Gambit: Something done or said, usually involving a heavy risk, in the hopes of obtaining an advantage or desired result.
Prologue: Difference in Intent
With a heavy melancholic sigh, a lonely six-year old Naruto Uzumaki wandered aimlessly around his village, Konoha. He ignored the inexplicable scornful glares and hurtful murmurs of the villagers with practiced ease. The unreasonable hatred was manageable. What Naruto couldn't handle was the overwhelming loneliness.
With no parents or even a single friend, Naruto really was on his own. It stung to accept the fact that no one really cared about him. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. There was the Hokage, but it was his job to care, and he was always busy, anyway.
Naruto's head rose as he heard a laughing child walking side-by-side with whom Naruto presumed to be the child's parents. Each of them wore carefree smiles as they strolled along happily, talking about everything and nothing at the same time.
Naruto's expression drooped as the happy family walked by him like he didn't exist. Admittedly, Naruto was jealous of such happiness, so he resolved it the only way he knew how.
He quickly spun around, stuck out his tongue, pulled down his right eyelid, and blew the family a raspberry. To his dismay, the family either didn't hear him or they ignored him.
Naruto spun back around and angrily crossed him arms with righteous, childlike indignation. As he stomped off, his angry expression and mutterings gradually shifted into a melancholic grimace.
Happy birthday to me... Naruto pulled the hood on his orange hoodie over his head to conceal his eyes, and subsequently, the tears falling from them.
Mikoto Uchiha blinked back tears as she layed a bouquet of flowers in front of the grave before her. She rubbed a few stubborn tears away with her arm before taking a deep breath to compose herself. Then, she offered her prayers for her deceased friend.
She smiled as precious memories of her best friend came to her. Kushina Uzumaki. Never a dull moment with her, that's for sure. Mikoto smiled fondly.
The last time Mikoto saw Kushina was exactly six years ago. Sasuke had recently been born, and Kushina had a child of her own on the way. On that day all those years ago, they had promised that their children would be friends.
As fate would have it, though, Kushina died that day and Mikoto was stricken with grief for some time. She had previously juggled the idea of adopting Kushina's son into the Uchiha clan, but reactions were mixed to say the least. Ultimately, the decision rested on her husband's, Fugaku Uchiha, shoulders. As the leader of the clan and the husband to the person considering the adoption, Fugaku's opinion mattered most.
Sadly, he rejected the idea, and he never gave a solid reason as to why he was against it. Mikoto had brought up the request several times over the past six years, but the adoption never came to fruition.
Mikoto sighed softly as she stood from her crouched position in front of Kushina's grave.
"Forgive me, Kushina," Mikoto whispered under her breath as she started walking away. "But believe me. I haven't given up yet," she added in the same quiet tone as she continued walking.
Naruto stood in front of the Hokage's residence with a contemplative look on his face. He wanted to see the old man, but since he hadn't sought Naruto out himself, Naruto figured he was busy.
Hiruzen was the only person who ever went to see Naruto to spend time with him or just check up on him. Those visits weren't often, but Naruto cherished each and every single one of them.
Naruto sighed as he started walking away from the massive building belonging to the Hokage. If the old man wasn't going to see him, whether or not he was busy, then no one would. Once again, Naruto resigned himself to another lonely day.
Naruto pulled his hood even further down to the point where he couldn't see anything other than his own feet. In his current state, the hurtful words of the villagers tended to get to him. Naruto picked up the pace while keeping his hood down to conceal his tears.
Since Naruto's vision was so limited by his hood, he couldn't see the woman walking in front of him until he bumped into her and fell back.
Mikoto stumbled forward a bit as something collided against her back. She gently rubbed her sore back as she glanced behind herself. Her eyes landed on a hooded child on the ground.
Naruto looked up to regard the figure he ran into. His hood fell back as he did, revealing his face to the woman before him.
Mikoto stifled a gasp, though her eyes widened as she immediately recognized the boy before her. The sight of his sad and lonely eyes and the tears spilling from them broke her heart. Mikoto gave Naruto her brightest, kindest smile as she placed her hand out for him.
"Here, let me help you up."
Naruto looked up in confusion. Well, this is kinda weird. Usually, if Naruto bumped into someone, the last thing they would ever do would be to smile and offer their hand.
Tentatively, Naruto took the offered hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. "Why are you being nice to me? Everyone is always so mean," he said, now on his feet brushing away the tears falling down his cheeks.
"Well, why wouldn't I be nice to an adorable little boy?" Mikoto questioned rhetorically. "My name is Mikoto Uchiha. How about telling me your name, little one?"
Naruto blinked before looking at Mikoto through squinted eyes as if looking at some foreign creature. Slowly, his lips quirked into a wide grin. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future super-ninja!"
Mikoto stifled a giggle at the drastic change in attitude and the extreme boast. At least he's happier now.
It began with such a simple question and an equally simple response that resulted in the two having dinner in a ramen stand. Mikoto asked Naruto questions that she already knew the answer to, and Naruto, albeit reluctantly, offered his best answers.
Mikoto had stayed out longer than she had intended. Naruto was happy, and that was what counted the most to her. The dejected look Mikoto had seen previously on Naruto's face haunted her. It left a mark on her heart that only Naruto's bright smile could remove. And so, she resolved herself to bring happiness into Naruto's life, to see his bright smile, to honor her best friend, and to never have to see that forlorn expression again.
More than anything, Naruto desired a home filled with love; people who he could laugh with, smile with, and struggle with. Naruto desired family, and Mikoto was more than willing to provide that.
Fugaku Uchiha, the patriarch of the Uchiha clan and captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, was exceptionally angry. Not for the first time, he had caught word that the Uchiha were being blamed for the disaster that was the Kyuubi attack. Word spreads like fire in Konoha, and as such, people were very wary of the Uchiha. That severely infuriated Fugaku.
It seemed the Uchiha were always being ostracized in one way or another. They fear us and the power we possess. Fugaku gritted his teeth unconsciously. He clenched the table in his household before standing and leaving the house.
Fear us if you so desire. The Uchiha will give you a valid reason to fear. Fugaku walked through the Uchiha compound as if in a daze, his mind immediately formulating possible plans to exact revenge on the village that constantly offended his clan.
He stopped in his tracks as the faint traces of an idea surged through his mind. A golden opportunity, a way for the Uchiha to achieve the power and position they deserved, reared its head. Fugaku smiled deviously as his mind worked in overdrive to flesh out the plan.
Naruto was happier than he had been in a long time. As he walked hand-in-hand with Mikoto, he couldn't keep the ecstatic grin off his face. Mikoto had mentioned meeting her family, and Naruto was perfectly fine with that. He figured that her family would be as nice as she was.
Mikoto's heart was thumping against her chest in anticipation. She was giving it another shot. She was on her way to attempt to convince Fugaku to adopt Naruto into the clan again. Mikoto believed that seeing Naruto in all his adorable sweetness would melt Fugaku's heart.
The closer they got, the more nervous they both became. Naruto was nervous that the family wouldn't like him, and he wouldn't be able to see Mikoto again. Mikoto's nervousness, strangely enough, was for similar reasons.
Both of them gulped audibly as they approached Mikoto's house. Mikoto opened the door only to discover that Fugaku and her two sons, Sasuke and Itachi, were absent.
"Is your family invisible or something?" Naruto asked, looking up at Mikoto through squinted eyes. Mikoto laughed softly before shaking her head, not entirely sure if Naruto was joking or not.
"They're not invisible. They must have stepped out for a bit," Mikoto said, smiling down at the boy who returned the smile. "I'm sure they'll be back soon."
Itachi smiled fondly as he carried his younger brother on his back. Apparently, Sasuke really wanted to watch him practice his kenjutsu and shurikenjutsu. The six-year old Uchiha followed Itachi out into the forest and watched his older brother with evident admiration, and when Itachi had finished his practicing, Sasuke had requested, or rather, begged, that Itachi let him try. Sasuke's intention had been to impress his older brother. A few shaky throws and missteps later, and Sasuke required mild medical attention.
"I'm gonna get it down real soon, big brother, and when I do, I'm gonna surpass you," Sasuke boasted with a grin, trying to preserve his dignity despite the bandages on his arms and legs.
Itachi looked over his shoulder at his younger brother. "Yes, I'm sure that you will," he replied truthfully with a gentle smile. Sasuke's grin widened in response.
When the two brothers entered their house that day, they certainly weren't expecting to see a little blond child casually stretched out on their couch, chatting with their mother while sipping juice with a lazy smile on his face. Neither could quite find the appropriate question to ask.
Mikoto intercepted their questioning expressions. "Oh, boys, I want you to meet Naruto," she introduced. Then, she glanced over at Naruto. "Say hi, Naruto."
Naruto looked up at the two brothers as if only now noticing their presence. "Hi," he said simply with a wave, struggling to meet their gazes.
Itachi already knew about Naruto since the boy was rather famous/infamous in Konoha, but he decided to go along with the introductions regardless. "I am Itachi Uchiha. It is nice to meet you, Naruto."
Sasuke eyed Naruto critically as if slowly dissecting the blond boy. Eventually, he muttered out a greeting, receiving a squinted-eye glance from Naruto.
Itachi let Sasuke off his back, and watched with amusement as his younger brother slowly strode toward the fidgety blond boy. They both stared at each other wordlessly. Sasuke seemed to be measuring Naruto up, and Naruto was trying his best to act tough and make a good first impression.
"I am Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke stated. "I'm gonna be the strongest Uchiha."
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto responded with a grin. "I'm gonna be the best ninja ever!" he declared, pointing to himself for extra emphasis.
Sasuke allowed himself a small smirk at the declaration. "You're gonna have to beat me, then." His smirk faded slowly, and he looked at Naruto curiously. "What do you know about shurikenjutsu?" Sasuke asked. Naruto declared that he would be the strongest ninja, so Sasuke figured that he must have enough knowledge on the subject to lend a few pearls of wisdom.
"Sure-a-what, now?" Naruto asked.
Fugaku came home to the odd sight of his family engaged in lively conversation with whom he recognized to be the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. When he entered his house, they didn't even seem to notice. Well, that was a bit unnerving. Fugaku cleared his throat emphatically to garner their attention. He achieved the desired result when each of the living room's occupants immediately glanced up.
Mikoto smiled at the sight of her husband. "Hey, honey," she said, standing to greet Fugaku. "Oh, this is Naruto. I ran into him, or rather, he ran into me while I was out. He looked so sad, so I offered to spend time with him."
Fugaku favored Mikoto with a disapproving look. "My previous answer still stands," he stated firmly, knowing exactly what his wife's intentions were and causing Mikoto's smile to fade.
Naruto wasn't stupid. He always had a certain gift for predicting how people felt about a given situation, and he could tell Fugaku was not pleased. He fixed his gaze on the floor, barely registering Sasuke's words as the young Uchiha kept speaking about various shinobi skills.
"Can we talk about this?" Mikoto requested with evident desperation. Fugaku's initial response was a reflexive "no" but his mind began working in overdrive.
Yes...with the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, a revolution will be closer within grasp. Fugaku nodded in response to Mikoto's request. The two walked to a different room in their house to discuss the topic at hand.
With his thoughts running rampant, Fugaku only halfheartedly listened to Mikoto's explanations and pleads. I'll need to prepare the boy immediately. The sooner he realizes his full potential as a jinchuuriki, the sooner the Uchiha can take their rightful place in power.
Fugaku glanced at his wife as she seemed to be finished speaking and was expecting an answer of some sort. Regardless, Fugaku had a fairly good idea of what she said and he decided to play it up.
He sighed convincingly, closed his eyes, and adopted a contemplative expression. "You really have your heart set on this, don't you?"
Mikoto's face and eyes lit up with hope. "Yes, I really do. I really want to take care of him and bring happiness into his life," she said softly.
Fugaku allowed himself a small delay before answering to emulate a thoughtful response. "Okay, we will adopt the boy," he said with false reluctance. Mikoto could hardly contain herself as she quickly made her way into the living room.
"Say what?!" Naruto's shell-shocked response sounded through the house.
Naruto Uzumaki, or rather, Naruto Uchiha...welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. You're a precious pawn in a grander scheme. Fugaku slowly strode through his house as if victory was merely a step away. In his mind, it truly was.
All great acts are dictated by intention. Be it pure or impure, one's intentions are the one of the most powerful forces. It'll drive you to prosperity or lead you into the darkest abyss with no return. The outcomes are truly limitless, and all it takes is the intention of a single, willing man.