I found this scroll by chance on my way through the market, it has all the herbal healing and physical first aid I taught the kids and then some. It would be a good reference for them, please give it to Hope and tell her to share. Jesu is actually the best healer but they should all know some basics.

EEEEE

Thank you, I hope your travels are going well! I hate to bother you already, but there's a problem… Hope has decided to keep running self-defense lessons with the other kids, just like you did. She says you told her too but I'm pretty sure you didn't…? Do you think she's ready for this? Is it safe?

No, she is definitely not ready for it. I did tell her to make sure the kids kept up with some of their emergency prep training, it's possible she thinks that means taijutsu lessons too. But now I feel kind of dumb, of course the kids will keep sparring with stuff I taught them even if it's forbidden… I thought on it, and here's some rules I would suggest:

1. Make sure they have an adult watching them. They could get Millie or one of the other old folks who stays home most the time if none of the parents are present.

2. Tell Hope she has to act as a team with Jesu and Sara. Unfortunately they're the oldest out of the kids who have had the most consistent training. For each lesson, they should assign roles: one person will be the instructor, another will walk around and help each student or sparring pair/group, and the third will be solely responsible to monitor safety and stop things if they're getting out of hand. Let them know all three are equally responsible for any serious injuries that occur on their watch and if they don't listen to and help the monitor when they're in the other roles, they are individually responsible for the injury.

They could still get hurt. In a ninja village, they'd be watched by at least one adult instructor and chakra healers would be minutes away at most. Hope actually gives a really good rendition of my warning speech about how people die in training, though, so remind her of that. And if a serious injury does occur, unfortunately the trio are likely the best option for getting medical care.

Either Hope or Sara should be able to carry another child while running to the market town. They'll be able to find a chakra healer there. Give them some of the emergency funds I left with you. Jesu isn't as good at strengthening himself but he can keep up unburdened, and again he's the most likely to be able to stabilize and tend to any injuries so he should definitely go along if possible.

I'm sorry I left you in this predicament. You shouldn't have to be worrying about whether your kid is going to get anyone killed with the stuff I taught her. But at the same time, the risks are fairly low. They don't know any ninjutsu and none of them actually wants to get hurt or injure someone else, so they do pull their punches when they're not hitting dummies. Probably the biggest danger is that they're going to reinforce each other's bad form or something.

EEEEE

Thanks for your advice! The kids are doing great so far. It makes me laugh seeing how seriously they take it, they really do eat it up when you give them big-sounding responsibilities. Of course it is serious stuff… But so far they're handling it!

How are your travels going? Did you see the cascades in that river you told me about before?

EEEEE

I got your letter last night, just in time to get a camera since I passed the cascades this morning. The photo doesn't do them justice but it's something. I forget sometimes that you haven't traveled like I have… Of course I spent my youth wandering the world feeling rootless, I'd trade with you if I could. But it is beautiful.

I don't think I ever told you, but did you know I came to Flor de la Luna because it's the furthest out Naruto ever went? I traveled his footsteps for a while, talking to people like you whose lives had been touched by him. He's the friend who pulled me out of the path I was on, that was only leading toward destruction. But after everything that had happened, I couldn't bear to actually be near him, much less in my old village. So I just… was near him while being as far away as possible. I'm glad I did it, much as it's a strange path to have brought me to you and Hope.

EEEEE

Oh, that is amazing! The story and the photo. I wish I could travel one day, but I have to work and look after Hope… I guess she'll be old enough to take care of herself sooner than I can imagine, though. One of the good things about getting pregnant too young is you're still young when you're done raising them!

EEEEE

You don't really have to work, you know. Was my demonstration too subtle? What's mine is yours, if there's something else you want to do with your life, you can use my money to do it. Work's better than leisure without any reason for existence, though, it's why I still do it. I had a wealthy family and inherited from them when they died. Out of a ridiculous degree of sentimentality, the Hokage declined to seize it to cover some extensive damages I was responsible for. I don't deserve the people I've had in my life.

I'm at the edge of the real sand desert now. Have you ever seen a plant like the one in this photo? The sand just stretches on forever. For some reason the sight of it, and the feel as the wind blows sand grains against my skin, gives me a sense of calm and belonging.

EEEEE

Wow, I'd heard of the desert but I didn't know such life in it existed! And I couldn't imagine how vast it is… Here's some photos of the kids practicing their taijutsu that Hope demanded I send when she saw I'd gotten a camera. And here's one of me and her at dinner! We miss you.

You deserve every one of your friends. You're a kind, generous soul and you think deeply on each of your actions. I don't know what you did in the past. Maybe it was really bad. But these friends of yours back in your first village, they knew the whole story and they forgave you. Maybe you should trust them on that and forgive yourself?

As for the demonstration… Yes, I can see you gave me quite a few gifts. And renovated my home so now I'm known as the rich lady of the west end. But I didn't want to assume more than that. And frankly I shouldn't have to. Nor should you assume I'll accept just because you're willing to offer. I still have my dignity. Not that I'm saying I wouldn't accept… just that I have the right to make that choice. I'm grateful to you and I'm not trying to take you to task here, but you need to talk to me if you want us to be on the same page. You're opening up in writing more than you ever did in person, maybe you should write a letter even when you need to communicate to someone in person in the future? Some things are easier to say this way, for some people at least.

EEEEE

Thanks. For both the things you said. I'm thinking on them.

Meanwhile, I made it to Suna and decided to change my look. How do you like the crew cut? The mesh and stuff is just normal ninja gear, similar enough to what we wear in Konoha, but I went with relatively form-fitting stuff to change my profile. That's one of the biggest things that'll make you look different. I'm still… not comfortable walking into that village looking like the same person I was any of the other times I was there.

You look stunning! Got any boys back home you're hoping to find waiting on you?

….

Sasuke was "gearing up" (procrastinating) in Suna for a few days before he'd start the last leg of his journey. That was long enough for his summons to fly his message to Alma and bring back her reply, catching him on a walk through the shopping district. He tried to push his hair away ruefully at her teasing. Instead he just brushed the soft fuzz of his head. He leaned back against the wall of the nearest shop, tilted his head up and closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Is that… That can't be you… Sasuke?"

That brought him back into the world fast. He forced himself to relax when he realized his muscles had flowed into a fighting position the moment he heard that familiar voice.

"It really is you! Kakashi-sensei said you were coming back, I didn't know you were coming through here! And, huh, now I'm gonna have to tell Gaara his security people really aren't up to par if all they reported about you was that there's a Leaf jounin in town."

"Naruto," Sasuke said, the word feeling heavy in his mouth. He couldn't think what else to say.

"Got tired of the girls doting on you so you cut your tousled locks? I don't think it worked, just makes your features stand out more… What am I going on about, come get dinner with me and tell me everything you've been doing!"

As Naruto dragged him to some sort of… Sand-nin food parlor, Sasuke's brain finally caught up with him. "Why aren't you in Konoha?" he said.

"Huh? No, I'm there. I'm just a clone of me. Usually I make one like me every month or two to send here so I can be with Gaara, it kinda takes a lot of chakra though so I'm usually the only one really far from the village. Or wherever I am. Ha, that never makes a lot of sense when I try talking about it, does it?"

In lieu of telling Naruto he was indeed still an idiot, Sasuke made a noncomittal grunt and settled onto his cushion, scrutinizing the unfamiliar menu.

It kind of took his breath away, knowing Naruto could make shadow clones that would last through the visit to Suna… Did they last the whole two months he'd mentioned, or did he let time pass in between?

"So," Naruto said, leaning in after barking out his own order at a server and ignoring that the girl was still standing anxiously by waiting for Sasuke to order. "Did you really tell Kakashi to give you a genin team? I'm still not sure I believe it."

Sasuke finally chose a random item on the menu and pronounced it with a smoothness he hoped covered up for his complete ignorance of local culture so the poor server could get away.

Naruto whistled at Sasuke's order. "Ooh, not scared, are you?"

Committing to himself to eat stoically no matter what that meant, Sasuke answered his other question. "Yes. I needed a reason to come back to the village. And I like to teach."

Naruto tilted his head and looked at Sasuke for a moment.

"What about you, are you getting a team?" Sasuke asked to cover his discomfort.

"Oh, yeah, actually, I did tell Kakashi if you were really coming back and this wasn't some prank, I'd take another genin team too… My last one made chuunin in the fall, I wasn't planning on moving on immediately but if you and I can be rival sensei together, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Heh, you want your ass kicked in teaching that bad?" Sasuke asked, leaning in.

"Oh, you wish! My last batch were the best genin team in their year and surpassed the year before them, you're doing this for the first time, what do you think, just 'hnh'ing at them's gonna be enough?"

That sparked a line of friendly bickering and counter-boasting that lasted past the time their food got to them. From then on, Sasuke had to simultaneously suppress his sinuses from flooding from the spiciness, his throat from gagging reflexively at the visuals of whatever the… slime fungus was, and every sense of good taste he had from rebelling at the sheer horror that was its extreme sweetness, saltiness, and musty fungal taste on top of all the rest. But as bad as that all was, the texture was even worse.

Meanwhile, Naruto was munching contentedly on some sort of noodle and tomato dish with roasted garlic that looked entirely palatable.

Naruto must've read his gaze correctly, because he smirked and said, "The house special tastes just as good as your personality, doesn't it?"

"It really could be an allegory for your teaching technique," Sasuke shot back.

"You just don't like to admit when you're wrong. Or when you don't know something. Do you?"

Sasuke couldn't even reply, the evidence was right in front of them. He just shoved another spoonful in his mouth and made himself swallow instead.

"That's why I'm gonna beat you. Now, can you define that word you just said for me? Allie-whatsit?"

….

"Well, I should be getting back before it's too late," Naruto said once they'd walked out of the restaurant. "I'll see you soon, I bet the other me's can't wait. They probably won't remember this though, I've got another three or four weeks on this clone body unless something comes up. The ones in Konoha sync pretty regularly though."

"Oh, great, I'll have to educate you on all your misconceptions yet again. Well, not like anything sticks in that head of yours anyway."

"Aww, not gonna be serious for a moment and tell me you missed me?" Naruto pouted.

"Of course I missed you, you idiot," Sasuke muttered back, letting himself use his old insult for his friend again for the first time.

Naruto beamed. "I knew it! How did you even manage without me?"

Sasuke smiled slyly at that. "Well, I got a new best friend."

"Whaaaat?" Naruto cried. "Who is it?"

"Ehh, maybe I'll tell you in Konoha. Hint, it's someone you've met," Sasuke said, and then teleported away. He could still hear Naruto's cry of disbelief when he reappeared on another street.

….

Yes, and I just ran into him. Turns out he's here in Suna, but I'll see him back in the village too. There's no way he's waiting for me, though. Not the way I want him to. I'm leaving first thing in the morning, I don't think I can stand the chance of running into him again. The run back to Konoha will give me time to get used to the idea that I really do have to, at least.

Everything in me is telling me to run. Or break things. I'm actually trembling as I write this. I didn't think it would be so intense. I mean, I knew it would, it had to be, right? I've been staying far away for the past nine years for a reason. I can… I can handle intensity. I've pushed myself to do things that made me feel like this and worse before. Even dumb routine missions where they sent me to kill someone. I'm not doing those anymore, but I guess I was a fool if I thought that meant I'd never have to feel like this.

EEEEE

Oh, hun, I'm sorry to hear that. I know you're strong enough, though. And this guy… take it from me, if you just let whatever connection does exist between you blossom, one day you'll forget you wanted something "more". And connect with as many other people as you need, until your life feels full. That's what I did after my parents wouldn't speak to me anymore. Trust me, real love takes many forms.

A/N: Okay, so I don't really know how canon-compliant this is, but my interpretation of how the shadow clones work is that every time they burst from injury or running out of the finite amount of chakra they were created with, their memories merge with that of the person's actual body. And if Naruto's speech about his various selves was confusing, it was supposed to be, he's not always the best with complex concepts. The takeaway is that in this universe Naruto is used to running a number of shadow clones at all times so he can be in more than one place at once as he goes about his daily life. Being a clone doesn't feel any different than being the "real" person, other than the limited amount of chakra and lack of a demon sealed in one's belly (as the case may be), so he's used to thinking of himself and presenting himself as being equally "him" regardless of whether he's a clone or the original.

Hopefully the SasuNaru hints here are obvious. I might change this to romance in the future but right now Sasuke's other types of relationships and general growth as a person are at least as important.