Madara couldn't move nor could he breathe watching his young brother sitting in the midst of the massacre with that bloodstained sword in his hands. Time seemed to have stopped for the elder sibling as neither the sight of the dead bodies of his clansmen or the chaos happening all around bothered Madara.
All he could care and focus upon was the look in his brother's eyes.
This was not the same brother so full of joy and innocence. One who was far more honorable and kind than most Uchiha's of this generation.
No, the person sitting in that chair was someone else.
For in those eyes, there was hidden unspeakable horror and immeasurable pain. It could be hard to discern behind the dark glare the young boy was currently sporting, but Madara knew him better than everyone else present here.
Knew that his brother was stronger than everyone of them, both in strength and character despite all the evidence that said otherwise.
Nearly a dozen Uchiha guards fully armed marched towards the alone boy but all stopped when the bloodstained Naruto Uchiha rose from the chair.
"Stop before I kill you all" warned Naruto, without a single hint of emotion in his voice.
Every last one of the Uchiha's sneered at him with unending hatred burning in their eyes.
"Kinslayer!"
"Traitor!"
"Oathbreaker!"
"You're a monster!"
"A man without loyalty and honor!"
Madara watched their father impassively standing even as his clansmen berated his own son. Tajima had no great love for Naruto, but this was going too far. As their father, why wasn't the man defending his own son?
He looked back at his brother to see the same impassive gaze of their father burning in his eyes as every man and woman rained down curses on him. But none had the balls to apprehend the bloodstained boy holding his bloodied sword.
However, they must have taken Naruto's silence for cowardice as two older men nearly a decade older than his young brother charged forward.
When they barely managed to unleash their swords, all they saw was a bright blur and screamed the next moment as blood erupted from their slashed legs. The two Uchiha screamed in pain losing the grip on their weapons falling to their knees as their hands desperately tried to stop the large gash on their legs.
However, the defensive action of Naruto only seemed to make the crowd even more angry.
Madara was either too shocked or horrified watching his brother taking out a kunai and throwing it a few feet ahead of him marking a boundary that was not missed by anyone. The message was clear.
Cross the line and meet your end.
The sight of the still wounded two older Uchiha crying out in agony along with the sight of all the Uchiha that the boy had previously massacred made everyone flinch away, the boy's unnerving stare only seemed to make him appear more terrifying.
The air was thick with killing intent, smell of rotten flesh and doom.
Madara felt as if his worst nightmares had came true. If losing three brothers in one battle was devastating, watching what was happening before his eyes was heart breaking. The worst part was the fact that he didn't know what to do.
Fortunately for him and their furious clan, someone did.
"Enough"
Tajima Uchiha's voice was still as calm as ever despite the grave situation. His gaze as cold as ice boring down on the form of his youngest offspring who stared at him blankly.
"I command you to surrender now, Kinslayer"
Madara didn't look at his father, or at the furious crowd who protested the order instead demanding Naruto to be killed right here, all the elder Uchiha sibling really saw was the slight tremble of Naruto's lips when their father called him that insulting name.
The boy raised his sword high in the air making nearly every Uchiha take a step back in fear, but they were relieved when he instead stabbed the sword in the ground with a loud noise.
The very next second several guards appeared around Naruto grabbing him roughly before they started dragging him gracelessly while doing their very best to keep the murderous crowd from killing the boy right there but couldn't do anything to stop them from yelling one word at the top of their voice.
Kinslayer.
Madara walked towards his father and despite the most threatening glare of his life present in his eyes, Tajima looked back at him calmly.
"What happened?" hissed Madara,
"Your brother went mad and killed these people. Now I have to sort out this mess rendering justice" said Tajima with mild irritation, as if he was the least bothered about Naruto's fate or what this meant for the boy's future. But then again, he had never cared about his youngest son in the first place.
"Bullshit! You know he would never do such a thing" protested Madara,
"Your love for him makes you blind to his shortcomings or his crimes, Madara. Think about the Clan..." warned Tajima icily,
"Fuck. The. Clan"
Tajima's eyes actually widened in shock on the ever loyal and obedient Madara saying those dangerous words. Granted they were said barely above a whisper leaving the nearby people unaware but the murderous look in Madara's eyes was enough proof to show that he meant what he said.
"He is my brother. I don't fucking care what he is, or what he's done. I know him better than you ever will and nothing will ever make me believe that Naruto did this, or even if he did then it was not without just reason. And if you do him any harm-"
"Then what, boy?"
The darkness and hatred in Madara's eyes made Tajima flinch and take a step back.
"I will kill you"
With those words, Tajima's eldest son ran away towards the dungeons where Naruto was being transported. But his words would ring in his father's head for a very long time and the look in Madara's eyes would haunt his father every night.
It was dark.
Darker than most places Madara had seen in his life and only the flickering lights of the flame torches hanging on the adjacent walls showed the path. He spotted quite a heavily armed guard detail standing outside one of the cells.
When he approached, all five of them placed their hands on the hilt of their swords.
"No one is allowed to visit The Kinslayer without permission from Tajima-sama" warned Yamato Uchiha, the man's voice as nasty as the scar on his face.
"He is my brother" hissed Madara, eyes flashing red that made everyone except for Yamato take a step back.
For they all knew even before he awakened the Sharingan, Madara was stronger than them all. But Yamato glared even more harshly at the action.
"He killed my cousin!"
For the first time, Madara felt some of his aggression lessen for this man before him had indeed lost family tonight. It made the elder son of Tajima deactivate his eyes and look at the guards tiredly.
"I need to know what happened. He's my brother, and while I have always been loyal to our clan...I will not hesitate to harm you should you get in my way" warned Madara,
Yamato stared at the boy for a long moment before shaking his head in disgust.
"Tajima-sama will here of this, Madara. But go and meet The Kinslayer for he will likely be executed tomorrow morning..." said Yamato viciously, earning nods from the other guards.
Madara smiled.
And it sent chills down the hearts of each and everyone of the guards.
"You are free to try"
They got out of his way and opened the wooden door protected by seals that never allowed any prisoner to ever break free. Madara could still feel the heated glares raining down on him and turned back with murder evident in his eyes.
When he unleashed a quarter of his killing intent, he smirked on seeing them all falling to their knees.
"I will slaughter your entire families and those who try to even harm my brother. Do not forget your place, you are allowed to even voice this much protest because my family allows it. I love our clan and will protect it to my dying breath, but I will not hesitate to murder you all should you or anyone else dare to even lift a finger at my family"
"Do you understand?"
He was satisfied when three of the guards pissed themselves and the remaining two were shaking in terror including Yamato. And while this was not the way Madara liked to treat his fellow clan members, his father had always hammered down one single fact in his brain.
We are the blood of the Dragon.
And Dragons respect only strength.
Show weakness even for a single second and doom yourself forever.
Madara's family had retained leadership for centuries in their power hungry clan only because of the fact that they were the strongest. And while they had done their best to make the clan flourish, his ancestors had also protected their own families against enemies and allies alike no matter the cost.
And he intended to do just that.
When he entered the cell it was even darker than the corridor, so he was forced to grab a flame torch from outside and shut the door right in the faces of the still terrified guards.
A pair of red eyes stared back at him from the now vanishing darkness.
Madara couldn't stop himself from hastily walking forward and enwrapping his brother in a fierce hug uncaring of the fact that the young boy was soaked in blood.
"Madara?"
"I'm here, little brother" reassured Madara,
"You should go"
He broke the hug and stared into those fully evolved sharingan eyes. If someone ever told him that Naruto would someday become the first to achieve this full power in centuries, Madara would have scoffed. But his brother had proved himself far from ordinary.
His every action a proof of that claim.
"Why?" asked Madara seriously,
"I killed all of them" confessed Naruto, looking his brother right in the eye and didn't miss Madara's shock but despite that his brother never stared at him accusingly.
"What happened?" questioned Madara patiently,
Naruto looked away unable to continue holding his brother's gaze but Madara grabbed his chin making him look back up.
"No matter what happens or what you did or even why, I will always have your back" promised Madara,
"Why?" asked Naruto sadly,
"Because we are brothers"
Naruto stared into those eyes and found nothing but truth and love. Madara had always loved his brothers fiercely and fought for them as best as he could, and while his relationship with Naruto had not been ideal over the years it had improved in leaps and bounds in the past year ever since they both lost three of their brothers.
That pain and suffering forged a bond stronger than anything either of the boys had left in their lives.
Finally, the younger boy nodded and hesitantly told his older sibling the events that led to such a tragedy. And Madara listened with silent horror spreading across his heart soon to be replaced by fury and disgust.
When Naruto finished the tale, he was valiantly fighting back his tears while staring at his bloodstained hands.
"Kinslayer..." said Naruto with a tired sigh, staring defeatedly at the dark ceiling.
Madara glared at him for saying that disgusting word.
"Don't say that!" he reprimanded harshly, but Naruto stared at him calmly.
"It will not change the truth, Brother. This is who I am and will remain so until they execute me..." said Naruto in a resigned voice, which made Madara glare even more fiercely.
"Nobody is going to harm you, little brother. Not while I'm still breathing..." promised Madara,
He surprised the young boy by grabbing his bloodstained hands and squeezing them firmly with his own.
"You'll fight for me?" asked Naruto with the tiniest hope present in his voice,
"Do I have a choice?" asked Madara with a smirk, making Naruto smile but it came out more like a pained grimace.
"Father has no love for me and I guess after what I did he will be forced to take action against me because of the pressure from the rest of the clan. Likely they are all demanding right now for The Kinslayer to be executed as the law demands..." suggested Naruto, making Madara frown as his brother again said the cursed title given to him tonight.
"That may be true but don't forget you are the heir to our clan in case I die. You are also the only other person than me to wield The Sharingan in centuries. Despite what has happened, the clan needs you. I need you..." said Madara honestly, the last part barely above a whisper.
"You cannot fight against the entire world for me, Brother" said Naruto gently, knowing that for all his power Madara was still just one young boy.
"I can" said Madara defiantly,
The oldest son of Tajima started walking towards the exit and opened the door swiftly much to the terror of the still shivering guards who flinched at his icy gaze. But before he left, he stared back at his brother...
"Because I am Madara Uchiha"
When he entered their home and marched towards the upper floor entering his Father's room without warning he found Tajima sitting at his table with Naori at his side, both brother and sister looking pensive while their hands grabbed their respective sake cups tightly.
"Have you forgotten your manners, boy?" asked Tajima darkly, but didn't look at his son who glared right at him.
"What are you going to do with my brother?" questioned Madara,
When Tajima didn't answer, Madara aggressively stepped forward but stopped when Naori looked at him pleadingly. Looking into his aunt's eyes, the boy relented and was rewarded when Tajima spoke.
"The people are demanding his head, Madara"
"And you're going to give them just that, aren't you, Father? You have never loved him..." spat Madara viciously,
Surprisingly, Tajima merely nodded.
"Yes, I have never loved your brother. But he is my son, and I don't want him to die like this" admitted Tajima,
"Neither do I. But it's going to be quite hard to protect him. He killed a lot of people..." said Naori hesitantly,
Madara glared back at the two adults and their pathetic resolves. And they dare call themselves Uchiha, the dragon's descendants?
"Do whatever you want. But know this..."
Both Tajima and Naori looked to see the intent murder burning in Madara's eyes that sent a chill down their spines.
"If anybody tries to harm my brother, then you'll have two kinslayers and a lot of dead Uchiha..." promised Madara,
"Madara..."
"I know the truth, Father"
Tajima's eyes widened in horror as he realized Naruto had told his brother why this tragedy had happened despite Tajima's warning to keep his lips sealed forever. But then again, Madara was all Naruto had left in his life.
The last person the boy trusted, even loved.
Even if Madara had never known the truth like originally planned, Tajima doubted his eldest would have stopped himself from defending his brother.
And despite everything, it made Tajima feel relieved because the future of his family was safe in the form of the unflinching loyalty that existed between his two sons.
He could see it now, Madara was not an ordinary person and not just because of his powers. But in those cold black colored eyes, Tajima saw unending strength. This boy was strong, determined, had the power that could make men kneel or simply piss themselves in terror, and spared no mercy for those who wronged him in any manner. Most dangerous being threatening his family.
Yet when the Uchiha overpassed tonight's tragedy restoring their pride and glory it just wouldn't be because of Madara.
No, it would be because of another boy as well.
But he would never be loved or admired like Madara for he would be hated and spat upon for the rest of his life. Someone whom parents could warn their children about so as not to become like the...
Kinslayer.
"We will handle this" promised Naori, looking unflinchingly into Madara's hard eyes.
The boy stared at her for a long moment before nodding and walking back towards the door without a word.
"Where are you going?" asked Tajima warily, while Madara was a calm person at most times but when angry he was capable of dangerous things. And right now he was not angry, but utterly pissed.
And Tajima feared not for his boy, but for the fools who could try to rile Madara or even worse curse Naruto for his crime.
"To the dungeons" admitted Madara, stepping at the door's exit.
"You can't be there, Madara" said Naori seriously, and flinched when those cold eyes again landed on her.
"I will be there. Guarding my brother and any fool that tries something will lose his head by my sword. See that nobody attempts such stupidity, Aunt" warned Madara,
Naori weakly nodded as Madara stared back at his father.
"I'll bring him to you tomorrow morning. Call the elders and the council, I'd like to address them" said Madara frankly,
"They won't listen to you..." said Naori honestly, for even if he was a strong fighter Madara was still a young boy atleast to the ones older than him.
He gave her a chilling smile in return.
"Then I'll cut off their useless ears"
(Next Day)
When Naruto entered the impromptu meeting chamber organized within his own mansion he saw all the elders and other council members of their clan present. Most of the Council was comprised of various smaller families with wealth or having the most powerful fighters.
Those seats changed every now and then when those families either lost their wealth or stopped producing good quality fighters. The same was for the elders only they were changed either by the order of the clan head or when they died.
Everybody earned their rank through merit and not on the glory of long dead ancestors.
Those were the customs of the Uchiha and according to the same customs and rules someone like him could only be awarded one punishment for his crime.
Death.
He saw it in their eyes, most of them wanted him dead, and those who didn't seem overtly hostile didn't look too pleased either for in every person's eyes he saw the same accusation ever present.
Kinslayer.
On Madara's insistence, he had been dressed in his clan's dark robes instead of prisoner uniform. But all his weapons were confiscated leaving him open to be attacked by any of these men or women. But he doubted such a thing could happen in the presence of his father and aunt, or because of the fact Madara stood ahead of him like a Bloodhound.
He stared at his oldest brother and couldn't help but be grateful to him.
Because when everyone turned their backs on him, Madara stood by him. Even after knowing the real truth of why he did what he did, Madara never changed his opinion.
Naruto had always known his brother was the stronger fighter, but now he knew another fact about his sibling.
Madara was a better man than him.
Whatever his fate today, he was proud of his brother and if somehow he survived he vowed to stand by Madara no matter what happened. For his brother, he would do anything for he was all Naruto had left.
Finally, Tajima broke the heavy silence.
"Naruto Uchiha, you have been accused of killing your own clansmen. What do you plead?" asked Tajima directly, cutting short any unwanted pleasantries for no person was in the mood for that.
"Guilty"
The chamber would have exploded in anger had Tajima not raised his hand silencing the rest. His father might be a cold man, but he was respected and feared nonetheless by the rest of the clan.
"Why did you do such a thing?" asked Ayato Uchiha, an elder who had lost an eye fighting for their clan alongwith both hands.
Everyone waited for the reason behind such a gruesome massacre but the young boy remained silent. Madara clenched his fists tightly as the glares got even more worse, he wanted nothing more than to punch them all for they had no right to stare at his brother like that.
Not after what he did.
But he also knew in Naruto's silence was the salvation of his clan who had just started to regain their lost glory.
"We should execute The Kinslayer" voiced Hotaru Uchiha heatedly, having lost her younger brother by Naruto's sword.
''He has confessed his crime and the law is clear in this matter, Tajima-sama" pointed Itami Uchiha calmly, but his cold dark eyes didn't fail to stare at Naruto distastefully.
Various other demands of the same nature were raised by the rest of the council, and while Tajima remained silent it was Madara who was about to explode.
Unfortunately, there were many in the room that had lost close or distant family in the massacre and the clan head's silence was taken for hesitance or more dangerous: weakness as one of the bold elders gestured to the nearby guards who nodded.
When ten of those guards took their first step, Madara drew his sword and activated his sharingan drawing sharp gasps from everyone who had never expected such an action from their famed hero.
"Madara, what is the meaning of this?" demanded one of the elders angrily,
It was again Hotaru Uchiha who glared at Madara fiercely.
"You have lived your entire life for the clan, Madara. Are you going to die for The Kinslayer?" asked the woman in disbelief,
Madara's glare made her flinch as his killing intent flared bringing all the guards to their knees and the council to grip their chairs firmly.
"Someone will..." promised the boy,
"ENOUGH!"
Tajima's commanding voice stopped the commotion instantly as even Madara lowered his sword on seeing his father stand up from his chair.
Proud. Tall. Commanding.
"I will not execute Naruto" declared Tajima, drawing shocked gasps followed by heated glares from everyone.
"But-'' protested Hotaru,
"Out"
Madara smirked viciously when the gobsmacked woman stared at his cold father in shock which only made Tajima glare harder at her.
"You are removed from this council. Your family debarred for ten years from contesting your seat!" declared Tajima,
Naruto stared in shock, he had known his father was powerful but this was the first time he saw the man in action. Hotaru Uchiha actually bowed respectfully before walking out hastily, that seemed to make the rest of the council submit to the commanding leader.
And when the same man glanced back at him with those intimidating eyes, Naruto involuntarily stood a little straighter.
"I know what he did but you forget he has the Sharingan and is one of our most powerful fighters. He and Madara helped us win that important battle against the Senjus, our enemies fear us again because we have the Sharingan. More importantly, he is my son" said Tajima coldly,
Many of the people lost some of their anger on realizing the power Naruto held. Killing him was easy, but it would harm the clan because for all his crimes he was a dangerous fighter. Even more so, with his sharingan.
"Maybe you're right, Tajima-sama. And while we still don't know why he killed his own people, we know he is just a new adult. And am I right in assuming Madara is against this decision?" asked Yamashiro Uchiha, father of Itachi Uchiha and one of the more influencing members of the council.
"You kill my brother or even try to harm him, then not only will I kill the fools who try such madness but I will leave this clan forever" promised Madara without hesitation,
Naruto was too stunned by what his brother just said and that did it, for the the entire council instantly panicked for Madara was one of their most powerful fighters. In future, he had the potential to become the strongest and capable enough to butcher the Senju and all their enemies single handedly.
While killing Naruto would be a blow, losing Madara would be devastating and cast their clan's future in darkness.
And these men and women knew that.
It was then Naori chose a different approach then the one taken by her brother and nephew.
"I personally apologize for what Naruto has done but he is still a boy and we still don't know if someone influenced him to do such a thing. It could be our enemies..." suggested Naori,
"I find that hard to believe.." commented an elder skeptically, staring at Naruto harshly.
"Whatever the case, I will not execute my son. But nor will I let his crimes go unpunished..." declared Tajima, which finally seemed to calm down the council.
Madara was about to protest when he felt Naruto gently grabbing his hand, when he looked at the brown haired boy his brother shook his head silencing Madara.
"Naruto Uchiha..."
The said boy stepped forward and met his father's eyes.
"For your crimes, I denounce you"
Madara's eyes widened in horror at his father's decision.
"I strip you off from my family and as my heir after Madara"
Even the council members and the elders seemed shocked at the decision as they stared at father and son.
"And banish you from all our lands and hometown for ten years"
Naori lowered her gaze as she knew the last part would be the harshest.
"I forbid you from marrying, from having children, from owning any lands. From this day forth you shall serve as Naori's bodyguard protecting her on clan missions. Should your behavior and actions be found redeeming after ten years, I or the next clan head will contemplate bringing you back amongst us. But you shall never have a family for all the ones you destroyed with your actions"
Heavy silence descended within the room broken by the trembling of Madara's hands as he gripped his sword tightly waiting for a single cry of help from his brother.
For this sentence was worse than death.
It was a curse aimed to turn a man's life into a living hell.
But even as his anger boiled over, Madara watched most people in the room seemed quite satisfied with the judgement for they now understood that killing Naruto was indeed a merciful action which would never heal their wounds.
But this...
It would make the boy suffer every day of his life. His every moment a living hell...
And despite it all, he would still be remain an Uchiha ready to be used for their clan's purposes.
Madara walked towards his brother and grasped his shoulders making the young boy look at him.
"You don't have to do this..."
"I do" answered Naruto sadly,
"Why? They don't deserve your loyalty..." said Madara fiercely, earning a nod from his brother.
"I am not doing this for them" confessed Naruto,
"Then why?"
"For Izuna. For our brothers who died so that this clan could live and flourish. I promised them that I would protect what they gave their lives for no matter what happened. And I will keep my word" said Naruto seriously,
Madara was proud and heartbroken at the same time at his brother's decision.
"But the pain..." said Madara sadly, receiving a forced smile from Naruto.
"As long as I have you, I don't need anything else"
A lone tear fell from Madara's eyes as Naruto stepped forward and knelt before their father.
"I accept"
As he said those faithful words, in his heart the young boy knew his life would never be the same.
(Two Weeks Later)
Naruto stared at the lake in front of his family home, a place he had known his entire life, where most of his happy as well as sad memories were made.
He looked at the training yard and the small forest surrounding the mansion where he and his brothers used to train together.
He looked at a lot of things each with specific memories attached to them.
Currently wearing his clan gear, he was ready to depart from his only home for a very long time. Perhaps forever if he couldn't manage to survive until it was time to come back.
If such a time ever came...
He touched his cheek to find it covered in a dark facemask courtesy of avoiding the glares and jibes being thrown at him all the time after the judgement given on him. The initial few days had been chaotic, while many were satisfied with the lenient yet cruel decision, there were few who still demanded his head.
Fortunately for them, the elder's watchful eye and Madara's threat of slaughtering entire families of those who dared to attack his little brother kept those people at bay.
But it never kept at bay those hushed whispers, those heated glares, or the term forever attached to him.
One that shall never disappear even after he died.
Kinslayer.
Unlike what his clan or even his own family thought, he didn't commit those murders out of madness or manipulation. Nor did he willingly accept the judgement to save his own life or continue to be loyal to the clan only for the sake of his dead brother's.
He did it because it was his duty.
For in this world of never ending war, he would not find any family except for the one he was born in.
Yet it was not easy to deal with that name attached to him, to stare back at those accusatory eyes, to bear those whispered curses. It was why he had taken this mask in order to hide his smile for whenever anyone called him Kinslayer, he smiled.
For he knew why he did what he had to, fully aware of the consequences that would follow. And he didn't regret it even if it costed him everything in his life.
But his smile would send the wrong message which would only increase the attacks on him, and while he could defeat most of his assailants even he had his limits. Besides, his family was already in enough trouble and there was no need for him to add further to them.
He was disrupted from his thoughts when he felt another person step beside him.
"You're ready?"
He looked at his tall father and saw that his usual stony look was replaced by something he couldn't understand.
"Yes. We leave at midnight as per Naori-sama's decision. It is better this way, less fools to entertain" japed Naruto with a mocking smile, but it faltered when Tajima stared at him sadly.
"When you hear them whispering Kinslayer behind your back? Doesn't it bother you?"
The older Uchiha watched as his son stared at the lake with such hardness in his eyes that should never be there in someone so young.
"Of course, it bothers me. But I will deal with it..." he answered defiantly,
"For what it's worth, I'm sorr-"
Tajima stopped instantly when the murderous glare rained down on him,
"Do not mock my duty, Father!" warned Naruto,
Tajima nodded looking the young boy right in the eye.
"You proved me wrong, you know"
Naruto blinked at those words and couldn't hide his surprise as he stared at his father who looked down at him almost with a caring look.
"How?"
"I always thought you the weakest among all my sons. You were soft and didn't have the talent for fighting. But when it truly mattered you stood up for the clan, your family, your brothers, and even me. You sacrificed your honor for all of us" said Tajima painfully,
"Father, I..." said Naruto hesitantly, not able to believe that he actually saw his Father, his bloody cold old man on the verge of tears.
"Madara might be more stronger than you but you have a strength that he might never have. You're so much like your mother in that manner..." revealed Tajima, as Naruto's eyes lowered.
"Look where that got her..."
He looked up when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder.
"She never regretted giving you life. She gave you your name, wished you the best in life, and finally died with a smile on her face holding your tiny form in her arms"
The boy's hands were trembling even as Tajima continued.
"Mothers are powerful, son. Even dead she lives on in you, gave you her kindness and strength, made you strong enough to overcome all the challenges that came your way and those that will come in the future. She gave you everything that I never gave you, and yet what you did for me is something I will never forget" expressed Tajima honestly,
"You gave me life, Father..."
Tajima looked away from those powerful eyes that were so much like his dead wife's as a lone tear fell from his eyes. It took him a while but he managed to get himself under control and turned back towards his son.
He surprised the boy by presenting him a longsword with flames engraved on its steel and the hilt containing the symbol of a dragon.
Naruto was left speechless.
"I can't accept this. It's not my right..." said Naruto fiercely,
"This ancestral sword was given to me by my father, and to him by his father before him and so on. My father while giving me this sword told me that it is not a weapon to slay your enemies alone. But a symbol, an oath that you take of protecting the clan from all enemies no matter who they are. A promise that you shall be just and fair to your people. Every Uchiha Clan leader passes this heirloom down to the one who can lead the clan towards a better future" explained Tajima patiently,
"I am no longer your heir, Father. It's Madara's by right..." argued Naruto, as he never wanted to take something that rightfully belonged to a brother who fought for him so fiercely against everyone.
"Madara will hold this clan together with his power but he lacks vision. But you are different and I entrust this to you with the hope that you will find a better future for our clan. Besides, Madara hates swords" said Tajima with a faint smile,
Naruto blinked owlishly causing his father's eyebrows to twitch in annoyance.
"Did you just joke?" asked Naruto in disbelief,
"I shouldn't?" questioned Tajima flatly, causing Naruto to struggle for an answer.
"I..."
Tajima smirked earning an accusatory finger from his son.
"You did that on purpose!"
And then they both laughed for perhaps the first time together in their entire lives as Tajima hesitantly ruffled those brown locks that were the same as Hikari's.
"Do what your aunt says and try not to give her too much trouble. And if I hear even a whisper of you visiting whorehouses or bars disgracing the family name, I'll make you an eunuch" promised Tajima darkly, but again it only earned an eye roll from the boy.
"As if Kinslayer wasn't enough..." muttered Naruto,
"What was that?"
"Nothing"
Tajima sighed.
"I say this because women and alcohol are a shinobi's greatest weakness. You cannot be a warrior if any of your senses are distracted in any manner. I see great potential in you, don't waste it away" advised Tajima,
"Hai"
"And try not to fall in love or some other foolish notion, I will not allow such a thing..." warned Tajima,
"Father, you did just forbid me from marrying or having a family. It will only be more painful if I commit an even bigger folly knowing that I cannot change my fate" said Naruto tiredly,
The bop he received on the head nearly made his eyes pop out. The old man was strong.
"I say that because that will make it much difficult for me to find you a proper Uchiha girl"
Naruto stared.
And received another harder bop on the head.
"Did you really think I was going to sacrifice my heir, my son, his future for those fools despite knowing the truth? Let them cool over, your absence will accelerate the process as I and Madara try to make this incident become a distant memory. I'd suggest you do something great or extraordinary that benefits the clan immensely which will further help to bring you back among our people. It won't be easy but it is not impossible either..." explained Tajima honestly,
"But what if they don't change their minds even then?" asked Naruto hesitantly, still trying to get over his surprise at what his father just said.
Tajima scoffed.
"A dragon doesn't concern himself with the opinion of sheep. Most of the time..." added the Father with a grin,
"You're funny like me..." said Naruto with a smile, as a smug smirk appeared on Tajima's lips which made him look much younger.
"You didn't get all good things just from your mother alone..." scolded Tajima, but without the usual heat present in his tone.
When Tajima presented the sword, Naruto accepted it respectfully and saw the man smiling proudly.
"I will make this right, son. My only regret is that it took things to go this south to make me understand you..." confessed Tajima, quite ashamed of his earlier treatment of his son all these years. His pain over the loss of his wife made him blind to the diamond she had left behind.
And even if the entire clan today spat upon his son, Tajima was proud of him.
"Better late than never, Father..."
The boy offered his hand with a roguish grin and a kind look in his eyes lacking any accusation for all Tajima had put him through. It only made the older Uchiha feel more guilty as he knelt down and hugged the boy who stiffened, having never experienced such affection from his Father.
And he said those words that Uchiha Naruto had yearned for all these years.
"I'm proud of you, my son"
Once he had walked these streets oblivious to the people around him. Most never recognized him, the few who did usually never bothered to greet him for his own family had shown no interest in him back then. But when he won the battle against the Senju's awakening the sharingan, everyone respected him overnight.
As needy as it sounded, he had enjoyed that attention.
Even now he still garnered the same attention.
But where once there had been respect and pride behind that was now replaced by scorn and utter loathing in those eyes.
They all hated him.
Kinslayer.
He could hear the whispers no matter how low they all spoke. They didn't say anything and only glared when he was in front of them but as soon as his back was turned, they whispered.
And he smiled walking even more tall and proud which only seemed to infuriate his fellow clansmen.
As he looked into their hateful eyes those haunting words came back in his heart.
The ones he had heard on that night, the ones that made him raise his sword killing everyone of his clansmen in sight.
The same words that led to him becoming what he was, that led to all these people judging him as if he was the worst shit ever to be born in this noble clan.
But he reminded himself that this was his choice.
And now he had to bear it.
One of the older woman spat at his feet receiving a mocking bow in return from him, a middle aged man gave him the finger earning the same gesture from him.
A child younger than him threw a small pebble at him which he easily avoided and stared at the gathered mass of people with amusement shining in his eyes.
"Is that all? I would think the blood of the dragon are more capable than that..." teased Naruto,
He smirked when everyone of them flinched and glared harder at him.
Yet they parted away clearing a path that led towards the gates of their town. If one thing was certain about his clan was the fact that they all followed orders and believed firmly in obeying those above their station. Even if those orders were not to their liking.
It was those orders that allowed him to walk in these streets and not be mauled to death.
But that fate would have been much kinder and quicker than the utter loathing in the eyes of his people.
There was a time when he had many followers and people who looked up to him. But now they were all gone...
And as he walked through the streets leading towards the path outside their town...
He felt so alone.
When those pair of demonic eyes opened again he had expected a lot of things but to his utter surprise, it was sadness that he saw in the beast's eyes.
"Kinslayer..."
Naruto bristled at that name having not expected even the fox to call him that, much less even know what happened that led to him being disgraced.
The beast must have read his mind as he easily answered.
"These ears of mine can hear far and wide. Do you think I could keep an eye on your clan from here if I didn't know what was going on?" asked Kurama amusedly,
"Then you know what happened..."
The fox nodded and saw the boy shrug his shoulders.
"Go on. Mock me then, I don't mind..." said Naruto carelessly,
The fox stared at him.
"Is that what you want?" asked the beast, with surprising calm and saw the boy shake his head.
"It doesn't matter what I want..."
"It matters to me"
Naruto stared into those eyes searching for any sign of pity or lies, but found none as Kurama stared back at him.
"Why?"
"Because I know the truth...'' whispered Kurama, and saw the boy glare at him.
"You will never say another word about that!" warned Naruto, and even more surprisingly earned a nod from the beast.
"You remind me of a boy I once knew before he changed and became someone I could never recognize..." said Kurama reminiscently,
"Who?" asked Naruto,
Silence was his answer and he was not surprised for the beast was just like that having a lot of secrets, and he had to admit it made him wonder more.
Kurama watched as Naruto took out atleast a dozen scrolls from his various pouches and opened them to reveal another river of food.
When he stared at the boy, he shrugged.
"Thought we might share one last meal before I leave..." said Naruto hopefully,
"I don't have any need to eat..." reminded Kurama, as the boy rolled his eyes impatiently.
"Humor me, Papa Bear..." teased the boy,
"I'm the Great Fox, Kinslayer!" reprimanded Kurama, earning a loud chuckle from the insolent brat.
"Whatever..." replied Naruto with a grin, making Kurama sigh.
They both silently dug into their meals until halfway through they both froze and their cold eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Kurama was impressed when in one swift move Naruto unleashed his new sword wielding it with such mastery as if it was a part of his body as his Sharingan came alive.
The fox himself got back on all four legs towering over the boy as both of them prepared themselves.
"We've got company!''