My Teacher, Naruto

by Navarre Bouchard-Ripol

Chapter One

"Sensei! Sensei!"

A rambuncious young girl with bright red hair tore through the halls of the hallowed Konoha Ninja Academy, her luminous green eyes fixed on her quarry. He was tall, around 6'2, and had a weathered dignity despite his relative youth and handsome features. His hair was blonde and messy and his eyes were a deep blue, full of compassion and strength. They had seen much in their time, but had never lost the purity and innocence that made them so unique.

"Ha?" The man exclaimed, turning his head. His glance was calm and recieving. "Oh! Kushina!"

"Naruto-sensei! Our project on 'Nindo'... the shinobi way? I'd like it to be you who I interview! Err... what I mean is... I would be honored if you--" Young Kushina stammered.

"No, no, of course!" Naruto said with a cheerful grin. "I'd be happy to!"

Kushina turned a shade of red almost as bright as her hair. She was the daughter of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, and her father would be incensed to discover she had a rather large girl crush on the Academy Teacher.

"How did you want to start?" Naruto asked, completely oblivious to the young girls feelings.

"I... I was thinking from the beggining? Your childhood dreams?" Kushina felt a little invasive and her head fell to the floor in embarassment. "I mean... if you don't mind... If that's none of my business I completely understa--"

"Haha... sure." Naruto replied, again cutting her off from what would have been no doubt a long series of personal rebuttals.

"R-really?" The young Uchiha's face lit up with excitement.

"Yeah... but... don't you think your father will be insulted? His story would be far more interesting, I think... Haha..." Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Kushina frowned. "Nah... all the other girls will interview him... being Hokage and all."

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled. "And himself."

"Rrgg... It drives me crazy how many girls I know have a crush on my dad!" Kushina acknowledged, clenching her fists and snarling, visibly bothered by Naruto's statement. "It's really creepy when they ask me questions about him! I hate it!"

"Woa, hey! Calm down! Haha..." Naruto said, waving down the over-anxious Kushina. She reminded him often of her mother... except without the inhibitions. "Anyway, if you want to that badly, i'm sure your dad will be ok with it."

"Yeah, and also my mom said that it would be nice of somebody to interview their teacher for once. She said that if there was someone to ask about honor and the ninja way, it would be you."

A small, reflective smile appeared on the corner of Naruto's lips, and his eyes softened. "Did she?"

"Is it true you stopped a tsunami with a wave of your hand? That you beat up the Kazekage when you were 12?"

"Ahh... haha..." Naruto began to scratch the back of his head again in embarassment.

"That you single-handedly dismantled Akatsuki? Fought an army of demons and liberated a nation? Saved my dad's life, even though he tried to kill you and you were in love with my mom?"

"What!?" Naruto bellowed. "Who told you that?"

"Hee-hee. Well, I think my mom was crazy to have picked my dad, if you ask me. He's so boring and serious." Kushina blushed. "You're so nice and smart!"

Naruto smiled and chuckled a little umcomfortably, then hastily changed the subject. "Anyway, you want to start the interview here?"

"How about on my way home?" Kushina asked. "I have chores to do, and my mom will be mad at me..."

"Ah, good! Ichiraku is on the way. I'll buy you a bowl. What's your favorite flavor?" Naruto asked.

The color of Kushina's face was definately redder than her hair now. "Ohh... uhh... umm... I mean..."

"Haha, that's okay, i'll pick for the both of us. How's pork flavor sound?"

"THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL!" Kushina exclaimed, accidentally thinking out loud. She covered up her mouth with her hands as soon as the words had escaped and looked at her sensei meekly.

"Alright then, let's go. How do you want to start?" Naruto asked, but before Kushina could reply, he had already remembered. "Oh yeah, my childhood dreams. Well, to be honest, back then... if you had told me I was going to become an Academy Teacher, I probably would've punched you in the face..."