Chapter Text
"Maah, I'm fine; there's no reason to fawn over me," Kakashi said, pulling the hospital sheets over his face. He lazily stared at the irate Kushina leaning over him.
The Uzumaki woman felt a vein pulse in her temple, but she bit back the urge to yell and huffed. She sank back into the hospital chair, letting her hair fall limply against her shoulders. The tired ANBU's one dark eye glittered mischievously, cheeky brat.
"Says the brat suffering from chakra exhaustion," she sniped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Accidental chakra exhaustion," Kakashi pointed out.
"Accidental or not, you're stuck in bed," Kushina reprimanded by flicking him on the forehead.
"If I find out you tried to sneak out of the hospital, I'm chaining you to the bed," she declared.
"I can't even walk," Kakashi drawled, grinning sheepishly.
Kushina went to speak, but she closed her mouth and sighed. Shaking her head, she slowly pushed back her chair and placed a summon scroll on the nightstand. Forming a hand sign, she activated the scroll, a stack of books appearing from a puff of smoke.
"Minato went by your place; this should keep you entertained," she said absently before reaching into her apron and pulling out a wrapped gift. "And this is from Naruto."
The ANBU slowly sat himself up, leaning against his pillows with a sigh and accepting the brightly colored package from her. An adult had wrapped it, but the tag was written in large, childish letters. Gripping the edge, Kakashi carefully unwound the paper, revealing a framed photo.
It was a childish drawing—scribbles, really—of vaguely human blobs of various colors standing together like a family. One was yellow, one was red, and the smaller one was orange. Kakashi snorted, about to reply, when Kushina tapped the glass with a nail. There was a fourth blob, holding the hand of the orange one, standing between the two adults, colored silver.
Kakashi sucked in a breath, staring at the drawing.
"Stubborn Uzumakis, never give up," Kushina smiled sympathetically.
The copycat ninja didn't react; he closed his eye and remained motionless.
"Sometimes I wish he had taken after Minato-sensei's personality," Kakashi said quietly.
"Naru would look great with my red hair!" Kushina cackled.
Her face softened as she watched Kakashi's fingers subtly trace the glass. He gingerly put the framed photo on the nightstand, looking at it dully.
"You're almost as old as we are; some would call it weird adopting you," Kushina stretched her tired arms, groaning as her bones popped.
Violet eyes glowed with humor and life, as tiny smile lines crinkled around the corners.
"Looks like Naru already has, though," she gently put her hand on Kakashi's bare shoulder.
"He shouldn't," Kakashi said flatly, shuddering but not pulling away.
The Uzumaki woman moved to sit on the foot of the bed; she reached over and gently pushed back silver bangs from a haggard face. Kakashi looked at her, his Sharingan eye opening slightly and glowing.
"Think about it at least, yeah?" Kushina smiled.
Kakashi grunted, opening his dark eye to a cream-colored ceiling. The sun started peeking through the white curtains, but the room was still dark. His numb arms twitched, but he remained still, listening intently for any signs of the other people in the house waking up. Pakkun yawned, lifting his head to stare at his master.
"Go back to sleep," the pug huffed.
He'd been released from the hospital only to end up in the care of the Fourth Hokage's family. Usually, the medic-nin kept shinobi under strict care, but Minato had pulled a few strings to bring his student home.
"I summoned you a few days ago why're you still here," Kakashi drawled.
"Because Boss, you're an idiot, and I'm not leaving until you're better," Pakkun replied impatiently, sitting on Kakashi's stomach.
"I only summoned you to help Kushina with groceries," Kakashi slowly pushed himself up, leaning back against the headboard. The pug ninken settled on his master's lap, staring at him and licking his chops.
"Yeah, when you had little chakra, so I'm staying," Pakkun growled.
The door quietly opened, revealing a curious pair of blue eyes peeking at him. Pakkun stopped his growling, instead licking his paw. Naruto slid inside the room, shutting the door behind him and holding a frog plushie he had won at the festival. He wiped the drool from his mouth and twisted his other hand inside his oversized pajama shirt.
"You're up early," Kakashi smiled tiredly.
"Kurama wouldn't stay still; he kept moving," Naruto whined, climbing to sit on the edge of the bed next to Pakkun. The pug silently offered his paw to the child, who smiled brightly and gently squeezed his toes.
"I know you're with me, but I don't think you should call the Kyuubi by name in public," Kakashi cringed when he saw Naruto balk at his suggestion.
"I don't! He warned me not to!" The Uzumaki boy argued.
The copycat ninja squinted his Sharingan, watching as the red chakra of the Kyuubi flared to life. It didn't react to him, simply passively flowing with Naruto's chakra. It was just like Minato's half, calm and focused instead of the raging monster it had been before. Naruto wrapped his arms around his midsection and hummed.
"He says you used to protect Ma," he smiled brightly.
Kakashi's Sharingan eye flew open, dousing half of his vision in bright crimson. He groaned, shielding his face with his elbow and leaning back against his pillows.
"I don't need the fox airing my dirty laundry," the copycat ninja huffed.
Naruto laughed, his grin morphing as he grew slight fangs. He cuddled his frog plushie close to his face and pulled his knees up.
"Why did I never see you?" He asked quietly.
"Lots of reasons, kid, most of them are not good," Kakashi sighed, glaring at the ceiling.
"Boss doesn't like getting close to people, blames himself," Pakkun huffed, licking his paw.
Kakashi launched up, ignoring his screaming muscles, as he grabbed the pug by his midsection and lifted him into the air. The pug ninken stared at him with an unimpressed yawn, lifting his back leg and scratching behind his ear.
"Are you done yet, Pup? Can you let me down?" Pakkun drawled.
The tired ANBU didn't reply, letting the pug go as he landed softly on the bed. He felt himself fall back into the mattress, not even caring when Naruto climbed onto his legs and stared at him with worry.
"You're grumpy," Naruto stated bluntly.
"Chakra exhaustion does that to a man," Kakashi waved his hand lazily in the air.
A polite knock tapped the door until it opened to reveal an identical head of blonde spiky hair and the other half of the Kyuubi glowing in Kakashi's Sharingan.
"Naru, come get breakfast. I'll walk you to the Academy today," Minato smiled.
"Really?!" Naruto crowed, launching off Kakashi and running out of the room.
Kakashi was about to move, but Pakkun stubbornly sat himself on his master's chest, making him lie back down. Minato smiled sympathetically but didn't move from his spot, his hand tensing briefly on the knob.
"I'll bring you breakfast," the Hokage whispered before shutting the door.
"This is what happens when you're stubborn, Boss," Pakkun huffed.
"He shouldn't have time to feed me; he's the Hokage," Kakashi pulled at his mask and itched his nose. Pakkun tapped his paw against his master's cheek and gave him a long lick.
"He's the Yellow Flash, the fastest shinobi, of course he can," the pug smirked.
The copycat ninja took a second, hefted himself up, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His toes and arms were cold and numb, but he didn't want to continue sleeping. The sooner he convinced Minato-sensei he was well, the sooner he could escape.
Pakkun lept off the bed and gently bit his pants.
"Let me out of the room at least," Kakashi sighed, slowly inching across the wall and stumbling out the door. Pakkun followed closely behind, whimpering.
He made his way towards the dining room, shoving open the door and shielding his eyes from the light. Naruto was digging at his waffles with a happy hum, looking up with his mouth dripping syrup when he heard Kakashi.
"Kushina's gonna be mad," Minato chided, twirling the spatula in his hand when he peeked around the corner from the kitchen.
Kakashi sank into the seat next to Naruto and let his head fall onto the table. Pakkun lept to sit in his lap, curling into a tight ball with a slight whine. He glanced at the child sitting next to him, watching as the Kyuubi's chakra stretched down Naruto's arm towards him. That was new.
"Hey, stop that," Naruto said over his mouthful of waffles and pulled his arm away.
"He's been talkative, hasn't he?" Kakashi lifted a brow.
Minato placed a cup of water and painkillers before the ANBU, holding a small stack of waffles against his hip. His student ducked away, swigging back the pills before a curious Uzumaki boy tried to peek.
"Are you able to eat?" Minato asked, feeling Kurama stir in his chest.
"A little," the copycat ninja leaned his arms over the back of his chair.
Minato placed the stack of waffles in front of him, wiping his hands on the towel on his shoulder. He frowned when he saw Naruto shift uncomfortably in his seat. Kurama stirred again, his chakra running down Minato's arm.
"Put your hand on his shoulder," the Kyuubi rumbled.
The Hokage blinked stupidly, feeling the fox mentally roll his eyes at him.
"Look, just do it; Naruto is too scared to do it," Kurama yawned.
Kakashi stared at his teacher with his Sharingan, slowly reaching for his fork and keeping eye contact. Minato shuffled around the table and gently touched his student's shoulder. He felt the tiny fragment of chakra warm his arm briefly before leaving through his hand.
The ANBU leaped out of his seat like he had been burned. Pakkun jumped out of his lap before being knocked over and growled at his master. Kakashi held his fork instinctively like a kunai and pointed it at Minato with wide eyes. He would've looked deadly without wearing pajamas in Minato's dining room.
"What was that?" Kakashi asked.
Kurama cackled loudly before curling up inside for a nap.
"The Kyuubi sharing some of his chakra?" Minato smiled uneasily.
"Never seen Kakashi so energetic this early," Kushina mumbled as she clumsily stumbled into the room and blew a lock of hair out of her face. She almost walked into the table until she stopped and steadied her hands on its surface. She squinted at her boys, drool leaving a trail on the left side of her mouth.
"Our captive fox decided to help," Minato winced.
That caught Kushina's attention; she straightened her back and swept her bangs from her face.
"Now I've seen everything," she sighed.
Minato cringed again, quickly ducking back into the kitchen before his wife could start yelling. The Uzumaki woman slowly sat in the chair across from her son and continued to stare at Kakashi.
"Well, at least now I won't have to chain you down," Kushina joked.
Kakashi glared at his hands, expecting red chakra to boil over his skin. Kushina cleared her throat and gestured for him to sit. Her husband returned with two more servings of waffles and set them on their side of the table.
"Stop staring at your hands and eat, Boss," Pakkun called from underneath the table.
The ANBU reluctantly returned to his seat and picked at his waffles, staring off into space. Pakkun headbutted his ankle, growling at him.
"Can he just freely do that? Share his chakra?" Kakashi finally asked, secretly shoving a portion of the waffle into his mouth.
"Why wouldn't he? He's a Bijuu, and they share chakra with their hosts to keep them alive." Kushina idly waved her fork in the air, biting at the end with her teeth.
"But don't you find this entire circ*mstance strange?" Kakashi sighed, putting his fork down.
"You're talking to shinobi who died fighting the Kyuubi, Kakashi," Minato smiled.
"He's not wrong; the damn fox is hiding something from us, demons don't just change overnight, and this one is being friendly with our son," Kushina pointed at their child.
Naruto had moved from the table and was sitting in the middle of the room with his arms around his midsection. He was frowning and concentrating hard, his eyes closed. He peeked an eye open when he turned to pout at his parents.
"He's lecturing me and sounds like Iruka-sensei," he whined.
"Oh, crap! Naru, go get dressed; I still need to walk you to the Academy," Minato launched out of his seat and dashed down the hall. Naruto gave a squawk and chased after his panicking father.
Kakashi and Kushina exchanged a knowing glance before bursting into laughter.
"Uh oh, they're both absent-minded," Kakashi smiled.
"That's a terrifying combo!" Kushina raised her fork in the air and bit into her waffle.
She grinned at Kakashi after swallowing.
"So, do you believe me yet?"
******
Naruto rode on his father's shoulders, clenching at his hair even as Minato sympathetically patted his knee. Test results came out today, and Iruka-sensei wanted to discuss them with his parents—he called it a "parent-teacher" conference.
"Ma could've come with me," he mumbled into his dad's spiky locks.
"Hey, that's not fair; I can't leave all the fun to your mother," Minato frowned.
"You're the Hokage," Naruto argued, putting his hands behind his head and pouting.
"So? I took the day off today," Minato smirked when he felt his son tap a foot against his chest.
"So why not bring Ma?" Naruto pouted again, pulling at his dad's sideburns.
The Hokage sighed, gently prying his son's fingers from his hair and holding his hands.
"You're making me feel bad, son."
In truth, Minato wanted to be the first to gauge Naruto's progress and growth. It was his first year in school, but he'd been an orphan. Going by how his son learned, it wouldn't be surprising if he was lagging behind the other kids. His child was a fast learner, but his lack of focus made sitting in a classroom difficult.
When the Academy came into view, he felt Naruto go stiff and try to get off his shoulders. But Minato smiled gently and tightened his hold on his child's hands.
"Hey, don't be like that; it can't be that embarrassing having me see your teacher," he teased.
"Other kids aren't bad at class like me, ya know!" Naruto squawked.
Oh dear. His son was worried about embarrassing him.
"Oh yeah? Well, you aren't the other kids, Naru," Minato grinned.
The Academy didn't have classes that day because of parent-teacher conferences, but children were still milling about outside in the play yard. Minato gently let his son down, watching the kids entertain themselves and wait for their parents. His chakra senses picked up a signature close behind them; he turned in time to see a little girl peeking at them from behind a tree.
"Oh, a Hyuga?" He asked, making Naruto turn around.
The little girl squeaked, blushing brightly and remaining frozen.
"Hinata! What'd I tell ya about hiding?" Naruto huffed.
Minato's eyes widened. Hyuga Hinata? The daughter of Hiashi?!
The little Hyuga girl slowly moved away from the tree, grabbing at the bottom of her oversized jacket and shuffling in place. She continued to stare at the Hokage and remained rooted to her spot.
"Is t-that the Hokage?!" Hinata squeaked like a mouse.
The little Jinchuuriki scoffed and excitedly ran up to the little Hyuga. He offered her a hand and smiled brightly.
"He won't hurt ya!" Naruto said energetically.
Hinata looked at his hand, shaking slightly but gently grasped at his fingers. Naruto gripped her hand and pulled her to stumble in front of Minato. The Hokage kneeled in front of the pair and smiled warmly.
"Hyuga Hinata, the daughter of Hiashi, right?" He asked softly.
Hinata stared at her sandals, unable to meet his gaze, but slowly nodded her head.
"Yes, Lord Fourth," she said stiffly.
"Oh, already using formal greetings," Minato's smile shrank slightly. From what little info he had gathered, Hiashi was harsh on his daughter and considered her too soft.
But when Hinata finally raised her eyes, he saw that glimmer of warmth in the lavender depths. Her ears turned red, and she shifted nervously, but that easy kindness continued to radiate from her chakra.
"It's nice to meet you, Hinata. Thank you for being nice to my son," Minato offered his hand.
Hinata's grip was lacking, and her arm was like a wet noodle when he shook it. But she continued to make eye contact, and her chakra brightened. She quickly put her hands in front of her lap and gave the Hokage a proper bow befitting a lady.
"I'm happy Naruto has a family," Hinata whispered.
Minato put his hand on top of her purple head and ruffled her hair.
"Lord Fourth? You're here instead of Lady Kushina?"
The Hokage looked up in time to see Uchiha Itachi walking towards him, his little brother clinging to his shirt. The older brother was out of his ANBU uniform, standing in casual clothes, and his arm was protectively wrapped around Sasuke. The younger Uchiha buried his face into Itachi's side, one dark eye automatically focusing on Naruto and Hinata.
"Ah, young Itachi, I thought I told you to take the day off," Minato chided.
"Off from ANBU duty, yes, but Father still requires my assistance," Itachi stated formally.
Naruto continued staring at Sasuke with a slight frown. He came to stand by his dad, wrapping his fingers in his cloak.
"So, did you insist on coming instead of Fugaku, or did he make you?" Minato teased.
Itachi's cheeks went pink as he looked away with a tiny frown.
"I wanted to spend time with my little brother," he said calmly.
Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other without trading their regular barbs or insults. After a beat, Naruto took a step and offered his hand to the little Uchiha.
"You wanna play?"
Minato stiffened when he felt the Kyuubi rise on his haunches and growl internally. The only reaction Naruto gave was clenching his shirt around his midsection. The young blonde kept his hand fearlessly extended.
Sasuke looked down at the offered limb, took a small step forward, and pushed their fingers together. He immediately glanced back at Itachi, looking for his brother's approval.
"Go ahead," Itachi encouraged.
Sasuke's face relaxed as he pulled away from his brother and nodded at Naruto. The Uzumaki boy grinned, and with a surge of strength, he pulled his classmate towards the playground. Sasuke gave an irritated squawk but didn't fight it.
Naruto stopped and turned around, grinning happily at Hinata.
“Oy! Hinata, do you wanna play?” He asked.
Hinata's eyes widened as a pink blush blossomed across her nose. She bit her lip, glancing at Sasuke and then back at Naruto. The little Uchiha watched her intently, tilting his head when she didn't move. He scoffed and grasped her by the sleeve.
"Let's go," he said calmly before tugging Naruto and Hinata away.
"Hey, I can walk, ya know!" Naruto cried as if he hadn't been pulling Sasuke before.
Minato waved his son off, his expression smoothing out when he turned back to address Itachi. The older Uchiha brother continued to watch his sibling before Sasuke disappeared into the crowd of kids. His dark eyes seemed to glimmer with little light, and a minuscule line pressed on his lips.
"So, why did Fugaku send you? Is he not interested in Sasuke's growth?" Minato crossed his arms across his chest. He felt Kurama peer closely at Itachi, the fox sneering at the Uchiha.
"It's not that Father isn't proud of Sasuke; it's just.." Itachi sighed tiredly.
"Clan politics," Minato finished.
That explains why both Fugaku and Mikoto were absent today. They sent their son and heir to play babysitter so they could listen to the clan's concerns.
"Please don't misunderstand; you've been a boon to our clan, Lord Fourth," Itachi replied placatingly, hands up. "It's just a matter of property disputes, that's all."
Minato motioned for Itachi to follow him, pushing past the crowd of kids and heading towards the Academy entrance. He cringed when he sensed the kids stop and stare at him, parting like the sea when he walked past them. Itachi trailed him, ignoring the same kids until they could safely enter the shade of the Academy's canopy.
"You'd think I'd be used to the attention," the Hokage joked.
"Your return is talked about often, Lord Fourth," Itachi chuckled, stopping against a wall and facing his Hokage.
Minato pushed out his senses, his chakra pulsing as he tried to pinpoint how many people were nearby. Of course, his ANBU squad was on stand-by like always, carrying his seals and ready to pounce if anybody threatened their Hokage. He could sense the bright chakra of the nearby kids and a couple of teachers. But nobody was spying on them, good.
"How's Captain Hatake? Wasn't he released?" Itachi asked.
"Yes, he's currently staying with me. That way, I can make sure he doesn't try escaping," Minato frowned at the mention of Kakashi. Did Itachi know about his student's Sharingan?
"Lady Kushina must have her hands full; the Captain is not one to stay idle," Itachi sighed.
Minato observed the Uchiha heir discerningly, sensing his chakra and cataloging his subtle body movements. There were bags under Itachi's eyes, meaning the child wasn't getting the needed sleep. His stiff back and flickering chakra meant he felt uncomfortable or lost. If he felt threatened, he would've activated his Sharingan.
"So, you mentioned property disputes. Does this concern the land that was taken?"
Itachi didn't react, tilting his head back to look at the roof.
"The police force can't serve Konoha from our current position," he relented.
Itachi's tone was exhausted and already resigned. Minato's frown grew deeper; a child his age shouldn't be concerned about clan politics. A child shouldn't be part of ANBU, but he'd already made Kakashi one at fourteen; Itachi was just another tragic prodigy.
"Your father had already tried petitioning the council's decision back when the Third was in charge," Minato finally acknowledged, earning a sardonic smirk from Itachi.
"It didn't help," the child said quietly.
Kurama took this chance to growl again, pressing against the Hokage's heart and pulsing with chakra. The fox lay low, his tails whipping against the bars of his cage.
"If things don't change, this boy will one day eliminate the Uchiha clan."
Minato remembered those words he had spoken weeks ago to Kushina and him. Why would the Kyuubi say something like that? He watched Itachi make his way over to the railing, leaning against it, the breeze pushing back his dark locks. This boy was just a child; he was too young to commit such an act as genocide.
"You'd be surprised," Kurama rumbled.
"You can't possibly expect me to believe that warning," Minato scoffed.
The Kyuubi smirked, tugging sharply on their connection until the Fourth Hokage stumbled into his mindscape, and water splashed at his ankles. His eyes tried to adjust to the sepia-toned light as he glared up at his prisoner.
The demon fox looked down at him, teeth sharp and glistening. He flicked his ears before leaning forward with a paw supporting his chin.
"I can prove it to you," Kurama offered.
"How?" Minato took a step closer, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.
The Kyuubi's smirk evolved into something that bordered on dark amusem*nt. His tails slammed into the water as he sat back on his hind legs like a person.
"You're my Jinchuuriki; our experiences are tied together; I can share more than just my chakra; I can share memories with you," Kurama stated.
"Yes? But how are your memories any different?" Minato furrowed his brow.
This question prompted the Kyuubi to laugh loudly and sharply, echoing in their mindscape like nails on a chalkboard.
"You'll regret asking that, Minato," Kurama warned as his chakra filtered through the bars like a thick red fog. He snaked a tail out, wrapping it around Minato's middle before he could react.
It was instantaneous and disorienting, his vision blurring as something unfolded. It was like he was watching a film, no longer standing in the watery prison of the fox but in what looked like a ruined base. He couldn't move his body or speak. He was a trapped passenger inside someone else's shoes.
"The only bond I have is the hatred I share with my brother Itachi."
His vision was forced upwards as a Uchiha came into view, standing at the edge of what appeared to be an upper wall. The Uchiha was a teenager dressed in loose robes and holding a sword.
He called Itachi his brother; that couldn't be Sasuke. Could it?
Then whose body was he currently residing in? And why was Sasuke a teenager?
As if to answer his question, his vision flickered down to the person's black sandals. Based on the skinny legs, this person was another male teenager. He was dressed in orange and clenching his fists.
Orange? No, that couldn't possibly be right, there's no way-
"Sasuke," the teen's lips spat out Sasuke's name in a hushed and pained whisper. The voice was deeper and a little rougher, but Minato knew that voice.
Minato gasped, falling forward into the water as the Kyuubi let him go. His heart pounded against his ribcage, and blood rushed in his ears. He couldn't feel real pain in this form, but the instinct to retaliate was there. He clenched his pants and glared coldly up at the fox.
Kurama picked at his ear and boredly flicked a nail.
"That wasn't a memory," Minato said neutrally, still trying to catch his breath.
"That was my memory," Kurama corrected with a twist of his lips.
"You can't possibly have memories from a future where my son is a teen!" Minato yelled, slamming a fist into the water.
Kurama's red eyes narrowed, but he huffed and lay down on all fours. His tails curled around his body like a protective nest.
"Think for a second, Lord Fourth; you and I have been enemies for years; you're the one who sealed me inside Naruto," the Kyuubi rumbled calmly.
Minato stopped, his mind already putting together the pieces. The Kyuubi was cooperative and protective of his only child, and he had revived him from the Shinigami. He'd died fighting this Bijuu, and yet the two couldn't be any different. It was like somebody had tamed the Kyuubi, or at least tamed his anger.
"That can't be possible," Minato whispered, putting a hand to his mouth.
"You're the space-time ninjutsu expert here," Kurama rolled his eyes.
"But for you to have memories of a future that hasn't happened, you'd have to be-"
"From the future?" Kurama sneered tiredly as he looked past the Hokage into the darkness surrounding them. He scoffed and traced a nail in the water.
"Why else would I warn you about the Uchiha? I couldn't care less about their damned clan, but their demise would lead Sasuke down a dark path."
Minato remained kneeling as the Kyuubi huffed out more red chakra. His eyes darted across the water as he muttered to himself, mind calculating rapidly. He abruptly shot his head up, sideburns swinging as he pinned the fox with a troubled frown.
"That's why you brought me back," he whispered.
Kurama smiled, teeth clicking together as he rumbled a deep laugh.
"So, do you believe me, Lord Fourth?"
*******
Naruto sat in the sandbox, piling sand between his knees into a large pile, humming happily. Sasuke sat next to him, trying to use a sand bucket to create a tower with a concentrated pout. Hinata sat across from them, making a flower crown from little dandelions.
This was nice; he was surrounded by kids his age, playing with him instead of ignoring him.
"Hey, Naruto, come over here and help me hold this," Sasuke said, sticking his tongue out between thin lips as he tried to scoop more sand into his bucket.
Naruto grabbed a shovel from the side and slid on his knees to get closer to Sasuke. The little Uchiha flipped over his bucket, glaring at the sand when it came tumbling out.
"Stay in," Sasuke pointed at the sand as if commanding it.
"T-the sand needs to be wet," Hinata piped up, twisting her stems together in a knot.
"Hmph, wish I knew water jutsu," Sasuke pouted, crossing his arms.
"Don't Uchihas know fire jutsu?" Naruto asked, squinting at his classmate curiously.
Sasuke dug deeper into the sand, shoving the dry sand out of the way to reach underneath. His fingernails were dirty, and his hands were caked. He wiped his hand against his cheek and made a small "hm."
"Most Uchiha," he said absently.
Naruto jutted out his bottom lip and pushed Sasuke's hands out of the way. Shoveling wet sand into the bucket, he patted it down forcefully before flipping it over and planting it into the flat sand. Waiting a second, he adjusted the bucket's sides and slowly lifted it, revealing a small tower of sand retaining its shape.
"How'd you do that?" Sasuke asked, his brows lifted curiously.
"Plenty of time making sandcastles," Naruto shrugged, tossing the bucket back to his classmate and tracing circles in the sand with his shovel.
Sasuke frowned as he gathered more sand in his bucket and patted it down with his fingers.
"Plenty of time being alone," he stated.
Naruto's face reddened as he puffed his cheeks, making his whiskers stand out. Instead of yelling, he grunted and shoved his nose into the air.
"You're lonely too, so stop actin' like you're better than me."
Hinata pulled her flower crown together with her teeth, smiling triumphantly. She was about to offer it to Naruto, but when she looked up, she saw the two boys glaring at each other.
"Please stop fighting," she said softly.
Sasuke unfurrowed his brow and looked at the little Hyuga with concern. His eyes flickered to her flower crown before pinning her with their sharpness.
"You remind me of my big brother," he said. It was the longest sentence the Uchiha had ever said to her, but his voice had a strange hint of fondness. Sasuke smiled briefly before shoving his bucket away from his feet.
"What I mean is, you're the heir to the Hyuga, right?" He asked, standing up and brushing off his shorts. Hinata didn't speak, nodding meekly when Sasuke looked at her again.
"Wow, Hinata, you're important, ya know!" Naruto whistled.
"Father disagrees," Hinata's voice rose slightly as she pulled her knees to her chest.
Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other until the Uzumaki boy climbed to his feet and marched over to stand over his Hyuga classmate with his hands on his hips.
"Your dad sucks, what about your mom?" Naruto asked curiously.
Hinata's lavender eyes looked at her classmate, cold and lifeless, as she sighed.
"Mother died," she said softly.
Naruto didn't speak; he sat down abruptly, kicking up sand underneath. He scooted closer to his classmate and boldly reached over, grasping at her wrists, which continued to hold onto her flower crown.
"You sound lonely," he said sadly.
"Can you blame her?" Sasuke sighed, kicking the sand underneath his sandals.
The Uchiha boy fell back onto the wooden edge of the sandbox, knocking his knees together.
"Her father is mean; my father doesn't pay attention to me; the only one with a father who cares is you, Naruto," Sasuke scowled.
Naruto's eyes darkened as he turned away from his classmates. Putting his hands behind his head, he sat on his knees and stared at the schoolyard.
"Ma and Dad were dead; nobody cared about me," Naruto said.
As little fingers combed through his bright yellow hair, he felt somebody step up behind him. He wasn't wearing his goggles that day, having forgotten them in his rush to get dressed. Something light was tucked behind his ears when he heard a gentle giggle.
"They blend in with your hair," Hinata smiled.
She ran over to the edge of the sandbox and started gathering more grass.
"Sasuke, can you help me pick flowers?" She said softly.
"What? Why? I don't know anything about flower weaving!" Sasuke protested childishly.
"I-I do...," Another girl stammered.
All three classmates paused and turned to see a tiny head of pink hair standing a few feet away.
"I took the same flower weaving class as Hinata," Sakura shifted uncomfortably.
“Sakura, where’s Ino?” Sasuke asked suspiciously, glancing around for their missing Yamanaka classmate. Sakura looked down at her shoes before straightening her shoulders and puffing her cheeks at him.
"I don't need to always be with Ino!" She yelled, tears gathering in her eyes.
As she quietly approached her pink-haired classmate, Hinata let the grass fall from her hands. She kindly grasped Sakura's shoulders and offered a tiny smile.
"I liked your flower arranging," Hinata complimented.
Sakura sniffled, pulling at the ribbon in her hair and not pulling away from the Hyuga.
"Can you help pick flowers?" Hinata asked.
"I can tell you which ones would match?" Sakura suggested timidly.
Hinata and Sakura went over to the nearby flowers growing in the grass. Sasuke watched them silently before grabbing his bucket. He sat down next to Naruto and offered him his shovel.
"Can you show me how to make sandcastles?" He asked.
Naruto felt the flower crown Hinata had left, touching one of the dandelions beside his ear. He put a hand over his midsection as he felt the Kyuubi brush up against his chakra briefly before disappearing into the back of his mind.
"Ok, I believe you," Naruto whispered mentally to Kurama. The fox purred briefly but didn't respond verbally, probably focused on his dad's side.
The little Uzumaki boy flashed Sasuke his signature grin.
"Sure!" He gladly accepted the shovel from his new friend, hoisting it in the air.
None of them would notice that their lives had just taken a turn for the better—all except for a protective eighty-foot fox demon who watched from afar.
