Chapter-9

(Next Morning)

Naruto was quite surprised when he received the summons and had to hastily prepare himself in order to not be late for that man never tolerated any weakness or lethargy.

It was why Naruto found himself donning his finest Clan clothes and donning his newly forged armor. He was fully armed in order to be ready for the daily training session that he would definitely have with Naori afterwards, for no matter what the reason an Uchiha trained everyday.

When he met the man near the holy temple, the air around them turned frosty as they both looked at each other.

And then Tajima did something Naruto never saw him doing, atleast with him.

He smiled.

But it was not one of joy or pride, but that of even greater ambition and plans that lurked in the man's eyes.

"Naori tells me you have potential" said Tajima frankly, directly getting to the matter without any pleasantries.

"Well she's not blind, unlike few people I know" replied Naruto icily, earning a raised eyebrow from his father.

"Do you hate me, boy?"

Naruto chose not to answer and settled for giving a fierce glare which made Tajima look at their clan settlement laid out below the mountain on which the temple was situated.

"You've always been funny, strange and innocent. Believe it or not, I don't hate you. But I don't love you either"

The barely six year old boy had known this fact his entire life but to hear it being said in words was like a sword brutally being jabbed through his heart. And it hurt, but he didn't blink, he didn't tear up, he didn't glare.

He just stared.

"Why?" he asked simply, without any accusation or expectation.

Tajima's fists clenched and for a moment Naruto saw the rare pain in those harsh eyes, something the man never did even when his sons died.

"You took away the one thing I ever wanted above all. You stole her from me, and nothing can ever fill the hole she left behind"

The sheer amount of anger and pain present in Tajima's eyes was enough to make his youngest son realize why things had turned out this way between them.

"Mother..." said Naruto sadly,

"You are so much like her that everyday it hurts to see you just standing before me while she remains dead. Hikari was warned about problems with her pregnancy, I told her to abort to keep her safe. But she chose to give you life, forsaking her own. I loved her more than anything in this world, even my sons. But why do you think she chose to die?" asked Tajima harshly,

Naruto found it hard to stop himself from tearing up knowing that his mother died for him. It hurt worse than the scorns and ignorance from his family all these years, for it made the hatred his brothers had shown towards him and the distance his father kept from him justifiable.

For he killed the one thing they all loved.

"I don't know..." he replied sadly,

"It's the family name that lives on, it's all that matters. Not you, your honor, or your beliefs. We all serve the Clan and the ones above our station. I want you to stop acting like a fool and become the man you were meant to be. Not tomorrow, or the day after...now" said Taijima seriously, looking his son right in the eye.

"If I do that, will things change between us?" asked Naruto, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Never"

Naruto lowered his gaze to the ground but was stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder making him look back at his father.

"But I can be proud of you"

He saw nothing but plain honesty reflected in those dark black eyes. This man would never love him, and yet...

"You're my son, you've always been my son no matter what either of us feel. I will do my duty towards you, but I expect you to do yours as well. For a man to rule he must sometimes do unpleasant things to his enemies and allies like, but it also earns him wrath just the same. I am able to rule well because Naori does things that may not be possible for me to do, she keeps our clan running from the shadows. You are the younger son, and as such it will be your duty to support Madara who shall succeed me in the same way that Naori supports me now. That is your job, do that with all you've got and you will make me and this clan proud. Do you understand, Naruto?" asked Tajima seriously,

Naruto nodded looking right back at his father...

"I will never love you, Father. But Madara is my brother, my only brother I still have. And there is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for him" promised Naruto fiercely, earning a cold smirk from the older man.

"You are an Uchiha, alright"

"But you will give me what I want. No questions asked" demanded Naruto,

"If it is within my power to give and if you do your duty well, then you will get all you want. I promise you that" said Tajima honestly,

Sparing a final nod, Tajima watched as his son walked away proud and tall.

But he never saw the silent tears that fell from the young boy's eyes.

Days flew away as quick as the wind, weeks passed in the blink of an eye turning into long months. All the while Naori had stood watching as the boy she adored changed right before her very eyes.

Where once shined innocence and joy, was now replaced by a permanent harsh and grim gaze.

When he once complained of reading and writing, but now he did what she asked him to without any questions. He did what he was commanded to without blinking an eye.

He did one thing and one thing alone.

He learned.

She had never seen an Uchiha pour so much passion in their training before, day and night he practiced until he collapsed from exhaustion. It was as if he was possessed by something that drove him forward and forward.


In a span of six months, he who was once weak now stood as one of the finest water and lightning style ninjutsu fighters. His Genjutsu had became even more dangerous with his sharingan, and while his Taijutsu was average unlike Madara who was a monster in that arena...


Naruto was the finest swordsman Naori had seen in the entire new generation of Uchiha's.

He was quick as the wind and flexible like a snake, and when he attacked he would carve his enemies in half.


No hesitation, No fear, No Mercy.


He laughed, he joked, he smiled, but the light in his eyes was gone. And it broke her heart for Naruto had been the only one who had shown her a new possibility the Uchiha's could take, he was different, but someone had crushed his spirit in an irreversible way.

She had tried talking to him, urged him to open up, but he was always made some silly excuses or said everything was fine.


But it wasn't.


She had confronted Tajima for her brother could be the only one capable of reducing Naruto to this state, but all she had gotten in reply was denial of any involvement of Tajima in this matter. Naori knew it was a lie, but she had no proof and her brother was difficult enough already.


However, things were not so dark despite everything. For once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of the old and true Naruto, the kind and gentle boy around Madara. It made her happy to see those two get along better than ever.


Madara despite his busy schedule as clan heir did his very best to spend time with his brother. Corrected his mistakes and always cheered him up, something which Naori could never do much to her disappointment.

And that was the only thing that gave her hope.


She watched the boy seated beside her as they both observed the setting sun in the sky.


"Are you afraid? Tomorrow is a big day for you" she said gently,


"I am ready" he said, holding his new sword firmly in his right hand.


He stiffened when a pair of gentle but strong arms wrapped around his chest from behind followed by a deeply pleasant scent invading his senses as Naori laid her face next to his cheek.


"Naori..."


He still felt strange calling his aunt by her name knowing it was not proper or respectful. But she had insisted to the point of bonking him on the head whenever he didn't do so.


"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly,


"I am fine"


He winced as she pinched his cheek rather harshly making him glare at her but softened on seeing the look in her eyes.


"What am I to you, Naori?" he asked, his eyes looking anywhere but at her eyes afraid of her answer.


"You're my nephew, my student, my friend. Why do you ask that?" she asked with a frown,


"Please don't lie to me. Just tell me what you really want from me, you didn't just spend all these months training me for nothing. I am the younger son, a spare, someone important like you would never bother with someone like me unless they want something" he said honestly,


The slap that hit his cheek sent a tremors down his entire body and when he looked back at her, Naruto couldn't help but flinch on seeing the raw fury and hurt in her eyes.


"How dare you say that?" she hissed furiously,


"Nothing is free in this world, Naori. Everybody always wants something, be they father, the clan, or you. Nobody cared about me for all these years, but now that I have the Sharingan and three of my brothers are dead suddenly everyone starts taking an interest in me. All they want is my power and what I can do for them, maybe except for Madara. So please just tell me what you want..." he requested, unable to hide his sadness.


She stared wide eyed at this child unable to hide her shock or pain on hearing him say such cruel things. What pained her even more was the fact most of it was all true.


"Naruto, you're my family. I don't need anything from you..." she whispered, and flinched when he glared back.


"You abandoned me"


A faint memory of a three year old young boy with tears in his eyes came haunting back in her heart. Even after all these years she had never forgotten the hurt and pain in those young eyes, or the sight of that child crying himself to exhaustion in Izuna's arms as she walked away from their lives to fulfill the duty towards their clan.


It had been the right thing to do, the necessary job to keep the Uchiha still in the game of power, but never had she thought the hurt it would bring to that one boy.


She had thought him young, that he would forget her, but he never did.


"The only thing I had in this world was Izuna and you. Then you just walked away, never looking back. You never loved me, did you? But it's okay, I killed my own mother and my brother so it's okay. But why does it still hurt?" he asked painfully, clutching his heart with his small hands.


"What?"


Naori stared in horror and eyes full of tears as he got out of her embrace and stared at the lake with melancholy ever present in his eyes.


The very next moment a shadow plopped down beside the young boy startling them both, and before they could even blink a hard bop connected with Naruto's head making him wince, as he stared at the harsh glare of his older brother.


"You have me, you little fool" said Madara fiercely, but frowned when Naruto laughed cynically.


"How far will you go for me? Izuna always fought for me no matter against whom. You cannot do that" replied Naruto harshly,


"And what if I do?" asked Madara sternly, all playfulness gone from his eyes.


"Even against Father? Even against our clan? Against the entire world?"


Naruto's eyes widened when Madara didn't blink nor did he flinch even for a single second. His eldest brother just stared right into his eyes.


"I will burn the entire world if it makes you happy and keeps you safe" promised Madara,

"Why?" asked Naruto sadly, tears brimming in his young eyes.

Strong arms wrapped around his smaller form pulling him into what was the most fiercest embrace of his life. He felt himself crushing but oddly it only served to lessen his pain as Madara whispered in his ear...

"Because I can't do this without you. You are my youngest brother, my last brother. If I lose you too, then there is nothing left for me to fight for. And no matter what happens little brother, I will protect you. Against our enemies, our own clan, and even Father. Anybody who threatens you will have to go through me first, and I will kill them all"

Naruto stared in shock into those sharingan eyes as Madara looked back at him with such affection that it warmed his own cold heart.

"You promise?" he asked hesitantly,

"Want me to pinky-swear?" asked Madara with a smirk,

Naruto burst out laughing just imagining Madara even remotely doing such a thing. However, he was cut short when Madara again bopped him on the head.

"But if you continue getting depressed like this, I'll kill you myself" warned Madara,

"Hai, Papa Bear"

Madara's eyebrows twitched violently and he cursed loudly when Naruto bolted out of his arms right across the lake with a mischievous grin on his face.

Naori blushed furiously when Madara shamelessly removed his pants and ran after Naruto yelling out a series of curses while spraying his special water right behind his now terrified brother who also started yelling out a series of unique curses while trying his very best not to get drenched in the shower Madara threatened to unleash on him, all the while Madara continued laughing maniacally.

She couldn't help but realize the fact that Tajima had destroyed his own family, but fate had not been totally cruel as she saw hope not just for Naruto but for her entire clan in these two boys.

Together they could do anything in this world.

And maybe it was time for her to amend her own past mistakes and to cherish the one thing that truly mattered in this world.

Family.

She was fortunate enough to still have one in this cursed world of never ending warfare.

But those amends would have to wait as she settled for watching her amusing nephews bicker with each other.

However, she had not missed the lingering darkness in them both. More so, in Madara's case if that promise he just made was any indication. That boy was far more powerful than anyone in his generation or the several ones that came before him. One day he could possibly be powerful enough to even defeat the Senju.

But in those powerful eyes, she had also seen a great weakness.

Madara loved too much.

And he truly cared about his youngest and last brother.

Naori could only pray these two boys didn't lose each other, for the madness that would follow after such a calamity would destroy both the Uchiha and the world.