Authors Note: It has been sometime. First I would like to say that I have gone through a good number of life changes that stopped me from working on Rebirth. It is difficult to work on a story when you have to go to work and school. Especially since this is something that I do when I want to.

Onto other news, in case anyone is wondering I have not given up on finishing this story. I still plan on completing it, but it might take a while. Now, during the time that I have been away, I have still been learning and trying to create more ideas for this story. Some things have changed and you might see the tone of the story change more as it continues. I will tell you guys that I do have the ending firmly in mind, I just need a proper rode to reach it.

Boruto: It won't affect this story. At most I might write a side story or a small sequel that includes some of its contents. But I am stressing on no promises on this.

And without further adieu:

Rebirth

Chapter I

…Shisui Uchiha

To many within the Uchiha Clan and village he was considered a genius on par with Itachi Uchiha. To those outside the village walls…he is called Shunshin no Shisui. He earned this moniker do to his performance with the Shunshin no Jutsu. It is said that he was so skilled in using the jutsu that he could drive people mad with it.

To Naruto Namikaze…he called Shisui with a different title "…Nii-san."

Looking away from the shuriken and kunai that riddled a tree he was using as target practice to fully face the person that saved him from going insane in his own mind. As Naruto turned to face his elder brother…he takes in his appearance.

Shisui wore the basic Uchiha clothes that consists of dark…nearly black shirt and pants. His pants were secured around his ankles with the use of medical tape. The medical tape stopped when it got to his black sandals. Around his torso was a sheath for his tanto that was currently secured with the hilt reaching above his right shoulder. The shirt itself is a high collared shirt that did well in concealing his neck. Shisui has short, unkempt, dark colored hair along with a relatively broad nose and defined eyelashes…and his coal black eyes. He also has a bag that was being held by his right hand.

After returning to the village from a mission with his team Shisui first decided to stop by the Uchiha compound to get himself settled into his home. The mission itself was a B-rank mission to guard some pompous noble…again. The noble demanded that he be escorted by one of Konoha's finest clans…and he was just lucky enough to be chosen…again.

Realizing that it was still morning and he was only able to eat a quick breakfast on the way here…Shisui decided that he should get something to eat for an early lunch. Quickly leaving his house so that he could fill the pit that he called a stomach. Easily leaving the Uchiha Compound that was located on the outskirts of Konoha.

As Shisui walked down the main road of Konoha…seeing the happy smiles of a group of children placed a small genuine smile on his face. The smile was soon turned into a stoic mask after seeing that some of the citizens were giving him untrusting glances. Seeing the Village's fear of the Kyuubi attack slowly manifest itself in the form of suspicion.

As his train of thought was thinking of the village's fear. It brought up an image of a small six year old child. The child had pale skin with night black hair. He had a delicate jaw that was slightly stronger than Kushina-sama's. But the thing that really stood out to him along with the rest of the Village was the child's slitted midnight blue eyes that had an uncanny similarity to a fox…something that was not taken well by the rest of the Village.

He remembered the first time that he had seen the young boy. It was a couple of months after he turned five.

Flashback

It was night time…nearing about midnight. It was around this time that a one Shisui Uchiha discreetly left the Uchiha Compound. If one were to see him now, they would immediately ask what possible reason could Shisui Uchiha have for leaving his home this late at night? Some would think that perhaps he has a girlfriend and was meeting with her…others would think that he was a spy (stupid people... or very smart)…while the truth was that he was out this late at night to train.

Now the obvious question would be…why train at night and not during the day?

The answer to that question is because the whole point of this specific training is to train at night. During night time…your visibility is cut virtually in half…if not more depending on where you are and whether the moon is out or not. During night time the temperature begins to decrease…it was also the time that many of the more dangerous predators would come out.

This specific training was made so that shinobi could better adapt themselves to the night in case it was required to complete a mission. You can also think of it another way…if you have to fight an enemy shinobi at night and you can't see that well and they can…then your chances of survival have just been cut. Shisui being the shinobi he is…decided that it would be best to train like this sometimes to better adjust to the dark.

After all…shinobi are meant to live and die in the shadows…in the darkness of the world.

Deciding that since tonight had a fine crescent moon in the sky along with a number of clouds to cut some visibility…that tonight would be a good night to train. It was shortly after he entered the forest that he heard something. At first he thought nothing of it and shrugged it off…but in order to satisfy the healthy paranoia that any shinobi worth his chakra should have…he decided to give a quick check.

Silently pushing off the tree branch that he was using as a jumping point. He easily transcended the group of bushes that was blocking his view. It was only after making a silent landing did he see a figure sitting down. Seeing the figure immediately awakened the shinobi within him and made him go on guard. After taking a bit of a closer look…Shisui soon realized that the figure was in fact a child with his knees to his chest…and after a second he could also hear soft sniffles coming from the child along with small shakes of his body.

Taking small steps so that he doesn't accidentally startle the child…once he reaches a distance that he found comfortable…he asked in a soft tone and voice, "Hey, kid…what are doing out here? It's dangerous to be here…especially at night?"

The moment that Shisui spoke the child stop shaking and any sound that came from him was immediately stopped. It felt as if it wasn't only the child that was silent but also his surroundings. The only thing that even moved would be wind and the clouds that were hanging high in the sky.

Eventually the clouds parted enough so that the sliver of moonlight that came from the crescent moon was able to break through the surrounding trees. When it did…Shisui quickly noticed the ground and some small blood stains that were on it. The directions that the blood stains were pointing to the child that was unusually silent.

After seeing the blood stains…a sense worry filled Shisui. A child was out here in the middle of the forest for Kami knows how long with an injury. Taking a few steps forward to be closer the child…which he assumed was a boy. He noticed that the boy had messy spiked night colored hair along with a simple black shirt and pants with shinobi sandals. This gave the obvious deduction that the child-boy- was training to be a shinobi. Shisui regained his worry quickly when he noticed blood on the child's shirt. "Hey kid! Are you alright!?"

The child…instead of answering simply slowly turned his head in his direction. Seeing his face more clearly than before thanks to the moonlight…Shisui noticed that the child had a delicate jaw and features. But what was truly shocking to Shisui was when a twin pair of midnight blue fox eyes reflecting the moon's light were looking into his own pair of charcoal.

It was with the awakening of these slitted night like orbs that made Shisui realize who this was. The son of the current Hokage, Minato Namikaze…Naruto Namikaze, the eldest of three siblings. It was along with this realization that Shisui figured out what happened to him. Shisui…like any other who lived within the village was told what happened. 4 years ago on October 10…the Yondaime Hokage split the Kyuubi into three entities and sealed each one into each of his children with the help of his wife.

While Menma and Naomi were sealed with the Kyuubi's Yang and Yin chakra respectively…Naruto was sealed with the soul. This led to the people of Konoha seeing Menma and Naomi as heroes who stole the chakra from the Kyuubi…while Naruto was the noble elder son who sacrificed his soul to the Kyuubi to protect his siblings. It is said that every day that passes by…the Kyuubi continues to devour more and more of the boy's soul and one day...there won't be a Naurto left.

But what shocked Shisui more than the identity of said child was what he saw in said child's eyes…Hatred. Not a childish anger of when something doesn't goes their way or when they get hurt and they blame someone…not something as simplistic and weak as that. No…what Shisui saw was pure hatred. The hatred that was in Naruto's eyes was something that he saw only a few times. The last time he did was when he saw one of his cousins holding in his arms the women that he loved. He saw it all…the hatred for Iwa-nin that killed his love…the hatred for her comrades that weren't able to protect her…hatred for himself for not being there…and most of all…hatred for the world.

The two just stood there for a staring at each other as the wind continued blowing the leaves around them. Shisui watched as the hatred within Naruto's eyes began to recede. If he had to describe what he saw…it would be that the burning hatred that was so clearly displayed in Naruto's eyes began to…for lack of better words…freeze…and created a darker coating to the already midnight like eyes. Looking at Naruto's face felt like he was looking at Winter's Night.

"Who…are you?" Was the almost silent question that was directed towards Shisui from the cold child?

"My name…is Shisui…Shisui Uchiha." Shisui tried to say something more…but all that he could do was open and close his mouth as the words were lost in his mind. After all…the answer to his question was already given when he knew the boy was.

Shisui saw those cold blue orbs narrow their slitted pupil as he gave his last name. It took him a moment to realize why…after all the current…disagreement…between the Village and the Uchiha Clan is because some believe that it was the Uchiha that controlled the Kyuubi into attacking the Village. Naruto…though young…must be able to see the difference in treatment between a regular villager and an Uchiha.

"What are you doing here?" Again came the almost silent question. The only reason why he even heard it was because the wind was able to carry his voice to him.

"I was planning on some night training." Shisui told the young child in a calm tone. His voice clearly going against what he was truly feeling.

For Shisui…it felt like an eternity until Naruto again spoke. Even though it must have only been at least a couple of minutes…to him it felt like hours.

"You're…different." Naruto told him in his whisper like voice.

"Hnn." Came the normal Uchiha reply but instead a stoic face it showed one of slight confusion. 'Different from what?' was what was going through the Uchiha's head.

"Your eyes…when you look at me…they don't feel angry or cold." Was the reply that Naruto gave to the older shinobi.

He could understand what Naruto was saying. That he looked kinder than those in the village. It was actually a bit odd… if not a bit amusing. After all…he is a shinobi…he did not do "nice" things.

"Even though I know that you know what is sealed in me…I can tell that you just don't seem to care about that. Many do."

Impressively, he was right…Shisui really didn't care about that stuff. After all…he knew what it felt like to be given something that you…or anyone...shouldn't have. It was this understanding…that made him see Naruto as the boy he is instead of the beast everyone else saw. He was sure that there were others that had at least a similar perspective as him…however…many of them could possibly hate him out of fear.

Sighing silently at Naruto's statement "...Yeah…I don't really care about all that stuff." Replied Shisui…while slightly turning his head to the side and moving his eyes to the side to avoid eye contact.

"Why?" Came the calm question. When Shisui looked back at Naruto…he was surprised to see an almost…pleading…look in his eyes. Seeing this look on Naruto's slightly tear stained cheek got rid of any possible hesitation that Shisui might have had.

"It…it's because…I know how it feels…I know how it feels to be given something that you've never wanted…something that comes at price that should never be paid." Was Shisui's response to Naruto's inquiry...turning his head to look at the beautiful star filled sky. As he was giving the response…he couldn't help but think of the power that his cursed eyes brought. Yes…the Mangekyo Sharingan was indeed a useful ability…but it came at such an awful price…a price that has still haunted him till this day. Forever, would his sight be clouded by blood.

"My name is Naruto…." Came the now familiar quiet voice. Shisui…turning to look away from the night sky to look at the young boy saw that Naruto had a small turn at the edge of his lips. Immediately understanding that Naruto was…in his own way…extends a hand of... not friendship but more like... trust. Shisui decided that he would reciprocate the boy's action.

"Nice to meet you Naruto…My name is Shisui." Replied the elder of the two with a smile on his face.

Flashback End

It had only been little less than a year since he had met Naruto…and one thing was certain. He cared for Naruto. He truly saw the black haired child as family…as HIS Otouto. It honestly took him by surprise at the time. When he decided to become friends with Naruto…he thought that he could perhaps take away some of the hatred that slept in his heart.

Shisui actually soon found the reason why he thought of Naruto as his Otouto and why Naruto thought of him as his Aniki. It took a bit of time…but he found the reason. It was because in a way…they were both alone. After the deaths of Shisui's parents…he felt alone. Yes…the Uchiha clan helped him as did the Village and all the people in both. He even considered Itachi as his brother.

But it was different with Naruto. With Itachi…he considered Itachi to be his brother as well…but…for Itachi…he had his parents and his Otouto, Sasuke, to take care of. He still considered Itachi his brother…always…but with Naruto…the difference was that…he was as alone as Shisui…perhaps even more. No…definitely more. And it was because of this that Shisui cared for Naruto as his Otouto.

To Naruto…Shisui was his family…not just a friend…but his Aniki. In a similar way…Shisui cared for Naruto because he could understand him.

After a good look in the sky to see the position of the sun to determine the time of day…he guessed that his Otouto was at the training ground. His Otouto took training seriously…almost to the point that Shisui thought that it was a religion to him. When Shisui questioned him about it…Naruto responded with an interesting question…"Is it right to be strong? Is it wrong to be weak?"

For all of his experience…Shisui didn't have a true answer. There will always be weak people and strong people in the world. But is it right to be one while the other is wrong. All people are born weak and some stay weak while others grow strong. But is one really better than the other. If being strong truly is right…then doesn't that mean that the weak shouldn't be alive…that they shouldn't exist? But a world like that it's just…just...

"It's sad." Came Naruto's quiet response…somehow completing his own train of thought. "The world that we live in…really is a sad world. Where the strong rule the weak…and that is why I will become strong…so that I may be free." Naruto told his Onii-san with a small smile on his face.

'To be free…' Were Shisui's thoughts back then and now. Realizing that it would soon be lunch and that his Otouto would still be training unless he got really hungry or if he personally stopped him. With that in mind…Shisui continued on his quest to get some food and eat with Naruto.

After getting nicely cooked beef from an Akimichi shop…Shisui first went to visit an isolated training ground that he would probably find Naruto at. The training ground was a fair distance away from the Yondaime's house.

As expected when Shisui arrived…Naruto was working hard practicing his kunai and shuriken usage. When Shisui first asked what Naruto first wanted to learn…he said that he wanted to learn things that were "useful." In Shisui's mind…Naruto's response led him to two different trains of thought.

The first was thinking that came to his mind was that if Naruto wanted to learn something useful…then he would be sure to thoroughly teach him the basics of what a true shinobi should know. This meant that he had to teach Naruto near perfect usage of the basic weapons of a shinobi…along with the fundamental ideas behind the usage of any category of jutsu that he could think of. After all…it's easier to do something if you understood it then trying to do something that you had limited knowledge of.

The second thought that ran through Shisui's mind was how unlike Naruto was to the rest of the children in his age group. From the beginning Shisui knew that Naruto was different from the rest…at the time he thought that it was mainly because of how alone Naruto was most of the time. But after spending some time with him…Shisui quickly realized that that wasn't the case…Naruto was just different from the rest of his peers. Shisui didn't really know how or why…but all that Shisui knew was that Naruto was. Naruto's answer to his previous question only verified that further. Most children his age would jump up and down screaming to be taught "cool jutsu."

"I see that you're still working as hard as ever."

Naruto stopping with his kunai and shuriken practice…turned around at a controlled rate…before quirking his lips into what can barely be considered a smile and said "…Nii-san."

"Hey…I just got back from my escort mission…and since I was only able to get a quick breakfast…I decided to get something else to eat…and knowing you, I know that you wouldn't eat anything until you get really hungry or I tell you to eat. So I decided to us some early lunch." Shisui easily finished with an easy looking smile on his face.

"Hnn." Came the reply from his little brother. The small smile from earlier easily melting into a face of pure stoicism. Honestly, it was like his little brother was an Uchiha. Not even a second passed by before Naruto started walking over to a spot near the small river that passed through the training grounds.

The training grounds themselves consisted of a wide clearing with various stones. The edge of the clearing was surrounded by a forest of trees. There is a small river streaming down the center of the training grounds. To Shisui... it was a good standard training ground. The only reason why nobody really used it was because it was quite off the beaten path. Don't get him wrong...many if not all of the training grounds were designed to keep any training that goes on there secret. It's just that this one was more out of the way then even those and this caused less people to know about it. Thus it became a bit more hidden then rest.

Seeing Naruto already sitting next to the river made him bring the food over. It was in all honestly a quiet lunch. Naruto was never much of a talker. As for himself, he wanted to simply enjoy the peace that currently surrounded him. As a shinobi, Shisui was forced to do many things...some of these things could be considered good but they could also be considered bad...very bad. It was honestly all in the opinion of who you asked. If you asked Shisui himself, he would tell you that he may have done some "bad things" however, he was not a bad person. Not to say that he is a good person, but he isn't a bad person. It was because of these "bad" things that he was forced to perform and witness that he was able to truly appreciate the peace that currently revolved around him and his little brother.

Shisui truly did love this feeling. The feeling of utter calmness and peace that was around him. Simply listening to the wind as leafs float upon it through a multiple of patterns. The sound of the water smoothly flowing down the creek with an occasional fish jumping out. Knowing that the person he cared for most was sitting next to him and was safe. It was this peace...this calmness that he was trying so hard to protect. It was the entire reason why he became a ninja. His reason to being a ninja may not have started out with this exact reason...but it was pretty close to it. The reason why he first decided to become a ninja was when he saw how happy Sasuke was just being with Itachi. The happiness that he saw on Sasuke's face and in Itachi's eyes were also found whenever he saw the happy smiles of all the villagers in the village living a happy peaceful life. To him...it was something worth fighting for. This is what he realized when he was younger and it was what continued to fuel him as he got older.

These thoughts of peace eventually led to something that was threatening this peace that he wanted to protect...his own family. In the beginning of Konoha...the Uchiha clan and the Senju clan eventually stopped their bloody warfare and decided to make a truce and finally build a place where they could protect their future. That was the beginning of Konoha. Other clans came together and helped form the village and eventually the leader of the Senju clan, Hashirama Senju, was appointed as the Shodaime Hokage. However, it was when the Shodaime died and the title of Nidaime was passed onto his younger brother Tobirama Senju that things began to change for the Uchiha clan. Tobirama Senju had a distinct..."distaste" for the Uchiha clan. He was the one who first set up the "Military Police" which would help police the village and protect it. The thing is though that this came at the cost of the political power that the Uchiha once had diminishing. Even though the Uchiha were disgruntled by this, they still kept on pressing forward because a large portion of them still remembered what it was like during the Clan Wars. However, eventually the Kyuubi attacked. This led to some people blaming the Uchiha for controlling the beast and attacking the village. Afterall, Madara was able to control the Kyuubi...so why wouldn't another Uchiha be able to. This leads to where they are now...with Konoha being distrustful towards the Uchiha clan and the Uchiha clan feeling slighted for taking the blame for something that they didn't do.

Upon finishing these thoughts...Shisui quickly realized that Naruto had already finished and was just watching the river flow by. Knowing that he was waiting for him, Shisui quickly finished the rest of the barbeque. After finishing he got up and took a seat next to his little brother to watch the water stream by along with the fish that live within. Going over the training that he was planning on giving Naruto in his head. After a minute or two of getting his thoughts organized he decided to tell his little brother the schedule for the rest of the day.

"You will be joining the ninja academy next year." Shisui stated in a normal tone of voice.

Naruto did nothing more then nod his head while still staring at the fish swimming by. His focus was primarily on the salmon that were swimming upstream. It was an enjoyable thought to him...going against the current of the world. Creating your own path and even though the rest of the world fought against you...you still continued fighting. It was a happy thought for him that always resonated with something inside of him.

"How do you feel about it?" Came the question from his older brother.

How did he feel about going to the Ninja Academy? For many parents they found that having their children entering the academy was a thing to be proud about. Some of the smarter parents were proud but had just the same amount of fear for their children. After all, they are being trained for the military of the village or it would be better worded for the "protection" of village...even at the cost of their lives. He knew that other parents were happy because they could possibly use their children as a way to be connected to other families that had more power...be it because of prestige through strength, history, wealth, or politics. Many of the children themselves saw this as a way to become a "hero." They listen to the bedtime stories of their parents about how heroic and powerful and wonderful the Hokage's of the village were that they became completely fixed on becoming like them. So when they think of the Academy...they think of a way to become a "hero" that can be just as great if not greater than any of the Hokage's or any well-known shinobi.

For Naruto...he could sum up his thoughts of the Ninja Academy in one pretty little word...

"Annoying." He told his sibling in his normal monotone voice.

Hearing the sigh that came from Shisui's lips..."I realize that the Academy would probably be more bothersome to you than anything else...but...maybe it could be good for you. You know...interacting with others your age." Shisui realized quite well that the Academy was more of a hindrance than anything to his little brother. In Shisui's mind he thought of it like this...himself, Itachi, and many other great shinobi's like the Sandaime were made into great if not near perfect shinobis...Naruto was born as a shinobi. For someone who was six years old...Naruto was scary good at being a ninja.

When Shisui first started teaching Naruto about being a ninja. He decided to start off with something basic...like kunai and shuriken throwing. It amazed him when less than a week passed and he was throwing perfect kunai and shuriken. Now it wasn't just being able to throw perfect shuriken and kunai that got him amazed...no he somewhat expected that. It was when he saw how quickly Naruto developed a reflex for it. He didn't need to consciously think to make them hit his mark...in less then a second he could analyze any given situation and be able to react accordingly with the kunai and shuriken.

Now to others...they would see a ninja in training and think nothing more of it. An experienced ninja could easily see the true difference between Naruto and some Academy brat or even a green Genin. Even though a Genin could fire off kunai and shuriken at a good pace and be able to hit their marks...it would take years before they could match what Naruto was doing. Being able to change strength and direction to be able to match the given conditions of the environment and land perfect marks each time was not something any normal Genin could accomplish. In fact only seasoned Jonin would be able to reach that level of ability. The thing is though that it isn't really an "ability." If Shisui had to describe it...he would say that it was more along the lines of instinct. The Jonins honed their instincts after years of training and nearly dying countless times on a multitude of missions but not just with this but other areas of being a ninja. And this is why Shisui says that Naruto was born to be a ninja. Because he was born with that ingrained instinct that could match any seasoned Jonin. And he knew that it was only going to get stronger over time.

However, the reason why he wants his little brother to go to the Ninja Academy is to have him interact with other children his age. Not to say that he thought of Naruto as a child...no... Naruto was forced to grow up to any number of different things that Shisui could no longer classify his brother as a child. But that didn't mean that he wanted his brother to continue living on without feeling a part of his childhood. Shisui's hope is that the Ninja Academy could possibly give him a piece of his lost childhood. The thing was though that he didn't truly believe that that had a real possibility of happening. But he was going to hope and pray that his brother could find some small happiness in the Academy.

"Interacting..." Naruto stated to his brother. Not questioned, but stated. It was through this word alone that Naruto understood what his Nii-san truly wanted. He wanted him to connect with others his age. He was also able to read underneath this first goal into what Shisui truly wanted. He wanted him to regain a piece of his childhood. He was able to come to this conclusion only because how well he knew Shisui. In his core, Shisui is and always will be...a pacifist. He disliked fighting...or at least fighting without a proper reason. But it was this dislike of fighting that led to Shisui utterly despising how the Elemental Nations used children to fight their wars. Children who don't even begin to understand the meaning to love or to even live. With his current age...Shisui felt sad at how non-existent his childhood was. So Shisui wanted him to go to the Academy in order to "try" to gain some form of childhood. It was, after all...the only reason why he even decided to join the Academy. This was something Shisui truly wanted for him because he wanted him happy. That was the only motivating factor behind agreeing with his brother. Even though he loved his brother...he wasn't scared nor timid enough to not speak his mind. But his brother wanted this for him because he cared and that was why he didn't tell him no...even though he thought of the Academy as nothing more than a complete waste of his time.

"I promise nothing." Naruto told Shisui knowing that Shisui would take that because that was the best he was going to get.

Hearing another sigh exit from his brother "Thank you" Shisui told him in a caring voice that told him that his trust was not misplaced. "Now...we should get onto the training for today." The moment Naruto heard this a glint appeared in his eyes that vanished into the night like orb just as quickly as it appeared.

-Rebirth-

Blood...

The red liquid of life. Without it...one will die. It look so similar to water yet so different at the same time. Its funny but in a way you can say that blood is in fact water that is tainted. Tainted with the curse that is known as humanity. Humans place such value and worth into this simple red liquid. Even though when any human is cut, the blood that is shed is red...humans still believe that some blood is better than others. These humans with "better" blood is resulted from a multiple of things: a family with wealth, a family with a bloodline, a family with connections, a family that is famous or infamous for certain actions both good and bad. But it all comes down to the "family" that you were born in. To some it's simply not fair. That others get to be born into something great while they have to struggle every moment of their life. All because of one little thing that we call blood. But...then again...one must...always remember...that...

'All men...are NOT created equal.' Thought Naruto as he saw a drop of his blood fall to the ground. The sun was already setting creating a beautiful sunset that filled the sky with orange and purple. He could even see the stars in the sky and how night was approaching in the opposite direction of the setting sun. He felt the chilling wind blowing against him yet thought nothing more of it than feeling a sense of comfort from the view.

Currently Naruto is located on one of the highest trees in Konoha near the training ground that he was recently using. His brother had just left a few minutes ago. Shisui was training him in two main subjects: Genjutsu and Kenjutsu. Genjutsu was one of Shisui's best skills. He could truly be considered a prodigy in the art of genjutsu, not even Itachi could match him in his use of it. Though there is no denying that Itachi is skilled in being a ninja...but he couldn't match Shisui in Genjutsu. Knowing this...Naruto would be a fool to not learn from the best about one of his greatest strengths. As for Kenjutsu...Naruto requested it. He found the art to be an interesting one...or at least one that he could admire. The way that Naruto thought about it was that if you go back in time...current ninja tools were created for another primary use than killing. For instance: kunai were used by farmers for digging holes and prying things apart. But the sword was created with one purpose in mind: to kill. Naruto admired a tool that had such a simple existence yet was so wrapped in complexities of humanity. Through this admiration came respect to properly handle a blade.

Thus was the reason why he was bleeding. He had been training all day long with his brother that resulted from getting slightly injured. It wasn't bad enough that he needed Shisui's help in bandaging the wounds but they still bled a bit. Still his brother would have insisted on helping him even though it wasn't needed. The only reason why he had to leave was because there was a clan meeting that was going to be happening soon and he needed to be apart of it. With Shisui leaving...Naruto decided to go to one of his favorite spots in Konoha.

The view truly was a beautiful sight. The sun disappearing over the horizon while the night slowly creeping upon the once blue sky. The stars were slowly but surely peeking through the darkness of the sky. The leaves that blow along the wind without control. Seeing the crows fly across the dark sky. To him...it was a beautiful thing to witness. Sometimes he just sat here for hours looking at the night sky and stars. To him it was a reason to not return home sooner than he would have to. Sometimes he would stay here till the middle of the night and other times he would return early to get more rest in his bed. Seeing how it was going to be night soon and he was exhausted from the earlier training...Naruto decided that he was going to do something that he hated...going back "home" to get some rest earlier than normal.

Making up his mind...Naruto left the comforting scene behind him to go back to his current house. It took him less time than he wished to reach the main part of Konoha where most of the citizens lived. Immediately upon reaching the buildings...he jumped on top of the rooftops of the buildings. It wasn't strange to see ninja using the rooftops as a form of transportation. And with the darkness of the night creeping in...nobody would be able to tell that it was him. Easily using the rooftops as stepping stones...Naruto soon reach his place of residence. He found this place to be annoying...two little siblings who constantly tried their damn best to annoy him, a "mother" who always seems to try to help him out yet he knew that it was fake...that there was something more than just a mother's love for her child, and a "father" who places his village and work above his family and even in those moments when he was with us...Naruto felt the same feeling...the same instinct that told him that this love is fake. He hated the way that his "mother" and "father" acted...as if there was something more that stopped them from being a loving family. Others wouldn't be able to tell...hell he was certain he wouldn't be able to tell if he was a normal child. But that's the thing...he wasn't normal...and he accepted that quite some time ago. In the beginning it felt like an annoying prick in the back of his skull telling him that something was wrong between him and the rest of his family...over time this prick evolved into something that surged throughout his body that he could only define as "instinct"...this eventually became fact when compared the interactions between his parents and his siblings and how they interacted with him. He noticed all the small details that told him that something was different...how when his "mother" smiled at his siblings, her face showed pure bliss that only a mother could have. Yet when she tried to give him that same smile he saw how her eyes dimmed tremendously...how her smile wasn't able to reach all the way across like it usually did...how she eventually closed her eyes like she was about to cry. These were only a few things that he noticed. It was why he didn't trust nor accept his "parents" because they have been hiding something from him. Something that he knows is important to his life...something that they have continuously been hiding from him from the moment he was born. This reaction wasn't limited to only his "parents." The differences in how him and his "siblings" were treated in the Village were as vast as the earth and the sky. He was treated like the nonexistent dirt beneath their feet while they were treated like the very air that the villagers needed to live...they were precious.

Easily entering the house with the use of the keys...the door opening with a slight creak and closing with a soft sigh. Hearing the sound of feet on ground that indicated that someone was running to the front door. Naruto quickly looked in the direction of the footsteps. He eventually heard the sound of "TOU-CHANNN!" right before someone turned the corner of one of the halls. His sibling's thousand watt smile immediately fell when he saw that it was him.

"Oh...it's you." Menma told his big brother.

Menma spent a good part of the morning with sister in the Hyuga Clan grounds playing with Hinata-chan and Neji. Hinata-chan was simply too cute for him to not talk to. And Neji was pretty fun to spar against. Like him and his sister...they trained everyday to become the best they could for their families. Neji wanted to become strong like his father and do his father proud by protecting Hinata-chan. Meanwhile Hinata-chan wanted to make her father and mother proud by becoming a great clan head. Him and his sister loved playing and sparing with them. Not to say that he didn't enjoy playing and sparring with the other clan children. Each one was fun in their own way. With Kiba Inuzuka we had a great time playing with all the little puppies that were around. Naomi didn't really enjoy hanging around the Aburame clan because she didn't like bugs at all but Shino was still fun in his own way...I guess. Sasuke-teme was...well...a teme. Sure he enjoyed sparring with Sasuke-teme because he knew how to give a good spar but he didn't know why Naomi insisted on spending so much time there. It was little things like this that he enjoyed spending time with other clans in the village.

After spending most of the morning playing with Hinata-chan and Neji...his mother forced them to come back to the house for more training. His sister and himself were forced to train for a few hours before dinner was made. His mother was a slave driver...and she was scary. After finally unlocking his chakra all those months back...he could finally begin his journey to becoming the best Hokage ever! His sister had the same dream as him but he knew that he was going to be Hokage first. The thing that got him really pissed was his "perfect" brother. On the first week of trying to unlock our chakra...Naruto was able to unlock it. It took him a couple of weeks for him to unlock it.

Finally...after unlocking his chakra he could begin to catch up to his brother. He wouldn't have to be left behind in his shadow anymore. He wouldn't have to constantly see that back of his that said that he wasn't good enough to be Hokage...that he wasn't as good as him. Those cold dark blue eyes that told how he was only an annoyance to him...like a fly. So when he asked is Kaa-chan on help with controlling his chakra...he was expecting to do the same chakra control training that Naruto was: the tree walking training. But she instead told him that the had to start on the leaf exercise. She told him that he had to much chakra and couldn't control it properly yet to perform something like the tree walking exercise. He hated how his brother was already so much better at being a ninja than he was.

"Where have you been?" Menma asked his brother. Naruto would normally spend most of the day by himself doing whatever it was that he did. It honestly made Menma curious about what his brother was doing. Maybe whatever he was doing was what was making him stronger than him. If that was the case then if he knew what it was then he might be able to get stronger than him. That was something that would make him happy. Finally having his brother see his back instead.

"Hn..." Came the reply from his brother...keeping his face as it always was blank. Just looking at him with those strange blue eyes of his. Menma didn't like those eyes...they always felt as if something was looking into him. He saw how his brother's black hair was spiked in all directions without any control over any piece of it. The hair just about reached the bottom of his neck meanwhile some of the hair in the front created some strands to block some of his eyes while his bangs were growing alongside his jaw.

That was another thing that he really hated about his brother...he only said what he wanted to say. Most of the time he didn't want to say anything...so he didn't. The thing was that you would now that he wasn't going to talk to you anymore if he "Hn'd" at you. it meant that he was annoyed at you and that he wasn't going to reply to anything you were going to say. He knew this for fact because of the number of times that it's happened to him and his sister. It just plain PISSED HIM OFF!

"GOD DAMN IT TEME! ANSWER M-!" His loud reply came to a quick end when something hit his head with the force of a falling moon. Looking up from his position on the floor he saw the one thing that scared him most in this world...his Kaa-chan.

"How many times have I told you...TO STOP CURSING!" Kushina scolded her youngest son. Honestly the boy just couldn't stop himself from cursing out people that really annoyed him. She suppose that he got it from her...along with the verbal tic that both of her youngest children had. He was able to stop cursing in public for the most part but she just couldn't stop him from cursing just one person...his elder brother...Naruto.

He stood there silently as he saw her scold Menma on cursing his brother. After finally stopping her scolding of the youngest of the siblings...she turned her attention to the eldest. She saw him looking at them with those blue fox eyes. Kami how those eyes reminded her so much of the fox that she once held within her. Just looking at them was enough to cause a wrenching feeling inside her gut. He stood at about 4 foot 1 inches (4"1')...a tall height for his age. Simply judging from how tall he is now...she knew that he was going to be taller than both her and Minato. He looked as if he had a good layer of muscle on him that suggested training and he had long black hair that just about reached his neck. There was some fringe that covered his face and almost jaw length bangs. Some part of her wanted to take him out immediately and get it cut. He was already showing signs of having aristocratic features: a sharp chin, a strong jaw, angled cheekbones.

It was during this inspection of her eldest child that she noticed some blood on his person. As soon as she was about to ask what happened...he immediately began to move upstairs and out of her sight. Letting out a sad sigh..."We should get back to your sister or else she'll wonder where we went." After telling her youngest son her words...she sent another saddened glance to where Naruto went. She was certain that that wasn't going to be the last depressed glance either.

After hearing his Kaa-chan's words...Menma had planned on immediately going to the dining room where his sister Naomi was. But just when he was about to turn and leave...he looked up to his mother's face. He saw just how sad she was...and he saw her looking in his brother's direction as he disappeared behind another wall. This was just another reason why Naruto pissed him off so much. His Kaa-chan was one of the best mom's ever. She looked after all of them...she helped all of us when we were sad...she loved us so much without wanting anything. Yet for some reason...when Naruto was around she always got so sad. He would never forgive his brother for hurting her.

He didn't even need his eyes to know where to go. He knew just where to place his foot so that not even the sharpest of ears could hear a creek. Eventually he came to the closed door of his room. The first thing he did was to look on the ground to see if anyone had broken the pencil lead that was positioned on top of the door hinge. Verifying the it was still in one piece, he removed the lead fragment. Taking the base of his door knob, he moved the circular piece of metal exactly 49 degrees clockwise. Pushing the door just a smidge...he looked down to the floor where a near invisible wire was located. Quite obviously this was a trap for anyone foolish enough to enter his room without permission. He only began using such things after he came back one day noticing how some of his things were moved. He had everything in his room set up in a specific way so that if anyone even entered his room he would be able to tell. Easily disabling the trap that he built...he slowly entered his room. It was amusing how he called it "his" room even though it never felt like it. After all it wasn't his.

Carefully removing his shirt as to not further aggravate his wounds...Naruto threw the shirt into a bin that had other clothing. Walking over to the furthest plank in the farthest left corner of the room...he removed the top plank to reveal a compartment underneath. The container contained some of his savings, a training kunai, and a few pieces of junk that he would tell others are his "valuables." Removing the pieces from the compartment, Naruto used the training kunai to prop up the fake bottom..Naruto quickly pulled up the fake bottom of the hidden compartment. Inside of this new location...Naruto pulled out a medical kit. Walking over to his bed...he began to examine the wounds that he had obtained from Shisui. A good amount of them were nothing more than superficial wounds or bruises that came when Shisui hit him with his hilt. The only real wound that he would need to redress would be the one on his arm. The wound itself was not as bad as it appeared...but Naruto knew that if he left it like that that it could result in it becoming infected. Even though his body's natural life force would soon destroy the infection and close the wound...the process would be sped up by cleaning and redressing it.

Knowing that Minato would be returning soon and that his arrival would signal the beginning of dinner...Naruto quickly irrigated his wound with soap and water then redressed it. Hearing the front door being opened...Naurto knew that his "father" had returned from his duties as Hokage. Naruto sometimes wondered what that word meant to others. To some it meant being the strongest in the village...to others it meant true recognition like Menma foolishly believed it to be...to Naruto...he saw that title as...

"DINNER'S READY!" Kushina shouted to the rest of the household. 'She simply cannot keep her mouth shut for long...' were some of the thoughts going through Naruto's head as he quickly donned another black shirt and left the room. Before leaving...he quickly set up his trip wire and "redialed" his door knob's base. Easily making his way through the dark hall where "his" room was located...Naruto took his time heading down the stairs. After all...he would rather have Menma and Naomi make their usual very loud entrance and have Minato and Kushina focus their attention on them so that he could eat his food without having to answer pointless questions. They were annoying.

Entering the dining room...the scene that he came upon was one that he had already predicted...Menma and Naomi were practically swallowing all the ramen meanwhile "Kaa-san" was trying to stop them from eating so fast before they choked and "Tou-san" was watching this scene in happiness. Quickly taking a seat at the end of the table...Naruto proceeded to obtain some of the more thoroughly nutritious food. After choosing his food...he began eating quietly. Easily ignoring most of the things that the others around the table were conversing about with a practiced ease he focused his thoughts more on finishing quickly so that he could get his rest.

Since Naruto decided to focus his current energy on eating his food instead of chatting like everyone else...he easily finished his food before the others. Picking up his dishes...he began to clean them. Kushina apparently realizing that he was already done made to walk over to him.

Kushina noticed that her eldest son was already done eating his food and that he began to get up with the dishes to the sink. Knowing that he was about to begin washing them...she got out of her seat and walked toward him. "Just leave them there...I can clean them later." It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the help...but it was just that ever since she could remember...Naruto always did things on his own. From leaving the house to training to taking care of most of his basic needs. She knew that he once obtain his own food...she knew that he got it because he never came down for dinner for weeks. Then for some reason he just began showing up again. The only exception to this was the training to unlock his chakra...but even then she knew that he could somehow find a way to unlock it on his own. Naruto was smart enough to do that. It was just that...since so long ago...she never been able to feel like she was being a mother to him. Whenever she tried he always just continued what he wanted to do...just as he was now. Naruto had only turned his head to look at her before he resumed cleaning the dishes that he used.

Kushina let loose a sad sigh because she knew that he would just ignore her and continue doing what he wanted. Turning back she walked back to the dining room where she saw both Menma and Naomi choking on the ramen that they were eating. She quickly appeared behind the two and hit their backs with the palms of her hands. This resulted in the two to cough up the ramen that they were just choking on. "what did I say about eating so fast"...came her voice with a sickly sweet tone.

Seeing Kushina leaving him to his own being...he finished washing the dishes that he used for dinner. He could hear the sounds of his foolish siblings squeaking in terror...His mind didn't even wander when he heard their terrified voices. Leaving the first floor to go to "his" room on the second...Naruto decided to go to bed in a short time...he knew that going to sleep with a full stomach could cause some sickness the next day...so he relented by reading one of the books that he had obtained from a secret and hidden location.

Quite some time ago Shisui had taught him what a nuke-nin or a rogue ninja was. Someone who had either abandoned or betrayed their village and was cast out of the village...to forever be hunted by them. During this time...Shisui had shown him the Bingo book...the book that gave information on various ninja...this information had included whether the ninja was indeed a nuke-nin or not. It was then that Naruto was curious about the nuke-nins from Konoha. Being such a large village with such a large military had meant that there must have at least been a few. As Naruto was flipping through the Bingo book in Konoha's section...there was one group of individuals that interested him a bit...it was the S-Ranked section. One criminal that popped out to him was the famous Snake Sannin Orochimaru. The Bingo book said that one of his reasons for deserting Konoha was because of experimentation. The this led to Naruto questioning one thing...where could he perform these experiments without getting caught...at least for a good while. Following this line of reasoning...Naruto deduced that he had to have labs hidden all around Konoha. Orochimaru was to well known that he couldn't just disappear in one spot over and over again. As such he must have had a hidden network of passages that led to various labs.

Coming to this realization made Naruto come to another...that there could still very well be other labs that are still hidden. If Naruto judged Orochimaru correctly then he must be the type of person to have hidden multiple things. And even when you discover everything...that would simply be a trick to fool you into believing that that was all there is. He would be just like a snake to always have something else hidden in that burrow of his. With this new information in hand...Naruto took it upon himself to discover at least one of these labs or this network. Knowing that they wouldn't be hidden where just anyone could discover them...that meant that Naruto would have to use some of his layouts of the village to try guessing where it was most likely Orochimaru would set up his labs...then he would have to take into account how easily accessible they were along with the possibility of traps that could possibility of stopping anyone from continuing further.

It was only after a few weeks of searching that Naruto was able to discover a location of one of the labs. Since Naruto usually trained for most of the day...that only really left the night to search. It took some clever thinking on his part to guess where this lab was located. The primary defense in this case wasn't an unusually difficult trap but simply where the lab existed was what led to many not even contemplating venturing there...the sewers. They were well connected and had many points of entry. It would be foolish of Orochimaru to not use them to his advantage. And Naruto was obviously correct from his assumptions. Naruto deduced that Orochimaru would hide his lab within the sewers that were near a sewer cover that had a location that was both easily connected to primary traveling roads and also still hidden from view of anyone possibly following him. This is reasoning is what led to Naruto to discovering a hidden lab in the sewers. The door to the lab was of course booby-trapped along with various halls past the lab. Naruto was able to bypass these traps through use of chakra, his training, and his mind. When Naruto finally got to the lab section...he discovered a mass of wealth that was hidden right underneath the village's noses. Scrolls and books that ranged from chakra theory to the anatomy of the human body to history. It truly was a treasure trove of information. After some thinking...he decided to keep this room a secret from everyone...even his brother. It wasn't that he didn't trust Shisui but he knew that Shisui was still a ninja for Konoha and as such he would be stuck between trying to keep his word to him and doing his duty to report to the Hokage about the lab. Knowing Shisui...he would think that Orochimaru's lab was a dangerous place for him and that one wrong misstep could end him. His protectiveness as an older brother would be the final push to go to the Hokage. It would be easier on both of them if he simply kept this place a secret.

Naruto wanted to continue finding more hidden labs like this. The amount of knowledge that he found in just this one was amazing. If he could find similar amounts of wisdom in other labs then it would truly help improve his growth as both a shinobi and as a person. But for now he wanted to uncover any secrets that the current lab may have before trying to move onto the others. Before leaving he took a few books that he believed would prove useful improving himself. The book that he detailed discoveries of chakra both internal and external the body. It spoke of how chakra would naturally dissipate in the air unless certain actions were taken. While it also spoke of how the chakra ran through the body through a thing called a chakra system and unique details of this system. It was in fact Orochimaru himself who created this journal. It's where he created a concise and detailed takings of his discoveries.

Soon enough Naruto knew that it was time to head to bed. So tucking the book away into the secret compartment that he had created...Naruto headed off to bed. He forced his mind to calm itself from all the questions that appeared through reading the book along with his thoughts on the Academy and his current situation with the rest of his "family." Naruto was only able to calm himself because of one reason...because he knew that his answers would one day come to him...one day...but for now the best thing for him was sleep.

-Rebirth-

~ 1 Year Later ~

Noticing a familiar glint of sunlight...Naruto quickly ducked his head beneath the biting steal of his brother's blade. In retaliation...Naruto grabbed a kunai with his left hand and threw the smaller blade at Shisui. Naruto already knowing that Shisui would be able to either dodge or block the kunai...moved in to attack him by using the blade that he gripped in is right hand. Hearing a clang and seeing the kunai that he recently threw falling to his right...Naruto knew that Shisui had decided to block the kunai by using his sword. Streaking fluidly by the knife...Naruto attempted to bisect Shisui at the waist. Shisui...not wanting that...block his younger brother's attack by placing his blade in a perpendicular fashion to that of Naruto's.

"You've gotten better...Naruto." Shisui told his younger sibling through gritted teeth. Even though Naruto was only seven...he had enough strength that Shisui couldn't underestimate him for a moment or else he wouldn't be "okay." The struggle came to an end when Naruto performed a snap kick with his right leg. Seeing the attack coming caused Shisui to jump a good distance behind him. Hearing the distinct sound of air being cut made Shisui jump to the underside of the tree that he was beneath. Looking down...he saw Naruto there with his blade firmly in his hand. He noticed a few strands of his hair falling from where he was moments ago.

"Oi oi...were supposed to be training not killing each other!" Shisui yelled at Naruto. While on the inside Shisui was contemplating two different thoughts. One was to always keep at least one very aware eye on Naruto. This action or thought is what created the second thought. It was that he was quite impressed with Naruto's speed. Naruto may have been young yet he was extremely fast. If Shisui had to say...Naruto would be able to match nearly any Chunin. This line of thought was quickly cut off when Naruto started running up the abnormally large tree with a speed that no normal seven year old could ever possess. Running towards him to meet in the center of the trunk of the tree. The familiar sounds of metal striking metal were once again heard throughout the training grounds.

If one were to walk into the training ground...they would describe the battle between the two brothers as a beautiful dance...you could see the fluid movements that each possessed. Naruto attempted to slither his blade into the outer part of Shisui's sword arm...knowing that it would force an awkward angle in which to block against. Yet that is exactly what his brother was able to do this by moving his wrist in a fan like movement with his blade following. The momentum from the blade caused Naruto's to bounce off of Shsui's...quickly spinning with the momentum caused from Shisui's block. Naruto spun in a full circle to slash at Shisui in his unprotected side. Seeing what Naruto was planning...Shisui jumped straight up into the air...while at the same time he impaled his sword into the tightly packed dirt. Immediately gaining his balance on his sword...Shisui felt more then he heard the vibration running through his blade that was caused from Naruto's own. Bringing his foot down to kick Naruto in the chest...Shisui's plan worked...somewhat. At the moment of impact...Naruto was able to bring up his sword to intercept his kick. Noticing the sharp edge of the blade facing his foot when it was coming up caused Shisui to send a healthy amount of chakra into his foot to create something akin to a shield of energy around his foot. The truth behind this technique is in fact a more advanced version of the leaf floating exercise. In the exercise you needed to keep a steady amount of chakra running through your hand so that you could make a leaf float without it being blown off. What he did was instead run chakra through his foot...expelling it outward so that the chakra would stop the blade from reaching his foot. That was really all that he needed seeing that Naruto's blade was really only meant to help lessen the blow to his chest.

The chakra that Shisui expelled caused his blade to stop short of reaching his foot. 'Disappointing' Naruto thought...yet even with this thought Naruto continued to hold onto both the hilt and the backside of the top of his blade. Just as he expected...he felt the pressure from the strength of Shisui's kick. Knowing that he was in the less favorable position...Naruto jumped with the kick to increase the distance between two brothers. Flipping in the air...Naruto landed with his feet on bottom half of a tree's trunk. Moving his head up to look up at Shisui...he saw his opponent sheath his blade...indicating the end of the spar.

"Let's stop here for the day." Shisui spoke to Naruto. "After all, we wouldn't want to hurt that pretty face of yours the day before going to the Academy." With a teasing smile on his face.

"Hnn."

"Sigh" He knew that Naruto saw no real purpose in going and that the only reason why he was because he asked him too. That and if the son of the Hokage didn't go the Academy to become a Shinobi, it would look bad to the rest of the world. Besides that, Naruto is a Jinchuuriki. If he doesn't "officially" start training to become a ninja, then the Council would start taking actions. Afterall, they couldn't afford to have an untrained weapon...especially one that was easily disposable in their eyes. Not that Shisui would ever let that happen...but if the entire problem could be avoided by having Naruto enter the Academy then that would be best.

Looking back at Naruto, he couldn't help but think how much he grew in this past year. Standing taller at a height of 4 foot and 4 inches (4"4'). He had a more visible line of muscle around his body and his hair grew so that in now reached just below the tops of his shoulders. His face became more angular with his black hair still fringing the sides of his face and covering his forehead and some of his eyes. Naruto continued to exceed tremendously in his training of the Shinobi arts. He doubted that anybody at the Academy would ever be able to match his little brother. Give it a few more years and he knew that Naruto would be stronger than him.

It was such a funny thought…

"It's almost sunset...we should be getting back...You know why I can't go with you to the Academy." Shisui told him.

A nod was followed after hearing his brother's words. There was still high tension between the Village and the Uchiha Clan. If one of their most famed member's was found escorting one of the Jinchuuriki to the Academy...people would think that he was trying to control him. It could result in a massive confrontation that might spark the beginning of a civil war. The only reason why they were even together now was because of how secure they made this training ground. They planted things from booby traps to fuinjutstu to using Shisui's crows as a lookout.

"...I know that you don't really want to go to the Academy...and that the only real reason why you're going is because I asked. But...try to have fun." Shisui asked him.

"No promises." Was his nearly silent reply.

It was the same reply as always. "I understand." And he did...truly. Naruto simply grew up too fast. Compared to the others in his class, he would likely feel that everyone was pathetic. Not under him exactly...but more along the lines of being to stupid to really comprehend what's happening around them.

Now that he was thinking about it...Naruto might actually end up in Sasuke's class. Naruto would probably be the eldest in that class unless someone was held back. Even though Naruto should have already started the Academy, there was an age cut off date. Any 6 year old that was born before October could enter the Academy. However, Naruto was born in December and the Academy declared him too young to begin the class and said that they would have to wait until next year. So he would have to enter the Academy a bit older than the other students. Which meant that he also had to go in with his younger brother and sister.

Naruto didn't like his siblings...more like he didn't care about them. He once said that they were "annoying and childish" but considering that they were children that was to be expected. Still...Naruto just didn't care for them. It was just another reason why he should go to the Academy. Connecting more with his siblings might bring a smile to his face.

Giving his little brother a hug, "Take care little brother." With that said, Shisui turned around and left to go to the Uchiha compound. Annoying thing that was. Not to mention that he's got another mission tomorrow...an escort mission...for another noble...again. Fuck, he hated nobles.

Seeing his brother leave, prompted him to go "home" and get some rest. He had already eaten dinner and wasn't feeling hungry for any snacks. Simply thinking about tomorrow was already giving him a headache. He knew that he was being placed into a class full of children. Being placed into a class full of arrogant, conceited, idiotic, asinine, daft, imbecilic children that were noble, common, and shinobi birth. Some of them would likely think that they would become the next Hokage and think that their small amount of training would make them better than anyone and everyone.

In the end...they don't matter...if they all died or lived...it wouldn't matter. It was just annoying.

-Rebirth-

Feeling the cold fog float over him and his room. Naruto opened his eyes. He enjoyed this part of the morning. When almost no one was awake, and the sun still hadn't fully come out to burn away the fog. The fog kept things hidden. It was nice and cool.

Getting out of bed and quickly placing on his clothing for the day. Which consisted of a fishnet shirt with a black shirt and black cargo shorts with black sandals. Normally at this point he would proceed to attach his ninja equipment such as the thigh strap, ninja pouches, and sometimes small bits of armor. If he did that, people would begin to questioned how a 7 year old was able to come by such equipment on the first day at the Academy. Deciding to leave the equipment inside of his hidden compartments, Naruto fixed his room. After ensuring that everything was in order and the traps all in place...Naruto left to get something to eat.

Naruto left the house after eating and with a backpack of essentials for the day like food and water. Closing the gate behind him, Naruto began his walk through the fog and streets of Konoha to the Academy. Fortunately there was no one out at this time except the few bakers and shop owners who needed to get up this early for a good start on their day. They were so focused and sleep deprived that they didn't even notice Naruto walking by.

The Academy was located a small distance away from the Hokage tower. It was actually a lather large building. But taking into consideration the different age groups with different classes that varied from nin-,tai-, and genjutsu. Along with the fact that they were training the next generation of Shinobi...the size was quite expected of one of the best ninja villages. Entering the gates and walking passed an old tree with a swing on it...Naruto entered through the two wooden doors of the Academy.

Naruto quickly noticed that both doors were unlocked, meaning that someone was still here either working or preparing. Regardless, Naruto continued to the classroom he was assigned. The schedules for the new students are sent to their homes and from there their parents will take them to the Academy. The parents would bring their children to the wooden doors of the Academy and the children would have to find their way through the Academy to their homeroom. Before coming here, Naruto was able to memorize his schedule and had a basic layout of the Academy from previous experiences.

Entering his classroom of 114, Naruto took a look at the classroom. It was a normal classroom that had desk rows going up at each step. The wall on the far side of the classroom was lined with windows that provided a look into the outside world. Outside was the track and training ground for the Academy. Taking in all the possible entrances and exits, Naruto made his way to the far right of the classroom that would provide a nice shadow and an easy escape route.

Once seated...Naruto proceeded to take out one of his books that he obtained from Orochimaru's library. It was a book on chakra and its uses. It was a simple enough book that if anyone picked it up, no one would think much on it. However, if one carefully read it, they would find that it was greatly more complex that it would initially suggest. The cover of the book was a simple black hard cover that was blank. With his mind now occupied, Naruto began his wait for the children.

-Rebirth-

"Ahhhhhh...I should have gone to bed sooner." Iruka moaned throughout the empty hallway. It was almost 5 in the morning and here he was working. Honestly, he should be at home sleeping in his nice warm bed. But he here was...working. He had to get here early to make sure that everything was set up properly. Afterall, he was going to be teaching the heirs of the most prominent families in Konoha. Even the Hokage's children were going to be his students. He was as excited as he was anxious.

It was for this reason that he was here at this ungodly hour. Ensuring that he had all of his notes and plans completed and properly organized. First thing he needed to do is get a proper grasp of the amount of knowledge and training each of his students had. Some of the students were orphans, others were of common birth, and others still were of noble birth. There were so many different backgrounds that his students could fall under that he needed to know more about them. Sure he had some generic profiles on some of them...but that didn't always fully cover everything about them. Besides that...with a class with this much potential, it should have at least one genius. It would be his duty to make sure that not only that individual but also each and every single one of his students received the proper education they came for.

Coming to a halt in front of room 114, Iruka took in a deep breath to calm some of his nerves. Opening the door he quickly walked in and closed the door behind him. He immediately walked towards the teacher's desk that was in the front of the classroom. Pulling up his chair he began to go through his notes inside of the draw desk and got to work.

Seeing the sun begin to peek through the windows of the classroom, Iruka decided that he should take a small break and relax his mind for a moment. Stretching his arms upward until feeling that satisfied crack in his back...Iruka felt some of the tension on his back release. Looking up at the desk that were soon to be filled with students...he couldn't help but look around the room.

"AHAHHHH!" Iruka couldn't help the scream that was let loose from his lips. He clearly felt the impact of his ass hitting the ground. But...he honestly couldn't bring himself to care. He was more focused on the fact that there was someone in the room with him for who knows how long.

"What the hell!" Looking closer he could see that the person was sitting in the farthest back seat closest to the window. The person appeared to be a kid and they were reading something.

Getting his wits about him...Iruka assumed that this was probably one of his students who came early...very early. The student also hadn't moved once through all his screaming besides flipping the pages in his book.

"Cough...Cough...Excuse me, but who are you?" Iruka questioned his assumed student.

"..."

A dead silence with the exception of a page being flipped was the answer that Iruka received. Iruka could feel the awkwardness in the air. It felt like another form of gravity exerting its own pressure on him. Yet it didn't seem to affect the kid at all. But honestly...who did this kid think he was. Blatantly ignoring a teacher when asking a direct question like that. Kids these days really didn't have any manners.

"Hey! Who-" Iruka was about to ask again in a more stern tone when he was interrupted.

"It is impolite to ask others their name without first introducing yourself." Came a whisper like reply with a feeling of ice.

Hearing his words, Iruka immediately started blushing. First day on the job and he was already being corrected by a kid. And he was thinking that the brat didn't have any manners when it was him who didn't have any manners.

"You're correct and I apologize. My name is Umino Iruka, I will be the teacher for Homeroom Class 114. And you are?"

A thin sliver of sunlight finally peeked through the fog hanging thick in the air. The light shot straight through the window in front of the kid. Partially illuminating some of the child and his book. The assumed student slowly closed his book and set it down on top of the desk he was sitting at. Finally being able to see some of the child's features, Iruka could safely say that it was a "he" instead of a "she." He had long black hair that went down to his shoulders with black clothes and when he looked Iruka...Iruka saw a pair of fox eyes that seemed to burn through the darkness.

"I am Namikaze Naruto." Was the reply to his question. Not that he needed it after seeing his eyes. He could have known who it was just by looking at his eyes. Namikaze Naruto, Eldest Son of the Hokage, and Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi's Soul. Looking at those eyes...he couldn't help but admitting that maybe those rumors about him really were true. Most of the time, Iruka tried his best not to even think about the Kyuubi. It was that damn beast that murdered his parents. And here it was...sitting right in front of him. Looking down at him.

"I see." Was his reply to Naruto's statement. What else could he say? I hate your living guts. Go die in a hole you fucking monster. He could, but there were a couple of reasons why he didn't. The first and foremost being that he was the eldest son of the Hokage. Saying that wouldn't go over well with his Leader. The second was that according to rumor, the Kyuubi would continue consuming the boy's soul over time. It would still be quite some time until all of the boy's soul is gone. Years probably...after all the Yondaime's fuinjutsu is second to only the Uzumaki's and even in some aspects was said to have matched or exceeded them. But with that in thought, it could be that the boy was still in control...for now at least. Afterall...why would a beast have any semblance of manners.

"It is a pleasure meeting you, Naruto, and I look forward to teaching you." Seeing the nod of the boy, Iruka turned around to walk back to his desk. Keeping on guard at all time in case his assumption was incorrect and the boy decided to attack him. Taking his seat without any incident occurring, Iruka looked back toward Naruto and saw the boy reading his book again. Sighing again, Iruka went back to his work. Thus began the most awkward silence of Iruka's life.

-Rebirth-

~Namikaze Household~

With the sun finally rising above the horizon. The fog began to burn from the heat of the sun. It was at this time that the very peace of Konoha was interrupted.

"KAA-CHAN!TOU-CHAN! WAKE UP! DATTEBAYO!/DATTEBANE!" Came the simultaneous reply from both children of the Namikaze house. Two 6 year old kids came rushing into their parents room, where they were fast asleep. Quickly jumping into their bed, both children tried waking them up.

"Come on! Today's the first day of the Academy!" Menma shouted at them. Gods he couldn't wait to start. This was his first real step in becoming a ninja. In becoming Hokage. In beating his big brother's ass to the ground! Yes...he couldn't wait.

"Kaa-chan! Come one! Wake up already!" That was his sister trying to wake up their mother. They had to do rock-paper-scissors to decide who was going to wake her up. Both of them were scared shitless of her. But they really really wanted to get started. So...they took the risk. He must've made someone happy because he won.

"WHAT!" That was his mom...and she looked ready to kill them both. Quickly hugging his little sister in fear. He placed her in front of him...all the while struggling against him. Hey… he was to young and pretty to die yet.

""I-i-i-its t-t-t-the f-f-first d-d-day o-o-f t-t-h-h-e A-A-Academy, K-K-K-Kaa-chan." His voice came out more as a whimper than actually words.

Kushina looked down at her two children with a face that promised punishment. On the inside...she couldn't help but "coo" at how adorable both of her babies looked.

"The Academy doesn't start until 8. It's 6:15. We could be asleep for another 30 min and still be fine." Okay...so she wasn't a morning person...so sue her.

"Ahhhhh...calm down Kushina-chan, they're both excited. It's only normal for them. Don't you remember when you first went to the Academy?" The now awake Minato asked his wife. Still too sleepy to realize that he probably just walked straight into the kunai. But also accidentally saving his children.

Turning her glare from her children to her husband, Kushina looked as if her hair was going to strangle them all. Eventually sighing, "Yeah, yeah. Go get ready for school kids. Let me and Tou-san take a shower first and I'll fix some breakfast.

"YATTA!" Came the twin screams from the children. "Thanks Kaa-chan!"

He couldn't wait!

Soon enough but not soon enough for him. Food was made and served onto his plate from his Kaa-chan. It was his favorite meal since he knew what food was. Ramen. The Food of the Gods. In the Namikaze House...the food was a damn near religion. It was respected and feared. Giving the gods proper homage...he began consuming the ambrosia at speeds faster than his father could blink. Not that he was surprised. Spend enough time around him, his sister, and his Kaa-chan and you would realize how great Ramen truly was.

Looking at the time...Menma saw that it was just shy of 7:30. "Can we leave now?!" He asked his parents.

Minato looking at the clock then looking at Kushina...Seeing the nod she gave him. He immediately sighed...thinking about all the paperwork that was sure to be on his desk when he got to work. "Yeah, let's get going. He told them, "You guys have everything right."

Both of his kids gave him a nod showing that everything was taken care of. He assumed that Kushina had already pre-made them both lunch.

Looking at his two kids about ready to leave to the Academy for the first time...he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as a father and a shinobi. His children were growing up and we're going to take the first step to becoming Shinobi. Speaking of kids…

"Where's Naruto?" Minato asked the rest of his family. Looking at Kushina, he saw her slightly hesitant about the whereabouts of their eldest son. But that wasn't unusual...Naruto was a...complicated subject for the Namikaze Family, for multiple reasons.

Naruto was usually distant from the rest of his family. Even himself...whenever he was home, he barely saw Naruto, if that. It truly worried them. Naruto preferred to be alone than to be in the company of others.

Looking down at his two kids, he saw that both of they looked as if they had no clue. This wasn't good. This was a big day for all three of them. It was going to be the first day that they all take their first step in becoming Shinobi of Konoha. He wanted to take them to Academy and see that first step...he wanted to take all of them.

Letting out a sigh, Minato quickly went upstairs to Naruto's room. After knocking, Minato opened the door. Seeing a clean room, Minato closed the door and went downstairs. What he didn't know was that if he took a single step forward, it would have activated one of Naruto's traps. Afterall, you only find what you're looking for.

"He wasn't in his room." Minato told the three of them. Taking a quick glance at the time and seeing that they had only just enough time to get to the Academy and still be on time, Minato decided that they had to leave.

"Sigh...We have to leave now if we want to be on time. We'll have to try finding Naruto later." Minato wasn't happy about that. His son should be with them when something big like this was happening.

Quickly ensuring that they all had their belongings, the Namikaze family began to head toward the Academy. It was fortunate for them that the Academy wasn't so far off. With Minato being Hokage, his home was located somewhat near the Hokage Tower. That meant that he wasn't that far from the Academy either.

The entire walk was filled with the sound of what Menma and his Little Princess wanted to do as Shinobi. 'Beat the bad guys' and 'Be the Hero.' It was so cute to him. He wanted them to stay like this forever. He knew that that wouldn't happen. But he was thankful for the opportunity to see it. After Three Shinobi World Wars, there was finally a moment of peace. The next generation has been the first generation since before the Warring Clan Era to be able to live without be exposed to war. To Minato, who fought on the front lines of the Third War, he couldn't have been more grateful. It was also why he was sad and disappointed that Naruto wasn't with them. Even if he didn't like the company of others, he should still be here for this. Especially since it was the first day of class for him. Late on the first day of class...Sigh.

Funny...he just noticed how much he was sighing the moment Naruto's name comes up The boy was going to be the end of him.

Finally seeing the Academy's wooden gates, both Menma and Naomi began to race to the entrance. Looking at his wife, they both could only smile and shake their heads. Walking the rest of the way, Minato began to notice the increase in traffic as more and more parents began to say goodbye to their children and tell them how proud of them they were.

He found both of his kids in a fight over who got to the wooden doors first. Deciding to end the bickering...Minato was about to cut before he saw Kushina about to interfere. Well...he wasn't going to get in the middle of that. He liked his bed.

"The Academy is meant to be the first step in becoming a Shinobi of Konoha. Not matter what happens, understand that it is an important step. It can sometimes be...challenging...but keep on trying. Both your mother and I are very proud of you." Minato told both of them after Kushina finished subduing them.

His words gave birth to two thousand watt smiles.

"That's right! DATTEBANE!" Kushina immediately began blushing, realizing that her verbal tic rose up. "Heheh...hehe." She looked away at the same time as rubbing the back of her head.

Both of their kids seemed to go into a deadpanned look as they saw their mother begin to blush. But it looked as if they were still quite happy with their words.

"Now, we are only allowed to take you as far as the front doors. The rest of the way, you have to go yourself. Menma… remember your her big brother and that means you have to take care of you little sister if she needs help." Naomi looked put off by this meanwhile Menma puffed out his chest in a show of pride.

"Of course Tou-san! Nobody will hurt my little sister!"

Smirking a little "And Naomi...try to keep your brother out of trouble. You know how he is." He told his Little Princess, who seemed to be quite happy. Menma on the other hand seemed to have his pride blown right out of him.

"Tou-san!" Menma began to whine.

"Enough...Your first class is about to begin. Remember that your homeroom class is 114. Ohhh...and one last thing." Minato began to tell them in a more solemn face then before, "Try to help Naruto if he needs any. Alright?"

Both of the kids seemed surprised by his request. Looking at each other...both of them nodded and looked back at him. "Hai, Tou-san!"

DONG!DONG!

Hearing the five minute warning...Minato quickly told them to hurry up or else they were going to be late.