So here's chapter 4!

I'm moving back to uni tomorrow, so the next chapter will prob be postponed 'till Monday... Sorry, but I need to get organised for my 3rd year whilst getting to know 10 completely new people. :')

Responses to guest reviews:

Yet again, another flame review! This time the anon has been able to spell everything correctly AND use correct punctuation. This person has obviously went back to check over what they had written to make sure they had told me to kill myself in perfect English; and for that, I respect them. :)

What I don't respect is the fact that they seemingly don't actually know how to review something. You believe my story is awful to the point where, not only am I a loser, but should kill myself for it... Please back up any and all strong opinions like these with evidence or they will be seen as baseless and dismissed (and you wouldn't want your flaming to be dismissed, would you?;))

Now, I like to think the best of everyone and so will assume that the anon just wants to hurt my feelings, not be the reason behind someone's death. :)

For the sake of argument though, lets say they actually wanted me to carry out their order. What makes you think that calling me a looser and saying my fic is awful, will actually work?

Mofo, if you want me to believe there is good reason to kill myself, I want a friggen essay with references. I want every 't' crossed and 'i' dotted. I want evidence of the pure, unprecedented destruction that each chapter of this story has caused the world and the surveys and the statistics to back it up. I want this thing published in friggen Nature (the world's most cited scientific journal).

Then, and only then will anon flame reviews cause me to feel anything other than the deep amusement I feel, even as I write this now; I will feel guilt that I hurt so many people. I may even stop writing (for a day).

I still won't kill myself and that, dearest anon, makes you the loser in all this- because you failed and the evil Tamagoyakihime will still be running free! :D

I await the day your paper about how awful I am features in Nature. Until then, you and your beautiful flaming anon friends' requests and comments shall be ignored forthwith (I understand that, for the sake of man kind, you need to continue your quest to get me to kill myself but I have an awful story to write and you have a study to conduct so I won't egg you on!). :P

Lots of love,

Tamagoyakihime

...

Anyhoo, those of you that don't wish for my death or make unfounded, negative comments about my person or my writing are more than welcome to review! :D

I don't own Naruto. If I did it would be 'awful' :')

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway outside the Hokage's office as a twelve year old Sasuke jogged to see Naruto. He hated this part of himself, the part that had learned to crave the Idiot's praise.

He didn't knock and just walked into the office- Naruto was expecting him anyway. He marched right up to the desk and placed his shiny, new head guard on top of the paperwork for Naruto to see. He watched the man's reaction with a proud smirk on his face.

Naruto looked up at him and grinned, "So you passed, eh?"

Sasuke felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw the smile, "Hn. I got a perfect score."

"You little bastard!" Naruto said affectionately, "Well, this is a cause for celebration! To Ichiraku's!"

Sasuke allowed his smirk to grow until it was not-a-smirk but not-a-smile. Celebratory ramen was one thing about the Hokage that would never change.

"Hey, guys! Let's go get some ramen!" a boy not much older than Sasuke-

-Sasuke blocked the images rushing through his head. He had grown adept at supressing the part of his mind that went rogue sometimes over the years. He followed after Naruto, not having to think too much about getting to their destination.

The pair didn't even need to order when they got to Ichiraku's, they just sat down and a couple of minutes later, their usual orders were placed before them. Naruto set about inhaling his ramen and ordering another before he spoke.

"What are you going to do about Itachi?"

The man's face was cracked and the whites of his eyes black. He started to make his way-

"Hn."

"How many times do I have to tell you that 'Hn' isn't an answer dattebayo…. You haven't thought about it, have you? You do realise you need to have a guardian's signature on your registration form?"

Sasuke cursed, he hadn't had to worry about that the first time around- there was no way his 'father' would allow him to become a genin. He glared at the man next to him.

"You sign it."

Naruto nearly choked on his ramen, "Kid, as much as I think you would make an awesome ninja, I can't sign for you, it's the law-dattebayo."

"Then change the law."

Naruto actually started choking this time but was rescued by the last man on earth that Sasuke wanted to see at that very moment.

"Thanks, 'Tachi-chan." Naruto wheezed.

"Hn. I hear Sasuke passed top of his class, I expected nothing less from you, son." The man said carefully.

"No matter what you decide to do from now on… I'll love you forev-"

Sasuke stared silently at his ramen and only replied after Naruto dug him in the ribs, "Thank you, Father."

"I expect that you have satiated your appetite for such debasing arts." Itachi stated casually.

Sasuke's hands started sweating and he cursed under his breath, when he became more emotional, the images became more persistent. Was he at Ichiraku's or in a traditional style building? Which face was the face of his father? They were both stern and equally disappointed looking…. Was Naruto middle aged looking or was he in his teens?

Before Naruto could nudge him again, Sasuke's father spoke bringing him back to reality, "Speak, boy. Or am I to believe you have become simple?"

"Now, now, Itachi. There is no need to speak to Sasuke like that. I'm sure he was just worrying that his food was getting cold-dattebayo."

Ever since he could remember, the Hokage and his father had never gotten on particularly well. The animosity between them was infamous throughout the village though no one really knew what had happened. What made it especially strange was the fact that Naruto had raised the other from infancy after Itachi's own father had died and they had been very close at one point.

"Hn. Please do not defend him, Hokage-sama. With the greatest respect, I do hold you accountable for putting all these ideas in his head."

"Care to explain?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, he had been playing the Hokage game long enough to know that anything beginning with 'due' or 'great' respect was generally an insult to intelligence.

"What I mean, Hokage-sama, is that since he was an infant, his head has been filled with nonsensical stories about so-called 'great ninja'. The boy thinks he's in for a world of glory by joining the ninja ranks when all the ninja world is is a world of pain and death."

"That's not true! I'll be the first to admit that the ninja system is far from perfect but you cannot deny that the ninja world has produced some good-"

"Good men? You mean like Sasuke Uchiha? The man who betrayed you and the village, tried to kill you several times, killed his teacher," The Uchiha ignored Naruto's protests and didn't notice that his son had tensed when Sasuke's misgivings came up, "Killed his brother, joined an organisation hell bent on not only killing you but killing everyone, vowed to destroy the village, attacked the world's leaders as they held a conference on how to save the world – need I go on?"

Naruto closed his eyes, his patience wearing thin, "Sasuke Uchiha was a hero. A little misguided at times, but a hero- and your father, nonetheless. You would do well to remember that, Uchiha-san."

Itachi flinched at the stress Naruto put on his name. Emboldened by his previous rant he started again, "Don't you dare talk to me as if you are above me, you liar, you- you murderer. Do not think I don't know the things you have done in your life you monst-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Sasuke slammed his hands on the counter of the ramen stand. If anyone… if anyone….

If anyone's a monster it's me….

The two men looked at Sasuke in shock.

"Father, apologise to the Hokage, you have spoken out of term." Sasuke said with authority; this man may be his father, but he was also his son and so it was his responsibility to chastise him.

Itachi backhanded Sasuke across the face, "You dare talk to me in that manner again."

He went to slap Sasuke again but Naruto caught his hand, "I didn't raise you to be this way, Itachi."

"After taking so much time to reiterate the fact that you were not my father before my majority, I do not believe you have the right to chastise me as a man. The boy may do as he wishes. He is no longer welcome in my house. I would not have such an insubordinate child to tarnish my grandchildren."

Itachi stalked off, "Thank you." Naruto said quietly, not looking at the boy next to him.

"Hn."

"So I guess you're needing somewhere to live…."

"Hn."

"Well I was going to offer you my spare room but seeing as you only seem to be capable of grunting at me, I am unable to tell if you want it or not…."

"I'll take it."

The way Naruto treated his home was reminiscent to how Sasuke had treated his childhood home in the Uchiha district. Family photos littered the house the way Sasuke's family crest had been emblazed everywhere, though the photos were placed in a much more haphazard manner. There were certain rooms that, though they were not locked, guests were respectfully asked not to enter, though for different reasons than Naruto's rooms.

When he was younger these rooms in the Hokage's house were a great mystery to him but now, though he couldn't fathom why, he felt like he understood why Naruto left them undisturbed.

Another stark similarity between the two houses was the quiet. It was hard to believe that any house belonging a man notorious for his noise making could be quiet, but this one was. Sasuke found himself unconsciously making up for the lack of noise; he didn't bother to silence his footsteps, he clattered about in the kitchen and sought out his housemate anytime they were in the building together. In his old house, such behaviour would have been frowned upon but the blonde man seemed almost grateful for it.

Sasuke was placed on a team with a distant cousin of his from his mother's side, Momo Haruno and a boy from the Nara clan, Shigi Nara. Their Jounin sensei was a stern woman from the Hyuuga clan, Shiroko Hyuuga- appointed as there were no Sharingan users willing to teach him and his predecessors had been rather secretive.

Sasuke grew to like his team and his new home and, despite wondering sometimes if he was going mad with his other voice in his head, life was good.

That was, until he found Naruto laying on their kitchen floor, chocking in his own blood.

And she is done!

So... were you expecting that ending? :P Of course you were- it's in the summary! XD

Itachi the second is really quite mean but he will redeem himself (sort of) later on. :/

OH MY GOSH THE HORROR OF NEW OCs! D: OTL

Nah, they'll get like, a couple of lines in upcoming chapters and that's it. :')

I hope you liked this chapter! :D