Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 4: I'll Be Waiting For You

Kushina smiled to herself, pleased that she had finally figured it out. It was simple because luckily there was one place every young kid went to; school and that was where she would find the boy. There was only one problem, she'd have to skip work to do it.

She sighed deeply, she prided herself on being an honest worker and she didn't want to have to lie but… this was her chance. On the weekends there was no school and aimlessly walking around the market place for hours like she had done both Saturday and Sunday were all just based on chance and she was never very lucky. The boy needed her and even if he didn't realize it she was going to help him.

So Monday morning she woke up early, reluctantly changed into her stiff work clothes, having to fool her fiancé. Then grabbed her bags and an apple and ran to the bus stop. This time there were plenty of empty seats on the bus and she couldn't help but smile remembering that handsome blue eyed, blonde haired man.

As Kushina took a seat she whipped out her cell phone and called her work place before she could forget.

"Hello" She said coughing into her phone.

"Oh Miss Uzumaki, is everything alright" She heard the kind receptionist say.

*Cough Sneeze* " Oh, I'm just calling in to say I'm feeling sick and won't be able to come into work today, sorry for any inconveniences" she said trying to make her voice sound raspy.

"No worries, I'll let Mr. Yamanaka know. I hope you feel better"

"Thank you" she said upon hanging up.

"That's strange you don't look sick to me" she heard an oddly familiar voice say.

She looked up to see Minato, an amused expression on his face. Of all the times she could bump into him it had to be when he had overheard her lying to her work place over the phone. See? she really wasn't lucky. Kushina's cheeks turned the color of her hair as she blushed from embarrassment.

"I-I….. don't usually do this, I am a good honest worker, truly. I just have something very important I have to do and they wouldn't have…"

"I believe you" he said smiling, interrupting her unnecessary rambling "Can I take this seat?" he asked pointing towards the one right next to her.

"Of course" she replied smiling "So are you off to work?"

"Yes, there's no rest for the wicked"

"You don't strike me as wicked, that's why I've never understood that phrase it should be more like there's no rest for the… virtuous".

Minato laughed "You make a good point but… who knows maybe I am wicked" he said with what could only be explained as a good effort at a devilish smirk on his face.

Kushina laughed at his horrible impression as she said, "Please don't tell me you're an actor".

"Nope, a physician"

"Sounds impressive"

"Nah, just a fancy word for doctor. What about you?"

"I'm a photographer" she replied.

"Nice, what's your specialty"

"Family and wedding portraits, I've been told I'm able to catch that special kind of essence in them. Although I would love to branch out and try take more nature photo's but there's a lot of traveling involved with that and it's not practical for me."

"Sounds lovely" he replied sweetly, before a slow an awkward silence progressed.

Clearing his throat he looked at her and asked her another simple question, sparking up a light little conversation between the two before he broke it up and said, "Oh looks like my stop is coming up next, it was umm... nice talking to you".

"Yes you too" Kushina replied feeling a bit disappointed. Hesitating she turned to him and asked, "Do you usually take this bus to work? Because this is my first time seeing you in the morning and this is my usual bus".

"My car broke down so until I get it fixed I'll be taking this bus into the city" Minato replied simply.

"Oh" she said trying to hide her disappointment. It would have been nice if he took the bus regularly like her. He always seemed to make her smile and she wasn't used to friendly chitchat on the bus but she liked it, especially with him.

"Kushina… umm would you want to go out to dinner this Friday? With me?" he asked nervously a hopeful look on his handsome face.

Kushina's heart instantly started beating even quicker and as he looked at her so intently she started to feel butterflies in her stomach. What was it about this guy? Why was her instant thought a yes to his question? She didn't understand, she did have Kinoshita after all.

"I'm sorry, I have a fiancé" she answered softly.

He looked down seeming to notice the engagement ring on her middle finger "As friends?" he asked calmly trying to mask the disappointment in his voice.

Kushina bit down on her lower lip as she replied "He wouldn't like that…. lets just stay bus buddies"

He laughed amusingly a friendly tone in his voice as he said "What, are we in grade school? Bus buddies sounds like something a little kid would say"

"Hey" she said feigning anger "Can you think of anything better?"

"I have no time, this is my stop" he said standing up and walking to the door as the bus slowed down ready to halt, but not before he winked at Kushina and said "See you tomorrow, bus buddy" with a big smirk on his face.

The rest of the bus ride was like usual, although she couldn't help feeling guilty as she passed her work place. After passing the city, she noticed, the quality of the villages slowly decreasing until, it got to its pittance, the slums. As she got off on the stop the bus driver gave her an odd look. She didn't understand why until she realized how odd she looked in her professional looking work outfit in this type of area. Oh well she thought as she walked to the school, there were worse things.

Luckily there was only one school in the area so she was quite certain she would find the boy at the school. Plus she was half an hour early, so there was little chance of her missing him walk in.

As the clock ticked on Kushina noticed more and more kids strolling into the school but not the boy. As she heard the school bell ring indicating the start of class, she felt frustrated but she had to remind herself, he could just be late. 5 minutes, then 10, 15 and 20 and he still was not there. She decided she would wait 20 more minutes and if he wasn't there by then, she would reluctantly leave.

Kushina sat patiently on the bench waiting, when she heard the sound of footsteps on the pavement gradually getting louder. She looked up from her phone and stood up smiling, finally it was the boy. Her smile faltered though as she saw how miserable he looked. He was walking slowly, limping with his head down, scuffing up the dust on the pavement with his one good foot in his broken down shoes. He had no backpack and was carrying all his stuff in his small hands, with what looked like only a small pack of crackers for lunch.

He didn't even notice her as he walked past so she gently put her hand on his shoulder. She felt him flinch beneath as he whipped around and angrily shouted, "Don't touch me!"

Taken aback she quickly removed her hand "Sorry" she whispered gently.

As the little boy looked up at the culprit, recognition seemed to flash on his face and his glare subsided along with his anger.

"Why are you here?" he asked quietly.

She grabbed his hand and led him towards the bench where her bags were.

"I have something for you" she said softly as she held out to him all three presents in the sparkly orange wrapping paper she had found. Kushina had expected him to eagerly take them out of her hands and open them but he just shoved his hands in his ripped pockets and looked at her with those sad lonely eyes asking a question she wouldn't have suspected "Why?"

Why, Kushina didn't quite know how to answer that. Why was she saw drawn to the boy? Why did she skip work and lie to her fiancé just to hand him presents and try make him smile? It didn't make sense but she did it anyway.

She took the boys little hands in her own and looked at him and said, "You're a sweet boy, a good boy who's been hurt way more than anyone ever should. I got you these presents because you deserve them and I-I want to see you smile.''

Once she finished speaking the boy moved his hands away from her own and her heart dropped, even now the boy still didn't want anything to do with her. But then something unexpected happened; the boy flung his arms around her neck and gave her a big hug. Kushina smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around the boy's little body comfortingly.

She was the light, the little boy thought as he immediately felt her warmth. His world was forever surrounded by darkness but she always managed to break through. The only thing that could counter darkness was light. That's why she had to be light, the embodiment of purity, happiness and hope.

"I still don't know your name" she whispered into the boys ear.

"Naruto, like the sliced fish cake with the whirlwind print that's always in ramen" the boy whispered back.

"That's a great name" she replied and oddly enough she truly meant it. On any other child, a name resembling a type of food would just be ridiculous but on the boy… on Naruto it worked. "Naruto was always my favorite topping in Ramen" she said smiling.

"Mine too" he replied his voice already sounding less sad. "What's your name red haired lady?"

Kushina laughed in her head at the nickname, well she couldn't say it didn't suit her.
"I'm Kushina Uzumaki, you can just call me Kushina" she said cheerfully. "Naruto, why don't you open up your presents now." she suggested.

He nodded his head as he pulled away from her and picked up the presents off the bench. He opened up the smallest one first and upon seeing the pokemon stickers, she saw a glint of happiness in his eyes as he immediately peeled a couple off and stuck them on his notebook. Next he opened up the froggy purse "What is this?"

"Oh, it's purse, for your coins but you don't have to put that in. You can put anything in… see look what I put" she said unzipping it.

"Wow, that's a lot of sweets, can I have one?" he asked with such a hopeful expression on his face.

"Of course, they are yours" she said patting him gently on his head.

"All of them?"

"Yep" she said smiling. As she saw him eagerly unwrap the sweets she couldn't help but feel a little sad, Naruto had looked completely shocked when she had said they were all for him. It was like he had never been treated before.

With a mouthful of sweets Naruto opened up his last present. This was what Kushina had been waiting for. Naruto had a huge grin on his face, with his sparkling blue eyes and his hands eager to pick up the gift in admiration. It was absolutely priceless; his happiness radiated off him and definitely warmed her heart. Naruto really was adorable.

"I've never seen a nine-tailed fox before, it's ever so special. I'll take really good care of it" Naruto said smiling.

"What are you going to name it?"

"Kyuubi" he replied, absolution in his voice.

"That's the perfect name for him" Kushina replied, nodding her head in agreement.

Unfortunately their pleasant time was soon interrupted by the schools second bell, signaling time for the second class.

"Oh, Naruto you must go to the class" She said hastily, having been reminded by the bell that Naruto needed to be in school.

"I don't want to go to school I want to stay with you" he replied quietly his happy expression already dropped.

"It's important to learn Naruto", seeing the boy avert his eyes to the ground sadly she quickly added, "But I promise you by the time school's over I'll be waiting right here on this bench for you".

He stared back up at her with hope in his widened eyes "Do you promise?" he asked his voice sounding small.

"Pinky promise" Kushina replied holding out her pinky finger to Naruto.

Naruto looked up at her surprise on his round face. He had always seen kids at school make pinky promises as they played around but no one had ever done one with him before, no one had ever wanted to. A lump formed in his throat as he moved his little pinky finger towards Kushina's and grasped it.

With that she gave him one quick hug as he shoved the stickers and froggy purse in his pockets and picked up his school stuff, carefully carrying Kyuubi in his other arm.

As he walked towards class she yelled out "Have a good day Naruto, I'll see you after school".

Naruto didn't yell back so she wondered if he had heard. But he had heard, the sound had resonated through his ears causing him to smile at her warm words. For once someone cared that he had a good day, for once he was like one of those kids whose parents could be heard yelling goodbyes to their dear children from the gate. He would have yelled back but he couldn't because there was only one thing those kids would yell back to their parents, good bye, see you later mum or good bye, see you later dad and unfortunately that wouldn't work for the red-haired lady. So his smile dropped and as he opened the door to step inside, he gritted his teeth and braced himself for the truly horrible day of school he knew he would have. Unfortunately in this hell-hole there was no light.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I made it a little longer than usual because I missed posting a chapter last week.

Thank you for all the comments, favourites and followers I really appreciate it. :)