"TSUNADE BAA-CHAN!" Naruto skidding down the hallways of the mansion he knew so well. He stopped in front of Tsunade's office and grinned before barging in.
"Baa-chan! I…" Naruto drew in a sharp intake of breath as he caught sight of Tsunade.
She was looking out the window with a full bottle of sake in her shaking hand and empty bottles scattered around the room. Sobs were racking her body and tears flowed freely down her face.
"N-Naruto?" she hiccupped. Naruto nodded numbly and began walking towards her.
"NO!" she shouted suddenly enraged. "GET OUT OF HERE YOU BRAT! JUST… just leave…" She whispered in a ragged voice.
"B-But baa-chan… I-"
"No Naruto! I said get out! What don't you understand about that?" she cried out. Naruto continued talking and walking forward.
"Tsunade, what's wrong?" he asked cautiously making his way over to her. She hiccupped again and turned back to the window.
"I-I can't help but think…" She began, sobering up a bit.
"What?"
"What if Dan… had lived?" She stated. The words were followed with a shocked silence from Naruto.
"I-it's mother's day, you knucklehead… What if Dan and I had a child? What if I was a mom right now! Or what if I at least still had my brother…Would Nawaki still look up to me to this day? Would he be proud of me becoming Hokage? I just wish that I had the life I always dreamed of. And a family! But look at me, I'm just some crabby old lady that sits alone in an office all day."
"You're not just some crabby old lady!" Naruto declared fiercely making Tsunade look up with wide eyes.
"You're MY crabby old lady, baa-chan! I look up to you! I am proud of you for keeping your promise and dragging your butt down here to become Hokage and protect the village you love! And guess what, we love you too! So what if you aren't a mother? I don't have a mother. I don't have anyone to burn breakfast for. I don't have anyone but you." Naruto lowered his eyes and Tsunade began sobbing again, standing up shakily and hugging Naruto tightly.
Tsunade's mind was reeling as she took into account the fact that Naruto had admitted that he looked to her like a mother… She had to admit that she looked to the boy as her own son as well and although she tried to hide it, she obviously showed him favoritism.
Naruto was clutching Tsunade and letting his tears flow as he buried his head in her shoulder. Tsunade was like his family. She was one of the few people that didn't just value Naruto as a shinobi, but as a person. And that was why he loved her.
"Baa-chan, I uh…" Naruto trailed off, blushing and pulling out of the hug. Tsunade raised an eyebrow and he quickly pulled something out of his pocket and thrust it into her hands.
Tsunade looked down and she began sobbing again through her giggles. Naruto had constructed a macaroni necklace for her that matched the one she had given him. She met his eyes and slipped the necklace over her head before hugging her 'son' tightly again.
"So baa-chan," Naruto began. "What are we doing for Jiraiya on father's day?" he asked.
Tsunade's jaw dropped and Naruto gave her his signature foxy grin before the two of them were on the floor clutching their sides and laughing.
A/N I meant to put this up on Mother's Day but I didn't get the chance. It's just a story of two lost souls becoming a family. I almost cried imagining their feelings and I hope I conveyed those feeling well enough in my story