Prologue



"And how did all of this happen?" Tsunade sighed deeply at sight of the young boy in front of her.

It was quite crowded in the Hokage's office that morning not to mention that the Godaime was quite pissed because her nap has been interrupted rudely by her assistant who woke her up to announce the arrival of team 10 (1). She stared at the three ninja's in front of her which still had their masks on and their hands crossed at their chests. Only the one in the middle, the one with a white cap (2) at the back of his head was stretching his hands in front holding a small blonde boy wrapped in the black cloth of an ANBU uniform and which in very failing attempts struggled to get out of that grip.

Shizune giggled loudly at the small boy making him laugh too but after her master sent her a deadly look she remained silent.

"I'm listening." She said and took a sit in her chair but not after pouring sake in a glass just for her.
The one with the white cap, the captain paced forward and freeing his right hand, he rose the mask up revealing his face. Black eyes glared intensely in honey ones as he tried to calm down the boy from his arms. The child was pain, he could admit that loudly.

"Well, Hokage-sama." Sasuke spoke. "During this retrieval mission in the Land of Waves in which we had to take back an important scroll along with the rest of the team 10 we encountered some difficulties which made our mission go not so well." He said.

"What difficulties?" the Godaime asked.

Sasuke stopped talking as his hair got caught in the fists of the blonde boy from his arms and tried to make him let go.

"If may I continue..." another one of the teammates which had and eagle mask coughed. Tsunade turned to him and made a sign to continue but after she gave a knowing look to her assistant. Shizune walked towards the troubled raven and tried to help him. The boy didn't want to let go that easily!


His teammate rose the mask up and revealed his face along with his white pupiless eyes. Hyuuga Neji was rather calm with this entire tense atmosphere which filled the whole room but he still sent a worrying look in the direction of his captain.

"During our journey towards home... there have been some argues between captain and Uzumaki." He said and watched how Shizune finally made Naruto let go of the raven's hair and how the small boy was laying peacefully in her arms at the moment. Sasuke couldn't stop glaring at the boy which was a devil in a real form. But still he kept his calmness and turned to the Hokage slightly relieved that he escaped from that pest.

"And what about those argues?" Tsunade twitched that no one was telling the whole story. "I really don't believe that those turned Naruto in a kid." She said.

"Not exactly." Neji sighed. "Because their argue reached a higher level of... yelling, our location has been compromised and we have been assaulted." He continued.

"By who?" Tsunade asked, her forehead deepening into a frown.

"We don't know exactly. We haven't seen the attacker." Sai said after he removed his mask too. Sasuke crossed his arms and waited patiently for the Hokage to give finally the order and leave that place faster and go home. It had been tiring all the way back with the kid's whining and crying. His ears remembering each sound very well. He just wanted the Godaime to make the appropriate hand signs to turn Naruto back and leave that place as soon as possible.

"We just heard an incantation in a different language and a flash which hit him directly in the chest transforming him in the way he is now." Neji said.

Tsunade sighed and sank in her chair massaging the area around the temples. She glanced at the small boy from her assistant's arms and smiled seeing him playing with Shizune and how much he laughed. What if the jutsu wasn't reversible? She frowned again, Tsunade couldn't let that happen, she had to find a way to bring Naruto back to his own self. Coughing to gather the other's attention, she turned to the remaining team 10. Shizune stopped laughing and so did Naruto.

"Since the jutsu is unknown and no one did see the hand signs, I shall try gathering information for it."

"Tsunade-sama, is there no way at the moment to turn Naruto back to the way he was?" Shizune asked shocked. The men also sent her surprised looks. The leader didn't know how to undo the jutsu?

"I'm afraid not." Tsuande sighed and rose up from her chair. She turned with her back at the other ninja's and stared through the glass of the wide window at the busy village from the building's feet."No one saw or heard correctly the incantation, so I can't figure out what jutsu it was." She added.

"What do you suggest that we should do?" Sasuke asked cockily. Tsunade let out another deep sigh and turned to them serious.

"Naruto... shall remain a child for the time being." She said.

*****

Sasuke walked along the streets of the village in quick steps. The bundle of cloth in his arms moved continuously and it let out annoyed sounds. The raven couldn't find any more curses for the Godaime.

"Sasuke, you will be the one to take care of Naruto until he turns back to normal. It's also a part of your fault too that things turned this way. You won't receive missions so take it as a vacation. The same goes for the rest of the team."

Damn that Hokage for sticking him up with the dumb blonde. A loud sound of whining reached his ears and people started to look suspicious at him. What the hell was wrong with that woman? Did she drink too much sake and couldn't think straight? He didn't know how to nurse a child moreover... it was Naruto, they have been talking about. Who knows what a troublemaker that kid will be?

"And under no any circumstances let this slip to the other villagers or ninja's of Konoha, understood? It's troublesome as it is, so what it's said in this room shall remain in this room. Got it? Let it slip and you'll face my wrath!"

Sasuke shuddered and continued to walk towards the Uchiha Compound. It was too bad that his teammate, Sakura couldn't help him at the moment. She had a maternity leave as she was pregnant in her seventh month with her third child. She sure wasn't wasting time, and so didn't even Lee.

Finally reaching a safe place, with no people around, Sasuke checked again to take one last precaution and put the bundle down. The bundle moved until it fell on his right, Sasuke finally took the cloth revealing a small boy which had a long black T-shirt but which covered all his naked parts. Naruto opened his eyes carefully, slowly peeking cautious and after he rub his eyes he finally noticed the raven. He rose his head higher almost making him fall on his back and glared at the tall man, all Sasuke could do was... to answer also with a glare.


They glared...






And glared...





And glared...




And glaaaaared...




Until... a huge sound filled the whole village. People covered their ears as the scream was unbearable and they started to run around frantically trying to get away from the hideous nightmare. Windows broke immediately scaring most of the villagers.

***

In the distance, at the Hokage Tower, Tsunade was sipping sake from her glass calmly. Hearing the loud cry she put the cup, which already had a creak on it, down. Sensing the storm which was due to happen, she made a grin.

"And that's only the beginning, Uchiha." She said and continued with her research.


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(1) Team 10: In this story, because the characters are all ANBU there won't be the original teams from the show. Becoming an ANBU is being put up with a team which is lead by a captain, not a sensei. ANBU is the next rank after a Jounin and it carries more dangerous missions and secret ones as well. They are the elite group protecting the Hokage also. In this story team 10 is consisted in: Sasuke-captain, Naruto, Neji, Sai and Sakura even if she has been absent because of her pregnancy. After it will be over she can go back to carrying on missions again.

(2) White cap: in an ANBU group, the person who wears it is the captain, the other shall wear black or grey ones according to their outfit. For example Sakura wears grey because she is a medical ninja and helps the group.

Ok, so Sasuke Uchiha mentally screamed but it wasn't as loud as the scream of the small boy. He grimaced upon hearing the cry and cursed the Godaime probably for the uncountable time that day. The blonde boy's cheeks were flooded with tears and out of instinct he brought his hands and started to rub his eyes. He also didn't even give a hint of giving up or ceasing to cry.



The raven sensed that people were going to arrive on this part of the village in any moment and that kind of attention he didn't want at this moment, not now with the small blonde. Sighing deeply to regain his usual calmness- Uchiha's don't lose their calm that easily- he tried reasonably and maybe successfully to make the boy stop.


"Shut the hell up(1)." He said sharply and determinately. He stared coldly at the young boy which fortunately did stop. The boy gave him a look too, his teary face turning into a pout, the bottom lip slowly trembling. Sasuke was about to sigh in relief that it was all over. But... it was only the silence before the storm because it ended with an even louder cry. Sasuke closed his eyes for a second, wishing to die just then as there was no way how to stop the kid.



"Quick, it's coming from over there." A voice yelled in the distance.


Sasuke heard it too and realizing that the villagers discovered the source of all yelling, he opened his eyes and tightening his grip around the bag which he was carrying and without a hesitation he grabbed the small boy and dashed through the gates of the compound. This is so stupid he told himself continuously while he covered the boy's mouth with one hand and with the other he held him.



They passed quickly in front of a wide gallery of big house which held the red/white fan symbol. The small boy, for unknown reason stopped from crying and he started even to giggle. Being carried while running it seemed like a nice ride for him and his hands were clapping, showing how excited he really was.



Not having anymore a reason to run, Sasuke stopped near a well and put the boy down. Naruto started to laugh and smile widely while jumping on his two small feet asking to be carried again. The raven understood what the boy meant and of course for him was a 'hell no' but he decided to stay silent and in exchange he leaned over the well catching his breath. He stared at the dark water, trying to put order in his thoughts as the boy came next to him and pulled by his pants to gather his attention. Annoyed already, Sasuke turned to the small boy but only to see him pouting and stretching his hands in air asking to be carried.



"Can you at least talk, dobe?" Sasuke asked and turned fully to the blonde looking at him curious. "According to the Hokage you're two years old, so you should at least be able to talk." He said and crouched to reach the younger boy's level. The boy's hands fell beside him and his face turned into a deeper pout but still no word came out of his mouth. Sasuke shook his head in defeat seeing that there was no way that the blonde would understand him since he didn't know how to talk.



"Great, not only that I have to take care of you, now I have to teach you how to talk." He said and straightened and grabbing the bag with the necessities which Tsunade gave him, he turned to continue his walk towards the main house leaving the boy behind.



"Nawruto want cawwry." (Naruto wants to be carried) a soft voice said slowly. The raven stopped surprised by what he heard and turned again to see the boy laying still next to the well but he had such a sad expression on his face it was heart-breaking but of course these insignificant things couldn't affect the almighty Uchiha. Naruto's hands were rubbing his teary eyes again and if Sasuke wouldn't do anything in the next moment, the small boy would start to cry again and that... would certainly affect his ears.



In fast movements, the raven reached beside the boy, grabbed him with one hand, threw him on his right shoulder and finally started to walk towards the house. At least he didn't have to worry that he would have to teach the boy from zero how to talk. The sound which reached his ears showed that the boy was happy again. Finally



In a few moments of continuously walking and turning corners of the maze of houses, they finally reached the biggest one. Naruto whimpered barely audible as his stomach started to hurt after being carried that much around. Climbing the three steps of wood, Sasuke reached at the door of his house and put the boy down. On the ground again, Naruto wobbled on his feet, barely keeping his balance and had to hug the raven's leg to not fall. Sasuke tried to shake his leg to make the small boy let go but that blonde acted like a leech! Giving up, he took his keys and slowly unlocked the door.



Walking inside with difficulty because of the small boy, Sasuke finally reached the hall.



"How about letting go now?" he asked hopefully that the blonde understood him. The boy blushed and held the leg tighter.



"No." he said simply and hid his face in the fabric of the pants.



"Oi, these are dirty." Sasuke said remembering himself that he still had his armor from the mission.



"Nuh, uh." Naruto shook his head and still kept his face hidden.



Rolling his eyes over and still holding the knob for support, Sasuke rose his leg higher from the ground. For his surprise, Naruto still held it tight so he rose the boy from the ground too.



"Why not?" he asked and shook his leg again at least to make the boy show his face or to let go.



"Sc-scawry." The boy said in a shaky voice. Sasuke rose an eyebrow and stared around at the big room.



"It's just a room, don't need to act like that." Sasuke said annoyed and lowered his leg down.



"Spooky." The boy said and finally peeked at the raven.



Sasuke twitched, the room was very illuminated as it was still day outside so the boy didn't have any reasons to act like that. But then again, he had to take care of that dumb little boy and also it was a house in which the boy has never been to. Sighing he stretched his right hand and switched on the lights thinking that probably it would have an effect.



"There, no more darkness." He said and grimaced not believing that he said those words nicely. Naruto peeked again and seeing that indeed those lights were on, he finally let go of the leg and taking precautions by looking to his left and right he made a few steps away.



"S'suke stinks." The boy looked up and grabbed his nose.



Sasuke nearly fell over but still he kept his composure and after he threw the keys on the table which was next to him he gave the boy a piercing glare.



"I know that I need a bath after a long mission." He said coldly and then made a pause. "And so do you." He copied the boy by grabbing his nose too. Naruto pouted and crossed his arms.



Satisfied that he annoyed the boy, Sasuke walked inside more in the house and went to the living room. The boy followed him closely and looked around almost breaking his neck as the house was indeed very big. And... very empty as they were the only ones there. Sasuke put the bag(4) on the table, and then he grabbed the scroll which was on it. He started to read it carefully as it requested some important information.



Sensing something hitting his left leg again, Sasuke looked down but only to see the small boy grabbing the pants. He sighed, not even one minute has passed since the boy let go, what was it now? The boy pulled even more to catch his attention.



"What?" he asked and put the scroll away. Seeing that Sasuke finally noticed him, Naruto sent him an exasperated look and grabbed the bottom region of his abdomen biting his lip and crossing his legs.



"S'suke, pee!" the boy barely could say. Sasuke twitched and putting his hands on his hips, he adopted a feminine figure.



"If you wear a diaper(2), good. If not, the bathroom is there, dobe." He said and pointed with his finger at an open door down the hall on the right.



Naruto gulped and stared at the door but he turned to Sasuke again. They continued to look at each other, Sasuke analyzing the situation and Naruto shaking his head 'no'. As it hit him, Sasuke's face turned into a shocked one.



"Oh hell no! I shall not be the one to potty train you!"(3)

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1. Shut the hell up: ^^; I know it's harsh but that was something Sasuke would normally say to Naruto as he still thinks Naruto an older one.
2. diaper: at two years, some of kids wear diapers some don't ^^
3. potty train: according to 2, after the kid gets rid of diapers he will normally learn how to do potty and eventually to use the toilet. xD
4. bag: Tsunade gave it to Sasuke, you'll see later what it contains.

The sun finally set down and the moon started to spread its rays over the sky of the night. Silence, shops from the main road closed due to no presence on the streets, people retreated in their homes in order to rest from a tiring day. But one house was an exception. And that was... the Uchiha's.


Big blue eyes gazed curious at the plate in front him. Gripping the spoon, Naruto poked carefully the 'thing' from the plate but only to make it move. He watched how the gelatin trembled and how it shone in the light and this it surely amazed him. After clapping his hands happily he started to poke the food again to watch how it moved on its free will again.


Across the table, Sasuke twitched in annoyance at the small kid which was playing with food. He sighed, nothing was getting better for him. First he has been taken as guilty for the whole transformation, then the kid has been given in his care, not to mention that the boy was really incapable of doing things straight and he always messed around with everything. Giving a glance at the broken dishes and glasses which were in the rubbish bin were a true example. Ok, that was an accident but the damn blonde didn't have to break a shelf along with those too! Taking care of Naruto was the last wish he would ask for in his whole life. Sasuke shuddered at this thought and continued to look at the boy.


So it was late in the night, after all, cleaning the kitchen of all those broken dishes took some time. They were having 'dinner' in the kitchen at a small table, Sasuke wasn't hungry but the blonde whined about wanting to eat something. So he just took the most edible thing he could find or make after 1 month of full absence away from the house. And that was... gelatin. Not too good on first try but what would you expect? Night, no open shops to buy groceries, you use what you have at hand.


"Don't play with your food." He growled from his place. It started to annoy him the boy didn't even touch the food, after all he was the one who asked for it. Naruto stopped for a moment and they entered again in a staring contest. These started to be very common, something usual as just from a single word they would start doing this thing. If someone wouldn't know better, he would say that Naruto inherited the Uchiha's habits and... glares. If the boy was going to cry then... well, with Sasuke.s rage, something not very pleased to hear would happen. Boy and man locked in a staring contest, blue on black, neither showing a hint of giving up. Nothing seemed too happen anytime soon but it was an exception.


It came...


It hit him...


The sticky and wet feeling of being hit in the face with gelatin. Sasuke felt how the sticky stuff started to slide down his straight serious face. Naruto started to laugh and to point at the raven happily, at least he was enjoying his time. Sasuke picked up a tissue and wiped the food from his face with a very unusual calmness. Of course, being an Uchiha that meant that under no circumstances he would pick up a fight with a small defenseless kid. And under no circumstances he would yell or lash at the boy. No... of course not. He was more mature than that.



"Why you little brat!" he started and got up on his feet very fast while throwing his fists on the table. "Scram!" he said in a cold tone which showed all the killing intent.



Naruto knew what was going to happen and not wasting any time he jumped from the chair and dashed through the door of the kitchen. Sasuke stared at the closed door and sighed satisfied that the blonde finally disappeared from his view. How annoying the kid could be.


Slowly, he picked the plates and put them in the sink. For a moment he gazed at the falling water and snapping out of thoughts he started to wash the plates using a sponge. Only after he finished doing the dishes, it struck him.


"Damn it, what if he gets in trouble?" he asked loudly and throwing the towel on the counter he ran through the door.


Running around the house was tiring and Sasuke started to realize that. It wasn't easy searching each room of the big mansion. 7 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 4 bathrooms, 1 spacious living room and not to mention the spare rooms, used for closet or deposit, or the mansard and the basement. Two floors plus courtyard, all of this made one big hell of a house.


The search continued without a stop, the sound of slamming a door would show that the blonde hasn't been found and Sasuke didn't know where the small boy could possibly be. Already midnight and the raven didn't make a break. Why would he? If something would happen to Naruto, he would be charged for it and another annoying punishment would expect him.


What if he went outside? What if he left the compound? Sasuke froze as he reached in front of a black door. Throwing the thoughts away from his head, he continued to look at the dark wood. He knew whose room was this and for unknown reasons it made him angrier. He didn't go in that room for a while now and suddenly memories from a past invaded his mind again. The man he hated the most used to live there, on the other side of this black door. Just because of that reason, since he came back from Orochimaru, he didn't lay a step on this wing of the mansion.


Sighing and shrugging as if he wanted to throw a burden off of his shoulders he turned around and started to run again. Finding the blonde was top priority now and also, the door was locked with key so the boy couldn't be there.


One in the morning, another hour passed and still, no sign of the blonde. Sasuke even went in the garden and searched, not at the pound, not between the trees, not anywhere. Naruto disappeared completely! Shit!


Checking the gate for the nth time, Sasuke sighed in relief as he saw that it was locked so the boy couldn't get out in the village. He was still there, but... where? The raven entered his house again, tired of the continuous search. Why did he have to lash at the boy? Now it was his fault that the boy couldn't be found. Throwing himself on the couch, he sighed deeply. He felt somehow bad for this, maybe he didn't have to be that harsh with the little boy. Massaging his temples he leaned forward.


"Fine. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Can you come out now?" he said loudly enough to be heard. He thought he imagined it, but did he hear a small sound? Was it a whimper? But why was it so close? Sasuke frowned and looked around the area, maybe the blonde was in the living room after all. He got up from the couch and made a step. "Come out now." It was a demand but he said it a little softly so the blonde wouldn't get scared again and run away.


Another whimper. Sasuke realized that it was indeed close and so he looked near him again.


His eyes went wide open as he finally noticed the small bundle which was lying on the couch. The bundle moved at that moment and Sasuke leaning forward, he grabbed the blanket, already prepared to yell at the small boy for making him worry. What, worry? Uchiha's don't worry, they just think about what will happen to themselves if their mission doesn't go too well. That's right, no sign of worry coming from the almighty Uchiha.


As he took the blanket, Sasuke remained shocked at the sight in front of him. There, on the couch, on the pillow, under a blanket, the small boy was... sleeping. Breathing slowly, and with a thumb gently placed in the mouth, Naruto didn't give a sign of waking up from dreamland. He looked cute there, whimpering and frowning a little as the room got noisy out of sudden, due to Sasuke's pleadings. Not pleadings, requests! Sasuke shook his head and snorted at the boy who caused him so much trouble. The boy frowned again and started to tremble, as it was a little chilly in the room.


Sasuke's face softened and gently, he covered the boy with the blanket again, tucking him in. Naruto gave an unconscious smile in his sleep and went back to dreaming. Really, how the small boy could make him lose his temper in an instant but just a smile and Sasuke would forget everything. He forgot his anger, all his bad words for the boy. He wanted to scold him for making him run like crazy in search for him and there he was. Sleeping without a care in the world. What a huge impact, a small beautiful smile would have.


After watching him for a little while and making sure that the blonde was sleeping well, Sasuke straightened. Giving one last look, he switched off the lights but he kept looking at the silhouette lying in the couch.


"You're really trouble." He whispered and smirked a little.