Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Author's note:

Again I would like to thank everyone for the reviews especially Kurodarkness. Thank you for pointing out my mistake, I didn't realize I made Iruka younger. But I fixed it in the last chapter. For all of the readers, I would like to point out that Iruka was eleven years old when he lost his parents so he is actually nineteen in this story. I would like to thank Kurodarkness for the suggestion to add more detail to my story. I will do my best with that and I will try to make my chapters longer. Also, you will all have to wait and see what happens between Naruto and Sasuke yourselves (No Yaoi). For the people who don't know who Homura and Koharu are, they are two elders of Konoha's council. They are the ones who suggested for Jiraiya to take the role of Hokage after Sarutobi died but he turned them down and suggested Tsunade instead. (From the real story line) Please Enjoy this next chapter and write reviews. I accept all types of reviews (compliments, suggestions, corrections, and even complaints). If there is any thing that needs to be corrected in the story, please let me know. Thank you!

P.S. If any of you would like me to add couples into the story please let me know what couple you would like. The couple with the highest vote will be added to the story. Please no yaoi, I don't really like the idea of a Naruto/Sasuke boyfriend relationship (no offence to anyone who does) Thanks again!

Now, on with the story.

After several dozen bowls of miso pork ramen and draining the Third Hokage's wallet dry (AN: Yes, even the Hokage needs to pay for stuff from time to time), Naruto was escorted back to his home. Naruto lived in a old, run down building on the far side of the village for as long as he could remember. It was the only apartment that the hokage could give him. Every other landlord refused to give Naruto a room, but his current landlord was nice enough to give him a room because no one else would live there. There were numerous holes and cracks covered by planks of wood along the walls. The paint was chipping and there was never any hot water. The floor boards squeaked as Naruto and Sarutobi made their way up the stairs to the apartment room. Naruto lived in a room with a balcony on the top floor of the building, courtesy of the third hokage. When they finally reached Naruto's room door, he pulled out a key out of his pants pocket. Naruto placed the key into the hole and turned the handle as the nindog key chain swung side to side( AN: Did anyone ever notice that Naruto has a key chain of Pakkun in the anime?). The door did not budge. Great, the door is stuck again. Naruto suddenly forced his small body against the door as hard as he could. The door broke off the hinges and fell to the floor, breaking into several pieces (Naruto isn't that strong yet, the door is just really old).

"Oh no! Now the owner is going to kick me out for sure!" Naruto was panicking as he looked down at the shattered door.

"Naruto, I think that is the last thing you should worry about." Naruto turned to look at the Hokage in confusion. The hokage's eyes were focused on something else. Naruto turned around and his jaw dropped to the floor. His room was completely destroyed. The once small bedroom was now covered in water. There was about three inches of water on the floor that reached up to the small step that the hokage and Naruto were standing on. (AN: I put a step in Naruto's apartment, so the entire floor is flooded except for that step.) The hokage looked up at the ceiling to see it was leaking. A huge, brown water stain covered parts of the ceiling while the other parts crumbled away due to the rain. All of Naruto's possessions were water damaged and none of it could be saved.

"That rain storm did a number on your room. I'm sorry Naruto, but we need to find you a new place to stay. I will inform the landlord of this and I will try to get this fixed." Naruto wasn't listening to Sarutobi's words, his face hardened at the sight of his one bedroom apartment. The hokage watched Naruto as he stepped into the ankle-high water, shivering as the cold water touched his bare ankles. He made his way around the room surveying the damage. Nothing, There is nothing left. It's all ruined. Naruto grabbed a wet scroll that was floating next to his feet. It was a training scroll given to him by the hokage on his birthday. It consisted of the basics on how to be a good ninja and several training methods, but now the writing on the scroll was smudged and was no longer legible. It used to be one of Naruto's most prized possessions because it was his first step to becoming a great shinobi and it was the only present he got on his eighth birthday, but now it was just a useless piece of parchment. The anger bottled up in Naruto was rising fast, and he could no longer take it. He threw the scroll with all his might at the wall and yelled from the top of his lungs. He fell to his knees and the water on the floor splashed all over his tattered clothes. His arms fell limp by his sides as he stared at down at the wet floor, he could see his reflection looking back at him. He noticed that he was completely soaked and his breathing was heavy, but that was not what bothered him the most. Those eyes…his eyes, they were no longer the bright blue eyes that he was familiar with, instead they looked so lifeless and cold. Why is that person me? Why must I suffer? Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder causing him to look up from his reflection. The hokage was now standing next to him with a stern look in his eyes.

"Why does this happen to me? Does kami despise me this much to take away my home?" Naruto said in a whisper as he turned back to his reflection.

"Naruto, this is just some bad luck, that's all. We can find you a temporary home until this mess is rebuilt. Naruto, you can't think of this as punishment, you haven't done anything wrong. The people in this village are still upset for losing loved ones during the kyuubi attack, but they are being ignorant and are blaming you for what that demon did. I do not want you to listen to their words, all you can do is move forward with your life while they are still stuck in the past." Sarutobi held his hand towards Naruto. " Come on, we shouldn't stay here anymore. We will go buy you some new belongings and I will see what I can do about a temporary place to live." Naruto nodded in agreement and took the Hokage's hand. They walked out of the water and outside the room. Naruto's clothes were soaked and was shivering due to the cold. The hokage took off his robe and wrapped it around the blonde boy. Naruto was surprised to be wearing the traditional hokage robes, they were really long and dragged on the floor behind him.

"I guess you are just going to have to grow into it when you become hokage." Sarutobi patted the boy on the head. Naruto wore a goofy smile on his face and Sarutobi chuckled at the him.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Naruto stopped grinning and looked up at the hokage, but his eye sight was covered when the hokage placed his hat on top of Naruto's head. Now Naruto was completely shocked.

" You can't wear the robe without the hat, Am I right Naruto?" The grin appeared on Naruto's face once again.

"Right, old man! And I can't wait until I'm officially hokage and these will really belong to me!" The hokage smiled proudly at Naruto. And I can't wait for the day to pass these on to you when you accomplish your goal. I have faith that you will become a great shinobi for this village, Naruto.

The Sandaime hokage and the kyuubi jinchuuriki made their way through the bustling streets of Konoha. The sun was now shining bright and the hokage mountain glistened as the light reflected of the stone. Naruto looked up at the mountain. My face will be up there someday, and it will be a face that will be respected and acknowledged as a hero. Naruto turned around to see that the hokage was still walking ahead.

"Hey Old man! Wait up!" Naruto ran to catch up with the hokage, his feet beating against the paved road and the hokage robes trailed behind him. Wow! That old man is fast for his age. Naruto felt like he was flying down the path as the wind blew in his face. He closed his eyes as he felt the warm sun on his skin and the cool wind blowing through his golden locks. It felt nice,…so nice that he didn't notice the boy walking towards him. The other boy had his hands in his pocket and his gaze at his feet. They didn't know what hit them when they collided into each other. Naruto fell hard onto the floor while the other boy did the same.

"Owwwwww!" Naruto picked himself onto the floor and saw the hokage was walking towards him.

"Naruto, are you alright?!" The hokage was completely concerned for the boy's well being.

"Yea, I bumped into someone" Remembering about the other boy, Naruto turned to face the boy. " I'm really sorry!" The other boy was dusting the dirt off his pants.

"Just watch where your going, dobe!" The boy looked up and his eyes widened in surprise. "Naruto?!" Naruto wore a shocked expression on his face when he realized who he ran into.

"Sasuke?!"

"Naruto! What are you doing out of the hospital so soon? The nurse said that you had several broken ribs and a broken arm!"

"U-uh, I guess I'm just a fast healer."

"But you were admitted into the hospital last night, no one can heal that fast!"

"…" Naruto was speechless. When he was released from the hospital, the hokage explained to Naruto how he could heal at such an extraordinary rate. He was told that his chakra was merging with the kyuubi's and that was giving him access to the fox's healing abilities, but he couldn't tell Sasuke that. What would happen if he told Sasuke about the Kyuubi? He was afraid that Sasuke would hate him and call him a monster like how the other villagers do. No, he was not going to take that risk, he did not want to be hated in anyone else's eyes. Naruto tried to think of a believable excuse he could use to get Sasuke off his case, but he was coming up with nothing. Sasuke was waiting for Naruto to give him an explanation.

"Well…it's because…umm-"

"Because Konoha has some of the finest doctors in the entire fire country" The hokage suddenly interrupted, and Naruto sighed in relief. Sasuke gave them a questionable look before shrugging it off. " It is nice to see you again, Uchiha Sasuke! What have you been doing on a fine day like this?" The hokage said quickly to change the subject. He, too, wanted to keep the Kyuubi a secret from Naruto's classmate.

"I was training earlier, but now I am heading home." Sasuke said in a apathetic tone. Suddenly the hokage had an idea. He was aware that Sasuke was still living in the Uchiha district. The young Uchiha was living alone in that district after his family was killed and when the hokage offered him a new apartment, he refused. He said that even though his family was gone, he couldn't leave his home. The boy lived in a very large home, but now it was empty and had plenty of rooms to spare. Naruto could live with him for the next two weeks while his apartment is being rebuilt. Besides, both boys have been alone for a long time and they could really use a friend.

"Sasuke, I would like to ask you for a favor."

"Hn"

"Naruto's apartment was destroyed in the rain and he needs a place to stay." Sasuke frowned when he realized where this was going.

"Why don't you find him a new apartment to live in?" Sasuke said before the hokage could finish his sentence.

"I thought of that, but Naruto is not on friendly terms with some of the villagers and they would refuse to give him a room."

"Probably from all those stupid pranks that dobe does." Sasuke thought to himself as he looked back at Naruto. Naruto wasn't paying attention to the conversation, he was too busy playing with the robes he was wearing. Sasuke sighed and looked back at the hokage.

"What does this have to do with me?" Sasuke said trying to sound oblivious to the hokage's idea.

"Can you let him live with you for now?" Sasuke grunted at the old man's question.

"Why me?"

"Well, you two are very similar and I was hoping that you two could get to know each other better. It would make me feel better if Naruto could make a friend." Hokage noticed that Sasuke was irritated by his explanation and at this rate he would refuse to help. " Please, it will only be for the next two weeks." Sasuke looked at him confused.

" Two weeks? Will his apartment be rebuilt in that time?"

"No, Naruto is leaving on a trip in two weeks and won't return for awhile. Can you just give him a place to stay until then? Sasuke sighed in defeat, even if he said no, the hokage would just force him to say yes.

"Fine, he can stay at my house."

"Good, I will drop Naruto by later, but for now we need to pick up a few more things." The hokage turned back to Naruto. "Naruto, you will be living with Sasuke. Is that okay with you?" Naruto hesitated and was about to protest but nodded in agreement instead. "Alright, I still need to discuss some things with you, then I will take you to Sasuke's house. We also need to finish shopping for some new clothes for you." Sarutobi turned back to Sasuke. " We will see you later, enjoy the rest of your day." The hokage left with Naruto trailing behind him. Sasuke watched them as they walked down the street. Sasuke began to walk in the direction of his home with one thought on his mind. If I had trained for a little bit longer, than I could of avoided this situation.

End of Chapter 6

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