Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone.

BETA: Wise Pallas Athena

Summary: The Hokage accidentally marries Naruto and Sasuke when they are young, affecting not only their own lives, but the lives and plans of others as well.

AN: I know I'm making the kids sound mature for their age, but I don't hang out with kids, and so don't know how they speak well enough to be semi-accurate. Plus, I would get annoyed trying to write how children speak and think.

Chapter 1

Age 4

Naruto was at the playground again that day, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would let him play with them. Unfortunately, all his hopes were dashed. As soon as he approached a group of kids or an individual, an adult would show up and pull the child away, telling them not to play with that 'bad boy'.

Giving up, Naruto wandered to the edge of the tree line that made up one side of the playground and partially hid himself as he cried, watching the kids having fun together. It wasn't fair, he thought, he didn't do anything bad, but adults were always yelling at him, and kids never played with him but bullied him.

Exhausted from crying, Naruto sat against a tree and continued to watch the playground, yearning for a playmate of his own. So engrossed in his feelings, he never noticed the small body staring curiously at him from a few feet away, until a shadow fell across his small face.

Not knowing where the shadow came from, Naruto looked around, and then locked eyes with a boy slightly bigger than himself. Too stunned about being approached by someone, he didn't hear what the boy said, but noticed a look of annoyance flashing across his face.

Flushing slightly, Naruto looked away and asked if the boy could repeat himself.

"I said 'Why are you hiding over here for?'" The dark child asked.

Naruto sighed heavily, if he told this stranger, this wonderful stranger who was talking to him like he was normal and maybe a friend, that no one would let him play with them, then he might go away and never speak to him again. But if he didn't say anything, he might go away anyways.

"Nobody wants to play with me." Naruto began. "Their parents take them away, and then they don't like me anymore. When your parents take you away you won't like me either."

"Why don't they like you?" The kid asked in confusion.

"I dunno. They just don't. I don't have anybody." Naruto said sadly.

After a very short pause, the child spoke with determination. "You can have me! We'll keep it a secret, so my parents don't find out, and then we can get married so that we can be together forever, then no one can make me not like you."

Naruto was shocked. He had wished for a playmate, but now he had a friend and was going to get married. Married people stayed together, so that meant that his new friend was serious about being with him! Too happy for words, Naruto threw himself at his new friend and gave him the tightest hug he could, his happiness reaching new levels when his friend hugged him back just as tight.

After calming down from his excitement, Naruto introduced himself and learned that his new friends name was Sasuke, and that his older brother dropped him off at the playground everyday for a few hours while he went to the nearby training grounds to practice.

Getting to know each other in the shade of the trees, the sound of childish laughter and fun becoming fainter as families started to leave and go home, Naruto and Sasuke held hands and thought about the future.

Naruto thought about how he now had someone to call his own, and that meeting Sasuke was the most wonderful thing to happen in his life. Sasuke thought about how this was his first friend who didn't care about the Uchiha clan, and that this wasn't something his brother had first.

They were interrupted by Sasuke's brother, Itachi, calling that it was time to go home for dinner. Before leaving, however, Sasuke and Naruto made plans to meet again the next day at the same tree.

Both boys went home that day with huge smiles on their faces and a bounce in their step, overjoyed to have made a friend for life.

Xxx

Dinner, Uchiha Main House

Sasuke was happily thinking of his Naru-chan and how they were going to have so much fun playing tomorrow when he realized that he'd promised to marry Naru-chan, but he didn't know how people got married. That was a problem.

"Mother," Sasuke figured that if anyone would know how to get married, it had to be his mother. "how do you get married?"

"You go to the Hokage and have a marriage contract drawn up that he stamps with his seal." She answered absently, not really paying attention to the question.

Sasuke silently finished his meal as he thought about what his mother told him. They needed the Hokage to sign a paper and then they would be married. It was so easy; he could be married to Naru-chan tomorrow!

Scowling, Sasuke thought about the one thing that was wrong with his plan. He didn't know the Hokage or where he could be. He'd have to ask his Naru-chan when they met. Nodding to himself at his brilliant plan, Sasuke asked to be excused from the table to get ready for bed.

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, thinking about how after tomorrow he'd always have someone just for himself forever and ever.

Xxx

The Next Day

Sasuke paced back and forth in front of the meeting tree with his hands clasped behind his back, copying the position his father used when thinking. He was anxious for his Naru-chan to arrive, they needed to figure out how to find the Hokage and then get married. He was so excited!

Bored with only pacing, Sasuke started circling the tree when he suddenly spotted a blonde figure running toward him. It was his Naru-chan! Taking off at a run in his direction, Sasuke and Naruto crashed into each other, falling on the ground clutching each other and laughing.

When they had caught their breath and were back in front of what they had both started to consider their tree, they sat side by side with hands clasped and heads bend together, whispering about what Sasuke had discovered from his mother at dinner last night.

"My mother told me that the Hokage has to stamp a piece of paper that means we're married. Only," Sasuke paused with a gulp, worried about what his new friend will think about him not knowing everything about getting married. "I don't know where the Hokage is or how to get him to stamp our paper."

Now Sasuke looked like he was going to start crying. Tears were welling in his eyes, his cheeks were puffed up in a pout, and his hold on Naruto's hand was tightening almost to the point of pain.

Naruto looked at Sasuke in surprise, especially when he saw how upset Sasuke looked at not being more helpful. Naruto's eyes softened as he squeezed Sasuke's hand just as tighly, smiling gently when Sasuke looked at him.

"Sasuke is a big silly," Naruto began. "I know where to find grampa-Hokage!"

Xxx

"Beat you!" Shouted Naruto as he touched the door to the Hokage's office.

"No fair," Sasuke complained with a smile on is face. "I had to follow you. I didn't know where to find the Hokage."

The truth was, while Sasuke did have to follow Naruto to find the Hokage, once they reached the Tower's top floor and the Hokage's office, he could have easily won the race as he was both taller and stronger than Naruto because he grew up in a shinobi clan, where training was common from infancy.

Still smiling with glee, Naruto pushed open the Hokage's door with no regard for if the Hokage was busy or not, for the elderly leader always made time for Naruto whenever he choose to stop by. Today was no exception.

"Well hello Naruto-chan," the Hokage looked up from his paperwork to greet his pseudo-grandchild, surprised that instead of one child, two appeared before him. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Sasuke! We're here for you to stamp a paper." Naruto pulled Sasuke forward by hand with the biggest smile the Hokage had ever seen on his face.

"Oh?" The Hokage said with an amused grin. "Just what type of paper do you want stamped, or will any old paper do?"

Naruto stamped his little foot, not amused. "You've gotta stamp a paper that says me and Sasuke are married to each other!"

Now this was quite serious, as Naruto was heir to two clans, though not many knew due to safety concerns, and while Sasuke was a second son, he was a second son of the main branch of the prestigious Uchiha clan. But they were children playing children's games, so the Hokage indulged them and wrote them a marriage contract, never intending for it to be legal or binding in any way.

When it came time to write their names, Sasuke was eager to show that he knew how to write his full name all by himself, and Naruto, not wanting to be left out but not knowing how to read or write yet, demanded to help in the writing of his own name.

"I wanna write my name, too, grandpa-Hokage." Naruto pouted from where he sat on the Hokage's lap.

"Naruto-chan, you don't know how to write yet. But how about this," Hoping to forestall the tears threatening if the wobbly lower lip was anything to go by. "You can hold the brush with me, and I'll write your name?"

It was a bargain Naruto couldn't resist. And when they had finished, the Hokage even let the two use his official seal to place stamps on the paper, which they did liberally and with great delight.

"We're married now, Naru-chan." Sasuke stated to Naruto with satisfaction and pride.

Naruto, however, was so happy that he threw himself off the Hokage's lap and into the standing Sasuke's arms, scattering the papers on the edge of the Hokage's desk, including the 'pretend' marriage contract.

Although the Hokage went along with the pretend marriage to indulge the children, he had an ulterior motive as well. After letting the kids giggle and hug or several moments, the Hokage got their attention after clearing his throat.

"Naruto," he begins. "now that you're a married man, you will be moving out of the orphanage and into a cottage closer to Sasuke and to the village center…" The Hokage had to pause for Naruto's screams of delight to die down before he could continue. "Why don't I escort you and Sasuke-kun to lunch and then to the playground?"

This time there were two squeals of delight that had the Hokage smiling. He was so glad that Naruto finally had a friend, and that his friend was one of the influential Uchiha was only an added bonus in his mind.

Leaving the papers that Naruto had scattered across the floor for his secretary to pick up, he took both boys by the hand and left his office, all three smiling happily.