Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter One: An Unexpected Meeting

Uzumaki Kaji stalked down the main street of Konoha, looking thoroughly intimidating. He was dressed entirely in black: black pants, black sandals, a long-sleeved black shirt, black fingerless gloves and a long black coat bearing the red spiral of the Uzumaki clan between the shoulder blades. The coat's billowing was somewhat halted by the katana strapped to his back. The black cloth of his hitai-ate was mixing almost seamlessly with his straight black hair. Instead of a stylized leaf, the metal plate bore the spiral that was the crest of Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden by the Whirling Tides. The menacing image was completed by the man's piercing purplish-blue eyes.

Those purplish eyes were currently glaring at anything they fell on: the buildings, the people hurrying to finish their shopping before the rain started, the black clouds hanging overhead... The man's foul mood was obvious and everyone was giving him a wide berth, hoping his gaze would not linger on them and deem them fitting objects to vent his anger. Nobody liked to be subjected to such fearsome glares, after all.

Kaji ignored the people cowering all around him, lost in his dark thoughts. He did not like being in Konoha. No, that was too mild; he hated being in Konoha. He hated not seeing the vast blue of the ocean on the horizon. He hated the oppressive summer heat that made his clothes stick to his back.

He hated having to sit through endless Council meetings, listening to the self-important councilors going on and on and on about this and that, presenting a calm facade to the world while in his head he created simple yet highly entertaining schemes. They mostly revolved around him using his katana -and maybe a few high-level Suiton jutsu- to rid the Leaf of this blight called 'the Council'. There were days he was almost certain the Sandaime was contemplating the same thing, but with a blunt nyoi instead of a razor-sharp katana. 'Feh. And some accuse the old man of being soft.'

But most of all, he hated how all these high-and-mighty shinobi clan heads and civilians would belittle Uzushio and trample all over the much smaller village. Every proposal he brought in front of them would be taken apart, every insignificant little detail thoroughly scrutinized and, after they were satisfied there was no hidden meaning behind even the simplest requests, suggestions would be made. Maybe we can alter this part here and that part there so that Konoha can better respond to Uzushio's needs?

Need. That was the key word. Uzushio was still too weak to stand on its own. They had wealth, but not manpower, not unless they hired mercenaries like they had when Iwa had attacked their small island nation. As much as their pride was stung by admitting it, they needed Konoha.

And so, Kaji had to swallow his indignation and fury, and accept every single demeaning term. There was no other choice. Needless to say, all that left a bitter taste in his mouth. 'If Minato were here...'

Kaji sighed. If he had to be completely honest with himself, it wasn't being in Konoha or even dealing with Konoha's Council that he hated so much. It was all the memories that this place brought back, along with the useless -and so painful- feeling of 'what could have been'.

Not that admitting this made his foul mood disappear.

He knew better than to dwell on things that could not be changed, he really did. But, sometimes, he couldn't help himself. His life had ended up so different from what they had imagined on that hot summer day years ago. Back then, the five of them were just kids dreaming of changing the world, firmly convinced that nothing could stop them.

His oldest brother, Kenshin, was going to succeed their father and become the head of the Uzumaki clan. He was serious and stubborn but also kind and loyal; he would make a perfect leader.

His older brother, Kaito, was going to become Kenshin's bodyguard and advisor when that day came. Despite his quick temper, he was brilliant, talented, and, most importantly, completely devoted to his family; Kenshin could ask for no finer right hand man.

His only sister, Kushina, had her own burden, being the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. She was a tomboy whose fiery temper could frighten everyone, even Kenshin, and had made it her goal to become the toughest, strongest kunoichi. Kaito used to tease her that the future wife of the future Hokage should be a little more delicate than that, earning himself a rough smack to the head in response every time.

Then, there was Namikaze Minato. Somehow, the even-tempered teen had managed to seamlessly fit right into their 'group' after he had saved Kushina from some kidnappers from Kumo. The moment he had introduced himself to the Uzumaki brothers, they had realized two things: first, that this boy was going to become Hokage one day very soon, and second, that he was head over heels for their sister.

And finally, there was Kaji himself. He wasn't even a ninja at the time, but he followed his siblings around begging them to train him so he could become as strong and cool as they were. Then, when he was strong enough, the five of them would end all wars so that people wouldn't have to live in fear anymore.

The war had ended them first.

Kenshin and Kaito had been killed during the Third Shinobi World War, almost seven years ago.

Minato and Kushina had died during the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha more than four years ago. Their son, born that very day, had died with them.

That had been the final stroke for Kaji's father; he had been looking forward to meeting his grandchild. In their last letter, Minato and Kushina had informed Kenjiro and Kaji that they planned to name the boy 'Naruto'. Maelstrom – a fitting name for an Uzumaki, Kenjiro had declared proudly. Kaji had wisely decided not to mention the name's connection to ramen, fearing his irascible sister would keep his nephew away from him.

Kaji sighed again. Reminiscing wouldn't change anything. He had a job to do in the Leaf and he couldn't afford to be distracted by the past. Besides, a ninja with his reputation couldn't walk around daydreaming. At best, he would embarrass himself. At worst... his father would be heartbroken once again.

Kaji kept walking down Konoha's main street as rain started to pour, lost in his more-broody-than-usual thoughts ('Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me today? '), when he noticed something in one of the side streets. 'Ramen.' Hmm. Maybe a bowl -or two, or three- of his favorite food was just what he needed to chase this morbid mood away. One bowl of warm ramen would fill his stomach and, if it was really good, warm his heart and make him forget all his troubles for a while.

Not that he expected anyone else to understand the amazing healing powers of ramen. Apparently, it was an Uzumaki thing; others treated ramen like any other food. Whenever Kaito and Kushina had heard such sacrilege, they had quickly educated the misguided person on his (or her) wrongdoings, earning themselves odd stares from bystanders. Kaji was more reserved: he just stared at people like they had said something incredibly stupid -which they had, of course.

Looking critically at the clean but small and not so fancy ('poor might be a better word for it ') shop in front of him, he decided to give it a try. After all, nothing that smelled so divine could be too bad. Pushing one of the flaps away, he sat on a stool in front of the empty counter.

"Hello and welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! My name is Ayame! May I take your order?" The girl who had greeted him looked about ten years old -a bit too young to work, but it did seem like they were struggling to get by, he noticed now that he was inside.

Kaji ordered a large bowl of seafood ramen and a man wearing a long white apron -the girl's father and owner of the ramen stand, from what the young man gathered- started preparing the meal. A truly delicious scent tickled Kaji's nostrils as mr. Ichiraku mixed and boiled the ingredients for the broth.

'Looks like this won't be so bad after all,' Kaji thought as he waited for what promised to be a delicious meal.

-XOXO-

Hatake Kakashi, codename "Dog", was running across the rooftops of Konoha. He was dressed in form-fitting armor and was wearing a mask shaped like a dog's snout; the mask did nothing to cover his long, gravity defying spiky silver hair.

He arrived at his destination with a few minutes to spare before the shift change, a rare thing for him. Kakashi was many things, but punctual was not one of them. Not anymore. This was the only mission he would never allow himself to be running late, however.

The young ANBU with the weasel mask didn't comment on Kakashi's lack of tardiness. Not that Kakashi expected him to. Uchiha Itachi, codename "Weasel", was brilliant, ridiculously talented, and aloof to the point many thought he was completely antisocial. Not the most charming combination, to be sure, but Kakashi didn't really have room to talk considering how unapproachable he had been when he was eleven. He hoped that the boy would grow out of it, eventually.

"Anything to report?" Itachi was not the only one with antisocial tendencies.

"Nothing of import. The boy left his apartment early and spent the day outside, mostly in the park."

That did sound like a typical day for Naruto. Except for one thing: "No pranks?"

"No, senpai. He didn't come in contact with anyone today; in fact, he actually went out of his way to avoid some other kids when they came too close to his hiding spot." Itachi's even tone betrayed none of his emotions, but Kakashi would bet new Icha Icha novel that the boy was disturbed. He could see it in the way Itachi held himself: a little too stiff, his hands trembling slightly as if he wanted to clench them into fists. 'Or maybe he's trying to suppress the urge to throttle someone.' Kakashi knew that feeling very well.

Apparently, even the marble statue known as Uchiha Itachi had his breaking point. "Is it always like this?"

"Yes." Kakashi didn't need to ask what Itachi meant by that. The pre-teen's usually emotionless voice had taken an angry edge and Kakashi was certain Itachi was glaring at the villagers from under his mask. He himself did more than just glare as he looked at the good people of the Hidden Leaf directing all their hatred to a four-year-old boy. Part of him wanted to unleash Raikiri on those fools, take Naruto, get him out of Konoha and damn all consequences. His hands actually twitched for a moment. He had to remind himself couldn't do that; he had sworn an oath to protect those people.

Not that this made the idea any less appealing to him. In fact, his loyalty was seriously tested every year on October 10th, when he had to make sure that his sensei's son wasn't killed on the day he was born by the people who claimed to honor the Fourth Hokage's memory.

'Ignorant, bigoted assholes.'

"You'll have to learn to separate those content with glaring and muttering threats under their breath from those willing to actually carry out those threats. And, most important of all, never let Naruto out of your sight." He turned to look at Itachi and waited until the boy looked back at him before continuing. "Your predecessor felt that those people" he practically spat the words "had the right idea and attempted to join them. The man's comatose state wasn't deemed an important enough detail to delay Inoichi-san's not-so-gentle investigation and Ibiki is still waiting for him to recover in order to interrogate him properly."

Itachi didn't ask who had put the man in a coma. "You don't have to worry about me," he stated. "I will not allow anyone to harm a single hair on Naruto-kun's head. Those who try will pay the price of their folly." His icy tone left little room for doubt as to what he meant.

"I'm glad we understand each other. Now then, I'll take over here." Itachi nodded at that and vanished in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi headed to a rooftop on the other side of the street, moving a little ahead of the boy.

The busy street was rapidly emptying as people hurried to their homes to avoid the rain that had started pouring. Kakashi frowned as Naruto kept walking down the street, in the opposite direction of the dingy little apartment he lived in, rapidly getting soaked to the bone as the rain intensified. 'What is he doing?'

The boy made his way to a ramen stand ('Figures. He's Kushina-san's child, that's for sure.'), but didn't enter. He just stood there, in the downpour, looking inside.

'Why isn't he entering?'

Then, it hit Kakashi like a brick wall: because the boy was afraid. No shop owner in Konoha allowed Naruto entrance; in fact, many went as far as to chase the boy out of their stores, cursing the 'demon brat' for polluting the atmosphere just by being nearby.

Every time he saw a scene like that, Kakashi felt his blood boil and had to suppress the urge to form Raikiri and teach the fools the error of their ways. His hands were already stained by the blood of his two most treasured friends, so the worthless blood of people petty enough to abuse a child for crimes he had never committed would actually be an improvement.

Sadly, the Hokage had forbidden him to kill someone unless they directly assaulted the boy; dark looks and muttered threats didn't fall in that category. The old man had worded his orders very carefully, leaving Kakashi no loopholes to exploit.

A voice was heard from inside the ramen stand, calling the boy inside and Naruto jumped in fear, looking ready to bolt. However, after a few moments of hesitation, he squared his shoulders and walked in.

Kakashi smiled under his masks and found a somewhat comfortable seat.

-XOXO-

Naruto stood outside the most wonderfully smelling ramen stand in Konoha and tried to gather his courage. Today was the day. Today he was going to walk inside and order a bowl of those deliciously smelling ramen. This was it. No chickening out again. Seventh time is the charm... or something like that. He wasn't certain. He'd heard an adult say something similar once and thought it sounded cool.

'Right. Focus. Get in, sit down, order ramen, eat the ramen, pay, and leave before he realizes who I am. Easy.'

Except that it wasn't easy -not at all. Everyone knew that the blond boy with the whisker marks on his cheeks was trouble. They would glare at him before telling him to get lost and go die somewhere to rid them of his presence. When they thought he couldn't hear them, they would whisper to each other, calling him the 'demon child' or 'monster' or 'nine-tails kid' or other mean things.

Naruto couldn't understand why they called him all those names. He had spent hours in front of a mirror, trying to see what made everyone hate him so much. But he didn't have nine tails; he didn't even have one tail! And he wasn't a monster: he had two hands with five fingers, two feet with five toes, two ears, two eyes, a nose, a mouth, and hair like everyone else. How was he different from them? And he knew that demons were mean with fangs and claws and horns and scary eyes. But he didn't look like a demon. His teeth were normal (although his canines were slightly longer than average), his eyes had pupils and not slits, his fingers had fingernails and not claws. And he definitely didn't have horns.

The only things he had that others didn't were the whisker marks on his cheeks, three of them in each. But Hokage-jiji had said that he was born with them, so he couldn't see what was so bad about them.

So, if there was nothing wrong with him, as his jiji told him over and over, then why did everyone hate him so much?

Was it because he was born on the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha? He knew it was a terrible thing and that many had died that day but he didn't have anything to do with that. How could he have been responsible for it? He was just a baby at the time! So why-

"Hey, boy! Do you want to come over and eat something?"

Naruto jumped as a grown-up's voice interrupted his thoughts, forcibly dragging him back to reality. Since he was shorter than the lower end of the flaps, he didn't need to push them back to look inside the store. There was old man Ichiraku and his daughter; no surprise there, he had seen them both before. He turned his eyes to the third person, a young man eating a bowl of ramen. A hitai-ate was tied around his forehead.

'A shinobi! This is bad. What am I going to do?' Shinobi were fast and didn't like him, mostly because they had to chase him after a prank, so the best thing he could do was leave and come back another day. Then again, he was cold, soaked, and hungry and the ramen smelled really good. He didn't want to leave without eating first.

He looked at the man with the black coat ('So cool!') once again, but he wasn't glaring at Naruto. He was looking... confused? Naruto noticed that his hitai-ate didn't have the leaf but a spiral. So, the man was probably a foreigner who didn't know about the 'demon child'.

Still, the intense way the man's purple eyes were boring into him made him nervous.

"Well, come inside! Don't stand in the rain!" Old man Ichiraku smiled and waved towards one of the seats. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and walked inside. He could feel his mouth watering as the divine smell of ramen became stronger.

'And I'm going to get a bowl of these. Perfect.'

-XOXO-

"Hey, boy! Do you want to come over and eat something?" Kaji was midway through his second bowl when the chef's voice interrupted his little 'healing session'. He turned on his stool and looked at the store's entrance.

He nearly fell off his seat by what -or, rather, who- he saw there.

A small boy, four maybe five years old, was standing in the rain, completely drenched. His clothes were sticking to his scrawny little body and his blond hair was plastered to his head, almost covering up his bright blue eyes. The whisker marks on his cheeks ('So, this small child is the Kyuubi's vessel? Surprising.') made him look like a sodden kitten -or maybe fox kit was more accurate.

Under normal circumstances, such an image would have gotten a smirk out of him. But now, he found that he could barely breathe. This boy, fearful and ready to bolt if anyone made a wrong move, looked like a ghost straight out of the past.

"Well, come inside! Don't stand in the rain!" Ichiraku smiled and beckoned at the kid, inviting him inside. The child took a deep breath, apparently steeling himself, and hesitantly made his way towards the counter.

"You're completely soaked. That's not good. You'll catch a cold if you stay like that," Ichiraku said, shaking his head as he examined the boy. "Ayame, fetch a towel, would you?"

Little Ayame disappeared behind a door and came back a little later holding a small white towel. She handed it to her father who, in turn, passed it on to the blond-haired boy. "Here, dry yourself up a bit while I make you dinner, alright?"

The boy nodded, took the towel and did as the ramen chef suggested.

Kaji examined the boy closer, taking in every detail of his appearance. His blond hair was the color of dandelions and, once it was dried, formed spikes that stuck out in all directions. His skin was fair, but appeared tan compared to Kaji's even faired skin tone. His face was round and would be almost chubby if the boy had not been too thin for his age. And his eyes were sky blue and incredibly familiar.

Minato's eyes. 'But the shape is different. They're wider and rounder. Like Kushina's.'

Ichiraku placed a bowl of ramen -Kaji noticed absently that it was miso ramen- in front of the boy and the child started devouring his meal. There really was no other way to describe the merciless assault the bowl of ramen was undergoing.

Kaji realized he had been staring and turned back towards his ramen. But his appetite was gone now, replaced by a volatile mixture of emotions that made his stomach churn. He took a deep breath to calm himself and tried to sort out his feelings.

Confusion. That was easily the dominant one.

'Who is this boy? And why does he look like a miniature copy of Minato?'

His shabby clothes suggested that he was an orphan. The fact that he was alone and outdoors at this hour, in this rain, suggested that nobody cared about his whereabouts, something that angered Kaji. As to why he looked like Minato...

Hope. Maybe...

'No! Don't go there! They're dead, buried, gone. Don't…'

The boy soon emptied his bowl of ramen and broth. He gave a huge, bright grin at the chef and his happiness and utter joy was so contagious that Kaji felt the corners of his mouth lift in a small smile despite his inner turmoil.

"I'm glad you liked it," Ichiraku said with a grin of his own. "Alright, then. I've decided that your meal today will be the shop's treat."

"Really?" The boy's smile got even bigger, if such a thing was possible. "Thank you, dattebayo!"

'WHAT?!' Only a lifetime of shinobi training stopped Kaji from turning around and screaming the question at the child. Even so, his whole body tensed so badly, he broke the pair of chopsticks he was still holding.

"Don't mention it... uhm, you never told me your name."

"Naruto."

"Good to meet you, Naruto. My name is Teuchi and this" he pointed to the girl "is my daughter, Ayame"

"Good to meet you, too!"

Kaji barely paid attention to the conversation. Naruto. It couldn't be. Naruto, their Naruto, was dead. He had been dead for almost five years now.

The Uzumaki had been told about the new vessel of the Kyuubi, of course. As the greatest fuuinjutsu expert alive and Kushina's father, Uzumaki Kenjiro had demanded to know every detail about the boy Minato had chosen to imprison the Fox. They hadn't been told much: the infant was named Naruto and bore six whisker marks on his cheeks. He was the child of an average chuunin and a civilian and had been orphaned during the Kyuubi's attack.

Kaji hadn't thought much about the boy's name back then. He knew that Minato and Kushina had picked their son's name out of Jiraiya's first book, 'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi'. The young man had read it after a little prodding from his best friend and found it amazing; the hero's determination and devotion to peace were awe-inspiring. Surely such a great book had many fans other than Minato and Nagato.

He also hadn't thought much about the Hokage's insistence that the Uzumaki didn't have to send someone to check the seal on the toddler. The old man had said that Jiraiya of the Sannin would look at it; that had been good enough for everyone, especially the grief-stricken Kenjiro. The Toad Sage was deeply respected in Uzushio for his fuuinjutsu mastery.

Now that he reflected on it a bit, he realized that nobody from Uzushio had ever seen the young jinchuuriki. Envoys came to Konoha every few months, but they were all kept away from the demon container. Kaji had assumed it was plain old paranoia. Now, however….

There had to be a perfectly good explanation why the barely five –not six or seven but five– year old vessel of the Kyuubi, whose name happened to be 'Naruto', looked like a mini-Minato and had Kushina's bad verbal habit -and her love of ramen, now that he thought about it.

He ran it around his head over and over and over and the only answer that made sense was the worst possible one.

'The Hokage lied to us.' His body tensed again, this time from the effort it took to suppress his anger.

"Thank you! Come again!" He turned around just in time to see Naruto waving goodbye at Ayame and Teuchi.

"Ichiraku-san, what do you know about this boy?" Teuchi looked surprised to be asked such a thing.

"Not much, other than his name," he answered reluctantly. "I've been seeing him around the shop for the past few days, looking but not entering. Figured he might prefer a quieter atmosphere, so I waited until closing time to invite him. I think he might be an orphan."

"Yes, I too believe he's an orphan." Kaji fished some ryou notes out of his pocket and left it on the counter, discreetly 'borrowing' the boy's used chopsticks and a paper towel in the process. Then, he stood up and straightened his coat, carefully putting the now wrapped chopsticks in his pocket.

"Hey, wait! These are way more than what your order is worth!" Teuchi was pointing at the money, which was more than twice the price of the ramen Kaji had ordered.

'He's a good man. Few are kind enough to invite an orphan boy and offer him food. Even fewer would call back a customer to return him money, especially when it looks like they desperately need that money themselves.'

"Keep it. If anything, these are not nearly enough to repay you for what you've given me today." He offered the chef and his daughter a brief but warm smile before going outside.

He smiled again as he followed the little boy with the spiky blond hair.

-XOXO-

Kakashi nearly fell off the rooftop as he saw who had exited the small ramen stand shortly after Naruto.

'Uzumaki Kaji? What the hell is he doing here? And why is he following Naruto?'

The answer to the last one was obvious: because he saw Naruto. One would have to be both blind and stupid to not notice the boy's striking resemblance to his father.

'Heh. Guess that means that this village is made up of stupid people, blind to what's right in front of their eyes. '

Kakashi knew he was in a lot of trouble. The Hokage's explicit, unambiguous, unarguable orders were that whenever an envoy from Uzushio visited, Naruto should be kept well out of his -or her- sight. And Kakashi had, albeit reluctantly, agreed to follow those orders.

Kakashi knew what was expected of him. He had been assigned to protect Naruto and eliminate any threats to him. But that was the real question, wasn't it? Was Kaji a threat?

'He's certainly going to be a threat when he confirms beyond any doubt that this boy is his supposedly dead nephew. But right now...'

Right now, the foreign shinobi was just taking a leisurely stroll after eating dinner, his path matching that of Kakashi's charge by pure coincidence.

At least, that was how Kakashi chose to interpret the situation. He was fairly certain the Hokage would not see things his way.

The silver-haired ninja was in really deep shit.

'Well, too late for regrets now. He's been seen, and by the worst man possible.' Uzumaki Kaji would demand answers and wouldn't hesitate to barge into the Hokage's office and hold the Sandaime at swordpoint until the old man told him everything he wanted to know. And he would most definitely not take 'no' for an answer. The only way this situation could get worse was if Uzumaki Kenjiro suddenly appeared from around the corner.

'But do I really regret it? Why is Kaji-san meeting Naruto such a bad thing?' The treacherous thought made its way into his mind and refused to be driven out of there.

The man was the boy's uncle. He and his father should have been the ones to decide Naruto's future, not the Hokage. The boy should have been given to their care after his parents' had died. 'He should have a proper home and a loving family, not be subjected to this every single day of his life.' He looked with disgust at the people who had surfaced again now that the rain had stopped and were wasting no time reminding Naruto just how unwelcome he was.

Kakashi saw Kaji's brows knit together in a fearsome scowl and his right hand twitching for a fraction of a second as if longing to grip his katana, but the older man quickly regained control of his emotions and hid his anger behind a blank mask. 'Looks like he noticed the glares,' he thought dryly.

It was hard not to notice the glares. Sometimes, he wondered how Naruto did it, how he hadn't snapped yet and unleashed the Kyuubi on the people that tormented him.

'What do I do?' Should he grab Naruto and get him out of Kaji's sight? Should he intercept Kaji and tell him that everything was just a figment of his imagination, that he was just seeing what he wanted to see? Should he summon the Sandaime here? Or should he just stay hidden and watch how things would unfold?

'What should I do?' He should head down there, intercept Kaji, and tell him the truth, tell him everything the Sandaime and his council hid from him and Kenjiro. Then, he should grab Naruto and get him to Uzushio before anyone in Konoha thought about stopping them. He should tell Naruto everything he knew about Minato and Kushina. He should punch the Sandaime for ever forcing him to keep silent.

But he couldn't do any of that, not as long as he wore the Leaf on his hitai-ate. What he could do was turn a blind eye and let Kaji talk to Naruto a bit. It was borderline treason, but he figured uncle and nephew were long overdue for an introduction.

'Well, I can't guarantee that he's not going to kill anyone who does more than just glare at the kid.' Just like he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't join Kaji if he did try to skewer somebody; the kami know those stupid assholes had brought such a fate on their heads a long time ago. 'But I think it would be for the best if the two of them had a little talk.

'Best for the two of them, anyway.' Kakashi was beyond caring about Konoha. Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash; Kakashi had taken Obito's words to heart. He had been barred from fulfilling his duty to his sensei once, shackled by his duty to Konoha. He would not be restrained again, not by a village unworthy of Namikaze Minato.

Kakashi hid deeper in the shadows and watched.

-XOXO-

Naruto couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He was happy, happier than he ever remembered being. He had eaten a super-tasty dinner and now his belly was full and warm and sloshing a bit as he walked. That bowl had almost been too much for him. 'Almost,' he thought with a self-satisfied grin.

Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-nee-chan had smiled at him and said that he could come back for another bowl any time he wanted. Nobody had ever said that to him before. It was... strange.

They had treated him like a person. And that... that made him feel warm all over.

He wondered if others felt that way all the time. They must be. They wouldn't be smiling if they weren't.

Naruto didn't smile often. He rarely had reason to do so. And besides, when the caretakers at the orphanage had seen him smiling, they had let the other kids be extra mean to him. He wasn't living there anymore, but he had learned his lesson.

He didn't cry either (at least, not in front of others), no matter what they did to him. If he cried, things just got worse. They thought was weak and tormented him even more.

He shook his head to get the bad thoughts out. He was happy. He wouldn't ruin it by remembering all that bad stuff.

He passed outside a playground. He wasn't surprised to see it empty; it was late, and the other kids' parents had probably picked them up and taken them home. Ignoring the familiar little stabbing feeling in his heart, he headed towards the swings.

An empty playground meant no mean looks and no-one to tell him to get lost. He wasn't about to let that go to waste, especially now that he was feeling so happy.

He sat on the nearest swing are started gently swaying in place, something that always calmed him and made him feel better. Closing his eyes, he pretended there was someone near him, his dad or maybe his mom, watching him and smiling as he played.

His mind must have been working overtime, because he actually heard the rustling of cloth and the faint, almost imperceptible sound of footsteps.

He opened his eyes, not really expecting to see anyone there but unable to resist the temptation and the stupid, stupid hope that maybe this time it wouldn't just be his imagination.

There was a person there. There really was a person there! He was wearing a long black coat and-

'The man from Ichiraku! Did he follow me here? Why? What does he want?' He felt panic well up inside him. Had he pranked the scary man sometime? Was he following him looking for revenge? He was about to run for it when the man pointed to the empty swing next to Naruto.

"Is this taken?"

-XOXO-

Kaji's foul mood was back with a vengeance. Despite his best efforts to feign indifference, his face had twisted into a scowl and he found himself glaring at everyone around him once again.

If asked, Kaji would describe himself as a jaded man with a penchant for sarcasm and a healthy love for ramen. He had seen many things in his life, had taken part in many battles, had gone through many losses. He had survived because he had always managed to keep a cool head, even when he felt like he was being torn apart inside.

Nothing he had seen in his entire life had made him even half as angry as he was right now.

'Why the hell are they all looking at him like that?'

It was impossible to miss the cold glares everyone was giving to the blond-haired boy. As far as he could tell, the boy wasn't doing anything besides walking down the street, seemingly oblivious to the world. Yet whenever someone caught sight of him, their smile would fade and be replaced by a look hard enough to shatter a granite wall.

Kaji had seen murderous rogue ninja receiving better treatment than this.

What puzzled him most was the why. Why was a toddler being treated worse than the lowest of scum? What could he possibly have done to earn this? And didn't these people realize what a terrible idea it was to mistreat someone with the power of a demon locked inside his body? Did they really think that when the boy grew older, he wouldn't remember those who had abused him and pay them back in kind? What were they trying to-

Then, it all clicked in place. The Kyuubi. They were unable to strike back at the monster that had attacked their home, so they had redirected all their anger, hatred and fear of the Fox towards the child holding it imprisoned. They probably didn't even think of the boy as human.

The thought disgusted him.

His scowl turned fierce and he had to forcibly restrain himself from grabbing hold of his katana and killing the next person who looked contemptuously at the child. Only the ANBU tailing the boy prevented him from doing something that would not befit his status as the official diplomatic envoy from Uzushiogakure.

'Then again, it's just one man (or maybe woman?), so he (she?) won't be much of a problem if...' He mentally shook himself and focused on finding another way to deal with this masked problem. Preferably one that didn't involve the use of a katana.

They had arrived at a playground. It was completely empty, which was to be expected given the late hour. He had the sneaking suspicion that the boy, Naruto, preferred it that way.

The boy headed towards a set of swings and climbed on one of them, his feet not touching the ground. He had closed his eyes and a small smile had crept on his face. Kaji was sorry he had to drag him out of his pleasant daydream, but he had to know. Before he could say anything, however, the boy's eyes were open and locked on him, wide and filled with fear.

'I'm not that scary, am I?'

First things first, though: he had to stop the boy from fleeing.

"Is this taken?"

The boy -Naruto- shook his head, looking wary as Kaji made his way to the empty swing and sat down. The black-clad man considered the best way to approach the enigma sitting next to him. He'd have to be careful and use every ounce of subtlety he had so that he wouldn't spook the boy.

"Don't you think it's a little late for a boy your age to be here all alone? Why aren't you home, kid?" Screw subtlety, he was never very good at it anyway.

"I don't wanna go home yet."

"You should; your parents must be worried about you." If not his parents, then a guardian; someone had to be responsible for this child's well-being.

"I don't have parents, and nobody's worried about me." The last words were barely audible; Kaji suspected he wasn't meant to hear them.

There wasn't a smile on the boy's face anymore –it looked like there had never been one. His eyes had taken a pained, haunted look that made Kaji's heart clench. No child this young had any business looking so hurt and lost. It didn't matter who this boy's parents were anymore; he had to do something to bring the smile back to that whiskered face.

Remembering the box of sweets one of his 'admirers' had given him earlier that day, he started going through his pockets. He hadn't had time to give it to anyone, so it must still be- 'Got it!' He carefully unwrapped and opened the box, aware of the boy's eyes tracing his every move.

Smiling faintly, he offered the box to the boy. "Want one?"

The boy was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. Smile now replaced by a frown, he decided to press the assault. "I haven't tried them yet, but I'm told they're really good."

To demonstrate his point, he took a piece of candy from the box and ate it. 'Hmm, so it's fruit candy. Not bad.' He took a second one.

Reassured about the quality of the sweets, the boy reached out and took a piece of candy for himself.

Kaji reconsidered the wisdom of his idea for a moment; he had heard the term 'sugar rush' before and was fairly certain it was not a pleasant experience for the adult interacting with the hyped-up child. All his doubts vanished, however, when he saw the huge smile the boy was giving him.

He couldn't help it: he smiled back.

"What's your name, kid?" Might as well take it from the start, introduce themselves properly.

"Naruto. What's yours, occhan? Are you really a shinobi? What's that mark on your hita-te? Is that svord real? Can I hold it? Are you-"

"Whoa, hold on! One question at a time!" One measly piece of candy couldn't possibly be enough to give a child this much energy. 'Guess he's naturally hyper. Brilliant.'

"Sorry." Naruto gave him a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head, a gesture that was achingly familiar to Kaji. He took a deep breath and tried to organize his chaotic thoughts.

"My name is Uzumaki Kaji. I'm a shinobi of Uzushiogakure. The crest on my hitai-ate" he enunciated the word "is the spiral of the Hidden Whirlpool. The sword is called a katana. It's very real and no, you can't hold it or any other weapon until you're much older."

Naruto pouted at that and looked ready to argue before his petulant expression morphed into one of confusion. "What's 'Usushio-ga-ku-re'?"

Kaji chuckled lightly at that. "Uzushiogakure, the Village Hidden by the Whirling Tides. It's a Hidden Village a few days east of Konoha. It's small, but wealthy and powerful." 'Though not as much as it used to be.' "Uzushio and Konoha have been allies since they were founded."

That seemed to confuse Naruto even more. "If you're a shinobi from U-zu-shio, why are you here, occhan?"

Being called 'uncle' so casually –and maybe a bit fondly?- made Kaji feel warm inside. It was strange, but not unpleasant. He found he quite liked it. 'Kami, please, don't let me be wrong about this kid.'

"I serve as the official diplomatic liaison between Konoha and Uzushio." Naruto's face scrunched up in deep thought as he tried to puzzle out Kaji's words. The young man took pity on him after a few moments. "Basically, it means I run errands for the Uzushio Council and bring letters from them to the Hokage."

"Cool!" Naruto was practically bouncing on the swing now. Kaji felt another surge of warmth –and a bit of pride- by the boy's honest, spontaneous compliment. "So you know the Hokage?"

"I'm acquainted with Sandaime-sama, although I can't say I know him very well." Time to start dropping a few hints. "But I was good friends with the Yondaime."

"REALLY?" Naruto's eyes had gotten as big as saucers. He also seemed to have a bit of a volume-control problem. 'This boy may look like Minato, but he's definitely channeling Kushina's spirit.'

"Really. Namikaze Minato was my best friend, someone I looked up to. To tell you the truth, I always thought of him as my brother; well, another brother, bringing the total up to three. Years later, he officially became a part of our family when he married my sister, Kushina."

"Wow!" Kaji didn't think it was possible for Naruto's eyes to get any bigger, but he was proven wrong. "You're the Yondaime's brother! What was he like? Was he really as cool as they say he was?"

Kushina's name meant nothing to the boy. Kaji couldn't say he wasn't expecting such a thing, but it still hurt. He'd have to make up for it. He'd show Naruto every photograph of Kushina he had, tell him everything about his parents-

'I'm getting ahead of myself. I shouldn't get my hopes up before I know for sure.' He repeated that over and over in his head, but it was an exercise in futility; the boy's every word, every gesture reminded him of Minato and Kushina.

"Minato? Let's see... He was quiet, thoughtful, kind, slow to anger but terrifying when he was pushed beyond his breaking point, and the most determined man I ever knew. Only my sister was more stubborn than him. He was a remarkable man, one I'm proud to call 'brother'."

Naruto's previous enthusiasm faded, replaced by a solemn look. "I'm sorry, occhan."

Kaji raised an eyebrow at that. "What for?"

Naruto was examining the ground, studiously avoiding Kaji's gaze. "'Cause I made you remember bad stuff."

Kaji ruthlessly quashed the half-chuckle half-sob that threatened to escape him. He refused to dissolve into a blubbering heap on the ground because of some kind words, especially not in front of Naruto. At the same time, he found the irony truly, excruciatingly painful. 'I should be the one offering words of comfort to him, not the other way around.'

"It's okay, Naruto. You didn't do anything wrong."

Naruto was examining his toes now. "But—"

He reached out and patted the boy's head. Naruto's whole body stiffened at the contact, his eyes teacup-saucer-wide again. "But nothing. Both Kushina and Minato would want me to tell you about them. In fact, I'm absolutely certain that my sister would break my legs if I refused to talk about her because I didn't want to 'remember bad stuff'. Besides, I enjoy talking to you, so you can ask me anything you want. Okay?"

Naruto, still wide-eyed, gave him a faint nod; the boy didn't look capable of coherent speech just yet. Kaji tried not to think of the reasons a simple gesture like that would have such an impact on the child. To distract himself from that dark line of thought that could only lead to the deaths of Konoha citizens, he decided to ask the blond boy a few questions of his own.

"Naruto, how old are you?"

It took a few moments for Naruto to focus again. "Four. I'll be five soon," he added quickly.

"Oh? When is your birthday?" Kaji forced his hands to remain relaxed and not clench the swing's chains.

Naruto hesitated a bit, looking nervous. "October 10th," he murmured softly.

Kaji felt like a Raiton jutsu was running down his spine.

"Do you know who your parents were?" The words were out of his mouth before his brain could process them.

"No. Hokage-jiji said they were killed by the Kyuubi when I was born."

It took a considerable amount of willpower for Kaji to suppress his Killing Intent. His hands were now gripping the chains so tightly he wondered how had the bones not broken yet.

"The Hokage told you that?" Naruto nodded. "Did he tell you their names?"

Naruto shook his head. "He said it's best to let the dead rest in peace."

That didn't sound like something a five-year-old would come up with. 'Definitely the Hokage's words. Evasive ones, too.'

"Did he ever tell you if you have any other living family members? Any siblings, grandparents, or maybe an uncle?" What did Minato use to say again? Ah, yes. That the Uzumaki had all the subtlety of Gamabunta on a bug hunt.

"No. He said I don't have a family." It was a good thing that Naruto was once again looking dejectedly at the ground; he wouldn't have missed Kaji's searing glare otherwise.

'That does it!' Kaji was livid. He would go to the Hokage right now and demand some answers. And the old man had better come clean -or else. He had plenty of ideas about this 'or else', all of them creative and none of them pleasant –not by a longshot. And if the old coot dared lie to him…

Kaji's musings on the prelude to a full-blown war between Konoha and Uzushio were cut short by a yelp from Naruto, who had jumped off his swing. "Oh, no! It's so late! I have go home! See you later, occhan!"

"Wait! I'll walk you there." Kaji was at Naruto's side before the boy could blink; Naruto smiled at him and they started walking in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Before long, they arrived in front of a rather run-down building. Kaji eyed the flaking paint critically. It wasn't the best part of town, but it could be worse. The front door had been removed some time in the past, revealing a dim hallway and a flight of stairs leading to the apartments.

Naruto stopped before they entered the building. "I gotta go now.

"Goodnight, occhan." He turned to look at Kaji, his face the very picture of sadness before it was hidden behind a smile. But the black-clad young man wasn't fooled. He had seen that same fake smile on his sister's face many times.

He wanted to reassure the boy, tell him everything would be alright, but he couldn't; his doubts held him back. False hope would serve neither of them.

"Goodnight, Naruto."

Naruto started climbing the stairs, leaving Kaji alone in the deserted street.

Well, almost deserted.

"How long are you going to skulk in the shadows?" Provoking an ANBU was something most people avoided, but Kaji was not most people. Besides, he needed to work off some of his anger before barging into the Hokage's residence in the middle of the night. He didn't care about causing a diplomatic incident anymore, but he would prefer to avoid starting a war.

The ANBU appeared behind him so suddenly it was like he materialized out of thin air. Kaji turned around slowly, his every move radiating indifference and boredom.

He found that the silver-haired ANBU with the dog mask was outdoing him on both counts.

"It's been a long time, Kaji-san."

-XOXO-

Kakashi had not expected his presence to go unnoticed by the Uzushio ninja; in fact, he was counting on being detected. It would be very awkward if he had to seek the man out to tell him about his not-so-dead nephew.

What he had not anticipated was this level of hostility.

To the average shinobi, Uzumaki Kaji would seem to be bored out of his mind. Only his eyes hinted at the depth of his anger. Kakashi kept his posture stooped and his body lax, trying to avoid making any threatening motions. One wrong move now and everything would go down the drain.

Kaji narrowed his eyes imperceptibly. "You seem to know me. Who are you?"

"You can call me Dog."

"Not a terribly imaginative name." Kaji was the picture of a charming young man: relaxed posture, sly grin, a derisive remark to an evasive answer. Any illusion of levity, however, was dispelled by his next question.

"Why are you following Naruto?"

Kakashi was certain the older man knew he was not just following the kid. What he didn't know yet was how much he should reveal to someone as hot-tempered as Uzumaki Kaji. Oh, sure, compared to his sister he was downright meek, but that didn't exactly reassure the silver-haired ANBU; anyone was meek when compared to the infamous 'Red Hot-Blooded Habanero'.

"I was assigned by the Hokage to protect him."

"Protect him from whom?" There was a dangerous glint in those purple-blue eyes, one that promised death and dismemberment –and not necessarily in that order- to those dumb enough to provoke this man.

The silver-haired man shuddered inwardly. He sincerely hoped listening to his conscience wouldn't earn him a premature death. 'I haven't cared about my life for years and now I get scared of dying?' Part of him found his predicament hilarious, in a morbid way.

"Here, in Konoha? From pretty much everyone."

He winced behind his mask as Kaji drew his katana.

"Enough word games. I'm not in the mood to play." Kakashi didn't doubt that for an instant. "I have questions. You have answers. Either you talk willingly or I'm going to make you talk. Your choice."

"You're threatening an ANBU directly under the Hokage."

"I'm willing to do far more than threaten. Last chance."

'Time to make a choice; I hope it's the right one.' Right or no, it didn't really matter; Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he backed out of this now. In truth, there was never a choice to begin with.

"Not here. Meet me at four a.m. in front of the Memorial Stone near Training Ground Three. You know where it is?" Kaji nodded. "Good. I have to stay and guard Naruto until my relief gets here."

"Don't be late." Kaji sheathed his sword and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi briefly considered being a little late just to spite the Uzushio ninja, but rejected the impulse as childish.

He took his usual spot and waited for Hare to arrive.

-XOXO-

"I thought I warned you not to be late, Kakashi-san." Kaji was leaning on one of the pillars surrounding the Memorial Stone

Kakashi's eyebrow, concealed behind his white porcelain mask, twitched. For once, it was not his fault. Hare had arrived a good fifteen minutes late, giving him a lame excuse about having to take care of some 'things'. Kakashi hadn't failed to see the irony there, but he was entirely unsympathetic; he was so going to get back at Hare for this later.

But to do that, he had to survive his meeting with the quick-tempered man in front of him.

"So, you figured it out."

Kaji gave him a dark smirk. "It wasn't that hard. You should consider covering up your hair. Plus, your choice of meeting place gave you away." Kaji pointed his thumb towards the marked stone. Kakashi knew he was pointing at two of the names carved on that stone: Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin.

"How often do you come here?" The dark-haired man seemed to be genuinely curious.

"Often enough," Kakashi replied tersely.

Kaji didn't press the matter any further; both young men were familiar with loss and the guilt of being the only one left alive.

Kakashi removed his ANBU mask; he was off duty now. Besides, what he was about to do could be considered treason. The elders would certainly view it like that.

He didn't care one bit what they thought.

"As much as I know you'd love to swap stories, we're not here to talk about me, are we?"

"No, we're not. Naruto. Is he…." Kaji paused for a moment, his face a mix of hope and fear so intense, the silver-haired man could barely look at him. "Is he who I think he is? Is he their son?"

"Yes. He is."

In retrospect, he should have expected the black-clad man's outburst.

"Then why does he live like this? Why is he being treated like dirt? Why didn't they tell us? What the fuck happened here?"

"In a word: politics." He'd come this far. Might as well go all the way and commit full treason.

"Tell me everything."

That was the first agreeable order Kakashi had been given in years. He obliged with an eagerness he didn't know he had, telling Kaji everything he knew: how the elders didn't want the vessel of the Kyuubi to leave the village, how they had declared the son of the Fourth dead, how Kakashi had been ordered to keep his mouth shut, how the people of Konoha saw the boy as the reincarnation of the Nine-Tailed Fox, how they isolated Naruto and denied his existence.

By the time he was done explaining, Kaji's Killing Intent was suffocating them despite the black-clad man's obvious effort to restrain himself. After taking many long, deep breaths, Kaji finally managed to somewhat collect himself. At the very least, he didn't look ready to start a bloodbath at the slightest provocation now.

"What are you going to do about Naruto?" Kaji was looking at Kakashi the same way a hawk looks at a mouse.

Kakashi squirmed a little; that steely gaze made him very uncomfortable. "Me? I don't have to do anything."

"True. You don't. You didn't even have to tell me all that. You could have kept quiet, just like you were ordered to do. So why didn't you?"

There was a long pause as Kakashi pondered the best way to answer that. He couldn't really explain his decision, not even to himself. Why had he taken such a risk? If anyone ever found out, he would be in the dark cells of the Torture and Interrogation department before he could blink.

"Minato-sensei… He was always there for me." The worlds were halting, uncertain. "After my father killed himself, after my team-mates died… He was there when I needed him most. And I failed him.

"Did you know I was assigned to guard Kushina-san when she was pregnant?" The words were coming faster now, as if a dam had broken somewhere inside him. "For months I was watching over her, shadowing her every step. She and sensei were so happy about having a baby, they were practically glowing. That child wasn't even born yet, but it had already become the center of their world.

"After that night, I tried to step up and do the right thing. If the boy was going to stay in Konoha, then he would need a guardian." He gave harsh, derisive laugh, but it was directed only at himself. "I needn't have bothered. I wasn't deemed fit to take care of a baby; too unstable, they had said.

"Even so, I refused to stand idle and just watch while my sensei's son was sent to live in an orphanage, mistreated every single day of his life. I tried to find a way to take him to Uzushio, but there wasn't any that wouldn't result in disaster.

"So, Kaji," the sudden lack of honorific didn't pass unnoticed by the dark-haired ninja, "I think the real question is: what are you going to do about Naruto."

Kaji didn't hesitate for a second. "I intend to take him with me to Uzushio. He will be safe there. Father and I will take care of him."

"Didn't you listen to what I just said? You can't just grab him and leave. Trust me, if it was that simple, I'd have brought him to you years ago."

"Then, what do you suggest? Should I leave him here?" Kaji's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Kakashi just stared at the dark-haired man evenly, refusing to be provoked. "You must find a way to remove him from Konoha that the Council won't be able to dispute. Family ties won't cut it; they'll just argue that they boy must stay here because he's the son of the Fourth Hokage. They'll offer to reveal his parentage and drown him in riches to keep him quiet.

"Violence won't do either. That'll just start a war nobody can win. Konoha and Uzushio need each other to survive."

"Your Council doesn't feel the same way," the dark-haired man scoffed. "But I see your point. We must outmaneuver them, somehow…" Kaji's mumbling faded and his eyes became unfocused as he tried to come up with ideas.

Kakashi didn't ask for details; he didn't want to know. That way, if –or rather, when- he was asked by the Hokage to report about the Uzumaki envoy's agenda, he could convincingly claim he knew nothing at all.

Which reminded him…

"Kaji?" He waited until the older man looked at him.

"Yes? Sorry, I spaced out a bit. What did you say?"

"I'm going to have to report your meeting with Naruto to the Hokage." He forestalled Kaji's protest by raising his hand. "I have to; half of Konoha saw you following the 'demon brat' -kami, how I hate these words."

Kaji gave a nod of agreement, his expression sour.

"Anyway, if I leave that out of my report, the old man will know something is wrong and he'll get suspicious." The legendary 'Professor' hadn't survived so many wars by being naïve, careless and trusting. He was kind, but not stupid.

"However," he smirked, "I will keep quiet about this meeting. I posted my ninken around the perimeter and they haven't detected anyone spying on us. Ninja hounds have excellent senses, so I'm certain that nobody saw us here."

"Someone's gotten paranoid," Kaji said with a smirk of his own.

Kakashi's smirk got smug. "I prefer 'cautious'."

Kaji raised a mocking eyebrow, but the silver-haired ninja chose to leave it at that.

"One more thing. While I'm on guard duty, I can make sure that Naruto has some privacy for, say, a secret meeting with his uncle."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I appreciate it." Kaji was looking at him seriously, all traces of previous mirth gone.

"Don't thank me; it's the least I can do."

Kaji nodded once and turned around, vanishing before Kakashi could blink.

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples. He suddenly felt very tired; he craved his warm bed and a nice, hot bath.

Things were about to change, that much was certain. The only thing in doubt was the price of this change.

Author's Notes:

So, Kaji is introduced here. I hope you like him. A few things about him and Kenjiro, two OCs that will make up Naruto's new family:

1. Kaji is not going to be overpowered. He's a powerful jounin level ninja, but not a god who can kill all five Kage with a glare.

2. Kenjiro is not a god either. He's a Kage level ninja, as powerful as Hiruzen or Ohnoki although, being an Uzumaki, he doesn't suffer from old age quite like they do.

3. Kaji and Kenjiro are not going to solve every problem in Naruto's life just by existing. Their presence just means different problems for him.

-X-

About the Uzumaki clan symbol:

1. The symbol of the Uzumaki clan is the red spiral. Why is that? Because that is the clan symbol Naruto and Boruto wear in canon. Notice that from the Last, only Naruto wears it on his clothes and on his armband. Kakashi also has an armband like that, but he's the only non-Uzumaki wearing it post-War (as a sign of trust, perhaps?). Not even Konoha's new flak jackets have it (which makes sense: wearing a clan's symbol means you're a part of that clan). My theory is that once Naruto re-established the Uzumaki clan sometime after the War, he claimed the red spiral as the symbol of his new clan.

2. For those who don't remember, the red spiral on Konoha's flak jackets was a memento of the alliance with the destroyed Uzushio.

3. Since Uzushio was never destroyed, Konoha never adopter the red spiral on the back of their flak jackets and shinobi shirts. Doing that would be a grave insult to the Uzumaki clan.

-X-

Japanese words and honorifics:

1. –sama: used for a person of high social standing which is way above yours (i.e. a merchant addressing a noble). Roughly means 'Lord/Lady'.

2. –dono: used for a person of high social standing but equal to yours (i.e. a noble addressing another noble). Roughly means 'Lord/Lady'.

3. –san: standard polite honorific. Roughly means 'Mister/Miss/Mrs'.

4. –kun: used for a man at the same age or younger than you. It shows friendship and/or affection (i.e. parents addressing their children's male friends, or between close friends).

5. –chan: used to show deep affection, usually with children as it's somewhat derogatory for adults. It can also be used as an insult, demeaning someone. Roughly means: 'little' or 'dear'. (i.e. affectionate - between siblings)

6. Kami: To quote Wikipedia: 'Kami are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of Shinto. They are elements in nature, animals, creationary forces in the universe, as well as spirits of the revered deceased. Many Kami are considered the ancient ancestors of entire clans, and some ancestors became Kami upon their death if they were able to embody the values and virtues of Kami in life.' In short, kami are something between spirits, gods, and honored ancestors. Unless a specific one is invoked (e.g. Inari), the word refers to all of them collectively.

-X-

Character Information: Since trying to fit personal data inside a narration tends to ruin it, I'll write it after each chapter.

Hatake Kakashi

Age: 20

Height: 181 cm (5ft 11.5)

Weight: 67.5 kg

Rank: ANBU / Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Lightning (affinity), Earth, Water

Kekkei Genkai: Sharingan (left eye)

-X-

Uzumaki Kaji

Age: 25

Height: 180 cm (5ft 11)

Weight: 68 kg

Rank: Jounin

Chakra Nature Transformation: Water (affinity), Fire, Earth

Kekkei Genkai: Adamantine Chakra Chains

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review!

Edit: 06 December 2015 - Text formatting.

Edit: 13 March 2016 - Fixed some spelling mistakes.