Notes: I'd originally intended for this to be a one-shot. But I hate to leave it where it is; I can't stand to see Nar-Nar lonely and sad.

And I apologize for the very short chapters, but I need to pace myself. I tend to take forever to finish or don't finish the fics where I push myself for longer chapters.

The one that survives by making the lives of others worthwhile...
Vienna Teng - The Tower

Shifting the papers around with slow, unhurried movements, Naruto hoped that he presented the image of a man deeply lost in work. In truth, he wasn't seeing any of the writing on the papers and his thoughts were far from where they were supposed to be. He couldn't help but think of Sakura, and how she was getting so thin, suffering from nightmares that left dark smudges beneath her eyes.

Her lack of confidence in him left him helpless and worried, worthless to solve the problems of the one person he always wanted to be strong for. As Hokage, he left himself open for anyone in the village, no matter how small their troubles might have been. For Sakura, he remained her closest friend and confidant. Though his feelings regarding her were tangled and confused, he never let her know. It would only serve to make their interactions awkward for her.

Forcing his fingers to still, he set the papers aside and decided to quit pretending he was doing something with the scrolls. It would likely be obvious to anyone that he was preoccupied; at least anyone that knew him well. Yet, in reflection he wondered if it was possible anyone knew him beyond what he allowed them to see. His own worries he kept close to himself, and his smiles hid it all.

It wasn't as if it went badly for him, however. He just hated being the burden, and would rather be the shoulder for someone else.

Glancing at the clock on his desk, he frowned briefly. It was shortly past lunch, and he hadn't brought anything to eat. He had been so focused this morning on what had to be done, he'd skipped breakfast as well. There were some days were he didn't eat at all. Sleep took precedence over all else when the days were long and the responsibilities steep. As a child, he knew he had never actually understood what it meant to be the sole protector of a village.

Despite knowing what he did, Naruto wouldn't renege or find a single moment that he hated it. This was his dream as a child because he wanted the entire village to notice him and realize he wasn't useless. As an adult, this became his dream because he loved the village and all it's people. He wanted to provide peace, prosperity, and comfort for everyone. And he wanted to keep the monsters at bay by dealing with them before they even reached the borders.

When he looked in the mirror, truly looked at himself, he sometimes wondered at the faint lines around his mouth and eyes. It was hard to imagine he would be 30 in just a few short years. The blond of his hair was less vibrant, but the blue of his eyes remained bright and determined. Every scar was proudly earned, and every line or wrinkle brought on by living to the extreme. He couldn't be sorry for that.

Laughing, he lowered his head and rubbed at his eyes. "I sound like I'm at the end of my life..."

Releasing a steady breath, he lifted his eyes and yawned. Anymore, nights were later and mornings were earlier. He supposed he only had the demon fox to thank that he could make the transition smoother than most humans. Not that he intended to admit that the fox helped him for anything other than chakra boosts. The smug, confident beast was anything but modest. Naruto rarely let him out to play, much less praise him.

As the years had passed and he gained better control over himself, however, their truce and mutual beneficial existence became more tolerable. The fox knew it couldn't exist without him, but that he could exist without it. And he wasn't above letting the demon think that the only reason he kept it around was for the extra power it provided. Especially when the truth was, none of them knew how to get rid of it. Not even Tsunade.

Stretching his arms above his head, he locked his fingers at the back of his neck and blinked, his perusal of the ceiling yielding no secrets or startling discoveries. Amused at his own lack of initiative and idiocy, he grinned and lowered his gaze in time to be caught in the boyish action by a visitor. Rather than scold him, however, she herself seemed amused.

Sheepishly, he lowered his arms and said, "You didn't see anything. I really was doing Hokage stuff."

Draping one arm around her waist as she balanced a full bag on the tips of her fingers, Sakura let all of her weight fall on her burdened hip and smirked. "Mm hm. All Hokage are required to inspect the ceiling, right?"

"For leaks, y'know..." Naruto tried unconvincingly.

"Admit it, Naruto. You were slacking," she mock chastised as she shut the door with her foot.

Slumping over, he let his forehead balance on the edge of his desk. "You caught me. I'm not fit to be Hokage."

"No you're not," she agreed, tone becoming sharp. "You're starving yourself again. How do you expect to work to full capacity if you starve yourself?"

Lifting his head, he studied her suspiciously. "Where are your spies?"

She sneered. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Sakura..." He warned.

Tipping her chin upward, she sniffed. "Everywhere, of course. A woman never reveals her sources."

Palms flattening on the desk, disturbing papers, his eyes riveted on the bag. Caught by the scent, he forgot about her transgressions. "Is that... ramen?"

Twirling the bag, she touched one finger to her lips. "I don't know... Maybe I shouldn't give it to you now."

"If you don't want to see a grown man cry and beg, you'll take pity on me."

Laughing, a sound he hadn't heard enough of lately, she grasped the back of a chair and pulled it around so that it sat flush with his. Expert, slender hands, which had healed many nin over the years, spread out two bowls of ramen, chopsticks, and napkins. Though it nearly cost him, he waited for her to take her own bowl first and begin eating.

"You are my savior," he breathed, after the first few heaping bites.

Sakura fairly beamed, and for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was genuinely pleased. "Well, it's not everyday an average gal can say she saved the Hokage."

He snorted into his ramen, nearly choking on the noodles he had enthusiastically shoveled in. "Average? Only Konoha's most talented med-nin."

Pushing her hair behind her ear, (and she had kept it short, leaving him to believe it held some significance for her; something to do with Sasuke...) she turned her face away; but not before he caught the faint flush. Puzzled by it, he didn't push for former knowledge and experience that pushing Sakura meant having her retaliate unkindly.

"No I'm not," she mumbled, ducking her head and focusing on her ramen.

Brows drawing together, he lowered his chopsticks and examined the pale pink locks that obscured her face from his view. The Sakura he had remembered from his childhood was temperamental and overconfident. As he became older and knew her better, he realized that like himself, she had made up for her insecurities by pretending to others that they didn't exist. And that she was uncertain in everything from her talents to her appearance.

It's no wonder, he thought darkly. Sasuke had never given her any reason to believe she was special or worth his attention.

That familiar jolt of anger tugged his shoulders higher and stiffened his spine as he struggled to keep his emotions from his face. Sasuke was gone, had been gone for a long time now. It wasn't going to bring either of them peace if he voiced his hurt and stripped her feelings for the missing-nin bare, forcing her to relieve them here.

Instead, he reached for her face, tipped her chin so that he could look into her clear eyes - filled with doubt, pain, and so many others things he didn't want to put a name to - and gave her a smile, made it real for both of them.

"Hey, hey, who are you to question the Hokage? What I say is law. I say you're special. Don't try to argue with me. I won't have it."

She gave him a hesitant smile in return. It took every single fiber of strength he possessed not to reach out and smooth his thumb along the shadows beneath her eyes.

"You're so bossy."

He grinned; a wicked flash of white. "Payback. You were the bossiest kunoichi I ever had the pleasure of knowing. Still are."

She laughed. It caught somewhere between mirth and a sob. Unable to stand her pain, he did what he knew he shouldn't. He gathered her up into his arms, pulled her into his lap and against his chest, and let her have her cry.