Insanity's Slip

Chapter Sixteen

By Boejangles

The Hokage stared down at the form on his desk thinking back to a few hours prior.

Flashback

Sarutobi had run to the medic who was able to heal the boy. When asked about the nature of the wounds the doctor said that some were defensive wounds and other by a hard force contact, definitely not self-inflicted.

Sarutobi then waited for Naruto to wake up, which happened around thirty minutes later.

"Gah my head is pounding!" The blonde complained rubbing his forehead and blinking open his eyes.

"I'm glad you are awake Naruto-kun. Your head is hurting because it was bleeding quite badly a little while ago." Sarutobi fixed Naruto with a glance asking him to explain.

"Oh, hello Hokage-sama. You see I was being clumsy and I slipped and fell down the stairs. Sasuke was out training so I came to you for help." Naruto said nodding to agree with himself.

The Hokage rubbed his chin as if in thought, "That's odd, because I remember you tell me the exact same thing when you broke your arm when you were eight."

Naruto fumbled with his hands, "What can I say they are tricky stairs."

"Naruto." His voice was commanding, "Please stop lying to me I am trying to help you. Is Sasuke hurting you?"

The blonde dropped his head in defeat, "He's just really upset about everything and doesn't know how to deal with it and then I go and get in the way and he gets angrier. It's my fault, if I didn't mess up he would get angry."

"Naruto, you can't blame yourself." Sarutobi shook his head; "I am going to remove you from his care."

"NO!" Naruto shouted jumping out of his bed landing on his knees in front of the Hokage, "Don't do that please! He'll die without me! He needs me!"

"Sasuke needs help and you deserve better then that." The Hokage tried to explain as if speaking to a very young child.

"Please don't, I'll be unhappy the rest of my life. Please let me stay with him." Naruto had tears falling down his face and was gripping onto the Hokage's robes.

"Naruto, you have to understand we can help Sasuke. We will place you into a family where you can get proper care."

The blonde's hair fell into his face covering his eyes, "Please wait until after the Chunnin exams. Let me do that with him. Let us do that as brothers, please?"

Sarutobi closed his eyes knowing that he shouldn't, but the younger boys tears got to him, "Alright I'll wait till after the Chunnin exams, but if I do so you must let us remove from the home without complaint."

Naruto hugged the Hokage around the waist, "Thank you for this and I'll do as you say."

"And Naruto." He waited for the boy to be looking at him, "Come to me right away if he hurts you again."

"Okay."

End Flashback

He sighed looking at the form for the removal of Uchiha Naruto from the custody of Uchiha Sasuke. He had signed it for the day after the third test of the Chunnin exams. He would keep his promise and trust Naruto to keep his.

Sasuke stretched from where he was sleeping in bed and a grin met his face when he remembered today was the start of the exams. He took a shower and got dressed before heading down stairs. He smiled when a wonderful smell met his sense.

"Morning Aniki!" Naruto said from where he was setting a pitcher of orange juice on the kitchen table.

"Morning otouto, whatever you are making smells great." The raven-haired boy said taking a seat at the table.

Naruto smiled proud of himself, "It's omelets. It was in a cookbook I found in the cabinet." He explained setting a plate in front of Sasuke.

The older boy smiled picking up his fork, "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Probably starve." The blonde teased.

"Hey, I could cook if I wanted to!" Sasuke shot back flinging a piece of egg at his younger brother.

Naruto dogged laughing truly happy that his brother was in such a playful mood. "And your aim sucks too."

"Watch it or next time it will be the fork, this foods too good to keep throwing around." Sasuke said with a grin as he grabbed a glass of orange juice.

Naruto sat down and started eating his own breakfast. "So, are you ready for the exams?"

"I'm pumped. How about you?"

"A little scared, but I know I can handle it. Especially with you and Sakura with me."

"We make a good team don't we?" Sasuke asked leaning back in his chair.

"Yup we do! And Kakashi's not that bad either." They both laughed at that.

"Come on, if we don't hurry we not might be on time." The older boy said setting his plate in the sink.

Naruto looked at the clock, "We have two hours."

"Exactly, we better get going."

The blonde just shrugged and followed his brother out the door.

A/N: Hey! Okay it was either update now or give you a longer update in a week I decided you would prefer and update now. How you like and leave reviews for me. In the next chapter or two you will be finding out what you voted for in the first poll . Hope you guys end up like what you chose. Remember to review, it makes me happy.