Naruto and Sasuke walked alongside each other on the cleared dirt path into an unoccupied training ground.

He glanced over, eyeing Sasuke's still damp hair and reaching up to run his fingers through his own slightly wet blond spikes.

His hand drifted over to Sasuke's, their fingers tangling together as they walked.

The Uchiha looked over at him and smiled warmly, Naruto returning it.

Naruto noticed the slightest hint of red on the Uchiha's cheeks with delight, and he felt the heat on his own cheeks as well.

Naruto's eyes snapped forward at the excited shout.

"Naruto! Sasuke!"

Sakura waved and smiled from a slight distance, she and Kakashi stood together.

For a brief moment, Naruto's first instinct was to loosen his grip from Sasuke's hand.

'They don't know. What if they see.. what will they say...'

Sasuke's words rang out in his head.

"You're mine.. And I'm yours."

Naruto ignored the small spark of worry, keeping his hand and Sasuke's together firmly as they stepped forward.

None of them saw Kakashi's smile beneath his mask as he noticed their hands held together.

Sasuke and Naruto's fingers stayed connected right up until the blond was scooped into a strong, tight hug.

The Uzumaki grinned and returned the embrace, arms wrapping around Sakura.

"It's so good to see you, Naruto."

"Hehe, I'm glad it is."

She pulled back a little to look at him and they smiled.

"I'm sorry I haven't been able to come say hello these last couple days. Lady Tsunade has kept me pretty busy."

"That's totally fine, Sakura. I figured she had you swamped."

She gave a mildly embarrassed chuckle and then stepped aside.

Kakashi stepped up, ruffling Naruto's hair like he was still a 12 year old.

The blond laughed and shook his hand off, Kakashi planting it on his shoulder and giving a firm squeeze instead.

The four of them chatted, moving over to a shaded spot underneath a tree and settling into the thick grass after a few minutes.

Naruto let his fingers drift through the green strands absentmindedly as he looked towards Sakura.

"So, what kinda stuff has Granny Tsunade been teaching you?"

Sakura rolled her eyes gently at the title Naruto insisted on using for her teacher, her tone flooding with excitement as she spoke.

"She's been showing me all of these super advanced healing jutsu, and more than a few battle moves, too. It's been... awesome."

She sighed happily, laying down onto the grass with a smile.

Naruto giggled.

Kakashi eyed her comfortable-looking prone position.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea.."

He shifted to spread out on the ground as well, settling into stillness after a moment.

Naruto grinned at the both of them, looking over at Sasuke.

The Uchiha arched an eyebrow with a small smile.

Naruto shook his head slightly.

"Ah, why not.."

He twisted around, beginning to lay back.

He paused at Kakashi's fingers on his shoulder, urging him closer.

"Huh?"

"Just c'mere."

The Uzumaki let out an amused huff, sliding himself backwards before settling his head onto his sensei's chest.

Naruto looked over as Sakura crawled closer, curling up to his side and laying her head on his shoulder.

His attention was pulled downwards as Sasuke settled on his back, setting his head on Naruto's lap with a comfortable sigh.

The blond let out a quiet, surprised chuckle, his lips opening in a wide, happy smile after a moment.

He stared up into the sky, enjoying the sight as a memory drifted through his mind.

Naruto and Sasuke were years younger, shorter and smaller and... so much different, but the same, in certain ways.

It was sometime after the mission to Wave, when they'd met Haku and Zabuza, when they'd gotten their first true taste of what it was like to be Ninja...


They were laid out on their backs in the grass after a spar, exhausted and breathing heavy.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke as he laid a few feet away.

The young Uzumaki didn't care for the quiet, as anyone who'd known him for longer than five minutes could attest to, and the silence between he and his sparring partner was beginning to aggravate him.

He racked his brain trying to think of a suitable topic for conversation.

After what felt like a long few minutes with nothing but the sounds of their breathing to fill the air, Naruto blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"This is one of my favorite things to look at, y'know?"

The Uchiha squinted at him, biting off a typically annoyed response.

"What?"

Naruto's cheeks heated in an embarrassed flush.

'I forget that I have to catch people up on what I'm thinking about before I talk sometimes..'

"I mean, um, this."

He pointed his finger to the sky.

Sasuke's eyes followed the direction of his finger, gaze settling back onto the blond after a moment.

"Planning on taking up Shikamaru's hobby, then?"

Naruto gave a chuckle and shook his head softly.

"No, I mean, I like the clouds, but it's...it's all of it, y'know.."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, a confused hum leaving his throat.

Naruto sighed and looked upwards, searching his mind for the right words.

"The colors. The green of the leaves on the trees, the white of the clouds, the blue of the sky, and the sun, shining bright and orange off to the side...That. It's.. beautiful."

He looked back over at Sasuke with a smile.

"That's one of my favorite things to look at."

Sasuke stared back at Naruto, his eyes wider than they'd been a moment ago, his expression more open.

A small smile bloomed on his face as he looked at Naruto.

"You're right. It is beautiful."

Naruto gave a wide grin, his eyes locked on Sasuke's smile for a long moment before he cast his gaze back to the sky.


The memory faded off, and Naruto found himself in the present.

He felt the warmth of his friends bodies surrounding him.

A thought reverberated through his head.

'Do you remember that day, Sasuke? Is that why we're even meeting here, in a place with a view just like that?'

Naruto shifted his arm, his fingertips sliding over the back of Sasuke's hand.

The Uchiha flipped his hand over at the touch, their fingers intertwining.

Naruto felt Kakashi's fingers carding through his hair softly, and Sakura curled closer into his side.

She spoke against his shoulder.

"You can actually feel a cool breeze on the air now. That's a nice change of pace.."

Kakashi's hand continued its gentle movements through Naruto's hair as he replied.

"Can see some of the leaves changing colors as well. Definitely won't be long."

Sasuke's voice drifted out softly, his fingers squeezing around Naruto's own gently.

"Autumn is on its way..."

Despite the chill in the air, Naruto's heart was warm.


They'd laid together in the grass until the sun began to drift towards the horizon and the temperature dropped even further.

The sun was setting at their backs as they walked down the street.

Naruto and Sasuke's shoulders bumped together gently.

In an unusual reverse of how the situation usually was, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were mostly silent as Kakashi spoke excitedly.

Sakura had made the mistake of asking about a particularly ludicrous Icha Icha Paradise plot point, and they'd been regaled about the exploits of the series' protagonists by their sensei for the last 10 minutes.

"... And so it turned out that his half brother was the father of his wife's child all along."

Sakura shook her head slightly, looking as confused as the rest of them felt.

"Wait, I thought the half brother was dead??"

"No no, the half brother was alive all along. He survived the war, then grew a mustache and moved to Suna."

The struggle to not laugh was obvious on Sakura's face.

"Ohh okay, I see."

Naruto let out a snort and giggled beside her.

Kakashi's eye narrowed at them.

"Laugh all you want, Icha Icha Paradise is a masterfully written, epic love story spanning multiple generations. And if you kids can't appreciate a little romance in your lives, then I clearly went very wrong somewhere in my teachings."

Sakura threw her head back and snickered.

"Oh boy.."

She glanced over to Kakashi with asmirk.

"What about the romance in your life, sensei?"

Kakashi's eye blinked a few times.

"A true gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oooh so there has been kissing, you're just not telling, huh?"

Kakashi stared straight ahead, reaching up to adjust his mask as he cleared his throat.

Sakura gave a tiny cackle, Naruto following along with one of his own.

Even Sasuke smirked knowingly at the Copy-Ninja.

Kakashi pointed ahead.

"Our next stop."

Sakura grinned.

"Okay, we'll leave you be, sensei. For now.."

Naruto laughed, but it tapered off and he took in an excited breath as he looked ahead to what their sensei had pointed at.

"Ichiraku Ramen for dinner?!"

Sasuke's lips lifted into a smile of their own accord at the giddy tone in the blond's voice.

Kakashi and Sakura stepped through the hanging entrance cloth first, Naruto and Sasuke following behind them.

The Uzumaki inhaled deeply as he took his seat at the counter.

The familiar smell flooded his nose, sparking nostalgia in his brain.

'I've made some good memories in here...'

He thought of the time he'd spent here with Iruka, with Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi themselves.

He thought of the times he'd sat there by himself, but in truth, he never really felt completely alone in Ichiraku Ramen, for two very distinct reasons.

And it was at that moment that one of those reasons walked out from the kitchen.

"Old-man Teuchi!"

The elder ramen chef's wrinkled face lit up brightly at Naruto's shout.

"Naruto! How are you doing, my boy?"

"Heheh, I'm doing good. How are you and Ayame?"

"We're doing quite well. It's been too long, feels like she and I haven't seen you in ages."

Naruto picked at a loose thread on his orange and black jacket, giving a slightly embarrassed wince as he replied.

"Heh, sorry about that. I uh, haven't really had much money to eat at any restaurants lately.."

The older man reached across the counter, his hand settling on Naruto's arm for a moment.

"You can always come in here if you need to be fed, and Ayame and I will take care of ya, free of charge."

Naruto shook his head lightly.

"Nah, i, I wouldn't want to take advantage of you guys' kindness.."

Teuchi's hand gave a light squeeze on Naruto's arm before he pulled back across the counter with a smile.

"I know you'd never do such a thing, and we'd be happy to feed you."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit at the insisted generosity, and his words almost seemed to stick in his throat.

"... Th- thank you, old man. I... Ireallyappreciate it."

Teuchi's smile grew fond, and he felt the memories of days gone by coming to the forefront of his mind.


Teuchi watched the liquid swirl as he stirred the ramen broth, muttering to himself quietly about recipes to break up the silence as he cooked.

He looked over at the sound of the entrance cloth flapping open, preparing to greet his next customer.

"Welc-..."

His voice tapered off, eyebrows furrowing as he saw the cloth moving back and forth, but one standing there.

"... must've been the wind.."

It was then that he noticed the tiny hand clasped onto the counter, a thick fluff of messy blond hair coming into view as a small child pulled himself up and plopped into a chair.

Teuchi's brain was slowed by shock as he realized exactly who his young customer was.

'It's... that kid. The one everyone's always talking about. The demon.."

"Can I.. help you?"

He could see that the child's irises were a shade of blue reminiscent of the ocean, but the kid kept his eyes downcast as he stuffed his fist into his pocket.

The little blond pulled his hand out of his pocket, reaching over and laying money on the counter.

"Food, please."

The kid spoke quieter than most of the children Teuchi had ever met.

'Except for maybe the ones that had a crippling shyness or something..'

Teuchi reached over, picking up the money off of the counter, eyes looking over the bills.

'It's actually a bit short, but...'

"Okay, what kind of ramen would you like, young man?"

The child looked up straight at Teuchi then, surprise seeming to cross his face for a moment.

"... um, pork?"

Teuchi nodded with a small smile.

"Pork ramen it is, that's a good choice."

He stepped over to the pots and plates, preparing a bowl.

Teuchi glanced over at the counter.

'He's more still than most kids his age, too..'

The little blond's eyes never wavered from the bowl of ramen as Teuchi walked over to the counter with it.

Seconds after he set it down, the pair of chopsticks beside the bowl were snapped apart and the kid dug into the ramen like it had personally wronged him.

Teuchi suppressed a chuckle as the child's cheeks puffed out, filled with ramen.

He stood there for a moment as the kid devoured his meal, pondering a question on his mind.

"How come you didn't go to that new ramen place a couple of streets down from here? They've.. taken a good bit of my business lately.."

The child swallowed his mouthful of ramen so quickly that Teuchi worried he'd choke for a moment.

"Tried to. They.. wouldn't let me in."

Teuchi's face wrinkled up in confusion.

"What? They wouldn't let you in?"

The kid gave a little shrug, eyes downcast again.

After a moment, he scooped up another mouthful of ramen and went back to eating.

Teuchi crossed his arms, looking towards the direction of the new ramen place through the walls of his own.

'I don't think the kid had enough money to actually buy anything in that place if he'd gotten in, but why in the world wouldn't they let him-'

It was then that he suddenly remembered who the child supposedly was.

He'd almost entirely forgotten about the kid's reputation as he served him his food and saw him scarf it down.

Teuchi watched the blond more closely now.

'They say he's a demon... the monster that killed.. The Fourth Hokage. Minato...'

The child chewed on a mouthful of ramen, turning his head slightly, but not far enough, to obscure his finger reaching up to pick at his nose.

Teuchi raised an eyebrow, shaking his head a little.

He took notice of just how small the child was for his age, and he wasn't sure if it was just because the kid was naturally skinny, or if it was because he was underfed.

'With the way he practically attacked that bowl of ramen, I'm guessing it's the latter..'

He thought of all the words he'd heard spoken about the child over the years, from merchants and other civilians, even his own friends.

"It's taken the shape of a child to deceive us, but it can't hide all of its demonic traits! Whiskers sprout from his cheeks, and his teeth sharpen into fangs that would rip your throat out in an instant!!"

Teuchi could see the whiskers on his face as he slurped on the ramen broth.

'They just look like.. oddly shaped birth marks.'

He'd passed this child while walking down the streets a handful of times over the years, but he'd never once suspected this tiny blond was the supposed fox monster of Konoha.

He felt a pang of realization and sadness along with it.

'This kid is no demon. He's just... a child, for crying out loud. A normal, harmless kid. How could anyone look at this boy and not wanna help him?'

The bowl clattered on the counter as the kid sat it down, licking ramen broth off of his lips.

'Maybe if anyone was willing to take their heads out of their asses for five minutes, they'd see that, too.'

The bowl was almost spotless, not a single piece of... anything left behind in it.

The kid looked over into the bowl, seemingly making sure he hadn't missed any food.

He leaned back into his chair, his small fingers rubbing over his empty pockets for a moment.

His eyes landed on Teuchi again.

"That was... awesome. You've got really good ramen, old man."

With that said, he started to clamber down off the chair.

Teuchi worked his brain quickly as he spoke.

"Hey! Uh... did you want another bowl?"

The kid paused his movements at Teuchi's words, but he kept his eyes on the ground as he replied.

"No, that was.. all of my money. Sorry."

"Well... we've got a buy one, get one free special going on at the moment, actually."

The kid's eyes snapped up.

"Really?!"

Teuchi reached up to adjust his chef's cap, nodding with a smile.

"Really. Best savings in town, right here."

The little blond settled back into the chair quickly.

"Then I definitely want another bowl."

Teuchi laughed.

"Alright, then. Your next bowl is on its way, mister... what's your name, son?"

Surprise passed over his face briefly, before it lit up with a bright grin.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki!"


Teuchi's smile widened as he looked at the same little boy sat across from him now, grown into a powerful shinobi, and an honorable young man.

The ramen chef turned to look over his shoulder and Naruto smiled at the sound of Ayame's voice.

"Naruto! You're finally back for ramen!"

"I am! You guys should've known I couldn't stay away for long."

"It has been long, though. Goodness, look at you..."

Ayame looked him over with a smile.

"You look different. You're even more handsome now."

Naruto blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck.

She looked over to Sasuke with a grin.

"Same goes for you, mister Uchiha."

"Hmph."

Naruto looked over at Sasuke himself, ignoring Kakashi's quietly offended "Hey, what about me?"

"Hmm yeah, but Sasuke has always been handsome, though."

The Uchiha hadn't really reacted at all to Ayame's flattering, but Naruto noted with glee that Sasuke's cheeks took on a faint shade of red when he did the same thing.

Naruto's grin turned borderline predatory, and the shade of red on Sasuke's face intensified.