Everyone stared at Sasuke as tears rolled down his face. His family was shocked to see him here. Fugaku purposely called this meeting on a day they could ensure Sasuke wouldn't stumble upon them, yet here he was.

Sasuke stepped towards the middle of the room, facing his family. He didn't have a plan. All he wanted was to put a stop to this before anyone got hurt. A war against all of Konoha couldn't last, especially if they were to bring in any allies to quell the uprising. They couldn't possibly win, all of Konoha would be against them. They can't fight the whole village.

"You can't go through with this!" Sasuke yelled.

"You know nothing. You are too young to understand the Uchiha history and what we need to do," Fugaku said.

"I know that this will cause people on both sides to end up dead. A lot of people dead."

Itachi observed Sasuke. He was about to voice his objections to the uprising as well, but Sasuke beat him to it. Sasuke stood his ground against their father. He decided to watch before taking Sasuke's side.

"You've been excelling in your classes. I'm sure you've heard of rule number four: A shinobi must always put the mission first," Fugaku said. "Your mission, as a member of the Uchiha clan, is to either aid the uprising or do nothing."

"Will you really kill hundreds of people? For what reason? What is worth killing the Sandaime and other people in the village? Isn't Konoha our home?" Sasuke asked.

"The Uchiha name carried great honor since the village's creation as Uchiha Madara co-founded Konoha. We should've been revered just like the Senju clan, but in the end, they treated us as if we were inferior to them. Then eight years ago, the Kyuubi attacked, and the elders suspected we were behind the attack. Then they exiled us away from the main village. Do you still think we don't have a just cause?"

Sasuke stood in silence for a moment, absorbing the information he just received. Konoha purposely placed them far away from the main village? Konoha distrusted the Uchiha? He couldn't believe that. After all, everyone at school knew the Uchiha Clan's greatness. Nobody ever talked badly about them. They expected the best from him because he's an Uchiha. He couldn't understand what his father was saying.

How could they attack their own home? It didn't make any sense to him. Sasuke opened his mouth to protest some more when Itachi stood up and walked towards Sasuke. He put a hand on his shoulder, and Sasuke looked up at him.

"Sasuke's right, Father," Itachi said. "Konoha is our home, and killing hundreds of villagers, fellow Konoha citizens, will bring nothing but a civil war. We should strive for peace and an agreement between our clan and the elders."

Everyone's attention shifted to Fugaku. Fugaku closed his eyes, listening to his sons' concerns. Sasuke wondered if their words were able to change his father's heart. The Uchiha clan would follow their father's decision. If they couldn't convince him, there was no stopping the revolt that would befall Konoha. So many people would die on both sides. What would happen to him? To Sakura?

All Sasuke could think about was the destruction that would ensue if they went through with these plans. His father always encouraged both of them to excel. Was this why? So they'd assist in Konoha's destruction?

What did his mother have to think about this? She's always been so caring and warm. There's no way she could be in support of so much violence. Could she? He looked at her and wondered what was going through her mind. There were so many things he didn't know. Did he know his parents at all?

Fugaku cleared his throat, ending Sasuke's train of thought.

"It seems we will have to continue this meeting for another time. Everyone is dismissed," Fugaku said.

Everyone cleared out the room, leaving Itachi, Sasuke, Fugaku, and Mikoto. Ten minutes passed, then another ten. Not a single word uttered, and tension filled the room. Fugaku took one last look at his sons before walking out without a word. Mikoto approached her sons and touched their faces. Sasuke lifted his head and tried to find something written on her face. Something that could make sense of what had just conspired in this room. Her expression softened before following her husband out of the room.

Itachi started walking out of the room, leaving Sasuke behind. He didn't know how to process the last half hour. He learned so much, and yet he felt like he knew nothing at all.

Sasuke finally started walking out. He walked down the hall, up the stairs, and closed the hidden mat behind him. As he walked out of Nakano Shrine, he saw Itachi waiting for him. His brother believed the same way he did. Right now, that was enough for him, because if anyone could convince Father it was Itachi.

"Sasuke," Itachi said. "There's some more I need to talk to you about."

Sasuke nodded and followed him to their usual training area in the forest. Neither said a word for what felt like forever. So many thoughts ran through Sasuke's head, and Itachi's silence was killing him. He wanted, no needed an explanation.

"Nii-san! Tell me what's going on! This can't be true, right? The Uchiha clan is exiled? We're going to kill the Hokage and the elders?"

"It's all true, Sasuke."

"I don't understand! Why?"

"It all started about eight years ago when the Kyuubi attacked the village. You know the story of how the Yondaime saved the village and sacrificed his life, but what you don't know is that his wife, Uzumaki Kushina, was the host for the Kyuubi. She and mother were best friends."

"Uzumaki...?"

"The day their son was born was the day they both died. The elders believed that an Uchiha controlled the Kyuubi and led the attack on the village that day because only a Mangekyou Sharingan can control a tailed beast. The Yondaime, with no other choice, sacrificed his own life and put the Nine-Tails into his son that very day. If his father had lived, he would've lived a life as the son of the Hokage, and not outcast by the village."

"Wait, are you talking about-"

"Yes, Uzumaki Naruto. Your classmate. If the Kyuubi attack hadn't happened, if they hadn't died. You two would've grown up together, maybe even be best friends."

Sasuke couldn't believe it. Not only was Naruto the class clown, and least likely to become a shinobi, he was the son of the Yondaime and had the Kyuubi inside of him? What else did he not know? What else did his parents, his brother, and the whole clan, keep from him?

He felt like he didn't know anything anymore. Sasuke grew quiet, not knowing how to react to all this information, but one thing was certain. He couldn't let the coup continue.

"We can't let Father continue with the coup!"

"We won't. I promise, Sasuke."

Sasuke couldn't get any sleep for the rest of the night. He stared at the ceiling in his room. As the sun shined into his room, he got ready for school and left without saying a single word to anyone. He couldn't face his father nor his mother. He needed more time. He walked to the Academy and opened the door. Naruto was already sitting in the classroom.

For someone who always goofed off and was at the bottom of the class, he was here surprisingly early. They glanced at each other for a moment before Naruto turned his head. He leaned his head on the desk and stared at the blank chalkboard. Sasuke hesitated for a moment before sitting next to him. Naruto looked up at him and then took a glance around the classroom, just in case people had suddenly filled all the seats in the last five seconds.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Do you not want me to sit here?"

Naruto paused for a moment, "You can sit here. If you want."

Sasuke nodded and they sat in silence. Naruto kept glancing at Sasuke wondering why he was sitting next to him. Most of the other kids avoided him, aside from Shikamaru, Chōji, and Kiba. But not once, did he ever expect Sasuke to voluntarily sit next to him, in an empty room.

Some time passed before the door slid open, and Sakura walked into the room. She took one look at Sasuke and Naruto and tilted her head. She walked over and took the seat next to Sasuke.

"So, you guys are really early today."

"I got up early."

Sakura glanced at Naruto. "And you?"

"You're talking to me?"

"Well, yeah. I said 'you guys' didn't I?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess you did. I just always get here early. Sometimes Iruka-sensei will be here early and he'll treat me to some ramen."

"For breakfast?"

"Of course! Ramen should be eaten at every meal! It's so healthy! It's got meat and vegetables!"

"I don't think that's right..."

One by one, kids started to pour into the classroom. When they registered the sight in front of them, they stopped and whispered to each other. It was one thing when Uchiha Sasuke befriended Haruno Sakura, but Uzumaki Naruto? Something strange was definitely going on.

"Wait, you said Iruka-sensei treats you to ramen in the morning. Does this mean you haven't eaten yet?"

"Heh, I guess I haven't."

Sakura rummaged through her bag and pulled out an apple from her lunchbox and handed it to Naruto. He looked at it and then at her. She shook her hand, signaling him to grab it. He did as he was told and took it.

"Now this is healthy."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Naruto bit into it.

Whispers filled the classroom, and while Sakura was oblivious to the fact that it was about them, Naruto and Sasuke could tell. Naruto started to wonder if maybe the two regretted sitting next to him. The other kids tended to stay away from him.

Iruka walked in and the whispers died down. Iruka glanced over at the three and couldn't help but smile while observing the three of them chat. It looked like Naruto was making new friends.

Iruka cleared his voice and greeted his class. He started the lecture about the different types of shinobi such as trackers, healers, and sensory types. Sakura scribbled away, taking notes while Naruto nodded along as if he already knew everything. Sasuke propped his arm on the table and rested his chin on his hand.

Sasuke tried to concentrate but all he could think about were last night's events. All the information he received overwhelmed him. Naruto is the Yondaime's son. He has the Kyuubi inside him. They were supposed to grow up together and be best friends. Was he supposed to tell him? Or did Naruto know already? It didn't seem like he knew. If Naruto knew, if the villagers knew, he was the Yondaime's son would they still treat him the same? He wondered what he was supposed to do. What was going to happen if he and Itachi couldn't convince their father to disband the coup? To Sakura and everybody else in Konoha?

"See you Sasuke-kun! Naruto!"

"Bye Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke glanced up. It was time for Sakura to go to her kunoichi class with the rest of their female classmates. Sakura hooked her arm around Ino's as they walked out the door. The boys got up and walked outside to the training grounds to practice their shuriken, as well as one-on-one sparring.

Ino and Sakura sat on the field as their sensei began explaining how the amount and types of herbs change the medicine's effectiveness. Even if one isn't a medic-nin, it's useful to prepare medicine for missions. Once they received their assignment for the class, Ino and Sakura found a spot to scour for herbs and other ingredients.

Sakura examined the plants carefully, making sure she was collecting the right ones. Ino observed Sakura picking out her herbs. It seemed like it wasn't that long ago when she didn't know which flowers complemented which, and now she could pick out herbs easily.

She wasn't at all the Sakura she met just a few months ago. This Sakura exuded confidence. She's happier and cheerful.

"Hey, Ino-chan?"

Ino turned her head to look at her.

"Do you think I'd look good with long hair?"

"You're thinking about growing it out?"

"Itachi-san told me Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair," Sakura giggled.

Ino blinked at the information. She subconsciously reached up to her short bob. Was that true? Then should she grow out her hair?

"So what do you think Ino-chan?"

"Yeah, if that's what you want. Don't do it because Sasuke-kun likes it."

"I guess you're right, Ino-chan."

Sakura picked some more herbs while she contemplated whether she should or not. She never thought about growing her hair out before, but she always thought long hair looked so pretty. Especially the way it flows in the wind, and how soft and luxurious it looks.

"Does that mean you like Sasuke-kun too?" Ino asked.

Sakura turned, looking at Ino with wide eyes. She liked Sasuke too? It felt like an eternity as Ino and Sakura stared at each other as the realization washed over them: they both have a crush on Sasuke.

The boys threw shuriken at the wooden posts. Sasuke's were dead on, while Naruto's were off. Even Shikamaru and Chōji's marks weren't far off from the center. Naruto pulled his arm back and right before he released it, Sasuke tapped on his shoulder.

"Don't just throw it, make sure to center it in your line of vision first, then throw it precise and hard."

"You're being weird today."

"Just listen to me and do it."

Naruto contemplated for a moment before doing what Sasuke suggested. He found the center, then flicked it as hard as he could, watching the shuriken fly from his hand to the center of the post. It was his first time hitting the center.

Naruto grinned at Sasuke, giving him a thumbs up. Sasuke smiled back and went back to practicing shurikens at his own post.

Sasuke knew he and Itachi were going to be able to convince their father not to go through with the coup. It wouldn't help anyone but bring destruction. He knew they could help their father see that before it was too late.

A/N: Wow, this is so late but I finally got it all out. We're three chapters away from the end I have planned, and then the sequel (or you can consider this more of a prequel series) will be out!