Harry softly knocked on the door before opening it, peeking his head into the room. "Dinner's rea- are you two okay? What happened?" he dashed to their sides the second he saw Naruto and Sasuke's tear-stained faces and desperately clasped hands.

Naruto sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "We're fine, nii-san. Just talking." he reassured his brother, giving him a smile.

Harry gave him a doubtful look. "But you're crying. Why are you crying?" Studying the two and seeing how they looked lighter somehow, understanding soon dawned on him. "Oh, you two." he sat on the bed and pulled the two into his arms, ignoring the way Sasuke immediately stiffened, and held them close. "Look, don't think about the past, okay? I'm here, and I'll do everything I can to protect you. Both of you. From now on, you're a part of our family, Sasuke, no matter what you say or do." Harry told them, Naruto nodding in agreement to the last part.

Fresh tears trailed down Sasuke's cheeks and he curled further into Harry and Naruto, body trembling, glad that he didn't have to be alone anymore. Relieved that for once, he wasn't seeing Itachi covered in his parents' blood in his mind. Giving the two young boys a squeeze, Harry reluctantly released them and ruffled their hair.

"C'mon. Dinner's ready. We can cuddle and go to sleep after we eat, kay?"

They nodded and stood, though they stuck close to Harry as they headed to the kitchen. Dinner was quiet, Sasuke and Naruto too emotionally drained to provide any conversation. Once everyone was done, Harry cleaned up the kitchen while the boys got ready for bed. The two boys climbed into Naruto's bed after changing and brushing their teeth, Harry joining them after he shifted into his fox form. Sasuke stared at him with wide eyes.

"How many animal forms do you have?" he asked, a hint of awe in his tone.

"He has two." Naruto answered while Harry curled up in between them. "This form and than his wolf form." he told Sasuke, wrapping an arm around Harry, who let out a soft, content growl.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, laying down and wrapping his own arm around Harry after a moments hesitation.

It wasn't long before the three of them were asleep.

/

Harry awoke first to a faceful of sunlight and two bodies curled into his own. Letting out a yawn, he wiggled out of the two boys' holds and hopped off the bed, shifting back into a human. He smiled when he saw the boys latch onto each other and went to take a quick shower and wash Sasuke and Naruto's clothes before starting breakfast. It was as he wash finishing up the omelets that the boys finally woke up and stumbled into the kitchen, still a bit groggy. Setting their plates in front of them, Harry ruffled their hair and kissed the top of their heads.

"Morning, boys."

Sasuke grumbled. "How are you so awake?"

Harry smiled at him. "I've always been a morning person. Kinda had to be, growing up. Anyway, what do you two want to drink?"

"Milk." Naruto automatically responded.

Harry poured him a glass and looked at Sasuke expectantly.

"I'll have milk too."

After handing them their drinks, Harry took a seat to eat his own breakfast. They ate in silence before Naruto spoke up, looking unsure.

"Um, do you want to go to the Academy together today, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded. "I have to go home to change, though."

"No need. I washed your clothes." Harry pointed to Sasuke's clothes, which were folded and on top of the table in front of the couch.

Sasuke nodded, smiling a tad shyly at Harry. When was the last time anyone had washed his clothes for him? Where some cared enough to do anything for him without expecting anything in return? It was a nice change and Sasuke had a feeling he'd be spending a lot of time with Naruto and his brother from now on.

"Hurry up boys. School starts soon and you don't want to be late." Harry spoke up, glancing at the clock on the wall.

Quickly eating the rest of their food, Naruto and Sasuke ran to the bedroom to get ready, the latter grabbing his clothes on the way. Harry busied himself with cleaning up the kitchen and doing the dishes, humming absentmindedly to himself as he did so. Fifteen minutes later, the two seven year olds were ready and standing before him. Smiling at them, Harry shifted into his wolf form and nudged them toward the door.

Together, they headed for the Academy, receiving baffled looks from the civilians that were awake. Harry growled warningly at anyone who openly protested 'their precious Uchiha spending time with the demon brat'. Most shut up quickly but one man learned the hard way and received a rather deep bite to the hand when he dared to try and grab Naruto with less than pleasant intentions. When they reached the Academy and entered the classroom, everyone went silent as they stared at the trio with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Hn." Sasuke glared at them and sat in an empty seat, pulling Naruto into the one next to him.

The disbelief and astonishment grew.

"Naruto! Why are you sitting next to Sasuke?! That's my seat!" Haruno yelled, getting ready to punch the blonde.

Harry glared at her, growling low in his throat.

Sasuke followed his example, narrowing his eyes darkly on the pink haired girl. "Touch him and I'll end you, Haruno."

The girl stumbled back in shock, eyes wide. "S-sasuke? Why are you siding with him?!He's nothing but an annoying brat! All he does is prank people! He's a dobe!"

"Don't call him that." Sasuke's glared turned colder and more steely the longer she had continued. Noticing the pain in Naruto's eyes, his glare became glacial and his hands clenched into fists. How had he never noticed how the blonde was treated? No. He had noticed, he just hadn't thought much of it, which he was no regretting. Naruto didn't deserve this. Any of this. "Back off, Haruno. This is your only warning."

Tears fell from Haruno's eyes, but Sasuke ignored her and turned to Naruto, who gave him a true, genuine smile, making him almost want to smile in return as warmth washed through him. He'd make Naruto smile like that more often, he promised himself. He didn't want to see those fake smiles any more, not after he was starting to get to actually know the blonde.

/

It didn't take long for the three of them to become inseparable. Sasuke was more often than not at Naruto's, so much so that he practically lived there now. The villagers and ninja in Konoha noticed the sudden closeness of Sasuke and Naruto right away, as the two were always seen together now. Many of the villagers protested against the closeness of the boys, saying Naruto would corrupt Sasuke, but were soon silenced by the combined efforts of Harry's growls and Sasuke's glares. Harry was pleased to note that Sasuke also refused to let anyone berate Naruto, the boy having become fiercely protective of his first friend and surrogate younger brother. The nineteen year old was greatly amused to see the Uchiha rip into Haruno after she took insulting Naruto a bit too far due to her jealousy. The only downside to the event was that she began treating Naruto even worse and very clearly despised his existence, hating that he was closer to Sasuke than she was. Harry also noticed the increase in ANBU that was watching both Sasuke and Naruto. The nineteen year old had no doubt that the Hokage knew of his existence, but figured that the old man wouldn't act unless it was clear he was a threat. Harry was most intrigued by the ANBU with the silver hair and dog mask. The man had a pleasant scent and was one of the rare few that actually stepped in when a villager was harassing Naruto. He was also the ANBU that seemed to be paying the closest attention to Harry, as if daring him to do harm against Naruto and Sasuke. Harry had also noticed another figure following them, this one unknown. They didn't feel like a threat, so Harry wasn't worried, but that didn't mean he wasn't curious. His curiosity got the best of him one night and he apparated to where he could feel the them after making it look like he was getting in the showing (mostly so the silver haired Anbu wouldn't get suspicious).

The figure, a teen with long black hair tied into a low ponytail, whirled toward him, eyes wide and muscled tense in preparation to attack should Harry prove to be a threat. Harry could see the surprise and confusion in the other's eyes and held his hands up in a placating gesture, showing that he meant no harm.

"Easy, there. I don't want to fight." the nineteen year old reassured him, taking in the younger boy's features. "Itachi, i presume?"

Itachi glared at him. "How did you know I was here? Not even the Anbu can sense me."

"Nothing gets passed me, Ita-chan."

Itachi's eyes widened. "Ita-chan?!" he hissed, grabbing a kunai and gripping it tightly in his hand. No one had ever dared to call him such a thing, not even his mother.

Harry chuckled. "You're cute. Well," he looked the other over, grin turning into a smirk. "Gorgeous is more like it."

The Uchiha fought down a blush and the urge to look away, unsure of how to respond to that.

"So, are you watching over Sasuke? Making sure he's alright or something? Or are you here to report to the Hokage with news on the Akatsuki?" Harry asked, curiosity filling him. He blink when he suddenly found himself pinned to the ground, a kunai against his throat. "Sasuke will be most displeased if you kill me, Ita-chan." he stated, not at all concerned with the sharp blade that could end his life any second.

"How do you know about the Akatsuki?" Itachi demanded, glaring down at him.

Harry sighed and met Itachi's eyes, which were currently red due to the sharingan. "I'm not a threat, Itachi. All i care about is Naruto and Sasuke, so unless you plan on harming them, then you have nothing to worry about." He narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha. "You don't do you?"

Itachi stared at him silently for a few moments before saying, "I'm not a threat to Naruto and Sasuke."

"You worry about him, don't you? That's why you're really here, isn't it?"

Itachi tensed, but didn't say anything.

"He does love you, you know." Harry continued, gazing up at the star lit sky. "He says he hates you, but that's because he's in pain." He met the younger's eyes again. "You'll have to tell him the truth someday, Itachi, before he truly does begin to hate you. And I know that is the last thing you want."

"How could you know what I want?" Itachi hissed at him.

"Your eyes. Have you ever heard 'the eyes are the windows to the soul'? You can learn a lot about someone just by looking into their eyes. And you have such lonely, sad eyes, Itachi. Just like Sasuke's, before Naruto and I got to him. And I see the love you hold for him. You get this look every time he's mentioned." Suddenly, he rolled over so he was on top of Itachi. "Be careful, Itachi. If you ever need someone to talk or rant to, know that I'm here." With that, he kissed the younger's cheek before apparating back home, leaving behind a confused, unsure, and emotionally shaken Itachi Uchiha.

/

Before Harry knew it, two years had passed and his boys were now ten. Though he had never said so out loud, he saw the two as his kids. They were his sons in everything but blood (though, he would have no objection to a blood adoption). And because he loved them, he decided that they were old enough for him to begin training them. The academy only taught them so much and Harry wanted them to be prepared for the future before them. He also decided that he would tell them the truth behind the attack ten years ago. Naruto deserved to know, as it was his body that contained the Kyuubi. He also wanted to tell them about his meetings with Itachi, but knew that wouldn't be wise. Not only because Itachi didn't want his brother to know he's been watching over him, much less that he's actually not a missing nin, but because Sasuke still didn't know the truth behind the massacre and Harry wanted Itachi to be the one to tell him.

After that first meeting, Itachi had visited Harry each time he came to Konoha to either report to the Hokage or check on his brother. Sometimes they sat in silence, other times they talked about anything and everything, and sometimes they spoke about their pasts. Harry made sure he had plenty of sweets for those nights, especially dango and pocky. The two had grown close the past two years, had become best friends even. A pack bond had formed between them, so Harry always knew if Itachi was in danger or hurt. Harry hated the days he was, since he could do nothing about it.

Letting out a sigh, Harry broke from his thoughts and sat down on the grass and motioned for Naruto and Sasuke to join him. The two did, curious looks on their faces.

"Hari-nii? What did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked, head tilted to the side cutely.

Harry immediately cooed and glomped him. "You're so cute, Naru-chan!"

Sasuke sweatdropped. "You're seriously crazy, Hari-nii." he told the other brunette.

Harry grinned at him. "Aw, you're so sweet, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now, what do you want? We're skipping the academy because of you and you know how Iruka-sensei is." the Uchiha shuddered at the thought of his teacher, who would be furious with him and Naruto for skipping school.

Harry waved a hand dismissively, a serious look coming over his face. "This is more important than school. And also, Umino-kun is cute when he's angry." he retorted, letting out a breath before turning to the blonde. "Naruto, I'm going to reveal why the villagers act the way they do towards you. It's an SS-Class secret, but I don't think it's fair to keep it from you. You two cannot tell anyone what I am about to reveal to you, understand?"

They nodded, gaining their own serious faces.

Double checking his privacy wards, Harry began. "Ten years ago, when the Kyuubi attacked, a baby was born from a Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Kushina. A jinchuuriki is a sacrifice, an individual who has a tailed demon sealed into them. Kushina was your mother, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened. "My mom had the Kyuubi sealed in her?" he breathed out in shock.

Harry nodded. "She did. I don't know much about her, only what I found in a forbidden file. From what I read, though, she was an amazing kunoichi."

"W-what about my father? Do you know who he is?" Naruto asked, or demanded, tone a touch hysterical.

Sasuke grabbed his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, which Naruto gratefully returned.

Harry nodded. "Your father is a bit more obvious. You idolize him, actually."

Sasuke gasped. "The Yondaime?!" Realization shined in black eyes. "Oh, kami. Naruto," he turned to his brother, grip on his hand tightening when he saw the tears falling from blue eyes.

"I'm the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, aren't I? Tailed demons can't be killed, but they can be sealed away and mom was a jinchuuriki. And the Yondaime wouldn't use someone else's kid." More tears fell and the blonde trembled. "The villagers hate me because all they see is the Kyuubi, not me."

Harry cupped Naruto's face in his hands. "Listen to me, Naruto. I love you, okay. You will always just be my little Naru-chan to me, got it? You are not the Kyuubi and don't listen to the bastards that tell you otherwise."

Naruto smiled wetly at him. "I love you too, Otōsan."

Harry froze for a moment before a wide smile spread across his face and he kissed Naruto's forehead. "You can't imagine how happy you have just made me, Naru-chan."

Beside them, Sasuke scowled. "Hey! You're my Otōsan, too, ya know!" he grunted, pouting.

Harry glomped him. "You are too cute for your own good, Sasu-chan. Of course you are my son, too. I love you both, my cute little chibis."

Both Naruto and Sasuke flushed, half from anger at being called chibi and half from embarrassment.

"Oh! And there is something else. I decided that I'm finally going to begin training you!" Harry declared as he released Sasuke.

The two ten year olds brightened. "Really?!" they asked excitedly.

Harry nodded. "Mhmm. Obviously I can't teach you magic or anything that has to do with chakra, but I can teach you taijutsu and kenjutsu."

Naruto shifted and looked at his newly dubbed dad shyly. "Actually, Otōsan, I want to learn how to use your scythe."

Both Harry and Sasuke blinked in shock. The scythe was a weapon Harry rarely used, though he would admit it was his favorite besides his katana. "Why the scythe?" Harry asked.

"Because it's awesome and you always look so cool when you train with it! I wanna be cool like that, too, dattebayo!" Naruto responded, eyes bright.

Harry laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll teach you how to wield a scythe. And you, Sasuke? Do you want to wield a katana or something else?" he turned to the other boy.

"The katana."

Harry nodded. "Alright. Then, training starts right now. I hope you two are prepared for some tough training, because I won't begoing easy on you." he told them with a wicked smirk, making them gulp and share a terrified look.

'We are so dead', was their shared though.

New pairing options:

Itachi/Harry/Kakashi

Itachi/Harry/Iruka

Iruka/Harry/Kakashi

Naruto/Gaara

Sasuke/Haku