*I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliated stories/merchandise.

Chapter 1: The New Normal

"Boruto, come eat your breakfast before it gets cold," Naruto yelled.

Rice and natto, again. It was the only breakfast he knew how to make. Well, besides cup ramen, but most people didn't count that. The rice was easy, and the natto was one of the few things he learned from Hinata how to cook. It didn't look particularly appetizing, but it smelled decent, and it was edible. Surely Boruto and Himawari missed their mother's cooking, but it took all of Naruto's free time just to make them breakfast, let alone learn new dishes.

It was early on a Monday morning. The house was messy, since Naruto didn't have much time for chores most days. The furniture wasn't put neatly in its place, and more dust had settled on the shelves and the floors than Hinata used to allow. Boruto lazily stumbled down the stairs, fully dressed but still rubbing his eyes open. He glared at the food set on the table, knowing what it would be before looking yet still painfully annoyed that it was the same as always.

"I'm really glad you're trying something new, old man," he sneered.

Naruto didn't bother to turn around. For the last two years, Boruto's first comment in the morning was usually some sort of snide remark, even though deep down he was glad his father was around to hear it.

"Big brother, you know this is all dad knows how to make," Himawari replied in Naruto's stead. She was already halfway done with her food, being a much earlier riser than her brother.

Thank god for Himawari, probably the only thing really holding their family together. Without her unique blend of naivete and optimism, Naruto didn't know how he would be able to face his two children every day. It definitely helped keep Boruto's mood at bay, too.

"Boruto, are you ready for your mission today?" Naruto asked, trying to generate some semblance of familial conversation.

"It's just another C-Rank, I don't know why you keep assigning those to us."

"Every mission is important, Boruto. Plus, you need to stay safe. You know that."

Boruto paused. "Whatever, I've got to go meet up with Mitsuki and Sarada. Later." His chair screeched back as he abruptly left through the front door, leaving half of his food uneaten.

Naruto sighed and grabbed Boruto's dish, shoveling the rest of his son's leftovers into his mouth. If there was one positive about Boruto's recent lack of appetite, it was that Naruto always wanted his scraps - especially since he really only had time for two meals a day. Once he finished wiping his mouth, he grabbed all of the dishes and threw them in the sink. He'd get around to them in a day or two - at least, that was his usual plan. Trying to plaster a smile on his face, he turned to face Himawari.

"Okay, you ready to go?"

"Yes," she responded with a weary smile of her own plastered on. She put on her pink boots and they strolled outside side-by-side.

It was the least Naruto could do to prepare a home-cooked breakfast and walk Himawari to the Academy every morning. He didn't love the sorrowful looks every resident of Konaha gave them as they walked through the crowded streets, but he would bear through it if it meant keeping Himawari - and in turn, himself - content.

Himawari had been blankly staring at her feet as they walked. She broke the silence with a question that Naruto had fielded who-knows-how-many times in the last 24 months - one that he never got better at answering.

"Dad, do you still think about mom a lot?"

He looked down at her, eyes dry from the tears he'd already cried long ago. "Of course Hima. All the time." A long pause. "Do you?"

"I do. But not as much as I used to. Is that bad?" There was that endearing naivete of hers again.

"It's not bad, no. It's natural. You don't have to think about her all the time - she would've wanted you to fill your thoughts with lots of other, happier stuff." Naruto had experienced loss enough times to know that as a kid, it's much easier to complete the grieving process. And sometimes, it can make you feel guilty for moving on. "As long as you know she'll always be with you in your heart, then your mind will be free to keep looking forward." I should take my own advice, he thought. He also knew that as an adult, it's a lot easier to look backwards.

Himawari seemed to be content with his answer, but that wasn't the end of her questions. "I try to remember her as much as I can, but sometimes all I can think about is how she died." Naruto knew the question there was implied.

"I know. You want to remember the good times, but it's hard to get that day out of your brain" he replied, even though he knew that was an understatement.

Outside of the Hokage's office the sun had just set. The sky still had a tint of color, casting an orange glow on both the walls and the back of Naruto's head.

"And would you please go home and get some sleep soon. Your kids are there alone you know." Shikamaru was on his way out as he gave Naruto some parting advice. He had to scold his boss into taking care of his immediate family rather than his village family more often than he liked.

"I know. I left them some instant ramen to eat for dinner, so they'll be fine."

Sheesh, Shikamaru though, I feel bad for those kids. "Alright, see you tomorrow," he said out loud.

Naruto kept his head buried in his documents as he gave his right hand man a quick wave. Work was at least a constant in his life, and a darn good distraction. If not for the weight of the village resting on his shoulders, his mind would only remain on Hinata, the Otsutsuki, and Sasuke…

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in," he said in a tone barely loud enough to hear beyond the walls, head still buried in his work.

"Naruto, I was hoping you weren't still here but I saw the light on."

Naruto looked up and saw his pink-haired former teammate giving him the same plastered-on smile that he wore so often these days. "Sakura-chan," he said familiarly. "I was actually just about to leave, I've only got a couple more things to look over."

Normally he'd be surprised to see her in his office this late at night, but lately it had become almost routine. Naruto knew that she used work as a distraction as much as he did, and Sakura knew that Naruto needed to be checked on to keep his sanity.

"Oh, I assume you're going straight home then?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, even though Boruto's probably mad at me for leaving them instant ramen for dinner again. Speaking of which, is Sarada waiting for you?"

"No, she's at Chocho's again tonight." Naruto knew that Sarada wanted to be home just about as much as Boruto did these days, which wasn't much. "So," Sakura continued, "I guess it's just me again tonight. I should be used to it by now, but it doesn't really get easier. I mean, it's not like Sasuke was around much before, but at least Sarada was usually home."

He may not have been the best at reading women, but even Naruto knew better than to leave this situation alone. He sighed. "The kids are probably already done eating, and after that they usually go to their rooms for the rest of the night. Do you want to go to Ichiraku with me? My treat."

After pretending to be unsure for a moment, Sakura agreed to the welcome company for dinner. Truth be told, while they both wanted to be there for their children, it was nice to be able to talk to another adult about their situations. Especially knowing that the other person was going through the same exact thing.

"Naruto, I don't see you around here nearly enough anymore!" yelled Teuchi, the owner of the ramen shop.

"Sorry, old man," Naruto tried to laugh as he scratched the back of his head. "But I made it up to you by bringing a second customer this time."

"Sakura! It's definitely been too long since you ate here. Let me give you two Naruto's favorite spot at the bar." Teuchi set out chopsticks and spoons at the middle two seats of the bar that had tripled in size since they were younger.

"Thank you," they said in unison. He and Sakura settled into their seats as they had done countless times before, waiting for a meal that they had eaten countless times before. A welcome sense of warmth and familiarity in two lives that had grown too cold and distant to bear.

"You know, I went to his grave today." Naruto wished he could have started their conversation on a more cheerful note, but at this point he just didn't know how. "I saw the new flowers you put out for him."

Sakura didn't turn towards him, but fiddled with her chopsticks instead. "It's funny, he always hated flowers." She let out an exhausted chuckle. "But I don't know what else to put out for him. He didn't have many likes, I guess."

"Heh, he was a tough guy to read," Naruto replied. "But I'm sure he was glad to see you stop by." Sasuke was never one to show his emotions, but Naruto liked to think that he was happy to be back with Itachi and the rest of his clan. Maybe even happier than he ever was in his life on earth.

Sakura continued twiddling the chopsticks in her hands as she stared at the wall. "The other day, Sarada told me that she's started to forget what Sasuke sounded like." Sakura felt more comfortable letting Naruto in on her family's private conversations than she did with anybody else.

Naruto's heart stung with empathy. "Himawari said something similar this morning. That she doesn't think about Hinata as much as she used to. And that when she does think about her, she only thinks about how she died."

Sakura winced a little, just enough for Naruto to notice. She tried to block it out as much as possible, but at every slight mention of it, her mind immediately goes back to that horrific day.