I don't own Naruto

Theme 46

Family.

It was a rainy day in Konoha, not many people were wondering about in the streets which made Naruto's errand more bearable than it already was. He kept looking from side to side and was trying to blend into walls each time he saw one of his friends. Just the mere thought of what he was going to buy gave him the creeps.

Once he arrived at the store he took a deep breath.

"Come on Naruto!" he silently growled to himself. "it's not going to make you any less of a man".

With a shake of his head and a pray to the skies that no one he knew was there he entered the shop.

It was just like any other convenience store in the village, he walked by and shopped in them all the time but this time was different. Because he was here on a mission. A mission imposed by his bossy but lovely wife Ino.

Naruto was an orphan, he didn't know what to do in this cases. He hadn't seen his dad buying this stuff for his mom. But here he was now. Only it wasn't for his wife but instead it was meant to be for his cute little eleven year old daughter.

He knew he should have never made the bet against Ino. She was a cunning woman. Twisting his words and making him agree to do this. If anyone saw him he was screwed. His reputation would go to the drain.

But he knew every man had to do this, and they were roped into do this the same way he had been roped.

"Mind readers… manipulative wives… never again" were the words the blond man was mumbling to himself as his eyes traced the seven shelves looking for the item he had to get so his pride remains intact in front of his wife and his children.

Once his cerulean orbs locked on the item. He let his senses flow so he knew this shopping trip would be forever unknown by all his friends.

He gave a sigh of relief as he noticed that inside was only the store cashier girl and some old lady having a hard time choosing between the red labeled soy sauce and the black one.

With all the grace of a man on a mission Naruto quickly grabbed the questionable object in his hands and threw it in his hand cart. He moved next to the ramen aisle, he spend quite some time looking between branches and flavors and trying to decide which one he would get. So engrossed was he that he didn't noticed the door bell indicate that a new customer had arrived at the store until a low, familiar voice call out to him

"Naruto?"

"Huh" said the blond as his hair whipped back to his face from the speed in which he had turned around to see who was the one who was talking to him only to see his father-in-law with the same exact item he had being almost forced to buy.

"Ha ha ha, I see. So you got roped too huh?" said Inoichi knowingly

"Yeah" said Naruto rubbing the back of his head

"Ha ha come on Naruto, it's not the end of the world. A man's got to do what a man's got to do to appease the wife. It doesn't make you any less of a man to buy this stuff".

"I know" said a flushing Naruto at being caught with the item in hand. "It's just that Ino is busy with the baby and I had to get it for Natsuki you know. I cant believe that my little girls is growing up so fast. It feels like yesterday when she was just playing with her dolls and now I have to think about boys chasing after her and all that"

"Yes I know how you feel. I went through the same with Ino. I know how hard it is to realize that your little girls is becoming a woman. I still see Ino as the cute seven year old who used to collect flowers for me".

Naruto smiled too, as he saw the far away look in Inoichi's eyes. He too was remembering his daughter at that age. She was just like her mother, she gathered flowers for him and for the house.

"I don't want her to grow up, but I know it has to happen one day". Naruto said the smile he sported turned softer "And I'm really grateful that I got a family of my own. But I really wish I didn't had to do this" he said gaze pointedly locked on the item inside the cart.

"We all do, my boy. We all do" Inoichi said as he patted Naruto on the back.

Both men paid for their respective purchases and walked back to their houses which were relatively close to each other.

As Naruto said his good byes and entered the house he was assaulted by his three year old boy.

"Dada!" yelled happily the boy as he threw his arms in the air asking to be picked up.

"Hey sport! Where's mommy?" asked Naruto as he picked him up in his arms.

"There" pointed the boy.

"Ino, I'm home!" said Naruto as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Naruto did you get it?"

"Yes"

"Good, put it in the bathroom and come down to set the table I'm almost done with dinner"

"Ok" sighed Naruto as he put down the blond boy in his high chair and went to do what he was being asked with out any other form of acknowledgement.

Ino giggled to herself as she stirred the pot on the stove.

Her husband was such a child sometimes. But she loved every moment they spent together. But what she loved the most was the family they had created together.

She had always thought she would have end up with Shikamaru or Chouji if Sasuke didn't choose to love her. Never in her childhood dreams she would have given a thought about marring Naruto of all people. But she was glad that it had turned out this way.

She had two beautiful children and a loving husband, that with a little bit of persuasion could do everything she asked of him.

Even buying her a box of tampons.