Though they weren't written as a set, this could be considered the continuation of the piece "Marry Me" (see my account to read) set a few years prior to this. What does it mean to be strong? Who is really strong and when is strength just not enough?

"Are you sure you're alright, Sakura-san?"

Sakura forced a smile though inside she felt like screaming—thrashing—sobbing. "I'm fine, Hyuga-sama. Thank you for your concern. Please don't trouble yourself." She pretended to not see the disappointed glance that Hinata turned away from her.

"I've told you that you to just call me Hinata," she whispered.

"Like I've told you that you don't have to use 'san'."

"Hey Forehead-girl!" someone shouted.

Sakura listened as a group raced up the winding staircase that lead up to Hokage office. Hell no! she screamed to herself. I'm not going to deal with that too! Ino-pig can go jump in the lake right now.

A hand dropped to her shoulder. "Please do not trouble yourself, Sakura-chan!" the exuberant man shouted far louder than necessary—and even louder than normal. "I will, with my super strength and devotion of youth's springtime, keep away any who would bother Sakura-chan!"

She offered him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Lee-kun. I'll leave it to you then."

"Os!"

Sakura grabbed Hinata's hand and they darted away, leaving the coming offender to Lee's over-exuberant skills. If he could just hold them off until she was inside—that's all she needed.

As soon as the two women shut the door behind them, Sakura leaned against it and locked the door with a sigh. So help her—she'd kill the first person who either picked that lock or broke that door down.

"Can I get you some tea, Hinata?"

"Please."

"Look at this place," Sakura complained as she stacked the empty ramen cups up and out of the way of the water heater. Once she flipped the switch she walked towards the trashcan with the cups that had dried bits of vegetables and noodles stuck to the side. "You would think it would kill him to leave the place in order."

Hinata covered her mouth and giggled. "Sakura-san, he wouldn't be Naruto-kun if he did."

Sakura sighed and dropped them into the waste container. "I suppose," she agreed. "Though I really thought that becoming Hokage would settle him down a little. He's as unpredictable as ever though." The woman sighed as she moved to gather up the trash he'd stashed in his top drawer rather than lean over and put it in the bin. That baka! I'm going to box his ears when he gets back!

"Sakura-san, forgive me for my impertinence, but you seem very worried."

Sakura turned to the head of the Hyuga Clan and forced another smile. She shook her head and turned to the great windows to look out over Konaha. How often had she stood there beside Tsunade and now Naruto?

"Even though he gives me that stupid grin and promises to come back, I can't help it. I suppose it's not fair of me—he is the Hokage, after all." The woman sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. "When he's gone, I can only remember all the close calls—all the times he's bled—and I wonder if… if someday I… if someday… he…"

"I understand, Sakura-san," Hinata interrupted. "I apologize. I made you sad. Forgive me."

Sakura turned and smiled as she shook her head. "No, you didn't, Hinata. It's the same every time, whether someone sees my fear or not. It's nice sometimes to be able to say it aloud; I can't to most people. They just don't understand—they think he's invincible…" Her voice dropped to a weak whisper. "They think he's the invincible Konoha monster…

"Thank you for listening."

"I will always listen," Hinata cheered.

"And he never does his paperwork," Sakura laughed as she turned to the boiling water. She shook her head as she poured steaming liquid over the loose tea held by the decorative wire sieve. "I have to cover for him all the time." The pink-haired nin carried the tray over and placed it in front of the Hyuga. "He's always trying to skip out of meetings and shirk his 'boring' responsibilities. It's like Tsunade all over again—but worse, because at least Tsundae never tried to seduce me when I was doing her paperwork." She fought the tears she felt gathering along her bottom eyelid. That baka.

Hinata reached out and place her slender hand over Sakura's clenched fist. "Everyone says that the Hokage is the strongest ninja in Konaha," the buxom woman murmured. "I think they're wrong."

Sakura jerked her head up and furrowed her brow. "Eh?"

Hinata offered a soft smile. "Whenever Kiba leaves on a mission, even though I know he's more than capable—I fall apart inside. When I have to worry about him and still go on with my life and fulfill my responsibilities as if I'm not frightened—there isn't any mission I've ever been on that's harder than that. That's why I think the strongest ninja in Konaha isn't the Hokage…"

Sakura felt her jaw fall slack as she listened to the tender words of understanding. In that moment, her already high regard tripled for the soft-spoken clan leader with the lavender eyes. Hinata didn't think her clingy or needy or foolish. She—she understood.

"Thank you, Hinata," she murmured. "I really…"

A loud pounding at the door cut her off. "Please excuse us, Uzamaki-domo!"

"Oba-chan! Unlock the damn door!"

In seconds, Sakura ripped open the wooden barrier and loomed over Konohamaru and another ninja. "Who the hell are you calling 'oba-chan', you gaki?"

Konohamaru ducked and covered his head as he dodged her furious fist. "I only said it so you'd open the door!" he shouted as he dodged again. "Otherwise you'd ignore us like always!"

"Because you're a baka!" she snarled. "If you weren't so damned annoying…"

"The Rokudaime, he…"

Sakura froze mid-strike when she heard the tone of voice the mousy little ninja used to start speaking. The woman swung her head to look at the youth whose name she never bothered to remember. Why should she remember someone who couldn't even keep his nose clean? Ew. But still…

"What about Naruto?" she demanded, dropping Konohamaru on his head. She strode to the youth and gripped his collar. "What?"

"Geeze, Sakura-chan, calm down… He just wanted to send word that he would need your help when he got back."

Sakura gasped when she looked up. Her stomach and heart bottomed out when she observed her husband. He leaned against the wall and held a crimson cloth against his midsection. Despite the pain she read in his eyes, he plastered that ridiculously endearing grin on his face and closed one eye to wink at her.

"Baka!" she shouted as she rushed to him. "I told you not to overdo it!"

"And I didn't," he laughed as he shifted from leaning on the wall to her shoulder. "I made it back, didn't I?"

He tilted his head towards her and pressed his nose into her hair. "You smell good," he whispered in her ear.

"Don't change the subject," she snapped as relief flooded her soul. Her initial appraisal indicated his wounds weren't life-threatening.

"You know how I always make it back?" he murmured as she helped him into the office leaving Konohamaru and what's-his-name outside to grumble about her roughness. "Ah, Hinata-chan. Nice to see you. How's Kiba?"

"Naruto-kun!" she gasped as she leapt off the couch where Sakura wanted to recline him.

"He'll be okay," Sakura informed as she started to remove his fishnet undershirt.

"Thank you for the tea, Sakura-san," she hurried as she rushed to the door. "I'll come back later to finish up the clan's business."

"Thank you, Hinata."

"I can't work when you do that!" Sakura blurted when his constant caressing at her ear grew too distracting. She tightened her glowing hand into a fist and almost slammed it down onto his already wounded stomach.

"You know how I always make it back?" he repeated his previous question, ignoring her statement and continuing to fiddle with her ear.

"The kyuubi?" Sakura turned to look at him, losing herself in his smiling, cerulean eyes. How could he do that to her? She used to hate him—thought he was the most annoying person on the planet. Now… he was the only one who could calm her—who could talk to her down from her frustrations. He was the only one who really understood. She needed him so much it hurt sometimes. Whenever he was gone…

"No… It's because I know you're waiting for me," he answered as he gathered some of the strands of her hair. The Rokudaime grinned and raised an eyebrow. "I can do anything, because Sakura-chan became mine."

Sakura shook her head and turned back to his stomach. "Baka—don't distract your healer. It will make things harder later on."

Naruto chuckled. "That sounds fair, because my healer is making… things… harder now."

Sakura just barely suppressed her giggle and her flush. "I think Ero-senin passed on far too much to you."

"Yeah… that old perv," Naruto laughed as a reverent gleam entered his blue eyes. "What happened while I was gone?"

"Nara-kun returned for the sand country with Temari-san. I think the cooperative training you proposed is going to work well. Gara-sama sent his regards and a nice bottle of sake."

"About damn time!" Naruto laughed. "He lost that bet fair and square four months ago!"

"Iruka-sensei announced that this year's class is worse than ours."

"No kidding?"

She nodded.

"Heh… how about that," he laughed. "Good. That old man needs to be kept on his toes."

"Kakashi-sensei failed his latest group—I think he's just being lazy. Shino-san failed his group too. Everyone else passed theirs."

"Even Neji?"

She nodded. "Even Neji-san. Konohamaru is up for the ANBU trials soon. I think he's going to make it—despite how annoying he is."

Naruto poked her shoulder. "You say that, but he's just like me. You know you love him."

Sakura just snorted. "I would love to beat him senseless."

"Don't," Naruto grinned. "You might fall for him like you did for me. Just keep thinking he's annoying."

"What about Sasuke-teme?"

Sakura sighed and rocked her head back and forth. "He's still miserable. I don't know if he'll ever really get over killing Itachi."

"I tried to tell him—bastard!" Naruto snarled before he sighed. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan, he'll be okay eventually."

"I—uh—I accidentally put Sai in the hospital."

Naruto roared with laughter. "I'm sure he deserved it. Wish I was here to see it."

Sakura's face contorted in various expression of grin-fighting. "Chouji-kun and Ino-pig announced marriage plans—I think it's because Ino-pig finally got knocked up."

"Jealous?" Naruto teased.

"No!" Sakura snapped, but felt her face soften. "Maybe… just a little…"

"I told you as soon as you were ready," he reminded.

Sakura turned to look at him once again. Why did he always know just what to say? Perhaps it was more of how could he be so perfect sometimes, and such a blundering idiot at others?

The blond grinned at her and reached to pull her closer. "That's enough healing for now," he whispered. "I just want to hold you."

Sakura dropped her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I wish you'd keep your office clean. It reflects badly on the Rokudaime." She listened as the breath and laugher left his lungs.

"Kiss me, you nag."

When she pulled away after obeying he ran his fingers over her cheek. "You know you give me strength, right?" he murmured. "I know that you can take care of everything while I'm gone… and then everything I need when I get back."

He pulled her tighter against his chest again, and she closed her eyes as she listened to his heart beating and his breathing.

"Sakura-chan—my beautiful, steel flower…"

He sighed, and she felt him dropping off to sleep though he didn't release his grip around her shoulders. Even when she heard his soft snoring, Sakura remained still, clutching his upper body.

For a few hours, the strongest nin in Konoha forgot responsibilities and simply held their beloved.