Can anyone be my beta-reader?

Summary: Naruto Uzumaki had dedicated his entire life for the sake of other people, now, Fate asked him to do it once again. Transported into a world where his parents were alive with the memories of his previous life, he thought it was the opportunity for him to shape the life he used to dream about, only to realize that things weren't as easy as he thought it to be…

New Life New Journey

Chapter 2

New world, new possibilities

"Dad, it's my forehead protector! Now I can be an awesome ninja just like you!"

"That's great to hear! I'm so proud of you."

"That's my boy! Tonight we'll have a special dinner and party for your graduation."

"Hey look, isn't that Naruto Namikaze?"

"I think it's him. I heard he was the only one who didn't pass the graduation test this year."

"My friend told me he had already tried to graduate last year. He's failed two times in a row, can you believe it?"

"My daughter said he was considered the worst student in history, which is hard to believe because Yondaime-sama is a genius, and his wife is a very talented Kunoichi of our village as well…"

"No wonder they kicked him out of their house. Can you imagine the shame? If I were them, I would kick him out without a second thought. I mean, who would want a de-"

"Shh, you know we're not supposed to say that in public, remember the law?"

"Yeah, could you imagine what would happen if he passed."

"I know. Sigh… it's hard to believe that he's really the Hokage's son."

"Maybe he's not. I heard…"

Naruto decided to ignore the rest, grumbling quietly in annoyance. Opening the notebook in his hand, Naruto removed the pencil from his ear and wrote down what he'd just heard from the group of people standing with their children, who had passed the graduation test of the ninja academy and received their forehead protector earlier that day.

Flipping to the front page, Naruto searched for one of the lines he had written before leaving home: 'Adults know' before marking it with a v-mark. He had been waiting for them to say that since morning. As he had expected, the adults were well aware that Naruto Namikaze was the Jinchuriki of the nine tailed Bijuu, and they thought his doppelganger was the beast in disguise instead of their savior, despite the fact that his parents were still around, which was an unexpected surprise for Naruto.

A day had passed since his arrival, and it had taken him the entire night to be sure that he wasn't in some version of infinite Tsukuyomi and accept that he had been transported to another world and fused with Naruto Namikaze, his doppelganger to live in the past of his life. Naruto didn't know how or why, when, or by whom, because he had never encountered anything like that in his life, but he did know that he wasn't going to find out the answers for them anytime soon.

Parents- Status: Alive

Looking up, Naruto frowned when he read the first line he had written, and also the first one he had given a checking mark to. Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were still alive in this world, and for some reasons he had yet to find out, Naruto Namikaze wasn't living with them.

Something must have happened between the Namikaze, and Naruto was certain they did not do anything like the villagers had said.

That aside, he had a few more things to worry about.

With a yawn, his tenant asked "What are you doing Naruto?"

"Good morning Kurama. I'm doing some information gathering. I need to make sure I know everything about the world we're in, or at least everything around this Konoha and about myself before I can start doing something." Naruto answered his partner's question as he stood up and walked away from the Ninja Academy while ignoring the looks the villagers were giving him "My parents are still alive, which is more than enough to make things around here different." Kurama crossed his arms and nodded his head in understanding.

"I told you they were not your parents, didn't I?"

"Good morning, Kyuubi. I thought you were dead." Naruto ignored her and greeted his new tenant rather cheerfully, causing Kurama to chuckle while the golden nine tailed glared at him while growling in annoyance. Everything would have been a lot easier for Naruto if she were a little more cooperative, or, at least talkative. She had been given Naruto and Kurama the cold shoulder since yesterday, something Kurama used to do from time to time "Now that you're awake, why don't we get to know each other? You and Kurama started off on the wrong foot, but I have no intention of doing something like that." Kurama snorted, while Kyuubi grumbled in response "What's your name? You have a name, right?"

"It's none of your business." She growled.

"So you prefer Kyuubi then." He said, nodding his head "You know, I have been wondering… Why didn't Kurama merge with you? I mean, it sounds more logical than me fusing with your container, right? Since you two are living forms of chakra, It would be much easier for you two to merge into one, wouldn't it?" Just like how Yin and Yang Kurama had fused with each other to become whole once again.

"Don't know. Don't care."

"Suit yourself." Naruto chuckled. He heard from Kurama it was the reason she had chosen to attack him, being she didn't want to merge with him. Naruto then turned to the orange nine tailed fox "Kurama, you have any idea?"

"I don't know." The fox shook his head, answering thoughtfully "It could be one of multiple reasons… gender, attitude, personality, power… but that had never been the case for us nine. Maybe whoever brought the two of us here only wanted to do it to you."

"Hm… it could be." Naruto nodded, before looking at his hand "Do you think it's fair to him, Kurama? Naruto Namikaze, I mean?" The fox became silent "I know it's because I have a stronger mind, I'm the one who's in control of this body, but what about him? He has a life, a whole future ahead of him..." Naruto trailed off as he turned his head up and looked at his father's face on the Hokage Monument "He also has a family… I know he's still somewhere in my mind, but it feels like I've taken over his body and stolen his life away from him…"

"I think… the answer to your question is also the answer for this one… what are you going to do now, Naruto?" After a moment, Kurama gave him that question quietly, making Naruto close his eyes and sigh in response.

"What am I going to do now?" Naruto repeated, "What indeed..."

Kyuubi, who had remained silent the entire time, opened one red eye and looked at them.

The next thirty minutes, Naruto wandered around the village and took note of everything that was out of place. The village was just like how it had been in his world, maybe even better in some way. He was glad to see Ichiraku ramen standing in the central district of Konoha, being run by Teuchi and his daughter Ayame.

He really missed them and the ramen they had served to him almost every day.

Yakiniku Q, Yamanaka Flower shop, Jounin Standby Station, the Shushuya… everything was where it should be. Naruto stopped at the orphanage for a couple minutes, before moving on to the library, where he had hoped he could find some useful information. After spending two hours inside, Naruto left and went to Amaguriama, a popular sweet shop located on Konoha Tea Avenue to buy a bag of chestnut candies, something he had grown fond of recently. At first, the shopkeeper didn't want Naruto to pay for the candies, claiming that his father would get angry if he had Naruto pay for anything, but in the end, the blond managed to convince him to take his money. He left shortly after, but not without hearing the word 'demon' from the shopkeeper that he said to his wife.

He looked around, and everywhere he went, people recognized him and gave the same look he had been given constantly in his childhood. He ignored them. He had gotten over it a long time ago, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed in Minato and Kushina. They were alive, so shouldn't they do something so their son could have a normal childhood?

He wondered if it was the reason.

However, it didn't take him long to find another difference.

It happened right after Naruto had finished his snack. Naruto saw a group of men wearing Shinobi gear walking around the village. They shared many similarities, like black eyes and the same type of high collared outfit, but the most noticeable feature about them was the red and white paper fan symbol on their back.

They were Uchiha.

Kyuubi growled when she saw them, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naruto.

After 'borrowing' a hat from a local shop, Naruto tailed them. Even though he had a small body (and wasn't wearing orange), Naruto couldn't move as quickly as before, but he knew where and how to hide. Carefully Naruto followed them with nothing but patience, silently slipping into a corner every time one or more turned around or stopped walking. Whenever he was close enough, Naruto eavesdropped on their conversations and learned they were indeed Uchiha. When they let him right to their headquarters, he found many more Uchiha. Naruto realised this group was a division of the Konoha Military Police force who were patrolling the village. Without further ado, Naruto made his way to where the Uchiha compound was.

He wasn't surprised to see the entire clan there.

The Uchiha massacre never happened. His father must have dealt with them peacefully, or the Uchiha had never planned to overthrow the village.

"Ara…" Naruto quickly turned around when he heard a very familiar male voice "Look who's here to welcome me back." The man stopped in front of Naruto with a smile on his face. With his long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail, Itachi wore the standard Anbu uniform, completed with arm guards, a flak jacket, and tanto on his back. He was also holding a porcelain mask which was fashioned to resemble a weasel with a red, triangular marking on top in his hand "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

He was the man who had murdered his entire family, but also the man who had silently dedicated his entire life for the sake of Konoha and became one of the greatest heroes it's villagers would never know.

Itachi Uchiha, the man who had given Naruto one of the most important lessons on his journey to become Hokage.

"Itachi!" Naruto greeted him, but when he saw the Uchiha prodigy's eyebrow raising, his instinct immediately kicked in, telling him that there was something wrong. Taking a wild guess, Naruto believed it had something to do with the way he had addressed the man, so he added "Nii-chan." Naruto mentally exhaled in relief when Itachi's expression became normal. "Welcome back! How was your mission?" He asked, smiling just a little. He could tell from looking at his room that unlike how he used to be, Naruto Namikaze was a rather timid child, so he would act like one to prevent suspicion.

"It was fine, Naruto-kun." Itachi nodded his head before kneeling down and putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder, much to his surprise "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I am…" Naruto answered slowly "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your father told me you failed the graduation exam again." Itachi answered, "You were so sad the last time."

"W-well… I guess I'm used to it by now." Naruto shook his head. It wasn't a lie. He had already failed three times, so another one wouldn't make any difference. "I can't just be sad forever, right?" Itachi smiled and placed his hand on Naruto's head and rubbed his hair.

"I'm glad to hear that, Naruto-kun." Itachi said "I just wish that I had the time to help you. I owe your father so much, and yet there's just so little I can do…" He was right. His father must have done something about the Uchiha's plan to overthrow the village. It also made him wonder if the council and Danzo had planned to have Itachi finish his own family.

"Don't worry nii-chan." Naruto smiled "You're an Anbu. You have important work to do, right?"

"Yes, I do." Itachi stood up, but his hand still rested on his head "So, will you do your best next year too?" Itachi asked.

"No…" Naruto said, making Itachi look at him in surprise. "Because I am not going to do my best next year. I will graduate and become a Shinobi next year!" He stated with determination.

"That's the spirit." Itachi laughed "You sure remind me of Kushina-sensei more than your father. I guess you and your sister equalize each other." Naruto snapped his head up and looked at Itachi in pure surprise.

Sister?

He had a sister?

"Man, I'm blown away!" Kurama stated in amazement while Naruto could only freeze in shock "I guess this is something we should have expected since everything is different here, but congratulations anyway, Naruto. You have a sister now."

"And she is also not his sister." Kyuubi growled in annoyance from her spot.

"I thought you were dead. What? Do you have anything to say to me, vixen?" The annoyance became anger as Kyuubi opened her eyes and glared at Kurama, who smirked and cracked his fists threateningly in response.

"I guess…" Naruto could only smile.

Itachi then stopped laughing and looked at Naruto for a second before saying calmly.

"Your father really misses you, Naruto. I also heard your mother hasn't been well ever since you left the house. Are you sure you want to keep living a life away from your family like this?"

"I will be fine, Itachi-nii chan." Naruto said, "You don't have to worry about me." Itachi said nothing and only looked Naruto straight in the eye. Naruto's expression remained unchanged. Itachi was an extremely skilled Shinobi, but he was the one who had more experience.

After a moment, he finally said "I know it's not my place to interfere in your family's business, Naruto-kun, but I just hope that you can forgive them, or at least give them another chance." Naruto's eyes widened. So they really had done something "I know it's hard, but you have to endure it. I already taught you the meaning of a ninja, haven't I?" Itachi smiled gently as he took his hand back.

"I will try…" Naruto stated quietly.

"That's all I want to hear." Itachi closed his eyes and nodded his head "I will see you later, Naruto-kun." He walked away, heading into the Uchiha compound "Oh, by the way…" He turned his head around and said "I leave my brother to you, Naruto-kun. Watch over him for me, alright?"

"I will, Itachi-nii chan." Naruto nodded and waved "I'll see you later." Smiling, Itachi made his way back to his house, and as soon as the Uchiha was gone, that left Naruto standing all by himself in front of the place.

He had a sister.

More importantly, he had a whole, completed family here.

"I told you they were not your parents, didn't I?"

Kyuubi's words echoed in his head, and she wasn't wrong. They were the parents of Naruto Namikaze. This girl… his sister, was also the sister of the Naruto of this world.

Itachi thought he was talking to the son of the Hokage, but in truth, he was talking to a person who had come here from another world.

He didn't belong here.

He had no place in this world.

He had already had a life for himself, and he had no right to take it away from his doppelganger.

But at the same time, aside from the current problem with his family, he couldn't help but wonder what his life would have been like if it had been just like this.

But he still wondered...

Why was he here?

Why did he come to this world?

What was the reason?

"What to do now..." Naruto asked himself that question for the second time as he walked away and headed to his next destinations, the Hokage residence and his parents' house. Usually, Hokage and their families were required to live in the mansion near the Hokage monument, but not every Hokage did that. In fact, Minato and Kushina had had a house not far away from the Hokage mountain, and Naruto had gone to visit it for the first time a few days after the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

He was a little disappointed that he couldn't find them in either of them when he arrived. His father was probably working at the Hokage tower and his mother, who he heard was a high profiled Kunoichi of Konoha, was probably on a mission. His sister was nowhere to be found, but he would take a wild guess that she was older than he was, and she had already become a ninja and left for missions.

He left as soon as possible, though.

His last destination was the Hyuuga compound.

His first impression while looking at the place from the outside, the place was the same. Ever since he started dating Hinata, Naruto had spent a lot of time there, so he knew every corner of the place like the back of his hand. Much like many clans' compounds in the village, the Hyuuga's residence was built traditionally. There were tall stone walls that surrounded the perimeter of the place. Upon entering through the front gates, visitors would be welcomed by a large courtyard that contained some very lush gardens, which had the two houses behind it. One was noticeably larger than the other. Knowing the old way of the Hyuuga, the main house was living in the larger one, leaving the other to the branch house.

Naruto smiled as he looked at the compound.

It seemed everything was in it's place.

"AHHH!" Then suddenly, when he was heading to the front part of the compound, he heard a shout from a group of men coming from inside. Curiously, Naruto made his way to the main gate and poke his head inside to see what was going on.

What he saw really surprised him.

There were men lying on the ground, grunting in pain. Since their bodies looked fine, Naruto could tell that they had been hit by extremely accurate Juken strikes, not once or twice, but several times. In the middle of the field, a small girl was moving around with grace and skill of a well trained Gentle Fist fighter while delivering deadly strikes to two more full grown men, sending them away with simple but effective palm thrusts.

For the second time of the day, Naruto met someone who he had known very well in his world but didn't turn out like their doppelgangers.

She had featureless white eyes and dark blue hair that went down to her hips, the framing strands went down to her chest. She was wearing a light lavender sleeveless kimono-style blouse with vertical lines and the crest of the Hyuuga on the back, tied with a dark purple obi around her waist. She also wore a pair of short dark navy shorts with thigh-high stockings and finished her outfit with regular ninja sandals.

"Hakke Kusho! (Eight Trigrams Air Palm)!"

She declared and thrust her palm forward, sending a tremendous force to the one that was charging at her from the left, blowing him away. Snapping her head back, she saw a barrage of Kunai and shuriken coming at her from the front and right. Without wasting a second, the dark blue haired girl lowered her body and brought both of her hands backwards before crying out "Hakkesho Kaiten! (Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation)!" Releasing the chakra from every tenketsu on her body, she then spun around rapidly, creating a rotating shield of chakra that surrounded her body and parried every weapon. Slowing down, she charged at her last opponent, who was also the one that had thrown those weapons at her, bringing her hands back "Hakke Sanjūni Shō (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms)!" As its name had pointed out, Hinata delivered thirty-two consecutive strikes at him, giving him no time to even think about countering her technique, before allowing him to drop down to the ground, whimpering in defeat.

"Well then… I guess I can't be surprised by anything anymore." Kurama chuckled as Naruto nodded his head in agreement "This should be interesting…"

"I know what you are about to say, Kyuubi…" Naruto spoke up while rubbing the back of his head before Kyuubi could say anything "She's not my Hinata Hyuuga, alright?" That was fact, and he totally agreed with the golden nine tailed fox.

"Very good, Hinata." Hiashi Hyuuga appeared as he approached his daughter while clapping his hands "You have fought well."

"Thank you, father." She lowered her head, deactivating her Byakugan before asking respectfully "Do you want me to continue? I'm sure that I can train for one more hour."

"Let's take a rest for now, or else I will have to pick one from the main house for you to train with." He put a hand on her back and gently led her back to the mansion "With this, you will do fine in the academy."

"Very well…" She said, nodding her head "Thank you, father."

But before she left, Hinata suddenly turned her head around and looked straight at Naruto.

"Hmm…" Naruto raised an eyebrow and made a face when he saw her looking at him curiously "Why are you looking at me like that, little girl?" He asked in a low tone, confused by her sudden action. Were they friends or something?

Though, he couldn't help but notice that her eyes were as cold as ice. The only time he had seen Hinata with eyes like that was when she was being controlled by Toneri.

Hinata disappeared into her house shortly after that, but she looked at him the entire time.

"Well then…" Naruto walked away as he opened his notebook and wrote down a few more lines "There was no Uchiha Massacre. Itachi is still a Shinobi of the village and knows my family very well. I have a sister." It sounded bitter when he said that. He had to wonder why. "And Hinata is a cold Hyuuga… of all people… why does it have to be Hinata who has a different personality?" Naruto asked while using the end of his pencil to scratch his head. "Did something happen to her?" Naruto asked aloud as he added a question mark near Hinata's personality.

It seems he had a lot more work to do.

Naruto returned to his apartment at seven in the evening after he had spent the entire afternoon in the library and had dinner at Ichiraku ramen.

"Hmm…" Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw a basket lying in front of his door "What's this?" Picking it up, Naruto walked into his apartment, turning on the light and put the basket on the table in his room. Removing his jacket and putting his notebook and pencil beside it, Naruto opened the basket and his eyes widened when he saw a lot of boxes and a small letter lying on top of them.

But the first thing he had noticed was the green scarf that was folded and neatly put beside them. It looked just like the one his mother had knitted for him in his world.

"This must be from Kushina." Curiously, Naruto took out one of the boxes and opened one of them. The delicious smell of well-prepared foods instantly rushed into his nose. Inside the box were three pieces of omelette, several slices of pork and a decent amount of vegetables. Looking at the other boxes, it didn't take Naruto long to realize they were also full of food.

Naruto grabbed the letter and took a seat on his bed to read it.

Hey, Naruto-kun.

I guess you are probably not going to read this letter like the last ones, but I'll write it anyway. So… how have you been? Have you been well?

We miss you, Naruto-kun, me and your father… we miss you so much.

Minami misses you too. I know she doesn't show it, but she really misses you and wants you back too.

"Minami?" Naruto repeated. So it was her name. Minami Namikaze.

Naruto noticed this line seemed like it had been written forcefully. Considering his mother's personality, she was probably not a letter person, but this line didn't feel right to him because she could put all three of them in the same sentence.

I wish we can just go back to how it used to be. You, me, your sister, and your father… one big happy family like before. The house just isn't the same without you around. Your father blames himself for what happened to you, but I know it was entirely my fault. I failed you. I should have been a better mother for you.

I know it's too late to ask you for forgiveness, but please, please Naruto-kun, please return to us, return to your home. You don't even have to look at us or talk with us. I'll never appear in your eyes again if it's what you want. You don't have to return right now if that's not what you want to do. All we ask from you is that you consider our house your home once again.

"Is it really that bad?" Naruto spoke his thought aloud. Inside his mindscape, Kurama clicked his tongue in annoyance.

I guess you don't want to read your mother's rants anymore, do you?

Anyway, winter is coming. It's going to get cold really soon, so please wear this scarf. It'll keep you warm. I hope you like it.

I made a lot of food for you again, Naruto-kun. All of them are your favorites. As usual, the ones at the bottom are ramen. Please stop eating instant ramen. I know you like it, but it's not going to be good for your health.

I am so sorry you failed the graduation exam, Naruto-kun. Your father told me earlier this morning. I know it's very hard, but try your best next time, okay?

I know I'm not as good as your father, but you can always come to me for help.

Anyway, I guess I should end this letter now.

You know where to find me if you ever need anything. I will always be more than happy to help you, Naruto.

Please forgive us.

Your mother,

Kushina Uzumaki.

Naruto finished the letter with a sigh. He didn't know how to feel about it.

"What to do now..."

Naruto asked himself that question one more time, before putting the letter down and picking the green scarf up. Standing up, Naruto made his way to the other side of his room and stopped in front of the window, looking at the village that, while having many differences, looked exactly like the place he had called home and considered his family.

He was a man who had already lived a long life and was going to meet his end in a few years.

Naruto Namikaze was a young boy who had an entire life ahead of him.

He never had anyone to call his family during his childhood.

His doppelganger had one, but it seemed he did not consider it his... at least, not anymore.

They had become one, but the boy wasn't strong enough to be in control. Sometimes, Naruto could consciously feel him, in the strange feelings he had yesterday and today.

If it was anything, it was him.

"Kurama…"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Is it alright?" He asked, gripping the scarf tightly in his hand. "For me to live his life like this?"

"Maybe, maybe not… However, whoever did this, don't you think they must have a reason?" Kurama answered calmly.

"I believe so… but why did they do that anyway? So I can have the childhood I have never had?" Naruto asked "I lived a good life, Kurama. I found people who loved me. I became the Hokage. I was acknowledged by my people," Naruto stated, closing his eyes "I have no regret."

"Must be something more… serious…" Kurama shrugged.

"I guess…"

"You already had the answer to your own question, didn't you?"

Naruto nodded before looking at the scarf in his hand. He already had the answers for that long before he had asked himself them.

He needed to know why he was here, and also…

"Are you with me, Kurama?"

"You know I am stuck inside you, right?" Kurama chuckled but nodded "You know I will always have your back, partner." Naruto grinned, he could never ask for a better friend than Kurama.

"What about you, Kyuubi?" Naruto asked, looking at the golden vixen that stared at him for a moment before turning her head away "Since you didn't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."

"You're far more interesting than that weakling anyway."

"Aw, you like me." Naruto grinned, making Kyuubi huff "Anyway, glad to know." Naruto chuckled before returning back to the real world.

With a smile, he finally said.

"This is my home… our home now."

End of Chapter 2

That's the end of this chapter. Sorry for keeping you all waiting! I wanted to update this chapter a few days ago, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it

This chapter has unveiled many things about this new world Naruto is in. Many more mysteries, especially the reason Naruto is living outside, will be revealed in the upcoming chapters.

As I already said in the previous chapter, Naruto's strength will grow logically for someone like him in this reboot story of mine. No time chamber, no help from outside forces.

Yes, while I do agree that Naruto is the stronger one, and he has the control, but he will still be driven by the emotions and feelings of his doppelganger (he can choose to follow or not follow though). The reason will be explained in a future chapter, but let's just say that not all of Naruto Namikaze disappeared into Naruto's mind that day, and 'the one' who brought Naruto to this world and fused him with the young boy made sure of that.

Let's assume that 'the one' is me for the time being.

Kyuubi is a normal tailed beast in this chapter (with the ability to turn into human form because female Kyuubi for the win). Her power is rather different from Kurama, but in this story she is no Youkai, so Youkai doesn't exist in this story.

If you are following me on Facebook, you will know my plan for her, and the other half of her.

Hinata will be colder than my original story. I have taken a dark turn (imagine Zack Snyder's DC movies' kind of dark), so she will take the same direction as well.

I will limit the girls in Naruto's harem. This will still be NarutoxHarem, it's just that I won't make it massive like my other stories.

No Naruto x Kushina, sorry, because I want to explore the family-bond in this story.

Naruto will fight like Johnny English for the first part of the story (Weaker but smarter). He isn't godlike yet, but he can always use his mind to defeat his opponents.

Well, I guess that's it for the time being. A few readers have pointed out that I should quit bringing in cliffhangers at the end of chapters, so I guess I will have to tone down for now.

READ and REVIEW

The feedback and support for the first chapter are really amazing! Thank you and remember to keep up the good work everyone!

Ja ne!

P/S: Did I portray a wise old Naruto to your liking?