Hey everyone. I'm trying to update this and my Avatar story every week. So far it's going well. If any of you are interested in Avatar the last airbender, I recommend checking the story out.
You can go to my AO3 page to find it, my name is SlyO there. Or search up an account named ATLATO on this site.
The story is called Broken Avatar.
Anyway enough of my yapping, enjoy.
Minato laid Naruto on his bed and covered him with a blanket. His eyebrows scrunching in displeasure as he looked at the thin, worn blanket.
He swore he'd buy Naruto the best blanket and the best of everything money could buy, very soon.
His son deserved better.
"Sensei, you okay?" Kakashi wondered when he saw the look on the man's face.
"No, not really." Minato replied honestly, rubbing his temples. "I hate that Naruto lives in a place like this."
Kakashi nodded, looking around the room. "Yeah, it's real bad."
Minato kissed his son on the forehead and walked out of the room, Kakashi following him with his hands in his pockets.
The Fourth Hokage sighed deeply as he sat on one of the kitchen chairs. "Kakashi, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"Can you go inform Hiruzen about what just happened? I'd go do it myself but I can't leave Naruto alone after that."
Kakashi nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I'll go take care of it." He smiled softly. "You stay here Sensei and enjoy your time with Naruto."
When Kakashi left, Minato eyed the couch longingly. He was so damn tired.
Surely a little sleep wouldn't hurt anyone?
"Ugh!" Minato gasped as all the air left his body. Eyes flying open, he saw Naruto who had jumped on his stomach staring at him wide-eyed.
"Dad! Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, Naruto." Minato smiled reassuringly, sitting up and bringing Naruto closer to him.
"Are you okay?"
Naruto nodded happily and threw his small arms around Minato's neck.
Minato laughed for the first time since he left Naruto earlier.
The happy moment was disturbed by Naruto's growling stomach. He pulled back from the embrace smiling sheepishly. "I'm hungry."
"I noticed." Minato smirked. "What do you wanna eat?"
Naruto tapped his stubby fingers on his chin in thought and Minato's eyes softened. How could someone be this damn adorable?
"Ramen!"
Minato's face fell comically. After all that thinking, he still wanted ramen?
"Ramen again, seriously?"
Naruto nodded, beaming. "But this time I want Ichiraku's ramen."
The Fourth Hokage's mouth dropped open. "You sure you're ready to go outside again?"
Naruto's smile dropped, realizing what his dad meant, but then his face lit up again. "Yeah! As long as you're with me. You wouldn't let anything happen to me!" He stated confidently, like it was obvious.
Minato smiled warmly. "You're so adorable, you know that?"
Naruto blushed. He covered his face in embarrassment, making Minato laugh.
"It's decided then, we're going to Ichiraku's." He announced, making Naruto gasp and cheer, instantly forgetting his embarrassment.
Minato laughed again, the kid was too predictable.
"Ayame! Teuchi!"
"Naruto?" Ayame peeked her head from inside the tiny restaurant and gasped when she saw Naruto wasn't alone.
"F-Fourth Hokage, sir?"
The Fourth Hokage waved, a kind smile on his face. "How are you, Ayame." on the inside however, he was freaking out. Last time he saw the girl she was around twelve-years-old. Now, not even a week later for him, she had aged more than five years and looked like an adult.
It was like he jumped time.
She bowed meekly. "I heard the rumours... I didn't know they were true though... It's amazing to meet you again Lord Fourth." her voice was filled with awe.
"Dad! Ayame and Teuchi have been one of the only ones that have treated me well." The boy shared excitedly, looking at Ayame like a younger brother would at an older sister.
"Is that so?" Minato looked at Ayame with a soft gaze, making her blush. "You can just call me Minato then, anyone that is close to Naruto is close to me."
She nodded, her cheeks burning. "Yes, M-Minato."
Naruto jumped on one of the chairs and looked around the tiny restaurant. "Where's Teuchi?"
The older girl looked at Naruto. "One second." She walked back, disappearing from their sight. They heard her last yells as she walked away.
"DAD! You won't guess who has come back!"
Minato chuckled.
Soon Teuchi showed up, he too was shocked to see Minato at first, but quickly shook the shock away and greeted the man.
"Lord Minato, it really is you. It's amazing to see you again." Teochi bowed.
Minato held his hands up. "Please Teuchi call me Minato, I heard what you've done for Naruto and I can't thank you enough." he had a soft, genuine smile plastered on his face the entire time.
"It's the least I could do." Teuchi grinned. "Here, sit. Ayame will bring you your ramen." he said.
Ayame nodded, smiling happily. "What would you like Minato?"
Minato thought for a moment. "Just get me whatever Naruto is getting."
Naruto grinned.
Ayame turned to the young boy, smirking. "I'm guessing you want your usual, Naruto?"
"Yes, please!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement.
Ayame giggled. "Gotcha, I'll be right back with your orders."
"So when did you become The Fourth Hokage anyway?" Naruto wondered aloud, mouth full of ramen.
Ayame and Teuchi had gone outside to give the two their much needed bonding time.
Minato spat his food out in shock, nearly choking on his ramen.
"You knew?!"
Naruto swallowed his food calmly then looked at him, deadpan. "It's written on your cloak, Dad."
Oh.
Minato rubbed the back of his head, cheeks turning pink. "Right, yeah. I knew that." He said, not convincingly.
Naruto held back a giggle. "You totally forgot, didn't you?"
"Yeah..." Minato sighed, making Naruto giggle and cover his mouth.
"Well, I became the Hokage not too long after the Third Great Ninja war." Minato explained, going back to eating his ramen.
Naruto turned to him. "The war that you helped ending?"
"Yeah." The war where he lost two of his students as well. He thought sadly, but quickly pushed those negative feelings back.
He didn't want to ruin the happy mood with his grieving.
"They were looking for a new Hokage for the village and I was picked." He said, taking a bite of his ramen.
Naruto looked at Minato, his big blue eyes filled with pride.
My dad is so cool! He thought, giddily. He made a mental note to rub it in Sasuke's face next time he went to the academy.
"Are you not angry at me?" Minato questioned, tentatively.
Naruto snapped out of his daydreaming that consisted of him taunting Sasuke, and shook his head confused. "Why would I be?"
Minato shrugged. "I just thought you'd be upset that I was the Hokage."
Naruto looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Are you kidding me? I'm so happy that you were the Hokage, that's like the coolest thing ever!"
Truth to be told, Minato didn't really like being The Hokage as much as he thought he would when he was younger, but hearing his son say those words made him happy about his decision.
"Well, I might be chosen as the Hokage again at some point." He stated like it was no big deal, and sipped his drink.
Naruto's chopsticks fell from his hands, his ramen forgotten for a moment.
"Wha- really?!" He gaped at his father.
Minato nodded. "Whenever Hiruzen feels like he wants to retire, I'll be chosen again."
"Wow." Naruto beamed at him. "I don't know whether to be excited or jealous." he joked.
Minato laughed, ruffling his hair, making Naruto grin.
"Nothing to be jealous about, I'm sure you'll be the Hokage one day too, Naruto."
Naruto puffed up his chest, determination filling his eyes. "Absolutely, believe it!"
After that, all that could be heard in the restaurant was Naruto's slurping as they ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Minato broke it.
"So, do you have any friends at the academy?" He wondered.
Naruto's face fell. "No, not really."
Minato was shocked. Naruto didn't have friends?
"Why?" He asked, genuinely curious. Who wouldn't want to be his friend? The kid was really funny and amazing.
Naruto shrugged. "Most of them avoid me like a plague." the boy said sadly, making Minato's eyes darken as he finally realized what was going on.
"Is that so?"
Naruto nodded sadly. "Yeah."
"Well, I'm sure that'll all change real soon." Naruto looked up at his dad and was surprised to see a sly smirk on the man's face.
Unbeknownst to Naruto, Minato was planning on paying all his old friends a visit. He had a feeling they were the ones responsible for their kids acting that way.
"What makes you say that?"
"Oh?" the older man looked at the smaller one and smiled innocently. "Nothing, just a feeling."
"You don't get bullied though, do you?" he asked, changing the subject.
"No- well... not bullied but there's this one kid who makes me really angry every time I see him." Naruto explained, eyes narrowing.
Minato looked at him, one hand on the table supporting his head. "Why's that?"
"He's just.. he's so perfectly good at everything he does and everyone loves him! Yet he doesn't even appreciate it." Naruto explained, angrily
If people treated him the way they treated Sasuke, Naruto would never complain.
That ungrateful jerk. He thought, annoyed.
"What's the kid's name?"
"Sasuke." The name rolled off Naruto's tongue like poison.
Minato's eyes widened. "Uchiha Sasuke?"
"I think so, why? You know him?"
"Me and your mom used to be really good friends with Sasuke's parents." He said, voice sad.
"You and Mom knew Sasuke's parents?!" Naruto gasped. "Are they arrogant jerks like Sasuke?" He leaned forward, looking at Minato with curiosity.
Normally adults never told him about anything that was going on in the village, but he was confident his dad would tell him everything he asked.
Minato chuckled at his bluntness. "No. They were actually really nice people, especially their eldest son, Itachi."
"Your Mom really loved Sasuke's mom, Mikoto." Naruto noticed the sad look on his dad's face and frowned.
He didn't like seeing that look on his face.
"What went wrong then, why's Sasuke such a buttface." He drawled out the insult, trying to cheer his dad up.
To his delight it worked, Minato laughed.
"I don't know." He rubbed his chin. "Maybe he's just an introvert and doesn't like all the attention?"
Naruto thought about it for a moment. He never really tried to understand it from Sasuke's point of view, but he guessed it made sense.
He shrugged. "Probably. I'll try to talk to him again next time I see him." Naruto said, face set in determination.
Minato smiled at his son warmly. He could tell Naruto cared about Sasuke and wanted to help him.
He had a pure heart.
"That sounds great."