A/N

Alright, so I have started a new story. Originally, I was going to finish PSA, but I realized as a writer I did HORRIBLY on it. It was comparable to my first character in an rpg. I simply had no experience. In order to rewrite and continue it I would need to change how Naruto got to the past, and many, many other things. It would just be another story entirely, and so I am writing another. So, are you ready?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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"That's right, keep running you little brat!" Whoosh. Okay, that time it was a knife. Maybe I should run faster. Whoosh Whoosh Thunk!

"AAGH!" Oh kami it hurt, it hurt so much, burningburningburningow. My mind was a whirl of sensations that I could not stand, and suddenly I noticed the blood. It streamed down my knee, and was on the ground at my feet. I looked up, and the restaurant shopkeeper looked like he wasn't letting me get away this time. I never understood why they all hated me so much. Maybe if I kept running I could get away, he wasn't on me yet-"Gngh!" I couldn't use my leg. The kunai was still there. How did someone manager over a restaurant know how to throw one, even I couldn't do that yet.

I tried to crawl, I really did. I moved some, and I heard someone to my right"Kid. Psst, Kid! Come on, I don't have all day." This old man to my right had opened a back door. Was he truly going to save me, or did he simply want to do this himself? Either way, I was dead. I might as well go with the option that had some hope to it.

I crawled to his door, and he picked me up and pulled me inside. When the angry manager got there, the old man simply glared and him and the manager suddenly looked scared and went away. How did people do that? I never could learn it myself. Did you learn to glare like that when you got older? Would I learn it when I turned six? My self-questioning stopped as the old man turned to me.

"How could the villages elders let you get so hurt so often? They ought to train you boy, you saved us. Instead they let the commoners ignorance hurt you over and over, and leave you unguarded. Fools, the lot of them. Stay here boy, and I will bring my bandages and see what I can do for your leg."

He must not know about what I can do I thought, so I decided to show him. "You don't have to do that jiji, I can fix it by myself." I took the kunai out of my leg and winced as I watched it close up. It was always so fast. I could make it faster if I pushed the sides of the cut together but I didn't need to do that for only one cut. I had been hurt worse by angry people for digging through the trash. I still didn't know why it made them mad, they wouldn't sell me stuff in the first place so I HAD to go through the trash. I had to eat or my tummy hurt. I stopped and noticed a look of shock on the old mans face. I knew other people didn't heal this fast but I thought it was something all little kids could do."Jiji, are you okay? I do need to clean off the blood 'cus if I don't it'll get all sticky on my leg and will hurt when I peel it off."

"Just.. just wait here boy. I'll go get a rag. I'll fix you some food, too, I have some leftover from todays customers. It'll just go bad if it isn't eaten anyway." As he left to go get the rag and food, I smiled. This old man was so nice, the others weren't.

"Thank you jiji!" I almost forgot my manners. I heard him warming food up and smelled something strangely good, like meat and salt and everything all mixed together. I could smell something like noodles, too." He came back in with a rag and some water, and cleaned away the blood from my leg. He wouldn't look me in the eyes when he did, and I noticed he hadn't since he saved me. I wondered why he wouldn't and why he saved me. I was just a kid and he was just some old man, so why did he treat me different than all the others?

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Sarutobi never would notice how much they do to him would he? It doesn't matter, it won't happen anymore. I'm going to protect him from now on, no matter how much I have to go through to do it."Boy. I have seen you running down that street every night for weeks. Why don't you stay at home at night?"

"They don't feed me at the orphanage cus they said I don't deserve their food. But it's okay cus sometimes the food I get out of the trash on this street tastes better than the food at home. And it's usually easier to get than at home." My anger boiled at this. Sarutobi couldn't even watch the boy himself, or have someone he knew would take care of him do it? For Kami's sake, the child's food came out of the trash! I need to ask his name, so I can go adopt him tomorrow. I wasn't going to have a child as important to the village as him live like this, not anymore.

"What is your name, boy?" I asked, trying to hide my anger at the village as I rose to pour the leftover ramen from today into a bowl. I heard him reply, 'Naruto Uzumaki sir!' and froze for a moment. I finished pouring and took the food to him, sitting down and staring at him for several moments. No one knew who his parents were, so I didn't know if his clan name really was Uzumaki or if he was lying. In the end, I'd know tomorrow at the orphanage as I went to adopt him.

"Thank you mister! I haven't had food outside of the garbage before!" Another shot of anger coursed through me. Never? How could the people of this village let ANYONE starve to death, after the shortage of food we went through at the end of the last war? Every single adult in this village KNEW what starving felt like, and chose to allow this anyway, simply because he contained the Kyuubi. He protects this village with his very existence, and they treat him like trash. I couldn't handle it. I was going to change this, and if he really were an Uzumaki, I was going to train him before he entered the academy. He would be strong, and hopefully, after I was gone our legacy would continue to live on.

"You are welcome.. Naruto."

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I arrived at the orphanage at seven thirty, young Naruto hiding behind my leg. I could understand why he hid, as this place had done him no good whatsoever. I stepped inside, and narrowed my eyes. The caretaker I saw glared his way, and waved happily at me as she strode over and attempted to admonish him for clinging to my leg."What are you doing out of your room?! And touching someone who might be here to adopt one of the children! Get back to your room you brat!" She screamed. I almost grabbed her by the throat in sheer anger.

I almost told her that I was here to adopt Naruto himself and to shut her mouth, but he beat me to it. "Jiji is here to adopt ME!" I smiled internally, that must have made him extremely happy to say. As I saw her prepare to protest, I interrupted her.

"He is telling the truth. I am here to adopt young Naruto." I had never seen someone looked so shocked in my entire lifetime. She seemed to be lost for words for several seconds, before she spouted more ignorant nonsense.

"But why would you want him? There are plenty of other better children here, none of them as rude and horrible as that brat!" She spat the word brat with such venom I had to consciously remind myself murder was a crime." I simply can't let you adopt him, it would be a horrible decision!"

At this point, I interrupted her."Yes, you will let me adopt him. If I do not leave here with a certificate of adoption and Naruto beside me, I will leave here to explain to the Hokage that this orphanage is abusing him, refusing to feed him, and may have refused others who attempted to adopt him because they saw him for what he is, a young boy in need of a home!" I had to reign in my anger, as I had gotten so loud I disturbed the children on the other side of the large room. I took a deep breath and stated quietly." Adoption papers. Now. Naruto, let's go to your room and grab all of your personal stuff." He quickly smiled and ran up the stairs, yelling for me follow him. I walked quickly, keeping up with him and listening to his chatter about how he didn't have very much but he really wanted me to see the orange jacket he had for when he got older, or the toys he hid in his closet so the caretakers didn't take it.

"C'mon Jiji, my room is right here!" He opened a door and walked in, heading straight for a closet on the other side of the room. I stopped at the doorway, and looked around because I felt the room was missing something. "Where is it, where is it, ah, found it!" He came running back with an orange jacket in his arms and a couple of small toys on top. " I got my stuff Jiji, let's go!"

..

..

All he owned was a jacket and two toys? It was at this point that I noticed what was wrong with the room. There was no light, there was no bed. Everything was bare as if he wasn't supposed to own anything. I realized the orphanage probably made it that way, and took his bed and only put it back if the Hokage was here. Damn what I said, I was going to report this as soon as we were done here!

"Come on Naruto. That woman from downstairs should have the papers by now. Our next stop is the Hokage tower." He looked at me curiously, and almost spoke, but instead just smiled and said okay.

*.*

Adoption forms in hand, and Naruto in tow, I strolled into the tower. The secretary just smiled at me, and glanced at Naruto with a glare that didn't seem hateful, more like he had upset her one too many times. That was good, I would hate to have had to cut away this friendship. "Keito-san! How are you? I don't suppose you are here to start taking missions again?" I laughed and shook my head.

"No, unfortunately I'm here under less than good circumstances. I need to speak with Hokage-sama. And again, unfortunately I cannot trust this information with anyone else, as I feel like young Naruto has reported this to other people and it hasn't made it to the Hokage." He looked up at me with shock, and looked to the ground.

"Jiji it's not that important.." I simply ignored that comment, as I knew explaining how important these things were would lead to a long conversation with my new charge. The secretary looked at me for a few moments, and simply nodded before pointing to the Hokage's door.

I knocked politely, before opening the door and grabbing the ANBU's hand who attempted to attack me, and stated"I apologize for interrupting whatever meeting is currently being conducted Hokage-sama, but I need to talk with you about Naruto, now." Sarutobi stared at me, and the two elders glared across the room.

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, then waved the advisors and ANBU away."Keito-kun, what is going on?"

"He has had no bed. The orphanage does not feed him." The Elders slowly walked out of the room, as my voice and chakra rose. The ANBU prepared to jump towards me, but I paused and calmed myself down. "Do you see what he is wearing? It is all he owns. Hokage-sama, why have you let this happen?" Sarutobi frowned, and puffed again on his pipe. The smell of tobacco wafted to us, and I flared a minor futon jutsu outwards, pushing away the smoke and putting out his pipe. "Stop smoking at take this seriously Hokage-sama, please."

Sarutobi stood, and walked over to me." I am sorry Keito. Naruto didn't tell me this, and everytime I visisted the orphanage he had a bed in his room and a closet full of clothing."

"It's a good thing I am not the Hokage or when I had arrived he might've had it in his room. Have you ever visited the orphanage without your robes and hat? They can see you from a mile away! The headmistress is a retired Ninja, and you didn't think to do checks where they didn't know you were yourself?!" I screamed at Sarutobi, his ranking be damned! I had run many missions with this man as a child, and I knew he was no fool. Had his age truly done this to him?

Sarutobi was silent for several moments. Then, he kneeled to Naruto's height and apologized to him, and weeped over the boy. I realized at this point he did care, but the recent problems in the village and our recovery from the Kyuubi's attack must have distracted him. "I'm sorry old friend.. I came to report the orphanage for these things. Naruto will be alright now. I am taking him in." Sarutobi shot up at this, shocked.

"Keito, you swore never to raise another child after your son-" He started to speak, but I could not allow those memories to be brought up.

"I KNOW WHAT I SWORE, BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW HIM TO SUFFER!" I screamed, and calmed my chakra for the last time today. "He is an Uzumaki Sarutobi. I am going to train him and raise him what happened to my son be damned." I whispered the final words, leaning to pick up Naruto. "I am taking him home Sarutobi. I need to get his room prepared. I know this was not your fault my friend, and you can still visit us at any time." Sarutobi nodded and returned to his seat quietly. I glanced around the room and the "hidden" ANBU seemed confused at our entire exchange, and seemed to have decided to stay out of this exchange.

"Let's go Naruto, first thing we need to do is pick you out a bed," I said to him as I walked out of the room and the tower, in the direction of the setting sun.

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A/N Okay, so that's done. Who is Keito? Who's his son? Who knows, I just came up with that line. The backstory isn't there yet, but I'm gunna figure that out tomorrow. xD Let me know what you all think. I wanted to make this longer but I have to go and I don't have my jump drive.