Hello Naruto fandom!

My penname is Ariaeris and it is a pleasure to meet all of you! Though I was a lurker in this fandom for quite awhile I, unfortunately, have not been here for some time. So I have absolutely no idea how this fic will go down, seeing as I have no idea what the state of the fandom is at the moment.

Still, I wanted to put this up, for no other reason than to test the water and see if I make a splash. Doubtful, considering that I started writing this literally at the onset of Father's day, but still, who knows? Maybe someone out there will like this piece.

Now, considering what day it is, it should come as no surprise that this is a Father's Day fic. I wrote a Mother's Day fic for the Harry Potter fandom, mainly because I am in love with the character of Lily Evans, so I decided to choose the Naruto fandom to write a Father's Day fic for, because I am completely and utterly in love with the character of Minato Namikaze.

And no, there will be no crossing over of the two; that will be saved for the Minato/Harry fic which will be posted someday. This work is Naruto only, promise.

So, now with that warning out of the way, I just want to finish up by saying that I hope you all enjoy the fic and to give a great big shout out to all the fathers out there.

You guys rock!

Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor would I ever really want to; seeing all the shit the creator gets has firmly put me off ever wanting to own this anime/manga. Still, so I don't get my ass sued off, I am in no way making a monetary profit off this. I am making an emotional one though from the positively glowing reviews I know you all are undoubtedly going to leave me.

Warning: Slash and fairly unconventional pairings (ex: threesomes). A little swearing. Some spoilers if you are not up to date. And a distinct refusal to call Root anything but Root. That's all folks.

Pairings: Minato/Kushina, potential Sasuke/Naruto/Sakura.

Parents Always Are

Chapter 1: A Father's Pride

When I'm trusting and being myself... everything in my life reflects this by falling into place easily, often miraculously.

- Shakti Gawain

Minato knew that naming Naruto after a ramen topping had been a good idea; hell, Kushina had agreed with him, which had probably been why Jiraya had even agreed to let his godson be given such a name. Kushina had agreed with him only three times in his life (when he said that they should be boyfriend and girlfriend, when he proposed, and when he had been offered the position as Hokage) and each agreement had brought him nothing but happiness, even the last.

Jiraya had still thought them mad though; who knew what kind of jokes would be pulled against a ramen topping kid, Hokage's son or not?

Still, Minato did not regret that moment when his son's name had been decided. How could he? Naruto had inherited a great legacy that day.

To be a splendid shinobi, one to rival the main character of Jiraya's masterpiece.

Watching through Naruto's eyes, a silent presence in his son's subconscious, he knew that his son had done more than he could even hope for. He had...become something more than splendid.

Or maybe that was just his fatherly pride talking; a father always thinks highest of his son, no? Still, he knew he was not alone. He had seen the changes his son had made in people, even ones as stubborn as Tsunade and Jiraya. Even they acknowledged something in his son, something great.

And Naruto deserved that; deserved that something that would lead him to greatness. After his cold and lonely childhood, a twelve-year lifetime of emptiness that Minato was ashamed to put his son through, Naruto deserved all the happiness in the world.

And yet Naruto was just as stubborn as Tsunade and Jiraya; just as stubborn as he himself had once been. It was almost enough to think that great ninjas were built on pure mulishness alone.

Naruto was the kind of person who shot for the sky, who refused to relinquish his dreams, no matter how impossible they seemed. Naruto was a dreamer; maybe as a result of his childhood filled with emptiness, he strove to accomplish everything, to fill his life with enough love and happiness so that his days of solitude would be a thing of the past.

At the same time though, he was the exact opposite of a dreamer. Because a dreamer finds himself lost in fantasies of the impossible; for Naruto, there was no impossible. There was only the unaccomplished.

Stubbornness. At times, Minato could swear that his son ran on that alone. Even when faced with foes far out of his league, against impossible (nothing was impossible though, his son had taught him that) odds, Naruto had triumphed because more than anything, he believed in himself. Not just his own individual power though; that was not Naruto.

Naruto was the creation of a lifetime of emptiness combined with the eternally strong bonds he had created. With Konoha, the city Minato had truthfully grown to hate in the first few years of his son's life, with his team, even after they treated him horribly, with the other Konoha Eleven as they were called, and far beyond that. All across the world, Naruto had done something to someone that had left a lasting impression, created a bond that connected his once damaged heart to theirs.

And from there, he had grown stronger. From those bonds, Naruto drew his strength, constantly bounding ahead to even higher limits and beyond. Soon, Naruto would surpass everyone; it was inevitable. Even the strongest person alone could not match up to a man made of the hearts and dreams of many.

Naruto's bonds weren't one way though; he drew strength from the people he had bonded to, but people also drew strength from him. Strength enough to change themselves and the world around them, to be able to dream once more and regain their once long vanished hopes.

He had been witness to it; how Naruto had latched on to people and had shown them his own special brand of kindness. How he changed people, even those who resisted him, for the better. Kakashi had said it best; Naruto had the odd ability to make friends with anyone and, those who had met Naruto, invariably found themselves changing.

From his very first serious mission, where he had found his own path from Haku and had forced the merciless Zabuza back onto his, enough for the man to die beside the one he had cherished more than anyone else. And the Rookie Nine, who had gone from disparaging Naruto to supporting him all the way to the punch that had shattered Neji's pessimistic view of the world. Gaara as well, who had served as Naruto's reflection and inverse, had been saved thanks to Naruto's actions, the sand jinchuuriki's heart opened once more.

And Jiraya! Minato had never seen the pervy sage change so much and, though he had been upset to hear of his master's death, he had smiled knowing that, in some way, Jiraya had died happy thanks to Naruto. Not to mention Tsunade, who had finally decided to put her trust in Konoha once more thanks to Naruto as well as Sai, who had begun to separate himself from Root and had started thinking, and feeling, for himself once more. Naruto had touched so many others as well, like an impossible to ignore, far-too-loud ray of sunshine.

Even he, a mere shade left over from his life, had been changed by Naruto.

The ones who had been affected most were undoubtedly the original Team Seven though.

Kakashi, his strongest student, had finally begun to move forward with his life. He had been living in the past for too long, but the blond, his teacher's son, had been the impetus for his change. Maybe it was because Naruto was so much like Obito, or maybe it was the eerie resemblance Minato could see between himself and his son (and not just a physical one), but Kakashi had dedicated himself to the future. Unknowingly or not, Kakashi had decided to live and had begun to make amends with his own painful past.

Sakura; she might have been the one who changed the most out of Team Seven. In the beginning she was such a mess of all of humanity's worst frailties (obsession with what he once thought was superficial love, a lack of any prominent skills necessary towards being a proficient kunoichi, and an irritating tendency towards hitting his son, even if he was a bit annoying as a kid) that Minato had almost written her off as a lost cause.

Never had he been more surprised to be mistaken. Sakura, the same Sakura who had been harsh and abusive towards Naruto, grew to admire and respect the blond, so much in fact that he soon became a pillar of strength for her. Their shared bond and dream to rescue their errant teammate soon inspired her to want to be stronger and, with the memory of her two beloved companions held close to her heart, Sakura had thrown herself into her training, constantly working so that, when she finally reunited with Sasuke and Naruto, she would be able to walk side by side with them instead of trailing behind.

Sasuke...he was the tricky one. The Uchiha had been the only one that Minato had ever seen who had rejected the bond Naruto offered. Naruto had grown on mass-murders, jaded old farts, and most recently, a screwed up madman who though people constantly killing each other was the path to peace; how had the Uchiha managed to slip through Naruto's grasp?

Minato had no clear cut answers; he, like everyone else, would have to wait and see what was going on in the damaged Uchiha's head. What he did know was that Sasuke had not remained untouched by Naruto. He had seen what Sasuke could have been before he defected from Konoha; had seen the rivalry between him and his son that had pushed the two to their limits and beyond, how they had constantly built off each other and had grown stronger because of it. The two had the potential to be great; together though, they had the potential to be splendid.

Even now, weary as he was from fixing the seal he had placed on his son, Minato watched over his son as Sakura hugged him, his beloved village's cheers still ringing in his ears. Even if the village itself had been destroyed, it still remained in the hearts of those who now recognized Naruto as their hero.

That was how his son had changed him: Naruto had taught him how to forgive. Having witnessed Konoha ignoring Naruto for his entire childhood firsthand, after having to watch Naruto's crying every night over why he had no loving family and what had he done wrong to deserve such a fate until Naruto couldn't cry any more, Minato had grown to hate the village. What parent wouldn't? It was only natural for one to hate something that causes a loved one harm, and seeing how his son, who he had wanted to be called a hero, was treated was the worst possible betrayal for its once leader.

Naruto though...Naruto had believed in the village. He had known that, by trying his hardest, he could force the village to recognize his existence, to not treat him like he was some animal. He could become Hokage even, show the entire world that he was Naruto freakin' Uzumaki, and be the best damn Hokage the world had ever seen.

Minato chuckled tiredly in Naruto's mindscape. Naruto had accomplished his dream; he had been right all along. The village had done exactly what Minato had doubted it could ever do and had begun treating Naruto like the hero he was supposed to be.

Minato had been wrong and all he could do now was marvel at his splendid son as he stood in the middle of a crowd welcoming him home with open arms and hearts, thankful that he had been mistaken, his village could still be saved, and thank God that Naruto was finally on the cusp of happiness that he deserved.

He did not know how long this victory was going to last; Konoha would have to be rebuilt, Akatsuki (no mattered how damaged it was) was still at large, the one who had set the Kyuubi on Konoha sixteen years ago was still out there, and who knows what Sasuke was planning; for the moment though, Minato could relax.

He had faith in Naruto. Knowing his splendid son, everything would turn out for the best. His little Hokage-to-be would fight off the Akatsuki and that mysterious man from sixteen years past and, knowing Naruto, he would probably be able to win Sasuke back again through God knows what means.

And then Naruto would be happy. Because no matter how much he loved his friends, family, and village, his heart would not be whole without Sasuke. And maybe, Minato though as he watched Sakura touch Naruto's face tenderly (and right after smacking him over the head too! Talk about mood swings!), he had already taken another step closer towards his happy ending.

He and Kushina had lucked out with Naruto; how the hell he had gotten such a strong son was beyond him, but he was thankful for him nevertheless.

Naruto, his ramen topping, Hokage-obsessed, splendid shinobi of a son.

What he had said to Naruto was true; parents do always believe in their children.

Naruto though...

He was more than enough to make a father proud.

Awww...I could practically eat a loving daddy!Minato up!

So, how was it? I know that this is probably going to be one of many Minato+Naruto stories added today, but I hope that maybe this one stood out a bit. Maybe it left you with a good impression; hopefully it didn't leave you with a bad one at least.

In any case, I won't beg you for reviews. Instead, I'll beg you all to take a second to thank whatever father figure you may have in your life. As I said in my Mother's Day fic, I'm at the age where I'm finally starting to realize just how much out parents do for us and all the shit they put up with. It's amazing and, frankly, rather scary. The sheer amount of love that parents can have for their children is astounding; how amazing is it that you can say and believe completely that someone would give up their life for you in an instant?

And yet that is what being a parent means. It means having an existence beside your own, someone you can love and cherish, hand your memories down to and watch them grow, guide them through the beginning stages of their life and watch them flourish into the adults they are meant to be, loving them unconditionally at the same time.

For all fathers, and truly for all parents, I would like to give you all a huge cheer; you guys all rock so much.

This is it people; the end of the fic. I hope you all enjoyed the ride, don't forget to grab your belongings on the way out, perhaps leave a review (it's not begging if you're asking politely!), and enjoy the rest of your day!

See ya,

Ariaeris~