The rest of their walk home had been pleasant, with Naruto taking in the sights of a more matured Konoha. As they rounded a corner and began to walk up to the front of a house, Naruto realized this most have been their home. It was larger than Naruto would"ve ever expected to have when he was younger, standing at two stories tall with a wide circular shape that branched off to the side. As they entered, Boruto was quick to run off to his room. Letting Hima down, the little girl followed after her brother. Naruto watched her until she disappeared around the corner, his face content.
"How are you feeling?" Hinata asked softly as she took off her sandals, "Has anything come back to you?"
Naruto shrugged, "No."
"I see."
Leaning against the couch as Hinata crept into the kitchen, pulling out dishes from the cupboards above her, Naruto said, "I don"t think…well, I mean…I don"t want to worry about it. Or for you to. Let"s just enjoy today-"
"How can I enjoy anything when you"re like this, Naruto?" Hinata questioned from the kitchen, pulling out a bag of white rice from the pantry, "Maybe this party isn"t such a good idea?"
"Since when has anything I"ve wanted been a good idea?" Naruto asked, flashes of his life on Earth flying through his head.
Hinata froze at that. Looking up from the rice, her face was cold, "What is that supposed to mean?"
"That isn"t what I meant-"
"Elaborate then, Naruto. Because, what it sounds like is that you don"t want this, that you don"t want us." Hinata stated while gesturing to the house around them.
"This is everything I"ve ever wanted-"
"Then why are you acting like you don"t want to be here?"
"Because I shouldn"t be here!" Naruto insisted, flinching at his tone. Taking in a calming breath, he said, "Even if I"m wrong, I feel like I"m missing something. I feel like I"m an intruder on someone else"s life."
"But you"re not-"
"That doesn"t change how I feel, Hinata." He insisted, desperate for her to understand. Running his hands through his hair, he said, "It feels like everything"s fleeting. Like I"m on a timer and I only have a limited amount of time before all of this is gone."
Walking over to her, he rested his hands on her shoulders, "So please, for me, just let me have this one day. Let me have this one good day. And if we wake up in the morning, and everything"s still s.h.i.t…well I"m sure we"ll think of something. But just give me until then to enjoy what I can. Please."
Hinata bit her lip. Finally, she relented, "Tomorrow morning we go straight back to the hospital, okay?"
"Deal."
-x-
"Naruto Uzumaki, you son of a b.i.t.c.h!"
A boisterous voice broke out from across the front lawn. Naruto, who was setting up the grill, straightened to see Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame walking up the lawn towards him. To Kiba"s right was a pretty brunette that Naruto briefly recognized. A trotting behind the three, Akamaru panted happily, the ma.s.sive canine having gotten even bigger in the pa.s.sed seven years.
"Kiba, Akamaru!" Naruto called. Meeting them halfway, he wrapped the Inuzuka in a bearhug. The man was quick to reciprocate, giving the blonde a rough pat on the back.
As Naruto released Kiba from the hug, the Inuzuka said, "You remember Tamaki."
Tamaki gave a light bow, "It"s been a while, Naruto."
"Right, Tamaki, of course. It"s good to see you too." Naruto said happily as got down to Akamaru"s level, giving the dog"s ears a thorough scratching, much to his pleasure, "How"re you doin" boy?"
Akamaru gave a mighty woof, his tail wagging at a blur.
"I hope you have not forgotten about me again, Naruto." Shino stated coolly.
"Like I could forget you." Naruto exclaimed, about to go in for a hug. He was stopped by Shino jutting his hand out in between them.
"A handshake is what is appropriate, I believe. You are the next Hokage, after all." Shina stated stoically, "If the word around the Administration Building is to be believed."
Kiba clapped Naruto on the back, "I couldn"t believe it when Lord Sixth told me! Congratulations, man!"
"To say it was unbelievable is a bit of an exaggeration." Shina observed, straightening his shades, "It is a fact that Naruto is currently the most powerful shin.o.bi within the village. Those shin.o.bi within the greater confines of the Elemental Nations who are considered within Naruto"s caliber can be counted on one hand."
"In Shino speak, Naruto"s the strongest around." Tamaki translated, though for who Naruto couldn"t say.
Shino shifted to look at Kiba, "Question. Why is it that the Lord Hokage debriefed you of this, but neglected to do so with me?"
Before Kiba could answer, a thunderous voice broke out from the other side of the lawn. Trotting up to them merrily, Choji Akamichi bellowed, "I brought the meat!" In his arms was a large container of various meats.
Following behind him was a troupe consisting of Karui, and a little girl who was the literal amalgamation the ma.s.sive man and the constantly agitated woman. The little girl, who Hinata told him was named Chocho, was holding a smaller version of the container her father was carrying.
Walking a few paces behind them, Shikamaru and Temari Nara followed at a leisurely pace. Holding Shikamaru"s hand, young Shikadai seemed to be getting over a recent nap. Rubbing away the sleep from his eye, the boy seemed to be on the verge of a yawn that just wouldn"t come. In Temari"s hands was a bag that appeared to be full of liquor.
"Meat!" The little girl called out joyfully, lifting the container up over her head as she reached Naruto.
Taking the meat, Naruto said, "Thank you, Chocho."
"Need help getting the grill runnin"?" Choji asked, his eyes having immediately landed on the still static grill.
Karui sighed, taking her daughter"s hand as she began to head into the house, "Please remember that we"re guests here, dear. We wouldn"t want another Atsui incident, would we?"
Choji gave a sheepish smile, "Of course, dear."
"Atsui incident?" Kiba questioned.
"Trust me, don"t ask." Shikamaru muttered as he finally made it up to the ever-growing group. Taking Naruto"s hand in a surprisingly firm shake, the man said, "Congratulations, Lord Hokage."
Naruto chuckled nervously, "I"m not Hokage yet, but thanks."
The Nara tilted his head to his wife, "We brought a gift."
All attention now on her, Temari tilted the bag to show its contents, "Special Suna sake, the good stuff."
"Isn"t that the stuff Suna kids call Racc.o.o.n p.i.s.s?" Tamaki asked with a concerned sarcasm.
"That"s the stuff we give to foreigners." Temari returned before addressing Naruto, "Gaara gives his best, by the way."
"How"s he doing?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious.
"He"s doing well. He"s occupying most of his time with that new apprentice of his. He hopes he might be coming out to Konoha for a quick session with Lord Sixth at the end of the month. I think he"s looking for some tips in how to handle the boy"s more…abrasive tendencies." Temari informed. Nodding to the house, she asked, "Hinata inside?"
"Yeah, she"s in with Ino and Sai." Naruto answered.
As Temari and Shikadai walked towards the house, the woman said, "Come on Shikamaru, let"s go say h.e.l.lo to the rest of our hosts."
Sighing, Shikamaru scratched at his chin, "I wonder if it"s too early to open up that sake."
Kiba and Tamaki smiled, "It"s five o"clock somewhere." The Inuzuka said.
The Nara sighed as he headed towards the house, "It"s five o"clock here, you d.a.m.n mutt."
While Tamaki laughed at Kiba"s indignant reaction, Naruto said, "So Choji, think you can help me…" He stopped when he realized Choji wasn"t standing next to him anymore. Looking around, the man seemed to have teleported to the grill.
As he reached the grill, Boruto and the son of Sai and Ino burst out from the front door, both laughing as their chase carried out into the front lawn. The young boy, who Hinata said was named Inojin, managed to tackle Boruto to the ground. Still laughing, the boys got up, though now it was Boruto"s turn to do the chasing.
"This a gas or charcoal grill?" Choji wondered as he tied the laces of an ap.r.o.n around his back that read, "Don"t Kiss Me, I"m Cooking."
"Um, I don"t know?" The blonde said hopelessly, scratching the back of his head.
Naruto never thought he"d ever see Choji again, much less for the man to give him such an incredulous look at such a level.
-x-
Inside the house, Hinata and Sai finished preparing the onigiri in the kitchen. Her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, the Uzumaki wiped off her hands as she said, "I still can"t believe you"re such a good cook, Sai."
"A necessary skill." Sai said with his ever-present smile, "Cooking was never one of Ino"s strong suits."
"I heard that!" Ino called out from the living room, her eyes on little Himawari. The little girl was lying on her stomach, crayon in hand as she scribbled onto a piece of paper. Running behind her, her son chased after Boruto with a toy kunai, "Inojin, no rough housing inside." She chastised pa.s.sed her gla.s.s of tea.
"Yes ma"am!" The little boy said, the two boys taking their fun to the front lawn outside. Coming inside right after them, Shikamaru and his family stepped in. Shikadai, who"d watched the two boys run off pa.s.sed him, looked up to his mother with pleading eyes.
Shooing him away with a slight smile, she watched as the usually sloth-like boy ran after his friends.
Karui, who was sitting across from Ino on the love seat, looked down at her daughter who was sitting next to her, "Chocho, why don"t you go play with the boys outside?"
Chocho shrunk into herself, "I"m gonna wait "till Sarada gets here, Mama."
With a sigh, Karui took a sip of her own gla.s.s, "Well she"s gonna be here any minute now, so go on ahead and go outside."
Dejected, Chocho mewled, "But Mam"
"Go on Chocho." Karui insisted, "If you don"t, I"ll just have to tell Sakura not to let you have any of her delicious treats that she"s bringing over."
"What kinda treats?" Chocho asked, delightfully curious.
"Mitarashi dango." Karui cooed, knowing she had her daughter in the palm of her hand.
Jumping from her seat, Chocho ran off outside with an excited smile over the prospect of glazed dango.
Ino"s brow was raised, sporting an amused grin, "I thought Sakura was bringing a potato salad?"
"Oh, she is? How foolish of me." Karui muttered pa.s.sed her gla.s.s with a coy smile.
Shikamaru, leaning on the kitchen counter, opened up a bottle of beer as he said, "So, First Lady Hinata has a nice ring to it. A little bit of a mouthful, but I think I can get used to it."
Hinata laughed, "Hinata"s just fine, Shikamaru. I left all of that t.i.tle business after I forfeited the t.i.tles that went with being an heiress. The less drama, the better I think."
The man grunted, "Lucky you. Clan meetings haven"t gotten any livelier in the time you left it behind."
"Don"t act like you"ve been to a single meeting in the past couple years." Temari muttered, swiping the beer from her husband"s hand and taking a sip for herself. Seeing his glowering look, she gave a challenging smirk of her own, "If you can tell me what we talked about three meetings ago, I"ll give it back."
Shikamaru attempted a stare off for barely a second before rubbing his brow, "Troublesome woman."
Satisfied, Temari took another swig of her husband"s beer.
Taking another bottle from the fridge, Shikamaru opened it with a pop while saying, "To be honest, I don"t think it"s quite hit Naruto yet that he"s got the job."
Hinata paused, forcing a curious face, "What makes you say that?"
"The guy"s been talking about this for decades now. Kinda figured he"d be running around screaming it from the rooftops or something." The Nara stated, taking a sip.
"He"s matured, Shikamaru." When the room grew quiet, she saw that the others were giving her slightly bewildered looks, "He has." She insisted.
Sai, washing his hands, said, "Naruto has indeed matured greatly."
Shikamaru nodded along, "Greatly."
"But I too was surprised to see how reserved he was at the news." Sai admitted, wiping his hands dry.
"Surprised." Shikamaru added not so helpfully with a raise of his bottle.
Hinata, balancing a plate of onigiri, left the kitchen as she said, "Well, we all know that Naruto"s just full of surprises."
The other three couldn"t help but agree to that.
-x-
Naruto manned the grill with Choji, flipping some beef as he laughed at Kiba, the boisterous man having been tackled by Inojin, Chocho, and Shikadai. All while Boruto road Akamaru like a horse across the lawn. Steering Akamaru towards Kiba, the two happily joined in on the dogpile.
Choji, his full attention on the beef sizzling on the grill, said with a calm seriousness, "The one on the left needs to be flipped, the one next to it a little after."
"Sure thing." The Uzumaki followed the Akamichi"s order, "Thanks for bringing the meat by the way."
"You know it"s Akamichi tradition to bring the meat to any kind of barbeque event." Choji said sagely, "It is my duty to feed my fellow shin.o.bi."
"Well I"m gonna miss your cooking, buddy." Naruto thought aloud, causing Choji to give him a confused glance. He quickly shrugged it off as he pointed out another slab of beef that needed to be flipped.
Kiba, popping out of from the dogpile, whined, "Get off me, dammit!"
This caused a chain reaction, all four children giving a simultaneous, "Ooooo." At Kiba"s use of bad language.
Inojin, his arms wrapped loosely around Kiba"s neck, laughed as he said, "Kiba said a curse word, Kiba said a curse word!"
"Someone grab some soap." Shikadai added happily from the pile.
"And some water, we"ll give him a bath too." Chocho giggled out.
A vein was throbbing along Kiba"s temple, "Keep talking tough and Uncle Kiba"s gonna give you all a spanking."
"Since when did you start letting them call you Uncle Kiba?"
Chocho, who"d been at the bottom of the dogpile, shot up at attention. Coming up onto the lawn were Sakura and Sarada Uchiha, the pinkette holding a enclosed pot in her hands.
"Sarada!" The little Akamichi girl said excitedly, wrapping her best friend into a tight hug.
The little Uchiha struggled to speak while in the Akamichi"s grip, "Chocho…can"t…breath."
Letting go of her, Chocho"s attention quickly fell onto Sakura, "Did you bring the dango?" She asked hopefully.
"Dango?" Sakura questioned.
"The dango!" Chocho insisted.
Walking pa.s.sed the little girl, the pickette laughed, "I"m sorry Chocho, I didn"t bring any dango. I made some potato salad though."
"No dango?" The girl said, clearly devastated. Her emotional turmoil was interrupted by the toy kunai pelting her in the arm. With a twitch to her eye, Chocho turned to see Shikadai, the boy giving her a surprised yet lazy wave.
Seeing her agitated reaction, the boy smartly dashed off, the other two boys laughing as Chocho chased after him with a gusto.
Sarada, now left alone at the beginning of the front lawn, looked over all the people loitering about. Kiba had meandered back to where the adults were hovering. Her mother had walked inside to drop off the potato salad. Tamaki was sitting on a lawn chair, laughing at Kiba as she handed him a beer. Shino stood off to the side, petting a tired Akamaru. Chocho"s dad was guarding the grill, his full attention on the almost ready meat. Shikadai"s dad had walked outside, lazily leaning against one of the verandah"s support beams watching the children run after each other.
Finally, her eyes landed on Mr. Uzumaki, their eyes locking. His face seemed lost. His eyes, though looking directly at her, seemed to be a million miles away. But it was his smile that hit her. It was a smile she"d seen him have when talked to Sakura about their childhood, about her father.
"Hey, Sarada!"
The girl jumped when the man called out to her, waving for her to come over with a welcoming smile.
Nervously shifting on her feet, she eventually did as the man asked. Now standing in front of him, she fixed her gla.s.ses while mumbling a, "Yes?"
"How would you like to help me out?" Naruto asked breezily, taking in the girl as she nervously fidgeted, "I mean, you"re as strong as your mama, aren"t ya?"
"We-well I…"
"Of course you are!" Naruto insisted happily.
"Um, okay." Sarada conceded/
"Do you think you could hold this plate for me?" Naruto asked, handing her the plate, "I need someone to hold it so I can take "em off the grill. Think you can do that?"
"Ah-huh." Sarada answered, holding the plate up in her hands.
Grabbing the grill"s fork, Naruto, with Choji"s expert guidance, picked up the pieces of beef one by one. Sarada watched keenly, looking up at the man as he went about his work. Finally, the last piece was placed onto the plate. Taking it off her hands, Naruto rested his free hand onto the top of her head.
"Thanks a million, kid." He said as he ruffled her hair, accidently tilting her gla.s.ses askew.
She didn"t bother fixing her them, too busy watching the man take the plate inside in a wonderous confusion.
-x-
Naruto accidently found himself standing on the outskirts of the party, lost in thought as he watched his old friends interact as they ate.
Shikamaru and his son were lackadaisically leaning against each other, eating their food at a sloth"s pace. Temari was sitting next to Karui, the two stern women talking about something that was going on in Kirigakure. Choji and Chocho were enjoying themselves, the two Akamichi in perfect sync as they practically worshipped the deliciousness of their meal. Sai and Ino sat shoulder to shoulder, the blonde-haired beauty feeding her husband one of her onigiri, much to Inojin"s embarra.s.sment. Said boy was sitting across from Boruto at the kitchen table, the two of them laughing at a joke Kiba made. Sakura and Takami were chatting with Hinata, the three intently gossiping over something Naruto a.s.sumed was trivial.
As he sat and watched all of them, people who he"d thought he"d never see again, he realized what that weight in his chest was. It wasn"t sadness, or nostalgia, or even happiness. It was contentment. For the first time in his life, he truly felt content.
And with this revelation, he felt the floor begin to bottom out on him again, the room spinning at an increasing pace.
Backing out into the open patio door and making sure he was a good distance away, Naruto took advantage of the open air. Taking deep breaths in and out, Naruto rubbed the haziness from his eyes. As the panic in his breath began to fade, he closed his eyes tight as he thought, "Get ahold of yourself, idiot. Don"t ruin this. Don"t f.u.c.king ruin this, you f.u.c.king idiot."
"I don"t think you"re an idiot."
Naruto jumped at the small voice at his side. Sitting next to him, Sarada Uchiha looked up at him from her plate. Cross legged in the gra.s.s, the little girl had her plate in her lap. She appeared to be picking at the vegetables her mother had given her, specifically the tomatoes.
"What?" Naruto wondered, flinching at how raspy his voice was.
The girl shrank down into herself a bit, "Well, um…I said I don"t think you"re an idiot, Mr. Uzumaki."
Realizing he"d been talking out loud, Naruto cursed under his breath. Running his hand over his hair he said, "You can call me Naruto, kid."
"Well, you can call me Sarada. Not kid." The little Uchiha returned, making Naruto smile.
Sitting down across from her in a similar cross-legged pose, Naruto picked up a piece of tomato the girl had been picking at. Popping it in his mouth, he slowly chewed in thought as he said, "You"re pretty smart, huh?"
"That"s what my mama says." Sarada answered.
"What about your dad?"
Pressing her gla.s.ses up her nose, she shrugged, "I don"t know."
Startled, Naruto asked, "You don"t know?"
"I don"t know what he thinks." The Uchiha elaborated softly, "He"s been on a mission for a long time. I don"t remember him that much."
"A mission huh." Naruto concluded, looking back at the house from his peripheral, "Why aren"t you in there with everybody else?"
She shrugged.
Naruto, quietly observing her, frowned in thought. Picking up another piece of tomato from her plate, he popped it into his mouth as he leaned back onto his hands.
"I get what you"re feeling."
Confused, Sarada said, "Feeling?"
Nodding along, Naruto swallowed before saying, "You bein" out here, I mean. I get it."
"You do?"
"Of course. I know what it"s like to grow up without a parent around, and having to watch other kids be with theirs right in front of you. It"s a terrible feeling, right?" Naruto said warmly.
Sarada nodded, engrossed in that warmth.
"And then that feeling gets so bad you just got to get away from it for a bit. But then, you find yourself alone more than you were, and the feeling comes back only worse." The blonde explained, now leaning forward as he spoke to the little girl.
"Does it go away?"
The Uzumaki nodded, "Eventually. But you"ve gotta put yourself out there. You"ve got to make friends who make that feeling go away when you"re with them. And eventually, they become your family. But if you want that, you"ve gotta be brave." Smiling, Naruto said, "And I know you"re brave. Cause you"re like me."
Sarada was quiet for a moment, picking at a blade of gra.s.s in thought. Eventually she asked, "What were your parents like?"
"I don"t know, they pa.s.sed away when I was a baby." He answered gently.
"Then how do you know they loved you?"
Naruto knew what question she was really asking. Releasing a musing breath, Naruto looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, and the sky had taken on a orangish hue, "I didn"t know that, not for a long time. When I was a kid, I"d make up stories about them in my head, so I always had a reason for myself for why I was alone. But it never stopped me from asking that question. And you wanna know something that no one bothered to tell me when I was your age?"
She nodded.
"That your parents will always love you. They might not show it all the time, or ever. But they do, forever. In life and death, if they"re right next to you or a country away, they will always care for you." Nudging her teasingly, he said, "You"re just lucky you got an idiot around like me to tell ya that."
Laughing, Sarada wiped away her eye with her sleeve, "I told you you"re not an idiot."
Happy to see the girl laugh, he chuckled, "If see the b.a.s.t.a.r.d before I wake up - oof!"
He grunted as a blur tackled him, wrapping their arms around his head with a heavy giggle, "Papa"s a froggy!" Himawari chanted happily, digging her heals into Naruto side to get him moving.
"He"s a toad, Hima!" Boruto corrected merrily as he ran out onto the patio.
"Toads jump!" Himawari conceded, changing her chant.
Getting the message, Naruto grinned.
Sending chakra to his legs and to the girl so she was glued to his back, Naruto sprung up high into the air. Himawar giggled and squealed into his ear as they reached the apex of their jump. Sending a quick burst of wind chakra out bellow him, his descent transcended into a cushioned landing.
"Again, again!" The little girl requested, her hair a mess from the sudden liftoff.
"No way, it"s my turn." Boruto whined, which was quickly followed by the other kids, minus Sarada who was looking on in wonder, all of them wanting to go on a trip into the air.
"One at a time, alright?" Naruto laughed, the kids surrounding him as they made a bid for a turn.
Hinata, standing alongside Sakura as they watched Naruto play with the children, said "He"s acting a little more like himself."
"Not counting the episode he seemed to have a few minutes ago." Sakura muttered into her gla.s.s of tea, "It looked like he was about to have another panic attack. And I wasn"t the only one who noticed. The entire Nara clan picked up on it pretty quick. Not that surprising, but still."
Likely having hoped no one else had seen that, Hinata fiddled with the gla.s.s in her hands, "He got a grip of it. You heard what he said to her."
"Yeah." Sakura admitted, "It was very sweet."
"Did you hear back from him?"
"No."
"I see. That"s a shame."
After a quick set of knocks, the front door opened, Kakashi peaking his head inside, "We open up the booze yet?"
-x-
"Just admit that I almost beat your a.s.s, blondie!"
Naruto laughed with a lighthearted scoff at Kiba"s claim, "When you admit you got beat by a fart, sure." He challenged.
The kids had gone up to play some kind of game in Boruto"s room, leaving the adults to open up the liquor. The only child still outside was Himawari, but she was practically pa.s.sed out in Naruto"s lap, her head dipping back and forth as she fought off sleep.
Arriving after Kakashi"s arrival came Tsunade and Shizune, followed by Rock Lee, Ten Ten, and Might Guy. Naruto was surprised to see Guy confined to a wheelchair, though considering the damage he"d taken in his fight with Madara, he was lucky to be alive at all. His always on positivity kept him from pitying the man, his exuberance negating any of that in almost an instant.
"You didn"t tell me he beat you with a fart." Tamaki questioned, taking the cup she"d been sharing with the Inuzuka.
"It wasn"t "
"It was a fart." Chorused everyone who"d been present for the fight.
Kiba huffed, "You"re all acting like mine was the most embarra.s.sing."
"What was more embarra.s.sing than that?" Ino asked while sipping at her sake.
Kiba raised a deliberate eyebrow, "You"re asking that? Really?"
Ino and Kiba had a momentary stare off before the blonde relented, "Touché." Slipping her drink back, she said, "I think Lady Tsunade and Shizune know better than anyone how helpless we were back then."
Tsunade chortled, "At least you had your clan stuff to fall back on. Pinky over there was the cleanest slate I"d ever seen. No taijutsu, barely any nin or genjutu. I was embarra.s.sed for her, really."
"I"m glad to hear what you used to think of me, sensei." Sakura mumbled sorely
"It"s a sign of love." Tsunade insisted halfheartedly.
Shizune sighed, "Who"s idea was it to bring the Suna born sake?"
"That really a question we need to ask?" Temari asked sarcastically.
Lee, who was standing next his sensei, began to reach for the bottle of sake, "Is Suna"s sake truly more youthful than those here in Konoha?" Just as his fingers were about to glance the bottle, Guy swiped it out from under him.
Pouring some into his gla.s.s, the man said, "Destroying our future Hokage"s home is very lacking in youthfulness, my dear student."
Deflating, Lee muttered, "Forgive me sensei."
Tenten, leaning back in the gra.s.s, lifted her cup into Naruto"s direction, "So how"s it feel knowing your mug"s gonna be up on that mountain?"
"It"s kinda weird to think about." Naruto admitted softly, Himawari nodding off in his arms.
"Oh come on." Tenten insisted, "The first time we met you wouldn"t stop screaming about it. And now here you are, your dream"s coming true, and you don"t know what to think about it? Come on."
"That"s weak sauce, man." Choji chastised half-heartedly.
"Back when we met you"d have been yelling about it so loud the people in k.u.mo would"ve heard about it." Karui stated, pouring some of the sake into her cup before continuing to pa.s.s it around.
"And Suna." Temari added.
"Didn"t you beat him to a pulp the first time you met?" Shino asked Karui only to be ignore as the running joke continued.
"Kiri too, probably." Kiba included helpfully.
Shikamaru grunted as he was handed the sake, "In other words, the entire Elemental Nations."
"Except perhaps Takigakure." Sai offered hypothetically, not quite getting the context of their sarcasm as he took the bottle, "The roar of the waterfalls would likely have inhibited the yells enough to have made it impossible for them to have heard it."
Naruto"s brow was twitching, "I get it guys."
Kakashi, who was sitting on the front steps lazily, straightened up as he said, "Speaking from experience, it doesn"t really hit you that you"ve been appointed until you get the hat and the chair. Everything comes into perspective once you get the ensemble."
"And what experience is that?" Tsunade questioned, "Last I heard, you"ve been having Shadow Clones do all the dirty work while you galivant around with your p.o.r.n."
"If you didn"t think of using clones to do your menial work, you simply lacked the enthusiasm I have for procrastination." Kakashi quipped, "Or maybe it"s jealousy I hear?"
"d.a.m.n right I am!" Tsunade cursed, "You know what I coulda done with that technique when I was in office?"
"Gamble?" Shizune asked rhetorically.
"Drink?" Questioned Sakura at the same time as her fellow apprentice.
Tsunade grumbled something under her breath before taking a swig of her drink.
Guy shook his head at Kakashi in disappointment, "To think that you"d abuse both your position and that technique to do something as wasteful as reading p.o.r.nography. You are truly lacking in youth, old friend."
"You say something Guy?"
Knowing what was to come, Lee said exuberantly, "I am sure that our youthful Naruto would not abuse his power in such a way!"
Kiba snorted, "I"m not gonna be surprised to hear his first act as a Kage is to change our uniform colors to orange and blue."
"Or integrate the Ichiraku Ramen chain into all available nations and hidden villages." Choji said, hope peeking through.
Shikamaru laughed, "If my kid comes home with homework on how to properly prank an authority figure without getting caught, you know it was the Seventh Hokage."
"If the Clone Jutsu exam is taken out of the Academy curriculum, you know it was the Seventh Hokage." Shino said, continuing the streak.
As the group laughed at the jokes being pa.s.sed around, Naruto smiled in thought.
When the laughter faded, and a comfortable silence filled the lawn, the blonde muttered, "I think I"d like to start a government funded foster care program."
He was met with a surprised silence.
When no one said anything, Naruto looked down at the girl that was apparently his daughter, "The shin.o.bi villages have orphanage programs for the children whose parents were killed in action, but I know better than anyone how it"s not the best place for a kid. If a kid"s like me and doesn"t want to live in an orphanage for a good chunk of their life, they only have two options: live with a relative or live alone. The village isn"t comfortable letting a child live with just anyone, and prefers they live with a close relative who they know to be reliable. But when you have kids like me or Sasuke who literally have no one, then there isn"t another option but to live alone. You get a government stipend sure, but that"s no way for someone to grow up. Just imagine what would"ve happened if Sasuke or I had had a foster family looking after us. If he"d had that support and love, maybe he"d never have done what he did. I can only imagine what it"d have been like for me."
Shikamaru scratched his chin, "That"s actually a pretty good idea."
Kakashi nodded, "It"s been thrown around to develop something similar, but the past couple decades have been nothing but dealing with one catastrophe after another."
"The Third Hokage had to deal with the fallout of the first three Great Wars, the Hyuga/k.u.mo incident, and the Nine Tails attack." Shizue counted off, "Then Lady Tsunade had to deal with the Konoha Crash, Sasuke"s betrayal, Pain"s attack, and the beginning of the Fourth Great War; and then Kakashi"s been dealing with the messy fallout of that war and the new shifts in the balance of power across the Elemental Nations. It"s not surprising that something so comparably mundane would be put on the back burner."
Sakura smiled at her friend, "It"s a great idea, Naruto."
Scratching the back of his head, he smiled bashfully, "Thanks."
Kiba leaned back in his chair, "Well d.a.m.n, the kid might actually do a good job."
"If you ever think you can do a better job, let me know." Naruto offered with a sarcastic sincerity, "I"ll be happy to fart in your face again."
"Hardy har har."
-x-
As the night went on, the party began to slowly disperse one by one. Kakashi was the first the leave, stating that tomorrow would be a busy day at the office and for Naruto to report early that morning for some early walkthroughs. The rest slowly filtered out one after the other, each giving Naruto one last congratulations. Naruto was at a loss for words with each of them, unwilling to say goodbye for fear of it being the truly final farewell. Instead he simply gave each a hug, not caring how put out it might have made any of them.
The only four remaining were Sakura, Sarada, Shizune and Tsunade.
Tsunade, her cheeks flushed, held herself up like a true champion. Standing in the doorway, she gave Naruto her parting words, "Come down to the hospital first thing in the morning. I don"t care if Kakashi expects you, this is far more important. If he has a problem with it, he"s more than welcome to come down for a visit."
Shizune, who"d been trying to discreetly guide her mentor home for the past couple hours, said, "Lady Tsunade, it"s getting late."
"I know that already dammit." Tsunade said with a twitch of her brow. Taking a moment, she looked the man over, "How"re you feeling?"
"I"m doing as fine as I can." Naruto answered as smoothly as he could.
"Any returning memories?"
"A few." Naruto lied.
"Good." Tsunade sighed in relief, "We"ll go over them first thing tomorrow."
"I look forward to it."
"Well this is goodbye then." As she turned to leave, she was held in place as Naruto took her into his arms.
"I love you, Granny."
Shizune gasped, and Tsunade froze. As she returned his hug, she whispered, "You know how I feel about you, ya d.a.m.n brat."
Letting go of each other, Tsunade exited the Uzumaki household. As they reached the street, Naruto called out one last time.
"I hope I"ll see you tomorrow."
Tsunade smiled, giving one last wave goodbye.
"I"ll think we"re gonna leave too, Naruto." Walking up behind him, Sakura held a tired Sarada in her arms as she gave a departing smile.
As she walked pa.s.sed him, he grabbed her wrist.
"You know you"re my best friend, right?"
Sakura chuckled, shifting her daughter in her arms, "You"re talking like we"re not gonna see each other again." Naruto didn"t respond, though the hurt in his eyes made her say, "We"re gonna see each other again, Naruto. I promise."
"Could you just humor me…and act like we"re not?"
She tilted her head, "What?"
"If this were the last time we ever saw each other, what would you say?" Naruto asked sincerely.
She hesitated for a moment, struggling with the idea. Finally, she quietly answered, "I"d tell you that you"re an idiot. That you"re the most stupid, asinine man I have ever known. Because with you and me, it"s never goodbye, you idiot. We"ll always be with each other. Forever. "Cause you"re my best friend."
Swallowing the saliva and sadness building within his throat, Naruto chuckled out, "That"s sounds about right."
Smiling, Sakura silently exited the home. Sarada, looking over her mother"s shoulder, waved a tired goodbye. Naruto returned it, watching the duo until they faded out of sight.
Closing the door with a subtle click, Naruto sighed as his shoulder"s relaxed. They suddenly tensed at the feeling of someone pulling at his pant leg.
Below him, Boruto rubbed tiredly at his eye, "Shikadai asked if I could come and play at his house tomorrow. Can you take me?"
Naruto forced a smile, "Sure, buddy."
"Boruto, make sure you pick up your toys before you go to bed dear." Hinata called from the kitchen, the woman closing the fridge after placing the leftovers inside.
"Okay." The boy relented tiredly, walking into the living room to pick up the toys he and his friends had been playing with.
Following him into the living room, Naruto came up to the loveseat. Curled up in a ball, Himawari slept peacefully. Jiraiya had slipped out of her fingers to the ground bellow. Picking up the toy, Naruto dusted it off.
Careful so he didn"t wake her up, he slowly lifted her up off the seat. Though she stirred slightly, she quickly cuddled into his arms as she fell back to sleep. Rocking her back and forth, he couldn"t keep the smile off his face.
"Want me to take her?"
Naruto looked at Hinata over his shoulder, seeing the tender smile on her face, "No, I got it."
Creeping up the stairs, Naruto slowly trekked through the hallway in search of her room. Finding it, he pushed the door as it released a subtle creak. Tiptoeing inside, he smiled at the purple colored décor. With his free hand, he silently pulled back the covers to her crib.
But as he stood there, he couldn"t bring himself to placing her inside. He just wanted to hold her, to feel her, for a little bit longer. Rocking her in his arms, he laughed emotionlessly, "You"re making this hard to give up."
Kissing the crown of her head, he gently whispered into her ear, "Please be real. Otherwise, I don"t know if I could let you go."
Pressing his head to hers lovingly, he finally relented and set her down gracefully into the crib. Tucking her it, he ran his hands along her face, brushing strands of hair out of the way.
"Dad, someone"s here to see you!"
Quickly walking down to the lower floor, Naruto raised an eyebrow at the open door. Walking through, he was greeted to the sight of Sasuke Uchiha holding off an angry Boruto, the boy doing his best to throw a punch at the much taller man. Sasuke pushed him back with his hand on the boy"s head, keeping at bay with a comical ease.
"Boruto, what"re you doing?" Naruto asked the boy as he came outside.
Boruto, his voice exerted as he threw one punch after the other, grunted, "This b.a.s.t.a.r.d makes Sarada cry!"
"Boruto!" Hinata called out from inside, "What have I said about that language?"
"But Mam"
"Go inside Boruto."
Looking up at Naruto, the boy complained, "But Dad, I almost got "em!"
"Boruto, please. Go inside."
After hearing his father"s firm command, Boruto stopped his barrage. Swatting Sasuke"s hand off his head, he gave the older man a quick and heavy glare before doing as his father said.
As Naruto closed the door behind him, Sasuke looked his friend over.
Naruto returned the look, his expression blank as he waited for the Uchiha to break the silence.
Sasuke obliged, opening his mouth to speak.
Thwack!
Only to shut it as Naruto punched him straight in the face. Stumbling back, Sasuke reached up to where he"d been hit out of reflex. Looking down at his palm, he put it away with the lack of blood.
Shaking off his hand, Naruto grunted, "That"s for you did to Sakura, b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
"I suppose I deserved it then, loser."
Hearing that word, an overwhelming sense of happiness filled Naruto"s chest. Grabbing the man opposite him, he pulled him into a hug. Sasuke didn"t return it, though he didn"t fight it either.
Releasing him, Naruto asked, "What"re you doin" here? I thought you were on a mission or something."
"Sakura asked me to come." Sasuke answered stoically, smoothing out his cloak.
As he did, Naruto took him in fully. He"d aged just as well as their cla.s.smates, though of all of them he seemed to have matured the most. His hair had flattened down, his bangs covering his left eye. He was wearing a dark purple cloak, the bottom licking his calves.
"What"d she tell you?" Naruto asked.
"That you"d woken up believing a dream was reality, and reality was a dream." Sasuke answered smoothly, "She wondered if a genjutsu they couldn"t detect could be responsible, however unlikely. If not, she"d hoped me talking to you would stir something up. She said something about how we"re always riling each other up, whatever that means."
"Oh." Naruto said simply, scratching his cheek, "So what, you gonna Sharingan me or something?"
"I already did, several hours ago."
His eyes narrowed, "Why didn"t you show yourself?"
"I"m here to see what I can do about your condition." Sasuke answered emotionlessly, "My mission outside the village is still my main priority. Had I made my presence known, it would"ve been difficult to exit the village as soon as possible."
"Difficult for your family, or for you?"
"…Both."
Naruto scoffed, "You"re such a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Your daughter is hurting, your wife is hurting. f.u.c.k the mission. Just do what you know you want to do and go to them."
Sasuke shifted, "I didn"t detect any genjutsu with the Rinnegan. Likely it is something beyond my scope. I"d suggest intensive visits with the Senju and Sakura."
"Then what"re you doing here?"
The Uchiha blinked, "I don"t understand-"
"You can give them a day, Sasuke." Naruto said, smiling at his brother, "Trust me, one day is all any one ever needs."
A pause came between them, the Uchiha shifting uncharacteristically.
"And if they don"t want me there?" Sasuke demanded, "They should hate me for being gone, for leaving."
"I didn"t hate you when you left before." Naruto said, "And Sakura never hated you, then or now. She just misses you. And all your daughter wants is to know you. Is that really asking so much? What would you have done for just one day with your family?"
Sasuke stared at him, his dark eyes burrowing into Naruto"s brain as he glared intensely at the blonde"s words.
And then, he chuckled, causing Naruto to stop in surprise, "I suppose a broken clock can be right twice a day." The Uchiha muttered.
Naruto tilted his head, "What?"
"Never mind, idiot."
"Just get the h.e.l.l out of here, ya b.a.s.t.a.r.d."
Scoffing in his usual fashion, Sasuke turned to leave, "Thank you for what you said to her, Naruto."
He shrugged, "I"m sure you"d so the same for Boruto or Hima. We"re family, after all."
"Maybe I"ll have to return the favor then. That kid of yours is as hopeless as you were back then." The Uchiha said as he began to walk away.
"Then maybe I should take Sarada under my wing, see whose student turns out the strongest. After all, every new generation surpa.s.ses the one before." Naruto shot back.
Sasuke gave a departing wave, his body dissolving into a flock of crows, "Challenge accepted, loser."
As the crows dispersed into the ether, a sad smile crept onto Naruto"s face, "If only."
-x-
Naruto stood on the patio, looking up at the stars. It"s weird what little things he missed. The smell of Konoha"s night air, the sound of its trees bustling, the feel of its smooth breeze. Sage, it felt so real. He wanted it to be real. After today, he practically needed it to be. Maybe he"d go to bed and wake up to this family, to this life. Maybe his memories would come back, if only enough for him to remember what"s important. His wedding, the births of his children, their first steps, their first words. G.o.d what he wouldn"t do to have known what that felt like.
He could feel the love they had for him, the absolute adoration they felt. Sage how he felt it. And their feelings forged a feeling of his own.
Guilt.
Guilt that he could think their love wasn"t real, that they weren"t real. This guilt was festering, bubbling up into his chest. He hated it.
"Do you want to tuck Boruto into bed?"
Naruto didn"t turn around, still looking up at the stars, "Yeah, I"d like that."
Arms wrapped around his stomach, Hinata pressing herself up into his back. Resting her head at the nape of his neck, she spoke into his shirt, "Did you have a good day?"
"It was the best day of my life." He breathed easily
She smiled, "I"m glad. But the day"s almost over now, beloved."
Stiffening, his breath caught. He released it with a hoa.r.s.e, "Of course."
Letting go, Hinata began to head back inside. He followed her at a turtle"s pace. Creeping up the stairs after her, the two walked up to Boruto"s room. Standing in front of the boy"s door, Hinata watched as Naruto opened it and stepped inside.
"I"ll see you on the other side." Hinata said, as she closed the door.
Releasing a shaky breath, Naruto looked down at the boy laying in his bed.
Putting on a strong face, the man asked, "Did you have a good today?"
"Yeah, it was fun." Boruto answered simply, clearly on the verge of sleep.
"Good."
"Are you gonna tell me a story?" Boruto mumbled, his eyes drooping with each blink.
Naruto walked up to the bed, "What kinda story do want me to read?"
Tilting his head, Boruto said, "You always tell me the story of the time you saved a priestess from a demon and an army of stone men."
Sitting down next to his son, Naruto said softly, "I don"t think I"m gonna be able to tell you a story this time, buddy."
"What, why?" Boruto asked confused.
"I don"t think I have the time." Naruto admitted, running his hand over the boy"s hair soothingly, "And I want to spend what can here with you."
"What?" The boy questioned again, his voice slurred as he slipped further into sleep.
"Do you love me?"
Boruto nodded slowly, "Yeah."
"You want to be just like me, right?"
"No." Boruto answered slowly, "I don"t want to be the Hokage."
"Oh-"
"I want to be the one who protects the Hokage."
Naruto looked at his son in surprise.
"That"s what you"ve always told me, right?" The Uzumaki boy wondered tiredly, yawning as he mumbled, "That I have to protect what"s precious, to hold it tight with both arms. That"s what I wanna do, Dad. One day, I"m gonna be strong enough to protect you. Believe it."
If Boruto felt his father"s tears, he didn"t show it.
Leaning down, Naruto kissed his son on the forehead, "I"m so proud of the person you could"ve been." He whispered. Leaning back, he wiped away his eyes with a smile, "If you wake up tomorrow, and I"m gone, I want you to know something."
"What do you mean if you"re gone-"
"One day I"m gonna be gone, Boruto. Whether that"s tomorrow or when we"re both old like Granny Tsunade. And I want you to know that I will never forget you. I will always be with you, and I will love you no matter how far away I might be."
A smile touching Boruto"s face, his eyes closed contently.
Naruto continued to run his hand over his son"s head, soothing him into sleep. Pulling the covers over him, he took a shaky breath before standing up. Heading towards the door, he reached for the k.n.o.b.
He stopped, taking one last look at his son, the boy sleeping peacefully.
Unaware that his existence ended with the opening of this door.
And with a slow turn, Naruto opened it, a beam of light coming through the ever-widening crack. Stepping into the light, Naruto closed his eyes as he let it swallow him whole.
-x-
"It"s time for you to wake up, beloved."
Naruto"s eyes snapped open, his head shooting towards the sound of the voice. Slowly, he got up from his spot on the ground. Looking around, he saw that he was in Freyja"s corner of the seal. Her fire was blazing next to him, the image of Boruto"s bedroom fading away into the flame.
"I didn"t think you"d have accepted the fantasy so readily - aack!"
She hacked as Naruto tackled her to the ground, his hands wrapping around Death"s throat, squeezing the life out of it.
"Why would you do this to me?!" Naruto screamed hoa.r.s.ely, his blood pumping and his face red with rage, "Do you have any idea what you did to me? The pain you"ve just put me through? Huh?! How could you make me see all of that, knowing that that"s all I"ve ever wanted? Is it funny to you? Did it make you laugh giving me that fake life, that fake family?! Huh? Answer me!"
Lady Death wheezed around Naruto"s grip, her words m.u.f.fled by her closing windpipe.
He relented his grip enough for the next set of words to hit him.
"They were real."
With a start, he let go of her throat. Stumbling off her, he blinked rapidly in thought. Eventually he muttered, "How is that possible?"
Freyja coughed, rubbing her neck as she said, "What you saw was real, I promise that to you, beloved."
"How?" Naruto demanded loudly, "How the h.e.l.l do you do that, why would you do that?"
"I didn"t do anything-"
"Don"t bulls.h.i.t me, Death!" The Uzumaki shouted.
Freyja, started at the lack of familiarity, frowning as she asked, "Don"t you remember what you were doing before the dream started?"
Forehead wrinkling in thought, Naruto eventually said, "I was back home, at the memorial stone."
"Yes, but what were you doing?"
Hitting a mental wall, Naruto shook his head, "I…I can"t remember."
"You were sealing away the Mind Stone."
A new wave of memories came washing in.
He"d gone home, paid his respects at the memorial stone, and then unsealed the Mind Stone so he could reseal it into an array on the memorial stone he"d created to hide the Infinity Stones. The goal; seal the Infinity Stones into the memorial stone. When he unsealed the Stone, he"d been covered in the Six Paths Sage Cloak, the Stone"s power ebbing its way into the cloak.
That was the last thing he remembered.
"The Mind Stone has complete authority on all things concerning the mind. It is a conscious being that has two contradicting feelings towards you. Respect and fear. Fearing that you would seal it away forever, but respecting your own power of will, mind, and body, it sought to give you what you"d always wanted while presenting you with a reason to use its power." Freyja explained, her voice still raspy from Naruto"s attack.
"How do you know all that?" Naruto questioned.
"I wasn"t exaggerating when I said it has authority all on all things concerning the mind." Freyja insisted, "Not only did it seep into your mind and unearth your deepest desires, it seeped into every nook and cranny of your mindscape. That includes my little corner. From me, it learned everything that it needed to know, just as I learned from it what I needed to know."
Naruto"s eyes narrowed, "And you did nothing to stop it?"
Freyja shook her head, "I never imagined that you"d fall into the fantasy so willingly. You stopped resisting rather quickly. Once I realized you might not want to leave, I took it upon myself to show you the light."
"And I"m sure you had no problem watching all of it." Naruto muttered, with a scoff.
"I admit that I was curious. What the Mind Stone showed you was an intricately calculated reality. It used me as a tool to graft out the most possible scenario in which you had won that fateful battle. What you experience was real, Naruto. As real as it"ll ever get." Freyja explained softly, "Had you won, had you not been sent to Earth; you would have married Hinata Hyuga. You would"ve had Boruto and Himawari. You friends, their lives, your life, all of it where you"d be right now had you succeeded."
His shoulders shaking, Naruto drove his fist into the ground.
Freyja tilted her head, "I thought you"d be happy to know it wasn"t a fantasy. What you experience was genuine, excluding the obvious."
"That only makes it that much worse. Don"t you get that?"
"I do. The would haves or could haves of the multiple realities has driven most mortals insane. To be able to know what your life should"ve been, it"s always heartbreaking for me to see." Frejya stated carefully, "But even within infinity, there is balance."
Naruto looked up at her desperately, "What does balance matter? I"ve lost everything. How is that balance?"
"Because it was through the pure machinations of the universe. The actions of a being who oversteps the balance of life and death is throwing a rock at a gla.s.s house. They are creating cracks within an infrastructure that cannot bare a single break." Freyja stated honestly, "For any one to overstep their place in the universe and act as an archetype of life over death, by pushing one over the other into the forefront, you are twisting something that is not meant to be bent. Death is a part of the natural order. One way or another it is inevitable. Even premeditatedly premature death, while not sanctioned, is something that can be rebalanced. But not through returning life. Only through the creation of it, can reality be rebalanced. But in reversing death, by breaking what is not meant to be bent, you are truly wrecking the natural order. You are stepping on the toes of Eternity, Infinity, Oblivion and most importantly, myself. Do you understand this?"
"What would happen to me…if I did it?"
"If you gathered the six Infinity Stones, and you reversed what happened to your world, the aftermath could be catastrophic." Death answered gravely, "Do not forget that you are not the only one affected by your arrival on Earth. The best-case scenario would be that you"d be creating just another alternate reality. While unsanctioned by my siblings, it is not something that can be unforgiven. The worst-case scenario would be the breaking of reality. While it would not break all of the multi-verse, it would destroy your and all alternate realties in which you had been sent to Earth. All of the divergences created by that moment and trillions of others would be destroyed. You and an unfathomable amount of people would be wiped out from existence."
Naruto shook his head, "But even if there was a chance, isn"t that worth it?"
Freyja hesitated for a moment. Crawling over to the p.r.o.ne man, she rested her hand on his shoulder, "You once presented me with the question of whose will is stronger; the man that can do something like that, or the man who can but chooses not to. I know what kind of man you are, Naruto. All this is just another test. A test of your will."
Looking into her eyes, Naruto silently pleaded for her to be wrong.
Dipping his head, he said, "I understand."
Hesitating for another moment, Freyja slowly took the man she loved into her arms. Before she could speak, he said, "I understand that what the Mind Stone showed me wasn"t real. What it offered me isn"t real. Death is death. But they"re not gone, they still exist. They exist with me. And as long as I have the memory of that day, that"s all I"ll ever need. They"re with me. My family is with me."
Getting up, he looked down at Freyja with a weak smile, "My entire life has led up to me working to maintain balance. If the Infinity Stones" only purpose is meant to maintain and embody that balance, then I"ll do whatever I can to protect them from anyone who"d abuse them. That"s my promise, my purpose."
-x-
Opening his eyes once again, Naruto squinted out the haze from his vision. Looking down, he saw that he was still in his Six Paths Sage Cloak. In his hand, the Mind Stone. Noticing that the seals around his body were now a hot glowing yellow, he frowned at the power coursing through him.
At the feet of the memorial stone, a complex seal array bled into the ground, the memorial acting as the center of the seal. Placing the Mind Stone within the array, he sighed as he felt the power leave the cloak.
Flipping through a set of hand signs, he slammed both hands on the ground before shouting, "Infinity Sealing: Seal!"
In a poof of smoke, the Mind Stone disappeared.
Sighing, he looked up at the stars. Dazzling along the dark sky, a single streak shot across the cosmos overhead.
Smiling, he muttered, "If there"s infinite realities, there"s bound to be one of him running around. I wonder if he"s looking up at the stars right now."
"What the h.e.l.l are you talking about, Naruto?"
He paused, his tenant clearly not in the know on what happened in Freyja"s nook of the seal.
"Nothing, partner. Don"t worry about it."