Chapter 1

He'd made camp for the night at a secluded clearing in one of the many expansive forests that spanned the Land of Fire. Looking to his side he saw that Naruto still slumbered fitfully in the sleeping bag Itachi and wrapped him in. He'd made it more than thirty miles from Konoha in the span of an hour despite carrying the young boy who'd weighed next to nothing in his arms. Itachi wasn't one of the most psychically adept Shinobi strength wise, unlike Maito Guy, which meant that Naruto was grossly underweight for a boy his size.

Looking back at the broth he stirred over the campfire, the inviting smell gave him some comfort and would hopefully rouse Naruto soon. While he had a number of ration bars that the boy could eat, it was probably too soon for him to be ingesting solid food at the moment. Soup was a suitable alternative, and he'd fortunately packed all the necessary supplies.

Itachi honestly didn't think he could handle solid food either, his stomach still felt unsettled after the trying experience only hours ago. Killing nearly his entire clan and possibly traumatising his younger brother. It would be a long while before he could sleep without their faces staring accusingly at him.

A groan drew his attention from the bubbling pot of broth to the young boy who was now struggling to sit up in his sleeping bag. His weary eyes darted from one end of the clearing to another before panic soon began to creep in. No doubt Naruto was confused as to why he'd awoken in the middle of a forest when just earlier he'd been in Konoha.

"Be calm Naruto-kun, you are safe." Itachi spoke calmly as he poured the broth into a bowl, before placing it next to Naruto. "Eat, you must be hungry."

He eyed the bowl of soup wantonly before staring up at Itachi in confusion. His bright blue eyes clearly expressing his mood for all to see. How could one become a Shinobi with such honest eyes was beyond him. Like many in the village, he was aware of Naruto's desire to become a Ninja of the Leaf and right now that dream wasn't likely to ever happen.

"Where am I?" the young boy spoke quietly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Itachi Uchiha Naruto-kun. We are approximately thirty five miles from Konoha; we'll be resting here tonight." Itachi answered calmly as he poured himself a bowl of soup. Glancing over, he saw Naruto take a tentative sip of the soup he'd given him. A pleased expression followed as he began to take larger sips from the bowl. No doubt this was the first food he'd had in a while that he hadn't scrounged from rubbish.

Placing the half empty bowl on the floor Naruto looked at Itachi who slowly took sips from his own bowl of soup. A calm almost expressionless look was on his face. His dark eyes seemed to stare at nothing and everything at the same time.

"Why did you bring me here? I was in Konoha on my way to Ichiraku, but I felt weak…I fell, hit my head? I don't remember." What he remembered most clearly was the unending pain in his stomach, which was beginning to alleviate now that he'd eaten.

"I found you passed out. Naruto-kun you are severely malnourished and if I had left you there, you'd have likely died within a few days." Itachi spoke without hesitation and gazed at Naruto whose own expression was that of fear and sadness. "I apologize if what I said has upset you, and I couldn't very well leave you there like that."

"They always called me demon, always stared at me as if I were a monster. Why would they do that? Why did you help me?" Naruto asks, gazing right into Itachi's own dark eyes.

This was a crucial moment, Itachi knew this, but was the boy really ready to hear the truth that had been concealed from him. How would he react? While it had been for Naruto's own protection from forces outside the village walls, it did nothing to protect him from the scathing glares and harsh words from those within Konoha. Would his sadness for his life of isolation become hatred towards those that scorned him? Regardless, he deserved to know the truth of what the Yondaime sealed within him on the night of his birth.

"What I'm about reveal to you is considered an S-class secret punishable upon death if ever revealed." Itachi spoke, his tone calm yet severe. "Almost nine years ago on the night of October 10th, Konoha was attacked by the Kyubi No Kitsune. I remember the fear and hatred that hung in the very air that night, its' roars shook the very village. None could stand in its path, and every attack did little more than irritate the Kyubi. Until the Yondaime arrived, drawing its anger away from the village, a newborn child was with him that night, his child."

Itachi observed Naruto's reaction to the tale very carefully, the subtle tremble of his extremities, the ever so slow reaction to realisation in his eyes. Yet he waited for Itachi to finish his story to confirm what he was beginning to realise was the tale drew closer to its end.

"One moment, you could feel the hatred and malevolence of the Kyubi in the air, the next it was gone. Yondaime-sama had sealed the Kyubi into his own child at the cost of his own life, that child was you, Naruto-kun." Itachi waited as tears welled up in Naruto's eyes, his shoulders shook as sobs wracked his small frame.

"My parents…are dead?" his bright blue eyes looked into Itachi's own as a trail of tears leaked from his eyes. "They did this to me? Left me to be hated by everyone else?"

"Neither the Yondaime or your mother Kushina wanted this for you." Itachi answered. "They wanted you to be seen as a hero that saved Konoha from the terror of the Kyubi, unfortunately many were unable to see past their own grief and anger."

Naruto looked down at his hands, somewhere deep within him the monster that tried to destroy Konoha slumbered within him, sealed there by his own father, so that Konoha may live to see another day. He remembered his dream to become Hokage, looking back on it then, his cries that he would become Hokage and get their respect seemed ridiculous. Why become Hokage of a village that saw you as nothing more than a painful reminder at best, and the very demon that attacked their village at worst. His yearning to become Hokage was nothing more than another cry for attention in a world that did it's best to ignore him.

"What do I do now?" looking back at Itachi whom calmly regarded the question and meaning, knowing that the boy had no idea what to do or where to go. With the truth revealed it was highly unlikely that he wanted to return to Konoha, not that he would be able to anyway. He was barely nine years old and wouldn't make it back on his own, nor could he guide Naruto back. For now the two were stuck together, and Naruto would be dependent on him for guidance in a world he knew nothing of.

Right now they were vulnerable, and would continue to be so until Itachi managed to teach Naruto the skills to become a shinobi. They couldn't do it here in the middle of Fire Country, they needed somewhere isolated enough that they could go undiscovered for as long as they needed. He would soon become one of the most sought after missing nin in the elemental nations, they would need somewhere completely untouched by civilisation.

"For now we sleep, at sunrise we begin our journey," Itachi answers "Rest now, our journey will be a long one."

Naruto placed his empty bowl of soup on the ground, and climbed back into the sleeping bag as Itachi calmly finished his bowl of soup. Minutes later Naruto's breathing evened out, indicating his slumber. Itachi's eyes swept from Naruto, to the surrounding forest before they finally rested on the campfire. His hands clenched tightly as he remembered the screams of his family and he gazed deeper into the fire, trying to lose himself in it.

Back in Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked upon the bloodstained streets that were the result of his weakness. It had been partly his fault that the Uchiha plotted to rebel, maybe if he'd done something more this wouldn't have happened. Instead the clan had been reduced to two, and one of them would forever be regarded as a traitor of the worst kind, much like his former student Orochimaru.

His student had gone down a dark path once it was announced that Minato Namikaze would become Hokage and not he, whilst the Uchiha had been regarded with suspicion since the Kyubi attacked. Tales of the Sharingan being capable of controlling the Biju were well known within Konoha. As a measure Sarutobi had placed the Uchiha in charge of the police force, hoping that this would give the Uchiha a good reputation as peacekeepers.

Yet all it did was serve to further isolate them from Konoha socially and politically. It had been his mistakes that led to this, maybe he was becoming too old to keep leading the village. Unfortunately there were no other candidates for Hokage, there were some with the skill, but either lacked the political clout necessary or would refuse the position.

So here he stood doing what was necessary for Konoha's survival in the bloodstained district of what had once belonged to a prestigious clan, surrounded by his Anbu as they cleared the bodies. Anbu Captian Inu stood by his side, also known as Hatake Kakashi, former student of the Yondaime.

"Are there any survivors?" Hiruzen questions without turning his solemn gaze from the empty clan district.

"There are none Hokage-sama," Kakashi answers calmly despite knowing what happened here tonight, though the full story eluded him. "Only Sasuke survived, he is being taken to the hospital. He appears to be suffering from severe mental trauma."

Hiruzen nodded as he considered the secret discussion he and his advisors had held with the former Anbu Captain. Itachi had been adamant that they leave his little brother alone or suffer the consequences. Considering that he could easily reveal the truth of what happened tonight, they didn't dare test his resolve. Fortunately all evidence that had been found thus far indicated that Sasuke was innocent in their planned coup. Another thought occurred to him, something that he should of realised beforehand.

"What of the other children of the Uchiha Clan?" Sarutobi questions. "Surely Sasuke wasn't the only child to be spared by Itachi?"

"We were unable to find the bodies of any of the other Uchiha offspring Sandaime-sama. All the adults are accounted for, but we've been unable to find any of the children." Kakashi answers as he files through a list of the dead several pages long. A list comprised surprisingly of adults or young teenagers, but any children of the Uchiha were missing.

The old Sandaime knew that Itachi had strict orders to eradicate any involved with the Uchiha coup. Though Danzo and his other advisors had wanted the Uchiha clan to completely removed, Sarutobi had asked Itachi to spare any children unaware of what their parents had been involved in. This left several possibilities that may explain the disappearances of all the children.

Itachi may have disregarded his request and spared only Sasuke, though this did not account for their missing bodies. Could Itachi have spared the children and taken them with him, no impossible. Despite his skill he couldn't have slipped by border patrol with more than a dozen children to watch after. This meant Itach likely had nothing to do with their current whereabouts. This left the more worrisome possibilities.

Either someone else had been here when the massacre took place and had slain the ones Itachi spared, or someone had arrived before they had and abducted the survivors. If it was the latter Hiruzen had an inkling of who may be responsible, though he had no proof should he accuse the perpetrator.

"If you find anything, inform me immediately," Hiruzen says tiredly, suddenly feeling ten years older than his age. Tonight had been more than he'd feared and hoped that a successor was found soon. Unlike the Tsuchikage, he didn't want to wear the hat for the remainder of his years.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, we'll continue clean up and shall inform you immediately if something turns up." Hiruzen nods and disappears in a swirl of winds, leaving Kakashi and his fellow Anbu to continue their duties. 'Itachi, what could you have been thinking?'

Sighing warily Kakashi knew that he wouldn't be forgetting what happened tonight, and come morning neither would the rest of Konoha. Itachi had been one of the best and a likely candidate to replace Sandaime-sama as Hokage. He'd been the only one with the skill, political backing and Will of Fire that Sarutobi Hiruzen firmly believed in. At only thirteen years old he'd been Anbu Captain, an achievement comparable only to his own ascension through the Shinobi ranks.

Yet all this happened, with no indication that anything was disturbing the young prodigy, this happened. In a single night, he slew nearly the entirety of his own clan, a feat thought impossible for a single person. His fellow Anbu Captain had been far more skilled than even he realised. Without a doubt, Itachi's skills were superior than even his own.

Looking down at the list of the deceased, Kakashi was surprised at his own lack of remorse for the deceased. They'd been loyal Konoha shinobi and citizens, much like himself. Perhaps he'd grown numb to all the death during the third shinobi war. 'Or maybe it's a sign I've been Anbu too long, maybe I should try being a Jounin-sensei. Surely that won't be as troublesome.'

As the sun began to rise above the tree lining surrounding the clearing, Itachi began to clear up the campsite. He was methodical in his work, ensuring there would be nothing left for any possible trackers to find. Naruto was lethargically rubbing the sleep from his eyes, as Itachi had only shaken him awake a couple of minutes ago.

As his vision gradually cleared, he began to make out more detail. Such as that he wasn't in Konoha, which meant that last night hadn't been a dream induced by spoiled food. Someone had found him, taken him from the village and offered him food and care. There was no sign at all that there had ever been a campfire just last night. No blackened and burnt soil, nor the lingering smell of smoke in the air. Finishing his work on the clearing, Itachi strolled over to the young Naruto and handed him an apple.

"Here, some breakfast." He handed the bright red fruit over to the child, noting how reverently he held the apple before taking as a big a bite out of it as he could manage.

"What about you?" Naruto mumbled whilst still chewing bits of apple, the sight brought a smirk to Itachi's face.

"I'll be fine, I had one earlier myself before I woke you." Itachi answers with a small smile, Naruto's concern was touching, but unnecessary. They had a long journey ahead of them, which would likely take more than a few days to reach their destination, even at his best pace it would take under a week. With Naruto it might take a full week to arrive, since he would need more time to rest than Itachi.

He would need a good night's sleep himself, he'd been unable to do so last night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his family staring at him. Though he didn't want to, he had some medicines sealed away that would induce sleep. He preferred not to use them, since they always left him feeling sluggish upon awakening. If what happened last night happened again he would have no choice, lack of sleep was deadly for a Shinobi.

Glancing down he saw that Naruto had ravenously finished the apple and held out the core for Itachi. Taking the remainder of the apple from Naruto, he threw it into the air.

"Great Fireball no Jutsu." Itachi opened his mouth and launched a great ball of fire that incinerated the fruit. Turning back to Naruto, he saw the boy gaping in awe at him. He'd forgotten a child's fascination with the ninja arts, especially at his age.

"Awesome! Can you teach me to do that!" Naruto almost bounced in excitement.

"Yes, in time. Now it is time we departed," getting down to his knees he motioned for Naruto to climb on his back. "We have a long journey, it will be quicker this way."

Nodding, Naruto stepped behind Itachi, grasping his shoulders before Itachi hooked his arms below Naruto's knees and effortlessly hoisted him onto his back. Taking a single breathe Itachi soundlessly leapt into the air, landing on a nearby tree branch. Once they stopped travelling for the day and setup camp, this would have to be the first thing to teach Naruto.

If Naruto learnt to access his chakra and tree climbing before the end of their journey, it would allow Itachi to work on Naruto's stamina as they travelled during the day. Training him would come later though, first he needed to put as much distance between themselves and Konoha as possible before making camp for the day.

Things would be difficult, even more so with Naruto with him. He wasn't sure how long it would take for them to realise Naruto was missing, but it wouldn't be too long for certain. Plus there were any number of rogue Shinobi that might make an attempt on them during their travels.

The young boy needed to know how to defend himself, and Itachi had no illusions that he could protect Naruto from every threat out there. It would be best that he learn as much as Itachi could teach him to ascertain his safety. It would take time, but Naruto would become a force to be reckoned with and where they were going, they would have all the time they'd need.

"Hey what's your name?" Naruto asks as he tries to make sense of all the green and brown blurs as they sped along.

"Itachi, Uchiha Itachi," he answers without turning his eyes to Naruto, never taking his attention away from what was in front of them. "And from now on I'll be your sensei, I'll train you the best I can to be a powerful Shinobi."

AN: And there we have chapter two, which shows the beginnings of a friendship between Naruto and Itachi, as well as hinting at some of the inner workings of Konoha. As for the part about the other children of the Uchiha Clan, it struck me as odd that Sasuke would be the only survivor. I doubt that Sarutobi Hiruzen would actually order the deaths of innocent children, despite the crimes of their parents.

Now Danzo on the other hand that's another matter entirely. For now I'll let you wonder what happened to the other children, the next chapter should be out in about a week. Let me know what you think of the chapter or any constructive criticism you may have.