"Natsu-Ren, hold up a moment." Iruka called him over as the class went to pile out the door at the end of the school day. The redhead's eyes flickering a bit in worry as he hesitantly approached.

"Y-Yes, Sensei..?" he started, looking anxious as he really didn't want to be in any trouble. Though the jounin's eyes made sure the class had left before sighing in relief,

"I don't mind if you want to make sure your mother's alright… but I don't want you to be picked on or missing class either… Try to find a solution alright?"

Natsu beamed, shaking his head giddily, "Already have Sensei! Mom said she'd visit me during break if I was in school, or take me out to lunch!" as he'd hold to his schoolbag at his side as the jounin smiled at him.

"That's perfect then.. Off you go, be careful on your way Natsu." Iruka waved him off, the redhead nodded and just as eagerly went to step out of the class, happy he wasn't in any trouble and stepped out of the Academy. His eyes watching as various students alike emptied out of the schoolyard, some with their parents.

"N-a-t-s-u! Datte-bayo..!" A voice called his name, making some of the children look between the hero and the redhead,

"It's Naruto-Sama!"

"He's visiting our school! That's so awesome!"

"But he's picking up Natsu-Ren?"

The redhead felt his cheeks turn red at the commotion about him, obviously not liking the attention as he narrowed his eyes at the orange ninja as he stepped toward the blonde flusteredly to peer up at him.

"Uncle Naruto." He greeted, the blonde not losing his toothy smile,

"Ne, Natsu-Ren, I was hoping you'd help me out with something?" the nin chuckled mischievously,

"Help you..?`-" Natsu tilted his head,

"I reaaaally wanted to take your mother and you to Ichiraku's tonight-.. But she turned me down so.." Naruto pouted, giving the kid a hopeful look as he clasped his hands together infront of him.

Natsu's eyes narrowed a bit suspiciously, "Why do you need me..?"

Naruto's blue eyes quickly jumped up to his, "Please convince your mother to let me take you guys to dinner! I reallyy want to treat her for once and she never lets me!" he begged, looking like he might cry as Natsu was almost taken back by Naruto's display of emotion,

"Eh? Treat her? Why can't you just come over for dinner?" The kid blinked dumbfoundedly.

"C-Cause it wouldn't be like an actual date, 'ttebayo…" Naruto mumbled disheartened,

"A..Date? You want to take my mother out on a date?" The kid said in surprise, though really.. Naruto having a thing for his mother was not a secret to anyone that knew him, and Naruto had always been like a father to him.. Though he knew he wasn't his birth father.

"Yes, please! And I need you to be supportive!" the nin begged,

"Naruto! Is that you?"

Natsu and the blonde nin's head snapped up to see the Pinkette in question coming towards them, a bag of groceries hanging from her arm as her green eyes were looking at Naruto quizzically, "What're you doing here?"

Naruto's eyes looked to Natsu's pleadingly before looking at the Pinkette with a huge grin, "Seeing Natsu-Ren! I told you I had wanted to see him today!" Sakura folded her arms to her chest as she raised a brow before looking to her son,

"Natsu-Chan, ready to head home and help me make dinner?"

Natsu's eyes jumped between her and Naruto, a troubled look on his face as .. A night with Naruto didn't seem so bad… Especially if it would make his mother happy, as times weren't easy, and knew it was because his father wasn't around, whoever that was.

"A-Actually Mom," the redhead started, capturing both Naruto and Sakura's attention at once, the blonde nin still staring at him hopefully. "While catching up with Naruto-Nii I would really like it if we could join him for dinner…" he said carefully, his eyes brightening up as he looked up at Naruto who was beaming in a mix of awe and joy.

His mom, however, was more suspicious as she frowned at him, "O-..Oh, are you sure..? I was going to make your favorite tonight.." She tried to reason but Natsu shook his head,

"I don't get to see Naruto-Nii as often as I'd like! I want to spend more time with him too."

Naruto and his mom exchanged looks before Sakura caved in, "Alright.. But I better put these groceries away at home for another night then.." She sighed, Naruto ended up throwing his fists in the air in victory.

"ALRIGHT! 'TTEBAYO! You won't regret it Sakura-Chan, Natsu-Kun! I'll pick you both up tonight!" the blonde cheered, Sakura only narrowing her eyes at him in suspicion as she let Natsu carry her bags.

"Right.." the pinkette sighed, going to turn to start home with Natsu quickly trailing after her, the redhead turning to wink in the love-sick Naruto's direction who was staring after the pinkette. This is perfect for mom.. And.. Naruto's the only thing I have closest to a dad. He thought to himself, the thought making him sad as the more he thought about it he would really like it if Naruto had actually been his father..

That night at Ichiraku's went by quickly, to Natsu's disappointment his mother hadn't seemed the least bit interested in Naruto as he would've liked to see.. Naruto was very talkative while his mother was not. It was almost heartbreaking considering how much he knew Naruto loved her, and he couldn't understand why she wouldn't even take a second to consider his feelings..?

His eyes downcasted as he sat there awkwardly as he listened to Naruto talk practically to himself, only slightly nibbling at his ramen before it was time to go. As Naruto insisted on walking them home, but it made the situation even more awkward he felt…

"Go on inside Natsu," His mother said suddenly very sternly, his eyes jumping to her for a moment before he turned to start up the steps into the little two-story, but when he shut the door he didn't move away , but instead leaned into the wood to try and overhear the two.

"Naruto this can't happen again," he heard his mother,

"E-Eh? Sakura-chan.."

"I mean it Naruto.. I -..Can't.. We can't happen."

"But why not? S-Sakura-Chan .. You and Natsu-Ren are everything to me! I love that boy as much as my own!"

"But he's not yours Naruto! You don't want to get involved with me.. You know what the village says about my son and I behind our backs… You don't want that ruining your reputation."

"Sakura-Chan I don't care what they say! They don't know the truth!"

"The truth isn't important.."

"The truth is that his father is part of Akatsuki! You're afraid they'd use him against me!"

"That's only half of the reasons why we wouldn't work, Naruto!"

Natsu-Ren felt his heart leap, his ear pressing to the door as his eyes widened, Akatsuki? His father in the Akatsuki? And would hear his mother's heels stepping up the steps as he quickly turned away from the door as she stepped in, Naruto nowhere to be seen behind her.. But the pinkette stopped in her step in surprise as her eyes landed on him in the dark,

"Natsu? What's wrong?" She asked nervously, setting down her bag at the door.

"Why don't you like Naruto?" His eyes still wide in shock as he felt that desperate tug on his mind,

"E-Excuse me? Of course, I like Naruto…-"

"No! Why don't you love him! He just wants to make you happy!"

"Natsu- It's-"

"Is it because of my father?" His eyes narrowed, stopping the Pinkette in her tracks as her eyes stared off wide in shock.

"Did you-?"

"That's it then… Why you won't-.." his voice choked up as his eyes fell, his hands curling into fists as he spun on his heel to quickly dart to his bedroom, ignoring his mother's pleas as he heard her cries from the living room but didn't let himself turn back.

It was obvious his mother still loved his father.. The only one she'd ever be happy was if they could be a family.. But if his father was part of Akatsuki.. What kind of family would they be?

"Natsu-San..?" Chizuru from his class attempted to get his attention, the girl's soft eyes watching him in worry as the redhead had hardly moved from his desk all day, but the boy didn't bother to acknowledge her.

Iruka watched her silently as he stared at the look on the child's face, having already been warned himself after the Hokage's order, and had an unsettling feeling in his gut, as by the look on the child's face it was almost as if he had found out something out.. And made a mental note to watch him today extra closely as the students lined up for 1v1.

"Alright class, I'm going to pair you up with your peers.. The rules are simple, no ninjutsu, respect your fellow peer, and the referee is always right!" Iruka beamed before taking out his clipboard,

"Natsu-Ren Haruno! Vs Satachi Tataro!"

Natsu looked up, his green eyes glaring across the way right into Satachi's hazel ones,

"Ne, but he's so tiny compared to me Iruka-Sensei!" Satachi gloated, a smirk on his face as Natsu's cheeks turned a bright red in his anger as he stepped up on the field. As anyone could see from afar that he was the shortest in his class, even among the girls… Which made him look rather young to be in his grade.

"Hush Satachi, step up to your opponent or are you forfeiting ?" Iruka mused, making the class giggle as Satachi gave his sensei a look of surprise before stepping up to the playing field, an irritated look on his face.

"I'm going to wipe the floor with you Haruno." He gritted his teeth, raising his fists as he looked ready to pounce on the smaller boy who stared at him with expressional eyes.

"I'm not in the mood to hear it Sata-Baka..!" Natsu barked, raising his own fists in a defensive position as the other kid let out a cry of rage and ran at him. Natsu being slightly more agile as his leg shot out to trip the boy, his hands coming to lock together before throwing them down on the other's back. Trying to be wary not to use his chakra strength, as his mother had told him he had to be responsible if she was going to train him what she knew.

Though without his chakra strength he wasn't very strong, and Satachi was back on his feet just as quickly and tackling him by his waist to the ground. Natsu's hands quickly coming up to grab at the older boy's fists as he tried to fight him off him.

"Haha! Your weaker than I thought you'd be! Maybe if your mom didn't sleep around she'd have time to train you!" The blonde sneered, fighting his grip free from Natsu's grip only to land a solid punch to his face, "Or maybe if you had a dad that cared!" Satachi ignored Iruka's whistle in the background as Natsu practically gaped at him in shock, the tears visible in his vibrant green eyes as his cheek was already beginning to bruise,

"Don't talk like you know my family!" he suddenly cried, grabbing the boy's shirt with his free hand before his chakra-enhanced kick landed the boy square in the chest cavity, and sent him flying off him a few meters, where he struck the ground, hard.

"SATACHI! NATSU! ENOUGH!" Iruka abandoned his whistle, quickly intervening between the two children as his eyes jumped to Satachi who had rolled onto his side, sobbing at his arm that had snapped out of place.

Natsu' having risen up enough as his eyes stared wide and full of tears at Satachi, panting heavily as he was practically seething in anger before he turned to look at his sensei. "He broke the rule Sensei!" he pointed an accusing finger at Satachi.

"And so did you! When I say respect your peers I mean it both ways!" Iruka scolded, going to quickly move over to Satachi to inspect the ten-year-olds broken arm.

"Yuna please go find the nurse," he instructed one of his other students, watching the pale-headed girl run off before he raised the boy up to try and keep him from going into shock.

Natsu continued to stare at his sensei as if he had grown a second head before peering around him to see some upset faces in the crowd and felt his bottom lip quiver as he shot up to his feet, turning around quickly to dart off the field and away from the Academy grounds,

"NATSU!"