In which Gaara has his first solo mission, Utakata trains his team, and Naruto looks at pictures.

Warning for blood and death in this chapter.

O-O-O-O-O

"Your target is there, Gaara-sama," Baki said, pointing to the horizon.

Gaara nodded as he stepped forward to take a closer look. He saw a small and dilapidated building hidden in the desert made out of mud bricks. Inside was the man he was meant to kill. He looked up at Baki for any further instruction but the man was silent, face impassive. Gaara turned his gaze back to the house and clenched his jaw.

It was a simple mission. The target wasn't a shinobi and never had been. But he had stolen jewelry from a rich merchant's mistress, which was more than enough to condemn him to death. While Baki had taken him there, Gaara knew he had to complete the mission alone. My first solo mission and it's an assassination.

Gaara forced the familiar mask of disinterest to form across his face. In the back of his mind, he heard Shukaku trying to interfere with his thoughts, urging him to kill. He ignored the bijuu as best as he could. Without hesitation, he walked toward the tiny house. He felt Baki's eyes following him, focused on his back.

Gaara pushed the door in, using the sand to cushion the sound of the hinges. He entered the living room, composed of only a sofa and a low table. He walked past down the hallway toward the sound of muttering, arriving at a wide-open door. He looked inside.

An old man sat at a table, giving his back to the door. He had a pile of cash in front of him. He was chucking to himself as he ran his hands through the money, counting it slowly. Gaara couldn't stand looking at him.

He felt a headache start to build. Shukaku's voice was growing insistent, urging him to kill, but he needed to confirm the target first. He tried to ignore the pain as he stepped inside.

Sensing his presence for the first time, the man turned around, standing up from his chair.

"Who- who's there?" he yelled as he stood up, eyes wide. He stared down at Gaara and his panic subsided. "Oh, a kid? Get lost, brat!"

To Gaara's relief, the man was exactly who he had been ordered to assassinate. He had a grey beard with balding hair, an unmistakable scar adorning his chin.

"Are you Nakazo?" Gaara asked, ignoring the man's words.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" the man asked, collapsing back on his chair with a grunt. "I'm not going to be in this village for long anyway. Just leave now, kid, before I give you the pounding of your life."

Gaara said nothing. He took a step closer. The man's eyes widened in confusion and anger. "Didn't you hear me? Get lost, brat!"

Gaara ignored him again. Around him, the sand rose, forming a wall at his back. For the first time, the man seemed to notice the gourd slung across his back.

"Wait... I heard of you... You're..." He swallowed and pushed his chair back, but it was useless. There was no place for him to run.

The man didn't get the opportunity to say anything else. He opened his mouth to scream when the wall of sand collapsed on him. He struggled for a few seconds to free himself, but it was pointless. Gaara squeezed his hand into a fist. At once, the sand fell on top of him, killing the thief instantly.

Blood splashed throughout the room, covering it in red speckles. As on the last mission, Shukaku quieted at once, letting him enjoy his own thoughts in peace. He felt an immediate sense of relief coursing through him, followed by overwhelming guilt. Why is it so easy to kill people?

With a sigh of exhaustion, Gaara collapsed on the floor. He felt blood drip down his face to the ground. Numb, he tried to wipe it away from his face but it was useless. His forearm got covered in red instead.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe, as steady as possible. He wanted to talk to the other jinchuuriki, any of them, but it was the middle of the afternoon. They were no doubt living their own lives. Alone, he wanted to break down and cry. He knew, however, that he couldn't return to Baki with tears in his eyes. Instead of crying, he sat on the ground, trying to get his pulse to slow down and for his breathing to return to normal.

After what felt like years, he stood up with a grunt. To his relief, Shukaku was still quiet. He wondered if the fact that he was covered in blood had anything to do with his silence.

Gaara forced himself to breathe in and out, slowly and deliberately. He counted his breaths. Donning his normal mask, he walked out of the bedroom and back to where Baki was waiting for him. He refused to look at the blood splattered on the walls and floor as he left.

"I assume the mission was a success, Gaara-sama?" Baki asked. The man stood waiting under the shade of a date palm, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Gaara nodded his head, too afraid of what he might say. Baki grunted in satisfaction. He looked at Gaara up and down but didn't comment on the shower of blood.

"Good," he said. "Let's go."

Gaara nodded again and fell behind Baki as they headed back to the village.

O-O-O-O-O

When he arrived back home, he found Temari and Kankuro eating together in the dining area. They turned their faces to look at Gaara as he stepped inside. They paled when they saw him covered in blood and looked away.

Gaara walked past them. Ever since their first mission as a team, they had ignored him, only speaking to him in Baki's company. He wasn't sure if he preferred their total silence more than their previous anger.

Gaara headed to the bathroom. He took off his clothes and threw them into the hamper. For a second, he wondered if his caretakers would be able to clean the blood or if they would have to throw his clothes away. He shook his head to get rid of the thought.

Curious, he walked toward the sink to look at his reflection on the mirror.

He flinched back, glad that no one was there to see his reaction. His entire body was speckled in his target's blood. His face was the worst, with the red smeared across from when he had tried to clean it away. Next time, I need to stand farther away from my target.

The thought disturbed him. He felt heavy guilt settle into his stomach again. He looked away from the mirror.

Trying to distract himself, he stepped into the bathing area. He filled a bucket with hot water, although he wasn't sure if that would be enough to wash off the evidence.

Trying to conserve water, he began to wash himself, focusing on his face and hair first. Tired, he watched as the blood mixed with the water as it ran down the drain. Mentally exhausted, he scrubbed slowly.

He ran out of water within a few minutes. Annoyed, he filled another bucket and repeated the process. He had gone through two more buckets until the water finally ran clear. He stared at the water as it swirled down the drain.

A sudden wave of panic hit him. He pressed his face down into his knees and forced himself to breathe in and out slowly. He counted his breath, just how Roshi taught him so long ago, pushing the tears back. I can't let Temari or Kankuro see me like this.

Swallowing, he stood up, wrapping a clean towel around himself. With a shiver at the cold, he stepped outside and headed toward his bedroom. To his relief, he didn't see his siblings along the way.

Once inside his room, he changed into clean clothes and walked to his window. In the time it had taken to clean up the blood and change, night had fallen and the moon had risen. He stared at it, trying to get his mind to calm down.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. To his relief, he could hear the other jinchuuriki inside the Room. They were laughing and talking to one another. At once, their cheer lifted his spirits. He smiled to himself.

He walked away to sit down on the floor, leaning against the wall. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, willing his mind to take him away.

When he appeared, all of the jinchuuriki were already there. He stared around at them in surprise. They were rarely all together at the same time. In the evening it was usually just him, Fuu, Roshi, and Naruto.

"Hi, Gaara-chan!" Fuu said. She ran to him, enveloping him in a hug. Effortlessly, she lifted him up, carrying him in her arms and pushing his face into her mane of hair. A second later, Naruto was at his side, wrapping his arms around both him and Fuu.

"Gaara! You're finally here!" he shouted. "I feel like we've been waiting forever for you!"

Gaara spit out Fuu's hair. "What do you mean waiting for me?" he asked, confused. Fuu dropped him back to the ground.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Because it's your birthday, dummy!" he said, a grin on his face.

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. "It's my birthday?" he asked. He tried to remember the last time he had looked at the calendar, but he couldn't recall. With Naruto's statement, he remembered celebrating the New Year not too long ago.

"Well, at least more than one person forgets their birthdays," Roshi muttered.

Naruto grinned bashfully. He walked to Gaara's side, placing a comforting hand on top of his head. "Happy birthday, Gaara," he said with a grin.

He looked around at the other jinchuuriki again. They smiled at him, giving their own congratulations. He returned their greetings with a smile of his own.

O-O-O-O-O

Utakata looked out at the children sparring in front of him. Kimimaro had formed a sword out of his shoulder blade. He held it in his right hand, using the left to aid in balancing. In front of him, Kasumi extended her sword, a short wakizashi, using both hands. The two of them were sparring, lunging at each other and testing their defenses.

Haku knelt at Utakata's side, watching the fight with an intense stare. He had already been defeated by Kasumi after a few minutes of intense fighting. Panting, she had refused to take a break, demanding to fight Kimimaro instead. Kimimaro had complied, agreeing to fight using only a sword made out of bone.

'Should I be upset that I don't actually have to teach them anything?' Utakata asked himself.

'Not sure. All I know is that my little baby is growing up so fast,' Yagura said.

Utakata forced himself not to smile. After meeting his team for the first time, he had allowed Yagura to look through and see his daughter during their training sessions. It was a small concession for Utakata, but it meant that he has to focus and keep his face as neutral as possible. The former Mizukage tended to get excited whenever his daughter did anything, no matter how minute.

While Yagura was fawning over his daughter, Utakata had gotten to know his new students.

Haku was fast and perceptive, Kimimaro's friend and confidante. His throwing accuracy was the best Utakata had ever seen in someone so young. He suspected even some jounin did not have the same level of skill with senbon as Haku. However, Utakata had found him indecisive at times, too kind for his own good.

Kasumi, meanwhile, both looked and acted like her father. She was very emotional, equally prone to fits of rage and sadness. She was fast and skilled, a perfect wielder of her wakizashi. To Utakata's relief, both Kimimaro and Haku seemed to like her. They spent enough time talking to each other at least. They also cooperated well in team drills and exercises, working perfectly as a group. The Mizukage really did choose the most promising shinobi for this team.

While they had completed only D-ranked missions, he knew that their first C-ranked mission was just around the corner. With that thought in mind, Utakata had focused on improving their team coordination and sparring skills.

In front of him, Kimimaro and Kasumi continued fighting. Kasumi was a small and flexible target, forcing Kimimaro to try attacking more often. In comparison, Kimimaro had a stronger defense, able to summon shields of bone to deflect her attacks when necessary. Overall, they were evenly matched.

'That boy is talented,' Yagura noted. Utakata could sense how impressed he was. 'Are you sure he's only nine?'

'I'm sure. I feel like I've been forced to babysit once-in-a-lifetime prodigies.'

Yagura chuckled. 'Well, you're not wrong about that.'

They turned their attention back to the fight. Kasumi weaved around Kimimaro, lunging experimentally, looking for an opening. Kimimaro parried all her attacks. However, based on his grimace and the sweat on his forehead, he was feeling pressured. He jumped back to get away from her latest strike. He kept his eyes focused on her as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

Kasumi retreated as well. She crouched, looking at Kimimaro with an intense glare in her eyes. She frowned and took a second to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Tiredly, she exhaled and stood up with a grin at her opponent.

"You're really, strong, Kimimaro," she said, voice sincere. "I'm glad you're on my team."

Kimimaro blinked. He stared at Kasumi, wide-eyed as he absorbed her words. "Thank you," he said. "I am, too."

Kasumi giggled. She lunged to attack as their fight continued. Utakata, Haku, and Yagura watched, captivated. Utakata wondered how long they have been swinging swords at each other. He kept watching, not wanting to miss a single moment.

Kimimaro struck, swinging his sword over his head to attack Kasumi. She parried, moving her left leg back, seemingly to retreat. However, instead of running away, she leaped toward Kimimaro while he still lunging forward.

She weaved under his sword and emerged behind him, holding her wakizashi up to his neck. Kimimaro froze, the tip of her blade against his jugular.

"I win," she panted with a triumphant grin. Beads of sweat fell down her face and onto the ground. "Drop your weapon."

Kimimaro let go of the sword. Like Kasumi, he was covered in sweat, panting heavily as he tried to get his breathing back in order. He lifted up his hands as a sign of surrender.

"You win," Kimimaro confirmed.

'That's my baby girl!' Yagura proclaimed, voice full of pride.

'Your baby girl is going to give me a headache.'

Kasumi giggled, sheathing her sword and letting Kimimaro go. Exhausted, she walked to Kimimaro's side. She put her hand on his shoulder. Utakata saw Kimimaro tense at the sudden physical contact.

"No hard feelings, right, Kimimaro-kun?" she said, a grin on her face.

Kimimaro flushed, looking away. He shook his head. Kasumi giggled again. Together, they left the fighting ring and walked toward Utakata and Haku.

"How was that, Utakata-sensei?" Kasumi asked. Her voice was full of excitement as she waited for feedback.

'Phenomenal. Splendid. The best display of swordsmanship I've ever seen in my life.'

"It was good," Utakata said. He tried not to let Yagura interfere with his emotions too much.

Kasumi pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Is that all you have to say, sensei?"

Utakata felt an influx of love and adoration upon seeing her cute face. To prevent himself from squealing in joy, he forced his face into a mask of indifference. "It was very good."

Kasumi huffed. Exhausted, she collapsed on the grass next to Haku. She muttered something about teachers and laziness. Kimimaro followed her lead, sitting down on Haku's other side. While he was silent, he saw a flash of disappointment cross his face.

Utakata was struck by sudden guilt that was not because of Yagura. He sighed. Why me?

"Fine, all three of you are excellent students," he said. The three children turned their heads to look at him. "Your skills are already top level and there is not much I can teach you. The only thing I recommend is that you continue honing the abilities you already have."

"Haku!" he began.

The boy jumped and turned to him. "Yes?" he asked, a nervous frown on his face.

"Your ability with senbon is perfect. Study human anatomy and I believe you'll be able to hit tenketsu points with accuracy. You also have good control with chakra, so you should consider learning medical ninjutsu. I can talk to Harusame-sensei and look for a medic-nin to teach you if you want."

"Oh, uh, thank you, sensei," Haku said. He bowed his head, taking Utakata's recommendations to heart.

"Kasumi," he continued. The girl focused on him, excited to receive feedback. "Your mastery over the sword is apparent and you used your small size to your advantage. However, you used too much energy jumping and moving. It worked with Kimimaro because you have similar reserves. But if you ever meet an opponent with more chakra, using too much energy in one fight will leave you vulnerable. You should consider letting your opponent use up their energy before you make your own attacks."

She nodded enthusiastically at his words. Finally, Utakata turned his eyes to Kimimaro. The boy shifted, looking up at him nervously. Utakata swallowed before saying anything.

"Your skill with a sword is nearly unprecedented, Kimimaro," he said. "However, you tend to have the opposite problem as Kasumi. While waiting to see what your opponent will do is a valid strategy, if you had tried attacking faster and more aggressively, you could have won. I saw at least two opportunities in which Kasumi's defenses were lowered. You could have struck at those times."

"I see," Kimimaro said with a nod. He frowned, mulling over his words.

Satisfied that he had left them with something to think about, Utakata collapsed on the grass, his hands cradling his head.

From his position lying down, he glanced at his three students. They were talking to one another, going over what Utakata had told them. They took sips of water, trying to rehydrate themselves after all their exercise. He smirked to himself in satisfaction. That should tide them over for a while.

'You sure are more perceptive than you look, Utakata-kun,' Yagura teased. 'Are you sure you don't want to be Mizukage one day?'

'Too much work.'

Utakata stayed on the grass, listening half-heartedly to his team's conversation. He said nothing until the sun began to set.

'Huh, It got late really fast.'

'That's because you were napping.'

Utakata sat up, stretching his arms over his head. He yawned. In front of him, Haku giggled while Kasumi rolled her eyes. Kimimaro smiled.

"You're so lazy, sensei!" Kasumi complained although she seemed more exasperated than truly upset.

"Yeah, I guess I am," he admitted.

Kasumi opened her mouth to say something else when Utakata sensed someone approaching, He bolted up, expecting an attack. He pulled the three children behind him as he waited for their new company to show themselves.

However, instead of an enemy, a short woman appeared in front of them, a teenage boy standing next to her. Utakata had no idea who they were, but he felt Yagura mentally screaming at him.

'Shit.'

'What? Who are they?'

'Shit. Shit. Shit. I can't believe... What the fuck?'

Utakata forced himself to block out Yagura's mental muttering. Schooling his face into a mask of indifference, he turned his gaze to the people walking toward them.

"Mom! Nii-san!" Kasumi left Utakata's side and ran toward the boy and the woman.

Mom? Nii-san? Sure enough, the woman extended her arms out. Kasumi ran to her, wrapping her arms around her midsection in a hug. The boy next to him patted her head, a grin on his face. Oh. So that's why Yagura is yelling.

"Good evening," Utakata said with a nod of his head. At his sides, Haku and Kimimaro repeated the greeting.

"Good evening," the woman said, bowing her head down respectfully. "We've come to pick up Kasumi. I guess she forgot we have dinner with the Mizukage tonight."

Kasumi flinched. "Oh... yeah... Sorry, Mom. I forgot." She chuckled bashfully, still keeping her arms wrapped around her mother's stomach.

The boy shrugged. "It's fine. We still have over an hour. I thought you might need a little time to get ready, though."

"That's true," she said, looking up at her older brother's eyes. "Oh, I should probably introduce you," she muttered to herself. She turned around, a determined grin on her face.

"Mom, nii-san," she began. "This is my team. This is my teacher, Utakata-sensei." Utakata nodded his head again. "And they are my teammates, Haku-kun and Kimimaro-kun." Haku smiled and waved a hand while Kimimaro only bowed his head. "And this is my mom and my brother. His name is Asahi." She pointed to her family.

"It's very nice to meet you," the woman said. "My name is Anzu Karatachi. I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Nice to meet you!" the boy, Asahi, said. Unlike his sister, who had the same face as her father, he looked most like his mother. He had sharp eyes and a narrow and serious face. The only hints of his father were his eyes, which were a similar shade of pink, and his hair, which was a light grey.

'I can't believe I got to see them again,' Yagura said.

Utakata felt a wave of melancholy course through his body. He got a sudden urge to cry. He tried to focus back on the introductions, but he couldn't. Yagura's emotions were affecting him too much to keep his face neutral.

"I-it's nice t-to m-meet you, too," he stuttered.

The woman hummed, staring Utakata up and down with a smirk on her face. With a chill, he realized he had met her before.

'Wait... She's the ANBU who sent the message from Mizukage-sama!'

'Oh, so she's back in ANBU.'

'Your wife is an ANBU agent!?'

Yagura snorted. 'Where else are you supposed to find a wife? Who doesn't want a wife that could murder them in their sleep?'

'Literally everyone else in the world.'

Yagura chuckled. To his relief, Yagura's emotions had become much less volatile and Utakata regained control over his face.

"Anyway, we just came here to take Kasumi-chan home," the woman said. "We can't keep the Mizukage waiting."

"No, I suppose you can't," Utakata agreed. He looked down at Kasumi. "Keep what I told you in mind," he ordered. "Don't use up your energy too early or you could get tired too quickly."

"Yes, sensei!" she answered cheerfully. She waved goodbye at her teammates. With no other words exchanged, she walked away, holding her brother's hand.

'I guess in the end she's still just a kid.'

'The cutest kid.'

'Debatable.'

He watched her and her family walking away until they were only a speck in the distance. With a sigh, he turned back to his other two students.

"And you, Haku?" he asked. "Are you going home now, too?"

Haku hummed thoughtfully before answering. "Zabuza-sama is probably waiting for me," he concluded. "I should head home. I will think about what you have told me about medical ninjutsu, Utakata-sensei." He nodded his head, first to Utakata and then to Kimimaro. He departed, leaving Utakata and Kimimaro alone.

Utakata raised an eyebrow as he looked down at his remaining student. Kimimaro shifted, waiting to hear what Utakata would say. Utakata sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Go take a bath," he ordered. "I'll meet you for dinner. Think about what I said, I guess."

Kimimaro's eyes widened and he nodded. He ran back to the manor. Utakata stayed behind in the training grounds, deep in thought.

'Yagura?'

'Yeah?'

'How did you manage to get such a beautiful wife? Did you brainwash her?'

Yagura huffed. Offended, he severed the connection with Utakata's mind, leaving the Room. Utakata smirked to himself as he rebuilt his mental barriers. Yugito is right. It's fun to annoy him.

O-O-O-O-O

"Oh, this one is really nice!" Sasuke's mother exclaimed as she held up the picture for them to look at. "Sasuke is even smiling in this one!"

"Mom!" Sasuke whined.

Sasuke's mother shrugged off his complaints. "What? I swear, you are too much like your father and brother at times. It's like Uchiha men don't know how to smile!"

Naruto giggled as he threw Sasuke a mocking grin. Sasuke pouted and looked away in annoyance. Naruto only stared back at the picture held in the hands of Sasuke's mother.

During the break before the start of their second year, Naruto had gone to the Uchiha household. Sasuke's mother had gotten around to developing the pictures taken at his birthday party. They had gathered around the coffee table in the living room to look at the photos together. Naruto had been curious to see. I don't think I have any pictures of myself.

"Hey! I like this one! You look really happy, Auntie!" Naruto pointed to the picture. In it, Sasuke's mother was smiling as she set down glasses of milk on the table. Naruto guessed Sasuke's father had taken it when none of them were looking.

"Hm, I suppose I don't look half bad," she admitted as she stared at the picture.

"You do look nice, Mom," Sasuke added.

With that, they continued to flip through the pictures. Some of them were blurry, taken at a moment when someone was moving. Others were too light or too dark to make out much. However, most were great, capturing the moment when Naruto blew out the candles or when they were eating their cake slices. Naruto knew he would treasure even the ugly photos for the rest of his life. Someone had cared enough not only to take them but to print them out as well. He knew he would hang up all of them in his room later.

"That's everything?" Sasuke asked when his mother finished going through the stack.

She put the pictures down on the table and nodded. "That's all."

"Thank you so much, Auntie!" Naruto said.

"You're welcome, Naruto," she said with a kind smile as she put the photos back into the envelope. "Here, keep them. I made extra copies for myself." She extended the envelope forward, waiting for Naruto to take.

"Oh, uh, thank you." Naruto took the offered gift in his hands. He felt his face flush and he looked down at his knees in embarrassment. He wasn't sure if he would ever get used to her being nice to him. He placed the envelope in his jacket pocket.

"Now..." Both boys turned to look at her in curiosity. "Would you like to see pictures of Sasuke as a baby?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed as Sasuke screamed out a "No!"

Naruto stared at Sasuke with a smirk, eyes glittering in excitement. Sasuke scowled at him, threatening retribution if Naruto persisted.

Sasuke's mother only laughed at their reactions. She stood up and walked away, ignoring Sasuke's silent pleas. "I'll be right back, boys. I'll get my photo album."

"Sure, Auntie!" Naruto said cheerfully before turning to stare at Sasuke, whose face had turned a light pink color. "What's the problem? Were you an ugly baby or what, jerk?"

Sasuke huffed and looked away. He kept his eyes focused determinedly at the wall as they waited for his mother to come back. Naruto giggled to himself.

"Here it is," Sasuke's mother said as she walked back and returned to her seat. She placed a large photo album on the table, opening it to the first page. "I started this one soon after I got married."

Sure enough, on the first page was a wedding photo of Sasuke's parents. His mother stood proudly, a demure smile on his face, beautiful as always. Her hair was done up in a perfect bun and she wore an intricate blue kimono. Her makeup only seemed to emphasize her natural beauty. At her side, Sasuke's father looked slightly happier than usual.

"Wow! You look really beautiful, Auntie!" Naruto exclaimed. "Uchiha-san looks about the same, though."

She chuckled. "Why, thank you, Naruto." She flipped the page of the album to show pictures upon pictures of a chubby baby. "Here is Itachi. He's really cute, isn't he?"

"He looks so... small," Sasuke commented. He stared at the pictures of his older brother with a frown. Naruto nodded in agreement. He was so used to seeing Itachi as Sasuke's cool and serious brother than imagining him as a newborn was strange.

"You two were that size once, too," she said. She flipped through a few more pages, letting them see Itachi as he grew up.

"Nii-san used to have short hair," Sasuke said, sounding confused. "He says he doesn't like short hair."

She nodded. "Yes. I had to force him to cut it when he was very young. He used to cry whenever I did it though." For some reason, she frowned to herself and her eyes glazed over.

"Why did you stop cutting his hair?" Sasuke asked curiously.

She hummed as she considered how best to answer. "I realized it made him sad," she finally answered. "So I let him grow his hair out as much as he wanted."

Sasuke nodded at her explanation before his gaze turned back to the photo album. That time, he flipped the page himself.

"Aw! That's really cute!" Naruto shouted. In the photo, Itachi had a newborn, who he assumed was Sasuke, held inside his arms. Itachi was smiling at the camera while the baby seemed to be sleeping.

Sasuke slammed the book closed, his face red. "Mom! I don't want Naruto to see it!" he whined.

His mother sighed in exasperation. She grabbed onto her son's hands and pulled them, gently yet firmly, away. "It's not a big deal, Sasuke," she said. "I don't think Naruto-kun cares that you were once a baby."

"Yeah, Sasuke!" Naruto agreed while holding back giggles. "Someone actually cared enough about you to take pictures! I don't think there are any photos of myself as a baby, ya know!

For some reason Naruto didn't understand, both Sasuke and his mother froze. They stared at him, wide-eyed and quiet. Naruto fidgeted in his seat on the sofa. Did I say something weird?

Sasuke bit his lip as he seemed to consider a few things. He took his hands off of the photo album. "Fine," he muttered as he sat back down. "You can see. Just don't say anything!"

"Fine," Naruto promised. I'll say so many things.

With a sigh, Sasuke's mother opened the album once again. "I took this one soon after Sasuke was born," she explained. "Itachi seemed to be really confused to see you, Sasuke. He wouldn't stop looking and poking at you the entire time."

"Really?" Sasuke asked with a frown.

She nodded. "Really. He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He promised me he would always take care of you." At her words, Sasuke turned his gaze back to the photo with a smile.

"You looked really cute, Sasuke," Naruto said.

Sasuke grunted in response. His smile vanished and his face turned pink once again.

"What happened? Did you fall down the stairs or something?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

Sasuke grunted again, angrier than before. With no idea how to respond, he looked away to stare at the wall, pouting. Naruto snickered and Sasuke's mother hummed to herself in amusement.

With that, they continued to flip through the pages. For Naruto, it was interesting to see the Uchiha family changing and growing. Itachi and Sasuke had been so small, looking helpless and fragile. It was strange to see Itachi as a young child, too. I'm just so used to looking up at him.

They were looking at pictures of Itachi's graduation when the front door opened. Whoever was at the door had come in and started walking down the hall. Curious, the three of them turned their heads to see Itachi, who had stopped at the doorway.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke shouted in excitement as he ran toward his brother. He stopped and stood a few feet away.

"Sasuke," Itachi muttered as a greeting.

"Itachi," Sasuke's mother added. "You're home early."

"I am, Mother."

She smiled and waved a hand to Itachi. "Would you like to look at the photo album with us? We've gotten around to when you graduated from the Academy now."

Itachi shook his head. "No, thank you. I have a lot of work to do."

Despite her straight posture, Naruto noticed she felt rejected by her son's refusal. Her lips froze into a smile and her eyes glazed over.

Sasuke did not seem to notice. "Will you teach me a new technique, nii-san?" he asked, a pleading smile on his lips.

At that, Itachi turned to look down at his younger brother. He waved his hand in a gesture for Sasuke to step closer. When he did, Itachi flicked Sasuke on the forehead with his fingers, pushing him back instead.

"Sorry, Sasuke, some other time," he muttered. With that, he walked away toward what Naruto assumed was his bedroom. That guy is so weird.

Sasuke stared at him walking away before returning to the sofa, more sullen than usual. Naruto shook his head. He had seen Itachi pulling the same trick countless times and Sasuke kept falling for it. Does Sasuke like when Itachi pokes him or something?

Sasuke's mother sighed before turning her attention back to the photo album. "Don't worry about your brother, Sasuke," she said. "He has a lot of work to do. He's a jounin. He has to do stuff not only for the village but also for the clan."

Sasuke nodded, still looking downcast. His eyes turned back toward the album, but he didn't seem to be really looking. Sasuke's mother seemed sadder too, her eyes glazing over the picture of a young Itachi holding Sasuke's hand. Naruto swallowed.

"How old is Sasuke in the picture?" he asked, trying to break the tension. To his relief, both Sasuke and his mother snapped out of their stupor as they stared at the photo.

"Almost two years old, I believe," she said. "Sasuke was still learning how to talk back then."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Conversation broke out as they looked through the rest of the album.

O-O-O-O-O

"I'll see you soon, Naruto-kun," Sasuke's mother said at the doorway. "Stay safe on your way back."

Naruto was putting on his shoes at the entrance. Sasuke had gone to do his chores, leaving Naruto and his mother alone to say goodbye. "Thank you, Auntie," he said. "I'll be careful! Don't worry!" He finished putting on his sandals and stood up to leave.

"Wait, Naruto-kun," she interrupted.

He turned back to look at her. She seemed to be mulling over something and her forehead was creased into a frown. Naruto stared at her curiously as he waited for her to speak.

"What is it, Auntie?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

She smiled at that, bending over to ruffle his hair. "You said you don't have any pictures of you as a baby, right, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't think so."

She looked down at him, biting her lip. "You will have pictures now, though," she promised. "And I'll make sure you're in many more."

He fidgeted, feeling his face warming up in embarrassment. "Oh... uh... thank you, Auntie." He looked down at his toes.

"I'll take care of you," she continued. "No matter what other people say."

"Other people?" Did someone tell Auntie not to take care of me? He looked up at her, frowning in confusion.

She stared at him, meeting his eyes. Her face was serious and he could see a small frown on her forehead. "If you want things to change, you have to change them yourself," she said.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Huh?"

Her frown deepened. "Sometimes if you want things to get better, you need to be the one forcing the change. Sometimes, revolution is the best option."

"Revolution?" Naruto was getting more and more confused.

She shook her head. At once, her frown disappeared and her lips quirked up in a smile. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "I just want you to know that I'll be here to help you, Naruto-kun. Don't be afraid to ask for anything."

"Oh... uh... okay." Naruto turned around to leave. He felt like a lot of things were going over his head.

"Goodbye, Auntie," he said as he opened the door.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun," she responded with a wave of her hand.

Naruto grinned at her before leaving. As he walked, he ran his hands over the envelope containing photographs. It was possibly the best gift he had ever gotten in his life.

O-O-O-O-O

A/N: I'll be publishing a one-shot story for Valentine's Day! Be on the lookout for that~~

Note 1: I went back and edited/re-edited every single chapter from before. The story has not changed at all so don't feel obligated to go back and reread it. The writing (hopefully) reads a little bit better now. HUGE thanks to Amationary and LegancyZ for helping me edit this monstrosity. I don't know how I could ever repay you. TT_TT

Note 2: I published a side story for this fic. It's titled "Two Doors to the Right." Check it out if you want. In Chapter 1, Shikamaru ruins everything!

As always, you can get in contact with me through Tumblr. My account is waffledogwrites.

Next chapter: Naruto throws a leaf.