Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything associated with it.
"Hey look, it's that boy."
"Is he the one that holds-"
"Shhh, were not allow to talk about it."
"Just stay away!"
A six year old Naruto walks down one of the many streets of the Hidden Leaf Village with his head down and his hands in his pockets. A dissatisfied frown was on his face.
Things have been like this since as long as the young Naruto could remember. The glares, the whispers, the loneliness. . .
Why? Naruto didn't understand what made him so different.
Sure, he didn't have any parents , but their were others like him at the orphanage. This fact never seem to stop people from liking Mito.
Naruto made a face like he swallowed something extremely sour.
Mito Namikaze-Uzumaki the precious daughter of the late Fourth Hokage and his wife. People were always stopping by to see her.
Now, that fact didn't bother Naruto because more people at the orphanage meant he had a greater chance to be adopted. However, the difference in the way they treated him and her bothered the young blond.
They. . . Uh. . . What was that word?
Naruto brought a hand to his chin as he stressed his young mind for the right answer.
They. . . Swarm. . . No. . . Come on. . . Think. . . What was the word that the caregivers always say?
Naruto griped his hair roughly and shut his eyes tightly in frustration as he tried to remember the word.
Baka. . . Why can't I remember. . . They. . . Swoon. . . No. . . Wait!
Naruto opened his eyes wide as if he discovered the most important thing in the world.
Swoon! Yes, that was the word!
Smiling and nodding in satisfaction, Naruto was quite pleased with himself for remember such a complicated word.
They swoon over her! While, they-
"Hey, watch where your going!"
Naruto quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he wondered right into a box that happened to be in the middle of the street.
"Ow, ow, ow, that hurts!" Naruto shouted as he hopped on one foot in extreme pain. Based on the big boo-boo he now felt, he knew, without a doubt, that this was done on purpose and he planned on making the one responsible pay!
"Which one of you put that box their dattebayo?!" Naruto proclaimed, looking around with his eye's narrowed.
Everybody in the market district immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to the blond loudmouth child making a scene.
Suddenly, Naruto didn't feel so confident anymore and he gulped when he felt a dark presence behind him. Slowly he turned around and was met with an ugly truth.
"That BOX was my stores next shipment of supplies that you just ruined!" a angry shopkeeper shouted.
Naruto visibly shrunk in on himself as the tall, imposing man hovered over the young blond's tiny frame.
"I think it is about time that someone taught you some manners!" The man raised his hand up high to strike the fearfully kid.
Naruto flinched and closed his eyes tightly as he prepared for contact.
"Now, now there is no need for that."
An old, but kind voice said that caused Naruto to reopen his eyes to see that the shopkeeper's hand was caught by an old man in some funny looking robes.
"I am sure that we can work something out," the old man said with a smile.
"But those were expensive pots all the way from Sunagakure he just ruined and the next shipment doesn't arrive for another month," the shopkeeper complained.
"Well that does sound like a problem," the weird robe man said while blowing out a big breath of smoke from the pipe in his mouth. "I'll tell you what, come by my office later and I'll personally compensate you for the damage."
Everyone's jaws dropped at that proposal.
"Will that be adequate?" the old man said without missing a beat.
"Y-Yes, but-"
"Good," the gray haired man said, cutting the sale's man off. "Glad that we could settle this." Releasing his hold of the shopkeeper, the old man started to walk away.
Naruto couldn't believe that just happened as he stared at the retreating old man's back. It was the first time anyone ever did anything kind for him.
"I don't even know why Hokage-same lets him walk around freely."
"Yeah, all he ever does is cause trouble."
"Hokage-sama should just lock that boy up."
Naruto's head dropped in sadness when he heard this. The little bit of happiness he felt moments before was all gone as the reality of his life came back at full force. Sighing, Naruto's thoughts wander back to before this incident happened.
They swoon over Mito. While, they. . .
Naruto looked up briefly before looking back down.
While they whisper and glare at him.
"Are you coming?" Naruto heard the old man's voice ask, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Raising his head, Naruto saw that the weird robe man has stopped walking and was looking back at him expectingly.
Naruto turned his head around, expecting someone to be their. However, he saw no one was behind him. Meeting the gray haired man's gaze again with confusion, he spoke one word very quietly.
"Me."
The man must have heard him or at the very least read his lips because he smiled a very warm smiled and nodded his head.
Not one to over think a situation, Naruto quickly caught up to old man and the both of them started to walk side by side of each other.
"Tell me, Naruto-kun, do you like ramen?" the weird robe man asked.
Suspiciously, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "How do you know my name?"
The gray haired man laughed at the cute face the young blond made and said, "Lets just say that a little birdie told me."
Accepting his reasoning for now, Naruto visibly relaxed his features and put his hands behind his head. A large smile was on his face. "So, what's ramen?" He asked.
"You mean to tell me that you have never had ramen before?" the old man said in a soft, almost playful, voice.
"Uhm," Naruto said while scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "No."
"Well, we are just going to have to fix that," the gray haired man said. "Don't we."
"Whatever you say, old man," Naruto said while losing interest in the conversation and looking around at the buildings they were passing in awe.
The old man discreetly smiled at the young blond. Happy, that some of his child like innocence wasn't completely lost. "Do you mind if I make one stop before treating you?"
Naruto just waved his arm in a "I don't care" manner.
Turning down a street with Naruto beside him, the Third Hokage walked towards the Hokage Monument.
"Why did we have to go all the way up here?" An irritated Naruto complained loudly. "What could you possible have to do up here?"
The old man just smiled and said, "I didn't bring you up here to do anything per se." He pointed to the back of one of the four faces on the Hokage Monument, effectively shutting up Naruto before the blond could retort. "Rather, we came here to get someone."
Naruto, squinting his eyes and bringing up a hand to his forehead to block out the sun, saw a person sitting on top of the Fourth Hokage's head with their back facing them. "Hey, old man. Who is that?"
"Let's go find out," the weird robe man said as he walked forward.
Naruto didn't say anything, for once, and just followed.
"Beautiful view, isn't it," the old man said when they stood behind the now obvious young girl.
Startled, the girl stood up quickly and her beautiful long red hair wiped into her face as she turned around suddenly. Immediately, a hand came up and pushed her hair behind her ear and emotionless violet eyes stared critically at them.
The girl's eyes widen considerable when she recognized the old man in front of her. "Hokage-sama," she said as she bowed in respect.
"Wait, you're the Hokage?!" Naruto shouted behind them in shock.
Hiruzen ignored the blond for now and rested a hand on the red head in front of him. "Mito-chan, you don't have to be so formally with me," he said as he squeezed her shoulder.
Mito straightened up and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"Straight to the point," the Third Hokage said while gesturing towards the head they were standing on. "Just like your father."
For a moment, Naruto saw a deep loneliness in her eyes. However, it soon was replaced by her usual expressionless face.
"Sorry to be so blunt, Hokage-sama," Mito apologized as she gave another small bow. "But could you please tell me what you came here to tell me. I need to be back at the orphanage in a short while."
Hiruzen blew out a large thing of smoke from his pipe and squeezed her shoulder again. "Well, I came here to ask if you wanted to get ramen with me and Naruto-kun?" the Third Hokage said, turning slightly so the boy behind him could fully be exposed.
Mito easily recognized him as the boy that everyone glared at and spoke poorly about. Normally that would be reason enough for her to stay clear of him. However, now she was asking herself how bad could this blond be if the Hokage himself wanted to treat him to ramen.
Suddenly, a heavy feeling went through Mito's heart as she thought about the reason why she came up on her father's head in the first place. This feeling made Mito lose her appetite and made her want to be alone.
Bowing again at the Hokage, Mito said, "I thank you for your kind offer, but unfortunately I already ate. So, I'll humble decline yo-"
"Just shut up and come get ramen with us," Naruto loudly interrupted. "I am starving over here dattebayo!" Before today, he was always jealous of Mito because it seemed she got everything while he got nothing. However, his viewpoint changed when he saw the same pain that he always felt in her eyes.
Mito was rendered speechless. People always treated her like a princess that must be respected and praised. So, this was first time someone rudely cut her off.
Hiruzen just laughed while he turned around and started to walk away. "You heard the boy, let's get going."
Naruto quickly obeyed and moved to follow.
Mito, meanwhile, stood still as she gazed curiously at the blond's back.
Suddenly, Naruto stopped and looked back at her with a genuine smile and said, "Well, are you coming?"
Mito felt herself drawn to his kind, sincere expression and felt herself nod without thinking. Naruto's smile, much to Mito's amazement, widened in response and he waited until Mito was next to him before walking again. Side by side, the twins followed the Hokage.
"So how did you know that the old man was the Hokage?" Naruto eagerly asked Mito, hoping to strike up conversation.
Mito wasn't sure if the boy was joking or was plain stupid. So, she raised an eyebrow and said, "He's wearing the Hokage's robes and hat."
Naruto lightly smacked a fist into his palm in understanding "Oh, I thought he was wearing those things because he was a crazy old fart."
"Crazy old fart?" Mito said while imagining the so called God of Shinobi as a senile old man.
"Yeah," Naruto said, trying to explain his reasoning. " I mean come on, who in their right state of mind would wear those heavy robes on such a hot day."
Mito could not argue against that logic and nodded her head in acceptance. She was actually impressed with Naruto's level of deduction based on observation.
"Plus, he has a face that screams crazy and some how blows smoke out of his mouth!"
Just like that, her high opinion of him was gone in a flash and she concluded that he was in fact plain stupid.
"If you guys are done talking about me, then I would advise both of you to pay attention so you don't lose me in the village," Hiruzen suddenly said while stopping at the bottom of the Hokage Monument.
The twins also ceased their walking after hearing those words and turned forward. Sensing the dark aura coming from the Third Hokage, both gulped nervously.
Mito could only think that the fool next to her deserved whatever came to him for saying such foolish things carelessly with the Third Hokage nearby.
"It was all Mito-san's fault!" Naruto suddenly blurted. "She was the one who started all this!"
"What!" Mito shouted in disbelief while losing composure. "How in the world is this my fault!" She pointed a finger at Naruto. "You were the one that said those things about Hokage-sama!" Crossing her hands over her chest and nodding in satisfaction with her sound reasoning, she delivered the killer blow. "Plus, you in fact started this by asking about how I knew that he was the Hokage."
"Your wrong!" Naruto desperately shouted. "You were the one that knew he was the Hokage." He scratched his head in thought. "So, you're the one who led to me asking the question." Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Mito. "So it's your fault."
Mito threw both of her hands up in frustration. "It was your lack of knowledge that led to this situation. I can't be blamed because I knew something that you didn't."
"Well, you can't trust someone with red hair!"
"How is that even relevant to the problem at hand?"
"How isn't it re-le-vant!"
"Do you even know what that relevant means?"
"Of course I do!"
"Then what does it mean?"
"It means. . ." Naruto thought long and hard, but he could not come up with an answer. "Who cares what it means! You still can't trust red heads!"
Mito smirked. "I think that a red head is more trustworthy than a baka who doesn't even know what relevant means."
"Well. . ." Naruto started to sweat profusely as he tried to think of a comeback.
"What," Mito said after a few seconds. "Can't think of anything else to say."
"Give me a second," Naruto said while scanning Mito to look for something that he could use against her.
"Your stupid," Naruto finally said when his search came up as a failure.
Mito raised an eyebrow. "Really, that was the best you could come up with."
"Don't judge me."
Suddenly, loud laughter interrupted their debate and both turned towards the source to witness a rare sight. The God of Shinobi was crouched over and holding his stomach from laughing so hard.
Confused and a little creeped out at the sight, Mito whispered into Naruto's ear, "Maybe he really is a crazy old fart."
Naruto could only nod his head in agreement.
After some time, Hiruzen, finally, got hold of himself and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "You two fight like your siblings," he cryptically said as he straighten back up.
"Ha," Mito said. "Like I would be related to a baka like him."
"Hardy har har," Naruto faked laugh. "That's got to be the best joke I have ever heard."
Hiruzen, in response, smiled at them and blew a big thing of smoke from his pipe out. "Let's get going," he said after a moment and began to move towards the village.
Not wanting to be left behind, the twins quickly followed after him.
In no time at all, the three of them arrived at their destination.
"Well here we are," the Third Hokage said as he pulled the ramen stand's noren up and gestured to the twins to enter.
Naruto, not needing to be told twice, rushed in and sat on one of the stools. His mouth began to water from the delicious smell that assaulted his nose.
On the other hand, Mito studied the establishment carefully before reservedly making her way to the seat next to Naruto.
Hiruzen followed soon after and sat himself down on the other side of Naruto.
"We will be right with you" a voice shouted from the back of the stand.
"Oh man!" Naruto excitingly said. "This stuff smells good!"
"You've never had ramen before?" Mito curiously asked while turning to the blond boy next to her.
Naruto shook his head. "No, I am usually not allowed to go into places like this."
Mito's interest peaked at this revelation. She never had any problems going into food joints. In fact, people always welcomed her to their stands and gave her free food. Now, Mito knew people always treated her differently than others because she was the daughter of the late Fourth Hokage and the famous Red-Hot Habanero. Something, however, didn't add up to her because she seen other orphans around her age enter joints like this without any problems.
Mito had to know more and thought very carefully on what she wanted to say to Naruto.
Hiruzen, meanwhile, discreetly looked intensely at Mito as she processed the information Naruto revealed and narrowed his eyes when she opened her mouth to say something.
"Sorry about that," a male voice said before Mito could utter a word. A man soon appeared in front of the trio with his daughter by his side and a notepad in hand. "I can take your order-"
The man gasped when he saw the "demon" child, the princess, and the Third Hokage sitting in his shop.
"Father what is it?" the little girl asked worriedly while pulling at the man's apron when he just stood their with his mouth wide open.
Snapping out of his trance, the man turned towards his daughter and raised his hand to pet her on the head. "Nothing is wrong, Ayame-chan, I was just surprised" the man said while lovely stroking her hair.
Clearing his throat to get the man's attention, Hiruzen said, "Sorry to startle you, Teuchi-san, but I am ready to make my order if it is okay with you."
"Of course Hokage-sama," Teuchi said while doing a quick bow. "What would you like?"
"I'll take a medium tonkotusu ramen," Hiruzen ordered.
With haste, Teuchi wrote his order down and moved on.
Seeing Naruto staring intensely at the menu behind him, Teuchi decided to skip over him for now. "What would you like to eat Mito-san ?"
"I'll have a small Shio Ramen," Mito clearly stated.
Teuchi smiled and nodded his head as he wrote down the red head's order.
Gulping, Teuchi came to the last customer at the stand. Like every other adult in the village, he knew who Naruto is and what he contained. However, unlike most of them, Teuchi didn't blame Naruto for the destruction and death caused by the kyuubi attack. That still didn't make Teuchi any less weary of the blond boy.
"W-What can I get you sir?"
Naruto squinted his eyes and still looked at the menu like he was trying to burn a hole through it.
Naruto's stare put Teuchi even more on edge and he slowly pushed his daughter behind him to protect her.
Meanwhile, Mito and Hiruzen observed the tense scene with interest.
"I have no idea what to get dattebayo!" Naruto finally shouted with a big goofy smile.
Everyone, but Ayame and Naruto comically fell down after hearing that.
"You baka," Mito whispered as she got back up. Looking at Teuchi, who was also recover from his fall, she said, "Just give him a large miso ramen."
Nodding, Teuchi wrote a large miso ramen down in his notepad absentmindedly and got to work on making the three orders
The atmosphere around Naruto and Mito soon became uncomfortable as Ayame stared at them curiously with her big black eyes.
"Is Hokage-sama your-r jiji?" Ayame asked once she worked up the courage.
"Of course not!"
"No."
Were Naruto and Mito's immediately responses respectively.
"Like I'll be related to that crazy old man!" Naruto clarified with Mito nodding in agreement.
"I am not that old," Hiruzen quietly said with a dark cloud over his head.
"Then where's your family?" Ayame innocently said. "I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without one of them with me when I was your age," she finished with a smile.
Family. . . Neither Mito nor Naruto knew what it was like to have one of those. This fact made both of their eyes lower in sadness and a familiar heavy feeling in their chest to make itself known again.
"Well not related by blood, I consider everybody in the village as my family," Hiruzen spoke up and turned to Ayame with a smile. "So in a way I consider myself their jiji."
Mito and Naruto could not believe what they were hearing and their body language reflected that as they stared at the Third Hokage. Both of their eyes were as wide as saucers and their mouths were wide open in disbelief.
"Though I wish I could be an oji or otousan instead of a jiji," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
"No way!" Naruto said, coming back to reality. "You would definitely be a jiji!"
The Third Hokage desperately looked at the only red head here and said, "Come on, Mito-chan, help me out."
"The evidence speaks for itself," Mito said without mercy and also regaining composure. "You are old, therefore you would definitely be a jiji."
A dark cloud once again descended on the Third Hokage as Ayame said, "That makes sense. I call people my family that I am technically not related too."
"Order up!" Teuchi suddenly said while placing a bowl of ramen in front of the three customers.
"Itadakimasu," the group said before two of them broke their chopsticks and began to eat.
Naruto, however, critically looked over the steaming ramen cautiously.
"Never had ramen before?" Ayame politely asked.
Naruto shook his head.
"Then your in for a treat!" Ayame enthusiastically said. "My father makes the best ramen around!"
No longer able to resist the wonderfully smell, especially after his stomach groin after hearing Ayame's words, Naruto broke his chopsticks and carefully put some noodles in his mouth.
All eyes were on the blond kid as he chewed and swallowed his first bite of ramen.
Without warning, his face lit up like a Christmas tree and his eyes sparkled. "That has to be the best thing I have ever tasted dattebayo!" Naruto said with anime tears running down his face.
"Ha ha ha," Teuchi laughed. "Now that is what I like to hear!"
"This. . . Food. . . Must. . . Be. . . From. . . The. . . Gods. . ." Naruto said in between inhaling the rest of his food. After drinking the broth and slamming the bowl down, he said, "I'll take another order on the double, old man!"
"Coming right up!" Teuchi said, all to happy to make another large miso ramen.
Meanwhile, Mito and Ayame were greatly disturbed at what they just witnessed while Hiruzen just laughed at the boy's energy.
The Third Hokage was very pleased at how well today went. He smiled at the twins as Mito not so kindly reminded Naruto about having manners while eating. Naruto, in response, stuck his tongue out at Mito and made fun of her very reserved and formal way of eating.
Hiruzen's mind, suddenly, replaced the scene in front of him with a very young Minato and Kushina eating at a restaurant. Their, Minato was the one who was eating formally while Kushina inhaled her food.
"Hokage-sama" A voice said, bring back the Hokage to the present.
Hiruzen instantly saw Mito staring at him. "Were ready to go now," she said.
Looking down, he saw that he indeed finished his bowl.
"Will this be all on one bill or separate," Teuchi asked.
Naruto smiled mischievously and said, "Our jiji will pay for me and Mito-san!"
Mito, catching Naruto's playful tone, decided to play along. "Yes, would you please pay for me and Naruto-san like you promised, jiji?"
The Third Hokage was very confused at why the two would act like this. Didn't he say he would treat them? Suddenly, he saw something very frightening at the edge of his vision.
Their, on the counter in front of Naruto were FIVE empty bowls stacked on top of each other! When did the young glutton order three more bowls?
"So you will pay for everyone, Hokage-sama," Teuchi said with a glint in his eye from the amount of money he was soon going to get.
The Third Hokage cleared his throat as he tried to get the situation under control. "You expect me to pay fully AFTER you two continue to call me jiji when I made it clear that I dislike it."
Naruto and Mito decided to up their tactics and gave the Third Hokage the infamous puppy eyes.
"But weren't you the one that consider us your family," Naruto said.
"Yeah," Mito added. "You wouldn't let your dear POOR family members pay will you?"
Unable to resist, Hiruzen, sadly, took out his wallet and put the appropriate amount of money on the table. Silently, Hiruzen cursed that stupid look and decided that the first thing he'll do when he returned to his office would be to make an official creed to ban it from ever being use again.
Naruto and Mito stood up and gave each other a high five in victory.
Witnessing the sight, Teuchi decided then and their that no matter what anybody said, he would always welcome Naruto into his shop and treat him like any other customer from this day forward. After everything he observed today, he knew for sure now that Naruto was NOT the kyuubi, but a pleasant young boy filled with energy.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen looked at the wonderful scene of Naruto and Mito smiling at each other after their high five with great satisfaction. He wished that wherever Minato and Kushina were that they would be smiling down at the beginning of a beautiful relationship between their children. However, what the Third Hokage didn't know at the time was the twins bond with each other would be short lived.
Another chapter done. I know Naruto kind of acts like an idiot here, but don't worry. I plan to make him grow up fast. I just wanted to establish a base to work with.
Furthermore, I decided to incorporate Mindovin's suggestion and change Mito's last name to Namikaze-Uzumaki so the Uzumaki heritage is represented. Now with that cleared up, I would like to thank those that reviewed/favorited/followed this story! I would like to make it clear that I do consider your reviews and greatly appricate it!