Chapter 2- When Kyuubi is the only comfort

"I know you two used to be friends."

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked abruptly up at Kakashi. He had decided to cancel their training for the day, and instead was making team 7 eat together so they could spend time together. He had simply explained that they wouldn't be training anyways, since Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't stop trying to kill each other, so they might as well do something more productive.

"You know what?" Naruto demanded.

Kakashi sighed. "Do I really need to repeat myself, Naruto?"

"Yeah! If you said what I just think you said."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "I know that you two used to be friends."

Sasuke remained silent. Naruto was the argumentative one. "Says who!?!"

"I have my sources."

Naruto scowled. "You're lying!"

"Am I really? I seem to do that a lot, don't I?" Kakashi leaned back, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, Sensei!" Sakura chimed in. "I mean, how could those two ever have been friends? I mean why would Sasuke ever like Naruto."

Naruto hmphed and crossed his arms, staring down at his ramen. He had only eaten half of it. Immediately, he started scarfing it down again, receiving a disgusted look from Sasuke, who was sitting in between him and Kakashi. Sakura was seated on the other side of Kakashi, despite all her efforts to get the seat next to the Uchiha.

"Hi Kakashi!" A man had just come into Ichiraku's and he approached the counter where team 7 was eating.

"I told you I have my sources." Kakashi whispered smugly before turning to greet the man.

"Shiroi! How are you?"

Naruto had froze up the moment he had heard that voice. He knew that voice. He knew that voice too well, even if he hadn't heard it in years.

"Naruto!" Naruto tensed up even more as Shiroi came over and playfully ruffled his hair. "I haven't seen you in forever! Look how much you've grown!"

Naruto thanked Kami that the man turned back and began talking to Kakashi. Without saying a word, he dug in his pocket and pulled out some money. He didn't count it, but set all of it on the counter before he slipped off his stool and out of the restaurant. Sasuke watched him go with every appearance of indifference, before he turned back to watch Kakashi and Shiroi make small talk. He couldn't quite place where he had seen that man before.

"And- No! It couldn't be! Sasuke Uchiha? Wow! You've grown!"

He really, really, really couldn't figure out who this guy was now.

Meanwhile, Naruto was running towards his apartment, ignoring the angry shouts he received as he raced by.

That man… How could Kakashi? Of all the people to be friends with, his sensei had to be friends with that man. With his ex-foster father. Just seeing him again had set his heart racing.

He reached his apartment quickly and locked himself inside, sliding down and leaning up against the door as if afraid that someone would try to force it open.

"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Naruto gasped. He was trying calm down, but his heart was still pounding and it was getting harder and harder to breath. "No need to panic! It's not- a big- deal!" He could feel the panic flooding his senses and he knew he was giving in to the panic attack.

"Fuck!" He forced himself to his feet and stumbled into his room, slamming the door open way too hard. The air was way too stuffy.

The window almost broke, Naruto flung it open so hard. One of the glass panels cracked, but he didn't care. He needed air.

Kakashi landed on the roof of the next building in time to see the window get flung open. He could see clearly into Naruto's bedroom, and had a perfect view of the hyperventilating boy.

He had seen the stricken look on Naruto's face when Shiroi had shown up, and his hasty retreat. The fact that Naruto had not only paid for his ramen, but had left enough money to pay for the whole team's meal a few times over had alerted him to the fact that something was off. Naruto always tried to weasel his way out of paying for his ramen. Always.

He watched as Naruto paced back and forth a few times, desperately trying to catch his breath. He heard very clearly the yell of frustration that came out of the blonde's mouth, and inwardly winced when his student punched the wall, creating a decent sized hole.

Naruto pried his arm out of the wall, picking a few pieces of wood out of his skin and watching the blood dribble down his arm. Suddenly, he lunged at his dresser, ripping the top drawer out and dumping the contents onto the ground.

"Why does this have to happen to me?"

Kakashi silently moved closer, listening intently to what Naruto was saying as he found the desired objects in the pile on the floor. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter. The sensei made a mental note to himself to berate his student for such a bad habit later.

"Why? Why? Kyuubi, why me?"

Kakashi's one visible eye widened the slightest bit as he comprehended the words that had so carelessly spilt from the blonde's mouth. He couldn't even shake his head in disappointment when Naruto slumped to the floor and lit up a cigarette, desperately inhaling.

"It's not my fault." Naruto's voice was low and desperate. "It had to be him."

The first cigarette was gone, and Naruto started on another, completely oblivious to Kakashi, who was now practically hanging in his window. He was too busy listening to the voice in his head.

"I'm sorry, Kit. It's my fault."

Naruto shook his head. "No. It's not your fault either."

Kakashi furrowed his brow in confusion. Naruto was talking to someone. He watched as the kid lit up his third cigarette. A cloud of smoke was starting to fill the room and was wafting out the window into his face.

"But it is. As heartless as I am, I feel for you. It's all those human emotions you've poisoned me with. You know, I never felt guilt until I met you."

Naruto snorted. "Don't kid yourself. You're still heartless. You just have a soft spot for me."

"Don't flatter yourself. I just have to protect my own."

Naruto flopped down so he was lying on his back. "Yeah, well, thanks Kyuubi."

Kakashi almost fell from where he was rooted to the side of the apartment building. Naruto was talking to the demon that was sealed inside him. And from what he could hear, which was only Naruto's side of the conversation, the fox was talking back.

"You know kid, smoking isn't healthy."

Naruto looked at the half finished cigarette he was holding. He wasn't sure if it was his fifth or sixth. It was the last one in the pack. "Yeah, I know. But it calms me down. Damn. I need another pack."

"That's the third one in two days."

"I can count." Naruto snapped, throwing aside the cigarette butt. "Don't be such a worry wart."

"Who's worried? I'm just stating the obvious."

Naruto frowned. "I can't believe it. He was there, Kyuubi. He actually had the balls to talk to me. After everything…" His voice cracked, and he swallowed back the tears that threatened to spill and the panic that once again threatened to overwhelm him.

"Calm down Kit. He's not going to hurt you again. You are strong enough to stop him now."

Naruto simply nodded, staring up at the ceiling. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Kakashi watched carefully as Naruto stayed sprawled on the floor for a few minutes. He jumped up suddenly, looking at the hole he had made in the wall.

"Crap! I gotta fix that before the landlord sees it!" And he dashed out of the room and out of the apartment.

After Naruto was gone, Kakashi went into the bedroom, looking around. The empty pack of cigarettes was on the ground. He picked them up. They calmed him down? How many times did Naruto need to be calmed down? How long had he felt the need to resort to a substance for calmness? And how long had he been turning to the Kyuubi for comfort?

7 ½ years earlier

"Tachi?"

"What?"

"Why doesn't Naruto have a 'Tachi?" Sasuke looked up from his spot on the bedroom floor to look at his brother on the bed. Naruto was sitting next to him and they were playing with Sasuke's HotWheels set. "And if Naruto doesn't have a 'Tachi, then does that mean that everyone else doesn't have a 'Tachi either?"

Itachi thought for a moment. "No. Everyone doesn't have a 'Tachi. Just you."

"Oh." Sasuke looked confused. "Does that mean I'm special?"

Itachi smirked. "Of course you're special. You have me, don't you?"

Sasuke nodded. "So, then what do people have instead of 'Tachi's?"

"Well, some people have older brothers and sisters, or they might have younger brothers or sisters. But they might be an only child." Itachi explained.

"Oh. Why?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "Because sometimes parents want only one kid, and sometimes they want more."

"But Naruto doesn't have parents." Sasuke looked at his blonde friend. They had been playing together for a few weeks, and the short time had worked wonders.

For one, Itachi had gone and "talked" to Naruto's foster parents, and now they were too scared to lay a hand on the kid. For two, Naruto finally had someone that genuinely wanted him around.

"Naruto had parents once." Itachi explained.

"Why doesn't he have them now? Why is Naruto all alone?"

"I'm not alone." Naruto suddenly piped up. "I have Kyuubi."

Itachi's eyes widened a little. Was he talking about…

"What's a Kyuubi?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. He lives inside me. I talk to him, and sometimes he talks back, expecially when I'm really sad or really scared."

Sasuke was gazing at Naruto with wonder. "What does he say?"

Naruto scrunched his nose in thought. "He says not to worry, that the fuckers will pay some day."

Itachi choked. "What did you just say?"

"He says that I don't have to worry. The fuckers will pay."

Itachi stared at the naïve little blonde for a second. The kid had no idea what he had just said. Then, he laughed.

Both boys stared at the elder Uchiha in wonder. Laughing wasn't something that Itachi did.

"You made 'Tachi laugh!" Sasuke exclaimed. Then he turned and pouted at his brother. "How come you never laugh at me?"

Itachi had finally regained his composure. "Naruto. Promise me something."

"Okay." The blonde agreed instantly.

"Don't tell anyone about that ever again."

"Okay." Naruto nodded. "Why not?"

"Because they won't appreciate it like I do."

"Okay." Naruto still looked very confused, but went back to playing with Sasuke. Now, however, Itachi was ignoring the book he had been reading and was studying the blonde intently.

What was it like, to have such a powerful being inside him? Could he not use that power? Or was he still too young to be able to?

It had to be Itachi's ill luck that his parents would choose that day to come and check on their youngest son, something they almost never did.

But they had been curious about Sasuke's friend that they kept hearing about from their relatives.

It was to their horror that Sasuke's friend was the little demon boy by the name of Naruto Uzumaki.

Itachi looked up as his parents came in the room. They were smiling at first, but the smiles fell from their faces when they saw their youngest son's blonde playmate.

They recognized the telltale whisker-marks, and the blonde hair and blue eyes. They say hell hath no wrath like a woman's fury, but a parent's fury could drive a person to seek refuge in the ninth gate of hell.

"What is that doing here?" Itachi scowled heavily at his father for referring to Naruto as "that."

"He's playing with Sasuke. They're friends." Itachi replied coolly.

"You let Sasuke make friends with something like that?"

Sasuke was staring at his parents. He couldn't quite figure out what they were talking about or why they looked so angry.

Naruto, however, was used to being referred to as an "it" rather than a he. And he knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Get it out of here." Itachi almost cringed at the threatening tone in his father's voice. Almost.

"Why?" Itachi's voice was challenging. "He hasn't done anything wrong?"

Sasuke was now starting to look scared. He was looking between his mother and father, then glanced at Itachi. "Why are you angry? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, sweety. We're mad at your brother for not taking good care of you." Sasuke's mother's voice was sickly sweet.

"But 'Tachi takes good care of me!" Sasuke suddenly stood up. "He takes good care of me!!"

Itachi shook his head at Sasuke. "Be quiet Sasuke. Let me handle this."

"I want that thing out of this house. Now!" Naruto was trembling under the harsh gaze of the Lord Uchiha.

Sasuke followed his father's gaze, and it finally clicked that by "thing" he meant Naruto. "NO!!!" The youngest Uchiha threw himself onto Naruto, wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck. "I don't want Naruto to go!"

"Stay away from it!" Sasuke was roughly pried away from Naruto by both his parents, and Naruto suddenly found himself lifted off the ground by his shirt collar. He trembled as he was forced to look into the cold eyes of Sasuke's father.

"You will never come near my son again! Do you hear me!?!" He roughly dropped the trembling blonde to the floor and made as if to kick him.

But his foot never made contact. Instead, he found himself staring into the murderous gaze of his eldest son.

"Leave him alone!"

"Get out of the way, boy! Someone needs to put that monster in its place!? Uchiha's don't associate with trash like that!"

But Itachi stood his ground. "Being an Uchiha doesn't make you royalty! You're just using it as an excuse to be an arrogant bastard!"

Itachi received a heavy blow to the face for that comment. His head jerked roughly to the side when his father's fist made contact with his cheek.

"I will not be spoken to like that!"

The Sharingan was activated when Itachi met his father's gaze again, and the man actually took a step back. Every reason for why his son had become captain of the ANBU black ops suddenly flashed through his mind.

"Come on, Naruto. I'll take you home." The calmness of Itachi's voice was unnerving, and Naruto hurried to obey, scrambling to his feet and taking the hand Itachi offered him.

"No!" Sasuke struggled uselessly against his mother's hold. "I don't want Naruto to leave!"

"Shush!" Sasuke started crying loudly as Itachi led Naruto out the door. "Tachi! Don't take Naru-chan away!"

Naruto waved sheepishly to Sasuke, also starting to cry.

As he was leaving, Itachi heard very clearly the words that left his little brother's mouth.

"I hate you!"

He also heard the slap that followed immediately after.

Naruto was staring back, his eyes wide with fear and worry. "Tachi? Are they hurting him?"

Itachi didn't answer, but continued to lead Naruto out of the house. He was furious. His father had hit him. Worse. He had called him "boy."

Naruto was a little scared of Itachi at that moment. The red eyes were absolutely terrifying. And so was the fury that was obviously rolling off him. "I'm sorry, 'Tachi."

Itachi paused, and looked down at the crying blonde. Naruto held his gaze for a second before looking at the ground.

"It's not your fault." Itachi took a deep breath and closed his eyes, de-activating the Sharingan. He kneeled down next to Naruto and put a hand under his chin, making him meet his eyes. "None of this is your fault."

More tears spilled out of Naruto's eyes. "Am I never gonna see Sasuke again?"

Itachi pulled the blonde into a hug. "You will see him again. We'll just have to wait a while."

The blonde sniffed and looked imploringly into his eyes. "Promise?"

Itachi smiled warmly and ruffled Naruto's already messy hair. "I promise. You and Sasuke will never be apart for long."

Naruto sniffed and smiled warmly at Itachi, hugging him tightly. Itachi remained hugging the little boy for a few minutes, returning the passer-by's curious looks with an icy glare of his own. No one held his gaze for more than a second.

"Come on." Itachi stood up, taking Naruto's hand once more. "Let's get you home."

Naruto nodded, and allowed Itachi to lead him back to the place he hated the most.