Three is a special number.

Naruto has always known that.

His life is made of threes; three legacies to live up to, three teachers responsible for his education, three teams to graduate in his class, three times he ran into Sasuke before he came home, three promises he made to Sakura.

The three of them.

When Naruto learns that his father is the Fourth, he wants to laugh, because it's the biggest prank of all. Also, it brings the score up to three legacies to live up to; that of the Fourth, that of the Sannin, and that of the Hokage.

After that, Naruto will sometimes think of his three teachers; of Iruka, Of Kakashi, of Jiraiya. He isn't sure to which he is more grateful to; to Iruka, who made his life worth living, to Kakashi, who showed him how to keep on living, or to Jiraiya, who gave his life so Naruto could live.

Rarely, Naruto will think of how lucky he was to graduate; there was no shortage of up and coming genin, but it all comes back to threes. With him, the numbers worked out to make three sets of three, and three is a special number.

He ran into Sasuke three times before he came home; once at the Valley of the End, again at Orochimaru's base, and a third time after the Summit. When Sasuke came home, they stayed up all night at Team 7's training ground, playing mindless chakra games. Who can cut the leaf first? Who can stay afloat the longest? Who can run up the farthest on that tree?

That night was the night he made his third promise to Sakura. One was that he'd find Sasuke. Two was that they'd do it together. Three was that they (They!) would never leave each other.

Three is a special number.

Naruto has always thought that seven was better.