A/N:

WARNING: Please go to chapter 6 and start from there... Much appreciated...

I need to get away from this computer...

I don't own Naruto...

"A present for Kiba... How about..."

Naruto and Tori were wandering through the shopping district, window shopping for birthday presents.

"Why don't you get something for Akamaru too?" Tori suggested. "To the Inuzuka, dogs are more than just pets. They are companions, partners. It'd be good to recognize that."

"Mm-hmm," Naruto nodded, still looking around the crowded street. "Look! A pet shop! Let's go in there!"

Complying, Tori let herself be dragged behind the six year old as he pointed excited at the shop.

Naruto roamed through the aisle, quickly tracking down what he was looking for: the perfect present for a certain puppy.

"Have a good day," the cashier said, placing the small red ball and rubber bone into a bag for Naruto. Naruto thanked him as Tori paid for the presents and the two set off once again in search of Kiba's present.

"You could make him something," Tori pointed out. Naruto frowned thoughtfully.

"But what would I... Got it! Let's go home, I have some work to do!" Naruto said excitedly, dragging Tori behind him as he pushed his way through the crowd.

"Kiba!"

"Naruto!"

Tori smiled as Kiba waved past his mother to Naruto.

"Go on, kid," Tori chuckled to Naruto. Saying a quick hello to Tsume, Naruto did just that, disappearing with Kiba into the house. "How have you been?"

"Eh, pretty good," Tsume shrugged. While she and Tori weren't exceedingly close, they were old friends from their genin days, where they had met at Tori's first Chuunin Exam. "When Naruto said his sister, I didn't think-"

"I'm really his godmother. He started calling me neesan about a year ago, though," Tori smiled, remembering that night.

"You want to come in? A few other parents are here," Tsume said, stepping aside to offer Tori access. The Hyuuga only smiled, throwing her hands up.

"That's alright; I have some work to finish up," Tori declined politely. Tsume nodded abruptly.

"Your choice," she shrugged. "The party ends at four."

"I'll pick him up," Tori promised before saying her goodbyes and walking away.

"Cake time, brats!" Tsume called from inside the house. The children paused their game of hide and seek and excitedly ran towards the house. All but Shikamaru, who sighed as he sat up from his hiding spot, deciding if cake was worth getting up. Deciding that the cake would make up for any lost energy, he got to his feet and followed his friends into the house.

Kiba blew out the six candles on the cake and his sister Hana cut it while Tsume talked with the other adults.

"Present time!" Hana announced as soon as the cake was finished. Kiba hurriedly wiped his frosting coated hands off on his napkin and reached greedily towards the closest box.

"That one's from me!" a small boy shouted out proudly as Kiba ripped the paper away, revealing three blunted shuriken.

The party continued, resulting in quite a number of toys, hand-made cards, and various practice equipment. Naruto's presents were among the last to be unwrapped.

"That one's for Akamaru," Naruto explained as Kiba unwrapped the red ball and the rubber bone. Kiba grinned at his new friend and Akamaru yipped happily, already digging into the rubber bone.

Kiba finally unwrapped the present Naruto had made for him. He grew cautious after Naruto's verbal warning. When the wrapping paper was cleared away, there was a small glass statue of a sitting dog with pointed ears and a bushy tail. The glass was dyed a swirl of red and blue, resulting in purple where the dye had made contact.

"Ooh, it's so pretty," one of the girls murmured in awe, reaching towards it with her fingertips. She brushed her pink hair out of her face to look at it closer. Naruto briefly remembered that her name was Haruno Sakura.

"My neesan's friend is a glassblower," Naruto said proudly. "She's really nice, and lets me help her sometimes. She let me pick out the shape of the dog and add the colors."

"Ooh, can you make me one?"

"Me too, Naruto-kun!"

"I'll be your best friend!"

Naruto, overwhelmed from the very sudden attention, could only smile sheepishly.

"I guess I could ask her..." he murmured, blushing slightly. Kiba stepped in front of Naruto protectively.

"Chouji's it!" Kiba shouted, pointing at the young Akimichi. Chouji looked up from his fourth piece of cake as the others ran away, a confused pout growing on his face.

"What happened?" he said around the chocolate cake. Naruto grinned, the last to run from the other boy.

"You're it," Naruto chirped happily before running away, a happy smile on his face.

By the time Tori had arrived to pick Naruto up, he was contentedly exhausted. He might have had a strict training regiment, but that was nothing compared to playing tag, ninja, and hide-and-seek with a dozen six year olds.

That didn't spare him from the gentle scolding he got from leaving his kunai on the kitchen table.

Tori was glad to see her young godson be the child he really was, glad that she had gotten him out of the base.

A/N:

Can I go camping now?

one more chapter... One more...

I must sound kind of annoyed, but I'm not. I just really want to start writing post-Academy... What? Sequel? ;)

^-^ Susie ^-^