Chapter 2: Brothers, Now and Forever

Six years later

A six year old Naruto was at the park, alone. The sun shone down on him, glaring in its midsummer heat. He was swinging back and forth, watching the other kids laugh and play with their friends, with their parents looking on with smiles. He looked at them with a hint of sadness and envy, but also anger. He was an outcast. Though he was surrounded by dozens of kids and adults, nobody even looked at him, much less talked to him. If a child even stole a glance at Naruto, their parents quickly swooped in to correct the breach.

Naruto wasn't stupid. He knew what was happening to him. The young boy released a heavy sigh filled with sadness and loneliness. For one so young, he was subject to a life no child should ever have been exposed to. He wanted to have friends. He wanted to have fun. He wanted to have parents. But that was impossible. They hated him. All of the adults hated him, and made their kids hate him too. He just wanted to be seen!

At the orphanage, nobody had cared about him at all. In fact, the caretakers did their best to make life miserable for him, and the other kids weren't nice at all. He couldn't explain it, but it was like there was a chasm between him and everybody else. Life was on the other side, but hate had burned down any bridges across. But Naruto would soon find that he wasn't alone, and there were others with whom he could share the pain.

But here he was at the park, alone. How was Naruto supposed to know that today, his destiny would begin. Just a couple of days ago, after being offered a spot in the ninja academy, as soon as he could, he had left his old orphanage. Everybody was glad to see him go anyways. When he first left, he barely had anything, not even a place to stay, but the Third took care of that.

Naruto smiled at the thought. The Third Hokage was probably the only person - oh wait, there's Teuchi and Ayame, the owners of Ichiraku's ramen shop - whom Naruto considered his friends. They truly cared about him, and there was no hate.

FLASHBACK

"Hey, Teuchi-san! Can I have another bowl of ramen, please?"

Teuchi glanced at his favorite customer, and chuckled. "Sure thing, kid. Seeing how this is your fifth bowl, I'll give you this one on the house!"

"Really? Oh, wow! You're great, Teuchi-san!" Naruto yelled out, inhaling his current bowl of noodles. Looking on, Ayame, Teuchi's 12 year old daughter laughed at Naruto's antics.

"You're cute, Naruto, but you should really slow down when you're eating. You might get indigestion."

"Nah," (slurp). "I've eaten faster than this before, and I'm always just fine afterwards."

Ayame shook her head, and went back to work, cleaning the counter with a smile on her face.

Teuchi chuckled and turned back to his work, making another batch of ramen.

Just then, the curtain behind Naruto flapped open, and an old man walked in, smoking a pipe.

Naruto grinned at the smell and turned around. "Gramps! It's great to see you!" Then he threw himself at the robed man, hugging him fiercely. Teuchi and Ayame laughed happily. The first few times the Hokage had visited their ramen stand, both had been overwhelmed by the old man's presence, but had quickly warmed to the Sandaime's warm personality.

The Third Hokage chuckled, glad to see that Naruto was still as happy as ever. He had done his best to shield the boy from the brunt of the village's hate, but every once in a while, the boy would feel the brunt of the villagers' hatred.

Some underestimate six year olds, but even children understand when there is something wrong. Naruto was no exception and understood that some people hated and ignored him. What he wanted to know was why.

The Third, after hearing of Naruto's departure from the orphanage, arranged for the child to have an apartment, free of charge. The only thing was that Naruto would have to pay for food and clothing himself. But Hiruzen also took care of this issue as well, providing Naruto with a weekly stipend of cash. The only problems were the Council, trying to stop the Third's support of Naruto and time constraints.

The Hokage couldn't hang around too much because of his own duties, and Teuchi and Ayame were almost always busy. Besides, Naruto wasn't the only one whom the Third had to look after. Sasuke was also a Jincuuriki. Hiruzen hoped that things would work out for the two.

But for now, close friends had gathered together and they could have fun for one night.

FLASHBACK END

Naruto really wanted someone his own age to play with, so he wouldn't be lonely all the time. That's why he went to the park today. But as usual, all of the kids ignored him because their parents told them to. He knew it, even if they tried to hide it.

Finally, he couldn't take being ignored so blatantly anymore. I'm getting out of here, Naruto thought. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Naruto walked toward the park exit, head down, not really looking where he was going. He knew the people would avoid bumping into him anyways, like he was some kind of plague. *sigh* But as Naruto walked toward the exit, it was as if some invisible force was pulling him to some unforeseen location.

Coming from the other direction, a black-haired boy was walking toward Naruto, his hands also stuffed in his pocket, head down. He knew that people would try to avoid him as well. Neither expected what happened next.

On a collision course, neither boy looked up until they were right on top of each other, their shadows mingling. Looking up quickly, neither boy reacted quickly enough to avoid bumping into each other.

"Oof!" The two boys gasped out as they fell backwards.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" The black haired boy yelled.

"What are you talking about, idiot! You ran into me, believe it!" The blonde boy yelled back. Both boys got right in the other's face, glaring daggers. Both boys curled their fists, ready to duke it out. But not even a possible fight made any adult pay any attention to the two boys. In fact, if anything, it made al the adults more intent on ignoring the two.

But just as soon as the tension appeared, it disappeared, the blonde breaking out into a wide grin. Naruto didn't know what it was about this guy, but he liked him a lot, even if he had just met him. Maybe it was that he didn't ignore him completely. Little did he know, the black-haired boy was thinking much along the same lines.

The other boy looked confused and slightly bewildered at Naruto's grin. "Huh?"

The blonde's grin got even wider. "I like you. So what's your name? My name's Naruto Uzumaki, believe it! So you wanna play?"

Naruto looked expectantly at his hopeful friend, who still looked very confused.

"Wait a sec, I thought we were fighting."

"We were fighting, but now I'm introducing myself. So what's your name?"

"Um… Sasuke Uchiha…"

"Cool!" Naruto said. "So you wanna play?" Naruto's wide smile hid the nervousness wracking his small frame.

Sasuke looked at Naruto suspiciously. Not many kids wanted to be his friend, and nobody had ever asked him if he wanted to play.

"Um, I don't know, my brother has to pick me up soon."

"Oh," Naruto said, slightly disappointed. "Too bad. Hey, are you going to be a ninja when you grow up?" Naruto asked, abruptly changing the direction of the conversation, hoping to prolong his time with someone who didn't ignore him.

Sasuke nodded, slightly bewildered at the pace of his conversation with Naruto, but happy to talk about something familiar. "Yeah, definitely! I'm going to be the best ninja ever! Everybody in my family is a ninja, and they're all really good! Especially my brother! He's one of the best! He's already an ANBU, and he's only 13!"

"You have a brother? And he's in ANBU? That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed. Even though he was still a kid, Naruto had made it a point to learn about ninja early on. Also, having a brother was something that he always dreamed of. Naruto couldn't help but be jealous of Sasuke's situation.

Sasuke grinned and nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty cool, but he's so busy, he sometimes doesn't have time for me…" Sasuke trailed off sadly. Naruto noticed the change in Sasuke's tone. Hmmm. I guess there are still some downsides even when you do have a family, Naruto thought. All of a sudden, he wasn't feeling so jealous.

Then Sasuke piped up again, his gloom evaporating. "So does this mean that you're gonna be a ninja?"

Naruto nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Definitely. I wanna be like the Hokages, especially the Fourth, because everybody respected them because of their power."

Sasuke nodded. Respect was definitely something that an Uchiha understood. Respect came with power and being a strong shinobi. Just look at his brother.

"But most of all," Naruto continued, "I want people to respect me and acknowledge me!"

Sasuke widened his eyes, hearing his own dream come from Naruto's mouth. He, like Naruto, had been noticeably ignored by the villagers. He wanted them to respect him and acknowledge him for the same reason as Naruto.

"Wow! That's my dream too! Well, kinda. I also want surpass my brother one day," Sasuke said. With the ice broken, both boys began to walk around the park, chatting amicably. For Sasuke, it was heaven, as he finally had someone who he could relate to. For Naruto, it was the best moment in his life, because he had found a new friend.

While the boys were talking, the adults had slowly trickled away from the boys, taking their kids with them. Both boys noticed the hateful glances sent their way, but ignored them, not wanting to ruin the moment with their new found friend. After shortly elaborating on their dreams, both boys were ready to stop talking and start playing. And just then, Naruto remembered what he had in his pockets.

"Hey, Sasuke, check this out," a grinning Naruto said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a kunai. And this wasn't any practice kunai with blunted edges. It was a real, bona fide shinobi-issue kunai weapon!

Sasuke's eyes widened. Reaching out to Naruto's outstretched hand, he gripped the kunai, turning it over. "Whoa! That's so cool! My mom and brother won't let me near any ninja weapons. Where'd you get it?" Sasuke asked.

"I picked it up in the garbage. Some store owner must've been throwing out some ninja equipment." Naruto said nonchalantly. The truth was, he had walked in a store and picked up the kunai, when the store owner realized his presence. He had been kicked out, literally (he had the bruise to prove it). The owner had then thrown away the kunai in his dumpster out back, from which Naruto had scrounged for the weapon. His backside was slightly bruised, but he got a free kunai at least!

Sasuke didn't notice Naruto's passing scowl and replied, "Aw man! You're lucky! My parents won't let me touch the stuff till I'm old enough. But when I am, they said that they'd start training me!"

"Oh man! You're so lucky you have someone to train you! I won't be able to train until the academy," Naruto said, a wistful smile on his face. He was happy for his friend, but a little jealous at the same time.

"Well-" Sasuke stopped in mid-phrase. He knew what he was going to say. Well, you can come over and train with me! But he was an Uchiha, and Uchiha don't mix with common people…

Naruto looked at Sasuke, confused. "Well what?"

Sasuke came to a decision. Forget the rules! Naruto was his first friend, and he wasn't going to be a jerk. "I was going to say, 'you can come over to train with me.'"

Naruto's eyes bugged out. "Really? That's really nice! Thanks, Sasuke! Nobody's ever asked me to come over to their house!"

And with that, Sasuke smiled a small smile, glad that he had made the decision. "In fact, you can come over today! We can play with the kunai!"

Naruto grinned. "Sweet! This is the best day of my life!" Naruto yelled out, surprising several adults around him and even breaking through the inscrutable mask of the villagers, if but for a moment. But as the boys were starting their game of ninja, a young man strode into the park. The people parted around him like the red sea. Itachi Uchiha was at the park. Seeing his younger brother playing with another boy, the young teen moved deeper into the park.

"Sasuke, who's your friend?" Itachi said, approaching his younger brother.

"Oh, nii-san! It's great to see you! This is Naruto! I met him today. He's coming over too!" Sasuke said, smiling.

Itachi was a little surprised. How did that happen? I wonder why Naruto's parents let him befriend Sasuke. Kami knows the villagers hate us. Considering Sasuke's own quiet tendencies and the villagers' prejudices, it was a miracle that the two seemed to hit it off so well. But then, a light turned on in Itachi's head. Naruto… Could it be Naruto Uzumaki? The Jinchuuriki? Who else would be named after a ramen topping? That explains it, Itachi thought.

Even at 11, Itachi was incredibly observant. You didn't call somebody a demon without some truth behind the label. But whatever made his brother happier was alright in Itachi's eyes, as it wasn't everyday he saw Sasuke as happy as he was now.

"Well, hello Naruto," Itachi said with a small smile. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn't a stone cold killer. Just a shinobi who knew how to do his job effectively.

"It's nice to meet any friend of Sasuke's," Itachi continued.

Naruto flashed a grin at Itachi. "Hey, you're Sasuke's ANBU brother! He says you're a great ninja, and that he wants to beat you one day! You seem pretty cool too!"

Itachi was slightly taken aback by the boy's upfront personality, but gave another small smile. "Oh, is that so, eh? Well, Sasuke'll need to work a little harder to beat me up. Isn't that right, scrunch?" Itachi smirked, frazzling Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke grumbled a bit, something about how he would be stronger one day. Itachi's smile only grew wider. For his own sake, as well as the sake of the Uchiha, he hoped that Sasuke would grow stronger than him one day. There were people out there who were even stronger than him. And that was saying a lot, even if it was a little pompous.

"So you're coming over, Naruto?" Itachi said, breaking out of his thoughts.

"Yeah! I mean, if that's alright with you, nii-san?" Sasuke said for Naruto.

"Heh! Yeah, that's alright by me Sasuke. But what about you, Naruto? Do you wanna come over?"

"Yeah!" Naruto bobbed his head quickly. There was no way he wasn't going to go over Sasuke's. He finally had a friend now!

"Alright then!" Itachi said with finality. "Let's go. I have some business to take care of after dropping you guys off." Striding off quickly, he didn't even bother looking back, knowing that Naruto and Sasuke would hurry to catch up. He listened to their chatting and laughing as they walked through the streets of Konoha. It was a nice contrast to the glares he noticed the villagers shooting them.

Thinking about the village, Itachi couldn't help but let a little resentment leak out. He noted with satisfaction that people were turning away as they felt his bleeding killing intent. He hated the prejudice and fear that gripped people so tightly that they couldn't see what was right in front of them. Yes, the Uchiha were still the bulk of the police force, but they no longer had the respect that they once had. Not only that, but people started to fear the Uchiha. And that fear grew into mistrust, and soon into prejudice.

But not now, Itachi thought. For now, we're happy, and the only way to go is up. Arriving in front of the gates of the Uchiha compound, Itachi pushed open the gate and ushered the boys in.

As they entered the compound, many of the Uchiha gave Itachi bows and greetings. He was their pride and joy, one of the true prodigies of the village. He was 11 and already an ANBU. What was there not to be proud of?

Soon, they arrived at Sasuke and Itachi's house. The elder brother dropped the boys off at the front door, telling them to stay inside since mother wouldn't get home till another hour. Then, he shunshin'd away in a shower of leaves.

Both Naruto and Sasuke gaped at the sight. "Whoa, way cool!" Naruto said.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Now that's the kind of ninja I want to be when I grow up!" Naruto said, turning to Sasuke with a grin.

As soon as the boys got inside, they decided to play ninja with Naruto's kunai. They were having so much fun, that neither boy heard Sasuke's mother coming through the door.

"Sasuke-chan… What do you think you're doing with that kunai?" The air froze around the boys as they felt a wave of fear wash over them.

"Oh crap!" Sasuke whispered to Naruto. "Mom's home, and she caught us with ninja weapons!"

Naruto remembered what Sasuke had said about Sasuke's parents and ninja tools.

I've gotta get outta here! But before he tried to make his escape, he remembered that Sasuke was now his friend, and friends don't ever abandon friends. Not that he would actually be able to escape a trained shinobi like Mikoto Uchiha. With that, Naruto gulped, as he and Sasuke turned to face the harbinger that was Sasuke's mom.

"Hi Uchiha-san. Uh… I can explain," Naruto started shyly. And just as suddenly as the wave of killing intent came, it left. The sun shone again. Apocalypse was postponed, for a few minutes at least.

Sasuke's mom blinked. "Oh, why hello… Who's your friend, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was confused. Was it just him, or did Naruto have that effect on people. It was probably Naruto.

"Um… This is Naruto Uzumaki. We met at the park today."

Mikoto Uchiha's eyes widened as she realized that her son had made a new friend, and he had invited him over, of all things! Contrary to popular belief, most Uchiha were quite open and friendly with other clans, but it was a small group of upstarts who liked to use their clan status to lord over others. Stupid idiots gave clans the world over a bad name.

But then, she took a closer look at Naruto. This was the boy that Fugaku was talking about, Kushina's son. He looked nothing like his mother. He had inherited his looks from his father, she could easily tell.

But that meant, that Naruto was also the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi's Yang chakra. Interesting that he met with Sasuke in such a coincidental manner.

Mikoto then smiled warmly and greeted Naruto. "Naruto-chan, it's very nice to meet you. I hope you come over more often."

"Yeah," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks for having me!"

"Mom!" Sasuke groaned out. "Can we get back to playing, please?" Sasuke pouted with his puppy dog eyes.

Mikoto smiled in amusement. "Alright," she said. "But you better not let me catch you playing with kunai again, got it young man?" Snatching away the offending weapon, Mikoto glared at her son to get her point across.

Both boys shivered involuntarily at the sight. Who knew what Sasuke's mom could do. Make them stand on one foot and hold onto both ears? Take away ramen for a full week? Better to not go there, Naruto thought fearfully.

Satisfied that she had gotten her point across, Mikoto turned back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. Calling out with an overly sweet voice just to intimidate Naruto and Sasuke a little more, Mikoto said, "Have fun, children!"

Naruto, who was about to show Sasuke some other ninja stuff he had found, thought better of it.

Sasuke shivered, but also shrugged. "At least I got away about the kunai thing."

Then Mikoto's voice rang out from the kitchen again. "And Sasuke… We'll be talking after dinner."

Both Naruto and Sasuke clammed up, hearing Mikoto's tone. "Great. Me and my big mouth," Sasuke muttered, feeling a chill crawl down his spine as he thought of what their talk would be like.

"Haha! It can't be that bad, can it?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke gave Naruto a hard look. "You have no idea." He felt another shiver crawl down his spine.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, slightly disconcerted at Sasuke's fear. "Ok... So what do you want to do now? Or, what'll your mom let us do?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Beats me. We can probably go out back and play tag or something. You wanna?"

"Yeah, sure! But what's tag?" Naruto said, confused. Nobody had ever told him about games like this before.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. "You don't know what TAG is? It's only the best game ever! My brother makes clones and plays with me all the time. Sometimes his friend, Shisui comes over! You can do so much stuff with it! Hide-and-go seek tag! Zombie tag, but that needs more than two. Freeze tag! Everybody-hit-nii-san-with-paintballs tag! It's great!"

"Wow! Sounds fun! Especially the last one!" Naruto said in excitement.

"Oh you bet! Just wait till Itachi gets back. He'll show you what's so fun about it."

In actuality, Itachi had just walked in and had overheard Sasuke tell Naruto about his special variation of tag. Itachi shuddered involuntarily. He was a die-hard ANBU. Heck, enemies of his friends of his friends feared him. But Sasuke was on a whole other plane. He remembered what had happened that day. Never before had he been in such mortal danger. Not even on his ANBU missions. Sasuke was a devil with his paint. And Shisui was no help either, blatantly encouraging Sasuke. Itachi ground his teeth, remembering his so-called friend urge Sasuke on.

"Wow, Sasuke! Great aim, buddy!" Itachi mocked under his breath. He still had to get Shisui back for that. Itachi got paint all over him that day! And it wasn't the water-soluble kind either. It took days to get the paint off, and weeks to get everybody to stop calling him 'Bobo the Clown'. Heck, even some of his targets made fun of his appearance. But they weren't laughing when they found out who he was, Itachi thought, smirking slightly, before shuddering again at Sasuke's tortur- ahem, games.

Being an ANBU and being called Bobo did not help his dignity at all. Not one bit. Neither did the neon green, pink polka dotted hair. Nor did the red nose. Nor the- Enough! No more thinking about that experience. It was bad enough once! Never again! Itachi thought frantically.

Determined to get out of the house before Sasuke noticed him, he left a hurried note about ANBU work for his mother. ANBU work that would suspiciously be over when dinner came around.

IIIIIIIII

The day after Naruto's visit to the Uchiha household, Fugaku Uchiha was thinking very deeply.

Minato's son had found Sasuke. He knew that it would eventually happen, considering the bond that the two unknowingly shared, but it was still a surprise.

The council would also be a pain in the neck. Most likely, they'll call me in by the afternoon to grill me over Naruto.

But I must admit, he thought, he looks so much like Minato. And he's a lot happier than I would expect, considering that he has no family. What a brave lad.

Mikoto and Itachi seem to have taken a liking to the boy as well. Mikoto knows about Naruto, and I think Itachi has already figured it out. He's a sharp one, my son.

I'll have to tell them about who they really are, but not yet. Maybe another year, when they've grown up a bit. And seeing the two together like that…

I will need to start training Sasuke soon, maybe Naruto as well.

His mind made up, Fugaku left for the the Hokage tower, eager to talk to the Third.

IIIIIIII

Several months passed, and Naruto became a regular fixture in the Uchiha district. Everybody in the district knew him and his smile well. Most of the Uchiha had come to see Naruto as one of the Uchiha. Suffering had brought the two sides together. Especially when they saw how happy Naruto made the district.

Most of the time, he and Sasuke would run around the village, goofing around, playing ninja, or pulling pranks. Then, Naruto sometimes stayed over for dinner and a sleepover with Sasuke's family.

Sasuke, normally a solitary and quiet boy, opened up around Naruto. It was still a wonder to those who knew Sasuke before he became friends with Naruto to see this change. In fact, this was one of those moments.

Itachi was walking along the edge of the Uchiha compound, near the edge of the woods, when he sensed some rustling in the bushes further up the path. He chuckled to himself lightly, immediately catching on to the ambush that Naruto and Sasuke had set up for him. This was one of their more obvious ploys. Sasuke and Naruto had been trying to peg him since Sasuke introduced his sadistic game to Naruto. Itachi had been on edge for a whole week now, always alert for their sneak attacks. The nerves were starting to get to him. But even now, he had to smirk at Sasuke and Naruto's attempts.

As he neared the boys' hiding place, Naruto jumped out, yelling savagely, "GET HIM!" Loosing off their paint-filled water balloons, Sasuke and Naruto jumped out of a bush, yelling their war cries as they ambushed Itachi. However, sneaking up on a highly trained ANBU was no easy matter.

Itachi easily dodged, almost unconsciously. "Sasuke! Naruto! When are you two gonna learn? You'll never get me!" Itachi was putting a brave front, but even I have to sleep sometime, he thought with worry.

"We'll never give up!" Naruto yelled out, Sasuke repeating the sentiment. Lobbing a fresh batch of balloons at Itachi, these were smaller, and faster. But for Itachi, they were child's play. Sidestepping easily, Itachi's danger sense suddenly pricked up, as he sensed something wrong.

Suddenly, the balloons flashed dangerously, releasing a low whining pitch. "What the-" BOOOM!

The balloons exploded right in Itachi's face, splashing paint all over him… before smoke erupted, and a paint-splashed log took Itachi's place. Whew, that was close! I definitely didn't expect that! They've gotten better, A hidden Itachi thought.

Sasuke and Naruto gave a whine at seeing this, but they had expected this. After all, having a week to plan, fail, and re-plan can lead to very dastardly traps. Especially from 6 year olds like Naruto and Sasuke. Smirking to each other and giving devious grins, they waited patiently.

Itachi, who was several yards away, hidden in the same bush that Naruto and Sasuke had hidden in, looked on suspiciously. What are they- No way! They didn't! Itachi thought desperately. Flaring his chakra out, he found several disturbances around him. Crap! They did!

But before Itachi could flee, the bombs that Naruto and Sasuke had littered all over the area, particularly the ones in the bush, exploded in a big bang… splashing him with a motley of bright reds and greens.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto yelled out in triumph.

"We did it!" Sasuke said, smirking at his older brother, who was trudging out of the bush… now decorated like Bobo the clown.

Not cool. What the heck did they put in this paint anyway. It's impossible to get off! Itachi thought sullenly. The guys are never gonna let me forget this, not after I got caught by my little brother… Again. Itachi groaned at the thought.

"Sasuke! Why'd you have to do that?" Itachi moaned in playful complaint. He had to admit that seeing the conspiratorial grins on the boys' faces almost made up for the fact that he would be harassed for the next month. Almost.

Sasuke and Naruto smirked at each other. "Well, you know nii-san. We just wanted to show you how much we care about you!" Sasuke said with a tone much too sweet and innocent for any little terro - ahem - child his age.

Itachi face-palmed again, before realizing that he just got more paint on his face. "Ugh! This is gonna take forever to get off!" Itachi yelled out, which only made Sasuke and Naruto collapse in giggling fits.

To add insult to injury, an ANBU wearing a rat's mask dropped onto roof above Itachi and Naruto, already laughing. "Hahaha! Itachi! Is that you? Hahahaha! I can't believe it! They got you! Hahahahaha! You look like - Hahahaha! - a clown! Hahahahahah! Like Bobo! Hahahahaha!" Laughing hysterically, the rat masked ANBU dashed away to tell his friends about their great team member who had been felled by paint balloons and two 6 year olds. Oh this was too good!

Itachi face-palmed again, groaning at the fact that his face was now even dirtier and soon, everybody would know… again. Ugh! He really had to stop that from happening. But then, a brilliant idea came to him.

He looked over at his brother and Naruto who were still on the ground, laughing with tears coming out of their eyes at the sight of an ANBU laughing at Itachi of all people! Ha!

But Itachi's gleam still hadn't left his eyes. "Oh Naruto, Sasuke. Come here, why don't you." Sasuke wasn't the only one who could adopt the guise of Innocent Mr. Perfect. "Why don't you boys give nii-san a hug, huh?" Itachi then ran forward, enveloping Naruto and Sasuke in a huge bear hug.

"Aahhh! Nii-san! Stop it!" Sasuke cried, kicking and pulling, desperately trying to get away from his older brother.

"Yeah! Itachi! Come on! It was just a joke!" Naruto cried, trying in vain to stop Itachi from getting paint all over him.

"Just showing the love, boys!" Itachi said, chuckling evilly while rubbing paint all over the boys' hair and faces.

By the time Itachi was finished. Naruto and Sasuke looked just as bad as Itachi, covered head to toe in paint. They glared at Itachi, slightly angry at how the older boy had turned their prank right on them.

Itachi just chuckled quite evilly. "Muahaha! I'm an evil nii-san," he said with a smirk. "That'll teach you two to mess with me. Now go home and get cleaned up. I have business to take care of." With that, Itachi leapt onto the roofline, ready to initiate phase two of his dastardly deed of revenge. Good! The paint's still wet! Now, onto Rat. Oh for sweet revenge! Muahahahaha!

IIIIIIII

After Naruto and Sasuke had made it back to Sasuke's house, they took out the secret solvent that they used to make the paint, and rubbed themselves clean. After a refreshing and cleansing shower, they waited by the front door for Itachi, ready with their smirks and grins. As they sat around Sasuke's front porch, an older woman walked past them on the road.

"Sasuke-chan, Naruto-chan, is that you?" she asked in a homely voice.

"Hi Auntie!" Sasuke said happily. He liked talking to Uruchi. She was so nice.

"Uruchi-san! Yeah, it's us! We just got back from ambushing Itachi!" Naruto said. He liked the old woman too. And the sweets she sold at her bakery. However, Ichiraku's still held the number slot in his heart/stomach. Nothing beat the sweet aroma of ramen. Aaaahh…

"Wow! Is that true Sasuke-chan? It's very hard to ambush your brother of all people," Uruchi said, with a little surprise and pride. It seemed that 'her boys' were growing up just fine.

"Yeah! We definitely got Itachi good! He's now all covered with our secret formula paint! He won't be able to get it off for days!" Sasuke said, grinning.

"Wow, you two boys are getting to be really good at your pranks. Maybe one day, the both of you will become great ninja, just like Itachi," Uruchi said, smiling.

Naruto and Sasuke just grinned at each other at the thought of being like Itachi one day. Too cool!

"Well, I've gotta run. A bakery doesn't run itself, ya know," Uruchi said cheerfully. She walked off to tend her store, but before she rounded the bend, she turned back to the boys. "Oh, and Naruto. You can call me Auntie too you know. It's only right since you're already so much like family."

Naruto could only just gape in surprise and pleasure. "Really! Thanks Auntie! You're so kind! We'll visit your shop for some sweets later! Believe it!"

"Thank you dear," Uruchi said kindly. She knew of Naruto's situation and its startling similarity to the Uchiha's. After all, Naruto spent so much time with the Uchiha, he was like family anyways. Uruchi waved goodbye to the boys before returning to her store.

The blonde, who was staring off into space, had to admit that it was nice being with a family that accepted you, even if they weren't your own family. It seemed the make the hurt of the villagers' view of him less important. He had people who actually saw him as a human. But there was bound to be trouble in paradise. Especially when a boy who has finally made a new friend, feels threatened by this new friend. Neither Naruto or Uruchi had seen how Sasuke had stiffened when he heard Naruto call Uruchi 'Auntie.' This was his family! And there was no way that Naruto could just come here and make himself a part of it just like that!

Sure, he liked Naruto a lot, but the guy seemed to be taking all of the praise and love from everyone he knew. It was subtle at first, but Sasuke really had taken notice at the way that Naruto seemed to be the center of attention now. Why did Naruto get all the attention?

By the time Itachi got home, Sasuke was already deep in thought, the escapades of the day lost in his young, wandering thoughts. But all Itachi could think was, What the? How in the world did they get the paint off?

As the days passed, and Sasuke really began to dwell on the attention lavished on Naruto, conveniently ignoring the same amount of attention lavished on him, he stopped hanging around Naruto too often. In fact, he began to draw away, slowly, hoping that the blonde would get the hint. At the grand age of six years old, Sasuke was still very much insecure about the way others viewed him. Seeing the affection showered on Naruto, from his own family no less, seemed to accentuate that insecurity.

But to his parents, both astute ninja, Sasuke was like an open book. Taking him aside one day, Fugaku and Mikoto both confronted Sasuke about Naruto.

Sasuke was mulling the issues of the world in his room. No, he was not whining, complaining, moaning, or griping. He was not brooding, nor was he sulking or jealous. He was absolutely not jealous! He was thinking about that guy - Naruto - and how he had suddenly seemed to take over his life. Just yesterday, he called his mom, kaa-san! The nerve of that guy! He wasn't family, and he thought he could just come in and take his place! It just wasn't fair!

But as Sasuke sat broodi- I mean, mulling… his father of all people entered the room, falling on Sasuke's mattress, making the springs creak sightly. The window opposite him let light shine into the room, but Fugaku felt a little apprehensive at his son's attitude. He was acting very immaturely. But he was still a six year old boy. Fugaku kept that in mind as he looked at his son.

Contrary to popular belief, the head of the Uchiha clan was not cold or mean. He was a caring father who knew when to be strict, and how to place business and personal interactions in their own place. He was a professional. But with his family, if something demanded his attention, he gave it, no questions asked. Sasuke right now, had a problem that needed to be taken care of.

Sasuke opened his eyes to see his father. Quickly straightening up, he sat next to his dad, a little wide-eyed. If there was one person he admired as much as his older brother, it was his father.

"Father? What's wrong?" Sasuke said, a little worried. His father never came into his room unless they were going to have a 'talk'.

Fugaku closed his eyes as he thought about how he would say what he had to say. "Son, I noticed lately that you've been sulking in your room a lot-"

"I'm not sulking, Dad! I'm mulling! Big difference!" Sasuke cried indignantly.

Fugaku just raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Okay. Mulling. Whatever you want to call it son. But whatever you're doing, it has to stop. Right now, son. Not only is it bad for you, it's bad for your family and friends, especially Naruto."

Sasuke's face darkened a bit as he heard his father mention Naruto. Even in his own room, he couldn't seem to escape the guy. He wanted to just deny his father's accusations, but for some reason, he just had to let it out.

"IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!" Sasuke yelled out suddenly.

Fugaku only continued to stare at his son. He had suspected as much. "Naruto's fault, you mean?"

"Yeah!" Sasuke yelled. "Ever since he came over here, everybody's been paying more attention to him than to me! He's taking my place! I don't want you all to forget me!" By now, Sasuke was sniffling a little. He was too old for crying after all.

He was also letting a little of his fear out, that he had been hiding behind his jealousy. "I don't want to be forgotten is all. I just don't like Naruto!"

Fugaku decided that now would be a good time to set his son straight. "Sasuke, listen to me," he said, his voice stern and serious. Sasuke immediately sat up straight. This was his father's no nonsense voice.

Fugaku continued. "Sasuke, I know you're worried that Naruto might be taking your place-" Sasuke looked like he wanted to protest, but Fugaku raised his hand, stopping Sasuke. "But, you must realize that you are our son, and nothing can ever change that. We've given you attention since your birth. Your mother and I, we both love you, just as much as Itachi."

At this, Mikoto, who had been waiting outside of Sasuke's room, walked in. "That's right, dear. Never forget that. You're precious to us, and we'll never stop loving you." Mikoto sat right next to Sasuke, hugging him and comforting her son.

Sasuke melted into his mother's touch, grateful for his parents' reassurances. Then Mikoto continued at a look from Fugaku. Pulling away, she spoke to Sasuke. "Honey, although you have a family to love you, Naruto doesn't."

Sasuke's eyes suddenly got wide-eyed as he thought about what that meant. Naruto was an orphan? That didn't make sense. He was always happy! How could he not have parents?

"You mean, he's an orphan?" Sasuke cried, his jealousy for Naruto forgotten as the kindness that his parents had drilled into both him and Itachi came out.

Fugaku now spoke up. "That's right, son. That's why we've been trying to make him feel welcome with the Uchiha clan. Both he and us share the same kind of suffering." Sasuke wasn't really sure what that last line meant, but he didn't have time to think on it as his father continued. "So think about how you've been acting towards him lately, and how that must have made him feel. You were his first friend, and now, you've suddenly pushed him away."

Sasuke looked down in guilt. He had been pushing Naruto away. Suddenly, he bolted up. "I'm gonna make sure that he knows that he can still be my friend. In fact, since he doesn't have a family, he's gonna be my brother!"

The young boy ran out of the room, intent on finding Naruto. Five seconds later, he popped his head back into his room. "Uh… Thanks mom and dad for telling me about Naruto. I'm sorry I was being such a jerk."

Then in a flash, he was gone again, ready to repair his relationship with his friend. Mikoto and Fugaku smiled at each other, seeing Sasuke happy again, his friendship with Naruto restored.

Then, on the spur of the moment, Fugaku wrapped his wife in a hug. "Now that Sasuke's gone, and Itachi's on a mission, we have the house to ourselves," he said with a grin.

Mikoto suddenly slipped out of her husband's grasp. "Feeling naughty today, are we dear? Well, I have to start dinner. You know how our boys and Naruto get when they're hungry." Flashing her husband a wink, she sauntered out of the room, leaving Fugaku a little dumbfounded. Tonight… he thought. Yes, tonight. Fugaku grinned before he too left to take care of some business.

IIIIIIII

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled out, seeing his friend sitting on the park bench. "What's up? How come you're over here?"

Naruto looked up at Sasuke, surprised. He thought that he didn't want to be friends anymore. "What? I'm over here cause I've got no one else to play with."

"Why?" Sasuke said, smiling. "You've got me to play with. Besides, I don't have anybody to play with too."

Now Naruto was really confused. "But I thought you said that you didn't really want me to come over anymore?"

"Uh yeah," Sasuke said, shuffling his feet in embarrassment. "You see… I was being stupid and thought that you were trying to take my place." He said in a rush.

Naruto blinked. "Yeah, that's pretty stupid." He said with a grin. "But why the change?"

"Well, I realized that I was being stupid, but I also thought that I was being unfair, because you don't have a family."

Naruto looked away sadly. He didn't want to think about it a lot. But he couldn't believe what Sasuke said next.

"That's why, I think we should be more than friends. So why don't we head to the park, eh bro?" Sasuke said, a little hesitant.

Naruto's head whipped up in surprise. "Really? You mean it? You want me to be your brother?" Naruto had never imagined that anyone would want him in their family.

Sasuke just smiled a broader smile in response. "Yup! I think I heard my mom say it… Oh yeah! Now and forever!"

Naruto had to pause and soak it in a moment. Never in his wildest dreams, could he have imagined something like this happening. Naruto immediately jumped up, feeling better. "Well what are we waiting for, bro! Let's play!" Sasuke grinned and ran off with Naruto, ready to do whatever dastardly deeds his new brother had thought up. He had forgotten how much he missed feeling so powerful. Oh yeah, this was gonna be a good day.

And with that, the legendary duo, that had almost been destroyed before it even started, was on its way to shaping destiny. But for now, playing pranks on the owner of the pet shop down the street was good enough.

A/N: I'm trying to spend as little time as possible giving background and setting up for plot. But I'm also trying to keep the pacing alright. Don't wanna just breeze through it. Anyways, tell me what you think. If you wanna criticize my pacing, tell me in my reviews and give suggestions to fix it, so I can revise it later. Alright, thank you readers and fellow writers. Peace out :D

A/N: Part two: Alright, the scenes I've added are small, but hopefully they do explain the plot in a little more detail. And to magicaltoothbrush, have no worries. Sasuke will still be an emo "teme". Just, give him time to develop his charming personality. Peace, and until the next chapter, which will hopefully be out soon. :D Also, I just realized my huge plot gaffe. I had written Sasuke as learning of Naruto being an orphan... before his parents told him. So, fixed that up quickly too. Enjoy!