Mothers Wrath

1

Naruto didn't care about his pain, but his mother's pain was greater. For her sake, he had been forced to grow. Because of his mother's pain, Naruto has learned to hate two things: the Uchiha who started it by extracting the Kyuubi from his mother and the ignorant monkeys that paraded in the village wearing the masks of humans.

There were so many days that Naruto stood at the Hokage Monument, just to stare down at the village that reeked of hatred. He could now even curse from A to Z. No matter how many times he looked at this forsaken village, and asked himself, was his and his mother's pain worth saving these fools? The answer was always no. He could be used as a pawn for all he cared, but his mother? She was too precious to suffer the torment Minato's choice has made her go through.

Itachi flashed beside Naruto at the Hokage Monument: the blond was wearing short dark blue pants, a red shirt with the Uzumaki swirl printed on the front in white; he also wore dark blue shinobi boots, coupled with bandages around his wrists. His hair stood in all its spiky blond, cerulean blue eyes, and the whisker marks. The last piece was an impassive mask that the Uchiha was positive his mother has only seen on a few occasions, despite the mask being forever present.

The genius Uchiha took off his Anbu mask, before looking down on the village. The past years haven't been easy, to the Uchiha and the Uzumaki. When Kushina confirmed that it had been indeed an Uchiha who extracated the Kyuubi from her, his clan had been dealt a major blow. No one trusted them anymore. They blamed them for the attack. For the Uzumaki, Naruto held the Bijuu, much worse when it became public that Kushina had held the Bijuu as well.

How long has it been? He thought things would change over the years. But the waters do not seem like they are going to dry up any time soon. The only thing that made him smile were that the main suspects, Uchiha and Uzumaki have always stuck together, no matter what.

Itachi glanced at the seven year old beside him: he respected Shisui, but there was no one he respected more than this boy. He may dislike the boys obvious 'no love' for the villagers, but the blond had the will of a war hardened shinobi. Itachi has never seen the blond cry, he has never seen him look weak and vulnerable, despite the fact that each street in Konoha was a curse to him.

The villagers may play ball with him, they may roast him under the lights of the stars on the 10th of october, they may drag him through the very pits of hell, but Naruto always came up without tears, he always came up looking strong, with a mask of defiance and impassiveness. He was just seven, a Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, the most hated person a Konoha; has been insulted every day of his life from A to Z, but Itachi has never seen him shed tears.

''My mother has cried enough,'' It was the response Itachi got from the blond when he questioned. To Naruto, his mother's tears were enough, there was no need for him to waste his tears as well.

His little brother was spoiled, a baby, he was no Naruto. The blond had yet to kill, but Itachi had no doubt that he wouldn't flinch if someone got killed before his very eyes. How he wished his foolish little brother was strong as this boy. Perhaps it was because Sasuke was sheltered, he had everything he needed. Naruto had to fight lions in order to feed. The blond had nothing, but fought for everything he had.

Itachi respected that. He may have graduated from the academy at 7, but he was no Naruto. His younger brother was already in the academy, and the blond had yet to join, but he was still no Naruto. There was no one like him. He and Naruto shared something: they were willing to do anything possible and impossible to protect what they loved. What exactly... That was a story for another day.