14 Ch 12. Spending time with Naruto
Izana's days were mostly the same.
Wake up, go to the Academy, listen to Tanaka-sensei, learn about history, language and other Shinobi related subjects, then end of the day had arrived and he walks back home.
Like that a year has passed and Izana could finally apply for an early graduation exam. There was just nothing left to teach him at the academy. He could do most of the E, D and C-rank jutsu with ease, while others like transformation and clones were done without a problem. He could do the shadow clone, so a normal clone wasn't a problem at all.
They weren't that stingy at the Uchiha clan, as everyone was supposed to get stronger at a fast pace. Withholding techniques didn't help with that. Only the techniques that were too dangerous or caused great self harm were withheld. A senior Uchiha clan member was supposed to assess the character, mental state and strenght of the younger Uchiha before the technique could be passed on.
The graduation exam was planned next week and Izana planned to spend his time with the little Naruto who had become three recently. He'd already bought a gift for the little kid, a coupon for Ichiraku Ramen so he could eat there with a discount for a year.
Don't ask Izana how he got it, Teuchi just owed him a favor. Izana gladly used the favor for Naruto's sake as he'd heard that he had difficulties getting a meal with his monthly allowance. Izana would make sure that some of the money he'd earn from missions would be sent to Naruto so he could at least eat a decent meal. Eating take away and other greasy food wasn't a healthy diet for a small child.
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Arriving in front of Naruto's home, Izana could already smell something sour and rotting permeate through the air. The smell had spread far and wide, as other people in the appartement complex were looking around for the source. Wondering what it could be, Izana knocked on the door and waited as he heard slow footsteps coming towards the door.
As the door opened, a sad looking Naruto stood behind it. When Naruto saw Izana, his face lightened a lot, a big smile on his face.
"Izana! I really missed you!" Naruto yelled as he tightly hugged Izana, clinging to him like a small koala. Izana laughed as he ruffled Naruto's already unruly hair. He hadn't been able to visit Naruto that often when he attended the academy, only dropping by when he had a day off or was finished early with the class, so his present was also a way to make up for the lost time.
"Hey Naruto. How've you been?" Izana said, already having a faint clue.
Naruto smiled, but Izana could see a hint of sadness. "I'm fine." Naruto said, though he didn't sound all that convincing.
"Well, if you're fine, I guess you don't need my present." Izana said, looking from the corner of his eye at Naruto. The sadness he'd seen in Naruto's eyes seemed to be an illusion as Naruto immediately looked up, the word 'want' all too clear on his face to see the present Izana had brought with him.
"I want it!" Naruto yelled as he hugged Izana harder indicating how much he wanted it. "Really?" Izana said jonkingly. "Really!" Naruto yelled as he didn't seem to be able to keep in his excitement. A present was always a grand occasion for him.
"Alright, here you go." Izana said as he handed an envelope to Naruto. Naruto immediately opened it and began to yell in happiness. "Yosha!" He yelled as he jumped up and down. It seems his gift was well received.
"Well, why don't you get ready to go to Ichiraku, while I clean up here a bit. To be honest Naruto, you smell a bit like your kitchen." Izana said, as a waft of rotten milk spread into the foyer when Izana opened the kitchen door. The scent of rotting food became stronger, making it hard to suppress the need to gag.
Naruto smelled himself and quickly ran towards the bathroom to take a bath. Izana walked to Naruto's closet and pulled out the only clean pair of clothes left in his closet and placed them in the bathroom.
While Naruto was bathing, Izana made a dozen clones who helped him with cleaning Naruto's smelly apartment. One clone washed Naruto's sparse clothes, the other did the dishes, another clone cleaned the floors and the windows, while the rest threw out everything that was way past the expiration date.
When Naruto came out from the bathroom, all sparkly and clean, his apartment had also been cleaned a lot, seeming almost brand new.
"Naruto, let's get you some clothes and food too. I noticed you have little of both." Izana said, not exagerating as he only had three pairs of clothes. Naruto nodded as he was glad Izana would be with him when they went shopping. If he went alone, the shop clerks might chase him out or overprice the things he wanted to buy.
"Some new paint and furniture would do wonders as well. It really needs to brighten up in here."
Izana seemed to know what Naruto was thinking and felt really sad for him. At least Izana was still there for Naruto so that he wouldn't starve when his money ran out. But for now, he would need to see everything taken care of. Food, clothing and a refurnished apartment. He was sure aunt Mikoto would pitch in as well, seeing the state the appartment was in.
"Let's go Naruto, I bet you can eat multiple bowl of ramen now that you have that coupon." Naruto laughed happily as he ran forward towards Ichiraku. In the meantime, Izana had sent out a clone to share the intention with his aunt. It would be great to get a women's oppinion and taste in this matter.
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The shopping had went as Izana had expected. Many clerks wanted to chase him out, but were scared away by Izana when they tried. They couldn't even raise the price as Izana would stare them down, even if he was multiple heads shorter than they were.
Though a kid, Izana could be really scary if he wanted to be. Izana wouldn't know why, as Ryuujin would use his pressure every time Izana was getting annoyed or pissed of at the clerks outright outlandish behavior.
At the end of the day, Izana had filled Naruto's refrigerator, closet and spare bedding.
Clearly aunt Mikoto had passed by as well, as new furniture had replaced the old worn down ones. The walls had been repainted in a creamy white, while dark polished ebony flooring had replaced the creaky old oak wood flooring. Bigger closets had been placed, as were some pictures of Naruto's mom and dad.
The Kitched had gained some new appliances as well, such as an oven, a bigger refrigerator with freezer, with finally a dishwasher.
Naruto was really energetic and happy when he came home as he finaly felt like it was his home, if only just for a bit. He especially teared up a bit when he saw the new pictures. From the stories he had heard from Izana, he had already figured out they were his parents.
Naruto couldn't help staring at the picture, his gaze rarely averting.
"Naruto, I'll make you a meal for tomorrow, you just need to heat it up. It's really bad for you to only eat ramen, so learn to cook a bit. Even if it's only rice. Make sure you eat something balanced." Izana said as he made a quick meal for Naruto for tomorrow. While he didn't cook all that often, his days with his aunt in the kitchen surely helped him in making simple meals.
Naruto nodded as he smelled the freshly cooked food, already salivating at the smell. He wondered how it would taste. He'd never had any home cooked meals before, so he was very happy right now, even happier than he'd been with the coupon.
"Thanks Izana." Naruto said, as he felt a warmth he never felt before.
"Don't worry Naruto, I'll come back more often when I graduate." Izana said as he said goodbye and went home.
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When Izana came home, he was greeted by a happy Sasuke and a smiling Mikoto.
Izana went towards Mikoto and helped her with cooking dinner, happy to spend his evening this way, as if Mikoto was truly his mom. Mikoto enjoyed these moments as well as she felt as if she finally had a daughter she could spend time with. She wouldn't tell Izana that though. He might look a bit like a girl, long hair and baby face, but he was still a boy.
"So, did he like his new home? Me and some friends spent a lot of time on it. They were just flabbergasted when they found out he lived in such an environment."
"He loved it. Especially the picture of his parents. It was the first time he had seen them."
Izana happily hummed as grabbed some plates and began to set the table. When that was done, he called for Itachi and his uncle. Itachi came rather quickly as he already returned from his mission. Itachi had already become a Genin, but his teacher refused to let him take the Chuunin examination. Fugaku was really proud and couldn't stop talking about it.
Itachi had been more reserved as he spend more time playing with Sasuke. Izana was proud of Itachi too, as he was hailed to be the youngest prodigy. Izana was still humming when everyone was seated and started their dinner.
The scary kid that was shopping with Naruto wasn't anywhere to be seen. There was only the innocent-looking Izana who was humming and swinging from one side to the other.
"Was the rest of the day pleasant as well, Izana? Seeing you in such a great mood really brightens the mood."
Mikoto said as she too became happy just looking at him. Izana happily shared the good news, of him graduating early. He'd already told his aunt and uncle about his forgetful homeroom teacher and they had both been a bit disappointed.
Mikoto was very happy for Izana as she patted his head in affection. Izana smiled even harder as the warm feeling from her hand seemed to spread and made his whole body feel cozy. Itachi couldn't help but smile as well as he hadn't seen Izana being so happy in a long time.
Even Fugaku smiled, though only a little, at the happy display of his nephew. It was as if his worries were flowing away as only his family really mattered.
He knew he had to think for the clan, but just for today he would spend this evening enjoying the happiness of his family. He even played with Sasuke for a bit. Which, in itself was a major accomplishment, even if it was only a one-time thing.
