Author's Note: Something inspired by a Yondaime/Naruto doujinshi I found online. I wrote it in an hour or so, so it's not very good. Just another random one-shot by KC. Enjoy Minna.

Naruto was bored.

Anyone who knew the bubbly six year old child would be aware that Naruto's boredom is a bad thing. It could lead to disasters, messes of colossal sizes, and pranks that were legendary. That was why his nannies usually worked to keep him as occupied as possible; so they could avoid the eventual disaster of a bored Naruto.

Today, however, was that day. The day he was always left alone, with a warning from Jiji-sama to never leave the house, especially after the sun went down. Naruto huffed and stared out his dusty window at the dying sun. He hated this day. He watched people walk around outside, tears streaming down their faces and white flowers in their hands. They would scatter the petals, leaving them to swirl around the air making a beautiful mess of sweet-smelling blossoms. And yet, Naruto was never allowed to join them, or to know why they did this every time at the same day of the year. What was so special about October 10th anyhow?

Naruto sighed again, kicking his slender feet against the side of his bed. He wished Jiji-sama had left something for him to do, but the old man had said he was in a hurry and pleaded with Naruto to leave a smaller mess this time. Naruto pouted – having three small fires, garbage and clothing scattered over the floor, and one nanny with bright pink hair that was close to hyperventilating wasn't as bad as Jiji-sama made it out to be. It's not as if he had meant to do all those things…..

Naruto sighed and shifted on his thin mattress. He talked out loud, as he was prone to do when alone, "I wonder what it'd be like to have someone to talk too?"

Besides his nannies and Jiji-sama, no one talked to Naruto. The other kids gave him disgusted looks, the parents sneered at him, and the villagers tried to beat him up once or twice. Naruto had managed to get away by the skin of his teeth, and with only minor bruises. He didn't know why they treated him that way, but that was how it had always been. Naruto had no reason to think that it could have been different.

A knock at the door caught the little boy's attention and he frowned. Jiji-sama usually didn't allow someone to come in during the day so who would be knocking at his door…..? Cautiously Naruto padded across his room and opened the door a crack, peeping through to check on the stranger.

The stranger was tall. That was the first thing Naruto could think of to describe him. To Naruto's tiny six-year old body, the stranger seemed freakishly huge. He was blonde, like Naruto himself in fact, and had kind blue eyes. He was also dressed in a sort of coat that Naruto instantly liked – it had flames rimming the bottom and looked way too cool.

Naruto opened the door a little wider, still somewhat wary about the stranger. However the coat had calmed his suspicions. No one wearing something as cool as that could be bad right? (Years later he would be proven right when he saw all the lame outfits that his enemies regularly wore – honestly, a bow Sasuke?) The man smiled down at him, making Naruto relax. He'd learned in his short life that no one could hide their emotions in a smile – people always came out when they smiled. This man's smile was full of warmth and kindness.

"May I come in Naruto-kun?" the man asked politely. Naruto hesitated again; the inborn wariness of the village's most hated kicking in but eventually allowed the man to pass through his doorway.

The man looked at everything on his way in. Naruto followed him, slim blonde eyebrow twitching as he tried to decide whether he should just kick this snooping stranger out or not. Of course, his stupid curiosity had to come and kick him in the rear. He wanted to know who this man was, and why he had come on this day. Finally the stranger stopped and sat delicately on the edge of Naruto's small bed.

Naruto climbed in beside him, looking up at him with large blue eyes. "Who are you ji-san?" he asked quietly. The older blonde scowled.

"Do I really look that old chibi?" he demanded, and Naruto felt a need to laugh. The man just look so ridiculously flustered……"I'm only 26! Its nii-san to you chibi, and don't forget it!"

Naruto let out a bubbly laugh only children could manage and tried again, "Ne, nii-san, what's your name?"

The man smiled this time, blue eyes crinkling, "You can call me Minato, Naruto-kun," he responded. "Nice to meet you."

Naruto nodded back impatiently, having no time for such useless things as manners. Strangely enough the man - 'Minato' Naruto reminded himself – looked like he was about to laugh. Naruto huffed, annoyed when that only made Minato's smile wider.

"What are you doing here than, Minato-nii-san?" he asked impatiently.

Minato seemed to somber up quite quickly as he responded, "I've wanted to come for a very long time Naruto-kun," his eyes became vague and dreamy as he repeated, "A very long time…." Shaking his head Minato snapped out of it. "I wanted to say Happy Birthday to you," he added in simply.

Naruto gaped for several moments before turning to look out the window, lest Minato see the tears filling his eyes. He had no luck – the older blonde had already seen them.

"Naruto-kun?" he questioned concernedly, placing a hand on the bony shoulder of the six year old. Without warning Naruto flung himself at the older man, small arms grasping at his shoulders in a child version of a hug.

"No one….." he whispered to the older man, so quietly that Minato had to lean down to hear it, even this close to Naruto, "has ever wished me a Happy Birthday. Arigatou Minato-nii."

Minato felt the ache in his chest – the one that appeared when he saw Naruto's wary blue eyes staring at him from a peep through the door – grow stronger. Sweet Kami what had he done to the boy, his child? He had thought that the villagers would love him – that he would be adored. Instead he found his child in an old apartment building, wary to open the door, and without a single person to wish him a Happy Birthday? Minato stared down at the feathered blonde head and started when he noticed he was crying. He hadn't cried since that night when he had learned of Kushina's death minutes before sealing Kyuubi into his newborn son.

Naruto, feeling something wet and warm plop on his head looked up. He was startled to see the tears on Minato's face and hesitantly raised a small hand to the older blonde's cheek. A tear ran over his fingers, and Naruto wiped it away with the cautious carefulness only a six year old can have.

"Why are you crying Minato-nii-san?" he asked quietly.

Minato crouched over his son again, and folded around him, as if keeping him so enclosed would protect him from the evils of the world. Quietly and carefully he leant down to Naruto's small ear.

"Sorry, son. I love you."

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he stared around, confused when all he saw was empty air. Where had the man gone, the tall blonde with kind eyes and a cool coat? The one that wished him a Happy Birthday?

Naruto cried himself to sleep that night.

Ten years later, to the exact day, Uzumaki Naruto looked up to the bright fall sky and smiled.

"I forgive you, father," he said and he thought that just maybe he could see the man that had appeared on his doorstep so long ago, beaming with tears running down his face.

-End-