Friends.

Makoto never thought she would be able to make friends in her life. It was a preposterous belief according to her as it encompassed nothing but lies, lies that had been sewn into her to make her feel better.

At least that's what she used to think until she met him years ago.

'Five years.'

Her eyes glowed with joy and love as she realized how fast time had passed ever since their first meeting. It felt like just yesterday, that she had met him at that park and told everything about her life.

Now, she had everything she ever wanted. Friends, safety, happiness, and most importantly, a family. Naruto's mother had taken her in as soon as she heard her story. At one moment she was reciting her life to her and on another, Layla-san was signing her adoption papers. She didn't know how but the lady had managed to get everyone in an agreement and changed her whole life for good.

It still felt a little weird that her parents didn't even put up a fight in the courtroom but in the end, she hardly cared about them just like they did for her. The feeling was mutual if you asked her. 'But how did Layla-san manage to persuade police to arrest Shiro and his friends?' For the thousandth time ever since she had moved into her new home, Makoto began to think about a possible explanation for the surprising development.

No matter how she looked at it, it still felt unbelievable that a seemingly ordinary looking lady like Layla-san managed to do so much without anyone's help. If Makoto hadn't been living with her for so long then she would have guessed that the lady knew some sort of mind-controlling magic. 'But that isn't the case. She is just a normal lady.' She smiled at herself for being so stupid sometimes. Seriously, she needed to stop reading those books about magic spells from her aunt's room.

'Aunt.'

A smile blossomed on her lips as she recalled the day when Layla had practically forced her to call her that and she, being the shy girl that she was, didn't put up any resistance to her order. But that doesn't mean that everything went smoothly afterward. Naruto had made it his life's goal to tease her as much as he could about it. After all, she was now his step-sister as he liked to call her, only in private though.

At first, she didn't understand why he used to do that, especially only when they were alone but a quick and remorseful search on the internet cleared up everything. To say she was appalled by what she found on the internet would be an understatement. She could still remember having a high fever when she met Naruto after the investigation. She couldn't look at his face without going red and her legs giving up on her.

"Hehe…"

Her lips curved up to new heights as she recalled the look Naruto had on his face when he found out what he didn't want her to find. Woe is innocence for she had lost another soul to the wretched perversions of this world!.

The poor boy thought she was going to be mad and uncomfortable for teasing her like that but even if she tried, Makoto knew that she could stay mad at him for long. He was not the kind of person who you can get mad at. He was the kind of person who needed to be cherished, loved, and protected at all costs. He was all she had and getting mad at him was a big no in her books.

Although she knew why he would think like that considering her past with Shiro and his friends but Makoto wasn't stupid. After living with those monsters for years, she could differentiate between molestation and friendly teasing. While Shiro and his friends used to molest her both mentally and physically without any shame, Naruto, on the other hand, didn't even have the guts to touch her without her permission.

"He is so good."

There it was, the strange and giddy feeling that stirs her heart whenever she thinks about Naruto. 'What is it?' She thought for a second before something struck her mind.

'Do I like him?'

She shook her head as she didn't find that word being descriptive enough of her feelings. The word 'like' can be used to describe a lot of things. She liked her new life, her new aunt, her new school, her new home. But what she felt for Naruto couldn't be put under the mere categorization of 'like'. It was something more… something more than like… something like-

'Love.'

According to the books that she had read in the library of her school, the feeling was supposed to be that of love. "But is what I'm feeling really love?" She asked no one in particular and stuffed her face into the pillow when red began to cover it slowly. "Aahhh…" Her muffled scream echoed in the room but there was no to stop and tease her for that.

'What are you thinking, Makoto?'

Something was wrong with her, she could feel it in her bones. Otherwise, who in their right mind thinks about their friend like that? Naruto was supposed to be her friend and savior, not her husband with whom she could start a potential family in the future.

"But he is so nice…"

Her heart fluttered and skipped a beat when an image flashed before her brown eyes. It was of Naruto, who was smiling brightly at her as he gently combed her hair while they sat on her bed. Incidents like that were common in her life now. In her new home, she was treated like a princess, especially by her aunt who never leaves a chance to spoil her. From doing her laundry to combing her hair, her aunt had taken it upon herself to do everything for her.

At first, she didn't understand why Layla was doing that but one question to Naruto answered her every query and subsequently made her sad too.

Her aunt Layla was a family woman, one who wanted to have many children so that she could dote on them with her love but sadly, her husband wasn't happy with that. That stupid man left her and Naruto when they needed him the most. "Idiot." She murmured, sounding truly disappointed with the man. "Who leaves a woman like Layla-san?" Her irritation only doubled as she imagined how distraught her aunt must have been when that man showed his true colors.

"But nothing to worry about now. Naruto-kun and I will never let her be sad because of it. We will love her so much that she will forget she had any husband in the first place. We will be the happiest family in the world."

In her pledge, Makoto again ignored the fact that the relationships she and Layla shared with Naruto were not supposed to be crossed over. But then again, even if she had noticed that Makoto wouldn't have cared, because in her mind if there was someone who deserved to be with Naruto more than her, then it was her aunt. Only she had the right to be near Naruto excluding herself

"Makoto!"

The girl immediately jumped from her bed and began to find her clothes. "Yes, auntie?" She shouted.

"Dinner is ready."

"Coming!"

"It's ramen and chicken! Come fast, Makoto!"

Her hands stopped buttoning her shirt as soon as his voice entered her ears. "Ok, Naruto-kun!" Her cheeks flushed red, the colors of embarrassment emboldening on her face.

-Dining Room-

Naruto was upset, no, the word 'upset' couldn't even begin to express his feelings right now. He was pissed, very pissed. Why? Because his beloved and delicious food was getting colder and colder with each passing second.

"What is taking her so long?" His eyes moved to the chair where his mother was sitting silently, waiting for her oh-so darling Makoto while his fingers tapped the dinner table.

"Keep quiet, Naruto. I'm sure she is on her way to the table now. Just wait for a few more seconds. And please stop tapping the table. It's meant to be used for eating, not for us to play it as an instrument, you know."

Naruto stopped tapping the table as per her command but Layla's words hardly made any difference as Naruto kept on groaning and sighing in pain and sadness. His food was getting cold, how the hell was he supposed to remain silent? But still, he didn't want to disobey his lovely mother. Anger and hunger were important for him but not more than the lady sitting beside him. She was precious and he would rather die than make her sad for no reason.

"Hmm…" He murmured.

"Aww… is Naruto sad?" Layla's soft hands reached his face and cupped his cheeks within them, something that she had been doing for years whenever he felt sad. Today was no different. "Here, sit beside me." She whispered, her voice as soft as her hands.

"Ok."

Layla smiled as Naruto gradually stood up from his chair and positioned himself on the one that was located just beside hers. "What happened, Naruto?" She asked him.

"I'm very hungry, that's all."

Her eyes twinkled with glee. "I see." Slender fingers ascended to his face and flicked his nose lightly. "Silly Silly Naruto. You should have told me that before." She smiled at him and separated the delicate lid from the huge bowl that had ramen conserved within it. "Here" Picking up the chopsticks from her side, Layla dipped them in the bowl and gathered a handful of broth-covered ramen around it. Seeing that the chopsticks could handle that much only, she took out the ramen and put them in a small bowl in front of her son. "Let mother feed you then, my dear little Naruto.."

As soon as she brought the chopsticks in front of his face, Naruto began to devour the food as if it was the most delightful thing in the world. Slurps after slurps, he continued to swallow everything that his mother was offering him until her abrupt laugh stopped him from doing so.

Looking at her with squinted eyes, Naruto pouted. "What? Why did you stop? I'm still hungry." He groaned and patted his empty abdomen to amplify his claim.

In answer, Layla only began to laugh louder.

"Mom!"

"Yes?" She whispered between her laughs.

"Why are you laughing?"

Quelling her laughs, Layla smirked at her son. "There is a noodle hanging on your chin." Even the way she phrased it was clear evidence of how funny the whole thing was coming across to Layla. Slurping noodles like a beast was one thing but getting a fake goatee from them was just funny. There was no denying that.

Naruto went numb for a second. "Uhh…" Slowly, he turned his head a little to get a good look at himself in the mirror that was located in the corner of the room. "Hehe…" Even he couldn't stop the giggles as soon as he saw himself in the mirror. "I'm looking like a ramen sage!" He exclaimed in glee, no doubt pleased with the look.

Layla's smirk turned into a bright smile as she saw how happy Naruto was at the moment. It was contagious and before she knew she was hugging him from behind. "Aww… you're so cute!" Moments like these were very rare now as Naruto had grown up a lot and he didn't like it whenever she tried to express her love for him, especially in front of others.

It was both a happy and sad process for her because, on one hand, she was watching him grow into a beautiful young man like a true mother but on the other hand, it made her anxious because she feared that sooner or later, he would start ignoring her like children of his age usually do and it wouldn't be long before he would stop thinking about her at all.

What would she do when that happens? Layla had no clue. Both Naruto and Makoto were growing up so fast that she couldn't help but feel a little worried on the inside. Just like Naruto, Makoto was now a part of her heart too. For her, she was as precious as Naruto and Layla was sure that she would be devastated once Makoto finds someone and leaves them for good.

'Being a single mother has a lot of disadvantages it seems.'

Her heart bummed out at the thought but she wouldn't let it ruin her mood. She and her children were happy right now and that was all that matters. Layla tightened her hold around Naruto and smiled. "Don't act like you don't want it, Naruto. I know you do." She whispered into his ears, mentally giggling when the boy tried to stutter and wiggle in her arms.

"I-I don't like it, mom."

Lies, Layla could discern them easily in his voice. "Then should I wear something more revealing like a maid outfit? Would you like it then, eh Naruto?" She knew she hit the bull's eyes when Naruto went limp and closed his mouth for good. "What happened, Naruto? Did I say something wrong?" Her laughs combined with his red face made a very funny spectacle and if someone was to see them then…

"Umm… auntie."

Everything went silent for a while and then in a blink of an eye, Layla untangled her arms from an utterly embarrassed Naruto and turned around to face Makoto, who wasn't faring any better. "Makoto!" The lady smiled at the girl in order to distract her mind from what she had just seen. She was truly an immoral mother, Layla noted to herself in shame.

"Y-yes."

The shame only increased when she heard Makoto stutter a little. It was because of her, she knew, but there was nothing she could do to reverse it now, except for erasing her memory of course though that was something she had sworn never to execute on her family. "I see that you have changed into your nightclothes huh dear?" Once again, she tried to change the subject and was mildly surprised when the girl nodded her head and smiled at her.

"Yes."

"Wonderful! Now come here so that we can start our lovely dinner!"

Makoto paused in her walk. "You haven't started yet?" She asked her aunt.

"No. We were waiting for you."

A warm feeling erupted inside Makoto's heart. No matter how many times she hears that from Layla's mouth, it never gets old and always manages to make her happy. Why? Because those words of her aunt always make her realize what having a family truly meant. It made her feel like she was wanted and that comforted her. "I'm sorry for being late then. After I changed my clothes, I discovered that they were a little small for me, so I had to change again into the new ones that you bought for me a few days ago." She bowed her head down in apology and was about to join them but a surprising comment from Naruto stopped her in her stride.

"Geez… your breasts got bigger again, Koto? I swear if they keep getting- oww!"

Makoto didn't know whether to blush or be angry at Naruto for the comment he had made. Oddly enough she felt a little pride when Naruto made that comment. Strange indeed... However, those feelings diminished when she saw him being hit as it had ached her heart to watch him get hurt. It was a normal hit, one that would hardly do anything to him but still, she didn't like it when he was in pain. It makes her sad whenever she sees him like that. "He was joking, Auntie. Don't hit him for it." She immediately decided to save her friend from his mother's wrath.

"Hmm, if you say so."

The pain vanished as she saw a smile bloom on Naruto's face. It was brilliant and soft at the same time. "Thank you." She whispered and began to walk to the other side of the table so that she could sit beside Naruto.

Soon a comforting silence fell upon the whole family as they began to eat the delicious dinner that Layla had prepared.

-oOo-

Now finished with dinner, the family of three was sitting quietly around the table, waiting for someone to strike a conversation.

Realizing that no one was going to do it, Naruto decided to do it himself. "Are you ready for the first day of your new school, Koto?" Blue eyes veered over to the girl who immediately nodded her head in positive, making him smile. Well, he didn't expect anything less from her. She was the most disciplined human being he had ever met in his life, even rivaling the might of Sōna sometimes.

"Yes. I have prepared everything I need for my first day there."

Though filled with enthusiasm, Naruto couldn't help but notice that her voice lacked happiness in it. "Are you alright? You look a little sad, Koto." He didn't waste any time in pointing out his observation and that observation only got more obvious when she looked down at the table.

"Why aren't you changing schools with me, Naruto-kun? I don't want to go to a school where you aren't going to sit beside me."

"Hehe…" A giggle left Naruto's mouth as he placed a hand on her head. "I can't, Makoto. That school is still an all-girls school and do I look like a girl to you?"

"No. But why are you making me change the school then? I can remain with you in our old school until this Kuoh Academy changes into a co-ed institution."

Placing his index finger under his chin, Naruto began to ruminate something, at least that's what he wanted Makoto to think. In reality, he was just trying to pass the time as he didn't want to tell her the real reason for her transfer.

'She doesn't need to know that.'

He grimaced mentally as countless images of people annoying or teasing Makoto surfaced inside his mind. Those images were one of the main reasons he was doing what he was doing. Their current school was no better than hell for Makoto. No one loved her there and the fact that Shiro and his friends could be released anytime soon only made her stay there more dangerous.

'Shiro…'

A nefarious emotion stirred his mind at the mention of that boy and traveled all the way to his eyes, making them glow red for a second. No matter what people thought about those boys, including his mother, it was undeniable to him that they were one of the worst scums of human society. Filth that shouldn't have even been born. No punishment in the world could redeem them of their crimes.

Though that doesn't mean that Naruto hadn't tried to forgive them in the past as his mother had told him to. He really did, but a part of his mind refused to not vindicate them and their nefarious crimes. It needed revenge. 'No justice.' His heart desired justice for what those boys had done to those uncountable poor girls.

Until he gets his justice, Naruto wasn't going to leave them alone. Not at all. 'They will suffer. As long as they live, they are going to suffer. I'll make sure of that.' Naruto vowed to himself before forging a bright smile on his face so that he could answer the question of his lovely Makoto.

"I want you to make new friends, Makoto. If you are going to stay in that old school of ours then it's practically impossible. You need a change, you know."

His smile widened when a pout materialized on the beautiful face of his friend. "Hmph! You are so stubborn, Naruto-kun."

" Tell me something I don't know."

"And cute too."

Torrents of red draped his whole face. "H-hey!"

"Hahaha…"

Whatever he had in his mind, vanished when he heard his loud and melodious laughs. They were amazing and somehow calming too. Realizing that he was only going to stop them with his interruption, he decided to remain silent and bask in their charm.

- Next Morning -

"Backpack?"

"Check!"

"Pens?"

"Check!"

"Markers?"

"Check!"

"Lunchbox?"

"Check!"

"Notebooks?"

"Ehh… check."

"Don't ehh me. Just answer."

"O-ok, Captain!"

"Hmm… Anyway, sports uniform?"

"Check."

"Am I forgetting something, Makoto?"

"Check."

Naruto slumped to the ground in disappointment as soon as he heard her answer. "Makoto, it's not funny. Pay attention." He would have added something more had he not been interrupted by his mother, who was enjoying the show silently from the sidelines. Also, she had a very playful smile on her face, a smile that told him she was going to tease him a lot for it soon enough.

"Yes, Makoto. Pay attention to the man of the house. Right, darling?"

Both the teens blushed at that.

"D-darling… man of the house… You can't call him that, Auntie."

Layla smirked at the girl. "Why?"

"Because it implies that he is your husband since you're the woman of the house."

The thoughtful look that Layla adorned right after that statement of Makoto, put both the teens on alert because they knew she was about to say something bad. Something that would make them blush right to their cores.

"What's wrong with that? Naruto is going to be the man of the house in the future, right darling?"

And the teens weren't disappointed, well at least Naruto wasn't, Makoto on the other hand, was just looking at her aunt curiously.

"M-mom! Can't you remain silent for a second? I'm trying to help Makoto here."

"Does that mean he is going to be both my stepbrother and daddy at the same time, Auntie?"

An awkward silence fell upon the three as they continued to stare at each other for the answer that none of them wanted to answer.

Out of three, Naruto was the one who was most affected by the question. He was drowning in the red if that was possible. His mother alone was enough to annoy the living daylight out of him, and now even Makoto had started to learn how to tease. The future wasn't looking that bright anymore. Instead, it was covered in nothing but red.

"Makoto… Let's start going through the list again. Please."

A confused Makoto only nodded her head slowly. "Sure." She whispered, sounding truly clueless about what she had just done. She just wanted to understand the dynamics of her family.

"So where were we?"

"Sports uniform."

Naruto nodded his head. "Yes. So I think you have packed everything as I told you. Now the only thing that remains is a warning."

Makoto was surprised by the choice of words. "Warning? What do you mean by that, Naruto-kun?"

"Nothing, Makoto. It's just a piece of advice that I want to give you."

"Ohh…"

"Stay away from this red haired girl named Rias. I mean don't hate her, hell even be her friend but whenever she says that she is a devil, don't take her seriously."

Makoto blinked. "Why would she do that?"

"Because she is an otaku. She likes to believe that she is a devil."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. She's highly delusional and has a severe case of the Eight Grade syndrome. So much so that she actually has mechanical wings that look like a bat on her back. So, whenever she comes to you and says she's a devil, just say that you believe her and smile at her alright?

"Alright. But poor girl, she must be really lonely with those habits of hers."

"Not really, she has a bunch of friends who are like-minded. They formed an entire club to just prove that their delusions are real."

"Ohh…"

"Hmm…"

Somewhere else, A group of high school students sneezed as they all felt an unusual swell of anger for some unknown reason.

-END-

And done.

I hope you liked the chapter.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me.

Leave a review if you can.

Thank you.

Stay safe.