I winced, watching what I had set loose unto an unsuspecting Konoha. After searching for Sasuke for a while in the old fashioned way, I made a not-so-empathetic decision and loosed his fan girls after him. If anyone could find a brooding Uchiha, it was Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura, closely followed by twenty or thirty other admirers. Watching the dust cloud settled- the only sign of their being there, I immediately regretted freeing them.

Out of respect for my oldest enemy, rival, friend, and brother, I activated my eyes of death, wanting to practice their abilities as I searched for the embittered seven year old. Glancing quickly across the village I fell, my enhanced hearing ringing with voices. Once they had quieted some, I tried to look for Sasuke once more.

Again, the voices screamed in my ears. I winced but tried to triangulate the source. Not seeing anyone close to me, I had a crazy idea. What if…?

Across the park, I saw Ayame walking back to Ichiraku Ramen, her arms filled with bags of groceries. Concentrating, I directed my eyes to her. She paused for a second before continuing on her way, shaking her head. It had a different reaction to me, though.

I still don't understand why I'm the one that has to go get the groceries… I can make the ramen just as good as Teuchi… Then again, I'm sure Naruto-oniisan would notice the difference…

Ayame's thoughts drifted in and out of my head, her lips unmoving. I stood, shocked, as I realized just what happened: I had discovered another of shi no me side effects. I shook my head, changing my eyes to the simpler akuma no me to search for Sasuke.

When I spotted him, a piece of my heart broke. Crying into his hands, Sasuke sat in his old bedroom in the Uchiha compound.

"Sasuke?" I asked, flanked by Hina-chan. After finding the Uchiha, I let him have some time to compose himself. If there was anything I knew about Sasuke, both new and old, was that he didn't not want to appear weak. At any cost, he'd put an indifferent smirk on his face and insult anyone within three feet just to shift attention away from him so he could mourn or suffer in silence.

Instead of whipping his head towards me, Sharingan blazing as I had expected, Sasuke nodded quietly and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he stared at the wall in front of him.

"Sasuke?" I repeated, in uncharted territory. I paused, waiting for his reply. The silence thickened as I stood waiting, wondering what I was going to say next. I prayed for a miracle but, like so many other prayers I sent to Shinigami, Kami, and any other gods, there was no reply from them. Hina-chan stood by my side, the silence and the sense of anxiety rippling through our joint seal. I was about to repeat myself when I heard his voice, quiet but determined.

"'If all we do is kill, then we're no better than Itachi…' Let me ask you Naruto, where do you draw the line? The line separating us and Itachi; where does it fall? You've told me that you train to protect, that that's your nindo… What did Itachi train for? What drove him to become so strong, and then tear everything apart?" Sasuke said, not a trace of defeat in his voice. I paused, going over my wording.

"I- I once told you to look at Konoha. To just watch as all of Konoha worked in balance. That wasn't my idea; an old friend of mine used to lay on the grass all day, just watching the clouds go by as the world passed around him," I chuckled, remembering the many times Shikamaru was told to get moving in preparation for battle. He always called it troublesome, saying he had no time for the clouds. "When I began to listen and started watching myself, I learned that everything has a balance to it. There will always be a poor and rich status quo. That is all we as humans know, so it's all we'll ever know. There will always be one man wanting more than he deserves and another that has more than his fair share. Balance doesn't mean equality; it means peace in the midst of chaos."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sasuke yelled. Hina-chan took a step forward and I put my arm in front of her, protecting Sasuke from her wrath. I smirked lightly towards her, thinking loudly that she needs to remember the differences between both Sasukes. She narrowed her eyes but nodded, rocking back onto her heels.

"Balance," I answered, trying not to give too much away. "The more powerful I grow, the harder you and I train, the weaker Itachi will become. If we tip the scales in our favor, we can bring him down that much easier. Kakashi is right; I probably could defeat Itachi right now. I'm not worried about losing to your brother; I'm worried about the innocent people we'll hurt and the damage we'll cause before it's finally over."

"So you're going to stand by and watch while he walks away?"

"No. I'm going to train. I'm going to fail the Academy and graduate as the dead last. That way, when we meet Itachi, he won't know what hit him," I said, trying to seem logical to Sasuke. He thought for a while before looking up, confusion in his dark eyes.

"You're going to go through with the Academy? Why? If you're so strong, why are you going through the motions?"

"Because I struck a deal with the Hokage," I smirked, thinking back on the last conversation I had with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

~Flashback~

"Ojiisan!" I shouted into the Hokage's office, interrupting a mission report. The female jounin jumped, staring out the window. Jumping down from my vantage point on the ceiling, I looked over her shoulder. "What are you looking at?" I whispered, the jounin jumping once more and whirling around, kunai in hand.

"Izoki, I'd appreciate it if you didn't gut the Yondaime's kid, no matter how much he may deserve it," Hiruzen said, chuckling wearily. "What brings you here, Naruto?"

"I need to talk to you… Alone," I hinted. Hiruzen shook his head slowly and cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry, Izoki. It seems I have something I must attend to. If there was anything, please tell me later," the Sandaime said, glancing at the jounin before turning his eyes to me. The jounin sighed before glancing in my direction, nodding respectfully at the Sandaime, and exiting the room, closing the door with a gentle thud. "So," he began, turning to me, "What is this about?"

"I want you to make me a jounin," I said. Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly before he chuckled.

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"No. There's more to it though. I'm going to fail the academy, twice. Don't put in a good word for me with Iruka and let Mizuki do his own thing. I need to maintain the timeline as much as possible. That's why I gave Itachi every bit of his other life I knew; the more that is the same, the more I can change for the better."

"You don't want the promotion now? I know you're strong enough to back it up," Hiruzen said, glancing pointedly at my weights.

"I know. I have a plan, though," I grinned. As I explained my plan, as well as its reasoning, a smile grew on the Hokage's aged features.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Even I admit that Sasuke's face would be something to see but how do you know that won't encourage him to leave?"

"Because I know this Sasuke as well as I knew the last, at least at the end. This Sasuke will be driven more easily if he understood just how powerful I am compared to him."

"What of the Chuunin Exams?"

"I can always sit on the sidelines. Maybe you could order me to patrol the Forest of Death for any suspicious activity. Gaara will always be in the inside if I need."

"If you say so; I still don't-"

"I trust Gaara with my life, Sandaime. You may be my friend and predecessor, but I shall not hesitate to defend him." To my surprise, Hiruzen only chuckled, rolling his eyes slowly.

"You are admirably loyal to your friends, Naruto. No one can deny that. I was only going to say that I don't trust him not to kill Orochimaru the moment he enters Suna."

"Gaara may be Ichibi's vessel but he does not possess his blood thirst, much to Shukaku's dismay. On top of that, Gaara knows to leave Orochimaru to the two of us."

"Changing the timeline again, I see?"

"You were up against the Shodaime and the Nidaime, on top of Orochimaru. If I keep the two former Hokage busy you won't be as distracted while you battle Hebi-teme."

"Is that it, or did you want to hang around and terrify the ANBU coming by later?" Hiruzen chuckled, shaking his head. I widened my eyes and brightened my smile, the idiot grin back on my whiskered face.

"Can I? Please?"

"Dismissed, Rokudaime-sama," Hiruzen smirked lightly, laughing under his breath.

"As you wish, Sandaime-sama," I said, mock bowing. I chuckled as an ANBU entered the room, announced by a secretary. "Are you sure I can't-"

"Dismissed, Naruto. Go bother Kakashi."

~End Flashback~

"What kind of deal?" Sasuke seemed a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"His favorite kind of deal: whatever happens, he wins," Hina-chan smirked, punching me lightly on the arm. I smiled in return.

"Either way, I'm in a position to help you get stronger, even if you hate how," I said. I was nothing if not cryptic. Sasuke looked confused but quickly hid it behind a smirk.

"So what happens now?"

"What always happens: I disappear for a few hours, you find me in the middle of training, I begin to drive you into the dirt due to my methods, and we eventually call it a day and head back to Kakashi's."

"What about Academy?"

"Always ruining my fun, aren't you Hinata-chan? I'll see you there I guess. I'm going to check on something. Sorry, Sasuke. No tagging along this time," I said, my thoughts going back to Uchiha Tori.

Sasuke huffed but turned, exiting his old bedroom. Hinata-chan looked at his back with concern but let him go.

"Hina-chan? Can you find my clone and tell him to resume his assignment? I need to tell a little bird some bad news and I'm afraid I'll be a while. I'm also going to go back to Gaara; I've been gone too long already."

Hina-chan nodded slowly before pulling me into a tight hug. She gave me a sad smile, turning on her heel and following Sasuke out of the door.

Hidden away in the noble district, the Namikaze compound stood tall, surrounded by training fields and woods. Standing near the entrance was the main house, the Namikaze Manor.

"Who's- who's there?" A startled female voice echoed in the abandoned Namikaze manor. The grounds spread out in all directions, encompassing an estate large enough to compete with the Uchiha and Hyuuga compounds. I walked further into the house- my house-, following the voice to the main bedroom. Walking into the room, I saw Tori huddled in the corner.

"It's okay, Tori-chan, it's only me," I said, my voice low. A flurry of movement and I was tackled in a hug.

"Naruto-kun! What's going on? I've been here all week. The foxes outside wouldn't let me leave; I don't know-"

"Tori-chan, you need to listen to me. There- there's been a tragedy in Konoha," I mumbled, separating myself from the young Uchiha chuunin.

"What kind of tragedy?" Tori asked her eyes wide and trusting. I felt a surge of uneasiness go through me- how was I going to tell this girl that I had stood by as her boyfriend killed her family and friends?

"The Uchiha… They're all gone- dead. You and Sasuke are the only left in Konoha," I said truthfully. Tori didn't seem to understand what I said, her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Tori-chan, I'm sorry. Everyone, your friends, your parents, they're gone. I- I was out with Sasuke, training. We came back to the Uchiha compound and found everyone dead in the streets. I couldn't- I couldn't do anything to help."

Grasping my words, Tori let me go, stumbling backwards. Her obsidian eyes widened in shock and she fell to her knees. Her mouth moved incoherently and I instinctively moved towards her, desperate to help the grieving girl. I knelt next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder before pulling her into a hug. We sat there for what felt like forever. Just when she began to calm down, she seemed to remember something.

"Itachi-kun?"

"He- he wasn't among the dead. We don't know what happened to him. He was- Danzo decided to declare him an international missing-nin. Sarutobi-ojiisan was against it but even he couldn't go against the elders and the council." Needless to say, my words did little to calm the grieving Uchiha. She sat, sobbing into my shoulder until the sun began to set.

The sun disappearing behind Hokage Mountain, she wiped her eyes before studying me. She chuckled weakly under her breath. I glanced down at myself and found my civilian outfit striped with tears.

"Sorry about your shirt…"

"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere," I chuckled in return, smiling tightly at the girl. She smiled weakly and glanced around the room.

"Where am I, exactly?" Tori glanced around the room before taking a seat on the bed. I sat beside her and she put her head on my shoulder.

"The most exact response would be in my parent's bedroom. This is the Namikaze Manor."

"Really? It's… nice," Tori said, trying to find a compliment for the old home.

"It's dead," I corrected. "I'm going to be moving back here as soon as Ojiisan lets me. Kakashi's was great when I was younger but sharing a room with Sasuke is going to get old fast."

"Sasuke lives with you?" Tori asked, surprised.

"Yeah; I couldn't let him live there. Not after… you know. We- we found his parents in the living room. I couldn't let him stay there by himself."

"He wouldn't have been by himself if the foxes surrounding the place had let me go," Tori said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, sorry about that; I told them to keep you safe. I should have known that they'd take that to an extreme."

"You told them? What happened to no foxes in Konoha?"

"They can't kick these foxes out. They're my summons."

"You have the fox summoning contract? You're seven!"

"Need I remind you that there have been a number of prodigies in my generation as of now? Considering whom my parents were, I'd be surprised if I wasn't this strong. My mother Uzumaki Kushina: the second Kyuubi jinchuuriki and a fuinjutsu master, even among the Uzumaki clan. My father, Namikaze Minato: Konoha's Yellow Flash, Yondaime Hokage, and the seal master behind Kyuubi's current imprisoning."

You're really enjoying this, aren't you Kit?

You know it, Kyuu.

"So, you are a self proclaimed prodigy, hold the fox summoning contract, and eventually want to move back into your family's home. Anything I missed?"

"I don't think so… What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know… I'm not sure if I can go back to the compound. I'll probably just get my own place and start back with my ninja career." I nodded and we continued talking. After a long silence I glanced over at Tori, now asleep on my shoulder. I smiled and lifted the girl from my shoulder and laying her down in a more comfortable position. She shifted in her sleep before curling up. I laid a blanket over her form before moving to the hallway.

I let out a low whistle, gathering my summons. Three mortal foxes met me.

"Good evening, Naruto-sama. Is something the matter?" Ryuu asked, glancing at the closed door behind me.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm here to tell you that there is no more need to guard Tori-chan. Thank you for being so diligent," I smiled at the foxes. Two of the foxes nodded respectfully and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Ryuu remained, a teasing light in his eyes.

"Sooooo," he exaggerated. "Does Hinata-sama know?"

"Just go back to your mate, Ryuu."

"I could say the same to you, Naru-sama," he said, smirking as he walked away. His tail swished with each step, the vibrant orange dancing in the low light. He walked to the window at the end of the hall, jumping out without a glance.

My senses spreading out, I located my Hiraishin seal. I sent a chakra pulse, a warning that I was coming through. I waited a moment than traveled my chakra through the empty space between myself and my seal.

I opened my eyes to a new camp. The grassy fields of the Konoha/Suna border were gone, replaced by rocky crags and mountains in the distance. I saw Gaara stand from a dying fire and approach me. I chuckled, watching him pocket a kunai that he had drawn.

"Staying vigilant, I see?"

"We had to," Gaara said, motioning to the two demons and kitsune. Pyrai was in her human form, shifting out of a defensive crouch as she too lowered a kunai. Kyuubi, in his human form, smirked at the exchange.

"Took you long enough," Kyuu chuckled, his voice deep and ringing. "Did you rescue the weasel's bird?"

"No need to talk in code, Kyuu. Tori should be safe. And still cooking," I said, remembering the information that I had gotten from Jiraiya in my past. Gaara's eyes narrowed in confusion and I laughed louder. "She has, um… buns in the oven."

"Don't beat around the bush. Cub, she's having kits." Gaara's confusion melted at Kyuubi's clarification.

"Oh…" he said quietly.

"Yep. We didn't find out in the last timeline until after the original Uchiha Massacre. It was too late to save her. Itachi never knew," I said sadly. Gaara's eyes widened.

"Massacre?"

"In the original timeline, my past, Uchiha Itachi murdered his entire clan- aside from his younger brother, Sasuke- all in one night. In this timeline, he killed his entire clan minus Sasuke and his girlfriend, Uchiha Tori."

"And you let him do it?"

"I did. The Uchiha Massacre was an integral point in my past. Without it, everything I know could be wrong. Aside from that, Itachi knew of what happened in the last timeline- everything he did starting the moment that Danzo ordered the kill. He knows what he's doing," I finished, sitting down in front of the fire and poking it with a stick.

"I hope so," Gaara said, reminding me of the old Gaara, standing over Matsuri holding a newborn baby with vibrant red hair, wishing for the war to be over soon for his son. Lost in my memories, I was only broken out of my trance as I saw a small hand invade my field of vision.

"What?" I said, trying to register what had been said.

"What were you remembering?"

"I can't tell you, it'll change your future and your perception of today," I said, trying not to be cryptic.

"What, did I get married or something?" Gaara laughed.

"And had a son," I said, serious. The effect was instantaneous, Gaara fell backwards, thankfully aware from the fire. Shukaku, released and the size of a mortal raccoon, grinned evilly.

"This cub might get interesting…"

"Shika," Kyuu growled warningly. Shukaku shrugged his shoulders and jumped onto a rock and lying down comfortably.

"It's strange Shika, you get offended each time someone calls you cute and then go and curl up on a rock, looking rather adorable if I may say so myself," I chuckled. The mighty Shukaku lifted his head and glared at me wearily.

"Shut it, kit."