A/N: This is the prologue for the story. I know I said I only wanted to do one story at a time, but I can't help it! I've read several high school fics; a lot of them are just crap and are the same idea over and over! (Though there are good ones, in my favorites not all of them are god awful) But this, as far as I know is a very original idea. So here you go people, my first High School fic…enjoy…?

Disclaimer: Must you ask? I do not own Naruto. I do however own Uzumaki Yako and Uzumaki Tetsuko.

Prologue

Naruto walked slowly to the door of his apartment, pausing and pressing his ear against the door. He didn't hear any noises from the other side. That was strange; usually someone was in the apartment. Something was always going on in there.

His parents had died when he was a year old (he was now fourteen) and he never really knew them. After they'd passed, he was put in the custody of his next of kin, his mother's sister, and his aunt. She was a prostitute.

That was why it was strange that there was no noise inside the apartment. There was always someone behind the door paying for her 'services'.

"Naruto nii-chan," the little girl next to him tugged on his shirt. He looked down at her. She was his cousin; he'd cared for her with little help from his aunt, her mother, Uzumaki Yako. She was the result of a broken condom, and a long night with a john. Yako had kept the child only for the welfare checks she would receive from the government once a month. She was six years old.

He put his key in the lock and opened the door somewhat hesitantly. "Come on, Tetsuko, it's ok." He listened; maybe his aunt was just in her bedroom with her john. "A-aunt Yako?"

No Answer. He looked around. There was a piece of paper taped to the TV. He walked over to it, Tetsuko holding his shirt and following him all the way. He peeled the scotch tape off the screen and read the note to himself.

Naruto,

I'm leaving. I've decided that I'm going to go to New York City. Northern California isn't doing it for me anymore, you know? I'm bored of the beach. There are a couple frozen pizzas in the freezer. Come visit if you ever come to New York.

-Yako

He growled low in his throat and crumpled the note into a tiny ball in his hands and chucked it across the room.

"Naruto nii-chan," Tetsuko asked. She looked up at him questioningly with sea green eyes. "Where's mommy?"

"She's not coming home, Tetsuko-chan," He knelt down in front of her and tightly held her to him.

She blinked and hugged him back. "Are you ok?" He was shaking.

"Yea, I'm ok, we'll both be ok," he took a shaky breathe.

Tetsuko didn't quite grasp the severity of the situation they were stuck in. "Pinky promise?"

He smiled and linked her pinky finger with his own. "Pinky promise,"

She laughed and hugged him again.

...REVIEW

-Wicka