At three years old, Naruto was like a ball of sunshine for both Minato and Kushina.
Minato, although swamped by Hokage duties, still found time to spend with his precious little baby toddler. Naruto awed and inspired him in many ways; he was just so much like his mother. He was hotheaded and stubborn at times and seriously loved to prank. The little squirt was even becoming slightly less dependent on them now and improving his usually mispronounced words.
But sometimes Minato would notice that Naruto often stared at him longingly whenever he thought he wasn't looking. Minato could easily mistake this as due to his constant absences in their home, but there was just something in those blue eyes that held so much pain and happiness that a child couldn't possibly bear at that age. Of course, his volatile emotions showed often because he was still so young, but this seemed like a different issue.
What Minato didn't know was how happy Naruto was whenever he saw him and Kushina. Naruto didn't really understand, but something inside him wanted to be with his parents as much as possible and disliked it whenever they had to go somewhere. He often expressed this through tantrums of his own.
"You're going to be a fine person someday, Naruto," Minato said with a smile, ruffling his son's unruly blond locks before donning his Hokage robes and proceeding to leave.
It was then that he felt tiny arms wrap around his legs and the small trembles his son's body made.
"...Be safe, Dad," Naruto mumbled, not having the strength nor the courage to let go just yet.
Minato, surprised at his three-year-old's clear and unusual speech (Dad? Not Papa?), could only smile and grab Naruto's hands in his and give a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll see you soon, Naruto," he promised. Usually, his son would whine at him not to go, so even though Minato didn't show it, he was inwardly startled when Naruto only stared at him with deep sadness in his eyes.
'Sometimes, I feel like he's growing up too fast…'
And then the spell broke. Naruto blinked, thinking that he was supposed to be feeling something right now. Yet his mind drew a blank.
Kushina, on the other hand, watched as her son stood before the doorway, staring at his father's retreating form. Though her heart broke for her child, she understood the duties and the responsibilities of a Hokage. Konoha was home to her, too, and she loved it almost as much as Whirlpool. Soon, Minato would become a more legendary figure in his own right while she would go back to shinobi duty once Naruto entered the Academy. It wasn't in her nature to just sit still at home, after all.
"Mama," Naruto spoke up suddenly, turning to her with tear-filled eyes. They were, in truth, only out of pure confusion and remnants of the ephemeral memory, but Kushina of course didn't regard it as such.
Kushina was about to go to him when he beat her to it, wrapping his arms around her legs so tightly like he never wanted to let her go. He just suddenly felt very lonely and clingy, and watching his father leave oddly tapped an otherworldly emotional part of his senses.
"Naruto, your Papa's just really busy these days," Kushina explained, hugging her son to her chest. "Just give him time. His workload will lessen, you'll see."
Naruto understood and knew his mother did not lie. He really liked Kushina, but her scary side whenever she got angry always made him think twice before approaching her.
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"Thank you for letting me be your Mom… Thank you for letting Minato be your Dad… Thank you for being born to us! Thank you… so very much."
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"I love you, Mama," Naruto told her sincerely, his beam just as bright as sunshine.
Kushina blushed, then coddled her son, chuckling. "Aw, I love you, too, kiddo!"
• • •
"Mom's birthday?!" four-year-old Naruto exclaimed in wonder. He was already jumping in place out of excitement, his grin threatening to reach his ears.
Minato gave a nod, his smile appearing to be more perceptible in the light. At his age, Naruto was already beginning to talk more, even constantly. Naruto and Kushina could talk about anything, even nonsensical things, while he would only fondly listen at the sidelines and interject something here and there.
"Yes. Would you like to do something special for her?"
Naruto nodded fervently. "I wanna give her something! Like, uh…" His face scrunched up in thought. "What does Mom like?"
Minato pretended to look thoughtful. "Hmm…"
"Ah! I got it!" Naruto turned to his father with the exact same silly grin he inherited from his mother. "Mom's hair is really pretty, so I'll give her a flower wreath to decorate it with! Then she'll become the prettiest mom in the village!" He then laughed a little nervously, rubbing the back of his head in an unconscious manner. "Eh, not that Mom isn't… I mean… Uh…" he stuttered feebly.
Minato placed a warm hand on his son's shoulder, effectively stopping the latter's unsure rambling.
"I understand, Naruto." Minato's smile was unwaveringly gentle. "I am sure your mother will love it."
Naruto smiled at him. "Thanks, Dad..."
Minato let go of his son's hair, still wearing that perpetual gentle smile. "Now let's go get those flowers for your mother," he urged, offering his hand.
Naruto happily took it and began to walk towards the flower shop with his father, chattering cheerfully.
"Hey, Dad! I think it'll be better if we get her roses!"
• • •
"They're late," Kushina muttered darkly, glaring at the three-tier birthday cake she made for herself on the dining table, "and on my special day, no less."
A low growl escaped her lips. She had been in a bad mood ever since she spilled their last reserves of flour due to accidentally slipping on the floor. Not only that; there was also the case of a stray dog — she still had a sneaking suspicion that it belonged to the Inuzukas, particularly Tsume. That woman was ever the town mischief, after all. Second to her, of course, because Kushina was the one who excelled at playing pranks — stomping all over her small flower bushes and scattering petals all over her once-tidy lawn. Heck, it could even have been Inuzuka Tsume's own twisted, wild idea of a birthday gift.
Kushina's face was as red as her hair by the end of the day.
Wanting to de-stress, she baked herself a cake, using the recipe which she asked from Mikoto months ago for the intent of making it for Minato's birthday. She had worked on it for almost two hours, and because of the feel of leisure and being her own persona in the kitchen, she felt her frayed nerves scrape away.
However, when she glanced at the time, she realized that the two males whom she cared about the most in her life were late. Minato had wanted to take Naruto out along with him to have some father-and-son time, something that Naruto was deprived of since Minato was swamped with his Hokage duties. It was a rare time for them to be together, so Kushina relented without even an internal complaint, even though it was her special day.
But they had promised to be back before ten! And there were very little shops open this late at night! Kushina's mind opened up and went towards the road of paranoia, envisioning unthinkable things that possibly happened to her family.
'No,' she forcibly reassured herself. 'Minato is strong. I trust him to take care of Naruto, and himself as well.'
It was no secret that her husband had a lot of enemies. Being Konoha's legendary Yellow Flash, he was even in the Bingo Book. Also, Kushina had been kidnapped once because of her special chakra. If her precious, innocent son ever got in the hands of an enemy because of his special parentage, she swore she would resort to gruesome murder once she found out who the perpetrators were.
Seconds swept past, minutes flew by, until it was now nearly midnight. Kushina was almost out of her mind with worry. After thinking it over carefully, she ran towards the front door, grabbing her coat on the way. She would never forgive herself if she ever let anything happen to them just because she was cozy at home while the two most important men in her life were possibly in danger.
Kushina was almost out the door when the front door abruptly opened, revealing her apologetic-looking husband and son. Greeted with the sight, Kushina unconsciously gripped her hold on her haphazardly-worn coat, although relief now warmed the earlier coldness of her skin. After the shock wore off, she schooled her features into that of a furious expression, a dangerous aura surrounding her.
"...And just WHERE have you two been?" she demanded, fighting to keep her voice under control.
She saw Minato and Naruto flinch from her tone and she smirked inwardly. It was sometimes nice to know that she had her own authority in the household.
"...Er, we..." Minato tried to explain, but he was obviously uneasy at his wife's rage. "I'm sorry, Kushina."
"Sorry, Mom," Naruto apologized as well, hanging his head low. He had always been afraid of his mother, so the words he wanted to say were lost in his throat.
Kushina stared, feeling the anger inside her melt and fade away. How could she ever resist those identical endearing eyes? "Well, as long as you two are safe," she relented, letting them both come inside. "What made you come back so late, anyway?"
Minato stepped inside, but Naruto didn't move from his position. Kushina blinked in confusion at her son, moving towards him.
"Naruto? It's okay, sweetheart," she crooned. "Mom isn't angry anymore. Won't you come in? It's cold out."
Naruto stood silent for a moment before lifting his head, his eyes slightly watery but there was something new in there now.
It was almost as if he was trying to be hopeful about something.
"Mom," he said, taking a step towards her and revealing a single flower from the inside pocket of his jacket, "happy birthday."
Kushina stared in shock.
The flower was not plain by any means. It was actually a rose, its petals a vibrant shade of red. The petals were spread out as much as possible, revealing multiple layers arranged in its usual fashion. However, there was something different about it that made it different from a normal rose.
It was the faint, visible golden aura surrounding it, enveloping it like a crowning halo. Even from this distance, Kushina could feel her residual anxiety slowly evanesce, and a soothing kind of calmness was gradually seeping into her body.
"We had to go outside Konoha's borders for a bit," Minato explained, then doing it a little hastily at Kushina's immediate forceful glare. "There's an abandoned safehouse near the fields there where my team and I sometimes stayed at to rest for a while before going back to Konoha. I had placed one of my markings there, so I used that to transport me and Naruto."
Kushina frowned, her glare not faltering in the slightest. "And... what happened?" she said icily.
Minato gulped. "Nothing happened! Really. But it turned out that all of the flowers in the field were in bloom, so that meant there were thousands of identical-looking roses with various colours and sizes. Naruto and I had a heck of a time searching for the Calming Rose amongst all those roses."
"The Calming Rose?" inquired Kushina. What a cheesy name, she thought absently.
"Aunt Mikoto said that the Calming Rose is a unique flower that can help fade away the things that make someone sad, and that it only bloomed every once in a year there," Naruto spoke up almost tentatively. "I... just wanted to give you something that would make you happy. I'm sorry, Mom..."
Kushina stared at her son for a long moment before scooping him up in her arms, snuggling him to her chest. "I'm happy, Naruto! I'm very happy," she assured him with a teary expression. "Now don't look so sad like that! You're my big, strong, energetic boy!"
Naruto perked up at that, looking at his mother almost shyly. "I also think the flower is as beautiful as your hair, Mom!"
Minato smiled, staying at the sidelines as he watched his wife blushing at their son's remark, thus ensuing a playful banter between the two.
Naruto turned to his father enthusiastically. "Dad also has something to give you!"
Kushina blinked. "Your father does?" She glanced at Minato, who suddenly looked pink and embarrassed.
"Uh… Here. Happy birthday, Kushina." He took out something from the inside pockets of his coat and placed it over his wife's head, gently tucking a few stray strands behind her ear.
Kushina, blushing and clearly unsettled, fidgeted in place. "Wh—What is it?!"
Naruto had run off towards the living room and now came back with a hand mirror in tow. He placed the mirror in front of her face.
Kushina stared. Her reflection showed her usual appearance, aside from the distinct flower wreath she now wore. The wreath consisted of small, dainty white roses, arranged in such a way that it complemented her hair and brought out her naturally fair complexion.
"You look beautiful," Minato said easily, his smile warming her heart.
Kushina fought to keep the blush off her cheeks. She was now a grown woman, dattebane, and she had a son! But there was just something about that genuine, honest personality of Minato that was extremely charming. It was no wonder that he had been the most sought-after bachelor back in the days, especially when word of his amazing feats in battle spread around the village, creating dozens of rabid fangirls.
"Th—Thank you," she stammered, going over to her husband and hugging him tightly. "Come here, too, Naruto!"
Naruto happily joined in.
Minato sneaked a surprised glance at the abandoned three-tier cake on the dining table and smiled pleasantly.
'Honestly... she's so cute.'
• • •
This was it. The moment when he could finally get out of the house after a long time. He had been feeling antsy for a while, and was eager to go outside and explore. Kushina had been hesitant at first for a reason which he did not know, but she eventually relented when Minato managed to convince her that everything would be all right. Not that their conversation mattered much to Naruto, anyway. He was glad to be outside, to embrace the fresh air in the surroundings.
"Minato," Kushina said as they stopped to sit on a bench and admire the clear blue sky and the peaceful surroundings, "maybe we should go visit Mikoto later with Naruto."
"Good idea." Minato smiled, ruffling his son's hair. "Naruto can finally get the chance to meet Sasuke, then."
Naruto looked up at his father inquisitively. "Who's Sasuke?"
"Sasuke is the youngest son of your Aunt Mikoto," Kushina told him. "You've never met him because he's always out with his brother. I'm sure you two will get along. You're about the same age, after all."
Naruto grinned, then pulled his parents towards a nearby candy shop after exclaiming that he wanted a snack. They were about to go inside when suddenly they were crowded with people, all of them apparently either former classmates or teammates. Since the couple were rarely seen together in public, it was the additional cause of excitement from their peers.
"A reunion?!" Kushina exclaimed, unconsciously letting go of her son's hand as an acquaintance slipped beside her.
"…Now?" Minato said slowly, feeling uncertain. "Can't it wait…?"
Meanwhile, Naruto was distracted by the sight of an injured dog limping towards the forest. He pulled out some bandages from his pocket, something that Minato encouraged him to always carry just in case, and impulsively ran after the animal without a word to his parents, too focused on his goal.
• • •
Suddenly, he was lost in the forest. Where had his father and mother gone? Which way did he go in? And where was that poor dog?
Then a sharp, familiar pang of loneliness ached at his heart. It was too, too familiar to simply wave away.
It was as if — he never actually had any parents to begin with.
But that was impossible, right? His father and mother had been right there. He had been able to touch them. He had been with them for five years now.
There was just no way that he was alone.
Did he forget again? He was doing it too much recently. And there were these puzzling images inside his head…
Suddenly, he heard the sound of muffled cries.
Naruto's head jerked towards the source of the sound and followed the direction, desperate to find anyone. Anyone at all.
"Hello?" he called out first tentatively. Then, when no one responded, he said it again in a louder voice.
It was then that he found her.
A young girl was crying not too far away from him, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed.
"Um… hello…" Naruto spoke up, sounding unsure.
The girl's head slowly rose, her gaze on him surprised.
She was pretty, something that Naruto noted first oddly. With her unique light-pink hair and shining green eyes, she looked more like a dainty doll.
"Who… Who are you?" she sniffed, looking just slightly wary. Her mother had told her to not talk to strangers, after all.
Even her voice sounds pretty, Naruto thought unconsciously. "I'm Namikaze Naruto," he introduced himself softly, not wanting to scare the girl away. Already, he felt a sort of connection to her, and he didn't know why.
Something in the deepest recesses of his mind was tugging at him, but he just couldn't figure out what.
What was this feeling?
"Oh…" The girl wiped away her tears and looked at him almost shyly. "I'm Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you."
Funny, it was almost like… nostalgia.
"Why're you crying?" he asked.
She blinked at his question, then didn't know if she should appear strong or break into tears once more.
"I… They told me my forehead was so big… that I looked like an a—alien…"
Naruto frowned. "You don't look like an alien."
Sakura stared at him, surprised. "R—Really?"
Naruto nodded, grinning brightly. "You look more like an angel!"
She blushed, gazing at the ground in embarrassment. She didn't know this boy, but she was already warming up to him. There was just something about his honesty and smile… that made her like the idea of being friends with him.
Naruto was about to say something when he heard a sound.
"Is someone out here?" a voice called out.
Naruto and Sakura froze in surprise.
Not long after, the wild bushes rustled and opened to reveal a young boy about their age with short dark hair and equally dark eyes. His complexion was fair and smooth, giving him a sort of otherworldly beauty.
Or, (cough) at least, in Sakura's eyes.
While the little girl was — oddly — blushing, Naruto took the initiative to introduce himself.
"I'm Namikaze Naruto!" he greeted with a smile. "Are you… lost, too?"
The boy regarded them with a curious look, tilting his head in a sort-of cute, impish way. "Me? Nope. I know this forest well. Nii-san and I always train here."
"You… want to be a ninja…?" Sakura asked shyly.
The boy gave the smallest of smiles. "Yup! I wanna be as strong as Nii-san someday!" He stared at them, frowning slightly. "How did you end up in this forest?"
"I was chasing a dog that looked injured," Naruto replied.
"…I ran in this direction without thinking, and I can't find my way back," Sakura said, hanging her head in shame.
"No problem, then. I'll lead you two out. Come on." Without further ado, he stretched out his hand as if in invitation. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke."
Naruto took Sasuke's outstretched hand without a second thought, though he was wondering why his name sounded familiar. Sakura, on the other hand, took the free one at Sasuke's side, albeit shyly.
"Um… I'm Haruno Sakura," she finally introduced herself.
A cute sight eventually greeted a frantic Minato (who was about to use Hiraishin because he had made sure to make a mark on Naruto's seal) and Kushina (who was about to flail her arms in the air in panic) when the three children appeared by the park from the forest.
Their son Naruto was holding the young, overly familiar dark-haired boy's left hand while a pretty pink-haired girl was holding the boy's right hand.
It was like fate.
• • •
There was a small festival in Konoha during the night.
Naruto was walking happily with his parents, blabbering excitedly about anything he could see, Sakura was quietly enjoying the sights with her mother and father, Sasuke was talking contentedly with Mikoto and Itachi, and Kakashi was with Gai, the latter rambling on about a duel on who could eat more yakitori.
The street had four-way crossroads. So, when the three of them reached the intersection, which was at the center of four roads, they were met with the startled faces of one another.
It was then at this second meeting that it happened.
Naruto stared at Sasuke, who in turn stared at him in equal surprise.
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An older-looking Naruto pointed at the dark-haired boy. "I don't wanna be in the same team as him!"
An older-looking Sasuke gave a small, irritated grunt. "Same here, moron."
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Sasuke's mind reeled.
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"I'm leaving. Don't follow me."
"I'll bring you back to the village with my own hands!"
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Sakura's eyes shined with tears.
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"Sasuke-kun! Don't go!" an older-looking Sakura pleaded, desperate tears leaking out of her eyes. "If you do, I'll scream!"
An older-looking Sasuke slowly turned around and gave her a semblance of a smirk. "You really are… annoying."
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Kakashi stopped suddenly, confusing Gai who was beside him.
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An older Kakashi looked at his three new students. "Each of you will get a bell. The one who doesn't gets sent back to the Academy."
"But there are only two bells!"
"Well, that's for you three to decide, hmm?"
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"What… how…" Naruto managed to say, his voice dropping to a low, thoughtful tone.
"Huh?" Sakura blinked at the memory, inadvertently glancing at Sasuke.
The latter, on his part, was confused. "A waterfall… Black marks…" he muttered.
Kakashi, on the other hand, looked a bit unfazed compared to the other three. "Hmm… I wonder what that was about…" he murmured.
"What's wrong, Kakashi?" Gai questioned, looking puzzled. "Why have you stopped walking?"
"Sasuke?" Itachi inquired.
Mebuki shook her daughter. "Sakura, what's the matter? The line for the candy floss stall is getting bigger."
"Naruto?" Minato placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You all right, son?"
Naruto looked at Sakura. Sakura looked at Sasuke. Sasuke looked at Naruto. Then their gazes switched over to the other.
Kakashi, on the other hand, observed the three children in his sight. One was his sensei's son, one was the youngest son of the Uchiha Clan Head, while one was an ordinary girl from a normal shinobi family.
When he tried to remember the memory again, it became all fuzzy in his head.
His confusion disappeared, and he returned to normal.
'How interesting…'
Meanwhile, the three children stared at each other.
It was Naruto who made the first move. Without a word, he walked towards Sasuke, extending a hand towards him.
The latter looked at the proffered hand in surprise.
"Mikoto?" Kushina said, only now realizing her close friend's presence.
"Kushina?" Mikoto, however, had a pleasantly surprised smile on her face, unlike Kushina's wide-eyed look.
It was then that Sasuke hesitantly took Naruto's hand, the latter grinning at the former's acceptance. Then, realizing that there was something missing, Naruto turned to Sakura, who inched away a little at the attention. Without further ado, Naruto went towards her and held out a hand.
Sakura stared at it for a moment, hesitating. She looked up and saw Naruto's sparkling blue eyes, seemingly beckoning to her. Sasuke's dark, fathomless ones were piercing through her own.
She gently gripped Naruto's hand.
"Looks like they've become close," Minato remarked, smiling.
"Oh, Hokage-sama!" Mebuki exclaimed, giving a respectful bow. Kizashi mirrored her actions simultaneously. "A pleasant evening to you and your wife."
"Thanks, dattebane~!" Kushina said cheerily, but realized too late her overly casual greeting as well as her habit. "Er…"
"I wish you a pleasant evening as well," Minato covered up his wife's stuttering smoothly. "Although it looks like our children wants to play together."
"I say we let them, Hokage-sama." Kizashi laughed. "It's my first time seein' my baby girl bein' so friendly to others! She's usually so shy!"
"Sasuke, we'll be at the game booths," Mikoto told her son. Then she turned to her eldest, concern in her eyes. "Itachi-kun..."
Itachi gave a small, reassuring smile. "Sasuke can take care of himself, Mother. Let's go. I'll help you win prizes." He sent a quick glance at his brother. "It looks like Sasuke wants to spend time with friends."
"Naruto!" Kushina called out before she left. "We'll be at the ice cream stall waiting for you in two hours, 'kay? We can go to the bridge later!"
"Yeah, Mom!"
Kakashi gave a secret smile and went on his way with a confused Gai following from behind.
"Oi, Kakashi," Gai said, perplexed. "Wasn't that your sensei's son?"
"Yeah" was Kakashi's short reply. Gai followed him as he walked away with his hands inside his pockets.
"By the way," Gai began, gaining back the enthusiasm in his voice. "I met this gifted young lad…"
The three children began to wander aimlessly in the festival grounds, absently watching the colourful lights strewn all over the place as well as the flashy kiosks. They didn't know why or how, but they felt a connection with each other. Even though they all first met days ago, this time, it felt different. Memories were trying to resurface, but something was blocking them.
Even their personalities were beginning to evolve into something unusual...
"So, where do you two wanna go?" Naruto asked, resting his arms behind his head, letting them serve as a makeshift cushion.
Sakura stayed silent. Sasuke, on the other hand, was curiously staring at a nearby target game.
"Why don't we play that?" he suggested, pointing towards the booth.
Naruto excitedly agreed and got out a few ryō from his pocket, paying the man attending to the booth. The man gave him a small, round stone, informing him that he had only one try to shoot at the moving duck target right at the bull's-eye.
"Hah! This'll be a piece of cake!" Naruto said confidently, aiming his arm. Sasuke paid the man, too, getting a stone of his own.
Naruto steadied his arm, focused on the duck, then threw the stone with all his might.
It missed by half an inch.
"Eep," he squeaked, embarrassed. "…This is a lot harder than I thought…" He gave a nervous chuckle.
Sasuke quietly pulled back his arm, steadying himself into an adult-like posture which he had always seen on Itachi, and threw his stone.
The stone cleanly sailed through the bull's-eye, the duck target falling to the ground from the impact.
Naruto gaped in shock. Sakura had mini hearts in her eyes.
"Y—You're so cool, Sasuke-kun," she said shyly.
Sasuke turned towards her nonchalantly. "Do you wanna try?"
Sakura's face turned red. "N—No! I—I'm not very good at throwing…"
"C'mon, Sakura-chan!" Naruto encouraged with a bright smile, placing his stone which he had just bought on the counter. "I'm sure you'll get it on the first try, just like Sasuke did!" Then he glared at Sasuke. "Don't get so cocky that you got a prize!"
Sasuke sent him a dull look. "That never even crossed my mind," he deadpanned.
"But…" She stared at Naruto's comforting eyes and gulped. She was afraid of expectations, but if it would make her friend happy...
They were friends now... right? Even though this was only their second time meeting...
The owner of the stall gave her a stone after she meekly paid him. She stepped up to the counter, swallowing as she tried to focus on the moving duck in front of her. In her eyes, it seemed to be moving too fast, too sporadically. Her throwing arm quivered as she felt the anxiety seeping up her throat.
"Go, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheered.
Sakura shut her eyes as she finally decided, preparing to hurl the stone. It didn't matter if she messed up; she just had to throw it or she'd explode.
When her grip slackened, Sakura opened her eyes.
Her jaw dropped open.
Naruto, who had been watching intently beside her, gasped in amazement.
"Wow! You did it, Sakura-chan!" he whooped. "It was too fast for me to see, but you did it! I knew you could do it!" He turned to her and raised his arm. "High five!"
Sakura gave a happy smile and met his palm with her own.
"Congratulations!" the man said. "You and the dark-haired boy get a prize!"
Unbeknownst to Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke moved from his place behind Sakura's back and inconspicuously stepped to her side. The owner gave him a knowing smile which he promptly ignored.
It wasn't like he was trying to keep it a secret, anyway. It wasn't his fault that Naruto had been too engrossed in staring at the target while Sakura had her eyes closed.
Sakura's eyes were sparkling as she pointed at a small, blue-coloured teddy bear hanging by the roof of the booth. "That one, please!"
The man gave it to her and asked Sasuke what he wanted.
"I'll take those, please." Sasuke pointed at a pair of gloves by the counter.
"Oh, these?" the man said. "These are for easier practice with the sword. Do you use one already, young man?"
Sasuke shook his head, his expression softening. "No. They're for my brother. He's already training to become an ANBU."
When they left the booth, Sakura holding her stuffed toy to her chest and Sasuke placing the gloves inside his pocket, Naruto proposed that they go to Ichiraku and eat ramen. Sasuke and Sakura, feeling a bit hungry, agreed.
"One miso ramen, please, uncle! With extra pork!" Naruto announced, eagerly sitting on one of the stools.
Sasuke took his place at Naruto's left while Sakura took Naruto's right, placing her toy on her lap.
"I'll have one miso ramen, too," said Sasuke.
Sakura lowered her head slightly. "Um… I'll have the same, please."
Teuchi called out something in confirmation as he worked on their orders. Sasuke slipped his hand inside his pocket, searching for his money. His fist came out empty.
Sasuke's mind spun. What had happened to his money? Had he been pickpocketed?
A flashback sprang inside his head, reminding him that his mother had not given him his allowance for the festival yet. She said she'd give it to him after they ate together so he could have some fun.
The money he used for the target shooting game was the remains from his previous allowance.
Sasuke went rigid. So that meant that he didn't have any extra right now. Borrowing from Naruto or Sakura was very embarrassing, but he had to, or else he'd be kicked out from the restaurant. And that would be more humiliating.
Swallowing his pride, he turned to Naruto. "H—Hey," he stuttered, his face going pink. An Uchiha did not stutter! "Uh… Do you have an extra 20 ryō?"
Naruto, in the midst of his hunger, did not fully process Sasuke's question. He was too busy drooling over the smell of noodles cooking. "20 ryō…? No… I've only got 5 left… Ask Sakura-chan."
Sakura, who overheard, faced Sasuke, blushing. "U—Um… I have extra," she said hesitantly. "If you don't have enough, I'll pay for you."
Sasuke turned his head away, embarrassed. "Y—Yeah… thanks a lot. I owe you one."
Three miso ramen bowls were then placed in front of them, prompting the children to stare at their food in awe. Naruto dug in first, filling his mouth with noodles. Sasuke and Sakura went next, chanting "Itadakimasu" before eating.
"Ramen here is the best!" Naruto exclaimed.
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Meanwhile…
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"I am positively sure that I did not raise him to eat so sloppily like that!" Kushina complained in a whisper.
Minato chuckled nervously. "I'm sure he's just hungry… By the way, Kushina… why are we hiding behind a post and spying on our son?"
"Shush, Minato!" Kushina admonished her husband, sending him a death glare. "You'll get us caught!"
Minato stared at the passers-by who gave them strange looks. Then, at the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi and Gai walking past them, the former waving at them as if this were a normal occurrence while the latter kept on ranting about something.
"…We aren't even inconspicuous in the first place," Minato muttered, a sweatdrop forming at his temple.
• • •
"Well, I gotta go!" Naruto said, grinning as he rested the back of his head against his arms. "I gotta go meet Mom and Dad by the bridge where the fireflies are!"
Sakura looked befuddled. "But I thought they said to meet up at the ice cream stall first…?"
Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah! That's just what I said!"
Sasuke sighed. "Yeah, sure…"
"Well, I'm off! See ya, guys!" He waved as he walked away. "I had fun!"
"Bye, Naruto…" Sakura waved back.
"Well, I'm going, too." Sasuke placed his hands inside his pockets. "See you, Sakura."
"Bye, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's voice trailed off as she stared at his retreating back.
I'm left alone… Sakura shook her head, willing the sudden, unexpected lonely thoughts to go away. I'm gonna find Mom and Dad, too!
The three of them went their separate ways.
tbc
• • •
• •
•
OMAKE/EXTRA
"Uh, Itachi-kun…" Mikoto said uncertainly, glancing at the horrified man attending the booth. "I think you should stop now…"
Itachi turned to her, confused. "Mother?" he inquired cluelessly.
The booth was a shooting game, though it was different from what the children were playing earlier. In this shooting game, there were tiny, tiny figurines placed on four shelves, and if you managed to make one fall off using an equally tiny stone, you'd get an amazing prize. Secretly, though, the game was rigged. The figurines were actually super-glued to the floor of the shelves.
So, unfortunately, for the man behind the booth, Itachi had managed to shoot down almost every single one, the latter already casually attempting on the last figurine as if it were his shuriken practice.
The man shot one last glance at his expensive prizes, then dropped to the ground in a dead faint.
Itachi stared at him, then at his mother. "…Did I do something wrong?"