I Miss You, Dad

Chapter 2: Beginnings Of Friendship

It's been a few years now, and overall, I could say that things have gone well. The kids have grown up so much by now- it fills my heart with joy. Being a father wasn't what I had expected when she had first told me, but I was more than willing, and excited, to become one.

In all my days of working, I finally managed to catch myself a break between my job as the Hokage. As long as there are no emergencies, they were able to find someone to be a temporary placement of my work while I took the day off for my kids. This was the perfect day, as Naruto and his siblings were going to have their first friend over, along with another they had met at the park one day, as Kushina had told me. I haven't met the other one, but I did meet the kid with black hair. I had come home one day to see the kid asleep beside Naruto, the other two asleep elsewhere. On that day, seemed they had tired themselves out by playing, and I was quite sad to have missed it. Even Kushina was asleep.

Today, I'll be able to make up for it, and properly be introduced to their friends.

There was a knock at the door. I see Kushina start to get up, but I wave my hands to tell her to sit back down.

"I've got it." I start making my way to the door, and I open it.

Once I opened it, I was greeted with two individuals- the young boy I had mentioned before, and a teenage one I was actually familiar with, named Itachi. He's a very skilled shinobi from the Uchiha clan, but I hadn't known he had a brother. But they look almost alike, now that I have a good look of them.

I see an expression of surprise cross the teen's face, and he speaks, saying,

"Oh! Good morning, Lord Fourth. Sasuke, say go-"

"Naruto!" The kid, supposedly named Sasuke, shouts out, and he rushes past me to run to Naruto who was behind me watching the door.

"Sasuke!" The two clash, toppling atop one another but still ended up giggling it off.

"Sasuke! Goodness, I'm so sorry, Lord Fourth-"

"Oh, no, don't worry about it! Come, come- oh, and you don't have to keep up the whole 'Lord' or 'Fourth' thing, not when you're a guest of my home. Please, refer to me as Minato." I gave the teen a smile, and he returned one to me.

I can tell he was more comfortable now, given he wouldn't be pressured to be so formal.

"Ah, I understand. Minato it is. And, thank you. Sasuke really likes his friend. . ." Itachi had glanced past me as he looked to the two kids, who were now scattering off elsewhere in the house.

I step to the side, and wave my arm in, letting Itachi know that he was free to enter. He did so, and I shut the door behind him.

"I've never been able to meet him myself. He seems like a great kid, though. I'm glad they get along so well."

He nods, staring off from where the two had disappeared from. I could just barely see them from behind the couch, now playing with their toys as Menma had come along to play as well. I stepped over to watch them, to which Kushina had stood up from where she was, on the couch, and moved over to Itachi.

"Thanks for bringing Sasuke over again, I'm so glad our children were able to make friends so soon! Would you like anything, I'd hate to leave you unsatisfied as our guest!"

I glance over to him, and I see him wave his hands gently, before saying,

"Ah- no thank you, Mrs. Namikaze. I had already eaten with our parents before coming over, and my other needs are well-taken care of."

"Very well, that is fine by me. But come, sit, sit! Don't stand around all day." She waved him along, before there was yet another knock at the door and she perked up.