A/N: So, it took me three months to write barely 13k words for a chapter. I had a motherfucking huge writer's block due to a few ideas of stories and a few real-life situations popping up one at a time. Mix that with the upcoming holidays, the birth of my newest little brother and university biting my ass and you get a three-month delay for writing and publishing this chapter, but it was all worth it. The overall writing of this chapter became SO MUCH better than I originally envisioned, and I'm very glad that it ended up the way you're about to read. I hope you guys like it as well.

Now for review answer time...

Nikolai393: I'm not yet sure how many chapters the story will have. The only thing I know is that it will be BIG. Like... AlphaDelta1001 big.

Killmekos: Thanks for the kind words and suggestions. I already said this back at Chapter 5, but Naruto and Hinata falling in love early is kind of a small reflection on the way I discovered the meaning of the word 'love' early in life by myself. So blame my premature life for that...

Vallavarayan: He hands over Orochimaru's left arm on a silver platter like yesterday's remains. I dislike Uchihas as much as the next guy, but even I have to admit. Itachi is simply a BAMF! Even Hoshigake Kisame, who forced Maito Gai to use the motherfucking Kyōmon (7th Gate), didn't feel too much comfortable to fight him. That's gotta mean something. Oh yeah, and my favorite one: He lost to Sasuke on purpose! Hats off to Uchiha Itachi, suckers!

The Leader of Monkeys: To be honest, I wasn't willing to use the council at all when the story came to be... but something clicked inside me. "If I can actually manage to make the council fandom enjoyable..." And I went with it. It's still under refinement, but I'm glad you like it.


Fair disclaimer: Kishimoto-sensei owns Naruto, not me. And the PlayStation 4 costs 4-effing-k in Brazil. Is that supposed to be a pun, Sony? Because it's not funny! Fuck you and fuck your video game, I'll just go with the PC again this generation. I'm SamHetfield, and welcome to another great chapter – I hope so – of...

The Orange Hokage

Love, Hatred, Power, Will – A 4 Chapter Arc

Chapter 8: Will

"… … what did you say?" Sasuke asked. He swore he had just heard Naruto saying something about...

"You heard me just fine." answered Naruto. "You can either get rid of your hatred... or I'll do it myself. And don't even think of lying to me about it, Sasuke. You don't lie to friends." he said, making Sasuke lower his head a bit. Even if he couldn't admit, Naruto was the closest thing he had to a brother now. And even before Itachi had gone nuts, the two of them had always been close.

They knew each other too well to lie to each other. Not only that, Naruto was a Jinchuuriki in development, and from a powerful clan just like him. It was clear that he would become strong as hell in a few years, so if Naruto said that he would get rid of Sasuke's hatred himself, he would do it, and the young Uchiha would probably lay in a hospital bed for a while.

But Naruto had something else within him. Being a Jinchuuriki, he knew about the true evil within people's hearts. He knew perfectly well the meaning of the words 'hatred', 'loneliness' and 'misery'. Maybe it would be best if he accepted the help. Naruto didn't lose his family in a brutal fashion like he did – well, not that he knew, anyway – but it was still better than not having a blood family at all. And yet the guy was happy and bright as the sun. How did he do that? How did he manage it? Maybe Naruto had the answers for his endless dilemma. He made his decision.

"Okay, fine... you want to know the truth?" he asked, Naruto quickly nodding. "I want to embrace hatred. It's the only thing that's been in my head for these last few weeks. Itachi betrayed everything he stoop for, just so he could have that shiny Mangekyou of his, and I hate that. I hate him more than anything in the world, and nothing else matters except seeing him dead!"

"And yet... I don't know what to do, or how to even come up with a plan to get my revenge. He's much more powerful than any other shinobi in Konoha, and just like Hokage-sama and Kakashi-san said before, the only one who could truly defeat him was the Yondaime, and he's... well... dead. If I had a choice in this matter, I'd just forget about him and live my life to its fullest. Hanging out with my friends, becoming a loyal shinobi, rebuilding the Police Force... I could wait and just become strong in my own pace, waiting for Itachi to come, instead of rushing after him like a suicidal."

"But at the same time, I'm so afraid. Afraid that he might come back and kill any more of my precious people and ruin my life even more than he already did. I can't allow that to happen. I must become strong quickly, so I can kill him and avoid anything worse to happen. I want to be happy. I want everyone to be happy. I cannot possibly bear seeing anyone else getting hurt because of me."

"And that is why, Naruto... I'm intending to leave the Fellowship."

Naruto raised his eyebrows as he heard Sasuke's reasoning to focus on the gray path. It's not exactly like he's not affected by his clan's curse. It just seemed to be guided by... different reasons, other than just a petty revenge. "A stalemate..." he thought. "He's in a internal struggle to not follow the path of hatred. He's trying to keep his Will of Fire burning, while the cold void of hatred and revenge are trying to overcome him..."

"Feh. Never took you for a poet..." the Kyuubi said in his mind. "It's a lost battle, really... But I do feel like handing over to the Uchiha for trying, even being descendant of that disgusting Madara."

"I told you before, Kyuubi. Sasuke is different. And so is Itachi-sensei. You do remember his final words that night, don't you?"


Take care of my little brother, Naruto-kun... forgive me for what I've done to you...


"Those were his words... even after killing his family and leaving Sasuke to ruin... he's still asking me to keep him safe... and he asked me for forgiveness. There's definitely something wrong. I want to give that a try."

"Hn... I'd wish you good luck, but that's beneath me."

"Shut up... I understand what you mean, Sasuke." he said. "And frankly, I think you have your fair share of reasons for not hanging out with us anymore. But you know what I think...?" Sasuke shook his head. Naruto took a deep breath. This was going to be a long speech. "For starters, you should look things from a different angle."

"…a different angle?"

"Yes... Think for a second. Itachi-sensei committed a crime. Not only against you, but Konohagakure as well. Do you think that the village would just let that pass? Or maybe solve this problem with a petty revenge? Or would they go for a different approach? The answer is simple, really. It's got everything to do with Konoha's way of solving things..."

"Justice." hearing this word, Sasuke widened his eyes. He never thought about it before. Naruto kept talking. "You heard Jiji. We don't allow avengers join our ranks. We commit ourselves to protect those who are dear to our hearts, as well as following and honoring the legacy left behind by the ones who came before us."

"Not only that, but in the future, it will be our responsibility to set things right. If something wrong happened yesterday, we have to be ready for today and tomorrow, or else the consequences will be severe. Because we are, above anything else, shinobi. We are trained not to kill our emotions, but to endure them. Because there will be a time when we'll have to make sacrifices for the greater good Our line of thought must choose the righteous and just path, for the sake of everyone's future."

"That's what Itachi-sensei taught us two years ago, remember?"

"But Naruto..." Sasuke cut him off. "Itachi... he's different now. He's gone crazy. He killed our own family... for the simple sake of power. I can't believe in his words anymore..."

"You said he has the Mangekyou, right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded. "Look... I never told this to anyone because it's a risky piece of information, but... The Kyuubi told me of the requirements to have it. Believe me when I say that I know what you're thinking."

Sasuke gulped and started sweating cold. If Naruto knew, then... "Then you know why I want to stay away. I won't risk losing myself to darkness and killing those precious to me so I can match Itachi's power. I want to find a different alternative for this matter. There's no way you'll convince me otherwise, Naruto."

"You're wrong..." the Jinchuuriki answered. Sasuke looked at him, wanting to know what Naruto meant. The young Jinchuuriki lift himself up, looking at the village his parents died for. "Did you ever notice how I treat the villagers, Sasuke?" the young Uchiha nodded. It was a no brainer, really. With respect and care. If Naruto ever wanted to be Hokage, he should love the village and everyone within, and work hard to protect them.

Wait a minute... love? A Jinchuuriki like Naruto, being able to love people that hated him? Where did he find the drive to love them despite the circumstances? He couldn't understand Naruto's decision... the Jinchuuriki decided to continue the conversation.

"When I found out about my condition... Tou-chan asked me in his will... to forgive them. I didn't understand at first, but he explained that it was easy to see the pain Konoha was feeling. I mean... the Kyuubi came this close to destroy the village. How would you feel about it? And what would you do if you found out that this random kid around the block just happened to hold this very Bijuu inside him? The same one that cost your Hokage's life, worst of all. Everyone would think around the lines of 'look, it's the demon, let's kill it while we still can'..."

"Which is not entirely false, you know... unlike my previous containers, you can actually USE my powers, and that's a reason people should actually fear you as much as they fear me. He he he..."

"Don't interrupt me... Not only that, there are those who would try to obtain the power of the Bijuu for their own selfish reasons. And that's where I come in. As a Jinchuuriki, I'm Konoha's hero in a way. Not only by keeping the Bijuu and the other hidden villages in check, but also becoming its guardian by the time I learn how to control the Kyuubi's powers. I'm a political and military advantage for some people's perspective, for others I'm a not yet mindless demon, and for others I'm simply a secret weapon."

"But before anything else... I am Uzumaki Naruto... I am merely a child chosen to carry a heavy burden. My mother is Uzumaki Kushina, the Akai Chishio no Habanero and Princess of Uzushiogakure no Sato, while my father is Namikaze Minato, Kiiroi Senkou and Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. He sealed the Kyuubi in me, his own son, because he believed that one day I would control his powers and use them to bring peace to not only Konohagakure, but the entire shinobi world. I hail from a long lineage of Kages, and nothing will stop me from achieving my dream of joining them at this monument and saving this world."

"And to make this dream come true, I'll endure anything that they throw at me... because I am a shinobi. I will beat hatred and pain. I will protect my friends and my village. And for that, I will never give up, and I'll never go back on my word! Because that's my nindou, -Dattebayo!"

Sasuke looked at his friend in total shock. He was the son of the Yondaime! The legendary shinobi who dealt with the Kyuubi and turned his own son into a Jinchuuriki. And there he was, proud to face hatred head-on... Everything made sense now. His resemblance to the late Hokage and his love for Konoha. The reason of said Hokage to choose Naruto of all people. His natural leadership and talent, not only regarding the shinobi arts, but also on how to reach people's hearts.

But there was something more. He would take Itachi's words and make them believable. That bastard turned back on everything for his own selfishness and vanity, and anything that anyone said about 'the village is top priority' and 'self-sacrifice is the essence of a true shinobi' was downright wrong, because even Itachi didn't hold on to these words. But not him. Not this particular Jinchuuriki. Not Uzumaki Naruto. He was just like... just like Itachi. But with something... more.

His thoughts drifted towards the moment they first met... and beyond.


Flashback – 4 years ago, October 19 – Sasuke's POV

This playground... looks very interesting. Not that I would know much about these things anyway... My clan's compound has more than enough places where I can play and hang out with the clansmen. Everyone's very friendly to me, but I know that's only because I'm the second son of Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head.

Although most people refer to me as Uchiha Itachi's otouto...

Aniki* is truly incredible. Today, he's meeting the Hokage for his promotion to ANBU, the special squadron who work directly under Sandaime's orders. I heard that he broke the record for youngest member. Some guy called Hatake Kakashi held the last record of 15 years old. They say that at the time, the Yondaime was still alive.

It's very strange. The playground's been empty the whole time I've been here. Meh... I don't mind. Back at the compound, I'm the only one at my age anyway. There are more children like me, of course, but the youngest of them is 9 years old, and is already at the Shinobi Academy. By the time I get there, they'll already become Genin of Konoha.

It's always been like this... I barely get enough attention. I wish I was stronger and more talented like aniki. Then they would stop treating me like I'm 4 years old and I'd make my father proud of me.

Oh wait... I AM 4 years old, aren't I?

That's just great. I've been here for 45 minutes, and I'm still waiting for aniki. You'd think that more children would come to the playground. It seems I was wrong. *sigh* I might as well go back to the compound and wait for him there. Hahaue* is there and... Hm? Someone's coming.

"Hi. Are you playing here all by yourself?" he asks me. I've never seen him around before. I rarely leave the compound enough as it is, but I'm pretty sure that's the first time I meet this kid. Blonde hair is a rare trait to find amongst the people of Konoha. Maybe he's a Yamanaka...? Probably not. His blue eyes have a different shade than those of that clan. I've met a few of them, so I know what I'm talking about... I think...

Whatever. I think I've had enough fun playing with this swing... He seems like a nice guy, alright. "Actually... I'm just waiting for my nii-san. But if you want to play, we can play tag... if it's alright with you." I answer. He seems very eager to start. I barely finish talking and he already says "Sure!"

...Why did he just tap my shoulder?

"You're it!" he says to me, as he starts running. Oh, you cheap bastard. "Hey, that wasn't fair!" I shout. And in fact in wasn't. I've seen people playing tag before. They spend more time deciding on who's it at the start. THEN they start playing all day long. At least that's how I remember.

"Deception is a trait of a true shinobi. You do well to remember that, -Dattebayo!" he says, laughing while he runs away.

...It makes sense. I mean, everyone back at the compound likes to show off their strength and honor, but Aniki always says that stealth and deception will always be victorious in the world we live in. And this boy had just confirmed his words. He got me good. If we were older and in a real combat situation, I'd be dead by now.

… … …Maybe I should start running after him now...

… … …

… … …

… … …

Whew! We've been playing for almost three hours now. We're now sitting by the swing, watching the sunset. I wonder if Aniki is on his way already... Not that I care too much right now, I've been having more fun right now than I ever had before in my life.

I didn't notice before, but this guy has very curious fox-like whiskers on his face. It's pretty cool, actually. By the way... "Hey, um... What's... your name again?" I ask. We've been playing all afternoon long and we don't even know each other's name. Nice way to make friends, Uchiha Sasuke...

"Oh right..." he says. "We don't even know each other's name, do we...?"

Well, yeah, that's what I thought...

"Nice to meet you, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, -Dattebayo!" Hmm... that's a weird name, alright... is it supposed to be fishcake or maelstrom? Fishcake of the Whirlpool sounds exotic, alright... but it's also pretty weird if you ask me. Maelstrom of the Whirlpool sounds better. "And you?" he asks. Oh, right... I forgot to give him my name.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you too."

Well, there you are, we are acquainted now. Maybe I should start asking those usual introduction questions, like 'what do you like to do' or 'are you from a shinobi family'... It's the first time I actually get to do this, so I think I should try to come up with something...

"Sasuke!" I hear a distant call. Naruto and I look at the street to see who's calling me. Oh look, it's Aniki! It seems he finally left Hokage-sama's office. "It's time to go. Otou-san is waiting for us."

Hm...? Oh wow, he's right. I've been here for quite a long time already. Chichiue* and Hahaue usually don't get angry, but I shouldn't come back home so late. I mean, the sun is already fading on the horizon. Maybe it's time to go... "Well... I think it's time to go now..." I say to my new friend, waving him as I step away from the playground. "Bye Naruto!" I shout before taking Aniki's hand and walking towards the compound.

The last thing I hear from him is a "See you around, Sasuke!" After that, he's already out of our sight.

"So... how was your day, Sasuke?" Aniki asks me. That's one thing I like about him. He's always concerned about everyone's well-being. He's so selfless and does so much for the clan and the village. No wonder why he's been promoted to ANBU.

He's our family's crown jewel... And I must admit that I envy him for that. But he's my older brother, and he looks after me, so I should at least respect him on that aspect.

"Incredible." I answer. "I made a new friend today. You saw him there, right? The blonde boy with whiskers in his face. His name is Uzumaki Naruto. He's got energy and cheerfulness, and that's always a good thing, am I right nii-san?"

"Indeed." he answers. "When you have the energy and drive to do things, nothing stops you. I actually saw him more than a few times as I walked around the village. He always seems to be the source of... how should I put it... commotions."

"What do you mean?" I ask. He puts his fingers to his chin. He seems to be thinking about something, when he suddenly snaps his fingers and looks at me, about to answer my question.

"Remember that day, at dinner, when I told you of the mysterious ghost that roamed around the commercial district and messed up a few shops, changing price tags and the like?"

"Yeah, I remember. Otou-san told me it was all part of the commoners' hearsay, while Okaa-san thought it was pretty amusing, and somehow... nostalgic. What does that have to do with Naruto?"

"Guess who was the naughty ghost."

Hn... figures Aniki would make me put one and one together by myself. But hey, he actually made it easy this time. It's a no brainer, really. We're talking about Naruto when suddenly we start talking about some ghost... Even I should be able to answer that...

"It's Naruto, right?" I ask. Aniki just nods his head, confirming my thoughts. Now I got really curious about my new friend. If he's able to prank that many stores with this stealth at the same age as I am...

He's gotta be from a shinobi family. He has to. There's no way anyone could pull that one off without being detected unless he was a shinobi.

"His parents must be shinobi, right? I mean... he has stealth. And today, as we played tag, he tricked me a few times. And he told me that deception is a shinobi's main trait. He actually reminds me of you a bit."

… … …Why is Aniki so quiet now? Did I say something wrong? Did I insult him, comparing a 4 year old kid to the most talented Uchiha born in the last 90 years or so? I hope not.

"Nii-san?"

"Hmm...? Oh. Forgive me, Sasuke, I was just thinking a bit. Let's hurry now, shall we? I'm sure Okaa-san is finishing up dinner at this time."

"Okay, then!" I chirp happily. Hahaue always makes the best food. But now I'm curious about whatever was on Aniki's mind. And I'm also curious about that kid I've befriended today.

Uzumaki... Naruto... I hope we can meet again.


2 months later, New Year's Eve...

*groan* I'm so bored... I wished I could join the other kids in the regular festivities. But the Uchiha clan had decided, like usual, to celebrate their own private festival, inside the compound's walls. I don't know why we have to stay away from the rest of the village... It's not like they're beneath us, far from it. Aniki always talks about how we all work together for the benefit of Konoha.

I guess my family is composed of no-team players...

"Something in your mind, Sasuke?" I hear a voice ask me. It's Aniki. He's been gone all day long, I wonder if something happened...

"Nothing much, Nii-san..." I answer. "It's just that I wished I could celebrate the festival that's happening in the village. It's so much more bigger and cheerful. I don't see the point of a private party just for us... I can't even invite my friends."

"Hmm? You have friends outside the compound walls?" he asks. He always liked to tease me.

"Ano... well... I have one. Although we just met that one day, two and a half months ago. You remember him, don't you, Nii-san?"

"Of course I do. Uzumaki Naruto. I actually met him today." Okay, now that is something I didn't expect to hear. My mind is just bobbling with questions now... does he remember me? Is he any different? Thankfully, I have a very perceptive older brother, who I swear to Kami, must be a mind reader.

"He's doing pretty fine. He's gathered a few friends from the other Konoha clans and they train every day at a small training ground he himself created at his house."

Oh... wow. So they're training already? Good for them, the only thing Aniki ever taught me was how to throw kunai and shuriken. Ever since he joined ANBU, he's never had the time to teach me. It's always that same excuse: 'Forgive me, Sasuke. Another hour, maybe.' And I'm sure Chichiue wouldn't help me too much either, nor let me train with Naruto and the other guys he's gathered. He's busy and bossy enough as it is...

"I asked Otou-san to let you join the group, and he accepted. Starting next week from tomorrow, I'll take you to the forest near Konoha's northwest border, where Naruto-kun lives and trains with his friends. He's been expecting you for a while..."

Of course, Aniki always finds a way to make my day better. He's just that awesome. Before I can hug him and say 'thank you', the fireworks from the center of the village started to go off. Each and every year, Konoha's been improving their quality. So many colors and patterns... it's really beautiful.

"Happy new year, Sasuke."

I look at Aniki. He puts his hand on my head and messes a bit with my hair. I wish he didn't do that. But then again, he's given me quite the gift today, so I'll let that pass... as usual.

"Happy new year, Nii-san."

Happy new year, indeed. Training with Naruto and his friends is certainly a nice way to start this new year. I can only hope things get better and better from now on.


22 months later, October 24

It's been a week ever since Naruto and I started training with Aniki. Hokage-sama gave him a month's worth of break from ANBU missions just so we could train. It's fair to assume that a lot of people expect a lot from us. Since I'm Itachi's otouto, that would be obvious. And Naruto, because he's the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi.

It's been two weeks since his birthday, and he told us the truth about his 'condition', for lack of a more fitting word. For a while, everyone of the Fellowship was wondering the reason for the villagers to look down upon him. It was almost as if he was a plague or something, it made everyone angry. I'm sure Hinata must be very pissed at Konoha for mistreating Naruto like that. She's always been sweet on him. As a matter of fact, both of them are very sweet on each other. Of course, Naruto being Naruto, he didn't get it quite yet.

Oh well... I'm sure he'll realize it soon enough. I give him at most 2 or 3 years before telling him myself it at all necessary. It's really strange 6 year old kids like us falling in love so early, but we're anything but normal to begin with... I think it's their various struggles in life that allowed them to discover this feeling early...

But anyway, back to the main topic... Naruto's a Jinchuuriki. That would explain people's misplaced hatred towards him. I, for one, see him as a dear friend. He's not the fox. Even with that terrifying chakra that came out of him two weeks ago, he's still the same loud, cheerful and amazing friend I'm lucky to have. This power is just amazing, but it's also quite dangerous. No wonder why Hokage-sama encouraged him to train earlier than most people.

I mean... if you ever hoped to have a chance to control such power, you'd definitely need all the training you could possibly get, right?

At the same time, I feel a bit envious of him. Because of the fox's chakra, Naruto's own chakra levels are just unfairly huge. Aniki says that Naruto's tenant keeps him alive with chakra, vital force and even a nice mental support. Naruto himself told us that he now can establish contact with the Kyuubi, so he might either receive some useful tips and knowledge, or just being bothered and tempted by it, which also makes me feel sorry for the guy.

So far, nothing abnormal has happened ever since his birthday. And he hasn't been doing any sort of training to control the Kyuubi's chakra. Maybe he'll have someone else's help for that... For the last week, we've been training our stealth, tracking and assassination skills. Since Aniki is an ANBU, he deals with that far often. And I swear to Kami, he's a sadist when it comes to training.

My clothes are a bit ragged and torn apart, and I'm dirtier than dirt. Naruto's quite beat as well. We've just been trough Aniki's last drill. "Training is over now." he says. "Let's rest up for 10 minutes before we head back home."

"Hai, sensei/nii-san!" we both answer, smile across our faces. Yeah, we're totally beat. The training sessions we have every morning with the rest of the Fellowship are nothing compared to this. It's downright cruel and exhausting. But we're happy to have the chance to train, anyway. We have to become as strong as we can for the sake of the village. That reminds me... Aniki always gives us an useful advice after the training is over.

He should be giving his daily advice... right...

"Okay, then. Today I'll tell you a story about the importance of sacrifice. I actually had to ask permission to tell this tale to you. Inu-senpai wanted to tell Naruto-kun about it before me, you see..."

Now.

"His father was one of Konoha's finest shinobi. Hatake Sakumo, also known as the Shiroi Kiba*. Sadly, his tale was only deemed as a great one many years after his departure. The notion of sacrifice and honor in our village were mixed up back then, and he's been unfairly criticized for what he did."

"It all started around 16 or 17 years ago, at the very beginning of the Third Shinobi World War. He and his teammates received a very important assignment: obtaining information concerning the military movements Iwagakure and Kusagakure were about to make. Unfortunately, during the mission, they've been discovered, and Sakumo-san found himself in a stalemate."

"If he kept running and reached the intelligence post to deliver the information, his teammates would perish in combat. On the other hand, he could only hope to negotiate with the enemy to save them. But doing so, the mission would fail and both Konohagakure and Hi no Kuni would suffer from its consequences. So, what do you two think he did?"

I ponder for a while. If the tale is a sad one, chances are that... "He sacrificed his friends for the sake of the village. I reckon he must have suffered a lot because of their death, and that tormented hum until he died, right?" Naruto only nods his head, agreeing with my opinion. But it looks like I was mistaken, because Aniki just shook his head.

"He actually let the information go, saving his teammates' lives. The mission was a failure, and Konoha lost the chance for a preemptive strike at the very beginning of the war." both Naruto and I are clearly impressed now. I never imagined there would be someone who would let go of such an important mission just to save a handful of people.

"And for that, he's been heavily criticized by the majority of the shinobi. Even his teammates were upset with the results. They were ready to die for the accomplishment of the mission. Being rejected and looked down upon, he hit a state of major depression, and finally he committed suicide."

To say that I was shocked by this was an understatement. Now I understand why the story was a sad one. To get so down in life to the point one could commit suicide... it's tearful. But there's something bugging me. "I don't understand, Nii-san. Why did he let the mission go, anyway? Sure, his teammates would die, but many more would be spared if the mission was successful."

"And what about Sandaime-jiji and the other higher-ups?" Naruto asked. "They were war veterans, right? I mean... even if the mission failed, they could have taken another approach with it. Anything that could have turned the tables. With that, Hatake-san wouldn't have to take his own life away..."

Aniki had his eyes closed like always. He tends to do that when he thinks about the answer he wants to come up with... until he opened it, meaning he found an answer for us.

"You're both right. Everyone could have taken different approaches on this matter. The information could've simply been outmaneuvered by Hokage-sama and the advisers. Sakumo-san could've just let his teammates die in combat and accomplish the mission. But it's moments like this that makes us wonder just what truly is a mission accomplished, and what is worth sacrificing or not."

"Let's think a little towards the future, Sasuke. Think that Naruto-kun and you are on a mission, and disaster happens. Naruto-kun sacrifices his safety for you to run back to Konoha and accomplish the mission. Would you leave him to die, knowing that rescuing him would lead to the mission failing?"

Okay, now he's got me good. The philosophical question is a deep one for most people. But to me, that's a no brainer, really. "Naruto takes priority. It's just one mission I'd be failing, anyway. If Naruto were to die, I'd have failed a lot of people, and Konoha would be short of candidates for the job of Hokage." I answer with a smug smirk across my face. Naruto merely answers with an 'Aw, shucks.' Always the modest one...

Yeah, he might be a bit rough around the edges, but we of the Fellowship and also many other decent shinobi have already placed our bets on him to become Hokage in some near future, so it's not like he's failing any missions anyway. And even if he does fail, he would at least bring everyone back alive. That's just how he is. Apparently Aniki liked my answer, because he has a similar smirk on his face.

"So you think that sacrificing the development of the mission for the sake of your friends is worth it?" Aniki asks me, which I answer with a head nod. He's not done, though. "Let's pretend we're at war now. Death is a constant factor, and failure is not an option. You either kill or get killed. Can you still stand up with that line of thinking? To simply save everyone would be nothing short of impossible. Chances are that-"

"Itachi-sensei." Naruto cut him off. Bold as usual... "I'm with Sasuke on this one. If someone were to die, I'd have pretty much failed the mission. Because a mission is not only about the information, the client or target. It's about us as well. What kind of person would be considered a shinobi if all he ever does is abandon those who follow him for the sake of the job? And what kind of Hokage would I, or anyone else be, if we can't even save our friends?"

"Call me crazy, but if that's how the shinobi system works... then I will do whatever it takes to change it. And I mean it, -Dattebayo!"

I can't help but smile at him... damn Naruto... as Shikamaru would put it, 'troublesome blondie' indeed. Ever since the beginning of our training sessions, he's always been talking about protecting Konoha and everyone within. Saying that we have bonds of fellowship and love, and a strong will burning like an undying fire. This will is what keeps Konoha standing, and every shinobi and civilian should cherish this fire within their souls, so this and the next generations would keep strengthening themselves further.

I know everyone at ANBU has this Hi no Ishi, including Aniki. His smile is proof enough of that. "You never cease to amuse me, Naruto-kun..." he says. "Sasuke. I'm proud of you as well. Both of you have proven to be reasonable. There is a thin thread line separating right from wrong when it comes to matters such as the one we discussed today. And you most certainly are aware of the right thing to do." he finishes, lifting himself up from the ground.

"Tomorrow, we'll train our precision with kunai again. Naruto-kun's been a bit sloppy, and I can teach both of you a thing or two when it comes to shuriken-jutsu. Maybe Okaa-san can help out too, since she's the one who taught me to begin with, although I have to admit her training is quite a rough one. Speaking of her, she should be finishing dinner as we speak. How about we all go back home now?"

"Hai, sensei/nii-san!" we both answer again. Can't wait to go back home, I'm starving. And now I got really curious about Hahaue. Is she really that good with shuriken-jutsu? And did Aniki really just call her training 'rough'? Maybe Shikamaru was right. When they want to, mothers can be quite scary... *gulp*


3 months later, January 16...

"Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse and Tiger. Focus chakra in your lungs and fire nature in your saliva for the fireball to blow correctly. And be careful when spitting the fire, or else you'll burn your tongue."

"Hai, Otou-san." I answer. Chichiue has finally decided to teach me the most basic Uchiha fire ninjutsu. In a way, it's our rite of passage. If I'm able to use this jutsu, I will be worthy of wearing the Uchiha fan. Aniki says that the white part is supposed to represent the fan that controls and suppresses the red fire. That would certainly explain the name of our clan*. It would also explain our rivalry with the Senju clan, from which the Shodai and Nidaime were part of. After all, they were the ones who preached the Hi no Ishi.

It's ironic, really... The clan who supposedly had the power to suppress the fire was actually suppressed by it. No wonder why the Uchiha compound is so distant from the village. I suppose the family's not too fond of the situation we are right now. Anyway... maybe I should stop drifting and practice the jutsu Chichiue taught me. Let's see... Chakra in the lungs, fire nature in the saliva... Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger... NOW!

Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!

And there it is. I'm spitting a huge fireball. I turn my eyes around just a tiny bit to see Chichiue's face. Great, he's astonished. That only confirms the result of these last two years of training with Naruto and the others. I trained hard just to make him proud, and I'm sure as hell doing that right now, because he's doing something I barely see him do...

He's smiling.

"As I would expect from one of my sons. You make me proud, Sasuke." he says. I can't help but have this big smile across my face. It's been months ever since he last said these words to me, and that's because I endured Aniki's training. "What do you think, Otou-san?" I ask. "Do I have what it takes to surpass Nii-san?"

His smile seemed to fade a bit. "Itachi is Itachi. You are you. Your mother told you this a couple weeks ago over dinner, didn't she?" he asks, which I answer with a nod. "Your brother is a true blessed genius, almost like a sponge, such is the way he learns things. You are a hard worker, but you also get the job done. Maybe you should try doing things on your own pace."

"Just because you won't graduate at 7 and unlock your Sharingan at 8 doesn't mean you're behind him. It's just different. But nonetheless you should always strive forward to surpass yourself before trying to surpass others, do you understand?"

You know... he's right. I got this far working hard. I'm stronger than I was before. And I'll be stronger than I am today. It's all a matter of time, really... thanks a lot, Chichiue. You're the best. "Hai!" I answer, which he answers with another smile.

"Now then... let's see if you can do this jutsu. It's called Housenka, and..."


14 months later, March 19...

It's been over five weeks since the Academy started. What a crazy time. Naruto announced the whole world he's a survivor of the Uzumaki clan from Uzushiogakure no Sato. He actually showed me and our friends the genealogical tree, and even a few pictures of a hundred years ago. I would have never believed him if he told me that he was a distant descendant of both the Shodai and Nidaime... and the Sandaime is a grandfather to him, if that's not enough. What's next, being the son of the Yondaime and filling the rest of the family tree? It would help him get the job earlier, that's for certain.

You know... that's not too farfetched, if you ask me. He looks a lot like him, blonde hair and all. Which would explain why he doesn't have red hair like the rest of his clan. Heck, even his mother has red hair. And she's really pretty too. Not as pretty as Hahaue, but still... That would also explain why he told us he would keep his father's side of the family a secret for now. Meh, I think I'm just being paranoid...

Oh, and he got betrothed to Hinata too. Man, I knew he would eventually be aware of the fact that they're in love with each other, but... betrothal? Really? I suppose it can't be helped. Noble clans and all that stuff... I, for one, am NOT expecting anything like that... Not so soon, at the very least. I hope Chichiue keeps THAT in mind as I grow up. Aniki should be careful too. Or maybe not, he's not that much of a social guy anyway...

Right now, I'm taking Naruto home. Apparently Hahaue and Kushina-san were teammates many years ago. I think she wants to tell him stories about their time together over dinner. I'm sure that Naruto will be happy to hear something about one of his parents. He always says stuff about honoring their legacy and making their sacrifice worth.

It makes you feel kinda bad for the guy, though. He deserves more than having parents just as heroic figures. But hey, he never makes a big deal out of it, so I assume things are pretty okay...

"Good evening, Sasuke... Naruto-kun." I hear Hahaue's voice as Naruto and I get inside. She left the kitchen to greet us. "How was the Academy today?"

Oh, she didn't ask that... she knows what it's like, she just likes to tease me. Naruto knows this too, since now we're trading glances at each other to have our answer ready.

"Boring!" we answer at the same time. Naruto did well in warning us last month about how, in his words, it would be the most boring, annoying and downright useless experience that us, shinobi in training would go through... Maybe I should have not gotten involved with the trainings of the Fellowship...

Or maybe I should just slap myself for thinking that... Although Hahaue's sweet smile is a punishment on its own.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage to last the next five years in it." she says. "I'll make sure of that. Like you said yourself, Naruto-kun, the social experience is important, right?"

I don't like the tone of her voice... And apparently Naruto doesn't like it too. He's quite pale. "H-hai! You are absolutely right, Mikoto-san!" he answers, really nervous. Hahaue just tilts her head a bit and gives him a 'now there's a good boy' smile, before something hits her.

"Oh... I forgot to ask, how are you and Hinata-chan doing? I never congratulated you two for the betrothal, did I...?" she asks. Naruto's cheeks are a little red now. Hm... never thought he would be embarrassed to talk about this kind of stuff. "Oh, right. We're doing great, -Dattebayo!"

Hahaue started giggling for some reason... I wonder why... "-Dattebayo... you do sound a lot like Kushina, you know? Only she used to say –Dattebane instead." Naruto's eyes widened in excitement. Somehow, I just knew he'd be like this. "You knew her?" he asks eagerly.

"Team 12, one of the few kunoichi-only teams ever conceived in history. Inuzuka Tsume, Uzumaki Kushina, and yours truly, Uchiha Mikoto. Our Jounin sensei was Tsunade-sama herself. We were quite a lively team. I have a picture here, if you wanna take a look."

"Are you kidding? Of course I want to see it, -Dattebayo!" he answers quite loudly, while Hahaue takes an old frame from the family drawer.

I actually want to take a look at the photo too...

The image we take a look at is, in a nutshell, amusing. Tsume-san, Kushina-san and Hahaue, all doing weird poses while Tsunade-sama looks like she's about to beat them to a bloody pulp for not standing still to take a simple photograph. They look really young... I'd say they were about the same age as we are right now...

Seeing that makes me wonder about the old quality standards of the Shinobi Academy...

"Suge*... you were all so young back then. How was it like back in the days?" Naruto asks. Hahaue answers him with a smile. "Oh, trust me, it was WAY harder back then." She picked the photo, looking at it with this really longing look as she kept talking.

"The Second World Shinobi War had just ended and Konohagakure was trying hard to boost the strength of its forces. Uzushiogakure was destroyed, leaving us alone against all the other nations. Neither Kusagakure, Takigakure or Sunagakure were our allies yet, and our moral was quite down in the dumps..."

"That's when Sandaime-sama had the amazing idea of letting his own students, the Densetsu no Sannin, to have their own Genin cells. Orochimaru picked Team 11, composed of the Ino-Shika-Chou trio. People were surprised he'd pick a team like that one. Turns out that it was the easiest team to deal with because of their natural teamwork and he could just slack off and continue his 'field work', including his works with Danzou and the ANBU-Ne program, which was still under development before the Yondaime ordered to shut if off..."

"Tsunade-sama decided to go with a kunoichi-only team. She hoped that at least one of us had the talent to become a full-fledged medic-nin. Unfortunately for her, we all had our particular specialties. Once we were all Chuunin and captains of our own missions, she returned to the battlefield. The Third World Shinobi War was about to start, and she was needed."

"And last, but not least, Jiraiya-sama picked Team 13. You all know that one, I'm sure of that..." Naruto and I nodded. There's not a single person in Konoha who doesn't know about this team. They're know by a lot of names. 'Silent Team', 'Dream Team', 'S.O.L'... just to name a few. But there's one name that stands above all others, due to one of its members.

"That's the Yondaime's team, right?" I ask, receiving a head nod from Hahaue as an answer. "Correct. This is the legendary team composed of Aburame Shibi, Hyuuga Hiashi and Namikaze Minato. To this day, there hasn't been a single Genin team to beat their mission record, nor their performance at the Chuunin Shiken. I personally fought Shibi-san back then, and he outmaneuvered all of my strategies. Since this day, I refuse to underestimate any other Aburame."

Naruto gave a low whistle. "I'm so not taking Shino lightly anymore." Hahaue chuckled to his statement. "I am sure you'll be alright, Naruto-kun. Your chakra levels are so large that not even a whole kikkaichuu hive will be able to wear you out."

"Oh, right... And I think that having a furry and angry Bijuu inside me helps too, right?" he asks bluntly. We can't help but burst in laughter for hearing Naruto call the Kyuubi 'furry and angry'. I get lost seeing Naruto and Hahaue talking so much about some unknown parts of Konoha's history. Our history.

It's been a while since I've seen both of them so happy. Hahaue is happy because she finally managed to talk so cheerfully about someone who was a dear friend to her. Someone who's probably one of the most precious people to Naruto. Sure, he has friends within the Fellowship, he has Hokage-sama, Hinata... but... I've never seen him smile like that. Even when he's with Hinata, whom he's clearly in love with...

This happiness, this smile... it's nearly breathtaking. This is the Naruto I bet everyone's dying to see. I must admit... seeing this guy so happy warms my heart. It's like... I have to protect this happiness. If I can do this, defending Konoha is an easy feat.

I hope to be able to smile like that someday... Maybe finding love early might not be a crazy idea after all...


Back at present time – Normal POV

"So..." Naruto said, making Sasuke stop drifting towards his past memories. "What is your answer? I know I might be asking a bit too much of you to think this over so quickly and so eagerly, but I know you got used to being pressured all around. And seriously? All I ask for is a simple yes or no question: Are you committing yourself to deal with your own hatred?"

Sasuke just followed Naruto's question with silence. For a moment, he actually thought about embracing his hatred within and use it to become stronger. But Naruto's words about justice, endurance and greater good... They were strong. And all of that was reflected on his friend. A noble and smart young boy, shaped by many different experiences in life. He had it worse than Sasuke, but there he was, strong and collected as usual.

Maybe he could do that too... but he still wanted to think for a little longer before making his final decision.

"Can I give you an answer tomorrow?" Sasuke asked, getting a head nod from Naruto as an answer. He got up from the ground and cast his gaze to the village. "I have to admit..." he said. "The view from here is really beautiful." Naruto noticed the faint smile on the Uchiha's face before he left the young Jinchuuriki alone.

"So... what was that again? Something about a 'terrible scenario' to talk your heart out?" Naruto asked the Kyuubi mentally. The fox snorted a low growl.

"Lucky shot... You should be thankful that the Uchiha is a fucking homo, or he would have kicked you in the nuts for bringing him to a place you'd take your Hyuuga girlfriend to."

"You're jealous of our healthy brotherhood-like friendship, admit that... Look, I can actually be your friend if you want to. You seem like a lonely guy, even with me around..."

"Oh... pray tell me, why would I ever befriend you, or any other human for that matter? Considering that your best friend if a damned Uchiha, of all things possible! Next thing you know, he's casting some nasty genjutsu on both of us. I don't trust him, and I don't trust you or any other human! You got that, kozo?"

"Fine then, suit yourself." Naruto said mentally, as he walked towards his house to prepare dinner. Why the young Jinchuuriki ever thought about the possibility of befriending the Kyuubi was out of his small grasp of knowledge. Maybe he would think over about it the following day.

Oh, wait. It was his birthday, and he'd mostly spend his time with his friends. Oh well, maybe another time...

Unbeknownst to him, the Kyuubi was drifting his thoughts towards older days. Uzumaki Naruto... his gutsy, loud and knucklehead attitude, his annoying speeches of friendship, loyalty and love, and even the nature of his relationship with the Hyuuga girl and the Uchiha avenger to be... It irked him. The mightiest of all Bijuu watched Naruto for the past eight years, and it all came down to four humans besides the Rikudou who, in a time span of 100 years, changed his life forever.

He became a mindless slave and then a prisoner, all because of these people...


Kyuubi...

Right now, you are merely a temporary existence... just a small glimpse of an old source of energy that once upon a time was a single supreme being.

Silence, human...

An unstable source of power, devoid of any kind of intelligence whatsoever...

Silence, human!

And from this day forward, it is I, Uchiha Madara, who will rule over your pitiful life and determine the sole purpose of your existence. After all, you filthy Bijuu were destined to be our servants the day our blood was blessed with the eyes of the eldest son.

BE SILENT NOW!

Hn... I don't take orders from you. It's actually the other way around, Bijuu...

You will obey me!


Kyuubi...

I'm afraid that letting you unleash your power is too dangerous for the sake of this world.

Forgive me, but I just can't let you roam around freely anymore...


I'm afraid that using your powers will only bring hatred and destruction...

So please... stay quiet inside me.


Both of us weren't that much lucky in our lives, right..?

The only thing I know is that we're in this together now. And while you are responsible for keeping the world at bay...

So am I responsible... for keeping you at bay.


"Those bastards... they enslaved me, sealed me, imprisoned me! But that was not the worst part at all. The worst is that... they either treated me as their personal pet or denied my existence altogether."

"I am the Kyuubi no Youko, creation of Rikudou-oyajii himself! They should give me the proper respect, and yet they did everything in their power to take hold of my own. Not even my brothers and sisters could escape this disgusting system created by these poor excuses of life forms called humans."

"Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama, Uzumaki Mito, Uzumaki Kushina, and now him. Uzumaki Naruto... No matter how many words they spill out of their mouths, or how many tricks they have under their stupid sleeves, my decision was made a long time ago. I cannot possibly trust humans anymore..."

"Oyajii..."


I won't be here much longer, my children.

… … …

As long as you are all around, even when separated, you will always be together. And then, one day, all will become one...

With different names and shapes than you have now... And unlike me, there will be someone who can find the right path and guide you all towards it.

That time will come... when you all understand what true power is.


"Forgive me Oyajii... but I find it hard to believe that this moment will come anytime soon..." the Kyuubi thought, before going back to sleep. Naruto was already on his own way to sleep anyway, so it's not like he could chat with him...

But then again... after such morbid thoughts towards his creator, he didn't feel like talking to one who just so happened to remind him a lot of the old Sage...

And for the first time in a thousand years, the Kyuubi felt a heavy pain in his heart.


The following morning, October 10...

The sound of birds chirping happily and the faint sunlight coming out of the window stirred the now 8 years old Uzumaki Naruto to slowly wake up from his slumber. The previous day with Sasuke took its tool on him, psychologically speaking. But at the very least he saw that his actions proved to be effective. He actually was not sure that the talk they had yesterday would work out the way it did. He just made a leap of good faith.

Just like everything else in his life, really...

For some strange reason, his last argument with the Kyuubi made him feel kind of sorry for the Bijuu. After all, he did spend the previous 90 to 100 years trapped inside people, not having a say in the matters regarding his own life. It reminded him of himself, being forced to become a Jinchuuriki while he was still around two hours old. But he couldn't just go and talk to the Bijuu about these things just like that. Especially not today.

It was his birthday, after all. And he wasn't even out of the bed yet and there was already someone knocking on the door. Naruto got up quickly and went to answer the door. And who could it possibly be this early? As far as he knew, only three people were eager to visit him at this hour. Well, actually four if you can consider Kakashi-niisan getting ready for his S-rank mission, but that only happened at most twice per week. Besides, he already said he would probably not attend to his birthday, so it couldn't be him.

And it just so happened that the other three were the ones at his door to see him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen. Naruto's most important guardian. The kind old man in his usual Hokage clothing was his grandfather in all but blood, giving him advices about the life a Hokage could, would and should live, as well as protecting him from his enemies, both inside and outside Konoha. Naruto was truly grateful for Sarutobi. He was the one who saved him from death and handed him over his father's encouraging words. In that day, Naruto found out about his heritage, his Jinchuuriki status, but most of all, his responsibility as successor and heir of some of the greatest legacies ever conceived in the shinobi world.

On top of that, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the one who guided and taught Naruto about the Hi no Ishi, as well as being one of his personal idols. Naruto owed him a lot.

At Hiruzen's left side was his great buddy and first brother figure of his life, Uchiha Sasuke. Differently from yesterday, he seemed calmer and... happier...? He couldn't be sure, but he noticed something in Sasuke's eyes.

The amount of hatred his eyes held over the last few weeks was astonishingly smaller.

Well now, that was a heck of a weight out of his mind.

To young Naruto, Sasuke was the essential friend. The one who he would share his greatest secrets (which he already did yesterday) and strive to become stronger together. They had a healthy rivalry, in which the young Uzumaki would train to the bone to not let Sasuke catch up to him. Even with the Kage Bunshin method, he wasn't that far ahead of the young Uchiha, which just proved his point. He respected Sasuke for being a truly gifted genius, and not being an asshole over it.

Aside from the young Ino-Shika-Chou trio, he was one of the few people that made Naruto happy to be alive. And that earned a special place in the Jinchuuriki's heart. However, there was one spot in Naruto's heart that was reserved exclusively to three people. Those three were his father Minato, his mother Kushina...

And the third person in front of him, at Hiruzen's right side.

Hyuuga Hinata.

It was hard for Naruto to describe how exactly he fell in love with her, and how in the world he did so being, well, a very young boy. The Hyuuga heiress also found it hard to describe her take on the events that brought them together. All Naruto remembers is a moment, about six months ago, he took to reflect on things.


Flashback – April 3 – Naruto's POV

I'm bored... Hinata-chan, Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-chan left almost a week ago for some important meeting with the Daimyou, or whatever. She said it was about a favor Hiashi-sama owned him or something, and he thought it was a good idea to take both daughters to have their first 'live' training session in diplomacy and politics. And I was so hoping to spend at least a couple days with her... Well, at least she's coming back by the end of this afternoon. I'm already at the front gate, ready to greet them first thing. I would do nothing less for my beautiful moonlight princess.

… … …

… … …

Man... I'm really in love, -Dattebayo!

My thoughts drifted a bit towards that blue scroll that Tou-chan left on Sandaime-ojiichan's care until my 4th birthday. I thought it was very amusing that one particular part where he says I should find a nice girl like Kaa-chan. Not the aggressive part, mind you. She wanted me to find a girl who loved me for who I was and would go as far as risking her own life for me.

I don't particularly like the idea of people doing those things. I'm a Jinchuuriki, I'm supposed to be stronger than anything and anyone and use both the Kyuubi's powers and mine to protect Konoha and those I love. In a way, that sounds like a very hard thing to find, right? A girl who would stand up for me? If I can't even do my best to defeat my enemies, who would do it for me, right? The girl would have to be badass, -Dattebayo! And I'm just a child. Heck, when I got the letter, I was just 4 years old. How the hell was I supposed to worry about any of these things? That was totally out of question!

But that thought stayed in my mind even so. Maybe it's because it was something Tou-chan and Kaa-chan, in their final moments, wanted me to acknowledge. They were looking out for my happiness and my well-being. So I've kept that thought in my mind. And I promised myself I'd find a nice girl. It was the least I could do for them, right?

The very day after I made that silent promise, I bumped into this most lovely angel on the street.

Not only she was pretty, she seemed so... delicate. Like you could crush her by just looking. I felt I should put up the most soothing words I could get from the tip of my tongue. She also had a familiar gleam in her eyes... That gleam was one I was used to for a while, and I definitely didn't like the idea of having this cute Hyuuga girl with that look in her eyes.

Those were the eyes of someone who didn't feel acknowledged.

The eyes of someone who, despite their efforts, didn't feel welcomed and recognized by other people.

And for Hyuuga Hinata, who I got to meet that day, being the kind girl she was and having that look in her eyes because of the stupid traditions of her clan...

It was sickening.

So I made the most stupidest, gutsiest, reckless promise I could make as a 4-year old runt who just got out of the orphanage and stepped up on his training to become a shinobi, and if at all possible, Hokage.

I promised to help her change her family for good. And if that wasn't enough, I would marry her to save her, and her little sister as well, from a dreadful system elaborated by her own family.

...Yeah, that was way too screwed up. But then again, I wasn't exactly looking at the bigger picture.

And after that, my thoughts pretty much drifted towards that promise every single time I saw something that would remind me of Hinata-chan. Would she actually want to marry me once we got older? Would she be the one girl Tou-chan and Kaa-chan wanted me to find for my own happiness? Was I any good enough? Did she like me? Would her family even approve the idea of making an arranged marriage or anything like that? My head hurt really bad for a while. I wasn't supposed to worry about any of that, and yet I was! All because of that promise I made to that pretty Hyuuga girl.

I'm probably the stupidest person in the whole wide shinobi world, -Dattebayo!

And over the last few years, while I got to know Hinata-chan, train with her, have nice conversations... All of these small things led me to pay more attention to her mannerism. From the look in her eyes to the smile she flashed once in a while...

Somehow I saw my parents' pictures there. Right at her side.

Her small, yet sweet and reassuring smile looked a lot like Tou-chan's smile. And her 'let's do out best' smile, as well as her motherly kindness and care towards other people, made me think a lot about Kaa-chan.

It made me feel like I was interacting with the family I never had the chance to have. And as I slowly and yet gradually made my way to gain the full trust – and near 'guardianship', in a way – of Hiashi-sama and a few select Hyuuga members, mostly from the Branch House... I felt welcomed. I felt acknowledged.

I felt... like I had a family.

My family.

And that's when I came to realize that Hinata-chan was the one girl that Tou-chan and Kaa-chan wanted me to find and be happy with her. I was falling in love with Hyuuga Hinata and I was damn sure I would make it work out, or else I wouldn't be worthy of the legacies my parents left me.

Of course, both Hiashi-sama and Hinata-chan beat me to it.

First, it was the Hyuuga patriarch. Hikari-sama's last words to him were about the promise I made all those years ago. And, of course, being good friends with Tou-chan and then sometime later finally putting two and two together regarding my lineage, he outmaneuvered Danzou and some civilian councilmen with all of that 'betrothal' talk. And I was sure as hell grateful for what he did. It was definitely one step closer to fulfill that promise I made. After all, if there's one thing I never do is break a promise, -Dattebayo!

And then Hinata-chan also beat me to it, getting to say 'I love you' before me.

Man, did I shed some tears with that one!

I mean... I had that discussion with the Kyuubi earlier, when he told me that she was so in love with me that I would have been a blind fool for not noticing it sooner, and damn right I was. But after that, I could just lose myself with all these sorts of positive thoughts. She really loved me. Even a Jinchuuriki like me could have a special place in my heart to accept these feelings and make them blossom! I just couldn't hold my emotions any longer.

One thing I can never forgive myself, though, is that for the last 2 months, all I did was say 'I love you too'. I never took first initiative. Don't ask me how or why, I wouldn't know how to answer that.

Well, no more.

Today, as soon as she crosses that front gate, first thing I'll say to Hinata-chan is how much I missed her and felt awful for being without her for a week. And then I'll say those three little words before she can say it.

And I mean it, -Dattebayo!

Oh, speaking of which... there she is!

"HINATA-CHAAAAN!" I scream loudly at the front gate, as soon as I see her figure in the distance. I hear Izumo-san and Kotetsu-san giggling a bit. Can't blame them, though. I am making quite a scene. Even Fuzzy inside my head agrees with them.

Soon enough, in less than two minutes, she's just a few meters of distance. Apparently Hiashi-sama gave her his approval, because she just ditched the whole 'proper heiress' thing and rushed towards me. I didn't waste a single second to rush as well, embracing my beautiful fiancé and spinning like we're in a ballroom dance, for pretty much everyone's amusement.

"I missed you so much, Hinata-chan!" I say loudly, getting a big smile from her. "I felt so bored and lonely I though I'd go crazy, -Dattebayo! Everyone's too busy to pay attention to poor little me..." I mumble, wiping a fake tear.

Hinata-chan laughs a bit. Kami, I love the sound of her laughter. "Don't worry, Naruto-kun. Next week we're having a dinner at the Soothing Hana, and Chichiue would like you to accompany us."

Oh, that's a good thing alright... That's why I love this family, -Dattebayo. They're very perceptive. But then again, they have the Byakugan, so that helps a lot too. "Thank you, Hina-hime. I'm definitely going. Oh, by the way... I've got something I wanted to tell you all week long..." her ears perked up a bit. Good. I lean in close to her ear as close as I can, and whisper very lowly, so only Hinata-chan can hear the special words I have for her...

"I love you."

There. I've said 'I love you' before her. It's almost like a personal victory for me. She actually froze a bit. And now she's wiping away her tears of joy. "Darn it, Naruto-kun... *sniff* I've just come back. How come you're making me cry already? *sob* Baka!" she says, punching my shoulder. It actually hurt a little.

And now she's kissing me. Damn, she has soft lips, -Dattebayo! That's another thing I absolutely love. She's a good kisser. Very surprising and unexpected, coming from such a sweet girl. But hey, I'm not complaining...

"So... am I forgiven?" I ask. She merely gives me one of those sweets smiles Mikoto-san gives me every time I say something I shouldn't. It's shivering, to say the least. "We'll talk some more after the Academy, okay?"

Hmmm... okay then, I can live with that, I guess... What do we have next week, anywa-

Taijutsu practice.

I'm so dead, -Dattebayo...

"Oh, right." she says, leaning in close to my ear. "I love you too..." she says, followed by a peck on my lips, as she rejoins Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-chan on the way back home... Man, I really love this girl! I just can't wait for us to grow up and get married!

I have a great feeling about our future together... Not even the Fuzzy can torn us apart.

Hyuuga Hinata, I love you, -Dattebayo!


Back at present time – Normal POV

"Oh, hey. Thanks for coming so early, you guys..." said Naruto, motioning his guests to come in. Sasuke and Hinata quickly entered, while Hiruzen just put his old pipe away before entering as well. The Uzumaki made it quite clear he didn't want people smoking inside the house, and not even the Sandaime was an exception to the rule.

"Oh, it's nothing at all, Naruto." Hiruzen said. "We're happy to come here and wish you a happy birthday. I'm pretty sure your parents would be happy and proud to see you doing so well. Besides, I heard from Kakashi that you wanted to talk to me, so here I am." he finished, taking his seat on one of the dinner table's chair.

"Chichiue asked me to invite you for lunch at the Hyuuga compound today, along with everybody else from the Fellowship. But I decided to spend the morning with you..." Hinata said, sitting by the couch, at Naruto's left side, as the young Jinchuuriki wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"And I'm here because I couldn't sleep a wink last night, thinking about what we discussed yesterday. Just so you know, I do have an answer for your question." Sasuke said, sitting at another chair, standing close to the Sandaime. Naruto couldn't help but feel curious about his Uchiha friend, who was taking a few deep breaths, as he prepared himself to give Naruto his final answer.

"I... I have to admit that getting rid of my own hatred will not be an easy task. Even with everything you said yesterday, the more I think about my pain and anger, the deeper they seem to dwell. So I've spent the whole night thinking about it and I made my final decision."

"Naruto... I'm not like Itachi. I'm not a genius, but rather a hard worker. And to deal with this hatred, I'll have to work hard the same way I've been working for the last four years. And that's hanging out and training with you guys. I'm not getting out of this hole by myself. I'm gonna need all the help I can get. So I'll humbly ask you, Hinata, Hokage-sama and everyone else of the Fellowship."

"Can you help me with my hatred? Can you help me face Itachi? Can you help me rebuild the Police Force?"

"Can you help me?"

Hearing Sasuke's plea brought a warm sensation to Naruto's conscience, and for some reason Itachi's 'request' also passed by his mind. As much as Naruto thought his mind made up that moment, over the last 3 weeks he remembered it over and over again. And right now, he could see Itachi once again asking the young Uzumaki to do whatever it took to help Sasuke.

"Feh..." Naruto snickered. "You'll owe me big time, you know that..." he said, 'fake mocking' his best buddy. As a matter of fact, he only did that to try and bring some laughs to lighten up the mood in the house.

Of course he would help his friend with their own problems. That's how much of a nice guy he is.

"Whatever you say, Namikaze..." Sasuke answered in a not so bitter way. Hinata simply blinked a few times. Hiruzen was about to say something when Hinata's voice beat him to it. "Wait a minute... You told him about your father, Naruto-kun?" she asked, surprised that there was somebody else who knew about that particular secret. Hiruzen immediately turned his attention to the Hyuuga heiress. Naruto didn't mention that both of his friends knew about his full heritage.

"Oh..." Naruto said. "Yeah, I did. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. I thought he should know where I really got my resolve from. It's not everyone who understands the true nature of the bond between a Jinchuuriki and a Kage, considering that usually the former ends up becoming a loyal weapon to his/her village..." Sasuke and Hinata just hmmm'ed in response.

"Besides," the Uzumaki continued. "He's my best friend. I couldn't just keep him in the dark for much longer anyway..." Hiruzen and Hinata just nodded their heads in agreement. Naruto was not only careful regarding his secrets, he was also honest in expressing his displeasure for having to keep secrets from his friends, even if it was necessary.

"Naruto..." Hiruzen said lowly, just above a whisper, making the young Jinchuuriki actually shiver a bit, due to the temperature of the room. "You never mentioned that you'd be telling about your father to your friends without my consent, or at the very least my previous acknowledgment." Naruto gulped for a moment, but he remembered that he also had a sort of blackmail, if he could ever call it that, with the old man.

"And you never mentioned either me nor Hinata-chan that you had ANBU-nins watching us. I'm pretty sure that Kakashi-niisan or Neko-neechan must have pictures of us in our romantic moments for their own mushy amusement." he said, making Hinata 'EEP' loudly and blushing a bright red before glaring at the old Hokage, who felt a wave of the young girl's suppressed anger, making him actually a bit worried about his well-being for once in his long life as Hokage.

"Wait just a minute." Sasuke said, gathering the attention to himself. "What about you, Hinata? When did he tell you about his Namikaze side of the family? Was it back at the time you two betrothed?" Hinata's answer was a slight red in her cheeks. "Ano..."

"I think that's a tale for another time." said Hiruzen. "Right now, I'm sure that we're all eager to start this day started, aren't we?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Today is supposed to be a happy day, and just staying sat down in chairs drinking homemade tea and talking like old ladies was not the most suited schedule you could have for a guy like Uzumaki Naruto.


Meanwhile, somewhere in the outskirts of Mizu no Kuni...

A large man jumped across trees and rivers as he traveled towards his destination. His face and other features were covered by the large white cloak he was wearing this instant. Because of the natural mist, it was a more fitting color to blend with the environment. He worked very hard to hide his identity, as well as the nature of his job and the reason he was in this particular place at this time.

Like every spy should, really...

Normally he wouldn't dare to cross Mizu no Kuni right now, considering the dreadful situation in Kirigakure no Sato. But a very disturbing letter from a very unexpected source sought for him and his experience to deal with the matters presented in the letter. He had to do something. It was his job as a shinobi.

And after a week hopping around, he finally arrived at a small shack, located just a few miles away from the war-zone know as Kiri. He took a few deep breaths, readied his weapons and scrolls and reached the door.

Knock, knock knock knock, knock... knock, knock.

Most overrated 'it's me' door knocking code ever, but it does the job.

The door slowly opened, giving the large cloaked man a glimpse of the host's features. He was exactly whom he claimed to be. A young man with a large bounty on his head.

Good, that should help out a lot with the conversation.

"Thank you for coming," said the young host. "I'm sure you of all people know that right now I cut nearly all my connections with the world and the village, and I can barely trust anyone else right now."

"Welcome to the shinobi world, boy." answered the older one. "Sometimes we do the most horrible things so everyone can live in peace, and our names are thrown down in the mud. Since I'm a proper citizen, I wouldn't know too much about that, but when you get to live as long as I did, you still know a thing or two."

"A proper citizen doesn't write pornography for a living. What would your disciple say if he was alive now?"

"Details, details... So, I suppose we should get to the point and start this little operation of yours. Before that, though..." the older man removed his hood, revealing his face to the young host, who barely raised a smirk.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance... Uchiha Itachi. Thanks for training my godson, it meant a lot."

"It was nothing. The pleasure and honor are all mine... Jiraiya-sama."


A/N: So, one thing I wanted to test it out in this chapter, and something I'm looking forward to do in a new story I came up with (which I'll gladly write a shitload of chapters and make a heck of a research before even thinking about publishing it yet) is the 1st person perspective.

I noticed as time went by that having to put up thoughts in character's heads is a real pain in the ass... So I decided to do all the flashbacks in this chapter (and most likely the next ones) in this view. It also helps a lot to see the different points of view in the story. Sometimes you have two or more characters interacting, but they have different opinions on the matter, or one saw something the other didn't see. So this is something I'm looking forward to develop in the story, and now that this arc is finally over, I can finally get on with a time skip.

And Sasuke is finally a 'Avenger becoming Guardian' guy. Much like in Return of the Whirlpool, but much earlier and with a very alternate setting later. You guys will see as the story develops.


Now, let's translate a few terms, shall we?

Aniki: Big brother.

Chichiue & Hahaue: Father and Mother, in a more formal way. The usual calling is 'Chichi' and 'Haha'. The same goes with 'Aniue' for the eldest brother.

Shiroi Kiba: 'White Fang'. That was the feared marking of late Tokubetsu Jounin Hatake Sakumo, Kakashi's father.

Uchiha's symbol: The Japanese translation for the word 'fan' is 'Uchiwa'. And since the clan is supposed to be the fan that suppresses the fire, they are the Uchiha (making a small mix of 'Uchiwa' and 'Hi')

Suge: Naruto's (and a few other people's) way to say the word 'sugoi', which means 'amazing' and the like.


So... Third cliffhanger in a row. I'm sure you guys must be getting pissed right now. But what's Itachi doing in the outskirts of a war-zone, for starters? What are his intentions with Jiraiya? And how did Hinata find out about Naruto's family bond with the Yondaime, anyway? All of that and much more will be answered in the next chapter! And with that, I close this arc. Thanks for the 104 reviews (WOOHOO!) and I'll see you guys in 2014. By~ye!