Disclaimer: Since I didn't say this before, I will say it now: I don't own Naruto or its official derivatives in any form or fashion. Things would have turned out a fair bit differently if I had been in control.

But that's a matter for another project to address at a later date. On with the show.

Amidst the rising crowd, Captain Yamato got over the initial shock and gathered his thoughts and mental processes back together.

"So…your majesty," he began. "Can you explain how you ended up like this?

Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Well, apparently when we were supposed to be sent back, something went all screwy. I ended up staying in the past, while you got to go back to where we started."

"How far in the past?"

"About twenty years."

Sakura ran the numbers through her head and balked at the result.

"You're thirty-six?!"

"Yes."

Still reeling from the revelation, the medic-nin fixed Naruto with a glare. "Okay, we need to talk."

"First, let's get everyone setting up camp," the queen said. She clambered to a high point and addressed the gathering crowd, eyes draw to her presence.

"People of Rōran," she shouted, voice carrying over the broken city. "Our time of exile is over. Welcome home!"

A round of cheers rang out, headgear and scarves tossed into the air, fists and weapons raised skyward in the midday light.

"Make camp and celebrate tonight. We begin rebuilding tomorrow."

Another round of cheers and the people began moving forward, finding places to set up tents, spreading among the ruins and out into the sands surrounding them.

"It's always fun hearing her shout like that," Naruto said.

Hopping back down and rejoining the reunion, the queen dragged Naruto in for a passionate kiss, shocking Sakura and Captain Yamato.

"We're home," she said.

Naruto was utterly unabashed by the open display of affection, warmly smiling at the queen.

Before anything else could be said, another set of riders came up. One of them, a girl about Konohamaru's age, had rusty red hair, blue eyes, and faint whisker marks on her cheeks. On her back was a quiver of arrows and a bow. She dismounted and ran up to stand beside the king and queen after the necessary bow. The queen gave her a hug and positioned her in front of her.

"I might as well start introductions," Naruto said. "This is my wife, Queen Sāra."

"It's been awhile since we last met, Captain Yamato," the queen said. "I must say you've aged well."

Captain Yamato stood gobsmacked for a moment before regaining his composure. Sāra lightly laughed, and took some pity on his confusion.

"You were one of the ones who we're sent back in time."

"I was wondering if I had seen you somewhere before," he answered.

"We can talk about it more over dinner," Naruto said.

The queen smiled, and continued the introductions. "You've met Rika and Yamato, and this is Madoka," she said, stroking the girl's hair. "I imagine the twins are running around somewhere."

A pair of children ran up to the king and queen, a girl with blond hair with red highlights and blue eyes alongside a boy of the same age, red hair with blond highlights and purple eyes. Both had the same whisker marks as their father and brother.

"Ah, here they are. This is Takeshi," Naruto said, settling the boy down by placing his hands on his shoulders, "and Midori."

The blonde girl shyly smiled and waved at the strangers.

While the weirdness meters had already capped out for Captain Yamato and Sakura, Sai merely looked over the royal family, then settled on Naruto.

"So you do have one after all," Sai said.

While Naruto snorted, Sakura snapped out of her stupor and slugged Sai across the face.

[TSR]

Sounds of merriment and festivities echoed around the ruins of Rōran. The royal family's yurt was currently playing host to an unusual reunion.

Sai was taking things in stride, or at least on the face of it, discretely trying to dispel whatever genjutsu he found himself in. Yamato had his face kind of pinched as if remembering something that kept eluding his recollection. Naruto had offered to undo the seal on his memories, but it seemed the captain was trying to do it himself.

Sitting quietly, Sakura kept staring at Naruto, occasionally shooting glances at the rest of his (she was still having trouble wrapping her head around this) family.

Rika sat serenely, engaging in conversation with Midori in hopes of easing her around their father's friends, slowly making headway with the youngest princess. Compared to the perfectly composed princess Sakura had first encountered, in a more intimate setting, Rika acted more like the type of older sister she would have wanted.

Prince Yamato cut a different figure without the robes and the spear resting behind him, but even his relaxed posture still carried a cocky assurance that had a firm basis in reality, contrasting the false bravado his father had so often displayed in his youth.

Takeshi, in complete contrast to his twin, would make faces at the guests when he thought no one else was looking, a mischievous streak that had to have been inherited from his father, ignoring Madoka's attempts to stop him.

Then there were the monarchs. Naruto and Sāra sat next to each other exchanging small-talk with Captain Yamato. Sakura watched on in melancholic amazement as her old friend carried on the conversation.

Before, her teammate often exuded confidence, and loudly at that, but now his exuberance was subdued and his confidence restrained by experience. His face had weathered well, and she was positive that he had emulated Jiraiya's hairstyle and Asuma's beard, though there was something else that was vaguely familiar about the way his hair flopped around front, like she had seen it somewhere before.

And then there was how relaxed he was the queen. Before his adventures, he was either utterly clueless or completely freaked out whenever a girl showed interest in him. There wasn't any overly pronounced romantic overtures either, just the gentle touches and comfort in the other's presence.

Then again, it's been twenty years for him.

Eventually, Sakura's curiosity overpowered her patience.

"Okay. Explain how this happened," she demanded.

Naruto looked at his wife.

"You tell the story better," Sāra said.

"Alright, then," Naruto answered. "But feel free to add anything I missed." Resting his hands on his knees, he addressed the remainder of Team Seven. "How much do you know about time travel?"

"It's impossible," Sai replied, earning a laugh from Naruto.

"Well, how do you suppose I got here, and like this?"

Sai once again tried to disrupt a non-existent genjutsu, going as far as to grab some cutlery. Naruto caught him before he stabbed himself.

"None of that," Naruto chided. "You'll ruin the utensils. But yeah, long story short, me and Captain Yamato got sent back in time when we tried to catch Mukade. When time tried to swing us back, he got sent back to the starting point and I got left behind."

"How did that happen?" Takeshi asked, reminding everyone of the kids in the room.

"Right now, I think part of it was Kurama being so close to the Ryūmyaku and some other variables I haven't quite nailed down."

"Kurama?" Captain Yamato asked.

"Ryūmyaku?" Sakura inquired soon after.

Naruto sighed lightly. "Right, not common information." He took a quick breath and continued. "Kurama is the proper name of the Kyubi. The Ryūmyaku is what we called ley lines. Frankly, I think the actual name is cooler."

"You mean you've conversed with it? The Kyubi, that is."

"We came to an agreement a long time ago. We're like roommates, now."

Setting aside the strange thoughts of what many believed to be the incarnation of destruction and hatred being reasoned with, the captain got down to business.

"There's still one problem," Yamato said. "You're still legally a shinobi of Konoha at this time, and depending on how you look at it, you're either going AWOL or have been AWOL for the last twenty years."

"Oh boy," Naruto deadpanned, stroking his goatee. He smiled reassuringly. "Glad I saw this happening. Don't worry, I've got some plans to work things out, but I still need to visit Konoha to make it happen."

Sāra rested her hand on knee. "I can begin the reconstruction while you handle that. It would be better to minimize the number of enemies we might face. Rika can fill in for you while you're away."

Both looked at their oldest daughter.

"Do you think you're up to that, Rika?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, father."

"Alright, then. I'll try to make this trip as short as manageable."

The queen laughed. "That doesn't exactly mean much. Remember our honeymoon?"

"I said I was sorry about that," Naruto retorted.

"I know. That's why I'm not bringing up the other incidents."

Naruto visibly shuddered. "Thanks, Sāra…and I am guessing by the expectant looks from some of the kids, they want to come along. Love?"

"Yamato and Madoka can go," she replied, giving her children a stern look. "So long as they behave themselves."

The aforementioned prince and princess brightened at the prospect of traveling to their father's home, but the twins seemed disappointed, which Sāra noted instantly.

"Takeshi, Midori, you can go on another trip. I doubt there will be much fun on this run."

"Trust me, kids," Naruto said. "This will mostly be a string of meetings and getting our business in order. We can arrange for a normal visit when things quiet down and everyone is settled in. Is that good with you?"

Midori nodded vigorously, but her twin was more reticent, finally agreeing under his father's patient stare.

"It's settled then. We can leave in the morning, at first light."

[TSR]

Sakura sat on a pile of broken masonry, staring out into the desert sands lit by starlight and the moon. Late as the hour was, she could still hear activity within the camp, celebrations carrying well into the night.

Once again, I've been left behind.

"You look upset," a voice said.

She looked up and saw Naruto approaching, hands crossed behind his back. Making sure she was presentable, she was about to stand up when he plopped down next to her.

"I'm not…" she began to protest.

"I've been raising five children, two of whom are teenagers," Naruto said. "You pick up a few things along the way."

Not really sure how to answer that, Sakura resumed her stargazing. "It's all so surreal."

"Amazing what twenty years will do, isn't it?" Naruto said with a chuckle.

There were a millions things she wanted to say and ask, but none of them managed to reach her mouth. Her mind was still trying to reconcile the loud, ramen-obsessed knucklehead with the paternal presence that reminded her of her father.

Naruto breathed deeply. "If you have anything you need to get out of your system, I'll hear you out."

Sakura considered it for a moment. "Maybe later. I have to get used to the…changes."

"Fair enough. In the meantime, you better get some sleep. We've got a journey ahead of us tomorrow."

A/N: I know Naruto's storytelling got waylaid, but that will be rectified in the next chapter.

In other news, a quick overview of Naruto and Sāra's children.

Crown Princess Rika is 17 years old, born January 4th. For a quick reference, her appearance is largely based off the girl that shows up at the end of The Lost Tower, though a bit older.

Prince Yamato is 16, a tad younger than Naruto's original age prior to the incident and, coincidently, an October birthday like his father (the 31st, to be precise).

Princess Madoka, as stated in earlier in the chapter, is close to Konohamaru's age, which at this point is 12 (-ish). Born May 9th.

The twins, Takeshi and Midori, are 8 years old, born April 13th.

No, none of the birthdays hold any significance (to me that is) except for Yamato's, and that's more for putting him closer to Naruto's canon age.