His ribs are probably about halfway along in the healing when things start getting… loud outside.

Sasuke pauses, tilting his head to a side at the sound, flexing his fingers in the restraints that still hold him. He'll be surprised if any of the cuts on his hands are bleeding, what with them having been held over his head for the past couple of hours. Less than ideal, but he can still feel his fingers, can still move them, so he's not in big trouble yet.

The sudden sound of a thousand or so extra footsteps hint that the Senju, however, are in very big trouble indeed. That all those footsteps sound near enough exactly the same… it's Naruto.

Sasuke chuckles, rolling his shoulders as best he can, cracking his stiff neck. For a moment, he toys with the idea of just sitting tight until Naruto's done tearing up the Senju camp looking for him. But the faint wisps of his Uchiha pride can't take the idea of being rescued so completely. The Sage's mark on his hand heats with the thought, allowing his Rinnegan to bloom to existence and a quick Shinra Tensei frees him from Hashirama's roots. They wither, as if wishing to reclaim him. They never manage it, stopping a half second later, frozen in place. Senju's probably got his hands full with Naruto and her many, many clones.

Striding to the door, Sasuke kicks it open, releasing his hold on the Sage's power a breath afterwards. He still can't get at his own chakra, the fucking seal on his back prevents that. Naruto can sort that later though. He has absolutely zero doubts on her ability to pull of his miraculous rescue; at this point, Sasuke's just hoping he gets to watch her kick all the Senjus collective asses.

"SASUKE!" Yep, that's his idiot.

Making his way past the other prisoners (all of whom gawk at his once again free form, he supposes not every prisoner is capable of freeing themselves ever couple of hours or so), Sasuke stops by his previous exit, inspecting the hastily made wooden covering. Hashirama's work. Another application of the Sage's chakra, Rinnegan and Shinra Tensei later, the dusking sun is soon lighting the corridor.

Outside, it's mayhem.

There're hundreds of Naruto clones running around the place, all engaged in battle with Senju, who are all in various stages of disbelief, stress and panic. Oh, right, the shadow clone jutsu doesn't get invented until the village is already made; they've got no idea what they're up against here.

As if she'd been waiting for him to appear, Naruto nails the Clan Head in the face with a flying kick, startling a delighted laugh from Sasuke's lips. Yep, that's Naruto alright.

Several blonde heads snap around to look at him, each one brightening up like they're flowers and he's the fucking sun or something. God, seven of those smiles directed at him after who knows how many hours apart? It's a sight to see.

"Sasuke!" One pops and then he's being flooded by an army of Naruto clones, who pluck him up and begin marching for the walls. Unlike last time, Sasuke highly doubts a timely arrival by Senju Hashirama is going to be stopping his exit, what with the fact he can see the other facing off against what he'd bet to be the real Naruto over by the wall.

"Hey, Bastard, am I really saving your ass right now?" one Naruto clone chirps, popping when one of the Senju tries to run her through a sword. Ten others descend on the attacker and the clone is replaced by another, smiling at him as the others set him back down on his feet.

"Is that a taunt, Naruto?" he asks, taking in the bright blonde hair, the whiskered cheeks that are lifted in a beaming smile; fuck, he loves her so much.

"Just pointing it out. Hey, Boss! Catch!" The many hands of the clones are on him for a mere moment and then Sasuke's sailing through the air, right towards the love of his life.

Naruto disengages from Hashirama, the Kyūbi cloak flaring in gold (good, landing in the red stuff would probably be incredibly painful) as a chakra arm forms to catch him. Sasuke sticks the landing and follows up with a neat tuck and roll to take to the ground beside Naruto. Who, in her usual display of utter idiocy, abandons her fight to throw herself at him in a tackle hug. Sasuke ribs fucking scream, a wheeze escapes his lips, but he still manages to catch his idiot and hold her tight. Her legs wrap around his hips (small mercies), arms thrown over his shoulder and forehead pressing against his.

"I found you!"

He should point out that they're in the middle of (hopefully not permanent) enemy territory, that Naruto is literally in a fight with the man known as the 'God of Shinobi' and she really should be giving him her entire focus. But like fuck if he'll focus on that when Naruto is attached to him like a limpet. Stupid Fourth War and all its trauma hadn't let them really catch up like this and they'd hoped into time travelling right away and then been separated. It's the first time he's been able to gather Naruto up in his arms and pray he can absorb as much of her luck and goodness by osmosis as he possibly can.

"You found me," Sasuke breathes back, nose lost somewhere in her hair.

"Hashirama!"

"I'm sorry! I can't interrupt this!" The First Hokage wrings his hands together, clearly ready to dive back into battle but unwilling to ruin their reunion. For that alone, Sasuke decides that this Senju is his favourite one.

"Time to go, idiot," Sasuke decides, reluctantly releasing his hold on Naruto so she can stand on the ground again. His ribs thank him for the decision, even as the phantom sensation of holding her in his arms persists.

"Time to go!" Naruto chirps and then they're gone.

.

In retrospect, Sasuke knew Naruto could move fast. But knowing and experiencing something are two very different things indeed. The speed at which the Kyūbi chakra cloak thing allows her to haul ass is unreal; his head is still spinning and he's been sitting on the floor for hear a minute now.

"Man, I can't believe I just fought old man Hashirama!" Naruto declares, hands planted on her hips and looking like she's done little more than a soft workout, not taken on the entirety of the Senju camp and won. Well, technically won; she might have fled the battle, but her mission was complete and that's exactly what she'd been aiming for, wasn't it? In her triumph, she looks beautiful, like some kind of avenging goddess. No wonder he'd spent so long staring at her as a kid, he just hadn't made the connection between what he saw and what she actually was. He's not an ignorant child anymore though. And, there's nothing to stop him from point out what he sees.

"You're beautiful you know."

Naruto fucking splutters, red not so much creeping across her face as it floods, hands flailing in front of her body as she tries to decide what to do with them.

"Damn it, Bastard! You can't just say random shit like that!"

"It's not random. I've been thinking it for a while. No reason not to say it anymore."

Naruto hides her face in her hands. It's fucking cute; this girl who just blasted through the Senju camp and made a mockery of them all goes gooey over a few choice but very truthful words. Heh, if only those assholes could see her now, they'd no doubt feel even more ashamed of the fact they'd lost to her. Fuckers.

Taking a bit of pity on her (mainly because he doesn't want to over-fry her ramen-soaked brain any more than he appears to have done so), Sasuke shifts out of his shirt and turns his back on Naruto.

"Get rid of this for me, idiot?"

.

He should have expected someone would follow them after Naruto's vicious takedown of Senju defences. He just hadn't expected it to be Uchihas stumbling across them. Especially Uchiha Madara.

Sasuke's on his feet a moment later, reaching for a sword that isn't there (bastard Senjus- oh god, he's starting to sound like the ancestors, abort, abort) as he stands by Naruto. He's not going to insult her by standing in front of her. She'd probably just plough right over him to get to the fight anyway.

The copy of him that's only just slightly off, given the (he's smug to notice) shorter height, blatantly stares. Sasuke doesn't like the stars that appear in his eyes as his gaze finds Naruto.

"You actually did it," the kid, who Sasuke suspects to be Izuna, says with wonder in his voice. "You tore through the Senjus like they were screen paper!"

"Tch, you doubted her?" Sasuke snaps back. Doesn't matter that he had his doubts before; younger Naruto did inspire doubt. He knows now it's because she didn't have any training, anyone backing her up. She's stronger for it. And it doesn't matter now because she's got him backing her up, him covering all the bases she can't manage on her own.

"Of course, he did," Uchiha fucking Madara scowls, though the way he eyes Naruto (wary and disbelieving) makes it clear exactly what he's thinking. Sasuke knows because had told him how the undead Madara had reacted to her kicking ass, had seen how the other had seemed incapable of linking the girl before him as the ass-kicking machine he'd just witnessed in action.

"Naruto's badass and can kick your ass all across Fire Country and back," Sasuke confirms, basking in the joyous smile the girl in question lavishes on him with that statement. He's only telling the truth, but clearly not enough people have been doing that in recent months. That, or she's been too worried about the war to really listen to them.

He'll just have to keep repeating it all until it sinks in, until its cemented.

"Damn right I can! And the bastard's just as good as me!"

"You're a time-traveller too, right? Does that make you my descendant? We look so alike you have to be!" Have to be-

Sasuke swings around to look at Naruto, lips in a hard line and brow heavy.

"Naruto. Did you tell them we were time-travellers? Why am I even asking, of course you did," Sasuke cuts the girl off before she can even begin to respond, running a hand down the side of his face, grimacing at the dirt and dried blood there. He needs a wash, stat. After the war, he'd really been hoping he'd be able to, you know, actually get washed on the daily. He's sweaty and stinky and Naruto had still thrown herself at him like he was the best gift she'd ever gotten. She's too good for this world and Sasuke's gonna hold tight for as long as he's able. She's the love of his life, after all.

"You're a Uchiha, so we'll take the girl as well, especially given how strong she is," Madara begins, utterly oblivious to how the both of them turn to stare, mixed looks of bamboozlement on their features. "The Senjus will no doubt be worried given the mess you've just made of their encampment; they'll need time to recuperate which will affect their mission rate-"

"We're not coming with you."

"Yeah!" Naruto cries, following up Sasuke statement with a bellow, one hand on his shoulder and the other in a closed fist, waving back and forth in Madara's general direction. Nice to see they're both on the same page. "We've got our own shit to do and we're not getting involved in a war! The cycle of hatred ends with us!"

And then, just like that, Sasuke gets the most delicious idea. It'll given Naruto everything she's ever wanted, will cement them a place in the past and Sasuke's only worry will be getting a ring on Naruto's finger.

"Naruto's gonna build a village and bring the clans together. For peace."

"Yeah! Wait, what?"

The more the idea swirls in his head, the more Sasuke likes it. Naruto knows best, has changed so many to her way of thinking. She's saved countless lives and fixed so many wrongs; she broke his curse of hatred. Even undead Itachi trusted her. Putting her as the First Hokage would make things so much easier. No massive upset between the Senju and the Uchiha as one of them is put in charge, no upset with the Biju because Naruto sure as hell won't dish them out to the other countries. Not when they're 'people' to her. Friends, even.

Yeah, Konoha led by Naruto sounds about right.

Perfect. Now he just needs to make it happen.

His eyes spin to life, Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan flaring as both the Uchihas opposite them flinch back in surprise. It's too late though, he's got them in a genjutsu, marching orders to go home.

He doesn't doubt that they'll both break free. But not quick enough to stop them leaving.

"Sasuke! I can't make the village! That's Hashirama's job!"

"It was Hashirama's job. You'll be so much better at it," he knows it, can feel the truth in his bones because Naruto's had the worst of the world and she's still come back swinging and hollering for peace. "And think of all the lives you'll save by making it earlier."

There. With that seed planted, Naruto'll soon be on board.

And then Sasuke can spend the rest of his days as the Hokage's husband, supporting the love of his life in whatever she needs and just basking in life.