The Two Brothers' Tale
Told from Naruto's point of view as a first person narrator

Chapter 2
A child's desire

When I reached the bottom of the page, I couldn't help but staring upon it. I was shocked.
Never before had I read a book which shook me in such a way. It seemed to answer all the questions about my past and arouse
new ones about my future at the same time.

I couldn't force my hands to shut the book. My eyes were wide open and sentences which I normally forgot a few seconds later echoed in my head. Although I had read it only once and for the first time, I could quote them literally, like they had been burned into my memory.

"Once written down, their future couldn't be changed any more."
"A predestined future…"
"The fourth Hokage, the legendary Yondaime, rescued Konoha by sealing a monster in his own son… But he died."
"My father died because of that Jutsu…"
"…every time a new destiny was invented, or an old destiny was changed, a human's life had to be taken."
"Humans die in order to save the lives of others…"
"Naruto Uzumaki was alone now right from the very start."
"They were the ones who had thrown me into loneliness…"
"It was named "The Two Brothers' Tale". This is the story of Naruto Uzumaki."
"The tale of my life."

My speechlessness turned into fury. Someone had predestined my whole life. Someone had made me suffer for years. All these cold
looks from other people, all these faces full of inexplicable hatred had followed me since I was born…
Now all that made sense to me. That I had found that book couldn't be just coincidence. Somebody wanted me to read, wanted me to know the truth.
The whole truth. Maybe it was a test to see how I would react.

I turned to the last page and found a small note. It consisted of one word.

Kandogakure.

"Kandogakure…" I mumbled. " "Gakure" means "village"… That's got to be a place. Maybe it is the place where I find answers."
And I suddenly knew what to do, like that word had created a path for me. A way which I had to go. I and nobody else.

The gloomy and tensed aura which I was covered in since I woke up intensified. I suddenly felt cramped and wanted to leave my room as soon as possible.
I got dressed as quickly as I could, opened the door and went outside. Knowing instinctively that it was something dangerous or forbidden, I hid the book
under my jacket and started to race.

The Konoha villagers' looks always followed me when I was on the streets, especially when I was running. I heard them whisper as I rushed past them.
I didn't care. I was sprinting so fast that houses, people and trees blurred. My fury urged me on.

The sun was high on the sky and by the time I reached the borders of my village, I was covered in sweat. I had to pause.
I sat down on a stump and slightly wondered whether I were actually able to leave the village if nobody saw me.

"Ah! Naruto! Where've ya been?"
I jerked horribly. Looking up, I found myself looking at Jiraiya.
What I had not expected was his look. His eyes were slightly narrowed and he appeared uncertain. He seemed to be nervous. I threw a perplexed look at him.

"Don't say you've been waiting here for me to arrive", I said ironically. "Or did I catch you gawping at girls?"
"Y-You dare-!" screeched Jiraiya, reddening. "I surely would never-
"-admit that you are a pervert," I finished the sentence. "And an old boy on top of that."
"Pervert is okay," said Jiraiya, "but old?! I'm only fifty-three you snotty nose!"

I ignored his last sentence and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" asked Jiraiya back.
"Nothing," I answered.
"None of your business," Jiraiya answered. We looked at each other.
"Glad we've straightened out we both savor the pleasure of faineance." I chuckled.
"I didn't say I'd be doin' nothin'," said Jiraiya. "I only said I'd be none of ya business."
"So you regard yourself as sedulous if you study naked woman?" I began to enjoy this conversation.
My master reddened again. "Well, you cannot claim it's not a serious occupation!"
"That's a matter of taste I think." I paused.
I wanted to leave the village as soon as possible but the moment Jiraiya had turned up I knew I had a problem.

Jiraiya knew what was inside me. And I knew that he would never let me leave that village without at least two bodyguards at my side.
But I wanted to go alone. I had to convince or even hurt him if he continued to stand in my way. In fact, he was my master,
but in this moment, he was an obstacle.

At first, I wanted to ask him about that book, but my wish to tell him that had faded meanwhile. I felt that this was something personal;
something which nobody should know except me. I assumed that Jiraiya didn't know anything about such a book and I decided to hide it from him.
I reconsidered Jiraiya's behaviour and suddenly knew what to say.

"You spoke first, that means you wanted to tell me something. What is it?"
Jiraiya looked surprisedly down at me. "Well," he drawled, "you're right. It's about your apprentice."
"You can't teach me today?" I tried to let my voice sound disappointed instead of hopeful.
"I gotta do somethin' for Tsunade," Jiraiya said. "So today there'll be no training."
A wave of relief rolled over me, but I tried hard not to let it show on my face.

"No training?" I repeated.
"Yeah," said Jiraiya. "Don't be disappointed, Naruto. You've been training for the last three years. So what about a pause?"
"That means you'll leave me alone?" I even managed to sound whiny. I was overtaken by myself.
"I gotta to," answered Jiraiya. "I'm late already. I must go now."
I watched him disappear in a cloud of white smoke. I couldn't believe he left just like that.

I stared for a few seconds at the spot where he had vanished, unable to explain why he had left me alone.
Then, I turned round to face a big wall.
This was the border of Konoha. I had to overcome it…
I didn't know whether there was a special Jutsu which would debar me from leaving the village. But my only option was it to try.

I closed my eyes and concentrated my Chakra in my legs and feet. Feeling the familiar, warm wave flowing through my veins,
I ducked, paused for the fraction of a second, and pushed off the ground. I flew high over the wall, remained for a moment in the air -
and landed at the bottom. My feet touched the ground as gently as if I had stood up from a chair.

Again, I was puzzled. I turned round to look at the wall. Nothing had changed- despite the fact that I was looking at it from the other side.
So I had really made it. I was outside of Konoha.

I stopped being astonished at my success and decided to move on.
Concentrating my energies again, I jumped up a tree and continued to rush over the branches. Like that, I used to walk.
I took a step on each branch and swept through the forest. The wind whistled in my ears and I enjoyed the feeling of freedom.

It did not take a long time to reach the next place. But again, I saw something which I had not expected.

The location I had come out was the Valley of the End. I landed upon the stony head of Senju Hashirama, an ancient leader of Konoha.
He was eternized as a rock portrait. A waterfall between him and another stone-statue thundered down into a lake. I listened to the rushing sound,
feeling strange. I looked around and sighed.

This place was so full of memories.

And suddenly, I knew what made me wake up so early. What made me be so nervous, so uneasy.
Today, exactly three years ago, at this very place, Sasuke had left Konoha.
At this valley we had fought each other so fiercely I lost consciousness. I was only thirteen.

The desire to find out more about the book vanished within one second. The memory of Sasuke pushed everything else out of my mind.
I hunched down, not knowing why this discovery hurt me so much. I trembled. My head was suddenly filled with memories of my friend.

Three years.
A long time in which I had not seen him a single time.
I twitched as the pain of losing him overcame me again.
If only Sasuke had not decided to betray Konoha and go to Orochimaru…
If only I had been able to bring him back to us…

The pain inside me got worse, and I forced myself to think of something else.
But my thoughts only centered around Sasuke and all I was able to do was draw my attention upon his brother. Itachi Uchiha.

The moment I thought his name, another memory came up. About two weeks ago, when I wandered around the forests of Konoha,
he had accosted me. I concentrated, tried to recall every detail of that meeting - only to distract myself from Sasuke.

****************************************

I skidded to a halt and stared with wide eyes at Itachi.

"What do you want from me this time?" I shouted. "Can't you leave me alone?!"
"Calm down…" Itachi answered. "I only wish to talk to you."
"What do you want from me?!" I tried to appear more confident than I really was. Which I didn't really achieve, because I sounded rather frightened than furious.

Itachi opened his eyes … and gleaming red Sharingan seemed to pierce my soul right through.
I couldn't move anymore – I was captured by this frightening look in his eyes.
Being paralyzed, I had no choice except listening to him.
Itachi looked at me in a strange manner. I couldn't say that he was furious. No, that weird thing I saw in his eyes was something else.
Was he concerned…? He seemed so absorbed in thought.

Then, I heard him say very quietly,
"Why are you so concerned with my brother…?"
"What do you mean?" I was surprised that I could still speak.

Itachi's expression was unfathomable.
"You've done so much and trained so hard in order to be strong enough to take him back. But he has abandoned you, and your village."
He took a little pause and said "He has even tried to kill you."
I said nothing and waited. I could feel that it was the right thing to do now.

Itachi seemed to have expected this silence.
"Sasuke does not want to see you anymore… so… why do you still struggle so hard to take him back?"
I had my answer ready. "Sasuke is like a brother to me… and I'm a better brother than you ever were!"
"Oh, really…?"

Itachi's eyes shot something at me and a second later I knew I was caught in an illusion.
Itachi was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Everything was blurred… he seemed to have Teleported me in another dimension.
From somewhere out of this weird nothingness I heard Itachi's echoing voice.

"If you had the choice between protecting your village and having Sasuke… Then which option would you choose?"
"What do you mean by that-"
"Could you decide between Sasuke and Konoha…?" Itachi said with an intense glare.
"Would you even kill him to protect your village?"
My eyes widened for the fraction of a second.

"I'd protect Konoha… and find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!"
Itachi made no face. He simply looked at me.

Then, he said, unusually bitterly,
"You're such a child. You can't protect your village and not kill your friend at the same time…
Don't you know a Ninja has to be wise… and make good decisions?"

I clenched my teeth together and hissed,
"Jiraiya has told me the same before, during our training… but… There is no choice. I promised someone to take Sasuke back to Konoha."
Itachi waited and heard me say with a strong determination
"… And I never go back on my word! I will continue trying to keep my promise!"
Itachi's look was the same, but his voice was almost amused as he said
"How long do you intend to be so stubbornly?"
"For the rest of my life!" I said instantly. "Because that's what being a Ninja means to me."
"So you're damning yourself to continue struggling with your own promises… maybe impossible promises… and that for a lifetime…?"
"Yes," I answered. "If it takes that long. Keeping my promises is my Ninjaway. As I said: I never go back on my word."

Shortly after this phrase, something happened which took me by surprise.
Itachi was smiling. It was not a derisive, but an impressed smiling.
"Such a fierce will to save a friend is admirable…" he thought.
"Okay… one last question, and then I'll leave you."
I waited for that question with an unshakeable look.

"What would you do if Sasuke really came back?"

This surprised me again, but it did not weaken my strength of purpose.
"Sasuke's comeback… That is my dream. I don't even care whether Konoha will resume him or not…"
"You don't care about your own village…?"
"…because Sasuke will be definitely accepted by me," I continued as if I had not been interrupted.
I had my eyes closed.

"Sasuke is… my friend. If it's not Konoha he can have…" I opened my eyes "then he'll have me."

****************************************

I repeated these sentences again and again in my head.
Maybe I did this out of fear to lose Sasuke completely … lose him forever if I could not tell what had happened by heart.
I clinged to my memories as if that would keep my friend alive.

"I will go to Orochimaru!"
"You became my closest friend… That's why it is worth killing you…"
"By severing our bonds I will feel more pain… and more pain means more strength to me."
"I will say it once more."

"I will kill you!" Sasuke cried, and stormed towards me.

"No, you did not kill me," I said. The sound of the waterfall drowned me out. Nevertheless, I carried on; it felt good to speak loudly.
"I am still alive and… I want to see you again, no matter what you've done at that time."

A smiling Sasuke looked at me in front of my inner eye.
Friendly, normal, sometimes a bit cold-hearted. That was the Sasuke I had gotten to know.
That was the friend with whom I always wanted to be with.

"I want to see you so badly that it hurts," I murmured. "I miss you…"

"Please come back to Konoha. Come back to me…"

Naruto, the child, has got a dream… He wants his best friend to return.
Will the child's desire become true…?
Here, at the place where they parted company?

Next chapter – "Last words"

It will be uploaded on 1st March 2009

To those who've already favourited my Fanfiction: What do you think about my story?
I'm happy for every advice you can give me. :)