Naruto 1. Warnings, Disclaimers and Pairings

**Alright. I wanted to put everything in one big chapter, so I didn't have to take up characters in my summary. **

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I do not own Naruto.**

**WARNINGS (Please read):**

**-I plan on making this a YAOI story, which means boyxboy. If I get flamed for being open minded and not minding gay couples, I will laugh at your foolishness. **

**-I also plan on having one straight couple.**

**-There will be language in this story, but nothing too bad.**

**-Characters may seem OOC in this fiction at some point, but I'm trying my best.**

**-I'm acting as my own beta. Sorry for any mistakes, it would be nice if someone could point them out.**

**-All flames will be fed to Natsu.**

**PAIRINGS:**

**Main:**

**-SasukexNaruto**

**Secondary (Important but not the focus of the story):**

**-ItachiXKonan**

**Side (Mentioned briefly or given a small part):**

**-KakashiXIruka**

**Hmm, that's all I can think of. Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy. OH! Also, this story is loosely based off of what I think should have happened in ****_Cinderella_****.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

**ReaderUmbreon (RU)**


	2. Chapter 1

Twelve hours.

Only twelve more wretched hours until he could finally, _finally _have his freedom.

This was the only reason, Naruto Uzumaki, "housekeeper" for his toxic keeper, Madara. No one would know, though. Most thought that the head of the Uchiha clan was a smart man but cynical man, though not evil. _Oh how I wish that it was actually true. _Naruto reflected grimly, as he scrubbed the dank floors in the wine cellar. The area was infested with rats and all kinds of creatures, including the many Uchiha cats that resided in the manner. The only reason it hadn't become a total cesspit was because of your's truly. True, Naruto didn't mind working at the manor. In fact, the place was lovely, albeit gloomy and run down. Ivy was creeping up the entire west side of the house, like a green curtain that had been closed halfway across a stage. Though the building was large, it was simplistic. The first floor was the lounge area, which had large double doors opening into a small ball room. The fancy but again, simplistic area melted into large kitchens, and a door disguised as a grandfather clock. Though sometimes difficult to get large barrels in and out, it was a masterpiece and Naruto loved it. Above the first floors were all the bed chambers. The most elegant (and overwhelming, at least to Naruto) where on the second floor. These were the guest suites. Above that, were Uchihas' rooms. Simply, elegant and comfortable, these were the practical decorations seem to be limited to the Uchiha fan. Above that was the attic, and within the attic the servant chambers. All in all, a wonderful place to work and live, even as a servant. No, it was Madara that Naruto despised.

Though he was only five, he still remembered the day Madara had bought him. Naruto never really knew who his parents were, and the fact that he was so young when they died made the incident all that worse. Apparently, his father was a hero in the small village of Konoha and his mother was his partner. The day after they both died, Kyuubi showed up. Naruto's uncle was a man of bad omen, or so the village deemed him. He had swept in, claiming Naruto as his own. He didn't remember much about the man, but the few things he did he wished he could forget. When Naruto was ten, Kyuubi had sold him to this monster and never looked back.

_Twelve hours. _He thought, trying to cage his rage. _Only twelve more hours in this rat hole._

Twelve more hours.

Only twelve more hours of his beautiful, wonderful freedom.

Sasuke Uchiha scowled. _How the hell has it come to this? _Sasuke used to be somewhat carefree, if his older brother was to be believed. The Uchiha clan was once a large, proud family, with ties all throughout the nation of Fire. However, the clan had suffered greatly when a terrible accident had killed both their parents, the-_former_, he reminded himself-head of the Uchihas. Then that _weasel _Madara had pushed in, claiming not only the head of the Uchiha clan but also his nephews Itachi and Sasuke also.

Which was the reason Sasuke was going for a long walk on their estate. One of the reasons Fugaku was a good leader was not only was he stern and commanding, but he could also be gentle, kind and wise too. Certainly, he had a distinctly different way of showing it, but that went for all Uchihas. His mother had been open minded. It was no secret to the two of them that Itachi and Sasuke did not want much to do with the formal and old fashioned ways of their clan. They knew that the two wanted to forge their own destiny.

Therefore, Fugaku had chosen to keep them on their estate in Konoha, close to the few people they respected, trusted and cared for, instead of shipping them off to be married to some ditsy girl in a far away kingdom.

Which was exactly what Madara was trying to do now.

He had forced them to move to a manor near the Fire capital. This place was run down, as it was virtually abandoned by the Uchihas. Konoha was the military capital. This was the political capital. The Uchihas were an elite military family. It wasn't hard to connect the dots. Itachi disliked it, and for once Sasuke had to agree with him. It broke his heart, to think that he would soon leave his brother, the only family he had left, the few friends he had made, and his personal instructor, Kakashi. Sasuke wouldn't never admit to it or show it, but he was deeply sorry for the older, masked man. Kakashi only had Iruka, an instructor back in the hidden village, not counting the youngest Uchiha. While Sasuke knew that Kakashi had an undying loyalty to the Uchihas, he also knew that with every moment the man was becoming more heartbroken. _In twelve hours, our hopes are crushed._

_Twelve hours until that damn dance._


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all that followed. It means a lot to me. **

Normal

_Thinking/Emphasis on word_

**If any parts are confusing, please tell me. I was not happy with how some of these parts came out, but I did my best.**

"Naruto!" Madara roared, striding down into the wine cellar. Naruto grimaced, then stood up from scrubbing the floor and slapped on a fake smile.

"Yes, Madara-sama?" The older man looked down on him with unhidden contempt and disgust.

"The royal ball is being held tonight." Madara narrowed his eyes. "As you know, my nephews will be attending. You are to be in your quarters at all times today.

"Hai, Madara-sama." The man's eyes lingered on him a moment more, then he spun on the spot and with a flourish of his cloak, left. Naruto sneered at his back. _Damn weasel. Of course, I know about your damn nephews. You managed to keep me out of the way for an entire week, out of their sight. You didn't want your "perfect Uchihas" to be tainted by a lowly servant, did you? _At this, Naruto openly snarled. Finally, he stood up. He made his way to the stairs and climbed up into the kitchens. _Maybe I can grab something to eat before I'm locked within my room for the rest of the day. _He crept further into the kitchen, then froze. _Shit. _

Itachi Uchiha was… well, Itachi wasn't sure how he felt. The situation was not desired by him, but he didn't utterly loathe it as his younger brother did. The prospect of being married off displeased him, but it would give him some of his power back. It would also put him into a good position to take over the Uchiha clan, hopefully soon. He knew that Konoha wouldn't object to Itachi taking over what once was one of their head clans, but Madara would never allow it. The oldest Uchiha puzzled over his problem as he silently slid opened the door to his room and slid down the hallway. Breakfast had not arrived yet today, so either it wasn't coming or the last servant somehow managed to run off.

The servants were yet another mystery, but Itachi suspected that Madara had ordered them to not come near either him or his younger brother. He was in the kitchen rummaging around for something to eat, when something caused him to look up. A young boy, obviously a servant, was standing in the doorway. He was dressed in plain clothes, and was slightly tanned. His shockingly bright yellow hair clashed with his blue eyes. What Itachi really noticed, however, was the boy's six whisker-like marks, three on either cheek. By the boy's expression, he had just noticed Itachi their. Silently, the servant fled. Itachi let him go. _Aha, so there are still servants here, at least one. _Smirking slightly, he glided back up to his room.

Naruto had fled back up to the spaces of the attic, heart pounding. The area was a mixture of storage and living space, and he had to pick his way around several large paintings and statues just to get to his room. There was no doubt that the man he saw in the kitchen was one of Madara's nephews. _No wonder he was in there, I didn't make them they're breakfast. _Naruto sighed, throwing one of his arms over his eyes. _Damn it, Naruto! You should have known that they would be heading to the kitchen to get something to eat. Because you didn't think ahead, you won't have a chance to eat for the rest of the day. _Naruto sighed, yet again. He debated on seeing if there was anything in the attic that was worth taking, but stealing did go his morals, even if it _was _from the Uchihas.

Sasuke stood in front of his uncle's approving gaze. He twitched slightly, he couldn't help it. Itachi, meanwhile, just stood silently beside him. He watched on silently as Madara put on one of the fakest smiles he had ever seen, then nodded to himself. "The time has come." Nodding once more, he turned to the main door. Pausing, he turned back. "Your family would have been proud."

Sasuke had to stop himself from strangling his uncle.

Naruto rode the small horse, some ways behind the carriage that contained the four remaining Uchihas. The dark forest loomed around them, but the night sky above them was clear and beautiful, as the stars started to pinprick the dark blue sky. Naruto knew the only reason he was coming on this trip was because he had some decent skills as a bodyguard and surprising stamina for his small frame. Naruto, reluctantly, mentally thanked Madara for teaching him how to ride. Even if it was for running messages and errands, it was still a useful skill. Naruto let a knowing smirk settle on his face. _It won't be much longer…_

Naruto had to admit, the grand palace of the Feudal lord, while not practical, was magnificent nonetheless. The palace rose above them, each and every window lit up and warm. Fountains, statues, and trees dotted the flowery lawn. As they pulled up into the carriage lane in front of the door, Naruto quickly dismounted his horse. The carriage driver was kind enough to hold onto the reins while Naruto opened the door and the three Uchihas glided out. Servants were directing the flow of people. As a well tailored, older servant showed the three into the grand area, and another directed the carriage to the area they were to wait until after the ball, a young boy came up to Naruto.

"The stables are over this way." Naruto merely nodded his thanks. He let a stable hand take his horse, then turned to join the other servants. They had all gathered in a small clearing within the trees, some ways away from the stables and other festivities.. It was an informal gathering, and servants were often called to help out, but the atmosphere had a cozy feel to it. The early summer weather was nice, the stars were out and some had even managed to bring instruments. _Well, this is nice. _Being a servant wasn't that bad, and Naruto was starting to have second thoughts about his plan. Glancing back towards the palace, though, he reminded himself why he was going to leave in the first place. _I'm not going to be your dog any longer, Madara._

The grandeur of the palace was lost on Sasuke. _It's completely impractical, and pointlessly expensive. _He glared at the place like it was his fault he was here. Suddenly, the door to the carriage swung open, courtesy of a young blond male. This was the first servant he had seen that belonged to Madara, as proved by the small Uchiha crest on his clothes. Sasuke, though, was sure that he detected some form of loathing in those sharp blue eyes, but before he could ponder it more, he was swept inside.

If Sasuke thought that the outside of the palace was extravagant, then he was almost overwhelmed by the inside. The rich, royal blue, green and silver carpet ran down a long hallway. The hallway was white, though you could hardly tell for the many paintings and tapestries hung around. Golden leaf lined the ceiling and floor, patterned into the country's symbol, a swirled pattern that represented a leaf. Suits of armor lined the hallway, but at intervals there were guards. The large ballroom was stylized in much the same way, but tables lined with refreshments took a decent space, along with the full orchestra.

"Well, Ototo," Itachi began, turning to him and smirking. "make sure you don't step on anybody's toes." Rolling his eyes, he followed them onto the floor.

Five hours later, Sasuke was prepared to kill somebody. Yes, he knew that he was being sent to this place to get engaged, but he didn't know it would be _this _bad. There were many girls, all of them eager to try and win his hand. A thin girl with long blonde hair, and a girl with strange pink hair, were unusually determined, and seemed to be in some sort of rival with each other. Sasuke had finally managed to get a break, somehow. _This is not what I want. _Sasuke realized. Of course, he knew this before, but this time it was like someone poured cold water onto him. Still holding a glass of red wine in his hand, he looked longingly out of a window. Suddenly, he was struck with a thought so simply, so wonderful, he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. Setting down his glass, he swept away.

Naruto had waited long enough. It was time to put his plan into action. He slipped away from the small party, and headed unnoticed, towards the stables. Then, for the second time that day, he rounded the corner to find someone already there.

**Again, some parts of this are rough and I didn't like it. Feel free to tell me if you're confused. Also, don't expect this to update often. I'm working on another novel, and this takes backseat to that project. I'll work on this when I have time/feel like it.**

**Thank you for reading and understanding!**

**RU**


	4. Chapter 3

**Ugh, you don't know how lucky you readers are. *Glares* Convincing me into writing the next chapter of MRaD when I should be working on my novel. Well, thanks for reviewing, favoring, reading and following anyway. If I get past the major plot hole and writers block in my novel, this won't be worked on as often. *Wags finger* Don't get comfortable! Anyway, on to the actual author's note.**

**I just realized I was inconsistent with the age at which Madara bought Naruto from Kyuubi. Just to clarify this, it was at age ten. Also, it's the middle of summer. I don't think I mentioned the season anywhere in this story, but if I did, I'm sorry. I usually don't think these details through in my story and therefore they can get confusing.**

Normal

_Thinking/emphasis on a word_**Why are you still here? Read the story.**

**RU**

Sasuke recognized the boy standing in front of him almost instantly. After all, who else had those strange whisker marks? That didn't matter at the moment, though. There was an awkward moment where they both didn't know what to say.

"Can I help you, Uchiha-sama?" The boy replied calmly, but Sasuke recognized the underlying tones of coldness and distrust.

"No thank you. I am sure that I can manage on my own." Sasuke intended that to be a clear dismissal, and even threw in one of his signature glare, but the servant remained unwavering. He suspected that the boy wasn't here on orders our he would have left to get a different horse by now. _Also, if he was here on orders, wouldn't he have chosen the horse that belonged to his master, and not one of the palace horses? _Sasuke narrowed his eye, mind running through all the possibilities of why a servant would be taking a horse on his own free will.

"Well this is interesting."

"What is, Uchiha-sama?"

"I believe I dismissed you, but here you remain. Also, you're taking one of the palace horses, not your master's. It's almost as if you're planning on running away." Sasuke watched as the boy's blue eyes visibly changed into a colder and wary version of themselves.

"Why would you care?" Sasuke just shrugged, then smirked.

"So I'm right?"

"No!"

"Then why don't you leave!"

"Ugh, bastard! why don't you just leave me alone."

"Sounding defensive now, ne?" The blonde froze with this accusation. Sasuke just smirked. "But why would we do that?" The other boy's gazed hardened even more, Sasuke had to admit that he was slightly startled by the fire with which he spat his next words.

"Why? WHY? Oh, I don't know, maybe it was because of you damn Uchihas! _You_ never gave a damn about what happened to me before, so why would you suddenly decide that-" The servant was cut off by Sasuke throwing his hand over his mouth and dragging him into a corner.

"What is it?" Someone called from down the corridor.

"I thought I heard somebody."

"Oh, it was nothing. You were probably hearing something."

"You think so?"

"C'mon, everyone's at the party, anyway. Nobody would be in here."

"Alright…" The duo could heard two sets of footsteps head back towards the outside. They waited for another moment, then slowly Sasuke stood up. He looked down and smirked at the younger boy.

"You coming?" The blonde looked up, startled.

"Nani?"

"I said, are you coming?" Slowly, the other one stood up.

"What are you playing at?" Sasuke shrugged.

"Do you want to get out of here or not?"

"Tell me again why we didn't take two horses instead of only one?" Naruto asked, annoyed at the Uchiha sitting in front of him. They were cantering through the thick forest, trying to make good headway. Naruto could tell that the boy in front of him rolled his eyes, if only in his head.

"Because, it would seem less suspicious. Also, they'll be looking for a lone Uchiha or servant, not two travellers." The raven shook his head. "Dobe." Naruto glared at him.

"Don't call me that, Teme!"

"Then what should I call you? I don't recall ever attaining your name."

"My name's Naruto. You, I assume, are Sasuke Uchiha."

"Well then, dobe, do you know where we're going?"

"I thought you would be calling me by my name now?" The raven in front of him sighed.

"This conversation is going in circles." After that they were silent for a while. Naruto awkwardly adjusted his grip on Sasuke. He certainly didn't want to admit it, but it was cold. The horse had slowed to a steady walk, but the night air chilled him. The silence in the forest was dampened by wind rustling through the dark tree branches and the occasional noise from some far off animal. Sasuke glanced back at him, smirking.

"Not afraid, dobe?" The blonde snorted.

"Hardley. I grew up in Konoha, you know." Sasuke turned to him. His face was impassive, but his eyes were sparked with interest.

"Really? Why'd you leave?"

"None of your business, Uchiha-teme." Naruto heard him sigh in exasperation.

"Well, I don't suppose you'd mind if I told you I was planning on going to Konoha."

"What business do you have there?"

"I grew up there too."

"Why the hell did you leave?"

"Weren't you the one telling _me _to stay out of things that didn't involve them a moment ago, baka?"

"I never said that!"

"You implied it."

"Shut up, teme! And don't smirk at me like that…"

The duo continued bickering into the night, and into the next chapter of their story.

**Yes, it's shorter than the other chapters. Yes, there are grammatical errors, plot holes, OCC characters and other problems. Do I care? Only the smallest amount. I would be lying if I said I didn't care at all, so CC is welcome. Even flames are OK, as long as you give me a LEGIT reason as why you didn't like my story. I'm trying to go for a bit of a mix of midevil ages and ancient Japan. Mostly, it's going to come off as some random world I created. Did I do research? Nope. 100% background knowledge. **

**You're still reading this A/N? I'm impressed. I bet you didn't read the one at the top of the page, did you? Oh, you did, you say? Good for you.**

**Don't worry, Itachi and Konan will come in later. **

**Even though you guys can be troublesome sometimes, I thank you for reading this.**

**(And nobody pressured me. I was just joking.)**

**Arigato!**

**RU**


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Naruto, Friendship, Hurt-Comfort