Chapter 2: A Spoiler Chapter Title.

A/N: The last update was right before I left to someplace. I'm back, this one was updated first because it was less daunting. Much less.

"You're no genius that's for certain, nothing like your father at all, heck, even your mother" The long white haired man said. Jiraiya, one of the legendary sannin. A pervert, as told by his mother. His father put in a more respectful manner.

Naruto picked himself up from the ground, his muscles screaming in protest, hell, his bones ached. Shakily standing up, his vision slightly blackening, he faced the white haired old man once more. Failing to strand straight, the best he could do was stand aloof. If he his mouth was bleeding he was too tired to check, swallowing was also too tedious to accomplish so it trailed from his mouth.

Naruto would travel with Jiraiya often, as the aging man still had to maintain his connections and go off on searching for Orochimaru. Keeping himself occupied. Once, Jiraiya had stopped a full scale war from breaking out. He only found that out after a nasty argument.

Jiraiya had once been adamant in not training him. Only being broken once he realized that a kid was hurting more than an old man.

Despite that, there were times when he couldn't travel with Jiraiya. Being dropped off at The Hidden Leaf Village. To practice on his own, albeit with less effectiveness.

He thought that he worked hard alone, But Jiraiya pushed him to the absolute limit, most often passing out at the end. If he didn't have any of the potent vitality and recovery of the Uzumaki, he probably would have dropped dead a long time ago. As the training regiment had been the same since...

He was talentless, but he kept going. His mother and father had passed along some ideals and advice. Kushina was a strict person, always berating and getting him to concentrate on homework and other stuff. His father always gave him pointers and simplified terms to get to him to understand better. Practicing with him and always showing the proper ways to do things. So he wasn't exactly helpless, just a little terrible at some things.

Itachi had graduated now, and was going for chuunin at the age of ten. He couldn't let a younger kid like him beat him, even if he was a genius.

"Yeah, Well... " He gave up talking, saving whatever energy he had left to keep going. Taking deep breaths to try and slow his beating heart. "Come..."

Even if Jiraiya didn't show it, he could tell that he was pleased by his answer. It was always something that the he valued, hard work. It was what his dad told him. It was probably why Jiraiya took him up as his protégé, it probably helped that he knew him beforehand, what his ties were.

Naruto placed himself in the tree as he watched the red haired boy down below. Swinging alone on a swing set. Naruto wasn't certain at how he should react to that. The boy was lonely, some stifled sobs escaped from him. There was no one near him, or so the boy thought at least.

He was a full seven years older than him, Born on August 14. Hardly a month younger than Itachi's little brother.

It was nearly dusk, so it was his shift to watch him. All through the night, while he wandered through the streets and slept through the dark.

Naruto was in the ANBU, and most often was tasked over watching his little brother. Hiro was his name. Hiro Uzumaki. Taking the maiden name of his mother. He remembered that the name Hiro was wish of his mother. Meaning generous or tolerant. Not like Naruto himself at all- she had explained- and herself too of course.

That obviously made him a little put out by that. So he had tried to act nicely and generous as possible. That little phase didn't last long at all. It was too boring, and his mother still loved him all the same.

Naruto sat down on the tree top. He lived his life in memories, wistful thoughts and regrets. His situation didn't allow many friends, merely other ANBU who knew him as Fox. Several had noted his slight lack of discipline, if not for his circumstance, he probably would have never become a part of the ANBU. He likely would have never thought of joining them.

The Uzumaki had pretty much been forgotten in the village, Generally people did not like to live in memories. Hiro didn't resemble his father much. His red hair however, showed his likeness to their mother. Other similar haired people didn't quite have the vibrant color that he had, but there was enough of them so they would remain fairly ignorant of his origins. The most distinguishable the Uzumaki possessed was their chakra and powerful life-force, which couldn't be detected as easily.

His little musing was interrupted as he saw two individuals appear on a roof top, one was arguing with the other quietly, in a way he couldn't hear. He prepared himself, just in case. The bigger one pushed the other one away and looked down at the boy.

He was never good at genjutsu, only skilled enough so that it would work on civilians. Even Genin could probably find it and dispel it, if they knew how. He quickly placed one on Hiro so that he would remain blissfully ignorant on the possible attempt on his life.

Naruto's precaution was somewhat awarded. Some whizzing was heard, the sound of shuriken gliding through the air, heading to the boy. He threw his own to intercept it, hearing the sound of them clashing against the other in the air.

Taking out his father's kunai, he quickly threw a pair towards the would be assassins. Much more swiftly than his opponents. Keeping his eye on the kunai, he prepared two shadow clones. Having one creating a rasengan in his hand as the kunai made contact. It was blocked, however, that didn't matter.

Appearing right before the attacker. He thrust the blue spherical orb into the shinobi's abdomen, the one who threw the tools. Wide eyes in clear pain, he screamed as he was launched across the rooftop and into a nearby water tower, denting the frame. Water sputtered out as his foe dropped almost lifelessly to the ground, unconscious.

Mediocre shinobi were not fully capable of taking a fully powered rasengan. Jonin could possibly stand up after taking a hit, wounded of course. The flak jacket would also help in cushioning the impact, being torn up in the process. Except both individuals had no Flak jackets, their rank was obvious, even without the optional flak jacket.

He put a little more power than necessary, and he quickly quelled the anger starting rise in his head. Which was starting to feel a little hot, he also wanted to avoid killing needlessly. They were still shinobi of the leaf.

"Y-you, killed him..."

Naruto looked over to find his shadow clone, standing over the other guy. Trembling fearfully with his hands in the air, in gesture to show that he was surrendering. Both looked like they were in teens. Around his own age.

"The punishments for attacking the jinchuuriki are absolute" He responded, just as he was told to do. He rather liked saying it.. "You're a moron if you think it would help the village, it would only endanger it" He didn't need to say anything more. It was all explained before, repeatedly. The other one didn't attack, but he was an accomplice. The Hokage would find a suitable punishment, the other one, however, was most likely going to be put to death or severely punished.

"So is this mere revenge? You're not the only one who suffered..." The teen flinched harshly, not bothering to look at him. "No wonder both of you are still genin" Naruto finished.

Technically, he wasn't even part of shinobi force of the Leaf. He wasn't even genin. So they were technically ranked higher than him. That was a funny thought.

He created shadow clones to transport the two away as he shifted away from the sight of the shuffle, disappearing to the Hokage's mansion. Assassination attempts were far and between, the last one he knew had a couple of years before. Jonin and the like knew the risks, civilians weren't quite as understanding.

Naruto sat down at the edge of the building. Hiro was still sadly swinging on the set. He was already in the academy, learning to become a shinobi. Classmates along with Sasuke Uchiha and others near his age.

They weren't learning anything strenuous or difficult yet. Nor really being graded upon anything in times of peace, in which there was no looming event of war. Quite a change compared to his and Itachi's days. Which were during the third war, although they weren't old enough to participate in it. They did, however, helplessly experience it. Now the Hokage changed the graduation to age twelve, and Hiro would truly begin to become a ninja when he turned eight years of age. Which would begin in the following year.

Naruto shifted as Hiro hopped off the swing and made his way towards the direction of Ichiraku ramen.

So he followed him as walked through the streets on Konoha. Many people merely ignored Hiro. He was slightly knocked aside as if he didn't exist at all, the older person acting like he hit nothing.

Naruto saw the stares, the concealed fear, the clear contempt, the cruel whispers.

Hiro merely brushed on, anger and confusion was present, but carefully hidden. Naruto created a clone to wait behind for a specific purpose.

It was when Hiro made it to Ichiraku that the memories of the shadow clone surfaced. A genjutsu placed upon the man which made him crash to the ground, spouting curses and looking for any sign of a perpetrator. Several people laughed at his apparent clumsiness.

Naruto created another shadow clone under the guise of a transformation to go ahead and fetch himself some ramen. It quickly returned with his order and he sat above the restaurant in silence as he ate a bowl of beef ramen.

Minutes later, Hiro finally left. So a clone of went inside for a quick chat with the girl inside.

"You know you don't have watch over him for me" Somewhat surprising Ayame, who was busy retrieving some of the used bowls that was left over.

"Oh, N?" She smiled brightly when he was recognized. "I just have too, he's your..."She lips closed tightly to avoid saying anything more. She continued on.

"He's such a polite little boy, I don't even understand why he's treated so..." She shook her head disapprovingly.

"Ah, well that's good, that's what our mom wished he would act" As Naruto sat down on a stool. He was sorely tempted to remove his mask as it was fairly close to an early closing time, so there wasn't a lot of people wandering about any more.

"Well, those little whiskers of his is just so cute" Ayame said cheerfully. "Besides, I want to help you, he's your brother, and you're a really good friend"

'A good friend?' He disagreed, frowning behind his mask. She had started to act so weird, he wished that she didn't go under some odd and unexplained transformation.

"Friends help each other right?"

"Yeah," He immediately agreed. Guess that was all to it then.

"You can't watch over him all the time, and Hiro enjoys it here" She replied.

He did often hear him being a bit more cheerful when he goes to Ichiraku. A genuine smile as he left the restaurant. Ayame was fulfilling a role that he couldn't bring himself to do, at least for now. Her and the old man were the very few who treated him normally, or allowed him to eat peacefully.

He moved his mask to the side, so they he could get a clearer view. "Thanks..." Smiling at the kind ramen girl. Who blushed for some reason, she was doing that a lot lately. He dispersed himself to bring the exchange over to the original.

It was late night already, another two hours and it would be dawn. Naruto was settled in the kitchen of Hiro's place.

The apartment was modest, probably a bit larger than needed for someone so small. Most of the things inside were relatively new, like the pans, stove and what not. The Third Hokage would never allow him to live in decadent places. Even if those didn't exist in The Leaf Village.

The place was kept clean, mostly by Hiro cleaning up himself. Even Naruto's own apartment was messier than his little brothers. He was apparently unknowingly taking after their father. It was a good sign for sure. Maybe Hiro would inherit the genius too and other good habits.

Naruto glanced at his little brother, sleeping on the other side of the apartment.

Perhaps... he might have actually tried to kill the jinchuuriki at one point in his life. If he was entirely a different person, if he belonged to another family. He wasn't though. He was the jinchuuriki's older brother.

Hiro had their mother's red smooth hair, and like him, bore the whiskers of being born from their mother. Which the old man had explained that the similar phenomenon had occurred in the Mito Senju's children, but not her grandchildren.

Some people might be able to connect the dots, but Naruto wasn't seen a lot when he was growing. At least until he was able to walk, he was kept out of sight for the majority of the time, away from the business of the Hokage most often. He didn't mind that too much, as he was with his mom for the majority of the time.

They were the sons of the greatest shinobi in the village and they both shared similar burdens.

Unlike Hiro though, his was completely unknown except to small handful of people and those alone. An even deeper secret of who he was. Because, just like his little brother, he carried the other half of the Nine Tailed fox within him.

The sons of the Fourth Hokage carried the tailed beast that destroyed their homes. He could imagine the faces of the people when they found that out. what they had done to Hiro. It'll be hilarious.

"You ready?" Itachi voiced, as he stood in Naruto's apartment. Dressed as casually as an Uchiha could be, which wasn't much. The blond however, was dressed in shorts and seemed to be enjoying being dressed in civilian clothing.

"Yeah, sure" He answered.

He peered around, finding his apartment messy and disorganized. Some cups of ramen was littered around the floor of his bed. "Your place is messy"

"No, no, you see, it's more of an organized mess, certain stuff goes in specific places. Then I know where everything is"

"Like the the empty ramen?"

"You see? You totally understand me. It shows I have some character"

"An untidy one" Yet, It almost made too much sense. He was a slight mess of a person.

"Why are we talking about garbage anyway?" Naruto voiced, before he placed his hand on his shoulder.

They appeared within the confines of the Uchiha district, more specifically, Itachi's own home. A large house, which he thought was a little useless, seeing as they were only four of them. Sasuke, himself and his parents. The home also had walls built around it, more for privacy than keeping people out.

The garden was a pleasant place to be in, filled with flowers planted by his mother. They began to walk inside, Itachi slightly leading. "So where's your mom and Shisui?" Naruto asked almost immediately. They had been planning this for a few days now.

"My parents had an errand to run apparently" He answered.

"That sucks..." Naruto said lowly. Further back than he expected.

Itachi turned to look at him, finding Naruto inspecting his arm. Tracing the formula of a familiar seal on his wrist. His expression losing his somewhat bright exuberance, turning into a blank expression.

Itachi approached. "Although Shisui is still here" Naruto's eyes refocused, looking at him.

"Sweet, let's go...They wandered through the creaking floors of his home before he spoke again. "Man I'm glad there's some Uchiha like you and Shisui and your mom"

"It could be better I suppose, there's always time" The lack of his father's name told him of his opinion about him. There were many that were arrogant, and thought lowly of those not within the clan. It had been brought about from the attack, when there was suspicions about the nine-tails attack. Since then, the Uchiha's sense of unity grew and well as pride.

"I hope so" Their talks resounded through the halls of his home before they reached his room. Entering, Shisui was still waiting by a table, a game of Go laid about.

"Hey Shisui" The blond traveled over and gave grabbed his arm to shake in a gesture of closeness.

"Hello Naruto, It's nice to see you again" Shisui replied. "There's some food that Itachi's mother left behind on the table there"

Itachi sat down across from other Uchiha to continue where they left off.

"Man, I love her food" As he quickly reached out to grab the plate and sit down between them. He stayed silent and ate eagerly while he watched them resume their play.

It wouldn't be Naruto's choice of passing time - for anything- but Itachi knew that whatever time spent with friends, it was time well spent. There were things he obviously liked and disliked but he never complained about it.

"So..." After Naruto quickly finished his meal. "I'm going on another mission with cat again, with the other cat. Man, they got to be more creative sometimes, like y'know, Tenzo"

"Yugao ?" He clarified. Itachi couldn't really think of another ANBU member with the cat mask.

"Yeah, So I was thinking, Should I tell her my name?"

"You want to tell everyone your name but go on" Shishi commented. As he played a piece to counter his strategy.

"Well, Tenzo, for obvious reasons knows my name. He got wood..." As Naruto stifled laughter at the joke.

"What's stopping you" Itachi asked, trying to get back on topic. The blond looked quizzically at him.

"Huh, I dunno honestly"

Shisui smirked, before adding his opinion. "You're noticing girls now"

"And what makes you think that?" The blond added.

"Itachi told me about the last mission, as well as the girl from the ramen stand, Now Cat. You are just realizing that girls are a little fascinating to you." He stopped there, but there were things that are left unsaid. Itachi also knew.

He looked over to Naruto, who seem to take this stride, nodding sagely at Shisui.

The blond never did have a much time to spend around girls, perhaps some simple etiquette to treat them learned from Mikoto or his own mother. Naruto had many things to focus on before, daunting and heavy.

The silver-lining was that Naruto was now there, better late than never.

"Hell, I'll tell her. Think she'd be impressed?"

"The return of the son of the fourth Hokage? Probably."

Naruto quickly stood up, seeing as their game was over. "Right, well, who wants to train some more?"

"We'll go for a bit, then after..."

He slowed his heart rate with deep slow breathes, it a minute or so for it to settle. Shisui was not much better off than him. Naruto however, looked like he went for a simple run. Although they did land some solid hits on him. Possibly fatal if it was a actual battle, but he didn't keep track of that.

There was no doubt that Naruto would be able to outlast him and Shishi three times over. Then there was the his father's technique, instant teleporting. The sharingan couldn't predict where he would appear, not anymore apparently.

"Activating all the seals at once, and only using one of them. Clever." Shisui applauded, Itachi agreed with him. Their earlier bouts with the blond revealed that the kunai released some chakra right before he used the technique. So they were able to know which one he appeared from.

"Yeah! I couldn't stand how bad I did last time. So I thought maybe I could do that. I thought I was being brilliant, but it turns out I missed one of my dad's notes about that, Heh" He rubbed the nape of his neck.

"We've done enough for now, Our chakra is not as extensive as yours"
"A pity isn't it?" He replied. " It makes for very interesting fights, at least for you two. Someday we really have to go all out and whoever the last one is standing is the winner."

"Finesse is just as comparable as to strength" Shisui replied.

"Obviously, it's why I respect you two. As well as several other things"

I suck at Haiku's

Please be cool, I'm begging.

Just leave a review

Btw: There's no focus on romance, mostly friendship.