled sadly, leaning into their touch.
"We love you too, baby." His mother whispered out lovingly, wiping his tears away.
"We love you so much, kiddo." His father grinned, kissing the top of his head.
The man from earlier stepped between the three, "Come with me and we will take you to a better home."
Deidara gave his mother and father one last look, holding Naruto closer to him. He looked down at his brother, "I promise that I'll protect you no matter what." He looked at the man who would forever be the barrier between him and his parents. Deidara leaned closer to his brother to whisper words of a promise that will never be broken, "I promise that I won't let anyone take you away from me like they took us away from Mama and Daddy."
Deidara opened his eyes, blinking several times. He sat up in his bed, realizing that he'd accidentally fallen asleep doing some homework for the academy. He thought back on to the dream, the events of that day occurring almost four years ago. Flinging his legs over his bed at the foster care institution they – as in he and his little brother, Naruto – were currently staying at for the last few months. This was due to their latest foster parent having recently died after he was taken sick by ammonia. It was quite sad for him and Naruto to see the man go off in such a way; he had always struck Deidara as a person who would fight until the end. Plus, he'd even started to like his foster parent, unlike how he was at the beginning.
"Dei-Dei~" A childish voice called from the hallways, the noise bouncing off the walls. He grinned, already knowing who it was. The footsteps leading to his room were coming closer and closer as seconds passed.
The blond-haired boy smiled brightly, hopping up from his bed and walking over to his door at a fast pace. Sliding it open, he could see his brother running down the hallway – barefoot, of course, that boy hates the shoes the institution gives him and absolutely refuses to wear them – with one of the caregivers chasing after him. "Naruto, get back here!" The young man called after him, looking breathless and disheveled.
"Dei-Dei~" Naruto repeated, flinging himself at his older brother. Deidara grins widened at contact, swinging the boy in a circle before kissing the top of his head in a loving brotherly way. The four-year-old boy giggled cutely, hugging him tightly. "Dei-Dei." He said again, more contently, snuggling into the older boy's neck.
The young caretaker finally got to their position, desperately sucking in the oxygen he most definitely needed after the wild chase down the hallways, "He runs pretty fast for someone so small."
"You're telling me." The ten-year-old boy stated, still grinning as Naruto started to play with his hair in fascination. He always seemed to do something like that where there wasn't anyone directing their conversation at the boy or where Deidara was holding him without saying anything to him.
"Well, you seem to have him under control." The man straightened up, finally getting the much needed oxygen in his system.
Deidara nodded, "So, Mr. Clooney, did you need something or…?"
The dark-haired man nodded, putting his hands behind his back, "Well, I have some news for you."
The young boy raised an eyebrow, "What kind of news?"
"It seems that we have a special guest here today." He stated.
"Who?"
"A woman who potentially wants to adopt you." He gave the two boys a small smile.
Deidara eyes widened a small degree, "A-Are you serious?!"
The caregiver nodded, "You and Naruto have been in the program for the longest, almost four years, I'm guessing. This is pretty surprising since a lot of kids who came here around the time you two arrived have already been adopted."
"Adopted…" The blond-haired boy repeated the word quietly. Naruto looked up at his brother, a small pout on his lips.
"I read your files, you know, about your parents and I feel terrible that you had to be taken away from your family. I just hope that you and your brother have a good home." Mr. Clooney smiled.
"Wait!" Deidara's eyes suddenly widened, turning to the side so that Naruto was facing away from the caregiver in almost a protective manner, "Are they a-adopting both of us or are they only wanting to a-adopt me?"
"Deidara, you know that I have no control of a person's decision the get one or the other or both. However, I guess I can slightly reassure you since the woman had said earlier that she was thinking about getting both of you. Though, she could very well just become another one of your foster parents for a while until you're put back into the system." The caregiver shrugged, a dark and sad look falling over his faces, "However, it is a possibility that you'll be separated when the time comes."
"No. I won't leave my brother. I promised Mama and Daddy that I'd protect him." He stated, a fire burning in his eyes.
"Yeah!" Naruto chimed in, still messing around with his brother's hair, half-listening to the conversation.
The man nodded, "I know, Deidara, I know. You've said that a few too many times to just forget something like that. Just… come with me, okay?" The other sighed, setting his brother down so that the two could walk side-by-side. Naruto reached up and grasped his larger hand quickly. Deidara smiled down at the boy as they followed the caregiver they'd become familiar with into a different room down the hallway. Inside was an old woman in a wheelchair without any legs.
The only word that came to Deidara's mind upon approaching the woman was: ugly.
She had salt-and-pepper colored hair and dirty, muddy brown eyes. They blinked at him in surprise, her eyelashes being caked heavily with practically old mascara which made them stick out in random directions. From what Deidara could see, the old woman was wrinkly all around with gray, chapped lips pulling back into a crooked smile. Her long and chipped fingernails were almost completely yellow, hands clasped together in her lap in a grotesque looking way. She wore red khakis that had been cut at the knee, revealing the two stubs of her missing legs. Her gray, long-sleeved shirt trapped her saggy breasts against her chest and revealing her wrinkly cleavage that made Deidara want to puke right then and there in front of the others. The old woman had plenty on scars running up and down her body; a former ninja, he had mused to himself which was probably the only likable thing about her. Nothing about this woman screamed 'I-want-to-adopt-or-foster-kids' or 'I-promise-I'm-friendly'. From what Deidara was seeing, she was ugly and just a disgusting hag. The crooked grin widened, showing some of her missing or yellowed teeth under her top lips. "My, my, are these the kids that are looking for a home, un?" She had asked in a sickly-sweet voice. Deidara refused to respond or speak for that matter in fear that he would throw up at the smell of her morning cigarette and coffee breath, not to mention that weird and completely stupid speech habit she appeared to have.
Mr. Clooney grinned, however, and put up a façade as if he too wasn't disgusted with the woman in front of them, "Yes, they are. They've been in the foster care system for almost four years after they were taken away from their mother and father."
"Oh, how sad for you boys to go through that, yeah?" She gave the two a once over, taking in everything about them with her pointed eyes that made Deidara uncomfortable to be in her presence, "Hmm, and what are your names, children?"
"I'm Naruto!" The four-year-old boy exclaimed. His older brother glanced quickly at the exuberant boy, trying to figure out why Naruto wasn't as disgusted by the old hag in front of them. Why he wasn't noticing all the terrible things and disgusting flaws about her like he was.
His older brother grimaced, gulping back the bile trying to rise in his throat, "I'm Deidara."
"What lovely names, yeah?" The old woman smiled again, her stupid speech habit getting on his nerves slightly, "And how old are you both?"
Naruto started to count on his fingers, trying to remember his age before a light-bulb seemed to go off in his head, "I just turned four!"
Deidara was slowly becoming more uncomfortable the more this conversation was going on. He wondered what it would be like to live with a horrendous woman like her if they were to be adopted by the old hag. He internally cringing at the thought. "I'm ten-years-old." He finally said after a few seconds of silence.
"Interesting, un." She mulled to herself.
"What's your name?" The youngest of the two boys suddenly asked her.
"Oh, my dearest apologizes, yeah? I always forget to introduce myself when asking for your names, how very impolite of me." She chastised herself for giving her hideous, crooked, and pointy grin again, "My name is Mia Chikako, but most people call me Grandmother Chikako, un."
Naruto nodded, "That's a weird name, what's it mean?"
"Hmm? Most people tell me it means 'clever wisdom', but I don't know if that's what it actually means, yeah?" She stated.
Deidara wondered exactly how his brother could handle this old hag without looking like he was going to vomit every time she opened her mouth. Instead of voicing his thoughts, he looked down at her missing limbs, "Were you a former ninja?"
"Yes, I was." Chikako said thoughtfully, looking up at the blond-haired boy and smiled warmly, chapped lips pulling apart, "Though, that was a long time ago." He nodded slowly. "Though, I guess that you're probably wondering about the legs. I've been like this-" She motioned to her legs, "-for nearly two decades."
"Just how old are you?" He suddenly questioned, getting a smack from Mr. Clooney who stood behind him.
"You don't just ask a woman how old she is." The older man hissed out.
Chikako laughed, sounding in between a broken squeaky toy and a buzzing fan. It was awful to his ears and Deidara felt the need to cover his ears with his hands. She gave the people in the room another smile, "Oh, it is quite alright, Mr. Clooney. Though, to answer your question Deidara, I'm almost sixty-years-old, yeah?"
Deidara raised an eyebrow, "Really, you look almost eighty." Another smack to the back of his head. He turned around to glare daggers at the caregiver.
"Yes, I get that a lot." She smiled.
"Just wondering, if you're that old-" He could hear the man behind him growling lowly as if to say 'watch-your-mouth', "-why are you looking to adopt two kids?"
"Yeah?" Chikako grinned, "Wondering when you were going to ask that question, un!" She looked all too pleased by the question, gross wrinkles moving in patterns across her face while she smiled. "I'm getting lonely. I lost my husband during the Third Shinobi World War a few years ago when his platoon was attacked by Konoha ninjas." She gave them a grave smile, "Afterwards, the children my husband and I had together grew up and left home. They had children of their own but they all live such busy lives and don't have time to visit their mother all the time." Chikako let out a deep sigh as if exhaling all of the darkness in her life. She looked up at the three in front of her and gave another warm smile, "Ever since he passed away and my children left, I found that I just didn't like the loneliness that had overtaken our home, yeah? It used to be so lively but now, it just seems so dead, hmm… Thought some grandkids could make my home brighter, yeah?"
Deidara suddenly felt great pity for the old woman. He could also feel the pang of guilt in his heart for the way he's been acting around Chikako and his disgusted feelings towards her. Although he didn't like her appearance, he was starting to see a nice outline of her personality that was truly loving. She was a former ninja, a veteran, and lost both of her legs. Her husband died and her children left her, never to return he assumed. Deidara found that he should probably be more respectful. "I'm… sorry for your loss." He whispered out.
She nodded, "Thank you."
"Is he going to come back?" The innocent questioned pierced the conversation as heads turned to look at Naruto, "You said you lost your husband, that means that he'll come back home, right?"
Chikako smiled, "No, baby, my husband's not coming back."
He blinked, "Oh." Deidara gave the boy a small smile, ruffling his hair. Naruto whined, desperately trying to push his brother's hand away from his hair. The two shared a laugh, all the while the two adults looked on in awe.
"May I ask, Deidara, are you in – by any chance – the academy?" Chikako questioned, leaning back in her wheelchair.
He nodded, "Yeah, got in a few years ago. I'm two years away from graduating and getting on a gennin team."
"That's good, yeah?" She smiled.
"I guess." Deidara shrugged.
Chikako turned to Naruto, "You must be very proud of your brother?"
"Yes, ma'am!" The youngest of the two nodded furiously, "Dei-Dei is so cool."
The blond-haired boy could feel a blush creeping on his cheeks, "Thanks, Naruto."
"It's true, though!" He grinned.
Deidara laughed, "I wasn't saying that it wasn't true."
"Oh~" Naruto giggled.
"I think I've made my decision." Chikako suddenly interrupted.
Mr. Clooney looked startled, "Y-You have?"
"If you'd boys like…" She started, looking in between Deidara and Naruto, "I'll adopt you and treat you as if you were my own grandkids; both of you, yeah?"
Deidara's eyes widened, "Both of us?"
"You mean it?!" Naruto cheered.
She grinned, "Only if you'd want to come live with an old woman like me, un!" The boys looked at each other before nodding quickly. Chikako looked to the young man, "Mr. Clooney, please tell me what I have to do to get these boys home."
"Right this way, ma'am." He smiled.
Naruto suddenly felt shaky and nervous standing in front of a rather odd looking door. It was a faded green color with chips of paint peeling off. He gripped his brother's hand tightly, gulping quietly. Deidara looked down at him, "It's going to be okay, Naruto."
"O-Okay." He whispered back, looking at the dirty and old door mat that taunted him with 'Welcome Home!' written on it. The blond-haired boy turned to look at him, seeing one of the caregivers from the institution grinning at them. The woman stepped in front of them and knocked politely on the door, a bright smile on her face.
The door creaked open, revealing Chikako who gave the three on her porch a wide smile. "Come in, come in, yeah?" She grinned, rolling her wheelchair away from the open door to allow them in, "I'm so excited to show you your rooms. I had three of my grandkids come by and help prepare the house for your arrival."
"Ah, thank you, Chikako…" Deidara said quietly, eyes roaming around her – their – home in wonderment.
"Please, call me Grandmother Chikako. I've grown so used to it that anything else sounds strange." The old woman laughed, rolling down the long hallway to the end of the house, "Your rooms are right beside each other down here." Naruto and Deidara nodded in understanding as they continued to look. They passed by a rather large living room that was just filled with warmth and a rather large collection of things. A closed off kitchen was to the left, an unfamiliar aroma wafting from the doorway. The hallway was filled with pictures, certificates, awards, and much more. "Alright, here are your rooms." Chikako suddenly looked sheepish, "I'm sorry I couldn't get you more things besides a bed, a desk, and a dresser but I promise that we'll get you more things. I'll get my granddaughter during the week to help us go shopping to get you, boys, some real clothes."
"Thank you." Deidara bowed in appreciation.
Naruto, copying his brother, grinned, "Yeah, thank you so much!"
Chikako blushed in appreciation, "You boys are too kind. I'll let you get settled in while this lady and I talk some things out." The caregiver and their adoptive 'grandmother' headed outside, most likely to discuss what will become of Deidara and Naruto in the coming months.
"Dei-Dei… are we dreaming?" The four-year-old boy suddenly asked, eyes still trailing around the house.
"No, not this time." He smiled down at his brother, leading him into one of the rooms, "Do you want this one of the one opposites of it?"
He thought for a second, "I want this one!"
"Okay." Deidara left the room to set down his stuff. Naruto hurriedly put his stuff down before bounding into his brother's new room.
"You don't think they'll take us away from Grandmother Chikako like they took us away from Mama and Daddy, right?" The boy questioned.
The oldest of the two stiffened up for a few seconds, "I hope not…"
Naruto walked up to his brother, hugging his leg, "It's okay, Dei-Dei. You don't have to be sad."
"Naruto, I'm fine, I promise." He faked a grin, hoping that the boy wouldn't realize how hurt he actually was.
"You're a bad liar." His brother mumbled out, tightening his grip on his leg.
"I know." Deidara stated back, "It's just… you never even got to meet them. You were just a baby when social services took us."
The blond-haired boy looked up at his older brother, "At least I got to meet you."
He stared down into those large, baby blue eyes his brother has and smiled slightly, "Yeah, you did."
"Did I interrupt something, hmm?" Chikako's voice came from the doorway, the old woman poking her head into the room, "Just wanted to tell you that lunch is done if you would like something to eat, yeah?"
"Sounds good," Deidara said, watching the older woman roll away towards the kitchen. Naruto chased after her in excitement as he lazily walked behind the two. "Maybe this isn't so bad." He thought to himself, watching his brother and this old hag converse, "I just wish that we were back with Mama and Daddy."
If you have any questions, comment them and I will answer them in the next chapter.