Chapter 7: Homecoming

The creaking sound of old hinges draws her attention to the door, where she sees his shimmering blue eyes piercing through the dim veil that had settled in for the night. She blinks for a moment, not believing what her eyes are telling her to be true. She dares not lend herself to hope. It must be a dream.

She asks herself one question: "Would he really come back?"

As if commanded by some foreign presence, she stumbles towards him, her hand stretching out, and tears blurring her vision.

The seconds pass and still he remains. Her heart begins to thump in her chest. She feels joy and heartache all at once. Her brother has seemingly returned – but the reason for his return hangs heavy in the air.

She shakes her head and forces – for a moment – down the terrible pain and instead focuses on the man before her, barely just out of reach.

Her outstretched fingers hover just short of his chest. Fear holds her back, her hand begins to tremble. Is this a dream?

Naruto can feel her anxiety rising; his heart growing heavier for it. He knows that his self-imposed exile would hurt the ones he cared for most in life, but to see their suffering first-hand, like a knife to his heart.

He closes the distance between them and engulfs her tiny figure with his arms. He does not weep, but presses tightly against the woman he considers a sister, expressing to her his grief and apology. One word slips past his reticent lips: "Shizune."

Shizune weeps into his chest as her arms wrap around his midsection. She understands his actions completely and forgives him without hesitation, her tears absolving him of any past transgressions.

They stood there in the hallway of her home, pouring out their sorrow and happiness in silence. But it would not last.

Mihoshi chirps, "hey, who is this daddy?"

Shizune stares at the source of the question and sees a little girl with the most brilliant blonde hairs, like rays of sunshine. Two mismatched color eyes stare back, waiting impatiently for a response.

From nowhere, Roo appears next to his little sister. With incredible speed, he pinches the left side of her face, eliciting a painful squeal. "Owww you dummy, what was that for?" she cries out, rubbing her offended flesh.

Roo just gives her a look only an older brother could command, silencing the normally loud girl. He returns his attention to Shizune and bows deeply. "Hello Auntie. Please excuse Miho's rude behavior."

His manner is reserve, calm, so much like his mother. Shizune smiles at the memories of a young Hinata, trying to teach Naruto etiquette. She bends down and wraps her arms around the boy, whispering, "you have grown my precious nephew,"

As Roo introduces Shizune to the rest of Naruto's brood, the patriarch stands in silent contemplation, his attention fixed upon the door across the hallway. He can feel her presence, the dimming light of her life force. Though he doesn't show it, his fear rises. He is no doctor, but he understands death—he is after all a slayer of men—and in his heart, he could feel her dying.

"Take me to her," he quietly says.

Shizune feels despair at his words, but she forces it back down into the pit. "Be strong," she commands herself. Finding her resolve, she grabs his hand and leads him down the hallway to a non-descript door.

She stands to the side and bows her head, still no word spoken. Naruto keeps his gaze on her for a few moments longer. He can feel his strength ebbing away into the ether. Small tendrils of fear begin to entangle his heart.

He doesn't want to see what is behind the door, but he is no longer a child. He cannot runaway or seek refuge in the arms of his sister – not anymore. So with bated breath, he steels himself, grips the door knob, and pushes forward with eyes wide opened.

What he sees is an empty room. He blinks and is still. He takes in the room.

The room is small and dimly lit. The smell of antiseptics and potpourri hang in the air. Uzumaki Naruto stands alone and feels every bit of it.

His eyes wander to the bed. It's small and covered with a quilt; its floral pattern reminds him of the tapestries that once hung in the office of the Hokage.

Next to the bed is a single night stand. On top sits a single picture frame. He picks it up and is surprised to see a photograph of him as a young boy, sitting with Sakura, Jiraiya, and Shizune on the beach.

He remembers that day. It was the day Jiraiya, his mentor, proposed to the Hokage. Naruto stifles a chuckle as he recalls the Hokage's reaction: she punched him clear across the way. It was her way of saying yes back in those days. Jiraiya died shortly after that day, in a far away country.

Some wounds still will not heal.

His frown deepens as he catches the scent of ointment and medicinal herbs. He hears the shuffling of feet and looks over to see Sakura escorting a frail old woman from what appears to be the water closet.

His heart skips a beat, his breathing shallows.

He dreads the words passing over Sakura's lips. "Tsunade-sama. I have very good news for you. Naruto has come back home."

There was no response, just a vacant look. The old woman stares at some distant point, oblivious to her guest.

He can feel his heart rupturing, the oppressive weight pressing against his lungs. "This cannot be Tsunade," he thinks to himself. He remembers the titan in all her glory. She stood taller than most men, with bosoms as ample as the fields of the Hidden Leaf village. She was picturesque; she was beautiful; she was everything a woman should be. So how could this drooping dandelion be the mighty Rose of legend?

But Naruto is no fool. He knows that her youthful appearance had been a product of the skillful application of her medical jutsu. She was old and as such could not hold the illusion any longer. Still, he didn't want to see her in such a state. He silently curses the gods for their cruelty. How could anyone, divine or mortal, take away the dignity and majesty that the Hokage once possessed?

Sakura whispers something to him, but he was too far lost in his thoughts to hear her, his blank stare telling her so.

So she repeats herself: "Her mind is slipping. She doesn't have much time left." Naruto, coming to his senses, only nods. He's too numb to do anything else.

They hover over the old woman for what seems like an eternity, his eyes never wavering from her lifeless expression. With his heightened vision, Naruto could see every blood vessel through her wrinkled, translucent skin; every crevice etched into her brow, every sign telling him the end was near.

He wants to weep but cannot. He has no more tears left to shed. His guilt is overwhelming, but still he stands, his expression showing none of his sorrow and grief. Sakura, not knowing how else to reach him, recounts the Hokage's decline.

"It happened shortly after you left. She started to forget the small things, forgetting meetings and names. We didn't think anything of it at the time. It was Shizune who noticed it first. Her reactions were getting slower, and her chakra control started to decline. Then one day, we found the Hokage, aged and withered, lying in her bed. Afterwards, she managed to regain her chakra control to sustain the jutsu that kept her young, but her powers were steadily deteriorating. About three month ago, she fell into this vegetative state."

His shoulders feel heavy, he can barely breathe. He wants to drop to the ground, but wills himself to stand. He needs to know, but the words do not come easily for him.

Summoning his courage, Naruto croaks, "was it, was it, because of me?" His words hang heavy in the air, saturating it with his anxiety. Sakura can't help but to stare at the man standing next to her. He was perhaps the strongest shinobi the world had ever known. His very presence could quell armies. To her, he seemed like a child, a frightened child.

His brow begins to perspire, the guilt steadily growing. Does the silence means yes? Was he the cause of this? Sakura sees his anxiety rise and moves to ease his pain.

"No, Naruto. It wasn't you. Her condition is a side effect of her regeneration jutsu. Though it speeds the healing process during the battle, it also causes irrevocable harm to her genetic structure. She was able to stave off the worst of her condition for decades, but, the damage grew too extensive for even her legendary abilities to cope with."

Naruto doesn't feel relief, though he finds himself able to breathe again. "How long?" he asks, dreading the answer.

"A few days, maybe," she replies, her voice steady and even, "if we do not wake her."

Naruto raises his brow. He doesn't understand her meaning. Sakura closes her eyes and concentrates. She remembers her master's final words.

He watches Sakura as her hands form seals to an unfamiliar jutsu. From the pattern, it occurs to him that she's going to release chakra from a blood seal, but for what purpose?

Sakura sees his confusion. She speaks the final words of the Hokage before she fell into darkness.

"I want to speak to my boy one last time."

He now understands the purpose of the jutsu. He's outraged. "That would kill her," he says coldly, his eyes turning a demonic red.

For the third time in his life, he considers killing his former teammate and love.

She does not turn away from his terrible glare and meets him head on. "Yes, it will. But this is what she wants. She wants to say good bye to you. Would you deny her that Naruto? Could you deny her that?" Naruto does not respond; his eyes continuing their onslaught against hers.

For a moment, Sakura believes that he may actually try to stop her, but his eyes begin to waiver. Soon, he looks away, the battle lost. He knows that it would be wrong to deny Tsunade her final wish. He spites the gods for it.

Naruto prepares himself. He has killed many and witnessed many more perish in battle, but for him to see the final moments of his beloved Hokage – it's almost too much for him to bear. He breathes deep, focusing on the moment. He puts his fears behind him. He will fulfill his duty, as a son should do for his mother – he loved her so.

He releases her hand. She forms the final seal. Her hand glows with chakra. She reaches over and taps the seal on Tsunade's forehead.

Naruto sees the chakra infusing into the seal, unlocking its power. He sees streams of the ancient writing flowing from the released seal, wrapping around her body like tendrils from some mythical creature.

Color returns to the withered cheeks of the Hokage. Naruto could feel the power once again stirring within her. He sees Tsunade's eyes begin to spark with life.

Sakura, finished with her task, makes her way to the door. She stops at his side. She moves her hand forward, her outstretched finger brushing against his hand. He makes no sign of retreat from her touch.

Her happiness is muted however. She tells him that he only has an hour before she passes.

"Make the best of it," she whispers, the tears filling her eyes. She leaves in hurry. When the door is shut, she breaks down and weeps in to her hands.

Time passes, but she doesn't know how much has passed until she feels a gentle tug of her pink hair. She looks up and sees a familiar face. The young girl with golden blonde hair smiles at her. "Don't cry Pink-haired lady. It'll be okay."

Inside the room, a moment passes before Tsunade recovers from the haze that had entombed her mind. Immediately, she's drawn to a familiar presence.

She recognizes his face, her expression revealing such joy. "Come here boy, I have missed you so much," she speaks with a voice that is hoarse and low.

Her hand reaches out, hoping that time has healed the rift that had grown between them. He hesitates. His anger still lingers like a festering wound. How many sleepless nights did he endure, longing to feel for the warmth that only his wife could provide? How many times has he cursed the Hokage's name for allowing his wife to die?

But his heart yearns to feel the touch of the woman he considers his mother.

In his periphery, he sees strands of golden hair fluttering in the wind. He doesn't make a move, fearing that to do so would wake him from this dream. He feels the flesh of his earlobe tingle with sensation, as if a slight breeze had just grazed him there. A voice whispers in his ear. "Go to her." He knows that it is impossible, but for a moment, he thinks he hears her voice – the voice of his desert princess. So he acts.

He smiles for her, a gift he rarely gives to anyone outside of his family, but then again, Tsunade was always family to him.

Tsunade's heart fills with joy, rejuvenating her spirit. With determination, she wills her arms to move, for she needs to hold her boy one last time.

Naruto watches in pain as he sees her struggle to do something as simple as stretching out her hand, a herculean task now for the once powerful warrior.

He notices her fingers. They resemble gnarled twigs, covered with blotches of pigments. They reach out for him. He holds his breath, hoping that her delicate digits do not break from the pressure of her touch.

Whatever anger or malice that he had held was gone now, melted under the sheer power of his grief. He wants to cry. He wants to weep. He wants to throw himself at her feet and beg for forgiveness. All the years that they had been apart, forced upon them by his stupid wounded pride.

But he does none of those things, for Uzumaki Naruto is a hard man now. He's killed too many, survived too many battles for him to display such emotions. The part of him that could express such sorrow had died with Temari.

Instead, he waits patiently for Tsunade to caress his cheeks. It seems like ages, but she finally makes contact. He feels the brittle nails raking across his skin.

His brow furrows. The demon inside him gave Naruto not only tremendous power, but senses that went beyond human. From her touch, all is revealed to him. There was no power in her fingers, no flow of chakra to speak of. Hands that had once healed legions and took down city walls had become as frail as icicles, and just as cold.

She was dying. He knew that coming in. Sakura had told him long before. But there was always a chance that it was all a ruse, a scheme to get him home.

Such hopes were dashed the moment she placed a motherly hand on his cheek. How he wishes he could cry, for her sake at least.

He didn't want her to cry alone, to be the only one shedding tears. She cries alone anyway, much too his everlasting shame.

"Naruto, is that really you?"

He's unnerved. He remembers all the times that she had bellowed his name. She was a lioness with a roar to match. But now, her voice had lost its power. It seemed hollow, weak, like a slow wind passing through a reed.

"Yes, it's me."

Her eyes widens with joy, his shame burns with greater intensity. She smiles, the lines in her face deepens into ravines.

He gently runs his fingers through her hair; the feel is coarse and dry. His eyes move rapidly, trying to burn every detail of her visage into his memory.

"Do you forgive me Naruto?"

Her question brings him back from his thoughts. He doesn't know how to answer her. His heart feels the dull ache of an old wound. He remembers that day, the day he left the village.

"Get out of my way."

The Hokage had no intention of moving. She knew that she could not defeat him, let alone prevent him from leaving, but she stood steadfast. She could not lose another loved one – not him.

"Naruto, I won't let you leave. You mean too much to me."

It started out as a slow rumble, but the sound eventually gained in volume, until the man's laughter roared past his lips. His suffering was palpable. Just as sudden, the laughter stopped. He glared at the woman before him.

"So you care about me now…"

Tsunade cried out, "Of course, you mean more to me than my own life Naruto. Can't you see that?"

His fist clenched shut, shaking with anger. He roared, "THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE HER TO DIE!?"

The Hokage, for a moment, can feel the despair welling in her chest. She knows that it was her decision that had led to Temari's demise, but she pushes down the guilt. Her resolve refortified. She fires back, "Temari was a shinobi. She knew her duty. She died defending her village…"

Cutting her off, Naruto screams, "She died because of you!"

Tsunade feels his wrath, so does the rest of the village. She wants to speak, but the Hokage finds her throat refusing to obey her commands.

She looks into his eyes and sees something that sparks fear in her: submission. Gone was the vibrancy and determination that was always present in his eyes, the determination to pursue impossible dreams, the determination to protect all those for whom he loved - in its stead, resignation.

"I'm done with you and this village."

The words are drawn out and low, barely audible to the Hokage and her guards. But she hears them and her heart breaks – she knows that she has lost him.

She hopes that another word could dissuade him from his path, but the sight of his raised hand ends such hopes.

She feels the familiar movement of chakra in the air; the leaves rustling in the swirling air. Her hope dies as she watches the chakra sphere emerge from his palm.

No more words are exchanged, only one last glance between mother and son.

He says his goodbye in the way he knows best, the earth shakes as he strikes the ground with his Rasengan.

She can feel the arms of her men take hold of her body. Fools! Why do they try to save a failure like her? Let her die and be done with it.

How can she still lead if she could not even protect her son?

But her guards think none of these things for they have a duty to uphold. With all their might, her body is flung out of the path of destruction. She's saved, but barely.

The explosion rocks the village, its blast wave knocking the crowd that had gathered onto their backs.

The air is filled with choking dust, her eyes stinging from the offending particles, but she can still make out his form.

He walks past her. She reaches out her hand, hoping to touch him once more, but her fingers only graze the fabric of his cloak. The man doesn't pause, nor does he look back. He can hear her tears dragging along her skin. He can smell the pain emanating from her body. He knows that he's hurting her, some small part of him relishes in her anguish.

But mostly, he feels empty, as if a deep void had replaced his heart, consuming all that had been Uzumaki Naruto.

His mind blanks. He feels something pressing against his skin. He looks down and sees her trembling hand on his. He looks up and finds her gaze steady upon him.

He hasn't answered her yet. He still doesn't know what to say. It was Tsunade who had sent Temari of the Sand on an impossible mission, knowing that she had a family to raise, his family. Of all the shinobi in the village, why her? Naruto opens his mouth, making ready the verbal assault that he so desperately wants to release, but the scent of wild flowers holds his tongue.

Then he remembers Temari's words, the words she spoke during their wedding ceremony. "Don't live in the past; focus only on the here and now."

Naruto smiles.

"I missed you, so very much."

It's not the answer she was expecting, but her heart, for the first time in years feels lighter. Naruto has returned to her – her son has come home. They embrace for what seems like an eternity. Neither wishes for it to end.

Mihoshi's curiosity had gotten the better of her – again. She enters the room and sees her father hugging an old woman. She walks to them. They don't notice her. So she climbs on top of the bed and starts poking her father's shoulder.

"Daddy, who's the old lady?"

Naruto blinks in response. He's surprised to hear his daughter's voice. Breaking from their embrace, he looks and finds his daughter already sitting in front of Tsunade, giving her an inquiring look.

Tsunade offers the girl a warm smile. The little girl continues to examine her with an incredulous look, as if wondering how anyone could be so old. A slight laugh escapes her lips as she is reminded of how Naruto had looked when he learned that she had been chosen to become the Hokage: a precious memory.

Naruto, not missing a beat, introduces his daughter to her grandmother. Though they had never met, Mihoshi shows no trepidation. Instead, she lunges towards the old woman and embraces her as if they had known each other all their lives. Tsunade can only weep joyfully at the little girl's antics – so like her father.

Seeing Sakura at the doorway, Naruto motions for her to let his other children in. Roo, Tsu, and Rai walk in, single file, the look of worry and confusion adorning their faces. It had been a strange week for them.

One day, they were home on their farm. The next, they were traveling to a village leagues away.

And now, their little sister was hugging an old woman, a stranger to everyone but Roo, who remembers his Baa-chan.

Tsunade's eyes sweep over their adorable faces, her smile beams with love and affection. Naruto notices this and regrets keeping them away from her. Funny, he once vowed to live a life free of regrets. What a fool he was.

"Hokage-sama, I want you to meet your grandchildren." He points to his oldest. "I'm sure you remember Roo."

Tsunade opens up her arms, inviting him in. He accepts and soon they embrace. "You've grown so much," coos Tsunade. Roo begins to cry as he revels in her arms, long forgotten memories finding their way back to the light. "I've missed you Baa-chan," he answers back, nuzzling his face in the crevice of her neck.

Their reunion, however, is interrupted by his father's voice. "And this little one over here is my second oldest. She's named after one of my heroes." Naruto then turns to his daughter and tells her to introduce herself.

Tsunade watches as the young girl bows her head in a formal manner. She had been raised with proper manners, something unexpected from Naruto's progeny. It must have been Temari's influence.

"Greetings Hokage-sama. My name is Uzumaki Tsunade. Please to meet you." The Hokage's eyes began to quiver; she's surprised to say the least. "Am I still your hero?" she wonders silently.

For the past six years, she believed her son harbored only hatred for her. Now, she realizes that his love for her had never diminished.

"Hey granny, why are you crying?" Mihoshi asks with eyes wide as saucers. Tsunade takes a moment to collect herself. She pats the youngest on her head to reassure her. "I'm crying because I'm so happy to see my family again."

Little Tsunade cuts in, "Hey, you haven't met Rai yet." Tsunade's left eye brow arches slightly. She knew that Naruto had adopted a boy, but never discovered his name. Naruto laughs. He reaches over to his adopted son and picks him up. "This is my other boy. His name is Jiraiya."

Tsunade smiles, more like a smirk really. So you named him after a pervert she communicates with the glint of her eyes. Naruto responds in kind, "little Tsunade took quite a liking to him so I thought it was fitting to name him after my sensei."

Her smirk deepens. If only Jiraiya could be here, they both wish silently.

The night grows with the sound of their laughter, stories are exchanged, the world goes by and a family revels in the peace.

Then all was dark.

"Good night."