When You're Gone.

I do not own Naruto.

"Beep!... Beep!... Beep!..." came the rather obnoxious alarm yelling at the blond woman that it was time to get up.

Ino grumbled and turned to snuggle into her husband only to find that her arm didn't rest against his skin as she went to wrap it around him. Her arms merely slid through he air where he should have been and felt the comforter on his side of the bed.

Her face, still tired, contorted into confusion as she opened her eyes. Thinking at first he had already gotten up, Ino looked at the bed that had been neatly made. It was strange as Naruto never made the bed after getting up. He had said there really was no point if you were just going to come back and mess the sheets up again. That's when she remembered that her husband would not be returning to that bed again. He wasn't going to return home. Hug his son, kiss his wife, or ask them how their day was. He wouldn't fulfill his dream as he gave it up to fulfill something else. A promise that may have been meant to break. And now her beloved husband way lying in a casket, six feet underground.

Looking back on their relationship, Ino regretted some of the things she had said and did, but that was usually the case when looking into the past. She remembered pushing him away at times when she was upset. The idiot wouldn't leave her alone until she yelled at him and stormed out of the house. Now, as she laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling as tears started to flow from her eyes, she realized she needed him more then the very blood that kept her alive.

It had been almost a month since the body of Naruto had been returned home but to her it felt like much longer then that. She turned and looked back at the comforter that was made up on his side of the bed. She contemplated whether or not to mess them up so when she woke up she could at least think he wasn't dead. It wouldn't hit her as she got up to change but better then, than times like these. She hated waking up alone.

'Morning hime.' He always said to her.

And she told him to be careful! He said he had been holding back on the Uchiha! What had been different this time? What had gone wrong that made him unable to come back to them?

"Daddy has a really important mission so I can't play with you." He had said grabbing his backpack and strapped it on. He had knelt in front of his son and rested his hands on the boy's shoulders. He had said he needed Haru to look out for her while he was gone, something he had told the boy every time he left for a mission.

Ino in turn had done the same when she left which only caused the boy to chuckle and say that daddy didn't need any looking after.

After rushing to her husband giving him one last hug before he left, she had told him to be safe. He had only chuckled.

"Don't worry mommy." Little Haru said. "Daddy is a superhero!"

As Ino thought about it, she realized she hadn't told Naruto that she loved him. She took it for granted, thinking nothing would go wrong and her husband would return like the other times and she would try to convince him to give up only to have her friend, who would be visiting with her, to tell her to shut up and basically hang the fact that he made her a promise above her head. This time she told herself that she was going to put an end to it. But it seemed that it ended a little differently then planned.

Ino's heart ached and the lump in her throat was beginning to become painful as well. She swallowed it and turned to face the other direction. One her bedside table sat a photo. Naruto and Haru were sending similar grins to the camera. Naruto had his arms around his wife and son. He looked so happy. Then her heart jumped as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. But they were to small to be Naruto's. She rolled over and saw her son. A mini Naruto lying on his side of the bed. She wrapped her arms around her son and rocked him as best she could in their position.

Haru had thought the world of his father and with the man's death, a part of Haru had gone with him. The boy, no longer as bright and happy as he used to be, had opted to stay at home a lot more then usual. The pair in general hadn't really taken the initiative to get back out in the world. But the world outside the walls of the Namikaze estate had refused to leave them. Everyday, no fail, at least one person, civilian and ninja alike, invited them to gatherings or parties. Neither of them had felt like partying and had always respectfully denied the offer.

Ino released her son and pushed herself up. She got out of bed and picked Haru up, forsaking making the bed. She set him at the foot of the bed and when into the closet. She dug around until she found a box that had Naruto's just legible handwriting on it. 'Haru'. Ino handed the box over to him, wondering herself what Naruto had left their son. She herself didn't want to open the box he left her. It was like he knew this was going to happen. When she questioned him in the past, he had said he just collected things over time and when the time came, a time she would know, they would be allowed to open them.

She watched as Haru, quickly getting frustrated with his father's tapping job, finally managed to rip the box open. Ino peaked inside and say as Naruto had said, letters and item that he had written and collected.

Haru curiously picked u the letter on the top. As he ripped in open, Ino read it aloud from over his shoulder.

'Dear Haru,

If you are reading this that means I am no longer with you and your mother.

Haru I am so sorry that I failed you and your mother. I failed to stay with you. To protect you. It makes me sad to think that I will not be able to be there when you enter the academy, or when you are placed on a team I won't be able to train you or give you advice about girls. I won't be able to give you the talk like all fathers should but know this son. No matter where you are, no matter what you do, I will always be with you.

I love you son.'

Ino heard the sobs of her son as he rounded on her and latched himself to her. She herself had tears coming from his eyes. After a moment, Haru pulled away and wiped his eyes on his sleeve before turning back to the box. It had fallen over and there appeared to be some sort of clothing in it. His interest had been perked when he saw that it was his favorite color. A favorite color he shared with his father. He grabbed onto it and pulled it out. His mother had a small, sad smile on her face when she saw the jacket he held up. He had seen it before in pictures of his father when he was younger. It was orange with blue shoulders and a white collar. He pulled it on and noted to himself that it smelt faintly like his father. He turned to his mother and offered her a red-eyed grin. One in which she returned. It was hard no to seeing a copy of Naruto before her. He pulled him into a gentle hug and the two made a decision.

It was June nineteenth. It was father's day, and with no father around, they decided that they would go out and do what his father loved. That meant first stop Ichiraku's Ramen stand.

As the pair walked hand in hand down the road, hey remained blissfully unaware of the looks they were receiving, more so the looks Haru was getting dressed as he was. He truly did look like his father.

Happy Fathers Day.