Author's Notes: Aaaand bam! Chapter one! I hope you guys enjoy! :D Already working on the second chapter. I am LOVING writing this story! I do apologize for the lengthy chapter(unless that's good? Then, I'm not sorry!). It was really hard to find a decent stopping point, haha.

DISCLAIMER: NO characters are mine. All characters in this story belong to Masashi Kishimoto unless stated otherwise.


CHAPTER ONE
"Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."
- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Winds howled all around the emaciated boy, blowing thick blond hair all about his face. There was a chill with the wind that cause goose bumps to cover his arms, despite the thin long-sleeved shirt he wore. His body shivered, one arm wrapped around his torso in a desperate attempt to ward off the cold wind and protect what he could. His left hand clenched tightly to a dog's collar, the thick fur warming that hand. His sensitive ears could pick up the fast-paced steps of his other dog, circling the two of them like a shark. Instead of looking to attack the pair, however, the puppy-like dog was trying to urge them forward, herding them in his own funny little way.

The more stable, mature of the dog pair kept at the pace that his human was most comfortable with, quietly leading him, eyes fixated forward.

"Inside, Kurama," the boy mumbled. He had already said this, several times before, but there was nowhere to go "inside."

The dog leading him, Kurama, huffed, as if to say, "There is no 'inside.'"

He didn't have to read minds to understand what his trusty companion was saying. "I wish…" Naruto, the emaciated boy, stopped his words, forcing his thoughts to halt before they could really come to completion. There wasn't a point in wishing anymore. No point in hope.

The circling dog barked, and Naruto heard the dog's steps suddenly drift away. Fear gripped his heart, and he opened his mouth to call the easily-excited Akita back. Kurama, however, turned into him, signaling that they needed to turn right, and Naruto complied. The dog moved a pace faster, tugging his human behind him, urging him to move faster. Again, Naruto complied. He knew he had to trust his dog.

When his parents had first informed him that they were willing to give him more freedom just three short years ago, Naruto had been ecstatic. Was he going to go to school? For most teenagers, school was a dreaded thing. But Naruto wanted nothing more than to be able to be surrounded by people, to boast about accomplishments to people who wouldn't just gush over every little thing. He wanted to be genuinely acknowledged by others.

No, he wasn't going to school. But his parents informed him that he would be getting a dog. This, naturally, had confused the young teen. How would this earn him freedom? How could a dog possibly help him to be free?

"A seeing eye dog," his father had said, "will help you move around more! You can go outside – not away from the house, of course, and we'll still be watching you, but still! You can take him to the park, meet people your own age! We may even be able to send you to a school for the blind!"

His parents had been so ecstatic, so very pleased with themselves. Naruto, though excited about the possibility of going to at least some type of school, wasn't convinced. Still, he had gone along with the plan. The dog they decided on had spent two years in intense training. He was young, and Naruto was the first person to own him – aside from the people who took him into their homes to further his training. He didn't react to anything – not birds, not food being tossed at him, not other dogs barking at him. He, overall, was a tremendous dog for anyone, but perfect for someone who needed him to be quiet, cool, and accepting.

Naruto's hand clenched tighter on his dog's collar. Their first meeting hadn't been anything spectacular. Naruto liked dogs, sure, but he wasn't exactly rushing around to get everything ready. He didn't consider himself a "parent" of a fuzzy, four-legged creature. He just went along with it, as he usually did when his parents proposed an idea that they thought might further benefit him.

He loved his parents. He loved them before the fire, and he loved them after. He missed them a great deal, and his heart broke and tears flowed when he did allow himself to think about them.

But they were overbearing, if he were to be honest. Lovely people, no doubt, and they loved him, cared for him, practically gave him anything he asked for – unless, of course, they were worried about his "disability." But still, having someone figuratively wipe your ass for you, flush the toilet, and wash your hands for you wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. There were things he just knew he could do on his own, if just given the chance. But he wasn't. Of course, he would give away all of his new "freedom" if he could have them back, if he could return to a time before the fire. Before the fight. Before his last words to his parents.

"I hate you!"

Kurama stopped, and Naruto, too, paused. He could hear the happy panting to his right side, and knew that Kyuubi, the dog his mother had purchased shortly after Kurama came into their lives, was proud of himself for something. Naruto reached out his right hand, and Kyuubi nudged it with his nose, causing the boy to grin. "Good boy," he murmured happily, running his fingers along the dog's nose to the side of his head, and finally his ear.

Kyuubi had not gone through intensive training. They found him when they decided to meet Kurama's breeder. He had been returned to her when his original family decided to move to America, and could not afford to fly the dog. Naruto's mother had fallen in love with him, and had forked over quite a bit of money for the dog. The breeder, naturally, was concerned about Naruto's inability to see – not because she felt him incapable, but because Kyuubi did not have a good personality for a blind person, and lacked impulse control. He was excitable. Truly, both brothers had rather odd temperaments for an Akita.

However, the moment the dog came up to Naruto and nudged his hand with his nose, Naruto, too, had fallen in love. The breeder was assured that they would care for the dogs – she had little say as to where Kurama went, anyway, as she had donated him to the training facility specifically for the purpose of training him as a guide dog – and conceded when she realized the quick bond that Naruto was forming with the more excitable dog.

The family had continued both dogs' training under careful guidance for the years that followed until the fire. Kyuubi's touch to Naruto's palm had been a trick that they'd perfected, a way of bringing the dogs close to Naruto when he needed them.

Kurama again stepped in front of Naruto, nudging him again to the right, until pausing again. Naruto heard the dog's claws scrape against something that sounded like wood. He removed his hand from Kyuubi's face, reaching in front of him until he felt his fingers stroke something rough. He ran his hand carefully across the wood until he felt an opening. A door. Kurama had alerted him that the door was in front of them. "Good boy, Kurama," Naruto praised the dog. He tugged at the wooden door, but was forced to use both hands to pull the door open. He felt Kyuubi slip past him, and brought his left hand back to his guide dog's collar. "Go ahead," he instructed gently, and the dog tugged him carefully forward.

The scents that invaded his nose were easily identifiable as the scent of farm animals. A barn, perhaps. There were surprised noises coming from what he assumed to be other animals – a horse, he heard, and a pig. There could have been more, but he wasn't certain. Now that he couldn't hear the wind pounding against his ears, he could hear crickets. Nighttime. Nobody would find him here. Not until daylight, at least.

A yawn interrupted his thoughts, and his body felt very heavy. His muscles ached. He had walked for a long time. He couldn't be entirely certainly for how long, nor how many days had passed. He could hear Kyuubi rustling around somewhere straight ahead. Kurama carefully led him closer. The dog stopped and scratched at the ground, and Naruto could hear a similar type of rustling sound. He let go of the dog's collar, crouching down to feel whatever it was the dogs were scraping – Kurama simply to alert Naruto to it, and Kyuubi… Well, Naruto wasn't sure what the dog was doing, but it sounded methodical. He could feel rough strands. He brought a handful of strands to his nose, sniffed, and identified them as hay.

He was then very thankful that his grandmother had owned a farm, and he could easily identify not only the noises of the animals, but now, this pile that he could use for a bed. This was certainly better than sleeping on the hard ground.

Kyuubi must have been making himself a bed, then.

"Relax," he instructed Kurama in a light voice. This was the dog's cue that he was now off-duty. The dog shook off, as though releasing tension from a hard day's work, but remained where he was. The dog's eyes were on his human as Naruto created his own "nest," as though he wanted to make sure that he wasn't needed. When Naruto was finished and had lied down in the makeshift bed, only then did Kurama circle around the hay and lay close to Naruto. Soon, Kyuubi abandoned his own nest in favor of sleeping closer to his family. He curled himself as close as possible to Naruto, laying his head on the blond's chest.

Just before sleep, it was common for Naruto to think of his parents, when he would allow himself to be overcome with feelings of guilt, regret, and loss. His body was sore, however; heavy. He was asleep by the time Kyuubi made himself comfortable.


"What the-? Hey! Who the fuck are you!"

For just a second, Naruto was confused. Who would be screaming at him in his own house? Who would question who he was, for that matter?

The memories came crashing back when he realized he was not in his bed, but in a pile of hay, surrounded by the scents of a farm. He jumped up. "Um, I-"

"Get out of here!" The voice cut him off.

Naruto reached for Kurama, feeling panicked. "Uh," he stuttered, momentarily forgetting the cue that he had spent years perfecting, "Work time!"

Kurama was quick to slide up to the boy's left, and Naruto gratefully grabbed his collar. "Outside," He instructed, his voice shaky. He heard Kyuubi race outside, and Kurama was quick to follow, mindful of his pace, but nonetheless excited to go outside.

"Hey, wait, are you-?" The voice faded as the trio exited the barn. Naruto didn't pause, didn't worry about whatever it was the man was going to say. Even if he was going to recognize that Naruto was blind, what would that do? The man may feed him and his dogs, but he would be sent to a foster home, for sure. His dogs might be taken from him. He would only lose the last remaining family members he had left.

And so, he continued forward. Kurama was slightly confused, as no destination had been given to him, but he simply followed Kyuubi. Minus the odd zig-zagging that his brother was doing.

The trio walked again for a long time. The wind was still harsh, still biting at his ears, his nose. Kyuubi had grown tired, and was walking to Naruto's right. The boy placed his right hand on the dog's shoulders, burying his fingers into the thick fur in an attempt to warm them up.

When had it become so cold? Fear gripped his heart. Winter must be just around the corner. What was he going to do? How would he survive? He knew he was already too thin. He knew his body would not continue to work as hard as it had been. Eventually, his body would simply give out. He knew it did not take very long for the body to starve to death. Being alive only meant that he hadn't reached that point yet. But he was hungry. Starving.

"We can only move forward," he said to his dogs, his voice light. It was a forced cheery tone. His canine companions didn't seem to notice the false tone and pushed on.

The sun had warmed his body, but the wind continued to bite at any exposed flesh it could. His nose and ears stung with each fresh gust.

He could hear cars to his right. Soon, more sounds and smells invaded his sense. He knew from his parents and training his dogs to be reliable in the city close to his house that cities were loud, bustling, confusing even for people who could see. And the smell. Naruto grimaced. It smelled like pollution – something he had learned about from homeschool lessons. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for those lessons, even though you never intended on me ever using them like this.

This, however, was not was he expected. When Naruto began his trek, he had no idea where it would lead him. He didn't stop to ask people questions or directions. He hadn't asked for anything, truthfully, though he had received food on rare occasions when he slept on a park bench, or sat on a curb to rest. Most people weren't even aware he was blind.

Noise interrupted any thoughts he could bring. People talking, cars honking. He was brushed past, shoved. He heard grunts of frustration as he tried in vain to slip by people. Panic rose in his chest, and he could feel frustrated, frightened tears threatening to overflow. Kyuubi's shoulders felt tense beneath the boy's hand. Kurama remained unfazed, dutifully leading his owner to the side of a business, where fewer people were. He scraped at the ground with a paw. Naruto searched with his hand before he felt what felt like brick, leaned his back against the sturdy building, and slid down with a relieved sigh. The dogs sat faithfully beside him, on his right side. Kyuubi rested his chin on the boy's head briefly, before stretching out his front legs and collapsing himself into his human's lap, practically curling his entire body onto the boy's legs.

"Relax," Naruto cued his guide dog. The dog shook himself off before he, too, lied next to the blond and rested his head on top of Kyuubi's shoulders.


"Well, now, this looks interesting. Wouldn't you agree, Sasuke?"

"Suigetsu, we have work to do," Sasuke sighed at his employee's lack of work ethic.

He could hear the other man snickering, and turned away from his writing to glare in his direction. The glare went ignored. "This, I believe, may prove to help us in our work," he remarked, turning to his boss with that weird scientific grin he got when his mind was plotting. Usually, this meant that he was plotting some weird, sadistic new law that he wanted to pass. Sasuke wasn't a sadistic person; he only wanted things orderly, and enforced that on the people he ruled over. He had already enacted revenge on the people he needed to, and the darker parts of him were, for the most part, kept locked and hidden in a box inside his head.

Naturally, Sasuke was on the defensive, ready to deny whatever truly evil request the silver-haired man had in mind. "What do you mean?" He questioned, standing from his chair to move slowly to his employee's side at the window. The white-haired man had turned back to the 'interesting' thing. "Is someone getting mugged or something? That's not interesting, you sadistic fuck," Sasuke grumbled. Suigetsu didn't bother replying as the country leader's eyes landed on what he had been looking at.

Two dogs. Two off-leash dogs walking with some mangy-looking blond kid. They were walking against the crowd – didn't this kid know that the country had laws? The people were expected to move with the crowd, so as to prevent situations such as the one occurring below them.

"Great, another law-breaker," Sasuke growled and turned to deal with the problem, but Suigetsu stopped him.

"Look closer. For a genius you're oblivious sometimes," the man smirked, his voice dripping with amusement. Sasuke could count on one hand the amount of people who weren't afraid of him. He was sometimes irritated to say that Suigetsu was one of them.

With an irritable huff, the dark-haired man looked again the scene. Closer, Suigetsu had said. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trying to examine the boy and his dogs. His hands were on both dogs, but he was holding the collar of one. The other didn't appear to have a collar. "Why is he…?"

Suigetsu simply waited, patient, as the puzzle pieces connected for his leader. It took until the blond seemed to have to feel around for the wall of the business across the street – some cozy little cafe that had the best coffee – for everything to click for the last remaining Uchiha.

"He's blind," Sasuke realized, turning to look at his grinning employee. The dark-haired man's eyebrows drew closer together, giving the other man a disapproving look. "Don't look so excited. We're still in testing."

"Yes, but you're the emperor, Sasuke. You can just force him to comply."

Sasuke seemed to mull that over for a moment before nodding. "Bring him in," he ordered.

With that, he turned away from the window and returned to his work.

"As you wish," Suigetsu said simply, a smirk on his face as he took long strides towards the EXIT sign.

When the white-haired man left, Sasuke was approached again. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to glare at the offender. The "offender" was another man who was not afraid of anything Sasuke could throw at him. This one, however, Sasuke appreciated. "Yes, Kakashi?"

"I do not believe it's wise to simply force someone to comply with whatever you desire. Your father ruled before you, and his people feared him. You should not-"

"Kakashi," Sasuke's voice was smooth, but the older man could see anger alight in his dark eyes. He had crossed a line, "if you ever mention either of my parents in front of me again, you will become the test subject."

The silver-haired man sighed. "Understood. But that does not change the fact that forcing this boy to comply with your demands is immoral and wrong. You are not an evil man, Sasuke, but you are becoming-"

"Becoming what, Kakashi? Evil?" Sasuke snorted dismissively, turning away from the man he had named his adviser. "Your advice is starting to sound like the way the Uzumakis would lead. And if they weren't evil, why do you think they killed my family? Things are not black and white, Kakashi. This must be done to further advance our technology. The people will thank me, even if we may lose a few lives."

The older man had to bite his tongue to keep from speaking further. He knew when Sasuke had had enough. For the younger man to mention the Uzumakis, Kakashi knew that he had truly pushed at too sensitive a place. He simply bowed and turned away.

Suigetsu had advanced upon the blond-haired boy. He leaned forward and waved a hand in front of the kid's face. The dogs beside him stiffened, and the one sitting to his left, the leaner, younger looking of the two, gave a low growl.

"Kyuubi?" The boy reached out to touch the dog. When he had turned to sit against the wall, Kurama had remained where he was, and so, was sitting on his right. Kyuubi was on his left. Naturo realized this when his fingers had touched the dog's neck and there wasn't a collar on the dog.

He heard a snicker, and he, too, stiffened.

"Ah, you really are blind, then?" The voice seemed amused, yet fairly friendly. As though he weren't mocking Naruto's blindness, simply confirming it.

"Yes," Naruto responded, guarded.

"Well, you better come with me, then," he reached for the boy's hand, but both dogs immediately stood and blocked him. The one that the blond boy called Kyuubi growled again. "You have some aggressive mutts there, kiddo," the man glared at the dogs.

Naruto stood. "It's okay, guys," he said softly. The dogs remained tense, but moved from in front of Naruto. "They aren't aggressive, and they aren't mutts," he grumbled. "They're protective; you probably reached for me or something. They don't like strangers trying to grab me. I think that's a good thing! And these are purebred Akita Inus, you dimwit! This is Japan's national dog. You should know they aren't mutts."

Suigetsu couldn't help but find amusement in the boy's attitude. "You're an interesting one, ain't ya? Anyways, time to go, puppies. Your master is coming with me now. Shoo-shoo!"

Naruto sighed, shaking his head. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't know who you are, and you're an asshole."

Suigetsu laughed, loudly. It took a moment for him to compose himself. "You're serious? I am Sasuke Uchiha's right-hand man. You can't tell me no. Besides, a kid like you shouldn't be using such awful language!" The man laughed again.

Confusion spread over the boy's face. "Sasuke Uchiha? I… Am I supposed to know who that is?"

The older man again laughed, before he realized that the blond was being serious. He was utterly baffled. "How in the hell do you not know who he is? He's the fucking emperor! Holy shit, kid, have you been living under a rock or something? You certainly smell like it," he pinched his nose, though the boy couldn't see the act.

"No!" Color flooded Naruto's cheeks. "I mean, not a rock..." It took a few moments for him to process what the other man had said. "Emperor? But… I… I'm sorry, my parents never told me of an emperor."

Suigetsu blinked, before shaking his head. "Well, there is one. And he gets pissy if things are not delivered to him in a timely fashion. So let's go, kid. Send the mongrels away."

The blond paused, processing what the stranger had said. If he was telling the truth, it wouldn't be wise to say no. If he was lying, and tried to attack him, his dogs would protect him."They go with me," Naruto said simply. "Kurama, work time!" He instructed cheerfully.

The dog instantly moved to Naruto's left side, and Naruto took hold of his collar. Kyuubi moved to the right, sticking close to his owner, his dark eyes glued on the suspicious man in front of them.

Suigetsu hesitated for a split second. Sasuke would not appreciate dogs in the company his deceased brother had founded. However, he also knew that this boy was important to the goal that the Uchiha had planned. With a sigh, he nodded. "Alright then. Follow me," he said, not bothering to pause to give the boy time to instruct his dog.

Naruto nonetheless did instruct Kurama to "Follow," a cue that, again, he had learned during his years training with Kurama. This was meant to help him in case he ever got lost. It was a weird experience, having to trust his dog, and his dog having to trust him to know whether a person was safe to follow or not.

He missed his parents. Overbearing or not, he never felt lost, or alone, or confused. He felt all of these emotions as he was led into a heated building, and into what felt – when it began moving – to be an elevator. His parents had exposed him to many different things, they simply never let him out of their sight. Which he thoroughly missed now.

However, at the thought of his parents, another disturbing thought entered his mind. Why hadn't they told him that their country was ruled over by someone? Naruto could not seem to shake the sudden feeling that there was a lot his parents had never mentioned, and having an emperor was only one tiny piece of this puzzle. The boy chose not to dwell on it when he heard the elevator door open, and Kurama tugged him gently, still following the man he was instructed to follow.

The sound of glass shattering caused him to jump. Suigetsu stopped, causing the guide dog to pause as well. Naruto could hear the click of Kyuubi's claws come to a halt and assumed the dog had stopped as well.

"Kakashi! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke glared at his adviser. The man only smiled and waved him off, grabbing a broom and dustpan to clean the shattered cup he had been holding.

"At least I finished my coffee, Sasuke," he mused.

Sasuke? The emperor? Great, he sounds like an asshole, too. What did I get myself into?

Kurama tugged him along, Kyuubi following quietly on his other side.

"Hey, Sasuke, this is 'im! He really is blind! He wouldn't leave the damn mutts, though," Suigetsu practically snarled.

Sasuke's dark eyes shifted from the man in front of him, to the gangly, sickly looking boy with the two underweight dogs. A single brow lifted, just a slight hint of movement. "Akitas? A regal breed, to be certain. But I did not think they did well as guide dogs," the man spoke, stepping around Suigetsu, ignoring the other man. "Would you join me in the conference room so we may discuss my offer?"

Kakashi watched from afar, his heart racing. He would never forget that face. Three tiny scars lined each cheek, earned a long time ago during a tragic accident caused by the family he worked for. Eyes blue as a clear sky, as though not even blindness could cloud them. Hair as bright as sunlight, reaching in various directions haphazardly.

Naruto was no longer a toddler. He was older. He was starving. He probably hadn't showered in a long time. But he was Naruto. Kakashi would never forget his face.

He felt a mixture of relief and confusion. Why was Naruto here? Where were his parents?

As Sasuke and Naruto entered the conference room, Kakashi quietly slipped out of the office. He had his own work to do.


"Er, excuse me? You want to do what to my eyes?"

Sasuke sighed. This kid was dense. Clearly, his explanation needed some dumbing down. "We'll use advanced lasers and ultrasounds to identify the cause of your blindness, and we will repair it."

Naruto shook his head. "I already know what caused it. I had retinoblastoma in both eyes as a baby. They got the tumors out, but apparently damaged my eyes or something because I never got my vision back," he shrugged.

"Then we will repair the damage done."

"How is that even possible?" Naruto shook his head again. Sasuke sighed. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions for you, oh great emperor, but I don't even know you. How the hell do you expect me to believe anything you're saying? Or even trust you? My parents never told me anything about an emperor. How do I even know you're who you say you are? How am I supposed to know that you're not just trying to, like, steal my kidneys or something?"

At this, Sasuke's brow arched. Another one to add to the list of people not afraid of him? The kid had balls, he'd give him that. "Your parents never informed you that your country is ruled by an emperor? I'm the third generation ruler. It seems unbelievable that they'd leave something like that out."

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged, chewing on his lip uncomfortably. Three generations? What were they thinking? Why didn't they tell me anything about this guy?

"Where are your parents, Naruto?" Sasuke cut into the blond's thoughts. He watched the boy fidget uncomfortably.

"They, um… They're dead," he spoke softly.

Sasuke blinked. "Dead? Why aren't you in a foster home?"

"Well… I just kind of…" He was silent for a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

Sasuke was quiet for a long while, his eyes on Naruto's face. He had strikingly blue eyes, and it was hard to believe he was blind. Those eyes seemed to look through him, seeing everything. If he wasn't so dense, Sasuke might have even considered the kid dangerous. Scars lined each side of his face. Those scarred cheeks were red with shame. His hands reached for the guide dog, stroking one of his ears. The other one, the one he had identified as Kyuubi, stood still near the door, glaring at Sasuke. "That is… odd," he spoke slowly, not wanting to put the boy on the defensive. This procedure was his brother's dream. Sasuke was not the people-person his brother was, but he knew a chance like this was a rare one. Even being the emperor, he knew Kakashi was right. He would have more success with a willing test subject than someone who was forced into something. "But, indeed, rather brave. You struck out on your own after your parents' deaths, with only your dogs. I admit, Naruto, I am impressed with your aptitude and your resilience."

Naruto's face grew red again, this time, however, from embarrassment. "I… I'm not brave. I ran away," he said, shaking his head, his fingers still stroking the velvety ear of his companion.

"Perhaps. But you knew a foster system would separate you from your dogs, correct? It seems like you made the best decision for you and your dogs." Though an orphaned foster child would be easier to use, since I control them. This way, however, if any damage is done or his life is lost, there is no one to report back to.

Naruto simply nodded.

"Hn. Well? Would you allow my team and I to operate?" Sasuke pressed.

Naruto was silent for several moments. "How many other people have you guys done this for?"

"You would be the first… person… that we've operated on. But we have tested it on animals," Sasuke responded honestly.

"Animals?" Naruto cringed. Sasuke was quiet, allowing the boy to process his words. Eventually, he sighed and nodded. "Okay… But, I do have a condition."

Sasuke snorted. "We're doing this for free, and you have a condition?" When Naruto nodded decisively, Sasuke couldn't help but admire him. Only a little. And only because of he could see his own stubborn traits in that simple action. "What is your condition?"

"Well, you guys need me, right?"

"Not exactly. I am the emperor. I can just make someone do it."

"Sure, but that's, like, bad publicity or whatever, right? That's not good for you. Eventually people would just overthrow you. Even if your army is badass, what are you gonna do, wipe everyone out? You'd have no one to rule over. You seem smarter than that."

Sasuke smirked. This kid is smarter than he looks. "Okay. Tell me what your condition is and I'll see if it's worth ending my reign or not," he responded in an even tone, though the statement itself was meant to be sarcastic.

"Um," Naruto began fidgeting again, his cheeks coloring. Sasuke remained quiet, letting the boy gather his thoughts. "I… I don't want to be in foster care, but… I need… I need a home. Food. Some fresh clothes would be nice. Oh, God, and a shower! Please let there be a place I can take a damn shower!"

"That's more than one condition. I have to house you, feed you, clothe you, and provide you with a place to clean the grime off? Sounds complex."

Naruto snorted. "Stop screwing with me. That's what I want. You can do whatever you want to my eyes if you give me that."

"Hm. Well, operating on you would definitely be easier if you didn't smell like you were raised in a barn."

Naruto's face seemed to light up. "Is that a yes? To everything?"

"Yes. We will provide you with a home with the necessities. However-"

Sasuke was cut off by Naruto's excitement. The boy jumped out of his chair, clapped and knelt down to hug his guide dog. "We have a home, Kurama, Kyuubi!" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Listen, Naruto. This is important. You will have to stay with me before the surgery. During and immediately after, you will stay in the hospital, where you can be properly cared for. Recovering your vision is not going to be easy. You will have to pay close attention to whatever your doctor says to you. Is that understood?"

Naruto nodded, an arm still draped over his dog. "Yes! Definitely!" He chuckled, before stopping abruptly. "Wait, with you? Why?" A disgusted look came over his face, and Sasuke had to fight the urge to feel offended.

"Because, there is no where else to put you. Our houses are full at the moment. This is a large city. Come on, we have paperwork to do," Sasuke lied smoothly. He couldn't have Naruto knowing that the procedure may kill him. He tended to favor honesty, but this, he truly needed. Besides, his brother was never against lying if it was for the greater good. "Oh… Naruto, how old are you?" Sasuke looked at the boy, watching with mild interest as a variety of emotions crossed his face. Pride, sadness, guilt. Finally, forced happiness. So, Sasuke wasn't the only one pretending.

"I'm sixteen," he said simply, running his fingers through Kurama's fur.

Sasuke nodded. "You'll have to have a guardian sign for you. If you don't have one, my adviser can do it for you."

"Adviser? You don't seem the type to take advice," Naruto snickered.

Sasuke snorted. "I rarely do take his advice."

The two – plus Naruto's dogs – exited the conference room. "Kakashi!" Sasuke called. The older man seemed nowhere in sight. Sasuke shook his head. "That damned man is never here when I actually need him. Probably reading his disgusting book..." He sighed, turning to Naruto. "We will go to my condo now, and you and Kakashi can speak further later. Come, I will drive you."


There had been some complaining at first, "These dogs will not enter my car!" though Naruto's counter-argument had been convincing, "Dumbass, I need them. I can't see, remember?" Eventually, Sasuke had conceded and agreed that Naruto did, indeed, need his dogs.

"Are you hungry?" He questioned once they were on the – insanely busy – road.

In response, Naruto's stomach growled, and his face reddened.

"I'll take that as a yes. Is there a particular food you like?"

Naruto thought about that for a moment, his mind wandering to days spent with his family at his favorite little mom and pop restaurant – Ichiraku's. "Ramen," he said decisively.

Sasuke made a face. "That is disgusting. I refuse to allow you to put that into your body while you are under my temporary care."

"You're not my dad, you know," Naruto grumbled.

"I don't have to be. I rule this country, remember?"

Naruto pouted childishly. "You're a shitty ruler. How could you allow one of your subjects – literally, I'm a test subject – to not eat his favorite food? That is unreasonable, unfair, and downright cruel treatment."

Sasuke shook his head. "My subject is about to live in my home, eat my food, and make me buy clothes for him. So, yes, you will eat what I give you, and not what I don't give you."

"Why would even ask, then?"

"In case you ate something reasonable. Ramen is not reasonable."

"It so is! There are great things in there! It has noodles, which are awesome, and pork, which is even more awesome, and eggs and sometimes vegetables depending on who's selling it, though the vegetables are rarely actually awesome," Naruto spoke enthusiastically.

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto, I am not spending money on ramen. Don't be ridiculous. If you can't pick something reasonable, then I will choose. We'll go to this restaurant that sells healthy, but filling food. The healthy part, I admit, is rather odd, considering the owner and head chef is a rather… large man. I'm only saying this because you'll have your sight soon."

Naruto hadn't really wrapped his mind around it before, but now, with Sasuke putting it into words, he was right. He was going to be able to see. He had been excited to have a home – temporary or not – and had completely forgotten what he'd done to get such a gift.

His sight. His heart jumped into his throat. "I-" He started, but didn't finish.

"Hm?" Sasuke parked the car and turned to look at Naruto.

"Um… What about my dogs?"

Sasuke glanced at the back seat, where the dogs were lying quietly on the seat. He grimaced. He would have to vacuum and shampoo his entire car. He shook his head. "Leave them. Put your hand on my shoulder; I'll lead you."

Sasuke got out of the car, but Naruto remained, his body tense. When Sasuke opened his door, Naruto remained seated. "Um..."

"I don't have all day. Either get up or you're not eating until I'm able to return home from my work."

Naruto sighed. "Do you have any idea what it takes to even guide a blind person?" The blond shook his head. "It's not my fault I don't trust you; you're an asshole."

Sasuke glared at the blond. "You insult me a lot. I am giving you something. Your sight. My home. And I have been incredibly polite to you."

"To me, sure. Only because you need me, remember?"

Sasuke sighed, leaning down so he was able to talk in a softer voice without others overhearing. There was no one in the parking lot, but he couldn't take chances. "Naruto, I do not need you. Using you is the easiest route. The path of least resistance, so to speak. However, if you become too troublesome, there is nothing stopping me from sending you on your way. You need me. Stop being childish," he straightened, stepping a little to the side so Naruto could get out of the car, "get up, put your hand on my shoulder, and I promise I will not run you into any walls."

Sasuke's words sunk in. And though it was silly, it stung. For just a moment, Naruto had hoped that he would find some sort of family in Sasuke. It wouldn't have been anything remotely like the one he held with his parents, but still, it would have been some form of a connection. He stood, carefully, his feet feeling around for the door or anything that might trip him. His hands reached out for something to grab onto, and Sasuke grabbed one. Naruto flinched away, surprised by the contact, as well as by the stark contrast between Kurama's warm fur, and Sasuke's icy hands.

"What? I'm not going to rip your arm off," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Uh, no. Your hand his cold..." Naruto mumbled, forcing his body to relax as as Sasuke pulled him away from the car and shut the door. The older man guided Naruto's hand to his shoulder. "Um, Sasuke…?" Naruto pressed. Sasuke sighed but said nothing, so Naruto continued. "Shouldn't I shower first? I mean, I stink. Like, bad. It's been a really long time since I've taken a shower."

Sasuke smirked. "We're at my house. That's exactly what you're about to do."

Naruto balked. "Why would you make me leave my dogs, then? That seems unfair!" He turned, feeling for the latch to the car door. With another sigh, Sasuke took hold of both of Naruto's wrists.

"Please, give me a moment to adjust to the fact that dogs will be in my home. Shower, then you may release your dogs. Deal?"

Naruto paused, but conceded reluctantly. "Fine," he mumbled. He allowed Sasuke to again place his hands on each shoulder. As they began walking, Naruto realized that the two were fairly close in height, with Sasuke being just sightly taller. "Hmm… You're pretty young, huh?"

Sasuke glanced back. "What makes you say that? There's a step here," he warned, stepping up and allowing Naruto to find the step with his foot. "There are two more steps."

"Because," Naruto said as he carefully climbed the three steps, "you're the same height as me. And you sound really young. Being blind means you use other senses better. So, I can usually tell peoples' ages by their voices. I mean, there are other ways, too, like the height thing. Guys don't really stop growing til their like twenty-two or something like that. Women mature faster than guys physically. Well, I guess mentally, too. At least, my mom would always tell me that," he laughed, though the memory of his mother brought pain.

Again, Sasuke was shocked to realize that Naruto really wasn't just a brainless moron. He was quite observant, for a blind idiot. He had caught on to the different treatment he received, seemed to have some understanding that Sasuke's research did, in a small way, require someone that had no family and couldn't be traced back to them, and now, the boy had realized that the two of them were not so different in age, either.

"What if I told you I was thirty?"

"I wouldn't believe you. But I mean, I am kind of forced to trust you right now. You are literally my eyes."

Somehow, the comment made him feel uncomfortable. He was generally an honest man, and didn't consider himself wholly evil. And he was, in fact, currently leading an entire country. However, these were people who, truly, could see things for themselves and make their own decisions. When it came down to it, Naruto had literally given his life to Sasuke. How strange, that the thought hadn't occurred to him until then. Any other test subject would, typically speaking, have their own home, and wouldn't need to depend on Sasuke as Naruto was depending on him now.

"I'm nineteen," he finally admitted, fishing the keys from his pocket and unlocking the door. "Step."

Naruto felt for the step. "Nineteen? Don't you think that's kind of young to be, you know, running a freaking country? Why isn't your dad running it? You said it was generational, right?" Sasuke tensed. Because of his hands on the older man's shoulders, Naruto felt it. "You don't have to tell me," he said quickly.

Sasuke sighed. "You'll find out sooner or later, anyway. My parents are dead. My brother was next in line, but he had a rare form of cancer in his eye. We discovered it too late. My adviser is ancient, and reads pornographic literature on a regular basis. Age is not always a representation of intelligence or capability. I was raised since birth how to lead a country."

As Sasuke spoke, he led Naruto to the bathroom. "I'm afraid I don't have any braille on my soap. Do you know right from left?"

Naruto snorted. "I'm blind, jerk, not retarded."

Sasuke shook the hands from his shoulders. "Good. Shampoo is on the left side of the basket in the shower, soap is on the right. I'm sure you can figure out how to use the knob; it's easy enough. There's a towel on the rack to your right. I'll be back with clothes," and with that, Sasuke was gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

Naruto was alone. Again.

But this, this was something the could handle. It had taken a long time before his parents felt confident enough to let him shower alone. Embarrassingly long. It was, truthfully, a relief to have that again, to feel comfortable taking a shower again. Sasuke had told him where things were, so that was good. It took him a few minutes to figure out which direction was hot, and which direction was cold on the faucet, but once he did, he set it to the temperature he liked.

Naruto carefully peeled his long-sleeved shirt off, his nose wrinkling at the scent of his own body odor. "Thank you, Sasuke," he said quietly, more for the shower than anything at that moment. He tossed the dirty shirt to the floor before his fingers moved to unbutton his jeans.

"Finally, some gratitude," Sasuke grumbled as he opened the door, a small pile of neatly folded clothes in his arms. He slipped by Naruto, placing the clothes on the sink counter. "Your clothes are here- ah, they're behind you to the left-"

"I'll figure it out, just get out! I'm trying to shower!" Naruto bit back, his face red, arms covering his naked torso.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Trust me, you have nothing I'm interested in," he responded flatly. As he turned, his eyes caught sight of the boy's starving figure, simply noticing how bony the boy looked. His ribs seemed to threaten to break through the skin. As if he were literally on the verge of death. It was clear that the boy would not have lasted very long on the streets. Sasuke realized then that the decision he made actually had saved this kid's life. It made him feel uncomfortable. Warm, in an incredibly uninvited way. He wasn't looking to feel anything. He only wanted to finish this damn project that his brother had started so he could get back to making sure all of the bastards who had killed his parents-

"Dude, I'm blind, but I still have other senses! It's a thing to feel someone's eyes, you know. I can feel you staring at me. Back off," the blond snarled, hugging himself tighter, the red on his face deepening. Despite not being able to see, he did shoot what looked like a glare in Sasuke's direction, his light blond brows knitted over his eyes, nose wrinkled.

Sasuke cleared his throat to hide a sudden, unexpected burst of amusement. "I think your dogs are more civilized than you."

"If I could see you, I would punch you. Get. Out!"

Sasuke left without another word. The "threat" of being punched by a starving teenager wasn't exactly threatening, but the whole experience had started to become… comfortable. Which made it uncomfortable. He could recall pieces of his childhood that had felt fairly similar. Not, obviously, in the same strangely perverted way it had just been, but certainly embarrassing. Itachi had enjoyed playing stupid, embarrassing jokes on his younger brother when the two were younger.

The dark-haired man swallowed the lump in his throat and left to release the dogs from his car. Dogs… I can't believe I am about to allow dogs – two dogs – into my home. This kid better be grateful.


Admittedly, Naruto almost wished he had let Sasuke tell him exactly where the clothes were. He stumbled around the bathroom, completely unused to the new obstacles in his way. In his home, with his parents, things never changed. He learned the layout of the house. Sure, maybe a book or something was on the couch, but it had never been so difficult for him to get dressed!

Still, he had gotten dressed, found the door, and poked his head out. He was quiet for a moment, listening for sounds or movement. Hearing nothing, he felt around the wall the his left – Sasuke had brought him from that way, right? – and began moving that way, keeping his left hand on the wall.

He had, truthfully, never felt quite so blind before. Without Kurama to help him, or even his mother or father, he couldn't figure anything out. He didn't even have a walking stick. Instead of trusting Kurama or his mother or even Sasuke he had to trust himself not to be a clumsy, blundering idiot.

Right.

That lasted him a miraculous total of sixty seconds, when his hip slammed into the edge of a table. Naruto winced, his hand moving to his hip. "Damn it," he hissed, more frustrated with his clumsiness. He hadn't actually been moving fast enough for it to hurt, but it was a setback for his confidence.

The idea of being able to see sounded a hell of a lot more attractive in his mind now. He would be able to be independent. He loved his dogs, but it would be nice for them to depend on him, instead of the other way around.

"Hn. I thought I heard the shower turn off, but you seemed to be taking your sweet time."

Naruto felt his teeth grind together almost painfully before he released a sigh. "Where are my dogs?" He questioned evenly, turning to face the direction the voice had come from.

"They're eating."

"Eating? You have dog food?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

Sasuke snorted incredulously. "I do now. I bought your mutts some food. You're welcome. Again," he couldn't help but adding with a smirk.

Naruto felt his face flush at the memory. "You're going to be impossible to live with. I changed my mind. Thanks for feeding my dogs and letting me shower, but I think being blind is better than having to suffer with you."

"Blind, starving, and unable to feed your dogs? Letting your dogs waste away because you can't handle living with a person for a few days? That is rather selfish. Your age is showing," Sasuke responded bluntly.

The blond's teeth snapped shut as the words sunk in. Sasuke was, admittedly, right. Naruto sighed. "You're right. I… I'm sorry for my selfishness," he ground out, the apology a hard one to release. After all, he didn't truly feel that Sasuke deserved the apology – the dogs deserved the apology more than Sasuke.

Sasuke seemed satisfied, however, and changed the subject. "Are you ready to go?"

Naruto perked up. Yes, Sasuke was going to get food! He couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Yes! Oh- but what about Kurama and Kyuubi?"

"They will stay here," Sasuke assured. "I already have too much fur in my car, and your dogs are monsters. They hardly fit."

Naruto couldn't help but feel uncertain about leaving his dogs, but his stomach growled and twisted painfully from the lack of nutrition it had received, and he knew Sasuke was not going to be changing his mind anytime soon. "Okay. We'll be back soon, though, right? Kurama isn't used to not having me around. Where are they eating? I don't think they've been alone before, and I don't have their toys with me, so I can't leave them with anything..."

Sasuke blinked as the words rapidly flew from the blond's mouth. "I think your dogs will be fine. They're in the guest bedroom, where you'll be sleeping. If they fuck anything up, you can fix it or replace it when you can see. If you're ready, let's go."

Naruto could feel the vibrations under his bare feet as Sasuke moved forward to take a hand and place it on his shoulder. He led Naruto into the guest bedroom, and Naruto could hear the dogs as they ate. He frowned, simply because it seemed like they were inhaling their food, overjoyed to actually be fed again. Sasuke led Naruto to the bed, placing the boy's hands on it before leaving him. It reminded Naruto of his parents, but he didn't think Sasuke was being "careful" because he cared about him, the way his parents did. The dark-haired man likely just didn't want Naruto to break anything. Which made the situation worse, and made him feel even more childish and dependable than he usually did.

"Uh, hey, Sasuke?" He ventured. He heard Sasuke hum a response. "What if, you know, we cooked something to ordered something? I'm not sure I really want to go out..."

The older man returned to Naruto, putting a pair of socks in his hand. "I'm not letting you anywhere near my kitchen, and I don't order take-out. I have to return to work soon, and I don't have the time to cook."

His voice was so flat. Methodical. Precise. He was short and to the point, even when he was teasing Naruto about something – and most of that teasing seemed forced. Naruto sighed.

"Y'know, I was really hoping we'd be friends," he complained as he pulled the socks on, "but you're impossible to get along with. I'm only doing this for my dogs. If I get my sight, I'll be able to get a good job and afford their care by myself. I won't need anyone!" The boy grinned, proud of himself. He felt the bed shake slightly as the dogs jumped next to him.

"You aren't going to sleep with those things in this bed, are you?" Sasuke frowned, glaring at the two dogs.

"Yep!" Naruto's grin widened when he realized how much it was going to piss Sasuke off for the dogs to be on the bed.

Suddenly, two objects smacked him in the chest. Upon investigating the objects with his hands, he realized they were shoes. Sasuke had thrown shoes at him. Naruto snickered. "Who's childish now? Yeah, shoe-throwing, real grown-up thing to do."

"Shut up and put your shoes on before I decide to throw you and your filthy dogs out. I still need to get work done, and you are slowing me down."

Naruto's grin remained plastered on his face as he complied, quickly slipping the shoes on before he and Sasuke set off again, his right hand on the dark-haired man's left shoulder.