Note: This is a Naruto - Pilot Project of mine. Review me if you think it is worth to continue. Charakters (beside the usual OCs) are not mine. If I were Kishimoto I would fire that idiot that is continuing the Boruto story. For me the whole series ended 699. Everything afterwards doesn't exist. Please note too that i am not a native english author. Mistakes happen and I got no beta. I try my best.

Not often

It was not often that it rained in Konoha…
It was not often that a beast as tall as a mountain attacked a village…
And it certainly was not often that a Hokage died fighting said beast.
The clouds opened their ports and rain purred down on the burial ceremony. Yondaime Hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki were the only ones who died thanks to Minato's fast reaction but they left someone behind. Guests in black clothes looked at the new headstones and cried. Nobody cared if it was a silent cry or a loud one because Minato and Kushina left a lot of good friends, students, senseis and a young one. A small kid, cradled in a dark blue blanket in the arms of a silver haired teen who looked down to the sleeping infant with a handful of fire-red hair. Both boys lost everything they had. People they could call parents…
A lone figure approached the teen with the baby and let a tired sigh slip away.

"Kakashi please come with me. I think we have to discuss something." Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded and the teen nodded slightly and followed the old leader to the center of Konoha, more specific to the tower.

A small vision haunted Kakashi when he saw the desk. For a short second behind the desk sat a smiling blond who wished him a good day… but the desk was empty, the room seemed to have lost in colour because everything seemed so grey.
"Kakashi…can I hold him for a second?" Sandaime asked and reached out for the small boy in the jonin's arms.

The teen tightened his grip around the infant, not willing to lose what was left of his sensei.

"I understand." Sarutobi said with a small smile. No reason to cause a break down on one of his best jonins.

"You might wish to know that Minato had something for you as a gift. He signed some papers… adoption papers. He wanted you in his family and… you know you were a son to him. You are legally Kakashi Hatake Namikaze. A Namikaze like our little Naruto here and you can say you are his brother by all but blood."

Kakashi's lone eye widened and he looked down at the now awake boy in his arms. Naruto never cried… he just studied the people around him with calculating glances. The boy was intelligent and knew that there was no need to cry. He fidgeted and gurgled.

"He seems to be hungry. You should bring him back to the nursery so they can fix him a bottle." Sandaime suggested and Kakashi nodded.

"One last word Kakashi. I'll take you of the active roster and you'll receive a monthly A-Ranked pay for you and Naruto. Since you are technically an adult and were named as Naruto's brother you are going to be his guardian. Do not slack off because I want you to return in active duty in 5 to 6 years." Sandaime said and the teen nodded. He now was responsible for another life and he wouldn't let his father figure down.

-Naruto 3 years old-

Kakashi, now nearing the real adulthood, grinned behind his mask. Sandaime gave him some extra pay when he took "D-Ranks". He would always get one D-Rank. Watch over the Clan-heirs during their playtime. Today they met at Yamanaka's and the kids started a full out brawl with one red-haired boy at the sidelines, calculating if it was worth to get scratched and dirty. The silver-haired adult sighed. Naruto was a rather shy and smart boy. He took after his sensei more than in the colour of his eyes or the shape of his face. It seemed that Kushina got the short stick and the only thing Naruto got from her was his spiky fire-red hair. It didn't help that the kids teased him because of the colour and so the kid often shied away and just watched.

Today he seemed to be more forceful. The redhead jumped on top of the brawling kids and wrestled Sasuke Uchiha down. The raven-haired kid was surprised and yelped when a sudden weight forced him to the ground before he could tackle the Hyuuga heir down. He looked up to his attacker and was even more surprised when he saw the red haired kid.
"Getoffme!" Sasuke snarled and the red haired jumped away, a small smirk on his face.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. That was a new streak in the personality of Naruto. He actually goofed of! A warm smile appeared beneath the scarecrow's mask and his eyes crinkled into an upside down U. Yes, Naruto was the son of his parents. Minato's goofy side that made him and Fugaku Uchiha into rivals on uneven ground lived on in the next generation. Fugaku was Minato's prey and the poor man had to endure the cheerful blond whenever the Hokage within the blond slipped off.

A small, deep chuckle beside Kakashi made him aware that a new person approached. He glanced beside him and nodded respectfully to the clan head of the Uchiha clan.

"To think that kid could go easy… When I remember correctly Minato wasn't an easy going kid during the academy. Jiraiya-sensei made him to that. You should ask Hokage-sama to get him back so he can open him up a bit." Fugaku said. Kakashi's tenseness got easier and he nodded.

"Sasuke is going to hate you." Kakashi said and the clan head smiled.

"Maybe but it is going to be worth it. Sasuke needs someone to push the Uchiha-ways out of him a bit. Minato nearly chocked me to death when I tried to teach Itachi a Katon Jutsu when the boy was 3 years old. Sadly the "uchihaness" sits too deep within me to change me completely but Sasuke and Itachi still have the chance."

Then Fugaku called Sasuke and the boy jumped to his father's side. Kakashi saw Naruto smiling and a deep inner voice said to him that everything is going to look up. It was not often that one could befriend with the stern Uchihas but a new friendship is going to bloom.

-Naruto 8 years old-

7 years old Naruto Namikaze graduated on top of his class. Kakashi wished that his little brother had taken the long way 'round but the teacher couldn't hold him back anymore. Naruto was extremely skilled with the shinobi ways, a prodigy unrivaled. Even Itachi Uchiha couldn't hold a candle next to him. People started to fear him for his skills in fuin jutsu. Another Uzumaki trait that came forth.

Naruto, the shy redhead showed more and more boldness during his Academy-days. Children who badmouthed him because of his red hair had to fear the next taijutsu lesson. Sometimes he dared to joke. He showed a natural talent for charismatic and got his own group of fangirls following him. It certainly didn't help that he looked more and more like his father. It unnerved the redhead. People compared him to his father and only called him Yondaime's legacy. He wanted to become his own person!

It didn't help that he became the appearance of Jiraiya. They often left Konoha because of his teacher's duty and they explored the world. Naruto felt like he was Jiraiya's babysitter not the other way 'round. He often had to drag Jiraiya back to the hotel after the sannin got drunk like hell or girls beat him up after a peeping session.

They encountered Tsunade and Shizune numerous times and both appearances just watched them knock each other of with a sigh. Naruto learned that Shizune had a childish crush on Kakashi and he often teased her because of that. The dark haired kunoichi on the other hand had made it a duty to watch over Naruto every time they met. She was shocked that Sandaime still let them graduate so young. She picked Shinobi clothes for him when they took their masters money. Naruto could say he was the best fashioned shinobi under Kami's watchful eyes.

He decided to wear mostly traditionally shinobi gear. A long pitch-black trouser, taped around his ankles, with a dark blue kunai pouch up his right tight and a shuriken pouch on his belt. He wore a similar black long-sleeved shirt with the Namikaze and Uzumaki crests on each sleeve and over that he sported his new chunin west. He got it some months ago, after Jiraiya led them into an Iwa patrol who instantly regionzed the teacher of their most hated enemy. A field promotion was the result of knocking 4 chunin and 2 jonin senseless.

-Naruto 12 years old - present-time -

Jonin Namikaze Naruto made his way to wave. He and Jiraiya separated little over a week after a request of old man Hokage who demanded his attention on an upgraded mission in wave. Beside him trotted his loyal and permanent summon Takeru. A waist-tall kitsune with fur as black as the midnight with white sparkles like stars was his best friend ever after he got the summoning contract from Kurama, known to the world as Kyuubi no Youko, a beast who could form new landscapes with the flick of one tail.

Naruto learned the hard way that the beast who killed his father wasn't his enemy. Even Jiraiya didn't know that it was sealed within Naruto because he was found in the hospital, the seal already disappeared. It unnerved the redhead that nobody knew what happened to his mother. She couldn't be found.

Takeru growled when they approached the coast to Nami no Kuni. Mist lay all over the place and it was filled with chakra. His sensor skills went nuts with the amount of chakra in the air.

"I can smell 6 people up on the bridge. A lot of more are approaching in fast speed." Takeru said and his fur stood on all edges.

"They give of a bad vibe. We should go on the bridge and help out the leafs." Naruto said and his partner nodded. Together they ran up the stake and landed silently on top of the bridge. The redheaded Jonin needed to lift the mist so his senses could work again.
With a single handsign and a low cry of "Futon: Daitoppa" the mist cleared and showed two knocked out genins, one still standing, another knocked out teen and a hard breathing Kakashi against Momochi Zabuza.

"Sick him, Taku." He whispered loud enough for the kitsune to bare his fangs and shoot forwards like lightning. Naruto took matters in his own hand and unsealed a katana from a hidden seal within his clothes. He looked pleased when the swordsman stumbled back from the hostile creature who snapped Zabuza's left hand with one bite before he could shook the fox off. Zabuza looked to the new treat and scowled when he saw a Konoha headband with the spikey mane of red hair. People didn't often get a 'flee on sight' but he had the luck to fight against the second with that particular entry in the bingo book.

Namikaze Naruto was known as Konoha's second coming in the flash. Two years ago he got the moniker 'Kitsune of the leaf' after he fought off a battalion of Kusa-nins with his summons all over the place. A year later he got the name 'Arashi no Namikaze' for unleashing a storm upon a group of Kirigakure shinobi who tried to lure him into a trap with capturing the black fox. A seal-master rivaled only by the old Uzumaki, taught under Jiraiya of the Sannin, son of Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Naruto and prodigy in the fields of Nin-, Tai-, Fuin- and Kenjutsu.
And now the Demon of Kirigakure faced off against Konoha's Kitsune.

"I am honored that Konoha sent me its famous fox." Zabuza mocked the young jonin. He had to admit the kid's feat in becoming one of the big threats in the age of 12.

"You are not able to fight anymore, Zabuza. I'll show mercy in offering you a place in Konoha's forces. Hokage-sama ordered me to take you down if you don't accept his offer." Naruto said calmly with his weapon in a ready to strike position. Takeru circled them, blocking every way out.
To say that Zabuza was shocked was lightly. The missing-nin blinked a few times, looking into Namikaze's stormy blue eyes to find the lie behind his words. There was no lie. The masked Nin dropped his head and looked back to the limb teen.

"Only if Haku can come with me…" Zabuza muttered shamefully. Accepting defeat with just a single strike of a brat and his pet wasn't easy. The redhead nodded and lowered his katana after Zabuza dropped Kubikiri. Kakashi behind him sighed tiredly and chuckled. Naruto had his words to twist people; he became better in that matter than his father. Maybe it was because of the sickly sweet tone he got from his Uzumaki side.
Kakashi was happy to see the redhead after so many years. His brother, the once shy calculating boy bloomed under Jiraiya's teachings like once his father did. He could clearly see the stern and merciless shinobi façade over a more slackly and cheerfully side Naruto got over the years.
He was impressed that the younger boy, a boy as young as his genins, already held a summoning contract with foxes and made names for him in dangerous missions mostly in fighting with random teams from Konoha.

Then out of nothing he saw Naruto tensing up and the black fox running to his master's side. The redhead launched a kunai out of the sudden and the group was shocked beyond belief. Zabuza snickered on expand of the bandits. Gato of the Gato shipping industries was dead with the flick of a wrist. So much to that problem.

"You killed our meal ticket!" one bandit growled and Naruto raised a brow.

"You don't say… I don't want to kill you; some of you may have family." He said and released a bit of Kurama's Killing Intent. They scattered the moment the feeling of living dead crawled up their skins. The redhead let the tension go with a deep sigh and his shoulders relaxed. Naruto looked back to Kakashi who tended to his unconscious genins and Zabuza who did the same with that Haku-kid.
He went to his brother and kneed next to the raven haired teen. Weakly he could remember that he was Uchiha Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother and a boy of his age group.

"Long time not seen little brother. Hope Jiraiya-sama still gives you a run for your money." Kakashi chuckled and Naruto smiled. He petted Takeru's head who purred in pure bliss.

"Next time I see him I am going to charge him for stealing my hardly earned money. I see you've got new kids? Missed me so much?" The kitsune-summoner asked and Kakashi sighed when he picked up the second genin. Zabuza joined their party and carried his own charge.

"Nah, he thought I had a good influence on these kids since you became a quite decent shinobi. Having an Uchiha and a Hyuuga in the team isn't that pretty. They always catfight about which clan is the better one." The silver haired jonin grumbled. The shy Hyuuga girl was no more and nowadays she liked to challenge everyone with superior skills. Naruto chuckled and looked to the last and still conscious genin who shook like a leaf in the wind. He was a pale brunet boy, to skinny for Naruto's liking and his chakra is about as high as a civilian's. Poor kid seemed to be quite shocked about the real ninja life and the redhead noted to talk to Kakashi about that matter. The next one was an old man, perhaps the bridge builder.

"After you are finished with guarding him, your team has to escort Zabuza and his kid back to Konoha. I have to leave now. Good luck!" The redhead said and disappeared via Shunshin. Kakashi could only sigh and mutter a 'good luck, little brother' before the leafs hit the ground and he limped to the rest of his team. Sometimes he wished Naruto became one of his genin instead of being one of the highest ranked jonin since the fourth hokage.