A week had passed and the boys were back to close to their usual routine. As the Uchiha compound was now a crime scene, the two boys moved into Naruto's old apartment. Sasuke thought it was really small at first but quickly adjusted. At school the boys sat almost silent the entire time. Which was quite unusual for the brothers. They even stuck around when fan girls swarmed them, they didn't listen to what any of them said because they had other things on their minds. Sasuke had started to gain life again, though it was a life of training to get revenge. While Naruto stayed recluse. Like he was a turtle hiding in his shell, he barely said a word, even to Sasuke.
Another day passed and Sasuke was beginning to get more and more worried for his little brother. Naruto had stopped eating completely. Every meal he would either sit and stare at the food or push it aside before walking to the bed and laying down. This morning would be different though. Sasuke was going to make ramen and force Naruto to talk to him.
The boys sat at the table and Sasuke handed Naruto his bowl. Naruto looked at it with wide hopeful eyes before narrowing them and pushing it away. Sasuke stared at him in shock. "Even ramen? That's it!" Sasuke flung his bowl past Naruto's head so it hit the wall behind him and jumped to his feet. Naruto however did not move. Sasuke's rage was building. "Ok Naruto! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Sasuke clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Yeah, tou-san and kaa-chan are gone, so are the clan. But that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out! Look at me! I've moved on, why can't you?!" Sasuke stood waiting for an answer, rage increasing with each passing second. Naruto closed his eyes to hold back the tears as he spoke. "Because it's my fault." Sasuke looked at Naruto shocked. "Wh-what? No it's not. Why would you say that?" Naruto shook his head but couldn't stop the tears from flowing. This was the most he had spoken in over a week but this is not what Sasuke had expected. "Because everyone who gets close to me dies!" Naruto yelled.
Sasuke took a step back. "What? That's not true! Look at me, and Itachi! Sure Itachi is a bad guy now but, you were close to him and he isn't dead. Neither am I." Sasuke walked around to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder. Naruto was quick to slap it off and stood up to face Sasuke. Eyes still wet from the tears. "Maybe now. But soon it will happen! I know it will!" Naruto had reached the point that he could hardly see anything through the tears and chose to turn away from Sasuke to hide himself. Sasuke closed his wide eyes before walking over to Naruto and giving him a hug. "It isn't your fault Naruto." Naruto lowered his head before spinning into the embrace.
He cried a while before pulling back and smiling at Sasuke. "That's his fake smile! No…he's back to that." Sasuke gritted his before relaxing and smiling back. "How about we go to the academy and throw kunai at some wood?" Naruto nodded and walked over to the door to put his shoes on. Sasuke followed suit then took Naruto's hand. Naruto thankfully smiled at him before they both left the house.
It was the second lesson of the day, and what would you know, they are training with kunai. It was Naruto's turn and his group of fan girls were stood cheering him on. In the past few months, he had gotten a lot better at throwing weapons and chakra control. However, today seemed off to Sasuke before he even threw his first kunai. Sasuke watched intently as Naruto stood quivering in his stance. Iruka walked up behind him, startling him out of his stance. "Naruto? Are you alright?" Naruto quickly nodded as he regained his stance. He took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at the stump. Sasuke saw something in Naruto's eyes, but he couldn't tell what it was. Then it happened. Naruto threw the kunai through the stump, breaking it into pieces. Iruka ran over to the kunai and attempted to pick it up. However, he dropped it, further confusing the already baffled students.
Iruka stood up and stared at Naruto wide eyed. "Naruto. How did you know how to imbed the kunai with chakra?!" Naruto stood properly, still panting from the new feeling of throwing a chakra imbedded kunai. "I, heard, someone, tell me. He told me, how to, do it, and to see the stump, as a person, not a stump." Sasuke's eyes widened. Was he seeing the stump as Itachi? Sasuke ran over and took Naruto's hand, leading him back inside the main building. Iruka contemplated going after the two and stopping them but chose not to. "Someone told him? I didn't. So who was it?" Iruka stood a moment thinking then went wide eyed when it hit him. "The nine-tails! This is not good!"
Iruka stood thinking another moment before Kiba spoke up. "Sensei! Are we just going to stand here?" Ino smacked him, an angry look on her face before it turned into worry as she looked to their teacher. "Sensei. Who was Naruto-kun talking about? You didn't teach us chakra control yet so how does he know?" Iruka shook his head. "I don't know for sure but, if I'm right, then Naruto's in danger." Most of the students went wide eyed while the rest chuckled like he deserved it. Iruka glared at them before smiling at the worried students. "Don't worry. I'll get it sorted out." He looked around the group to find a certain someone. Spotting that person he waves his hand for them to move closer. "Shikamaru. Please go find a man with spikey white hair and a man with big eye brows and bring them here. They are most likely patrolling the market together about now so look there first." Shikamaru nodded. "Right but, what do I tell them?" Iruka held a determined look before speaking. "Tell them I need to speak to them urgently." Shikamaru nodded again before running out of the training area. The group watched as he left then looked back at their sensei again. "Alright kids, go home for the rest of the day. School is cancelled," A few kids cheered as they ran out of the gate while others slowly exited with looks of worry and sorrow on their faces. "I have to help him! If not for him, then for the village."