Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Otomen, so don't sue me!

This is something I came up with when I saw a similar "crossover" on the Naruto fandom, but this is very different from what the author of that story was going for, so I'm not copying in any way!

I present another story of mine!

Otomen? What's An Otomen?

Eri Namikaze was a simple kid, who took pleasure out of every little thing that was given to him. An orphan from birth, he lived in a shabby orphanage in the western district of Konohagakure no Sato. He was quiet and never caused trouble, in fact, he secluded himself for a very good reason.

"Eri! Eri, come out of there right now!" the owner of the orphanage ordered, knocking on the door to the boy's room. "It's adoption day, so I want you on your best behavior!"

The boy looked up from his project and looked down after a second, finishing the last touches. He smiled and got up, just as the door swung open.

"Eri! What did I tell you about this?"

He blushed and ducked his head. "About what?"

"This!" the older woman shouted, yanking the object out of his hands, then shook it in his face. "Boys your age don't make stuffed animals! Especially cute ones!" She then spotted something else. "And I told you! STOP PULLING YOUR HAIR BACK! It's too feminine! Do you want to have everyone telling the parents you're a girl?!"

Eri cried out in dismay as the plush rabbit was shredded in front of him, and to top it off, his bow was yanked out of his hair, which flopped onto his neck. It was blonde and spiky, but so long it nearly reached his chin, and the loose locks irritated the skin of his neck. His blue eyes teared up as he ran to the bits of his sewing project, holding them like they were priceless gems. "Poor bunny…"

"You're almost thirteen! Boys your age don't cry over toys! Stop it right now!"

Eri wiped his eyes and got to his feet, going to the playroom. He was the oldest at the orphanage, it seemed no one wanted to adopt him. All the other kids would, even if they were brats. It wasn't that he minded it was just that he wondered why he wasn't selected, even now. He wasn't a problem child, maybe it was because he was shy.

The other kids played with each other, while he went to the bookshelf to find his favorite book which was a romance novel. Most boys his age wouldn't touch a book like this, but the romantic storyline moved him so. He read the words of the author and a flush came to his cheeks.

The door opened and Eri didn't look up, lost in the story already. He leaned his chin on the heel of his hand, his heart fluttering at the words on the page.

"We'll adopt him. He's perfect."

He knew it had to be someone else, until he heard the protest.

"No, he's too old for you! A younger child would be better for a newlywed couple such as yourselves!"

"We want to adopt him because he is older. We don't want to have a child, we want a teenager or as close to it as we can, a kid that can help with chores and has no issues with being left alone should both of us want to be alone. He's here, so he's adoptable."

Eri looked to see a woman with midnight black hair, pale skin and eyes a matching shade to her hair. Her husband was dark-haired as well, pale, but with lilac eyes that looked pupil-less. They looked nice enough, so he closed his book and walked up to them, bowing.

"Good afternoon, young man."

"Good afternoon," he greeted back.

"He's so cute, we have to adopt him!"

"Hyuga-san, I must protest! Eri isn't the type of child meant for adoption!"

"Why?" the Hyuga man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is…well… Oh very well! Adopt him! You'll regret it later, I swear on it!"

Eri sighed in elation as he walked home with his new parents: Hoji and Reina Hyuga. He kept his last name, which was insisted upon in return for adopting him. He wiped off the sweat off his neck, wishing he had a ribbon to tie back his hair.

"Eri-kun, understand that with our family, you won't be looked well on by others," his new father informed him. "Reina's and my marriage was looked down upon because of her civilian status, I being part of the main family of the clan. And now that we've adopted you, the others will probably ostracize you because you also have civilian status. Your mom and I will love you like our own, but we plead you don't be anything but civil, no matter how they treat you."

"Yes, Otou-san."

"Good boy, Eri-kun. You're wise to understand this, even if you're young," his new mother praised. "I think you'll become good friends with Hinata-sama."

Eri smiled up at them and looked up at the name plate as they entered what looked like a walled plot of land. He removed his shoes and walked in his socks as they entered a specific room.

"Hiashi-sama, we've returned with our adopted son," Hoji greeted the man, who was watching a young girl do what Eri thought looked like a dance.

The man raised a hand and the girl stopped. He turned to the couple and frowned. "I told you that adopting wasn't allowed, marriage to a civilian was enough."

"But Hiashi-sama, we've already adopted him, and Reina refuses to have any children."

"Bring him back to the orphanage! I won't have any further outsiders added to our clan!"

"Hiashi-sama, you must listen. His last name is Namikaze."

At that, Hiashi pushed Reina aside and grabbed Eri by the chin. The boy blushed at the scrutiny, his eyes wandering to try and soothe his discomfort.

"Perhaps I was too hasty in my demands. Boy, do you have a name?"

"E-Eri."

"Eri-san, then. What's the day of your birth?"

"October tenth…"

"I'll have you meet my eldest daughter when she returns home. But for now, this is my heir and youngest, Hanabi."

The little girl, about nine years of age, came over. She pushed back her hair, and Eri had only one word for her.

"Adorable," he said honestly with a pleased blush.

Hanabi recoiled and hissed, "You're a freak! Boys don't do that!"

She ran off, Eri's lips turning unto an uncomfortable frown.

"Hanabi!" Hiashi scolded, then shook his head. "I beg your forgiveness Eri-san, Hanabi isn't used to boys outside of our clan."

"I should be the one who's sorry Hiashi-sama," Eri insisted. "My reaction to her made her uncomfortable, so she lashed out. She was just so cute, I couldn't control myself."

At the word, Reina flinched, but didn't react further. Hiashi nodded and patted Eri's head. "Very good. You should get settled in your room and I'll have you called for once Hinata comes back."

"I will. Thanks, Hiashi-sama."

As Eri unpacked his tiny suitcase, Reina and Hoji shifted a little before the new mother asked, "Eri-kun, are you…um…"

The blonde boy found a ribbon for his hair at the bottom of his suitcase and tied it around the longest part of his hair, so his neck was able to be cool and unbothered. He sighed as he tied a secure bow, then pulled out his favorite shirt, changing into it. He then turned to his parents and tilted his head. "What is it, Oka-san?"

"Um…are you…gay?"

He flushed darkly and shook his head. "I like girls, Oka-san."

"Then why are you wearing a ribbon and t-shirt that are…um…"

"Pink," Hoji deadpanned.

Eri stood and stated, unabashed and proud, "I've always been this way, liking pink over blue, sweet over savory, cute things, sparkling things. I prefer girl things over boy things, and I think like a girl most of the time, reading romance novels over anything else. I know who I am, and I'm sorry, I can't change without betraying my inner self. If it makes you feel uncomfortable…then bring me back to the orphanage."

Both adults looked to each other in silent communication and Hoji knelt down, then put a hand on his son's head. "It's just something new we'll come to accept, Eri. We adopted you, even after being warned you weren't suitable. I think you are unique, and no matter what happens, I will never regret I adopted you." He then looked to his wife. "Reina?"

Reina nodded and put her arms around Eri. "Every child is different, and you're special, which I accept wholeheartedly."

Eri smiled and held her back. "Thank you, Oka-san."

There was a knock on the door before a voice called, "Hinata-sama has arrived Eri-san! Hiashi-sama summons you!"

Eri fidgeted and murmured, "I want to give her something, but I don't have anything but a couple failures that I've made." He held up a pair of toys, a puppy and a bear.

Reina gasped in surprise and joy. "Eri…did you make these?!"

The boy shifted shyly. "Yes."

"They're beautiful! And so cute! I think Hinata-sama would love either of these!"

The bear was purple, while the puppy was a pastel pink. Eri held up one in each hand and looked at both, before a flustered blush came to his cheeks. "Which one should I choose?"

Reina took the bear. "I think the puppy will suit Hinata-sama very well."

Eri beamed and his parents led him to the meeting place, where Hinata was standing with an uneasy look on her face. She spotted Hoji and Reina, who made bows and Hiashi pushed his daughter forward.

"Hinata, Hoji and Reina have adopted a child. Eri-san, don't be so shy, come out from behind your mother."

Eri did, and Hiashi had to cough, he was so shocked that the boy, who'd been wearing a neutral green shirt with his hair down, was now wearing a pink bow in his hair to hold it back, a pink shirt with a daisy at the center, and held a pink puppy plush toy?! He was extremely surprised and would have to talk to him later about his appearance, whether it was a joke or not.

Hinata laid eyes on Eri and blinked, confused. "Naruto-kun…?"

Eri tilted his head. "Who's Naruto?"

Hinata shook her head and blushed. "Sorry! You look so much like him, I saw him in you for a moment Eri-chan! It's nice to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too. Can I call you Hinata-chan?"

"Sure!"

Eri held out the puppy toy. "I want you to have this Hinata-chan."

"For me? Thank you!"

Hinata hugged the stuffed animal to her and then took Eri's hand. "Come on, I want to meet my teammates!"

When the two were gone, Hiashi turned to Hoji and Reina. "Instant friends, but I have no doubt Hinata thinks Eri-san is a girl because of that getup. Was I mistaken, and Eri-san is a girl?"

Hoji shook his head. "Eri-kun is a boy, but he seems to be more feminine than most girls that age I've seen. He actually made that toy he gave to Hinata-sama."

"I thought it had been bought and he was giving it to her as a token of friendship," Hiashi murmured, face thoughtful. "To think that he had that kind of dexterity, it could be useful if he trained to be a ninja."

"But he knows nothing of the ninja world, even if he's the son of…you know who…" Hoji paused and corrected himself when the head of the clan glared at him. "But what Hinata-sama said…could he be Naruto's brother?"

"Naruto is the ward of the Hokage. Plus, he has the family name of 'Uzumaki'. It's just an unfortunate similarity between the two. Eri-san had better circumstances when it comes to where he grew up, even if it was in an orphanage."

"How can you tell, Hiashi-sama?"

"He's polite and holds himself well. Not just any child could manage that when he or she is given the minimum amount of attention by the adults, since there are so many children in such a place. He must subconsciously know he's destined for greatness."

Reina tilted her head in confusion. "How so, Hiashi-sama?"

"He will be the Rokudaime, if he trains and becomes the greatest of all ninjas, once he comes back! I can see it, he has the potential to have the best chakra control and capacity."

"But to nurture that takes years of training, you think he'd be able to catch up with his peers, let alone become Rokudaime Hokage before someone else does?" Hoji questioned.

"He will become the pride of the clan, even if he doesn't bear the surname!"

Reina glanced at her husband and the pair sweat-dropped at their leader's fantasies.

"Hinata! Over here!"

Hinata turned and saw the hand waving. "Kiba-kun! Shino-kun! Hey!"

Eri hid behind his new friend, not sure what to make of these new boys.

"Hey, Hinata! You said you wanted to meet up with us?"

"Yes, I made a new friend today and I wanted you to meet her!"

"Where? Did she run off on you?"

Hinata stepped to the side, exposing Eri, only for the shy boy to squeak and hide again.

"I didn't get a good look. All I saw was a flash of pink."

"Eri-chan, they won't hurt you, I promise!" Hinata coaxed. "Sorry, Eri-chan's just been adopted into my clan and hasn't really seen the majority of the village. She's really shy."

"She doesn't need to fear us! Right, Akamaru?"

A puppy barked, which sparked Eri's interest. With adoring eyes, he stepped out, reaching up to pet the white puppy.

"She was scared of us but she came out because of Akamaru?" the boy with the high-collared coat and dark sunglasses asked. "What a strange girl, she must be an animal lover."

"She's real cute, even if she's not paying attention to me. Maybe having Akamaru come along was a good thing. Do you like her, Akamaru?"

Akamaru wagged his tail and yipped happily. He licked the girly boy's hand, and Eri giggled.

"That tickles!"

Hinata placed a hand on Eri's shoulder. "Eri-chan, I want you to meet my teammates. They're very nice."

Eri stopped petting Akamaru and looked down to see a wild-looking boy with red markings on his cheeks and a fur-lined gray coat. He grinned, showing fangs.

"Hey, I'm Inuzuka Kiba. Nice to meet you, Eri-chan."

He held out his hand, and the shorter boy hesitantly returned the gesture. "Um…I'm Namikaze…Eri…"

Shino held a hand out, although it looked reluctant. "I'm Aburame Shino. Did you make that dog toy that Hinata's holding?"

"Oh…" Eri twiddled his fingers. "Yes I did."

"Really?!" Kiba exclaimed. "I thought it was store bought! You're our age, right? This took some skill!"

"It's one of my hobbies…"

"What else do you do?"

"I knit and cook…whenever I can…I read romance novels…I like to collect cute things…sparkly things…fluffy things… Um…"

Kiba patted his head. "Don't strain yourself by listing everything, Eri-chan. You're a pure girl, that's for sure. I don't think even Hinata can say she's exactly like you. I'd want you as my bride when I'm older!"

Hinata, who knew what that meant, blushed. "Kiba-kun! That's not funny!"

"Who said I was joking? I'd like such a cute girl to date me and we'd get married when we're old enough! I can already see the wedding!"

"Kiba, are you sure it's love? You did hit your head on our last mission," Shino stated.

"Lay off, Shino!" Kiba snapped, then reached into his pocket. He held out a woven ring. "Here, I want you to have this."

Eri took it and saw it was made of fine silver fur and sparkly red beads. "Thank you, Kiba-san. You barely know me, why give me such a thing?"

"So you'll remember my promise to marry you in four years!"

Hinata frowned. "You proposed to Eri-chan when you just met? How do you know you like her enough and that you'll like her in the future?"

"We Inuzukas know these things."

Eri was completely confused.

Hinata sighed and shook her head, once they left her teammates. "Don't wear that, unless you know what it means."

Eri nodded, putting the promise ring in his pocket. "Hinata-chan, where are we going now?"

"Um…I wanted to show you…the boy I thought you looked like…"

"Okay. Let's go."

They walked until they got to a ramen shop, where three pre-teens and a man sat on stools. Hinata pointed at the blonde boy in the middle. "That's him."

Eri raised his eyes to meet a pair exactly like his. The same shape, color, everything. He was shocked still by his look-alike. Naruto pointed and yelled in surprise. His teammates and teacher turned to see what alarmed him so much.

"Wow, you turned into a girl Naruto," the pink-haired, green-eyed girl on his right snickered.

The dark-haired, dark-eyed boy on his left slid off the stool and bowed in greeting. "Hello, I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

Eri blushed and bowed as well. "Namikaze…Eri."

"It's nice to meet you." He shoved something into the shorter boy's palm and walked off. "If you'll excuse me."

"Um, Sasuke-kun!" the pink-haired girl called. "Wait for me!"

Naruto got off his stool and marched up to Eri. "Who are you? Why do you have my face?"

Eri fidgeted and shrugged. "I don't know."

The silver-haired man, who was staring at Eri and Naruto with shock and barely concealed questions in his single eye, placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "It's coincidence, Naruto. Come on, you need to go home and rest from our mission."

"But Kakashi-sensei—"

"Move along, that's an order."

"Okay."

Naruto stormed off, and Kakashi bowed to Eri. "Eri-san, you should keep your distance from Naruto. It would lead to you or him getting hurt if you do not."

Eri nodded and stared after him as he vanished. Hinata blinked in confusion.

"What did Sasuke-san give you?"

Eri opened his hands and looked at the delicate silver ring with a red fan with a white handle on it. "A ring."

"Why is it that I think you'll be getting a lot more of these today? You're cute, but why when all you've done is meet once? Sasuke-san barely spoke to you at all and yet he gave you a ring! This is odd."

At the end of the day, Eri had received more than some, if not a ring from all of Konohagakure no Sato's major clans, even the one he'd been adopted into. He was confused by all this, but accepted the rings gracefully.

Hinata was still baffled by all this that she almost smacked right into her cousin. "Ah! Sorry, Neji-nii-san!"

He glared at her, but said nothing. Eri bowed and greeted, "It's nice to meet you—"

"Now I see what Hanabi-sama meant. You are a freak."

He walked on, Eri looking pained. Hinata raised her eyebrows. "Hanabi called you a freak? Why?"

Eri shook his head and murmured, "Let's go home."

"Sure."

That night, Eri worked on his newest project, making the rings into a necklace. He twisted and cut wire expertly, yet his eyes were troubled. What if he really was a freak, and that's how most people would see him if they knew he wasn't a girl? He already knew his parents accepted him as who he was, but that was it. Everyone else either thought of him as a girl or a freak. Perhaps he should get some more boyish skills as well, to balance it out, but he knew nothing that seemed appealing to him at the time.

He stewed about it for a while, until his mom came to the door. "Eri-kun, Hiashi-sama has asked you to come dine with him alone. He has something to speak to you about."

Eri looked at his finished necklace and put it on before getting up.

"Oh, and it's formal attire, so please put on a yukata."

"Okay, Oka-san."

He went to his new wardrobe and selected a dark blue yukata he liked and let his hair down, even if it scratched his neck. He knew that his yukata would clash with the bright pink ribbon. He tied the sash expertly and came out of his room, Reina smiling at how well he'd dressed.

"Did you learn how to put on a yukata at the orphanage?"

He shook his head. "I saw a man put one on once. It was fascinating, so I decided to practice on myself until I got it exactly the way I saw it."

"You have a photographic memory?"

"What's a photographic memory?"

"You have perfect recall just by looking at something once. I've never seen it personally, but I've heard of people who do. You'd make the perfect spy. All you'd have to do was look at a secret document once, burn it, and then copy it down once you got back from your mission."

Eri blinked and then smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Oka-san."

"Now get going, you don't want to be late."

He went to the dining hall and the door was slid open for him by a servant. He smiled and nodded his thanks before he walked in, greeting, "Good evening, Hiashi-sama," and bowed at the waist, the picture of perfection.

"Good evening, Eri-san. Come in and kneel across from me."

Eri raised himself from his bow and did as instructed, kneeling and putting his hands in his lap. Hiashi gazed at the boy with amazement that he could look so boyish yet have perfect grace and manners like a girl. It was an oxymoron, a girlish boy such as the one he was looking at right now. He'd heard of such a person in a book, and the character had even had a specific term. He'd thought it inconsequential at the time, but now he knew it was necessary to let Eri use it whenever he told people what he was.

"Eri-san, do you know what individuals like yourself are called?"

Eri put a finger to his cheek in thought. "Hmmm…androgynous?"

"That is also a good word, but there is an official term for a girlish boy such as yourself."

"So…there are others like me?"

"It's very rare, but yes. They are called 'otomen'."

"Otomen?"

"Yes. You are the most extreme case I've heard of, but the official description is: a boy who has girlish habits, thoughts, and embodies the purist of girl qualities, yet does not desire to be homosexual or have a gender change. When I watched you this afternoon, I knew this was true. So you are an otomen Eri-san, but I cannot allow you to be bullied once this is found out, so I've decided that you will become strong through ninja training."

"Ninja training?"

"Yes. You will go to the academy and have a special course that you will attend every day without fail. This way, you won't be hurt should someone physically lash out at you for being what you are."

"Hiashi-sama…um…how do you know I'll do well?"

"It's in your blood."

"In my blood…? Did you know who my parents were, Hiashi-sama?!"

"Calm down and eat your dinner, Eri-san. I will reveal the truth to you once you've eaten, or else you won't eat at all."

"Okay."

He ate slowly, to make sure he didn't choke, and when he was finished, he saw Hiashi watching him and blushed.

"Such an otomen, yet pleasing. Leave us."

The servants left and when the door had closed, Hiashi lowered his voice and leaned forward.

"Your mother was a fiery redhead with dark blue eyes from Uzushiogakure no Sato, in Uzushio no Kuni. She was brought here to be raised as a ninja, intended to be the wife of your father from childhood. She was spunky, outspoken, and impossibly optimistic. She came from a clan of seal masters, the Uzumaki Clan. To protect any offspring they had, they married in secret, from her enemies and his.

"Your father was blonde with deep blue eyes born and raised here, the genius of his generation. Everyone seemed to know he was special, meant to be the best of the best. He was calm, realistic, and unfailingly loyal to the village, born under the name of Namikaze."

"What were their given names?" Eri asked eagerly, but fell silent when Hiashi raised a hand.

"They seemed to always be together when their careers permitted, until your father became Yondaime Hokage. They settled down and it was soon after your mother became pregnant. I saw she was carrying twins very early on."

"Twins?! So Naruto and I are—"

"Keep your voice down, the walls have ears."

Eri covered his mouth. "Sorry."

"When she delivered, the worst happened. A masked man attacked and released a demon which had been sealed in her body, but the Hokage fought him, making him retreat. The damage was done however, and your mother was dying from the demon being extracted, and it was wreaking havoc on the village.

"Your father's next choice changed the lives of all his family.

"He sealed the demon into his firstborn, which took his life in exchange, while your mother used the last of her strength to cast another line of defense against the demon being unleashed yet again.

"They left you alone, but paid the price so the village was preserved. Your father's name was Minato, while your mother bore the name Kushina. But I have a warning: do not tell anyone about your parentage, for it will cause your death should the information fall into the hands of the wrong people."

Eri nodded, his eyes serious as he said, "Thank you for telling me Hiashi-sama, even if it was an abridged version. Does my brother know?"

"No, for it's forbidden to speak of the incident. I just broke a law for you, that's how much I wanted you to know of your ninja nature. I'm sure you're talented like your father, with your mother's large chakra. Now that that's been said, will you train to be a ninja to protect yourself and Konohagakure no Sato?"

The blonde boy, who looked more like his father with his longer hair, nodded with a smile. "I will, Hiashi-sama."

Wow, I don't think I've ever done a first chapter this long, so there's a lot to take in.

I guess someone had to post a "crossover" of this nature that's complete, since the other one was abandoned by the author. *sighs*

Please review!