Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, dear Ritaaaa, Happy birthday to you! Written especially for you and I really hope you like it. I don't think this is something you expected at all, so I hope that makes it better? I do need to keep surprising you like last year ;)

Enjoy, my love!

...

Holding that little bundle of warmth for the first time is one of the most precious things in the world. Feel him squirm in your arms, little arms trying to reach for something they could never get a hold of, legs wriggling in the little blue sheet they were wrapped in. The few blond hairs on top of his head told Minato this little thing was his, together with the bright blue eyes that sometimes sleepily blinked open. But the temperament screamed Kushina so perfectly. The thing he had always loved so much about his wife. And now they had made this together. This beautiful little thing that would only fit in their arms for a short time. But he would cherish every second of it.

…

With a job as busy as his, Minato wasn't home as much as he wanted to. There were too many moments he missed out on, others asking more and more of his time. Of course Kushina would tell him everything about the little things Naruto did. How Naruto would yawn in the morning when he finally woke up, after Minato had already left for his Hokage duties. Or how there little boy giggled whenever he would pee when his mother would change his diaper, finding it funny when Kushina had to jump out of the way to not get wet.

Minato wanted to witness all these moments too. Spend time with his little boy and see him grow up, instead of being surprised about how big he had gotten again. So the moments he could see Naruto, Minato was there. When Naruto would cry his little lungs out in the middle of the night, Minato would get up and give Naruto whatever he needed. The bottle, a clean diaper, or simply some time with someone. It didn't matter if Minato would be extremely tired at work. It was worth it, his son was worth everything.

…

Those first steps, those literal first steps, Minato was there to witness them. It was a Sunday afternoon, and Minato actually didn't have to work, didn't have to go to the office. Now he could simply spend some time with Kushina and with Naruto. Nothing had been planned. They would stay at home and just see what the day would bring them. Naruto was throwing his toys around, finding it funny when they would bounce off the wall, even if his throw would barely reach it. His giggle that filled the room lit up Minato's face, and this expression was hard to hide from his wife, who did not appreciate Naruto throwing stuff around. They really were good cop, bad cop. But his wife was stricter and had more time to actually raise Naruto, so at times Minato just needed his son to be bad. Do things he wasn't supposed to. Just so Minato could hear that happy laugh.

Their moment of laughter ended with Kushina explaining patiently to Naruto that his toys should be put away in his special toy box. What they both didn't expect was the little boy trying to follow his mother's gesture, instead of trying to crawl towards his mother, push himself to his feet, and shuffle his way towards his box he cherished so much. Both parents were silent as they stared at their son, taking his first steps, determination in his eyes that shone with his mother's power. Minato really loved that little boy.

…

Play dates was something Minato was not very familiar with, because he hadn't had the time to tag along yet. Now Kushina actually forced Minato along, using the excuse that he should spend more time with his son, but reality was that Kushina wanted to talk with her friend rather than keeping an eye out on their son. It was understandable though. Kushina had fully embraced motherhood, but sometimes she needed a break too, and Mikoto was her best friend.

So Minato was left alone in the Uchiha residence, occupying the living room area with two little boys that both tried their best to run around, struggling to reach their joined favourite toy first. A tug and war game occurred when the other dad stepped into the room as well. The room was filled with Naruto's screeches, the little boy angry that the other was trying to take his toy away from him. Sharing was hard, and neither seemed to be willing to do so. Though the little dark haired one was silent as it tugged at the stuffed kunai, focused purely on taking the toy.

One cough of Fugaku made Sasuke release the kunai though, Naruto tumbling backwards in the process. The screeching was traded for crying then, the surprise worse than the actual pain Naruto suffered. But remembering he now possessed the toy he had been fighting over, dried the tears instantly, a happy smile forming on his lips once more. Sasuke chose another toy to play with, finding a puzzle interesting enough. Only a cough was needed to have the boys settle down and play calmly, soft happy noises escaping them. If actual battles could be solved like this, peace would've been upon them fast. Unfortunately grown-ups weren't as simple as children are.

…

This had been a constant battle between Kushina and him, a battle they could not solve as easily, but the moment was finally upon them. They would find out who the winner would be. Both had been pushing the boy for weeks now, trying to get the little squirt to talk. It was about time, and they really just wanted to hear Naruto's first word. And of course both had their very own word they wanted to hear first. It was simple. Kushina wanted to hear mom and Minato wanted to hear dad, or any version that was close enough. Da would be enough if that was what it would take, but Kushina said that would be an actual word.

Minato always thought he would've been prepared for the moment when Naruto finally spoke. That they would be sitting with him and that Naruto would just suddenly point his finger at one of them, and say either mom or dad. But neither were actually sitting with him, Minato working on diner while Kushina was washing another load of clothes.

The soft word still reached their ears though, this mumble coming from that little boy sitting on the floor, playing with his beloved kunai, stolen from Sasuke. Both came running from their respectable places, as parents do when their child starts talking. They looked down at Naruto, cooing him into saying it again, because they hadn't heard properly. What had Naruto actually said? But the blue eyes were not looking back up at his parents, Naruto's gaze sent out the window. Another minute passed by as Kushina and Minato glanced down at their little boy, sadness now streaking their faces, because they had both missed it.

And then the blue eyes lit up, a small hand raised to point out the window. Naruto bounced up and down excitedly, but a smile never reached his lips. Ninja. That was his first word. Because someone was waiting for Minato right outside, needing to deliver an important message. Neither parent had won the battle, but both felt like winners anyway. How could they ever have thought that Naruto's first word would be something as simple as mom or dad?

…

Years passed, far too fast for Minato's liking. Naruto was not an easy kid to handle as he grew older, which was expected since Naruto was so much like his mother. He was stubborn and determined to do whatever he wanted to do, and Minato still tended to be the good cop, allowing far too much. But it was hard work and both parents were tired often, unsure on what to give Naruto to do. So it was great when the boy finally reached the right age to go to the ninja academy. Study what Naruto wanted to study for so long already.

And both Kushina and Minato were there to show the boy off. Greetings came from left and right, granting the boy so much attention just because he was the Hokage's son. They were loving and excited, and Naruto could not stop smiling. A run in with the Uchihas made the smile falter for a second though, Naruto shooting a glare Sasuke's way, just because. They had become friends, but often fought because they wanted similar things in life. They competed over everything, and this would only make it worse. But they were close, and Naruto shared more with Sasuke then the little boy let on. Rivals till the end mixed with a friendship that would last forever.

Naruto was off before Kushina and Minato could even say goodbye and see him off, his rivalry with Sasuke setting him off and making him run towards the entrance of the large red building. No matter how difficult Naruto could be, seeing him off to his first day of school was far harder than that.

…

School was a subject Naruto was indecisive about. On one hand Naruto found school boring, mostly because the classes were hard, and he didn't excel in things as Sasuke did. But on the other hand Naruto loved learning things about the ninja life and then retell everything once he was home, convinced his father was not aware of all these things they taught at school. The conversations would last right through dinner, ignoring any other subject Kushina or Minato would want to talk about. The excited tone Naruto spoke in could light up the whole room, the energy changing as the bubbly voice rose up from those rose lips.

And then it would be homework time, which Naruto never wanted to do, because homework was not fun. It didn't hold any excitement, and was just a chore. Right until Minato would offer to help. The light would be right back in those baby blue eyes, shining up at his father in delight, because spending time with dad was one of the best things in the world. And Minato couldn't agree more.

…

Dealing with a stubborn son was quite difficult, doing it completely alone was even harder. Kushina wanted to do missions again as well, and Minato understood very well why she wanted to. So he found the perfect mission for her and sent her off for a week. It would do her good to be around other people. But this did mean Naruto would be more in Minato's care and he, as the Hokage, didn't always have that much time or patience to take care of his son. Now he didn't have any other choice though, and during Naruto's hours off, the boy would actually come with Minato to work and mess around in the Hokage building.

Many things had been broken so far and the other ninjas around had been driven crazy by the excited blond brat. And Naruto would never back down, no matter how badly they scolded him for ruining another important scroll. Eventually Minato was forced to keep Naruto with him inside the main office, and there the little boy came to rest, watching his father do his work properly. Assign missions and work his way through messages from other villages with sighs rolling from his lips. The day got much better then, but the end must've been the brightest moment, giving Minato a proud moment he wanted to share with the world.

Naruto wanted to become Hokage, just like his dad.

…

Before Minato really realised what was happening, he was suddenly staring down at Naruto's graduation form, it only needing his approval and then his son would officially be a Genin. His grades had been… less than average, but Minato recognised his strength, and obviously had faith in his son. But he had to look at Naruto like a student now, not see him as his son. Iruka had explained his doubts quite well, and Minato understood the teacher's point of view. Perhaps Naruto wasn't ready yet and should do the last year one more time, to prepare better. Though Naruto would be angry, and his rival would get away from him further and further. Sasuke was just a better student.

A few hours later it was time to give the papers back to Iruka, and have the teacher announce who would continue as a Genin and who would redo the year, while also mentioning the sensei they would be assigned to. It was hard to give off the papers, and the question in Iruka's eyes didn't go by ignored, but Minato simply smiled his smile and then walked off, only to linger right outside the classroom window.

The scream that erupted from the room was enough to make Minato's smile grow wider than it ever had been. Maybe he had made the wrong decision. Maybe he hadn't looked at this from the Hokage's point of view. Maybe this would all end up badly. But right now Naruto was the happiest kid he had ever seen.

…

Assigning missions got a lot harder now that Naruto was a Genin. Kakashi surely was doing a good job as the sensei of his students, and the squad seemed to be able to work well together. They had endured many missions so far and were on a roll when it came to finishing them. Too bad Naruto expected his father to give him the best missions. Put him ahead of everyone, just because Naruto was his son.

Many fights had occurred between them, solely about this. Minato could not give his son the best missions, because this team was not ready for it at all, and that was not how this worked. Naruto didn't think this was fair. Puberty had also kicked in, making Naruto even more stubborn, trying to find his parents' limits, stretch the rules as far as he could. Naruto would yell at him right in front of his subordinates, in front of strangers, and in the privacy of their home. Minato was tired, really tired, and Kushina was mostly yelling back, not enjoying this lack of respect their son now had for them. Minato could only hope that this phase would pass, and that puberty would be done with Naruto's hormones really soon.

…

They had grown apart. Naruto's squad had taken up mission after mission, gone from home more and more, just so they would become stronger. Which was good, really good. It gave Naruto the space to blow off steam, train as much as he liked, and spent time with his friends. When Naruto was not out on a mission, Minato still didn't see much of him. Minato may have many Hokage duties, but it was Naruto that would be gone all the time, training with Sasuke when he wanted, training with Kiba when he wanted. Hanging out with your parents was just not a priority when there were more fun things to do.

So it came as a surprise when Naruto did reach out to Minato, asking for a favour. Kakashi had made them apply to the Chūnin exams, and for this Naruto had been trying for weeks now. The squad had passed through the first two tests with flying colours, and were now ready to move on to the last round. Training with his friends was not enough anymore, and now Naruto was here, asking Minato for help. Asking his father if they could train together. Ask the Hokage to teach him new moves that could have Naruto pass through the last round as well.

It had been a very long time since Minato had last seen the bright shine in his son's blue eyes, but as soon as Minato showed his son the Rasengan, the blue orb matched Naruto's face perfectly.

…

The Chūnin exams were soon over, and somehow all of Kakashi's squad had passed the test. The jury had been kind, and had seen the amount of training they all had done. They were strong and ready, so now their team dynamics had changed, and they would do different missions. Naruto was home even less, but their bond had gotten better after the training they had done, and sometimes they would still train. Naruto could not match his strength yet, but Minato saw the potential and knew Naruto would surpass him at some point.

Naruto wanted to surpass him as well it seemed, because the boy was pretty set on training a lot. So when Naruto didn't show up one time for a training, Minato was confused. It was a strange occurrence, so Minato went in search for his son. He did not have that much time, so every minute without his son, was a wasted one.

What came next was not something Minato had expected. Naruto had been busy with someone else. Had gotten physical in a way a father should not catch their son in. This was not something Kushina and he had ever really thought about, but perhaps they should've known. Naruto's mind had always revolved around one thing. This was the person Naruto spent the most time with. And now Naruto was spending his time with this person in a way that only lovers did.

Right behind a tree, hidden away from any onlookers, Naruto had someone pressed up against the tree. Lips were pressed together, hands slithering under clothes to get to hidden places. How easily rivals could change into something else.

…

It would be months before Naruto actually spoke of his relationship with Sasuke, even though both his parents were very aware of this fact. Naruto tried to be sneaky about it, coming up with the worst excuses as to why he would be seeing Sasuke now. Homework had even come up, even if the boy had not had homework in years. But Kushina and Minato had never commented and had let the boy run free. Naruto would tell them when he was ready, and they would do their best to not show they already knew.

The evening had started peaceful. Minato was reading the newspaper at the dinner table while Kushina was preparing dinner. Their attention was instantly pulled towards two shy teenaged boys, eyes moving anywhere but their faces. Hands intertwined gave Naruto the courage to speak up. His voice was steady and determined, filled with the strength Minato knew so well.

Kushina was the first to laugh, unable to hold in the secret of having known all this time. Minato tried to shush her, but once Naruto felt insulted and started ranting at his mother for not accepting them for who they were, there was no stopping the laughter of Kushina. As if she would ever not accept her son. It didn't matter if Naruto was attracted to girls, boys, or doors for that matter. They would still love him dearly.

…

Years had passed since then, and everything had changed in the meantime. Naruto had moved on from Chūnin to Jōnin, and then even became an ANBU member for a while, all the while still proving he was fit for the job as the next Hokage. His son worked hard, and Minato could barely catch up to it all. Naruto had grown up. His relationship with Sasuke had grown further too. Now they had their own apartment and lived together, giving Minato even less time to see his son. Naruto had his own life now, completely separated from his parents. The few moments Minato did get to spent time with him, he cherished as much as he could.

But soon Naruto would have even less time for his dad. The hard work would develop into more work. Why? Because Minato was stepping down, and tomorrow, tomorrow Naruto would hear he would be Minato's successor. Tomorrow Naruto would know that he would be the next Hokage in line. Have his face carved into the Hokage wall, casting its shadow over all of Konoha.

And Minato could only hope that he had been a loving father who had taught his son the right things, the right values. But somewhere he was certain Naruto would be the perfect Hokage, and become much better than his father at this job.

…

Characters © Masashi Kishimoto

Let me know what you think!

Facebook page: Dana-Eliza, you can find the link on my profile. Contains story updates, messages on writing life, and a few cosplay pics.

Love, Dana