Hello hello, this is Audriel's third fic, still a Naruto fanfic. This time, I will not focus only on one pairing and the story takes place in an Alternate Universe. The story has been kept in my drawer in a plenty long time. There is a short summary in my profile if you're wondering where the story goes :)

I do not own anything except my own characters, Ayame and Shinji and my story.

Crossing Paths

Beginnings

The mighty star of earth woke up from its slumber, slowly appearing from the horizon, immersing the high scrapers and grey buildings with its warm and bright light. The sunlight peeked through every single opening it could find, one of its rays went through an apartment window and fell on a sleeping boy on his bed. The boy had unruly and spiky blond hair and was sleeping peacefully in his small bedroom where his things were scattered all over the place. The boy stirred in his sleep a little, mumbling incoherent words, until a loud noise broke the peace. It was his alarm clock that was set to wake him up at 6 a.m. He woke up in an instant and turned off his clock with such force that threw the poor thing to the floor, nearly breaking in pieces if there was nothing to cushion its fall. He sat upright on his bed: he was fully awakened, revealing a pair of bright cerulean eyes. His eyes darted to the calendar on his study desk in front of him, a grin appeared on his face as the realization dawned to him what day it was. Without wasting his time, he bolted out of his room with fresh clothes and clean towel, heading straight to the bathroom.

Meanwhile in another room in the apartment that functioned as kitchen and dining room, there was someone else who was preparing breakfast. It was a young woman, older than the boy. She had long dark mahogany hair; she had her front hair shorter than the rest, reaching her cheeks. Her eyes that were trained on the stove were much deeper and darker than the boy's eyes. She was wearing a white blouse and black skirt under her apron. She smiled as she heard approaching footsteps and without looking she greeted the boy who just appeared in the dining room.

"Ohayo, Naruto"

"Ohayo, Nee-chan!" the vigorous blond boy greeted his older sister, Ayame, cheerfully, now fully dressed in his school uniform. He was wearing a white shirt and a black vest with a matching tie, a dark green jacket with an emblem of a leaf on his chest pocket and black pants. He quickly seated himself on the dining table for four. The elder turned off the stove and put some sausages, eggs and slices of bacon on her brother's and her empty plates. She took off her apron and seated herself across Naruto who had started to dig into his breakfast. She merely watched her cute little brother -well, not nearly little anymore, she corrected herself. Her brother was already old enough; he was going to be 16 soon. Naruto realized his sister hadn't eaten so he stopped eating and asked,

"Nee-chan, why don't you eat?"

"You look happy today," Ayame smiled affectionately.

"It's my first day as high school student, of course I am," Naruto replied happily.

"You're going to meet a lot of new people there. I hope you can make friends"

"Yep, I hope so. It's Nee-chan's old school right?" he drank a gulp from a glass of water.

"Hn, you'll meet my old teachers there. Don't worry: they're good people, though some of them have 'unique' characters," she stressed out the unique part.

"Unique?" her brother tilted his head in question.

"You'll find out soon enough," she looked at her watch, "It's already a quarter past six, you should get going if you want to come early"

Naruto glanced at the clock in the dining room and noticed his sister was right. He quickly finished his fill and grabbed his backpack, heading to the door. When he was about to turn the doorknob Naruto looked back at his sister,

"Nee-chan, good luck for the interview. Though I know you're gonna get the job"

"Don't be so sure," Ayame smiled as she pinched her brother playfully.

"Ittekimasu!" Naruto announced his leave.

"Itterashai. Kiyotsukete ne." She saw Naruto nodded before he completely disappeared from her sight.

Uzumaki Ayame let out a sigh after the morning ritual finished. At last her brother was a high school student, and not just an ordinary school but Konoha High School, the best and most prestigious school in the entire Japan, her old school. Her gaze softened as she reminisced the old times when she was still a student there.

Only selected people could learn in the school, either they had strong financial support, or talented and smart in academic. Her family was just a simple and modest family. She had been able to learn there with the help of scholarship, the same with her brother, Naruto. It was pretty hard back then to adapt being a scholarship student while the others were children of influential and rich people in Japan. But since she was confident in herself, not feeling much different than the others, she was able to make close friends, who accepted her as she was. Who said that all rich people were snobby and spoiled? She was thankful of having them as her friends, especially after what happened to her parents that left her and her brother alone in this world.

Her eyes saddened to the thought of her deceased parents. It had been hard to lose everything that she had in a single night. Her grades dropped significantly and her motivation crumbled but with the help of Naruto, her friends and her teachers she was able to recover. After she graduated, her friends offered their help generously but she declined them. She didn't want to rely on other people's help.

Using all the money they had from their parents and insurance, she and Naruto bought a small but comfortable apartment to live in, right in the heart of Tokyo. It had been 4 years since they lived on their own. Ayame worked hard to live them both from one job to another, until she settled as a secretary. She had enough experience as one and her employers were satisfied with her work, they were kind enough to recommend her to another company.

But Ayame didn't rely on it, she still applied to companies on her own. She needed a higher salary to live them both, especially that Naruto was a high school student now. Even though the scholarship covered up most of the essential things during his education in Konoha, he would still need more money for supplementary books and experiments. She wanted the best for her brother. She had sent her application to every company that paid enough salary she needed and one of them had approved her. She was going to have her interview today, at 2 p.m. She walked to a desk near the window where she usually worked and pulled out an envelope that had been opened. On the envelope there was an image of a white and red paper fan and right next to the logo written clearly in dark blue ink was the company's name: Uchiha Corporation Ltd.

------------

In the other side of Tokyo, there was an exclusive housing right in the center of Tokyo where only rich people could afford to live there. The mansions there were huge, elegant and exquisite. Among those houses, there was one mansion that stood out than the rest, not only because its artistic design and its tight security but also because of the inhabitants. In front of the tall gates of the mansion, there was a golden placard. The name of the mansion was written clearly, Uchiha Mansion.

In one of the large rooms in the mansion, there was a boy sleeping in his four-poster bed, seeming unaware that it was already morning. His room was rather barren, there wasn't much furniture but there was a home theater. The door opened without much noise, a man walked into the room. The man was taller than average and had a resemblance of a shark. He was wearing rather semi-formal clothes, it seemed he was a butler. He approached the sleeping boy and shook him gently,

"Sasuke-sama, please wake up. It's already morning and today it's your first day"

The young master stirred and grumbled in annoyance, saying things that simply meant he didn't want to go in indecent words. The butler could hear it clearly but show no reaction,

"Should I tell Itachi-sama that you don't want to go to school?"

With those words, he got the reaction he wanted. Sasuke's eyes pried open instantly at the mention of his older brother's name.

"No," he looked the butler, restraining his anger.

"Then please get prepared, Itachi-sama wishes to have breakfast together"

"Tell Nii-san I'll be downstairs soon, Hoshigaki," Sasuke had sat himself on the bed, wanting to get rid of his butler from his sight.

"Wakarimashita," he bowed and left the room in polite manner as a butler.

Sasuke had a pair of onyx eyes and raven hair. He didn't seem happy with the fact it was his first day in high school, instead he seemed irritated about it. Reluctantly he headed to the bathroom and took fresh clothes that had been prepared for him.

The Uchiha mansion was two stories high, the bedrooms, library and workplace were on the second floor, while in the first floor, there were only the living room, dining room and kitchen. There was a wide garden in the backyard; it was filled by many kinds of plants and flowers. The door to the garden was close to the dining room and was made from glass so anyone who was eating in the dining room could see the relaxing sight.

The person who was sitting on the head of a long dining table was currently doing so. He shared the same hair color and eyes with Sasuke. He had his bangs fell in front of his eyes. Even though he had the same eyes with Sasuke, his eyes held maturity, wisdom and such calmness that would easily unnerve people, making him seem much older than his age. His gaze didn't move as he heard approaching footsteps and the noise of the seat moved against the marble floor.

"Ohayo, Nii-san," a younger voice greeted him, it sounded rather forced. At last the older brother, Itachi moved his gaze toward his younger brother who was sitting on the other end of the table. Sasuke wore the same uniform with Naruto. Konoha High uniform.

"Ohayo, Outoto. It took you long enough, did you forget what day is today?" Itachi waved his hand, signaling the servants to bring their breakfast.

"No, I didn't," Sasuke avoided his brother's gaze and had his eyes on his breakfast instead. They started eating their breakfast.

"Konoha High is the best school in Japan. It is father's old school. I want you to do your best, better than you did last year," but Sasuke ignored it, he simply didn't care.

"No slacking off, unlike in previous school. You're going to study seriously. Do you hear me Sasuke?" Itachi's eyes narrowed on his brother.

"Okay, I will," Sasuke replied resentfully. Itachi simply looked at his brother, there was a glimpse of concern in his face but it faded quickly. Sasuke finished his breakfast first, he stood up from his seat,

"I'm going" then he left.

There was no goodbyes, no encouraging words. Nothing but silence. Itachi sighed silently after his brother left, looking sadly at his brother's vacated seat.

------------

Uchiha Itachi arrived in the lobby of main office of Uchiha Corp., after parking his car in the basement. Unlike most executives who were escorted everywhere by their chauffeurs, Itachi chose to drive to work on his own and let the faithful family's driver for Sasuke. As soon as he stepped his feet in the lobby, all of his employees greeted him politely and he greeted them in return on his way to the elevator. He had the elevator for himself, not because it was a special treatment for the president of the corporation, but because no one could stand to be in the same elevator with him, save a few people.

His office was on the highest floor in the building, taking up more than the half of the floor. The bell rang indicating the elevator had reached the intended floor. He walked out from the elevator as his temporary assistant, Temari appeared. She had blond hair that was tied into pigtails, she was wearing casual clothes that hugged her curves well but enough for her to move freely.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Shikisha," Temari greeted Itachi, in her hand there was a map.

"Ohayo, Temari. What news do you have?" Itachi asked as he walked to his office a bit slowing his pace so his assistant was able to catch up.

"Some interesting news about a certain company you'd like to see," she handed him the map, "If you find it interesting, you know what to do"

"Thanks," he accepted the map by his free hand that wasn't carrying his briefcase. They parted right before his office's door and he walked into his private workplace. His office was simple and neat, there was no useless furniture inside. His window gave him full sight of the city from above; the curtains were opened since the sunlight wasn't too bright. His desk was against the window, it was made of the finest black mahogany and on it there was the newest technology, computer, CPU, PDA and cell phone. In front of the desk, there were two empty seats. On each side of the office there were bookshelves filled with important books, catalogs and documents. Not far from the desk there was a comfortable couch and an oval coffee table and it was provided a bathroom in the office, the door was among the shelves.

Itachi put the map and his briefcase on his desk and seated himself. A mug of black coffee was already prepared on the desk as he liked. He activated the computer and started examining the documents in the map while sipping his coffee slowly. Suddenly his phone beeped, he switched it on easily, a voice reported,

"The vice president and the Manager of Human Resources Development are here"

"Let them in," he ordered and switched off the connection. The instant he received the report, two men appeared from the door. One of them was taller than average, he had the same eyes and hair with Itachi but he had some of his hair bleached silver. He was wearing a black formal suit and a matching black tie. He carried a professional and serious aura, while the other who was about the same height with Itachi, seemed much more casual and relaxed. He had dark emerald eyes and his hair was the shades of green. He simply wore casual clothes that consisted of a white shirt, black vest and jeans.

"Shikisha," both of them greeted Itachi politely.

"Set the formalities aside. Sit," Itachi motioned them to the empty seats in front of him. He closed the map and set his gaze to his two trusted subordinates and friends, "So… what brings you here this early?"

The tallest among them started, "Of course what else besides about your new secretary?"

"I suppose you don't need to ask me anything. I trust both of your judgment in this. You know that Shisui"

"I know, but you know how hard it is to fulfill your expectations, Itachi. This is your umpteenth time you're looking for new secretary –God knows if it's been your 20th or your 100th"

"Shisui's right, Itachi. When would you find someone that can stand working as your secretary with the high standard of yours? Honestly you demand too much, Itachi," the other added.

"Me and Shinji had chosen the best secretary we could find among the applicants but in the end you're always not satisfied with them even though you say you trust our judgment. You can't change secretaries every month, Itachi"

Itachi leaned back on his chair, Shisui was right that he couldn't be satisfied easily. He always found flaws in his secretaries though after all the tight selection and interviews that his vice president was also involved in. Even though few of them managed to fulfill most of his expectations, smart, professional, and efficient but they weren't flexible enough or too old-fashioned or too occupied to her boss' looks. But he knew both of them were right,

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Give her a chance, don't just fire her after you find her mistakes," Shisui told him, then he gave Shinji a sideway glance.

"And I want you to be involved in the final interview," Shinji told him.

"What do you mean?" Itachi arched an eyebrow.

"You will judge and interview by yourself the applicants and choose the suitable secretary you need. This time we will not choose your new secretary"

Itachi thought of his options in this, the interview wouldn't take really long so he wouldn't waste time too much. He would judge and choose his new secretary so the higher chance of choosing the right secretary he needed.

"Alright, I'll be there in the final interview," Itachi agreed to Shinji's proposal, "Just make it short so it won't affect my other schedules"

"It's a deal, then," Shinji nodded in approval, "I'll be sure the interview won't affect your schedule. So, I'll prepare for the interview. Excuse me," Shinji left the office, leaving Itachi with Shisui. Their eyes followed Shinji until he disappeared behind the door; Shisui was the first one who moved his gaze to Itachi.

"You'd better find the right secretary. Temari has already her hands full as your assistant. She can't be your secretary at the same time, especially it isn't her field," Shisui leaned back to his seat, his fingers intertwined in front of him. He was looking at his distant cousin intently, as if trying to decipher Itachi's thoughts. Itachi purposefully avoided Shisui's gaze, he opened the map once again.

"What is exactly bothering you? I know you want the best for the company, but you're way too perfectionist in this," Shisui kept his gaze on Itachi, talking about his difficulty finding the right secretary, "You're doing well, Itachi. Fugaku-san will be very proud of you"

"Am I?" Itachi asked in return, "My father still does a lot better than I do and I lost some of the important projects my father worked hard for. He'll be disappointed"

"Itachi, you've done well considering you took the leadership so suddenly after your parents' passing. You were still at your first semester in university, you weren't prepared enough. But you took it and you managed to hold the company together despite your lack of experience. And in case you don't notice, the company made a lot of progress under you, even though we lost some of the important projects in exchange of better ones. You're too hard to yourself. I know you better than anyone else, except Shinji. That's why he left us alone, he wants us to sort this out. Care to tell me, what's wrong?"

Itachi was silenced by his words, he knew that Shisui and Shinji were the ones who understood him most, it was one of the reasons why he entrusted them important positions in the company. Not only because he knew their abilities well, but also because he could trust them. After he took the leadership of the company, the first thing he did was hiring people he trusted into important positions.

Uchiha Shisui, his distant cousin who was like a brother to him, had more experience than him because he had learned doing business since high school. His strong business sense and keen insight of things were truly helpful for him who wasn't experienced enough.

Nakayama Shinji, was the son of his father's most trusted colleague, he had known him since they were young. Shinji didn't have the aura that his father had, and didn't seem to share same interest in business. But later it was shown that Shinji had such deep observation of people and one of the best negotiator in getting contracts. He was one of the most reliable people Itachi had.

"You know why I elected you in this position"

"…Yes," Shisui knew what he meant.

"It's a matter of trust," Itachi ended their conversation. Shisui understood what Itachi meant well, Itachi wasn't a person who was able to trust people easily. He had learned it hard way. He sighed silently and excused himself to leave, which Itachi nodded slightly in approval. Before he opened the doorknob, he paid a last glance to the working Itachi. He looked sad and concerned about Itachi, he truly hoped Itachi could find someone he could trust.

------------

Naruto descended from the bus that took him to his new school. He needed to walk few blocks until he found Konoha High School. Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief, he had seen the pictures of the school from the brochures and internet, but still… he was amazed. He walked hesitantly into the school compound after passing a security check. The school compound was very vast, much larger than his previous school. It was surrounded by tall gates. There were three buildings inside the school compound and it was encircled by lush green trees, he could see a beautiful fountain in front of the school, greeting all the visitors of the school. Suddenly, Naruto felt so out of place, his heart was thumping loudly. Then he remembered his sister's words when he told her that he got scholarship from Konoha High,

"Naruto, never think lowly of yourself. You can't be in Konoha High just by coincidence. You are there because of scholarship, which means you're special. Always hold your head high, have confidence in yourself. No one will treat you differently, unless you do. There are always annoying people out there, just ignore them. You know yourself better than anyone else and that's enough"

His sister words had always had a strange effect on him, and this time wasn't an exception. He felt himself much more confident, his head held high and a smile appeared on his face. He had a determined look in his face.

I'm no different with the others

He walked to the nearest building that was supposed to be the administration building where he should report his attendance in the school as a scholarship student. He entered the building and found himself greeted by the cool air from the air conditioners. He quickly headed to the receptionist, and asked politely

"Excuse me, ma'am"

"Yes. What can I help you?" The receptionist was a young woman, she had her dark hair short and had warm and kind eyes that reminded Naruto of his sister. Naruto could read her nameplate in a brief glance, Shizune.

"A-ano. I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm here for the scholarship"

"Oh, Uzumaki Naruto, we've been expecting you. Please head to the principal's office right in the corner," Shizune smiled kindly.

"Thank you," Naruto nodded and took the direction Shizune had shown him.

"What a polite boy," Shizune commented as she saw Naruto disappeared from her sight, then resumed her duties.

Naruto stopped in front of a door with a golden plate written on it, Principal's Office. He knocked it few time a little loudly and received a muffled voice from the inside, signaling him to come inside. He found himself in a comfortable room, there were bookshelves on either side of the room and there was someone working on a huge oak table. He approached the person carefully, though it seemed the person noticed his presence.

"Welcome welcome," the person appeared to be an old man, probably in his 70s, but seemed much younger than his age. Naruto read the placard on his table, Sarutobi. Principal. Naruto bowed politely, knowing he was facing the principal that had given him scholarship.

"Uzumaki Naruto, am I right?" he asked, which Naruto answered with a nod.

"Great. How's your sister doing?"

"You know my sister?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Oh, of course I do. Almost all the staff of the school knows her, a brilliant student your sister was, and I have no doubt you are. I've seen your grades by myself, your sister must be proud of you," Sarutobi smiled kindly to Naruto. Naruto couldn't help to feel proud to the compliment. Then the man signed a paper and put it inside a brown envelope that he handed to Naruto.

"Everything you need is in the envelope. You can get your books in the library. I hope you enjoy your time in school"

"Thank you very much, Sir"

Sarutobi merely chuckled; he stood up and reached out a hand that Naruto took in a firm handshake.

"Congratulations. Welcome to Konoha High, Naruto-kun"

Author's Note: That's the end of the first chapter! Tell me what you think about it. Good, bad, or wait til the next chapter? Oh, in here there's no man who has long hair. Because in reality, there's no professional who has long hair. So…Itachi has short hair instead his ponytail trademark. For Shisui, since there is no picture of him, I imagine him like another tall handsome Uchiha, and the silver bleach –well, I just think it'll be cool. There will be at least 3 OCs in my story, Uzumaki Ayame, Nakayama Shinji and the other will be revealed soon. These OCs have appeared in my first fic, Ayame and their characters don't change much. If you want to know more about them or simply interested, just read Ayame where Ayame, Shinji, and Itachi are teammates. So you'll know their background a little. Review!