Hey! I'm sorry for the delay but I've been busy as hell. I saw an ovary with cancer which weighted 3 kg (6,6 pounds)! Holy crap! All of us girls were creeped out from that.

Well, this chapter is quite long and I hope you enjoy it. This is also the first time I use a quote from another series.

I don't own either Naruto or Kingdom Hearts... or Final Fantasy VII.

Enjoy!


"You're not in my memory, but my heart remembers you." Yuffie Kisaragi, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories


The Heart Remembers

心が覚えている (Kokoro ga oboete iru)

"Breathe… breathe… breathe…" Naruto and Shizune said in unison as Iruka became more and more flushed. He was about to hyperventilate.

Iruka continued to take long deep breaths, trying not faint.

"Breathe… breathe… breathe" Shizune continued.

Naruto looked at his sensei with a drop of sweat running down his forehead. It looked like Iruka was going into to labor… Geez…

Iruka finally calmed himself down enough to speak.

"How? How can he be Sasuke? That's impossible. He's dead! You said... "

"He didn't die" Naruto interrupted. "He was never dead. I... I lied. I asked Baa-chan to lie to you. "

Naruto was nervous, half afraid that Iruka and Shizune were going to be mad at him for having deceived them for so long, half afraid they were resentful of Sasuke ... and rejected him.

"Naruto-kun ... Why don't you tell us what happened? From the start" Shizune suggested, trying to stay calm.

Naruto sat on the sofa, facing them. Tsunade had led Sasuke to the bathroom, so there was little chance of him being able to hear them. The blond took a deep breath and spoke.

"I left Konoha to find Sasuke" Naruto said, starting at the very beginning. "He was destroying village after village... you remember... He wanted to lure me there. Kill me. So I asked Baa-chan to let me go to him alone. Sasuke only wanted me and I didn't want to put anyone else in danger. "

Naruto's blue eyes met those of Iruka.

"When I found that village, he had already destroyed everything. We fought all night, and we were seriously fighting. I knew I had to kill him... there was no other solution. When Sasuke used Tsukuyomi ... well... it was all very confusing. Itachi appeared" Naruto nodded towards the disbelief in Iruka and Shizune's faces. "He was not quite Itachi ... it was some kind of chakra projection... I don't know what the hell that was. I just know that Itachi gave me some of his powers when he put me under in a genjutsu."

"What? When did Itachi do that to you?" Iruka asked.

"It happened when we went looking for him, when we wanted to capture him in order to lure Sasuke to Konoha."

"Why didn't you tell us, Naruto-kun?" Shizune asked.

Naruto raised his arms in the air, helplessly.

"I didn't think it was important. He didn't hurt me and I didn't feel bad, so I thought that there was no problem. Anyway... the jutsu that Itachi implanted on me could only be activated if Sasuke used Tsukuyomi, using his eyes. That's what he told me. "

"Implantation of a jutsu..." mused Shizune. "That is difficult and risky."

"What jutsu did he implant on you, Naruto?" Iruka asked. "What did Itachi do to you?"

"The jutsu wasn't for me. It was for Sasuke" Naruto replied. "Next thing I know, a tornado was swirling around Sasuke and I felt that all my chakra was being sucked out of my body. What happened next, I dunno. I just fainted and woke up in the morning. Itachi disappeared and I couldn't see Sasuke anywhere ... only his clothes. I approached them and that was when I heard a noise that sounded like a whine... When I looked down Sasuke's shirt, I found him. He was a baby. "

"A baby?" Iruka squeaked. "That's impossible!"

"That's what I thought. I couldn't believe it, but there he was ... Uchiha Sasuke in all his glory. The jutsu that Itachi used makes a person go back in time and Sasuke lost seventeen years of his life! The jutsu regressed him to the moment of his birth... he was covered in blood and goo... He even had the umbilical cord and everything!"

"What did you do then?" Shizune asked.

"I panicked! Sasuke was lying in front of me, screaming and crying his eyes out and I didn't know what to do. So I grabbed him, wrapped him in my coat and asked Gamakichi to take me to Mount Myōboku. I tried to talk to Sasuke, but he ignored me. He couldn't understand what I was saying ... he didn't even remember me! Then I realized... He didn't know anything and he couldn't remember anything... or anyone. "

Iruka fell into the sofa and ran his hands over his face.

"Oh my God..." the sensei sighed, trying to assimilate the information."Sasuke... lost his memories? Are you sure he didn't remember anything?"

Naruto nodded.

"I'm sure. Not only he couldn't remember anything, but he also acted like a true baby as well. He cried, cooed and drooled... He had no teeth, couldn't walk… He lost bowel and bladder control!" Naruto exclaimed, recalling the panic of those first days. "I spent weeks without sleeping because he cried all night. I spent a fortune on diapers! I had to change his diaper almost twelve times a day. I never saw so much crap in my whole life."

"Why didn't you bring him to Konoha, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"I was scared" replied the blond young man. "My mission was to eliminate Sasuke. But I wasn't able to kill him when he was in that state... If I took him to Konoha, they would insist to kill him. Either that or they would capture him and study him as a guinea pig. I couldn't risk it. So I decided to keep him in Mont Myōboku until I found the name of the jutsu that Itachi used... to discover how to reverse it and make Sasuke go back to normal. I used Ero-Sennin's contacts, but found nothing. So I decided to seek help from Gaara, but I made him promise not to say anything to anybody."

Iruka looked at Shizune. Both began to understand what had happened.

"You found nothing, right?" Shizune concluded.

To their surprise, Naruto shook his head.

"Gaara found the clan that created the jutsu" Naruto explained. "Nearly eight months had passed since the jutsu was casted. I took Sasuke to their village and asked the clan leader to undo the jutsu; it was then that she told me that the jutsu was irreversible."

"Irreversible?" Iruka was stunned. "There's nothing we can do? Sasuke can't return to normal?"

"No... Sasuke will have to grow as a normal child all over again... All the memories he had, the knowledge, jutsus... it's all gone. "

Iruka sighed and interlaced his fingers. Sasuke had lost not only his memories but also lost all the power he attained over the years. For someone like him, be reduced to a helpless child with no power should be the worst punishment in the world. The pursuit of power and strength had been the reason why Sasuke lived, and he lost all that in an instant.

Naruto waited until they got the information before proceeding.

"There's more ..."

The two ninjas turned to face him.

"More? How can possibly be more?" Iruka asked.

"Turning Sasuke into a baby was only half the jutsu" Naruto explained. "The other half hadn't been activated yet."

Shizune shifted uncomfortably.

"What do you mean?"

"During the months that I took care of Sasuke, he acknowledged me... as his father" Iruka's eyes widened. "For all intents and purposes, I was his parent. I looked after him, clothed him, washed him, fed him, calmed him when he cried, played with him, nursed him when he was sick ... Sasuke simply deduced that he and I were father and son. He wanted that bond between us... he was just a baby.

Itachi put a seal on me and Sasuke… an adoption seal. The seal was created to adopt a child into a clan, giving him blood and chakra. Sasuke had been absorbing my chakra over the months we were together. If I wanted to adopt him, I would have to give my blood and chakra and accept the bond that Sasuke wanted to make with me. "

"The bond between a parent and a child" concluded Shizune.

Naruto smiled.

"I don't know when it started or how, but the truth is that I started thinking about Sasuke as if he was mine. I wanted to protect him and take care of him, but that feeling scared me because I did not want to lose our friendship... When he started calling me Papa... Well, I panicked. I thought it was best to give Sasuke to a real family, who knew how to raise him well. But when I tried to leave him... I just couldn't do it, so I finished the jutsu and gave him my blood. "

"That's why the paternity test is positive," Shizune said. "Your blood runs in his veins."

Naruto turned to stare at Iruka intensely.

"I couldn't take him to Konoha. It was too risky. If they find out that he is Uchiha Sasuke, people would want to get revenge on him. So I decided to wait several years until things calm down and people start to forget. He's just a child now and he never had the opportunity to be one. I want him to have a happy childhood. "

Iruka closed his eyes. He understood Naruto's reasons.

"What about Sasuke?" the sensei said. "Does he know who he was?"

"Not quite. I told him that he was an adult who was turned into a baby by his big brother" Naruto said. "He knows I adopted him through "ninja magic", but I still haven't told him anything else. He's still too young to understand."

Tsunade entered the room making 3 pairs of eyes focus on her.

"Sasuke is in his room playing," the Hokage said. "He was thrilled with my gift."

"What did you give him, Baa-chan?"

"I gave him a red rubber ball. All kids like to play ball" Tsunade's expression became serious. "I suppose Naruto told you everything."

"Tsunade-sama ... how long have you known about Sasuke-kun?" Shizune asked.

"Naruto wrote me a letter after he completed the adoption jutsu and told me everything," Tsunade said. "I asked him to bring Sasuke to Konoha to examine him myself."

"You came to Konoha?" Iruka asked Naruto.

"I came to show Baa-chan Sasuke when he was 8 ½ months old. Then she let me travel the world. She and Gaara are the only ones who know where I am. "

"Publicly, I had to "kill" Uchiha Sasuke" said Tsunade. "Konoha was receiving a lot of pressure from other nations. If Sasuke was captured, they would demand his execution regardless of his physical or mental state. The only way to save him is to declare him dead and create new documents and a new name for him. "

"A new name?" Iruka was confused. "What did you named him?"

"Uzumaki Sasuke" Naruto said. "I gave him my surname."

"Naruto was registered as his father. Obviously they would have to bear the same surname" Tsunade said. "Sasuke has been given a second chance; we'll see what he'll do with it."


The birthday boy was playing with his new toys, oblivious to the adults' conversations. Sasuke placed the red rubber ball that Baa-chan had given him with his new katana and hoped to play with it still today.

When he heard someone knocking at the door, the boy raised his black eyes.

"Come in" Sasuke said, putting down the two dolls in his hands.

Iruka opened the door slowly and looked at the boy with a nervous expression. What should he say to a former student who was believed to be dead? Who betrayed his village? Who became a murderer?

"Hi" Iruka greeted.

"Hi..." Sasuke replied, a bit confused.

"Eh... do you mind if I talk to you for a while? You can continue to play if you want."

Sasuke blinked. I didn't know that mister, but his Daddy had said that he had been his sensei, so it should be fine…

"Ok"

Iruka gave a small smile and entered the room, sitting in front of Sasuke and his new toys. Iruka met Sasuke when he was placed in his class at the Academy. At the time, Sasuke was only 7 years old but he already seemed like a very promising student. He was serious, studious, hardworking and very mature for his age. He did not expect less of a member of the prominent Uchiha clan that was practically made up of members of the elite. Sasuke also had to fight to escape Itachi's shadow, his prodigious brother.

When his parents died and Itachi was gone, the glow of innocence completely disappeared from Sasuke eyes.

"Are you a teacher?" Sasuke asked.

"Huh? Well... yes... I am."

The little boy looked at him with childlike interest.

"All my teachers are ladies" Sasuke said.

"Really?"

"Yes. You work in a kindergarten?"

"No. I teach older children."

"Are they good?"

"Not all the time. Sometimes they are very naughty. "

Sasuke smiled. It was a simple and innocent smile, typical of a child. Iruka had never seen Sasuke smile like that.

"And you punish the kids? Do you send them to the detention corner for a time-out? "

"No, it doesn't work with them. When they misbehave, I yell at them and make them to do tasks at school. Sometimes I give them a slap on the head. "

Sasuke chuckled.

"I've never been bad" the boy boasted. "I was never sent to detention... well ... when I hit Kenji sensei sent me home, but that was only once!"

Iruka laughed, too. Sasuke grabbed one of his dolls and made it climb the stairs of the wooden castle. His room was the typical bedroom of a small boy. The toys were scattered on the floor, but the rest were on their rightful place. On the wall above the bed were several drawings and on the dresser was a single photograph.

Curious, Iruka stood up and grabbed the frame. It was a picture of the frogs and Naruto with a black-haired baby in his arms. Naruto was smiling and glowing with joy. The baby seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

Sasuke saw Iruka looking at the photograph and approached him.

"That's me in the photo," Sasuke said. Iruka lowered the frame so that Sasuke could point with his little finger. "This baby is me!"

"I see."

Sasuke pointed at Naruto.

"And this is my Tou-chan" the smile on the boy's face was as instinctive as the love he felt. "He was very different back then."

The sensei turned to Sasuke, holding the frame on the right hand.

"You like Naruto, Sasuke?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at him as if he had said something ridiculous.

"Of course I do! He's my father!" the child cried.

Iruka sat on the floor. It was still hard to believe that Sasuke had become Naruto's son; it was even harder to believe the boy's obvious unconditional love for Naruto.

"Is Naruto a good father? You like to live with him? "

Sasuke also sat on the floor.

"He's very funny and is always laughing" replied Sasuke. "Tou-chan always plays with me after work and reads me stories before I go to sleep. He's the nicest Daddy in the whole wide world."

Iruka smiled again.

"That sounds nice. You two must be happy, huh?"

"Huh-huh."

"You really do love Naruto as a father. Right, Sasuke? "

Carefully, Iruka put the photo on the dresser. The last time he saw Sasuke was during the war. He could still see him perfectly, angry, arrogant and filled with bloodlust. He didn't recognize, or he didn't want to recognize, that mad teenager had been one of his brightest students.

When a student graduated, Iruka liked to think he or she had a future full of opportunities ahead. Seeing Sasuke, Iruka could only grieve over his cruel fate.

"Naru... your Dad told us about your brother" Iruka said.

Sasuke lifted his head.

"He told you?"

"Yes."

"So ... you know about ..." Sasuke looked from side to side and lowered his voice until it became a whisper. "...the secret?"

Iruka could not help smiling.

"Yes."

"But you cannot tell anyone else."

"Don't worry. The secret is safe with me. "

Sasuke frowned, he was not convinced. That glare of distrust was so typical of Sasuke that made Iruka smile even more.

"I swear by my honor."

Sasuke shrugged and returned to his new toys. Heck, he behaved exactly like a child.

"So ... what do you do in kindergarten, Sasuke?" asked Iruka.

The boy's distrust disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"I play with the other boys... Mayura-sensei teaches us songs and games... I make drawings. We began to learn how to count and write. "

"Wow. Is it difficult? "

Sasuke shook his head.

"Just a little. I can already count up to ten and I can almost write my name, but the scribbles..."

"The kanji?

"Yes. The kanji are difficult to write. "

"I see... You have to practice a lot. But later you'll be able to read your stories by yourself. "

"And mangas?"

Iruka laughed. After all, Sasuke was not as serious as he imagined. Who knew he liked toys and comic books like the other children?

"And mangas. What kind of mangas you like most? "

"Hm ... the ones with many fights. My Tou-chan likes to read mangas too. "

Iruka was not too surprised. Naruto was and always would be childlike.

"Oh ... Really?"

"Yeah" Sasuke nodded. "But I don't really like the mangas he reads."

"Huh?"

"There are only naked girls there. No fights or anything! I don't understand why he likes it... "

"He…WHAT?" Iruka said. "He's been reading that stuff... in front of you?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"No. I found many of those mangas under his bed. And magazines too... "

"Magazines?"

"With two naked ladies hugging and giving kisses on the mouth. Sensei... why were those ladies doing that? "

Iruka blushed and began to sweat, but struggled to smile.

"Don't worry about it... it's adult stuff."

Sasuke blinked, slightly confused, but asked no more questions. If it was adult stuff, it should be boring.

On the other hand, Iruka was fuming. Damn you, Naruto! He had become a bigger pervert than he imagined. He had to talk to him... urgently.

"I like mangas with ninjas" Sasuke said, making Iruka face him again.

"You like ninjas?"

Sasuke's eyes shone as he smiled.

"Ninjas are the coolest! When I grow up I'll be a ninja just like them! "

The sensei blinked. Sasuke never had a dream before that Iruka knew of, only goals.

"I like to play ninja" Sasuke continued, very enthusiastic, pointing to a wooden sword on the floor. "Gama Jii-chan gave me that katana today and I went through Gaara-san's sand with it."

"So the katana was your first ninja weapon, eh?"

Sasuke nodded.

"When I'm ninja, I'll beat all the bad guys because I'll be very, very strong."

Iruka heard countless children make those statements when they went to the Academy. At that age, all they wanted was to be able to do all the cool jutsus they heard about, yet had no idea what being a ninja was really about. Some never discovered.

"So ... you want to be strong?" the teacher asked.

"Yes!"

"And why do you want to defeat the bad guys and be strong?"

The boy's enthusiasm was replaced by bewilderment.

"Why? Because they are mean. I can only defeat the bad guys if I'm strong. "

"But why do you want to defeat the bad guys?" Iruka insisted.

"Because... because they hurt people."

The sensei came up to Sasuke.

"So you want to be strong so the bad guys don't hurt anyone, right?"

"Yeah."

"You want to protect the people you love, right? So that the bad guys won't hurt them. "

"Protect...? What's that? "

"Protect it means to look after." Iruka explained. "Keeping someone important to you safe and not let anyone or anything hurt them."

Sasuke had never thought of that. He wanted to be a ninja because it was cool, but if a bad guy or a monster tried to hurt someone he loved, he had to be strong not to let him.

Suddenly, Sasuke remembered the monster he had seen in his nightmares. The monster who wanted to hurt Naruto.

"Someone important... like Tou-chan?" the boy asked.

Iruka was surprised, but nodded with a smile.

"Yes. Like your Tou-chan. "

"I'll be very strong," said Sasuke again. "I'll be the strongest ninja in the world and the bad guys won't hurt anyone. I'll be big and strong and protect Tou-chan."

"That's the spirit."

Suddenly, Sasuke stood up and walked to a drawer in his dresser.

"Iruka-sensei! I want to show you something!" the boy exclaimed, pulling a bunch of paper sheets of the drawer.

"What?" Iruka asked as the child approached him again.

Sasuke sat on the floor and put his designs in front of the sensei.

"This is what I'm gonna do when I'm a ninja" said the boy, passing a couple of drawings to the sensei's hands.

Iruka looked at the drawings. Sasuke had drawn himself, fighting various ninjas much bigger than him, and against various monsters.

"The drawings are very good," the teacher said with kindness.

Sasuke blushed slightly and smiled as Iruka observed the drawings that represented the boy's fantasies. Suddenly, the sensei's hand stopped.

"This... this is..."

Sasuke got up and stood next to sensei to see which the drawing was.

"Oh! This is very old" the child said with a smile. "I did this when Baa-chan gave me the wood kunai and shurikens."

Iruka's eyes remained fixed on the child's drawing.

Sasuke had drawn himself again, but he was not alone in the picture. On Sasuke's left side was a pink haired girl who wore a red dress, to his right side, was a blond boy dressed in orange. On the back, a white-haired man, with a mask covering the bottom of his face, rose above the three kids. All of them were smiling and the kids were holding hands.

Team 7. Sasuke had draw his former team

"Sasuke ..." Iruka muttered, still dumbfounded. "Sasuke... who are these people?"

The boy grabbed the drawing and looked at it closely.

"This is my team," the child said innocently. "When we have a mission, we all go together. This one here" he pointed to Kakashi "is our sensei. He is super strong... This girl ... "he pointed to Sakura."She is still very weak and sometimes she's annoying but she's very smart. And this boy here, "he pointed to Naruto."He's a Dobe who is always doing stupid things... but he is cool and funny."

Iruka was speechless. Sasuke lost his memory, but had just described his former team perfectly. Had Naruto told him? No ... he just told him that he was an adult transformed into baby. So ... how could Sasuke know all this?

"You know these people?" Iruka asked.

Sasuke shook his head.

"I only see them when I'm playing ninja" Sasuke explained.

"You see them?"

"Only in my head," the boy replied.

"You know their names?" Iruka asked.

Sasuke looked at his ex-sensei.

"No. But I don't mind! They are make-believe. "

Iruka nodded slowly. Naruto had told him about the "echoes" of Sasuke's erased memories and how they could manifest in the form of dreams or feelings of déjà vu. Apparently, they could also appear as imaginary friends.

Sasuke continued to look at his drawing with a smile.

"Why are you smiling, Sasuke," the teacher asked.

Sasuke looked away from the drawing and stared at the sensei again.

"I like them" the boy said with conviction. "I feel happy when I think of them."

Iruka gaped.

"Huh? Why?"

Sasuke's smile was genuine.

"Because they're my friends."

Iruka's eyes widened.


"We loved him… me, Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. But he didn't care about our love, or us." Sakura said. "Something broke inside him the day his parents died... something that nobody could fix. The more I think of our past, the more I realize how Naruto and I were blind. Sasuke-kun never saw us as friends. "

"Sakura ... I'm sure that's not true."

"Yes it is, sensei. A true friend doesn't try to kill his other friends, a friend doesn't abandon friends or make them feel like trash" Sakura said, turning to Iruka with a sad smile. "He didn't care for us. Sasuke-kun was not our friend; I think he just wasn't able to be one. His heart was too broken."


Iruka lowered his face.

"Sasuke... you did love them" Iruka thought. "They thought you didn't want to know about them and that the time you spent with the team meant nothing to you ... Even you believed in that... but deep down your heart, you loved them... you still love them. Even if your memories are long gone, the feelings you had for them remained. "

Sasuke stopped smiling and blinked.

"Iruka-sensei... are you crying?"

Iruka noticed the tears that ran down his cheeks and wiped them quickly.

"Are you sad, Sensei?" The boy asked, worried.

"No... I'm fine," Iruka said with a choked voice. "I'm very happy."

"Happy?"

Iruka laid a hand on the raven's head.

"I'm very glad you're okay now, Sasuke. You finally got rid of all that hatred which was destroying you. Thank God. "

Sasuke was a little confused by the sensei's strange behavior, but he didn't seem to be a bad man and was actually very friendly. Sasuke felt he could trust him.

Iruka took his hand of his former student's head and stared at the drawing.

"Mind if I stay with this picture?"

Sasuke nodded and handed the drawing to the sensei, glad he wanted it because it meant it was a good drawing.

"You can keep it" the child replied. "I can do more."

Iruka grabbed the drawing and looked at the boy.

"The drawing has a title?"

"Hm... no. Never thought of a title... "

"But if you wanted to name the drawing, what would you call it?"

"Hmmm ..." Sasuke looked at the drawing with a thoughtful expression. "Friends! I'll call it friends. "

Iruka smiled at him.

"It's a good title. How about writing down the name in the drawing? "

"But ... I can't write it... I dunno how to…"

Iruka grabbed a notebook and a pencil.

"I'll teach you."

As Iruka discovered, Sasuke was still a fast learner. After several attempts in a small notebook, Sasuke grabbed a pencil and wrote various kanji at the top of the drawing.

友達 を 見る

Friends.

"Is it good?" the little raven asked.

Iruka grabbed the drawing.

"It's excellent," the sensei said, placing the sheet of paper in his pouch.

After two knocks, the bedroom door opened and Naruto came in, smiling to see his sensei with Sasuke.

"Hey! It's everything all right in here?" the young blond asked. "Are you guys having fun?"

"Tou-chan!" Sasuke cried with joy, seeing his father. "Come play with me?"

Naruto laughed and nodded.

"We'll leave soon" said Naruto. "Today we dine out."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Sasuke turned to Iruka.

"Do you wanna come too, sensei?" Sasuke asked.

"I ... ah ... ok ... thanks."

"It'll be cool, Iruka-sensei" said Naruto.

"Yeah! And were gonna eat cake!" Sasuke exclaimed cheerfully.

Iruka could not believe his ears. Sasuke... the Sasuke, liked cake?

"Sounds great, Sasuke" Iruka said, rising from the ground. "But if you don't mind, I would like to talk with Naruto for a bit."

Naruto blinked.

"Huh?"

Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him out of the room.

"Iru... Iruka-sensei! What the hell?"

Iruka stopped in the kitchen and shut the door.

"I know about the porn collection hidden under your bed, Naruto" Iruka said with a very angry glare.

Naruto opened his mouth in shock and blushed.

"What? How do you know? "

"Because Sasuke found the mangas and the magazines."

The Naruto's distress turned into mortification. Sasuke discovered his hentai collection?

"For years I regretted never having spoken with you because I lacked the courage" the sensei said. "But the time has come."

Naruto took two steps, very nervous.

"The time? The time for what?"

"I guess you'll have this conversation with Sasuke in a few years, so pay close attention. It's time you become responsible. "

Naruto's eyes widened when Iruka took a packet of condoms from his pocket. The blond took two steps back again and tried to escape but, unless he jumped through the small window, there was no escape possible.

"Now ... where do you keep the bananas?" Iruka asked to a crimson and trembling Naruto.


"Tou-chan... you're red" Sasuke said, clutching the hand of Naruto as they walked to the restaurant.

"Uhhh ..." Naruto groaned, thinking of the awkward "talk" he had with Iruka. He would never eat a banana again!

"You okay, Tou-chan?"

"Yeah ... I'm fine" the blond replied. "I just had the most embarrassing experience of my life."

"What were you and Iruka-sensei talking about?" the child asked with curiosity.

"Uh... Nothing! Nothing important! "Naruto rushed to say. He didn't want to think he was going to have the same "talk" with Sasuke until a future, far, far away.

The restaurant where they had dinner was old but had a good atmosphere and, most importantly, a playground at the back where children could play.

Naruto, Sasuke, Tsunade, Shizune and Iruka sat at a table, while Tonton lay on the floor. The meal went quietly and relaxed. Shizune chatted with Sasuke enthusiastically about his favorite games, Tsunade and Iruka talked to Naruto about what he had done and about what's new in Konoha.

When the birthday cake arrived and everyone sang "Happy Birthday", Sasuke felt happier than ever. It was like his family had suddenly increased. It was a different family than of his classmates in kindergarten... but he liked it.

After making a wish and blow out the candles (though everyone knew what was the wish that he asked), Sasuke asked permission to leave the table and play with Tonton in the playground. Tsunade nodded and the boy ran out with Tonton behind him. The children, who were already in the playground, were delighted and asked if they could play with Tonton too. Within seconds, the playground was filled with screams and laughter of kids as they played catch with the pig.

A few hours later, Sasuke returned to the restaurant with Tonton following. The exhausted boy climbed into Naruto's lap and laid his head on his shoulder. Shortly after that, he was sleeping.

The four ninjas left the restaurant and headed to Naruto's home, while Sasuke slept peacefully in his arms.

Shizune smiled at Sasuke's closeness with Naruto.

"He's really tired," murmured the Hokage's aide. "He fell asleep right away."

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. He had a full day" the blond whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping boy. "But I think he enjoyed himself. I'm very happy that Sasuke can finally enjoy his childhood, without having to worry about revenge. "

"He seems like a very nice kid" Shizune said.

"He is. I always knew this teme could be a good person... if he had a chance. I just wish that our friendship had been strong enough to save him... but it wasn't. "

Iruka approached Naruto and took the drawing of his pouch.

"Naruto... you have seen this drawing?" the sensei said.

Naruto stared at the drawing and his eyes widened in amazement.

"He drew this...?" the blond asked, staring at the drawing of Team 7.

Iruka nodded.

"He doesn't know who people in the drawing are, but he knows that they're special to him" the teacher said. "He was blinded by hatred and anger but, deep down, Sasuke never forgot his team... his friends... he loves you all and always loved."

Moved, Naruto turned his face to the sleeping child on his shoulder. Despite all the hatred, contempt and indifference, Sasuke loved his team. After all, there was more than hatred and obsession with his clan inside his heart...

Naruto pressed his face against Sasuke's cheek and smiled as a lonely tear slipped down his face.


When they reached the apartment, Naruto took Sasuke to his bedroom, undressed him and dressed his pajamas carefully not to wake him. When his son was lying in bed, the blond closed the door quietly and went to the living room.

"You see now why I didn't tell anyone?" Naruto said, turning to Iruka and Shizune. "Sasuke is finally free. I want him to grow up happy and carefree, that's why I could not take the risk to say what really happened to anybody. "

Tsunade folded her arms over her chest.

"Not only that," she said. "Konoha announced to the world that Sasuke is dead. If someone finds out what really happened, we will create a serious international incident. I cannot afford to protect an international criminal. If the other nations discover, not only they would demand Sasuke's immediate execution but they could also turn against Konoha. "

"So ... what do we do, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"Sasuke will stay with Naruto for some time," explained the Hokage. "His new identity has already been created. Soon, he will begin his training ninja. When he's ready to graduate, I'll build him a new registration number and Uzumaki Sasuke will become a new ninja in the village without any relationship with Uchiha Sasuke. "

Iruka stared at the Hokage and Naruto.

"And who will train Sasuke? Naruto?"

"Yes" the blond shinobi replied.

"Naruto, no offense, but do you know anything about teaching methods?"

"Of course! I even taught Konohamaru the Rasengan! "

"I don't doubt you mastered the jutsus. But you know how you'll teach him the theory? "

Naruto shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

"Well ... it isn't my specialty... but I'll do my best..."

Tsunade sighed.

"The best solution is to make Sasuke an external student of the Academy."

Iruka stared at the Hokage, but Naruto looked confused.

"External student? What is it? "

"I mean Sasuke will learn practical ninjutsu with you, Naruto, and the theory with Iruka" the Hokage explained. "He will study the scrolls and books that we provide and send the written tests for Iruka to approve in Konoha. If he has trouble learning, Iruka could come over for a day to help him. Agree? "

Naruto and Iruka looked at each other and agreed.

"Then it is settled" Tsunade stood up. "It's time to go back to the village."

Shizune and Iruka also stood up and were ready to leave, however, Iruka stopped and stared at the ground with a worried expression.

"What's wrong, sensei?" Naruto asked.

Iruka stared at his student and, then, the Hokage, unsure about what to say.

"I ... I need to tell you something" Iruka said finally. "Sakura and the rest of Konoha 11 are looking for Naruto in secret. Kakashi-san, Might Guy, Sai and Yamato-san too. "

Naruto gasped. Tsunade's eyes were so wide with disbelief and fury that it seemed like them were gonna pop out her sockets.

"They ... WHAT?"

Iruka told them everything he knew about the "Operation Fox Hunt". When he finished, Tsunade had her fists clenched, but Naruto didn't seem surprised, just sad.

"I already knew," the young blond ninja muttered.

"You already knew? How?" Tsunade demanded.

"They almost caught me when we were at Nikko" Naruto explained. "Gaara managed to warn me in time because Shikamaru told Temari."

"Why didn't you tell me anything before, Naruto?" Tsunade growled.

"I ... I don't want to get them in trouble," Naruto said. "Please, Baa-chan ... don't punish them..."

Tsunade took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"I'll have to punish them, Naruto" the blonde Hokage said. "They deliberately disobeyed me. I know they did it with good intentions but I cannot let them escape unpunished. "

"But Baa-chan..."

"I won't be overly severe" Tsunade appeased him. "Don't worry, I know how to be fair."

Naruto opened his mouth, but shut it again. When the three ninja left the apartment, the blond sighed deeply.

"Guys... I'm sorry ..."


The ninja who belonged to the "Operation Fox Hunt" were having one of their secret meetings in an underground shelter beneath the Forest of Death when Kakashi felt many presences approaching them.

Unfortunately, before any of the ninjas could do anything, several ANBU entered the shelter and surrounded them. Tsunade came soon after with such a enraged expression that the younger ninjas shrank in terror.

The Hokage's cries were so high that echoed throughout the forest and Konoha 11 and their senseis moved to the village, escorted by ANBU with a crestfallen face.

Passing by the Hokage, Kakashi looked at her with a suspicious gaze. Tsunade's fury made it clearer, Naruto was not only hidden from the ninja world but Tsunade was covering him up as well. Whatever Naruto was hiding, she knew about it.

The copy ninja frowned as he went to the Hokage's office. His mind was running.

"Naruto ... did you really kill Sasuke?"


There you have it. Naruto finally got "the talk". And the Operation Fox Hunt was busted... which only made Kakashi become even more suspicious.

Naruto's a pervert, it's not new. Since enjoyed Konohamaru's Girl on Girl Justu so much, I suppose he likes Yuri (manga about love between girls, opposite to Yaoi).

Well... Thanks for reading. Feel free to review and ramble, I love that. I dont' think I would have the energy to continue without your wonderful support.

Oh! And please check out Raven's Fall as well. Some readers are getting closer to the truth.

See you later!