Chapter 7: Request

It was raining all night, and the pooling water still marked the dirt road of Konoha, irritating all the villagers. But despite that, the busy street begins to fill out as the sun rises.

Hiruzen is in his office doing his usual paperwork early in the morning. A knock on the door stops him from his work. The door opened and Hiruzen was surprised by his earliest visitor.

"Oji- no, Hokage-Sama"

"Oh Naruto?" he said.

"There is something I want to talk about with you." It's rare for Naruto to come and meet him in his office and with a serious tone, nonetheless.

"Is that so?" he smiles, "I kinda want some fresh air. shall we take it to the rooftop?" with Naruto's nods, they proceed to walk towards the rooftop.

Hiruzen let Naruto walk in front of him, something that might look down upon if any member of his village sees him. He dismissed his personal ANBU guard a while ago because he feels like their only job is sitting there babysitting an old man. With the absence of a police force, it's better for them to help patrol around the village.

The sun-haired boy in front of him, he is so young, yet bears a heavy burden on his shoulder. Sometimes he questions, why did the fourth Hokage decide to seal the nine-tails on his own son. Didn't he know how they treat a Jinchuriki all over the nation?

They treat them as a weapon. Even if they treat them as human, in the end, they will end up as a weapon.

Hiruzen doesn't want Naruto to become a weapon, barring the poor boy from learning the truth about himself. He wanted Naruto to grow up as a human, as frail and weak as they might be, facing every problem from a human perspective.

If he knows that he possesses a power beyond imagination and gets in touch with that power. Without a proper 'human heart', he might do something he might regret later.

Let's say If a hammer is all he had, then everything will look like a nail to him. Every problem that comes his way will be resolved with force if he knows about the power at his disposal.

In every nation, Jinchuriki is always cast aside, and some of them even run wild with their power. He tried his best to label Naruto as a Hero just like Minato wanted. But the beast inside him just has more influence on people's minds.

With the unmatured way of thinking, revealing the secret to the young boy may result in a big calamity. The moment hatred met destructive hatred, every hell will break loose. The circumstances worsened when the villager is hating on him.

He doesn't want him to turn into another Suna's Jinchuriki

By giving him love and affection, he had hoped the Uchiha clan would do what he can't, but fate says otherwise. Hiruzen's own indecisiveness cost him everything, making him realize it's not easy becoming Hokage, even with years of his experience.

"Hokage-sama, it's about Satsuki-chan…" Naruto's voice snapped him from his train of thought, not realizing they were already at the breezy rooftops. Cool air blowing Hiruzen's full-length red kimono.

"What about her?" He furrowed his brows.

Naruto started to tell the stories about Satsuki to him. Hiruzen's expression grows grim as the story goes on. Hiruzen pinch the bridge of his nose, as he can feel a headache creep up on his head "I didn't expect Fuma clan to go that low."

They have come into him with what he thinks is a good intention. Taking in an orphaned child and nurturing her for her future heritage. But it seems that is too good to be true.

He rubs the hair of his chin thinking of a way to properly resolve the situation. Currently, the village is in dire need of a police force or at least a substitute to help.

Maybe reforming the very foundation of the police force, from clan-based into coalition or recruits?

From the very beginning, the police force was made by the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, for a very specific reason. And now that means no longer present, Hiruzen thinks it's about time to reform it completely.

"Okay, I have something in mind" Hiruzen looked at Naruto, "I'll also talk with them, you can rest at ease."

Naruto bows down "Thank you, but... there's another thing…"

Hiruzen looked at Naruto quizzically "Go on you can tell me."

"It's about where she will stay."

"Oh yeah, well I'll see what I can do-"

"-No, actually, she already has somewhere in mind, it's just she needs access to her inheritance."

"Huh, where it will be? I don't think moving back to her clan house will be good for her…" after all that place is already abandoned after he sent out people to clean up. and also, a place that might still leave some trauma for her.

"No, she was thinking of looking for an apartment. But she needs money to pay for it." Naruto said.

"I see. Well, it's true she can't collect her inheritance unless her 'guardian' let her. I'll do the paperwork and transfer the guardian status to someone else-" before Hiruzen can finish, Naruto cut in.

"Can you just let her without a guardian?" with how things go Naruto didn't want another scenario to recur again. Once is one too much and he doesn't want to risk another chance. With money and power in their eyes, people can really change into something else.

"An underage kid, with an astronomical amount of money and without the supervision of a guardian? That's never happened before." He grimaced.

As the last of her clan, a collective of numbers of household, she practically inherits even other possession from her clan member. Her own family is basically on a rich scale in the village and adding other families she could be the richest kid in the village.

"b-but it only will take a few years until we reach-"

"Alright, alright. you know what? I owe her an apology. I'll make some exceptions for her. I'll let the bank people know." he smiles reassuringly.

"Thank you Hokage-Sama" Naruto bows down again.

Hiruzen smiles "where is that brat who calls me 'Ji-chan'?"

"Oh, I... I feel this will be more appropriate when I'm asking you a serious matter..."

heh... when did you grow up? kids these days grow too fast Hiruzen thinks to himself.

"Ah c'mon kid, don't be so stiff with me. Be like my grandson, Konohamaru, you have met him right."

"a couple of times, he keeps bothering me to teach him some Jutsus." it was a strange meeting. When he was training alone in the forest. Some kid finds out about his secret training ground. He got impressed by Naruto's skill and training, and ask Naruto to teach him some Ninja moves ever since.

Even with his annoyance, he complies once he thinks there is something to gain for. it's not like Naruto teaches Konohamaru every day. he let Konohamaru learn by himself once Naruto is done giving some pointers, and it can take a full week before he comes back.

He might be able to find some good teaching methods he can use later if he needed them.

"Well, please treat him like you treat everyone."

"I will" he planned to do that anyway. Naruto finds out about Konohamaru's background almost months after giving him some training. And Hiruzen has been treating him and it's just fair to pay back by helping his Grandson.

"Oh, and don't teach him some weird ninjutsu." Naruto didn't answer, only his awkward laugh reaching Hiruzen's ears, which make him suspicious.

Not too long after Naruto met the third Hokage. Everything has already been taken care of. Satsuki is free to manage her inheritance, and she can leave her guardian without any trouble. With some money in her hands, she decides to find her own apartment.

She was planning to live in her own apartment in long term. Finding one that is near Naruto's own apartment and not in the busy area which is to her liking. She wasn't planning to have a luxurious apartment, but the only apartment that is fitting with her criteria is the expensive one.

Her apartment is quite on the luxurious side compared to Naruto's apartment.

Well, comparing the two is really not fair.

Her apartment has a three-bedroom, a bathroom with a shower and a big bathtub, a kitchen and dining room, a living room, a balcony, and whatever a luxurious apartment has to offer. And it's already come fully furnished.

Her apartment was supposed to be for a family to live in. and even with so many zeroes on the price tag, she can afford it pretty easily.

Her stuff from her previous house come earlier. And Naruto has been helping her move in. Helping her with heavy stuff, Moving box after box until everything has gone.

"Where should I put this?"

"What's written on it?" Satsuki asks, her head peeking out from her bedroom. The master bedroom.

"Uh, clothes and… stuff?"

"Oh, come here. Put it inside my closet" she pointed out to her closet, to which he nods.

Her room is as big as the other rooms, it has a glass wall with a deep blue curtain. King-sized Bed that faces the view of the village. A door to the balcony and several other wall decorations.

Walking towards her supposed-to-be closet, he stops and eyed the door. The shape is different than the rest in her apartment. It has several small horizontal holes to help with ventilation. he opened the wooden door and left in awe.

It is a walk-in closet with several more drawers on the side and a big mirror in the middle.

"Holy shit! This is a closet?" he walks in and puts the box down for her to unpack later "You can put two people here and still has more legroom than my bathtub." Hearing a giggle from his back.

"Neat right? I don't have that many clothes, so it will be useless to have one that big though"

Naruto walks out and closes the door behind him. He walks closer to Satsuki who is sitting on the edge of her bed.

"That will be all the boxes."

"Thank you Naruto-kun, for everything."

"Hey, it's the least I could do" he grinned. Placing his hand on his side.

"No really, thank you" she bows her head towards him, his smiles gone when her short hair showed to him. it become a big fuss at the academy, but Satsuki shrugged it off making excuses like trying a new look or preparing for the summer heat.

But he knows the reasons.

He tries to smile again when she rise her head. Her lips curl into a smile. "Naruto-kun are you sure you don't wanna live here with me?"

"You know I can visit you every day, I just grow attached to that place"

"To that shithole" She frowned, which he laughs awkwardly.

"Hey, it's a nice place!" he protested.

To Naruto, he has no emotional attachment to his own apartment. It is just that this place has more eyes than his apartment, and with his reputation, he doesn't want to pull Satsuki into his problem. and another thing is Third Hokage still visits him or sends him something every once in a while. He just can't leave that place empty.

"Here," Satsuki handed out the spare key to his apartment.

"Keep it, you are welcome anytime," he said grinning.

"In that case" Satsuki pulls another key from her pocket, "this is the spare key to this place. don't lose it"

"You sure about this?" he asked receiving the spare key. she nods. "well ill still knock on the door even if I have the key"

she smiles "Well if you changed your mind, I still have two vacant rooms you can use."

"What, I can't sleep in the same bed as you?" he teased.

"Shut up dummy!" she shouts while throwing her pillow at him.

Several days later.

The class just ended for the day, Naruto and Satsuki as per usual meet at their training ground beside the lake. It's been a long time since they practiced together.

"Naruto-kun I want to fight you."

Satsuki who is resting under the tree eyed him. Naruto who is still doing his pushup routine stands up and comes closer to Satsuki.

"There is something that I want to try out" she didn't tell him, what it is yet. But Naruto already figures out something.

Back when she was admitted to the hospital, he can see her Sharingan flare up without her realizing it. And he is certain that she already find out and wants to try that.

"Your eyes?" she nods to his question.

It was almost a year, but there was a more pressing matter at her hand. And now that she has reclaimed her freedom. She wants to test it for the first time.

"Alright let's do this" he grinned clearly excited to see her using Sharingan.

Standing in the middle of the field they make a few steps between themselves. With one shuriken in hand, he throws it in the air. Watched it slowly fall to the ground, and when it hit the ground, both of them swiftly reduced their distance and meet in the middle.

Her eyes flared up red with a single Tomoe in each eye.

In the past Naruto never lose any close-quarter combat with her, even when she was able to catch him off guard, his stamina prevail securing his victory.

But now, he is being pushed back. Her eyes predict his every move, getting hit more than he lands a hit on her. He is fast and he knows it, but her eyes are able to see it a moment he acts, smoothly countering his every move and snuck a landing hit.

A fierce pure Taijutsu contest, but a wide smile decorating their face.

I can finally reach up to him! she exclaimed in her heart.

Rolling on the ground, kicking and punching, trying to counter each other moves. Fighting to their maximum capabilities.

But he can see that she is struggling to match her own timing and slowing down over time.

But not that long after they started, without any punch or kick from Naruto, she falls to the ground. Concerned, Naruto rushes to her side, kneeling he holds her head in his arm.

"Satsuki-chan! Are you alright?" he panicked.

"I'm… okay" her eyes returned to normal, choking for air "I just… I guess it uses a lot of cakra…" she chuckled. she can feel her body burdened by her eyes.

"God, you scared me. But that was really something." He wipes the sweat emerging from his forehead.

By only acquiring Sharingan, she can catch up to him before he knows it. It just shows him how fearsome Sharingan is. And there is one other person out there with the same power that might or might not aiming for their life.

"How does it feel? Your eyes" he asked.

"I can see your moves… it just registered to my head as your moves. But it quite hard to react, I barely pull that off"

"Well, the spike of reaction time must throw you off your own rhythm. But I'm sure you can improve it along the way."

"With you"

"Yeah of course" he smiled.

Her heavy breath slowly turns steady as time goes on. Letting her use his thigh as a pillow as she has no energy to even sit. Watching as the sun goes down on the horizon.

"I think we should call it a day," he says.

"Yeah, let's." She agrees. She can feel her body has barely any energy left.

"Can you walk?"

"I don't think I can."

"Well, I guess I can help you with that" helping her to stand up.

Satsuki let him carry her back to her apartment. Their clothes are dirtied by dust and mud. Sweat rolled down their forehead. Although sparsely, she can smell his sweat from their close proximity. But she was already used to it, they already practicing together since they are six after all, so she doesn't really mind.

It just reminds her how long they have been together and how he is always there beside her.

"Naruto-kun…"

"Hmm?"

"...Thank you" she smiled behind his head.

"Huh? For what? You never thank me for carrying you all this time" her smile didn't register with him.

"It's not that, it's for…"

She was trying to tell him, she was thankful for him for always by her side whatever her situation is. But she was reluctant just a second later, "…never mind, forget I say anything."

He groaned at her, was she always this difficult?

Her sudden chuckle only annoys him further. Suddenly in her mind, the memories of her teasing Naruto repeated again. How she constantly teases him in any way she can. Making him mad, annoyed, and even turning red as a tomato.

Like an older sister teasing her little brother. But she feels he has matured more than her, can she still do that?

She was really sold by the idea to consider him as her little brother, as he is two months younger than her. She has an older brother, and Satsuki already considers Izumi as her Older sister. It just feels right to consider Naruto to be her little brother. Then her life would be complete.

Even now, she still considers him as her sibling, well, sometimes. But as time goes on. She no longer wants to annoy him or even make him mad.

There is an expression she like the most. How he blushed as she teased him

The next morning…

Knock, Knock.

Satsuki can hear someone knocking on her front door. she is currently in her living room enjoying a cup of warm green tea, waiting for Naruto who is getting some of her stuff.

She walks towards the front door and opens it.

"Good morning, Satsuki." Her guest smiles at her.

"H-Hokage-sama." Her unexpected guest surprises her. "Please come in".

The third Hokage pays her a visit without any guards. She guides him to her living room and offers some of her green tea to him, which he accepts.

He smiles, for a girl her age she is very good at hospitality. He can see a splitting image of Satsuki and her mother. Mikoto was very polite, kind, and caring. Maybe if she dresses up like Mikoto, blouse and skirt, and grows her hair again. he might mistake Satsuki for Mikoto. But with her boyish clothing that might never happen.

"It's good to see you doing well. Do you need help with moving your stuff?". The third Hokage start.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Naruto-kun has been helping me move in these past few days"

"I see" he nods.

"Um… is there something you need from me?" she is fidgeting.

"ah yes, I want to apologize to you about the problem that arises from my decision".

Satsuki lifts her hands up. "I-it's okay, actually Naruto already pass on your apology to me…"

"Is that so?" He chuckles, "I feel it's only fair if I apologize in person."

She nods.

"If you ever need something, feel free to ask me, I'm always at my office."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. You and Naruto have done so much for me…"

To me that is still not enough, Hiruzen thinks to himself.

"You and Naruto really getting along well."

"Well, we have been together since we were six".

"What do you think of him?" he sips his tea.

"Naruto? I… think he is a kind boy, he is always there for me. Naruto is more mature than me, even though I'm older than him, he even helps me with all my training. At the academy, he has this troublemaker friend and makes trouble every now and then-". She continues on for some time.

Hiruzen laugh and smiles warmly at her description of their relationship and how she sees Naruto.

"-but sometimes he can be very childish. I have to talk some sense to him when that happens."

"Childish huh? Well, let him stay childish". Hiruzen laugh turns into a bitter smile.

Satsuki tilts her head, curious about the change.

"When a boy matures up, they changed." He rubs the hair on his chin "A man can work, love and think harder than when they still a kid. But… they also bear hate."

Hiruzen wishes every child would stay innocent as long as they can. But this world is very unforgiving. it forces these children to grow up sooner, in order for them to survive. He blames himself and the old generation for that.

"Only man bear hate." He whispers under his breath.

His only hope is that the new generation can be better than his generation. And maybe, just maybe… correct the mistakes his generation has made.

"a child can fight in the morning and play together again the next morning. They are very forgiving." He closes his eyes. "When a boy turns into a man…" he sighs, "The world worsened because men hold grudges and hate…"

Hiruzen shakes his head, letting the silence take over the living room, it's not the right time to have this kind of talk.

Suddenly both of them look towards the door when it opened.

"I'm back, do you have a guest Satsuki-chan?"

"Oh come here," Satsuki said to him.

Naruto came in with several boxes in his hands, almost obstructing his visions. "Hoka… Ji-chan? You never said to me you will pay a visit" Naruto give his widest grin towards Hiruzen.

"Well, stopping by won't hurt right? I see you are working hard" Hiruzen smiles.

Satsuki observes their interaction. Her eyes locked into Naruto without him realizing it. The smile on his face is still present, the bright and adorable smile she comes to adore.

Hate huh? Can Naruto-kun even make that kind of face? she wonders.

A/N

And there you have it. a little hint of Konohamaru, because they are currently at the age of part 1 so I guess it's about the right time for naruto to meet konohamaru. I'm kinda lazy with the fighting scene, but I'll try to make a better one in the future. I use the fuma clan as they are somewhat a relative to Uchiha clan in Boruto? (according to my friend, I don't really watch Boruto lol).

This chapter should've been out before February ends, but the site has been weird until recently so I kinda leave until it is fixed. but it gives me more time to think of the future chapter.

Well let's address some PMs and reviews from the previous chapter:

The chapter does feel like a filler, I agree. but initially, it was supposed to be an introduction to Iruka way of digging into naruto and Satsuki's conflicts about the matter of her clan and herself. I don't want her just to be a 'Sasuke who is a girl'. I kinda want her to have her own character, a mix of mikoto-izumi-sasuke. mikoto because she is her mother, Izumi because she is the girl uchiha that I know of. feels like an OC, but femsasuke in a way is already an OC, so that's that :). both naruto and Satsuki will be a little bit different than the canon, the others I will adapt accordingly with how the story plays out.

The harem aspect is questioned quite often. I am kinda dead set on making it a harem. a small one though, around 3 beside Satsuki as she is the main girl. the theme is the sun and moon, but other than that we also have stars, planets, and other stuff. I want to play around with that stuff and jam it into this story lol.

I do feel my grammar is lacking, and I tried to improve it but I guess it improved at a really slow pace. I'll do my best, so please bear with me :)

Satsuki hair? I mean it can naturally grow back. it's just kind of a symbolism of her rejecting herself. I also prefer her to have long hair. stay tuned for how the story plays out.

I don't like slow burn fic. well not entirely, as long as there is character development in between I can get behind that. but if it's 100 chapters and they barely kiss, I don't like it. in this story, I'm not doing slow-burn. It's character development ;).

The next chapter will have time skipped until a year before they graduate. if I forgot something ill just do a flashback.

That's all folks, thank you for reading, and expect more in the future. I await your reviews. Ciao :).