Naruto opened the doors to his designated classroom in the Academy and walked in, excited for his first day. Even though Naruto was early, he saw that he was not the first to arrive, so he scanned the room to see if he saw any familiar faces.

In the front row, he saw Ino sitting next to Sakura, which sent mixed emotions through Naruto. Ino was one of his best friends. She was the first to disregard what others said and go out on a limb to befriend him. She risked losing some of her friends to be friends with Naruto. She helped him when he was lonely and was the first to introduce him to her family, proudly calling him a friend. For that, Naruto was grateful.

However, she was still friends with Sakura. He knew there was tension there, but when he asked Ino about it, she avoided answering the question. He didn't want to push the issue because he didn't want to upset his friend. She did try to defend Sakura to Naruto, though. She claimed Sakura felt terrible about their first interaction, and she was embarrassed about how her mother pulled her away. Nevertheless, her mother was adamant that Sakura did not see Naruto, and Sakura did not want to disobey her mother directly.

So, when he walked into the classroom, Naruto waved in Ino's direction, ignoring Sakura. Ino brightened up when she saw him and excitedly waved back. Next to her, Sakura quickly averted her gaze, staring down at the table. Naruto smiled back at Ino and pretended to not notice Sakura's reaction. He was determined not to let anything get him down today.

He continued to look around the room and saw Hinata sitting by herself near the back of the room. He smiled, happy that another of his friends was in his class. Naruto decided that he would rather sit next to Hinata than near Sakura, so he made his way up the stairs towards her.

"Hi, Hinata-chan! Isn't this awesome! We're in the same class. Now we can see each other every day!" Naruto excitedly greeted.

"Y-yes that is g-gr-great, Naruto-kun," Hinata replied, trying to hide her blush. Naruto ignored it, accepting it as one of the eccentricities of his friend. Naruto settled in next to her and looked around the room, content to wait in silence. It was a plain room. There were two windows in the back of the room, which allowed natural light to filter in. There was a large chalkboard in the front of the room. It was worn down, evident that it had been extensively used over the past years. There were six rows of desks with stairs leading up to each row. In each row, there were ten chairs, five on each side of the aisle. There was only one entrance near the front, next to the large desk that Naruto assumed was the teacher's.

Meanwhile, Hinata was trying to muster up the courage to start a conversation. 'Come on, Hinata. You can do it! Just tell him about your flower collection. Naruto-kun loves nature, so he'll find it interesting. He's always so kind to you. You can do it. You can do it!" Hinata thought, trying to convince herself.

"S-so Nar..."

"Oh! Shikamaru and Choji are here!" Naruto shouted, oblivious to Hinata's internal struggles and attempts at a conversation. Naruto waved at his two male friends to get their attention before calling them to sit next to Hinata and him. Naruto enthusiastically welcomed the new arrivals, receiving a kind greeting from Choji and a lazy "hello" from Shikamaru. The two boys turned to greet Hinata but saw she looked uncharacteristically frustrated. Naruto was too busy greeting his new friends to notice the glare that Hinata was shooting behind his back, unhappy she had been interrupted. They sat next to Naruto, as far away from Hinata as possible. After glancing warily at Hinata, they started amicably talking with Naruto while waiting for their sensei to enter.

After the rest of the class trickled in, the teacher walked into the room. He was a rather unremarkable man. He had straight, wiry blonde hair that hung down to his shoulders and almond-shaped brown eyes. He wore the standard Konoha chunin uniform, complete with the navy blue pants, long sleeve blue shirt, and olive flak jacket. The only noticeable feature was the small pale scar he had on his chin. He gave a generic, unenthusiastic greeting to the class, stating his name was Hamada, before going through roll call. As he made his way through the list, receiving a variety of "here," "present," or "hello." The teacher acknowledged each response with a nod, only looking up from the roster if there was a delay.

However, when he got to the last name on the list, his head unexpectedly jerked up. He looked around the room, surveying the class until his eyes locked on to Naruto. "Uzumaki Naruto," he said in a clipped tone. It came out more as a statement than a question, something that Naruto caught. "Here," Naruto managed before ducking his head, not wanting to stare into those cold eyes any longer.

It seemed that no one else noticed the change in their new sensei's tone, except for Shikamaru. He looked curiously between the teacher and Naruto, recalling his father mentioning something about some not liking Naruto. When he asked his father why he said it was too troublesome to explain and that he would find out later. The only thing he did say was not to worry about what other people thought and form his own opinions. Shikamaru filed the recent interaction away, considering it a piece of the puzzle that was his newest friend.

After the minor roll call incident, the class went on smoothly. The teacher gave a lecture on what they should expect for the next four years in the Academy and outlined what they would focus on this year. They would start with an overview of Konoha history, an introduction into the theoretical aspects of chakra, some weapon training, and light physical conditioning. He added that they would also study non-ninja specific curricula, like math, literature, and geography. He justified this by saying that a stupid ninja was often a dead ninja.

After explaining the coming year, Hamada began his introduction into Konoha's history. Naruto found that his teacher was, to be honest, very boring. He had a dull, monotonous voice that droned on for what felt like hours. Naruto couldn't take it after a while, and his mind started to wander. He looked around more of the room and took in the faces of his new classmates.

Across the aisle sat a boy covered in a high-collared, gray jacket. Naruto could see he had spiky black hair and had on a pair of dark sunglasses. The boy sat still, staring stoically ahead at their sensei. Naruto thought he seemed a little creepy because he hadn't seen the kid move a muscle since they arrived.

One row in front of the gray-clad boy, there was a boy with un-tamed brown hair. He had red, triangular markings on his cheeks, which pointed towards a cocky smirk he had on his face. What drew Naruto's attention, though, was the adorable white dog asleep on the boy's lap. The dog looked like he couldn't be more than a year old and was very cute. Naruto thought that he should introduce Haruki to this dog and see if they got along.

Finally, the last person who Naruto noticed was a boy with black hair sitting three rows in front of him, but a couple of seats to the left so that Naruto could see his face on an angle. He had a dark blue shirt with a high collar, and on the back of the shirt was a fan. The bottom half of the fan was white, and the top half was red. Naruto idly thought it was a cool symbol, and he should see if his Jiji could buy him a shirt with it on it. Naruto also noticed that several of the girls in the class were sending him coy glances and giggling. Naruto saw Ino nudge Sakura and gesture towards Sasuke before blushing and averting her gaze. Naruto felt a jolt of annoyance and jealousy, but he wasn't sure why.

After a couple more hours of lectures, Hamada announced that it was time for lunch. They had an hour to eat, and he led them outside to the eating area. Naruto sank under the shade of a tree in the open yard. He smiled when he saw Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata all walk up to him and sit around him. Ino was walking toward them, and Naruto gave an excited wave, beckoning her over. However, before Ino got to the tree, Sakura ran up to her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her away. She mentioned something about how they should "go eat lunch with Sasuke-kun." Ino shot an apologetic look over her shoulder at Naruto as Sakura pulled her away. Naruto forced a smile and shrugged, signaling it was okay for her to leave.

After an hour of chatting with his friends, Naruto was herded back inside by their sensei. Naruto returned to his seat and turned his attention to the board, where Hamada wrote that they would be learning about the structure of the shinobi system. Naruto groaned and leaned back in his chair, already bored.

(Meanwhile)

Jiraiya sat in the Hokage's office, patiently waiting for him to finish reading over the report he had just given him. Hiruzen's face was contorted into a grimace as he read. After several minutes of reading and then re-reading the paper, he put it down and looked up at Jiraiya with a frown.

"This is... less than ideal," he said.

"Yeah. My contacts in Iwa said the Tsuchikage is planning something big, but we don't know what. It could be an attack on our border, an assassination, an invasion of one of the border countries, or something else."

"Yes. Not knowing is the worst part. If we knew what that old bastard was planning, we could plan accordingly. Now, though, we need to be careful. We can't overreact to speculation and deploy our forces to the border and leave the Village open for attack." Hiruzen sighed heavily and rubbed a hand down his wrinkled and weary face. He then fixed Jiraiya with a grim stare and said, "We need to keep this as under wraps as we can, for now. We don't need our shinobi getting on edge and jumping at shadows over speculation.

"I will inform Shikaku and the Anbu Commander," The Hokage continued. "From there, we can send several additional Anbu patrols to do a border sweep. They will report if they notice anything suspicious. I will also inform the gate guards to be extra vigilant. Hopefully, this will alert us if Iwa acts."

Jiraiya nodded in approval of the plan. He passed a hand through his long, white locks and sighed, mirroring Hiruzen's reaction earlier. "Well, this is a clusterfuck. I think I will stay in the Village for now, though. This way, if anything happens, I will know immediately, and you can deploy me where you need me."

"That sounds like an excellent idea. If Iwa sees that you are in the Village, they will be less likely to launch a direct attack," the Hokage added.

Jiraiya clapped his hands together and leaned forward, "Well, enough about business. There is no use in spending hours thinking of worst-case scenarios and counter plans. That's Shikaku's job. Today was Naruto's first day at the Academy, right?"

Hiruzen smiled, nodding, "Yes, it is. He was very excited. He kept rambling to me about how he couldn't wait to be 'an awesome ninja' like me," Hiruzen said, quoting Naruto.

Jiraiya laughed in response, remembering how he was the same way when he was going into the Academy. "Well, it's getting a little late. I think the Academy lets out in a couple of minutes. How about we go pick the kid up?"

(Line Break)

Naruto stood outside the Academy, wistfully watching as his friends and classmates were greeted by their parents. Hinata, Shikamaru, and Choji had all bid him a quick goodbye before running up to their parents. Naruto watched as the parents picked up their kids and proudly looked down at them as they recounted their first day. Everyone slowly trickled away, leaving Naruto alone in the courtyard. Naruto sighed and reached towards his jacket pocket. The Konoha bracelet his Jiji gave him for his sixth birthday glinted in the sun, making him pause. Naruto looked down at it and smiled, remembering that even if he wasn't here right now, his Jiji still loved him. He then put his hand in his pocket and grabbed one of the summoning seals for Gamarisu, knowing she would cheer him up.

However, before he could pump his chakra into the seal, he heard a boisterous voice bellow, "Hey, brat! How ya doing?" Naruto whipped his head to the side in surprise and beamed as he saw two of his favorite people walking towards him. Jiraiya strode up to him and ruffled his hair. At the same time, the Hokage walked sedately behind him and greeted him, "Hello, Naruto-kun. How was your first day?"

"Boring!" Naruto childishly pouted. "We didn't do any ninja stuff! All we did was learn about dead people."

Hiruzen chuckled and reached out to pat Naruto on the shoulder. "Well, it is important to know about the past so that we do not repeat it. Now, why don't we go to Ichiraku's, and you can tell Jiraiya and me about your day."

"Yay! Ramen!" Naruto yelled, jumping in the air with a fist pump. Jiraiya laughed, reached down, scooped up Naruto, and put him on his shoulders before setting off. Naruto giggled in glee, happy to be so high up. He felt like a giant! The three of them walked along, glad to be in each other's presence.

(Two Weeks Later)

Naruto stood alone in his favorite clearing outside the gates of Konoha. He was encircled by the tall, sturdy trees that were Konoha's namesake. Sunlight slipped through the leaves, bathing the forest floor in a golden light. Purple and red flowers dotted the outskirts of the field, contrasting nicely with the leaves' vibrant green. This spot wasn't too far from the Village gates, only about a 15-minute walk. Naruto had plenty of places inside the Village he could go to train, but sometimes he liked to venture outside the gates. It felt nice to be out here, away from the stares and judgment. Whenever he came here, he would go alone, without Haruki, Tabi, or any toads. He loved his friends, but sometimes he just wanted to be by himself to train and enjoy nature.

Naruto took a deep breath, sweating lightly. The sun was starting to set, letting Naruto know it was almost time for him to return home. He had been in the forest since 10 AM, working hard and trying to improve his shurikenjutsu. He had also mixed in some strength and speed training. For strength, he did numerous bodyweight exercises, like squats, pushups, and pull-ups. For speed, he created his own obstacle course in the trees, forcing himself to pull off unnatural jumps. Now, though, he was working on hitting multiple targets with one throw. He had created four targets, each with concentric rings, which he placed around the clearing at various heights and distances. One was directly in front of him, about 15 yards away. The second was 10 feet higher than that and 10 feet to the right. The third was 10 feet to the left of the first one at the same height. The last was between the first and third targets, six feet higher, and 10 six feet further back.

Naruto took a deep breath and readied himself. He held four shuriken, two in each hand. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looked at each target, then flung his arms apart. The metal stars whistled through the air, rapidly closing in on their marks.

THUD

THUD

THUD

...

Naruto waited for the last THUD of a shuriken hitting the bullseye but realized it wasn't coming. He saw he had hit three out of four of the targets, all relatively close to the bullseye. He groaned, realizing he had completely missed the last one. 'Darn it! Now I have to go get it,' he thought tiredly.

However, after a couple of steps, he paused, realizing no sound signaled that the shuriken made contact with anything. He jumped when he heard the crunch of branches and saw three masked figures dressed in black appear in front of him. Naruto gawked up at them as they spread out. They were covered entirely in cloth, hiding all discernible features. The only thing visible was their eyes, which bored in Naruto.

One walked forward, holding up the missing shuriken. "You should be careful with these, brat. You don't want to hit someone by accident," a deep voice chided. He leisurely flipped the weapon in the air, moving it from one hand to the other. "Now, Konoha's Jinchuriki," he said as he snatched the shuriken out of the air, "You will be coming with us. If you resist or try to flee, we will immobilize you. Painfully." His eyes were hard as he gazed down at Naruto, utterly unthreatened by the boy in front of him.

Naruto stood still, frozen in shock and fear. He had no idea who these people were. He took a reflexive step back, trying to get as far away from them as possible. His hands shakily reached up towards his jacket's breast pocket to grab a seal for Gamaken. Naruto stopped when he realized he had removed his coat earlier when he was getting hot. He was all alone.

The man stalked forward, creeping towards Naruto. "Now, now. No need to be scared," the man mocked. "If you are a good little boy, we won't hurt you... much." He reached out to grab the boy when he heard a voice call out in the clearing, making him freeze.

"Ma ma. I don't think that would be such a good idea."

Suddenly, a figure materialized in between Naruto and the black-clad ninja. He wore a gray armored vest with a sleeveless shirt underneath. This left his upper arms bare, exposing the small, red tattoo on his left shoulder. He also had arm guards that covered long black gloves with metal hand protectors. Finally, his face was covered in a white mask with red markings that Naruto noticed looked vaguely like a dog. Naruto stood in awe of the figure in front of him, but he also felt much safer. He had been around the Hokage enough to know what Konoha's Anbu looked. He also recognized this particular shinobi, even if he didn't know his name. The gravity-defying silver hair was a dead giveaway.

Without turning around to look at Naruto, the Anbu spoke, "Naruto, why don't you run along and leave this to me? I'll even give you an escort." Kakashi grabbed a kunai out of his pouch and quickly sliced his thumb. He slammed it on the ground, eyes still fixed on the three in front of him. There was a small puff of smoke, and an enormous bulldog with a light blue vest, a spiked collar, and a Konoha headband appeared in front of Naruto. The animal noticed the enemy ninja and growled before taking a step towards them. "Bull, I need you to bring Naruto back to the Village right now and take him straight to the Hokage." Bull barked in agreement and turned to Naruto. He picked Naruto up in his mouth and flipped him onto his back before bounding away.

"Do you really think we'll let him leave?" The lead ninja asked incredulously.

"Yes." The Anbu drawled. "I really do."

While this was going on, Kakashi was busy analyzing his opponents. He didn't know anything about them, but he did know they were after Naruto. He had been tasked with guarding Naruto today, so he had followed him out to this clearing. The Hokage wasn't too keen about Naruto training outside the Village. Still, he was okay with it as long as an Anbu accompanied him. Kakashi had sensed the three unwanted guests right before they walked into the clearing. The only thing Kakashi could discern was that there were two men and one woman based on their physical appearance. He had a suspicion of who they were, but now was not the time to ask questions. It was time to eliminate the threats.

Kakashi's red-eye flashed beneath his mask, noticing that the three shinobi were preparing to go after Naruto. Before they could move, Kakashi flung the kunai he was holding and sped through several hand seals.

"Kage Kunai Jutsu!" Kakashi called before the one kunai he threw turned into 20. The kunai flew towards the three targets, forcing them to jump apart. Two jumped to the right, and one jumped to the left. Kakashi lept towards the sole shinobi. Right before they touched the ground, Kakashi formed a quick half ram seal and channeled earth chakra through the ground to where he saw the shinobi would land. The ground softened, turning into mud, causing the masked man to slip. Kakashi closed in on the off-balance man and delivered a devastating kick to his ribs, knocking him away from his comrades. The man grunted in pain as he was flung across the field. He rolled to a stop, but Kakashi was not done.

Kakashi used a quick shunshin to appear in front of the enemy after they rolled to their feet. Kakashi threw a straight right at the man's unprotected solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. He gasped and leaned forward, allowing Kakashi to spin behind him and connect with a debilitating left elbow to the temple. The man staggered away, clearly stunned. Kakashi sped ahead, intent on finishing the fight. He grabbed another kunai from his pouch and drove it towards the man's head. The man managed a feeble defense, throwing his hands up as the kunai descended. Blood splattered over the grass as the kunai plunged through the ninja's right forearm, causing him to cry out in pain. Kakashi ripped the weapon out and stabbed at the man's heart. However, before he could connect, an earth wall sprung up between him and his opponent. Kakashi narrowed his eyes in annoyance and jumped back to avoid the stone covered fist that obliterated where he was standing.

As Kakashi landed, he assessed the situation. In front of him were two men, the one he'd wounded and the one who tried to crush him with a stone fist. Off to his right, the female hand her hands clasped in the snake seal after creating the earth wall. The one he had fought was severely wounded. Kakashi had rendered his right arm mostly useless after piercing him with the kunai. Kakashi was sure that his kick and punch combo to the chest had fractured at least two ribs, and his elbow to the temple should have given him a severe concussion. Consequently, his threat level had been thoroughly reduced.

He didn't have much more time to think as the man propelled himself at Kakashi, stone fist cocked back. Kakashi swayed to the left, using his Sharingan to predict where the enemy was aiming. The punch narrowly missed Kakashi's head, and he followed it up with a quick snap kick to the lunging man's legs causing him to stumble. Kakashi raised his hand to deliver a chop to the back of the man's neck, but he was forced to duck as a mud bullet sailed over his head. Deciding to deal with the woman first, Kakashi kicked off the man's back and sped towards her. Kakashi raced through six hand seals before ending on the tiger seal. He took a deep breath before rearing back and expelling an enormous fireball at the woman. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!' Kakashi thought as the fireball raced across the ground towards the woman, incinerating the grass.

The woman countered the fireball by slamming her hands on the ground and raising a protective earth wall. The flames smashed against the wall, but the woman kept her hands pressed into the ground, continually pumping chakra through the wall. However, when the fire subsided, she saw a figure dart around the left side of the wall. She hastily rose up to engage him in taijutsu. They exchanged several rapid blows, her enemy dodging all of her attacks. Eventually, she was able to land a solid punch to his chest, stunning him. Suddenly, to her horror, he burst into lightning, electrocuting her.

The real Kakashi emerged at the other side of the wall and flung a lightning-charged kunai. The kunai flew towards the woman, immobilized due to the electricity coursing through her body. The kunai pierced her head, killing her instantly. Her body convulsed once more before she collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around her head.

"MARI!" Kakashi heard from behind him. Whipping around, he saw the wounded man stagger to his feet, glaring murderously at Kakashi. "I'll kill you, you bastard!" He lurched forward, clumsily going through hand seals. He reached down and brushed his left hand along the ground, drawing up a crudely shaped earth sword. He lunged at Kakashi and sloppily slashed at his head. Kakashi could tell the man was clearly hampered by both his injuries and his rage. After several more wild swings, Kakashi delivered a swift strike to the man's wrist, knocking the sword out of his grasp. He followed up with a kick to the side of the knee, knocking the assailant down. He finished with a swift kick to the temple, knocking out the man.

As the man crumbled to the ground, Kakashi snapped his head around the clearing, looking for an attack. However, he only saw his final opponent, the unknown man, staring coldly at him from a distance.

"So... Kakashi Hatake, huh?" Kakashi's eyes briefly widened behind his mask, but the man continued on. "There aren't many people with that style of hair who are good enough to be in Konoha's Anbu, so don't deny it." He paused and gestured around the clearing, notably at the two incapacitated bodies and the direction Naruto fled. "My mission to capture the Jinchuriki may have failed, but I can take solace in my failure, knowing that I killed the bloody Yondaime Hokage's final student. It's not like I have anywhere to go back to now."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, pieces falling together in his head. 'Shit,' he thought. 'Iwa.' He steeled himself for his final opponent, molding his chakra internally, ready to counter whatever was thrown at him.

The man stomped on the ground, raising a wall of stone in front of him. He made five hand seals before punching the wall and calling out, "Earth Style: Rock Shrapnel Jutsu!" (1) The barrier shattered on impact, and, instead of crumbling to the ground, shot jagged shards of rock at Kakashi. The shards closed in on Kakashi and struck him, but, instead of a spray of blood, there was a puff of smoke. A destroyed log fell to the ground, signaling a successful Kawarimi.

Kakashi reappeared several yards to the right of his original location and reached into his pouch and slung six shuriken at the man. The man deflected all of the shuriken with two newly formed stone fists, which he had formed after casting the Earth Style: Rock Shrapnel Jutsu. The shuriken bounced harmlessly off the stone gauntlets, but they allowed Kakashi to close the distance between them. Kakashi engaged the man in a brief taijutsu battle. Kakashi was able to evade each devastating swing of the stone hands, but he could not land a powerful strike of his own. The man was surprisingly quick, even with the massive stone hands. Realizing that he wasn't getting anywhere quick with this exchange, Kakashi changed strategies. He bent to the left to avoid a strong swing, then slapped a quickly procured explosive tag on the stone arm. He lept back, out of the blast radius, and activated the tag.

The seal exploded, and Kakashi waited for the screams of agony or the explosion of blood. Instead, the smoke cleared and the man covered head to toe in stone armor. "Earth Style: Impenetrable Stone Armor," the man mumbled. The exterior of the armor was singed from the explosion, but he was otherwise okay. Kakashi didn't have much more time to analyze the technique before the man launched himself at Kakashi with surprising speed.

Kakashi ducked under a haymaker to the head, then lept over a sweeping kick aimed at his legs. However, in the air, Kakashi realized his mistake when he saw a punch aimed at his chest. Kakashi defensively crossed his arms in front of his chest, but he was still rocketed backward by the strike. Kakashi felt his forearms creek from the blow and knew that they would be heavily bruised. 'Maybe I shouldn't get in taijutsu fight with the guy covered in stone,' he thought ruefully. He backflipped away, avoiding an ax kick, and saw the man make several hand seals and slam his palm on the ground. "Earth Style: Tearing Earth Turning Palm!" (3) The ground rumbled before cracking and turning in on itself. Kakashi's had to channel chakra to his feet to prevent himself from falling. That move almost cost him as the man sped across the upturned ground, one stone gauntlet elongating into a stone sword. Kakashi sped through four hand seals and pointed two fingers on his right hand at his charging enemy. Chakra gathered at the tips of his fingers, crackling with barely restrained energy. The lighting took the form of an arrow before shooting ahead. "Lightning Style: Lightning Arrow!" (4) He called.

The arrow crackled as it raced over the ground. The charging man tried to leap to the side to avoid the bolt, but he was too close and slightly too slow. The arrow tore through his left arm, obliterating the stone armor. He screamed when the jutsu sliced into his arm, opening a large cut. Blood fell freely from the wound, staining the grass red. He glared at Kakashi behind his stone helmet, gripping his bleeding arm. However, Kakashi wasn't done. After firing the Lighting Arrow, he had immediately transitioned into a second Jutsu. "Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!" (5) Lightning ripped across the ground, destroying the ruined earth. The man lept into the air to avoid the Jutsu, but this was precisely what Kakashi had hoped for.

Kakashi threw a lightning charged kunai at the airborne man's head. He jerked his head to the side to avoid the kunai and looked down to see Kakashi move through several hand seals. Kakashi extended his right arm towards the ground and gripped his wrist with his left hand. The sound of birds chirping echoed throughout the clearing as lightning exploded from Kakashi's hand. The man panicked, immediately recognizing the Jutsu. He shifted all of his stone armor to the front of his body as he descended. He knew it was a feeble defense at best, but he hoped that the extra chakra and material would slow down the blow to make it non-fatal. He saw Kakashi tense, ready to leap at him, and the man extended a stone blade from his right arm, intent on striking Kakashi when he attacked.

However, before Kakashi attacked, there was a puff of smoke, and a kunai clattered to the ground. Kakashi suddenly appeared behind the man, replacing himself with the kunai he had thrown earlier. Normally, it would be impossible to perform a Kawarimi while using another Jutsu. Kakashi was anything but normal, though. He wasn't considered a prodigy for nothing. Kakashi plunged the Chidori through the right side of the man's back, easily piercing his armor. The man gave a silent cry as they both plummeted to the ground, leaving a small crater upon their impact. The stone armor fell away as the chakra supplying it ceased, and Kakashi pulled his hand from the body. "That was a little homage to my Sensei," Kakashi whispered, "I may not have his Hiraishin, but I think that move is pretty effective, nonetheless."

Kakashi reached down and ripped the mask off the bleeding shinobi. "Shit," he said aloud. He recognized the body beneath him. This was Ozai Shirui, an A-ranked Jonin from Iwa. He was suspected of having been involved in several assassination attempts. It was the main reason he was an A-ranked shinobi. He was formidable in combat, but he was known as a lethal and effective assassin. It was clear he had been sent to take Naruto because of his infiltration expertise. Kakashi sighed, knowing this would cause trouble. He formed a shadow clone to clean up the mess while he slung the only unconscious body over his shoulder. After the shadow clone had sealed the two corpses into scrolls, Kakashi gave one last look around the clearing before heading to the Hokage's office. He was not looking forward to this debrief at all.

(Meanwhile)

Hiruzen was sitting at his desk, diligently doing his paperwork. He found the monotonous task of the paperwork helped calm his nerves. Ever since Jiraiya had told him about Iwa's scheme, he had been on edge. He almost jumped when he heard the commotion in the hallway in front of the hall. There were some yells of surprise and a pounding of feet, and then his door burst open. Naruto rode into his office on Bull, Kakashi's summon, looking pale and panicked. Hiruzen sprung out of his seat and rushed over to his surrogate grandson. He scooped Naruto up in his arms and placed him on the ground. Holding Naruto's shoulders, Hiruzen did a cursory check of Naruto to make sure he wasn't wounded. He was glad the boy had no visible wounds, but the boy was slightly shaking in his arms.

"What happened, Naruto-kun?" Hiruzen asked calmly, trying to not scare the boy any further.

"I was training in the forest... and, and... some guys or ninjas or people dressed in black jumped out of the trees. They were all around me, and I didn't know what to do. I started backing up. I was so scared, Jiji! They... They... They tried to take me! They said some stuff, but I wasn't listening. I'm pretty sure they told me to come with them, or they'd hurt me! But... But then some guy or Anbu or someone with silver hair jumped in front of me. He started talking to the guys and and and then told me to run. He summoned this giant dog who grabbed me, then we ran away! We came here right away," Naruto stammered.

Hiruzen had a little trouble deciphering the distraught boy's words, but he got the gist. Some people had tried to kidnap Naruto, and Kakashi had stepped in. He got a sinking feeling in his stomach and suspected who was behind this. The Hokage soothingly rubbed Naruto's back as he discretely bit his thumb and placed it on the ground. There was a small puff of smoke, and a miniature monkey arrived. "Go get Jiraiya right now. Tell him it is an emergency, and he needs to come immediately," Hiruzen whispered, trying not to disturb Naruto.

After the monkey disappeared, Hiruzen turned to the wide-eyed Naruto. He gently picked up Naruto and placed him on the couch in front of his desk. He then slowly removed his Hokage's robes and draped them over Naruto's shoulders. Hiruzen sat down next to Naruto and wrapped him in a one-armed hug. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I am here now. No one will harm you now." Simultaneously, with his free hand, the Hokage was signing to his Anbu to support Kakashi immediately and see if there were any other Iwa shinobi in the area. The hidden Anbu in the office blurred away after their leader finished.

Soon after the Anbu had left, there was a puff of smoke in the office, and an irritated Jiraiya appeared. "What do you want, Sensei? I was doing my research..." Jiraiya trailed off at the end when he saw a shaking Naruto, shrouded in the Hokage's robes sitting on the couch. Jiraiya immediately sobered and looked at Hiruzen. "What happened?" He asked coldly.

"Maybe I can help explain," a voice sounded from the window. The room's three occupants turned to see who the new arrival was. They immediately relaxed when they saw a familiar shock of silver hair. A slightly bloody Kakashi slipped into the room and unceremoniously dropped the unconscious shinobi on the floor.

"Anbu-san! You're okay!" Naruto cried, elated that his protector was okay. Kakashi inclined his mask in Naruto's direction. "Yes, I am Naruto-kun. No need to worry about me," he reassured. "I grabbed your jacket, by the way," he said before tossing an orange jacket at Naruto.

Naruto snatched the jacket out of the air and clutched jacket to his chest. He then fumbled with the pockets before grabbing a piece of paper. He quickly channeled chakra through the seal, and a familiar toad appeared in his lap. Gamaken took in his surroundings and saw that his best friend was clearly distraught. "What's wrong, Naruto-san? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Naruto nodded, seemingly unable to speak at the moment. Gamaken sensed this and jumped atop Naruto's head. He knew this was Naruto's favorite spot for him to sit, so he knew that this would comfort him. He felt Naruto slightly relax after he felt the familiar presence on his head.

Kakashi looked at the Hokage and spoke, "I'd be happy to debrief, but I think it would be best if we kept this on a need-to-know basis." He gave a pointed look at Naruto, and Hiruzen got the hint. Hiruzen turned to Naruto and gently squeezed his shoulder to get his attention. "Naruto-kun, why don't you stay at my house tonight? You can sleep in the guest room next to mine." Naruto nodded, relieved that he would be close to his Jiji. Hiruzen formed a shadow clone to escort Naruto and Gamaken to his home. They departed, the long Hokage's robes trailing behind Naruto.

After the door shut behind the departing trio, Hiruzen rose from the couch and moved to sit behind his desk. He sank into the chair and wearily sighed, rubbing his face. Hiruzen steeled himself and turned to look at Kakashi. "Explain."

Kakashi nodded and removed his mask. He gave a full retelling of the events from his arrival to the final combatant's identity. "In my opinion, Hokage-sama, it's clear that Iwa was trying to abduct Naruto. Fortunately, I don't think they know he is Minato-sensei's son. Unfortunately, they know he is the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi," Kakashi finished.

"Well, I guess we know what Iwa was planning," Jiraiya commented dryly, earning a glare from Hiruzen.

"Damn it all," Hiruzen said, pounding the table. "I should've known that old bastard would've done something like this. He's clearly preparing for something big. It's the only reason he would try and seize another Jinchuriki."

"Hopefully, this guy," Kakashi kicked the unconscious man on the ground, eliciting a groan of pain, "Will be able to provide some information."

Hiruzen grunted in agreement. "I'll have him taken to Ibiki or Inoichi immediately, along with the two corpses. The two of them will be able to gather something useful between these three. I'll create a plan of action after I have more information."

"Sounds good to me," Jiraiya supplied, "But we need to figure out what to do with Naruto." He paused before continuing, "You saw how shook the kid was. This clearly rattled him. We need to do something for him. We can't leave him alone right now."

"I agree. I don't know if Naruto caught that they called him a Jinchuriki, but I hope not," Kakashi added.

"You are both right. From now on, Naruto is prohibited from leaving the Village. I will increase the watch kept on him, and I will assign a new bodyguard for Naruto that will have a more visible presence. He or she will accompany him around the Village and develop a bond with him. I have some candidates in mind, but I would be happy to take suggestions."

Kakashi braced himself and stepped forward. He took a deep breath and spoke, "I will do it, Hokage-sama." Hiruzen smiled at him, but Kakashi continued on. "It is time I conquered my demons. I cannot live in the past anymore and let my fears control me. Let me watch over Naruto, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen smiled, nodding proudly at the young Anbu captain. He had hoped that Kakashi would volunteer himself. He didn't want to have to force the boy to watch over Naruto, but he was clearly the best choice. He was one of the strongest ninja in Konoha, and he was one of the few who genuinely cared for Naruto. He saw him as more than just a Jinchuriki. "Very well. Kakashi, you will watch over Naruto the majority of the time. Effective immediately, you are removed from the Anbu Corps. To truly watch over Naruto, you will need to leave your mask behind. However, you will still be expected to conduct missions. This was a brazen attack on our borders, and we will need one of our most recognizable shinobi out in the field."

Kakashi nodded, resigned to leaving Anbu. He enjoyed being in the Corps. He cherished his comrades and was proud of the work he did to protect his Village. Now, though, he needed to build a new bond he would cherish and protect a person he had been ignoring for too long.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but we need to do more. The kid will be protected, but it won't be long before he's put in danger again. It's our worst kept secret that Naruto is a Jinchuriki, but it's still concerning to realize that Iwa knows. He needs to be trained to defend himself, should he need to. I'd teach him myself, but I can't stay in the Village for much longer. I need to head out and see if this Iwa incident is an isolated event or the start of something bigger."

"I can also train him while I'm watching him," Kakashi chimed in.

"Okay," Jiraiya continued, acknowledging Kakashi's comment. "Let's both think about what we want to teach the kid tonight, then meet back here at 10 AM tomorrow. We can go over our plan, then head over to Naruto's place and talk to him. Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me," Kakashi replied with an eye smile.

"Very well then," Hiruzen cut in. "We can regroup tomorrow to discuss our plan's for Naruto's future. For now, though, let us focus on the pressing issue of Iwa. Kakashi, take this prisoner to T&I. Jiraiya, you and I will discuss possible plans for the future. Dismissed."

Kakashi retrieved the unconscious body and bowed before leaving in a shunshin. Jiraiya then walked over to the couch in front of the Hokage's desk, and they began discussing what to do with Iwa.

(The Next Day)

After Naruto returned from his night at his Jiji's house, he had immediately summoned Gamaken and Gamarisu. He wanted as much company as he could get. Haruki was relieved to see her friend because she had been worried after he didn't return home the night before. Tabi was also there, lounging in the sunlight that streamed through the window in Naruto's kitchen. Naruto walked over to Tabi and carefully picked her up before walking over to the couch. The cat gave a surprised cry at being woken up, but she allowed herself to be carried by Naruto. Naruto settled on the couch, and Tabi nestled herself into Naruto's lap and resumed her slumber.

Haruki walked over to Naruto, excited that he was home. However, she could see that something was wrong. Naruto was staring into space and was clearly not in the mood to play. Sensing her friend's inner turmoil, she curled up by his feet to give him some comfort. Gamaken and Gamarisu also sensed Naruto was in a strange mood, so they did not bother him. Gamaken hopped on top of Naruto's head and relaxed, while Gamarisu perched atop Haruki.

Even though Naruto was surrounded by his companions and in his apartment, his mind was miles away. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday. He had been shaking for hours afterward and was very restless. However, the Hokage and Jiraiya had both assumed it was because he was scared of the people who tried to take him. That was only partly true.

Naruto had been afraid, but he was also angry. Angry at himself. He was shaking because he felt so helpless in that clearing, surrounded by unknown people. He knew that if that Anbu hadn't shown up, he would've been defenseless against them. He could've tried to fight them with Gamaken, but he knew they would have easily beaten him. He could've tried to run, but he knew they would have easily caught him. He was angry at himself for being so weak. He trained a lot, but it didn't matter in that situation. He realized he didn't know how to defend himself.

Naruto ground his teeth in frustration. He had a feeling he wasn't going to get much help in the Academy. His sensei, Hamada, had made his feelings toward Naruto very clear on the first day. He would have to increase his own training. He tightly clenched his fists and resolved to never feel that helpless again. He would train harder than he ever had before. He would work himself to exhaustion every night, then he would get back up and do it again the next day.

Naruto jumped at the knock on the front door, startled out of his thoughts. 'Damn it. I've got to relax. I can't be this jumpy.' He gently moved Tabi to the other side of the couch and walked to answer the door. He opened the door and saw Jiraiya and a silver-haired man with a mask covering half his face. Naruto thought he recognized that hair and sniffed the air to see if he remembered his scent. His eyes lit up in recognition when he realized who this person was.

"You're that Anbu from yesterday!" Naruto yelled, pointing at the man. The unmasked Anbu rubbed the back of his head and gave Naruto an eye smile, which Naruto thought was weird. He curiously eyed the toad atop Naruto's head but mentally shrugged and answered the blonde instead.

"Yup! That was me."

"Naruto, I'd like you to meet Kakashi," Jiraiya introduced. "He's been in Anbu for many years, and, as you guessed, he was the one who saved you yesterday." He saw Naruto suppress a frown and filed it away for later. "May we come in?"

"Oh... Yes! Of course! My bad!" Naruto said sheepishly. He moved to the side and waved them in.

Jiraiya and Kakashi walked into Naruto's apartment and took a seat near the dining room table. After Jiraiya and Hiruzen's first visit to his apartment, Naruto had bought two more chairs for his guests. Kakashi looked around the room and recognized all of the animals. He had been watching over Naruto enough to know about his constant companions.

"So, what brings you guys here?" Naruto tentatively asked.

"Well... We came to talk about what happened yesterday." Jiraiya saw that same dark emotion flash across Naruto's eyes before quickly being suppressed. He went to continue, but Naruto cut him off.

"Do you know who they were? Why did they try to take me?"

Jiraiya exchanged a wary glance with Kakashi before answering Naruto's questions. "We do, but you don't need to know right now. The Hokage wants to keep this very close to the chest right now. It's complicated. I promise I will tell you in the future, but, for now, trust me about this. I also promise you that this will not happen again and that we will protect you."

Naruto scrunched up his face, wondering why he couldn't know who those people were. 'They must have been really important, or maybe it is some classified ninja stuff. I want to know, but Jiji and Jiraiya have never lied to me before. He did say that he would tell me eventually, and I can wait to find out who they are. All I need to focus on getting is stronger right now.'

Naruto reluctantly nodded Jiraiya, accepting his words. Jiraiya smiled at the boy and continued. "Kakashi and I both want to help you learn to defend yourself. We're going to train you, Naruto." Jiraiya saw the boy beam in response, clearly excited to start serious training. "As you know, I can't be in the Village very often because of my work, so Kakashi will be taking the lead on your training. Nevertheless, I will be here for about another week, so I can get you started on what I want you to learn.

"I'm going to start teaching you a taijutsu style, Naruto. Most of your classmates who are members of clans have already begun to learn their family's style, and I won't let you be left behind. The style I want you to practice is called "Whirlwind Style." It's a style that prioritizes speed and overwhelming your opponent with rapid blows. The style's power comes from the speed at which the user strikes."

Naruto gave him a confused look. "How is that different from just regular strength?"

"Think of it like this," Jiraiya explained, "Have you ever been hit by a ball?"

Naruto nodded.

"Which hurt more: a slow-moving ball or a fast-moving ball?"

"The fast one."

"Exactly. The faster moving object hurt more. This style generates power from moving the punches and kicks moving as fast as possible. These blows won't shatter any bones, but they will still hurt. This style is perfect for you right now. You are already very fast for your age, and you are too small and young to have any real strength in your body. Therefore, we're going to highlight your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Sound good?"

"Yup!"

"Great. Even though I don't use this style myself, I know it very well. My own student developed it," Jiraiya boasted.

"The Yondaime used this style?!" Naruto yelled, standing up from his chair in excitement.

"Oh yeah. He was a master at it. I think you can use it well, too. You actually have a pretty similar body type," he said, trying hard to suppress a smirk. Kakashi snorted beside him, happy that his mask covered up his smile.

"Yatta! That's amazing!"

Kakashi leaned forward to get Naruto's attention and started talking. "For me, I am going to teach you some Jutsu." Kakashi held up a hand, preemptively silencing Naruto's outburst. "But not yet. Right now, we need to work on your chakra control. You've never had any training in controlling your chakra, so we need to tackle that before moving on to Jutsu. We're going to start with the leaf-sticking exercise and then move on to tree walking when you complete it."

Naruto groaned, already knowing this "chakra control" stuff was going to be really boring. 'I just want to learn how to shoot fireballs and lightning. Is that too much to ask?'

Jiraiya clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's attention. "Well, it's a beautiful day outside and getting near lunchtime. Let's go get some food and take it to training ground 4, our designated training ground, and have a picnic. Everyone is invited," he said, gesturing to the toads and pets.

"Sounds great to me! Let's go, dattebayo!" Naruto shot up from his chair and grabbed Jiraiya and Kakashi's arms and dragged them out the door.

(4 months later)

Four months after his failed abduction, Naruto sat in his classroom at the Academy. However, today was different from every other day he had been here. This was the first class in a week, and there was a somber atmosphere over the entire classroom.

A week ago, Uchiha Itachi had murdered his entire clan in one night. The heinous act sent shockwaves through the Village. It was mind-boggling to think that one of the Village's most powerful clans had been wiped out by one person. The fear that Itachi could come back paralyzed the Village. Families kept their kids home. Businesses closed. The Academy stopped teaching. The only activity was the constant presence of shinobi, running across rooftops policing the Village.

Still, no matter how much the Village wanted to mourn, it had to resume functioning. Konoha tried its best to hide the deep wound it had suffered behind a facade of normalcy.

This is why Naruto found himself in the Academy a week after the tragedy. He remembered when his Jiji had told him what happened. He couldn't believe it. How could someone kill their whole family? Also, how powerful was Itachi that he could do that? Naruto was determined, though, to try and help Sasuke. 'I know what it's like to be alone. I'm not going to let him suffer through this by himself. I'm sure he'll be happy to have a friend now,' he thought to himself.

The door swung open, and the scattered quiet whispering immediately ceased. A disheveled looking Sasuke walked into the classroom. He had dark bags under his eyes, his messy hair stuck up at odd angles, his clothes were wrinkled, and a scowl was plastered on his face. Hamada reached out to give a reassuring pat on Sasuke's shoulder, but Sasuke brushed by him. The supportive words Hamada had planned to say died on his tongue as he watched the lone Uchiha trudge to his seat.

Some students tried to come up to talk to Sasuke as Hamada prepared himself for class, but Sasuke ignored them all. Most took the silence as a sign to leave, but some particularly persistent girls ignored the warning. Eventually, Sasuke snapped and glared at the girls, startling them and scurrying them back to their seats.

'Maybe now isn't the best time to talk to him. I'll try at lunch,' Naruto concluded.

(Line break)

Lunchtime came, and Naruto was busy hunting for Sasuke. Naruto told his friends that he had something he wanted to take care of, and he would talk to them later. He spent the whole lunch period searching for Sasuke but to no avail. No matter where he looked, he could not find the elusive Uchiha. Realizing he would have to wait until after school to find him, Naruto shoveled his lunch into his mouth and returned to his seat.

(Line Break)

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Sasuke bolted from the classroom. Naruto tried to catch up to him, but it was in vain. He sighed and contemplated going home and trying tomorrow. 'No. I said I would do this today. It's not like he will be any different tomorrow. I've got to try and help him,' he thought determinedly. Naruto set off, looking around the Village to try and find Sasuke.

After several hours of searching, Naruto found Sasuke. He was sitting by himself by the side of a river, feet dangling over the water. Naruto smiled, happy he had found him and walked up to the boy.

"Um, hey there, Sasuke! I'm Naruto. We've never really talked before, but we're in the same Academy class." Sasuke didn't acknowledge Naruto's presence, but Naruto continued on regardless. "Anyway, I'm really sorry about what happened to your family." Naruto grimaced when he saw Sasuke's shoulders tense. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. He took a deep breath, deciding it was too late to turn back now. "I know what it's like to be alone, and I want to be your friend. No one deserves to be alone, Sasuke."

Silence

"Hello? Earth to Sasuke? Can you hear me?"

Silence

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said earlier, that may not have been the best thing to say, but I'm just trying to help."

"Shut up!" Sasuke rounded on Naruto, fury burning in his eyes. "I didn't ask for your or anyone's help! Just leave me alone! I don't want or need a friend. All I need is justice." With that, he stood up and stalked away, angrily bumping Naruto as he walked by.

Naruto stared incredulously at Sasuke's retreating form. He couldn't believe what just happened. 'All I wanted to do was help! That jerk! That... that... that asshole!' Naruto scowled and walked away in the opposite direction of Sasuke.

(One week later)

Naruto sat in his apartment, staring down at his table. He was idly flipping a shuriken around in his hand while thinking about the conversation he had earlier that day.

Flashback

The sound of fists colliding with wood rang out across training ground 4. Naruto was training with Kakashi for the first time in two weeks. The Hokage had explained to Naruto that Kakashi was out on a critical mission and would be out of the Village for an extended period. It just so happened that Kakashi left the day after the Uchiha Massacre happened and returned after Itachi was officially labeled a Missing Nin. Naruto was no genius, but he was able to connect those dots that Kakashi went after Itachi.

THUD

THUD

THUD

CRACK "GAH!"

Naruto recoiled, grabbing his now bloody hand. He had punched the training post too hard and split open his knuckles.

"Are you alright, Naruto? You seem distracted today?" Kakashi calmly asked.

"I'm fine," Naruto dismissed.

"Don't lie to me."

"... Fine. It's stupid Sasuke-teme. He's such a jerk. There are so many people trying to be kind to him and be his friend, and he keeps rejecting them all! Every day, girls just throw themselves at him, fawning over his good looks and mysteriousness. And, every day, he harshly rejects them, telling them to go away. Adults try and talk to him and offer him gifts, and he brushes them off. He's got all this attention and people caring about him, but he treats them all like dirt!" Naruto yelled. He looked down, clenching his fists. He continued, more quietly this time, "I know he's alone now, and I know he's hurting. But, he's throwing away everything I've ever wanted. I know what it's like to be alone and try to befriend him, but he ignores me every time. I know his pain, but he won't let me help."

Kakashi stared down at him, considering Naruto's words. He then gave Naruto an eye smile and said, "That's true. You do know what's it like to be alone." Naruto smiled, happy that Kakashi was taking his side. "But, you don't know what it's like to lose everything."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, not expecting that response. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kakashi cut him off. "You do know what it's like to have nothing, but you don't know what it's like to have everything taken from you. I'm not trying to be insensitive, Naruto, but you never had anything to begin with. I know about your early life, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you more. I understand that the Sandaime was the only person you had for a long time, and you clung to him like a lifeline. Now, though, you have a lot of people. You have the Hokage, Jiraiya, me, your pets, the toads, and your friends at school.

"Sasuke grew up in a clan, surrounded by family. He had a brother that loved him, cousins to play with, and a mother who doted over him. He knew what it was like to feel love. Then, one night, he returns home to see the brother he looked up to had slaughtered his entire family. He had everything stolen from him in one night by the person he loved the most."

Naruto was shocked. He had never thought about it like this. Kakashi sat down on the grass and beckoned Naruto over to him. "Here, let me take care of that cut." Naruto walked over to Kakashi and sat down next to him while he wrapped his hand.

"You know," Kakashi abruptly said, interrupting the silence, "I was one of the first ones to arrive at the Uchiha compound that night. When I got there, I saw bodies strewn about, the streets overflowing with blood. I saw entire families massacred in their living rooms. And, amid all of this devastation, I found one boy, kneeling in the middle of the street. He was covered in blood, his white shorts stained red. I ran up to him to see if he was alive. When I got to him, he looked at me with wild bloodshot eyes then collapsed in my arms. That boy was Sasuke."

Kakashi stood up, finished with the bandage. "Training is over for today. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun. Think about what I said." With that, he left in a shunshin.

End Flashback

Naruto kept replaying that conversation in his mind. He had been so jealous of the attention that Sasuke was getting that he never thought about what Sasuke was feeling. He was trying to look at the situation through his own eyes and not Sasuke's.

Naruto was interrupted from his musings by a mewl to his right. Naruto looked and softly smiled at the two newest additions to his family. 3 months ago, Tabi had given birth to two kittens. One was a completely black cat with a white diamond on his head, while the other was completely white with a black diamond on her head. They had just been weaned from their mother, and Naruto was deciding what to do with them. Even though he loved Tabi and cats, he didn't think he could take care of two new kittens. As he stared down at the kittens, he was struck by an idea. He bolted out of his chair and raced out the door, intent on enacting his plan.

(Line Break)

Sasuke walked around the Uchiha compound in a daze. People kept telling him he should leave this place and get away from the death, but he refused. If he left his home, he'd be leaving behind his family. Sometimes it was tempting, though. Even though the streets had been cleaned and the shops fixed, he couldn't shake the memories that flashed through his mind.

Sasuke passed by a candy shop he had frequented as a kid. Sasuke tried to recall the fond memories he had there, but all he could see was the body of the owner lying in front of his store. He passed by one of his cousin's house and tried to remember the times he went to dinner there. All he could remember was the sight of his uncle's broken body hanging out of the window, blood steadily dripping on the ground.

It was like this everywhere he went. Everyone he saw reminded him of his family and friends. Every adult who came up to him with pathetic apologies was replaced with a family member's body. Every girl that came up to him was replaced with his cousin's body, her eyeball dangling from her skull.

The worst, though, was that stupid blonde Naruto. He came up to him and tried to be his friend, smiling like everything was fine. Didn't he know that everyone he loved died?! If he got close to someone again, Itachi would just come back and kill them. And how dare he act like Sasuke should just smile and be okay with what happened. He said he knew what it was like to be alone. Bullshit. He didn't know anything. He didn't know what it was like to walk through an empty compound.

Sasuke's internal rant was cut off when he arrived at his house and saw a small cardboard box. Sasuke warily walked up to it, unsure what it was. When he got there, he saw two kittens asleep in a box with a note taped to the side. Sasuke picked up the note and read it aloud.

No one deserves to be alone.

Take care of them.

-Naruto

Sasuke re-read the note and looked down at the box. He was about to throw it away and ignore the box when one of the kittens yawned and woke up. A white kitten looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes and jumped out of the box. It walked over to him and rubbed itself against his leg. Sasuke froze, unused to the feeling. The cat looked up at him with pleading eyes and started to claw at his legs. Sasuke gingerly reached down and picked up the kitten. The kitten, which Sasuke realized was a girl, purred in his grasp and rested her head on his shoulder. Sasuke gaped at the cat, suddenly unsure what to do.

After standing frozen for several minutes, Sasuke eventually put the kitten back in the box with her brother, picked it up, and walked inside. As the door closed, Sasuke was unaware that his wounded heart was starting to heal.

Jutsu List

(1) Earth Style: Rock Shrapnel Jutsu- B rank, Offensive- The user forms a rock wall in front of them. They then punch the wall, channeling chakra through the punch, causing the wall to explode outward. Depending on how skilled the user is at the technique, the results vary. For an inexperienced user, the rock shards will randomly scatter throughout the area. For a more adept user, the shards can be focused on one specific target. The more skilled the user is and the more chakra the pump into the Jutsu, the faster the shards will be.

(2) Earth Style: Impenetrable Stone Armor - A rank, Defensive- A derivative of the Stone Fist Jutsu, the user encases their body in stone armor. The user feeds chakra into the stone gauntlets, causing them to spread around their body. Depending on how adept the user is, the harder the armor will be.

(3) Earth Style: Tearing Earth Turning Palm - C rank, Offensive- By placing the palm of their hand on the ground, the user breaks up and shifts the local earth. The better the user's chakra control, the greater the amount of earth that will be broken up. Despite its relative simplicity, this technique is effective enough to remain a viable option in combat [Directly from the Wiki]

(4) Lighting Style: Lightning Arrow - C rank, Offensive- The user gathers lightning chakra around the tips of their fingers. The user then fires the bolt at his or her target at high speed. The Jutsu has significant piercing power, able to breach most defenses. It is a C ranked Jutsu only because of the rather simple elemental manipulation.

(5) Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder- C rank, Offensive- A basic Lightning Release technique that allows the user to create a wave of electricity from their hands. The user can vary its power from a small surge to shock an opponent to a powerful stream of lightning capable of ripping through solid rock. [Directly from the Wiki]