She didn't remember when exactly she started falling for the dense blond. It might have been way back in the Academy days, when she still fought with Sakura over the bastard. All she remembered was thinking he was a stupid boy, who pranked everyone and wouldn't go anywhere.
They underestimated him. She did it, and the village did it. Iruka was probably the only one who saw what he could be. A true diamond in the rough.
Then he beat Neji in the exams. Everyone was shocked, including her. She finally saw the person behind the pranks and obnoxious orange. Unfortunately, he left before she had the chance to talk. None of her curiosity wore off over the years and she finally got her chance. She asked for a friendly update over food. Being sure to sure to stress the 'friend.'
It was useless. He treated her to ramen.
Listening to his outrageous tales over the bowl of steaming noodles turned into one of her best memories. She couldn't remember many times when she had laughed that hard. The bright glint in his eyes and the enthusiasm in his voice had her snorting broth for hours.
Eventually they parted with promises of a spar sometime soon. She saw more of him around the village. Friendly greetings as they passed on the street, or at gatherings of their friends. She even took time off missions to watch him in the Chunin exams. Their friends saw it long before they did. Sakura constantly acted like a hen with eggs.
When he passed the Jounin Exams, the first thing he did was jump into the stands and kiss her. Kissed her hard. In front of everyone.
Three months later he proposed. In front of Ichiraku. After a little kid spilled pork ramen all over her front. She laughed about it later but at the time she wasn't amused.
Now he was the Hokage and a great father of their three daughters, with a fourth on the way.
Which reminded her, Tako needed a pickup from the academy!
