A/N: First of all, I apologize for updating so late. This chapter was a pain to write. Somehow I couldn't get Kurenai and the Sandaime right. I've rewritten it a few times, and this is how it ended up. Anyway, thanks ItachiTenshi for beta'ing this! And thanks again my awesome readers for your reviews, favorites and follows. You all make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. They all belong to Masashi Kishimoto, however this story and the OC are mine.

Chapter 4: Our Home

"Aaaah~! I'm so hungry! Those Onigiri weren't enough at all!" Miu said as she wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to prevent her stomach from growling again. Naruto, who was walking beside her, giggled at her theatrics. They were on their way back home after having played at the park for hours. They hadn't stopped playing, not even thinking about going home, so they could finally eat. Instead they had walked into the nearest store, ignoring the glares and buying some Onigiri for the two of them. they had quickly scarfed them down, before continuing to play.

Miu had truly enjoyed herself. She didn't know that playing with an almost five-year-old would be so relaxing. Just for a moment she had let go of her burdens and worries and for once in her life she had just concentrated on having fun. She shot a look at the little boy walking besides her. She hoped that it had had the same effect on him. It would make her so happy if he could forget about those hateful villagers even if it was for a second, that he could just be a normal child even if it was for a few minutes. Normal, not hated. She hoped that he had felt the same sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, of peace as she had felt. She grinned and took Naruto hand in hers.

"Ne, Naruto-kun, I'm really sorry. You're probably hungry too! Let's get home quickly and I'll make us both something delicious! Ah, I'm in the mood for something fall-y." She announced happily. Naruto cocked his head in question.

"Ne, Miu-san? Fall-y… is that even a word?" He asked innocently.

Miu stopped dead in her tracks, her arms falling limply by her side.

"Ah." She uttered. Naruto stopped behind her, wondering if he had said something wrong, normally Miu-san wouldn't…

"AH!" She shouted again, and suddenly turned around, scaring the hell out of him.

"M-Miu-san? Are you… okay?" He asked, panicking a bit.

She raised her fist, fire burning in her eyes.

"If it's not a word, then let's make it a word! In this world nothing is impossible! Because we're youthful after all!" Miu suddenly fell face first into the ground, holding a bump on the back of her head.

"Ouch! That hurt, dammit! Who was it?!" She looked over her shoulder, coming face to face with the emotionless expression of the culprit.

"Anko! Where the hell did you come from?!" Anko's eyebrow twitched as she brought the kunai she was holding closer to her friends face.

"I told you not to say that again!" Miu blinked a few times, not really understanding what she meant, until it clicked. She shot Anko a sheepish smile. Her friend could be so freakin' scary sometimes!

"Ehehe, sorry Anko-chan. I won't do it again, so please… don't kill meeeee!" She ended pathetically, flailing underneath her friend, which only made Anko angrier.

Naruto stared at the strange scene in front of him. One moment Miu-san was talking about making fall-y a word and being able to do anything, because nothing was impossible and then she had said some weird things –What was this youthful anyway? and then the next thing he knew she was suddenly on the ground with Mitarashi-san on top of her. He tilted his head to the side. Was this another spar? He thought they would meet again tomorrow… Did Mitarashi-san really want to fight so badly? Maybe she had missed Miu-san and she just wanted to see her again? He nodded. That was probably it. Miu-san was a nice person after all.

Anko just sighed, putting the kunai away, before a sadistic grin spread on her face.

"I caught you off guard, didn't I? Weren't you getting a little too relaxed with Blondie over there?" Miu just stuck out her tongue.

"Shut up, I could sense you coming from miles away!" She exclaimed with a pout. Miu didn't admit it, but Anko really had caught her of guard. Which kind of scared her. She wasn't supposed to let her guard down.

"Suuuure, that's why you went face first into the ground, right?" Her friend's smug voice broke her out of her thoughts; which she put away—for now. Miu's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the smugness in her friend's tone. She was just about to argue, when her friend's face suddenly turned serious. Anko brought her mouth closer to her friend's ear.

"We need to talk." Anko whispered, worry lacing her voice. Miu nodded. "We'll talk at my house." She replied.

Just as quickly as the serious expression came, it left again and Anko smiled and got off her friend. Miu instinctually did the same and took her friend's outstretched hand.

"Anko, you should come over, I was just about to make lunch for me and Naruto-kun! I'll be making an awesome fall-y dish!" She said, her voice cheerful again.

Anko narrowed her eyes at her friend.

"Are you stupid? Isn't the right word autumny?" Miu's eyes lit up at this.

"That's the word I was searching for!" She turned to a still dumbfounded Naruto and grinned at him.

"It was autumn-y, Naruto-kun! I'm a genius!" She took his hand again and swung it around in glee, Naruto just giggled at her silliness.

"Anko will be eating with us, alright?" He nodded.

"Okay, Miu-san!" He replied with a grin. She grinned back at him. "Good!"

Miu turned to her friend again, and she could see that there was something bothering her. So she decided to distract Anko for a while.

"Ne, Anko! Naruto-kun and I had so much fun! Today, we went shopping and we had ice cream, we also went to the park and it was totally awesome!" She began and continued to tell Anko all about what had happened.

Miu opened the gates and closed it behind them, still chattering all the way, recounting her day with Naruto. She unlocked the front door and led them inside. She unsealed Naruto's slippers from her scroll and gave them to him.

"Here you go, Naruto-kun. After we had some lunch, let's put your new things away, okay?" She told him. Naruto smiled at her and nodded.

"Okay, Miu-san!" They all went into the kitchen and she unsealed the groceries.

"You guys, help me put these away. Naruto-kun, you do the cookies and sweets. They all go in here." She said, showing him the right drawer.

"Okay, Miu-san!" He replied enthusiastically, happy that he could help out.

"Anko you help me with these." She said, pushing one of the shopping bags towards her friend. Anko grumbled something, but did as she was told.

When they were all done putting the things away, Miu took out the ingredients needed for lunch.

"I'm gonna make some noodles." She declared. "Stir-fried noodles with mushrooms, chicken and green beans." She clarified and nodded in satisfaction at the thought of the dish.

Anko just shrugged. "As long as I can get some food, it's fine. I'm actually quite hungry."

Naruto just tilted his head to the side. "Noodles?" He asked, curiously. "Are they good?"

Miu blinked a few times, still not used to the fact that he didn't know what certain food tasted like, because of some ignorant bastards. Anko shot her a questioning look, which she answered with a pointed look that said; I'll explain later. She turned her gaze on Naruto again and gave him a big smile.

"You'll love it." She told him in a bright voice. Naruto smiled at this, looking forward to the delicious meal that she was making.

While Miu was making lunch, Anko and Naruto helped set the table. Anko was still thinking about how Naruto had questioned noodles. How could a kid not know what noodles tasted like? And Miu had looked as if it was something that had happened before. She wasn't very patient, so she decided to ask the kid herself.

"Hey…" She started, making Naruto look up. "Have you really never eaten noodles before?" Naruto looked down at the sudden question and nodded.

"I've never eaten it before… the food at the orphanage was never like what Miu-san makes for me." He admitted. Her food was nothing like that bitter, black mess he had to swallow every time. But he had still eaten it, learning that complaining only got the caretakers angry – and angry caretakers meant a beating. So he endured it and ate it.

Anko blinked a few times, and was wondering just what they had fed the boy in front of her. Looking at him closely now, she could see that he was quite skinny, malnourished even. Had those guys really been feeding him? She shot a look at the boy's whisker marks. Used as a sacrifice, he didn't even know why other people hated him… not realizing that he was actually keeping them safe. Anko blinked a few times at her thoughts.

Now that she thought about it, this boy did save them. He saved the whole village by becoming the sacrifice. And yet, the villagers hated him, despised him. And if she had noticed anything when she had been talking to Miu on their way back home, it was that Miu had been damn angry at the villagers. That's what she probably wanted to tell her. Naruto's treatment had been worse than she thought. She looked up at her friends back. She couldn't sense emotions as easily as her friend seemed to do, but she knew that she had been upset, that she was angry and that she seemed even more determined in protecting the kid. Anko's lips curved upwards in a small smile. That Miu… She thought happily. But her smile faded away as soon as she thought back to what she had to say. Miu wouldn't be happy to hear it, that was for sure.

Anko looked at the blonde kid in front of her again. He was laying the chopsticks on their little chopstick rest and she smiled at his concentrated look. He wasn't so bad, she just hoped that the others would come to realize this too.

"Lunch is ready!" Miu's happy cry brought her out of her thoughts. Her friend filled their plates and served their delicious looking lunch. She felt her mouth water and she shot a grateful look at the older girl. First they would eat in peace and then they would discuss their problems…

An "Itadakimasu" was shouted and they all dug in. Miu watched them both, waiting for their reactions. Anko and Naruto both closed their eyes in bliss, giving her a loud "Hmmmm" as an answer to her unasked question. Miu grinned, glad that they enjoyed it and dug in, smiling at the familiar taste of the dish her mother used to make.

When they were done eating, they all just sat together in a comfortable silence.

"Thank you for the food, Miu-san, it was delicious!" Naruto said, smiling widely. Anko grumbled in agreement.

Miu smiled at them and just nodded. "I'm really glad you liked it." She shot Anko a look and decided that they should talk as soon as possible.

"Naruto-kun?" She called, gaining his attention again. "Yeah, Miu-san?"

"Me and Anko have to talk about something. When we're done and you're a bit rested out, we'll go put your new clothes away, okay?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically at this, a giant grin plastered on his face. "Okay, Miu-san!" She smiled, grateful that he didn't ask any questions.

"Come, I'll turn on the TV for you, okay?" He nodded and followed her to the living room. After she had turned on the TV, she turned to face him.

"I'll be right back." She assured him, not really sure why she was saying it. She ruffled his hair, gave him a peck on his forehead and went back to the kitchen where Anko had been waiting.

"Let's go." Miu went to the garden and took place on top of one of the training posts. Anko sat down on the one next to her, facing her friend. Anko seemed troubled, Miu noticed. She just waited for Anko to start talking, knowing that she would eventually.

"When I left your house this morning, I went to see Kurenai." She started. "We were just enjoying ourselves and talking like we always did, when I told her about you bringing in Blondie." Anko's frown deepened.

"She went silent when I told her, her eyes darkened." Anko told her, a troubled look on her face. "First I didn't know what was wrong and then it suddenly hit me. Kurenai told me that she had lost her father in the kyuubi attack."

Miu's eyes widened in shock. "No way… I-I didn't know that…" Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched in disbelief. "Does… does that mean she hates Naruto too?" She asked, not succeeding in concealing the anxiety she was feeling. Anko shook her head slowly.

"I don't know. But I don't think she hates the kid, just what he contains. Kurenai, she… she put on a fake smile and left. I just couldn't run after her… I thought it was best for her to be alone for a bit."

Miu couldn't believe this. There were so many emotions running through her – anger, sadness, shock, anxiety – she was so confused on what to feel and do right now. Kurenai was an awesome friend; she was calm and cool, but still very caring. Miu had met Kurenai through Anko who had been best friends with the girl. She had come to love them both really much… Right now, Miu was scared. She was scared of losing her friends… scared of losing the affection of the people she really cared about…

When she had decided to adopt Naruto, she knew that she would lose a lot of support. She knew that some villagers would hate her, but she also knew that if she confronted them with the kid himself and showed that he was just a mere child and not the monster they were making him out to be, they would understand that they had been wrong. The same with ninjas. There would be some who would be against it, but there would also be others who would come to accept it. Honestly, she had thought that all her friends would understand. The possibility of losing them due to her decision in adopting the boy hadn't even occurred to her. Had she just been overconfident? No. That wasn't it. She believed in her friends. They weren't the kind who were blind to what was right in front of them. She would get Kurenai back. She would show her that the demon was locked away and that there was no reason to stay away or hate Naruto. She would bring her back.

She shut her eyes, her jaw tightening, her hands still clenched into a fist.

It hurt.

Even the mere thought of losing her was hurting her heart. She didn't want this. She didn't want her to leave. She didn't want to lose Kurenai. She didn't want to lose any of her friends. Her thoughts flashed back to the smiling blonde kid in her home. And she would not let go of Naruto. She wouldn't abandon him. Ever.

"She'll come to understand." Miu told her friend. Anko looked up. "I'll bring her back, and show her that there is nothing to hate. She'll come to accept him." Anko looked in her friends eyes, seeing the determination. She nodded and let a small smile cover her face.

"She will." They both grinned at each other. But then Anko turned serious again. Miu noted that had happened a lot today…

"Miu," Anko called and Miu stopped grinning as she heard the seriousness in her friend's voice.

"When Kurenai left, I had been wandering the village searching for you." Anko frowned as she remembered what had happened.

"The rumor of you two being seen together was being spread like wildfire. The whole village probably knows that you're keeping him here. But that isn't what worries me. If the village already knows, it won't be long before the council finds out about this." Miu frowned at this.

"The whole village already knows?" She asked in disbelieve. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Well, you were parading around with him, holding his hand. You should have heard some of the things they were saying. Some of them were saying you were being influenced, making a drama that they were all going to die. Some were in denial, saying that it was impossible for you to do something so preposterous." Anko said rolling her eyes. "Seriously, some people are just too stupid." Miu nodded at that, still a frown on her face.

"It's okay if they find out he's living with me. They can't do anything, after all I was just walking around with him. If they do summon me, I can just tell them that I found him beaten up, practically on my doorstep. I'll tell them that I was taking care of him, they don't have to know that I have plans to adopt him." Anko nodded, agreeing with her friend.

"But, you know…" Anko continued with a small smile. "Even though there were only a few of them, there had been people reevaluating Naruto." Miu's eyes lit up at this and she leant forward.

"There was this one guy, I think he was a chuunin, convincing his friends that it was weird that Naruto was called a monster. He said that he had seen you two playing in the park and that Naruto looked just like any other kid. His voice was really loud, kind of attracting attention all over the place, which is why I heard it in the first place. Other people were listening too and while there were some that had been disagreeing and disregarding his opinion, there were people who seemed to agree."

Miu's heart warmed at this, a grin tugging at her lips. She quickly blinked away the haze in front of her eyes and laughed.

"I'm glad." She whispered. "Witnessing what Naruto had been going through was… hard. It's a lot worse than I thought, Anko. It's kind of frightening, you know. It was like I wasn't in Konoha anymore. It felt like I had stumbled into enemy territory... I hope that as he grows, people will acknowledge him more and more. I can't stand the thought of people thinking of him as a monster, because he is anything but." Miu told her, a bitter expression on her face. "But after what I've seen today, I'm really not letting him go." Anko nodded, rubbing her temples. She had been right. She sighed.

"When are you going to tell the Hokage?"

"I had planned to go to him today, after going to the library. But I'll probably go talk to him as soon as I put Naruto's new clothes away. I want him to hear it from me and not from some random person." Anko nodded.

"Good. I'll go and talk to Kurenai, see if I can do something about her." Anko jumped off the post and Miu quickly followed.

"Anko," She called. Anko turned around. "I'm sorry for what happened with Kurenai… and thanks for telling me." Anko just grinned.

"We're friends, right?" Miu nodded, a gentle smile on her face that quickly became a full-blown grin.

"Hehehe, yeah!"

They both went back inside, a peaceful smile on their faces.


In heaven…

The faces of the four people sitting at the river of life had equally peaceful smiles. They watched their kids interact with each other.

Kushina had her head on her husband's shoulder, their hands linked together. Kushina smiled for her son, watching the many expressions of happiness and peacefulness that crossed his face with wonder. Those were new expressions. He had never made those faces before he had been with Miu. She still felt a pang of regret that she couldn't be there with her baby, even though she was so, so thankful that there was someone that had seen past the rumors, the whisker marks and had seen her child as what he was. A child.

"In the four years that I have been watching Naruto, I have never seen such a happy and genuine smile on his face, and it's all thanks to Miu-chan." Kushina told her friends. They heard how deep her gratefulness really went and just smiled.

Minato squeezed Kushina's hand gently, agreeing with his wife.

Hiroshi shook his head. "It's the same for Miu, you know. She's always been wearing masks around everyone in order not to get hurt. But when she's with Naruto, she almost completely shows her real self. It's so wonderful to see so much of it now. When we were alive, we saw a lot more of her real self than the others did, but there were a lot of times, that even with us, she wore a mask. She was always on guard with everyone, but she's been changing for the better. She's really opening up to him and in a way he's healing her. So we should thank him – and you too." Kazumi nodded, agreeing with her husband's words.

The two couples and old friends sat together in a comfortable silence, watching their kids finally make their way home after all their playing.

And then Minato's smile turned into a frown.

"I just hope that the council stays out of this. They can get really annoying sometimes and that bastard Danzo had been wanting to make Naruto his secret weapon. He'll use every opportunity possible to get Naruto within his grasp and those two other dustbags are practically on his side…Miu will probably have a hard time if they interfere." Minato told them.

"Sarutobi-sama will surely help her out. He wants the best for Naruto-kun too. He won't let Danzo get him. Ever." Kazumi replied resolutely.

The others nodded and went back to watching.


Thunk…Thunk…Thunk…

In one of the many training fields of Konoha, a black-haired girl was absently throwing Kunai at a training log. Her crimson eyes were distant, thinking back to the conversation she had with her friend.

Kurenai didn't know what to think anymore. The boy that had the kyuubi sealed inside of him was staying over at Miu's, and Anko had made it seem like it would be a long time arrangement. The boy… Kurenai frowned. She didn't hate the kid. She had never met him before and had no intention of doing so. But she hated the kyuubi. She hated the beast that had killed her father, that had almost destroyed her village and killed their Hokage. She didn't want a constant reminder of what had happened that day.

Konoha was burning. A giant fox was making its way to the village, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. Her father… Kurenai clenched her fist around the kunai in her hand.

"I don't want you kids going anywhere near the nine-tails. We're not fighting another village, this is our own village's problem, and not something you should risk your lives for."

She had thought it was a load of crap… of course she wanted to help! Everyone was out there fighting and she was standing there and doing nothing! But the moment she had seen the beast… She had been terrified. Could she really have done something? And now that she thought back her father had been absolutely right…

"You are a shinobi, and you may or may not have a long life. But my dear daughter you are also a woman. If nothing else, survive long enough to give me a grandchild and pass the will of fire on to them! Promise me at least that… I will put my faith in you."

"Dad…" Kurenai shut her eyes and desperately tried to think of something else. She threw another handful of Kunai, missing her target three of the five times. She cursed.

Miu suddenly entered her thoughts. Miu with her cheerful blue eyes and giant grin, her childishness and easygoing personality…

She liked the older girl, they got along well, Kurenai admitted. She had been quite happy when Anko had told her she had made a friend. It was something that had rendered her speechless at first, as this was Anko they were talking about, and Anko didn't just made friends with anyone. She had been excited to meet this Miu person, and had noticed quickly why Anko had taken a liking to her in the first place. The two were similar in some aspects. Both childish and loud, both stubborn – and sometimes both of them could be idiots. Almost unconsciously her mouth curled into a smile.

They had grown closer during the time that Kurenai had been training Miu in Genjutsu, which Miu surprisingly sucked at. Still, she was easy to teach and hardworking on top of that. When Miu seemed to open up to her, she had asked if Kurenai could help her with making a Genjutsu seal, which she had agreed to fairly quickly. It looked interesting, but they hadn't started on it yet.

She really liked Miu, but from what she had heard from Anko, she and the kid were quickly getting close together. Anko had seemed more concerned about the fact that it could bring Miu a lot of trouble than it being so close to her friend. Anko seemed to be taking it quite well… Kurenai sighed.

Why was Miu even hanging out with the kid? Did she know what he contained? What that thing inside of him had done to her village? Yes. If Anko had been there, she would surely have said something to make her aware of that fact. Miu caught on quickly. She probably figured it out. But then, why? Why was she still keeping him with her? Why hadn't she sent him away again? Kurenai just couldn't comprehend her friend's reasoning. Maybe she should go talk to her…

She didn't want to lose her friend over this, but still… She needed some time to sort out her feelings. It had been way too sudden…


Anko had just left. Naruto and Miu were excitedly making their way upstairs to put away Naruto's new clothes.

Miu opened the door to the room where Naruto had been staying up until now and went in. She turned around and kneeled down to his level.

"Naruto-kun, from today onwards this will be your room, whether you decide to stay or not. It's still a little bare, but we'll get some things to liven it up in a few days, okay?"

Naruto just stared at her, his mouth hanging open in shock. His own room? In her house? Even though she had already told him, everything was becoming so real, so quick. He felt his excitement grow as he looked around the room. It was big. There was a big bed in the middle of the room, he had a closet and a desk made from expensive looking wood and the windows gave him a beautiful view of the backyard.

"My room?" He asked carefully, just to be sure if he really heard her right. When she nodded, his face split into a grin and he tackled her in a hug, making her fall over.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyousomuch!" he rambled as he tightened his hug, his throat closing painfully. She chuckled and ruffled his blonde spikes, hugging him back.
"You're very welcome, Naruto-kun." She had to swallow a few times to clear her throat, blinking away her doubling vision. She picked him up and she went up to the bed where she put him down. Miu unsealed the scroll from her wrist, opening it and unsealing Naruto's things.

Naruto watched with fascination as a pile of clothes fell out of the piece of paper Miu-san was holding. How was that even possible?!

She checked her scroll and unsealed a toothbrush, toothpaste and some shampoo too.

"Miu-san, that's so cool! Can you really seal everything away with this scroll?" Miu chuckled at the look of utter amazement on his cute face. She shook her head.

"I can't seal a person away or animals… well not with this scroll at least…" His eyes widened as he understood what that meant.

"So there are other scrolls you can seal away people with?!" She hesitantly nodded.

"Woooow! That's awesome, that would be like a Jack in the scroll!" Miu snorted at his idea of human sealing and summoning, and she shook her head.

"I don't think you would be able to pop out of a scroll yourself though, and there would definitely not be any music. Ninjas have to be silent, you know." She suddenly thought back at another spikey blonde haired man. Well, he was able to do something similar though. She remembered seeing the Hirashin once and she had been so amazed that she had begged the guy to teach her… Minato-san had just laughed off her request, saying that she would have to figure it out herself if she ever started on studying seals. Kushina – his girlfriend at the time, had only rolled her eyes playfully and told her she thought he looked like a chipmunk on a sugar high. She had burst out in a loud laugh at that, and she swore that her sides would snap and her head would burst at the image of a certain blonde with a tail and cute ears, flashing all over the place. A grin spread on her face at the memory, but took on a sadder note as she looked down at their legacy.

She watched the kid, who was still starry-eyed over the possibility to put people in a scroll… She wanted to tell him about his parents as soon as possible. She wanted to show him photos and tell him countless stories about them. She wanted him to know how much they had loved each other and how much they probably loved him, even if they had only been with him for such a short while. She wanted him to know about the kyuubi as soon as possible also. She wanted him to know the reason behind the villagers' hate. She would tell him truthfully– because he would find out one day, anyway— And be there to support him, to show him that she loved him for who he was and that she didn't care that he had the most powerful of the tailed beasts sealed inside of him.

And if he really wanted to be a ninja, she would teach him. She would probably do anything to make this kid happy. She frowned at this, it would be no good to spoil him, so she had to be careful! At least she knew she was very strict when it came to training. She'd probably work him into the ground. But seeing who his parents were, he'd be able to take it. Hmm… If she ever became a Jounin sensei she would definitely be called a slave driver…She smirked sadistically at the thought of making kids do some hellish training, while she sat back and watched, making Naruto take a step back and point a finger at her.

"Ah, Miu-san! You just smiled like Mitarashi-san does!" His statement wiped the grin straight off her face. She turned to him with a bewildered look. Had she just grinned sadistically in front of Naruto?! And he was saying she was copying Anko! Anko was rubbing off on her! NOOOOO!

"No, I did not! You're just seeing things! I'd never smile like Anko does!" She exclaimed, totally lying through her teeth. "And you shouldn't point your fingers at people, it's considered impolite." She added. Naruto shook his head vehemently.

"No really you did! It was kind of scary, Miu-san. It doesn't suit you, you shouldn't smile like that." Miu blinked at that. "And I won't point fingers anymore." He promised.

"Doesn't suit me?" She asked, kind of surprised. Naruto nodded wisely.

"You should smile like you always do, Miu-san. I like your kind smile the most." Wow. That sounded so adorable coming from him. She didn't quite know how to react to that, so she just gave him an embarrassed grin and ruffled his hair.

"Idiot!" She chided playfully. "Don't say such an embarrassing thing!" She told him, poking him in the side. He just grinned at her and she felt her heart become warm.

"Well, we should start putting your clothes away, right?" She ended the moment. He nodded, getting up with her. She opened his closet and started filling it with his clothes, telling him where to find everything as she put it away. Not that she wouldn't be here every morning to hand him his clothes, or even dress him, if he was still too sleepy to do it himself.

"So I'll put your pants here, your shorts there. I'll put your shirts here and you jackets here. This one…" She said pointing at a still empty shelf. "Will probably be filled with a few formal Kimonos." Naruto blinked at this and cocked his head to the side, a questioning look on his face.

"Ne, Miu-san, I thought Kimono's were only for girls." She shook her head.

"No Naruto-kun, Kimono's are for both genders." She gave him an apologetic look. "My family had good relations with the Daimyo, so it's a tradition to call him over for dinner. So if you decide to stay, you'll have to wear it."

"Is he an important person?" She nodded. "He is. He's the leader of Fire Country itself. So when he does come here, to Konoha, I'm inviting him over for dinner. It's to show respect and keep up good relations." Though her house wasn't even that big and flashy, and there really wasn't a clan anymore. She wondered what the old man would think about that.

He went into his thinking pose again and Miu grinned at the cuteness, trying hard not to squeal.

"Well, if I have to wear it for you Miu-san, then it's okay." She nodded, a small smile on her face. "Thanks, Naruto-kun." She sighed in relief.

"But only if the Damo comes." He added seriously, causing her to choke on her spit and started laughing hysterically.

Damo! He said Damo!

She was laughing so hard, that tears were streaming down her face. Naruto blinked at this unexpected reaction. Had he said something wrong? Was she laughing at him? He pouted at that.

Miu calmed down, a grin from ear to ear still on her face. She sat up straight and beckoned Naruto. He came closer, that cute pout still on his face. She suddenly kissed him on his forehead, surprising him. As he looked up at her, she smiled at him fondly.

"You're just way too cute, Naru-chan." She told him sincerely. Naruto blinked at the nickname again and blushed. "Ah, Miu-san! Now you're saying embarrassing things! That's no fair." She grinned at him. "That was payback!" She said, lovingly ruffling his locks again.

"By the way, Naruto-kun, it's Daimyo. Not Damo, okay?" Naruto blinked a few times, and then hesitantly nodded.

"Daimo?" She bit her lip, trying to hold in her laugh. "Daimyo." She repeated slowly. "Daimyo?" he repeated slowly, ending it in a question. She nodded, beaming with pride. "Yeah, that's it! Daimyo." She laughed and ruffled his hair once more. Naruto looked up with a smile. He loved it when Miu-san laughed like this. It made him all warm and fuzzy inside.

She took his hand in hers and took the toothpaste, brush and shampoo. "Come, I'll show you the rest of the house." She showed him his bathroom on his left side and put his things away there. Then she showed her the bedroom next to him.

"This room," she said as she opened the door right to his. "Is my room."

He looked around, liking its blue color and noticing the flower patterns painted on the wall. He took notice of the pictures on her desk and she showed him.

"This here is my mom and dad. The picture was taken when we were still living in the clan compound, before the massacre." She handed him the picture and he looked at the two adults in the picture smiling widely to the camera, their green eyes bright with happiness.

"They look like really nice people." He remarked softly. She nodded.

"They were the best parents, they were really funny and nice. They would have loved to meet you." She smiled at him sadly as he looked over the other pictures.

"Wow, Miu-san! You're so young in this one!" He called, pointing at another picture. She grinned when she remembered what had happened before that. "I was eight here. I had just finished training and my dad surprised me. He'd just bought this new camera and he just wouldn't stop taking pictures. He had been taking pictures of mom first, but she got angry and he ran away to me." He grinned back.

"Sounds like fun." She nodded.

"It was."

He looked further and noticed that her bookcase was full with scrolls and books.

"Do you read a lot, Miu-san?" She nodded.

"Yeah, some of these were books I read when I was small, like you. So when you learn to read I'll give them to you. The others are books I picked up while traveling, and these," She motioned to another stack of books. "I bought in Konoha over the half year I've been here. Anyway, there isn't much to see anymore. You can always come in here, okay? If you can't sleep or just want to hang around."

She unsealed the weapons she had bought that day and put them into their own compartment in the closet, she activated the security seal on top of it.

"In this part of my closet are all my ninja things. Naruto, I don't think I have any kunai lying around the house, but if you ever find one, bring them to my room, okay? And please don't keep them yourself because it's still too dangerous for you." She told him seriously. He nodded.

"Sure, Miu-san," She nodded. They left the room and Miu opened up the remaining three doors.

"Guest rooms. Though Anko practically claimed that one as hers." She said as she pointed to the room at the end of the corridor.

"Mitarashi-san sleeps over?" Naruto asked, surprised. Miu nodded.

"She often does when we drink too much and we're both too drunk to move. Anko doesn't have anyone else at home either. She just stays in one of the Jounin apartments. So she's always welcome to stay at mine. I have a big house anyway!" Naruto blinked a few times at this new information.

"Mitarashi-san is alone too?" He asked, making her look down in surprise. Miu nodded.

"Yeah, her parents died when she was just a child. I don't think she remembers them."

Naruto smiled sadly at that. So there really were more people who had lost their parents too, he wasn't the only one. All of them smiled normally, and it was probably because they had friends that cared for them that made them like that. He had always hoped that he would one day find awesome friends too. But for now, he was so glad that he had Miu-san. He even got to stay here with her. And then he realized that the loneliness that haunted him every hour of the day when he was in the orphanage, was gone without a trace. With Miu-san he had never felt lonely… Was it the same for her too? He wondered.

"Naruto-kun? You okay?" She asked as he snapped out of his thoughts, only to see Miu-san's gentle face hovering over him. He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Miu-san." He really was, and it was all thanks to her. She nodded, deciding not to push him and they stopped at another staircase.

"This one leads to the clan library upstairs." She told him. "The door is sealed, so no one can enter without my permission. I'll take you there another time, okay?" He blinked at that.

"Sealed?" He asked. She nodded.

"There are a lot of clan secrets in there. All our techniques are kept there. That's why it's important to guard it well. Do you understand, Naruto-kun?" Naruto nodded slowly.

"I think I do, Miu-san." He replied and she smiled at that, affectionately ruffling his locks.

Miu led him downstairs and this time she took him down another flight of stairs.

They entered a spacious room. The floor was covered in tatami mats, Katana's, Tanto's and other weaponry decorated the wall. There were a few support beams spread over the room.

"This is the training dojo", she announced. "This place really comes in handy. This way, if it's too cold outside, I can still train inside." Naruto's eyes widened at the size of the room.

"It's so big!" he said, spreading his arm wide open. He ran into the room and made a tour. Miu just couldn't help smiling at the blonde, he was just too adorable.

Miu grinned cheekily as she had an idea. She ran up to him and softly tackled him to the ground. He gave a shout of surprise as he was unexpectedly brought down and watched as Miu grinned. She softly tapped his head.

"Got you! You're it!"

"Eh?" He blinked a few times, not really understanding what happened. He watched as Miu-san pranced through the room.

"Come and get me, Naru-chan!" She stuck out her tongue and then ran further into the room. He was it? Were they playing tag…? A small smile slowly spread on his face as he remembered seeing the other kids at the orphanage play. He had never been allowed to join… He put those depressing thoughts away and got up. He ran to the backside of the room, looking behind one of the pillars where he thought she might have run to, but she wasn't there. He looked around and suddenly saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned around quickly and saw a grinning Miu skipping across the room.

"I found you!" He shouted in glee and ran to where she was, trying to tag her with all his might, but she just kept slipping away.

"Missed agaaaain~" She said with a sing-song voice. Naruto was determined to tag her out. So he continued to run after her through the room, smiling and giggling all the way. It wasn't working! He was trying to tag her but she kept running away! If only he could somehow get her to come close enough… And then suddenly it dawned on him. With a cheeky grin, he ran after her again, just like he had done all the other times. But this time, he tripped and fell, causing Miu to stop running around.

"Naruto-kun?" He didn't reply. Concern replaced the playfulness and she quickly made her way towards Naruto and picked him up. What was wrong? Why wasn't he moving? Did he hit his head? Was there something else?—He was grinning at her and he suddenly tapped her forehead, just as gently as she had done and jumped away from her.

"You're it!" He shouted in glee and now it was his turn to jump around the room. He laughed at her utterly dumbfounded expression.

Miu just sat there flabbergasted as her brain processed what Naruto had just pulled off. He tricked her! That brat tricked her! The knot in her stomach slowly unwinded, a relieved sigh breezing past her lips. Miu grinned and got up.

"So you want it that way, huh?" This time it was her turn to chase after the little blonde ball of energy. She had initiated this game of tag because she wanted to have some fun with the little guy, but along the way she had started analyzing his moves and speed. He was quite fast for a boy his age, she didn't want to know where he got all the running experience from, but his trick had been a great strategy and she had fallen for it. She wouldn't have expected it from a kid his age though. He was quite good in making on-the-fly decisions.

She cornered her pray until he had nowhere to go, a smug grin on her face as she approached him. He took another step back, and was now pressing himself into the pillar. And then she lunged at him… and started her most dreaded tickling attack.

Naruto gasped in surprise and tried to escape her torturing hands, begging for mercy in between gasping laughter.

"Aaah, Miu-saaaan! Hahaha! P-please, s-stoooop!"

She laughed as his face became red and tears started streaming out. She decided to stop the torture and let the kid breathe for a second.

She lied down next to him and stared up at the ceiling. She should probably go and talk to the Sandaime. She would have to leave the kid alone.

Naruto turned around and gently poked her in the arm. She turned her head and smiled at him.

"Thank you for playing with me, Miu-san. In the park and now… I had so much fun." She chuckled and shook her head as best as was possible while lying on the ground.

"You weren't the only one, you know. I had a great time too." Miu sighed and got up.

"Naruto-kun," She called and he got up too. "Yes, Miu-san?"

"I'm going to have to leave you home for a while. I have to go to talk to the Hokage about you being here and about changing my work schedule." Naruto nodded, albeit a little hesitantly.

"Miu-san… come…" he paused fiddling with his shirt, before he looked up at her again, a bit of uncertainty in his eyes. "Come home soon, okay?" He finished. Her eyes widened at the expression that she had not heard in months. And then she gave him a soft smile, nodding.

"I'll be back soon. Don't do anything dangerous, okay?" He nodded and she smiled. "Good. Let's go back to the living room." He nodded. "Okay." They both went back upstairs and she brought him into the living room. She kneeled to his level and smiled at him.

"When I come back, let's go the library." He cocked his head to the side.

"You mean that place with the books, right?" She nodded, lifting an eyebrow at his pout.

"I can't read yet, you know." She nodded. "I know. Hmm, if that's the case then instead of going to the library how about I teach you how to read and write?" she asked him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"You would teach me?" She nodded and smiled. "Of course I would. You want to, right?" He nodded. "Then it's settled." She ruffled his hair and took out a pen and paper. She slowly wrote down the first few letters of the alphabet, making sure he knew how they were written and pronounced before handing it over to him.

"These are the first few letters of our alphabet. Look at it and try to copy the letters. I'll show you the other letters when you've gotten these ones down, okay?" He nodded, and she smiled. "See you later, Naruto-kun." She waved. "Bye Bye, Miu-san", he said as he waved back. She went upstairs, got her scrolls and then left, hating that she was leaving him behind; but silently vowed to come home as soon as possible. This had to be dealt with, after all. With one last sigh, she shunshined to the Hokage tower, leaving in nothing but a rustle of wind.


Miu went up to the Hokage's office, quickly noticing the looks she was receiving. Some were curious, others friendly. Then there were the few of them that glared. There were a few more than usual of the last ones, which was probably due to the rumor of her taking care of Naruto. She made sure to give them a good glare in return. 'Yeah, I don't like you either, so fuck you.' She thought.

She gave the secretary a nod, smiling at her. The secretary nodded back and motioned for her to go on. Miu knocked on the door of the Sandaime's office and entered when he gave her permission. The room was spacious and oval, providing a beautiful view of the whole village from the windows. She smiled at the sight of the old man sitting behind his desk. The paperwork piled up so high she almost couldn't see his face. She bowed in respect and raised her head again.

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama." She greeted with a smile and he returned it with just as much sincerity.

"It's closer to evening, though, Miu. It's good to see you're back. And great timing, by the way," He said, shooting a glare at all the paper work on his desk. "I could use a break." He told her with a smile, as he put his pen down and lit up his pipe. She grinned.

"It's good to be back, Hokage-sama."

She handed him her first scroll.

"First of all, here is my mission report. The mission was, of course, completed successfully and no one was injured. We got the stolen scrolls back and handed the bandits over to the local authorities. We got rid of the shinobi as instructed." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. She handed him another scroll and smiled at him. He opened it up and looked over the intricate seal.

"It's that medical seal I told you about. I finished it yesterday night. It's built so that the blood flow to a certain part of the body can be stopped temporarily without the risk of damaging any body parts. The seal is built in a way so that it directs the healing chakra and even the patient's own chakra directly to the wound, taking less effort and chakra from the one healing. It will give medics the time to seal and heal the wound. It could be used either in the field or in the hospital and both civilians and ninjas could benefit from it." Sarutobi smiled at that.

"That's amazing, Miu. I'll have you present this at the hospital. We'll test it first and if the results are good we'll implement it." She smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." He just closed his eyes and nodded again. "But there's something else right?" She nodded, her expression turning serious. He was as perceptive as always.

"I need to talk to you in private." She glanced at the place near one of the bookcases. The first time she had come to this office, she had a lot of information that she had to discuss that had been absolutely private and for the Hokage's ears only. When she had asked the Hokage to activate his privacy seal, she had felt that there had been something wrong. A crack—something she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been practicing Fuinjutsu for the past few years. After checking up on it she concluded that someone had tampered with it. After that, she had been very cautious to not say anything secret without securing the room herself. Miu walked up to the wall and stuck her own privacy seal on the place that wasn't protected. The hokage sent away all his ANBU, except for the one he trusted the most, knowing that she wouldn't ask for this if it was truly important. She activated the seal and closed her eyes, following the chakra flow to see if it covered every part of the room. She nodded in satisfaction and then turned to the Hokage.

"I don't know if someone told you yet, but yesterday I found Uzumaki Naruto in front of my house." She saw the Hokage sit up at this, concern flashing in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"The caretakers at the orphanage had beaten him up and he had run away, coincidentally collapsing just near my front gate." The Hokage's eyes flashed dangerously at this.

"Did Naruto-kun tell you about this? Was there something else he said?"

"Yes. He told me that this wasn't the first time too. They never gave him good food, and kept him isolated from the other kids…"

The Hokage frowned, warily rubbing his forehead. He was getting too old for this. Why didn't the villagers understand? He was just so disappointed at them for blaming a child for what happened almost five years ago. But this time there was not only disappointment, there was anger too. They had gone too far. He was brought out of his thoughts when Miu called him.

"Hokage-sama… I found out about Naruto's heritage and I know that he has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him." The Hokage simply nodded. Truly important, indeed. Of course only Miu would bring up two S-class village secrets so easily.

"I know that if you ever saw him, you would definitely make the connection. Your parents and his were great friends, weren't they?" She nodded. He was a bit curious as to how she found out about the Kyuubi though, so he asked her.

"I made the connection when I found out he was Minato-san's son. My parents always told me that he had died and taken the Kyuubi with him. But I knew that was impossible, because the fox was after all just a massive amount of malicious chakra, and therefore it couldn't be killed. So I made the logical conclusion that it had been sealed away. And then the whiskers, his treatment… it all made sense…" She told him. She looked up at her leader.

"Why didn't you keep the Kyuubi being sealed inside of him as a secret too?" She had to ask him.

"Minato had wanted the villagers to see his son as the hero he was, not as the monster he had defeated." He told her ruefully, shaking his head. "So I told the villagers that Naruto had been made the sacrifice. He had saved his village the moment he had been born and that the fourth wanted him to be treated as a hero." Miu's eyes lit up in realization.

"But the villagers wouldn't accept that. Their family and friends… their Hokage had been killed. They would hate the Kyuubi, and that hate eventually transferred to his container… to them it just matters if the Kyuubi is alive or not…" She continued for him. The Hokage nodded sadly.

"I made that law, hoping that I could somehow protect Naruto from getting hurt by the villagers. And to prevent the future generations hating Naruto too. Minato would probably roll in his grave if he ever saw how the villagers have shunned him." But according to what she had told him, it didn't seem that the law was really effective. They found a way around it. She frowned as another thing bothered her.

"But if you knew of his treatment Hokage-sama, why weren't there any ANBU with him? He should have at least had some protection, right?"

"On the day that I brought him in, the day of the attack, some people on the village council wanted him executed." She gasped in shock.

"What?"

"But the majority didn't, so he was saved. Still there have been several attempts on his life since he was a baby, and I had always assigned him ANBU." The Hokage narrowed his eyes.

"Dog, his normal ANBU guard, is away on a mission. I had assigned bear and tiger this as a new mission, but looks like they haven't been doing a good job. I will punish the ones that were responsible for his protection accordingly." He told her with steel in his voice. She smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"The Uchiha were one of the clans that wanted him executed. They have always hated Naruto more than anything else." Her eyes saddened. That would explain why the Uchiha police hadn't done something. If they had seen him, they'd just ignored him and probably wished for him to get hurt.

"The Uchiha were always a bunch of stuck up bastards. Well except for Obito maybe." She gave him a small smile. "Too bad he's gone. He could have taught those idiots a lesson." He nodded. She thought back at the memories she had with Obito. The guy had been awesome. But he had always been hiding his real feelings behind smiles. His sadness, his frustration, his insecurities and his love for Rin. She shook herself out of her memories and told the Hokage what had happened.

She told him about their first dinner together and what they had been up to today. She told him about the shopkeeper that had let him in and the others that had insulted Naruto. She told him how they had played together.

"He's such a sweet kid, Hokage-sama. That child, his eyes look so hurt and wary. It makes me so mad at the people that did this to him. It hurts me that Konoha could've made him that way… Today I treated him like any human being would treat another and I got thanked for it. It's so frustrating when that happens. Wasn't he a human being too? Didn't he deserve to get treated the same way that other people get treated? Why hasn't anyone done anything to help the child?" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She had been having the urge to go to the orphanage and teach those bastards a lesson or two. But she couldn't let anyone find out yet. It would only make things difficult. Miu knew how much of a pain in the ass the council could be.

"I've come to like the child. I want to protect him, to take care of him and I want to teach him. I want him to lead a normal life, I want him to have someone to turn to, someone that won't let him down… I want to adopt Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto, Hokage-sama." The Hokage's eyes widened at this. Even the years of training couldn't hide his surprised expression. He lifted his pipe and slowly took a long puff.

"Why?" He asked. She looked him straight in the eyes, she was determined and it showed.

"Why not? We're both orphans, he's hated and despised and I'm willing to take him in, he's the son of my parents' friends and he grew on me. I don't want to send him back to the orphanage. And I'm not going to let a five year old live on his own. Of course I gave Naruto a week to make a decision. If he liked it with me he could stay and if he didn't, he could go back to the orphanage." She smiled fondly at the thought of the blonde kid waiting for her back home.

"He needs someone to love him and I need him too." She admitted. He nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Last night, I told him that I was a ninja and that I needed to go on missions. Also that I would ask you to maybe give me a job in the village so that I can spend a bit more time with him, at least until he goes to the Ninja academy. And he still accepted to stay with me." She told him, a gentle smile gracing her lips. Sarutobi smiled at that.

"So he wants to be a ninja?" He asked with a small smile. Miu nodded.

"Well, Miu, I'll see what I can do. I'll see to it that the ANBU and caretakers of the orphanage are dealt with. I'll also see what I can do about your schedule. If not, I'll assign you the top secret mission of teaching Naruto, preparing him for the academy and protecting him. Maybe I'll keep you busy with designing some new seals for the village. You'll probably spend some more time in the hospital, and get that new seal of yours tested at the same time. That way I can assign the ANBU other missions." She grinned at the village leader, bowing in gratitude.

"That would be great, Hokage-sama! Thank you so much!"

He just nodded and took another puff from his pipe.

"You probably already know, Miu, but the villagers and the council won't stay quiet about this. The moment they find out, they'll try to oppose it. Of course they won't be able to do anything about it, since it would be official by then. They'll probably call on you for a council meeting, but you should just be yourself. Don't make an enemy out of them, not that they could pull anything. I'm probably not going to say much, if I side with you or any other they'll be complaining about it. And sadly there could be some ninja in your surrounding that won't accept his adoption. I really hope you're aware of what you're getting yourself into, Miu." He told her, the concern in his voice touched her. She nodded.

"I know, Hokage-sama. I've already thought about what would happen after the adoption. But really, it's okay. I'll protect Naruto-kun." She would protect him with her life. He nodded.

"When are you signing the papers?"

"Not now, probably at the end of this week, on his birthday. But I think I'll tell him about the adoption today or tomorrow."

"Hokage-sama, I have some requests, though..." She began hesitantly. When he nodded, she continued.

"I want Naruto-kun to know about the Kyuubi when he enters the academy. I want him to know what kind of power he has within him. I want him to know that he carries a heavy burden, and that he doesn't bear it alone. I'll be there for him. It would explain all the glaring and all that he endured in his earlier years. I think this is only fair for him." The Hokage frowned at this.

"His first year of academy is still way too early. He won't be able to handle it." Miu shook his head.

"No, Hokage-sama. That's not true. Naruto went through these four years of his life filled with abuse and icy old glares. He knows that something is wrong with him, that he's different. He's currently still in the dark about everything, but I'd rather he hears it from me and slowly gets the time to adapt to it, instead of it being thrown in his face when I'm not around."

"You have a valid argument and I'll consider it. We'll have this talk again when he starts the academy and then I'll see if he'll be able to handle it." She nodded.

"What's the other request?"

"His heritage. I want to tell him when he's ready. Either when he passes his Genin exam or his chuunin exam. At that age he will know better than to announce it to world, yet it will be good for him to hear it. He has to know that he had parents that loved him dearly. Even if I adopt him and become his sister, his parents will still be missing. At that age he will understand why they did what they did. It'll probably motivate him to become stronger."

The Hokage narrowed his eyes at this, slowly taking another puff of his pipe before responding.

"You can tell him once he's chuunin. Only if I see that Naruto can handle it, though." She nodded at this, a relieved smile on her face.

The Sandaime sighed. He had always thought about what would happen when one day the orphanage would throw Naruto out. He had been thinking of giving him his own apartment. This would have also meant that he had to send the boy to the academy two years early to keep him busy. He looked up and smiled at what a great person the girl in front of him was. She may not realize it, but she was changing the young Uzumaki's life.

He couldn't take Naruto in, because the council would think that 'the demon' was corrupting him and they would try to throw him out as Hokage, or they would try to gain more power over the village. The other clans were scared of taking him in because it would hurt their reputation. Miu was a wonderful shinobi and would be an amazing guardian for a lonely child like Naruto. She would teach him well and she would take good care of him. There couldn't have been a better person. And in turn, Naruto would help Miu heal from the death of her clan and parents. She would let him in and would learn to love again. It would also make her bond to Konoha stronger. That's why he accepted her requests. If she though it would drive Naruto forward, it probably would. She had always been a very observant child. He just hoped everything turned out well and he hoped that Miu's friends would accept Naruto too.

"Ne, Hokage-sama," She called. He looked up at her, she looked a bit hesitant. "Is it, maybe, possible for you, to tell me what happened exactly on that day five years ago?" He smiled at her.

"I'll tell you when you come to sign the adoption papers, at the end of the week." Miu pouted for a second, before a wide smile broke out on her face.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!" He just smiled that grandfatherly smile of his and nodded.
"You're welcome, Miu." She nodded and with a cheeky grin she motioned at the piles of paperwork.

"Have fun working on those, Hokage-sama." He looked around and sighed. He still had so much to do. She cocked her own head to the side, her finger tapping her chin.

"I don't understand why you don't use Kage bunshin for this though, wouldn't that be much easier? That way you would finish more quickly and could use the time to go around the village. It's bad for the bones if you sit behind a desk all day…Minato-san was always saying how he would use the technique when he became Hokage, saying that it would take him all day if he did it the normal way." She told him, smiling fondly at the memory. She took off her seal and the moment she did she sensed the ANBU coming in. They were getting better at hiding their presence. Good. She turned back to the wise Hokage and grinned at his open-mouthed expression.

"Could it possibly be… that you didn't think of this?" She asked him, failing to hide her amusement. She shook her head, a wide grin still plastered on her face.

"Well, Bye bye, Hokage-sama!" She said cheerfully before leaving the room with a chuckle. She got out of the Hokage tower and shunshined home to where he was waiting.


Naruto had been diligently working on his task, trying to copy the letters Miu-san had given him. He glared at his treacherous hand as it swayed and ruined his almost perfect letter. He would try again! And keep trying until he got it right! – Because he was Uzumaki Naruto, after all!—

His silent declaration was interrupted when he heard the front door open and he heard Miu come in. His eyes widened, jumping off his sitting spot, he abandoned his hard work in favor of tackling the woman at the front door.


Miu came in, humming a happy tune.

"I'm home!" She cried loudly and just as she expected Naruto came running from the living room and tackled her into a hug.

"Welcome home, Miu-san!" He said with a grin. She grinned back at him and she had never felt happier entering her home.

"Thank you for waiting for me, Naruto-kun." She said with a fond smile, ruffling his hair, just because she couldn't thank him enough with words. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"Thank you for coming home again!" She laughed and they both went inside.

And that evening too, the sound of their laughter echoed throughout the house.

Their home.


A/N: Please let me know what you thought! Feedback is always appreciated :3