The list

Don't be a picky eater

Always eat everything on your plate, that includes your vegetables

Take a bath every day, I don't want a smelly baby

Don't stay up to late

Make friends, not a lot, but a few really good ones

Keep up in school, get the best grades you can

Don't get yourself down when you mess up

Don't mouth off to your teachers

Don't borrow money

Save whatever money you can, you never know when you'll need it

Do not drink until you are of age

Find a goal, one that you really love, and work towards it forever

As for girls, don't pick a weird one, and find one that is like me

Just be a happy boy, and never forget that I love you more than anything

Kushina made a list when she was pregnant of all the things she wanted for her baby in his life. She tore the page out of her journal and taped it to the front page of Naruto's baby album, never failing to bring it out and show him what was expected of him when he was slacking.

For the most part, though, she was flexible, he sure wasn't a picky eater, but she could never get him to finish his vegetables. He didn't take a shower everyday and his hair never laid flat, but he stayed clean. He stayed up far too late most of the time and was friends with everyone, and his grades weren't the best. But she could see him trying, and he was happy, and that is what really mattered.

But the one thing she would not compromise on was girls. She knew what kind of girl would make her little boy happy and she would not settle for anything less.

So when Naruto brought home his first girlfriend, Hinata, she was not happy. She seemed like a nice enough girl sure, but she was weird. She never talked and when she did she had this terrible stutter. Worst of all, she was nothing like Kushina. Kushina knew that the girl would never be able to stand up for herself or give Naruto the harsh love that he needed.

She made it no secret that she was pleased when her son finally broke up with the girl.

Naruto's second girlfriend, though, Kushina liked a lot more. Sakura was fiery, not afraid to speak her mind. She knew how to keep Naruto in line. Plus, Kushina could totally respect the pink hair. Kushina knew that her son had had a crush on the girl forever and was pleased that he finally got her.

But even then she wasn't devastated when the two decided that they were better off as friends.

One day, Naruto's senior year of high school, Kushina called a family meeting after another day of Naruto being unusually quiet and running off after only finishing one bowl of ramen, she knew something was wrong. So she confronted him about it.

"Well, um, you see…" he started. Kushina stared him down until he continued. "I'm sort of, dating someone, ya know?"

Kushina sat up straighter; he had never had a problem talking about his girlfriends before.

"Well what's the problem? Who is she? Oh no, it is not that Hinata girl again is it because?"

Naruto sat up straighter, "No! No no no. That's that thing it's um," he rubbed the back of his neck, "It's kinda Sasuke." He finished quietly, before looking back and forth between his parents.

Minato smiled kindly at him, "Well I honestly can't say I'm surprised. I've suspected something like this would happen for years now actually. And the fact that he has barely been over the last couple of weeks when he usually practically lives here has hinted at it too."

Naruto looked incredibly pleased, before looking hesitantly at his mother, "Mom?"

"Well I'm definitely surprised. Are you sure that Sasuke is right for you?"

Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously, "Yes, mother. I happen to love Sasuke, so you'll just have accept that." With that he stood up and stomped off to the stairs and up to his room.

Minato looked at Kushina and shook his head, giving her that disappointed look that he rarely used but was poignant nonetheless before getting up and going to the kitchen to finish the dishes he had been in the middle of.

Kushina stay sitting in the living room, stubbornly refusing to admit that she had been tactless and unsupportive.

The next day, Naruto brought Sasuke over. Though they were dating now, the only thing that was truly different was Kushina. Usually when Sasuke came over she would hug both of them and immediately offer to get them something to drink or eat. This time, she hugged Naruto, asked how his day was, asked if he wanted anything, purposely ignoring Sasuke except to glare at him. Naruto, not wanting to cause trouble, said that they were fine and then pulled Sasuke out of the hallway and towards his room.

This trend continued, whenever Sasuke came over she'd either ignore him, glare, or sometimes even through in a mean little comment. It was like Hinata but way worse, and though Kushina refused to admit it to herself it was because she could tell Naruto was actually serious about this relationship.

Eventually it got that Naruto couldn't stand it anymore, so he confronted her about it.

"Mommy, we need to talk."

"About what darling?" She asked, purposely playing innocent. She knew she was being unjustly rude, but she couldn't help it and sure as hell wasn't going to admit it.

"You know what. You are being terrible to Sasuke and I want to know why!"

"I just don't like him with you, that's all."

"Why? I thought you liked him?"

"I do like him! He is a sweet boy. I just don't think you and him make a good couple is all."

Naruto curled up into himself to his next question, afraid of her answer, his voice getting small as well, "It's not... it's not because we're both boys is it?"

Kushina had punched him on the head in her custom fashion before he even had to take a breath after finishing the sentence, "Of course not, ya know! I don't care about that at all! It's just,"

Naruto straighten out, rubbing his head lightly were a small knob was forming, but understanding finally dawning on him, "It's that list isn't it?"

"Of course it's the list, ya know?" She said.

"Well, how does he not fit? Do you think he's weird?"

A lot of adjectives immediately popped into her brain when she thought of Sasuke, especially lately, but weird was not one of them, "No, he's not. But he's nothing like me at all! You need a girl- or boy, it doesn't matter, who's like me to take care of you right."

"Ah, mommy. Sasuke's plenty like you, ya know! Sure he may not be loud and crazy," he got another punch on the head from that, "but really, he's a lot like you."

Kushina pouted a little, crossing her arms immaturely, "Yeah, like how?"

"Him and his family are coming over for dinner tomorrow, why don't you just keep your trap shut for once and watch and figure it out for yourself." He dodged backwards, narrowly missing another blow before running down the hallway with a laugh. Kushina was left standing there, wondering if maybe she truly was missing something big.

So the next night at dinner, she did not greet Sasuke with the glare he had become accustomed too. She kept quiet most of the night, talking lightly with Minato and Makoto, but always observing Sasuke and Naruto, who were, like always, sitting side by side.

They were completely involved in one another, barely acknowledging anyone else unless directly addressed. But that wasn't unusual, they had always been like that, consumed in each other. She thought it was sweet, but she had never thought they were bad as friends, she just didn't think this meant they would be good together in other ways. And she completely failed to see how Sasuke was at all like her.

But then, something happened. It wasn't something that seemed big or significant, but it struck something in Kushina. When Sasuke had his head turned, saying something to Itachi, Naruto attempted to scoot some of his broccoli onto Sasuke's plate. Sasuke caught him just on time, knocked him on the hand and gently scolded him with a light smile on his face. Kushina couldn't, over everyone else, hear exactly what was said between them, but somehow Sasuke said something that made Naruto do something that usually took Kushina standing over her son and glaring him down to do. He picked up his abandoned fork, for he had finished the rest of his food long before anyone else, stabbed one of the broccoli's on his plate, and, albeit grumpily, stuffed it into his mouth. He continued this, with minimal complaining, until all the broccoli was gone. Kushina stared, unabashedly shocked at the happenings.

After that, Kushina made it a point of observing the way the two interacted. One time the two of them were studying in the living room and Naruto gave a big sigh and tried to convince Sasuke to stop and watch a movie or play a video game "or sooomethinggg pleaseeee, S'uke". Sasuke wasn't fazed though, he just smiled and told Naruto to get back to work, they had a big test the next day after all.

"But I don't understand any of this at all, I'm gonna fail whether we play a game or not, ya know."

"Hn, idiot. I'll help you if you need it so bad."

And while Naruto grumbled some words Kushina sure did not teach him (purposely at least) he agreed to try at least. It was around an hour later that Kushina heard a cheer from the other room and decided to go check back on the boys. What she saw was her son smothering his boyfriend in a hug thanking him, "I would never have understood this if it wasn't for you."

The day after that Naruto came home proudly announcing that he got an A on Iruka-sensei's test, and Kushina couldn't help but smile proudly.

And it when one for the next couple of weeks, Kushina purposely not greeting either her son or his boyfriend, not saying anything mean or glaring or anything, but always secretly watching. Of course, not in a creepy way she told herself. Just being a good mother and listening to her son's advice.

She saw the little moments, Sasuke trying to pat down Naruto's hair before they went out, wiping a smudge of dirt off his face, smiling softly and listening when Naruto went off on his long rants and stories, calming him down when he got too loud. And it slowly added up, she understood what Naruto meant.

Sasuke may not be loud like her, he may not super out there and carefree, but they were alike in the way that truly mattered. The both cared about Naruto more than anything else in the world. They both loved him so strongly and completely that they could put up with him through everything. In fact, they both already had. He could be the mother duck (the hair sure did help) to her son when she couldn't. She could trust him to take care of her proudest achievement.

So the next time Naruto brought Sasuke home, Kushina was there to greet them. She gave them both a big hug, smiled fondly at them, asked how their days were, offered to get them something to eat. She never apologized, that wasn't her style, but they all just knew.