Chapter 15: Betrayal of a Brother

Naruto jumped out of the carriage to be met with smiling faces. "Hey guys!" He grabbed his bag and fan off the back of the carriage and ran toward his friends who had come to meet him. Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata all stood in front of his house. He had just arrived back in Konoha after his month's stay at the mansion in Tea country.

"Hey Naruto!" Ino screamed hugging the blonde. "We're going to go to the park in a little while so do you want us to wait for you?"

Naruto nodded, "I'll be back out in a second." The energetic boy flew inside and put away his things. He loved the park not only was it a great place to hang around with his friends, but it was in the center of what Naruto called 'food central' with his top ten favorite restaurants all surrounding it.

Grabbing his fan he walked back outside to where they were waiting. "So Naruto how much stronger did you get since you went away?" Sasuke asked, he had been training with Itachi since his friend had left and was now at the same place Naruto was before he left.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head. "Well my taijutsu has improved a little, my ninjutsu a ton, and my genjutsu not at all."

Sasuke gave him a grin. "Well the opposite for me. I learned some genjutsu and taijutsu but no ninjutsu care to try me out?" The blonde whacked Sasuke on the back of the head laughing. "The last one to the park is spoiled ramen."

The rest of the group ran after Naruto while Sasuke got up and tried to catch up, screaming at the blue eyed wonder.

Naruto stood in the park waiting for his friends, he was much faster than any of them besides Sasuke who was almost as fast. He sat down as his friends panted. "You know Shikamaru I met a kid I'd think you'd like."

"Oh really?" The genius replied still panting heavily.

"Yeah, he loves shogi and he's really smart."

"Yeah but is he as lazy?" Ino asked sticking her tongue out at Shikamaru who only rolled his eyes.

"Not quite." Said Naruto tossing his fan on to the ground where it landed with a thud.

"Hey Naruto just tell us everything you did." Chouji said, "Wanting to hear of his friend's adventure.

Naruto smiled, "Sure thing… As long as he doesn't try and kill me," he stepped out of the way as Sasuke tried to bonk him on the head. "Just let me hit you once." Sasuke begged throwing a punch at Naruto who laughed and let hit him.

"Feel better?" Naruto asked getting up from the ground, Sasuke nodded, offering Naruto his hand.

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!" Sakura and Ino yelled, Ino bonking Sasuke on the head, while Sakura bonk Naruto.

Both boys fell over causing Chouji and Shikamaru to laugh. These crazy instances were common when Naruto and Sasuke were together and nothing seemed to change from Naruto's trip.

"Well anyway," Naruto said rubbing the lump on his head, "When we got there I met a bunch of kids related to the other kages, one was Heiri the one I think would get along with Shikamaru. His sister Raiki who tried to kill me, Gaara's siblings and a bunch of other people neither as handsome or as powerful as myself."

The group members exchanged looks it seemed some of Jiraiya's antics had worn off on their friend.

/-/-/

Naruto walked to the training ground with gusto. He had told his friends about his adventures and knew it was time for him to get back to work.

Sasuke and Naruto walked to the training ground near the Uchiha mansion. The walked silently side by side. When they got deep within the forest away from other people Naruto took a scroll from his black jacket.

"Hey Sasuke want to see some jutsu I learned." Naruto baited his friend until the boy nodded.

Naruto tossed Sasuke the scroll having already memorized the jutsu he just needed to put what he knew into practice.

Sasuke opened the scroll. His eyes widened as he mulled over the contents. "Naruto you can't do this stuff it's meant for jounin. I mean maybe individual jutsu, but this is combining them. You can't do some of this stuff with out a blood line."

Naruto grinned at his friend. "I'd beg to differ." He waved a second scroll out in front of him. "This right here, would beg to disagree."

Sasuke gave him a look. "But Itachi says that melding different types of elemental chakra is really hard if not impossible." Naruto shrugged the scroll said it could be done so why argue. Grinning at Sasuke he looked at the scroll.

"Jiraiya-sama says that it has been done in the past but it takes years and years of practice, usually whole life times but once you get the affinity it's passed down." He lifted his fan off his back and through it over to a tree making the hundreds of pounds look light.

Sasuke looked at Naruto in desperation. He's getting stronger still when will I catch up?

"Sasuke lets spar then we can go back to your house for dinner."

Sasuke laughed at his friend's attempt to eat his mom's food. "Only if you win Naruto, otherwise you never get to eat at my house again… EVER!" He laughed harder seeing Naruto's horror.

Sasuke's smile fell seeing how serious Naruto was going to fight him. Maybe I shouldn't have said ever…

Naruto and Sasuke's fight was brief. Naruto charged and after forcing Sasuke onto the defensive he swept his leg trying to knock Sasuke off his feet. Sasuke dodged jumping into the air and was not prepared for the new strength Naruto had acquired.

Naruto stopped himself midway through his sweep and spun the other way kicking Sasuke's feet and causing him to fall and turn upside down. Then it was over as Naruto slammed his heel into Sasuke's side sending him flying into a tree.

Naruto walked over and helped his friend up. "So jerk, what's your mom cooking tonight?" Sasuke laughed, no matter how much Naruto hurt you, you couldn't stay mad at him for long.

Naruto and Sasuke walked slowly to the Uchiha mansion, Sasuke's arm draped over Naruto's shoulder. They passed through the gate and saw one of Sasuke's cousins kneeling over blood, which was pooling on the ground coming from a wound on his arm which the ninja tried in vain to cover.

The boys glanced at each other and then Naruto let go of Sasuke and sped to the main house.

Naruto stopped in front of the clan house not knowing what to do. The mansion was on fire and in the doorway he could see Itachi's sword. "ITACHI!" Naruto yelled running to the Uchiha. "What's going on, what happened to you." Naruto hugged Itachi's waist looking up at him his eyes showing his fear.

"Naruto I can't tell you much but listen carefully. A dangerous organization, known as the Akatsuki, plan on capturing all the biju and using them to gain power. I have been recruited by this group to go, I have no choice. If I don't go they will kill everyone in the clan and… take you." Itachi did not want to force the young boy to understand but he did not want his brothers to hate him.

"Itachi what do you mean, we can stop them my dad and Jiraiya-."

Itachi shook his head. "No I can't put them in danger. I'll go and join the group and bide you enough time to grow strong enough to defend yourself… and kill me." Itachi hesitated it pained him to leave his brother so confused, filled with conflicting emotions. I can't stay the only ninjas powerful enough to stop Madara were the Fourth and Jiraiya and they can't stay guarding the Uchiha clan all day. This is my only choice.

Naruto's eyes began to tear realizing what Itachi meant. "But you can't go. You're my brother. I need you. Sasuke needs you!"

Itachi patted the boy's head and then tapped Naruto's forehead. Naruto looked at Itachi for a second, blinked, and then was out cold thanks to Itachi's genjutsu. Good bye Naruto. I'll miss you.

/-/-/

It had been over a year since Itachi had left the village and Naruto and Sasuke were holding up considerably well. It had been hard with the deaths that had followed including the death of Sasuke's father who Madara had killed to show Itachi he would not stand disloyalty.

Sasuke had been quiet the first months, very introverted, as if trying to figure out what had happened not understanding, but he had emerged from the incident stronger than before.

Both remembered the vow they had made. They had sworn to get stronger and then bring Itachi back, it was the promise of a lifetime.

Naruto stood in the shade while training. Cool sweat glistened on his neck, it was not easy practicing chakra control, and going through taijutsu with a two hundred pound fan on your back but to make things a little easier his shirt was off.

"Hey Naruto!" Ino called emerging from the forest. She liked to watch Naruto train but she passed off the visits as opportunities to eat with him. "I brought you some lunch." Naruto grinned at his friend hugging her. She tried to escape the hug protesting loudly seeing his sweaty muscular body. "Nooo!" She yelled pretending to be disgusted. Wow he looks good.

"Thanks Ino!" Naruto said, one arm wrapped around her waist while the other stole his lunch.

Ino smiled sitting on the grass her legs pulled into her chest admiring him. "No problem Naruto… You know I really need to tell you to stop training so much. I know about your promise with Sasuke but you will get stronger regardless of how much you train. I don't want you to hurt yourself Naruto. Your dad can help you too and-."

Naruto cut her off. "Ino thanks for your consideration but getting Itachi back is something I have to do with Sasuke not with my dad. I skipped the second meeting with the kage children to stay back and help Sasuke get over his dad's death and Itachi leaving."

He smiled at her as her eyes fell off the half naked blonde. He gently put his hand on her shoulder, "Ino we'll be okay besides we won't go after him until we're at least chuunin."

Ino's face brightened, "You guys are already at chuunin strength."They'll be okay, I know they will.

The two let go of their bad thoughts and spent the next half an hour laughing while eating their lunch.

Naruto went straight back to training as Ino left. He had work to do.

He took out the scroll he had taken after his last visit to the 'haunted mansion'. He had now gone to three visits at the mansion in tea country and had missed only one of the four that had happened. The new scroll had wind combination jutsu.

Naruto sighed. A lot's happened over the last two years. I just turned twelve and I've learned so much. I have affinity for wind and I built one for water. He grinned to himself he had spent two years with that Suiton scroll and had built a weak water affinity but it was enough to use some ice jutsu. He was now working on his wind to make his ability stronger.

He formed some hand seals. "Futon: Guiding wind." He sucked in and then fired a huge burst of condensed air and holding the final seal guided through the trees to the target he had set up. Nice that one's down.

Hearing foot steps he turned and coming out of the small trail Sasuke appeared a sword on his back and lunch in his arms.

Naruto beamed, "Oh good I was just getting hungry."

Sasuke sighed, when Naruto didn't hug him for bringing food it usually meant he had eaten already. "So Naruto who brought you lunch today?" Sasuke asked leaning back against a tree observing Naruto study the scroll.

Naruto finally looked up from his temporary hyper focus and walked over to Sasuke. "Ino brought me lunch, why?" Sasuke chuckled his friend could be so funny, "No reason. Naruto the chuunin exams are coming up soon. What team are you going to be on? Since you never went to the academy what are you going to do?"

Naruto had already discussed this with his father, "I'm going to take the test for the exam and I'll be put on a team from there."

Sasuke looked at his brother not sure what to say. He let out a deep breath, "Well let's go back it's time for you to meet with Jiraiya."You try so hard to get better is Itachi more important to you than me? I have to work harder. "Will you be over for dinner?"

Naruto thought for a second, "Yes I think so."

Naruto got up and finished his second lunch. Sasuke was much stronger now members of the clan at helped him after his father's death. Sasuke had not yet unlocked the sharingan but he knew a handful of fire jutsu and genjutsu.

The raven haired boy, though not nearly as good as Naruto, was very formidable to a low level chuunin. Naruto and Sasuke walked to the Hokage's mansion and from there Naruto was on his own.

As he had advanced Jiraiya had taken to giving him lessons in jutsu theory and development something Naruto had a knack for. Today however Naruto was going to meet with the Great Toad Sage.

The Great Toad Sage had never made a wrong prediction, however, the toad claimed that the Fourth Hokage would die young to save what he loved and luckily that hadn't happened yet. The prophecy made for Jiraiya had not happened either, at least not all of it, and today Naruto would be given a prophecy.

Naruto stepped into the Hokage's office nervously. He would be the youngest toad summoner ever given a prediction. His hands were clammy as he grinned at Jiraiya.

I have to be ready for the prophecy… Oh come on why am I so nervous. I have mastered toad summoning, trained with my father the Hokage and the legendary toad sannin, learned a hundred jutsu and learned the rasengan at age nine in three weeks.

Jiraiya handed Naruto the scroll which was really the link to get to the Great Toad Sage's chamber. "Go ahead Naruto just give it a little blood." The wise ninja noticed Naruto's anxiety and gave him some advice. "Naruto you'll be fine. I know you want me to go but only one human can enter the toad sage's lair. You know you'll also get your own elder toads to advise you on your way to learning sage mode. So no matter what something good will come out of all this."

Naruto nodded feeling a bit better.

"Alright here I go." With those final words he rested his palm on the scroll and entered the chamber of the Great Toad Sage.

Naruto stood before the huge toad in quiet astonishment. The toad looked at him with curiosity. "Pray tell boy, who are you?"

A toad on a platform to the right answered for him. "His name is Naruto you have a prophecy for him."

"Who is Naruto child?" The Great Toad Sage asked, age certainly took a toll on the memory. The sage's words caused Naruto to look nervous. Have they forgotten about me already?

"Naruto, you have a prophecy for him, GEEEZ!" The toad yelled at the sage earning him a hit on the head from his wife. "Don't talk to the sage like that."

The sage sighed all the elders were the same. "Naruto I have two prophecies for you. I have seen in my dreams that you will have two fates one leading you into darkness and ultimately death and the other to greatness and power. But to acquire greatness you must sacrifice something that is precious to you."

Naruto gazed in wonder at the sage. Something that is precious to me… He roamed his thought trying to find what the toad meant. Ramen, my friends, dad, the village, Sasuke, Itachi my pride health,… what? The list went on and on but he stopped at the most likely things.

"The second part of the prophecy Naruto is harder to explain. In my dreams I see you walking through a grassy field blood dripping on a sword that you carry. Then you stop and wait. I can see only one meaning to this, if you find the path to greatness you must fulfill a dream held by not only yourself but many others and you must do this whatever the sacrifice. For in your hands rests the fate of the world."

Naruto did not speak even though questions whizzed around in his head all wanting, needing to be answered. "Now kid." A small toad called upon seeing th prophecy concluded. "Me and her have some business to take care of so will meet you in your world so hurry up and go." His voice held a certain amount of disdain for the female toad he was talking about.

Naruto did as he was told and placed his hand on the seal which connected him with the Sage's chamber. He awoke startled on the floor of the Hokage's office. He looked around to be greeted by Jiraiya, his father, and Anko.

At first Naruto had been wary of the purple haired jounin but he discovered quickly she wore a mask of sadism and was not as tough as she claimed to be. The dango loving woman hung on to Minato's arm loosely. Naruto had accepted the odd relationship they shared. His father loved her as not a lover but a good friend. She was one of the few people he could talk to and feel truly at ease. She had upon coming back into his life felt an attraction to the man six years her senior but the feeling was not what she had first thought it was.

/-/-/ Anko

She was now twenty four and him thirty and she realized that what she saw in him was a protector. It was interesting to her to discover these things, she had kissed him but now he seemed more like the father she had never had. She felt safe next to him and when she felt safe she was much more forgiving of every one around her, even Jiraiya. Naruto in turn grew to think of her as a big older sister… Well a big sister that liked to see him bleed on occasion, but also one that helped him train and loved taking him out to dinner with his dad.

/-/-/ Minato

He had at first wondered whether Naruto would be alright with him sharing his time with both him and Anko but his worries were put at ease as Anko actually had them eat together more often and do family related things besides training. He felt that now Kushina's best friend had become his daughter and a blessing for Naruto as well. Still he was often amused by how his father daughter relationship was closer than with other parents. The age difference seemed to be insignifigant when compared with how much older Minato seemed with his wisdom and how much younger Anko seemed with her antics and undying loyalty.

/-/-/ Naruto

Naruto grinned, while being hauled to his feet by Anko. "So Naruto." Jiraiya began earnestly. "How did it go?" He knew that prophecies were supposed to be kept secret but he just wanted to know if it was good or bad.

Naruto smiled, "It was good and my toad elders are coming out to meet with me." Jiraiya winked at the short blonde, he had expected as much. "Jiraiya, did the Great Toad Sage have a terrible memory when you were given your prophecy too?"

Jiraiya nodded, "Of course the Great Toad Sage is a few thousand years old."

Naruto felt a little better about the incident. Then there was a poof of smoke at two toads appeared on the link seal. "So blondie you're the kid we were put in charge of." The woman's voice was old and crackly, but not harsh and it relieved Naruto even more.

Everyone in the room looked at the toads with interest, especially Minato who had not gotten around to working on his hermit mode abilities.

"Kid," the male toad said, "My name is pops to you and her's is ma." The toad winked at Naruto. "Out duty is to help you learn the ways of the hermit and we will. We came here to tell you a few things one is that we'll expect you to meet with us once a week for the next two months. The next thing we have tell you is we're going to have to teach you more about summoning so just study more with the sannin. Kid I suspect that Jiraiya can show you the seals to summon us, but we have to go we're late for dinner."