Initially I had planned on this to be a one-shot, but a friend of mine convinced me to give it a little more. And since I didn't get any reviews for it, I suppose there's nothing more to say then start the story...

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Naruto smiled as he knelt next to his favorite plant. It was the largest and oldest plant he had in his little garden. The third Hokage himself had given him the seed that it had grown from. It was a simple tomato plant, but it was the memories attached to it that made it the most valuable of all his plants.

Pulling out his watering can he gently poured the water at the base of the plant, as he watched the water his mind drifted back to what the old man had once told him.

-Flashback-

“Naruto, I have something special for your birthday. But you will have to work on it to make it grow,” Sarutobi said as he held out a tiny box, which the seven year old Naruto tore open to look inside curiously, only to find a tiny seed packet. “This will help you in your dream to be a Hokage.”

“But Jii-san, it’s just a bunch of seeds, how will this help me be a great ninja?” Naruto scoffed as he set aside the box and went back to his birthday shrimp ramen.

Pulling out a pot of soil and a tiny watering can Sarutobi smiled wisely at the child. “It may not help you be a great ninja... but it will help you be a great Hokage. It will teach you patience and how to care for another. In fact, I would bet that if you kept the plant these seeds turn into long enough, you will become the youngest Hokage ever.”

Naruto, snatched up the seed packet and tried to read the planting instructions, blushing after a few before handing it over to Sarutobi. “Can you give me a little help Jii-san?”

Sarutobi nodded as he helped the child plant the flowers and gave him instructions in how to make the plant grow.

-end flashback-

Wiping a sad tear from his eye, Naruto dusted himself off and moved onto the next plant, the child of his first. The third had been right, as he usually was in the end. Gods above how he missed the old man.

“Naruto-sama,” Hinata’s voice called from the wall, causing his head to turn. “I need to speak with you about the academy students that will be graduating this year...”

Sighing, Naruto stood up before turning back to his favorite plant. “See you tomorrow Jii-san... I miss you,” the normally loud ninja whispered respectfully before rushing on to do his job. If one were to look at one of the tomatoes, they would almost swear the third was smiling back in the reflection for a moment, before fading to the normal red shine.