Chapter-3

Naruto observed the vast town built by his ancestors. It was so huge, so many lights and with so many people trying to sell so many pretty things. He was so enraptured with the sight of new toys in a nearby shop but he then remembered Father telling them Uchiha played with swords not wooden horses.

Still Izuna saw him staring at the wooden horse and bought it for him. For that gesture, he happily kissed his brother's cheek earning a laugh from his favorite brother.

Naruto felt happy whenever he was with him. Izuna never scolded him, okay maybe when he tried to sneak out at midnight outside the city walls. Those were the only times his brother had been furious with him warning that the world was dangerous, especially for an Uchiha.


Naruto didn't know why Izuna said that but he obeyed his brother. Yashiro and Inabi were always mean to him, making fun of him, even trying to hit him whenever they could. Madara would put a stop to that whenever he noticed, but his eldest brother never talked with him much. And it hurt.


"Nii-san, does Madara-nii hate me?"

Izuna stared at him in surprise even as he continued taking them towards the infirmary to heal Naruto's burned lips.

"No. Madara is...busy. He is the heir to our House, our future leader. He just has a lot of stuff to do" said Izuna hesitantly,

"He talks with Yashiro and Inabi but not with me. I don't like him" said Naruto, his cheeks puffing red with anger.

"Naru..."

"No! I have you, I don't need him. Or stupid Yashi-chan or Ina-baka!"

Izuna chuckled a little at his brother's silly statement. At times he had to remind himself Naruto was still a child and yet to grow up. He was yet to see the battlefield, something all his brothers had already done so in varied fashions.


Madara and Izuna had fought on the front lines, even Yashiro and Inabi had fought under their Father's guidance.

Naruto was the youngest and as much as Izuna hated to accept he was not much strong. Maybe he would be if Father and Madara gave him a chance, but that was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Their family had never been the same after Mother died.

Izuna loved all his brothers. He respected Madara, looked after Yashiro and Inabi, but most of all he doted on his baby brother Naruto. People said he looked like mother and Izuna wanted to believe that mother would like it if he looked after her youngest son.

He finally managed to get Naruto to the infirmary and summoned a medic to heal his wounds. His brother was given instant attention for they were the sons of their House's leader.


Naruto was so happy playing with his wooden horse as the medic finished healing his burns and applied salve alongwith bandage. She even gave the young boy some toffees earning a broad smile from the brown haired boy.

"Should we go for Ramen?" asked Izuna,

"YES!"

Izuna smacked his forehead when his kid brother ran out of the infirmary making two nurses lose their balance and fall on their butts. He apologized on his brother's behalf and ran after him...

"Not so fast!" warned Izuna,

His warning was received a little late as Naruto bumped into some guards out for patrol. They were about to scold him but then noticed who he was and gave him scorned looks. Even those vanished when Izuna approached and glared at them.

Izuna smirked when the guards flinched on seeing him, apologized to his brother and ran off.

They know their place.

Still, he went forward and bumped his brother lightly on the head making him scowl.

"Hey!"

''Watch where you go, baby brother!" admonished Izuna,

Naruto huffed and placed his hands across his chest sitting flat on his ass in the middle of the street. Izuna saw many ladies and girls swoon over the young boy and men giving him disapproving looks for such childish behavior.

Izuna poked his forehead.

"Let's race, then!" he said uncaring about the disapproving looks from the Uchiha men.

Naruto's smile could have brightened an entire city.


Madara found his two brothers chatting and eating in the ramen stand. Well, it was Naruto gulping down his third bowl of ramen with Izuna watching him fondly.

As he watched those two interact, Madara couldn't help but feel but a twinge of jealousy. He and Izuna were close as brothers, but the bond which Izuna shared with Naruto was something else.

Madara didn't know what to feel towards his youngest brother. He was family, but Madara still had hazy memories of the day their mother died while giving birth to Naruto. He could still remember her asking him and Izuna, her eldest sons to look after her remaining children.


And Madara had tried to fulfill her wish. He had looked after Yashiro and Inabi in life and war, but he was not there for Naruto.

Maybe it was how similar he looked to their mother or how innocent he was compared to their hard hearted clan. Madara didn't know how to interact with the boy, he didn't want to be cruel to him like Yashiro and Inabi but he was not much enthusiastic to be close either.

But one thing was sure, Naruto was an Uchiha and his brother. And Madara would protect him from any harm, he just didn't know how to talk with this child. He was not Izuna.

With a sigh, he decided to do what he was told to.

"Izuna"

His second brother turned towards him in surprise as Madara entered the ramen stand. Naruto paled and instantly buried his head in his half empty ramen bowl. Madara let him be.

"Come join us, Nii-san" invited Izuna with a smile,

"Father wants you to accompany him to 

a meeting with the elders" informed Madara,

"Okay, just let me drop Naru home and-"

Madara shook his head.

"Now. And don't argue because you know you cannot. Go, I'll take him home" offered Madara, and saw Izuna was not comfortable with the idea but when father said something, you do it without any questions.

Izuna nodded.


Madara could see Naruto wanted to bolt as well but Izuna whispered something to him that made the boy nod. Before leaving, the second son of Tajima turned towards his eldest.

"Try to talk with him, Madara. He is our brother..." suggested Izuna kindly,

"Izuna..."

"Takashi died two days ago on a mission. He was just six, brother"

"What is your point?" asked Madara sharply,

"Life is too short for regrets, Nii-san"


Madara was stunned and stood still even as his brother left. Izuna sometimes said things like this that showed his true intellect beyond his age. It made the eldest son of Tajima look at his youngest sibling for a long moment.

With another sigh, Madara grabbed a seat beside the boy. Despite having an age difference of barely 3 years, Madara felt as if they were ages apart. The two of them were so different.

Still, he had to try for Izuna's sake atleast.

"Heard you got injured during training?" asked Madara in a calm manner,

"Yes, Nii-san. Just a little"

Madara flinched on hearing the fear in the boy's voice. Had he terrified the boy that much?

"How goes your shuriken training?" asked Madara, and this time the boy beamed.

"Very good. I can hit three targets right in the center at once" replied Naruto excitedly,

Madara grinned a little. Maybe his brother had some hope, after all.

"Would you like to show me when we reach home? I'm free for the rest of the day.." suggested Madara,

"I..."

He could see the boy was nervous and decided to make him a little relaxed.

"If you prove what you say. I will teach you one jutsu"


Madara paled on seeing the hungry look that arrived in Naruto's excited eyes. He wanted to learn from his eldest brother whom people called a prodigy, had yearned for it for so long that it made Madara sad.

"I'll do it. Then you'll teach me a cool jutsu?" asked the boy,

"Yes"

Before he could say anything, Naruto slammed the money for the food Izuna had left on the counter and dashed out. Madara banged his head against the table, how could he forget the little rascal liked to run a lot at every chance.

He ran after his brother.