Hokage's office
Tsunade sighs deeply and falls back into her chair, causing it to squeak under the pressure and roll back. "Never thought I'd actually be happy to be in here. That drained a few years off me."
"So you won't last long, is what you're saying." Naruto mocks which prompts Hinata to tap him on the arm, a reminder to behave.
Tsunade chuckles. "Keep that up, kiddo, and we'll see how long you'll last."
Hinata steps in to bring the conversation slightly on track. "Are things going to be alright, given how everything turned out?"
"Well, I won't lie, that was a pretty big blow. Not even about losing the Land of Rice Paddies, but the whole attack will put a strain on us and the Land of Fire." She shakes her head and turns to them with a lighter expression. "But you don't need to worry about that. We'll do what we have to, and you do what you have to." He motions to the kids behind them.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now then, onto other matters. What's your plan?"
"About what?" Naruto cocks his head.
She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "About where you'll be staying. You have Kotori to take care of, and we can't exactly leave Yokumaru alone while his mother's still in the hospital and we figure out living arrangements for them. Your place isn't big enough, Naruto."
"Uhhh…" Naruto and Hinata look at each other.
"... Please tell me you've thought about this."
Naruto protests. "Well it's not like we were planning on coming back so soon, y'know!"
"It was a series of unforeseeable circumstances that led us here." Hinata pauses and subconsciously begins playing with the hem of her sleeves. There's an option for them but getting approval might prove to be an obstacle. She breathes in to mentally brace herself. "Perhaps I could... ask Father for us to stay in the Hyuga estate. We've more than enough room."
"Very well, I'll leave that to you, then." Tsunade rummages through some papers. "It'll take a few days to get everything in order, to register Kotori and the Kigatsus as citizens of the Hidden Leaf." She looks up to Naruto and Hinata. "In the meantime, I could arrange for a new place for you. If you're going to have Kotori around, you can't stay at the Hyuga's place forever."
Naruto and Hinata share a look again. It dawns on them how little prepared they are for their return. Having a home together when they're so young, a place to take care of Kotori… They'd gotten so caught up in the moment and their momentum is only now slowing down.
Tsunade sees their troubled expressions and figures not to put them too much in the spotlight right now. "Just think about, alright? Is there anything else?"
"Umm," Yokumaru's weak voice draws attention to him looking nervously down to the ground. "Is mom going to be okay?"
Kotori frowns, worried about her new friend. She stands a bit closer to him for support, not entirely certain what aid she can offer right now.
Tsunade humms, tapping her cheek with a finger, trying to find the best way to word it. "Normally I try not to do this, but you're the ones who's been looking out for her for a while now. You've seen her health spiral." She leans forward to look directly at him, which prompts the boy to look back at her with eyes still filled with worry. "She's not in a good place, and I can't guarantee anything other than that I have my best working on it. If your mom's going to get better, it'll be a tough fight both for her and us, but I trust my team and its leader completely and I'm sure Naruto can vouch for her, too." She smiles.
"I can?" Naruto squints "Did you put Shizune on the case?"
"Not quite. Shizune has a lot on her plate right now but I have someone just as skilled."
"Could you mean Sakura?" Hinata guesses.
Tsunade nods in confirmation.
"Alright!" Naruto cheers and kneels down to be eye level with Yokumaru, giving him a wide grin. "Then ya got nothing to worry about! Your mom's in the best hands there are!"
The boy gives a weak nod but there's more hope in his eyes than before. A hope he'd almost given up on until he met them.
Naruto ruffles Yokumaru's hair and stands up.
Tsunade smiles, being reminded of her own pupils when they started training with her. "For now, go and rest up. We can figure out details later. Dismissed."
When they exit, Yokumaru looks down at his feet, concerned. "Am I in the way?" A bluntly honest question, but kids tend to be.
Hinata leans down and both she and Naruto reassure him.
"No, of course not!" Naruto places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"We just need to put our things in order, is all. It was bound to happen eventually." Hinata looks off into the distance. "We just need to convince my father."
Hyuga clan compound
Hiashi sets aside his papers after just hearing his daughter's request, and takes out a new batch of documents.
"Very well."
That was easy.
"Really, Father?" Hinata leans forward slightly, almost jumping in surprise at her father's agreement.
"Would you like me to decline?" He slightly raises a brow.
"No, of course not!"
"That's great! See, he's understanding." Naruto pumps his fist. "Thanks a lot, Old Man Hiashi!"
The Hyuga leader continues writing in his scrolls, doing the necessary work of a clan leader. "The boy and the girl will occupy the room two doors from yours, Hinata. They will be your responsibility."
"Of course, Father." She bows. "And which room would Naruto occupy?"
Hiashi doesn't lift his gaze from his scroll. "Naruto already has an apartment, he doesn't need to stay here."
Naruto stands up. "But we've stayed in the same place for our mission so far. And we have training to do."
"You're not currently on your mission, you're taking a break. Whatever arrangements you've had so far needn't translate here. You may still enter and leave, and use our grounds for the childrens' training." He sets his writing brush aside and looks up to them. "Will that be all?"
"Whaddya mean-" Naruto's stopped by Hinata grabbing his hand.
She's still sitting on the ground. "Thank you, Father."
She stands up and heads to leave, lightly pulling him along. He looks at her back, in a hurry to get out of the room, and to Hiashi who's already back to his scroll.
She didn't even try to fight her dad on this and readily agreed to have him be somewhere else, after 3 months of being together on their travels. Was she having second thoughts? Was she tired of him already?
"Hinata, why didn't you say something?"
Hinata doesn't let go of his hand. She turns around and presses her forehead against his chest. "Father already made a decision. To ask any more of him would be asking too much of him, as the leader. I'm sorry."
Naruto doesn't respond. The two make their way to Kotori and Yokumaru who'd stayed behind while they talk to Hiashi. They're told the news that they can stay.
Kotori jumps. "Yay! That's awesome."
Yokumaru still looks slightly stunned. "Are you sure it's okay? This place is so big. I didn't know you were from a big family, Hinata-sensei."
Kotori beams. "See, they don't show it but they're super powerful, you know!"
"Hey, I look plenty strong!" Naruto protests.
Hinata would've liked to take a stroll around the village, show the kids around, but it's already way past sunset. It's far too late for that. Instead, they take the kids to their room and get them set up for the night. Throughout, Naruto is oddly quiet, but he keeps his smile around the children.
In the evening, Kotori and Yokumaru make use of the giant open space in the back and show off their moves to each other. Yokumaru definitely has the upper hand when it comes to weaving chakra and using hand signs, he even knows some of the basic techniques, like Body Flicker and Substitution, Kotori has practiced a lot of taijutsu so she has the upper hand there. Her kicks and punches are pretty powerful.
Hinata observes from the porch and once Naruto sees the kids are fine on their own, he joins her. He squats down and takes her hands in his own.
Hinata rubs the back of his hands with her thumbs. "Is everything okay? You've been quiet."
"Yeah, of course it's okay."
"... Is it… about you not being allowed to stay here?"
"I mean, it woulda been nice to stick together, but I get it if ya need a break away from me."
"What? Naruto, that's on it at all! It's just… I'm sure Father's concerned about us moving too fast. Honestly, after hearing Lady Tsunade, a part of me was worried about the same. I don't know what life even awaits us after we finish our mission. We only just got together when we met Kotori and we both made a promise to be her parents, when we barely even know what to do with ourselves." She lowers her gaze. "I know this might be terrible of me to say, but I'm scared we won't be good for her, that we'll overlook something, or make a mistake we won't be able to fix."
He stays quiet for a moment and presses his forehead against her hands.
"It's not like… I didn't think about that, too, y'know. I know this isn't a normal situation to be in, and I know I haven't put in a lot of thought into it yet. But I will! I'll figure things out once we get settled down and I want us to be together when that happens. You were… the first person to tell me they love me and that's special to me. So I'm trying really hard to be the kinda person you can be proud of."
"Naruto…" She places a hand on his cheek and lifts his face to look at her. "I am." She gives him a peck on the nose. "I'm sorry for bringing this up."
He gives a genuine smile. "It was gonna happen at some point, right? About our future together. I guess your dad's right to be worried about his daughter. I wonder if I'll be the same when Kotori brings home a boy."
Hinata chuckles. "I don't think you're the stern type like Father."
They both learn closer and share a kiss.
Meanwhile, Yokumaru and Kotori are doing their best to pretend they're not actually watching the two of them be cuddly.
Behind the corner, a figure stands out of view, arms crossed and tucked into his robes' sleeves. A young girl perched on the railing next to him.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop, Father."
"You were doing the same." Hiashi turns to Hanabi. "What do you think?"
"Hmm. I think she's stronger than ever, and happier than ever. And I think those two things are related."
"I see."
Hiashi walks out in view, and Naruto and Hinata immediately break away. Not that they're ashamed of anything, it's just being a couple in front of him feels… weird. The Hyuga leader stops by Hinata and looks on to the two kids sparring.
"So that girl is my granddaughter, huh?" His voice doesn't sound like it carries much emotion with it.
"Ah, yes, Father. That's Kotori, the girl we adopted. I know she isn't of Hyuga blood but-"
"Does that matter to you?"
"Huh?" She looks up to him, confused. "Um, no?"
"Then it doesn't matter." He turns to go back and looks at Naruto from the side. "Your room will be prepared shortly. It's next to the children's."
Both Naruto and Hinata look visibly confused.
In truth, Hiashi had planned to have a serious conversation with Hinata once Naruto left. He intended to talk to her about the relationship, about this child they'd taken under their wing, about what they intend to do in the future. However, it sounds like those two have thought about it already, and are working on it. But it's still his house, so Naruto would sleep in a different room. He is a father, after all.
-x-
Early in the morning, Hiashi wakes up and prepares for his morning kata, practicing even the basic forms is a must for a master practitioner. And it helps clear his mind before performing his responsibilities to his clan. He ties his sash around his training robes but when he exits the house to head into the yard, he hears the sounds of combat from the other side. This was considered early even by his standards and yet someone was already out training? And that side of the manor is Hinata's.
He makes the short walk and witnesses … Hanabi?... sparring with both Kotori and Yokumaru. She's barely worked up a sweat while the two kids already look exhausted. How long have they even been at it?
Naruto and Hinata are sitting on the porch, observing. They only have their mesh shirts on and look exhausted themselves, seemingly having sparred before this. He joins the young couple and Hinata smiles at his approach.
"Hanabi was excited to meet them so she woke up extra early."
"I see."
Hanabi fends off their attacks quite easily with minimal movement. Kotori makes use of her one-sign techniques and tries to bombard her with feathers but the Hyuga easily steps out of their way.
[Crystal Style: Crystal Wall]
In that moment Yokumaru summons his only known jutsu but they're easily skipped over. The boy does utilize his Walls well, using them as cover and as footing for bigger and longer jumps. He's clearly had practice, and Kotori quickly picks up on their usefulness.
When he summons another one, Hanabi stands behind it and gathers chakra in her hand. She slams it against the Crystal Wall.
[Gentle Fist: Vacuum Palm]
Shards of crystal are sent flying directly to Yokumaru. He begins the signs for a Substitution but he doesn't have enough time. Instead, he puts his arms up to protect himself and braces of an impact that never comes. When he opens his eyes, he sees that Hinata had pulled him away before he was hurt.
Hiashi is impressed by the speed of her reaction. He looks down and notices that Naruto hadn't budged an inch. It can't be that he couldn't react in time. Did he just have faith Hinata would pull him away? Had they agreed beforehand?
"You use your Crystal Wall well, but it's a single skill that can easily be used against you, as Hanabi just did. Placing it on the battlefield can also aid your enemies. That's why you need to think more about where and how you place them, and how long you leave them for, until you learn more jutsu. Again."
"Yes, sensei."
They take their stances while Hinata returns and continues drinking her morning tea.
The three of them continue sparring. Kotori summons feather after feather, aiming at Hanabi's feet. On one hand, it would slow her down if it hits, but even if it doesn't, Hanabi would have to dodge back to avoid them, which would give Kotori enough time to weave her chakra.
Hanabi sees her niece make the longer set of hand signs and rushes to stop her. She's still slow when it comes to that and will need to work on getting faster. This time, however, she isn't stopped. A Crystal Wall appears between the two of them but instead of being vertical like the ones before, this one is slanted at an angle, with the top aiming right for Hanabi.
From the corner of her eyes, she sees Yokumaru watching out for his new friend and fellow apprentice. He's already taking Hinata's words to heart and using his skill differently. If the Wall was vertical, it could just be smashed like she did before and that would put Kotori at risk. However, the tip of the Wall being aimed at the enemy would lower their reaction time. Smart thinking.
She jumps over the wall but her movement is slowed by a second, giving Kotori enough time to finish.
[Ninja Art Aviary: Lightning Condor]
The bird of prey materializes above Kotori and swoops over, talons and beak clawing and scratching at Hanabi. It flies up and switches to a dive down. As Hanabi prepares to strike it, the ground under her feet moves. Another Crystal Wall pushes her upward and right into the bird's talons.
With some years of practice, this will become an amazing combination of attacks. She smiles as the condor dives down, crashing its talons into her. The Crystal Wall breaks, sending shards and dust flying everywhere. As it settles, the condor is still there and looks confused, as do Kotori and Yokumaru. Hanabi is nowhere to be seen.
"Alright, that's enough for now." Hinata calls out and when they turn around, they see their opponent already there, cleaning her sweat off with a towel.
They breathe a sigh of relief as they were getting really tired, and make their way to the porch, where they have refreshments prepared.
"Allow me to introduce you. Kotori, Yokumaru, this is my father, Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga clan."
They show their respects with a bow, while Hiashi returns with a light bow of his head.
Kotori nervously asks. "So, um, you're my… Grandfather?"
"... It would appear that I am. You've an interesting ability, be certain not to slack off on your training. You, as well." He turns his attention to Yokumaru. "And who might be? Another one taken under their wing?"
"Ah, no, sir." Yokumaru lowers his head. "I'm just... Um... " He trails off. Truthfully he's not entirely certain what he is to these people. Things just moved so fast and they were dragged along with it that he never stopped to think.
Hanabi cocks her head at her sister. "Isn't he your student?"
Hinata gives a nervous chuckle. "Not precisely. He was merely caught up in an incident that we resolved, and we wished to help him and his mother."
"A pity." Hiashi states. "The unique Crystal Style would make him a fine addition to the Hidden Leaf's forces. With just that, he takes turns on his heels and takes his leave.
Hanabi excuses herself, as well. "I'm off on a mission soon. We can spar again later!" And Flickers away.
"Yokumaru…" Naruto looks down to the young boy. "Do you want to be a ninja?"
"I've… never thought about it. I mean, I have, but I always had to take care of mom… It always felt like a pipe dream."
"Well it doesn't have to be anymore!" Kotori chirps and clings to his shirt with a grin. "You can train with me! He can train with me, right?" She looks pleadingly to her adopted parents.
Hinata looks to Naruto with whom they share a nod, and kneels down to their level. "If he wishes, then I see no reason to refuse. But it has to be your decision, Yokumaru. It has to be what you want."
The boy nervously rubs his knuckles, finding anything to occupy his mind with. "I just want to take care of mom. I want to help her lead a good life and not worry about how I'm doing."
Hinata smiles and pats him on the head. "You're a good son, Yokumaru, and I'm sure your mom feels the same way about you. She'd want to help you and not cause you worry."
"Becoming a ninja won't be easy, y'know." Naruto sits down with his back against a wooden beam. "You'll be away from home a lot, and it might be dangerous. Even with our current mission, we'll be traveling for about a year and we probably won't come back home until it's over. I know it's a lot to put on your plate…"
"Thank you…" Yokumaru's voice cracks. "Thank you for giving me a chance…" A droplet falls to the ground. He sniffs and dries his eyes with his sleeve, in an attempt to stop any more from falling. "I… want to be the best I can be. I wanna make dad proud of me, too! I… want to be a ninja." He bows to Naruto and Hinata. "Please take me as your student."
"Very well." They both smile.
Kotori jumps from joy and pulls Yokumaru into a tight hug, squeezing his head.
"Now…" Naruto stands up and brushes his clothes off, "How about we talk to your mom about it?"
Hidden Leaf Hospital
Yoi Kigatsu required a brief period of isolation, while the medical team assigned to her run their tests and diagnosis. Thankfully, they worked swiftly as per the direct orders of the Fifth Hokage, so she's already allowed visitors.
Yokumaru, led by his newly appointed teachers and walking besides his fellow apprentices, makes his way to the room his mother is currently staying in, after being given directions by a nurse at the front desk.
Yokumaru intently stares at the door, psyching himself up. He's not sure how to even react. His mother is finally receiving proper treatment, when the quacks in the slums had all given up, and to top it all off- the best in the Land are tending to her. There's a part of him that feels like opening the door will be what makes him wake up from this obvious dream.
But it's not.
The warmth emanating from Kotori's when he holds his hand is definitely real. He looks to his side, where the young girl is giving an encouraging smile; what he needed right now.
He reaches over to open the door, tugging on the handle and taking a step in.
The room is one of the smaller ones, but that's also because it's reserved for single patients; ones who're either a risk to others or are too immunocompromised to be around other patients. Yoi falls under the latter, but they're still not ruling out the former, either. The tests will show.
The bed is pushed against the far corner of the room, with some special equipment lining the walls and the wall opposite it- medical ninjutsu formulas lining the room, converging on and around the bed.
Sitting on the edge is Yoi Kigatsu, the same sickly appearance she's had as long as he can remember, her eyes closed and breathing deeply as the medic examines her- a woman of short pink hair and an odd diamond marking on her forehead. Her hand hovers over the sickly woman, emanating a light green glowing chakra.
"Mom?" Yokumaru calls out with a meek voice.
Yoi opens her eyes and looks to the door, fighting to put on even the faintest of smiles. "Hello, sweetie. Doctor Haruno, is it okay to speak to my son?"
"Of course." Sakura pulls back her hand, releasing her chakra, and looks to the door herself at the two people she recognizes. "I could use the break, too." She says with a smile. On her way out, she stops in front of Yokumaru and leans over. "You're Yokumaru, right? Take it easy with her, alright? She's still recovering."
He nods in response and walks over to sit with his mom on the bed.
-x-
Sakura walks out the room and closes the door behind her.
With a big grin, she wraps her arms around both Naruto and Hinata to pull them into a tight hug. "It's good to see you two again!"
"You, as well, Sakura." Hinata returns the hug with much less force.
Naruto laughs. "It hasn't even been that long. We weren't even supposed to come back so soon."
"Well, I missed you guys, regardless!" Sakura lets go and lightly bumps Naruto on the shoulder. "So just accept it." She then notices the young girl with them. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I got distracted. I'm Sakura Haruno, it's nice to meet you."
Kotori bows. "It's nice to meet you, too. I'm Kotori Uzumaki."
Sakura giggles. "So polite." She then stops in her tracks, the girl's words sinking in. "Wait, Uzumaki?"
"Um, yes?" Kotori gives an uncertain confirmation.
Naruto intervenes with an explanation. "We got into some trouble in Tsuji Town and met her there. She wanted to be a ninja sooo we kinda adopted her and took her with us." He rubs the back of his neck, giving the very barebones of the story.
Sakura blinks in disbelief. "We heard what happened in Tsuji but this is news to me. I mean, you? Adopting? I could totally see Hinata because she's so kind and caring, but you're barely a kid yourself."
Naruto hangs his head in dejection. "You didn't have to share your thoughts, y'know."
Hinata places a hand over her mouth, trying to stop herself from giggling. "Naruto's shown to be a good parent and teacher."
"He has!" Kotori jumps to his defence. "Dad's taught me a lot of things and helped me plenty!"
"My, what a protective daughter you have." Sakura crosses her arms and smiles. "I never had any doubt."
"You're sending conflicting messages here, Sakura..." Naruto protests.
"No, I mean it this time. You've always had a way of lifting people up and helping them. Maybe it's a bit earlier than I would've thought but this path is exactly you." She then turns to Hinata with a more serious expression. "But you still have to make sure to keep him in check, just in case."
"I'll do my best." Hinata nods firmly.
Naruto grumbles in response. "So what're you up to when I'm not around to poke fun at?"
"Oh, you know…" Sakura broadly gestures at the hospital corridor. "I've been focusing on being a full-time medic lately. Lady Tsunade's started to reform the medical unit, and with Shizune being swamped with other things, most of the work's fallen on me."
"Sounds rough." Naruto comments.
"Yeah, well, it's what I signed up for when I became a medic." Sakura grins. "And besides, I really enjoy it! It's good work and we're making good progress, even teaching Academy students medical ninjutsu."
"That's incredible!" Hinata compliments. "I know Lady Tsunade has attempted to do so in the past."
"I just hope it's not mandatory." Naruto shudders. "I don't think that training would be for me."
Sakura chuckles. "It's not. Only ones who want to get the training. So kids like you are safe."
"Will I have to train it, too?" Kotori asks. "I don't even know my own jutsu yet…" She looks down to her hands.
"Only if you want to, dear. You have plenty of time to decide until then, yeah? You'll figure it out, with their help." Sakura motions with her head to the adoptive parents.
Kotori smiles and nods. "Yeah."
At this point, the relative silence is broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. They turn to the source to see the origin. Two ANBU, one dressed in the standard gear and the other dark-haired one having an additional belt of scrolls, accompanying a red-haired woman with glasses whose hands are bound in manacles.
"Seriously, you guys know I'm not a ninja, I can't even escape…" She protests.
"In due time, maybe." The ANBU with the scrolls on his belt retorts. "Until we deem fit, this is how things are."
Karin sighs, exasperated. She trudges forward with a foul mood until she sees the people gathered in front of the room she's meant to visit. "You're… Naruto Uzumaki..."
A person she's had next to no interaction, but someone she's more than familiar with. The one who got Sasuke to change his ways, the hero of the war, and most notably… a fellow Uzumaki. Her mother spoke very little of the clan and the Hidden Grass only cared about her abilities and never bothered to tell her who she's descended from. He's the first person she's ever met to carry the same name as her mother, but she's not going to divulge any of that to anyone. The Hidden Leaf is already using her as they see fit, if they found out she's from that clan...
"Uh, yeah. You were... Karin, right? Whatcha doing here, and in manacles?" Naruto cocks his head.
"Serving time." She shrugs, causing the chain on the manacles to rattle.
"Karin has agreed to help with some sick patients, in exchange for a lighter sentence." Sakura explains.
"So you're still locked up?" Naruto lightly frowns.
"Of course." Karin scoffs. "What world would just let me walk free?" A hypothetical. She doesn't really expect an answer to that, mostly because she knows for a fact such a world doesn't exist.
Sakura moves toward the door. "We can go over her situation later, if you want. For now, Karin, this is the patient I told you about." She knocks to alert Yoi and Yokumaru of their presence, and opens the door.
-x-
Meanwhile
...Sakura walks out the room and closes the door behind her...
Yokumaru holds Yoi's hand as she holds him in her embrace. "I'm gonna take care of you, mom."
Yoi sighs. "Oh, honey. You don't have to worry about me, alright?" Her voice is still weak and she has trouble breathing, but fights through it regardless. Even just spending a day in the Leaf has lessened her pain noticeably, who knows what further treatment will bring? "When I get better, I'll take care of you, as a mother should. I'm sorry I couldn't be one until now."
"No, you're wrong!" Yokumaru shakes his head. "You're a great mom! And I'll still keep taking care of you no matter what."
"And just how do you plan on doing that? You can't steal anymore, Yokumaru, not after everything these people have done for us."
"I… I won't… That's not…" He stumbles over his words and takes a pause. His lips quiver as he gathers the words. "I'll be a ninja."
"A ninja? Yoku, that's even more dangerous than working for Keiji…" Yoi breaks the hug to be able to look her son in the eyes. "I don't want you putting yourself at risk. You know how dangerous it is."
"I do! Naruto and Hinata already told me and agreed to train me. And… dad talked a lot about it. How he was gonna train me to become shinobi and lead a better life. I still want that. For him and for you…"
Yoi's eyes tear up at the mention of her husband. He wasn't skilled himself but he dreamt big. He had plans for Yokumaru, plans that would lead the boy outside of the slums and into a better life than they could provide for him. In a certain way, it ended up working, just not how either of them expected.
"Talking about your dad…" She brushes back his hair, parting the fringe that covers his eyes. "That's playing dirty." She gives a weak laugh. "If you really want to be a shinobi, then I can't stop you. Especially when you already have people willing to support you. Just promise me you'll be safe."
"Always." He wraps his arms around her stomach, resting his head on her bosom. "Love you, mom."
"I love you, too, honey."
Yoi caresses his head, and the two remain in their embrace for about a minute longer before the door opens.
A knock on the door interrupts their moment as Sakura enters the room again
-x-
Sakura is followed by a woman of red hair, her hands very visibly not manacled as the ANBU tuck them away in a pouch for when they finish here. The last thing patients need is to be treated by someone in chains.
"Yoi, I'm sorry for the intrusion. I'd like to run just one more test."
Yoi wipes off her wettened eyes with her hospital gown. "Of course. Who am I to go against the doctor?" She looks down to her son and nudges his back gently. "Give her some room, okay?"
Yokumaru nods and wipes off his own tears, hopping off the bed and going to stand by his teachers at the door.
Sakura motions to her new assistant. "This is Karin. She has a very unique ability that could help us in healing you. We don't know whether it'll have an effect, so I don't want to get your hopes up too much, okay?"
Yoi nods. "Of course. Whatever you deem fit."
Karin crosses her arms and looks over the sick woman. "I've only really healed physical injuries. Cuts, bruises, stab wounds… Never tried it on a disease."
"What do you need me to do?" Yoi asks.
Karin extends her hand and rolls up her sleeve. "Bite my arm."
"... Pardon?" Yoi blinks.
"You heard me."
Sakura steps in to offer an explanation. "Karin has a somewhat unique ability. Her chakra has vast restorative properties but it's transferred via… biting."
To say that Yoi is apprehensive about this would be an understatement but if both of them say to do it, then it's got to be safe, right? She puts her hands on Karin's arm, preparing to bite down when she feels dents in the young girl's skin. Many instances of small reliefs; small, roughly the same shape, in a very recognizable oval shape.
"Are these all…" Yoi runs her fingers across the bite marks.
Karin looks away. "Just get it over with already."
"Okay." Yoi bites into her arm and feels a refreshing wave wash over her. She finds her mind clearer and focused, her tiredness disappearing, her breathing calmer.
Sakura checks with the machine monitoring her vitals. It releases a small piece of paper, containing the patient's current condition. "It's definitely had an effect, but it's early to say if it's only temporary or if we have a solution. We still don't know Karin's full capabilities or limits."
"I still can hardly believe I'm here, receiving such care. Even if there isn't a cure, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me." Yoi bows deeply.
"Please raise your head." Sakura grows flustered at being thanked like that. "And don't think that way. We'll do everything in our power to heal you, I promise." She reassures Yoi before turning to Karin. "And thank you for helping us."
"Not like I have much of a choice." Karin mutters and turns away to head for the door. "If that's all, I'm going back to my… home." She takes a pause, remembering that her status as prisoner isn't to be revealed lightly.
"I'll leave you to it, as well." Sakura bows as she leaves the room, allowing Naruto and group to speak with Yoi. Before she heads off to continue her shift, she pokes Naruto's chest. "We're all going out for some coffee and catching up, got it?"
Naruto chuckles. "Sure thing."
-x-
Yoi once again holds her son, unable to believe how much better she already feels. Before, even sitting upright was a major challenge but in the hands of skilled medics, even this is possible.
"Naruto, Hinata, you've done more for me and my family than I could ever repay you for. It pains me to ask any more of you but…" Yoi pushes herself to stand up, another task that's easier to do than before but still takes a lot out of her.
"Mom?" Yokumaru stands up with her to support her if she needs him to.
She falls to her knees and bows in dogeza, with her forehead to the ground. "I leave Yokumaru in your care. Please look after him."
Naruto and Hinata rush to her to get her off her knees. "You don't need to go that far!"
"Of course we'll look after him."
Naruto helps her back to her bed, Yoi using his larger frame to balance herself. "I just… don't have anything else to offer you. I'm sorry for being a burden on you."
"You're not a burden at all." Naruto reassures her. "If you want to thank us, then do that by getting better. Next time we return to the Leaf, greet Yokumaru with a smile."
"I will. Thank you."
Ramen Ichiraku
Out in the Hidden Leaf, Naruto and Hinata are taking Kotori and Yokumaru to get a look at the city they were born in, and the city the kids are going to live in soon. They made stops at the more important spots, such as a clothes shop to get Yokumaru some actual clothes of his own since he's still actually using the ones Kotori gave him. Throughout the day, many people stop and greet Naruto and try to start up a conversation, but they manage to squeeze their way out and continue on their way, mostly thanks to Naruto using Shadow Clones.
Of course, Naruto insisted they stop by Ichiraku Ramen. The little shop has since expanded from the little stall it used to be with 5 chairs and in the rebuilding following Pain's attack has become a sizable establishment with 5 tables inside that can fit much more people than before. There are still chairs by the bar for those who want to sit closer and that's where they sit down, for old times' sake.
Kotori and Yokumaru take note of a photo on the wall, although it might be more accurate to call it a poster, of the shop owner and Naruto.
Teuchi places bowls in front of Naruto and Hinata, as Ayame places bowls in front of Kotori and Yokumaru.
"There you go. Aren't you two adorable." Ayame is as positive as she usually is.
Teuchi cleans the area they just used to make the portions. "I thought you went off on a mission, Naruto. How'd you get stuck babysitting?"
"We're not babysitting, they're our pupils! And Kotori's our daughter we adopted over at Tsuji Town."
"What? Adopted?" Ayame stops her fawning over the kids. "Seriously, but you're barely a kid yourself, Naruto. I mean, I can totally see Hinata because she's so responsible and caring, but you…"
Teuchi sagely nods in agreement.
Naruto hunches over his ramen, dejected. "You didn't have to share your thoughts, y'know."
Kotori and Hinata pat him on the back in empathy.
The kids are pretty satisfied by the food, and equally surprised that Naruto was able to eat five bowls while they ate one. They were even more surprised that Hinata apparently matches his appetite. Kotori's been with them for longer but has never seen her eat this much…
As they leave Ramen Ichiraku, they're met by a familiar surprised yell. Or as familiar yells can be.
They turn around to see Konohamaru carrying a toddler in one of those special harnesses. "What're you doing here, Bro? Weren't you on a mission?"
Time for another explanation.
"We had to come back for a few reasons, so we're on a break. Who's the baby?"
"Oh, this is Mirai! Say hi, Mirai." Konohamaru coos at the babe who reaches with her tiny fingers to grab his.
Hinata cocks her head. "So if that's Mirai, where's…"
She immediately receives an answer to her question when Kurenai turns the corner, carrying several shopping bags, some with food, some with baby clothes. Two more Konohamarus walk behind her, carrying the apparent heavier cargo
"Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata waves to her.
"Oh, Hinata, Naruto, what a surprise." Kurenai smiles. "Welcome back."
Naruto turns to the kids. "This is Konohamaru, he's kinda my first student, I guess?"
"And Kurenai-sensei was my teacher when I first became a Genin." She then leans down to coo at the baby. "And this is her daughter Mirai."
"Yokumaru Kigatsu."
"Kotori Uzumaki. It's really nice to meet you!"
They both introduce themselves.
Kurenai and Konohamaru share a very confused look "... Uzumaki?" They all ask in unison.
"Well, the short of it is, there was some trouble over by the border and after some stuff happened, we kinda… adopted Kotori. So she's with us now."
"What? Adopted?" Konohamaru jumps back in shock. "Seriously, but you're barely a kid yourself, Bro. I mean, I can totally see Hinata because she's so responsible and caring, but you…"
Naruto slumps his shoulders at the insulting déjà vu.
Kurenai walks up to them and leans down, smiling. "It's very nice to meet you, Kotori, Yokumaru." She turns to Naruto and Hinata. "This is quite the surprise. I knew you'd make good teachers but I didn't think it would happen this soon."
"Yes, we certainly weren't expecting it, either."
"If you're not busy, why not stop by my place?" Kurenai offers. "It hasn't been that long but I feel we have plenty to catch up."
"I don't think we have anything really planned, do we?" She turns to Naruto.
"I was kinda hoping to meet up with Iruka-sensei. We don't know how long we'll be here and I wanted to talk to him."
"Well, why don't you do that and Hinata and I can have some girl talk."
"If that's fine with you?" Naruto asks.
"Go." Hinata lightly pushes his back, prompting him to go do his own thing.
Iruka's residence
As agreed, Naruto makes his way right for Iruka's place. It's a very familiar path to him that already feels nostalgic even though it's only been like three months since his departure.
He rings the doorbell and prepares to give his sensei a grand greeting, except… it's not his sensei who opens the door.
Shizune blinks twice before registering who's at the door and how she's to explain her presence. "Oh. Naruto… Hello."
"Shizune?" Naruto raises a brow. "What're you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm just, uh…" She fidgets in place. "Visiting?" A question rather than an answer, that's always convincing.
"Who is it, Shizune?" Iruka's voice comes from just around the corner.
He walks over to the front door and wraps his arm around her waist, before opening the door fully to see Naruto standing outside.
"Uh...Naruto? You're back?"
Naruto, who takes a look at their proximity and being far closer than he ever knew them being. Unable to find the right words, he points at Iruka's arm then up to the two of them.
"Wait, are you… You two… Iruka-sensei and Shizune… You're…"
Iruka rubs the back of his head. "How about you come inside?"
Naruto does as suggested and sits himself on an armchair while the two sit on the sofa, retaining their closeness.
Iruka scratches his head as to where to begin. "I… wasn't expecting you'd return so soon."
"You two are together?!" Naruto finally blurts out. "How did that happen?!"
"We are." Iruka nods. "It's... a kind of a long story but we kind of got to talking after our long shifts and just… grew closer?"
"It was business at first," Shizune adds, "But his kindness and dedication were too much."
"Geez, Shizune, why didn't you just say that, then? 'Visiting'."
"Look, I panicked!" Shizune defends herself. "I know how close you two are and I wasn't expecting you to learn about us while standing at the door."
Naruto stands up abruptly and pulls them both into a tight hug. "I'm super happy for you two!"
Iruka laughs and returns the hug. "Thank you."
Shizune laughs, patting Naruto on the back. "I'm glad you approve. Your word means a lot."
Naruto lets go and sits back down. "Of course I do, why wouldn't I? You're both really dear to me." He leans back and runs his hand through his head. "Man, I came here to tell you sortsa stuff but I know I got all sortsa questions!"
"Shizune actually told me about some of it. Like you being a father now?"
"Ah, yeah, that's one of the things. I dunno if I can really call myself that, though. Haven't exactly earned it."
"From what I was told, you did a lot for that girl, didn't you? I know things might seem weird at first, especially given your age but as a mentor and parental figure, I know you'll be amazing at both."
"You… don't think I'm too immature for it?"
"No," Iruka smiles, "No, I don't. Now, tell me all about Kotori."
"No way, you two first! I wanna know everything, y'know!"
Shizune stands up from her spot. "I'll go get some drinks."
-x-
Kurenai's residence
Hinata, Kotori, and Yokumaru accompanied Kurenai and Konohamaru back to her home, helping with some of the bags so that Konohamaru's Clones weren't stuck doing all the heavy lifting.
Once they got inside and Konohamaru took the bag inside, he bid his farewells and went to train. Not before warning Hinata that he's going to stop by and bug Naruto about training.
Right now, Kurenai and Hinata are sitting in the living room while Kotori and Yokumaru play with Mirai.
Kotori seamlessly holds the toddler against her chest with one arm while waving some of her toys in front of her with the other.
"You look like you know what you're doing." Yokumaru observes.
"Right?" Kotori grins. "I liked helping with the babies around the orphanage so I learned a lot."
"Is that… normal? Others helping in the orphanage?"
"I mean… I guess?" She shrugs. "No one asked us to, we just did stuff that needed doing 'cause we liked it. And besides, they're really cute!" She turns around so Yokumaru can get a better look at Mirai.
"I'm… not really good with babies." Yokumaru steps back.
"Well then there's no problem, since she's a toddler, not a baby."
"You know what I mean!" He protests.
Kotori giggles. "Come on, I'll show you how. It's not scary at all."
Yokumaru grumbles. "Maybe later."
"Fine. Scaredy cat." She sticks out her tongue at him.
-x-
"So," Kurenai places her cup on its coaster, "A mother, huh?"
Hinata winces slightly at being called that by her sensei. "I still don't know if I have any right to call myself that. We adopted her, yes, but she was already fully capable of taking care of herself. Ms Shina and everyone at the orphanage are the ones who shaped her into who she is, while I…" She sighs. "I truly don't know."
"You're overthinking it. You said she herself wanted to call you two Mom and Dad, right? I'd say that's all you need to call yourself a mother. Even if the age difference makes it a bit odd."
Hinata laughs. "You think so, as well?"
Kurenai looks in the direction of Mirai's room where the kids are currently playing. "At your age, teaching is quite the heavy task, let alone taking care of a child full-time. I know you're smart and capable, so I'm going to assume you've thought about all the ways your life will change because of this."
"I… believe I have. But I also may have underestimated to what extent. That doesn't mean I plan on giving up. I intend on giving Kotori the home she deserves, no matter what."
Kurenai looks back to her with a kind smile. "I know you will and I'm proud of you for it. Know my door is always open for you."
"Thank you, sensei."
Hokage's office
It takes an additional two days for all the documents to be put in order and Kotori and the Kigatsus to become official citizens of the Hidden Leaf Village. During that time, Naruto introduces Kotori to Iruka and Hinata spends more time with Kurenai. As luck would have it, everyone from their class is away on important missions, save for Shikamaru who's kind of stuck here as advisor. As good as it would've been to catch up with them, that'll have to wait for now.
At the end of the two days, they're all prepared to depart and continue on their mission.
Tsunade hands them their papers. "Head to the Hidden Stone next."
"Stone? But we might find something if we go to the Hidden Whirlpool first! Old Man Raikage said the Hidden Mist's in charge of the land now, right?"
"That's true, but the Hidden Mist has been looking over the ruins at the request of Lord Raikage and myself and they haven't reported any findings. The Hidden Stone, however, has."
"You mean they might know something about the Uzumaki clan?" Hinata asks.
"That's right. So head over and see what they've found. When the Hidden Mist has something, you can go there then. For now, this takes priority."
"Fine. Actually, that's also a good thing. I was hoping to stop by the Hidden Rain and see Konan." It's been a while, and a part of him couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't with them when they fought Obito and Madara but she must have a lot to deal with.
"The last member of the Akatsuki, huh?" Tsunade leans on her desk. "After everything that happened, we tried to send people to speak to the Hidden Rain, but it seems to be in civil unrest. The shinobi are fighting among each other for control, and it might just be worse than it ever was before."
"What? But Konan should be there to solve that! What's she doing?" Naruto slams both hands on the desk.
Tsunade looks at him angrily and he backs off. Only she's allowed to slam this desk. "Well, go ask her yourself. Good luck out there."
They take their leave and meet up with the kids. Before they officially leave the village to continue their mission, they make their rounds to say goodbye to the people they know and are around. Konohamaru and his team, Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and Shikamaru. They even check in with Iruka-sensei who has pretty much the same reaction to their current family situation asd everyone else.
Now, they stand at the main gates of the village, ready to set course for the Hidden Rain Village.