Lies filled the air until it was impossible to breath. In order to not drown, what do you do? You find the truth, no matter how dark it may be, no matter how many people would kill you if you knew their secrets. Uzumaki Naruto knew this well.

Lie no.1: Demon

Uzumaki Naruto wore a white shirt sporting the Uzumaki crest in red. Kunai made his pocket have some weight and the other pocket was light despite the fact it did have a good amount of money.

This money was for Naruto and his younger brother's survival. Well, survival made it seem too serious. Naruto could easily get a job to pay for expenses of living in an apartment and other expenses by extension: water, gas, electricity, etc.

Naruto usually cooked. He wasn't great at it. He wasn't about to open a restaurant like Teuchi and Ayame did, two people his brother adored. However, he didn't burn things…anymore. To be fair, though, the one thing he still couldn't make without burning was takoyaki, a ball-shaped snack usually with a piece of octopus inside.

Today was his brother's fourth birthday. He loved anpan, bread filled with sweet red bean paste. So Naruto decided to make it. It didn't look hard; the cookbook his mother had left behind with detailed notes in neat handwriting made it seem easy.

Naruto slipped on his shoes and stood. He heard his brother's loud footsteps slowly making their way towards him. Naruto turned around.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going out," Naruto said, giving a soft smile.

"But you promised me you were going to train me today," the four-year-old argued.

Naruto sighed. He gestured for the boy to come over, which he gladly did. Just as he was about to hug Naruto, Naruto poked his forehead.

"Hey!" Takahiro glared.

"Sorry, Takahiro, maybe later," Naruto said and walked out, closed the door behind him, and locked it.

Naruto walked down the stairs down to street level. He began walking towards the merchant district.

It was sunny today despite a few clouds. Naruto's red hair was bright in the sun. He had dyed it but the dye wore off within a day. It didn't really work well for stealth missions. He was already interesting since everyone knew who his parents were and he'd graduated on a team with Uchiha Itachi. Currently, only Naruto and Itachi did missions together. Their female teammate had died three years ago on a mission that had been originally ranked B-Rank, but was actually supposed to be an A-Rank. It was then that Itachi had unlocked his Sharingan.

It wasn't that Itachi liked her; it was simply the fact the two had found her mutilated body stripped of skin and kunai sticking out of many parts of her body.

That day, Naruto had unlocked an Uzumaki kekkei genkai as well: chakra chains. The girl, Keiko, her killer had come out of the shadows to the two Genin. Naruto and Itachi had been nearly depleted on chakra and Itachi had passed out from unlocking the Sharingan and shock of seeing Keiko's body like that. Then, chains erupting from his back raced towards the killer, who had been overly confident against the Uchiha's heir and the Yellow Flash's son. Naruto had tightened the chains so tightly it had ripped the man to shreds.

"Hi."

Naruto turned and saw Itachi walking next to him. Itachi gave Naruto a meaningful look. Naruto sighed.

Itachi signed in Konoha's silent language with his hands: What's wrong?

Naruto smoothed his hair with a hand. I was just getting some things to make for Takahiro and I thought about Keiko.

But you know that was so long ago.

I know. That day really changed our lives, huh?

You mean our kekkei genkai? Have you ever told Hokage-sama?

No.

Itachi and Naruto walked into the store together. Itachi put some persimmons in a bag and took some other vegetables. Naruto passed by the instant ramen and sighed. Takahiro downed the stuff almost every day. Tou-san and Kaa-san would be angry if they knew I was letting him eat that.

Naruto grabbed a bag of flour, a packet of yeast and a can of koshian, smooth red bean paste. He already had sugar and egg at the apartment.

His bag was full, but he had room for getting the one thing his parents liked, but he wasn't all that partial to, pocky.

"You're still…" Itachi stood with him in the line for the cashier.

"Yeah," Naruto's eyes had a distant look. "You want it? I'm probably not going to eat it…again."

"Normally I would, but Sasuke would probably eat it. For some reason, he's been having a love for sweets these days. Maybe it's a phase?" Itachi said as he helped Naruto put his groceries on the counter for the cashier to ring him up.

" 3134.48円" the cashier said. ($26.56). Naruto gave the woman the right amount of paper and coin.

"You look thin. Here," the woman handed him back a 500円 coin.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked politely.

"Yeah, so long as you don't give it to that boy Hokage-sama made you live with. Honestly, I wouldn't expect Hokage-sama to be so stupid as to burden Yondaime-sama's adorable child with the demon," the woman said.

"Thank you," Naruto said with a forced smile. Naruto waited for Itachi outside, seeing how Itachi was behind him in line. Naruto felt a chill in the air from the October autumn. It wasn't winter, yet. Naruto's 11th birthday is coming up in the dead of Konoha winter: December 27.

Itachi walked out and motioned with a small head jerk to go. Naruto trotted over.

"I wish I could tell her he's my brother. But Hokage-sama worked so hard to not link him to Tou-san or me," Naruto said softly.

"I suppose Hokage-sama would have to put seals on Takahiro's mind to prevent him from learning the truth. But he won't will he?" Itachi asked.

"I'd just undo them. Hokage-sama would simply put seals on me. I wouldn't even know it. Itachi, if I ever forgot who my parents were, please put me in a genjutsu," Naruto said.

"Okay," Itachi cracked a smile. "Well, looks like this is where we part ways."

Naruto nodded and thanked him for walking him home. Itachi continued on to the Uchiha Compound. Naruto unlocked the door and stepped into the apartment.

"Takahiro, I'm home!" Naruto yelled. He counted five seconds, the maximum amount of time it took the former toddler to come rushing over, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Ten seconds passed. Naruto dropped the groceries and searched for Takahiro's chakra. It wasn't in the apartment. Naruto cursed and ran out.

He created twenty Kage Bunshin, shadow clones, and spread them across the village, looking for a head of bright yellow hair. As Naruto, the original, was running through one of the busiest and main roads of Konoha, he saw a man with spiky silver hair running away from him with a small child on his back.

Naruto instantly recognized both of them: Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Takahiro.

"Hey! Stop!" Naruto threw a kunai, a three-pronged kunai, and reappeared right in front of Kakashi. He engaged the older Jounin in a taijutsu battle, something he had a feeling he'd lose in.

And it was true. If Naruto was serious, perhaps he might have a slight chance of winning if Takahiro wasn't here and nothing was barred, even Kakashi's Sharingan or Naruto's kekkei genkai.

But now wasn't the time.

"Nii-chan!" Takahiro chirped. "Kakashi here was giving me a piggy-back ride!" He grinned and patted Kakashi's silver hair.

Naruto felt nauseous and an unbelievable wave of anger crashed in his mind.

"Kakashi-senpai, I'm taking Takahiro home now. It was nice seeing you," Naruto grabbed Takahiro and disappeared in a flash.

"Takahiro, what did I tell you about leaving with strangers?" Naruto asked, sitting with him at the table.

"Not to go with them," Takahiro said.

"Then why did you go with him? He's dangerous," Naruto said seriously. He wanted to strangle the man.

The reason why was mainly resentment. Naruto had been six when his parents died. He'd been alone at home, reading. Then a huge wave of chakra, ominous chakra, radiated through the village. A few minutes later, Naruto was witnessing his parents give their final words to a crying baby. Minato looked up and saw Naruto and said, "I love you."

Then Minato sealed the Kyuubi away. However, Naruto didn't know that his father had sealed it away; perhaps it was a product of the Shiki Fuujin that it disappeared.

In a flash of light, the Kyuubi was gone and his parents were on the ground, Kushina, barely alive. Sarutobi and Naruto ran over, the latter with tears streaming down his face.

"His name is Takahiro…Naruto, protect him. I love you so much…" Kushina pulled him into a hug as Naruto hugged her hard, willing her soul to stay despite the growing bloodstain growing on his shirt telling him otherwise, that she'd die in his arms.

And die she did. He felt the strength leave her body and a bloodcurdling scream escaped his lips.

And for four years, Naruto did not see the Copy Ninja. Oh, he was sure Kakashi was the ANBU assigned to watch over them at night. And he was sure Kakashi was a coward who wouldn't approach them because "You remind me of Minato-sensei. The pain of seeing them when they were all I had after all the people I cared about died and you two only bring up regret."

But this was simply a theory. Naruto had no idea if that was the real reasoning behind why Kakashi never visited, but it didn't matter. Naruto is managing on his own and he didn't need a war-torn coward to make things worse.

And by 'make things worse' Naruto referred to the village's resentment towards Takahiro, who didn't notice…yet. Naruto wished the day he realized the village simply wanted him dead never came. But being a ninja meant that things never went the way one wants and the world would simply spiral into an uglier and crueler place.

For now, it was a birthday. October 10th, the day his parents died. The day when flashes of their blood-soaked bodies and clothes lay on the grass, lifeless.

Naruto shook his head. He had an innocent brother to take care of.

"Nii-chan?" Takahiro asked.

"I'm fine," Naruto said and got up abruptly and began to make anpan.

Takahiro sat in his chair uncomfortably. A few minutes of silence passed. Naruto knew the kid would complain about Naruto's strange behavior and Naruto had to focus on keeping his rage in check since he hadn't gotten over seeing Kakashi care for his brother who arguably looked more like Minato than he did.

"Nii-chan…do you not like Kakashi?" Takahiro asked.

"Takahiro…" Naruto tried to gather his words. "Let's just say we don't always get along. But if he's nice to you, you shouldn't let me get in the way of your friendship with him."

"But…Nii-chan should like all my friends because Nii-chan is my friend and if Kakashi is a friend, you two should be friends," Takahiro said.

"I'm sorry, Takahiro, we can't be friends," Naruto kneaded the dough until in every stroke; the dough would squeeze through his fingers.

"Why not?"

Naruto had tried to prepare himself for this question and was about to lash out when another voice came.

"Yeah, Naruto. Why not?" a male voice drawled. An arm leaned on the counter to observe the dough kneading process. Naruto stopped and turned to look at Kakashi, slowly.

"You know just as well as I do why we can't be friends," Naruto said lightly, trying not to scare Takahiro. Kakashi leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I understand you're only saying that because Takahiro is here. Send a clone to Training Ground 7."

Then Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

In the end, Naruto did not send a clone nor did he go in person. He laid out dinner for himself and Takahiro and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

"Itadakimasu," Takahiro said. Naruto whispered it under his breath. With that, the two began to eat and Naruto listened to him babble about ninjas and how many bowls of ramen he could eat in under ten minutes and how he's going to be great in the Academy and how all the girls were going to have the hugest crush on him.

"Did Nii-chan have girls who had a crush on him?" Takahiro suddenly stopped his monologue.

"Not really," Naruto said.

"Oh, and…Kakashi and I have request," Takahiro began to wring his hands and look away. Naruto raised a brow at this.

"What?" Naruto asked, preparing himself for the worst.

"Me and Kakashi—"

"Kakashi and I," Naruto corrected.

"Kakashi and I want you to tell me two things: why you don't like him and something about Tou-san and Kaa-san," Takahiro said, too quickly, too forced. Naruto felt another wave of nausea and resentment. Got to control it…

"I'll tell you as a bedtime story, okay?" Naruto almost choked on his rice; he'd shoveled it in his mouth in a last ditch effort to not answer Takahiro's question.

"Um…Kakashi told me that you'd say that and we want you to tell me right now," Takahiro said.

"Takahiro, I'm sorry. Not now," Naruto had his hair cover his eyes to prevent the look of pure anger from Takahiro.

"No, now!" Takahiro yelled, tears running down his face. Naruto got up and went face to face with Takahiro.

Takahiro flinched and he was scared; tears threatened to run down his strong older brother's face and Nii-chan used the special jutsu ninja use to move fast…what's wrong with telling me who Tou-san and Kaa-san are?

"Takahiro, I'll tell you when you're older. For now, eat," Naruto took the anpan out of the oven and handed him one. Takahiro ate with less enthusiasm than Naruto had expected.

After that, Naruto had Takahiro brush his teeth and go to bed. Naruto tucked him in and instead of telling him a story of the Shodai Hokage. Naruto watched as Takahiro fought sleep to listen to the story, but eventually succumbed. Once Takahiro wasn't going to wake up the moment Naruto stood, Naruto climbed out of the window.

Naruto jumped across rooftops and was soon at Training Ground 7. He tried to sense Kakashi's chakra, but it wasn't anywhere to be found. He flared his own chakra slightly, in case Kakashi was hiding.

"You came," Kakashi said, eye-smiling. "Now, what seems the problem?"

Naruto took a deep breath and sat on the grass. Kakashi followed suit.

"I'd say Takahiro looks more like Tou-san than I do. When they died, I never got any help from you, I never got a single word from you, not one gesture of caring or condolence. Then, if you're truly guilty for their deaths, why Takahiro? He looks more like a ghost of the past than I do," Naruto whispered.

"You're implying, 'Why not me?' right?" Kakashi asked. He didn't an answer, which he expected. "Well, you're right. I did feel guilty. I wanted to make up for it by making sure I didn't fail Sensei by abandoning both of his children. One is better than none and I'd say you turned out alright, even without me."

"That doesn't answer my question. Is the reason you still avoid me is the fact that you're now guilty for feeling guilty and not approaching me sooner?" Naruto glared.

Kakashi sighed and put a hand on his face. "Yes."

"And I suppose summoning me here now is you trying to make up for both Takahiro and I?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

Naruto sighed. "I suppose Tou-san would kick your ass and then hug you. Kaa-san would simply grind you to a pulp. Come on, I have leftover anpan."

Kakashi sat in shock. He didn't expect Naruto to forgive him so easily. But then again, Minato was awfully forgiving when it came to Kakashi. Perhaps it was because of his father's suicide?

"Sure," Kakashi stood and the two walked back to Naruto's apartment.

Naruto woke up to find a half eaten anpan in his hand and his arms resting on the table. He looked up and saw Kakashi in a similar state of confusion. Takahiro walked into the kitchen wearing his pajamas and rubbing his eyes. He turned and saw the Chuunin and Jounin.

"Nii-chan…are you friends with Kakashi now?" Takahiro asked.

The two exchanged looks and Naruto sighed. "Yeah." Kakashi eye-smiled.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Takahiro grinned and ran to get it. Naruto stretched and ran his fingers through his hair to untangle it.

A minute later, Naruto didn't hear Takahiro's voice conversing with the person at the door. He ran over and saw Takahiro gone. There was a note on the floor:

We took the demon burden off ya, Naruto. Hope you didn't grieve too much yesterday, seeing how it's yer father's death.

Naruto crumpled the paper in his hand.

"Kakashi-senpai, let's find Takahiro," Naruto growled. Kakashi and Naruto ran out of the apartment and created clones to search. The originals kept close.

"Did you find him?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, this way!" Kakashi jumped down from a rooftop and into an alley. Naruto landed in front of Takahiro, who was crying and bleeding.

"Did you…hurt him?" Naruto asked quietly. He held a three-pronged kunai in his hand tightly. Kakashi picked up Takahiro and carried him away before he could see Naruto beat the living daylights out of his kidnappers.

However, Kakashi was a second too late. Takahiro saw his brother disappear and reappear in a yellow flash and the kidnappers' bodies slam against the wall, creating cracks as blood spurted out of their mouths. Takahiro heard them ask Naruto why.

"Why protect him? He's a demon!" the man yelled.

"I'm not answering that!" Naruto yelled.

Before Naruto could kill him, a hand stopped him.

"Naruto," a clear voice shook him out of his rage.

"Itachi, I'm sorry," Naruto let the man go. He scrambled to get away and was gone in a moment.

"Are you okay?" Itachi placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto didn't respond. Tears ran down his face. Itachi's eyes widened.

"I hate this…Takahiro turned four yesterday and all I can do is make sure no one kills him. I wish I could kill them all," Naruto whispered.

"Nii-chan," Takahiro hugged his brother's leg. Naruto turned away to make sure he wouldn't see his tears. He wiped them quickly and looked at Takahiro.

"Nii-chan, why do they call me a demon?" Takahiro tugged at Naruto's hand. Naruto stood, not knowing what to say. However, before it became apparent Naruto wasn't going to tell him that either, another voice spoke to distract Takahiro.

"Nii-san, is this your friend?" a small boy held Itachi's hand.

"Yeah, this is Namikaze Naruto," Itachi said. "And that's Uzumaki Takahiro. Say hello."

"Hi," Sasuke said. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto and Itachi watched as their younger brothers began to form a friendship. Sasuke whispered something in Takahiro's ear and Takahiro whispered something back.

"Are you two, like, best friends?" Sasuke asked. Naruto and Itachi nodded.

"Teach us something cool!" the two four-year-olds begged.

"I'm sure Kakashi-senpai would be more than happy to teach you two," Naruto grinned and took Itachi's hand and disappeared. Kakashi stood, dumbfounded. Those two…