The smell of bleach had penetrated Naruto's nose when he had entered the hospital again that day for a second time. Naruto was calmer this time and more concentrated. He listened to his foot steps on the sterilized ground. He needed to go see Sasuke again. Make sure that he was not dreaming and that his friend had actually returned to him. It was too surreal the sound of his foot steps mixing with the noses of the hospital around him. The white washed walls of the hallway and this sense of being complete again now that the team was joined together again it was a joy overload. The famous team 7 reunited again, and this time Naruto would make sure that there would never be a split between them ever again. History would stop repeating itself from this moment on. But there was a problem still that needed to be over come if Naruto was going to keep his team together again. This problem was his wife. Sakura had ran away and it had concerned Naruto at first but he figured that it would be the best to let her sort out her emotions on her own. It was probably not one of his smartest moves not going to see if she was ok right after she had stormed out of the room. But Sasuke…

"She is most likely in her office." He said to himself as he rounded another corner in the hallway. It seemed like the most logical place to find her at this moment. Naruto pasted some nurses and doctors as he made his way to her office. He reached the door marked Dr. Uzumaki and opened it to find it empty.

"Dr. Uzumaki left to see go see Mr. Uchiha some time ago Mr. Uzumaki." Naruto turned to see what seemed to be a new intern at the hospital. He nodded his head in thanks and then started to make his way back to the west wing of the hospital to where Sasuke was.

When he reached the door to Sasuke's Hospital room Naruto could see the distorted figures of pink and black forms. He smiled to himself and then open the door to find his wife and his best friend on the floor together embracing one another for dear life.

"Well I did not think I would come into the room and see you guys on the ground already embracing one another," Naruto chuckled. His hands brushed at his long bangs and then found their way to his hips. "Moving a little to fast now aren't we you two? It has not even been a day."

Sakura head shot up at Naruto words. Some ninja she was not even sensing that he had come into the room. But then again she was to busy in the extremely tense situation to really notice. Except, why was she so suddenly angry at herself? She had nothing to hide from Naruto. Did she? But most importantly what on earth was he talking about that they were moving to fast. The whole situation was already unbearably and now her husband was making weird but calm suggestions about a possible relationship between Sasuke and Sakura.

Sasuke looked up and then sat up once he noticed Naruto in the room.

"She… Sure knows how to bring a man to his knees crying…" He wiped at his face a bit with the back of his hand. Naruto was still not used to this Sasuke. He was so calm and full of many emotions that he was letting out for them to witness. It was still too foreign from his cold vengeful self from before.

"So where did you end up running off to for so long?" Sasuke asked as he stood up. He offered a hand to Sakura but she refused it and rose all on her own. She started to fix her clothing and run her hands through her hair.

"Oh well… I ran into an old friend while I was at headquarters." Naruto scratched the back of his head with a grin.

"Your student is back… The one we figured all but dead to Konoha" There was silence from Kakashi as he looked at the bowl of ramen that was in front of him. He had found it odd that Naruto had seeked him out and asked him to have lunch with him but shook it off and figured that Sakura had not made him a lunch today and was looking for a cheap and fast way to get a meal. He had done it before on many occasions because Naruto still even in wedded bliss had a way of pissing of Sakura every now and then leaving him without any food. He never figured it was to deliver the news that the past had come back to Konoha.

"Where was he found?" Kakashi looked into the cup of green tea that was next to the now empty bowl of ramen.

"Some scouts picked him up outside of the walls of the village."

"That's a bit odd don't you think? After all Sasuke is not a weak ninja."

"He was badly hurt."

"eh… Even still…"

There was silence between them again and Kakashi could see that there was something deeply wrong with Naruto. He should be over the moon that his best friend and self proclaimed brother had final come home but instead he was quiet and very un-Naruto like. And then it hit him.

"How did she take it?" Kakashi inquired about Sakura as he took another sip from his cup rotating it in his hands when he was finished.

"How do you think?"

"She got out of the room pretty much before Sasuke could say anything. Perhaps it was for the best too."

"Why what did he say to you?"

"Oh nothing just confessed his love for my wife." Naruto said it so casually and it bothered Kakashi as he took one last gulp of his green tea.

"Did you tell him?"

"No" Naruto looked down at the napkin that was in his hand. At the start of the meal it had been in one piece folded nicely but now it was twisted.

"Why not? He deserves to know…" There was such disbelief in Kakashi's voice.

"I could not tell him even if I wanted to right now. I just don't know what it would do to him." Naruto twisted the napkin again his eyes still cast down.

"What do you mean by that?"

"He so out of character right now. A complete and total emotional mess and who wouldn't be after all the hardships he has been handling on his own for many years."

"He said he wanted to marry her… That he was here to take her as his. I trust Sakura-chan its just…" Another twist followed for the napkin in Naruto's hands.

"She wont leave you if that is what your thinking Naruto. Sakura had pushed the part of her heart that was filled with Sasuke into her memories. She would not have married you if she was just going to leave you if or when Sasuke returned."

"And I know that! That's not my problem…" Naruto twisted it one more time and then the napkin gave way and ripped into two halfs in his hand.

"Then what is?", Kakashi question. He started to rub at the temples of his forehead. Had his student gotten more stupid?

"The truth!" Naruto exclaimed throwing the halfs of the napkin in the air now.

"I don't follow…"

"When I was talking to Sasuke he told me something. He said he just wanted to take Sakura and return to the way that things were before he left and I neglected to tell him that that might be a bit impossible since Sakura was already married…I just nodded my head and said nothing."

"That's quite foolish of him to think… And even more foolish for you to not say anything. "

"Sensei!"

"Well it is Naruto. You can't ever return to the past once it has occurred. That's why it is called 'the past'" Kakashi was really irritated at this point. Even though Naruto had grown a bit from his obnoxious childish ways before he was still had a long way to go. They all did.

"He's just trying to preserve a memory Kakashi... You should be the last person to call that foolish after all the time that you spend at the memorial." Naruto's fist hit the counter in front of them and it startled the waitress other side and she dropped the cup that was in her hand. Lucky enough Kakashi managed to catch it and place it back into her hands before any of the green tea in it could sip. He muttered a quite thank you and then started to finish Naruto's lecture in life.

"That's different Naruto. That's safeguarding a memory so that the people are never forgotten for their sacrifices. And you would be wise to watch what your saying from now on in this conversation. I will allow a lot of things to be said…"

"He's my best friend, they both are. And I want to bring them both happiness." Naruto's head dropped again. He had angered his old Sensei and he was not happy that he had done so.

"What are you suggesting then?" Kakashi asked placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Helping him preserve the memory even if it is for a little while."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"By giving him Sakura."

"Do you know what your suggesting?" Kakashi's hand gripped Naruto' s shoulder and his turned him around so that they were now looking enough in the eyes.

"He's fragile right now. I can't let him break any further right now. I am not suggesting that He takes her forever, just for a while till it is the right time to tell him about her and I."

"The right time is now Naruto."

"No Sensei, it isn't." Naruto shook his head removing Kakashi's hand which was almost in a death grip now on his shoulder.

"I don't know what your thinking Naruto but this plan of yours will no doubt end in more pain then it will actually save."

Naruto was silent now. He did not mean to fight with his former Sensei but Kakashi was just not understanding that his intensions were good.

"I have to go back. Stop by and visit him when you can." With that Naruto left suddenly from the stand.

"There is only so much advice that you can give to the next generation." The ramen stand owner piped up the waitress behind him blushed a bit and then nodded her head in agreement.

"Ah…" Kakashi answered.

"They will not take your advice but they will leave you with the bill." He chuckled handing a slip of paper to Kakashi.

"Isn't it great being back together gain like this?" Naruto beamed. Sakura slowly nodded her head.

"It feels…" Sakura started but drifted off a bit with her words.

"Like it should." Sasuke solemnly added.

"There is so much more still to discuss Sasuke. I ran off before to talk to Kakashi. He will no doubt be visiting you soon if not in the next couple of hours."

"Yes there is a lot to talk about." Sasuke said while he looked at Sakura. It made her nervous that he was eyeing her so closely and she fidgeted in her seat on the hospital bed in between 2 of the 3 most important and influential men in her life.

"So where do we start now?" Naruto asked looking to his friends.

"With Sakura…" Sasuke answered almost immediately.

She shifted again then started to play with a gold band on her finger. Since her attention was so drawn to it so was Sasuke's. It made him jump as soon as he finally noticed it. He grabbed Sakura hand and then pulled it to his face.

"What is this? Who gave this to you?"

"Naru-" But she was cut off by her husband.

"It was a present. She thought it was nice during one of our trips and didn't have cash right Sakura-chan? Said it reminded her of the one her father gave her mother." Naruto was really rushed in his answer but it seemed to be enough for Sasuke.

"For a second there I thought you might be married." Sakura was about to open her mouth when the door flew open and there stop Kakashi.

"KAKASHI!" Naruto exclaimed jumping off of the hospital bed and pulling Sakura with him. "Your late…"

"Well you see… I was eating Ramen but could not foot the bill due to a certain blonde ninja ran off so I was washing dishes."

"Always making excuses Sensei! See Sasuke things have still not changed that much. Anyways! I have to take Sakura for a second. We need to talk to Tsunade about your statues." Sasuke nodded his head to his friends reason. "Besides now that the old man is here you can do some catching up with him." And with that they were gone. Naruto was pulling a confused and angry Sakura with him to her office and he did not stop until he reached their destination and closed the door behind them. It was silent from the outside of the office but on the inside Naruto had just dropped the biggest bomb shell on Sakura.

"Do you understand what you are asking me to do?" The tears were flowing freely now from her eyes. How many times did she have to cry today? She was getting tired of it. There was no more holding them back from him. He, her husband was asking her to be unfaithful to him to spare his friend of some heart break. She loved Sasuke still but there was only so far she would allow that love to go. And to lie about Naruto and hers relationship, her marriage to him was just going too far.

"I'm asking you to help out my best friend."

"Your asking me to be unfaithful." Sakura had her back to him. She could not stand to look at him right now.

"No… You don't have to take it that far. But he needs us right now." Naruto reached out to Sakura and turned her around to him but she did not lift her eyes to look at him.

"I can't do this Naruto. I can't lie about our love!"

"Its not lying Sakura-chan. Its just preserving…"

"You can't preserve everything forever. Everything had a beginning and end."

"And I'm not asking you to do this forever. Just until he is settled." Sakura was silent. She could not even look at Naruto at this moment.

"He's my best friend Sakura…" Naruto's hand reached under her chin and gently guided it to the side and up so he could look into her aqua stare. They were hard and full of tears.

"And I'm your WIFE!" She slap his hand away from her face.

"Sakura-chan please… " He took her hand into his and started to stroke them with his thumbs.

"I…"

"Please…" He lowered his forehead onto her hands. It made Sakura sigh. She was so confused. But she owed him. She owed him for saving her from her loneliness, for giving her so many second chances and never asking for anything in return but her love.

"Ok…" Her voice was raspy. She sounded defeated.

"That's my Sakura-chan…" She felt his arms wrap around her and he placed a small kiss on her forehead. She was shaken and tired and he could feel it. "Lets go back and say good bye to him and then we can go home ok? I'll run you a nice bubble bath and then we can talk more about this."

She nodded her head slowly. But she really did not want to talk about it anymore. She had accepted his request and there was no going back on her promise to Naruto.

As soon as they returned home Sakura went straight to the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat. She had not said much to Naruto since they left the hospital. Only a simple yes or no to any of the questions he might ask her. She was walking around with a dazed look on her face and it was only when she was preparing the carrots for the curry that she really snapped out of her trance when she cut a little to far and nicked her finger. Naruto noticed first when he saw her starting to bleed.

"I don't know if I like that new ingredient your adding to the carrots there…" He jest to try and lighten the mood.

"What?" Sakura question and then she looked down. She cursed and was about to stick her finger into her mouth when Naruto beat her to it. He sucked and then placed a small kiss.

"You should be more careful my love…" He didn't know what he had said but after he had finished she had flung herself against him and was clutching onto him for dear life. It had thrown Naruto off a bit and he had to steady himself a bit so he did not tumble over. She started to sob again. Just when she had thought that all of her tears had been cried out from her body already more just seemed to come out.

"Why… Why did he have to come back? Why did he have to?"

"Because this is where he belongs… With us. We are his family." He stroked her hair and then reached behind her and turned off the burner of the stove.

"But supper…" She questioned.

"We can eat later… Right now I need to reassure you…"

"Reassure me about what?"

"How much I love you for allowing me to help my friend. Our friend…" With that he picked her up and carried her into their room.

He placed her on their bed and rested his body over hers pressing her into the bed. He was kissing her cheek. It was so salty.

"I'm sorry…" He whispered in between his kisses. "How much of these tears were my fault?" He licked her cheek a bit and it caused Sakura to close her eyes and sigh her hands slid their way under his shirt to his back. Naruto shivered and then started to assault her with more kisses down her neck to her collar bone. A soft moan escaped Sakura's lips now and all current sadness seemed to disappear momentarily replaced with sexual desire. It was not long until clothing was removed and their passion had reached its high. It was a bit rougher then usually this time. Naruto found Sakura almost animalistic at times during their love making and his back wound no doubt show this in the morning as it was filled with scratches where Naruto had dug her nails into his back trying to cling to Naruto for dear life. It left both Naruto and Sakura panting and exhausted. Naruto was the first one to fall asleep. But Sakura remained awake. The moon had rows during their passion and Sakura could see the light from it filtering through their blinds. She pulled on a light robe and walked over to the window lifting the blinds a bit to get a better look at the night sky. She leaned her head on the window feeling the cold glass on her face. She closed her eyes and then opened them again to see a figure standing below her window. It started her at first and it was too dark to know who the figure was that was looking right at her. The only thing that she could make out was Sharingan.

Sorry guys that it has taken me so long to get through this last chapter.XD It was a bit of a struggle because I was trying to figure out how things should work out. But I think I have things more figured out now. Oh and in other news. I opened myself a Live Journal account those of you who own one can listen to my rantings and discussions about this story and any of my other rantings. So please visit my profile for more information.