AN: Hey everyone! This is my first Naruto fic! This plot was in my head and it wouldn't leave me alone! The plot's a little slow so bare with me. Trust me it'll be well worth it. (At least I think so) Enjoy!

The Power of Ramen and Teachers

"Oi Iruka-sensei, wait up!"

"Naruto-"

Iruka was promptly cut off by a 23-year-old Naruto rushing up and wrapping his now fully mature arms around the non-expecting teacher. Iruka would have fallen over from the weight of the man if that weight wasn't holding him up at the current moment. Iruka just returned the hug, smiling at the over-sized kid. No matter how old Naruto became, he was still that little blonde boy that he took for ramen and Iruka was still the man that brought as many bowls as needed to solve all his problems.

"Iruka-sensei, it's really good to see you!"

"It's good to be seen, Naruto," replied the fiercely blushing teacher, "But shouldn't you be doing… I don't know… important stuff right now?"

"What could be more important than going out to lunch with my favorite teacher?"

"Favorite?" Iruka choked. That was a huge statement, considering that Naruto was taught by Hatake Kakashi, a genius, and the great Jiriya-sama, one of The Legendary Sanin.

"Yeah," replied the blonde as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You were the first one to ever notice me. That leaves you with a special place in my heart, Sensei." Naruto smiled that huge smile that favored the Yondaime so much. It was so sincere and so full of honest joy; it made Iruka's heart swell.

"Thank you, Naruto."

"No Sensei let me thank you."

The blonde grabbed his beloved sensei by the arm and pulled him through the streets of Konoha. A few people stared, but most was so use to the notion that they just passed it off as a daily condition that came with living in Konoha. Iruka stared around in bewilderment, wondering many of things. First, since when was Naruto strong enough to drag him like this. And not the friendly 'I can stop any time I'm just letting you' dragging, but the 'You can't break free if you tried' dragging. Second, he wondered just where he was being dragged to. The wondering didn't last long as the red and white flaps of a familiar ramen shop came into view.

"Ichiraku? Naruto is there something wrong?"

Naruto stopped his dragging and turned to face the man, his black and orange flamed robe swirling. The bright smile that graced his face not so long ago was gone, replaced by the frowned brows of worry. Iruka face became the same, displaying his worry for the boy. Whatever that bothered Naruto bothered Iruka and he knew that it was major if Naruto needed ramen to be able to talk about it. Naruto bit his bottom lip and continued to pull the man, refusing to talk until he was in the safety of the shop. Once there he sat on his usual stool, ordered his usual ramen and Iruka did the same.

"Naruto," asked Iruka, "What's wrong?"

"Iruka-sensei, I'm… scared," stated Naruto while he blankly stared into his ramen. Any other day that ramen would have been long gone and so would the next three bowls. Whatever this was, it had to be major to stop the man from eating ramen.

"Scared?"

"I just had a meeting with the council," Naruto whispered, more out of fear than out of secrecy. Iruka leaned in, his concern doubling. Does this have something to do with Kyuubi? Has the village finally lost their tolerance? Is Naruto in danger or in trouble? "Calm down, Sensei," Naruto said with a knowing smile, sensing all his sensei's worries, "It has nothing to do with the Kyuubi."

"Then what's wrong?"

"They want me to be the next Hokage."

"What?" Iruka asked his eyes wide with shock. The shock was then replaced with pride. This was what the boy his saw as his own wanted for his entire life. He felt like a proud father. Then the concern on Naruto's face brought Iruka back down. "Wait, you said you were scared."

"I am," answered Naruto bluntly.

"Why? You wanted this for years."

"I know," said Naruto, his eyes leaving Iruka's and back on his favorite food, "But I don't think I'm ready. I mean, I'm… I'm not that good of a ninja, I'm not that good of a diplomat and to be honest I'm not smart at all."

"Naruto, you know that's not true. You're an excellent Shinobi. Everyone you meet you touch their life in some extreme way, so that makes you great at diplomacy and getting people to see things your way and you are very intelligent. Remember, I was your sensei."

Naruto allowed himself to laugh a little, "You know, you might be right. Maybe I can do this."

"Maybe," asked Iruka, quirking a playful eyebrow.

"Your right!" Naruto pumped a fist in the air, reminding Iruka of a Naruto from over a decade ago. "I can do this. Iruka-sensei, do you know what this means," the blonde asked grabbing the older man's shoulders, "I'm going to be the Rokudaime Hokage! I'm going to be the Rokudaime!"

"Yes Naruto," Iruka replied with a gentle smile, "Yes, you are. Congratulations, Hokage-sama."

Naruto slurped down his bowl of ramen, completely out of his former mood, and started ordering seconds and thirds. A realization like this deserved to be celebrated. The ramen didn't even stand a chance. Bowl after bowl was emptied and sat to the side with the rest of its empty friends. Iruka just smiled fondly, enjoying his one bowl, still astonished that the boy-now-man can still put away that many bowls. The 'growing boy' excuse doesn't even apply anymore and neither does the metabolism. Iruka still wondered why Naruto hasn't suffered from a heart attack yet or at least was as big as a house.

"Ahhhh," Naruto said 13 bowls later, sitting back in a state of contentment that only ramen can give him. Iruka reached into his pocket to pay for the meal, but a tanned hand with a frog wallet stopped him. "No Sensei, I got this one," Iruka put his wallet back into his pocket, "Being the Hokage and all."

Naruto jumped from the stand, paid the man and ran from under the flap into the middle of the street. "Thanks for the pep talk, Sensei," Naruto said as he smiled from ear to ear, "Thanks to you that old hag can finally retire."

"Don't call the Godaime that!" yelled Iruka.

"It's true," the scolded man mumbled hurt.

"Naruto!"

Naruto then sprinted down the street to avoid a thump on the head, waving behind him to Iruka. Iruka waved back, watching the blonde ball of energy get smaller with distance. Naruto, the Rokudaime. Things were going to change, but it didn't matter to them because one image was always going to remain the same. A loud boisterous blonde sitting alongside an easily-angered but kindhearted Academy teacher, both of them laughing or crying around a bowl of ramen.

AN: Hoped you liked it! If you did leave a review. If you didn't... still leave a review! (Don't you just love angry Iruka and Naruto's bottomless pit of a stomach? I know I do! :3 )