Hello! It's HairoM here.

This is a new story I've been working on for quite some time. It isn't finished yet, but I've made a great progress with it. Initially, I didn't want to publish it until it was finished, but time passed and now the manga is finished and the anime is nearly there as well. And with all that, my heart was suddenly filled with so many emotions; sadness over the ending of a series that has been going on for so many years and that I love so much; happinnes because the ending was indeed a happy ending, one that everyone deserved so much; longing, for times that are now gone never to return again. I can't believe how much I cried, laughed, got mad and became frustrated because of this series! I'm sure all Naruto fans can relate to this. We've been watching\reading the series for so long, watched the characters grow up, shared their sadness and joy, cried for each beloved character that died. I think, Naruto will always have a special place in my heart. It's been with me through my transition from a kid to an adult and now that it's finally over, I'll always treasure Naruto.

With this new story, I wanted to create a story that will touch hearts. I'm still an amateur (and a procrastinator) but I felt that I really needed to publish this story because if I don't, I'll explode from all the emotions in my heart. It sounds silly, but it isn't. It's like losing a good friend that's always been there for you.
Naruto in this story, is simple and humble. He doesn't seek wealth or popularity. All he wants is to create good memories and do the things he likes and fulfil his dreams. Sasuke (and I've always had mixed feelings about him) is as you'd expect him to be in the anime; cold, aloof and a teme. But as Naruto unfolds his story and his experiences, he discovers that there's more than meets the eye in all people and particularly in Sasuke. So as the story progresses, Sasuke might be OOC sometimes.

Now, enjoy!

Kurama.

I thought my life was pretty much going to be the same until I finally die. I thought I'll finish university, take over my father's business and probably get married and have children of my own. That is pretty much the life of guys like me; rich heirs to some fortunes. That's usually how our lives go, and I never thought mine would be any different. Sure, there are always some minor events and occurrences along the way, but they're never enough to drastically change the course of life. Well, as the saying goes, life is full of surprises, and I guess I didn't see the one that was coming at me full-speed, straight ahead, until it hit me in the face. But in my defense, there was no way I could have seen it coming.

See, it's not every day that you find out you have a little brother somewhere. Yes, I know it sounds absurd, but I've never really known my mother, let alone know I have a little brother. She left when I was five years old and I don't remember much about her. When I was younger I used to ask my dad a lot about why wasn't she here with us. You know, questions any kid would ask in that kind of situation. But my father, for reasons known only to him, never answered any of those questions. There was almost nothing my father denied me, but those questions were off limits. Don't ask and I won't lie, that sort of thing. So I learned not to ask.

Of course, my dad's not answering my questions arose my suspicion. What happened? Has she died since she left? Is she alive? If so, why did she leave? Did she not love me? Did she not care for me? Was she a bad woman? My father's refusal to tell me, brought on the rebellious state of my life. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, but it was bad enough. I used to have many quarrels with my dad over the subject but we would always make peace in the end. Then I finished high-school and took a year off to myself, to do and experience things I always wanted to, like traveling and Bungee jumping and freefalling from a plane. That year was incredible, it was something I had to do for myself. After that, I got into Hashirama University for Arts and Design and started my studies for a diploma in Architecture and Interior Design.

I rarely thought of my mother again, and whenever I did, the thought was always brief and insignificant. I thought the course of my life was pretty secured and clear. Heh, ignorance is bliss indeed.

Everything changed, I guess, on the day my dad called me and said he had something very important to tell me. Me, I thought it was probably about the business, so after classes I drove back home and found my dad in his study. I've never seen him so disheveled before. His hair was messier than usual and his eyes had that haunted look in them which kind of frightened me. His desk was a mess too, more than usual that is, and he was pacing in his room like a lost person.

"Dad?" I called and went inside. When he saw me he smiled then sighed heavily, as if he was relieved and yet not. Something was obviously bothering him greatly, and the knowledge made me feel uneasy.

"Kurama," he said after a while. "I have something very important to tell you." He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes and I waited. "It's about-well, it's about your mother."

Ok, to say I didn't expect that would be an understatement. My mother? Hell, I haven't thought of her for years! Why was he bringing her up now? And I thought, maybe he's finally going to tell me what happened all those years ago.

"What about her?" I asked, curious and anxious. He looked out the window and for a long moment said nothing. Then, out of the blue "you have a brother."

Well, that was definitely not something I expected to hear. So all I could say was: "a brother?" with rapid blinking of my eyes. My dad nodded and I could only keep blinking at him stupidly, which amused him and he smiled. "Yes, a brother," he reconfirmed.
"But, I don't understand," I said. "Has my mother remarried?" he shook his head, which meant, "No, he's mine." More blinking on my part and a deep sigh from my dad. "Yes, I reacted pretty much the same," he said and finally sat down on the armchair near the window. "Kushina called me last night. She said she had a request." At that I suddenly felt angry. Who did she think she is, to request anything from my father after leaving us? And she never even told my father about his second son! My dislike for her grew instantly and I struggled to calm myself.

"Don't think anything of her, son," my dad saw through me. "Not bad, nor good." 'Why the hell not?' I wanted to ask but I knew we'd been through that conversation too many times before, so I said nothing.

"She told me about your brother, about my son."
"Isn't he supposed to be, like, seventeen?" I asked.
"Yes. He'll turn eighteen this October."
"Then, what did she want from you?"
"To take him in."
"What?!" I got up, my fists clenched tightly. What the hell was that woman thinking?! "Calm down Kurama," he commanded. "He is my son, and your brother."
"So you agreed?" I asked, already knowing the answer. My father, despite being the tycoon he is, is extremely kind and good-hearted. He won't say no to his ex-wife and newfound son.
"Yes, I did."
"How the hell are you so sure she's not making it all up? How the hell do you know he really is your son? What makes you think she doesn't have an ulterior motive behind this scheme?" I shot at him, enraged. He was so believing, so trusting, it was driving me insane!
"Do not yell at me Kurama," he said calmly. "Kushina is a good woman. She would not do all those things you accuse her of. Now stop this childish behavior and calm down." I fumed, but in silence.
"Your brother will be arriving here in two weeks. I expect you to be the big brother you are and help him out and spend time with him. No excuses. I've already enrolled him into Tobirama High and he'll be starting eleventh grade this September."
"Can I, at least, have his name?" I asked, barely hiding my bitterness. He chuckled. "Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

Uzumaki Naruto. Well, now I know my mother's maiden name. Uzumaki Kushina. I guess it's reasonable that Naruto uses his-our-mother's last name. If things were pretty much the same to him, I assume he didn't know he had a father and brother either. It didn't mean I felt any liking to him, though.

-o-o-o-o-

Two weeks flew by, and too quickly the time had come for Naruto to arrive. I went to the airport with Dad and I have to admit I was rather anxious. What would this Naruto be like?

Whatever I thought he'd be, I never thought he'd look how he looked. He came out with all the other people and looked around for us. We saw him before he saw us and my breath was caught in my chest. He looked exactly like our father, only younger and slimmer. He has my Dad's locks of golden blonde hair, and the same blue eyes, only slightly larger than Dad's. His clothes, however, were very simple. He wore a black and orange jumpsuit, open all the way down, revealing a black t-shirt with some symbol in the front. His jeans were so old they were faded and torn in several places and his black converse were in the same horrid state. Where was this kid living in? The jungle? He finally spotted us with our sign that said: 'Uzumaki Naruto' and he slowly approached us, hesitant, with one, rather small, luggage and what looked like a guitar on his back. He blushed and extended his hand. "Hello, my name is Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself. I didn't know what to think of him. The situation was so absurd, not to mention awkward. Dad, however, was quick to react. "Welcome Naruto. I am Minato. I hope your flight was alright," he said. The boy, Naruto nodded. He was rather small and slender, and his hair wild and untamed. I introduced myself. "Welcome. I am Namikaze Kurama." I know, I was being childish, but I just wanted to see how he'd react to my full name. The name that should have been his too. He merely gave me a nervous smile and the awkward silence resumed. Finally, Dad decided it was time to leave and we went out to the car.

Now, I have no idea what the kid was used to, but I could tell he was not used to riding an Aston Martin. I don't know if he was uncomfortable or excited. Mostly he seemed anxious. The ride home was overall pretty silent, excluding Dad's attempts to start a conversation. Naruto gave him short and too general answers so he gave up after a while. The boy was a curious little thing indeed. He seemed so shy and yet you could see there was something underneath, confidence in himself that you wouldn't expect him to have. Still, something prevented me from liking him. Maybe I just couldn't understand why my mother decided to abandon me, but kept and raised this kid. And he looked ok, healthy and happy, so I assumed took good care of him. I couldn't look at him.

We arrived home half an hour later. The driver pulled into the driveway that leads to the house and there we were. I glanced at Naruto to see his reaction. Yes, I was right. Seeing our house, his eyes became round and wide and his mouth hung slightly open. So he never lived in a mansion before. Welcome to the world little brother.

"You live here?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment.
"We live here," Dad corrected and for the first time I saw a genuine smile on the kid's face. Which made me feel rather sorry for him, poor kid. Who knows where he used to live with that woman. Maybe she was a prostitute after all and was forced to live off of her clients' money. That was a horrible thought. When we went inside the house, Naruto's head seemed to be spinning in every direction. I guess there is quite many interesting things in our house for someone like him. The grand staircase, the crystal chandeliers, the framed paintings on the walls, the vases, the windows, the doors, the doorknobs, everything seemed to fascinate him. I smirked. He looked like a kid on Christmas.

"Your brother will show you to your room. We'll have dinner in half an hour and if you need anything you can call the maids." Dad said. Naruto nodded. I sighed. "Well, come on." I urged him to follow me and he silently did. His room, unfortunately for me, was close to mine. I opened the double doors and led him inside. His room was the same size as mine and looked pretty much the same. Dad had designed the house and every room, although similar in structure, had its own personality. Naruto's room walls were apple-green with white and golden thin stripes. There was a big four-poster bed in the middle with white and gold linens, a vintage wooden writing desk and two large windows with window seats and half-transparent sunshine-yellow curtains. There were also two white doors one which led to the closet-room and another that led to the bathroom.

"Wow," I heard Naruto whisper and ignored him.
"So this is your room. You can put your clothes in the closet there," I pointed at the door to his right. "Over there is the bathroom," I pointed to the other. "My room is down the hall. I f you need anything, don't call me." And with that I left him. He may have been offended but at that moment I couldn't care less. Maybe, I wanted him to be.

-o-o-o-o-

Naruto.

If there was one thing in the world that I really wanted, it was a father, a whole family. I've never known mine. He was this enigmatic dark figure that I would never get to know. When I used to ask my mom about him, she'd only say: "there's nothing to tell, Naruto. The past is the past and there are some things better left unknown." Well damn. I can't even count the number of times I fought her over this subject. I told her I needed to know, that it was my right and that she couldn't keep the truth from me and what not. Unfortunately for me, it's her from whom I got my stubbornness, and our fights were always intense and very loud. I never won against her, of course. Later when I grew up a little more, I just let it go. Well, it was not like I was the only kid in the world who didn't know his father. And I guess they, like me, just stop asking after a while.

Don't get me wrong. My mom is the most wonderful mom on Earth and I love her to death. She's my best friend and I can tell her anything, but she's also my mother and keeps me in check so that I don't go and do crazy things only teenagers can think of doing. We do almost everything together, from cooking to going to the movies. And yet, there's always been this empty spot in my family-tree diagram. There was a time when I was about seven that we used to live in Suna. I went to school there and we had this assignment to make our family-tree. I remember everyone's trees being wide and large with lots of branches and leaves, while mine was only a stick sticking out of the ground with another smaller stick growing out of it. I added some green leaves for mere decoration, but it still felt too small and empty. The teacher gave me a pitying look and said it was a very nice and cute tree, but some other kid looked at my work and said: "what a stupid tree." I punched him and they called my mother. She wanted to know why I did that so I told her. Then she cried and I cried along with her because I was only seven and I didn't know anything about adults and their big problems, and I didn't like seeing my mom cry.

But, like I said, I grew up a little and everything was ok. Not. My life wasn't sunshine and rainbows all the time, no one's life is. But I was happy and I had my amazing mom and I realized that I should be glad for that, so I was. Mom taught me everything she knows about photography, and believe me when I say she knows loads of stuff because she's a pro photographer. When I was twelve she bought me my first camera, which I still use occasionally. And before that, she bought me my first guitar for my tenth birthday. She also taught me how to play it and ever since then it's my most cherished possession, my camera close behind.

Because of her job, we used to move a lot. I've been traveling around the world for most of my life and I've seen many places and people. I love it, and if it were up to me I would've kept on living like that for the rest of my life. But my mom decided that I should finally get real education and that was when she finally told me about my father, and-surprise!-my brother.

Namikaze Minato. Architect and businessman. Wow. I always imagined my dad to be some shady gangster with a beer-belly and no class at all. I never thought he'd be an architect and a businessman (and a very successful one. I checked on the internet). And to have a brother! Namikaze Kurama. Mom never even told me I have a brother. I never even thought of that possibility. But why had she left him and my dad? How could she leave her son like that and not care for his wellbeing for all this time? I was angry, my sense of justice and compassion making me yell at her for doing something like that. "Don't you dare judge me, Uzumaki Naruto! Don't you dare assume things you know nothing about! I care for him just like I care for you! Do you think I don't? Do you think it isn't hard for me? Every day is a struggle, every night is a battle! But there are some things not you or me, can do anything about! And for you, there are things better left unknown!" She cried again that night, after so many years of not crying.

"I'm sorry Mom," I hugged her.
"It's alright, don't worry baby." She said.

We didn't talk about it after that, but the preparations for my departure were already being made. The atmosphere in the house was intense. I kept having these stupid butterflies in my stomach and I know my mom was anxious. I hoped my father and brother would accept me, but more than that, I was already missing my mom. I knew she'd be ok without me, but she'll miss me a lot and I'll miss her even more.

Finally the day came. "Call me when you get there," Mom gave one last hug and a box of sweets and I left.

-o-o-o-o-

My dad looks just like me. It's amazing how similar we look. The same blond hair, the same blue eyes. He's much taller though, and very good looking in that serious-adult way. He seemed to be kind enough, and his smile was calm and warm, like he really was happy to see me. My older brother on the other hand, looked so much like my mom. That same auburn hair and warm golden eyes. He even has her nose and eyebrows! He, too, was taller of course. The same height as my dad, really. But unlike my dad, he seemed cold. Like he didn't like me much and I could understand that.

There wasn't much conversation on the drive to their-my new-home. I felt pretty uncomfortable sitting in the sleek Aston Martin complete with a privet driver. I'm not used to that kind of things. Back home, we had an old Chevy, loud and clumsy, but we adored it. It always took us where we wanted. I wasn't expecting the sudden change in lifestyle and I was afraid the rest was going to be even more overwhelming. I was right.

The house was something not from this world. Or rather, not from my world. You know those fancy mansions you see in magazines? It was just like one of those. Compared to our little, two-bedroom farm house, this house was a palace. When we went inside, three maids and a butler came to greet us, all bowing politely. The butler tried to take my suitcase but I fought him. What the hell? I can carry my own stuff, thank you very much! Everything inside the house was so beautiful! The grand staircase made of hard reddish wood, the bright crystal chandeliers that were hanging down from the ceiling, the huge windows with not a single fingerprint on them, the framed paintings of sceneries and people, the marvelous wooden doors, and even the doorknobs! I felt dizzy just from looking at everything.

My room was upstairs. It's awesome! It could fit our whole apartment easily! I have my own bathroom and a huge bed, and the walls were apple-green with thin decorative stripes in white and gold. It's magnificent.

Kurama, my brother, showed me where everything was and then left, saying that if I needed anything-I shouldn't call him. He disliked me that much was obvious. I felt a little hurt. Really, I don't know what I did to him. It's not like I wanted to be sent here. Which reminded me I haven't called my mom yet. So I did.

"Naruto?"
"Hey Mom. I just arrived."
"Oh, thank god. How was your flight?"
"It was fine, no disturbances at all."
"Good. So, what do you think?"
"Umm, Dad seems fine. Kurama dislikes me, though."
"What? Why? You didn't say or do anything, did you?" heh. Same old mother.
"Not anything that I know of. Maybe he's just bitter 'cause now he's not an only child anymore."
"Oh please, he's an adult. I'm sure he has a better reasoning than that."
"Yeah whatever. This house is huge!" she laughed at that.
"Yes, it is. Sorry I didn't warn you. Do you like it?"
"I guess. But I miss my posters and our dear old Chevy. They ride an Aston Martin here! Would you believe that?!"
"How horrible!" she feigned shock. "Absolutely unthinkable!" We laughed. This is why I love my mom so much. There's no one like her.
"How are you Mom?"
"I'm fine. Finally some time alone with no little brats to take care of."
"Hey! I'm not a brat! And I'm not little!"
"You'll always be my Little Baby Naru-chan!"
"Mom!" she laughed and I couldn't not laugh with her. She's got this bubbly contagious laugh that you can't stay impassive to.
"Well then, I assume you'll be eating dinner soon, and you probably haven't unpacked yet. So good night Naruto. Don't cause them too much trouble, ok?"
"I'll do my best." I promised.

I unpacked my things after that. Not that I have that many things. All the clothes I brought with me fit into one suitcase, along with my camera and some of my favorite books and shoes. I'm a simple person and my mom and I always lived simple, that's how she raised me. That's why I feel pretty uncomfortable here in all this wealth. It's just not me, you know? I know I like bright colors like orange, but that's different. I'm just not that kind of person who lives in huge houses with maids and butlers that do all the work. And fancy sports cars. I'm just Naruto, a simple guy who enjoys doing those little mundane every-day tasks, who owns no sports car (and no car at all) and loves his life the way it is: simple, but wonderful.

My Dad and brother probably won't understand me. We may be family, but we're worlds apart. Maybe, if I had lived with them from the start, I would have been like them. But I didn't, and I'm different.

While unpacking, I took my time to explore my room. The walk-in-closet is large with lots of clothes that were probably for me, but weren't me at all. Fancy and expensive clothes and shoes, with many accessories and bags. What do they think I am? A woman? I did find some clothes (most of the casuals) that I like and marked their places in my mind. Really, it was huge, that closet. When I finished, there was knocking on my door.

"Come in!" I called. A maid entered. She looked around the room and I followed her gaze, only to blush. My 'unpacking' isn't very organized. Some clothes were still lying discarded on the bed and floor because I didn't know where, or if, I should put them in the closet. My books were on one of the window seats because I put them there for a moment and forgot about them. The shoes I had been wearing earlier were thrown aside, and now lay on the floor, right in front of the poor maid.

"Uh, hi," I said. Thankfully, she smiled.
"Good evening Uzumaki-sama. I see you've settled down. Very well," she said pleasantly. I blushed even more. I've never been called Uzumaki-sama in my life.
"Just call me Naruto," I told her, embarrassed.
"Very well Naruto-sama. My name is Hana and I'll be your personal maid. If you need anything, please let me know." A personal maid. What do I do with her? "Are you... going to follow me wherever I go?" I asked, afraid of the answer. She smiled. "Not unless you want me to." Oh thank you! The last thing I wanted was a maid tailing me everywhere. "Now if you'll please follow me, Naruto-sama, I'll show you the dining hall." I followed her. A dining hall! I've never been to a house with a dining hall. Hell, we barely had a dining room back home.

My dad and brother were already there, seated at a long magnificent table. To my surprise, there were three more people there, a man with a ponytail and a scar over his nose-bridge, a pretty woman with short black hair and a beautiful old lady with platinum blonde hair. I could feel my damn blush beginning to cover my cheeks again, as I made my way over to the table. I hate to be around many people I don't know. It always makes me so uncomfortable, and nervous. My mom says it's partially her fault, because she always kept me by her side, without really letting me mingle with other kids my age. Well, I still wouldn't trade my time with my mom for anything in the world. And if this is the price I have to pay, then I will do it without regrets.

"Good evening Naruto," my dad said. He has such a calm aura around him, from just saying 'good evening' to me, he gives me this feeling of confidence and security. "Good evening," I replied, trying to keep my voice above a whisper. He gestured me to sit down near Kurama and I did, all the while being watched by those other people. I didn't want to meet their gazes and I wished that they would start a conversation or something.

"Naruto, I want you to meet Lady Tsunade," I had to look up. Tsunade was the blonde woman. She had this hard look in her honey-colored eyes, and frankly, she scared me. She seemed like a strict woman, and that was the last thing I needed, to be scrutinized and criticized by some rich woman. Shit. "She is your grandmother." Oh. Well... "Good evening baa-chan," I said, a smile on my face. I didn't expect what came after my innocent greeting. My dad, for some reason, was smirking, my brother did chuckle and the other two tried to do their best to hide their smiles. I screwed up again, didn't I? Now, what the hell did I do? I looked at them, confused, and then I realized my mistake. Ok well, I was made aware of my mistake, rather loudly I must say.

"What did you call me, you little brat?!" She suddenly yelled at me. It was like being hit by a ball right on the face. Did she just call me a little brat?! My own anger flared at that and without thinking, I yelled back. "Did you just call me a little brat?!" I pointed an accusing finger at her. She smirked. "Aren't you?" she asked smugly. Well, that was unaccepted! "Don't call me that, old-hag!" "Why, you little brat...!" She got up, and I got up and we probably looked like we were ready to turn our verbal fight into a fist fight. But then my dad intervened.
"Mother, please. You're acting like a child." She huffed at him and sat back down, glaring at me. Wow, I thought, she has some serious issues with being called 'granny'. Apparently, I shouldn't have done that. Well, sue me. How was I supposed to know? I mean, really, Kurama must be calling her that all the time, right?

"Naruto, please sit down." My dad's voice brought me back to reality and I sat down, returning her a glare. Two can play this game.
"Well, after your passionate introduction to your grandmother," my dad said calmly, with his smile. "I would like you to meet Shizune," the black haired woman, "She's your grandmother's secretary and personal assistant, and Umino Iruka," the man with the scar, "he's our good friend and a teacher at Konoha elementary school." I nodded to them. I was still nervous, despite my heated greeting with my granny. I know she kind of scared me at first because she looked so intimidating, but after our 'fight' I found out I kind of like her. She reminds me of my mother, in some way. They have this same energy, they are both passionate and rather loud. Pretty much like me, if I have to be really honest.

Dinner was, surprisingly, a pleasant affair. Although, I realized it only later when I went back to my room and took a shower. I was asked lots of questions concerning my life. Some about my education, some about where I lived. I told them I used to travel a lot with my mom because of her work and so I've been to many places and many schools. Sometimes I was schooled at home by my mom but mostly not. Despite their many questions, I could tell they were careful not to ask about my mom much. My granny only asked how she was and that was it. Even my dad asked nothing about her. It kind of disappointed me, you know? Because, man, she was your wife! The mother of your sons! Why isn't anyone interested in her?

Tsunade was not that terrifying in the end. I've come to like her pretty quickly, and she let me call her baa-chan again. Although she seemed pretty annoyed, which amused me and so she hit my head. She's got one hell of a fist. How the hell is she not polite and well-mannered like my dad and brother and the rest of this god damned place? It makes me like her even more.

Later that night, when I lay in my huge new bed, I thought about it. My grandmother seemed so different from my father! He probably got his personality from grandfather, because Tsunade is nothing like him. My dad seemed to be calm, serene and gentle. Tsunade, on the other hand, was like a storm; scary, powerful and passionate. Not to mention stubborn. I knew we'd clash again in the future, but really, I like her. She's the one who is most like me; she doesn't seem to care about wealth or manners. She's just herself without any masks and barriers. Honest, and true.

A\N: This was it. The first chapter. Sasuke will be introduced soon enough, don't worry. I hope you've enjoyed the read!