Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto. No profit is made off of this fan-fiction story. Any additional original characters located in this story are designated at such and belong to the author, Jae (Dirtyangel).

—.&.&.—

IV.

Here Where Loyalties Lie

There was a certain amount of comfort to be taken from doing a menial task. Although setting out toiletries wasn't the most satisfying of work, it did its job in keeping Sakura occupied. By arranging shampoos and soaps (more times than necessary) she could distract herself from the cycle of thoughts shifting through her mind.

Sakura placed a clean, neatly folded towel and wash rag upon the edge of the bathroom sink. Her hands absently swept at nonexistent creases as her eyes rose to witness the scene portrayed in the mirror. The glass was lightly fogged with steam from the tub's running faucet, but she could still make out the reflection of the two blonds within the next room. The eldest sat patiently on the edge of a bed while the youngest stood beside him, rummaging through their travel bag. Sakura smiled at the way Naruto gently spoke to his son as the boy prepared for his bath. The look of fatherly affection that overtook the man's features was just as new to her as the rest of his appearance.

Her smile slowly thinned and her gaze fell back down to the sink. She had always hoped that she would see her lost teammate again. It had been a fantasy of hers that if she did ever see him, she would know exactly what to say. The first thing she would have done was hug him and let him know all the things she was sorry for. She would have said sorry for never noticing how he had felt; sorry for the way she had treated him; and sorry for not being a better friend. Sakura would have told him all these things and would have meant every word.

The fantasy had been a nice one. For years it had calmed her worries of whether Naruto was still alive as well as given her a chance at redeeming herself. However, when the time had finally come and the matured visage of her friend had entered the examination room, all thoughts of a well-rehearsed reunion had left her. Sakura's heart had quivered with shock; and at the time, she had thought her legs would have collapsed from beneath her at the sudden weakness she felt. Instead of hugging him like she had always planned, Sakura had only seated herself in the nearest chair and stared.

Looking up at the mirror again, she gazed at her reflection. Her eyes shimmered suspiciously in the fluorescent light above. Sakura blinked away the unwarranted tears, laughing softly to herself. In truth, she was rather embarrassed by the way she had acted. It hadn't been the first impression she wanted to give after eleven years. She wondered what Naruto thought of her.

The female medic brushed aside a few strands of her coral-colored hair and turned toward the filled tub, shutting the faucet off. A blanket of steam rose up off the water's surface as she placed a hand in to test the temperature. It was at a decent level, enough for a child to safely take a bath without being scalded. Sakura deemed it satisfactory and stepped toward the ajar door. She pushed it fully open to stand in the threshold.

"Well, Kanaye-kun, your bath is ready now," she said, smiling affectionately.

The boy she addressed had since migrated to laying across his father's lap on his stomach, a mild look of boredom on his face. It quickly disappeared when he glanced over at Sakura after hearing her words. Kanaye grinned and propped himself up on his elbows.

"Really? Cool! Thank you, Haruno-san!" he cheered.

Kanaye scrambled to his feet, grabbing his bath things and scurrying toward the bathroom. But before he got too far, Naruto extended a long arm to catch the back of the his shirt.

"Hold up there, kiddo," the blond man said while standing up; "Before you go charging in, I'm going to be the one to pour in the bubble bath."

"'Tousaaan!" Kanaye whined.

Naruto chuckled and began ushering the boy into the bathroom as Sakura stepped aside.

"Don't ''tousan' me. We are not having another flooded bathroom incident."

Sakura stared while both father and son disappeared behind the closing door. She could still make out Kanaye's muffled protests and Naruto's low murmurs. Though the scene had been a perfectly normal one, Sakura couldn't help but find it strange. Her brain was slowly digesting the fact that Naruto was a parent, along with many other things. As far back as she could recall, she had never known Naruto to have grown up with any true parental figures. Seeing him fall easily into the role gave her a sense of awe. It was a silly thought to think, but she looked forward to learning more about her friend's new change of character. Clearing her throat, Sakura ran both hands distractedly across the loose fabric of her skirt and turned to the other occupant of the room.

"It's nice to finally see him again isn't it, Kakashi?" she said to her former teacher.

In the farthest corner of the inn room, seated on a settee stationed by the area's only window, was a lounging Hatake Kakashi. The older man glanced up from his book with a look of ignorance and a raised brow, appearing as if he was unsure of what she had said. Sakura pursed her lips impatiently at his blatant act. She knew very well that he had heard her. Even at forty-one the jounin sometimes acted as if he was a lazy teenager, incapable of any decorum of maturity. Aside from missions, Kakashi seemed to take few things seriously. It annoyed Sakura as well as endeared him to her that he could maintain such a casual persona with the lifestyle they led. But at the moment, he was walking the thin line of irritation.

Taking note of Sakura admonishing glare, Kakashi chuckled good-naturedly. He made a placating gesture while still smiling at her, and tucked the small brown book he had been reading into one of the many pockets of his flak jacket.

"Come now, Sakura, stop hefting around such an ominous cloud of anxiety," said Kakashi, his deep voice as clear as ever despite the mask he wore.

He sat up straighter in his seat and slung an arm along the back of the couch. For all the years that had gone by, Kakashi remained one of the few people who never seemed to change. He wore the same standard nin uniform as he always had; the mask he had worn since Sakura could remember was still there; and he continued to possess that lazy-eyed look he had come to be known for. If she allowed herself to think on it, Sakura supposed that he was lucky. Not many individuals had the grace to age so well. She grimaced at an errant thought: Hopefully, she wouldn't end up as one of the unlucky ones. Sakura shook her head and dismissed the idea.

"I don't see how you can blame me, Kakashi," she said, "It's been eleven years. How exactly am I supposed to act?"

Sakura slowly made her way toward his side of the room, bypassing the first of the room's two beds and finally seating herself on the end of the other. She crossed her legs smoothly and frowned at him.

"I don't think I can take your stand on it, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi tilted his head curiously, the hint of a smile outlined beneath his mask.

"Oh? And what exactly is my stand on it?" he asked.

"The same position you take on everything else, with an abnormal measure of apathy," Sakura deadpanned.

At that statement, Kakashi shrugged his shoulder—though she knew he was highly amused. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back into the couch. Both his legs extended out and crossed at the ankle, appearing as if he was about to take a nap.

"When you get to my age, Sakura, you learn to simply take things in stride," he said.

Sakura gave him a skeptical look. You seem to have been doing that for the past fourteen years, she thought to herself.

A subtle movement sounded from the other end of the room and the kunoichi looked over her shoulder. Naruto had stepped out of the bathroom and was closing the door behind him. He regarded her briefly before making sure the door shut with a click. For a moment, he stood with his arms crossed, not moving from his spot by the door. Naruto watched the both of them, her and a (supposedly) sleeping Kakashi. He seemed to study them, as if planning what to say. Sakura didn't know what to make of him.

"I thought you might have let your hair finally grow back out," Naruto said.

Sakura blinked, but then smiled.

"Long hair hardly fits me anymore, Naruto-kun," she replied.

He gave a small nod, moving his hands to his pockets. Without saying another word, Naruto walked over to the armchair situated across from Kakashi. He seated himself comfortably in to the piece of furniture and placed his arms flat against that of the chair's. Sakura noticed the minute signs of tension in his muscles and wondered if he felt as awkward as she did.

"How long should I expect to stay here?" the question was directed at Kakashi.

"Well, Naruto, Hokage-sama hasn't really informed me of the entire situation. She just told me to keep an eye on you and your boy until she issues further instructions," Kakashi spoke without altering his position or state.

"You forgot to include the part about making sure I don't make a run for it," Naruto added with a note of sarcasm.

Kakashi nodded agreeably; "That too."

The blond heaved an exasperated sigh and looked off to the side. Sakura could see how frustrated he was from the way his jaw clenched. His eyes surveyed the material of the window curtain with an amount of disinterest as he contemplated something only he knew. It worried her to know the circumstances in which Naruto was currently staying there in the inn. She had hoped that the reason would have been entirely different, but as Tsunade had explained to her, it wasn't.

"So what exactly has brought you back to Konoha, Naruto," Sakura said lowly, unsure of how to properly breach the subject.

Naruto turned to her, those clear blue eyes only focusing on her momentarily.

"I was touring Fire Country with Kanaye, and we ended up passing by Konoha in the process," he said.

There was an underlined tone in his voice that made Sakura feel as if he hadn't necessarily planned on coming to Konoha. Thinking logically, she knew that was the case. It had been years since Naruto had stepped foot in Konohagakure. If he hadn't come back during that time before, what reason would he have to come back now? Something akin to disappointment settled at the bottom of her stomach. How did everything come to this?

Sakura uncrossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. As the seconds ticked by, the awkwardness she had felt from the examination room was growing heavier and heavier. What could she say to this man who had once been her friend and teammate? He wasn't the Naruto she had grown up with neither was he as familiar as the crass, boisterous, kind-hearted—even thoughtful—teenage boy she still had photos of in her home.

"I see," the words were only meant to fill in the space of silence that continued to grow.

Sakura's thoughts wandered to the child bathing within the bathroom. He was such a carefree little boy, as should any child be at that age. Kanaye reminded her so much of Naruto when he was younger. He appeared just as open, if not more, to accept the world as it came to him; something new and exciting that needed to be explored.

"He looks just like you, do you know that?" Sakura forced a smile onto her face. It was the only way she could distract herself from feeling even more disappointed.

Naruto switched his gaze from the curtain to the bathroom door, and then to her. He seemed to be aware of the way she was feeling and a sad expression took over his appearance. There was an apologetic manner to the smile he gave. He knew how she felt and he still cared enough to try to comfort her. It warmed the young woman's heart immeasurably.

"Yeah, I know," Naruto said in a soothing voice; "It's almost bizarre how much he does."

"Where was he born?" Sakura asked.

Naruto paused, almost as if he didn't want to answer, but she held him in an expectant stare that required him to continue.

"Here in Fire Country. His mother was from a small farming village farther out from Konoha."

She could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"You never married?"

A muscle in the blond's right arm twitched, which wasn't lost to Sakura's trained medical eye. On closer observation, she could spot other signs of stress throughout his body. There was stiffness in his shoulders that she knew was attributing further stiffness in his neck and back. His jaw continued to clench and unclench in the slightest movements while his fingers kneaded the edges of the chair's arms. Sakura wondered what was causing such a reaction in him. Had she said something wrong?

"Actually, we did marry," Naruto said, lifting his left hand to reveal a slim silver wedding band.

A wistful look entered his eyes as he gazed at the ring. His thumb toyed with it for a few seconds before he seemed to remember she and Kakashi were still there. Naruto brought his hand back down and placed it in his lap.

"Kaiya, my wife, died when Kanaye was five," he finished.

Sakura was taken by surprise when she heard this; a feeling of guilt quickly wedged itself within her throat. There was an undeniable sense of shame for having pushed such a sensitive topic creeping along inside her chest. It was obvious why Naruto would have been anxious. Something as personal as his wife's death must have been hard for him to discuss. The pink-haired woman looked away penitently and began to fiddle with her skirt.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't have brought it up," she apologized.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his lengthy blond hair, settling his gaze on Kakashi's, allegedly, dosing form. A neutral kind of smile pulled on his lips as he raised his other hand to rest his chin on.

"Don't be, Sakura-chan, there was no way for you to have known," said Naruto.

He glanced back at her as if to emphasize his point, though this did nothing to stifle the guilt Sakura still felt. It only made her feel worse. Naruto was right, there was no way for her to have known—just like the slew of other things that he must have experienced.

All the emotions that hovered in the pregnant silence between them was overwhelming. This had not been the way Sakura wanted their reunion to transpire. Although there were many questions she wanted to ask him, and many more things she wanted to say, the atmosphere was simply too heavy for her to continue to endure. She hadn't been prepared for this; none of the anxiety and awkwardness that they both had worked to help the situation. Sakura knew it was time to leave.

She stood up, looking ahead of her as if her mind was no longer with them. With a detached precision, her hands smoothed the wrinkles from her pale yellow medic-nin uniform and adjusted the broad, deep red belt that fitted snugly around her waist. Eyes the perfect shade of green slid to watch her former teammate, a sad resolution swimming within them.

"It's getting late, Naruto," she said, "I should be going now."

Sakura uttered a goodnight to Kakashi and the man raised a bidding hand in turn. (She thought to herself, with no small measure of annoyance, that he could have at least opened his one eye.) Naruto stood from the armchair, and then stepped to stand beside her.

"Let me walk you to the door, then," said the blond.

He placed a warm hand on her shoulder that caused Sakura to hesitate. She looked up at him in askance—finally taking in how much taller he was than her. Naruto merely smiled in that same comforting way he had spoken to her minutes before. For a moment, there was a shadow of the boy she had once known in that smile. Again, it drew the same encouraging reaction from her. She nodded in compliance and returned his gesture. They both navigated around the room toward the door (pausing by the bathroom so that Naruto could check in on Kanaye).

When they made it into the hallway, Sakura allowed them to walk to the stairs in silence before beckoning Naruto to stop. She placed a hand on his arm, inwardly admiring the obvious strength and power that lay beneath his bronzed skin. It was then that reality truly hit her with the verity of how Naruto had grown just as she had. There was now a new chapter of their lives and friendship, separate from Team 7 and the Academy days, that suddenly lay ahead of them.

"You know," she gazed up into his face with a sobering countenance, "the day you left, no one had expected it."

Naruto's brows began to furrow, but Sakura didn't care. She had to get what she was going to say off her chest.

"When we went to your apartment and had found that everything was gone, it almost didn't feel real. I remember walking into the kitchen and opening one of the cupboards, expecting to see it stack with all those ridiculous packs of ramen you always used to keep," she continued; "Somehow something told me that if I had at least seen them there, then everything—the note, the empty apartment, everything—would have ended up being this big joke. Just like the pranks you used pull when we were kids.

But it wasn't."

Sakura's last statement was as firm as her grip on his arm. Her soft features were now free of the anxiety and sadness she had felt previously. They were hardened with resolve and a sense of fortitude that had been well-earned from her years as a ninja of Konoha.

"There has been only one thing I've always wanted to ask you, Naruto," said Sakura, "and that is why?"

Naruto said nothing for several moments. He made no action to remove Sakura's hand from his arm, or to walk away. The blond only stood there with an unreadable look and a silent mouth. Sakura could feel her disappointment growing considerably within her. She was expecting too much from the small amount of cooperation he had given her so far. There was still that eleven year rift that existed between them, and no matter how hopeful she was, Sakura knew she could not cross it in the span of one evening. She released him.

"I don't know what exactly you want me to say, Sakura," Naruto spoke without warning.

"Only the truth, Naruto-kun."

He inhaled and breathed out slowly, staring at a remote spot above her head. The corners of his mouth crested downward while he lowered his gaze back to hers.

"The reason I left," he started, "was because I felt I had lost my connection with Konoha. I had been losing my Will of Fire."

Sakura absorbed these words quietly, trying to fully understand their meaning. They reminded of her of the harrowing letter she and Sasuke had found nailed with a kunai to the back of Naruto's old apartment door over a decade ago. She asked herself, just as she had that day, what was it that could have so callously extinguished the brilliance of Uzumaki Naruto's spirit. How could all that unwavering conviction be thwarted? Perhaps Naruto's return meant that this time she could help do something about it.

If the outcome would allow her to see the light in his eyes once again, Sakura was willing to do whatever it took. Filled with determination, she pushed aside the gloom that had engulfed her heart and the mood around them. Her posture took on a confidence she often possessed when she did her work. She smiled brightly at her friend—because she realized that this man was indeed her beloved friend, no matter what change had brought upon them. He was Uzumaki Naruto.

"Well then, Naruto, know that there are many other connections you have here that have yet to break," Sakura assured him.

The homecoming she had pictured for Naruto might not have happened as Sakura had fantasized, but deep down, she knew that fantasies were rarely meant to come true. Seeing the blond man in the right light had now given her the proper incentive to be there for him. This time around she would be the friend he really needed. Sakura moved forward and enveloped Naruto in the hug she knew she owed him. The man tensed uncertainly. He appeared to not have expected her actions. Almost timidly, he raised his arms to return her show of affection. Sakura giggled, looking up to give him an amused grin.

"Welcome home, Naruto," she tip-toed to plant a chaste kiss on his whiskered cheek.

Sakura let go of him and straightened her uniform for the second time that evening. She considered Naruto one last time before starting down the steps.

"Tell Kanaye-kun I said goodnight."

With that she left him at the top of the landing, bemused but in a more amiable mood than before. As she passed the inn's receiving area, she returned the farewell the young man sitting behind the desk sent her and left through the front door.

Sakura would head straight home tonight. It was nearing ten and she had patients to see in the morning. Possibly tomorrow night she would call on Sasuke to see how he was doing.

—.&o.o.&.—