Ten years later...
Sakura entered her husband's office only to find him in deep concentration. He had aged well, and thanks to Sakura managed to keep his arm, along with his sanity. Currently both of his hands were joined and his brow was furrowed, she had rarely seen him look so serious, even when struggling with a matter that could concern the future of Konoha, he never let it affect the people around him.
"What's wrong Naruto?"
The seventh Hokage considered her for a moment before sighing. "I just don't get it Sakura."
"Well maybe I can help. What don't you get?"
"I just don't understand how Sai and Ino could have such an ugly kid." Sakura had to use his desk to steady herself as he continued, "I mean they're both really attractive people right? Surely with their genes they should be able to produce a child that looks... normal."
"Naruto!" She growled.
He took a deep breath. "Sorry, I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a while now."
"Sai would hurt you pretty badly if he heard you say that about his son."
"Sai? There wouldn't be anything left for him to hurt after Ino rips me to shreds. And that's another thing, if not for the fact that we saw him as a baby, I genuinely wouldn't be able to tell Inojin's gender."
Sakura laughed at this and sat on the edge of his desk. "Are we bad people for laughing at a child's appearance?"
"I doubt it. You think of all the things we did in our lives Sakura, and making fun of a kid doesn't seem that bad."
"So what, this job is you paying off your debts to society?"
His face turned serious again. "No. This job is me doing it because no one else can. When I was young I wanted to be the Hokage for selfish reasons, the perks that come with the job. The respect and adoration of everyone, the fame and the wealth. Then I grew up and realised that being Hokage meant sitting behind a desk and doing paperwork for the rest of your life. Then I grew up again and realised that being Hokage is not a choice, it's an obligation. My dad gave up spending time with my mom and I, not to mention his life. Tsunade gave up drinking and gambling, her two favourite pastimes. Kakashi... fuck Kakashi gave up Anbu. He didn't even mind not going out anymore when he was in charge just as long as he was still there, still soaking up the athmosphere. But when the time came, he stepped up to the plate."
"So is that it, you living up to your predecessors, not wanting to disappoint your dad?"
"No. My dad would be content no matter what I did just as long as I am happy. I have to do this because there is literally no one else who can. No one with my experience, from dealing with Nagato to Obito to Madara, absorbing what they have to say."
"Madara? You sure absorbing that crazy bastard's words is good for you?"
"He may have been crazy, but I would be ignorant to think that there wasn't a grain of truth in his words. He didn't become a psychopath for shits and giggles like he had so many people believe."
"Do you really believe that stuff about his brother?"
"It doesn't matter Sakura. The bottom line is if I'm not Hokage and I'm not putting my heart and soul into this job, into Konoha, then how can I expect anyone else to? That's why I became Hokage, not for the immature dreams of my younger self or the apathetic reluctance of my Anbu days. But for my new dream of making Konoha a better place, which I will carry out with vigorous enthusiasm as Hokage."
Sakura was in awe of her husband, she had seen signs of him becoming weary of being cooped up for too long.
"So is that your sacrifice then, your freedom?" She asked shakily.
He stood to full height and smiled. Not the smile he gave when trying to reassure people that their Hokage wasn't worn out, but a real, trademark-Naruto smile.
"Nope. Freedom is nice but it lacks... stability. Stability is underrated, sure I can train and train, and become the best soldier this world has ever seen but I wouldn't stand a chance at being Hokage, not even for a day. With structure and support, I have the strength to do this job."
"Naruto you're scaring me. I don't think I've ever heard you talk this seriously before, I'm pretty sure you took our wedding less serious than this little speech."
He laughed, wrapped his arms around her and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He then whispered to her, "You... give me strength. You and-"
Just then the door of the Hokage's office burst open and there stood a miniature version of Naruto, with Sakura's emerald eyes.
Sakura sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You couldn't watch him for five minutes Shikamaru."
A man who, kind of looked like Shikamaru, save for the goatee on his chin, peered round the corner. Sakura was convinced that he only grew it so he could have something to stroke while he was thinking.
"I was almost sure that my job was to be the Hokage's advisor, not a babysitter."
The little Naruto charged at his dad only to be sent flying high into the sky. Naruto remembered back when he was trying to get strength in his arm again and when Sakura gave birth, he was terrified that his arm would fail him. 'It would be my luck for my arm to just, give up at that moment wouldn't it?" He had said. After a few choice words from Sakura, which Naruto was sure that their baby shouldn't be exposed to moments after being born, he gingerly picked his son up and was amazed by how he contained both elements from himself and Sakura.
These days though, their son would get cranky if his daddy didn't pick up and lift him into the air. As for Naruto, it wasn't a terrible way to exercise his arms, he reasoned.
"So Shinachiku, did you come all this way just to see your daddy?" Naruto asked, Shinachiku shook his head. "Oh, well then why did you come here?" He wasn't hurt that his son came to the office, just not to see him, not hurt at all.
"Sasuke." The young boy said.
"And how did you know that Sasuke is coming down today?" Naruto asked. "Did you tell him, I thought it was supposed to be a surprise?" He whispered at Sakura.
"I didn't tell him." She whispered back. A look of confusion donned both of their faces causing Shinachiku to giggle.
"I had... a dream."
"What?" They both said to him, he felt pretty important having both of his parents focused intently on him.
"Last night, I had a dream. I was in my room, when suddenly uncle Sasuke came in through the window." All of the color completely drained out of Sakura's face. "He told me not to tell anybody and then gave me a present. I don't know what it was but Sasuke said that it would help me train with him when I'm older so that I'll become even stronger than you daddy. But when I woke up, the present was still there."
Naruto gently set his son down and tried to process what he had just said. When his senses had returned to him, only one thing came to his mind.
"What the fu-
"How about Chidori?" She suggested to Sasuke, whose head was cradled in her lap while she ran her hands affectionately through his silky, black hair. To most people he might look as if he was asleep but Tenten knew him long enough to know that if something happened, he would be on his feet and ready within a second.
"For the last time Tenten, we are not naming our child after a weapon." She took one of her hands out his hair and placed it on her slightly bulging stomach.
"But it holds so much meaning for us. It's your weapon of choice and it's the first thing you ever asked from me?" She meant all of it in a positive way he knew, but he just couldn't see it like that.
"I will not name my child after something that was built with the intention of taking life." He said with savage finality.
She stopped and thought about what he said, before she nearly began to cry hysterically. "Oh God, I want to name our baby after something that hurts people. I'm going to be a terrible mother aren't I?" She sobbed.
Sasuke sighed before abandoning his cosy position. He crouched next to her and began to gently rub her back.
"No Tenten, you will not be a terrible mother and our child will be just fine." He said in such a monotone voice, she wondered if the words he repeated so often had lost all meaning by this point.
"Do you really mean that Sasuke?" Her face looked akin to a puppy's as her wide eyes gazed at him.
"Oh for God's sake, get a hold of yourself Tenten." He moved his head down to her stomach. "I can't wait until you're out of there child. You're driving your mother and I insane." He placed a loving kiss there that was meant for it and Tenten.
"Alright Sasuke, I'm running out of ideas here, what about Itachi?" He didn't look back at her as he began to get changed.
"No. There was only one Itachi and I don't want our child being under pressure to live up to his name. It's not a pleasant feeling." She felt absolutely terrible for even suggesting it. Her moods were fluctuating wildly and she had virtually no control over them.
"I'm sorry." She muttered.
He must have been concerned by the tone of her voice because he walked over and cupped her face in his hands.
"Ten, it's fine. You're doing a far better job than I am at coming up with names, so don't be upset. No matter the name or gender, as long as it's coming from us, this child be perfect."
She sniffled a bit before laughing. "I suppose this a good time to tell you that I've been having a torrid affair behind your back all these years."
"I'm just surprised that you managed to find someone stronger than me."
"What? I never said he was stronger than you."
"He'd have to be, because I'd kill him the second I saw him laying eyes on you." Sasuke placed a firm kiss on her lips before finishing getting dressed. As she stared at him getting undressed, she thought how she also couldn't for this baby to be out of her. Recently when having sex, Sasuke treated like she was made of glass. It had been far too long since the last time he had put his all into it.
"Your mouth is hanging open and I think there's some drool coming out of it." He said, finally tucking his Chidori inside his jacket and stepping into his shoes.
"Alright hot-stuff, what about this? Satomi if it's a girl, Kosuke if it's a boy."
He paused before flashing her the most beautiful smile. "I like them, I like those names a lot." He gave her one last kiss and stroked her cheek. "Love you. If you need anything... well I'm sure the four servants my mother insisted on providing you with will take care of you before I get back."
"Love you too, say hello to Naruto and Sakura for me." She said their names as if they were family to her, which in a way he supposed they were.
Sasuke walked out into the fresh Konoha air with a new outlook on life he did not possess ten years ago. He took a deep breath before catching the eye of a beautiful woman. He took in her long, tanned legs as she strutted over to him with all the confidence of getting what she wanted. Her predatory eyes looked him up and down before a sultry smile crept across her face.
Sasuke walked to meet her and just when she was about to speak, he held up his hand. Her eyes narrowed at the ring on his finger as he walked past her.
"Sorry, I'm not that guy anymore."
He made his way through the Hokage's building before nodding to Shikamaru.
"They're not happy with you."
"They rarely are." Sasuke replied, he walked inside only to find Sakura nearly ready to strangle Naruto.
"Now Sakura I think you said much worse than that when Shinachiku was born."
"Yeah but there's a difference Naruto, he couldn't understand anything back then!" She yelled.
"You'd be surprised how fast kids are learning these days." He said weakly.
Sasuke crept over to Shinachiku, who was watching all of this, and whispered; "What are your parents arguing about this time."
"Uncle Sasuke!" Shinachiku exclaimed. Sasuke hated that title but just couldn't bring himself to tell the kid to stop calling him it.
"Sasuke." Naruto and Sakura said simultaneously.
"Is there an echo in here or something?" Sasuke said, winking at Shinachiku.
"Shinachiku, out." Sakura said firmly.
"But mommy, I want to tell Sasuke about my dream." The boy whined.
"Now!"
"Go on kid, we'll talk later." Sasuke said.
"Fine." Shinachiku reluctantly walked out. In one way, he was glad, his mother could be quite scary when she got angry.
"So what's all of this about?"
"You tell us." Naruto said sourly. "Care to explain why Shinachiku is having dreams about you."
"Lack of a good father figure?"
"Funny except he swore 'uncle Sasuke' crawled in through the window, like a retarded Santa Claus, and left him something. And when he woke up, it was still there."
"I think this less about me, and more about the terrible shambles of a security you have guarding your only child. I mean if I can break in, who knows who else might be able to."
"Except we've had you and Tenten over to our house multiple times, so much so that you could probably infiltrate it with your eyes closed."
Sasuke shrugged and Naruto sighed.
"Speaking of Tenten, how is she?" Sakura asked.
"She's good, she told me to give you her best, for some reason."
"Probably just wants some decent company for a change." Sakura replied. They glared at each other before Naruto intervened.
"Alright, alright. Let's get down to business, Sasuke you sounded pretty urgent on the phone."
"Well mainly I wanted to get Tenten home but I think what you're interested in is this."
He took out a file and placed it before Naruto. It showed a woman with delicate facial features and flowing white hair.
"Kaguya Otsutsuki. She's become the largest drug dealer in the Water Country and is making her way over here. You know the first place in Fire Country she will try to set up shop is Konoha. She sells one product called Tsukuyomi, it makes people apparently enter an ethereal high where they lose all touch with reality."
Sasuke and Sakura flinched as Naruto's head slammed down on his desk. "It just never ends does it? I think I'm making progress then this bitch comes and tries to fuck up my city!"
Sakura gave him a sympathetic look. "You said it yourself Naruto, 'tommorow it will be some other asshole, who does the bad guy mastermind routene and whose ass we have to kick.'"
"I wish I could go back and kick my own ass for saying something that depressing." He whined.
"I'm actually inclined to agree with you, these clandestine wars are becoming tiresome." Sasuke said.
Naruto sighed again. "I don't know what clandestine means."
Sasuke and Sakura chuckled before Naruto straightened up. "Alright Sasuke, go play with my kid, he missed you. Sakura get Shikamaru in here, time for him to start doing some of that advising he talks so much about."
"Since when did I become a babysitter?" Sasuke whispered to Sakura, who rolled her eyes.
Before they walked out they took one last look at Naruto, who was staring intently at the file Sasuke had given him. Seeing the fire in his eyes and renewed look of energy on his features, made them realise that Konoha was in no better hands than his.
A/N: Whoo, it's done. First off let me start by saying that if you made it this far thank you. Whether it was for NaruSaku, SasuTen or just because you liked the story thank you so much for taking the time to read it.
Thanks to all who reviewed, followed and favourited. You guys are fucking awesome.
HUGE thanks to princesshyuuga01 whose words of encouragement throughout this story, mean more to me than I can ever express.
If you want to leave feedback or thoughts about the story, don't hesitate to drop a review or whatever. Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed it.