Precious Treasure of the Uchiha
Summary: For centuries, a child Madara took in lived with the Uchiha clan and was loved above all treasures. But in this day and time,the clan is wiped out, only one remaining. Read on as Naruto tries to solve the murder of the clan and the disappearance of Itachi all the while protecting the last living Uchiha. How will Sasuke cope in the world of immortals?
"They're not half bad." Neji observed from behind the stage as he observed their competition for the festival concerts. The Six Paths Sage was twentieth on the current list and this was only the fifteenth performer out of fifty so far. "They might be a bit of competition."
"Don't wordy, my youthful friend!" Lee exclaimed from where he was polishing his drumsticks. "I am sure our passionate youth will outshine even their's!"
"What youth? Our lead singer is older than most of our competitors combined!" Kiba teased from where he was checking over his equipment, dodging the playful retribution swipe from said Immortal. "What? It's the truth!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes from where he was doing some last minute tunning to his guitar. ''You're the one that insisted on him singing the most, you moron. Stop complaining now. It's annoying.''
The Inuzuka huffed, sticking his tongue out at the last Uchiha. "Hmph. See if I care about what you think, duckass."
"What did you just call me?" The raven's brow was twitching and he looked about ready to set the dog lover on fire. Kiba, not sensing that he was in grave danger, just grinned at their lead guitarist. Thankfully, Sakura punched him before he could open his mouth and set the Uchiha off enough for him to waste precious chakra.
"Stop it, you guys!" Tenten groused, giving them both an unimpressed glare. "You're supposed to be a band, a team. Band and teammates don't fight each other!"
"They do. Why? Because it's human nature."
"I don't t-think that's h-helping Shino." Hinata stuttered and blushed, not used to contradicting anyone. Such a shy girl she was. Naruto resolved to help her get out of her shell.
"I think it's best we concentrate on what we're doing here. School pride and all." The blond said with a wide grin, blue eyes sparkling. Sasuke stared at him for a moment and marveled at the fact that he could still smile so brightly despite all that he had been through. And Sasuke knew that what he had learned about his guardian so far was only the tip of the iceberg, so to say. Uzumaki Naruto was not going to be an easy enigma to solve, that was certain.
"I still can't believe I got roped into this," Neji muttered under his breathe but didn't utter another complaint. He obviously really did have too much respect for Naruto to complain. He had been the one that harassed them all the most about practicing.
"Come on! It's going to be fun!"
"I thought you were against this the most." Sasuke pointed out to the ancient Immortal, who only shrugged.
"I get to preform with an Uchiha. Sure, I don't like singing in front of people who aren't the ones who raised me, but I agreed already, so what the hell, you know." The Kyuubi container said, a strange frown on his face, eyes red and focused out towards where the crowd was. He didn't seem to be paying them much attention anymore and Sasuke wondered what had suddenly gotten into him. Yes, Naruto acted stranger than most fifteen year olds, but then again, he was an Immortal who had lived to see the rise of Konoha. Mabe he saw or sensed or heard something that they, the new, younger mortal generations didn't. Only Sakura and Sai seemed as oblivious as the rest of them.
"What is it?" He asked when Naruto started moving his head around, as though trying to keep track of something that only he could see. It was far more unnerving than it had any right to be, but whatever unsettled someone like Naruto, a four hundred year old Immortal and Jinchuuriki, it had to be big and it had to be bad.
"Something is not right," the whisker scarred teen said, red eyes still slit like a demon cat's and still moving around, keeping track of whatever it was that had caught his attention. "I sensed a shinobi moving about in the crowd while concealing himself in a simple genjutsu. Why would they do that unless they were a threat or a spy?"
"You sensed them?" Lee asked, not comprehending how someone can sense another person since he had problems with his own chakra ways and people doubted the probability of him becoming an Immortal. It is chakra that immortalizes a shinobi, after all, and Lee's wasn't in the best of states. Besides, there were not many people who could sense chakra in the way Naruto apparently was around here. Especially not with very large sensory ranges. Karin was perhaps the only exception, but people kept saying that was because of her Uzumaki blood. Perhaps Naruto had enough of his clan's blood in him that he can do it, too, despite how little he looks like an Uzumaki.
"Yes, I am a sensor so I can sense them," the blond replied, his frown deepening as his head and eyes stopped moving. He had either lost track of this shinobi he was pursuing or the shinobi had stopped in one place. "Sensors are rare, especially born sensors. Some of the strongest sensors in the world come from the Uzumaki Clan and my Kaa-chan was an Uzumaki and even my Tou-chan was a born sensor. Add to that that I am the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and can enter Sage Mode, it makes me a good enough sensor that even the slightest shift in chakra for the next ten to twenty miles draws my attention. Whoever was concealing themselves from unwanted eyes had made himself all the more obvious to a sensor."
"Karin says she can sense emotions," Sakura said with a curious furrow of her brows. "Can you do that, too?"
"Only with Kurama's help. I'm not Uzumaki enough to get their full sensory range."
"So? How do they feel?" Sasuke questioned, activating his Sharingan and trying to see the chakra signature Naruto was sensing. He didn't have nearly as much success or luck as Hinata and Neji, who easily found the culprit with their Byakugan. If only he could activate that Mangekyo Sharingan again ... It had made the world so much brighter and more in focus. He wasn't sure if anything could hide from it.
"Mostly curious and bored, but also ... sadistic, I guess. But there is no killing intent rolling off of them. Even civilians would have reacted if it were otherwise." The blond replied, eyes coming to rest on them. "I don't know what they are doing or where exactly they are, but they feel like they are on the left side of the lighting above the stage, so I want you all to be careful. We can't tell what they want and we can't be sure they won't attack once we get up on the stage."
"Naruto-sama," Neji called, voice tight. "I think I know what he is doing."
"He?" Sakura questioned.
"What?" The Immortal asked next, focusing on the more important question. Before Neji could reply, though, the power went out, just as the bend on stage had finished their song. The crowd broke into murmurs as everything went dark save for the light of their phones. A few more panic prone people even screamed and started running in circles around their friends until said friends stopped them to try and calm them down. "Damn it." Naruto cursed, red eyes once again flaring and looking out into the dark.
The host of the concerts quickly ran off onto the main stage, flashlights in hand and pointed at him by stage hands so he would be visible to the crowd. He had a megaphone held up to his mouth as he called for their attention. "We are sorry to inform you that due to technical difficulties we cannot continue with the program-"
"What!?" Kiba and Sakura yelped in protest and the crowd started booing and hissing. There were many who even demanded for their money to be returned to them.
"We'll preform," Naruto called out to the host and the crowd cheered. He took the megaphone from the man and turned to look at the crowd. "Are you ready to rock, acoustic style!?" A cheer greeted him as he pumped a fist into the air. "Let's bring some emotion to the stage!" Another cheer as the crowd got pumped up. "I want to ask anyone who has either candles, matches or lighters to put their hands up and light us a fiery reflection of the night sky!" He turned towards the host and whispered something in his ear. He then ran over to his band mates while the host went on his way to go do what Naruto had told him. "Sasuke, get Itachi's acoustic guitar, Shino, you'll be playing on an acoustic piano, Lee you and the drums are okay." He rattled off and they watched as said instruments were set up on the stage. "Kiba, I know you have a DJ app on your phone. They have several Bluetooth mini speakers that will serve us well enough. Neji, I seriously hope you know how to play the bass."
"Of course," said Hyuuga replied with a positive nod of his head.
"Then we're good to go music wise. Sai, he turned towards said artist, an arched blond brow, as though in challenge. "Get Kakashi and make him use Chidori to overcharge a flashlight so that you can make a background for us. Nothing obnoxious or flashy. We're doing Incomplete and the crowd's lights should be more than enough of a show maker, but, you know, better safe than sorry, dattebayo."
"Sweet!" Kiba crowed, rushing off to get his phone to prepare. The others quickly also scurried away to do as instructed, Sasuke having to hide so he can unseal Itachi's acoustic guitar from a standard storage scroll.
"Nice save," a lazy voice drawled and Naruto turned around to come face to face with none other than Nara Shikamaru, the lazy genius himself, dressed in a green shirt and tan pants, a bandanna wrapped around his right upper arm. "Have to admit, I wouldn't have thought of that had I been put on the spot like that. Although I probably wouldn't have even tried."
"Too bothersome?" Naruto asked with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Shikamaru smirked and actually bothered to shrug. "Do you know who could have caused this?"
"None of ours," Shikamaru said with a frown. "Ino sensed a foreign presence moving about in the crowd and climbing up above the stage. We couldn't find anyone to tell them there was an intruder in time but Tsunade-sama is now informed."
Well, at least there will be guards everywhere now, Naruto thought wryly. He cocked his head to the side when he heard the Six Paths Sage being announced before looking towards his companion. "I have to go now."
"Good luck." The genius replied. "Ino, Chouji and I will keep an eye out for any threats. We won't let Uchiha get taken away."
"I don't think that's why they're here this time," was the grave answer but Naruto still nodded his thanks before turning around and going to the host of the concerts to take a megaphone from him and enter the stage with his band. The crowd cheered when the flashlights focused on them and the blond waved cheerily, as though he hadn't just been contemplating why the blackout was happening and that there might be a more sinister reason behind it. The Nara just arched an eyebrow at the switch from that serious persona that befitted a shinobi Naruto's real age and the happy go lucky attitude he displayed to fit his age by appearances. The shift was so fluid it was like water. He obviously had many years of experience in hiding his seriousness from everyone around him. Shikamaru wondered briefly what else that cheerful persona was hiding before going off to find his friends so he can keep his promise to the blond.
"You guys ready?" On the stage, as he waved to the crowd, Naruto asked of the mortal shinobi that had dragged him into this band thing in the first place.
"As ready as we'll ever be," Neji replied with a put upon sigh despite the somewhat ecstatic smile on his face. He had never done something like this before, due to the way the Hyuuga Clan were rather stiff and proper. Especially since Naruto left and they were all left at the mercy of the elders and their old ways.
"Let's do this!" Kiba added with a grin on his face, too, only it looked far more wild than anything any Hyuuga could produce. Then again, Inuzuka were considered half-dog by all those who know of them as shinobi.
"Are you ready!?" The Uzumaki yelled to the crowd in the megaphone, earning a massive cheer from the gathered people. "I can't hear you! I said, are you ready!?" The cheer was even louder this time, the masses getting even more pumped up as each person joined into the screams and clapping. ''Let's do this! Ladies and gentlemen, please break out the tissues and feel free to sing along!''
On cue, Shino started playing the piano for the intro with Neji following in the background with the contrabass soon after.
''Empty spaces fill me up with hopes
Distant faces with no place left to go
Without you within me I can't find no rest
Where I'm going is anybody's guess
I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete'' Naruto sang with emotion and Kiba and Sasuke joined in now, picking up the beat as Lee started hitting his drums. He was aware his band mates were looking at him in surprise but he paid it no attention. This was not a song he wanted to mess up, especially as seeing who it was that had introduced him to it by way of being their favorite, three years ago. He still remembered coming into town to discretely check on the brothers, only for him to find the older one singing it in a local bar that had karaoke nights. Naruto knew his voice wasn't the best for this song, definitely not as suitable as his older charge's was, but he had practiced this song when he was by himself until he got it as perfect as he could.
''Voices tell me I should carry on
But I am swimming in an ocean all alone
Baby, my baby, it's written on your face
You still wonder if we made a big mistake'' What made the song so good was the amount of emotion one could put into it and how many people it can apply to. He knew it can be for a lover, to a brother, sang for a sister, meant for a friend, a tribute to a parent or a partner, it didn't matter. It was flexible enough that you could chose who you are singing for and Itachi had used that to his advantage as well as somehow knowing when Naruto would come back for a check in and he had snag it knowing Naruto was listening, a sort of last ditch effort to make him stay with him and Sasuke. Naruto had stayed for the song and had fled that bar as though the hounds of hell were running after him or as though the Akatsuki were a mere street away and not armed, ready for the taking.
Itachi taunted him with the song every time he had checked on the boys since, even with his lack of presence, as Sasuke had come to playing that song every time he thought of his brother.
''I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete
I don't mean to drag it on
But I can't seem to let you go
I don't want to make you face this world alone
I want to let you go'' He wondered if the younger Uchiha will forgive him for dragging Itachi into this and bringing up the memories. But they needed to play a song, a song Itachi was well known for loving so he can somehow fish out whoever had come here, the stranger who dared come here when all three Sannin and Naruto himself were attending to look over the last known living Uchiha. Besides, the song was a personal favorite, too, and he had known all six of them knew it by heart, which could be told in how Lee never missed a beat, with how Neji passionately struck each wire of his contrabass, how Shino never hesitated in hitting a chord or the way Kiba didn't need much effort to deal with the song and how Sasuke was actually playing with his eyes closed, although Naruto suspected that last one was to prevent any tears from slipping or maybe his eyes were flashing red? It would be rather disastrous if he showed his Sharingan off right now, in front of all of these people. Naruto hoped whoever it was that had done this, infiltrated Konoha when security was so tight, were not a sensor and would not sense the rise in chakra if Sasuke actually did accidentally activate his Kekkei Genkai.
The crowd was definitely enjoying their preference and Naruto could sense that they had touched more than a few hearts. As he had requested from the crowd, they had all put up as many matches and lighters above their heads and were swaying and singing in tune with the song. With his eyes half-lidded so they don't see the red of Kurama's enhancement to his vision in the dark, Naruto could see the way a good number of them wiped away their tears and let out sighs as the song continued playing. Even Kurama was humming along in the back of the Jinchuuriki's head, being careful not to be too loud so as not to throw Naruto off. A sort of serenity had fallen over them all, a solemnity that had not been promised by the way he had pumped up the crowd earlier on.
Still, as he sang the last few verses, there were cheers of approval that followed the end of the song.
''I tried to go on like I never knew you
I'm awake but my world is half asleep
I pray for this heart to be unbroken
But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete
Incomplete''
Sasuke kept staring at their lead singer as the song finished, wondering why that song of all possible had been the one he had decided on. Yes, it was a great song, but it was also one he would rather not contemplate about. There were a lot of memories it had brought right back up and Sasuke wasn't sure he was very happy with that. For even as he listened to Naruto sing and the other instruments play, he had heard the overlapping of only a single guitar playing in the background as his brother's voice sang the song to him when he was younger.
But, as he looked at Naruto, bowing to the crowd, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Without much thought, his eyes flared up into the Sharingan red and he looked over there, only for his eyes to meet a pair of weird purple eyes, concentrated circles around a small black pupil before the person vanished in a move Sasuke knew to be a very well preformed Shunshin.
The way Naruto stood tense in front of him, his own eyes still red from Kurama's influence, whoever it had been spelled bad news for them all.
