Another year had passed for Naruto and he started to see Sasuke a lot more frequently then he had expected. He would show up quite literally unannounced, it had been so erratic during summer that it made Naruto frown at the thought as he sat in class... staring at Sasuke who seemed to be eyes ahead, writing everything down about throwing shurikens perfectly.

The blond had to wonder about Sasuke, after those days a year ago, he was distant but always at his house... it made no sense to the blond... During the summer he had an idea of what Sasuke could be feeling... and that was the lonesome dread of being an orphan with the possibility of being an orphan by his very brother meant to protect him.

Sasuke didn't have many friends, he told the blond himself, that he was the only one he really could stand... so he latched onto him was his idea... but when he did that he was seeing Sasuke quite often, and it was fine, he loved having him at his home... but that was the issue, he really liked Sasuke with him... so much that he was actually seeing him in a new light... but that scared him.

What was this odd feeling? He couldn't ask the Third Hokage, he hid the Kyuubi from him, and the fox wasn't even guilty, he knows that the fox could be lying, but he didn't feel anything, the ability to sensor made him very accustom to the lies behind words... he had a sneaky suspicion when he asked the third about the hate he was given, and he always dodged the question, what even intrigued him was when he asked about his parents... Hiruzen said he didn't know them well enough to tell him anything besides they died fighting the Kyuubi...

That was something that gave him mixed signals about his parents... Hiruzen was lying the first part, but that they did die. He was just glad that they didn't abandon him, back to the Uchiha he was staring at in class, he had an idea of what he was feeling... he could have guessed that it started when he asked the boy if he wanted to set roots together, that he was actually falling for the boy...

Naruto wasn't used to the feeling, liking or crushing on someone, he hadn't thought about it at all his time in the academy, he couldn't. Most people shut him out and he was so engrossed with his seals and medical ninjutsu that he came to be anti-social unless talking about those certain things... Of course, because Sasuke was always with him, talking with him and genuinely interested in what he was actually talking about... he started to develop these feelings.

Something sped up that process when he told Sasuke about the Kyuubi that day... When Sasuke nodded it off as if it wasn't as surprising as it could be, there's only been a few people that actually accepted him, even after knowing about the Kyuubi... So this was his life, crushing on his best friend while training to be a ninja... Knowing that same-sex relationships were hard enough to get by, plus the fact that he was a jinchuriki...

but that wasn't the biggest issue, it was the fact that... he was CRUSHING on Sasuke. He didn't know what to say and if that was the thing to break their friendship... he wouldn't... He would have to suck it up and ignore the horrific feeling of lying to his friend when he asked what was on his mind... He stopped his staring as he sighed with a small pout, his hair was in a braid and lightly petted it, gently but also subconsciously.

It wasn't fair... not to him that was for sure... the one time he actually got something good out of something, his life being hell and then Sasuke being there as his first real friend... then he had to go on and get feelings for him in a deeper sense... It just wasn't fair... Naruto put his head down against the desk as he stared at his hands... "Maybe... one day I can tell him." He thought in sadness.

...

Sasuke sighed as he sat down on the couch in Naruto's study while the blond seemed to be scouring a few books before he paused as he looked towards the Uchiha. "Hey, Sasuke?" He asked making the Uchiha look over with one curious look, "Hn?" Naruto gave a small shy smile and placed the books down on his table and sat down on the chair, he was sitting in it facing the opposite direction where Sasuke was. "W-Well... I-I was th-thinking..." He stuttered out making Sasuke raise an eyebrow.

"I-If you wanted... Y-You could move in with m-me?" Sasuke's eyes widened briefly at that making Naruto look down slightly while Sasuke stood up with a confused look as the blond gave a small cautious gaze up. "Why?" There was nothing behind his words, just confusion, and curiosity. "W-Well... You're al-always here- And that's not bad!- I just thought... maybe it would be better? C-Cause I want you to stay...."  His eyes never wavered from his hands before Sasuke knelt down where he stared into his blue eyes.

"That'd be nice," Sasuke said with a smile making Naruto's heartbeat out of sync for a moment and a small flush appeared on his face. "G-Good!" Naruto stuttered as he turned around and opened a book, his blush still on his face with Sasuke staring at him with a small confused look... he shrugged his shoulders, feeling quite happy, he already lived there... kinda, not officially so it was nice to be really be invited into his home...

"J-Just um... get your things when y-you want." Sasuke nodded his head in thought as he stood up, lightly he patted his head as he did, not knowing the effect it had on the blond as his face burned crimson. "Alright, I'll get my things tomorrow." Sasuke slowly sat back on the couch, a book in his hands, lightly turning the page to where he stopped as Naruto looked down at the book he was staring at... it was quite a confusing book for most people, but Naruto was reading through it fairly quickly.

The book itself was over sealing, that alone would make everyone stray away from it, only few people ever really tried to study this level of seals... The book itself was old and giving away, but in itself, it is probably one of the most precious things he had ever been received... This was one of a few journals that Mito Senju had ever written. The fourth Hokage and Jiraiya are considered very powerful, but with some of the knowledge from Mito from this journal, it made some of the seal talk, seemed trivial.

Only one sealing jutsu made the Fourth stand out, and that was the Hiraishin, the very jutsu that made his alias, the yellow flash. However he didn't dabble too much into so many seals like that, only the one on his abdomen and the Hiraishin was Naruto's only knowledge over the fourth Hokages sealing abilities, though those two made a certain impressive impression, of course, the fourth didn't completely make the seal. He did get a headstart with the Second Hokage's testing of seals with Mito Senju.

That brings his thoughts back to Mito Senju, the woman was amazing, she was one of the first ninjas in history to completely control her chakra at will. Of course, seals were the basic parts of chakra, however, with perfect control like she did, she could theoretically do jutsu without the need of hand signs, as you could make hand signs with the chakra. Of course that factor did wonders to her sealing capability, with her Chakra completely controlled, she studied countless hours on her seals.

As found out, she helped the First and Second Hokage with the sealing processes of their famous seals, including the security seals that surround Konoha as a giant bubble, alerting all and every Ninja that an unknown presence had entered Konoha. In itself, the woman still holds this village up with every last knowledge of seals that she helped find. Like Ninjutsu, sealing also can evolve into more interesting aspects.

Of course, everything that he learned of Mito was written by her herself so, he knew most of this would be facts, after reading every last theory from Mito's journal, he began writing on a piece of paper, infusing Chakra into his strokes gently before he slowly looked at the paper that he drew the seal on, slowly it shrunk and Naruto lightly placed it on his hand, he gave a small grim smile, knowing how much this would hurt, and he firmly pressed it down against his hand and grunted.

The small sound made Sasuke look up, only to see the blond shaking as Chakra began to pulse around him before slowly it calmed down, the grinding of his teeth ceased as he let out a sigh of relief, the pressure was gone and slowly peeled the paper off, Naruto opened his eyes, a small shake of his hand he began writing another seal, but with Sasuke watching him like a hawk, obviously confused... with his left hand that was changed he pressed the seal against his right hand and the same thing happened... 

Sasuke got up quickly from his sitting before the paper slowly slid off from his palm... He smiled slightly as he stared at his two hands, slowly bringing his hands up into a seal he formed chakra to his hands and he instantly felt heavier... He closed his eyes, feeling drowsy but then slowly placed his hand on his seal and slowly tuned. A small bead of sweat formed as he did, feeling a lurching feeling in his stomach.

after turning a little bit more he suddenly felt pain wash over him, but not like the seals' pain on his hands, no this was all over his body. He gave a small whimper while Sasuke slowly placed a hand on his shoulder in concern, "You okay?" His concentration left him as he turned again and he slumped forward. Sasuke saw it for a brief moment in his eyes... a small spark of red before it was gone as he fell unconscious.

Sasuke's eyes furrowed in worry, it was like what happened last time... Slowly he lifted his shirt up and looked at the seal, only to be shocked by the fact that the seal was... dripping. He felt his arms move quickly and picked up the slouched blond, not caring about his clothes as it dripped against them. He moved quickly before jumping out the window that was opened and began running. "Damn it Naruto! What have you done!?" His mind shouted at him but he looked down to see a small amount of red chakra bubbling around his abdomen, wincing slightly, not used to such potent Chakra against his skin.

Sasuke's slowly was reminded of a conversation that he and Naruto had, the blond apparently met the Kyuubi and judged him to be innocent, he knowing Naruto's sensor ability well as he wasn't ever to keep much from him without being caught lying made him a perfect detector, of course, he wouldn't know if it would work on a bijuu that has been along then anyone on the planet today.

Sasuke stared at the blond before hurriedly running towards the Hokage tower... "He better help him..." He thought with a glare as he stared at the red chakra swirling around his abdomen.

...

Naruto stared in front of himself as he walked forward, the walls cracking as he did and he couldn't help but frowned at the state his mind was going... He looked up towards the gate, "Kit, what is it that you are doing?" The bijuu questioned making Naruto smile slightly, "I'm setting you free... but it seems like that would do more then I expected." The Kyuubi frowned at his words before he slowly rose as if he was floating and stared at the seal. "Kit stop." The Kyuubi said but Naruto grabbed ahold of the piece of paper and slowly pull down only for a hand to suddenly grabbed his.

Naruto froze and looked up slowly to see a blond-haired male stopping his actions and pulled him away from the seal, he slowly smiled, "There you are." Said blond furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before Naruto slammed his hands into the blond's stomach region and the older male winced and the two fell down into the water. The Kyuubi stood watching the exchange in confusion before Naruto stood up with a small glare towards the older blond.

"Naruto... What did you do?" The blond asked slowly, looking down at his abdomen to see an array of seals. "I always was interested in seals, so whenever I found the Kyuubi's seal, I studied it, but two things didn't add up..." Naruto stared at his hands briefly before looking towards the gate before he slowly twisted his hand and the seal ripped off as the gates slowly opened. "Two chakra signatures other than my own..." He slowly turned and saw a red-haired woman slowly appearing from the shadows of his mind next to the blond.

"I recognize the Fourth, but I assume you are the previous container?" He asked as he slowly walked forward while the Kyuubi just stared in a mild form of shock, the Kit actually turned his back on the Kyuubi even though he didn't have the confined cage to stop him... he slowly put his head down to see the exchange closer.

"Answer me..." Naruto paused as he looked dead straight at the Fourth before looking up with tears flowing down his cheeks. "Why did you pick me to seal him when everyone would treat me like some bloodthirsty demon!" He shouted while the red-haired woman placed her hand on her mouth, a tear slowly falling down her face. His eyes widened as she quickly ran forward and hugged the blond, "Oh my baby, I am so sorry..." She sobbed, confusion echoed around in his mind...

"Your hair is pretty..." He whispered as the hair slowly fell in front of his face, lightly placing a hand on her abdomen he pushed it slowly into her and a seal formed on her just like the previous Hokage. "Naruto, why did you release the Kyuubi's cage?" Minato asked as he gave a look towards the said fox who seemed to be flicking his tail in a small curious wave. "Because he didn't mean to attack, you should know this right?" He asked as he looked up at the red-haired woman. "Besides, you didn't answer me." He glared at the blond making the woman slowly pull away and slowly wipe the tears away from her eyes.

"He couldn't ask anyone to give up their child..." Naruto frowned slightly as he looked down. "So he used an unknown orphan..." He muttered making her shake her head, "No... He couldn't ask anyone when he had someone he could trust with his whole being, and I agree... We had to use our son..." Naruto's world shattered as he looked up at them before a low whisper echoed "K-Kaa-chan? T-T-Tou-san?" The whisper made the two frown in sadness, he sounded so broken...

"B-But why did no one tell me?" He looked up from his mother's lap while Minato slowly walked forward and went on his knees next to him, "Sarutobi-sama must have thought it would have protected you from anyone outside." He likely summarized making Naruto pause at the thought before smiling bitterly, "I guess that makes sense..." Minato sighed in relief before he slowly pulled up his shirt to reveal a seal that Naruto just placed on him.

"What is this?" He asked curiously making Naruto smile sheepishly, "It's a chakra redirecting seal... I made it so I can study the signature... I just didn't know you would actually be a replica of the actual person..." Kushina tilted her head in confusion. "How did you make such a seal so young, you are only ten!" She said with a form of shock, "The third gave me journals over the First Hokage's wife's sealing notes... She's really amazing Dattebyo !" He said happily with a big smile, his demeanor changing immediately before blushing in embarrassment.

"M-Mito-Obasan?" Kushina asked suddenly making Naruto look up in confusion. "Mito-Obasan?" He and Minato asked simultaneously. "You know her Kaa-chan?" He asked before he paused at what he said with a small look down but Kushina seemingly didn't notice. "Mito was the previous jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, she was also the first." Naruto looked up quickly in surprise and looked over at the Kyuubi who seemed to be slowly inching closer like a weird dog.

He smiled slightly. "So THAT's why you said you were apart of Konoha since the beginning!" He said happily while the Kyuubi seemingly rolled his eyes at the energetic behavior of his host, he had gotten used to it. "Mito-san was a genius at seals so of course, she sealed me in herself." The Kyuubi stated as if it was common knowledge before Naruto stood up from Kushina and pointed at the large fox. "You could have told me that! Plus my mom and dad!? Did you know about that??" He asked making the fox shrug slightly, "All you humans look the same, I had a hunch but wasn't going to lead you on a goose chase."  

The two adults there watched in mild shock that the blond and fox were communicating like friends before he turned around and smiled at his parents. "Well! That seal should last for years so! I want to introduce you to my best friend!" He said as quickly turned towards the fox, "Hey can you stay in here, I don't think dying would do us any favors!" The fox rolled his eyes, "So you already knew that if I left your body the shinigami would come for us both? Sneaky brat..." The Kyuubi muttered as the blond disappeared from their view.

Kushina looked down at her stomach region as well and was surprised to see a seal on her as well, "Naruto sure has grown a lot... I wonder who his best friend is?" 

...