"I would like to announce Menma as the heir of the Namikaze clan and Naruko as the heir of the Uzumaki clan."

As soon as Minato had finished, the party erupted into applause and cheers. Jiraiya was snapping pictures of the two like no tomorrow. The exuberant man always enjoyed being around them. Helping them with their training. Kushina was giving Naruko a bone crushing hug and Minato was ruffling the hair of Menma. It honestly looked like one set of clones congratulating another. It made sense after all. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

This party seemed to be a coming of age thing. We went to the Uchiha district for Sasuke's sixth birthday. It was a huge gathering with nearly every important family in attendance. The Hyuga with Hiashi and Hinata. Hinata's mom is mysteriously missing. The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans were present as well with the boisterous Inuzuka always making things loud in this normally quiet place.

The party right now at the Hokage's residence seemed similar, only more. Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku catered. I swear, this one day will be able to pay for all their expenses for an entire year. It seemed like an open house. Anyone and everyone were here. Kakashi was having a staring contest with Guy. Asuma was trying to chat up Kurenai. Sasuke was following Itachi around like a lost duck. He also looked like one with his signature hair style coming in.

All I could do was exhale at this situation and gave a slow, quiet clap. It has been a long time coming and I definitely should have seen the signs. Kushina...mom, she's my mom... had taken them to do some extra training but...it made sense. They are both the jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox. Plus, how the heck did she even survive? If it was one thing that I remembered that was kept consistent, it was that if a tailed beast is extracted, the jinchuriki dies. Perhaps her being constantly around one of them helped? I have no clue.

Maybe I am to blame? I do call them Mom and Dad when I talk to them, but it still is always with a bit of hesitation. Something a seasoned ninja like them could pick up easily. Why the hesitation? I've already had both and these two are honestly a massive step down. Even if I was a bit of a different child, excluding me from family gatherings at this age is a bit much. The extra training they received, the walks around the village (and the subsequent Ichiraku Ramen visit), the meeting of other children my age. The only times I join them is because I was within sight. If I was reading in my room, nope. I even had my door to my room open and they would somehow sneak out.

"Here is your present Naruto."

Brought out of my own thoughts I looked up. Everyone else had started to get caught up in their own little conversations and congratulating my siblings on their birthday and their new responsibilities. Minato...dad... was in front of me with a few scrolls.

"I've been told that you like to read and that you've been practicing your calligraphy."

Practicing calligraphy, sort of? Mainly just trying to learn all the different kanji because I want to learn the sealing arts. It seemed interesting. Sealing arts that is. They can do many different things. How cool is it that with a simple seal, you can teleport across vast distances like the one my dad uses. Then there are all the different uses for them. Storage scrolls to make enormous amounts of things into a small scroll able to fit in a backpack. Or even the seals that surround the house and the village.

As for reading, one thing that has not changed is my love of history. Learning about the Warring Clans Era or the exploits of Tobirama is a fantastic way to kill time. Although the Second Hokage writes really dry. Pretty analytical and full of details. I would love to read more, but there is a big problem. Everything here has the rose tinted glasses of 'Konoha is the greatest...its the best...of course it's the best...why are you not saying it's the best...!' It get's old. Was everything always Iwa's fault? Possibly, but when you have limited resources and one of your trading partners just switch allegiances to your mortal enemy. I'd be suspicious too.

"Thank you, father." I sound so stiff and it even though I guess we are kind of like the royalty or the first family, no one else in this family is as formal when speaking to each other. Something that mom has brought up constantly by her energetic nature. We were interrupted by a white haired sanin.

"There you are Minato! We're getting everyone here for the group photo."

"Oh, is it time already for that sensei? Well, let's get a move on then. Are you coming?"

It's little things like this. Why would I not be coming?

Group photo. Check

Family gathering. Check.

In the same house that we all live at. Check.

Birthday party. Check.

I nod and we both head over to the family room where Jiraiya has a shadow clone with a camera ready for the photo.

"3...2..."

I put on my smile that I've practiced for the past year now.

"..1..."

Itachi ends up finding me. I get along with him, probably because we're both a bit more mature for our age but probably because he sees something in me that was him when he was our age. "I almost thought you were going to blow a fuse when Hokage-sama mentioned the clan heir peculiarity."

"That was a thought of mine for a quick second. But I don't like being at the center of attention. I feel more ... disappointed? Don't get me wrong they fully deserve it. Naruko is pretty much a shaggy haired mom and Menma certainly does look like a clone of dad. I'm glad for them, it means they have to do all that fun stuff you have been telling me about."

"Please, don't bring that up."

Ah, the glory of not being a clan heir. It probably won't be as nearly as bad as what Itachi has. He laments about having to sit for hours on end listening to an elder drone on about something trivial. Then once that is done, his father Fugaku trains him in fighting. Then he has to spend time with Sasuke. Then he has all the academy stuff to do. Then he has, et cetera et cetera. Point being that being a clan heir is nothing to envy. Work, work, work, work, work. No fun time, but it seems that Itachi does get enjoyment out of training.

At least Naruko will have an easier time. The Uzumaki's don't have a presence really at all, unless you count Karin. I see her sometimes. She doesn't really talk to us that much anymore. Just came in, spent a couple of nights with us and then left. I don't really remember too much of her time with us, she has her own apartment now. Namikaze's as well are mostly just a collection of distantly related people. Nothing like a clan. Certainly not a merchant family. Menma's job will basically be me. For as long as I am still apart of this family.

"They just talk about the masked man anyways." Itachi lamented. "No sightings. No nothing. Just disappeared right back from where he came."

That damnable masked man. I thought. He appeared the night of my birth. If the stories were to be believed, he used me as bait to draw Dad away from Mom. Dad rescued me but by the time I was safe the Nine Tailed fox was extracted and causing havoc among in the village. While Dad fought off the masked man, who is believed to be Madara Uchiha or an apprentice of him, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi fought off the fox. With the help of two seal masters, they sealed it into Naruko and Menma at the cost of the Third Hokage's life.

"Time for bed kiddos!" Kushina excited yelled as she chases down Naruko and Menma and corrals them under each arm.

"I suppose that it's my time to leave now. Have a good night Naruto and happy birthday."

"Thanks, Itachi." I say with a half-smile. That was the first time someone acknowledged that today was my birthday. Not even in the morning when Mom woke us all up for pancakes, not at lunch at Ichiraku's, and not once at the party. Damn. I am fading into the background.

Finally, in my own bed, I am once again with my thoughts.

No denying it now. I have read that same line from many cliched filled 'neglect' stories before. I am not just going to sit back and get left by the window crying a sob story. Time to cut back on my time playing on the piano in the discount shop near the market. Time to cut back on my reading of history and battles. It's all Konoha propaganda bullshit anyways. No, I am going to focus. I am going to make them all 'rue the day' they thought they could pass over me and think I was something less than who I am.

Do you know who I am? I am Naruto. I may not have that unbelievable desire to forgive but I do have knowledge from a past life and knowledge of this world and things that happen in it. I fully intend to capitalize on it.