I don't own Naruto.
The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it.
-Hubert H. Humphrey
"Minato…" Kushina breathed, staring down at the beautiful sunshine haired gift she cradled in her arms.
Kushina flushed, pouting.
"She doesn't look like me at all!" The redhead exclaimed.
Minato, the Yellow Flash of Konoha snorted a laugh.
"Honey, don't say that. She's got your eyes."
"Her eyes are blue you ding dong." Kushina sneered, giving her grinning husband the stink eye.
Minato simply grinned brighter.
"I'm talking about the shape of them darling."
"Don't give me that patronizing tone." Kushina huffed, eyes narrowing even further.
Minato shook his head, pulling the light blue cover away from his new daughter's mouth, peering down at her and beginning to coo.
"You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
Kushina cleared her throat. Loudly.
Minato looked up sheepishly.
"Oh right, sorry." The living legend chuckled. "With your mother as a close second."
"You turd!" Kushina huffed, smacking his arm.
Minato cackled, dancing away from his playfully furious wife.
He was so inexplicably happy. More than he'd ever been, even when Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled him aside the other day and told him that when they brought the war to a complete end, he'd be Hokage.
Minato hadn't told Kushina yet, but honestly the news felt small compared to the gift Kami allowed him to help create.
Minato watched his wife cradle their baby to her bosom, cooing at the sleepy eyed newborn whilst simultaneously trying to stab him with her eyes.
The blonde man couldn't say he'd seen anything more lovely.
'October tenth. Officially the best day of my life.'
"No Naru-chan, come here. Your mother will kill me if you get hurt!"
The little blonde, four years old as of that very day, simply giggled and toddled farther away from her frazzled white haired godfather.
Her Tou-chan was off doing whatever Tou-chan's did during the day, and her mother had sent her on her way to the park with Ero Jiji. There was a very nice story behind why the little girl referred to Jiraiya as such, most of it the fault of her mother's temper and the things that slipped out of her mouth when she was angry.
More presently, Naruto's birthday was taking place and Kushina had given Jiraiya very specific instructions to take Naruto to the park while she remained home and prepared something nice for her 'sweet little angel'.
Jiraiya had been keeping one eye on the toddler and the other on a particularly voluptuous mother tending to her wailing triplets. She'd bend over to tend to one, giving him a glorious view of what lie beyond the neckline of her shirt, then flinch when another of the little monsters shrieked and tried to tend to their needs as well. All the movement had done wonderful jiggly things to the mother's…. ahem, assets.
Needless to say, the eye Jiraiya had on Naruto was soon very occupied with the other.
He'd only looked away for like five seconds (maybe ten), and when he turned around the little brat was halfway across the park, making her way to the big kid side which lacked sponged floormats, had an expanse of probably very unsanitary sand, and an abundance of screeching laughing creatures running around that were not tiny four year olds and would probably crush her.
And thus, we reach a point where the Sannin's life flashed before his eyes, because he could imagine Kushina's reaction to him bringing Naruto home trampled by big kids.
The white haired man squeaked pitifully, pulled away from his grim future and back to the present.
"Naruto!" He bellowed. "You get your little pull up behind back over here right now young lad-"
Still giggling, Naruto turned slightly to blow her godfather a raspberry, only to miscalculate and trip.
Jiraiya's eyes widened, a shrill sort of panic rushing through his body because dammit even if he acted a certain way he didn't want his goddaughter all banged up anymore than her parents did.
"NARUTO!"
Naruto tripped over the tangle that had become her feet, landing strangely on her side, her momentum causing her to slide on her left elbow, the skin peeling back, immediately flushing an irritated pink before beads of crimson welled up through the torn flesh that remained.
Disoriented, Naruto sat up, lip jutting out as she lifted her arm clumsily, observing the damage and noting it was what her Kaa-chan called a "skin".
It stung, and with that particular brand of pain, so did Naruto's eyes. With tears.
"Oh dear."
With tearfully shining eyes, Naruto looked up, surprised to find someone she had never seen. It was a little boy, around the same age as herself. He had raven colored hair gathered into a short tail at the nape of his neck, a few strands neatly framing his chubby face not unlike Naruto's Tou-chan.
The little boy had big dark eyes, and he was paler than Kaa-chan, wearing a short sleeved high collared black onesie, the utter opposite of Naruto's bright orange apron dress, (like the green ones her Kaa-chan always wore), with a tutu like skirt over a short sleeved black shirt. Both children wore simple black sandals.
"Are you okay?" The little boy asked. He pointed to the skin Naruto was still uncertainly holding up. "You've got an owwy."
"I… Imma big girl today." She mumbled, dropping her arm as she sniffled. "So… so 'm not gonna cry."
"Really?" The little boy asked, shuffling closer and regally settling himself on his knees before her. Naruto found it peculiar, but she didn't say anything.
"How big?"
"Today 'm four." Naruto said, holding up five fingers before blinking and correcting it to four.
"Oh, that's nice. I turned four in June." The little boy said. "Happy Birthday."
Naruto stared at the boy, surprised. Realizing she was being rude, the little blonde flushed and quickly scrubbed away her welled up tears.
"Thanks a lot." She said, not as enthusiastically as she'd wanted. She was trying to be nice, but her elbow really hurt.
"My name is Itachi."
"'Tachi." She tried, wincing as she butchered his name. Sometimes she did that. She couldn't say Ero Jiji's real name right either.
"'M Nawuto."
"Nice to meet you Naruto." Itachi said, before he drew his eyes down to her arm, which had a thin stream of red trickling down it. "Is your owwy okay now? You stopped crying."
"I wasn' cryin'!" Naruto huffed, crossing her arms before she was quickly reminded of why that was a bad idea.
Itachi tilted his head slightly.
"It doesn't seem okay." He observed quietly. "Here, I'll show you what my Kaa-san does when I have an owwy."
Naruto allowed Itachi to carefully take her arm and shift it to a manageable angle.
The boy shuffled even closer on his knees, and ducked his head.
Naruto's blue eyes went wide when Itachi pressed a kiss to her stinging elbow. He pulled away, letting go of Naruto's arm so that she could hesitantly let it fall to her side.
Itachi's lips were stained red.
"Feel better Naruto-san."
Eyes still wide, Naruto watched the weirdly polite boy bow, before he stood up and walked a short distance around a jungle jim, taking hold of a pretty black haired woman's hand that was probably his mother.
"Please feel better Naruto-chan." The pretty woman said, pulling a strawberry patterned hanky from nowhere and tenderly wiping the blood away from her child's lips.
The little blonde nodded slowly, not really sure of what was going on.
"Jiraiya-sama." Mikoto acknowledged, sliding the hanky away and pulling a clean one out.
Jiraiya, who had flashed behind Naruto the moment she fell, curiously watched both black haired strangers bow.
"I'm sorry for not greeting you sooner." Itachi told the tall man. "I was more worried about Naruto-san."
"I… it's alright." Jiraiya assured, blinking.
"Naruto-san, this is my Okaa-san Mikoto." Itachi said.
Mikoto offered the blonde a sweet smile and another bow. Finally, the woman handed the hanky to the injured toddler.
"Nice to meet you, and Happy Birthday."
Blinking for a moment Naruto replied with thanks, accepting the cutesy hanky and pressing it to her owwy.
"Thank you." The little blonde murmured, a small tint in her cheeks appearing when the pretty woman smiled kindly at her.
"You two have a good rest of your day." Mikoto said.
Itachi waved goodbye to Naruto.
"Bye bye." Naruto waved, flabbergasted.
Jiraiya watched the two ravens depart.
"Well that was weird." He declared, scooping Naruto up into his arms. "C'mon kiddo, let's get you home to some disinfectant and bandages. And myself to an S class ass whooping habanero style…"
After that day, every friday, Naruto would meet Itachi at the park, and they would play. Which consisted of Naruto doing things like painting Itachi's nails a hideous orange or combing his hair. He took her antics in stride, assuring her that if he disliked it, he would politely decline such behavior.
Naruto found that Mikoto-ba-san was Kaa-chan's good friend that she had drifted apart from in recent years. They'd both been occupied with settling themselves in their new homes, into their marriage, as well as preparing to care for their first borns. But when Kushina found the mysterious Itachi was her old friend's son that she'd only met twice, she'd been hopelessly excited and insisted she and Mikoto catch up.
Naruto had been informed that she had met both Mikoto and Itachi previously, but they'd both been just babies, so they couldn't remember.
Naruto was happy to find her Kaa-chan didn't mind taking her to meet her new bud every Friday. Mikoto didn't mind the trip either. Both young mothers spent the time chatting and watching their children amuse themselves with watchful eyes.
"Tachi," Naruto called, looking up from where she'd been fiddling with a few of the toy shinobi they'd brought to the park that day.
"Hm?" Her friend hummed, looking up, the screaming and cackling children around them just background noise as the duo sat in a patch of grass beside the bench their mothers sat on.
"Y… y'know how you've been to m' house a little?" The little blonde asked, causing Itachi to study her more intently when he noticed her fidgeting nervously.
The duo had been thick as thieves for three months, and Itachi had visited the Uzumaki Namikaze household for four playdates and four sleep overs so far.
"Hai, I know." Itachi confirmed, setting his figure of the second Hokage down. "Why do you ask Naruto-chan?"
"An'... an' y'know how you've met my Tou-chan, and my Kaa-chan, but I've never been to your house or met your Tou-chan?" Naruto went on.
Itachi tilted his head slightly as his wide eyes studied his friend, and then he straightened, his mouth lifting in that small fond little tilt Naruto had begun to associate him with.
"I think I know what this is about." Itachi said. "I would be happy if you came to visit my home Naruto-chan."
Naruto's daytime blues widened impossibly as a grin bloomed across her face.
"Really!?" She squealed.
"Of course." The little boy nodded. "But you know, we have to ask first to see if it's oka-"
Itachi choked off as he was tackled and squeezed into an affectionate bear hug.
"Oh I can't wait!" Naruto blurted, almost too excited to notice Itachi patting her back gently in that awkward way of his. "I gotta pick out my best jammies! I wanna sleep over!"
Itachi laughed quietly at his friend's enthusiasm.
"Naruto-chan were you even listening?" He smiled.
Of course she barely had been, it was just like her.
So, that evening had Mikoto returning home with Itachi to ask her husband Fugaku if he would mind company.
A bit later, Naruto sat on the couch in the living room of her home with an orange messenger bag bigger than her sitting beside her and a fluffy green toad backpack gifted from Ero-Jiji across her lap.
The little blonde was practically vibrating in her seat as she waited for the news. Mikoto-ba-chan had said she'd return with the go ahead a while later or she may have to tell Naruto to ask to stay over another time if her husband said no.
"Baby-chan are you still sitting there?" Her Tou-chan called out, coming out of the kitchen in an apron, ladle in hand.
"Tou-chan 'm not a baby!" Naruto huffed, cheeks puffing out as she pouted.
"You'll always be my baby Naruto." Her father chuckled, coming closer before swooping down and planting a smacking kiss on her forehead just to make her even more huffy.
"Tou-chan!" She exclaimed, scandalized.
Minato chuckled.
"Alright alright I apologize Naruto-chan." He conceded.
"Hmph!" She tilted her nose in the air and crossed her arms.
"Minato-kun are you still screwing up dinner!?" Kushina called from upstairs. "It doesn't matter how many times you burn it, I'll make you start again until you get it right!"
Minato scratched bashfully at the back of his head when his daughter gave him an unimpressed look.
"Really Naru-chan, she makes it sound worse than it is." He insisted. "This is only the third time I had to make it from scratch."
Naruto shook her head as her father's cheeks tinted a light rose shade. Before her Tou-chan could embarrass himself anymore, a knock came at the door.
Before Naruto could even think about shooting towards it, a red blur had her and her father's head spinning at the sure speed. They blinked and Kushina was at the door, hair gathered in a loose ponytail down her back and garbed in a comfy green nightgown.
Mikoto stood on the porch, hand still positioned to knock as she blinked at her old friend.
"Mikoto-chan! You came!" Kushina said, grinning merrily as she ushered the dark haired woman into the foyer.
"Of course I did Kushina-chan. I said I would no matter what Anata said about Naruto staying over."
That last part had Naruto perking up on the couch.
"What did he say Mikoto-ba-chan!?" She nearly demanded, bouncing excitedly.
Mikoto turned to Naruto and smiled.
"Well look at you Naruto-chan." The woman giggled behind her hand. "You're all ready to go. That's good, we should be leaving soon anyway. Itachi-chan is waiting for you. He wants to show you his new storybook."
Naruto's eyes shimmered like sapphires as she shot off the couch, swinging her toad backpack around and forcing the straps over her shoulders.
"Yatta!" She cheered. "Bye Kaa-chan bye Tou-chan!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, cool those jets Mini Flash." Kushina chuckled, snagging the back of her child's backpack, causing her to jerk to a stop.
"But Kaa-chan!" The little blonde whined. "Tachi-chan is waiting! He has a new book! We're gonna hunt monsters under his bed like we do when he stays over here!"
"Don't you give me those kitty eyes." Kushina huffed, bending a little and pinching her daughter's cheek teasingly. "You didn't even get your go bag. That has your toothpaste in it, your hair brush, your pajamas, your change of clothes, and that little stuffed toad you like so much. Gama-pon. You don't wanna leave poor Gama-pon by himself do you?"
Naruto glanced at the orange messenger bag still on the couch her mother was referring to.
"Plus you didn't even give Tou-chan or Kaa-chan a kiss before trying to leave." Minato scolded lightly, dragging her attention over to him. "Without that how do you expect your poor parents to go on without you until tomorrow?"
"Gama-pon!" Naruto exclaimed, hands clapping over her mouth in horror at the blasphemy she almost committed. Not only did she almost forget Gama-pon in a bag, but she nearly forgot to recharge her parents with her awesome so they wouldn't shrivel up and become super uncool without her.
"Kaa-chan! Tou-chan!" Naruto pulled her little hands away from her mouth before twisting around and hugging her mother's legs. "Sorry I almost forgot."
"Hmph! The nerve!" Kushina harrumphed, before grinning and dropping into a crouch, smothering her baby in kisses.
"Kaa-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, abhorred.
"Okay okay." Kushina chuckled, releasing Naruto to allow the girl to skitter away, only to be caught by her father and subjected to the same treatment from him.
"Tou-chan!" Naruto scolded.
"Okay I've got my recharge. I'm sure I can make it until you get back Naruto-chan, somehow." Minato said, smiling when his daughter gave him the stink eye.
Mikoto shook her head at their antics, a fond smile tilting her lips.
"Ready to go Naruto-chan?" The Uchiha matron asked.
"Yup!" The little blonde chirped, marching over to her aunt figure and taking the woman's soft, pale, hand when it was offered.
"See you later Tou-chan, Kaa-chan!"
"We'll see you all tomorrow." Mikoto promised, bowing slightly before she began leading the little blonde towards the door.
They got halfway out before Naruto turned around and raced back to her parents, hugging both of their legs as they stood side by side.
"Love you Kaa-chan." She mumbled. "Love you Tou-chan."
Both parents kneeled down, taking turns placing a single kiss on their daughter's forehead, their eyes softening even more when she returned the gesture to their cheeks.
"We love you too Naruto."
After Naruto and Mikoto made it out of the house, they got three feet from the porch before they heard Kushina screeching.
"Minato you baka what is that terrible smell!?"
"Good lord!" The blonde man sputtered. "I think the miso boiled over again!"
"Seriously! That's the fourth time!"
"S-sorry Kushina-chan…"
"I hope you realize you're just gonna have to make it again."
Mikoto and Naruto looked at each other, the moonlight above illuminating their faces as they broke out in laughter.
They traveled farther and farther away from the Uzumaki Namikaze household hand in hand, and Naruto knew the fun was only beginning.
"Mikoto-ba-chan, I love my Tou-chan and Kaa-chan." Naruto giggled.
Mikoto smiled and shook her head.
"Me too. Things are never boring, that's for sure."
"Mhm." Naruto hummed. "I got my awesome from them!"
The duo began giggling again, and would only realize halfway to the Uchiha district that they had to turn back because they'd still forgotten Naruto's go bag.