here's the next update

the next two chapters will be up n a few as well

this hasn't been thoroughly edited and its three in the morning

also sorry for the wait i've literally been working nonstop and that a thing

anyway

basically enjoy pre and post uchiha massacre feels

i'm an evil person

everything and nothing

part one

"Don't you understand that we need to be childish in order to understand? Only a child sees things with perfect clarity, because it hasn't developed all those filters which prevent us from seeing things that we don't expect to see."
Douglas Adams

Mikoto is pretty in the way his mother wasn't. Dark hair, pale skin, and smooth edges where his mother had hair of fire, wide smiles and rough edges. Naruto imagines his mother would have been warm were Mikoto is cold, and cold in the most ruthless way; like Naruto knows he is well hidden behind laughter and fake warmth. He thinks that together his mother and Mikoto would have been fire and ice. His mother would have thawed some of Mikoto's ice and Mikoto would have tamed some of his mother's flame.

Without his mother Mikoto is a much colder person. Like Kakashi, who drowned in guilt and grief without his dad. The loss of their precious people made them less and more than who they are.

He hasn't even spoken to her yet, but Naruto thinks he understands Mikoto well. His mother wrote a lot about her, probably more, because Naruto didn't read beyond the first couple entries in the journal. Still, from what he seen, when he's spotted her at the market, or coming from the building he knows is T&I, even when she was a face among a crowd of people learning the boy they hated was the son of the man they loved, Mikoto is someone he could understand.

It still takes him awhile to approach her. It's early morning, after a late night spent talking of the past. He knows about his father, more than he ever dreamed about, but not much about his mother. And he wants to know about her, because yes he's his father's son, but he'll always be more like his mother. No matter how much changes, that will always be the same. (He carried the name Uzumaki long before Namikaze).

He knows there is no one better to tell him about his mother than Mikoto. So Naruto finds the courage to meet her. The Uchiha compound his closed behind tall walls, they're new and it makes something uncomfortable settle in his stomach. There is something wrong here, but he's not sure what. He puts that thought away, he has other things to think about, more important things. He steps through the open gate into the compound, the clansmen who are patrolling stop him only after he's already passed the first building. There are two of them, one is tall and lean, his energy, his chakra, is restless and tangible in a way most Uchiha chakra isn't. The other Uchiha is younger, his chakra is calm and steady but full of a fire that says he's an Uchiha but different than the icy-hot chakra most Uchiha have. He knows their names and rank, what the BIngo Book has named them. Kakashi and Shikaku made sure he could recite every ninja in the BIngo Book and more after the first attempt on his life.

"Namikaze-Uzumaki-san," The one known as Shunshin no Shisui says oddly cheerful. "How may the Uchiha be of service to you?"

"I'm here to speak with Mikoto Uchiha, she knew my parents." Naruto explains, ignoring the nerves that are bubbling in his chest.

Itachi Uchiha, the prodigy of the Uchiha watches him in a eerily familiar way. After a short moment, he says quietly, "I'll take you to my mother."

It's a claim and a threat all in one. Itachi loves his family, Naruto can see that. So he just nods in response, to both the offer and the warning. The three of them come to an understanding quickly. Itachi turns his back on him and starts walking. Shisui walks close to him, while itachi leads. Neither treat him like a child like most people do, it's nice.

"I didn't know the Fourth Hokage was friends with Mikoto-san." Shisui says, prying for information.

Naruto knows information is dangerous, but he gives some anyway. People know he's Minato Namikaze's son, they know that his father married his mother, but they don't know his mother. The Third mentioned her, but her name was forgotten behind his father's. Naruto knows this was done on purpose, because his mother was hated outside of Konoha just as much as his father was. But, Naruto still carries his mother's name, and he won't hide that he's her son. Just as he wouldn't keep hiding that he was his father's. He never got to know his parents, but he won't hide from their legacy. Not now that he has the choice.

"Not my father." Naruto says, catching both Uchiha's attention. "My mother. Though my father was friends of sort with Fugaku-sama."

"Oh? How'd they meet. Your mother and Mikoto-san I mean?" Shisui asks, this time with genuine curiosity.

"I don't know. I do know they were on the same genin team. I have the photo."

Shisui hums in response. The rest of the walk through the compound is done in silence. When they arrived at Itachi's home the trio stopped next to the porch.

"Come on Naruto-san." Itachi said as he moved to knock on the front door.

A minute later the door was pushed open by a tall and stern looking man. He looked at Itachi, then Shisui before looking to Naruto.

"Fugaku-sama, I'm here to seek an audience with Mikoto-san." Naruto said quietly, nervous he wouldn't remember the proper etiquette when talking to the clan leader, even though Shikaku made him practice for weeks.

"I see. What do you wish to speak with my wife about?" Fugaku asked, crossing his arms, making him look bigger.

"She was close friends with my mother, Kushina Uzumaki, I wish to ask about her." Naruto explained, and after a second added. "You were friends with my father too. I'd like to hear about him from you too."

Fugaku after he was sure that the blond haired boy wasn't there as a spy for the Hokage led him inside. Itachi and Shisui followed.

"Mikoto, would you get some tea ready, we have a guest." Fugaku called out.

A second later there was the sound of running water from what Naruto assumed was the kitchen. Fugaku led them to a formal and traditional meeting room. As the four were about to sit a boy Naruto's age came running in.

"Nii-san! Nii-san!" The boy cried, a innocent smile on his face. "You're back! Why is Shisui-baka-"

"Sasuke, we have a guest." A quiet, yet firm voice said from behind the boy. "Hello Namikaze-Uzumaki-san."

"Hi." Naruto replied nervously.

Mikoto smiled slightly, and made her way into the room. She set a tray with a tea pot and cups on the table in the middle of the room before seating herself next to her husband. Itachi was sitting to her left, and Sasuke was quick to sit next to him. Shisui, who was also a guest in their home sat next to Naruto on the other side of the table.

"You came to hear about your parents?" Mikoto asked, though it wasn't said like a question. "I was much closer to Kushina than I was Minato-sama."

"That's okay. I've heard a little about my dad already," Naruto began, but paused to take the cup of tea Itachi held out to him. "But I haven't heard much about my mom. Beside the fact she is the last of her clan, I haven't been able to find much information on her. She had a few photos with you and you were mentioned in her journal so I thought you might be able to tell me about her."

"I can." Mikoto said, and seemed to be thinking of what to say next. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to tell you everything today though."

"That's okay, whatever you can tell me today will be enough." Naruto was quick to reassure.

Itachi, who was hoping that good relations between Naruto and the Uchiha would help with the village's distrust was quick to suggest they meet again.

"That's a good idea, why don't you meet me in Senju Park in two days around noon and we can talk more." Mikoto said, and smiled warmly at her oldest son. "You are the same age as my youngest, I'm sure you two will get along."

"Thank you." Naruto said quietly, blinking away tears. "This means a lot."

"Is there anything specific you want to know about Kushina?" Mikoto asked, hoping to prevent Naruto from crying.

"Uhm, what was she like? How did you two meet?"

"Kushina was one of a kind…"

The rest of the day Mikoto tells Naruto all about his mother. After the first few stories, Fugaku even tells one of his own, and then with a little prompting tells him a story about his father. When it's time for him to leave, Naruto is escorted to the gate of the compound by Itachi.

"I only knew your father as a ninja, but I respected him a lot. He was a man worth respecting, I think that you have the potential to be a lot like him." Itachi says after a few minutes of silence.

"Maybe." Naruto says, and watches Itachi intently for a second before saying. "But I think someone like you has more potential to be like my father; to be better than him."

There is much that both boys leave unsaid but somehow both understand what isn't spoken as easy as if it had been. An unlikely friendship is born during the short walk to the compound gate. One that has the ability to change everything and nothing at the same time.

"Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years."
Richard Bach

the next part has more feels and stuff