Naruto groggily opened his eyes to find that it was morning. The light of sunrise shone through his apartment window as the wind blew the curtains in waves. Wait...apartment?! With that thought, Naruto shot up and unceremoniously fell from his bed.

"Ow...ouch," Naruto whimpered.

"Well Kit. You should calm down," Kurama commented tiredly as he smirked. Naruto found himself in his mindscape courtesy of a certain Fox.

"Kurama!" Naruto shouted happily as he hugged the huge furball in his mindscape.

"You did it! I am in my old apartment again!" Naruto laughed as he further inspected his 12 years old body. He smiled sadly as he felt around his malnourished young body. He quickly brushed it off however, determined to eat better than just Ramen all the time. Though not like he had any other options back in the day. Henge no Jutsu will be playing a very useful role this time around. He could not believe that he never thought of using such a basic technique to live a better life in his childhood. Naruto shook his head at the thought, finding it silly. His thoughts stops short when he heard Kurama spoke.

"That's all and good. You have to get going and meet up with those two, right?" Kurama said softly.

"Kurama? What's wrong?" Naruto asked concerned as he noticed that the Fox isn't quite well.

"That Jutsu took a great toll on my chakra so I am exhausted. Nothing serious to worry about," Kurama said reassuringly.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked sadly.

"Yup! I'll be back in top condition in no time!" Kurama cheerfully said.

"...Okay," Naruto finally give in accepting the white lie, but not before he imagined several meat dishes for Kurama in his mindscape.

"Eat well and get better okay, Kurama!" Naruto half-yelled. Kurama chuckled fondly at his host's antics and gobbled the feasts before him. He soon closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber. Naruto's cheerful demeanour morphed into a frown.

"Looks like it will be awhile until I can talk to you again, Kurama...," Naruto said feeling lonely as he exited his mindscape and brought his consciousness back to his apartment. Naruto looked around and grimaced at the mess his apartment were in.

"I can't believe I was so sloppy back then, or is it now? Ha ha ha, it feels so weird...," Naruto said softly as he made a hand seals and created 5 shadow clones to clean up the place. In the meantime, Naruto went and clean himself up then changed his clothes out of his sleep wear. After leaving a few instructions to his clones, Naruto jumped out of his window and landed on the ground expertly without a sound and headed towards the Uchiha compound. Ignoring the glare and hatred filled looks from the villagers, Naruto opted to immerse in his thoughts and plan ahead before reaching the compound, making a better use of his time than spacing out in blank thoughts.

"After this, I need to head back to my house, the Namikaze-Uzumaki Compound and clean up the place there too. I think I will stay at the compound from now on, keeping a shadow clone at the apartment to distract the ANBU and Lord Third's attention so I can move about more freely," Naruto thought to himself.

At the Namikaze compound, Naruto will have access to all the resources and space that he needs. As well as his wealth, being the only heir to two powerful and wealthy clans. He mostly needed to use the study room, the library, basements that holds his family's scrolls and techniques, and the training rooms. He will create a seal for Sasuke and Shikamaru that will allow them access to the Namikaze compound. They can freely practice their taijutsu, ninjutsu, fuinjutsu and others there at the training rooms.

Also, Naruto has yet to fully read all the scrolls on the clan's secrets as he was busy either spending time with his family whenever he can, being hokage or fending off Orochimaru after the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The scrolls were safely kept in the secret basements that was sealed using a blood seal, so only Naruto could have access to it. Well in the past..., err future..., his wife and kids were allowed access too but right now, since Naruto has yet to change the blood seal, no one else can enter but him. Being an Uzumaki as he is has its perks. Naruto is a genius in the art of sealing and by now already a Seals Master.

Naruto sighed. He also need to get rid of his kill me jumpsuit. With his wealth, He shouldn't have any further problems with purchasing better clothes. Of course, he needs to use Henge no Jutsu to do his shopping. At this point in time, Naruto is still hated by the villagers. Except for the kind old man Teuchi-san and Ayame-san from the Ichirakus, other shops would not be willing to entertain him. They would spat and curse at him. Naruto sighed again at the villagers' inability to differentiate between a kunai and a scroll. But it did not matter to him. All of this will change in due time. Furthermore, the villagers will have a shock of their lifetime once they knew his heritage. After all, Naruto is related to the Namikaze and Uzumaki as their only heir. Add to the fact that he is the fourth hokage's son, Naruto is also a distant relative of the Senju Clan. The clan of the first hokage.

Naruto arrived at the Uchiha compound and made his way inside still contemplating on various problems, improvements that needs attention, the village's security, Hinata...his wife, Sakura...needs to be snapped out of her fan girl state and get stronger faster..., yeah he will leave that to her husband, Sasuke to deal with it. Yup.

Once he entered inside Sasuke's house, he was unfashionably tackled by two 12 years old. No doubt Shikamaru and Sasuke as Naruto had long since sensed their chakra signature from miles away. His mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"Dobe! It worked!" exclaimed Sasuke. Shikamaru nodded with a smile. They all grinned and happy to have each other. Moving to the living room, Naruto began to tell them about his thoughts on the way here and they further engage in full blown discussions about what is going to happen and what they will do from now on. Naruto stated that he would put to use his two famous ninjutsu, kage bunshin and henge no jutsu to spread out a one man spy network. His clones will transform into different people of various age groups and even birds, cats and other animals to gather information around the villages and places that are usually out of reach. ROOT being a prime example. The clone will dismiss once it has reached its objectives to pass on the information or messages and will only stay longer on important missions or heard crucial and valuable information.

Shikamaru and Sasuke put up piles and piles of papers on the walls with various scribble, events and timelines as they plan on strategies and countermeasures upon countermeasures of dealing with them. Naruto went and set up barrier and silencing seals around the Uchiha compound agreeing with Shikamaru to put them around Shikamaru's room as well as they might need them whenever they needed to discuss in private, not risking being heard by unwanted persons.

After hours of discussing, their stomach grumbled in protests. They looked at the time and realized it's already lunch hour.

"Let's go to my place and continue our talk there. Hokage-sama can put up the barrier and silencing seals in my room while I ask my mom to make extra to feed all of us. No objections, Hokage-sama! Sasuke and I have discussed some to make sure that you are well fed. Since we know how you were treated when you were 12...and younger...and how malnourished you are. We can't let you go on missions half-starved ever again! Not in this time!" Shikamaru stressed. Naruto could only laughed sheepishly in embarrassment.

Being his closest friends, Naruto told them in the past...err future...how his life had actually been since childhood, and how he was truly treated. When they found out, both Shikamaru and Sasuke almost lashed out to kill all those horrible and ungrateful villagers but Naruto stopped them, saying that it wasn't worth it, taking revenge and all that shit. Saying that it was alright and that he forgave them even if those villagers does not deserve protection nor forgiveness. Just like that, even after all that he had suffered, he had pardoned them. In fact, because of what he had been through, Naruto's resolve to become hokage only grew stronger so he could protect and prevent any innocent child from experiencing the same thing. The same pain.

Naruto is an angel. He was called many names...demon, monster, murderer and other insults but to both Shikamaru and Sasuke who knew him, he was, is and always will be in their eyes, an angel. They could never comprehend how selfless, forgiving and understanding their hokage is despite being born hated and grew up without parents. An idiot angel that they love and cherish. Their one and only hokage that they will forever protect. Sasuke actually cried that day, and became Naruto's ANBU captain and personal bodyguard afterwards. Shikamaru, never wanted to leave his hokage's side as much as possible.

"Alright. I wasn't really going to say anything against it...but you know, since we are back in the past, I am not your hokage anymore, you know?" said Naruto. This careless statement caused both Shikamaru and Sasuke to almost flip out.

"No way! You will always be our hokage. Even in our genin team or in front of Lord Third, we will always prioritize your orders," Sasuke snapped, his tone sounded final. Naruto sighed in exasperation and defeat as he glanced at Shikamaru who adamantly showed the same determination as Sasuke's.

"Alright. I understand. You guys are the best!" Naruto grinned but then he pouted, "But please remember to call me by name in public...or people will give us weird looks...," said Naruto in a reminding tone. His pout never leaving his face.

"Hai! Hokage-sama!" Sasuke and Shikamaru shouted as the three of them make their way to the Nara's compound. If anyone was keen, skilled and experienced enough, they would notice that both Shikamaru and Sasuke are flanking Naruto's either side, few inches behind him, like how one normally treated their superior. Naruto sighed yet again as he slightly shook his head, amused.

End of chapter 2.