「Naruto does not dream of ever giving up」

Red. It was all he could see.

It filled his vision entirely as he floated around aimlessly in this ocean of blood. 'Where am I?', he thought.

Then, without warning, the water began to recede, leaving him on the barren seafloor. The sky, which had been red just a moment ago, now had nine black marks marring its previously flawless uniformity. Then, all the marks began to connect to each other to form nine concentric circles. The sky felt familiar to him somehow, and yet he couldn't remember what it actually was.

Tears fell from his eyes, wetting his cheeks, and he felt a throbbing pain in his heart, where that scar resided over. He didn't know why, but those marks in the sky made him feel alone. Alone and lost.

"Naruto, never give up, okay?"

Naruto opened his eyes and stared at his orange ceiling, ignoring the buzzing sound of his alarm as his right hand moved to clutch his throbbing chest. He didn't mind the tears as they fell from his eyes and instead felt the beating of his heart, pacing his breath to match its rhythm.

"That dream again, huh?" he muttered quietly before sighing and rubbing the tears out of his eyes.

The dream he had just experienced wasn't new to him. Ever since he could think, the dream would come to him from time to time, always causing his chest to tighten and hurt – as if his heart had been pierced. [1]

He would also let out tears every time it happened, though he didn't know why he did. He had asked his father once before about why people cry; the old man told him that people cry when they feel sad. So why didn't he feel anything at all?

And then there was that voice in the end that felt so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. It sounded like a man's voice sometimes, and a woman's in others. Every time he would hear that voice, it was always to say one thing: never give up.

"Never give up, Naruto," he told himself as he got up from his bed, turning the alarm off as he did, before sliding his feet into his Gama-chan slippers before stretching his limbs.

He breathed in deeply before pounding his palm against his fist.

"I never give up."

"Mornin', mom," Naruto greeted out as he entered the kitchen, yawning as he did.

The lone woman currently talking on the phone while setting down the plates on the dining table looked at him and smiled lightly. "Good morning, Naru. Food's ready."

"Where's pops at?"

"Your father's just checking in with our new neighbor. You ready for your big day, Naru?"

"Hmm," Naruto nodded as he took his usual seat at the dining table, traces of sleepiness still present in his face.

Today was a special day for Naruto. He had been able to land a supporting role in a noon-time drama series called "Basket Dreams" [2] just a week prior, and today was his first day of shooting. It was his first acting job, not counting advertisement gigs, and with the knowledge that his co-actors were some of the best in the business, he was understandably anxious.

Shishui Uchiha, the Japanese bad-boy wonder who's face was still in plastered in mom's closet. He was to star as the main character in the series; a high school basketball superstar who gets injured and loses his scholarship, before transferring to another school and starting over. As someone who was part of the prestigious Uchiha family, he was regarded as a genius even among the family of geniuses. A true superstar.

Pakura Sunazaki[3], Japan's premiere little sister. She had debuted as an actress at the tender age of twelve, under the management of Suna Entertainment, shooting up to the top of the industry in a matter of years. She had been given the role of the heroine in the series as the student council president of the school the main character had transferred to, who's main goal is to bring the national basketball championship trophy to their school.

Just from those two names, Naruto, and everyone in the country, knew the show was going to be big. As if they weren't enough, the production had been able to bring another household name into the fold: Mai Sakurajima.

If you were to ask anybody on the streets about who Mai Sakurajima is, you can bet your life they'd have so many things to say about her. The cutest child-actress in all of television, the next big thing, the epitome of "that girl's gonna grow up real pretty", and all kinds of positive things. She was, simply put, a phenom. There are actors who have been honing their craft even longer than she'd been alive, yet her natural ability still eclipses their sharpened ones by no small margin. It didn't help that her work ethic was something else.

To Naruto, Mai Sakurajima was one thing: his rival. They were of the same age of eight, and had started their careers at the same time two years before. They would often fight for gigs and roles, though Mai would win more often than not. Even when the role called for a young boy, if Mai Sakurajima auditioned, that role would most definitely be modified to fit her instead.

She was the reason why it was only now that Naruto was able to secure a role in a proper project, and even now, he couldn't say he had beaten her at all. She was, after all, cast as the partner of his character in the series; the younger siblings of the two main characters, who were written to be the catalyst for the start of the main lead's relationship.

Meanwhile, there he was. A relatively unknown child-actor who managed to land the hottest gig in the country. After all, "Basket Dreams" was a joint-production between the five major media networks: Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. [4] It was an unprecedented venture, and the pressure placed upon the entire production was astoundingly heavy. This was what he had been dreaming for ever since he started, and now that he had it in the bag, he was scared. Scared that he might mess up and ruin everything.

"Hey, champ!" a voice knocked Naruto out of his musings. A grinning black-haired man around his late-twenties wearing a white collared shirt and black slacks ruffled his messy blonde hair, much to his chagrin, and proceeded to sit down on the other side of the table. "You look nervous. Hehe."

Naruto huffed, fixing his hair pointlessly, before glaring at his father. "Am not! I'm ready for this, believe it!"

"Sure, sure. I believe you, Naru," the man, Obito Sende [5], said teasingly as he laughed at the cute face Naruto was making. "Eat up. You'll need the energy, you know?"

His mother, Rin Sende, finished setting aside the kitchenware and took her seat to Naruto's left. She looked at the father and son duo sternly before saying, "Now, now, boys. Food's getting cold! Eat up."

"Y-yes, mom!" "Yes, sweetie!"

"Good."

"Thank you for the food," they chorused, clapped their arms together before finally digging into the food on the table.

"So, when's the call time again?" Rin asked.

"Umm, Director Iruka said we should be there by 9AM," Naruto answered.

"Heh, I still can't believe my son's going to be working with the Pakura Sunazaki. Do me a favor and get her autograph, will 'ya?" Obito voiced out.

"Hell no, old man! Go ask her yourself!"

"Naru, language."

"Sorry, mom," Naruto said sheepishly before glaring at his father once more. "And stop crushing on other girls when you already have mom, you pervert!"

"Eeeeh? But your mom knows she's the only one for me, right Rin-chan?" Obito grinned before he tried to reach for his wife's hand but she slapped his away before he could.

Rin smiled sickeningly as her unamused eyes stared right into his own. "Shut up, sweetie."

"A-ah! Of course, sweetie."

"Naru," she called out to his son, before blushing and hiding her smile behind her hands. "Don't forget to ask Shishui-kun for his autograph, okay?"

"H-hold on! Shisui-kun?!"

"Of course, mom! You can count on me!"

"W-wait, Naru! Why are you fine with your mom getting that autograph?!"

"Mom deserves better than you, you stupid perv!"

And so went another typical morning in the Sende household.

「Naruto does not dream of making promises he can't keep」

"And cut!" the director shouted out. "That's a wrap for now, people! Lets take a break!"

""Thank you for your hard work!""

The director grinned and got up from his chair. "Naruto-kun, great work!"

Naruto smiled, a warm bubbly feeling coursed through his chest at the praise. "Thank you so much, Director Iruka!"

Haru nodded and ruffled his hair, his scarred nose flaring up as if he enjoyed praising Naruto. "If you keep up that quality, I can assure you that this will be your big break!"

"R-really, sir?!"

"Really," he answered, before turning to the other child-actor in the room. "Mai-chan, superb work as always!"

"Thank you for the praise, director," Mai Sakurajima bowed gracefully, a small smile fixed on her face.

"Heh, you two have really good chemistry, you know? I really, really love it!"

At that statement, the two child-actors turned to each other and stared.

'Chemistry? As if,' Naruto thought as he mentally scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Mai, on the other hand, had much different thoughts. 'I-it's only natural for us to have chemistry. Naru-kun and I a-are best friends!' She blushed slightly before controlling herself and pushing it down.

"Whoo! I'm famished. Alright, go and eat lots, you two! We'll be resuming the shoot in two hours." And with those words, the director left the room.

Naruto and Mai kept their gazes on each other before Mai nodded to him.

"Naru-kun."

"Mai-san." Naruto nodded back at her before moving to leave the room as well. She frowned at the honorific he would always use for her, but pushed it out of her thoughts and followed him out of the room.

"What do you think of the scene awhile ago? Did we do it well?" she asked, trying to make small talk with him.

"Eh, it's 'kay. You're still as amazing as ever," he answered dryly.

Mai blushed at his 'compliment' and turned her face away to hide it. "T-thank you. You were really amazing too, Naru-kun."

Naruto stopped in his tracks, eye twitching. 'Is she teasing me? Of course she is. She's definitely teasing.'

"Thanks," he replied halfheartedly before resuming his steps towards the cafeteria again, moving just a tad faster, hoping to shake Mai off, to no avail. She just matched his speed easily and continued her small talk as they walked down the long corridor.

"So, do you think they have cream buns in the cafeteria again? I really lo–" before she could finish, Naruto grabbed her with his two arms and pulled her to a stop before he threw their bodies to the side as a speeding trolley filled with boxes taller than an average person sped down the corridor they were in. It had tried to turn sharply to avoid hitting Mai, but if Naruto hadn't stepped in and pulled her out of the way, it would've been a disaster. They landed unceremoniously on the floor, though Naruto was able to use his body to shield Mai from the brunt of the impact.

"What the heck, Mai!" Naruto shouted, getting back up and pulling her up with him. "Are you okay?!"

Mai, who was still in a state of shock, nodded. "Y-yes."

"Are you sure?! Let me see your elbows," Naruto said and began to check Mai's arms and legs for any bruises or wounds. "You're okay. What happened? Didn't you see that thingy in front of us?"

"A-ah, sorry. I was distracted," she muttered glumly, tears already threatening to spill from her eyes.

"W-wait, don't cry!" Naruto waved his hands and tried to placate Mai from crying, but it was far too late. She began to bawl her eyes out.

"I-I'm sorry, Naru-kun!"

Naruto panicked. Unsure of what to do, he did the one thing that came to his mind in a situation involving a crying girl. He hugged her tightly.

"E-eeh?!" Mai gave out a shout of surprise at the sudden act. "Naru-kun?!"

"It's okay Mai-san. You're safe now," Naruto muttered soothingly, recalling the words his mother would often say whenever she comforted him during one of his crying fits. "I'll keep you safe."

"K-keep me safe?" Mai repeated, sniffing as she did.

"Yes. Keep you safe."

'It's working! She stopped crying!' Naruto thought.

"You promise?" She hugged him tightly, as if he was her lifeline.

"Promise."

"Pinky promise?"

'Eeeh? Really? Pinky promises? Whatever.' Naruto sighed before nodding and holding his pinky out to her. "Pinky promise."

She finally smiled that beautiful smile of hers, before wiping her tears from her face and hugging Naruto tigther.

"W-wait, Mai-san! It's okay now!" Naruto shouted in surprise, which caused the hug to become even tighter. "Ahck! I-I can't breathe!"

"Heey! Are you two okay?" a crew member came up to them just then, breathing heavily. Naruto looked behind him and gulped as he saw the mess the accident had caused.

Mai seemed to notice his tension and looked up from his chin. "What's wrong, Naru-kun?"

"A-ah, don't worry about it, Mai-san!" Naruto tried to reassure her, but Mai noticed his hesitation and tried to look, but Naruto shifted the hug around to keep her away from it. Mai, happy at the physical contact with Naruto, forgot about what she was about to do and made herself comfortable. 'Whew, that was close.'

"We're okay, sir!" Naruto responded to the crew member.

"Thank god. Follow me, you two. I'll bring you two to your managers. Does she need help walking?"

Mai seemed to have heard his question and shook her head. "I'm okay. Naru-kun will keep me safe," she said resolutely with a smile.

The crew member raised a brow at her response but shrugged and motioned for them to follow.

「Mai Sakurajima does not dream of Naruto's eyes at all」

The accident that happened had hospitalized a crew member of the production, and ruined quite a few props for the show, which caused the shooting to be extended for a few more months. After said accident, Mai had also stuck to Naruto like glue, much to his annoyance. The girl never left his side, and would even barge into his trailer like she owned it, amusing the entire production with their antics.

"Look at them go! They're so cute!" Pakura Sunazaki gushed [6], a wide smile present on her face. She was watching Naruto and Mai act out their scene where their characters were trying to plan out a way to bring their respective siblings together.

Shisui Uchiha chuckled. "They really complement each other nicely. It's pretty amazing."

"Riight? They're perfect for each other!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey, Shisu-kun," Pakura suddenly whispered.

Shisui furrowed his brow at the sudden change of tone. "What's up, Pakura?"

She pounded her fist on her palms and said, "Let's get them together!"

Shisui's eye twitched at her exuberance and sighed. "You know they're still kids, right?"

"All the more reason to get them together! Our industry won't be as lenient with sudden relationships if they try to get together when they're older."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Shut up." She glared at him and punched his shoulder before sighing. "Besides, it's not like we'll try and turn them into lovers instantly. It's too early for that. We'll just set the foundations for it to happen on its own in the future!"

Shisui sighed. "Just try not to cause too much trouble, okay?"

"Cut!" the director shouted before jumping from his seat and rushing to the two child-actors on set. "Naruto-kun, Mai-chan, that was amazing! Amaazing!"

Naruto sweatdropped and smiled wryly at the director who was gushing all over the two of them.

"T-thank you, Director Iruka," he said, blushing as the director patted his head in joy.

Mai giggled at the sight, then stuck her tongue out to Naruto when he turned to glare at her. 'It's not funny!'

Deep inside, Naruto was enjoying the feeling of getting praised by the director.

"Oh, I can just imagine the faces of everyone when they watch this episode. Aaah!"

Fortunately, before the director could do any further gushing, his assistant rushed over to his side and pulled his ear. "Iruka-san, please calm down! You're making the kids uncomfortable."

"Ouch, Matō-san! It huuurts!"

"Geez, you really should learn to restrain yourself!"

"B-but, Matō-san! They're so cuute!"

As the assistant pulled the director away, Naruto and Mai made their way to the break area, where Pakura and Shisui were.

"Good work, Naruto-kun, Mai-chan!" Shisui greeted, handing a cup of water to the two. He glanced at Pakura, who was looking at him pointedly. "That was really, really cute! I can already see you two becoming a package together!"

Naruto looked at him confusedly. "Huh? Whaddaya mean, Shisui-san?"

"A-ah, that. I mean–" before he could finish his saving throw, Pakura pinched his side subtly and took over. She took Mai's hands and gushed over her.

"Mai-chan, your chemistry with Naru-chan is really great! Please tell me your secret!"

"Oh, m-my chemistry?" She was taken aback by the suspiciously cheery woman and blushed at her inquiry. "With Naru-kun?"

"Yes, yes! Are you two like, really, really close with each other?"

"Ah, umm," Mai hesitated, and took a glance at Naruto, who was chatting with Shisui Uchiha. She then recomposed herself and answered, "Naru-kun and I are really great friends, Pakura-san."

"Aww," Pakura giggled softly. "Really, reaaaally great friends?"

Mai tilted her head at her question. "What do you mean, Pakura-san?"

She deflated and sighed, pinching her nose-bridge. "Naruto-kun, please come over here!" Pakura called over. The blonde kid looked to her questioningly before making his way to her side.

"What's up, Pakura-san?" he asked, scratching his whiskered cheek.

"Please look at Mai-chan's eyes."

Mai was baffled by her random order. "Eh?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at her with even more confusion in his eyes. "Huh? Why?"

That was apparently the wrong response because as soon as he said that, Pakura smiled a smile similar to his mother's scary smile. By instinct, he followed her request quickly without question and stared at Mai, who was just as confused as he was.

They stared at each other, intensely in Naruto's case, and the two young adults watched the two children amusedly as they did. Pakura giggled lightly when she saw Mai's blush, and pumped her fist into the air as if to celebrate a victory.

"Okay, you can stop now," she said. "Go back to Shisui, Naruto-kun! Thank you for your help!"

"Uhh, 'kay then?" Naruto responded, still puzzled at what had just happened. He shrugged and went back to his conversation with Shisui. Video games are really great.

"So, Mai-chan," Pakura began. "How'd you feel when Naruto-kun stared at you?"

"T-that," Mai's face was still red, and she shyly took a peek at Naruto who was conversing animatedly with Shisui.

"Yees?" Pakura prodded.

"I feel happy," she finally answered, clenching the hem of her pink sundress. "I feel really happy when he looks at me."

Pakura nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, you ha–"

"Miss Sunazaki, Mister Uchiha, please proceed to set 32! Thank you!" a voice in the intercom announced, which cut their conversation short.

"Ah, sorry Mai-chan! Let's continue this talk some other time, ne?" Pakura offered apologetically before walking towards the door and waving at her.

"A-ah, yes!" She nodded vigorously and waved back.

Shisui patted her head as he passed by her and said, "Don't worry. I made sure he'll come around," before winking at her.

"Huh?"

He only chuckled before leaving the room to the two child-actors.

"What was that about?" Naruto suddenly muttered from Mai's side, making her jump in surprise. "They were acting pretty weird, don't you think?"

"Ah, y-yes," she replied intelligently.

Naruto eyed her for a moment before sighing. "Geez, Mai-san. Stuttering is so not cute, y'know?" he joked as he grinned at her.

'N-not cute?!' Mai thought as she heard those words from Naruto. 'B-but, I only stutter when Naru-kun is around...'

"I-I'm, I mean," she stopped herself from stuttering even further and recomposed herself. "I'm sorry, Naru-kun."

Naruto stroked his chin and mockingly scrutinized her before nodding. "Acceptable, but needs more work."

Little did he know, his joke, and all the others that would come in the future, would be taken seriously by the little girl who trusted his opinion above anyone else's.

「Naruto does not dream of Mai's ramen at all」

Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzz– click!

"Have you heard the news, Naru-kun?"

"Ugh, Mai-san?" Naruto answered sleepily. "What news?"

"Seriously, Naru-kun. It's half past 10 AM and you're still lacking sleep?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, mother," he droned dismissively before sighing. "So, the news?"

"Before that, can you open the door for me first?"

"Huh?"

"Your door, Naru-kun. I'm outside."

"Oh."

He dropped the call and made his way to the entrance of the house. He peeked at the front door camera display and saw the black-haired girl he had just been in the call with. He sighed and rubbed his bleary eyes before opening the door for her.

At the sight of the sleepy blonde, Mai Sakurajima smiled. "Sorry for intruding."

"Mah, it's fine. As long as it's just you, okay?" he replied, massaging his forehead. He made his way to the kitchen to get some coffee. 'One intruder is enough.'

Mai, on the other hand, blushed. She had reached a different conclusion to Naruto's statement. 'As long as it's me, it's okay for Naru-kun.'

"So, what's the news?" he asked once more as he returned to the room, handing a cup of coffee to Mai, who accepted it gratefully.

"Oh, that. Turn on the television, Naru-kun," she answered, taking a seat on the main couch in the living room.

"Hmm? Okay." He reached for the remote on the coffee table and turned the TV on. "What channel? Konoha?" he joked.

"It's on every channel. Pick any."

Naruto grunted and just pressed whatever on the remote before tossing himself on the couch where Mai was sitting, his head landing perfectly on her lap.

"Since you stole my pillow, I'll be borrowing your lap, Mai-san. Thanks."

Mai was too taken aback to even respond. Her short yelp was drowned out by the sudden noise from the television.

"–results of the private award show has finally been publicized just an hour ago. Without further ado, we would like to congratulate Naruto Sende for winning the Rikudo Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, as well as the Newcomer of the Year Award, for the television series 'Basket Dreams'! We will be eagerly awaiting your upcoming works, Naruto-kun! In other news–"

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the television screen, his drowsiness long forgotten as his mouth was left hanging.

"…No way," he muttered in disbelief.

Mai giggled at his reaction and stroked his spiky hair. "Congratulations, Naru-kun. You did it."

"I did it?"

"You did it," she repeated, smiling widely at him.

"I did it," he reassured himself once more, before jumping off the couch and assuming a victory pose in front of her. "I did it, Mai-san!"

She couldn't restrain herself from laughing at his energy, and joined in. "You did it, Naru-kun!"

"Wait, wait. I have to tell mom and the old man!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran to the telephone.

About a year had passed since the beginning of the production for 'Basket Dreams', and quite a few things had changed in the Sende household. His father had been able to land a high-paying sales job with the Konoha Entertainment – Merchandising Department in Tokyo, which meant he had to move there to be able to work as efficiently as possible. His mother, on the other hand, was forced to go back to Akita to take care of his grandmother, who was confined to a hospital just a couple of months prior. This left him to be the sole occupant of their house here, not counting the housekeepers who would come by twice a week and Mai, who would come every day whenever she wasn't busy.

'Basket Dreams', on the other hand, proved to be a major critical and financial success. It was hailed as one of the greatest works in the field of drama in recent history, and everyone who worked on it received much praise. Shisui Uchiha and Pakura Sunazaki – the show's leads, were lauded as one of the best couples in the industry.

However, the true spotlight was placed over Naruto Sende and Mai Sakurajima – two up-and-coming child-actors. Their chemistry had proven to be a perfect formula to the nation's populace. Mai had been a big name in the industry even before the show had premiered, but her popularity skyrocketed even further after it did. Naruto, a relatively unknown child-actor before the premiere, became an instant household name overnight. It was truly a ground-breaking phenomenon.

Bzz–Click!

"You did it, champ!" a cheerful voice, unmistakably male, shouted from the other line before Naruto could even utter a word.

Naruto deflated. He had been hoping to surprise his parents with the news, but it seemed they were paying much attention to the media nowadays. "Pops, you watched the news?"

"You bet I did! Have you called your mother? I'm sure she'll be really happy! Also, can you get the autogra–"

"Hmp! I'll do just that. See ya, pervy pops! Don't come home without a gift for me, 'ya hear?!"

"W-wai–"

Before his father could finish another one of his ridiculous requests, he dropped the call. Mai, who had made her way to his side, giggled at the annoyed face Naruto was making.

"Uncle is really funny."

"Not even close! Ugh, just imagining his face makes me want to punch something," Naruto blanched as he dialed his mother's number.

Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

"Hmm, is she not home?" Naruto pondered. Usually, his mother would be able to answer his calls pretty quickly.

"Maybe she's just bus–"

Click!

"H-hello? Naru?" a soft female voice spoke from the other line, sounding pretty tired.

"Ah, mom! Have you heard the news?!"

"Huh? What news?"

Naruto grinned. His mother hadn't watched the news yet. He could surprise her. "Hehe. I did it, mom!"

"Eh? What do you mean, Naru?"

"I won the Outstanding Performance Award thingy and the Newcomer Award for the role!" he announced.

"O-oh. Oh! Congratulations, Naru! That's amazing!"

'Eeeh? What's with the boring reaction?' Naruto thought as he scratched his cheek. He expected a bit more from her reaction, but shrugged and pushed it off his mind. "Thanks, mom. When're you coming home?"

"I believe I'll be able to come home for a few days next week. That way, we can celebrate your achievement, okay? Your grandma's getting better really quickly, you know?"

"Hmkay. Tell granny I said hi," he replied, before dropping the call.

Mai looked at him worriedly. "Maybe auntie is just tired, Naru-kun."

Naruto frowned and clenched his fist, gripping the telephone tightly before setting it back in place. "Y-yeah. Maybe she is."

"Have you eaten your breakfast?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I just woke up, y'know? And there's no food. Yui-san still hasn't come by to cook for me."

At that, Mai perked up. "T-then, I'll cook for you, Naru-kun!"

Naruto looked at her weirdly, scratching his cheek. "Eeh? You know how to cook, Mai-san?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes."

"But you're so young!" Naruto whined, jealous at the fact that Mai had beaten him at something again. "Mom doesn't even want me to go near the kitchen."

"It's okay, Naru-kun," she placated soothingly, face reddening slightly. "I'm fine with cooking anything for you."

As the implications became clear to him, he suddenly got excited at the prospect of having someone to cook anything he liked. "Then, can you cook ramen?!"

"R-ramen? Umm, no."

Naruto slumped to the floor dejectedly. "Nooo~!"

"A-ah! B-but I'll learn to cook it for you, Naru-kun!" she said in a panic, patting Naruto's small back reassuringly.

He sniffed, causing Mai to sweatdrop at his overreaction. "P-promise?"

'I'll do my best to learn anything for you, Naru-kun,' she thought. She smiled that same brilliant smile of hers at him and said, "I promise."

Suddenly, Naruto jumped to his feet, energy seemingly restored by Mai's promise. "Okay! Then you start learning now! This is how we'll celebrate my victory today: through ramen!"

"E-eh?!"

Naruto ignored her and continued with his declaration. "And I will be your exclusive taste tester! Let's go!"

He zoomed towards the kitchen. Just before he turned the corner, he looked back at Mai, who still hadn't moved from her spot. He grinned at her. "Let's go, Mai-san! Ooh, this is so exciting!"

Mai blushed and nodded. She followed him to the kitchen, bashfully cradling her hand on the other. "O-okay!"

"Yatta! Free ramen!"

"Slow down, Naru-kun! You might break something!"

And so, the two nine-year-olds spent the majority of the day making a mess in the kitchen, emptying the food stocks in the fridge in an effort to make a proper ramen for Naruto. The fun and excitement they felt cleared away the bad taste of the absence of Naruto's parents in a very special day from his mouth, and the day went by with them blissfully unaware of the real happenings in the family.

「Naruto dreams of a happy family」

"–hurting him! He's still so young!"

'Huh? Is that pops?' Naruto groaned as he was pulled out of his sleep by loud voices coming from the living room. 'So noisy.'

He tried to block out the sound by pulling his sheets over him and burying his head deeper into the pillow.

"He needs a mother, Rin! A mother at his side!"

"You have the gall to say that to me? After you've done nothing to fix our marriage?! You, who chose his career over his 'son'?!"

'Mom?' Naruto's eyes widened. 'They're home!'

He quickly got off his bed and slid on his slippers before making his way to the door. Before he could open it, the sound of wood slamming made him pause.

"You think I haven't tried?! Why'd you think I adopted him?!"

Naruto trembled. 'A-adopted?'

"I know it's my fault we can't have kids, but I still tried to fix it! He's the son we've always wanted. Why can't you see that?!"

"He's not my son!"

The shock he felt from what he was hearing was too much for Naruto. His legs lost their strength and he stumbled out the door. The sight of the wide-eyed and hurt Naruto knocked the two adults out of their fight.

"N-Naruto!" Obito exclaimed, the two rushing over to Naruto's side. "Shit!"

Rin shook at the pained look Naruto had as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "Naru, are you okay?"

"M-mom," Naruto choked out, his chest throbbing from the pain he was feeling. "I'm not your son?"

His question froze the two adults, unable to answer his question.

Tears were now running freely from Naruto's eyes. "A-am I adopted?"

Obito hugged Naruto tightly as he cradled the kid's face on his chest. "Naruto…"

Rin joined in on the hug. She shared a brief look of understanding with Obito, before whispering soothing words to Naruto in an effort to calm him down.

Obito had carried Naruto to his bed, where the couple waited for him to calm down. As soon as he did, Obito and Rin looked at each other before nodding.

"Naru, your father and I have something to tell you," Rin began gently, carefully observing Naruto's reaction as she spoke.

"Just remember, Naruto. What we're about to tell you, it's doesn't change anything. We're still a family," Obito said resolutely, before boring his eyes into Rin's, who returned it.

She nodded. "We'll always be a family."

All Naruto could do was nod as he looked down. Rin frowned before pushing herself to continue.

She breathed in before exhaling audibly. "We're not your real parents, Naru."

Before Naruto could react, Obito hurriedly spoke up after. "But that doesn't mean we're not your parents."

Naruto's teary eyes looked up to him in confusion, and Obito spoke up once more to clarify his statement.

"We adopted you when you were three. We raised you, we fed you, we watched as you gave us the one thing we've always wished for as a couple. A son."

"B-but mom said I'm not her son," Naruto replied feebly, a hand rising to clutch his chest. "Does mom hate me?"

Now that Naruto thought about it, he didn't really bear any distinct similarities with his 'mom' and 'pops'. His spiky blonde hair didn't match either of their hair colors. His blue eyes didn't even come close to matching his pops' black ones, nor did it match his mom's brown ones. He shared nothing with them. Not even their blood.

"No!" Rin shouted out in a panic, shocking both Obito and Naruto at the sudden outburst. Rin calmed herself down before continuing. "D-don't say that, Naru. We might not share blood with you, but you will always be our son. We will always be family."

"Promise?"

She nodded. "I promise."

"T-then," Naruto mumbled. "Can you tell me who my real parents are?"

Their gaze softened under the innocence of the question, and Obito scratched the back of his head.

"They were..." he said before hesitating. He bit his lip and sighed. "You are Naruto Namikaze. That's your real birth name."

Naruto stared at him wide-eyed, his hand clutching his chest even further. Obito didn't seem to notice and continued. "Your father was Minato Namikaze, and your mother was Kushina Uzumaki. They were good friends of ours. They used to be our neighbors too."

"Neighbors..? Then Mai-san's house is–"

"Yes. They used to own the house the Sakurajima family is now living in."

Naruto nodded weakly, still shocked at the information he was being exposed to. He still wasn't done yet, however, and asked the question everyone knew had to be asked. With tear-filled eyes, he fired his question.

"W-where are they now? Are they still alive? Did they leave me?"

Obito pursed his lip and eyed Rin worriedly, but she shook her head and smiled.

"They died in an accident at sea when you were three," Rin answered, putting her hand on his shoulders comfortingly. "They loved you very much. So much so that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for you."

"'S-sacrifice themselves'?"

"Ah, I think I went a bit too far. Nevermind that, Naru," Rin said dismissively, patting his back as she did. "They loved you. Never forget them, but never forget that you have us too, okay?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion but nodded nonetheless. Rin smiled at him and stood up. "Good. Now, go back to bed. It's still early, after all."

As if to prove her words, she yawned sleepily, which caused Naruto to yawn as well. He nodded and laid back down on the bed, already getting over the past few minutes. "Okay, mom, pops. G'night."

"Good night, Naru." "Good night, champ."

They watched as his chest fell into an even rhythm, before sharing another glance with each other and making their way out of the room. Outside, Obito sighed.

"He needs you, Rin. He needs a mother," he whispered, so as to not wake Naruto up again.

"…" Rin couldn't respond and clenched her fists. Obito scratched his cheek and stretched to release the tension he had unconsciously built up in his body.

"You don't have to stay married to me if that's really what you want. Go have a kid with that guy for all I care. Just… please be there for him. Be there for Naruto."

"And you? Won't you be there for him?"

Obito paused, clearly uncomfortable with the subject even though he had started it.

"I'll always be there for him, but a father cannot always do what a mother can," he replied. "He needs you."

They stood in silence in the hallway for a few minutes, exhausted and mulling over the thought of the state of their marriage, as well as their family as a whole.

"I'll try."

「Naruto does not dream of someone being there for him」

It had taken only three years for everything to go wrong again. Naruto, who was always swamped with work and gigs ever since his breakthrough into mainstream media about three years ago, had been blissfully unaware of the truth that lied beneath the image of happiness their family had been displaying. Obito and Rin carefully kept up their appearances as a young and happy couple, but it slowly became harder and harder to maintain as time went on.

Obito had accepted that fact that Rin had fallen out of love with him, and that she had someone else in her heart. He had accepted the fact that they could never be a truly happy together again, and could only act as such to keep Naruto unaware. He had accepted the fact that Rin, despite her words saying otherwise, didn't see Naruto as her true son, and longed for a child she could truly call her own.

What he couldn't accept was how Rin had acted so selfishly and had brought her lover into their home. The home where they had agreed to pretend everything was alright. To pretend that nothing had broken their family. [7] She had brought her silver-haired lover into the bedroom he had shared with her. Even worse, Naruto had caught them in the act. And after calling him and telling him about what happened, the eleven-year-old had ran away from home.

He had chased Rin and her lover out of the house, and they fled like rats afterwards. Unfortunately, he was too late. Naruto wasn't answering his calls, and he had no clue as to where he went.

"–say for sure, but our neighbor got home about two hours ago, and she usually comes home together with my son."

"Okay, we understand. Rest assured, Mister Sende, we will be giving our utmost best to find your son."

Obito sighed, massaging his forehead. "Thank you. Please update me if something comes up."

"Of course, Mister Sende. Please leave it to us."

The call ended, and Obito slumped down on the couch. He cradled his head in his hands and let out a choked sob, before breathing in deeply and calming himself. It wouldn't do to break down here. His son needed him.

"I'm sorry, Naruto."

Ding-Dong!

Obito sighed and got up from the couch. He started walking towards the door, making sure to toss a few of the debris scattered around the house aside in an effort to make it look presentable.

Ding-Dong!

"Geez, can't you wait just a bit?" Obito whined, before finally reaching the door. He opened it without peeking through the front door camera display.

"Sende residence, what seems to be the pro–"

"Sende-san!" a young-looking black-haired woman, around her late-twenties, exclaimed as he opened the door.

Obito blinked owlishly, before clearing his throat. "Sakurajima-san. What seems to be the problem?"

"Is Mai there with Naruto?!"

"Huh? No, she isn't," Obito responded. Then, a sudden thought came into his head. What if Mai had gone after his son? "Wait, this is bad."

"W-what do you mean? What happened?"

"Naruto ran away. Mai might've gone after him."

"What?! Where is he now?! Did you call the police?!"

He patted her shoulder and led her inside. "Calm down, Sakurajima-san. I've already notified the police. Does Mai-chan have a phone we can call?"

"I've been trying to call her, but she won't answer! Oh, what do we do?"

Obito stroked his chin, before his eyes lit up. He had an idea. "You're sure she has her phone with her, right?"

She nodded frantically. "I-I'm sure! She declines the call as soon as I call her."

"I see."

Obito nodded. He then opened a cabinet below the coffee table and took out a laptop. "Then we can just track her phone. Can you give me her number?"

Sakurajima-san looked confused for a moment before nodding and pulling out her phone. "A-ah, here it is."

Obito typed in the number she had given him and pressed enter. A few minutes of waiting later, the laptop sounded out a Ping.

"There we go! It says they're at the pier!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

Obito calmed her down and said, "Hold on, I need to get something from my room. Wait for me outside by the car."

He turned around and went inside his room. Ignoring the scattered articles of clothing on the floor, he fished his key-holder from his pocket before using a small key to open the lowest drawer in his desk. Inside, he gingerly opened a small envelope hidden at the very bottom: a picture of a baby Naruto with Minato and Kushina; his true parents.

"Wait for me, Naruto. Daddy's comin'." [8]

Naruto ran. He ran until his legs screamed mercy, and even then, he kept pushing. He kept running until his little legs couldn't handle the strain anymore and gave out. So there he laid, on the cement somewhere he didn't recognize. This late into the night, no one was around to help him. He didn't care. He just wanted to run, and now he couldn't.

He used his last ounce of energy to bring himself up. He observed his surroundings and saw that he was at the entrance of the city pier. His father had taken him here a few years ago to see if they could try fishing. He forced himself to walk, and made his way to the edge of the pier and sitting there. He had already used up his energy by running all the way to this place. He couldn't even bring himself to cry, so he just stared at the horizon.

He didn't know what to think. He had thought that everything was fine every since that fateful morning when he had found out about the truth of his parentage. His mother had said that she saw would always think of him as her son. That everything was alright.

Nothing was alright.

"Yo-you lied, mom," Naruto choked out, still unable to release the tears he knew were waiting to be let out. "You promised."

He shut his eyes tightly and breathed in before shouting, "You promised me we'd always be a family!"

The proverbial dam that had formed due to his exhaustion finally couldn't keep his tears from falling. It bursted, and he finally cried.

"You promised to keep me safe…"

Mai Sakurajima as fast as her little legs could take her. She had followed after Naruto after she saw him running away from home. She struggled to keep up with him, and soon, she had lost him entirely. She didn't give up. She made an educated guess as to where Naruto might be headed, and the only logical place that came up in her mind was the pier. It was, after all, the dead-end of the direction Naruto had been heading towards.

Unable to keep up the pace she had taken in an effort to catch up to Naruto, she reluctantly slowed down. After about half-an hour of alternating between jogging and walking, she finally made it to the entrance of the city pier. The sky had been dark already when she had followed after Naruto, but it was even darker now that it's late into the night. It unnerved her, but she pushed on. For Naruto.

Then, she heard a shout.

"You promised me we'd always be a family!"

She recoiled. Mai recognized that voice. She quickly ran into the pier and saw the familiar shade of blonde that she knew only belonged to one person.

She wanted to call out to him, but his helpless and defeated form made her hesitate. She didn't know what to say. She had always been the one comforted by Naruto. She didn't know how to do the same for him. She slowly made her way towards him. As she got nearer, she could finally hear the soft sobs he was making. She finally lost her hesitation and ran to him.

"Naru-kun!"

She hugged him from behind and buried her face into the his neck.

"M-Mai-san?!" Naruto exclaimed incredulously. "What are you doing here?!"

Naruto was surprised. He didn't think anyone would find him that quickly. How had Mai been able to do so?

"How'd you find me, Mai-san?"

Mai hugged him even tighter.

"I ran after you, Naru-kun," she answered.

Naruto was baffled. That explained why she had been able to find him so quickly. If she had chased after him as soon as he decided to run away, then it's only natural that she would arrive here so quickly after him. The question he had on his mind though, was why?

"Why?" he asked with such force that even he was surprised. "Why would you try so hard for me?! I'm worthless!"

"D-don't say tha–"

"But it's true!" he cut in sharply. "I'm not even worth keeping a promise to! I-I'm not worth any–"

Before he could finish, Mai bit his shoulder.

Naruto recoiled in pain and tried to escape Mai's clutches, to no avail. "Ow! What the heck, Mai?!"

"That's not true!" she retorted resolutely. Naruto was about to retort, but she continued before he could.

"You-you're worth so much to me, Naru-kun. M-more than you think!" At her own words, Mai's face turned red instantly. She was relieved that she was hugging Naruto from behind, meaning he couldn't see her face.

"Mai-san…" Naruto muttered, taken aback by the words she had just spoke.

"I've always been relying on Naru-kun to be there for me. Please! Let me be here for you, Naru-kun! Let me help you!"

"…" Naruto's shoulders sagged as he lost all tension in his body. He didn't know what to say to Mai as she poured her heart out to him. She buried her face even deeper into Naruto's neck, making him blush at the tickly feeling of her hair brushing his skin.

Naruto sighed and chuckled softly. "I hated you before, y'know?"

"Huh?"

Naruto's soft chuckles transitioned into full-blown laughter as he rested his head on Mai's. He sighed and shifted his sights to the sky.

"Remember when we first met?"

"Um, it was during the audition for that cookie commercial, right?"

"Hahaha! Yeah, that one." Naruto sniffed, placing his hand over his chest. "You got the role for that even though they were looking for a boy at first. I cried myself to sleep that night."

Mai, who had loosened her hug just a moment ago, tightened it once more. "I'm sorry."

Naruto clicked his tongue jokingly. "Hey now, I'll get mad if you give me that pity nonsense for something in the past. Besides, you won the role fair-and-square."

He scratched his cheek and hesitated, before continuing. "You were so much better than me back then. Even now, you're still way ahead of me in everything."

"Naru-kun…"

"I hated it. Whenever I auditioned for a project, I would always hope you never auditioned for it as well. Because if you did, I knew I was going to lose. I had no chance against you."

He wiped the remaining tears in his eyes and cheeks, before smiling sardonically.

"It took me two years to finally be able to land an actual major role in a drama series: that 'Basket Dreams'. And even then, when I found out you were part of the cast, I was so angry."

Mai's chest was hurting as Naruto spoke his feelings. She tried to stop her tears from falling, but his words hammered into her hard. The knowledge that she had been an obstacle to Naruto was something that made her feel really stupid and worthless.

Naruto noticed that she was about to cry, and snuggled up with her even further, delaying Mai's outburst but confusing her even further.

"I knew getting angry with you during production would be bad for the project, so I kept it in me. I acted like I didn't hate you." He paused and blushed, scratching his cheek in an effort to hide it from Mai, who was looking up at him.

"I didn't expect us to work together so well though. Being there with you on-set, it all felt so natural. L-Like we were meant to act together."

As she registered his words, the pain in Mai's chest blossomed into a warm fuzzy feeling. What he had just said was what Mai had always felt whenever they were together. Simply put, it was natural for them to be together.

"Before I knew it, I didn't need to act like I didn't hate you anymore. I like being with you. I like having to keep you from getting into accidents all the time. I like eating your ramen – even though they taste like water!"

His last remark deflated Mai's enthusiasm. He met Mai's gaze and smiled.

"You're precious to me, Mai. I don't know what I'd do without you. You've already done so much for me. Thank you so much."

Her cheeks reddened immensely. She clutched her now widely-beating heart, but she sullenly returned his gaze and frowned.

"But I was only an obstacle to you, Naru-kun. If I didn't let my mom make me audition for those roles–"

"I'm glad you did," Naruto interrupted, grinning widely as he poked Mai's cheeks. "You gave me something to chase after. Something to defeat. You showed me that there was a boss fight I still wasn't ready for!"

"R-really?"

"Yep! That's why you should keep trying your best, okay?" He pounded his chest and winked. "After all, I can have the girl standing by my side getting rusty, right?"

"Naru-kun," Mai's eyes sparkled at Naruto's words, and nodded confidently. "I will. I won't let you stand alone, no matter what!"

Naruto blinked at her sudden change in demeanor, before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Hahaha! You're really, really pretty when you're confident like that, Mai-san!"

Mai pouted in embarrassment and slapped Naruto's back lightly. His words were engraved into her heart, however, and she vowed to find her confidence for Naruto.

As Naruto's laughter died down, the two laid down on the pier and watched the stars silently, still hugging each other tightly.

"Ne, Mai-san?"

"Yes, Naru-kun?"

He turned his head to face hers once more. "Let's be true to each other from now on, okay?"

He felt that, as friends, they should never lie to each other. Lies had hurt him severely, from the lies he told himself back then – which he still felt guilty about, to the lies his 'mother' had told him about always being a family. 'Never again', he thought to himself.

Again, for the umpteenth time that day, Mai was flustered by Naruto's words, misunderstanding his intentions. She nodded shyly, snuggling deeper into Naruto's side as she did. "T-then, please stop calling me Mai-san."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her request, but nodded nonetheless. "Sure, Mai-sa– I mean, Mai-chan."

Mai smiled, and they returned their gaze unto the sky above, blissfully unaware of the misunderstandings they'd just given and had been giving each other since the day they'd met. Slowly, their eyes fell as the day's events caught up to them, and they fell asleep.

All the while, Naruto's hidden desires bubbled underneath the underneath.

「Naruto does not dream of a happy family」

"Park right here, Sende-san."

"Okay, hold on."

Obito and Sakurajima-san drove their way to the city pier as soon as they found out that their respective children were probably there. It was now deep into the night, and the two parents were anxious at how the two children were doing. Obito parked the car on the side of the road and quickly got out, briefly noting the lack of light in their surroundings.

They entered the pier and instantly saw two small bodies lying down at the edge of the boardwalk. Even with no other source of light besides the moon, it was easy to recognize the obnoxiously blonde hair Naruto had, and he knew that these two were their children.

"Shit!" Obito, fearing that the worst had happened, ran as fast as he could to his son, Sakurajima-san followed not long after. "Naruto!"

The sounds of their footsteps on the wooden platform reverberated around them, waking up the two children as it did.

Relief flooded Obito's chest as he saw his son's eyes open. As he finally reached the two, he quickly got down and engulfed Naruto in a tight hug.

"Oh, thank god you're safe!" He choked out, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Naruto, who had been sharply knocked out of his sleep by the sudden noises, blinked blearily.

"H-huh?"

He looked around confusedly and as he finally regained his awareness, he saw his father and Mai's mother around him.

"Pops?" he said, slowly clutching the warm cloth of his father's jacket, only now being made aware of how cold it actually was there.

"I'm here, son," Obito said reassuringly, breathing out a sigh of relief. He gently patted Naruto's back. "I'm here."

Naruto shivered as the cool sea breeze blew against them, enveloping them in an overwhelming cold. 'Mai-chan…' he thought.

"Where's Mai-chan?"

Naruto looked to his side and saw Sakurajima-san carrying Mai.

"Sende-san, we need to go."

Obito snapped out of his stupor and nodded.

"Let's go back to the car."

"Thank you for the help, Sende-san," Sakurajima-san said gratefully and bowed. Obito smiled at her in response and waved before she entered their house.

He sighed and carried Naruto inside their house. He made his way to his son's room and gently laid him down the bed, taking care to be as quiet as possible so as to not wake him up.

As he tucked in his son, he laughed quietly to himself.

"If Mai-chan didn't find you first, would I have calmed you down, Naruto?" he lamented at his inability to be there for his child. "I'm a bad father, aren't I?"

He reached into his coat and took out the photo he had brought with him. He smiled sadly.

"If they were here instead, you wouldn't have had to go through this pain."

Making up his mind, he placed the photo down on the nightstand and, after stroking Naruto's hair one last time, he left the room.

When Naruto woke up, he half-expected to still be at the pier. 'Oh, that's right. The old man came to get me last night,' he thought.

He yawned and got up from his bed to stretch, but he noticed a photo on top of his nightstand. He gingerly took it into his hand and looked at it.

"T-this?!" His eyes widened and an overwhelming amount of emotion he didn't know the identity of came surging to his chest.

On the photo were two good-looking adults: one with the most beautiful red hair he had even seen, and one with a blonde that's strikingly similar to his own hair. He felt himself tearing up. They were holding up a single child that had the same hair as him.

They were his real parents. And the child they were happily holding was him.

He thumbed over their faces as his tears began to fall. "Mother, father."[9]

They looked so happy.

"I wish I knew you guys." He lamented the fact that he couldn't know more about them, but a thought suddenly struck his mind. 'Wait, pops said they were friends with them. Maybe I could ask him!'

He quickly got off his bed and exited the room. He hoped his father hadn't left for Tokyo just yet. As he went past the living room, he heard noises coming from the kitchen. He made his way there.

"Pops?"

"Hmm?" Obito looked back at him while holding a pan and a spatula. "What's up, champ?"

He then noticed the photo Naruto was holding, and smiled softly.

"Let's talk after breakfast, okay?"

Naruto bit his lip but nodded nonetheless.

The two quietly ate through the breakfast Obito had cooked, all the while Naruto hadn't been able to stop his squirming. As they finished their meal, Obito chuckled quietly at the anxious face of Naruto.

"Let me guess," he began. "You want to know more about them, right?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you said they were your friends, so…"

"They weren't just our friends, y'know?"

"Huh?"

"Haha! They were our teachers. Well, Minato-sensei was. Kushina nee-san was more like a big, bossy sister," he fondly recalled the memories he had with them when he was still young. They were a big part of how he grew up, and he owed them a great deal.

"What were they like?"

"Hmm? Well, Minato was actually cool, calm, handsome guy. The opposite of you, really! Haha!"

"Grrr," Naruto growled before sending a punch to Obito's gut. "Watch it, you old coot!"

"Ouch, why you little–!"

"Hmp. Serves you right!" he pouted, before sighing. "And mother?"

Obito grinned. "She was hot-headed, energetic, really loyal, and responsible. Just like you, Naruto."

"D-did they–"

"They loved you very much, Naruto. You wouldn't be here if they didn't."

Naruto blushed and nodded. He looked back at the photo and observed his father's face. Obito noticed this and smiled sullenly.

"I know I haven't been much of a father to you, Naruto. If Minato-sensei were here instead of me, you'd be happi–"

"That's not true!" Naruto shouted.

"..."

"You're a great father! You raised me, you gave me everything I wanted, and you never left me! T-that's why..."

Naruto closed his eyes and hugged Obito, before shouting, "That's why you're my dad!"

Obito blinked in surprise before slowly tearing up, a warm feeling bubbling up from within him. He hugged Naruto tightly and raised him into the air.

"Thank you, son."

He gently placed Naruto back down and wiped some tears off his face before grinning at Naruto.

"Alright! I'll make it up to you somehow, starting today! Who needs a mom if you have a super-dad, right?!"

Naruto nodded and cheered along with him. He then got all bashful and turned to Obito, still looking down. He raised the picture up again and said, "C-can you tell me more about them, pops?"

Obito smiled and ruffled his hair. He sat down, motioning for Naruto to do the same, and cleared his throat. "Sure, I'll tell you all I know about them."

Their day was then spent talking about Naruto's parents, and it only served to fuel what was already bubbling underneath the underneath. The hidden desires of one Naruto Sende wouldn't stay hidden for long.

Hello! I'm sorry for not updating Drink Up, Goddess. My laptop broke down after a certain quarantine checkpoint inspection and I have no other ways to write except in notebooks and papers. I don't have the money to get a new one, so yeah. I'll try my best to write down the chapters into notebooks from memory, but until I find a proper way to type them down on a computer, updates won't be as frequent as before. I'm planning on asking my neighbor if I can use theirs to type down the chapters, so there's that route. Remember to treasure your things, people! I miss Suzy already. (I named my HP Elitebook 8470p laptop Suzy, yes. It fits because Suzy sounds really old to me. Haha!)

Anyways, this one-shot(?) story is an old one that I sent to my friend after we got into a short phase of obsessing over Seishun Buta Yarou last year. I basically compiled the numerous short stories (connected by plot) I sent to my friend into one story. It's a pretty immature story, because I specifically took the things I felt from my childhood and wrote them down into this story. You'll have to forgive me if things seem pretty childish and annoying. Also, I couldn't edit this one as well as I could've, typing on the phone is hard, so please forgive me if it's rough to read.

Thank you for reading all the way! I'm trying my best to get some chapters out, so please wait a little longer!

[1] – It basically looks like the scar Sasuke gave him, except significantly smaller. Ain't nobody about to Chidori anyone in this world.

[2] – Think Slam Dunk but the protagonist is a handsome and talented dude and his teammates are the ones that need to get better. I think I've seen an anime like this before in passing, but I don't remember too much. If you've seen one, please inform me ASAP.

[3] – Pakura didn't have a last name so I gave her Sunazaki 「砂」for obvious reasons. Sorry for defiling your waifu's identity!

[4] – The Five Great Shinobi Nations in this fic are the Five Great TV Networks instead. Hehe, aren't I smart?

「木の葉隠れニュスネットワーク」KNN – Hidden Leaf News Network (Konohagakure Nyusu Nettowaku)

「岩隠れニュスネットワーク」INN – Hidden Rock News Network (Iwagakure Nyusu Nettowaku)

And so on…

[5] – I made Obito's last name Sende because Sen「扇」can mean fan, references the Uchiwa「団扇」, which is the logo of the Uchiha clan, and Deru「出る」which is a verb, meaning "to leave". Together, they form Sende「扇出」, which references Obito's status as an outcast among the Uchihas in the Naruto world. I'm literally just mishmashing things, so don't take them seriously. Haha!

[6] – Pakura, in the anime at least, was uncomfortable with fighting "children", so I turned that into a fondness for kids instead. Sorry for butchering your waifu LOL.

[7] – Obito and Rin are basically done with each other, and are only staying together for Naruto's sake. It's something that I find to be a pretty common occurrence, in this country at least.

[8] – This scenario was inspired by Yondu and Quill's relationship. Obito raised Naruto as his own, which makes him a true father no matter what.

[9] – Haha「はは」instead of okaa-san「おかあさん」、chichi「ちち」instead of otou-san「おとうさん」, which Naruto uses (used) for Rin and Obito.

Ages from start to finish:

Naruto and Mai = 8 to 12. [They were 8 when the production for the series began, and 12 at the end of the story]