Chaper 2: Another day in the park

Five Years Later

"Come on Mom!" A five year old blond ball of energy exclaimed, pulling along a woman a green and blue plain blouse and blue pants. "Raku is just around the corner! Come oooon!" He stretched out, acting as any giddy child would. Well, who wouldn't be happy? It was Wednesday, the one day of the week he got to eat ramen, the food of the gods, as he put it. Stifling a giggle with her hand, she picked her pace up and grabbed the young boy by his ankles, flipping him upside down so her looked at her in the face, meeting her masked double eye smile, which her family was oh so famous for with a pout.

"Now now, no need to rush. You have all day to be unhealthy. Besides, we'd be much better off getting some sweets, because if we're gonna be unhealthy, we'll do it right." She remarked, letting go of one ankle and continuing the walk while leaving him dangling, making the blond headed child blush.

"You don't have to carry me like this... I can walk on my own!" Folding his arms, he continued, struggling to hide his blush. He hated when she did this, but he'd put up with it, for the woman was his 'vewy pwetty' mother as he once put. Standing at 5'6", she was a nice woman with the nicely toned hourglass figure so many other kunoichi struggled to maintain. Silver hair that cascaded to the small of her back, and a face that would rival any goddess, even with the ever present mask on, she was once sought after rigorously. But when word got out she was the mother of the demon, she had never had any men ogle her. Sure, some tried to take advantage of her, thinking that a man can overpower any woman, even a jounin, in dark alleys and dark side streets. She always let them think that they could, until the last second she kneed them in the groin so devastatingly, they thought they'd never have kids. Once, when she had let it go too far once, she had been trapped, but an Anbu she'd never seen before appeared from the shadows, with a tattoo she'd never seen on the back of their left shoulder, quickly silenced the man with a quick swipe of his sword across his throat, before disappearing never to be seen again.

"Why hello they little Naruto!" The ramen stand owner greeted the blond as he was placed on one of the chairs inside the booths flaps, forming a frown upon being called little, while nodding towards the silver haired beauty. "And how has your day been Aimi?"

"Its been quite eventful. I took Naruto to meet the clan heads and their children, and he seemed to enjoy their company. Isn't that right Naruto?" She replied looking at the boy who drooled at the bowl of miso ramen that was placed in front of him, as he broke his chopsticks like an old man who had decades of practice.

"Yeah sure! Time to eat!" Taking a mouthful of ramen that looked like it wouldn't fit, he instantly melted into his seat.

"Naruto, surely you weren't going to start without use were you?" a voice called out from behind him, that made him drop the ramen straight into the bowl with a look of terror on his face, before placing the chopsticks on top of the bowl politely.

"Who, me?" he replied, trying, and failing, to look innocent as he turned around. "I'd never start without you guys!"

"You were too! We're suppose to eat together..." a black haired boy exclaimed, making a pout of his own. Just taller than Naruto, he was wearing some small white shorts, and a blue sort sleeve shirt with a high collar and what looked to be a fishing bobber. His hair, for some weird reason, whether he styled it to be, or if it grew that way, was that of a duck's butt. "The one day, and you start without us. Some best friend you are."

"Sasuke! I didn't start! Your mom sto- I mean I was just stirring it around!" he replied, pulling his friend into one of the high chairs.

"So, Naruto, did you enjoy your time with the other clan head's children?" Sasuke's mom asked, purposely delaying him from his meal.

"Yes! I had fun miss Mikoto! Now that you're here, and the old man has your food ready, like always," he paused, giving said old man a shit eating grin, knowing how he hates being called that, "Let's dig in!"

"Sorry about that Teuchi, but I agree, let's dig in!" Aimi apologized, starting on her own bowl of miso ramen.

30 minutes later. And 7 bowls of ramen for Naruto, the group paid for their meals and went off.

"So, Sasuke, when is your Dad putting you in the Academy?" The blondie queried, looking at Sasuke while skipping. Like every Wednesday, the destination for today was the park, where the mothers would chit chat, and the boys would play.

"I can't go in until I'm 8. I don't know why. Big Brother went in at 5! and graduated at 7! It's no fair!" He exclaimed, throwing a fit, until his mother promptly slapped him upside the head.

"Don't be like that young man, or we might cut the trip to the park short!" She threatened, getting the response she wanted from the boys, Naruto's being one of a horrified expression. "I'm just kidding! I wouldn't do that! But you better stop throwing that fit right now young man." she amended, knowing she could never really pull away the only real friend that Naruto has, and to do something like that would hurt hurt him more than Sasuke, even though he didn't seem to get along with anyone else in his age ranged. Maybe they're just destined to be best friends, as she was with Naruto's birth mother and, oddly enough, adoptive mother.

"That's cool though! We get to start at the same time! Mom wants me to have a regular childhood she says. I think she just wants to baby me for as long as possible though." He said, adding the last part in a whisper, so only Sasuke could hear it.

"Naruto, you're coming to my birthday party next week right?" Sasuke asked, knowing the answer was gonna be yes, but just wanted to remind him like he always does.

"It's next week? I thought it was next month. I guess I'll have to start saving now, so I can have enough money to get you a good gift. But I doubt I can make it in time." he teased, while pretending to close both eyes and place his hands behind his head while keeping one eye on him, knowing Sasuke would over-react. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, he threw his hands up defensively in front, "Kidding! Of course I am! Like I would forgot your birthday." With that, Sasuke returned to looking forward, as did the mothers while giggling at their actions. Naruto stopped to pick up a cool looking marble, and overheard someone whispering, which he recently started doing unknowingly, as if his hearing got better recently.

"That poor woman, needing to take care of that demon. I don't know who I feel worse for, her, or Mikoto, for needing to force her child to play with it and act like its friend just to spend some time with her friend. It must be so hard to allow her son to play with something so dangerous and evil." a random civilian woman commented to some stranger.

"I don't feel sorry for either of them. That woman could have abandoned or killed it when he was a baby. I get sick just looking at the damned thing." he barked back quietly, continuing to glare at the child even as he looked him in the face with a confused face.

Thinking they're playing a game like the other people whole give him those looks, and his more recent experiences with his better hearing, called him a demon, he just smiled and skipped to catch up to his mom, reaching up to hold her hand.

"Mom, Miss Mikoto, why don't you guys ever play the same game all these others play with me?" he asked them, giving them a puzzled look.

"What game are you talking about sweetie? Aimi asked, running through every single game she knew her child played. She couldn't think of one that they haven't played with him at least once.

"The one where the call me a demon, and say how sorry they are for you for needing to take care of me, while giving me this weird look." he happily responded, before imitating the glare that so many of the civilians showed.

Looking at each other with a hurt look on their faces, they both give Naruto a serious look. "Naruto, they aren't playing a game. They are being mean, inconsiderate, and ignorant fools. But don't listen to a word they've said. You are the best thing to have happened to me in 7 years. I don't know what I would have done if you never came along." she said, picking him up and giving him a hug.

Turning to Sasuke, Mikoto begins a talk of her own, before making a small space between them and their friends. "Sasuke, Naruto is going to grow up with a hard life. You would do anything you can for him right? As best friends, you have to stick by each other and stand up for the other. If you ever hear someone talking bad about Naruto, what would you do?"

"I'd go and tell them to... what was the word that Dad used on the man who tried to rob us that day outside the village? Fuck off? And then hurt them really badly!" He proclaimed, sticking his chest out to look tough, well, as touch as a soon to be 6-year old can look.

"That's right! But don't ever use that word in any other situation, or no sweets for 3 weeks, understand?"

"Okay Mom, those mean words are now reserved only for the people who are mean to my friends!" he said, before getting pulled into a hug. Catching up to his friend, he grabbed his hand gave him the biggest brightest smile he could, and started to drag him to the park. Leaving their moms to sit on a bench, they started with the swings, like always.

"I can't believe he's already starting to notice it. I hope they realize soon how dumb they're being, and actually see him as a little boy. He almost broke my heart when he called himself a demon." Aimi said, sitting on the bench and staring at her son.

"I know. I wonder how Kushina would react if she knew what is happening, or even worse, Minato." Mikoto responded, looking to her friend with a worried expression. "But, at least he has you, Kakashi and his friends, Sasuke, me, and, for the most part, all of the Uchiha clan. Which still surprises me. I was shocked when Fugaku invited Naruto over for a sleepover. Of all the reactions I thought he'd have, I never thought he would enjoy him, it even seems like he just likes the boy, and isn't thinking about the political power he can gain from making him a friend of the clan. Naruto will do fine. It'll be rough, but he'll manage. And if the villagers don't treat him like a normal human being, then when the Yondaime's final recorded message is released on Naruto's 15th birthday, almost the entire village is gonna feel like fools, for not seeing the resemblance, and for going against their precious hokage's wishes. Even now he looks exactly like his father did when he was his age. Minus that silly mask of course."

"The mask is not silly! It's a family tradition, and a symbol for reservation!" she shot back, giving her friend the response she wanted. Seeing her roll her eyes, she huffed and turned back forward to enjoy her day, and watch the light of her life enjoy the park.

So, there's chapter 2. Hope you guys like it so far. As always, please leave a review and let me know of any questions, comments, and concerns. One thing I'll go ahead and say is, no matter what, this with most definitely not be a NaruHina fic. I think that pairing is way too overused. I think I'll only do another couple chapters until the graduation exam. I don't like it when people make 20 chapters of the childhood alone, but I also don't like it when people make significant changes in the storyline but just shrug off the childhood like it's nothing. If you can't tell, since Naruto actually grows up with a parent, he won't be so clueless with human interaction, which is something i feel he was in canon, and what with Aimi and Mikoto being besties, him and Sasuke really will be like brothers. Sorry if this chapter was boring, but I prefer my stories this way. I think each chapter I'll make a little longer progressively. But not the 15k some people like. I think that's a bit excessive. If anyone notices any major errors somewhere in here, please let me know so I can promptly fix it. That's all I gots to say for now.

Ciao, Senketzu