Disclaimer: (Insert random joke of not owning Naruto here). Sorry folks, nothing today. I do not own Naruto, or any of it's characters.

Glowing Embers in the Wind

Chapter Two: Family of My Own

Mikoto stood outside the lobby of the hospital, looking everynow and then at the red light above the door that signaled the emergency room being used. She turned to the sleeping form of Sasuke and Naruto, who had come along out of fear that Itachi would not make it through the treatment. She thanked the heavens above for the blonde boy's impeccable timing for the tenth time that night, Naruto truly saved all of them last night.

Another fifteen minutes passed before the light went off, and Mikoto slowly got up, making sure not to disturb the two sleeping boys. She waited until the door opened, and a medic nin walked out. He appeared tired, but a small smile was on his face, "Uchiha-san?" she nodded, "Itachi's going to make a full recovery. He'll need to rest for a day or two before he can return to service, and about one week until he is able to rejoin ANBU forces."

She let out a breath, and looked up, "Is there any chance that we can see him?"

The medic nodded, "Certainly, once we get him to his room, we'll allow you a few minutes to see him."

A few minutes later, a receptionist lead the Uchiha matriarch and the two sleepy eight year old boys to a room in the recovery wing. They opened the door, and on a bed with a few bandages was Itachi, "Itachi!" she practically ran up and held him in her arms. He gently patted her back.

"It's allright, Kaa-san, the doctor's said I'll be fine." he spoke in his usual quiet tone. She nodded, thankful that he was still the same boy she always knew. She took a step back and brushed a few tears out of her eyes. Sasuke walked up to him and smiled.

"Nii-san...you're okay?" the younger Uchiha asked, and Itachi nodded with a small smile.

"Sasuke, I'm proud of what you did today. It was proof that you're truly capable to be a Leaf ninja to stand up against someone to protect others..." he spoke quietly, and smirked as Sasuke let a small grin cross his face through some unshed tears, "...we'll have to work on that stealth of yours though..."

Naruto stood to the back, not really sure if he should make his presence known. He suddenly noticed the three family members looking at him, "Um...what's wrong?"

Itachi spoke, "Naruto...thank you. You may have very well saved my life tonight." Naruto looked down, not used to being thanked by anyone, let alone Itachi. He shuffled his feet nervously, and felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He stiffened, but then noticed it was Mikoto.

"Naruto, I owe you a debt I don't think I can ever pay...for saving my sons' lives and my own...thank you." she let a few tears fall quietly, and she tightened a bit, and Naruto slowly wrapped his small arms around the woman's frame, not sure what to do. He heard her laugh, albeit a hint of sadness was in her tone, "Naruto-kun, haven't you ever been hugged before?" she already knew the answer, and frowned a bit when he shook his head. This was only his second one tonight, both had come from the dark haired woman before him, "Well, I want you to know that I deeply care about you, and tonight I think has shown me just how brave you are."

Naruto blushed a bit, being affected by another foreign feeling; pride. He never had that before, but recieving those words from Itachi and Mikoto made him feel warm on the inside, something he wasn't sure he felt before, "Thank you...Mikoto-san."

She laughed, "Mikoto is fine, Naruto, you know that." he nodded, and apologized, and she sighed, "You don't need to apologize for something like that either, Naruto. Just remember that, okay?"

Naruto nodded again, and let out a yawn, and Sasuke followed suit as well. It had been a long and very stressful night. She was pretty sure that tomorrow would be worse, once the results finally kicked in for the family. She cringed at having to face that, and shook the thought out for now. She would worry later when she got home...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The funeral had been long, and very hard for Sasuke and his family. He was however happy to see that he still had some family left, and his friend Naruto. Itachi stood on a crutch by his mother, facing the pictures of the numerous members of his clan. He did not cry, and did not feel weak. He felt guilty for not being able to save them, that much was true. That arrogant smirk on Shisui's face flashed in his mind all of the sudden. He gripped his crutch a tad bit tighter, but killed the anger; he knew all to well that letting emotions get to an individual at such a time could be bad.

The Uchiha heir looked down, and felt all his negativity dissapear as he gazed upon the faces of his little brother and young friend Naruto. His mother was shedding silent tears, and he frowned with a hint of sadness. He wasn't sad for the lossess...well, some of the deaths were indeed saddening. He would miss his aunt and uncle, that was true. His father though...he didn't feel sorrow for Fugaku's loss. In truth, most of the Uchiha were very arrogant. He hated that arrogancy, but as always there were exceptions. Sasuke was an example, and so was his mother. He found it ironic that two people he cared for had survived the massacre.

The Hokage spoke a few words, and a funeral pyre was lit in honor of the fallen clan members. The skies were sunny though, and a light breeze blew by. Itachi noticed a few rays of light fall on Naruto's face. The boy looked up to the sky, and a small grin crossed his face as a few birds flew by, chirping quietly. Itachi smiled a bit; it was almost symbolic in a way. The boy who suffered so much was able to bring light to the dreary clan. He then remembered the words his mother and him exchanged earlier today, and he smiled softly as he turned back to the funeral pyre. Indeed, Naruto would be bringing more light to their lives, if things went accordingly.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Several days had passed since the funeral, and Mikoto had requested a meeting with the Sandaime. She said it had to do with family matters, though that was all she said. Now she was facing the elderly village leader, who had a small smile on his face, a flash of sympathy in his eyes as she looked upon his leathery features, "Mikoto-san, how are you and the family doing?"

She sighed, "We're managing fine I guess. We'll be continuing to hold the main house for our clan, but the other buildings were still thinking about whether to sell them off or hold onto them...but that's besides the point right now. I'm going to go out and state my purpose for being here right now," she composed herself, "Hokage-sama...I wish to adopt Naruto Uzumaki into my family."

For all the years of his life that he shared with Naruto, he never expected this to happen. He looked at her, reading her features, and sensing no deception in her eyes. She gave off the feeling of determination, and he already knew that she was perfect for the orphan Jinchuuriki. He wanted to test her anyway, and maybe inform her of what she was getting herself into with the blonde, "Really now? Well, I sure hope that you can provide for him."

Mikoto nodded, "Hokage-sama, Itachi and I have already talked about this, and as clan heir he feels that Naruto would be a wonderul addition to our family. Sasuke, while he is a bright and intelligent boy, still needs a friend. Naruto and him are best of friends, and even though they argue sometimes, I think they would be happy with this."

Sarutobi nodded, "Hm...just how well do you know Naruto, though?"

Mikoto seemed to take the challenge happily, "Naruto loves ramen more than any other meal, but he says my beef stew draws a close second. He enjoys being outside whenever he can, and loves the color orange to unhealthy level, but I love him for that," she smiled a bit before continuing, "While he does seem to be enjoying his Academy classes a bit more since he met Sasuke, he's still not doing as well as I believe he could. Itachi and Sasuke are trying to help him when they can. Let's see...Naruto's birthday is on the tenth of October, but he doesn't tell anyone that though. He feels that he shouldn't bother others with his life, or that's the impression I've gotten anyway. That's unfair though...every boy should get to celebrate his birthday..."

Sarutobi nodded, "Mikoto...I hope you understand that taking Naruto in may bring some unwelcome hostility to your clan...but I'm sure you were already aware of this..."

Mikoto nodded, "Yes, I am. I see Naruto as family though, and I can't stand to think that he has no one to come home to everyday after the Academy lets out. I only wish I had been able to help him sooner."

The Third smiled, "Very well, I'll have you sign the proper documents..." he sighed softly, "You do realize how much this is going to shake him, don't you? He's never had anyone willing offer to take him in as a part of the family."

Mikoto laughed, "He's got a big heart, I can only imagine what he'll do. He's so kind for a boy that's gone through such things...though I guess a future Hokage needs that kind of personality."

Sarutobi looked up, and gave the Uchiha matriarch a genuine smile, "So...you've heard of his dream?"

"Yes, and I truly think he could achieve it if he wanted."

"What about Itachi and Sasuke?" the Third asked with a raised a eyebrow, and was surprised to see her simply shrug.

"I know Itachi isn't interested in that position, and if Sasuke wishes to achieve that title someday, then he'll be having some serious competition from Naruto. Though I guess that's a good thing; having a rival can be quite rewarding to shinobi." Mikoto finished as Sarutobi handed her the proper papers. She signed over the lines, and gave the Third her word that she would care for Naruto. Then she recieved several scrolls, and she raised an eyebrow, "Hokage-sama, what are these?"

Sarutobi smiled again, "Naruto's family heirlooms...well, they're actually just the few positions that his parents had left to him."

Mikoto's eyes widened, "You mean...you knew of his parents this whole time and-"

Sarutobi raised a hand, and she quieted down, "Mikoto, open the scroll, and read over it. I'm sure you'll understand...since I believe you fought in the Third Shinobi War for awhile before giving birth to Itachi."

Mikoto slowly opened the seal on the scroll, and noticed the rather official look it had, something you would expect to see from the Hokage himself. She noticed a seal on the paper, and she looked to see Sarutobi nod. She let some chakra flow through the seal, and a single letter popped out. She took one look at the envelope, and immediately gasped upon seeing the seal with the kanji for 'fourth' on it. She gave the elderly man a nervous look, and he simply gestured for her to open the letter.

She opened the letter, and noticed the writing was rather hasty on the letter, yet it seemed to carry some urgency as she scanned over it:

To the future parent(s) of my son,

First off, I would like to give you my deepest, heartfelt thanks. I'm sure you know about Naruto's 'condition'. As an expression of my thanks, I wish to give you a small sum of money to help you care for him (Mikoto almost dropped the letter as she counted off the zeroes). Above all else, I ask you to love him as a parent normally would with a child of theirs. I have only barely set eyes on my son, and I can only imagine that he'll grow up to be like me and my wife. If that is the case, then I'm sure he will love you like a family.

Another thing I would like to address is the family treasures and heirlooms that Naruto will inherit when he either marries or reaches seventeen years of age, whichever comes first. First off is the numerous scrolls of mine and his mothers being held safely within the Hokage's personal library. Secondly is the Namikaze estate (Mikoto looked at the name again, and took a few seconds to compose herself), and all the property on it. The key to the house is held within one of the seals in this very scroll. However, a seal is also on the doors of the estate's entrance, and only Naruto or the current Hokage will be able to access the house. Lastly is a letter addressed to Naruto. I would greatly appreciate it if you don't show him this letter until he's old enough to understand things better.

I have only one small request, and while it isn't of dire importance, I would like it if Naruto be allowed to keep his last name. Kushina was a wonderful women, and I want him to have something to carry on of hers. However, please try and keep him from knowing of my relation to him; I gained many enemies in my lifetime, and if any found out that I had a son, I fear that Naruto's life would be in danger.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Kushina and I owe you a thanks that we cannot give you personally. Pleas accept the money and few items sealed within here as a token of our appreciation and gratitude. May you live happily, and take good care of Naruto.

Sincerely,

Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure

Mikoto silently set the letter down, and took a moment to collect her thoughts. She felt a migraine coming, and was surprised to see Sarutobi offer her a small saucer of sake, "I felt the same way the night Minato died to seal the Kyuubi within his son. Here take a drink, it'll calm you down."

Mikoto sighed, and took the sake from the man. She drank it down slowly, and then looked at him, "We've all dishonored Minato horribly..." she spoke sadly, "I'm glad I can at least try and start to make up for it."

Sarutobi gave the woman a serene look, "Indeed. I can assume that you're shocked by how much money you've recieved. Before you protest, stop. I'm not taking the money from you; it was in Minato's will that whomever should adopt Naruto recieve the money, and use it to help provide for the family. I know the Uchiha already have a sufficient amount of fortune, but if anything you can save it for Naruto until he's older."

The Uchiha matriarch smiled, "Hokage-sama, thank you. I promise to care for Naruto as if he were my own son...well, I already do, but I'll continue to do so."

Sarutobi gave her a grin, "Thank you, Mikoto. You've given a boy a family, and a place to call home. Now then, how would you like to arrange his move from his apartment? I can have several ANBU move his-"

"That won't be necessary, Hokage-sama. Itachi is already on top of things. He apparantly has a small group ready to do so as soon as I notify him." she smiled as she got up, and gave a curt bow, "By the way, Hokage-sama, I'll be scheduling to meet with you in regards to my reinstatement as a part-time Jounin of Konoha sometime with in the next month or so." and with that, she left to leave Sarutobi in a state of surprise and mild joy. Looks like things were turning out okay for the Uchiha clan, despite all that had happened.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Itachi was walking through the park of Konoha, doing a simple patrol. He had been given permission to ditch the crutch, and did so immediately. He was now in his normal Chunin outfit, listening to the sounds of citizens and off-duty shinobi as they walked through the peaceful scenery. Itachi, while a Chunin, was one of a small handful that was also part of ANBU. As a result, he had developed a sense of recognizing others within the group of shinobi under the Hokage's direct command.

"Hello, Kakashi-sempai." spoke Itachi, and an ANBU with silver hair and a dog mask appeared out of nowhere next to him.

"How are you holding up, Itachi?" the man asked, walking up to put a hand on the Uchiha's shoulder.

"Fine. I'll be returning to ANBU duty within a week or so. In the meantime, I'll be patrolling and helping my brother and our soon-to-be brother train." the Uchiha replied.

The silver haired man tilted his head, and Itachi seemed to feel the curiousity coming off of the older man, "Naruto Uzumaki is going to be adopted into our family."

Kakashi let out a gasp, 'Sensei's son? Naruto?' Kakashi nodded, "That's great. Naruto Uzumaki...hm, I remember him. He's a troublemaker at times, but I can tell he's a good kid at heart. I've helped him out a few times when he got in trouble, much to the chagrin of several villagers and shinobi. Poor kid's had a tough life..."

Itachi nodded, both knowing the hidden meaning behind those words, 'Because of something that he has no control over.' Itachi spoke again, "Sempai...I take it your mission went well?"

Kakashi shrugged, "Could have been better, but we did okay. A few missing-nin to take care of in the area, track down a large sized bandit group. Nothing too special..." Kakashi shrugged, "I'm thinking of hanging up the mask for good in another year or so. It was all good and what not in my younger days, but serving as an ANBU and switching off as Jounin instructor every other year doesn't help. I still haven't seen anything worth my time yet in the younger generations. I'm afraid the idea of teamwork just doesn't seem to be that important to these kids."

Itachi smirked, "Hm...wait another three or four years...Naruto and Sasuke will be Genin, and they will pass. In fact...I think you could even pass them."

Kakashi caught on to the challenge, "Itachi...are you making a bet with me?"

Itachi shrugged, "I'm simply saying that Naruto and Sasuke will make great students, even if they were under your instruction during that infamous bell test of yours."

Kakashi laughed, "Very well, I'll make a bet out of this. If you're right, and I get either one of them as a student and pass them, I'll stop reading Icha Icha for one month."

Itachi new that for Kakashi to say that meant he was serious, and confident, "Fine. If you're right, and neither of them is passed if they're made your students, I'll cut my hair."

Neither of them said a thing, and nodded. Before Kakashi could go, however, Itachi spoke again, "Oh, by the way, Kakashi-sempai, if it wouldn't be much trouble, I'd like you to stop by my family's house later. We're going to need help moving Naruto's things, and I think Sasuke and Naruto would like to meet you."

Kakashi smiled behind his dog mask, "Sounds good, I'll see you around five then."

"Actually, we would prefer you there around three or so." Itachi said. Kakashi nodded, and jumped off into the trees. Itachi smirked; Kakashi would be at the house around five or so for dinner and to help move Naruto's things afterwards.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto and Sasuke were heading out to play on the swing set for an hour before Itachi came to pick them up at the end of his patrol duty. Sasuke had already found his preferred swing, and Naruto was about to go down a slide when he heard some crying, followed by the laughter of several girls. It was very faint, but he heard it.

He looked across the playground to see a group of kids standing in a corner of the playground, all surrounding a girl with a red ribbon in her hair, and the most beautiful pink hair he ever layed eyes on. It was Sakura Haruno! He never actually introduced himself to her, but he found out her name when a boy named Shikamaru Nara told him that she was friends with a girl named Ino, who the lazy boy claimed was a 'troublesome girl his family knew'.

Sakura was crying while kids were laughing at her. Naruto looked to Sasuke, "Hey, Sasuke, I'll be right back, I got to check something."

Sasuke, being the kid he was, knew Naruto didn't just go to 'check something'. He got down from the swing, and groaned as Naruto headed off to the crowd of kids. He was going to get beat up again...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Tch, you're nothing without Ino around, Forehead Girl!" said a girl, and a few kids laughed at the joke. Sakura kept her head down, and just waited for them to go away. Usually the boys would leave her alone after awhile, but sometimes the girls would push her around. Ino was sick today, so Sakura had no one to stand up to them. That was what she thought anyway...

"Hey, leave her alone! Her forehead is just fine! A lot nicer than yours is anyway!" spoke up a voice from behind the group of kids. Sakura looked up to see a blonde haired boy with a white t-shirt and black short with three whisker marks on each cheek. He looked royally ticked off, but she noticed it wasn't at her that he was directing his anger...wait, was he...standing up for her?

"Oh great, it's the loser!" shouted one boy. A few of the other boys laughed, and began to pound their fists into their hands, "Get lost, idiot, or we'll have to beat you up again like last week."

Naruto didn't budge, "Leave her alone then!"

A few of the girls stepped next to the boys, "What does it matter? It's not like she knows you or anything. Mind your own business!"

Naruto grinned at the remark, "Well, I don't like bullies, and it seems you guys are bullying her. That makes it my business. Besides, some day I'm going to be Hokage, and if I can't defend someone who's getting ganged up on, then I don't deserve the title Hokage. Now leave her alone!"

The boys laughed and ran at Naruto. Now, Naruto was tough, that wasn't a lie. However, he wasn't the greatest of fighters, so he was soon sporting a broken lip, and a black eye. The boys punched and kicked him in the gut as the girls laughed before they left...or so they thought, "Hey, what did you do to Naruto?"

The boys and girls all stopped short and looked to see Sasuke Uchiha standing next to a beaten Naruto, "Why do you care about him? He's a loser!" a boy replied, albeit a bit cautiously. Sasuke was at the top of the class; no one really wanted to get on his bad side. A few of the girls were blushing while they looked at him.

"Get out of here, and be thankful I don't beat you up myself." Sasuke said in that 'you don't want to drag this on if you know what's good for you' tone. The boys all but sprinted out of the playground, while the girls hesitantly did so while stealing glances back every now and then. Sasuke sighed, "Geez, Naruto. Kaa-san's going to rip you a new one for getting beat up again. You better hope she's in a good mood and not serving that casserole you hate so much tonight." While Naruto wasn't a family member yet, technically speaking, he did eat over at the Uchiha's quite a bit, at least whenever Fugaku had been on a mission.

Naruto laughed, "Heh, I'm okay Sasuke. How's Sakura doing?"

Sasuke looked over to see the pink haired girl that he knew Naruto had a crush on walking over tentatively. He noticed that while she seemed hesitant at first, she wasn't really paying attention to Sasuke, or blushing, 'Good, looks like she actually has more on her mind than dating...' Sasuke said, suddenly seeing why she was so smart. She did have the best grades in history and in tests in most cases.

"Is he okay?" she asked, kneeling down to take a look at him. She gasped as she noticed his bruised face. She dug into her pockets, and pulled out a guaze pad and some tape, "Here, hold still. I'm going to put this on that huge bruise on your cheek." she didn't even wait for an answer from him as she began to apply the gauze to his face. He was blushing like mad the whole time, yet she seemed unaware of it.

He smiled at her after she was done, "Thanks..." he looked at the ground for a minute, then grinned, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Sakura nodded, "I'm Sakura Haruno."

After Naruto was able to stand up, he sighed, "Sorry about those jerks. To be honest, I think they're just jealous of you." he laughed, and Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean?" she asked, and noticed Naruto began to blush and sputter out incoherent words.

"Well, uh...you see...I...I..." Naruto began to rub his head and look at the ground, and Sakura was growing worried that maybe he got a concussion when Saskue elbowed him in the side, "I think you're pretty, gah!" he took a step back as he realized he said those words out loud, and looked to see Sasuke smirking.

Sakura looked at the blonde, and she felt something swell inside of her. She felt something like this before when she made friends with Ino last year...but this feeling was a bit different. A boy said she was pretty. A boy! She let a small, shy smile grace her lips, and thought about what Ino said to do when a boy says that to you.

Naruto had his eyes closed, and was sweating like it was the middle of summer because of his embarassment. He suddenly felt a quick, feather light touch on his cheek. He looked slowly to see Sakura pulling back, batting her eyes at him a little. She had a mild blush on her face, and would have made even Itachi go 'Awww!' because of how adorable she looked. Naruto's face heated up, and he did the only thing he knew how to do in such a situation. Laugh like an idiot and grin like he had won the lottery.

Sakura shuffled her feet a bit, and looked up with those emerald orbs, suddenly feeling a bit shaky, "Um...I'll see you tomorrow...Naruto..."

"O-okay, um...Sakura-chan..." he said, and before anything further could be said, she scurried out of the playground while stealing glances every now and then while giggling.

"Man, you just dug yourself a huge hole, Naruto." spoke the drawling voice of Shika. Chouji gave a nod as Akamaru barked.

"Hahaha! Naruto, you got kissed by a girl!" Kiba laughed as he pointed at Naruto. Naruto yelled, 'So?!' and Kiba only further laughed at the blonde.

Sasuke sighed, "Come on, enough being stupid. I still have to beat you guys at climbing the big tree over there." Kiba and Naruto bristled as Sasuke indirectly insulted them, while Shikamaru sighed and Chouji finished his bag to go and join them. Soon the five were playing together on the giant tree like any group of friends would.

An hour passed, and Sasuke and Naruto heard the familiar voice of Itachi, "Sasuke, Naruto, it's time to go."

The two boys said their goodbyes to Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji, and made their way down the tree. The minute Naruto was in sight of Itachi, he felt the older boy's eyes on him, "Um, what's wrong, Itachi?"

Itachi said nothing, and walked up to Naruto. He activated his Sharingan, and after a quick scan of his face and body, nodded to himself before deactivating his bloodline, "Naruto, what have I said about getting into fights?"

Naruto quickly objected, "The kids were teasing, Sakura-chan, and I told them to stop! I swear, I didn't try and start a fight! I was just sticking up for her!"

Itachi's dull expression became curious, "So you were sticking up for someone? Hm...I guess that's a bit more excusable."

"I had to bail him out in the end, though." Sasuke added, earning a 'Hmmph!' from the blonde.

"Well, at least you covered that bruise of his, Sasuke. I'm sure that Kaa-san would have down the same though." Itachi added.

"Sasuke didn't do it, Itachi! Naruto's girlfriend put that guaze pad on his face!" came the voice of Kiba as he and Akamaru came down from the tree, followed by Chouji and Shikamaru.

"Really? So, Sakura-chan's your girlfriend now?" Itachi asked, and was rewarded with a growl from Naruto.

"Grrr! She's not my girlfriend! She's just a girl that I think is pretty who is my friend!" Naruto said, and this got a laugh out of everyone, even the stoic Itachi.

"Yeah, she even kissed him!" Chouji added, and the younger boys laughed while Naruto simply stuck his nose in the air with his arms crossed.

Itachi stood back up and nodded to Kiba, Shika, and Chouji, "Well, you three have a good night. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Itachi!" came the chorus from the three boys, and with that, Naruto, Sasuke, and Itachi headed to the Uchiha compound. All the way there, Itachi couldn't help but wonder how Naruto would react to the news he would recieve tonight.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The minute Sasuke walked into the door, he was barraged with a hug from his mother and a few kisses on the cheeks. Sasuke groaned, but didn't fight back; he did love his mother regardless of how tough he tried to act. She gave Itachi a hug, which he barely returned, and she was used to this. Her boys both loved her, and she knew this.

When she caught sight of Naruto's face, she gasped, "Naruto-kun, what happened? Who did this to you?" she came up and noticed the guaze pad was placed over a bruise (which was almost healed by now). She also noticed a small scratch over his lip seemed to have healed over. She silently reminded herself that Naruto had a rapid healing rate due to the Kyuubi within him.

Naruto and Sasuke gave a quick run down of what had happened, and as soon as Naruto mentioned Sakura putting the pad on his bruise, Mikoto let out a motherly 'Awww, how sweet of her.' Mikoto had the chance of seeing the pink-haired girl. She had to admit, Naruto sure picked the right girl as his first crush. She made a mental note to find out more about Sakura Haruno later on.

Dinner was good, and Itachi even talked every now and then. As dinner came close to ending, a knock was heard at the door. Itachi got up to answer, and he nodded as he noticed who it was, "Ah, Kakashi-sempai, come in."

A man with a green Jounin vest and spiky silver hair walked in. He wore a mask covering his face, and had his hitai-ite covering up his left eye, "Sorry, I was running late. I helped a little girl find her lost puppy and ended up-"

"Kakashi, you really need to work on your lies better." came the voice of Mikoto. Kakashi chuckled a bit, and gave the woman a polite bow, which she returned.

Naruto and Sasuke peeked around the corner, and Kakashi noticed them, "Ah, so these two must be Sasuke and Naruto." Kakashi gave them a polite wave, and the two boys walked out into the hall where the others were.

"Sasuke, Naruto, this is Kakashi Hatake. He's a Jounin and a friend of Itachi's that he sometimes works with." Mikoto explained, and the two boys both gave a polite 'hello' to the older man.

Mikoto looked to Itachi and Kakashi, and the two nodded. Kakashi walked over to the boys, and each put a hand on their heads, "What do you say we go into the living room? I'm not that hungry right now anyway."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto was sitting on the floor with Sasuke while Mikoto, Itachi, and Kakashi sat facing them on the other side. Mikoto felt nervous; she really wanted this to go well, but she couldn't be sure how Naruto and Sasuke would react, "So...Naruto-kun...how do you like spending time here?'

Naruto grinned, "I like it here a lot, Mikoto! The place is so big, and I spending time with Itachi and Sasuke is fun! You're a great cook too, almost as good as the old man at Ichiraku's!"

Mikoto giggled a bit, and smiled, feeling sure that she had made the right choice, "Well...Naruto-kun, how would you like to stay here from now on?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side, then a light bulb seemed to turn on, "You mean, like pay to have a room here?"

Itachi decided to explain, "We mean for you to live with us as a family, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened, "A...f-family?"

Sasuke, on the other hand, was standing up, "Can Naruto really stay with us? Like, live here from now on?" He was trying to hide his excitement, but he really liked the idea of having his best friend live with his family. The boy was already like a second brother to the younger Uchiha.

"I talked to the Hokage, Naruto...he said it's okay to adopt you, and I signed all the papers saying it's okay. I just want to make sure you are happy with this before we move your things here." Mikoto explained further. She saw Naruto tearing up, and he tried to hide it.

"I...I would r-really like that...if it's okay with you..." he looked down, and tears were visible as they hit the matted floor, "...you really want me to be part of your family?"

Mikoto smiled, and instead she walked over to the boy and wrapped him in a hug, "Naruto, nothing would make me happier in regards to you than if you became a part of our family." She smiled as she felt him shake a bit as he sobbed.

Sasuke, while usually not a very expressive boy with emotions like sadness, joy, and excitement, was smiling, "Hey, Nii-san, does that mean I'm an older brother now?"

Itachi smirked a bit, "Yes, you are older than Naruto by a few months, so you are technically an older brother to Naruto now."

Naruto took the oppurtunity to stick his tongue out at the youngest Uchiha, but then smiled as he wiped away a few tears, "So...does that mean you're my mom now?" he asked, looking up at Mikoto with a weak smile. She nodded before hugging him again, a few tears in her own eyes.

Kakashi, Itachi, and Naruto quickly went to Naruto's apartment and sealed the few belongings he had into a couple of scrolls. Mikoto, along with Sasuke's help, cleared a guest room for Naruto to have. That night at the Uchiha clan household was filled with laughter as the bright and cheerful Naruto was taken into the the Uchiha clan as a son and brother.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi stood outside the Uchiha clan house entrance as Mikoto and Itachi followed him out. He turned to them both and smiled under his mask, "You know, I think I'm going to retire from ANBU next week..." spoke the silver haired nin.

Mikoto raised an eyebrow, "Really? Why would that be?"

Itachi and him shared a silent conversation with their eyes, and Kakashi shrugged, "Hm, I don't know. I guess I need to lay back for awhile. Those constant missions are starting to wear me down. I think I might just settle back to elite Jounin status." he gave them a wave, "If you ever need help, you know where to find me."

Mikoto and Itachi nodded, and with that, Kakashi dissapeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'll get the two off to bed." Itachi said as he headed inside.

"Itachi," Mikoto called back.

"Yes, Kaa-san?"

"Are you aware of Naruto's heritage?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama informed me ealier today after you stopped by to sign the adoption papers. I must say, I'm quite surprised. He'll be keeping his own clan name, I assume?"

Mikoto nodded, "Yes, but he is still a part of our family."

Itachi laughed, "I must admit, he'll be quite a handful. However, I find his attitude to be a welcome change around here..." he was quiet for a few seconds, "I only hope that perhaps the village will start to see him in a new light...did you know he got a kiss from that Sakura girl today?"

Mikoto turned to her eldest son, "Did he now? I imagine he enjoyed it."

Itachi shrugged, "Sasuke and Naruto's friends gave him trouble, but I think Naruto liked it either way."

Mikoto smiled, and walked inside. Tomorrow she would take Naruto shopping and get hims some new clothes and a few other things he would need. She felt a little better since the attack now that she had a new addition to the family.

Indeed...life was looking better for the Uchiha clan...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Four years later

Naruto was sitting in the kitchen eating a bowl of oatmeal with apple slices and some brown sugar. He had been making breakfast for himself, since his mother was busy in the morning with her part-time duty as a kunoichi again. Sasuke was an early riser, and was usually up at the crack of dawn. Itachi would sometimes eat with Naruto if he had time off from ANBU. Four years ago, Naruto would have probably said that he would never have been part of a family, let alone one like the Uchiha. However, here he was in the main household kitchen, eating oatmeal at a slow pace.

Naruto was still the same goof that he always had been, but unlike when he was younger, he only pulled pranks to get even with people instead of to get attention. Naruto wore a dark blue wind-breaker designed for shinobi, with a few stripes of orange running down the arms and sides. His pants were a dark blue as well, with similar orange stripes running down the sides of them. On shoulders he had the Uchiha crest, courtesy of Mikoto. However, he also had a spiral design on the back in bright orange, a design he for some reason had found that he was quite fond of. It was his favorite jacket, and while it did have bits of orange in it, it was deemed appropriate enough to be considered shinobi attire in Itachi's eyes. Now if only Naruto's love for orange were fixed...

Sasuke walked in, and spotted his brother and his blonde hair slumped over the chair at the table. Sasuke had breakfast almost two hours ago, and they would have to be at the Academy in an hour. They usually left together, and for good reason. It was more for Sasuke's benefit than Naruto's; even the great Sasuke Uchiha needed help with his fangirl problem. Naruto was a natural at henging, and he managed to usually fool the girls when taking on the appearance of the Uchiha. They would split apart when being chased, and manage to lose the girls within a few minutes at max.

"Naruto, come on, we need to get going soon." Sasuke said, recieving a wave of acknowledgment from the blonde.

"I know, just give me a few minutes to finish my breakfast." Naruto wolfed down the last few bites, and quickly rinsed his plate off before setting it in the sink. The two boys then walked out, and headed towards the academy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura Haruno stood patiently outside the flower shop for her best friend, Ino. They would then wait for Naruto and Sasuke to both arrive, usually from different directions, and leave together for the Academy.

"Hey, Forehead." Ino said casually, and Sakura waved Ino to Ino with a smile.

"So...you think that we can seriously pass the exam today? I mean...we studied all last night...but, Iruka-sensei never told us what was going to be on the test..." Sakura said as the two girls waited.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully it will be something easy like handling weapons, because I'm still not one hundred percent sure about Konoha history." Ino replied.

The sound of feet landing to their left got both girls to turn. Sasuke stood their, panting a bit, and he grinned, "Hey, Sakura-chan, Ino."

Both girls rolled their eyes, and Sakura spoke with a laugh, "Geez, Naruto. Were the fangirls that bad today? Man, I hate to see them on the way home today..."

Sasuke laughed, and with a puff of smoke, Naruto Uzumaki appeared. Seconds later, Sasuke casually rounded a corner with both hands in his pockets. He smirked at Naruto, "Geesh, that redhead almost got you today." Naruto sighed.

"You know, if you would just tell them to back off, maybe they would stop chasing you." Naruto said, "The only reason I do this is because you're family, you know."

Sasuke groaned, "I've tried telling them to leave me alone. They don't listen, or they think I'm just playing hard to get. I swear, I don't get you girls sometimes..."

Ino and Sakura both shrugged, "Hey, at least we're not chasing you around the village."

Sasuke chuckled a bit, "You don't chase me because you've got Naruto wrapped around your finger, Sakura." This got a blush from the pink haired girl and blonde, and a Ino giggled a bit.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about, Sasuke. Naruto and I are just really close friends." she said, but couldn't help but look at Naruto as she said this. He gave a (very) unconvincing nod, and she fought down her Inner Self from breaking through and making her yell that Naruto and her simply weren't ready to date yet...even after four years as best friends. Truth be told, Sakura was very fond of Naruto. She was one of the few people that had seen the real him. Aside from the Uchihas, Iruka-sensei, and the few close friends that Naruto made, everyone continued to see him as the idiotic kid who barely made it in class.

Ino shook her head and said something that sounded like "Denial..." but Sakura didn't really care. Ino had been telling Sakura to just start dating the blonde, but neither her nor Naruto, despite the obvious fact that they cared for each other, were quite sure they should be boyfriend and girlfriend.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The four Academy students walked into the classroom, and Sasuke immediately felt the eyes on him. Naruto snickered, and Sasuke shot him a disgruntled look before letting a smirk cross his face; Naruto found the whole situation with the girls to be quite funny. Aside from Sakura, Ino, well, Ino sometimes flirted, and Hinata, every girl worshipped the ground the Uchiha walked on. Naruto was just glad that Sasuke and him were family, otherwise all the jabs he made at Sasuke would be grounds for the girls to attack each other.

"All right class, as you can probably guess, today is your final exam. Pass, and you'll be made into Genin. Fail, and you'll have to go back to the Academy for another year." spoke Iruka, and he looked over his clipboard, "Now then, I'll read your names off, and you are to report to the side room where you'll be asked to perform a the Bunshin no Jutsu..." he called off the first name, and a random boy walked out the door to take the test.

Naruto was panicking, "Aw crud, not that! I stink at the Bunshin no Jutsu..." Naruto slumped in his chair, beating his head against the table surface.

"Naruto, calm down, panicking won't help you." Sasuke said, while deep down he knew just how bad Naruto's situation was. Even after all the extra training with Itachi, their mother, and Kakashi, Naruto's chakra control was next to abysmal. The one upside of this was that he had so much chakra he could waste it like no tomorrow performing techniques.

Sakura looked to in front of her, and frowned. As bad as he was in class, he was a good shinobi in training. He was the only one in class that could remain hidden during stealth drills until Iruka had to go looking for him. Sasuke was the only other one that came close to finding him, and that was only half the time that he was able to locate the blonde.

As the names were called off, it soon came down to Naruto's turn. Sasuke was holding his Leaf hitai-ite, and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Naruto...even if you don't pass...it doesn't mean you're a failure. Remember what Nii-san always said..."

Naruto nodded, "I know, "A ninja never stops learning, even at old age. If they do, then they won't last long in battle." Well..." Naruto gripped his fists tightly, and sighed, "Here goes nothing..."

Sakura, who was also fastening her hitai-ite to her forehead, watched as Naruto walked out the door, "Naruto...do your best..."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Naruto stood there with his head looking down, and he quickly dispelled his second attempt at a Bunshin no Jutsu.

"I'm sorry, Naruto...but you fail..." Iruka said as he felt his own face drop to a frown. He truly liked Naruto, despite the fact that he was a class clown. He knew deep down that underneath all those grins was a boy who had dealt with serious loneliness, and only because of a small group of people was he slowly becoming a better person.

"Okay..." Naruto said hollowly, and walked out with a slump in his shoulders. He didn't even bother going back to the classroom, and simply went to his usual spot on the swing outside. Iruka sighed as he left. Mizuki let a small smirk form on his face.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sasuke walked out to see Naruto sitting under the shady tree, pushing back gently as he watched all the parents congratulating their children for graduating. He then saw his mother and older brother walk into the Academy grounds.

"Sasuke, great job! I knew you could do it..." she suddenly paused when she noticed a certain blond was missing, "Where's Naruto...?"

Sasuke looked over to said boy, and Mikoto followed. She suddenly understood what was going on, and sighed with a hint of sadness. She walked over to the boy, and she noticed him look up before he looked back down in shame.

"I failed...horribly..." Naruto said, and she sensed the self-loathing in his voice as he said those words. She wrapped her arms around her adopted son, and cradled him as he merely sat there, silent and unmoving, "I failed...again..."

"Shh, don't say such things. You're not a failure in my eyes, Naruto, nor Sasuke's or Itachi's. You are who you are, and we know how talented you are. I'm sure that you'll do well next year..." Mikoto had half a mind to request Naruto to be brought up to Genin level by the Hokage himself, but she knew that the chances were slim to none, even if Sarutobi cared for the boy.

"Kaa-san's right, Naruto," spoke a familiar voice, and Naruto looked up, only to frown some more, feeling even more ashamed than before. If there was anyone he felt that he had let down, it was Itachi. The Uchiha heir had spent hours working with Naruto when he could have been taking missions. Naruto felt that he had made Itachi waste his time, and gripped the ropes of the swing until his knuckles were white, "Naruto, stop that right now. You're stronger than this..."

"Itachi..." Mikoto said, trying to comfort Naruto. She and Itachi, while both caring for Naruto deeply, had different ways of trying to help him.

"No, it's okay, Kaa-san..." Naruto said, and he wiped away unshed tears, and forced a grin on his face, "I'll just blow them all away next year!" He let out a laugh, and Mikoto frowned. Naruto still hid his negative feelings, even when the people he was acting in front of knew it was fake. It was Naruto's way of protecting himself from being hurt emotionally, she concluded after years with the boy.

Sasuke walked up to him, and put a hand out, "Naruto, we both know that you're a good shinobi. I don't care what everyone else says about you, because you're my brother, and I know you could kick anyone's butt...except for Kaa-san, Nii-san and mine." he smirked, and Naruto laughed a bit, a genuine smile on his face.

Naruto suddenly noticed a flash of pink, and saw Sakura approaching the family, "Hi, Naruto..." she gave him a sad smile, "You'll graduate next year, I know it."

Naruto nodded, "Thanks, Sakura-chan." he knew that she was just trying to comfort him.

"Hello, Sakura-chan...where is your mother?" Mikoto asked, looking around for anothe flash of pink, but found none.

"Oh, my mother's working late, and Ino's celebrating with her family right now. I'm just going to walk home by myself. I just wanted to say hi to you before I left home." she explained.

"Naruto, why don't you walk Sakura-chan home? We'll make you ramen when we get home, okay?" Mikoto suggested, and Naruto's spirits perked up.

"Ramen?! Yeah!" he jumped up, but then stopped himself as he realized that things were still not as good as they could be, "Okay...um, ready to go, Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired girl nodded a little, and she and Naruto left together, hand in hand. Mikoto giggled a little at the sight. They were positively adorable together.

"Kaa-san...you know that you shouldn't try and play matchmaker...especially when they're more than likely to get together later on anyway..." Itachi said, letting out a sigh. He seriously wondered about his mother's age sometimes.

"Oh, stop being so worried, Itachi. Besides, that's what she wanted Naruto to do." she said, and with a dreamy sigh, headed home with her two sons, planning on making a steaming bowl of miso ramen for the third along with a cake for Sasuke.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sakura and Naruto walked together quietly, hand in hand. She ignored the glares directed towards the blonde next to her. She had noticed them for a few years now, but when she asked Naruto, he simply shook his head, saying it wasn't anything to worry about. She guessed that he himself didn't know why either.

When they reached the front steps of Sakura's house, she turned around to face the blonde, "Um...thanks for walking me home, Naruto..." she looked away and blushed a bit, "You know...my mom wishes you'd stop over more often...she really wants to spend time with your mom too."

Naruto grinned, "Okay, I'll make sure to visit again soon, and tell Kaa-san to stop by." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, a nervous habit he picked up on years ago. Sakura knew he wanted to say more, but she decided to take advantage of the silent.

A quick peck on the cheek was what Naruto recieved, and he turned to see Sakura smiling a little with a light blush on her face, "Um...well, I'll see you later, Naruto..."

"Heheh, okay, Sakura-chan." Naruto nodded, and watched as Sakura walked up to her door, unlock it, then go inside. He shook his head, and laughed; girls were confusing sometimes. He turned around, heading towards the Uchiha compound, and to ramen.

Naruto was walking home when he heard a voice, "Hello, Naruto. I was looking for you."

Naruto spun around, and quirked an eyebrow, "Mizuki-sensei? What are you doing here?"

Mizuki smiled, "I wanted to talk to you about something. There's another way to become a Genin...and I thought I would let you in on the secret..."

end of Chapter Two- Huzaah! Update no Jutsu! Hm...well, I guess I'm somewhat satisfied with this. I know I made a huge jump in time and skipped four years. I'll leave that part to your imagination. Needless to say, Sakura is very close friends with Naruto, and Sasuke's not a total anti-social kid. I realize a few of you don't like the pairing of Sakura and Naruto, but I will be putting the two together. Sorry if I dissapointed any of you, but they are one of my favorite pairings. I'm still debating on whether I'll be pairing Sasuke with anyone; mind you, this is not the same as the canon series, so I may pair him with someone other than one of the usuals, or I may not pair him at all. There's also the fact that a few more people are friends with Naruto and Sasuke...oh yeah, and Sakura and Ino don't worship Sasuke like he's an Adonis. I tweaked a few other things, like Kakashi meeting Naruto and Sasuke earlier in life as well. I'm going to have fun with this tid bit of information later. I'm sure a few of you can guess what will happen next. Well, let me know what you think! Later!

Bunshin no Jutsu-- Clone Technique-(original)- A basic technique taught to every Academy student. The user makes a copy of themselves without any substance. The copy serves as a distraction, and can function just like the user in movements. As soon as the copy makes contact with the opponent or is attacked, however, it disperses.