There was a time in Inoichi's life when he'd thought the person who dealt with civilian affairs had it easy. There were no forbidden jutsu, rouge shinobi spies, or hidden messages. What he didn't realize was how conniving and manipulative civilians could be. It was as if what civilians lacked in chakra ability, they made up for in mind games. No one could have prepared him for the Harunos. The entire time he had known Sakura, she was always a sweet, shy girl, clinging to Ino like a security blanket. He never would have pictured that the uncaring parents who stood in front of him were capable of creating the pink-haired girl he knew.

Inoichi had sent the girls on their way that morning, each of them heading to their respective team training sessions, while he headed off toward Sakura's home. Ino had told him what Sakura said. Inoichi wasn't pleased. He wanted to confront the parents who could willingly kick a twelve-year-old girl from their home in the middle of the night. Genin or not, adult or not, she was still a child. As parents, they have a responsibility to protect and love their children. It's not something you did when you felt like it, or when it was convenient for you.

Sakura's father, Kizashi, had answered the door when Inoichi knocked. The passive-aggressive tone the man took with him set Inoichi's teeth on edge. He could handle liars, psychopaths, and people who are just plain crazy. What he couldn't handle were people who lied while believing their own lies. Kizashi spun this tale, this absolute fabrication, about Sakura taking a temper tantrum over nothing.

'She's been like this since she was little. ' Kizashi had his arms crossed as he talked. 'Her mother and I have talked about getting her help, seeing someone for her angry outbursts, but we always decided to handle it ourselves. Then we thought maybe the academy would calm her down, teach her discipline. ' He paused to shake his head. 'We can't handle her outbursts anymore. Aren't there apartments she can live in? The ones for the orphans? '

Inoichi turned around and left before he slapped the man. He was lying through his teeth. No matter how well someone lied, or how well they

thought

they lied, micro-expressions always give them away. You can't school your entire body, no matter how hard you try. He'd learned from Morino Ibiki. He'd learned from the best.

As he stomped off to where Team 7 trained, Inoichi tried to calm down. His hands flexed at his sides, his teeth hurt from gritting them, and his feet hurt from how hard he was walking. He'd never been so happy to see the training field come into view. Inoichi knew his chakra must be on fire with the way Kakashi met him outside of the field, at the edge of the dirt path.

'Want you to know, ' Inoichi was still seething. 'That Sakura is living with us from now on. ' Kakashi's eyebrow raised. 'Her parents are...

terrible

. She showed up at our door last night crying. They kicked her out. Fuck, Kakashi, I don't know what else to do. '

The thing about Inoichi that always amazed Kakashi; the man doesn't swear. He'd always held the idea that anyone can say what they are trying to say without adding verbal flair. To hear the man willingly throw out a word like that met something had shaken him, badly.

Kakashi glanced back to Sakura, dressed in her more suitable training clothes, and knew she'd been acting strange all morning. There was something careful in the way she moved, in the way she refused to maintain eye contact. He'd planned on cornering her after practice, to talk to her.

'Why would they kick her out? ' Kakashi tried not to let the anger seep into his voice. The man would pick it up anyway, but Kakashi did give it an effort.

Inoichi snorted. 'Because they don't want her to be a ninja. '

That gave Kakashi a start. The Sakura from before never said anything about her parents hating her career choice. Were there red flags Kakashi missed? Even without changing anything important, just him being there was changing the timeline. The only thing that happened the previous day was Sakura cutting her dress and leg. Did that set it off?

On the training field, Sakura faced off against Sasuke in taijutsu. Naruto cringed every time Sakura took a hit, fighting back the urge to shout something at Sasuke. When Sakura was slow to block, taking a hit in the side from Sasuke, Kakashi braced himself for a scathing remark, ready to jump in case Naruto started a fight. Instead, Sasuke helped the girl up and showed her what she did wrong. He didn't yell, didn't insult, didn't condescend. He just helped her.

Turning back to Inoichi, Kakashi hooked a thumb over his shoulder. 'Well, she's an adult now. She can do whatever she wants. If she wants to live with you, that's fine with me. I should be asking you if you're sure. Two pre-teen girls? '

Inoichi laughed. 'I'm a masochist. ' He glanced over at the pink-haired girl, something soft coming over his features. 'I'll be back to pick her up after work. She needs to know where her home is from now on. '

Kakashi nodded. 'See you then. ' He waved Inoichi off, eye crinkled up into a smile.

When Inoichi's profile disappeared around the corner, Kakashi turned back to his team. Sakura was sitting on the ground, her chest heaving with exhaustion. This Sakura worked a lot harder than the genin Sakura he left behind. Her knees were covered in dirt, bruises coating her arms and legs. There was blood trickling from a split lip. Sasuke knelt in front of her, a rag held in his hand. He looked up when he sensed Kakashi, his expression flat.

'You okay? ' Kakashi knelt beside Sakura, hooking a finger under her chin and tilting it up. He wanted to look at the cut on her lip, to see how bad it was. Just a small tear, it looked worse than it was with the blood on her chin. When he let go, she nodded. 'Good girl. ' Glancing over at Sasuke, he saw the kid hand Sakura the rag. 'How is she doing? '

Sasuke was the best of the three in taijutsu. He was also a good teacher. When Kakashi could get the other Sasuke to calm down, put his revenge aside, and focus on his team, the boy taught them well. A lot of what Naruto knew was based on him watching Sasuke. He wanted them to work as a team, now. Letting them share their strengths was a great start. Kakashi watched as Sasuke picked the right words, and put them in order in his mind, before speaking. It seemed their talk the night before about Itachi had calmed him if only a little.

'She's...better. ' He paused as Naruto came over with the water, handing it to Sakura. 'You...you overthink your moves, it's what makes you slow. ' Sakura looked up; her arm paused at her mouth where she was wiping off the blood. This was probably the best conversation these two have ever had. 'I know we're only sparring, Sakura, but you have to hit me like you mean it. ' She dropped her arm and nodded.

'Well, ' Kakashi smiled. 'That's nothing we can't work on. Good job, Sakura. ' He stood up and pointed at Naruto. 'Your turn, blondie. Sasuke, you still good? '

As the boys sparred, Kakashi held out a hand to help Sakura up. 'Feel okay? ' She nodded. 'While the boys are busy, let's talk for a minute. '

It only took the tone of his voice. 'How did you know? ' Sakura's voice was low, she kept glancing at the boys. Just the way Kakashi had said it, the small bit of emotion that hinted he knew exactly what had happened the night before. 'It just happened... '

Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. 'I'm not sure if they teach you this in the academy, but let me explain something to you. As your jounin sensei, I become your guardian until you become chuunin level. Technically, yes, you are an adult when you become a genin, but you're still young, you still need guidance. This rule was created for the orphans who become shinobi, to help protect them. ' Sakura tilted her head as he talked, trying to see where he was going with this conversation. 'As your guardian, you could have told me if your parents were hurting you. '

She shook her head, her hair whipping around with force. 'No one believes it! ' Her voice rose as she talked, the boys paused to glance at her before returning to their spar. 'No one sees it. '

'Abuse isn't just physical, Sakura. Inoichi told me while you and Sasuke were sparring. He talked to your dad, saw what you dealt with, and believes you.

I believe you

. ' Kakashi watched as tears welled up in her eyes. 'I'm perfectly fine with you living with the Yamanakas. If your family tries to pull anything, I can invoke my rights as your jounin sensei to keep you away from them. '

Sakura looked up at him, fat tears rolling down her face. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest. 'Thank you, sensei. I want to stay with Ino and her dad. '

'Okay. ' Kakashi rubbed her back. 'Then that's what will happen. '

'

When the sun was setting, Inoichi showed up with Ino in tow to pick up Sakura. Covered in dirt and bruises, she ran to them with a smile on her face. There were mentions of sushi as the girls followed behind Inoichi's towering form. After their talk, Sakura seemed to settle down and reengage with the team. Formation training and ninja tool training with smoothly after that. Kakashi was happy to see her lighten up. Hopefully being around Ino will pull Sakura out of her shell.

The boys, however, both stood around the training posts, slowly picking up ninja tools and not making an effort to go anywhere. They kept nervously glancing at each other and at Kakashi, neither saying a word. He walked over to the boys, hands in his pockets and posture loose, with an idea of what was going on in their heads.

'So... ' Kakashi eyed his two boys. 'Would you two boys like to go for barbecue? '

Naruto immediately looked so relieved it was practically palpable. He flashed a million-watt smile, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. Sasuke's shoulders drooped, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He nodded in agreement while hiking the backpack over one shoulder.

Kakashi sat opposite the boys in the booth, listening to Naruto ramble about training and Sasuke humming in response. He could hear a

tap tap tap

as Naruto swung his legs under the booth, his sandals hitting the table leg. Sasuke sat still and straight, trained in how a regal Uchiha is meant to conduct themselves in public. As the first order of barbecue was finished grilling, Kakashi pulled down his mask to eat. Naruto tilted his head at him, curiosity in his eyes.

'Hey, hey, sensei. Why do you wear a mask? '

'To look all mysterious. ' Kakashi wiggled his fingers in an effort to look magical. 'And it's better for stealth. Besides, when you are well known, it's better to hide your identity as much as possible. '

Sasuke peeked through his bangs at Kakashi. 'Well known? '

Before Kakashi could form the words, reminding them of the nickname he'd earned of 'Sharingan Kakashi' he stopped himself. This Sasuke didn't know. He was so used to his students knowing about the Sharingan that he didn't remember this was a new timeline, Zabuza and Haku hadn't happened yet, and Kakashi hadn't shown them the reason why Sasuke was put on his team. 'Well...I guess I haven't told you kids yet, have I? The reason you were chosen for my team, Sasuke, is because I also have the Sharingan. ' Kakashi flipped his headband up to show them the doujutsu that never fades away.

Naruto hit Sasuke's back when he nearly choked on his pork. 'How? ' Sasuke wheezed out. 'Did you...? '

'Did I steal it? ' Kakashi shook his head. 'Absolutely not. It was a gift from a dear friend. ' The boys stared at him, watching him with anticipation. 'Ah, I suppose you want the story. You boys saw the picture on my windowsill of my genin team? The other boy in the photo is Uchiha Obito. We were rivals, much like you two are. A mission went wrong and Obito got crushed under a boulder. His dying wish was for me to have his Sharingan. '

'And...and the clan let you keep it? ' Even as young as he was when the clan still existed, Sasuke knew they kept the Sharingan close, untainted by outside influence. He couldn't imagine the elders just allowing the Sharingan to be passed to a non-Uchiha. 'They had to have fought you. '

Kakashi left out a wry laugh. 'Oh, they did fight. Had it just been my word, I don't think I'd still have it. But Rin was there, she vouched for me. They were reluctant, but I was allowed to keep it. I had to teach myself, though. ' He tapped his temple. 'What I know is all trial and error. '

Nodding, Sasuke returned to his food, deep in thought. Naruto, who was still swinging his legs under the table, happily ate his food. The two kids couldn't be more different. Both were thin, more than they should be at their age. Most Uchiha were long and lean, all knees and elbows and soft features. Obito was an exception to that, he was stockier than even his parents. Sasuke, however, favored his mother. Kakashi remembered when Kushina and Mikoto would sit at the tea shop and gossip, how Mikoto's long hair would fall in her face when she looked down. Kakashi would willingly admit Uchiha women were beautiful.

Uzumaki men, from what Kushina had told him, were naturally stockier. She described her own father as having broad shoulders and bulky muscles. The women were deceivingly small. They hid their strength under lean muscles and fiery tempers. Being Minato's son, Naruto could have come out being long, lean, and lanky. Instead, he was born with more Uzumaki in him than Namikaze. He got Minato's hair and eyes. The rest of him was all Kushina. Kakashi got a pang in his chest when he realized how much the two missed, and how proud of their son they would have been. Of course, the other Naruto had met them, had heard firsthand what they thought of him. It's still possible this Naruto could do the same. The boy, in spite of everything he'd handled growing up, still smiled as wide as his mother, his eyes crinkling shut. The Naruto he left behind was right. Sometimes it was hard to look at him and not see Minato and Kushina.

When the food was done, their bellies full, the boys idled in front of the building while Kakashi paid. Neither one of them wanted to go home to a house where they would be alone but were afraid to ask Kakashi for another night of his hospitality. Naruto kicked his sandal on the ground, hands behind his head. His backpack sat against the building as he waited. Sasuke picked at the hem of his shorts, biding his time, with his pack slung over one shoulder. When Kakashi exited the building and took in his boys, he tried hard not to smile. Nothing would make him happier than to have the two of them in his place for another night. He wanted them to think of his apartment as home. He just wished he had more room for them.

The two looked so afraid to be rejected that Kakashi, although already planning on inviting them back, couldn't have made a different decision if he tried. 'You two need some fresh clothes. Go home and throw a bag together, we will all meet back up at the apartment in a few, okay? '

Both boys nodded before running off to their respective apartments. Kakashi headed toward a furniture store. He couldn't make Naruto sleep on the couch for another night. He needed another futon and another pillow.

'

Naruto's hand paused on the doorknob. The sound of footsteps coming from inside his apartment stopped him in his tracks. With a kunai gripped tightly in his hand, Naruto slowly pushed the door open. A figure stood in the center of his room, facing his small table. They didn't see Naruto yet, continuing what they were doing. He raised something over his head before bringing it down on the table, smashing it into splinters. Naruto yelled out, making the figure jump in surprise. They ran, pushing past Naruto and out the door. He barely could get a look at the figure before they disappeared around the corner.

Turning back to his room, Naruto flicked on the light to see the destruction. His bed was smashed, two of the legs missing and the mattress ripped. The few dishes he had were smashed, shards of ceramic spread out on the floor. His clothes were pulled out of the drawers and in a pile on the floor. The strong smell of lamp oil emanated from them. Tears pricked at his eyes, frustration and anger streaming down his face. All he had, now, was in his backpack. Gripping the straps tight, Naruto turned around and ran. He couldn't look at that place again. His childhood home, the only home he'd ever known, was practically destroyed. He had nothing left.

He didn't stop running until he reached Kakashi's apartment, slid down the door, and put his head in his hands.

'

Sasuke's apartment was dark and cold. Eerily quiet and still. He stood there, facing his dresser, wondering what he was doing. Only days before Sasuke was ready to kill the man who destroyed his young life. He was ready to defect from the village, go on the run, whatever he had to do to reach his goal. Now he was putting clothes in a bag to stay at his sensei's home. It was such a juxtaposition to what he'd striven for, dreamed of, for five years. Itachi's eyes, glowing red and black, appeared in front of him. The glint of his sword in the darkness. The smell of blood in the air. He slammed the drawer shut and turned around, trying to erase the image of his brother from his mind.

Look underneath the underneath.

Sasuke gripped at his hair, shutting his eyes tight. He was so angry the previous night, so frustrated that Kakashi kept secrets from him. It should be a weakness; it should make him sick how easily Kakashi convinced him to sleep there. But Sasuke couldn't deny how great he'd slept, nightmare aside. Having someone breathing, shifting in place, just

being

there, was wonderful. Being alone, sleeping in the black hole of silence and despair that was his apartment, physically hurt.

Turning back around to the dresser, Sasuke resolved himself. He was tired of being alone. He was tired of restless nights and nightmares where he woke up alone and covered in tears and sweat. What Sasuke wanted was a home. He wanted somewhere to call his. This blank apartment the Sandaime placed him in at seven was just four walls. Grabbing clothes from his dresser, Sasuke jammed them in another backpack. He turned around, taking in the little belongings he had, and made sure he had everything he needed. If he got his wish, he would never come back here.

One last look and Sasuke left the apartment, locking the door behind him. If there was more to the massacre, more to Itachi's involvement, more to the entire situation, he wanted to know. Kakashi was his best chance at further knowledge, training, and help.

As he walked down the street, dodging civilians and shinobi, Sasuke kept his head down. His mother had always told him all the emotion was written in his eyes. He could school his face, and his body language, but he couldn't stop his eyes. Right then, Sasuke didn't want random strangers to see whatever emotion he was carrying with him. With one final corner, he climbed the stairs and walked down the open walkway towards the apartment. He saw Naruto sitting against the door, head bowed down and knees to his chest. Something about it tugged at him, something was wrong.

He set his bags down against the wall and knelt in front of the blond. Naruto's not normally quiet, not normally withdrawn. 'Hey, Naruto. ' Blue eyes peeked over his knees, red-rimmed and glossy. 'What happened? '

Naruto dug his fingers into the fabric of his pants, fingertips turning white. 'I'm fine. ' He shook his head. 'I'll be okay. I'll just have to save up again. '

Naruto didn't want to answer, didn't want to see the way Sasuke would look at him. He didn't want the disgust on his face, didn't want the laughter. Not after the day he and Sasuke had, the tentative friendship the two formed over the last week, Naruto didn't want to ruin that. Instead, he stayed silent, hoping Sasuke would drop it. He was willing himself to stop crying, stop thinking about what happened, stop replaying it in his head. Kakashi had promised them some missions, some

paying

missions. He could slowly replace what he lost.

The urge to pull Naruto's head from the cocoon he'd created rose higher. Eventually, Sasuke got tired of waiting for an answer, instead, he pulled at the boy's hands, removing the boundary between them. 'Naruto. What happened? ' Sasuke's voice was low, commanding. Finally, Naruto looked up. He looked

scared.

Fighting his body, Sasuke tried to keep the worry off his face.

There was a long stare-off between them before Naruto finally cracked. 'Someone broke into my apartment. ' He watched as Sasuke's eyes widened. 'Some stuff got destroyed. '

Sasuke stood up. He'd known for years that people didn't like Naruto, that people went out of their way to ignore him, pretend he didn't exist. It never made sense to Sasuke. He thought Naruto could be loud, annoying, and always doing pranks, but it wasn't enough to treat him the way they do. But for someone to break into his apartment, as rundown as it was, and destroy his stuff? That was ridiculous.

Before Sasuke could do anything else, he felt Kakashi's chakra round the corner. He met the jounin at the top of the stairs, his eyes wild. Instantly, Kakashi knew something was wrong. Naruto looked fearful, Sasuke looked angry, and Kakashi unlocked the door and quickly ushered the kids inside. Naruto moved slowly, dragging his feet. Sasuke grabbed both of his bags and practically threw them inside the door.

'I'll be back. ' Sasuke stormed down the walkway. Naruto reached for him, yelling for Sasuke to stop, but the boy just kept walking.

'Naruto. ' Kakashi grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back inside and forcing the boy to sit down. 'Talk to me. '

Frustrated tears began streaming down the kid's face. 'Someone broke into my apartment. My stuff...Sasuke was angry. '

'Not at you, Naruto. ' Kakashi wiped the tears away with his thumb. 'He's angry at the entire situation. '

'

Sasuke opened Naruto's apartment door. It was unlocked, but he soon saw why. Broken ceramic, splinters of wood, and a soaking wet pile of clothes met him. An overwhelming smell of oil assaulted his senses. Nothing was salvageable. It would all need to be tossed out, and replaced. Sasuke knew what orphans lived on, he got the same stipend every month. He could subsidize it with the Uchiha clan money, but Naruto didn't have that to fall back on. There was no way he could replace all of this at once, not even by visiting secondhand stores.

The anger he felt was palpable. He had to leave before he exploded. He ran back to Kakashi.

'

Kakashi handed Naruto a cup of tea, patting the young boy on the shoulder. 'Tomorrow, we will go get you some new clothes. ' Naruto sniffled. 'My apartment is always open to you, there is not a question of where you will live. '

Letting himself in, Sasuke stood there with his hands fisted at his sides. 'They destroyed

everything

. There's nothing left in there. Why? ' He looked right at Kakashi.

The jounin really didn't have an answer without talking to Naruto first. He looked over the boy, looking so broken and vulnerable, and was lost for words. Sasuke sat down in the chair, his eyes never leaving Naruto or Kakashi. Naruto dragged his hands through his hair, gripping at the strands.

'I don't want you to hate me. ' Naruto's voice was so low, so soft, cracking as he talked. Sasuke's eyes widened as he took the boy in. 'We just started to be friends, right? I don't want to ruin it. '

'Idiot. ' Sasuke scoffed. 'I won't hate you. '

Naruto's eyes briefly met Sasuke's. 'I ' I'm... ' He paused to look at Kakashi, who just nodded. 'I'm the...the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. '

There was just silence. Nothing except for breathing could be heard. The longer the silence stretched, the harder Naruto pulled at his hair, strands being pulled out from the root. His chest hurt; his throat felt like it was closing up. Nails dug into his scalp, white-hot pain shooting through him. He could vaguely hear Kakashi saying his name, vaguely feel the man pulling at his hands, but Naruto couldn't react. His head was spinning.

Then Sasuke grabbed his face, dark eyes meeting bright blue. He held the gaze, not letting Naruto look away. 'Moron, stop it. I'm not...you didn't scare me off. It was just a lot to take in. '

As Naruto slowly came back, slowly let go of his hair, and uncurled from the ball he was in, Sasuke was there. He didn't let Naruto go, didn't stop talking to him. Kakashi watched with pride as Sasuke slowly talked Naruto down from a panic attack. Shaking, Naruto took the cup of tea Sasuke handed him.

Kakashi rolled out the futons, throwing down pillows and blankets. 'Naruto, I'll find something for you to sleep in. Go take a shower, it will help you feel better. ' Kakashi ruffled Sasuke's hair as he walked past. 'Sasuke, you want to set up the futons? ' As he walked to the bedroom, trying to find another old set of clothes for the small boy to swim in, Kakashi tried to replay the events of the night. Did this happen in the other timeline? Did Naruto hide this all from them? He wanted so badly to talk to the kids he'd left behind, ask them a million questions, but he couldn't. Now, he just has to take every blow as it comes and keep moving on. Finding another pair of old jounin pants and another old shirt he'd forgotten he had, Kakashi handed them to Naruto as the kid entered the bathroom. His face was mottled from crying, eyes puffy and red, hair sticking up more than usual with how hard he was gripping it.

Sasuke waited in the living room. He didn't talk until the shower spray sounded from the bathroom. 'Kakashi. There's more, isn't there? ' The futons were lying side by side. Sasuke fanned out the blanket. 'The Kyuubi attack happened twelve years ago. Naruto had to be an infant, right? Just born? ' Kakashi nodded, letting Sasuke come up with the answer on his own. 'The Yondaime...it makes no sense for him to pick some random infant. There wouldn't have been time. ' The pillow was dropped at the head of the futon. He turned around and looked at Kakashi. 'No. It wasn't some random infant. It was

his

infant. ' The second blanket was in his hand, but Sasuke dropped it when the realization hit him. 'Naruto is Yondaime's son. '

Kakashi leaned down to his eye level. 'The civilians don't know. Most of the shinobi don't know. It's hidden to protect him. '

'Yondaime's last name was Namikaze. Where did he get Uzumaki? '

'From his mother. ' Sasuke nodded, lost in thought for a moment. Kakashi couldn't help but be proud of the boy for piecing it all together without much help. 'Let Naruto tell you on his own, okay? It was a huge step for him to tell you about the Kyuubi. I don't want to give away all his secrets without his knowledge, you understand? '

Again, Sasuke nodded. The shower turned off and Sasuke went back to his job of setting up the futons. 'I, uh...I don't think of him any different. '

Kakashi smiled. 'I know. Make sure you tell him. '

When everyone settled down for the night, all curled up in their beds, Kakashi heard the boys' soft voices float down the hall. They talked long into the night before their voices trailed off, the boys finally asleep. Kakashi stayed awake for a while, taking in the events. Everything was happening so fast and all at once.

Hours passed, and Kakashi gave up on sleep. He sat up and grabbed a notebook, writing down the training itinerary for the next week. On the back, he made a grocery list so he had the stock to feed two teenage boys. He was still writing when daylight shone through the window. Pages dedicated to each kid, their strengths and weaknesses, and training plans, took up many pages. In the back of the book was a list of things Kakashi wanted to change, and a list he didn't want to change. Those pages he tore out and hid underneath his mattress. He knew some people would have to be lost to progress the timeline. Some, however, he could save.

As he got up, starting his morning routine, Kakashi realized he'd promised the kids a mission today. It would go a long way to taking Naruto's mind off of everything. With his clothes on and hair in some semblance of control, Kakashi made his way to the kitchen. Time to start the day.