Note: For those following my other stories, I am working on them as well. However, there are several other stories ideas bombarding my brain. If I don't put them down now, it might take even longer to update the others. So here they are!

Half Agony, Half Hope

Chapter 1

Naruto sat at the far corner of his isolation room in the orphanage. He picked aimlessly at his plate of mouldy food, trying to guess what it had been before. It was hard to tell at this stage. Almost everyday he was torn between the same two choices: eat the nasty concoction or continue to starve. He was merely skin and bones, and his skin easily bruised from malnutrition. His cheeks were sunken in, there was a deep shade of purple under his eyes and his hair was thin and greasy. He couldn't smell himself anymore since he was so used to it, but Naruto was convinced he smelled even worse than his food.

The thought alone made him drop his dirty spoon. He circled his arms around his knees and hid his face, weeping quietly.

''Today's your lucky day, little demon.''

Naruto was startled by the loud banging sound of the door hitting the wall. One of the caretakers had come into his room. Naruto noticed the man looked as disgusted with him as usual, but he also looked angry. That and with what the man had just told him, hope began to meekly rise within Naruto's heart.

The man took hurried, heavy steps towards the tiny blond and grabbed his bony arm to literally drag the boy out of the room. His skin instantly darkened under the crushing grip but Naruto could care less.

''You're getting a bath, Hokage-sama's coming.'' Naruto smiled when he heard the news, eyes shining back to life. The man gave a furious growl at the sight and tightened his grip. He hated when the little shit looked so happy. He didn't deserve it; he had no right. ''Wipe that smile off your ugly face. You know what's coming for you after the Hokage's gone.''

Naruto ignored the man's threat. He had stopped talking back a long time ago; it only worsened the beatings when he did. Besides, he didn't care. The old man's visits every three months was the only thing he lived for now. The Hokage's gentle voice and comforting hand on his shoulder was worth all the beatings he got at the orphanage. He craved for the man's kindness like plants needed the sun to survive. Every time Naruto was close to wilt, the Hokage came and gave him just enough to go on until the next visit.

He was thrown into a tub full of cold water. The feeling of it against his sensitive, abused skin made his eyes sting from the pain. However, he would not lose even one precious second to ponder on it; he quickly grabbed the soap and cloth and started rubbing his filthy skin.

''You have five minutes.'' The man shut the door loudly behind him.

OoOoO

As usual, the people at the orphanage dressed him in long sleeves and pants to hide the obvious evidence of his neglect. It was an incredibly hot summer's day today, but Naruto revelled in his clothes all the same. They were clean and the fabric felt soft against his skin.

''If you say even one word...'' another caretaker said threateningly through her teeth. Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was the same every single time. He wondered why they kept repeating the threat over and over. Perhaps they simply enjoyed talking to him like he was vermin. That must be it.

All the caretakers present straightened up and put on their best smile when they saw the Hokage coming their way. Once again, Naruto felt a smile curve his pink lips at the sight of the old man. The Hokage looked exactly the same from one visit to the other. He was wearing his robes and smoking the same old pipe with a pensive expression on his face. Naruto's heart beat pleasantly against his chest. He had almost forgotten it could beat this way.

''Hello to you all,'' the Hokage said calmly once inside. He walked over to the petite blond and smiled fondly at him. He put a wrinkled hand on soft strands of hair and ruffled them gently. Naruto closed his eyes under the touch. That was it, he thought with a smile, he could finally breathe for a while. ''I have good news for you, Naruto-kun.''

The blond looked up curiously, wide blue eyes blinking once.

''I've enrolled you in the ninja academy. You'll start this fall.''

''Really?'' His eyes widen even more, shining with wonder. Just the thought of spending his days outside of this hellhole was enough to make Naruto's shaky voice come out again.

Around him, the few caretakers exchanged a few confused looks. Then, an idea struck one of them.

''That's right, little Naruto-kun will be seven soon, and starting the academy on top of that!'' The lady said with feigned affection and enthusiasm. ''Surely, there is no need for him to stay here any longer?''

''I don't know,'' the Hokage said with evident concern. ''He is still so young...'' He looked down at the blond who had his hands clasped together in plea. His eyes were so full of hope. It made the old man feel uneasy.

''Oh yes, please! I can live on my own. I want to get out of here-'' Naruto stopped himself before he did the mistake of uttering more. He swallowed thickly, fast heartbeat shifting from excitement to anxiety. He threw an uncertain look at the caretakers. They were keeping a straight face since the Hokage was here, but Naruto knew from their tight white knuckles that they'd give him the beating of his life later tonight.

''Well, if that is what you want, Naruto-kun, I can arrange something for you. When I have found suitable lodging, I will come back to get you.''

Naruto watched the old man's retreating form on the porch of the orphanage with a small smile. He then felt a hand gripping his shoulder tightly, short nails digging painfully into his skin. He closed his eyes, smile fading away with the breeze.

OoOoO

''Sasuke-kun!'' Sakura and Ino raced their way to the school, one trying to push away the other as both girls made a bee-line for the boy with jet-black hair. Said boy sighed heavily, digging his hands into his pockets and shoulders slumping in defeated. He really didn't like girls, but those two were simply the worst.

''I brought you some bento for lunch! I made it myself,'' the pink haired girl said as she grabbed one of Sasuke's arms tightly. His other was quickly captured by the other little girl.

''Liar!'' the blond exclaimed with an angry huff. ''Your mom made it, not you!''

''Shut up, Ino-pig! You're just jealous because you can't cook good.''

''Go away,'' Sasuke snarled, forcing his arms out of the girls' holds. ''Leave me alone, already.'' He walked away, leaving the two bickering rivals behind him.

''Ewww, what's that smell?'' The bleached haired blond pinched her nose and made an exaggerated grimace when she saw the blond boy. ''Oh never mind, it's just Naruto.'' Sakura suddenly forgot about their quarrel and laughed obnoxiously at Ino's joke. She imitated her rival and pinched her nose.

Sasuke frowned at the two girls, then looked discreetly at the scrawny blond. Naruto was a classmate of his, and quite an odd one. No wonder he always got picked on by the other kids. He had never done anything that deserved such treatment though; the boy rarely ever spoke a word. He was smaller than everyone in the class and definitely the weakest, Sasuke could not deny it. He wondered why Naruto even continued to attend the academy. It just wasn't his place. Still, Sasuke thought grimly, he shouldn't be treated like this... maybe he should step in...

But he didn't. He told himself he would do something every time, but he never did. If Sasuke was honest with himself, he would admit it was simply out of cowardice. Instead, he just blindly excused himself, saying it wasn't his business and that if the blond truly aspired to be a ninja, he should be able to defend himself. Satisfied with this logic, Sasuke kept on walking, ignoring the whole scene… but his heart aching uncomfortably.

Naruto threw the mean girls a meek look, then shifted his gaze back down to his sandals as he walked slowly towards the academy. Sure, his long-sleeved shirt wasn't so white anymore and his black cargo pants had a few rips and holes in them, but he was still much cleaner than he used to be at the orphanage. His landlady didn't let him have running water in his room, so he was forced to bath in the cold river, but at least he could bath as often as he liked. In fact, he didn't even smell anymore; they just enjoyed making fun of him.

He kicked a rock on his passage.

He had hoped that, once out of the orphanage, his pathetic life would finally improve. And Naruto would have to admit that some aspects of it had improved, but others...

His landlady kept up much the same gimmick as the runners of the orphanage had several months back. She forced him to live in an abominable room in the attic, full of insects that nearly ate him alive if he stayed too long. The room had no commodities whatsoever and she took almost all the money the Hokage gave him. Whenever the Hokage came for a rare visit, she would pamper him up and have the old man visit one of her clean, comfortable apartments, pretending it was his.

Naruto spent as little time there as possible, mostly training outside. He only came back on rainy or particularly cold days. It wouldn't be so bad, really, if it weren't for the villagers... Naruto didn't think people could be crueler than the caretakers had been at the orphanage.

He was wrong.

''Alright class, settle down,'' Iruka instructed in his booming voice, giving a few warnings to the chatty kids that were taking too long to sit. ''Today, we are going to learn our very first ninjutsu; the Henge!''

The class erupted in excited cheers and even Naruto let a rare smile grace his lips. He had been waiting for that one ever since he had found out its existence. This technique was the answer to all his misfortunes. Once he learned how to transform his appearance, the people of the village -at least the civilians- would finally leave him alone!

OoOoO

Too bad he was such a failure, though.

They had been going over the technique and practicing it for weeks now, and Naruto couldn't even summon up the necessary chakra.

The truth was, he was so hungry, so weak... He couldn't even graze the target when throwing a shuriken, much less aim for bull's eye. He was always defeated within the first five minutes in taijutsu and let's not even talk about chakra basics.

He brought shaky hands together for the umpteenth time to try and form an illusion, but nothing happened. The other students around snickered at him.

''Why don't you just quit already?'' A classmate told him, disdain poured generously in each word uttered.

Naruto felt a sting to his eyes he hadn't felt in a long time -he had lost the strength to cry a long time ago- but this defeat was a particularly crushing one.

''Shut it, you're annoying,'' Sasuke told the mean student suddenly, stunning everyone around into silence. He buried his hands in his pockets and avoided the blond's surprised gaze. He just couldn't stand seeing those clear blue eyes tear up, while everyone laughed cruelly at him.

Naruto let out a little sigh and found some more courage once his classmates had stopped laughing. This technique would make such a difference in the quality of his daily life. Maybe if he kept on working hard...

OoOoO

A large pot of water had been boiling on the oven for a while now. The woman who had prepared it was sitting by the window, a bored expression on her face. She tapped her finger on the window frame in time with the dull ticking of the clock.

Her expression perked up in interest when she saw a small blond figure slowly approaching her apartment building. She sat up straight, waiting for the child to come nearer so she could confirm his identity. It was him.

She stood up hurriedly and carefully lifted the heavy pot with her protective mittens and slowly transported it to the window. She let the bottom of the pot rest on the frame and waited for the unsuspecting boy to reach the desired distance. She had a son slightly older than he was, she mused to herself. It was this boy's fault her precious son would never get to know his father. It was this vile thing that had eaten him.

She let the content of the pot fall free.

''Aaaarrrrghh!''

Naruto fell to the ground, writhing and trembling in pain that was beyond description. He could feel the skin peel itself off the right side of his face and arm. He screamed and cried as the fabric of his shirt clung to the burnt skin. He willed himself up on trembling legs and hobbled towards the river, sobbing shamelessly. He could see nothing and could think of nothing other than cold water of the river.

Once he had reached the small stream, he let himself fall in it, screaming once again. That was when he noticed he couldn't see with his right eye. He avoided looking at his reflection in the water, too afraid to see what had been done to him. Once his weeping had stopped and his breathing had regained some sort of rhythm, Naruto ripped off his right sleeve and tried to take off the little bits of fabric that seemed glued to his bloody flesh. It hurt so much that the small blond was forced to give up after a while.

He stayed seated by the stream silently and unmoving for a long time. All he was aware of was the pain, then, once the sun was starting to set, his mind cleared itself and started to form coherent thoughts.

He pondered on his existence, his fate. The silly idea of going to the hospital and perhaps even calling the Hokage for help brushed his mind for a split second. He quickly discarded it. He decided it was time to face the truth.

Clearly, he was not meant to be here. It was time to leave.

He got up weakly to his feet and walked slowly back to his apartment. He felt relieved, truly. He felt as if tones of weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His heart felt light at the thought of never going through this again. Not even the Hokage's rare show of respect would not hold him back this time. He would finally be free.

OoOoO

''We continued to work on henge this week. Since I can easily do it, Iruka-sensei said I should try henge into something non-human since it's much harder.''

Fugaku nodded, but it was clear to Sasuke that his father was completely disinterested. Sasuke's shoulders slopped slightly, and he silently took another bite from his meal.

''That's wonderful, Sasuke,'' his mother told him kindly. Sasuke gave her a small smile; his mother always praised and encouraged him. His father however...

''Do you have any advice to give me?'' Sasuke tried his luck once more. The Uchiha clan head looked up from his bowl and gave his son a pointed look.

''I'm sure you can figure out this simple trick on your own, Sasuke.'' The youngest Uchiha clenched his chopsticks angrily, then sighed. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at his older brother, who gave him a small smile of his own.

''We can practice together after dinner, if you want.''

''Great, thanks nii-san!''

''Don't you have anything more important to do?'' Fugaku asked his eldest sceptically.

''No, I don't,'' Itachi replied curtly.

The sky was already a deep orange colour when the brothers moved to their backyard. His brother had given him some tips for henge, which Sasuke executed with great ease in a matter of minutes. They then moved on to weapons throwing, but they were quickly interrupted by an anbu jumping gracefully in front of them.

''Uchiha-san, you need to come with me,'' the voice was clearly feminine, despite the short brown hair, curveless form and mask. ''There's been some last minute changes for our mission tomorrow so we're having a meeting right now.''

Itachi nodded, holding back a long sigh. His little brother looked disappointed and dejected, but it couldn't be helped. The anbu disappeared and Itachi turned to his brother. The boy was glaring daggers at the ground and would not address him a word. It made him chuckle. He poked the boy's frown with his fingers like he always did, earning an amusing growl from the seven-year-old.

''Sorry, little brother. Next time.'' And he flew away.

Sasuke stayed immobile for a while. When the anger could no longer be repressed, he picked up all the remaining kunais and shurikens on the ground and threw them with all his might. He did not care if he was aiming right or not; he just wanted some release.

Once he had kicked, punched and sliced enough wooden poles, the little Uchiha began a late stroll along the streets of the village. He could barely see his brother lately -the only one who cared enough to train him- and his father seemed less and less interested in him... in anything, really. He was always meeting with other important members of the clan and always seemed deep in thought. Even their mother was having a hard time getting words out of him and his brother -though he tried to hide it- seemed suspicious of him. He wondered what was going on...

Stars began to appear in the sky slowly one after the other and there was not another soul in wandering in the quiet streets. His mother would probably worry if he didn't head back soon.

''Isn't that...?'' As his aimless walk brought him to downtown Konoha, Sasuke's deep black eyes suddenly caught a familiar silhouette high up on the buildings. He couldn't see very well from the distance he was at, but judging from the size, the colour of the clothes and the mop of blond hair on top, it looked to be the strange kid from his class.

As he got closer, he was indeed able to vaguely confirm it was Naruto. The small boy, who was staring out to the sky from the highest balcony of the building, suddenly moved and stood up upon the thin metal bars of the fence.

Sasuke's breathing stopped. A heavy, sinister feeling unexpectedly seized him and he began to feel ill when he saw the boy stretch out his arms. It was as if he was embracing the emptiness before him. With his instincts as only guide, Sasuke dashed towards the building as fast as his legs could carry him. He jumped up from one balcony to another to gain some momentum, but too soon the blond did just as Sasuke feared; he let himself fall limply towards the ground.

Sasuke's heart began to pound so fast and loud he couldn't hear anything else. He poured all of his chakra into his feet and leaped with a strength he didn't know he had towards the falling figure. He caught Naruto's frail body with his arms. Sasuke tried to weaken the impact of the fall by pushing his feet against a nearby electric pole before landing on the ground. Sasuke landed on his heels with an ominous cracking sound that sent a cutting shock all along his spine, then he fell on his back with the unconscious boy on top of him.

Sasuke was thankful for the adrenaline that was still keeping him wildly alert and unconcerned about the pain his body was under. He gently moved Naruto onto his back so he could assess the boy's condition.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably when he saw the state his classmate was in. His whole body trembled as panic slowly overtook initial shock. He gathered the boy in his arms -who was frighteningly light- and ran as fast as his sore legs could take him. He could not think clearly at the moment, but he knew the closest help he could get was at home.

''Mom!'' Sasuke screamed in alarm once he had reached his destination. Mikoto rushed towards his son, heart pounding madly. She had never heard a sound more dreadful than this. Itachi, who had just come back from his meeting, soon followed.

''Oh my god!'' Mikoto clasped her hands in horror when she saw poor Naruto. ''Itachi, get a medic, now!'' Her eldest son did not let his stupor slow down his reflexes. He instantly disappeared out of the house.

Mikoto took the sleeping boy into her own careful arms and carried him to a guest room where she laid the boy on a soft futon. She gave her younger son some instructions. The boy numbly followed his mother's orders, still not quite realizing this was all happening. Just as he exited the room, his father came in.

''What in the world is happening?''

Nobody had time to explain anything -they wouldn't have known what to say regardless- for Itachi had arrived with a medic who would carry out his duty without prejudice towards Naruto; one of the few he knew and trusted.

Once he had done all he could, the medic promised he would come back first thing tomorrow. The sedative would keep the boy in blissful numbness and sleep for at least another day, he informed them, then left. All four Uchihas were still sitting silently beside the sleeping blond and stayed like this for they knew not how long.

''He tried to...'' Sasuke paused to regain some sort of composure, ''he tried to take his own life...''

Mikoto closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall.

''Forgive me, Kushina... Forgive me...'' She should have been there. Sasuke wondered who Kushina was, but did not dare to ask. He looked down onto the floor, exhausted and heart-broken.

Sasuke missed the way Fugaku's eyes turned calculating, nor did he see the questionable look his brother gave their father.

OoOoO

''Permission to speak freely, Hokage-sama,'' Itachi asked solemnly. He was standing in front of Lord Third's office. He had just retold the entirety of what had happened to the boy now over two weeks ago, according to his brother's testimony as well as the fruits of his own thorough investigation.

''O-of course...'' The old Sarutobi gave his permission, still shaken by the horrifying report he had just received.

''Forgive me but...'' Itachi was always careful and polite in his choice of words, but his eyes were sharpened severely and his tone was nothing if not condemning. ''It worries me that our Hokage could not see a mere boy's distress despite his frequent personal visits...''

The Third understood Itachi's message perfectly; he was questioning his judgement and competence as Hokage. How could he protect a village if he couldn't even protect poor Naruto? Itachi was right in doing so, he knew, but still...

''I am aware that my time as Hokage should be long over and, in fact, it had been not so long ago when our esteemed Fourth Hokage was sitting on this very chair. Believe me, Itachi-kun, when I say that I am only here because I -and several others- think there is no one ready to take over. Too young, too inexperienced, or they simply do not have what it takes. I will reflect on your criticism and see how I can redeem myself... for now, you must take care of the boy. He is in no safer place than with you; you are one of the few who has the heart -and the skills- to protect him from his enemies.''

''I understand,'' Itachi said calmly. ''There is something else...'' Itachi paused, trying to find the proper way to bring the grave topic about. ''It's about the coup.''

''Go on,'' the Hokage straightened on his chair, heartbeat accelerating slightly.

''It has been postponed.''

''Postponed?!'' The old man could not believe his own ears. They had been prepared for the coup; it had been schedule for soon and Itachi had accepted his terms on how to proceed with it. What could possibly have caused the sudden change?!

''My father had a meeting with all the leaders and close collaborators of the coup'' which, of course, included Itachi as the highly reveered Uchiha genius and son of clanhead... as well as unsuspected undercover spy for the Hokage. ''My father has come up with a new plan which he deems more advantageous for our clan. He plans on formally adopting Naruto and treat him as his own son. He hopes to be able to use the Kyuubi in a few years by rallying Naruto-kun to their cause once he is old enough to manipulate the beast's power. A grander victory with no casualties for the Uchihas, he says, that just requires a little more patience.''

The Professor stayed completely silent, letting the information sink in. He began to sweat nervously, trying to think of how to approach the increasingly complex situation.

''I need to think this over. Fortunately, your father has graciously given us some time. The best course for now is to continue the way we have been addressing this; you must continue to watch and report to me what is said in your clan. Keep an eye on Naruto and try your best to protect him from their influence, which I know will be difficult.'' This surprised Itachi.

''You will let my father adopt the Jinchuuriki, then?'' The Hokage nodded.

''For now, it is the best for dear Naruto. I am naively hoping to find a way to settle all of this without a bloodbath, but right now, I cannot think clearly. I will call you again soon.''

''Understood.''

OoOoO

Sasuke came home from another long day at the academy. Even three whole weeks after the incident with Naruto, he still had a hard time concentrating in class. Naruto, of course, had not gone back, still resting and regaining some long over-due strength and health.

Sasuke would never forget Naruto's awakening after his attempted suicide. Naruto's eyes had been so empty... tears had fallen slowly and the only thing the blond had said then were 'Why am I still here?'. He had sounded so defeated...

The black haired boy sighed heavily, took off his sandals and walked quietly along the hallways of the large house. He found the blond where he almost always found him; sitting silently by the garden.

His gruesome wounds had healed at an abnormal speed and had not left the faintest trace of evidence on the boy's skin. It was as if it had never happened. But the young Uchiha was not stupid enough to think it had not deeply scarred the boy's heart. And who knew what else the boy had endured before now... Just thinking about it made Sasuke curse himself for his ignorance and his blindness.

His brother had given his family a brief descriptive of what he had found out during his investigation; how the boy was ignored at best or grossly mistreated at worst. Sasuke cursed his past faint-heartedness and swore to himself he would never let the blond go through something like this again; not when he was there to prevent it. He wish he knew why Naruto was treated so badly, but his parents and brother said it would be for another time... they just assured him that it was nothing Naruto could be blamed for. He was frustrated at being left in the dark, but he was even angrier for the little blond.

Sasuke kept a distance so as not to be noticed and simply observed the taciturn blond. Once properly taken care of, Naurto turned out to be an extraordinarily beautiful child. With only three weeks of his mother's nutritional meals and daily baths, Naruto had gained the weight that had been gravely lacking before, and his soft, flawless skin glowed a gorgeous honey colour. His cheeks were round and rosy, his eyes had gained some light and even his hair seemed thicker and healthier. Everything about him was growing more and more beautiful by the day. Wearing a simple white kimono with its large black obi, Naruto looked nothing less than angelic, and he even bore the Uchiha symbol on the back of the kimono like he had been meant to.

The urge to keep the little angel close to him suddenly overwhelmed Sasuke. He didn't know how long his family would allow Naruto to stay here, but couldn't bare the thought of throwing him back onto the streets... He felt ashamed of how spoiled he had been acting before with his petty problems. The night of Naruto's fall had been an eye opener to Sasuke. All he wanted now was to bring a smile upon the sad child's face.

At length Sasuke moved from his hiding spot and sat down beside the blond, who gave him a shy look. After a long and quiet moment, Naruto broke the silence.

''Why did you do it... why did you save me?'' Naruto's voice was soft and trembling. It was full of emotion and the precious sound of Naruto's voice -the Uchiha had very rarely ever heard the blond speak- made Sasuke's heart flutter. He spoke the truth.

''My body moved on its own,'' Naruto's bright blue eyes went wide in disbelief. ''When I saw you, all I could think of was I have to save him.'' Sasuke put his hands on Naruto's shoulder and forced the shy blue eyes to look straight into his own dark ones. He didn't care if he had to defy even his own father, he refused to let go of Naruto. He was about to tell Naruto so, but was interrupted before he could.

''Sasuke, Naruto-kun,'' Mikoto's gentle voice caught their attention. The children shifted their gaze and saw that Fugaku was with her, as well as Itachi not far behind. Sasuke's parents sat in front of the boys. Sasuke tightened his grip possessively on Naruto's shoulders. This was it, both boys thought to themselves, they would ask him to leave.

Mikoto, clueless to the boys' grim thoughts, gave her husband a little smile, asking for permission to speak. Fugaku nodded solemnly. The lady took Naruto's small hands into her own, forcing Sasuke to let go, and gave the blond a warm smile.

''Naruto-kun, it would make us so happy if you could stay here with us as our son and brother to Itachi and Sasuke. We would gladly give you our name.'' Sasuke was speechless and Naruto seemed just as amazed by the news. Blue eyes widened and sparkled candidly, and a beautiful smile stretched soft pink lips. Sasuke hoped he would get to see this more in the future. Happiness suited the blond much better.

''Can I really?'' said the blond with a hopeful, shaky voice. When Mikoto nodded, Naruto bowed down deeply, hands on the floor in heartfelt gratitude and happiness. ''Thank you! Thank you so much!'' He had never been more serene than in the Uchiha's caring home. He couldn't believe such people wanted someone like him to stay with them and be part of their family. When Naruto thought he had reached the very pit of darkness, a miracle had finally happened.

''Naruto,'' Mikoto fret and took the blond's thin arms so he would sit up straight again. ''I don't want you to act like you are in our debt or anything like that. You are family, after all.''

''I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to act,'' Naruto admitted shamefully. Mikoto simply smiled and leaned in to kiss the boy's cheek.

''Like this,'' she said with a chuckle. Naruto looked down to the floor with a deep red blush on his cheeks. Everything felt so surreal. If this was a dream, he hoped he would never wake up from it. Perhaps he had really died after all and that this was heaven.

''Sasuke,'' It was Fugaku's turn to speak. ''It was fate that brought you to Naruto.'' He walked closer to his son and put a firm grip on Sasuke's shoulder. ''I am proud of you for what you've done. Now, I am counting on you to keep Naruto safe.'' Sasuke nodded, pouring all of his determination in his eyes, true and unreserved.

Not so long ago, Sasuke would have marvelled at his father speaking so highly of him. But now, even though he could not deny he was happy about his father's praise, it did not have the impact he had expected. Of course he would keep Naruto safe and happy; he didn't need to be told that.

Itachi, for his part, saw right through his father's game. It went without saying that after what had happened, Naruto would probably depend on and have the deepest bond with Sasuke than any other member of the Uchiaha family. The clan head was counting on Sasuke to make sure Naruto's loyalty would stay with the Uchihas. However, despite all this, it reassured Itachi that Sasuke's intentions were pure and heartfelt. It was clear with the way Sasuke had been looking at Naruto for that past few weeks that his little brother had only Naruto's well-being in mind. As long as Sasuke stayed out of the clan's obscure designs, Naruto would be safe from the clan. No doubt Fugaku would eventually tune Sasuke in on the coup once he was older, but Itachi would prevent it. It was a promise.

The eldest Uchiha son approached the new addition to the family and knelt in front of the boy. He ruffled the soft blond strands of hair.

''Welcome home, little brother.'' Naruto's smile made even the impassive Uchiha's heart flutter pleasantly. His new little brother was adorable.

I know Naruto is very out of character in this chapter, but he will soon be his cheerful self. All he needs is a little bit of love.

I hope you are enjoying this so far!