Last one. For now, at least. Thank you for following along on this ride.

Arc 2:

Chapter 27: Return

Boruto sat in his sister's hospital room at the Sunagakure Hospital and watched as she slept.

Himawari's eyes were covered with a white blindfold, and her right foot was held in place by a cast. Under her hospital gown, he knew, were also many bandages and healing ointments.

She was hurt. Probably the most out of the whole rescue party. And he couldn't help her.

He and Neji had to come up with a way to explain to the doctor who checked on her earlier why her eyes took so much damage. To save time and questions, they explained she has a dōjutsu and had overused it. The doctor ordered them not to let her take the blindfold off for at least a whole week, and even afterwards she will only be able to take it off for a few hours a day the following week until she got checked by a medic again at their village. Boruto didn't need Neji or the doctor to tell him that Himawari might go blind if she doesn't do exactly that.

Sighing, he squeezed her hand before grabbing his jacket and heading out of the room. He got out of the entire ordeal mostly scratch-free other than chakra deprivation and some minor bruising while Himawari and Sarada were pretty badly injured.

On some level, he kind of resented the fact they got hurt and he didn't. He's supposed to protect them, but he wasn't even there.

Walking down the hallway to the lobby, his jacket slung lazely over his shoulder, he reminisced over the other day, when they returned Gaara to the village. Chiyo's burial was held a day after that, and Boruto attended in Sarada's place, seeing how she was too injured to go herself. He knew how much it hurt her not being able to go, so he made sure to stop by her room afterward and tell her quietly how it went.

Reaching the lobby, he ran into Team Guy, who were entering the hospital. Neji noticed him instantly, signaling him over. "Boruto, were you visiting Himawari?"

Boruto nodded, not failing to notice his uncle's teammates listening in on the conversation, probably trying to get more information about Himawari. "Yeah," he pointedly looked at Neji. "She's resting now, so I didn't stay long."

Neji saw his teammates' interested expressions and sighed, looking irked. "Very well. I might visit her later then."

"I'm sure she'll like that," Boruto smiled and glanced at the clock above the nurse station. Eleven in the morning, and he hadn't had breakfast yet. "I'm gonna head out to eat something, so I'll see you later."

As he moved to the door, Neji's hand on his arm stopped him. "Boruto, you know this wasn't your fault, right?"

Boruto froze, glancing at his uncle. "I know," he reassured Neji, ignoring the bitter taste the words left in his mouth. "I know I couldn't do anything."

Neji didn't look convinced, but he released his arm nonetheless and gave him a small nod. "As long as you remember that."

Boruto walked through the door, squinting against the harsh sunlight and shielding his eye with his hand.

I know that, he thought to himself bitterly. But that doesn't make it better.

Shaking his head, he went out in search of a place to eat breakfast in the busy streets.

"How are you doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked Kakashi, who was sitting up against the head of his hospital bed.

"I'm fine, Sakura," Kakashi assured her, beloved orange book in hand. "This is just chakra deprivation, nothing more."

"This isn't something to be taken lightly," she scolded him. "You should be more careful."

"Yeah, Sensei," Naruto grinned. "Especially when you're so old."

Kakashi glared at his student. "I'm not that old, Naruto."

"Suuure," Naruto laughed. Sakura hid her smile behind her hand, and Kakashi sighed. Even if he was being insulted, it was nice seeing Naruto back to his usual self. Now that the Kazekage was alright, Naruto's worried exterior melted and he relaxed again, much to Kakashi and Sakura's relief.

"By the looks of it, Sensei," Sakura looked at Kakashi. "We might be able to leave back to the village tomorrow after all."

Kakashi nodded, the air shifting more serious. "Good, because I hear there is a lot that is waiting for us to do once we get back." Sakura looked down, her eyes becoming more sad.

Silence had fallen over them for a few minutes, each to their own thoughts, before Sakura got up from her seat. "Well, I still have to visit Sarada and see how she's doing, so I'll see you guys later."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Send her our regards."

Sakura smiled and opened the door, only to run directly into Guy and his team as they were entering. "Kakashi! My eternal rival, let's have a contest!"

Tenten sighed in experahastion, pinching the bridge of her nose. "He can't have a contest, Guy-sensei, he's injured!"

"That is true," Guy paused for a second, bringing his hand to his chin in thought. "Very well! We'll just have a match without exerting any energy!"

"That's not possible if it's you," Neji pointed out, seeming as tired of his teacher's antics as Tenten was.

"Are you leaving already, Sakura?" Lee asked Sakura, who was still at the entrance to the room. She smiled, nodding.

"I'm going to see Sarada, and then I want to go look for something to eat."

"I see," Lee gave her a thumbs up. "As expected of you, a youthful medic!"

Tenten raised an eyebrow at him. "Why does everything has to do with youth when it comes to you?"

"Don't question their madness, Tenten," Neji shook his head. "You know better than that."

"I know, I know," Tenten crossed her arms.

"Anyway, I'm leaving now, Sensei," Sakura walked out the door. "See you guys later!"

"See ya!" Naruto called after her before turning to Neji. "Hey, Neji, how's Himawari doing?"

Neji frowned. "Himawari is doing fine," he said, though he didn't seem too happy about it. "It's Boruto I'm worried about."

"Oh?" Kakashi looked at the Hyūga. He still didn't understand the odd connection between Neji and the siblings, and any information would be helpful. "How come?"

"Because," Neji crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "As I know him, Boruto is probably blaming himself for her getting hurt. He always blames himself, and I fear it's taking a toll on him."

"You seem to be pretty close with them," Kakashi noted, prying a little. "Yet from what I understand they're new to the village?"

Neji's jaw clenched, understanding where Kakashi's mind is. "I met the two of them on their first day in the village, and we've stayed in close contact ever since, that is all."

"I see," Kakashi knew there's more to it, but decided to let it go. It was clear he wasn't getting much out of the Hyūga. Deciding to change the subject, he turned to Guy. "In other news, I think it will be best if we start heading back tomorrow."

Guy nodded in agreement. "Yes, the journey will be a long one, so it is best to get an early start."

"We're heading back so soon?" Naruto asked, looking a little sad. "Oh man, but I barely had any time to catch up with Gaara!"

"He's in the hospital, isn't he?" Kakashi reminded his student. "Just visit him later."

"You're right!" Naruto's face lit up. "I'll go right now!" He got up from his chair and ran to the door, pushing it open and running out of it. Kakashi watched his student go with a sigh. No matter what, Naruto is always going to be an hyperactive, unpredictable, number one troublemaker.

And Kakashi was happy because of it.

Sarada was reading a novel one of the nurses got for her when a knock was heard on her door. "Sarada?"

What's Sakura doing here? She frowned in confusion. "Come in!"

The door slid open, and Sakura walked in smiling. "Hey, how are you doing?"

Sarada smiled back at her as the pink-haired medic took a seat next to her bed. "I'm fine," she said, placing a hand on where Sasōri's blade pierced her. "Thanks to the medics here, all my injuries are barely going to scar."

"That's good to hear," Sakura said, but Sarada noticed that there was an underlying nervous tone in her voice.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong," Sakura shook her head frantically, but Sarada wasn't buying it.

"Sakura," she made her young mother look at her. "I know something's up. What is it?"

Sakura bit her lip. "It's just…" she glanced at where the bandaged wound on Sarada's stomach was. "Why did you jump in front of the blade?"

Sarada blinked. "What?"

"Sasōri's blade," Sakura repeated. "Why did you take the attack instead of me?"

Sarada's expression morphed into understanding. So that was it, wasn't it? "Did you think I jumped because I thought you could handle it?"

Sakura looked down, embarrassed.

"Sakura," Sarada placed her hand on top of Sakura's hands, which were folded in the girl's lap. "I don't think you're weak, at all."

"Really?" Sakura looked up at her in confusion. "Then why-"

"Why did I take the hit for you?" Sarada smiled a bit, thinking that from Sakura's perspective, that would seem a little strange. "Because I couldn't just let you get hurt if I could help it. Not because I think you're weak," she hurried to say when Sakura opened her mouth to comment. "But because you're my friend. And I lost too many friends recently to lose another one." That bit of sincerity seemed to make Sakura understand.

"I keep forgetting that you're not from Konoha originally," Sakura said apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sarada."

Sarada shook her head with a smile. "Mhm, don't worry about it," she squeezed Sakura's hands. "Just remember you're pretty badass, so don't go assuming I think you're weak or something silly like that, okay?"

Sakura laughed. "You're not so bad yourself," she told Sarada with a twinkle in her eyes. Now that was the Sakura Sarada knew from her time. Confident, playful, strong.

"Thanks," she rolled her eyes sarcastically and moved her hand from Sakura's, placing it in her lap.

"So," Sakura changed the subject. "I've been meaning to ask, but are you and Boruto…?"

Sarada's cheeks flushed. "No!" She exclaimed. "No, it's not like that!"

"Hm…" Sakura smirked, leaning closer to Sarada's blushing face. "Are you sure?" Her tone full of teasing.

"Not you too…" Sarada buried her face in her hands. Sakura laughed at her mortification.

"I'm glad my pain is amusing you," Sarada grumbled.

"Sorry, sorry," Sakura said between giggles. "I just think you guys are cute together, is all."

Sarada pouted. "Gee, thanks."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Sakura shook her head, though the mirth in her eyes didn't fade. "No more implying you and Boruto are totally in love with each other," she added, smirking.

"Sakura!" Sarada glared at her, making the pinkette burst out laughing again.

"Ugh, you're the worst," Sarada sighed, looking away from her.

"Okay, okay, I'm done," Sakura patted her shoulder. "No more teasing, I promise."

"Good," Sarada turned back to her. "Its enough that I have to listen to Himawari go on and on about it, I don't need you jumping on the train too."

Sakura blinked. "Jumping on the what?"

Sarada clapped a hand on her mouth. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Her brain screamed at her. They don't have trains yet! "It's… nothing. Just an expression."

"Okay…?" Sakura shook her head, shrugging. "Anyway, what are you reading?" She pointed at the novel in Sarada's lap.

"Oh, this?" Sarada grabbed her book to show Sakura the cover. "One of the nurses gave it to me. It's an historic fantasy novel."

"'Tales of Fate'?" Sakura read the title out loud. "What's it about?"

Sarada turned the book to her, looking at the illustrated anemones and daffodils decorating the cover in yellow and purple. "I don't really understand it, but if mentions a prison and an inferno, as well as the land of the dead," she ran her fingers over the hardcover. "But it sends a pretty interesting message. That life is not something that begins and then stops, but just continues to no end."

Sakura nodded. "That's pretty heavy."

"Yeah," Sarada said thoughtfully. "I think my dad would have liked this book."

"Did he like to read books?" Sakura asked, making Sarada laugh lightly. "Not really, but he did have a sort of odd view on life. Maybe he read this book."

"Maybe," Sakura smiled. "He sounds like an interesting person."

Sarada choked a laugh. "You have no idea."

They talked more about books they've read, discussing the philosophy and psychology that went into writing the characters, and for the first time in a while, Sarada felt at home.

"Hey, Boruto!" Naruto spotted the other blonde in the crowd of people in the bustling shopping street. "Wait up!"

Boruto turned to look at him, looking somewhat surprised. "Naruto," he greeted him. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Naruto answered, the both of them resuming their walk. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for a place to eat at," Boruto explained, his stomach growling. "Haven't had breakfast yet."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Me too," he said, patting his belly. "I wonder if they have a ramen stand here?"

Boruto laughed. "I doubt it," he said, one hand slung over his shoulder, holding his jacket. "And besides, isn't it bad for your health to eat ramen this early?"

"Says the guy who works at a ramen shop," Naruto countered.

"I work there, I don't eat there," Boruto shot back. "Himawari usually brings me lunch."

"I don't get it," Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "If I worked at Ichiraku's, I'd eat there everyday!"

"Don't you already do that without working there?" Boruto asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto sent him a confused look. "How'd you know?"

Boruto's eye widened in panic. "Uh, because the old man and Ayame mentioned it?"

Naruto blinked before rubbing his neck bashfully. "Oh, man, they talk about me? I'm kinda embarrassed?"

Boruto gave him a weirded out look. "Why are you getting so bashful for? Talk about weird."

"Hey!" Naruto cried out. "I'm not that weird!"

"So you admit you are a bit weird?" Boruto smirked as Naruto struggled to come up with a comeback.

"Whatever," Naruto huffed, making Boruto laugh.

"Sorry, sorry," he shook his head. "It's cool."

Naruto looked at him more carefully. Up till that point, Naruto had only seen Boruto tense. Either it was from worrying over Himawari and Sarada or from the chase after the Akatsuki, it didn't seem like he relaxed much. But here they were, and Boruto was laughing and finally looking like he didn't want to jump out of his own skin. Boruto glanced at him and caught him staring. "What?" He asked him.

"Nothing, it's just…" Naruto tore his gaze off Boruto. "You look more… comfortable."

Boruto gave him a funny look. "Weirdo."

"I'm not weird!"

"How about lame then?"

"How am I lame?"

Boruto raised an eyebrow. "Come on, who wears that much orange?"

"Orange is cool! It's memorable!" Naruto argued.

"It's lame," Boruto smirked at him. "Super lame."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto scanned him. "Like wearing so much black is cool? You look like an emo!"

Boruto's cheeks flushed slightly. "Am not!"

"Do too!"

"Am not!"

"Do too!"

"Argh!" They both glared at each other. Suddenly, a loud growling sound came from both their stomachs, stopping the argument.

"...wanna get some breakfast?" Naruto asked him.

"As long as it's not breakfast ramen," Boruto looked at him critically. "Seriously, that stuff is bound to cause you some heart problems later on."

"Not true," Naruto shook his head. "Ramen is super healthy, y'know!"

Boruto sighed. "You know, the saddest part of this is that you actually believe that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto glared at his companion as they entered a small food establishment that caught their eye.

"Nevermind that," Boruto grabbed the back of his chair and drew it back, taking a sit in front of Naruto. "I thought you were at the hospital?"

"Hm? Yeah," Naruto sat down and grabbed one of the menus the waiter offered them. "I went to visit Kakashi-sensei, and then I stopped by Gaara's, but he was asleep so I figured I'll come back later."

"It's good that he's back," Boruto sipped from the water glass he was given. "The villagers seemed happy, too."

"Of course they'll be," Naruto waved the waiter over, ready to order. "He's their Kazekage after all."

"That he is," Boruto nodded thoughtfully. The conversation paused for a moment as they both ordered light breakfast, some sandwiches and juices, watching the waiter leave before continuing.

"Anyway," Boruto tapped his finger on the table. "Do you know when we're leaving?"

"I think Kakashi-sensei said something about tomorrow, why?" Naruto watched Boruto's finger pause in the air before resuming.

"Nothing, it's just something Sarada told me yesterday," Boruto leaned his chin on his hand and glanced out of the window. "Hopefully Himawari will be well enough by then."

"How's she doing?" Naruto asked, remembering what Neji said.

"Better, thankfully," a small smile etched itself to Boruto's lips. "But she'll be out of commission for a while. No missions until she heals completely."

"Sounds rough," Naruto frowned, a wave of concern washing over him. "Has she ever been injured like that before?"

Boruto laughed. "Not like that, no," he shook his head. "Himawari is a badass. She usually beats up the bad guys before they have a chance to get close enough to hurt her."

"Who taught you two to fight?" Naruto inquired, nodding at the waiter who arrived at their table with their plates of sandwiches and the tall juice glasses.

Boruto's smile turned sad. "Well, our parents taught us the basics, and the rest we learned through school and teachers."

"They taught you in school how to fight? Sounds like the Academy," Naruto commented whilst he stuffed his face with a large bite out of his egg salad sandwich.

Boruto hummed, not answering. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, too busy eating to talk. An aching feeling started growing at the front of Naruto's head, pounding like something was trying to break out of his head by splitting open his forehead. He groaned lightly, placing his sandwich down to rub his forehead and relief some of the headache. Boruto stopped chewing in front of him and watched him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, just a little… headache," Naruto groaned again, closing his head as the pain intensified.

"Naruto?" Boruto leaned closer, worried.

"I'm fine, I'm just-"

He smiled at a small, blonde child, as he made the hand seal to summon clones, the child squealing in delight when two other blonde men popped into existence.

From the porch, a woman with short black hair and an even smaller child turned to look at him and the blonde kid, but he couldn't see any of their expressions or features. He was about to say something when the blonde kid latched onto his… arm? Why was it covered in bandages?

"Say, Da-"

"Naruto!" Boruto slapped Naruto's face.

"Ow!" Naruto held his swollen cheek and glared at Boruto. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"You were in a trance!" Boruto's tone was worried, even if his eyes were glaring daggers. "I thought you were going through a stroke!"

"So you slapped me?!"

"I didn't know what to do!" Boruto's distress was clear, as even other customers were staring at them in concern.

"Um, dear customers?" Their waiter smiled politely at them. "I apologize, but I ask that you'd leave please, you're disturbing the other customers."

They didn't fight him, packing their breakfast and going out of the establishment. One they were outside, Boruto glared at him. "Now look what you did."

"What I did?! You were the one who slapped me!" Naruto couldn't believe him. Boruto huffed and held the bag of unfinished sandwiches in his hand.

"Well, might as well head back to the hospital," the one-eyed teen said in thought. "Hima might be hungry when she wakes up."

"Um, hello?!" Naruto waved his hand in front of him. "Are you ignoring me?"

Boruto glanced at him for a moment before smirking and turning away. He walked away from the seething Naruto quickly, jumping to the low roof of a shop and from there to the roof of one of the taller buildings, making his way to the hospital.

A stomach growl reminded Naruto Boruto had just walked away with half of his breakfast.

"Hey, Boruto, WAIT UP DAMMIT!"

Gaara stood on top of the hospital roof, overlooking his village. He luckily found that Temari had left him clothes next to his hospital bed, so he changed out of his hospital gown before walking out of his room.

Looking at the sky, he wondered if the place you go to after you die is somewhere above the clouds.

It feels strange, he determined. To die and then come back.

That thought reminded him of Chiyo, and he made a mental note to go visit her grave later.

For some reason, he was feeling melancholic, reminiscing of his childhood. All those days he spent alone and hurting, all the hatred he carried inside of him, now gone with the Ichibi. Well, maybe not completely. On some level, it was also how he felt, not how only the beast felt. Gazing up to the sky, he felt a slightly empty. He may not have chosen to carry the Ichibi within him, but to some extent, knowing the tanuki was there was comforting. And now he was alone again.

No, he shook his head. Not alone. I have people around me now. People who care about me.

"Oh?" A surprised voice came from behind him. He turned around to see a familiar girl standing near the stairs that lead to the roof. "Hello!" She smiled at him, her long black hair moving to the side as she tilted her head. Around her neck was a Konoha forehead protector, and also what seemed to be a white blindfold cloth looking like it was yanked off and barely hanging on to her neck like a makeshift necklace.

Gaara nodded at her. "Hello," he greeted her. He knew she came with Naruto to help save him, but with all that was going on he hadn't had the chance to ask for her name.

She tucked a loose strand behind her ear and walked closer to him. "I'm Himawari," she offered him her hand. "From Konoha."

He shook her hand. "I'm Gaara of the Sand," he told her, feeling odd as he knew as the Kazekage he was quite famous.

"I know," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. "After all, you're pretty famous here, Lord Kazekage."

Gaara nodded. "I suppose," he felt inclined to say. "Being the Kazekage doesn't allow for a lot of privacy."

"I didn't mean that," Himawari shook her head. "I meant that it seems you're really loved by your people."

Gaara blinked, dumbfounded. Where did she get that from?

"How can you say that with certainty?" He asked her, tilting his head.

She pointed at him. "Because they were all so worried about you when you were gone!" She crossed her arms and nodded as if she was explaining a complicated notion to a child. "When people care about you, they worry. That's just how it is."

"Is it?" Gaara had very little experience with those kind of relationships.

Himawari nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! When I was young, Big Brother and Papa always worked really hard, so me and Mama would stay up and wait for them to come back safely."

Gaara nodded, even if he hadn't really understood. He never had a mother, and his father sure wasn't a model parent. He only started getting closer to his siblings after meeting Naruto, and he still wasn't as comfortable with them as he wished to be. But still, he asked, "are you close with your family?"

Himawari's shoulders tensed for a moment before relaxing again. "Yes," she nodded, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Me and Big Brother are pretty close, and I have my uncle and my aunt too. And Sarada!"

Gaara frowned. "What about your parents?"

A small breeze of wind greeted their face and rustled their clothings, making Himawari's hair sweep to the side. "They… passed away awhile back."

"Oh," Gaara tried to think of something comforting to say. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Himawari placed a hand on her chest. "Because they're still here."

"What do you mean?" Gaara wondered if other people would understand without having to ask so many questions.

"It means," Himawari's hand closed on the fabric of her yellow hoodie. "That as long as I keep the memories of them and how they made me feel, they'll never be truly forgotten."

"I see," Gaara nodded, because it made sense. They stayed silent for a few minutes, just staring at the sky and the village. Gaara glanced at Himawari, who had a distant look in her eyes. Himawari. The meaning popped into his head, and without noticing, he had already sent the sand around him to work. Himawari was shaken out of her thoughts by the sound of rustling sand gathering around them. She turned to look, only to find that the entire roof of the building had been transformed into a garden of sand sunflowers.

"Woah!" Her eyes lit up.

"It seems my sand has taken it upon itself to create the flower from your name," Gaara observed her for a reaction. Would she be disgusted or appalled by such act? But instead, it seemed like she was incredibly excited. She leaned closer to inspect the details of the few of the flowers closest to her. "This is amazing!" She informed him with a bright smile. Gaara blinked in surprise.

"Is it?" He looked at the flowers, puzzled. What about it would be so amazing?

"Yeah!" She laughed. "You're a really nice person, Lord Kazekage."

Nice? That's a new one. "Is that so?" A shadow of a smile etched onto his features.

"Mhm!" Himawari nodded enthusiastically to show her belief on the matter. "It's like… Pandas!"

"Pandas?" He had a vague idea of the animal. It was the bear with white and black coloring, right?

"Yes!" She clapped her hands. "From afar, the panda looks like a really scary bear with sharp claws and teeth, right?" Gaara nodded for the sake of it. "But when you get close, you see it's just a cuddly bear that eats leaves!" She pointed at the sunflowers and then at him. "You're like a Panda!"

Gaara didn't know how to take that. "Are you saying I should eat leaves?"

"No!" She laughed. "I'm saying people may find you scary at first, but the closer they get to you, the more they'll see how amazing you are!" She smiled at him, practically grinning, and finally Gaara understood why he had been feeling so comfortable with her so far.

"You remind me of Naruto," he told her, making her halt and look at him for a moment, unmoving. And once he finally got a real look at her, it supported his theory even more. She had the same kind blue eyes, her cheeks were even covered with whiskers. Though her hair was black, she exuded an air that made him relax.

"Do I?" Her expression was one of wonderment and a bit of happiness. "How come?"

He nodded, his arms crossed against his chest. "You two exude the same aura."

"Aura?"

"Something about you is relaxing," Gaara told her, making her look bashful. "Naruto is the same way."

She giggled, though once again, it seemed like her smile didn't reach her eyes, because Gaara could see them filling with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry," he was quick to apologize. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Oh!" She laughed at his hasty apology and wiped her tears away before they fell from her eyes. "I'm okay! Really! Also," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I'm not actually allowed to cry…"

Gaara frowned. "Why not?"

She pointed at the white blindfold resting against her collarbone, her expression the one of a conspirator sharing sensitive information. "To be honest, I'm not supposed to take it off for awhile since I can't strain my eyes."

"Then why did you?" He didn't understand.

"Because for a person like me," Himawari closed her eyes just as the breeze was starting to pick up again. She opened her arms as if to hug the sky. "Not seeing anything is like taking away my ability to feel. I have to see things, that's just how those who are connected to their vision are." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "For me, looking at people and things is the greatest joy. It's as easy as breathing. Don't you have anything like that?"

Gaara pondered about it for a second. "I don't know," he admitted eventually.

She laughed. It seemed like she did that often. "It's okay," she assured him. "Not everyone can say what it is right away, but you will find out eventually. You just need," she tapped at her temple, near her eye. "To look closer."

Gaara stared at her for a moment, knowing he missed another social que. When it finally connected for him, he huffed a chuckle and smiled. "I see."

Himawari giggled. "Now you're doing it too."

"Perhaps."

"Hima! Where'd you go?" A voice came from behind them. Ascending the stairs was a person Gaara was sure was Naruto until he got a closer look. The guy may have had the same blond spikey hair and similar physique, his face was rounder than Naruto's, and instead of two blue eyes he only had one, the other sealed closed with a scar stretching down his face. Both his cheeks were covered with white patches, not whiskers, but other than those little things, the guy could pass as one of Naruto's clones.

"There you are! I've been looking for you all over the hospital!" The guy walked towards Himawari and then stopped when he noticed Gaara. "Oh. Hi."

"Hello," Gaara nodded at him.

"Lord Kazekage, this is my big brother; Boruto," Himawari introduced them and then turned to Boruto. "I'm fine, Big Brother. You have to stop worrying so much all the time, it's bad for your wounds."

"Like you can talk," Boruto scoffed. "How are you even walking right now without your crutches?"

Gaara looked down and noticed for the first time that Himawari's right foot was covered in a cast to hold it in place.

"It was just a little walk. I don't really need the crutches," Himawari rubbed her neck nervously.

"And why is your blindfold off?"

"I wanted to see the sky…?" She tried.

Boruto sighed and walked behind his sister, untying the blindfold and re-placing it on her forehead before starting to tie it again. "Himawari," he said, his expression filled with exasperation, though his tone was caring. "The reason you need the blindfold is because you really went too far with straining your eyes. You could go blind from that," he finished tying it. "And then you won't ever be able to look at the sky again."

Gaara could tell Boruto was worried for his sister, as his tone was similar to the one Temari used when hearing of a reckless thing Kankurō did or when seeing the workload Gaara had in his office.

"I'm sorry," Himawari looked down. Boruto sighed and then smiled at her, ruffling her hair. "Come on," he said. "Let's go back."

"Right," she nodded, a small smile on her lips. Turning to Gaara, she waved. "It was nice seeing you again, Lord Kazekage!"

Gaara didn't wave, a hand made out of sand did, making Himawari giggle. She pulled down her blindfold and started ascending the stairs back down to her room, making Gaara wonder how she could move so much with her vision obscured. Boruto looked at Gaara for a second before rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm… glad you're alright, Lord Kazekage."

Before Gaara even had the chance to process his words, the blonde was ascending the stairs, on his sister's trail.

Gaara's vision blurred, like fog covered the world. At the back of his head, a headache began to form, like something that was trapped there begged to be released. The pain intensified with each heartbeat of his, until-

"It's good to see you, Gaara," a blonde man whose face Gaara couldn't make out shook his hand. They appeared to be in a corridor of a home. The man turned his head slightly back. "Hey you two, come say hello!"

From the shadows, two little children appeared. One with blond hair like the man, and another with black hair. He couldn't see their faces, but by their body language he could tell they were hesitant to get closer to him.

Gaara crouched down to look them in the eyes as his sand slid out of its gourd and fell to the floor in a heap, then rising up and transforming into a hand made out of sand that waved at them. Immediately, he heard noises of awe coming from the boy, and the girl was making sounds of delight. He smiled, watching how they both high-fived the sand hand and compared how it was like by high-fiving each other.

He heard a chuckle from above them and turned to look up, but the blonde man's face still weren't clear.

"That's pretty amazing, Gaara."

What?

Gaara blinked. He looked around, seeing he was back on the roof. But wasn't he at the home of someone else just a moment ago?

"What… happened?"

"Hey Neji?" Tenten's hesitant voice told Neji exactly what she was going to ask. Team Guy just exited Kakashi's room, and he was walking with them to the lobby before stopping by Himawari's room to see how she's doing.

"What is it?" He asked, mentally preparing.

"When are you going to explain to us how Himawari has the Byakugan?"

There it is, Neji thought to himself. I suppose hoping they'll forget about it was just wishful thinking.

"Not now," was his answer. "I will tell you soon," he hurried to add seeing his teammates' expressions, "but it'll have to wait until we're back at Konoha. This isn't the time."

Guy nodded. "Very well, we will keep this a secret until then."

Neji gave them a small, rare smile. "Thank you."

"As long as Himawari isn't your secret love child or something," Tenten added teasingly. Neji's head turned to her so fast he was sure he heard his neck crack. "Tenten!" He didn't know whether he was angry or disgusted. "She is four years younger than us!"

Tenten shrugged. "Hey, I said as long as she's not, didn't I?"

The Hyūga closed his mouth and simply glared at her. Unbelievable.

"What? You're leaving already?" Kankurō sounded surprised at the news. "You can stay a little longer, come on!"

"Kankurō's right," Temari looked at the Konoha shinobi with concern. "At least a day or two more," she tried to coerce them. "You need time to rest."

Naruto smiled at them. "Believe me, I wish we could," he told the siblings. They were standing in Gaara's office, the recently-revived Kazekage sitting at his desk wearing a baggy black shirt, still not completely recovered. To his side were his older siblings and his advisor, Baki.

"Me too," Sakura added. "But we must report back to Lady Tsunade right away."

"I see," Temari sighed.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Besides, if the Akatsuki managed to penetrate this far into Suna, I'm worried about Konoha's safety."

Baki nodded. "I understand, you want to get back as soon as possible."

"Yes," Kakashi affirmed. "Exactly."

"Even so," Baki continued, glancing at Kakashi worryingly. "In your condition…"

"Don't worry," Kakashi glanced to his right, where Guy stood supporting his body weight by slinging Kakashi's arm over his shoulders. "I have comrades I can relay get me there."

"He's right about that!" Guy hit his chest with his fist.

"By the way," the Suna advisor said. "We already dispatched the preliminary report with Takamaru, but there was no mention in it of the fates of the two Akatsuki members. Won't you want to inform your village?"

"I'll report those to the Hokage myself," Kakashi assured him. "You see, there's something else troubling me..."

Tsunade sat in her office as Shizune read the report from Suna to her.

"Lady Chiyo of Sunagakure was the only casualty," Shizune read aloud. "The Kazekage has been returned to his village safely. Team Guy and Team Kakashi have completed their missions and are scheduled to return to the village in three days."

"What about our three travelers?" Tsunade looked at Shizune.

"Nothing, m'lady."

"Very well," the Hokage sighed and closed her eyes. So Chiyo of Sunagakure is gone, huh? Almost makes me feel like it's time I bit the dust.

"My lady, if I may…" Shizune begane.

"What is it?"

"Despite the fact that this mission was successful…" her assistant trailed. "I'm wondering if Master Jiraiya wasn't right to question the wisdom of sending Naruto, a Jinchūriki, to face an enemy that we know is on the hunt for the tailed beasts," Shizune looked straight at her, indicating how serious she was. "Even if we sent a former ANBU member like Kakashi to protect him, wasn't it taking an enormous risk sending Naruto on such a mission?"

Tsunade looked down on her intertwined hands. "It's because Naruto is what he is that I sent him," hearing Shizune make a surprised sound, she looked at her. "The only one who can truly understand a Jinchūriki, is another Jinchūriki. Besides, Naruto's got that mysterious power, one that makes everyone he meets wanna bet on him." She saw Shizune look down in shame and smiled. "And besides," she added, "I didn't send only Kakashi to protect him. After all, our three travelers were there too, didn't they?"

Shizune smiled. "I guess so."

"Boruto may act like he doesn't care, but I know he loves Naruto a lot just by how he talks about him. I knew they were going to be okay in the end."

"Of course, my lady."

Sarada leaned on Boruto as they stood in the Sunagakure cemetery. Chiyo's brother stood in front of his sister's grave, while the rest of them stood further away, giving the man a few moments alone with her.

"This must be an awful feeling," Sarada told Boruto. "Losing your sibling… I can't even imagine it."

"I don't need to imagine it," Boruto said, the empty space between them growing larger.

Sarada took a deep breath. "Never again," she promises. Losing Himawari, after losing both their parents and the village, might be what finally breaks Boruto, and that's a sight she wishes to never see.

They walked closer to the grave together with the rest of the group, Himawari leaning on Neji and Kakashi on Guy, while Boruto supported Sarada.

Sarada stared at the name engraved on the stone. Chiyo. Simple as that. Such a simple way to simplify a whole life lived by an amazing, courageous, and outgoing person. She thought back to her parents, who didn't even get a proper burial because there were no bodies nor time for it.

Now she's twenty years in the past, her young mother standing a few meters away from her, and her young father nowhere to be found. Was she just walking into the same tragedy again, only slower? In all the history books she read about her parents' time, Chiyo also died during the Kazekage rescue, so what has really changed, even with the three of them there?

Chiyo's brother walked forward. "She didn't want a headstone on her grave," he remarked. "But despite her wishes I felt it was better to have one."

Sarada wondered how her mother and father would have preferred to be buried. Probably something simple, elegant and clean. Perhaps a shared grave so they can be together forever, catch up on all the time they missed while he was away. Maybe they would have wanted to be buried with the rest of the Uchiha clan. Would their names had been added to the stone Kakashi always went to visit?

"Everyone, say your farewells," Kakashi told them gently. They all looked down and closed their eyes, sending their goodbyes to the old woman who risked her life and then gave them away for another to live.

"Let's go," Guy told them after a few minutes of silence.

For a change, Lee answered softly. "Right."

Team Guy and Kakashi turned away, leaving only Naruto, Sakura, Boruto, and Sarada standing in front of the headstone.

"My friends, we really should be going!" Lee called them.

"Right!" Naruto turned to them and started walking. "Come on, Sakura, it's time to go."

"You too, Sarada," Boruto tugged on her arm. "We need to get going."

Sakura walked forward and placed her palm on the stone for a moment before pulling back slowly and walking away. Sarada was about to do the same until she saw Sakura look back at the grave with fondness and smile and just turned away instead. She couldn't do the same, because that would mean saying a final farewell.

In her heart, Sarada wondered if one day she'll be able to say her final farewells to her parents, or if she'll forever carry that gaping hole in her chest.

At the entrance to the village, they said their goodbyes to the Kazekage and his siblings.

"Well, so long," Kankurō gave them a smile.

"Uh, yeah," Naruto smiled back at him before turning to Gaara. They looked at each other for a few moments before Naruto broke the silence.

"I guess this is where people are supposed to shake hands and get all choked up," he chuckled awkwardly. "But I've never really been good at that stuff either, so let's just leave it-" his speech was cut short when he noticed Gaara extending his hand to him with a small smile.

Naruto blinked and stared at him, unbelieving. He managed to smile, happy that in the end, his friend was truly, and finally, alright. Sand particles hovered around his hand, moving it up until it reached Gaara's, and they finally shook hands.

"See ya Gaara," Naruto told him.

"You too, Naruto," Gaara replied.

"Yeah, Lord Kazekage!" Himawari chimed in. "If you're ever in Konoha, come by and have dinner with us!"

Gaara smiled at her. "I will, thank you."

Boruto raised an eyebrow at the interaction. "Since when are you two friends?"

Himawari just smiled at him. "I'm friends with everyone!" That got a laugh out of the whole group, and on that note they departed, making their way back to Konoha.

Author's note(Written August 5th, 2020):

Did I just write all of those original scenes? Yes, yes I did. And it only took two months of procrastinating. Ha ha ha, I'm in pain.

This was such a hard chapter, but one of the most rewarding ones, so I'm okay with it. Now all that's left is next chapter and we can say goodbye to Suna Arc and get to Sasuke Arc, which I have been hyping since who knows when.

If you remember the note I wrote back in chapter 21, where I mentioned I'm dealing with a lot, I still am. My projects are taking a lot of time, but with the bad comes the good, and I'm finally, and I mean FINALLY, getting a Cintiq, so everything should go smoother now.

I will write my final thoughts on this arc next chapter, but I do have some things I want to say here. This arc was the 'first' arc, in a lot of ways. I think of arc 1 as the prologue. All the time travel and shenanigans, plus trying to adjust to the past and everything honestly took way more chapters than I anticipated, but I'm glad. It didn't feel rushed and it helped me build relationships between our trio and other characters like Sakura, Tsunade, and Neji and Hanabi. Next arc we're finally adding three I've been dying to use (if you can guess them in the reviews you get a cookie, bonus points if you guess all of them.), and we'll be diving into a certain plot I've been dropping hints about throughout all of the chapters so far.

About this chapter, some segments that amuse me;

-Tenten asking Neji about Himawari is a personal favorite, because I can just see Neji's face when she asks that and it makes my day.

-Boruto and Naruto going out for breakfast and their interactions made me go 'awww', I'm weak for fluff that sneaks up on you.

-Himawari and Gaara talking and Gaara is now Panda King don't fight me on this you will lose.

I miss writing Jiraiya, so I think I'll bring him back more often in the next arcs.

Thank you for reading, see you next chapter.

Written September 27th, 2022:

So this is the end. Hope you enjoyed. Maybe I'll upload the unfinished stuff I had in my planning doc. Maybe I won't. Consider this fic completed. For now.

Thank you.