The work never seemed to end. Whether it was new bills being put in place, balancing the quarterly budget, preparing new missions, or keeping up on intelligent reports, the work of the Hokage never ceased. Tsunade now began to understand better why Jiraiya, who had always been the preferred choice of the two of them, repeatedly turned down the position time and time again. And why he had been so desperate to foist it off on her instead. The eminent Lady Tsunade continued her neverending battle against paperwork in her office alone. Things would only get busier before they mellowed out, but a certain serenity had fallen over the region.
The Akatsuki and their ilk were on the run, broken and fragmented without their leader. Even as new Anbu reports pointed towards a larger, overarching scheme they remained stymied by one irreversible fact: they did not have all the tailed beasts. Without them, their plot would never reach fruition. By sending Naruto away, they had stumbled and by the time they figured out the ruse the remaining Jinchuriki were under close guard and observation. If any of them made any moves, the five great nations would know immediately.
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. "It's already been a few months…"
Despite his propensity for troublemaking and sarcasm, she missed Naruto. Everyone did. There had been major security concerns once he left, but the Fifth Hokage likened it to a splinter. It hurt to pull out, but in the end it was necessary. It was unfair to Naruto and unwise of them to rely solely on his strength for the majority of their martial power. With the chaos caused by Pain, they had had no choice but the period of peace following Naruto's departure gave her time to restructure the Leaf Village's defenses. Even after only a few months they had managed to strengthen their presence in the region and mission requests were up.
There was still the concern of the other nations smelling blood in the water, but as of now nothing like that had happened. What was more worrying were the missives her wayward underling had sent to her. She had moved Naruto away to keep him out of trouble, but the notes he was sending pointed towards rumblings in the Land of Demons. Surely it was nothing the blonde ninja couldn't handle, but she still worried.
There was a knock at the door which brought her out of her own thinking. "Come in."
The door opened to reveal a beleaguered but cheery Shizune. Her faithful assistant had been pulling her weight in these last few weeks. It seemed neither of them got barely any time to rest. Tsunade was thankful for her protege, and for more than just helping with the paperwork. The joy was a welcome change from the usual bone deep exhaustion etched into her face. In the woman's hand she held a scroll.
"Lady Tsunade, great news! It's from the Land of Demons!"
Speaking of that brat, she mused to herself. "What is it?"
"Naruto sent us a message saying that he handled everything. It included an incident report I think you should look at. Disturbing stuff, but hopefully handled," Shizune walked up to the desk and placed down the report. The Fifth Hokage was quick to snap it up and pour over its contents.
Eugh, still as sloppy as ever. She could get the gist of it though. In particular the surgically induced kekkei genkai was new. Tsunade was the preeminent healer in the world, and even she had never heard of something like this. It was more up Orochimaru's alley if anything. As she read on she tried to filter out the headache that threatened to dawn. Leave it to that fool to blow up an entire mountain by accident. At least the students were safe, as was Shion.
One section of the letter, near the end, caught her eye though.
Shion and I spoke about it, and I know it's sudden, but we'd like to hold our official marriage in the Leaf Village. As a show of solidarity. I guess if I'm gonna call you granny, then the least I could do is let you see your "grandkids", eh? Let the other guys know!
Tsunade felt a small, but deceptively emotional smile creep onto her face. Jiraiya would have loved to see this. The Fifth Hokage set the note down and regarded her assistant with a joyous look.
"I suppose we should get ready. Let the others know. They're going to love it."
Shizune saluted. "M'lady!"
To think that the hyperactive child that had brought her out of her depression all those years ago would be bringing his children back to see her. It almost felt like some kind of odd joke. The idea of having children never appealed to her personally. Too many painful losses in the past, no one to really want to settle down with. Lonely, maybe, but in a way the whole village was her family, and all of its children hers as well. It had been a childhood dream of his, but now Tsunade couldn't help but ponder if Naruto was happier with his new life than if he had become the next Hokage.
The other kids in the village would be excited. She knew that they missed him. Of course they all did, even the villagers who had once scorned him. It was ironic. So many people had wanted him gone for so long, and now that he was all they wanted was to see him again. She supposed that was people though. Complicated things they were. As Shizune exited the office Tsunade withdrew a small bottle of sake and cracked it open.
"Care to partake?" she spoke. "Kakashi?"
"It's a bit early for sake, isn't it?" came the bland retort from her window.
Kakashi stepped inside the room, his beloved Icha Icha Paradise book clutched in one hand. She could hear the amusement in the jonin's voice, however, and poured him a dish as well. The masked man had been busy since Pain's attack and no doubt would enjoy the brief reprieve from missions. He walked across the room until he faced the desk and picked up the dish of alcohol.
"You must be excited. It's been awhile since you've seen Naruto."
He laughed slightly. "It has been. If anything I'm still just trying to process where I went wrong to let Naruto become a teenage dad."
Gah, as if that hadn't been an unwelcome surprise when she first heard it. The hangover the day after only served to compound the cauldron of worries after he left. Still though, it seemed he had found his footing by all accounts. Tenten's letters were very comprehensive after all. She took a swig of the sake and sighed deeply.
"I'm glad he found a family of his own, Kakashi," she mused softly. "I think after everything he's been through, he deserved it."
"I agree. I never thought I'd live to see the day that someone managed to finally make him settle down and act responsibly. Guy still hasn't given up on trying to one-up me over it. I swear, the amount of unfortunate girls he's tried to throw at Neji is enough to make me cringe."
She'd heard. The Hokage downed another drink of alcohol before setting the bottle down and basking in the feeling of contentment. If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that Naruto Uzumaki would never stop surprising her. Hopefully the others would take it as well as she did…
0-0-0-0
"I just can't believe it. First Kakashi pulls one over on me and has his disciple father a child, and now he goes and rubs my face in it. I should expect nothing less from my age-old rival," Might Guy, squad leader of Team Guy monologued mostly to himself.
The remaining members of the squad were out training together when they got the news. It had been a long time since they'd seen their missing squadmate, and the surprise had been welcome. It just wasn't Team Guy without their faithful weapon specialist. Rock Lee continued his brutal training regimen. Delivering solid kicks to a training dummy while balancing on his hands.
"Yes! It's enough to get my blood pumping!" he cried, spinning his whole body and smashing the thing to pieces with a brutal sweep of his leg. "To think that things could change in as little as a few months. I truly cannot wait to see our friends again!"
Neji nodded solemnly as he focused his byakugan to extend its range. "I'm interested to see what their plans are. It's been awhile since we've caught up with Tenten. According to her, she trains aspiring ninja in the Land of Demons, yes?"
Guy smirked and rubbed his chin. "Of course she does. With her unparalleled marksmanship and technique she'd be the ideal candidate for teaching weapon's training. I'm sure she's also gotten stronger since leaving."
"Then if I cannot do two hundred standing spin kicks in her honor, then I will run around the leaf village a hundred times blindfolded!" Lee swore as he began his challenge.
Still as hot blooded as ever. Maybe it should have been you we left behind, Neji sighed to himself. Then again, if that happened then I'm not sure the cadets would survive.
So his teammate would return, along with Naruto. Truth be told, he was hesitant to leave Shion in the care of someone so… strong-willed, per se. He had no idea how well his comrade would adjust to fatherhood, or if he even could at all. But perhaps that was unfair of him. Naruto was no idiot, for all that he could sometimes act like one. By all accounts, he was a devoted and loving father and an excellent teacher. In Tenten's own words, he'd truly grown up. Neji felt a wan smile tug at the edges of his lips. Well, that made sense for the boy who defied destiny and fate.
He would need to start thinking of gifts to give the newlyweds. Something meaningful. He glanced at his team leader and squadmate currently trying to one-up each other in their insane training and quickly decided to spearhead that project himself. If he let those two do the shopping they'd end up giving Naruto and Shion some green spandex bodysuits. Or training weights.
0-0-0-0
It was the perfect day. Warm enough to enjoy the sunlight without being scorching, a light breeze to take the edge off, and blue skies pockmarked by the occasional white cloud. It was the kind of day where you didn't do anything except take a nap and play some shogi. However, this peaceful vista was displaced by only one horrid revelation.
"Shikamaru! Shikamaru! Did you hear!? Naruto's coming back to the village!" Choji, Shikamaru's longtime friend, crowed as he ran up the hill on which the jonin lay. "I heard it from Shizune. He's coming back here for his wedding!"
"Yes, I heard Choji. But that's still weeks away. I dunno why everyone is so noisy about it," the lazy young man quipped, his eyes still shut.
"Aren't you the least bit excited to see his kids? Or attend the wedding? Or for all the free food!?"
That was Choji for you. Always thinking with his stomach. With a grunt of annoyance, Shikamaru sat up and sighed deeply. All he wanted was some peace and quiet this afternoon. So of course that blonde idiot would ruin his relaxation even half a continent away. Naruto was good at pulling off tricks like that. And with all the security concerns he was sure that Lady Tsunade would ask him to prepare a satisfactory security detail. What a drag…
He opened his eyes slowly. "I can't imagine what kind of hellspawns he's reared. Maybe I should go tell old man Ichiraku to start fortifying his store."
His teammate laughed and sat down next to him. Ever since Asuma-sensei's death, Choji had been finding his footing bit by bit. Shikamaru knew his friend was far stronger than he realized. Asuma knew that too. All he lacked was confidence, but he was finding himself in their squad leader's absence. Shikamaru guessed that it was inevitable that they'd all grow up from the snot-nosed brats they'd been. It felt like just yesterday they were playing ninja in the park.
Man, things were going by much too quick. What a drag. It didn't help that his old man was "subtly" pestering him about getting a girl for himself. Having one overbearing woman - namely his mother - in his life was more than enough for him. The Nara clan heir looked up into the lazy blue sky and pondered about how strange things had become. The village's last place loser had become their hero and started a family, his squad was finding their place in their clans bit by bit and really coming into their own, and even he was starting to take on more responsibility. A part of him wished he could go back. Back to the academy when he'd take naps in class and breeze through homework before messing around with his friends.
He snorted to himself. If that blonde idiot were here he'd say something about only moving forward. "Say, Choji, what do you think we should get Naruto and Shion?"
"For a gift? Uh… ehhhhhh," the large young man rubbed his chin. "Well, geez, now that you mention it I'm stumped. Maybe we could ask Ino? She's usually pretty good about giving gifts!"
"Yeah, she is. Last I heard she was talking to Sakura. They just got back from a mission didn't they? Talk about a surprise."
Great, this was going to be such a drag. Having to plan for the wedding, getting a gift, not to mention all the hubbub about Naruto's kids. It was going to be a headache from beginning to end. And just when things finally settled down.
I guess nothing really slows down here, does it? He bemoaned to himself.
0-0-0-0
"Well I'll be damned. It'll be good to see him again," Kiba chuckled gruffly as Tonton, Shizune's pet pig, gave them the rundown. "Feels like it's been forever. Ay?"
The coarse young man turned to his two teammates and longtime friends. With Team Seven being more or less scattered, and Team Ten being so busy with their assigned clan duties, it had fallen to Team Eight to pick up a lot of the slack. It had been almost nonstop missions since the moment the rambunctious idiot had left for the Land of Demons. Kiba sat on top of a picnic table, kicking his feet as Shino idly watched a beetle crawl across his finger.
Shino hummed, or maybe it was his bugs. "It was starting to feel like Naruto had forgotten about us. Without him here things certainly have been more quiet though."
"Yeah, that's for sure. What about you Hinata, think about what you're gonna say to him when he comes back?"
The Inuzuka ninja tossed a curious look to his third and final teammate. Hinata had been noticeably withdrawn since Naruto left. Not as timid or weak as she had been before, but somehow… wounded, in a sense. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why, especially when she seemed so secretive these days, but something had made her feel down these last few weeks. He'd have thought that seeing Naruto again would cheer her up, but there she was, playing with her fingers like she used to when she was nervous.
"I-I'm not really sure. It's been so long that I don't know what we'd talk about," she muttered shyly, almost to herself.
"Whattya mean? Just talk to him like you always do! It's still the same old Naruto," Kiba retorted. "It isn't like he'd have changed in only a few months."
"I don't know. From what I've heard from Team Guy he's greatly matured. He's even taken to teaching young children the basics of ninja training."
"I mean yeah, but he's still the same guy. Hyperactive, loud mouthed, probably pretty annoying still. If he hadn't saved us from Pain I'd give the guy a lot more grief than I already do."
Hinata nodded, eyes downcast. "But… I guess they're having their wedding here, right?"
Shino and Kiba shared glances. Their friend had been acting strangely. Something was obviously eating at her but neither them, Kurenai-sensei, or even Neji or Hanabi could draw it out of her. A possible reason niggled at the back of his mind, but he either couldn't believe it or didn't want it to be true. However, the more nights he spent chewing on the idea the more it made sense. If she really did like Naruto in a romantic sense, then this reunion must be bittersweet at best. It made sense, he supposed, Naruto more than anyone had managed to draw Hinata out of her shell. If she didn't like the guy at least a little bit he'd be surprised.
But therein lied the problem. Naruto had kids now, a fiancee. Kiba knew Hinata well enough to confidently say she wouldn't come between that. She was too nice, after all. But it must've stung to see your crush go running off with another woman. He couldn't say he understood all that well, but he could sympathize with her. If only there was some kind of way to cheer her up…
"I think everyone will be getting together soon to discuss things. It'll be nice to see everyone again," Shino mentioned offhandedly. "It might even be fun."
Kiba smirked. "Yeah, Shino's right. No use standing around sucking our thumbs. This could end up being a good time."
The Hyuga girl didn't say anything, but she nodded. Whatever was bugging her, he didn't want to exasperate it. Better to just be a shoulder to cry on for now. Hinata trusted them and he got the sense she'd come talk to them when she felt comfortable. Until then, the least he could do was try to brighten her day. Hanging out with the others always seemed to do that.
0-0-0-0
When she had gotten the news, Sakura hadn't really known what to do. She was happy of course. She would be able to see her missing teammate after so long! But there was also this sense of existential dread she couldn't shake. It was hard to put into words, but the kunoichi almost felt like she was being left behind. Even as Tsunade's student, there was this sense that her teammates were moving on without her.
Sasuke was still missing, off doing God knows what. Naruto had his family now, he had responsibilities that went beyond this village. Sai was still with her, but the man was so withdrawn and secretive that at times she wondered if they were really friends. And here she was, still in the Leaf Village. She leaned back in her chair and sipped the cup of tea she made for herself. The view from the balcony of her home was beautiful, even if a lot of the village was still recovering.
Maybe this was just how things went. Friends, squadmates, drifted apart over the years. She had her own duties now and was slated to be an exemplary medical ninja in the coming years. But where did that leave their team? Without Naruto to bring Sasuke back, what would happen to their wayward comrade? It wasn't fair to her teammate to ask him to drop anything and go after someone who was, ostensibly, an incredibly dangerous missing nin. Sakura wasn't sure if Sasuke would actually try to kill Naruto, but now that he had kids the risk was too great.
Funny, when they were young all she wanted was for Naruto to buzz off. And now she would've given anything to have him back in the village permanently.
There was a slight breeze to her left, and she sighed slightly. Sai stood perched on the railing of her balcony, a serene smile on her face. Despite his occasional standoffishness, she was thankful to the pale man. He'd been a welcome companion in these turbulent times.
"Hello Sakura," he intoned politely. "How are you feeling?"
"Good, Sai. Has your day been going well?"
"Very well. Even better once I got the news."
The conversation was genial, if rather shallow. He always seemed so guarded to her. Maybe that's just who he was. Sakura set her cup of tea down and turned to face her last remaining teammate.
"Yeah, who would've guessed that the first one to settle down would be Naruto of all people?" she laughed slightly. "I don't even know what I'm going to do for the wedding!"
"I've already heard about some gift ideas. The village is abuzz with the return of our vaunted hero. I came by to see how you were doing," he stepped down from the railing. "I understand you've been feeling a bit down since he left."
He was sharper than she thought. Sakura sighed and nodded her head slightly. "I guess I felt a little lonely without that idiot, after having spent so much time with him. Then again, if he's happy then, as his friend, I want what's best for him."
"But what about you? You need to look out for your own happiness as well."
The words almost made her want to laugh. Sai was right, but that also presented a bit of a problem. The medical ninja thought on it for a few moments as Sai stood there patiently. What did she really want? What were her aspirations? Or, better yet, why did she feel so lost without Sasuke and Naruto? Maybe because they had outclassed her for so long, or because of how much she relied on them when they were young. Sakura wasn't stupid, and she could recognize that she was an exceptional kunoichi for her age.
Maybe it wasn't fair to compare herself to Naruto, the jinchuriki of the nine-tailed fox, and Sasuke, the heir to one of the most famous and powerful clans in the Leaf Village. Compared to them, was there any hope of keeping up with their ludicrous growth? Then again, maybe she didn't need to compare herself to her teammates all the time. Perhaps that was what was holding her back.
Or maybe she was just lonely. The pink-haired girl let out a frustrated sigh as her thoughts jumbled up again. Why was this so complicated!? Sai laughed quietly and sat down next to her.
"I imagine it's not very easy to think about."
"You've got that right. I dunno, maybe I also need a change of scenery."
The others had blazed their own path, so perhaps it would be good for her to go out into the world. After all, even her mentor Tsunade travelled the various lands for a great deal of time before becoming the Hokage. However, that wasn't a decision to be made lightly. She had to think about this a lot more.
And all the while Sai was still there, offering a comforting presence to her internal dilemma. If she wanted to know what was going on in her head, it could be good to ask someone who'd gone through it. When Naruto returned, she'd ask him about all the things he'd done and just why he decided to leave.
Come back soon Naruto. We're all waiting for you...