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Chapter I: Muddy Waters

He was the only child in the room. The others had left the sleeping quarters to play with the others. His head lay on the cold glass, watching the rain pelt the window and watching a stray dog that he had become accustomed to seeing roll around in the large puddles appearing the courtyard of the orphanage. Naruto wanted to play with the other children, but he was never in the mood when the weather became dreary like today. The rain was a sign that children were forced to remain indoors. That dog would be without a companion today.

There wasn't much to dislike about the orphanage. His caretakers were stern with him, but they were stern with all the children and emphasized learning proper etiquette and speech. They were told that they wouldn't always have the orphanage to cling onto and that someday they would all leave this place. It was not a nice thing to tell them all, but that was the truth and the truth of the world was rather harsh. They were given a scarce amount of food though, as the destruction from the Kyuubi had ravaged the village and created a surplus of orphans. It was not the fault of the orphanage that the budget for food had been low for these past few years, but the scarcity of basic necessities made living in the orphanage an uncomfortable experience.

Naruto was grateful, though, that the caretakers were obliging enough to allow the children to travel into the city. They were not overly protective to think that the children should be confined to the walls of the orphanage like the most harmless prisoners ever seen. They did however require that the children be accompanied by one of the older kids, so as to not get lost or kidnapped or worse. That wouldn't bode well for the orphanage if word got out that they were being negligent. Not that it mattered to Naruto. He didn't feel like ever going into the village. Maybe it was because he was just another dirty orphan in tattered clothing, but the village ignored him like he was another street urchin. He figured his disheveled appearance is reason enough for parents to pull their children away from playing with him.

He also wasn't one to stay friends with the other children at the orphanage either. The older ones would eventually leave the orphanage, seeking an apprenticeship with one of the various trades found in the market and there were the younger children who were adopted. This left Naruto in the middle of the pack, not quite young enough to be adopted and not quite old enough to stake his claim to a place in this world. There were few his age and the few that he befriended would get unexpectedly adopted the moment he was happy with them.

There was also the fact that he grew resentful of the ones that did get adopted. Naruto was not considerably adorable like the younger toddlers and infants, nor was he a girl. The girls were taken more frequently than the boys, more often than not. He didn't understand why, but that was generally an observation he had made. Naruto was scrawny and small for his age. In a ninja village where orphans are sometimes adopted by shinobi parents, these traits were considered undesirable.

The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. The dog was still out there and Naruto was still on the other side of the window. That dog and the caretakers were the only constants that Naruto had come to know. It was always out there, probably waiting for one of the children like Naruto to sneak him snacks that they hid away or to play with to rid the loneliness of being out on his own.

There was one thing that Naruto did look forward to today. The Sandaime was going to make an appearance at the orphanage. He was late, but Naruto guessed that with his busy schedule and the rain they should expect him to be a little late. He didn't personally know the aged kage, but Naruto enjoyed his periodic visits to the orphanage. There was also the rare chance that the kage would sponsor them attending the academy. It didn't happen often, but there were a few children who left because the Sandaime saw potential in them as future shinobi.

They remained in the orphanage during their tenure of the academy, but there were privileges allowed to them that weren't available to a normal orphan. An academy student was freely allowed to come and go from the orphanage so long as they come back before supper. They were allowed to go into the market, under the impression that they are more readily qualified to protect themselves than the others. And then there was the ability to leave the orphanage once you become a shinobi. Once you become a ninja of the Leaf, you are considered an adult.

This isn't to say that his visit would guarantee Naruto would even be considered. But he liked to cling to that sliver of hope of leaving the orphanage. Even if the Sandaime didn't sponsor him, Naruto enjoyed having him visit. There was a kindness to the old man that wasn't present in his other interactions with people around the village. Naruto didn't feel so alone in the world when the kage came to talk to each of the children. As soon as his came, he would be gone though, thought Naruto bitterly. The dog had fled. A party of umbrellas appeared near the front gate of the orphanage.

"Naruto! Sister Aya says to come to the front. The Sandaime is here!"

Naruto didn't turn his head to see who was talking. All the orphans eventually looked like a blur to him. Here today, gone tomorrow. That was a creed that he had known since he had been here. Naruto sat up from the window and headed towards the bathroom. He quickly washed his face, making sure that he was absolutely presentable to the hokage. He then walked to the front of the orphanage, waiting with bated breath for the hokage.

"Hokage-sama, it's always a pleasure for you to visit us. For a moment I had thought that you wouldn't come."

Sister Aya was the youngest of the caretakers. She was a former kunoichi who had felt an obligation to the orphanage. She was one of the few orphans who had been sponsored by the Sandaime when she was very young. The Kyuubi attack had taken place in her second year as a young, fifteen year old, promising chuunin. Aya had left the ninja life behind to give back to the orphanage that had raised her.

There was some speculation amongst the older caretakers that with her potential, that she would've no doubt become a jounin. This would never be known, but the former kunoichi was a pleasant enough person to have at the orphanage. Whilst the other caretakers treated the orphans with such indifference that showed how long they had been there, Aya was clearly enthusiastic with raising the children. She was also not above teaching the children basic tenets about being a shinobi or basic combat techniques. It stopped there however, as she explained that teaching them any further was something she was vehemently against unless they were academy students.

"Of course I have time for the orphanage. I never renege on an appointment," smiled the elderly kage, "and if I may be so bold, Sister Aya. Would you still not considering returning to active ninja duties?"

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. My place is here with the children. One day, I may leave this place, but that won't be anytime soon. Nor will I return to being a ninja. That part of my life is over and I'm content with that."

There was nothing that special to the visits. Usually, the hokage would exchange pleasantries with each of the children and then talk a little with the caretakers about both trivial matters and important affairs regarding the orphanage. If the kids were lucky, the kage would show them a flashy technique to amuse them. The rain, however, put any hope of that away.

Naruto never knew why the old ninja had taken a particularly keen liking to him, but Naruto guessed that with him being in the orphanage longer than most of the others it may have to do with the familiarity the kage felt that wasn't present in the ever changing rotation of children he saw there. Not that he was talked to him that more than any of the other children, but he felt a certain connection with the kage that was absent with the other children.

He hid in the back of everyone, trying not to make himself stand out. It was childish, but Naruto's mood was greatly affected by the rain and he did not want to talk to the kage. There was always a little hope that the kage would announce that he'd sponsor Naruto, but the gloomy weather pushed forward negative thoughts to the forefront of his mind. The thought that the hokage might declare him unfit to ever be ninja due to his small stature was something he was prepared to hear.

"Ah! Naruto, come here child. I did not see you there. For a moment, I had thought that someone had adopted you."

"No Hokage-sama, I'm still here as always."

"That might change in the future, my boy."

Naruto did not know what to think of those words. They were a mystery to him. Did the hokage imply that he was adopting him or that he was sponsoring him. There was a lot of ways to interpret what the hokage had said. Maybe he meant that he was being transferred to another orphanage. That was always a possibility and that possibility didn't make Naruto feel any better.

It was stranger, the hokage had said no more than that and moved on. Usually the hokage was more talkative with him, but today was apparently different. Naruto felt special that the hokage had talked to him longer than the others. Now he wasn't sure what to think. He wouldn't even qualify this as a conversation as Naruto had barely said anything at all. It wasn't that Naruto was feeling especially talkative either, but he was prepared to at least have some semblance of a conversation with the hokage.

The hokage had quickly moved through the children and immediately motioned for Sister Aya to follow him into another room. The hokage's guards remained with the children. There was a shared feeling of intimidation amongst the children as they stared at the expressionless masks of the anbu ninjas. Naruto couldn't make direct eye contact with them. He felt that the shinobi were staring straight through him. Not that that was true, for all they know the ninjas could have had their eyes closed.

It was a very brief conversation and the hokage had already decided to leave. He gave everyone a small smile before wordlessly departing with his personal guards. It was a strange occurrence considering the kindly old man had usually made a point to say goodbye to all the children before he left. This was a much more concise meeting than his usual visits. The hokage looked like he was here specifically for a reason.

"Naruto... May I speak with you?" asked Sister Aya.

He layed on his cot staring up at the ceiling. There was no way to describe the happiness he felt about being sponsored. Naruto could proudly proclaim to the rest of his peers that he was amongst them. Sister Aya had explained to him that there was a unique quality to his chakra that made him a perfect candidate to be sponsored by the Sandaime. Naruto didn't understand what she was talking about, since he never even considered anything about him as special.

"Naruto?"

"Sister Aya! I'm sorry, I'm not asleep yet. It's just... can you believe it!? I'm going to be a ninja!"

"You still have to graduate from the academy, Naruto. And you can't become a strong ninja if you keep staying up late."

"I know... but before I go to bed. Can you tell me another story of the Sannin?"

"Why are you always so interested in the Sannin, Naruto?"

"They're impossibly strong! No one messes with them and they are known to everyone!"

"What about Sandaime-sama? He's arguably stronger than the Sannin right now and from his reputation he was certainly stronger than those three in his younger years."

"But I don't want to be hokage. I want to be a legendary shinobi. Someone that's so strong, the hokage has no choice but to leave me on my own."

"Leave on your own?"

"Yeah, like Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama. I want to be able to be strong enough to be trusted to come and go from this village as I please. Then no one can look down on me for being an orphan."

Naruto was no longer looking at Sister Aya and his words trailed off into a whisper as he stared straight at the ceiling. Sister Aya understood the motives behind Naruto's declaration. It was a simple meaning, that though Naruto claimed Konoha as his home, he never felt like an explicit part of the village. It was hard enough for an orphan to identify with the village as it is, but Naruto's burden of being a jinchuuriki made him slightly more isolated than the average orphan. What he mistook as a dichotomy of classes between himself and those outside of the orphanage, was actually a cautious alienation between a jinchuuriki and the general populace. She surmised that though Naruto wanted to become a great ninja, he also wanted to distance himself from the village as they had with him.

Aya sympathized with Naruto. Sure, she had lost friends and teammates during the Kyuubi's rampage, but as a shinobi she had the utmost faith in the seal that had the late Yondaime had created. Though there was still a bit of irrational resentment that Aya held against Naruto for keeping the bijuu alive, she remained professional in both her duties as a caretaker and also a former shinobi. Naruto was still a child and for all intents and purposes, she treated him as if he was just a child. There was no empirical evidence that suggested that Naruto was anything but that.

"Will you leave the village forever like Tsunade-sama then, Naruto?"

There was a pregnant pause where Naruto legitimately pondered the question. It was a little disconcerting that there was a child who dreamt of leaving his home forever at the young age of seven. Aya would not blame him nor would she admonish him for abandoning the village if that's what his decision came to be. She knew that he'd never be allowed to leave the village. All historical instances of jinchuuriki show that the villages prize the jinchuuriki as potential weapons and even if they don't train them, they are too much of a danger if another village were to obtain the bijuu from the jinchuuriki. Not that she would ever tell Naruto that.

"Maybe...but I'll come visit you Sister Aya! You and Teuchi-san from Ichiraku's."

She only responded to that with a kind smile. She felt a little guilty that she couldn't distinguish the anger and anguish she felt towards the Kyuubi and Naruto. He was just a boy, but he was also a constant reminder to what the village had lost and what she had lost as well. Maybe in the future, she would be able to forgive Naruto. Forgive was the wrong word choice as Naruto had done nothing wrong to forgive other than exist as a reminder for that painful time. Seven years was a long time, but the wounds of the Kyuubi attack were still fresh in Aya's mind. She presumed that leaving the ninja life behind would allow her to forget the death that surrounded her that day. If pressed, she would admit that her caring for the children was a selfish desire to feel an emotional connection with other humans. She also thought that being around Naruto and nurturing him into a well adjusted person was a service to the village.

"I'd like that Naruto. Anyways, what story would you like me to tell you?"

"I don't know, just tell me what the Sannin were like as genin."

"From what I'm told, the Sannin were all prodigies. When Sandaime-sama started training them when they were barely six years old. It's impressive by any regard, but to be so young and already genin during peace time."

"I'm already behind them then," frowned Naruto.

"You could say that, but I'd like to think that Sandaime-sama made the wise choice in raising the age limit for graduating students."

"But I've heard that their are still kids that are graduating as young as I am!"

"That hasn't been true for many years, Naruto. The last student to become a genin before the age of 10 was Itachi Uchiha and he was an exception, due to Third Shinobi War breaking out. Konoha was desperate to replenish the genin that we lost from being ambushed."

"I'm sorry, Sister Aya... but can you use smaller words?"

"I apologize, Naruto," smiled Aya.

"Anyways, go on with the story!"

"Perhaps another time Naruto, it's getting really late. Tomorrow is going to be a big day."

"Aww, but why? The academy isn't back in session for another month," pouted Naruto.

"You weren't the only reason Sandaime-sama stopped by the orphanage today. He has a major announcement to make and he wants everyone to be there tomorrow," explained Aya, "Besides, these are going to be a very busy few months for you. If you're getting sponsored, we'll have to get your paperwork in order and I'll have to call Sasaki-san from the hospital to give you a proper physical."

Naruto pouted at that. He wasn't so vain to think that the hokage would come to the orphanage only to announce that he was going to sponsor Naruto, but he was not a fan of going to the hospital for any reason. Since the orphanage wasn't prioritized as a major concern for the hospital as opposed to the shinobi of the village, they were usually given care by civilian staff members who were less qualified in their medical studies. Naruto was also afraid of the needles. The civilian nurses were always a little too rough with his treatment, which is why Naruto preferred to avoid going to the hospital at all costs.

"I don't like the hospital. They always miss the first two times when they inject me with something."

"Don't be like that Naruto, they're trying their best and it would be better if you didn't move so much."

"But why can't I get checked up by the medic nin?"

"The medic nin have to handle more important matters Naruto. You're still considered a civilian until you start attending the academy, so you'll just have to make due. Anyways, goodnight Naruto."

"G'night Sister Aya."

"Good afternoon everyone. I'm glad you could all attend. Today, I have an important announcement to make."

Naruto couldn't see, but he could hear the hokage's voice over sea of people. The event had no shortage of highly respected clans in attendance. Naruto only recognized several of the clans in attendance, such as the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, and the Yamanaka clan.

Other than those clans, Naruto wasn't able to distinguish the differences of the other clans based on their physical features of clan symbols. There was also the problem that being a civilian member of the crowd relegated him to the back and him being short presented an even more annoying nuisance.

"As you all know. Seven years ago, our village was attacked and nearly destroyed by the bijuu known as the Kyuubi."

There was an intense silence that overcame the crowd at the mention of the beast. Naruto could almost feel the contempt from behind him, but he wasn't quite sure if it was directed at him specifically or if it was just a general feeling. He turned his head to see a man staring in the direction of the hokage with his teeth gritted enraged. It was no doubt that the hokage's words were still a sore subject for most people in the crowd, especially those that suffered the heaviest losses during the early hours of the Kyuubi's attack.

"During that time, we unfortunately lost the Yondaime. A young, bright man with a vision for the future. Someone who was going to lead this village into a new age of peace. With his loss, I was forced to resume the mantle of hokage. But I am getting on in my years and I have decided that I will soon be stepping down as the hokage." It was clear that the audience did not expect that at all. The hokage paused in his speech to allow this new information to sink in to the audience.

"Do not fear. Though I leave my position behind, I have already selected a successor. My successor will not assume my position until I deem him ready for it, but rest assured that he will be fully capable of handling the duties of the hokage under my tutelage. Now, let me introduce you to the future hokage for whom I shall be personally grooming."

A small figure walked to the forefront, revealing a mask typically reserved for Anbu. Though intimidating, the figure was easily identified to be a young child, not much older than a normal genin. The boy removed his mask and from beneath the mask came a familiar face. Itachi Uchiha, the child prodigy and known around Konoha as one the greatest shinobi produced in his current generation despite his young age. The Sandaime placed a gentle hand on Itachi's shoulder and said something only audible to the young boy.

"Most of you know me from several years ago as a promising young child rising through the ranks at unprecedented speed. Those of you might know me as the pride of the Uchiha and others might know me as their aloof teammate that they've barely had a chance to speak to. I haven't been the easiest person to talk to and I apologize for that, but I assure you that I have nothing but the best interest of the village in mind. My name is Itachi Uchiha, I was born during the Third Shinobi War, and during the Kyuubi attack I was relegated to keeping my younger brother safe. In those two instances, I was powerless to protect the people around me and no matter what I did, there was this lingering feeling of death surrounding me. With my reign as the Godaime, there shall be no meaningless war and no meaningless death."

"I trust that everyone will support Itachi as I will guide him to become the greatest hokage that Konoha has ever produced."

Cpt. AT: This is a new story that's been floating around my head for awhile and before you continue on and read this, I want to note that there will be a lot of differences from canon. These changes will range from being minor to some having larger implications towards the story progressing forward. There are only three changes that I will inform you readers without having to spoil any future chapters. I'm also going to be very conservatives about the use of Japanese suffixes.

*Naruto's hair color will be changed to a strawberry blonde so that the connection between him and the Fourth is not blatantly obvious, but also to maintain a connection with his mom. I've never understood the amount of characters that didn't address him looking similar to the late kage since Naruto's appearance is sort of an anomaly considering the lack of blonde characters in Konoha.

*The second change is that Naruto will remain in the orphanage, since the idea of having Naruto remain on his own and surviving sounds like an awful idea to begin with. I know college aged students that have a difficult time being responsible enough on their own and expecting a child orphan to be able to do so is a little ridiculous.

*The last change I can tell you is that the reactions of the village to Naruto won't be of outright hate towards him like in some fanfictions. I really dislike the idea of blatant outrage, when considering the Third specifically made a law regarding that and I'd like to think the idea of being executed would temper some of their more outspoken actions as well.

And that's my first chapter to this experimental story. I haven't had a lot of experience with writing out stories, but this one is one that I'm excited to be writing. This will probably be the slowest progressing story that I'm currently working on, but it's the one that will have the most character building involved. The idea of having Itachi as a hokage has always fascinated me, considering his full background story in the manga/anime has always placed him as the quintessential ideal candidate for a hokage. He's selfless, a pacifist, but will do anything necessary for the sake of peace.

As for Naruto, the story will still be highly focused on him, however, I still want to take advantage of the wide cast of characters that the Naruto universe offers and most likely offer other characters a more expanded role in this story than they originally did in canon. Some characters might have their roles reduced and there are many major events that you will see in the future that get changed due to other events having preventing them or changing them for the better... or worse. I don't pander my story around the idea that every event causes a positive event.

I hope you enjoy the story, please read and review. I'll happily accept constructive criticism and will work harder in future chapters if you are displease.