They make tracks across a good portion of Fire Country before they find the mountain. Sure, the trees may be smaller, the large roads that lead into the site may not have been developed yet, but Naruto can hone in on her homeland like a kunai seeking the bullseye.

With his ribs half-healed, Sasuke's more than capable of keeping pace with her, leaping from tree to tree with ease. Part of him wishes that they could have stopped in order to wash, though he does acknowledge that being further away from the Senju encampment (and the Uchiha, wherever they're situated at the moment) can only be a good thing. True, both he and Naruto could take them (they're unstoppable, after all, together they have the power of the Sage and have stopped a Goddess from dominating the world) but they don't have to. Not right now. What's more important is establishing peace. Which won't be able to last until they get rid of that fucker Zetsu.

Sasuke's brain whirls, putting thoughts and plans together, discarding some ideas, cementing others. They could try hunting the bastard across the lands; it's possible they'd find him. Naruto, after all, can sense ill intent. But that'd taken up so much time and it would slow their other goals; how can they create lasting peace without setting the foundations for it? So, it's best they start the village right away. Zetsu will be drawn to them in the end, if only to find out if the start-up village will be a threat to his plans to resurrect the Rabbit Goddess.

In order to gather up the clans though, they're going to have to prove themselves. Recruit them with a promise of peace and safety. For those clans to believe them… they're going to have to get a reputation. Not difficult given how powerful they are but it does mean they're going to have to start sticking their noses into things. Something Naruto is perfectly good at. And, they're going to have to prove they're too strong to be reined in by any who think they have the entitlement to make them listen. That's the part Sasuke's good at. After all, he's just told Madara to shove the 'become part of the Uchiha clan, we'll even take your blonde tag along' up his ass. As if. Naruto's no tag-along, she's the main fucking event. If anything, Sasuke's the tag-along, the mentally competent one that can plan the shit and spot things that Naruto won't. It's what his eyes are good for, isn't it?

"Hey, Bastard."

Stopping at Naruto's address, Sasuke looks out over the woodland area they've arrive in. The stream, the three trees all growing right next to each other in a near straight line; it overlaps with a memory from years ago.

He walks up to the centre tree, tapping the rough bark.

"Isn't this the trunk you get tied to, years from now?" he asks, levelling his stolen sword (fucking Senju, he wants his back, he doubts they'll use it, what with the Uchiha clan symbol that's stamped on the handle) to carve a chunk of bark off. As expected, it's the exact colour of the training stumps from their genin days. The original founders of the village must have flattened most of this clearing in order to make their training ground, leaving these three trees as the training logs.

"Shut up, bastard! Like you didn't get your ass handed to you by Kakashi-sensei!" Yeah, he had. But the other'd had twenty years of experience on him as a ninja at that point. Now, now Sasuke has the skills to wipe the floor with the other, five years of experience to twenty-five. Quite frankly, Sasuke'd say that makes him the better ninja.

"Only hands I want on my ass are yours, idiot."

Naruto fucking chokes at that one, looking away but he doesn't miss the furious blush on her face.

"D-don't say such strange things, bastard! I don't have to give you permission to touch my ass!"

"Then I won't until you do."

Naruto growls, throwing her hands up in the air to begin ranting about how 'Orochimaru and Akatsuki have made him super weird' and if he'd just 'stayed in Konoha he'd be the emotionless bastard' she knew from the start and their relationship wouldn't have gotten 'weird as hell, 'ttebayo'.

"Naruto," Sasuke cuts in, heart hammering in his chest but he needs this clearing up before they crack on with any world saving plans. He catches both her flailing arms, hesitantly wrapping his fingers between hers, waiting to make sure she's okay with the contact. She doesn't forcibly start removing her hands, nor does she try to crush his fingers, so he'll take that as a 'contact allowed'. "Do you want to go back to how it was before? As rivals?" He… he wouldn't be happy with it. That's for sure. But he'd put up with it, if only because she's Naruto and she deserves everything from him. If all she wants is a rivalry, then he'll try to reel himself in. Not to say he'll give up, he'd wait for eternity for her, if that's what she wanted. If that's what it took to make her see he's serious.

"Eh? No-no way! Twelve-year-old you was an ass! This you is much better, even if you're still a bastard."

… Aw, fuck it. He's going to admit it, isn't he? Why shouldn't he? It's not like he cares what anyone else thinks. Only Naruto matters, which is why- "I'm in love with you, idiot."

Naruto freezes, shoulders tense, lips pressing into a firm pout. It's the thinking face, an expression that says 'this news has shocked me and I don't have a clue how to respond, give me a minute to fish my brain out the ramen soup it lives in so I can answer'.

"Good! Cause I love you too, you jerk! And if you're saying I'm gonna be Hokage, then you damn well can't leave me to do all the paperwork alone!"

"Tch, looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of your life then, idiot." And all attempts at distance (not that he was trying particularly hard with that) are ruined when Naruto throws herself into his arms, legs at his waist again so she can sit against his hips and grab his hair in his hands. Sasuke takes two steps back, leaning against one of the trees before slowly lowering himself down. Doesn't matter how the bark tears at his shirt, the grass stains that'll probably end up marring the back of his trousers. Naruto in his lap? Yeah, that's the thing that has his focus. She's still holding his hair and uses it to turn his head back and forth, Sasuke scowling with the motion.

"Oi. Idiot, what're you doing."

"Looking for the hole your brain dribbled out from, 'ttebayo! You always said it'd be a braindead moron that ended up with me!" She squeezes her knees into his hips, ass resting on his thighs. Sasuke catches a hold of her wrists, waiting until she releases his hair from her grip. His scalp stings with the force, has his skull aching but he pushes past it.

Drawing her hands down to rest on his shoulders, Sasuke leans forwards, nose brushing against Naruto's. She's warm to the touch despite the cool autumn's air, her hot breath ghosting across his lips. Her eyelids flutter shut, face tilting to a side to line their lips up. Sasuke draws back just the slightest bit, watching her lean a bit further forwards to close the distance. Then, he does it again. On the third time, Naruto huffs, mutters a quick 'bastard' under her breath before her hands snap up to cradle his head.

He's laughing when they share their first kiss.

Probably the first sign that this will be the healthiest relationship a Uchiha has ever been in and ever will be. Until their younger selves are born years down the line, that is. Heh. He best set a good example then.

Senju Tobirama sits on the floor of Hashirama's hastily constructed house, legs folded beneath him and a cut of tea to hand. They'd had to move the whole encampment within the past six hours, unable to remain in a place where they have been attacked. Not one death but… they had been made a mockery of.

Placing his cup down on the floor, Tobirama watches as the liquid within hugs up to the left side. The flooring is uneven; Hashirama has had to construct too much in too little time. He'll put money on the fact this isn't the only house to have a titling floor. Some will probably have ceilings too low or too high for the occupants. But a rushed job will produce rushed results.

Speaking of his brother-

Hashirama stumbles into the room, hands wrapped around a cloth covered sword. The Uchiha's sword.

Gritting his teeth, Tobirama shifts into a more comfortable position, well aware of what he will be expected to do now.

To begin with, believing they'd captured Izuna (the one person Madara would stand down for, the one person he'd surrender for), it'd been Tobirama sent to interrogate him. They'd met multiple times on the battlefield, so it was understandable why their father had thought he'd be best to drill the bastard for answers. That Tobirama was one of their strongest sensors and would be able to judge any fluctuation that came with lying was just the cherry on top.

But it hadn't been Izuna.

This one (Sasuke, the blonde had called him Sasuke) had acted different. There hadn't been that undercurrent of fear any of the other Uchihas would have upon learning they were captured by the Senju. He'd been a cocky bastard. With good reason, it'd seem. That first escape attempt; the genjutsu had been stronger than Izuna's. He'd made a mockery of him. A genjutsu cast through the hand instead of the eyes, knowing that's what he'd expect of a Uchiha. He'd heard the reports of how he'd worked outside, how his sword style was different to Izuna's.

And that's not even getting into the other one.

The blonde who'd come for her 'Sasuke'.

When the one-woman-invasion had begun, Tobirama had given off three blows before he realised what was happening. He'd thought that when each of the women popped, disappearing into a cloud of smoke, they were substituting themselves with the very air itself. It'd only been after he'd taken out the sixth and felt the chakra disperse from the creation, returning to the original, that he'd realised what they were. Some kind of solid clone, a chakra heavy technique. And there were hundreds of them, all invading at the same time, all crying out for 'Sasuke'.

"Can you track him?" Hashirama asks, pulling back the cloth to present the sword to him. Tobirama takes it carefully. It's finely crafted. Enough chakra has been poured through this blade for an impression to remain. It'd seem their mysterious Uchiha is lightning natured.

And so blatantly a Uchiha.

Sneering at the clan symbol stamped on the handle of the blade, Tobirama adjusts his grip on the weapon, running his own lightning-tinted chakra through it. The metal sparks with ease, a weapon not just used to this level of abuse, but one built specifically to take it.

"He's outside of my range right now," Tobirama admits; not unsurprising, given they'd travelled in the opposite direction as to where they could feel the girl and Sasuke going. If this weapon had belonged to the girl though… Tobirama reckons he could easily find her.

That swirling mass of chakra had not just been bountiful, it'd been incredibly distinctive too. So potent that every clash with his brother had rattled his very bones.

"I think the girl is a sage."

At that, Tobirama does snap to attention, watching his brother's usually cheery face twist with wistfulness. Tobirama can understand why. Given Hashirama's powers, accessing the nature chakra in the air around them had come easily to him. A good thing, given that Madara had awakened a terrible, advanced Sharingan around about the same time. Without Hashirama, Tobirama is sure they'd have been unable to match the other. But, what his elder brother is saying right now-

"Are you sure?"

"Sage chakra has a very obvious tone to it," Hashirama expanded with a soft smile, one hand reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. "If she hadn't have attacked us last night, I think I'd want to talk to her!"

"Don't lie. You want to talk to her anyway."

Hashirama breaks out in the usual guilty laughter, stealing Tobirama's tea and drinking it down. The only reason he doesn't scold his brother is for the weariness that rests heavy over his form.

"We need to step up. To know there is such a terrifying woman out there, and the Uchiha who had his chakra sealed but still almost escaped…" If they are with the Uchiha Clan- well, the Senju will be on high alert for now.

And, of course, his brother has to ruin things with a tackles comment. "Yeah… but all those clones were so cool, right? I've never seen anything like it! That Uchiha's a lucky man!"