The First Day

Konoha, Hokage Tower

Hiruzen looked out the window of his office. It was early in the day, but he could feel the weight on his eyelids. Outside he could see the citizens of the village going about their day. Sometimes he saw the distinctive shape of a Shinobi or two jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

It lifted his spirits to see such a peaceful day in his village. It almost made him forget all his regrets, all his mistakes. Almost. "I'm getting too old for this job." He had been too old when he had named his successor and had been when he was forced to take the hat again.

That night had been hard on him for more reasons than one, the loss of his successor Minato and his wife Kushina leaving their newborn child Naruto alone in a cruel world. The death of his beloved Biwako and the deaths of so many others all weighed down on him. Perhaps what was the worst part of it all was the cause of it. To be more accurate, a former member of Konoha's Shinobi forces long thought to be dead. In the aftermath of the Kyūbi attack, the body of the true culprit had been found where Minato had said he killed him.

It had been difficult to identify who it had been at first due to his head having been obliterated by a Rasengan. DNA testing had confirmed his identity, and the results had almost broken him. That night he had ordered the identity of the man and the DNA tests to be sealed. The only thing that would be known was that the attacker had been a rogue Uchiha. No one, least of all Kakashi, would ever know that it had been Obito that was behind the Kyūbi attack seven years ago. He would see to it that the boy would always be remembered as a hero. It was better that way.

"What happened, Obito? What caused you to turn on us in such a way?" It was the first of many questions he asked himself about that night. He may never know the answers, and to be honest with himself, he hoped he never would.

He had more than just the regrets of the past weighing down on him. New problems were rearing their ugly heads in the present, two to be exact. Both had one thing in common at their root, Hyūga. The incident two years ago was most certainly causing him headaches. He was making plans in the event the worst happened (a reality that seemed more likely with each passing day) and thus was a lesser issue at the moment. It was the second and most recent problem that occupied his thoughts and brought about his melancholy.

A few days ago, Hitomi had given birth to her and Hiashi's second daughter Hyūga Hanabi. Normally this would be a joyous occasion, something that would warm his old heart to know that new life had been brought into the world, into his village. A welcome change considering his profession. The girl's birth had been anything but normal. Very few outside the Hyūga clan knew of Hitomi's troubled pregnancy, and he had been one of them. No one could quite figure out the cause behind the woman's illness. Even Tsunade couldn't figure it out when she examined her several months ago. Now they had an answer, and Hiruzen had been left disturbed by the implications.

Hitomi had been poisoned. If it had not been for Tsunade's timely arrival into the village, then the Hyūga would likely be making burial arrangements right now. The poison had been a very subtle one enough to avoid Tsunade's attention when she first examined Hitomi. Otherwise, they would have found it a long time ago. He didn't know the exact details, but he gathered that Hitomi going into labor had made the poison more noticeable to Tsunade's sharp eyes. Once she knew that poison had been involved, she had set about treating Hitomi while helping her through the birthing process. Hitomi wasn't in the clear yet, she was still weak from the poison and childbirth, but Tsunade said she was optimistic.

The worrisome part was if his former student was correct, then Hitomi had been poisoned over the course of months. Which meant the culprit was someone in Konoha and likely a Hyūga. Doubly so since the poison was one that had been used by Suna on Konoha Shinobi when the relations between the two had been less than amicable. A poison that Tsunade had treated and was stored in a secured site to be studied. Only high-ranking officials in the shinobi Corp and authorized medical personal were allowed in there. The implication of that worried the old Hokage to no end.

He looked up to the sky hanging overhead, gazing at the four faces carved into the mountainside. His eyes settled on the second of the four. "Sensei, the village you and your brother helped to create it is in dark times now. If you were to see it now, how would you react? Would you be as worried about its future now as I am?" It was a thought that haunted him at night more times than he cared to count. He looked to the fourth and newest of the faces. "Minato, if only you had survived that night, then perhaps we would not be facing the problems we are now. Perhaps we would not be readying ourselves for another war, nor would we have traitors amidst our ranks." He let out another long sigh feeling every year his age. Tsunade was right. He needed to retire before this job killed him. The trouble was he had no successor to hand the hat to.

He had some ideas for candidates, but each had their problems. Kakashi, too mentally unstable for the position and did not want the job. Jiraiya, he would have an uprising from the kunoichi. Danzo, the less said about that, the better. His former student Tsunade was probably his best choice as a successor. She had in recent years shown signs of improvement in her mental health, and despite what she claimed, Hiruzen knew she still cared for the village that her Grandfather created. But she still had a way to go before he was ready to hand the hat to her, and at the moment, she would flat out deny his offer.

No, he was afraid that he would have to hold on to the hat for a few more years. By then, he would have a few more options to choose from. He turned away from the window and back to his desk, which had a mountain of paperwork on it. He swore that the thing grew five inches while his back was turned. He picked up a sheet, eager to get his mind focused on something else.

The intercom on his desk buzzed, grabbing his attention. "Yes, Aiko? What is it?" He said with a press of a button.

"Hokage-Sama." The voice of his secretary responded. "A guest is waiting for you. It's Tsunade-Sama, sir. She appears to be eager to meet with you."

If the woman had been in the same room, she would saw Hiruzen's eyes widen. "Is that so?" He said. "Please send her in." What could his former student want? Usually, she would be on her way out of the village by now.

"She already is." Almost on cue, the door to his office opened, and in walked Tsunade. There was an expression on her face that he couldn't place.

"Tsunade, it's good to see you." Hiruzen greeted his student while trying to gauge her. "To what pleasure do I owe this unexpected visit?" He pulled out his pipe and lit it.

"Old man, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Hyūga Compound

"Naruto, quit squirming and hold still. She'll be out in a moment." Sara said, chastising her ward.

Naruto glanced up at her giving her an exasperated look. Impressive considering, he had no eyes, at least not where they should be. "But Sara-Chan, we've been waiting for like a hundred hours!"

The Hyūga woman had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at the boy's exaggeration. Honestly, the boy was more trouble than he was worth sometimes. She supposes that was a part of his charm. The boy did have a strange talent for worming his way into people's hearts if they gave him a chance. She had been no exception two years ago.

"It has not been that long." She said sternly with a bit of amusement slipping in.

She had to admit that she had been less than enthusiastic when she learned that she would be the Jinchūriki's caretaker when he had been taken in as a ward of the clan. At the time, she had been Chūnin that was starting to make a name for herself and had been well on her way to being a Jōnin in a few years. Taking care of the child, any child really would slow her progress, maybe even stump her completely. And yes, there was the stigma of having to care for the village's resident Jinchūriki.

Looking back now, she realized she had acted in a manner unbefitting of a Hyūga and as a Shinobi of Konoha. When she met the boy, she had to expect to meet many things. A wild animal-like child, a bloodthirsty demon in human flesh, a soulless being. She did not expect to meet a small lonely, shy, and (looking back at it now) afraid boy. Who at the time would flinch whenever she raised her voice even above a whisper or would pull away from her even at the slightest touch. If she ever met the former matron of the orphanage, unpleasant things would happen. She had not expected that boy to become the ball of sunshine he was now, nor did she expect him to become an important part of her life. She was proud to say that in the past two years, she had done a fine job caring for the boy.

Her skills as a Kunoichi had not degraded as she first feared they would. She had kept them sharp through training, and occasionally she was sent on missions that required her skillset. She was still a Shinobi of Konoha, after all. If anything, they had improved. Naruto being a training nut did not hurt.

"But how much longer is she going to be? I'll dye of old age at this rate." Naruto wined. "How long can it take a girl to get ready?"

"Get used to it, young one. You'll be waiting a lot on her in the future." She thought to herself. "Naruto, she'll be out when she's done and not a moment before. "She said before a smile crept onto her face. "Besides us, ladies need to look our best on special days like this." She said, striking a small pose.

Naruto gave her a blank expression. "So that's never for you?"

Sara felt a vein bulge in her head as she resisted the urge to thump the impudent child on the head. So, this is what it was like to have a younger brother. Thank Kami, she had been an only child. "Watch it, boy, your one remark away from a visit to the hospital."

She saw a foxlike grin spread across his face. The boy opened his mouth, and Sara was in the process of making an explanation to Hiashi-Sama about the blonde's demise.

Fortunately, Kami decided that today was not Naruto's day to enter the pure world as a set of doors slide opened to reveal three familiar figures. Flanked by both of her parents, Hinata looked stunning in her dress. Evident by how Naruto was doing his best impression of a fish.

"Oh, this is going to make great blackmail material in the future." Sara thought to herself as she bowed to the clan head and his family. "If only I had a camera right now."

Click!

The sound of a camera got the Hyūga woman's attention. She raised from her bow to see Hitomi-Sama holding a camera, a fresh picture rolling of it. Taking the photo out and examining it, the Hyūga matriarch gave Sara a knowing wink.

The sound of the camera had also snapped Naruto out of his daze, and just as quickly, the device was gone. "Wow, Hinata-Chan, you look great." The boy said with a small.

Sara was treated with the sight of a scarlet-faced Hinata. "Th-Thank you Na-ruto-Kun." She said. "You look good too."

"Told you that getting dressed into something nice would pay off." Sara thought as she remembered Naruto kicking up a fuss about wearing something nicer than what he normally wore.

The blond scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, Hinata-Chan." He said, his smile brightening.

Sara smiled to herself at seeing the interaction between the two children. Even if they didn't realize it, it was evident to everyone around that the two cared for each other deeply. "I may be a bit biased, but Naruto-Kun, you have picked a fine young lady to fall for. The same goes for you, Hinata-Sama."

She noticed that the group had started to move, and she walked close behind her eyes, remaining on the children. It came as a surprise to her that Hiashi had fallen back to walk beside her. "You did a good job caring for the boy." He said. "We couldn't have picked a better person for the job."

She felt elated at her clan's head's praise. "I was merely doing my job." She humbly admitted. "Anyone else would have done the same."

Hiashi shook his head. "Perhaps for the first month or two, you were. But after that, you did more than just doing your job." He said, looking at her. "I remember what happened with that storekeeper in the third month."

A dark shadow fell over her expression as the memory was dredged up. Naruto, Hinata, and she, along with another Hyūga; Ko, she thinks, had been on their way back to the compound after spending time in the park when Naruto had taken notice of something in a shop's window. A stuffed animal, a fox ironically enough, the boy had such a longing look on his face that Sara knew she would have felt guilty if she didn't try to get it for him.

She had told Hinata and Ko to wait outside while she and Naruto went inside to retrieve the item, even asked the girl if there was anything she wanted. The stuffed rabbit next to the fox had caught the girl's attention. The moment the two had stepped inside the store was when the trouble began.

Sara was proud to be a child of Konoha. She was proud to be a Shinobi in service to the village. She praised her ancestors for having the wisdom to settle in Konoha in its early years. She loved her village and would give her life to defend it just as easily she would for her clan. But even she had to face reality and acknowledge that the village was not without its faults. The same could be said about her clan, but that was getting off-topic. She knew how the rest of the village viewed and treated her charge. She couldn't blame them either, it was hard to separate the boy from the demon he contained, and humans were irrational beings after all. The orphanage aside, ignoring the child's existence had been the worst offense against him. Certainly, Konoha treated its Jinchūriki better than other villages. The rumors out of Suna alone made her question if humans were any better than the supposed demons they feared.

The store owner had been friendly to them for all three seconds. Then his eyes went past her and narrowed in on her charge. Never in her life had she seen so much hate and fury in someone's eyes. Not even the many opponents she had faced in her career came close. The few moments were a blur of shouting between the two, mostly the man shouting, "Demon Child" and other things she was loathed to repeat in front of anyone, let alone a child. Several times he reached for Naruto, fully intending to harm him, with her stopping him using more force than the last. The result was that she and Naruto leaving the store with the latter almost on the verge of tears, and the store owner left unconscious via several Juken strikes. On their way back, Sara had her Byakugan on the whole way and a deathly aura around her that dared anyone to strike at her charge. A few hours later, ANBU arrived at the Hyūga compound. The man had pressed charges against her and Naruto for "assaulting him in unprovoked manure."

"Yes, I remember that too." She said after a moment. "I never thought someone could be so cruel to a child. Nor did I think they would be so devoid of intelligence to attack a Hyūga."

She got a simple nodded in response to her statement. "Fortunately for all involved, that matter was resolved."

Sara smiled to herself at the bright side of the memory. The testimonies of Hinata and Ko had cleared them of any wrongdoing, especially when they had been back by the support of Hiashi. The charges had been dropped, and the store owner was forced to leave; otherwise, he would be charged with falsely accusing a Shinobi of Konoha, attempted assault of a Shinobi of Konoha, and attempted assault of a Konoha citizen, hefty charges that all would have seen the man pay heavy fines and had him locked up for years. That had been the beginning of his bad luck as the Elders feeling like the clan had been slighted, had blacklisted the store. Within a week, the man had been forced to shut down his business and left the village by the end of the month. She had never returned to that street, making a point to avoid it.

"I don't think I can ever think you enough, Hiashi-Sama, for backing Naruto and me." She said. "Hinata-Sama's and Ko-San's testimony alone would have cleared us. You didn't have to involve yourself."

She same the clan head small. "But I did, and as clan head, I had to." He replied. "The man was challenging the Hyūga clan whether he realized it or not. Plus, my daughter was involved as well."

Sara nodded her understanding. "Still, I thank you."

The group rounded a corner. "Now that young Naruto will be attending the academy, you will find yourself with more time." Hiashi began. "What will you be doing now that your schedule has opened?" He asked.

That was something she had been asking herself when she realized what it meant for her that Naruto would be at the academy. As her clan head pointed out, she would have a lot more time to herself as Naruto would be at the Academy training to be Shinobi. Sure, she still would be expected to carry out her duties as his caretaker, and she was more than happy to do so. But with each passing day, month, and year getting closer to the day he graduated and became a full Shinobi of Konoha, Naruto would be expected to become more independent. Start to care for himself. In time Sara would be expected to move out and return to her former residence, occasionally checking in on the boy as her role would never come to an end, just lessened. She felt conflicted, on one hand, she was overjoyed to have more time to herself. She had learned that caring for a child was a time-consuming and tiring affair. It didn't help that Naruto was more troublesome than most children. Shit, she was starting to sound like a Nara.

On the other end, she found her role to be strangely fulfilling. She viewed the blonde as the little brother she never had and caring for him had made her wonder what it would be like to be an actual mother. She never really put much thought into it before, and on the rare occasion, she did it always seemed unappealing to her. Now though, she was uncertain. She had much to think about and soon would have the time to think about it.

"I am not certain, Hiashi-Sama." She spoke the truth. "There's much to consider for my future."

She saw the Clan head give her a critical look that made her shift nervously. "That I can understand." He said after a moment. "Though I assume that you will be resuming your duties as a full-time Kunoichi?"

Now that much she was certain of. "Of course, Hiashi-Sama, while I am happy to be Naruto-kun's caretaker, I am eager to resume my responsibilities as a Kunoichi of the village." She said with honesty while the possibility of her wanting to be a mother was uncertain, and far she knew clearly that she wanted to continue her career as a Kunoichi and take as far as her ability allowed her to. "For obvious reasons, I can't do that this year or even the next, but maybe in six months, depending on how well Naruto-kun is doing in the academy, I may start doing some missions to ease myself back in. Most likely, they will be simple C-Ranks that won't take me out of the village for more than a few days, a week at most." She explained, she would be training harder now to sharpen her skills.

"That's good to hear," Hiashi responded bring his hand to his chin. "I do feel a bit guilty that we had to assign you to Naruto-san at a time when your career was just starting to take off. I imagine that did not sit well with you at the time."

"At the time, yes." She admitted. "But I have long since gotten over it. Reflecting on it now, it may have been a good thing for me in the long run. Remaining here in the village for the past two years has allowed me to hone my skills and developed my technique. Sometimes it is best to slow down rather than rush ahead. That is one of the lessons of the Sandaime, is it not?"

Hiashi nodded, seemingly pleased. "That is good to hear, you were becoming one of Konoha's best, and I am glad your drive has not diminished." He said. "Though it's not like you have allowed yourself to grow lax in your as others would. I have seen you training hard, and there is no shortage of Sparing partners in the village."

"It doesn't hurt that my charge is a training nut." She said with a smile. "That boy can give our resident "Green Beast" a run for his money in the enthusiasm department." She shudders to think what would happen if the two ever met.

"Still, I look forward to seeing your progress as a Kunoichi." The group came to a stopped in front of a double set of sliding doors, the entrance to the Elder Council's Chamber. Hiashi turned to face her. "Once the children are done meeting with the Elders, you will escort them to the academy. Unfortunately, my responsibilities as Clan Head will keep me from taking Hinata to the academy on her first day. Kurenai will be arriving shortly to take Hinata." Nodding her understanding, Sara saw a flash of disappointment on Hinata's face. Understandable a child should be with their parent on a special day like this, but he was a clan head. More times than he liked, he couldn't be there for his daughter. Her mother was still recovering with expressed orders that she not leave the compound for at least a month., it was a wonder that she was even walking with them now. At least they got someone close to Hinata to fulfill that role.

"Yes, Hiashi-Sama." She said with a bow before turning her attention to her charge. "Now, Naruto, do please try to behave in there. The elders are not accustomed to your unique brand of respect." She said sternly.

If he had been able to, Sara was certain that he would be rolling his eyes. Instead, he settles for the ones that float around him. "Yes, Sara-Chan, I'll behave." He said, sounding like a child whose fun had just been ruined.

She turned to look at Hinata. "Hinata-Sama, please make sure he behaves himself." She said with a small smile.

Hinata returned the smile. "I'll try." She giggled out.

Naruto looked between the two females, an incredulous look on his face. "Does no one have faith in me?" He said.

"Not much." Hitomi, Hinata, and Sara deadpanned, causing the boy to slump.

"What is this pick on Naruto day?" He said, exasperated.

"I believe that's next week." Hiashi commented with a straight face getting a chuckle from the three females. Naruto just glared at the man. "Now, I do believe we made the elders wait long enough." He said, opening the doors and ushering the others in. "Sara-san have a good day." He said before closing the day.

Sara silently bowed in front of the door before moving away from it and stood at the wall opposite of it. He would wait for her charge and Hinata to come out and take them to the academy. In the meantime, perhaps she could use this small amount of time to think about her future.

Uchiha Compound

"Remember, Sasuke, you must show the strength of the Uchiha clan while you attend the academy."

"Yes, father." Sasuke said to his father.

He saw his father give a grim nod. "Then you are dismissed. Your brother will be taking you to the academy." He said, raising his mother close behind him, a look of disappointment on her face.

Sasuke felt a small jolt of surprise. He had hoped that his father would be the one taking him to the academy. "Father, why aren't you taking me?" He said before he could stop himself.

His father looked at him, seemingly annoyed at his youngest son's outburst. "As the Clan head, I am far too busy to take you myself. You should understand by now I cannot indulge in every childish whim you come up with." His voice coming out harshly in Sasuke's ears. "Now go, it would not look well upon the clan for one of my sons to be late on his first day." He left, leaving a disappointed Sasuke.

His mother stood in front of him. "Don't worry about him Sasuke-Kun." She soothingly said. "Your father is a busy man. I'm sure if he could, he would take all the time in the world to be with you." Sasuke didn't say anything as he stood up and began to walk into the room his mother closed behind.

His brother was waiting for him outside. "I assume that father did not wish to take you to the academy." He said.

"No, he doesn't." Sasuke said, feeling hurt at saying the words. He had hoped to spin some time with his father, however small it was. It wasn't fair his father paid more attention to Itachi than him. Unlike him, his brother was a prodigy without equal. He had graduated from the academy at the age of seven and made Chūnin three years later and a year late made ANBU. If rumors were to be believed, he would be ANU captain soon. Sasuke loved his older brother, he truly did. Itachi was more like a father to him than his own, but he felt jealous of him. For once, he would like to be the center of attention to have everyone's eyes on him. Deep down, he knew he would never shape up, and it-

His train of thought came to a crashing stop when he felt his brother poke him in the forehead. Covering his head with hands, he shot a glare that would melt the Hokage moment at Itachi. "What was that for?" He questioned, his voice sounding whinier than he intended.

He saw his brother give him a small smile. "You were getting angst, dear little brother." He said calmly.

"No, I wasn't." Sasuke retorted, feeling his cheeks heat up.

"Oh yes, you were." Came a familiar voice. The group turned to face the newcomer. Shisui stopped in front of them. "You could feel that angst from halfway across the compound." He said with a laugh.

Sasuke puffed out his checks feeling more than a bit annoyed. "I'm not angst." He said, fighting back a smile.

"Come, little guy, cheer up it's your first day at the academy," Shisui said, patting Sasuke on the head. "You even get to have your awesome brother to take you there."

"He's right, Sasuke-Kun. This is your special day." His mother interjected. "You'll find that your days at the academy will be some of the best in your life. Oh, I remember my days in the academy there. I met some of the best people that would become my friends and comrades in arms."

"Your friends?" Sasuke asked, wanting to learn more about his mother. Itachi and Shisui were listening closely as well.

"Yes, such as your father's teammates and friends Hyūga Hiashi and Namikaze Minato. Of course, there was my generation's Ino-Shika-Chō trio."

"Wait, my father was friends with a Hyūga?" Sasuke said, disbelieving that an Uchiha and Hyūga could ever get along.

"Wasn't Namikaze the Yondaime?" His brother queried. Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked between his brother and mother. His father had been friends with a Hyūga and a Hokage?

"Yes, indeed he was." The Uchiha Matriarch confirmed. "They were some of the closest friends you ever met and were a formidable force together under their Sensei Jiraiya."

They heard Shisui whistle. "That's impressive the current clan heads of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, and the Yondaime together under one of the Sanin? That's a wicked combination I ever heard one."

Again, Sasuke felt his head spin. His father had trained under one of the Sanin. He had been teammates and friends with the current Hyūga clan head and with the deceased Yondaime? He was learning more about his father than he ever had in his life, and it was all hard to keep up with.

"Indeed. At the time, they were and still are considered to be one of Konoha's deadliest teams. Some even liken it to a second coming of the Sanin." His mother explained with a nostalgic smile. "My team was also considered to be a close contender. Funny enough my teammates were Hiashi's wife Hitomi and Kushina, a close friend of the Yondaime. Our sensei was Tsunade. Funny how fate works out sometimes."

"You mentioned someone named Kushina," Itachi said. "I'm afraid I have not heard of her. If she was your teammate, why have you not mentioned her until now?" He asked with an analytical eye.

All three Uchiha males saw the woman's happy smile morph into a sad and somber one. "Really, I haven't?" A small chuckle escaped her lips. "Funny if she were here now, she would get onto me about not talking about her. She would probably punish me by telling you an embarrassing story. My guess would be that one time in Suna."

"If she was still here?" Shisui asked though it sounded like he already knew the answer.

"She died defending the village during the Kyūbi attack seven years ago. Her body was found lying beside the Yondaime's. I lost two good friends that day." Tears started to stream down her reddening cheeks. She brought her sleeve up to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry if I'm getting emotional here. I'm bringing the mood down. It's just thinking about that night is hard. I guess maybe that's why I haven't talked about her."

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, mother," Itachi said, sounding guilty. "I was merely curious about why you had not talked about your friend before."

"It's alright, Itachi-Kun I know you didn't mean to." She said. "Funny enough, though, it feels good to be talking about her. Maybe once Sasuke returns to the compound, I'll tell you three more about her.

"That would be interesting to hear more about it," Itachi said. "I wouldn't mind learning more about my father and his team. The man has always been withdrawn about details about himself."

Sasuke nodded his head. "Me too." He was eager to learn more about his father and his teammates.

"I'll think about it." Their mother responded. "But I've gotten off-topic. The point is your time in the academy will be something you always remember. The people you will meet there will become your friends, comrades in arms, and two lucky ones will become your teammates. Those two you will feel the closest to sometimes feeling like they are family and sometimes even closer than that."

Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that. He learned a lot about his parents in his mother's brief explanation. More than he ever thought he would learn, and once he got back from the academy, he would learn more. Then there was what his mother said about his time in the academy. He wondered if what his mother said was true that he would find people that he would come to trust more than his own family. Would that really happen with him? Was his mother exaggerating and that her experience was out of the norm? Well, only one way to find out.

"And on that note, I believe it's time that Itachi got you to the Academy." His mother said, clapping her hands together. "Your father wouldn't like to hear about how his son was late on his first day. Nor would I. Sasuke, promise me you'll be a good boy."

"I will, mother." Sasuke said. "I promise."

"Come, little brother, it's time we left." Itachi said, beckoning Sasuke to follow as he walked down the hall.

Shisui walked up beside Itachi. "Mind if I tag along? I finished training a while ago and got some down before I head for the mission boards."

"I don't mind if Sasuke doesn't." Itachi responded.

Shisui looked to the younger Uchiha for his answer. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind." Shisui was a nice guy to be around and was Itachi's closest friend. It would be nice to spend some time around the both of them.

"Then let's get going." Shisui said as they left the compound.

Konoha streets

In Shisui's opinion, it was always nice to walk down the streets of Konoha instead of jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Granted, as a Shinobi, he did it frequently during missions, and there was a certain thrill in seeing each street. Its inhabitants rapidly disappear in single bounds. But doing that never gave one the impression of how lively the village was if they had walked instead. Whenever he wasn't on a mission or had a mission that wasn't constrained by time, he would stroll down the streets taking his time to admire the hassle and bustle of life that was life in Konoha. There always seemed to be something happening. People walked up and down the street, children weaved through the crowds playing and laughing, and he would pass by dozens of shops offering a wide range of wares.

Most were normal ordinary things that one would expect to find at a shop. Some offered rarer or exotic items if you knew where to look and were willing to pay a hefty price. Others, though, had strange things. One time, he bought a supposedly haunted mask. It was a creepy little thing, so he could sort of see why some would think that. He bought it so he could try giving Itachi a good scare. That didn't pan out as he thought it. Nothing could get past that guy. Funny enough, soon after he discovered the masked had a seal etched into that when it was worn, it induced a slight Genjutsu that heightened the wearer's paranoia. That would explain its haunted origins.

Getting back on track walking down the streets on Konoha was always an interesting affair. Today wasn't any different, considering that three Uchihas were walking down the street. That alone was usually enough to get people to notice them. But two of them were the sons of Fugaku, the clan head of the Uchiha; one of which was hailed as a prodigy of unmatched caliber, the third of the group was one of the strongest Shinobi in Konoha, having earned the moniker of "Shunshin no Shisui." A lot more people were paying attention and whispering among themselves.

Some in awe and reverence. "Isn't that Itachi?"

"Yea, it is. He's a genius, and he's with Shunshin no Shisui."

"Who's the kid with them? Wait, could he be Itachi's little brother?"

"I think you're right. I bit he's every bit the prodigy his brother his. Fugaku-Sama must be so proud."

Shisui rolled his eyes at the civilians' idle praise of them. They didn't see them as individuals, only their last names and who they were related to. Others, though, were concerning.

"What are Uchiha doing out here?"

"What wrong with that?"

"Haven't you heard the rumors?"

Shisui hid his discomfort as he noticed not everyone was looking at them favorably. It was a recent trend in the last few years, one that had almost gone unnoticed, but tensions were rising between the Uchiha clan and the village. No one quite knew where or when it started, but the result was that the clan was slowly being isolated from the village. The Uchiha, as some would correctly guess, were not taking this well. Most disturbing were the rumors that his clan was somehow responsible for the Kyūbi attack seven years ago, which had cropped up recently. Every day more and more people were viewing him and his clan with suspicion. If this kept up, he feared for the future relations between the clan and the village.

All this had gone unnoticed by Sasuke as he was escorted to the academy. Coming to the academy building, they noticed a booth had been set up at the front entrance. A small group of people was waiting at it, children, and their parents. Almost all of them were nothing notable, most likely were civilians or from minor Shinobi families.

Four, however, did catch his eye, two women and two children around Sasuke's age. One was a young woman with black hair, red eyes, and clothes that looked more like wrappings. The other woman appeared to be around his age and had brown hair that stopped around her shoulders. Most notably about her were her eyes that made her look like a blind person. Based on her rather stern and cold exterior Shisui surmised that she was a Hyūga and one of the main house judging by the lack of a certain seal. One of the children was also a Hyūga, a girl with dark blue hair. She was shyly (was that even possible for a Hyūga?) clinging to the fourth member of the group and the one that stood out the most. A boy with hair that spiked in every direction and seemed to be blessed by the sun, and around where his eyes should be was a dark orange cloth wrapped around his head.

The Uchiha stopped behind the group of four getting their attention. The red-eyed woman was friendly enough as she gave the group a respectful and friendly smile. "Itachi-San, I haven't seen you in a while." She said.

"It's good to see you as well, Yuhi-San," Itachi replied. "My duties in ANBU have kept me busy, so you have not seen me as often."

Shisui looked to his best friend. "You know this lady?" He asked him.

Itachi nodded. "This is Yuhi Kurenai. We met when we were paired together for a mission. She is a very skilled Genjutsu user." Itachi said.

Shishu arched an eyebrow. He knew Itachi was an honest person seeing no need to lie when it wasn't necessary. So, when he said this woman was skilled in Genjutse, and keep in mind he was considered a master in the field that some say couldn't be beaten, he meant it, and it said a lot about her skill.

"You flatter me, Itachi-San. Hearing you speak highly of my skill in Genjutsu is quite the honor." The woman said. "Though I still feel that I can't hold a candle next to you."

Itachi shook his head. "I only speak the truth, Kurenai-San I respect your skill as the Genjutsu mistress of Konoha. You should not compare yourself to me." He said, getting a grateful nod from the woman.

"Perhaps we can have a spare some time? A battle of Genjutsus to see how much I've improved since I last saw you." Kurenai suggested.

"I will think about it." Itachi replied. "At the moment, I have to take my brother," He gestured to Sasuke. "To the academy, and you have yet to introduce me to the rest of your friends."

Shisui saw the Kurenai shift in embarrassment. "Oh, where are my manners."

Shisui waved her off. "It's alright, Yuhi-San he hasn't introduced me and his brother either. So that makes you two even." He said to her calming her. "I'm Uchiha Shisui, and as Itachi-San said a second ago, this is Itachi's little brother Sasuke." He said, gesturing to the boy in their group who stood at attention."

"Hai." He said.

"Uchiha Shisui." The Hyūga woman queried. "As in Shunshin no Shisui?" She continued a bit of awe in her voice, and was that a hint of blush he saw?

"Why yes, I am. And you are?" He said, noting her reaction.

"Ah, of course, how rude of me. I am Hyūga Sara." She said with a respectful bow. "I apologize for any offense. I was just surprised to meet two of the village's most notable Shinobi. You and Itachi-San have made names for yourselves more so than most Uchiha."

Shisui waved her off. "I'm not offended. You said your name was Sara? Correct?" He got a nod. "I'm sorry to say I haven't heard of you. You a Shinobi?"

"Chūnin," Sara replied. "Could have been a Jōnin by now, if it were not for my current Assignment."

"Current assignment?" Shisui inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"An assignment from Hiashi-Sama and the Hyūga Elder Council that has taken me off of active duty." Sara began. "For the last two years, I have been charged with the care of our ward, Uzumaki Naruto." She motioned towards the blond-haired boy.

The now named Naruto gave the Uchihas an energetic bow. "Hai. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, soon to be the greatest Shinobi in the world and future Hokage of the leaf. It's nice to meet you." He introduced himself loudly.

So, this is our resident Jinchūriki." As a member of ANBU, he was entrusted with certain secrets. He noted the small eye roll Sara gave the boy. "I had heard that the Hyūga clan had taken an orphan in as a clan ward. Something about repaying a debt they owed him." Shisui commented. "It's nice to meet you too." He extends his hand to the boy.

The boy grasped it and gave it a good shake. "That's because I saved Hinata-Hime," He said, letting go.

"Hinata-Hime?" Shisui said, masking a smirking seeing the Hyūga girl next to him turn a bright shade of red. Hiashi's daughter and current hair to the Hyūga clan.

The boy opened his mouth to explain. "Yea, Hinata-Hime." He grabbed the after-mentioned girl and pulled her in close, getting an epp from her and causing her to turn several shades redder. "She's awesome and the nicest person I know. Introduce yourself, Hinata."

Shisui saw the girl fidget in the boy's grasp. "H-h-hai! It's ni-ce to me-meet you. I I I'm Hyu-uga Hina-ta." She stuttered out, doing her best to maintain eye contact. Wow, Shisui was seeing all sorts of new things today.

"Are these two always like this?" Itachi asked the question that was on Shisui's mind. He had a small, amused smile on his face.

Sara brought a hand to her exasperated head shake. Though by the smile on her lips, she found the exchange to be entertaining. "I'm afraid so." She said. "Though Hinata is usually well behaved and has a talent for keeping this one in check." She pointed her thumb at the boy who just waved. "Though you can imagine he's hand full at the best of times and a downright nuisance at worst, and I have to deal with him every night."

"Hey? I'm not that bad." The blindfolded boy said incredulously.

"Oh, yeas you are. I swear every night, I find more grey hairs than I started with."

"That's because you're getting old."

The Uchihas felt a spike of killing intent.

Thump!

Naruto was left nursing a bump on his head. "Did you have to hit that hard?" He complained. "You know I didn't mean it." Hinata was giving the boy a worried look while trying to suppress a giggle.

"Hmph," Sara huffed out. "Of course, I did. You should never call a lady old it rude. Plus, you have a thick skull. It is about the only way for things to get through to you." She said, examining her nails.

Shisui felt a bit of sweat rolling down his head. "These two act like their brother and sister." He thought to himself. "I can see that you have your hands full." He said, making mental noted to never get on the woman's bad side, a general rule of thump regarding women, especially if they were kunoichi.

"I get by." She stated with a blank face. "But" A caring smile crept in. "Despite his shortcomings, he is a good kid with a good heart. Otherwise, he would have not put himself in danger to save Hinata-Sama. So, I suppose that looking after him isn't entirely a bad thing."

"Admit it, you like me." Naruto said, getting an eye roll.

"I only spoke the truth. My feelings have no bearing on the matter." Sara said.

"You didn't deny it."

Shisui turned to Kurenai the woman had an amused smirk. "Tell me, are these two always like this?" He asked her.

"Like you wouldn't believe it." She said in mock exasperation. "If I didn't know better, you'd think they were brother and sister."

"I can see that." Shisui commented, keeping an eye on the two as they continued their banter. Shisui was about to interrupt them when another voice joined in.

"What's with the blindfold?" Sasuke asked. "Are you blind or something?"

The bunter between Sara and Naruto came to an end as they stared at the youngest Uchiha.

"Sasuke," Itachi warned. "I believe that's not something you should be asking."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, looking at his brother. "I'm sure you and Shisui are wondering too. So why not ask."

Shisui was not curious about the boy's blindfold. He had read the reports on the Hyuga Affair two years ago and knew why the boy wore a blindfold.

"That is because you are asking a personal questioned." Itachi tried to explain. "How would you like it if he asked you a question like that?"

"But I'm not the one wearing a blindfold he is." Sasuke said.

"That's not the point, Sasuke," Itachi replied. "What you are asking is a personal question for someone you just met. It's rude, and you should apologize."

"But"

"No buts, Sasuke apologize." Itachi said with an iron voice.

Sasuke grumbled. He turned to face Naruto. "I'm sorry for asking a personal question. Please forgive me if I offend you in some way." He said.

"I too apologize, Uzumaki-San," Itachi added in. "My brother meant no disrespect. I believe he was just curious and had not thought it would be rude to ask you."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "It's alright. I forgive you. I figured the question was going to come up at one point or another." He explained. "Most likely when we were in the classroom. So, it won't hurt to tell you now." Shisui had not taken that into account. If Sasuke asked, then the other children would too, and odds were that they would be less polite about it.

"I assume it has something to do with the Hyūga Affair two years ago?" Itachi said.

"Hyūga Affair?" Sasuke asked. "What's the Hyūga Affair?"

Shisui was the one to explain. "Two years ago, while under the pretense of a making a peace treaty, the head of the Kumo Delegation attempted to kidnap the Heiress of the Hyūga clan." He noted the way Hinata fidgeted and how Naruto took a protective step towards her. He didn't like that he was bringing up bad memories for the girl. "The attempt failed due to the interference of a street orphan. The Heiress was rescued, and the man brought into custody. While there, after a brief interrogation, he confessed to his crimes and admitted that Kumo had planned it. To repay the debt they owed to the Orphan, the Hyūga clan took him in as a ward." It was a short and simplified version of the story, one that most in Konoha would know. What he didn't mention was that the man was handed back to his village, where if Intel was correct, he had been executed soon after. The peace treaty had held, but relations between Konoha and Kumo had turned icy and were steadily sliding in the negative direction. Nor was it known that the boy had awoken a new power, not publicly anyway.

"He's that Orphan." Sasuke guessed while pointing at the blonde.

"That's right." Sara chimed in. "Thanks to his heroic." Shisui heard her mutter "and reckless" under her breath, "actions our Heiress Hinata-Sama was saved that night."

Shisui and Itachi noticed the awed look in Sasuke's eyes. "You fought a Kumo-Nin?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yea, I did!" Naruto boasted.

"Naruto." Sara said.

The blindfolded boy deflated somewhat and scratched his whiskered cheek. "Well, more like I was a nuisance and got my ass handed to me." He admitted. "But I still saved Hinata." He quickly added.

"But what does that have to do with you having a blindfold?" Sasuke asked, the awe still present but more restrained.

"I was getting to that." Naruto said. "Well, as it turns out, the bastard."

"Language Naruto." Sara cut in.

Naruto ignored her. "Was a sick and vindictive type. He cut my eyes out."

Shisui knew this from the reports of that night. It still left his stomach twisting. He glanced at Itachi in time to see a rare and terrifying sight, an angry Itachi. Shisui could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Itachi angry, and the perpetrators didn't get to tell the story. Just as quickly it was there, it was gone.

"He cut your eyes out?" Sasuke said, looking a little green in the face.

"He did," Naruto said, untying the blindfold and taking it off. Shisui had seen some messed up stuff in his life, things that would haunt his dreams on bad nights. But most of them never gave him the bone-chilling feeling like seeing a smiling blond with an empty set of eye sockets. He was certain that he would be seeing that in his sleep tonight, as would Sasuke.

Shisui had to commend the younger brother of his best friend for not reacting any worse than he was. His expression was a mixture of disgust and fear and maybe a bit of sympathy. "That's-that's horrible." Sasuke said after a moment.

Naruto nodded, putting the blindfold back on. "It was. I fainted from the pain when he was done. I woke in the hospital with Jiji and Hinata, and her dad in my room. The rest, you know." Naruto said. "Well, except for one thing." Naruto added with a smirk.

"What?" Sasuke pressed.

"I got back at him." Naruto said as a pair of eyes float down in front of him.

A little shorter than usual but I felt like it was a good place to stop at. Next chapter will Naruto's and Hinata's first day in class. How well will it go? Only one way to find you think of my OC here? Still getting an idea of what I'll do with her in this story, but if your worried that she'll take over the story or something, she won't. She'll have her role to play in this story and have her moments in the spotlight, like the other characters but Naruto is still going to be the main man (his name is in the title after all.) and Hinata as well. Right now I'm going for a stern but caring sisterly figure I hope to refine it more and add to it, but that's a ways off for see you in the next chapter and try to stay safe out there lord knows the 2020. has been a crazy year.