THE ULTIMATELY REVISED VERSION

The entire story has been redone to promote what I had wanted, but had previously not fully expressed or had forgotten were very necessary to what I had wanted. Many important things have been added.

Thank you everyone who put my story on their favorites, or put me on their author alerts.

Thank you for your patience for this attempt or for reading my story for the first time.

This is AU and Naruto is currently 6 years of age.

Credit to ShinobiWarlord for title

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY CHARACTERS HERE IN.

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Naruto dashed between alleys; trying to avoid the mob at all costs. His light brown shirt covered in dirt nearly covering the leaf across his chest. The sweat dripping from his forehead falling to the ground, drenching his orange shorts and the ground he ran on.

He quickly ducked behind a trashcan just as someone ran by carrying a torch, shortly followed by others. Naruto stay completely still as the men searched, occasionally hearing someone mentioning a demon. They had been chasing this so called demon for nearly an hour.

As the sounds became softer and softer, Naruto peeked over the trashcan just as they started leaving, watching them leave. When he thought they were far enough, he burst from his hiding spot and continued his quick run to his home. Luckily the Sandaime had left him an apartment in preparation for what he believed would happen to the boy.

A few minutes later, Naruto neared his apartment building giving a silent prayer to the deceased Hokage.

Seeing something different he stopped in the alleyway he was standing in. Outside of the building were two men pacing back and forth across the front, waiting for him.

Naruto took this chance to try the jutsu that his friend had been trying to teach him. He bent his knees and leaned forward as he began his attempt.

When the smoke had cleared, a tall middle-aged man walked out from the alley way. Just an average man, in slightly dust covered semi-loose pants and shirt, and brunette hair.

Slowly walking to the building, he began to speed up when he saw that he was being minded by the others. Right before he opened the door a hand appeared on his shoulder.

He slowly turned around expecting the worst, and saw it as one of the men now stood before him.

“Hey, have you seen a blond kid runnin’ 'round?” he inquired.

Releasing a deep breath that he hadn’t noticed he was holding, he plainly told the man he hadn’t seen any children that night.

Quickly apologizing for interrupting him, the now slightly embarrassed make-shift guard returned to his pacing.

Smugly grinning to himself, the average man opened the front door to the apartment building and began his ascent up to his room.

Moments later a puff of smoke filled the open-air hallway on the top floor, vanishing into the night leaving only a young blond in its wake.

Naruto merely chuckled to himself as he opened the door and enter his apartment. “Good thing Isao-nii-chan taught me that henge,” he thought aloud finally feeling safe after the night’s long chase.

FLASHBACK

Two congruent young ninja stood facing each other in the middle of an open field. Both had the same color hair, outfit, and eyes. Every detail matched perfectly, from the slight jut of the chin to the soft wrinkles under the eyes.

One of them grinning and rubbing the back of his head. “So did I get it right this time?” he asked as the other began to look him over.

After his inspection he stood up with a big smile on his face, “Perfect!”

The one rubbing his head suddenly burst into smoke, leaving only a small child behind with his arms in the air. “Alright!” he cheered to himself.

The remaining genin just chuckled at him. Patting the young ones head, “Now to try something different.” Gaining the younger boys attention he continued, “This time you need to create an original person. Someone who doesn’t look like anyone nearby so then you can pass yourself off as anyone you want.”

At this Naruto placed his finger on his chin and began looking to the sky as he contemplated the idea. An idea popped into his head out of nowhere.

“Oh! I got it!” he exclaimed as he put his hands together and starting to go over some seals. A puff of smoke the only evidence that anything was truly done.

Isao waved his left hand back and forth in an attempt to clear the smoke to see what his student had done, only to stop in mid swap at this sight before him.

Quickly putting his left hand to his nose to stop the bleeding he slammed his right fist over the head of the teenaged nude blond beauty before him. In another puff of smoke the girl was replaced by the young boy holding his head as a bump began to swell.

“WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU LEARN THAT!” Isao screamed with tissues in his nose to stop the bleeding.

“Acha! Isao-sensei,” Naruto whined still holding his head.

“And don’t call me that,” Isao said turning to the side with his arms crossed. “It makes me sound old.”

“Hai, nii-chan.”

CURRENT

He walked through the apartment to his room, thinking of the beatings he could now avoid. Still chuckling to himself he lies down on his bed and slowly drifted off to sleep with dreams of being accepted.

The next morning Naruto rose in the late morning. Slightly glancing at the clock, Naruto did a double take looking at the time. “Shit! I have to meet Isao for lunch in half an hour!”

Quickly running to his bathroom he got ready and started trying to remember why he was supposed to meet Isao again. Coming up with a blank, Naruto left his apartment, running through the streets as fast as he could.

Coming to a stop in front of Ichiraku, Naruto slipped on his feet and rolled to a stop hitting his head against the bar.

“Wow, you made it on time!”

Naruto looked up to see a boy of around 12 years of age looking down at him from his stool. He had on a black shirt and matching pants, both with dark grey streaks running down the sides. His face was in a tight smile with his white hair falling down, attempting to cover his soft grey eyes.

“Isao-nii-chan!” cheered the dizzy eyed Naruto as he attempted to stand up.

“You know, if you didn’t wake up so late you wouldn’t have had to run here and tripped.”

Looking at him with his foxy grin, Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “But then I wouldn’t get as much sleep,” he pointed out in his defense.

Letting out a sigh Isao just turned back to his ramen. “Fine you win”

After placing his order of 3 miso pork ramen, Naruto turned back to Isao. “So why did you want to see me?”

“Well after seeing you trip, I don’t think it was a smart thing to do,” he stated simply as he continued to eat.

“EH!” Screamed a draw dropped Naruto.

When he noticed Isao smirked at this, Naruto knew he was just being mean. “Please, nii-chan!” Naruto pleaded, holding on to Isao’s sleeves, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Alright, alright,” he caved in, before covering his ears from Naruto’s victory cheer.

“After talking to the Godaime, I… convinced him to enroll you into the Ninja Academy.” He said with a slight grin, until his felt a tight grip around his neck chocking him.

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” screamed Naruto happily with closed eyes as he unwittingly strangled his only friend in a tight hug.

He only opened his eyes as a now purple-faced Isao began poking his arms. Letting go, Isao began gasping for breath.

Between breaths Isao informed Naruto that after they ate they needed to get him his things to prepare.

Naruto quickly downed his ramen, and began pulling on Isao’s sleeves as he paid.

2 Hours Later

With Isao by his side, Naruto had managed to get all the stuff he needed without being charged extra!

Walking home, Naruto was ignoring all the glares from everyone as he and his only friend walked to his apartment carrying everything that he needed.

He felt that when he entered the academy he will finally be able to protect himself and wont need his genin friend to save him from everyone. Smiling broadly, he kept staring at Isao.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just that you’ve always helped me, and I haven’t done anything in return,” he said saying the last part in a depressed way looking down.

The genin stared at him caringly for a second before responding. “But you have helped me.”

“How?” asked Naruto, truly beyond lost.

Answering beamingly, “You showed me what it meant to be strong.”

Slowly his face turned to a sad expression. “You went through hell, being mistreated by everyone. Yet in the end, you don’t hold a grudge against everyone. You keep smiling and joking, after going through what would make most people attempt to take their own lives.”

Naruto only looked down, to where only the bottom of his chin was visible around his bright tangled hair.

“C’mon Naruto. Let’s get you home.”

They continued walking silently to Naruto’s apartment building.

As they walked through the street, Naruto looked up at the Hokage Monument.

“You know what” Naruto thought aloud. “I have a new dream.”

“Oh? And what is this new dream?” interrogated a now curious Isao.

Naruto shouted slightly as he pointed at the monument. “I’m going to become the next Hokage, and earn everyone’s acceptance. That way no one will have to protect me but myself.”

“Is that a promise?” teased Isao as he smiled.

Naruto looked up at him and gave him his foxy grin. “That’s right, I give my word. And my nindo is to never go back on my word.”

Rubbing the blond’s hair, “You can’t have a nindo, if you’re not a ninja yet.”

“Yeah, yeah” Naruto answered, hitting Isao’s hand off of his head. “But I might as well have one now, since I’m gonna breeze through the academy.”

Isao’s smile widened. “So you better get busy practicing while you still have 6 months to get ready.”

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