Chapter 1

I woke up to the sounds of a man laughing beside me. "Jiriya what are you thinking?"

My name is Jageu. I belong to no clan, to my knowledge at least. I'd always dreamed of being a child born to the Uchihas, or maybe even the Inuzuka clan. But alas, the dreams stay as they are, impossible hopes of a ten year-old boy.

I wore a shirt sewn from old cloths I find on the street, and some shorts I make the same way. My hands were fovered in callouses from the rough lifestyle, but at least I'm not in any sort of imminent danger all the time. Which makes me partially glad I'm not an Uchiha. But the loneliness and looks from people overshadow any bit of downside.

Earlier that day, I'd been walking toward the higher-end part of Konoha, hoping to go dumpster diving and find something to eat or sell. But a shopowner stopped me. He was clothed in rather expensive clothes, but the blood stained on his apron revealed his job as a butcher. His face was nearly covered completely by a bushy beard and long greasy hair.

With a violent shove, he roared in laughter, "A homeless scamp in this part of town? Go back to the slums you degenerate! Or better yet, die and save us the patience!" He laughed loudly as he aimed a large fist toward my face.

BAM!!!

I was thrown to a wall on the far side of the street, slamming my head onto the ground as I fell. I picked up my head, seeing nothing but stars and the approaching shopkeeper.

"I said..." the shopkeeper readied his fist again, "Die you stupid brat!!!"

I shut my eyes tight, braced for another beating, which happened every other day lately. But after a few seconds of silence, I opened my eyes and saw a sight I never expected.

The shopkeeper was glaring daggers into a white-haired, masked man's eyes as he held his arm while holding a open book in the other. "Stay out of this. It's none of your buisness!"

He tore his arm from the white-haired man's grip.

The man sighed, shut his book and put it into a pouch that hung from his side. "But it is. This boy hasn't done a thing to deserve that. So I will kindly ask you to stop, before I have to ask with force." The man calmly said, stretching his arms.

"YOU STUPID NINJA!!!" the shopkeeper yelled, throwing a massive punch toward the man's face.

If I could yell for him to watch out, I would've. But I just lay there in awe as the man swiftly stepped to the side and let the shopkeeper's momentum carry him face first into a wall. But I cocked my head, That wall wasn't there a second ago, was it?

"Tried to warn you." the man sighed and pulled his book back out, "If I catch you beating on this kid again I will be sure to do more than that. Got it?"

The shopkeeper mumbled something, probably a threat. Then he stumbled back to his shop as people watched in awe.

The man kneeled down beside me and studied me with his one uncovered eye, "Are you hurt anywhere? Don't wory about him. He'll get what's coming to him in time."

I shook my head, then went to stand up, using the wall as support. But as soon as I got to my feet, I collapsed back to the dirt with blood splattering on the ground from a coughing fit.

The man quickly tossed his book into uis puch and slipped his arms under my frail body, then with barely any effort, he picked me up. "Hold on and I'll get you some help. Just hold on tight."

I almost didn't hear him over the ringing that filled my skull from the pain. But I did my best to wrap my arm around his shoulder as I felt the wind start to claw at my face like we were going at breakneck speeds.

Then as soon as I felt the wind stop tearing at my flesh, I blacked out as more blood came from my mouth.

I slowly opened my eyes, looking around the room I was in as a laugh ripped me out of my unconsciousness.

It was a white room with a side table that had numerous medical items, a window that over looked the village, and a chair that was set beside the medical bed I was laying on.

And in that chair was the white-haired man from earlier reading a book with a pair of figures on the front with a large heart behind it. The title read, 'Make-Out Tactics Vol.3'

Then he noticed I'd woken up. He shut the book and laid it on the side table. "Are you feeling alright? He broke a few of your ribs. If it wasn't for our Hokage you probably would've ended up with a punctured lung or worse."

I noticed how much he liked to talk after he asked questions, but I decides to ignore it. I shrugged, trying to sit up in the bed.

"Whoa there, kid. You're not moving for a few days at best. Your body won't heal if you won't let it." He put his arm to my shoulder, pinning me to the bed.

I finally spoke, my voice still sounded as hoarse as ever, "I don't have any money to pay the medical bill. It's already bad enough I bothered Lady Tsunade." I argued.

"Don't worry about that. She was here today to teach some new medical ninjas anyway." he laughed a little, "But tell me, why haven't I seen you in the schools or anywhere as a matter of fact? Don't you have parents or someone to look after you?"

I sighed, turning away from him and looking out the window. I finally replied, "I don't. I never knew my parents, and no one I've ever met did. So I've accepted I was abandoned." A tear fell from my eye, the first one in years.

The man grabbed my shoulder again, but this time he helped my sit up straight. Then he turned my face toward him, "Look, kid. I've got someone I want you to meet. He's a lot like you. But first, you're going to heal a bit." He clapped his hand on my shoulder and stood up, heding for the door.

"Get some rest. You're in good hands now." Then he opened the door and walked out.

"Kakashi Sensei!!!!!" a voice startled Kakashi as he slept soundly in his bed.

He groaned and pulled the pillow off his face, revealing the blonde-haired menace staring down at him as he slept, "Naruto... it's the middle of the night go back to bed..." He grumbled and pulled the covers over his eyes to hide from the menace named Naruto Uzumaki.

"The ending of Make-Out Tactis Vol.3 is..." Naruto's voice whispered in Kakshi's ear.

With that, he was wide awake and panicking for Naruto to shut his mouth. "How do you even know that?!?" He noticed that it was not midnight as he'd though, but Naruto's body covering up the rising sun.

"Kakashi Sensei, what was that thing you told me to be here for? Is it a new jutsu? No! It's a new kind of ramen!" Naruto's mouth drooled as he was bouncing off the walls in excitement.

Kakashi grabbed the little tornado by the colar of his orange jacket and dropped him outside the door, "Meet me outside in half an hour." He said while yawning. He shut and quickly locked the door as Naruto's fists pounded on the door.

Kakashi grabbed a mug and turned on the coffeemaker. "It's gonna be a long day..." He groaned.

I was watching the street as a knock came from the door. I slipped off the windowsill and sat on the bed, ready for whatever treatement the nurses came in with next.

But to my surprise, instead of nurses, the white-haired man, who'd I'd figured out was named Kakashi, stepped in. And trailing behind him was a boy roughly my age with a violently orange outfit.

His jacket was bright orange with navy blue collarbone-stripes and a light yellow collar. On his left arm there was a small metal spiral disk that had a small brown bead hanging from it. The Usumaki clan's symbol. He wore matching orange pants that were rolled up to about halfway up his shins, and he wore Shinobi-boots that had the toes exposed. On his forehead he wore a headband that matched Kakashi's, only it was blue instead of black. But his most prominent features were his blonde spikey hair and the odd whisker markings on his cheeks.

"Naruto, meet Jageu." Kakashi looked at the blinde and then me, "And Jageu meet Naruto. I've got some buisness to attend to, so I'm going to have Naruto show you around the village. Is that alright with you, Jageu?"

I nodded and slipped off the bed. Standing up straight for the first time in a week felt good. But I was still wobbly. I used the chair to support myself as I approached the blonde. I held my hand out as a gesture of good will.

Naruto laughed loudly, startling me, "You're funny! We're only kids, y'know! No need for all that adult stuff. Now c'mon, let's go!" Naruto left the room in a hurry, laughing all the way.

Before I had left the room, Kakashi grabbed me shoulder and stopped me, "Make sure he doesn't get into any trouble alright? He's a handful. And take this." He set a bag of ryu in my hand, "My treat."

I nodded my head as a thank you and hurriedly limped after Naruto, who was impatiently waiting for me in the hospital reception area.

"What took you so long?" He asked me, laughing to himself, then he looked at my body closely. His smile flipped 180 degrees. "Oh, right. Sorry."

I let a small smile spread across my face, then I shook my head. Then we both walked out of the hospital, Naruto filding his hands behind his head as he walked.

We'd ended up at a park with a swingset. Naruto didn't seem to be all too happy about being here, constantly looking at a wooden and rope swing hanging from a single tree.

I felt a feeling that he thinks about this place a lot, but I didn't pry into his past. Nor did I want him to pry into mine.

We decided without words to go get something to eat as soon as Naruto's stomach roared in hunger.

With a chuckle, I pointed to the ramen shop that was nearby.

Naruto grinned brightly, "Can't say no to food!" He ran toward the ramen shop at a speed that left me dumbfounded.

So we ended up eating at Ichiraku Ramen, treat of Kakashi.

Naruto ordered a huge bowl of ramen and I was still deciding when he was already digging into his ramen. Within seconds he'd eaten the whole bowl.

I stared wide-eyed at the monster I sat beside in the ramen shop. What in the world is this kid?!?! He's got a void for a stomach! I thought to myself.

The chef howled in laugher as he saw my reaction, "Don't worry, he's usually like this. Anyway, first bowl is on the house." The chef laid a bowl of ramen in front of me and grinend widely as he retreates back to the kitchen as new customers walked in.

I smelled the steam coming from the bowl of ramen and nearly died of ecstasy. It was the best smell I'd ever smelled. I took the chopsticks in my right hand and rolled up a huge glob of noodles, then I shoveled them into my mouth. I thought they tasted like absolute heaven, but they were missing something. I scratched my chin as I thought for a moment. I snapped my fingers as the metaphorical light bulb went off over my head. I grabbed a napkin and requested a pen, I then wrote a idea on the napkin and gave it to the woman who was watching me with interest.

"Meat and... What's jerky?" the lady asked, also calling the chef out.

I grinned and pulled out a small poich of meat I'd made into jerky a few days ago using some leftover meat Kakashi had given me. I gave the bag of jerky to the chef and he eyed it suspiciously.

"It's a odd colour, is it aged?" he asked, sniffing a piece of the meat.

I used my hand to gesture, 'Kinda'.

He took a bite and instantly started to chew. In a heartbeat, he asked me how to make it, chowing down on piece after piece of jerky.

I took a napkin and wrote out the instructions on how to prepare jerky and how to use it in different recipes. Then I wrote a note on the side for the chef to try to make a dish with it. I gave the chef the napkin and he took it as if it was an artifact of legend.

He went to run back to the kitchen, but before he did, he stopped, "What was your name, son? I'll need it for a new dish."

I sratched the back of my head and coughed, clearing my throat. "Jageu. My name's Jageu."

My ribs ached a bit after the cough, but I could tell the treatment and medical Jutsu had worked wonders to heal my broken ribs. Which usually would've taken weeks or months. But it's only been two or three days since the shopkeeper nearly knocked a hole through me.

"Thanks son! I'll be sure to let you be the first to try the new dish. So come back tomorrow!!" the chef ran back into the kitchen, yelling for his assistants to get equipment and food ready for a new dish.

Naruto stared at me like I was speakinf a different language, "Your voice reminds me of someone. His name is Sasuke Uchiha." He vockes his head slightly, as if he was scanning me for any resemblance to his friend.

I smirked and coughed again, "Well I'm definitely not an Uchiha. So I'm not him." I wiped a drop of blood off on my shorts and ate another bite of ramen.

Naruto's eyes were like a hawk's, scanning every motion I made, every glance I made. Then he shrugged and ordered another large bowl of ramen.

Later that night we were walking back toward a apartment complex, where Naruto surprisingly lives alone. We walkes up a few fligtjs of stairs and ended up in front of his door.

"Well today was fun. I'll see you around, Uzumaki." I nodded and went to go back down the stairs.

Naruto shook himself awake and lunged to grab my arm, "Not so fast. Kakashi Sensei told me to let you sleep here tonight. So you're coming in with me!"

I glance back at him, "You sure about that? I don't want to be a burden on you or anything."

"Ah don't sweat it, Jageu! We're both guys it's not like I'm a girl so why are you hesitant?" he laughed, tigging at my shirt, threatening to drag me in there by force.

Well being honest I could be a girl and you'd have no clue. I thought to myself as I relented to his annoying tugs and follwed him inside.

And as soon as the door shut, I nearly vomited from the smell.

"Home sweet home. Fund annywhere you want and make room." he grinned happily and ignored my reaction to the room.

The room itself wasn't shabby, it was decent. But the odor and the trash everywhere reflected that a eleven year-old lived here alone.

And so after Naruto had crashed, I got to work shoveling the trash into trashbags and setting them nextbto the door. I was doinf the for a while and finallt gotten the entire apartment cleaned of trash and clutter. I used a trick that I'd learned from doing a few jobs for the Hyuga clan for some food to make the odor go away. And within a few hours, the entire apartment was nearly sparkling it was so clean.

I was proud of the job, and found a spot of the couch for some rest. And I'd fell asleep befoee I'd even hit the cushions.