Disclaimer: I'm sad to confirm I still do not own the Naruto franchise...

"An Unbreakable Resolve."

Year 2

Minato usually didn't come to Ichiraku before it was nearly closing time, in order to take advantage of the late-night discount (which, interestingly enough, only applied to him). But today he appeared only a couple minutes after the Academy let out and took a seat at the counter.

Teuchi looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. The little boy was radiating an aura of determination and resolve.

"What's on your mind, Minato-chan?" he asked casually.

Minato sat up, straightening his spine and lifting his chin. "I had decided something important."

Teuchi fetched another stick of naruto and began slicing it up. "And that is?"

"I am going to marry Uzumaki Kushina one day." Minato announced, his voice firm and serious.

Teuchi paused, his knife hovering in midair. "What?"

"I'm going to marry Uzumaki Kushina when I'm grown, I'm certain of it." The boy repeated confidently

Teuchi put down his knife and leaned on the counter, eying the boy that sat there. He was only seven years old, and (according to Minato's constant griping) the smallest of almost all his class. He didn't look like someone who was mature enough to make decisions about marriage, but Teuchi knew his favorite customer was a genius.

After all, what normal five year old kid would succeed in sneaking out of his house in the night to go buy ramen?

"Why do you want to marry her?"

Instantly, Minato's big blue eyes grew slightly dreamy. "Well, cause I'm in love with her, and when you love someone you marry them, right? That's what mom always said."

The ramen chef could feel a bead of sweat slipping down the back of his head. Apparently, for all his genius, Minato was still a seven-year-old boy at heart.

"Wellll… that's usually how it works." Minato brightened even further at adult confirmation as to the lucidity of his plans, so Teuchi added, "But why do you think you're in love with Uzumaki-san?"

The boy pursed his lips, almost not noticing the bowl of miso (with extra Naruto) that Teuchi slid in front of him. "Um… well, it started because of her hair. And… and it's the color of maple leaves or sunsets or roses and it's so bright and long and pretty I couldn't help stare at her! And her face is so round and cute and I wanna pinch her cheeks, and she has really pretty eyes, like… purple clouds at sunset."

Teuchi was about to open his mouth and say that 'while that was very fine, your sentiments seem more like a crush than love', but then Minato spoke up again.

"Then I got a good look at her eyes. They're really, really sad and lonely. And I know how that is! She's super strong and kinda scary when she's mad and all the stupid guys say stupid things about her pretty hair, but I can see it. She really needs someone. And… and I know what it's like to be lonely, so I want to be there for her and make sure she's not lonely ever again!" His blue eyes stared up at the ramen chef, burning and earnest.

"And I was confused over why I thought that, and why my heart feels all funny when I look at her hair or when she looks at me. Then I realized today that I'm in love with her! And when I realized that, I decided to marry her." His features hardened with determination. "She doesn't like me, but I'll keep on hoping, no matter what! Maybe someday we can be friends, and then I'll ask her to marry me!"

Teuchi's sudden need to check some of the ingredients he kept under the counter had absolutely nothing to do with his urgent need to prevent his laughter. Minato apparently still had quite a bit to go yet before he fully understood adult relationships…

When the ramen chef felt he had himself under control again, he stood up and said, "Well, that all sounds pretty solid to me. I wish you luck. Still, if she doesn't like you, it'll be pretty hard to get Uzumaki-san to agree to be your wife."

Minato grinned back, confident as a noonday sun, his smile stretching wide across his face. "I'm not worried! She may not acknowledge me now, but I swear I'll be always standing by if she ever needs my help. And I promise that someday she'll see me clearly! I'll never give up until she does. And one day, we're going to be married. I know it!"

Teuchi smiled at him and handed the boy a pair of chopsticks. He knew Minato. Whenever the boy set out to do something, he did it. No matter the odds. "I believe you, Minato-chan."

Minato nodded and snapped the chopsticks, clapping his hands together and speaking his thanks. "And when Kushina and I get together, the first place we'll go is here, and we'll eat all the ramen we can! That's a man-to-man promise, Teuchi-san!"

"Really?" Teuchi said. "A man-to-man promise? Well, in that case, maybe it's time I start calling you Minato-kun instead of Minato-chan."

Minato slurped the last of his noodlely mouthful and grinned back at his friend. "It's about time you noticed, Teuchi-san!"

Author's notes:

And at last we get a mention of Kushina! YAY! The romantic plot has begun!

It's always been my belief that Minato pretty much fell in love with Kushina at first sight, though even genius like him probably took a week or two to figure out the funny stomach-fluttering and heart-thumping weren't some strange disease symptoms. Then I realized that baby Minato would probably approach the entire situation from a logical standpoint-two people + love = marriage so OBVIOUSLY he is going to marry Kushina someday. And he's going to make that goal come true one day, just like one day he'll be wearing the Hokage hat.

I wasn't expecting this chapter to get finished so soon, but the absolutely lovely and heartwarming review by His Rose bud 125 really inspired me! Thank you so much for what you said, and it made my day. As a token of my thanks, this chapter is dedicated to you!

Until next time... when we MAAAAY get introduced to another familiar face, one very dear and important to our currently tiny blonde hero. See you then!