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Ch. 2:

The Sandaime slowly walked away from the Yondaime carrying Uchiha Sasuke only to almost slam straight into an irate Fugaku.

"Did it work?" He questioned, "Is my son…" but he trailed off upon seeing the despair on the face of the Sandaime.

"Yes it worked. The Yondaime is dead."

The Uchiha merely grunted at the news and turned to look at Sarutobi with a piercing gaze.

"What are you planning on telling the counsel?" he questioned. Sarutobi merely laughed a bitter laugh.

"Don't worry; my friend, the Uchihas will receive their honor." His voice held only scorn. Fugaku merely nodded before a slight frown marred his face.

"Yes, but what exactly are you planning on telling them?" he questioned further.

Sarotobi frowned before responding with a level look, "What do you want me to tell them?"

The Uchiha thought for a long moment and then he sighed. With a look of regret at the bundle inside the Sandaime's arms he finally replied, "Tell them that the Hokage with the vital help of the Uchiha sealed the Kyuubi in an infant," for a moment Fugaku's voice froze before he continued, "Tell them that the Kyuubi was sealed in an orphan named Sasuke."

Sarutobi snorted before replying, "You truly believe that they will believe that? People will wonder what happened to your son."

But before the Sandaime could continue Fugaku interrupted, "I wasn't done. Tell them that the Yondaime named the orphan Sasuke after my late son Sasuke who died in the attack as a way to honor the Uchiha for helping him. It is, after all, almost the truth," Fugaku said bitterly, "My son did die in this attack."

A wave of sadness seemed to roll over the Uchiha, but still the Sandaime was not satisfied.

"What is to stop you from taking the boy as your own? Why disclaim him? After all, what will happen if he develops the sharingan?" he protested.

But Fugaku only glared at him and stated, "And what will happen if it comes out that they way the Uchiha earned their place in Konoha was by sacrificing the clan head's son? I know," he said with a snort, "that Danzo at the very least will believe we have only done this for our own benefit. To gain a weapon with amazing powers, a jinchuuriki. It is for this reason and this reason alone that Sasuke cannot have anything to do with the Uchiha clan. This is why he must be an orphan, someone who no clan can claim. He's too powerful. No clan can be allowed to sink their claws into him. Not even the Uchiha. And on the off chance he does activate the sharingan, well, we'll deal with it then."

And with that final piece Fugaku glanced sadly at the Sandaime with a world of regret in his eyes and left.

Sarutobi sighed. Fugaku was right. Sasuke Uchiha would have to become just Sasuke. That didn't stop him from sighing, though.

XXX XXX XXX

The Sandaime sat surveying the council in defeat. It was in complete havoc. No one had thought Namikaze Minato would have sealed the Kyuubi in a random orphan. They had all assumed he was going to seal it inside the Death God. What had possessed him to seal it into a child? It led to the question of what exactly to do with this Sasuke. One faction was calling for it to be turned into a weapon. Sarutobi had a strong suspicion that that group was lead by Danzo. Another faction was worried about the safety of the seal. How could they be sure that the kyubi wouldn't possess Sasuke? He sighed again. It seemed all he did today was sigh.

And the meeting had been going so well, too. The Uchiha had been accepted with smiles and clear approval when told that it was only due to them that the Kyuubi was defeated. It was rather obvious that they had finally earned the trust of the rest of the village. Even Danzo seemed to have realized it, although that hadn't stopped a scowl from appearing on his face. He had a sinking suspicion that Danzo really didn't like the Uchiha and for far more than a professional reason, but he quickly dismissed such a rebellious thought. It wouldn't do to think about such things. It would only give him a headache. Then they had accepted him back as Hokage what with the Yondaime dead. The council was heavily hit by this, of course. And then had come the inevitable mentioning of exactly how the Kyuubi had been defeated which had led to the pandemonium. Sarutobi sighed again and was about to intervene when surprisingly someone else did it for him.

Fugaku Uchiha stood glaring at the crowd and said in absolute anger, "How dare you disregard the legacy of the Yondaime. He wanted the boy to be seen as a hero. He has every right to live a normal life," the Uchiha's eyes blazed, "If he wishes to become a ninja he will, if he doesn't he won't. His future is his alone to decide."

Sarutobi found his eyebrows rising. Had Minato really wanted the boy to be seen as a hero? It was such a Minato thing to do that Sarutobi couldn't help, but believe it. But then the skeptical part of him returned and he could not help, but wonder if anyone else had been the container would Fugaku have bothered with his little speech? Sarutobi doubted it and a firm scowl descended on his lips. It didn't matter what Fugaku had said anyways, though, because the room still remained divided in its factions and none were in favor of letting the boy decide his own future.

Sarutobi had had enough and he finally interfered, "Fugaku is right. Minato would have wanted the boy to be seen as a hero. But it seems obvious that you cannot possibly accomplish this. This is to remain an S- class secret. If anyone is told about Sasuke containing the Kyuubi they will die."

A hush fell over the room before the council members slowly nodded and left the room.

But as Danzo walked out he looked at the Sandaime squarely and said, "You're making a mistake," before calmly leaving.

The Sandaime sighed, again, before frowning. By now it was all over the village that the Kyuubi was sealed in an orphan named Sasuke. He frowned. By tomorrow it would be all over the village that if you talked about the Kyuubi you would die. Sarutobi rubbed his forehead tiredly and decided it was the best he could do before slowly heading home.

XXX XXX XXX

Sasuke as he was called or Sasuke No-name as he liked to call himself in his head was staring at himself in the mirror. A slow tremulous smile made its way onto his lips. Today he was joining the academy. He was going to be a ninja, but not just any ninja, the best ninja ever! He looked around him and a slight frown appeared. He lived all by himself in a slightly rundown apartment, but that wasn't what made him frown. It was almost time to go and Sasuke definitely didn't want to be late. Today was the day he was going to prove himself! Everyone was going to accept him, he just knew it. He'd be the most popular person and everyone would want to be friends with him. Maybe he'd even be the rookie of the year! No one would ignore him or glare at him. No way! He was Sasuke No-name! He frowned again. His name would sound a whole lot better if he had a last name to go along with it. Shaking his head almost as if to shake away the thought Sasuke ran out into the street's of Konoha heading towards the academy. No one paid him a second look or even said hi to him. Instead they pretended he didn't even exist, but today Sasuke was too excited to care or to even notice at all. Today after all was the day he was going to become the greatest ninja ever!

XXX XXX XXX

Later that day a boy with black hair, pale skin, and three whiskers on each of his cheeks walked home dejected. It started to pour and parents quickly rounded up their children and ushered them indoors. The boy glanced around maybe hoping that someone would bother to notice him, but everyone ignored him. Someone even sent a glare in his direction as if to say that the rain was all his fault. Sasuke couldn't help it. He burst into a run feeling tears falling down his face as he raced home. Once he got home he couldn't help, but replay the horrid day over and over again in his mind.

When he had arrived at the academy no one had wanted to show him where his classroom was and when he went to ask a secretary he had just gotten a glare for his efforts.

When he had finally found the room he was supposed to be in his new sensei had glared at him and merely said, "So you think you can just show up late on your first day, huh brat? Well it doesn't work that way," the man had glared at him before continuing, "You like everyone else here has to follow the rules. Just because you think you are something special doesn't excuse you."

He had then forced poor Sasuke to sit in a corner by himself and when it came to handing out materials had given Sasuke the worst of the worst. Parts of his book were hardly legible. But that hadn't been the worst of it. No, the other children had laughed at Sasuke when he'd been berated. And then whenever Sasuke had a question he had found himself summarily ignored or glared at. The other children had found this hilarious and made sure he knew by laughing as loud as they could. Sasuke had the sinking feeling in his stomach that he would not be winning any popularity contests anytime soon.

At lunch time this theory had all but proven correct. All the other children avoided him and wouldn't even talk to him. Instead they gathered around another boy who the girls gushed over and the boys were awed by. It was almost as if he were holding court. Sasuke couldn't help the rush of jealousy that sprang out of him. Why did they like this boy so much? What made him so great? He quickly frowned before berating himself, Sasuke No-name, was jealous of no one!

So he walked forward to get a better view. When Sasuke saw who it was he stopped in his tracks and snorted. Of course it was him, that stupid kid who just happened to be the son of the Yondaime. Stupid blonde haired blue eyed Namikaze Naruto. Why did the dumb blonde get everything? Everyone loved him and sure he was funny and super friendly and always pulling pranks, but really there was nothing else to like about him, nothing at all. And no, Sasuke was not jealous of him, not at all. After all Sasuke No-name was jealous of no one. Not even the stupid son of the Yondaime hokage who just happened to be loved by everyone. Nope, not even him.

So, Sasuke stared at the group some more, before gathering up his courage and walking forward to join them. The blonde haired boy looked up from laughing and smiled at him and Sasuke relaxed. The boy had recognized him!

"Hey! I'm Naruto Namikaze and you are?" Naruto asked. Sasuke felt himself freeze. He didn't know who Sasuke was? Sasuke sent a death glare at the other boy who didn't seem to even notice it. Sasuke supposed he'd never been glared at in his entire life and didn't know what one was.

Slowly Sasuke, as if talking to an idiot, had stated, "My name is Sasuke. We've met."

At the words we've met Sasuke let out a little of his annoyance at the other boy for not knowing him. But the other boy still didn't recognize him and a slight frown passed on his face.

"We have? Oh, hmm what's your last name? That'll help me remember!" Naruto had uttered with a grin. Sasuke hated when anyone other than himself brought up his lack of a last name and he glared bitterly at the other boy who merely grinned back. Was the other boy making fun of him? Sasuke wouldn't stand for it. At least not after his atrocious morning and the next thing he knew he had punched the other boy. Well, he had attempted to. At the last second the other boy had dodged and was now staring at Sasuke.

"Let's go!" another boy yelled at Naruto, "He's not worth the effort."

And with that Namikaze Naruto frowned, turned around and walked away with all his little friends following him. Sasuke hated him more in that second than he thought he had hated anyone before. Did he not think that Sasuke was worth anything? That he wasn't a challenge?

The rest of the afternoon was spent again being tormented by his sensei and classmates who took it rather badly that he'd attempted to hit the prize Namikaze. It didn't seem to matter to them that he'd missed. By the end of the day all Sasuke wanted to do was escape the horrible academy. When the bell rang Sasuke sprang out of the building and started to walk home and that was when the rain had fallen.

"What a miserable way to end a miserable day," Sasuke couldn't help, but think at home. All his dreams, his goals had been crushed all because of one stupid blonde. Sasuke glowered and then cried miserably into his pillow. Maybe he wasn't cut out to be a ninja after all.