A/n: So it's been a long, long time huh. Does anyone still even want to read this? Well I hope so because I'd like to try to pull this type of fic off. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
After finishing his meal with the brown-haired school teacher Naruto walked around the village with no goal in particular. He would be looking for his friends right now but found that he didn't really mind not running into them right this moment. He soon came upon a tree and sat down underneath it. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back against it.
"Ah," He sighed. "That ramen was really good."
In the back of his mind he wondered if his father was still busy in the office. He doubted if he had completed work yet. Naruto knew that they would have to take a rain-check on that ramen with his father. He had already eaten with Iruka. Iruka had always been nice to him. He could remember the very first time the brown-haired male treated him to a bowl of ramen.
(Flashback)
The blond-haired boy had been standing outside of his father's office. He had been busy working so he had no time to spend with him once again. Naruto stood there with his arms folded and a very deep frown was upon his face. All he wanted to do was spend a little time with his father only that didn't look like it was going to be happening for him today. He sat down on the ground, just gazing into space when suddenly footsteps were heard.
"Hey, there Naruto."
The blond boy looked up to see the brown-haired male. He had met him before and knew he was a teacher at the ninja academy.
"Oh, hi Iruka-sensei."
Iruka couldn't help but notice the young boy's facial expression. He seemed clearly disappointed about something.
"Is there anything wrong Naruto?"
"No." the boy lied. "I'm fine."
But the chunnin could see right through the spiky-headed blonds lie. He hated seeing anyone down for any reason.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it with me, but I do know that when I'm feeling down I like to have a bowl of Ichiraku's ramen. Would you like to join me?"
The blue-eyed child felt his stomach grumbling. He was feeling hungry.
"Are you sure Iruka-sensei?"
"I'm positive." Iruka smiled. "It might make you feel better. Come on lets go."
"Alright." Naruto nodded. "Let's go."
From there they sat down at Ichiraku's and had two bowls of steaming hot ramen. Iruka found out that the boy's clear disappointment was about not being able to spend time with his father.
"Try not to feel too badly Naruto. I'm sure Minato-sama wishes that he could spend more time with you as well."
"Yeah," Naruto spoke through mouthfuls of noodles. "He's almost always really busy."
The boy went further into details while stuffing down his ramen. Iruka sat amazed as he ended up ordering another bowl, for such a small boy he could clearly put it away.
"What an appetite."
He could see that in the future he might go broke over treating the boy to ramen.
"Thanks for cheering me up Iruka-sensei. I' am feeling better now."
"Good I'm glad Naruto."
He was glad that the boy was beginning to feel better. Naruto soon jumped down from the stool.
"Thanks again Iruka-sensei. I'm going to go."
"Alright Naruto, take care alright."
"You too." The boy smiled for him and left the ramen stand.
From that day on the two of them would occasionally eat a bowl of ramen together. Naruto did enjoy spending time with the brown-haired male. He always thought that he was really nice. He especially didn't have to treat him to ramen that was for sure.
"I think I will go see what everyone is up to." Naruto decided.
The blond ran of in search of his friends, at least he could hang out with them for the time being. He didn't stop running until he spotted his friends hanging out together.
"Hey, you guys!" Naruto shouted and waved wildly.
A boy with brown hair and red markings on his face turned around first. He grinned.
"Oi Naruto, what's up?" the brown-haired boy asked.
Naruto ran over to everyone.
"Hi Kiba."
The boy named Kiba was from the Inuzuka clan. His family raised dogs and was partners with their pets. It was why Kiba was always with his pet dog Akamaru. The white puppy sitting on Kiba's head jumped over to Naruto and licked his face.
"Woof." Akamaru barked.
"H-Hey Akamaru." He laughed.
Another boy named Chouji Akimichi was standing there as well. He was a little on the plump side but had a very kind heart and was a really good friend. The light-brown haired male gave Naruto a high five.
'Hi Naruto."
"Hey there Chouji. Hey wheres ….."
He was about to ask Shikamaru was but his question was answered when he saw the dark-haired boy laid out underneath a nearby tree. He was fast asleep as usual. Shikamaru Nara was his name and happened to be the laziest kid Naruto had ever seen in his life. Naruto let out a laugh.
"He's always sleeping."
"Yep, that's Shikamaru alright. He's always sleeping."
"You got that right." Kiba nodded with Akamaru barking his response in agreement.
Naruto began to shake the lazy boy awake. Shikamaru grumbled something in his sleep and turned over.
"Oi wake up Shikamaru."
"Huh," the dark-haired boy grumbled and a pair of hazel eyes opened. He focused his attention on to the blond-haired boy standing in front of him.
"Oh," Shikamaru yawned. "When did you get here Naruto?"
"I got here a little while ago. Are you finally up now?"
Shikamaru nodded there was no way he could possibly sleep now that the loud-mouth blond had arrived. The pony-tailed boy sat up. He could always catch up on his nap at a later time.
"So what do you guys want to play today?" Kiba asked.
"Play?" Shikamaru spoke. "Why can't we just sit here and watch the clouds?"
Naruto, Kiba, and Chouji laughed at the lazy Nara's response.
"Hey guys let's..."Naruto started but paused when he saw a familiar sight. There in the distance he saw a girl with bright pink locks. He would notice that color hair anywhere. His cerulean-blue pools lit up at the sight of her.
"Oh look Naruto." The Inuzuka nudged him in the shoulder. 'There's your girlfriend." Kiba laughed.
Naruto didn't say anything to Kiba. He broke off into a run to where the pink-haired girl was standing.
"Hey Sakura-chan!" He shouted very loudly.
Said girl turned around when she saw the blond-haired boy making his way towards her.
"Oh, hi Naruto." She waved.
Naruto thought that she had to be the cutest girl he had ever seen in his life. He had found her crying one day and ever since then hadn't been able to forget about the pink-haired child.
"Hi Sakura-chan." Naruto grinned. "What are you doing over here by yourself?" He wondered.
He was going to invite her over to play with him, Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru because no one should have to be alone.
"I'm just…" She paused.
Naruto extended his hand to the green-eyed girl. His signature smile plastered on to his face.
"Come on Sakura-chan come play with us."
"Hey Sakura there you are!" Someone shouted loudly.
Naruto flinched slightly when the familiar voice hit his ears. He turned around to see a young girl with short platinum-blonde locks and bright aqua-colored pools.
"Oh, no." He thought.
"Hi Ino." Sakura waved and smiled for the platinum-blonde.
"Hi Sakura." She smiled back and made her way over to both the pink-haired girl and Naruto. Her eyes fell on to Naruto immediately, a sigh escaped her.
"Naruto," She spoke.
"Ino," He spoke back.
The two blond children stood staring at each other with Sakura standing there helplessly in between them. She bit down on her bottom lip as she began to fear the worst. Naruto and Ino did not get along.
"Come on Sakura lets go and pick some flowers." Ino suggested.
"No way." Naruto spoke. "Sakura-chan is going to play with me Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji."
Ino glared at the spiky-headed blond.
"Why would she want to play with you guys when she has me?"
"She doesn't want to play with you Ino."
"Well she doesn't want to play with you Naruto."
"She does too."
"She does not!"
"Yes she does."
"No she doesn't."
The two children went back and forth, completely forgetting about Sakura standing there. The green-eyed child could do nothing but watch.
"Naruto!" Ino screamed and pushed the boy. "Why don't you quit being an idiot?"
"Hey!" He shouted out and fell back on to the ground. Ino chuckled lightly at the sight.
"Naruto are you okay?" Sakura asked.
"Hai, I'm okay." He looked up towards the platinum-blonde child. "She can't hurt me."
"Oh yeah," She asked.
The next thing Naruto knew Ino had her arms wrapped around his neck.
"What was that Naruto?"
"Ouch, hey let me go."
"Never." She laughed.
Footsteps were soon heard that caught the attention of all three of the children. There stood the Yondaime as he gazed down at the sight before him with an amused smile on his face.
"Dad!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Minato-sama,' Ino said in a highly nervous tone of voice as she slowly let Naruto go.
"Hello Ino-chan." He gave the blue-eyed child his bright smile. "Are you having fun playing with your friends Naruto?"
"Eh," Naruto's eyes widened.
Was his father serious? Didn't he see that Ino had been trying to kill him just now?
"Dad she was trying to kill me!"
"I was not trying to kill you."
"Yeah, you were."
Minato just chuckled lightly at the children's behavior. He suddenly picked up his son from the ground.
"Well if you're finished playing I'd still like to treat you to that bowl of ramen."
Naruto looked down at the pink-haired girl. He didn't really want to leave her alone with the platinum-blonde menace.
"Um… okay." He decided because he did want to spend time with his father.
"Alright." The blond Hokage nodded. "Let's get going, please take care Ino-chan, Sakura-chan."
"We will." The two girls smiled for the Hokage.
The Yondaime began walking away but paused when a thought entered his mind.
"Oh," He turned back around. "Ino-chan will you tell your father that I said hello. I haven't seen him in quite some time."
Ino nodded.
"I will Minato-sama."
"Good, okay son let's go."
Naruto gazed back at Sakura for a moment. The pink-haired child just waved goodbye to him. He then looked over to the platinum-blonde. She stuck her tongue out at him and he immediately returned the favor. While they were gone from sight Naruto turned to his father.
"Hey dad you can put me down you know. I'm not a baby."
"Oh, right. I'm sorry son it's a force of habit."
He let his son down. They now walked side by side along the streets of Konoha. Naruto almost didn't have the heart to tell his father that he had already had ramen with Iruka.
"Um, dad?" Naruto spoke.
"Yes what is it?"
"Can we do something else? I'm not really so hungry anymore."
The taller blue-eyed man blinked curiously. From the time his son could eat solid foods he had always enjoyed a bowl of ramen. He was positive that Ichiraku's was Naruto's favorite place to eat in the entire village. He had never refused an offer to eat there. Minato had bent down and put his hand to those spiky-blond locks.
"Naruto is there something wrong? You never change your mind about Ichiraku's, what's wrong?"
Naruto looked away for a moment with his arms folded across his chest.
"I, uh…" He decided to just tell the truth. There was no point in lying about it. "I already ate some ramen with Iruka-sensei."
"Oh,' Minato nodded.
He was aware that he and the brown-haired chunnin would occasionally eat together.
"Well that's fine son. We can always do something else. How is Iruka doing by the way?"
"He's great." Naruto nodded.
Minato simply smiled for his son.
"What do you want to do son? We'll do whatever you want."
Naruto stood there thinking to himself. He really didn't care what they did as long as they were spending some time together.
"Hey, I'll race you to the top of that hill." He suddenly said and ran off.
Minato chuckled lightly at his son's completely random behavior. The next thing he knew he watched as his father sped past him like a flash of light. He looked to see his dad already standing on the nearby hill with his arms folded.
"Hey that's not fair." Naruto frowned as he finally made it to where his father was standing.
Minato smiled.
"I guess you're just too slow son."
"You will teach me that jutsu one day right?" the blond boy asked hopefully.
"Of course I will."
The father and son sat down together on the hill. Minato yawned and laid flat on his back just gazing up into the sky. Naruto did the same and lay down as well, placing his hands behind his head. This was nice, being able to spend time with his father like this.
"Dad?"
"Hm?"
"This is nice."
The blond-haired Hokage smiled and nodded in agreement. He enjoyed the time he got to spend with his son as well.
"Yes it is. Naruto, son I know I don't get to spend as much time with you as I'd like but never forget that you are one of my most important people. I love you okay."
Naruto nodded.
"I know dad."
For awhile the two of them sat in complete silence. Before the young spiky-haired child realized it he had closed his cerulean-blue pools and was currently fast asleep.
"Naruto," Minato questioned after some time.
Only he did not get any response from his son because he was fast asleep. A small smile graced the Hokage's face at the heart-warming image. He carefully picked up his sleeping son and started too heard off to their home.
"Come on son, let's go home."
