Chapter-2

Tajima Uchiha watched as a group of boys practiced their martial art exercises in the open green field. There were five of them, all wearing the same armour alongwith sharing another common trait.

They were blood brothers.

Tajima's Five sons.

Heirs to House Uchiha.

The proud father smiled on seeing his two eldest battling against each other in a deadly kenjutsu battle. Despite being only eight years and seven years old, Madara and Izuna were Taijma's pride.

Their house might have lost their famed sharingan and much of their dominance across the world. But it had not diminished the Uchiha's superiority in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and many others arts. They were proud warriors and their house still had enough numbers to continue their rightful war against the bloody Senju's.

Tajima smiled when Madara unleashed a fireball towards his younger brother which was countered by a similar attack from Izuna.

Madara was Tajima's first born and strongest son. He had inherited all of Tajima's strength and looks, he was a skilled warrior and worthy of leading the clan in the future. And unlike his younger brothers, he was not soft.

Izuna was the second son, seven of age, and successor of their House if Madara died. While not as strong as his brother, Izuna was loved by their clansmen. He was a good leader, efficient fighter and staunch supporter of all his brothers.

Tajima watched his third and fourth sons continue their shuriken practice together. The twins, Yashiro and Inabi looked identical and shared their father's looks. They were young boys of six years and were decent fighters. Although they were too arrogant for their own good, a trait which Tajima worried would harm them on the battlefield.

And there was his last and youngest son.

Tajima couldn't help but be pained on seeing the young boy. Brown of hair and the fair complexion, he was the spitting image of his mother and Tajima's deceased wife, Hikari Uchiha.

Naruto Uchiha, five of age, fifth and youngest of Tajima's sons was different from his elder brothers. It was not just the looks but what the boy represented that made him a pariah among his own family and the clan.

Hikari had died giving birth to the boy and given him his name. Tajima had loved his wife dearly and it had broken him when she died. He had tried to be a dutiful father to his five motherless sons alongwith playing the part of the Head of their ancient and noble house. A task made even more difficult with the Senju breathing down on their necks.

Naruto grew up to be his mother's image. Kind of heart and a happy child who adored his elder brothers even if most of them despised him blaming their mother's death on the child.

Tajima had himself remained indifferent to his youngest son and only provided him the basic needs. Naruto was not as strong as his brothers, or had the strong will necessary of an Uchiha. He loved too much, forgave too much, and most of the time was oblivious to the world around him.

Naruto would never be someone worthy and useful to the Clan. The only reason Tajima hadn't disowned him was because of the fact that he needed heirs in this treacherous world where children died and most of all because Hikari had made Tajima promise to look after the boy.

With Tajima indifferent to the boy, the clan also lost all interest and ignored Naruto Uchiha. He was nothing but a spare heir and a weakling.

The Strong Survive, The Weak Die.

Tajima frowned when Yashiro and Inabi mocked their youngest brother when he failed to produce a fireball and ended up coughing his lungs out.

"Bloody weakling!" spat Inabi distastefully,

Yashiro went forward to bonk his coughing brother only to have a shadow step in between. Looking up, the third son of Tajima saw his elder brother standing before him with a sharp look in his dark eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Izuna, and narrowed his eyes when Yashiro clenched his fists while glaring at a scared Naruto.

"Teaching him a lesson. He is a weakling and a disgrace to our clan. Can't even form a simple fireball jutsu" said Yashiro angrily, and flinched when Izuna gave him a cold look.

"He is our brother" reminded Izuna,

"He killed mother!" yelled Inabi furiously,

Izuna stepped forward making his two young brothers take a step back. Tajima was about to move to intervene, when Madara sighed and grabbed the two angry children by their collars.

"Come, I'll teach you a new jutsu beside the lake" proposed the eldest with a grin,

''Really? Nii-san?" asked both the excited boys with joy in their eyes. Madara was their hero after all.

"Yes. So go along now"

The two brothers cheered and ran towards the lake to learn something new from their prodigal brother completely ignoring their previous anger at their youngest sibling.

Madara saw Izuna was still seething in anger and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Izuna. They are kids..." advised Madara, only to receive a heated glare from his closest sibling.

"Naruto is our brother, Nii-san"

Madara saw the scared and whimpering boy staring at them. He didn't hate him like Yashiro and Inabi did, but he didn't love him as well. In this regard, Madara was just like his father with both of them tolerating Naruto but not doing anything more.

Izuna was the only one who cared for the boy and looked after him.

"Fine. But don't try to play favorites, Izuna. Yashiro and Inabi are our brothers as well" reminded Madara patiently,

"So is Naruto"

Madara sighed again, his brother was stubborn and would not relent.

"Very well"

With that Madara was gone to join his two brothers waiting for him by the lake. Furious Izuna turned towards their father and saw the man giving him a firm look.

"Do you have something to say, boy?" asked Tajima sternly, and watched the boy clench his fists shut.

"No, Father"

Izuna turned away from his father and marched towards his youngest brother. The young boy glanced at him with watery eyes and Izuna flinched on seeing the burned lips. Gods, was he so stubborn?

"Nii-san, can you teach me a jutsu, please?" asked the shy boy,

"You are injured" said Izuna hesitantly, and saw the boy flinch when he tried to touch his burned lips.

"No. I can fight. Just like you" proclaimed little Naruto with such confidence that broke Izuna's heart.

But the truth was Naruto couldn't perform ninjutsu well. Every Uchiha child had to perform a fireball jutsu as their Right of Passage into adulthood at the age of six. In a few weeks, the boy's birthday would come and he would be obligated to pass.

However, Naruto was struggling. He was less skilled and hard headed, which resulted into him getting injured most of the time.

But if he failed the Right of Passage, Izuna feared the boy would become even more hated among the clan for the Uchiha never tolerated the weak. The only reason Naruto even had a comfortable life was because he was the son of the clan head.

A despised son, but a son nonetheless.

"I'll teach you but tomorrow. Now we need to heal your injuries..." promised Izuna, but the brown haired boy shook his head.

"Now"

Izuna smirked at the boy's childish demand to learn when he looked ready to fall over from exhaustion. It was why Izuna loved his youngest brother, he was a stubborn fool but a person who never gave up. A child who was determined to prove himself despite no support from his blood family.

"Well, I can. But then I won't have time to treat you to Ramen" said Izuna with a hidden smile,

If possible the child seemed to have regained his lost energy as he literally jumped in the air. All excited and completely forgetting the cold treatment given to him by his other brothers.

"RAMEN!" yelled Naruto with a fist pumped in the air,

Izuna chuckled at the display feeling happy at seeing that smile. Naruto had that way about him, one smile from the boy could take away a day's worth of Izuna's fatigue.

So when he offered his back, Izuna's youngest brother happily jumped and grabbed his neck affectionately.

"You are the best, Nii-san!" yelled Naruto, nearly making Izuna go deaf. Gods, the boy was loud. How could an Uchiha be that?

Izuna watched their father staring at them with a strange look in his eyes. The second son of Tajima simply gave a respectful nod to the man before starting his walk towards the town happy to involve himself in the endless chattering of his youngest brother.