Foreword
Addressing the differences between Naruto as a manga, and Naruto: AU, as a story.
Let's just take a second to forget everything we know about Naruto thus far, and as a warning, the things I'm about to tell you to forget DO contain spoilers, for those who are proudly sticking to the Viz edition of Naruto. Let's forget Naruto getting the Kyuubi sealed inside him, considering it never happened in AU. Forget about Uchiha Itachi slaughtering his whole clan. In AU, he only gets Mangenkyou Sharingan later, after Kakashi obtains it, and teaches it to him. He and Sasuke, who never left Konoha, are quite close. Orochimaru still left, and will remain a missing-nin. He isn't important in this story. The third never died, and Tsunade never became Hokage. She instead married Jiraiya, despite him being a super-pervert, and is expecting her third kid, half a year from now. Kakashi still taught squad 7, and they are all chuunin. Naruto and Sasuke were both promoted on their second tries. Sakura was promoted on her third. Naruto learned rasengan from the fourth, and they're studying together on how to perfect it, using the wind element. Sasuke is still perfecting Nagashi Chidori, and maintains a fierce rivalry/friendship with Naruto. Sakura is now a full-fledged medical ninja, minus the insane strength. Akatsuki never existed, either. Gaara is still kazekage, but without shukaku. Naruto is one of his closest friends. Shikamaru is having some girl troubles, trying to choose between Temari, and Ino. Temari doesn't seem to care either way, but Ino does seem to care quite a bit. He still smokes. Inari, in the country of the waves, still lives with Kaiza, Tsunami, and Tazuna, with his pet dog.
This is the Naruto that could have been, and might have been, created to discover how Naruto would have been different if the protagonist had a family, and didn't grow up alone. The concept isn't an original one, but I hope this story turns out to be unique.