The Art of Family
Chapter One: Ramen is Not Real Food!
Day One with the Family
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Obviously.
Info: Naruto is eighteen. Sasuke has left the village and is roaming the country with his new little troop. Sakura-chan is still in Leaf, working for Tsunade. No real manga plot will be involved, beyond what I just told you. ...So far as I know, anyway.
- - -
"Naruto!"
Naruto grimaced, cowering under the angry stare of his...mother. "Y-yes?" he replied mealy.
His mother was furious. Her cheeks were red, her left eye was twitching, and her hands were balled into fists at her side. She lifted one of those fists – it was shaking terribly – in front of her, then pointed at the ramen filled cupboard.
"When I sent you to get groceries this morning...did I not tell you to buy real food? NOT JUST EVERY FLAVOR OF RAMEN?!" she yelled, grabbing him by the collar. Naruto was forcefully reminded of Sakura-chan on a bad day. Or Tsunade-baa-chan after a few too many cups of sake...
"A...ahh.." Naruto mumbled. Truthfully, she hadn't told him to buy groceries that morning. In fact, she hadn't existed that morning. But apparently the Kazoku no Jutsu came with memories for the created family – memories that included him and orders about buying real food, apparently.
"Don't "A...ahh..." me, Naruto!" she snapped, giving him a little shake. "How am I supposed to make lunch? How am I supposed to make dinner? How am I supposed to be a reasonable Okaa-san without real food?!"
"Demo saa, demo saa," Naruto began, shrinking under her glare, "ramen is...real...food...?" he ended uncertainly.
The air in the room became very thick. The lights seemed to dim. Naruto was sure he saw flickering flames surrounding his mother's beautiful face...
"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU RAMEN – IS – NOT – REAL – FOOD?!?!?!"
Naruto was sure Tsunade-baa-chan heard that scream. Maybe even Gaara all the way in Suna heard that scream.
So he did the most natural thing. He nodded, and hung his head in shame. "Sorry, Ka...Kaa-san."
The word hung in his throat. 'Kaa-san' was something he never thought he would say. 'Kaa-san' was a word forbidden to him, yet so loved. 'Kaa-san' was something other kids had been able to say their whole lives. 'Kaa-san' was something Naruto had always dreamed to say...always hoped to say.
He looked down at his mother, adoring her even more as she fumed at him.
Perhaps she sensed the changes in him, or perhaps she was just incapable of staying mad for too long. Her eyes softened, the flames disappearing from around her. She loosened her grip, then dusted his shoulders with her tiny hands. "Mou. Naruto-kun, what will I do with you?" she sighed, smiling gently as she reached up and ruffled his hair.
"I'll go get more groceries," Naruto said, smiling happily at her. "I promise – no more ramen."
She sighed, then smiled again. "All right. Here's another copy of the list; as I'm sure you lost the first one!"
She stuffed the list into his jacket pocket, along with a little bit of money Naruto supposed was from his wallet.
"Get yourself a sweet while you're at it. Something for your sister, too," she instructed, giving him a smile.
Naruto's smile stretched. He felt light and happy as he walked out of the kitchen. He looked into his living room – what his mother called "The Family Room" – and waved to his father, who was sitting on the floor, playing a board game with his little sister.
"Get some flowers for your Kaa-san, while you're out," his father said, tossing him a wad of bills. The older man winked and smiled, returning to his game.
Naruto was fairly sure these things would make him broke, but it would be worth it in the end.
With a huge grin and a bounce in his step, Naruto left his home, where his family would be waiting for him.
- - -
He was humming – something he didn't often do – as he carried the three bags of groceries in his arms. A bouquet of fresh sunflowers was sticking out of one of the bags, the petals tickling his cheek every so often. Naruto smiled at the people he passed, though not many of them smiled back.
But that didn't trouble him. Not one bit.
His family would be there when he got home. Maybe he would even get a response when he said, "I'm home!"
The thought made him positively giddy.
The bags were sorta heavy. Naruto sighed, shifting them around in his arms a bit. His mother wanted the whole grocery store, it seemed like. He sighed, taking a deep breath. He could smell the pastries he'd gotten for himself and Midoriko. He hoped she liked strawberry.
"Throwing a party, Naruto?" a lazy voice asked from his left.
Naruto stopped, looking around his bags with a grin. "Yo, Shikamaru!" he greeted, waving pitifully while trying to not drop the groceries.
Shikamaru was leaning against the side of a building, giving a bored stare to Naruto. There was a cigarette hanging from his lips. Shikamaru pushed off the wall slowly and walked up to him, his hands in his pockets. "I thought you only ate ramen."
Naruto's breath hitched. He really had no way of explaining why he had bought enough food for four people. "Er..."
"Flowers?" Shikamaru grumbled, lifting a brow. "Does Naruto have a girlfriend now?"
Naruto turned bright red. Him? A girlfriend? "E-er..."
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Have fun with whatever you're doing, Naruto." The lazy boy turned, waving over his shoulder as he walked away.
Naruto had never been so relieved to see his friend go. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. He was going to have to start coming up with some excuses, in case he ran into people he knew while doing "family" related things.
With a huff, Naruto began his trek home again, smiling happily as he went. He never bothered to turn around, but if he had, he would have seen that familiar, calculating look on Nara Shikamaru's face.
- - -
Naruto opened the door to his home, smiling still. "I'm home!" he called.
"Welcome home!" a small, giggling voice replied. Naruto looked around the groceries, grinning at Midoriko. "Nii-chan's happy to be home, Kaa-san!" the little girl called over her shoulder.
Their mother laughed. "That's good, Midoriko. Welcome home, Naruto-kun!" his mother called from the kitchen.
"Welcome home, son," his father said in passing, smiling as he walked out of the "Family Room" and into the hall, towards the bathroom.
Naruto's heart thumped happily and he continued to grin. This jutsu was the best ever.
He walked into the kitchen, Midoriko on his heels.
"Ne ne, Nii-chan!" the little girl said, tugging on his pant leg. "Kaa-san said you might have gotten me something sweet."
Naruto rolled his eyes. His sister apparently had his level of tact as well – none. "Yup."
"Yay!" Midoriko squealed, hugging his leg. "What is it, what is it?"
"A pastry," Naruto replied, digging around in the bag, grinning as he presented her with the pastry.
"Strawberry!" Midoriko gasped, hugging the packaged sweet to her.
"Naruto!" his mother admonished, snatching the pastry from the little girl. "Midoriko is allergic to strawberry!"
Naruto's shoulders slumped. "E...eh..."
His mother sighed. "You and your terrible memory!" she muttered.
Naruto looked down at his little sister, who had hung her head.
"Just a little. Kaa-san, couldn't I have a little?" Midoriko begged, looking up at her mother with pleading eyes. "I won't get a bad rash if I just eat a little bit..."
"No good," their mother said sternly. "I'm sorry, Midoriko. You remember how much it itches."
Midoriko's eyes filled with little tears.
"I'm sorry, Midoriko-chan," Naruto said, feeling disappointed and small. He couldn't believe that out of all the pastries he had to choose from, he would pick the one she couldn't eat.
Midoriko rubbed her eyes, sniffling a bit before she shot Naruto the brightest smile. "It's okay, Nii-chan! I'm just happy Nii-chan wanted to get me something!"
Naruto felt his stomach twist. He had never had someone look at him with such love...the way he looked at Iruka-sensei and Sandaime.
Unconditional love, he'd heard it called once.
Naruto licked his dry lips, smiling down at her as he lowered onto his knees, pulling his little sister into a hug. "Next time, I'll get you something else. What would you like?"
Midoriko's arms went around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Orange!"
Naruto laughed, his vision kind of foggy as he hugged her closer. "Of course. Orange for sure."
"A-Anata!" his mother suddenly wailed. Naruto started, pulling away from his sister enough to look at his crying mother, without letting the little girl go.
"There goes Kaa-san again..." Midoriko sighed, hanging her head. "Our Kaa-san is so embarrassing!"
"Eh?" Naruto replied, looking between his sister's now flushing face and his mother, who had sunk to the floor and was bawling her eyes out.
"What's the matter, Ayaka-chan?" his father asked as he came into the room, wearing a concerned expression.
"Y-y-you missed it!" his mother – whose name was apparently Ayaka – sobbed, hugging her husband's legs as soon as he was in reach. "Naru-chama made a mistake – " Naru-chama? "and got Mit-chan a strawberry pastry –" Mit-chan? "and instead of getting mad, she just told him she was happy he thought of her! Then Naru-Naru – " Naru-Naru?! "got all tearful and hugged her, promising to get her something better next time! It was such a sweet, family moment, and Arashi-chin missed it!" A...Arashi...chin?
A sweatdrop hung over Naruto's head. One was also hanging over Midoriko's as well.
"So embarrassing..." the little girl muttered.
"Anata!" their mother wailed.
Arashi – his father's name – was sweat dropping as well, as he patted his wife on the head. "It...It'll be okay. I'm sure I'll be here for the next family moment, Ayaka."
Ayaka looked up at her husband, her eyes full of hope. "You really think so, Arashi?"
"For sure," he replied, smiling gently down at her.
Naruto's sweatdrop increased when a background of flowers and sparkle-y colors appeared behind his parents.
"Never mind," Midoriko grumbled. She let go of Naruto and hid her face in her hands. "Both our parents are embarrassing!"
Naruto couldn't help but agree.
- - -
Beta'ed by the wonderful Sage-kun! Thank you Sage-kun!