Naruto ran straight into the Uchiha compound. Along the way, a few Police Force members almost stopped him to scold him for running in the street, but when they saw who it was, they sensibly pretended not to notice.
But once Naruto got tired and stopped, he realized he was lost.
He wandered the Uchiha compound aimlessly, soon noticing how different this place felt from the rest of the village.
People were busy, but almost everyone who saw him treated him like a normal kid, not with the hostility or insults he got elsewhere. Some old ladies even stopped to ask if he was lost since there were no adults around him.
This was a totally new experience for Naruto. Ever since the Nine Tails incident, the Uchiha had been forced to the village outskirts. Their ordinary clan members didn't interact much with the rest of the village; the compound had its own market and daily life, and outsiders rarely came in. So, except for the ninja, most of the clan didn't pay much attention to the rumors about the nine-tailed demon fox. They'd heard there was such a person, but didn't know who it was—so they just saw Naruto as an ordinary seven-year-old.
As Naruto was enjoying this rare peace, a slightly cold voice called out, "Dead last, what are you doing here?"
Naruto turned around at the familiar voice and saw a familiar figure watching him from around the corner.
"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" Even though they didn't get along at school, in a strange place, seeing a familiar face made Naruto happy.
"My house is here, so why can't I be here?" Sasuke tried to maintain his proud genius persona, but the glint in his eye betrayed how pleased he was to run into Naruto.
"So you live here, huh." Naruto walked over, then suddenly remembered Sasuke had called him dead last and protested, "I'm not dead last anymore!"
Naruto had only recently moved in with Kakashi. Kakashi hadn't had time to teach him any great jutsu yet, but even a few taijutsu moves were enough for Naruto to handle some of the other kids in sparring class. His theory grades were still bad because he skipped class a lot, but he wasn't dead last anymore.
"You still can't beat me, so what's wrong with calling you dead last?" Sasuke said with a smirk. Then he asked, "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Huh? I think Big Brother Kakashi said he was bringing me for some big meal, but I got lost," Naruto said, scratching his head.
"A big meal? So you're here for the clan banquet? Come with me," Sasuke said.
So, Naruto followed Sasuke, and the two headed for the banquet.
As host, Uchiha Fugaku, the clan elder, would naturally be present. Since Seiryu had reminded Fugaku last night to bring Sasuke along, the whole Fugaku family, except for Itachi (who had been sent out to manage the family's businesses in the Land of Fire), turned out today.
Mikoto, too, arrived early to help greet guests.
When she saw her youngest son approaching with a blond kid, Mikoto was surprised.
"Sasuke," she called.
Sasuke ran over with Naruto.
"And this is?" Mikoto asked, but seeing Naruto's blond hair, she had a guess.
"Mom, this is Naruto, my classmate," Sasuke said.
"Hello, Auntie! I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto, for all his mischief, was very polite now.
"Uzumaki?" Mikoto was momentarily dazed. This was the son of her best friend.
"Auntie, do you know me?" Naruto asked, curious at her reaction.
"I've heard Sasuke mention you," Mikoto replied, forcing a smile.
"Mom, I never told you about him!" Sasuke protested.
Mikoto quickly pressed Sasuke's raised hand down and smiled at Naruto. "Naruto, right? Please look after Sasuke. And you're always wel—"
She trailed off as she realized Naruto's identity.
Just then, another voice chimed in, "You're welcome here anytime you want to play."
Turning, Mikoto saw that Fugaku had walked over, with Seiryu and Kakashi smiling beside him.
"Dad! Sensei!"
"Big Brother Kakashi!"
The two kids greeted their elders.
"Naruto, if I'm ever away on a mission, you can come find Uncle Fugaku, Aunt Mikoto, or Brother Seiryu," Kakashi told Naruto.
Seiryu went over to Sasuke, patted his head, and said, "Since you have a friend here, make sure you're a good host, okay? Remember what I taught you."
"Got it!" Sasuke nodded. "Isn't it a joy to have friends come from afar?"
The two kids ran off to play, and Mikoto looked at the adults with some concern.
"Don't worry, Aunt Mikoto," Seiryu said with a smile. "Before, we stayed away because we were afraid some people would make a fuss, but things are different now."
Mikoto let out a sigh of relief. "Does that mean I can look after this child from now on?"
"Of course," Kakashi said. "You and Kushina-sensei were best friends, and as a single guy, there's a lot I can't handle. Sometimes I'll need your help looking after Naruto."
"Mikoto, I know you've worried about this child for years," Fugaku added. "From now on, take care of him openly. Let people see that the Uchiha clan won't stoop to making a fuss over a seven-year-old."