Chapter eighteen - Spending the day with family
Disclaimer: I know that you know what we all know that I don't own Naruto.
"Do you have everything?" Ami asked Naruto as they gathered at the front of the inn once more. After breakfast they decided that they were going to spend the day by the large lake that surrounded Hacho village. Naruto was staring into space, something he had been doing since last night. "Naruto, are you alright?" she asked, giving his shoulder a little shake. He looked at her and smiled.
"Yeah, I was just thinking" he said, and Ami shared a look with Riku. Before she could ask him anything, Ichirou came out the inn with a frown on his face.
"What's wrong with you?" Riku asked her and Ichirou's frown deepened. Keiko was the one to answer for him.
"He got caught this morning, after he snuck out to meet some girl" Keiko said with a laugh. Ichirou punched her on the hand and she yelped. "It's not my fault that you were stupid enough to get caught!" she shouted at him.
"So, I'm guessing you got punished" Ami said and Ichirou reluctantly answered with a nod.
"You should've known better than that, Ichirou-kun. Your father has the eyes of a hawk, something he took after our own father" Tsukiko said joining them with a large bag and sun hat.
"Where's Sora-kun?" Ami asked and that was when Tadashi walked out with Sora in his hands. Ami cooed at the pudgy three year old wearing a blue pair of shorts and matching t-shirt. He had a hat on his head and he was brightly smiling at Ami with those innocent eyes of his. Tadashi wore a matching blue t-shirt though he wore a pair of black shorts.
"Oh, someone snuck out?" Shin asked, as he walked out with Rika who was holding Momo's hand. She wore a cute yellow dress as she bashfully smiled at them. "Huh, nee-san caught you, didn't he?" he asked, ruffling Ichirou's hair.
"Of course he did. Do you remember when we tried to sneak out and dad found us?" Satsuki asked as he approached with Nana. "Ryo-nee is the only one who seemed to get the 'Eye'" he added and Tsukiko laughed.
"And yet he still tried to sneak out" Ryo said with Katsumi by his side. Ichirou frowned and refused to look at his parents. "You should've known that you would've gotten caught" he added with a shake of his head.
"Leave the kid alone" Uncle Ken said, joining the group with his wife, Miwa. "He's at the age where hormones are raging and all of those sorts. It's healthy for a young boy to want to be in the company of the fairer sex" he added.
"Ah, yes. I remember my days" Daichi said, approaching. "The beauties that were left heartbroken because of me" he added and Ichirou smirked at him. Daichi pulled Ichirou aside and asked "So, was she cute?"
"Very" Ichirou said and they shared a chuckle, before Ryo bopped Ichirou on the head. "What was that for?!" he shouted at his father.
"Uncle Daichi, you're corrupting the poor boy!" Momoe said as she approached with Akira holding her hand.
"He's young and with the hormones, it's only natural" Masa said wearing a straw hat on his head. "I remember that the three of you were the same. Always sneaking out to meet with girls" he said to his sons, who were on edge as their wives turned to them.
"Are we going to stand out here all day or are we going to get moving?" Riku asked with his fishing rod in his hands. "Let's go!" he shouted and the children shouted after him. Naruto walked beside Ichirou who was sulking.
"How is that you weren't caught?" Ichirou asked as he glanced at him. At Naruto's shrug, Ichirou pouted.
"What's your punishment?" Naruto asked and Ichirou shot him a look that said: You don't even want to know. Naruto chuckled at him.
"You should've seen her, little man. She was totally worth it" Ichirou said with a smile. Naruto shook his head at him, as Keiko joined them.
"What are you two talking about?" She asked, looking at them and Ichirou frowned. "I'm just curious to how you both got so chummy all of a sudden" she added.
"Why don't you just mind your business, miss nosy" Ichirou said and Keiko's eyes narrowed.
"Well, if you don't want to tell me, I'll just ask the shrimp" Keiko said turning to Naruto. "So, what's the deal with you and my baka brother?" she asked.
"I can't tell you" Naruto said and she looked at him. "Not until you stop calling me shrimp. I have a name, you know" he added before walking off while Ichirou laughed at Keiko's gob smacked face.
With his feet dangling in the water, Naruto sat down on the dock, staring at the blue sky. He didn't join the rest of the family as they played a little far away, while the older men decided to fish on one of the rocks. Ichirou swam up and placed his hands on the dock. "Why are you so broody?" he asked, as he ran a hand through his wet hair.
"I'm not broody" Naruto said, kicking some water. "I just have some stuff going on right now" he added.
"Stuff? Like what?" Ichirou asked, looking at him. "Come on, it's not like I'll tell anyone" he added.
"It's just personal" Naruto said and Ichirou arched an eyebrow. "I haven't even told the old man or Ami-chan" he added.
"Why not?" Ichirou asked and Naruto glanced at Riku who was laughing with Ken as they fished. "Because it's personal" Ichirou said when Naruto didn't say anything. "In case you haven't noticed, they're family" he added as he hopped up on the dock.
"I know they're family. I know that" Naruto said to the older boy. "It's just that I don't know how to tell them" he added.
"Just tell them" Ichirou said and turned to him. "My mom always says, once you get it off your chest, you'll feel better. I'm sure that once you tell them whatever it is you have to tell them, they'll understand" he added and Naruto nodded. With that, he started to shake his head like a dog in order to dry his hair. Naruto yelped and shouted at him to stop but the boy continued with a broad smile on his face.
"Oi, that's not funny!" Naruto shouted when Ichirou laughed at him. That was when he felt something pull on his legs. With wide eyes, he shrieked as he was pulled into the water. When he emerged, he saw Keiko smiling at him. "You!" he shouted, pointing at her.
"That was for this morning!" she shouted and swam away. Ichirou turned to Naruto who smirked.
"Hey, what do you say that we catch her and teach her a lesson?" Ichirou asked and Naruto's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "I'll take that as a yes" he added before jumping into the water.
"Looks like your little brother, is finally having some fun, Ami-chan" Tsukiko said as they set up a large picnic blanket under one of the large trees that were near the lake. Ami looked back and smiled as she watched Naruto, Ichirou as well as Keiko have a water fight with each other. "Count on Ichirou, no matter what age he is, to have a water fight" she commented and they chuckled. "Oh, look at that! Even Sora-kun is warming up to him!" she shouted and they stared at her son who urged Tadashi to move to the group that was splashing each other. She placed her hand over her heart as she watched her little son. He giggled when he joined the fight, though the others weren't as rough as they were, moments ago. "So cute" she said to herself and Ami smiled as Tsukiko took out her camera. She snapped a few pictures of them.
"I was worried about him" Ami said as she sat down on the blanket. "Whenever he meets anyone new, he closes up like he did with me. Though Uncle Riku was the exception" she added.
"From what you've told me, he has a right to be suspicious of new comers in his life" Tsukiko said as she sat down as well. "The poor child, the things he's had to go through in life. If that happened to my little Sora-kun, I don't even know what I would do" she said and Ami nodded.
"That's why Uncle Riku and I have to look after him since he doesn't have his parents to do it for him" Ami said and Tsukiko patted her hand.
"And you're doing a wonderful job. Uncle Kenta would've been so proud of you" Tsukiko said and Ami's eyes softened at the mention of her father.
"If he was alive, he would've done the same thing Uncle Riku and I did. I know he would" she said and Tsukiko nodded.
"Our family likes to save those who need saving. I mean, look at Shin and Nana. Once they met Momo and they found out what happened to her, they adopted her right away" Tsukiko said, looking at the girl as she played with her parents.
"Doesn't it just break your heart? The things that some kids have to go through" Ami said and Tsukiko nodded as they thought about Momo as well as Naruto.
"And that is why we're here" Satsuki said as he walked up to them. "Our family will always help those in need, just like our fathers taught us" he added as he wiped his head with a towel.
"We have great fathers, don't we?" Ami asked and they couldn't help but nod at the question.
Author's notes: Meh, there wasn't much going on here, but I felt like this was needed because Ichirou, Naruto and Keiko have grown closer.
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