Okay, Naruto thought, taking a deep breath in order to stop himself from laughing at the sight of Duckbutt hairstyle of the boy.

“Sasuke-chan,” Mikoto immediately smiled at the sight of her second son. “Come here! We have guests, say hello to them.“ Sasuke slowly stepped into the room, his dark eyes darting between his parents, Lysander and Naruto.

Seeing the younger Uchiha's silence, Lysander smiled gently and greeted first. “Hello, Sasuke-kun, I am Lysander Ashford. Your parents' friend—“ He swept his hand to Naruto “—and this is my son, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto.“

“Uzumaki or Namikaze either is fine,” Naruto added in a low voice. “Saying both is a mouthful. Hello, Sasuke-kun.“ He nodded, looking at Sasuke with a small smile.

His entire face was alight in simplistic serenity as he stood, looked at the younger Uchiha.

Sasuke — after a long moment of silence — slowly answered with a bow. “I'm Uchiha Sasuke, it's a pleasure to meet you.“

Naruto glanced at his father, as if asking for permission, Lysander smiled at him and nodded slightly.

Taking the signal, Fugaku and Mikoto shared a look with each other and said to Sasuke.

“Sasuke-chan, why don't you show Naruto-kun around the house and play together?“ Mikoto suggested gently.

Sasuke looked at his smiling mother and stared at Naruto for a brief second before nodding as the blond stood up from the futon and walked towards the younger Uchiha with a smile.

As they made their way out of the room, the silence that settled between them was a rare and comforting one.

For a brief moment, Sasuke wished that his clan's name wouldn't matter to Naruto. But he knew better than to hope.

He had his hope dashed many times to know better.

Naruto tilted his head in amazement at the raven's stoic face. He smiled slightly as he looked at Sasuke.

“It's nice to meet you, Sasuke-kun!“ He grinned. “I'll be your guest for sometime after today.“

Sasuke looked at him in confusion, why had the blond completely ignored the fact that he was an Uchiha?

It wasn't as if Sasuke was expecting Naruto to fawn over him upon hearing his clan name, but someone being friendly to him despite ignoring his identity as an Uchiha was new to him.

Rather sluggishly, Sasuke nodded.

“My guest?“

Naruto hummed slightly. “Yes, something came up back home. So, Papa decided that it would be better for me to stay out of it. That's why, I'm here.“

“I see,” Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. “So, you will be staying with me?“

“Not just you but with your family,” Naruto informed as they walked through the hallways. “Wow, you home is pretty big.“

“Isn't yours?“

Naruto shook his head. “It is, but that's a different thing because my 'home' is the Parthenon. It is huge. But it isn't the typical home.“

“I see.“ Sasuke murmured, stopping at a door. “This is my room and that—” signalling with a nod at the room across his “—is my nii-san's room.“

As a matter-of-fact, Naruto noted that Sasuke's stoic voice held admiration at the mention of his older brother.

“You have a brother?“ Naruto asked, curious but also humouring the raven haired boy.

Sasuke nodded, his face showing rare happiness and enthusiasm.

“My nii-san is the strongest person I've seen!“ He smiled slightly. “He's very powerful and he's even an ANBU. He awakened his sharin—” Sasuke interrupted himself. “No, wait, I'm not supposed to tell you about that, sorry.“

Naruto shook his head. “No, you should keep it a secret.“

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to answer, a deep voice beat him to it.

“It's nothing,” Naruto abruptly turned around, pressing down his reflexive urge to throw a switch blade at the source. “Sharingan isn't exactly a secret,” the tall newcomer stated in a stoic voice.

The new arrival had a leaf patterned headband on his forehead and had long hair which were pulled into a low ponytail with a few strands of hair loosely framing his face. His eyes were dark — onyx just like Father's, Naruto realised — darker than Sasuke's, he was pale and had a handsome visage.

—Too handsome for a twelve years old.

“Nii-san!“ Sasuke greeted softly. Itachi nodded to him brother and shifted his focus on the unfamiliar blond beside him.

“Uchiha Itachi,” he dipped his head into a bow. “Pleased to meet you.“

Naruto smiled, his eyes closing at the action.

This nii-san of Sasuke was too good looking. Damn, envious!

“Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto,” he introduced himself. “Though I myself prefer Uzumaki.“ He added as an after thought.

Itachi nodded, his dark eyes assessing Naruto. The latter would have been disconcerted at the look had he not been used to receiving much more intense looks from the Olympians and other Greek gods.

“The pleasure is mine,” he reciprocated the bow a beat later. His hair rustling at the motion.

He wasn't about to cut them. Naruto brushed back his hair as he straightened up, the moment he looked up, his eyes collided with Itachi's.

The ANBU nin was immpecable in keeping his emotions in check, in keeping his face impassive, but in Naruto's eyes — who was used to observing even the slightest details — his eyes spoke more than anything else.

Naruto looked away, having no desire to pry into Sasuke's older brother whatsoever.

“Hey, Ita— oh, it's you, hello Sasuke-kun,” another boy, perhaps a year or two older than Itachi bounded towards them. He, too, was quite good looking as he flashed Sasuke a smile before noticing Naruto. “Hello, I don't think I've seen you here before.“

Naruto smiled, this one seemed easygoing as well as approachable enough.

“That is because I've just arrived here today. the blond stated lightly. The older boy nodded.

“Makes sense,” the boy nodded. “I'm Shisui by the way, Uchiha Shisui.“ Shisui flashed Naruto an easy grin.

For record, Naruto was liking him with each second that passed.

“I'm Naruto, Uzumaki or Namikaze either works for me,” he shrugged reintroducing himself with a smile. “And I'll be staying here for sometime.“

“That's nice to hear,” Shisui clapped his hands cheerfully. “Itachi might be my best friend but he doesn't like to talk that much but now i finally have someone to talk about my interests to!“

Naruto giggled, pressing a slender hand on his lips.

“I knew that the moment I saw them,” he admitted. “I am sure we will get along well, Shusui-san.“

Shisui grinned walking closer to Naruto as he bent down to whisper into his ears.

“I heard you lived in a foregien country?“ Naruto nodded, pretending to be secretive as he whispered back.

“Yes, I have a lot of stories to tell!“

Shisui grinned, glancing at Itachi and Sasuke before nodding.

“I have a lot of time and stories of those two.“

“You guys know that we are right here, right?“ Sasuke cut in grumpily.

Shisui moved away from Naruto. Sniffing pretentiously, he huffed. “Excuse me, I was making a new friend.“

Itachi would have rolled his eyes if it wasn't a polite thing to do. Sasuke pouted slightly — he would later vehemently deny the claim, but he did — as he retorted.

“But he's my friend, I met Naruto first!“

Shisui grinned slightly as he glanced at Naruto before answering. “In that case, Itachi is my brother because I met him before you, Sasuke-kun. Right, Itachi?“

Itachi did not answer. Standing in front of Naruto in silence.

The blond looked at the interaction with amusement evident in his cerulean eyes. Sasuke's momentary childishness was endearing to say the least.

But he was sure now. Shisui and him were going to get along well.

Receiving no answer from his best friend, the oldest of the bunch turned to Naruto.

“Right, Naruto?“ He asked again. Naruto, for his part, nodded firmly.

“Definitely.“ Sasuke gasped and looked his older brother for help.

“Nii-san!“ Itachi let out a sigh.

“Shisui, Naruto-kun.“

Naruto and Shisui shared a look before snickering.

“Sorry, sorry.“ Shisui waved his hands at the Uchiha brothers. Naruto, having stopped laughing a while back, asked Shisui what he wanted to know for a while now.

“Shisui-san is there a library here?“ He asked slowly, fiddling with the sleeves of his robes. Shisui looked at him questioningly.

“Yes, we do. Why do you ask? You want to go take a look?“

“Yeah, sort of,” Naruto smiled widely. “The Parthenon has a huge library and there are hundreds of thousands of books there!“

“Parthenon?“ Itachi asked, looking at Naruto as if he had his full attention.

Naruto nodded, “Yes, Itachi-san. My Papa is a priest so I've spent most of my life in the Parthenon.“

“I see,” Itachi nodded slightly, his eyes moving away from Naruto as he said. “I can show you the way to the library, Naruto-kun.“

Naruto perked up. “Oh, yes, thank you!“ He bowed quickly and followed after the Uchiha heir while waving a goodbye to Shisui and Sasuke.

Shisui watched his best friend and Naruto disappear through the hallway before turning to Sasuke.

“So, you made a new friend, aye?“ He asked, wiggling his eyebrows, a smirk dancing on his lips.

Sasuke puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms on his chest.

“Why, can't I?“ Sasuke huffed, his eyes looking at the place where Naruto stood just a moment ago.

Naruto gently ran his fingers on the thick tomes on the shelves, drinking in the sight of numerous books and scrolls, slightly drunk on the unique but familiar scent of dead trees.

“I know I'm not allowed to peek into some of these scrolls,” Naruto muttered to Itachi, running his fingers on his sleeves. “So, you should tell me which area is restricted for me, Itachi-san.“

When he turned to look at the older boy, he saw Itachi looking at him stoicly.

However, growing up around bunch of smartass and less than expressive priest assholes along with an extremely aloof — but doting — Father, Naruto could confidently say that he wasn't half bad in looking past frosty exteriors.

“What?“ He blurted out, pulling out a tome from the shelf. “Don't look at me with such curiosity, Itachi-san. I like books because I grew up with a habit of having them as a constant companion.“

Itachi's impossibly perfect eyebrows knitted together into a barest hint of what Naruto would call a frown.

Okay, so Naruto wasn't saying that he was a sucker for handsome face but that was exactly what he was saying.

His reverse-harem jutsu could testify his claim.

Cough, beside the point.

“Who said I was curious?“ Itachi asked, finally voicing his question.

Naruto shrugged as he stepped closer to the ANBU and pointed at the Uchiha's eyes.

“Your face might be like a frozen pond,” Naruto whispered, tracing his finger on the cover of the tome. He looked up, his cerulean eyes meeting onyx ones. “But your eyes are like raging waves of sea. They speak volumes. But don't worry—” the Jinchuuriki flashed him a smile “—It is just me who noticed, or so I think.“

For a moment, Itachi was silent as he contemplated the six year old's words.

“And how are you so proficient in it?“ Itachi asked faintly, his gaze never leaving the blond as the latter walked around the shelves.

“I have grown up while learning to read people like open books, Itachi-san.“

“Huge words for your age, Naruto-kun.“

Naruto shrugged. “You should try living with unimaginablely smart people gathered in one place after being hand-picked by their superior.“ He frowned trying to open a scroll. “How does this open?“

Itachi shook his head, resisting the urge to smile at the blond's behaviour. Gently, he took the scroll out of Naruto's hands and opened it slowly.

Handing the scroll back to the blond, he asked in genuine curiosity. “So, how is it? I mean living among those people?“

“Brutal,” Naruto huffed slightly. “It is a brutal competition to prove that you are the best. Though, my competition wasn't with them.“

Inclining his head slightly, the Uchiha echoed. “It wasn't?“

“No,” Naruto shook his head, taking a seat on a low couch, patting the space beside himself for Itachi to take as he read the scroll. “My competition wasn't with them rather with myself.“

Silence filled the gap between the conversation.

Generously, the Jinchuuriki spoke to fill it.

“Papa and Father both say that a human's true competition isn't anyone else but himself.“ Looking up from the scroll, Naruto smiled at Itachi. “Do you think so too, Itachi-san?“

“... Hn.“

Naruto-kun's smile was really beautiful and cute. Against his better judgement, Itachi found himself thinking.

Sorry guys, had exams. So couldn't post. You can read ahead on ao3 if you desire, but I'll post it here as well.

Did I tell you that I seem to love ItaNaru too much?

Did I tell you that MadaHashi and NejiNaru are swirling in the storm of my mind as well?

— Seamless Sky