Chapter 10

(2 years later)

Naruto, now fourteen, stood outside the academy with his hands in his pockets. His appearance hadn't changed much over the past two years. It hadn't changed at all actually. The only key differences being his gain in height and the loss of his once favorite jacket. He simply grew out of it, so he gave it to Minato to one day give to Menma when he could fit it. Other than that, nothing had changed. His hair was still the same with the right side still shaven down more so than the rest. He still wore his black T-shirt and ANBU pants with black sandals.

An addition to his ever present look however was the necklace he wore that brandished the Uzumaki spiral symbol, a gift from his mother for his recent birthday a few months back. You could argue another addition was the new book he had shoved into his face. After so many years of reading and rereading the one he received from his friend all those years ago, people had come to associate it with his apparel. This book was green.

As he read his new novel, he noticed the parents and other adult commoners beginning to chatter and mutter among themselves in awe. Looking to see what the commotion was, he turned to see Itachi walking his way. The brunette hadn't changed in the slightest. He still wore the same Uchiha high collared shirt with his ANBU pants and sandals, and he still maintained that ponytail of his. His fame within the village was the only thing that altered.

Itachi became the true essence of what it meant to be a Konoha shinobi. He was recognized publicly throughout the village for his accomplishment of making ANBU commander at the ripe age of thirteen, just a few months ago. Ever since, his popularity was rivalling that of the Hokage himself, which is a position most people said he was close to reaching.

"Hello Naruto." Itachi said, leaning against the wall next to the blonde as he waved at the group of parents waiting on their children to get out.

"Hello to you as well, Itachi." Naruto replied, not looking up from his book. "Here for Sasuke?"

"Yes. My mother is attending Yoshino-sama's baby shower as well." He replied as the blonde nodded. That was the reason he was going to be taking Mito and Menma for the remainder of the day. "What do you have planned for them?" Itachi asked.

Naruto looked up in thought. "I am unsure. I imagined a bit of training and possibly something to eat a little later."

"Would you mind us joining? Izumi and I are watching over Sasuke for the day as well."

Naruto nodded. "Of course. I must confess, I was not too interested in trying to entertain Mito and Menma all day anyways. Not alone that is." Itachi chuckled at that, understanding completely.

With a resonating slam, the doors of the Academy swung open. Kid after kid funneled out to their waiting parents or began their journey home with their friends. All of course pausing at the spectacle that was Itachi Uchiha. Eventually, the class holding all of the clan children was finally released.

Sasuke was one of the first kids out. After greeting Naruto, Itachi said they were going to go on ahead and pick up Izumi and that they'd meet up later. And there, Naruto waited with his book in hand, unaware of the leering eyes upon his form. Eventually Mito and Menma came out and immediately began explaining their day down to the minor details. Naruto just listened in false interest all the way back to the Namikaze compound.

When they arrived, Naruto began their training by having them do their normal warm up routine while he read his book. When they finished, he instructed them to work on their chakra control by performing the tree climbing exercise as they balanced a leaf on their forehead simultaneously. They were of course disappointed as they were hoping for something a bit more deadly. Or at least new.

To get them to work twice as hard, he told them if they worked hard enough, he would show them a technique so amazing that it could beat anyone within seconds. He was of course blowing smoke, but they didn't have to know that. It did have the desired effect of further motivating them, as they pushed themselves twice as hard as they would have.

When all that was said and done, they were finally joined by Itachi, Izumi, and Sasuke. "Ok guys." Naruto said dropping off of the tree he was resting in. "I think that's about enough training."

"What!?" Menma yelled still out of breath. "What about our super amazing technique!?"

Naruto looked at Itachi in amusement. "Oh yeah, that. Well, that is for another day. You guys are too tired now. Besides, we're gonna go eat."

"What's the technique?" Sasuke asked Itachi in a low whisper. Itachi just chuckled, never giving a formal answer.

"Naruto-nii, are you gonna take us to the party?" Mito asked. Naruto just looked at her in questioning. "It's Ino's birthday, they're having it at the Akimichi grill house." She informed him.

"No! I don't want to go to that!" Menma protested. "It's nothing but a bunch of stupid girls!"

"You're stupid!" Mito yelled back kicking off a fresh back and forth verbal fight between the two that the others ignored.

Naruto sighed and looked over to Sasuke to break the tie. "What do you think, Sasuke? Would you like to go to the party or would you rather us go elsewhere to eat?"

Sasuke, at first, was going to say no, but the look Mito gave him told him she'd be heartbroken if he did. He didn't care for her much, but he'd rather not make a girl cry. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. Maybe we will see some of our friends there too." He said directing that last sentence at Menma who crossed his arms in defeat. And from there, the group headed out to the Akimichi grill house.

-break-

The 'happy birthday' song just ended when the group finally made it. Cake was being served and they saw everyone else had probably already eaten. "Well." Naruto said. "We could just get a table and order then."

"But, Nii-san." Mito said looking up at him. "I want cake."

"You have not eaten yet Imouto. It would be unwise t-.."

"Oh come on Naruto." Itachi said, "Just let them eat cake for dinner."

Naruto looked down at Mito's pleading eyes and at Menma who, despite trying to stay mad, was looking over at the huge cake in hunger. "I suppose it would not be so bad." He said sending them off. The three ran into the party section in which one of the mom's helping handed them a party hat and a plate so that they could get their slice.

Naruto and the Uchiha couple found a seat towards the back of the restaurant. Naruto sat with his back to the wall as to keep an eye on his two siblings. Hard to do with the book now shoved into his face. Itachi and Izumi were having their own conversation over something he had no interest or knowledge in, so he just continued reading. Every now and then, he'd glance up to make sure everything was still ok. A few times, he had thought he saw Kakashi again, but couldn't get a good enough look.

The night's events went on as they usually did with Naruto joining in the conversation as they ate their food and then seamlessly melding into his book, leaving the two once again to talk of their own things in virtual privacy. A few minutes went by and Naruto peeked over to the party again, wondering when it was going to be over. He had assumed it would be over rather quickly upon their tardy arrival, but they were still going at it.

Sticking his nose back into his book, he continued reading until he finally heard the sound of child footsteps jogging towards their table. Looking up, he was greeted to the sight of Mito and another girl jogging up to the table with the Hyuga heiress being dragged along as well.

"Naruto-nii!" Mito yelled as she and the other two girls stood at their table. Itachi and Izumi stopped their conversation to watch the spectacle. "I want you to meet my friends!" she said happily as Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I always tell you to meet them, but you're always 'too busy'." She said mimicking his voice to the best of her ability.

Naruto closed his book with an amused expression. "Well, ok then." He said sitting straighter in his seat.

The pink haired girl was the first to respond. "I'm Sakura Haruno." She said extending her hand to the blonde. "It's nice to meet you. I hope you're better than that baka Menma." She said with a grimace.

Naruto smiled at the girl. "It is lovely to meet you Sakura-san. I am Naruto." He said, disregarding her remark about his brother, chocking it up to her possibly being one of Menma's pranking victims.

With that said, the group sat in silence, until Mito finally lost her patience. "Ugh! Come on Hinata. He won't bite." She said. Hinata slowly crept out from behind the red head.

"i-I'm.. Hinata… Hyuga." She said saying her last name so low it was almost inaudible.

Naruto extended his hand to her as well, which she took timidly. "It is an honor to meet you, Hinata-san." Naruto said with a reassuring smile that made her face heat up.

"There." Said Mito with a smile. "Now you know all my friends. Except for Ino. She went to the bathroom." She said craning her head around the room, trying to spot the blond. When she did, she quickly flagged her down. "Ino! Over here!" The whole group looked her way for a brief second before Mito began talking again. Ino's heart was racing sporadically as she made her way over to the table much more Hinata like than she was comfortable with. On her way, she quickly ripped the birthday hat off of her head, throwing it onto some nearby table as she fixed her hair.

When she finally made it over, she waited for Mito to finish whatever rant she was on as she discretely examined the boy that melted her confidence down without even knowing it. His eyes were locked onto Mito with a soft smile that she couldn't help but stare at.

"And this," Mito began, breaking her from her daze. "is Ino. Aka, the birthday girl."

Pulling her hand from behind her back for the briefest of waves, not directed at any of the tables occupants, she whispered a quick, "h-Hey.." that was so out of character for her, Mito looked at her strangely.

"Oh, so, you're the birthday girl?" Izumi asked in apparent excitement in which Ino nodded at. "That's so cute." She said, gushing at the innocence of the blonde. In other words, demeaning her age considerably. "How old are you?"

Clearing her throat so that she didn't stutter, she answered. "ten…"

"Well, happy birthday." Izumi said kindly with a smile.

"I too wish you a happy birthday." Itachi added. Ino threw the two a quick 'thank you' as she tucked her bang behind her ear.

"Ino." Said Mito grabbing her attention. She looked over at her seeing she was gesturing towards Naruto. "This is my brother Naruto."

Naruto was already reaching forward to shake the girls hand, "It is very nice to.." his statement stopped there as his nearly empty cup of water was now running down his leg, having been knocked down by the very shaky handed girl.

"Oh no!" Ino said in worry. "I am so sorry!" Luckily the cup wasn't full so there wasn't much of it.

Naruto simply waved her off. "It is quite alright. It was only a bit of water. No harm done." He said extending his hand again. Ino reached a lot more gently this time as to not embarrass herself further. "I wish you a very happy birthday Ino-san. If I am not mistaken, it would seem your father is preparing to leave." He said giving her an escape.

She looked over to see him paying the bill, quickly she bid the group bye as a whole and ran for him. Mito just raised her eyebrow at the strange occurrence. She had never seen the blonde act like that. "Huh… weird…" she whispered to herself.

(3 years later)

Perched in a tree, an ANBU member looked into the window of a secluded house. The rain above doing well at muffling the screaming from within. His form was completely hidden within the shadow of the top of the tree above him, only being illuminated briefly by the flashes of lightning that struck sporadically. In his hand, his black sword held in a reverse grip. The ANBU watched the men guarding the house walk along a very strict pattern, not bothered by the rain in the slightest. Their weapons lazily held at the ready for anyone foolish enough to attack.

They had no idea that their death was a mere ten feet away, shifting his feet ready to pounce. When he did, they were gone before they even knew it. He went for the nearest guy first, slicing his throat before grabbing his body, laying him down gently. Then, he jumped up to the ledge the other was on. The guard was a ways away when he turned around. It was right at that moment that a flash of lightning hit, illuminating the ANBU's form and the sword flying at his head for a brief second. The very last thing he would see.

The ANBU ran by, ripping his sword from the man's head before jumping feet first into the tiny window that he barely made it through. When he landed, he realized how lucky he was as a guard had just passed by not five seconds before he jumped in and was already walking away. He snuck up behind him and snapped his neck in one clean motion. Shoving the body into the nearby closet, he continued on silently.

He could hear a man screaming from the basement of the mansion. He made his way towards it, killing two more guards on his way. Suddenly, he heard the screaming man abruptly stop. Having the target located, he continued on, gently opening the door. Once inside, he saw a brown haired man in a lab coat, cleaning materials from the last experiment he was undergoing. He silently walked in.

When the doctor reached over to set his scalpel down on the wooden nightstand, his hand was impaled by a kunai, nailing him to the surface, electing a scream of pain from him. "AH! Ah!" The man turned around and plucked the blade from his hand as he scrambled around the table. He pulled a tag out and wrapped it around the kunai, there was a very small hole at the top of the ceiling that led outside. Aiming right, he threw it as hard as he could.

To his horror, it was plucked out the air. Horror because it was an explosive tag meant to alert his unknowingly dead gaurds. He watched as the ANBU held the blade in his hand, it briefly emitted a blue light before the man dropped it carelessly to the ground. "Yako Toshi, you have been sentenced to death by the council of Konoha for the abduction and murder of over one hundred individuals taking residence within the borders of the land of fire." With that said, the black blade ended the pleas of the man with a quick slash that cleanly removed his head from the rest of his body.

With his mission completed, the ANBU left the mansion and took to the trees, leaving no trace of him being there other than a few dead bodies that were set aflame.