Tsunade sighed heavily, leaning against Jiraiya's chest as she sat her pen down. "Absolving the monarchy and becoming Hokage have to rank among the top five worst decisions I've ever made," she complained as he began to massage her shoulders. "Why did you talk me into this?"

"It was the council's decision, remember?" He chuckled, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple. "And I happen to think you made a great choice. The people love you."

"Yeah, all the ones that weren't upset that I spearheaded the invasion and that Fugaku and Mikoto, ah, 'deserted' the throne and left me to clean up the mess." She used air quotes and frowned. "Not to mention we still have the Uchiha elders to think about. A lot of them were still alive during the war, remember that?"

"How could I not?" The man easily replied, resting his chin on top of her head. "But you forget that they still support you, even after you had to make sweeping changes to the government. Begrudgingly or not, at least it's peace."

She sighed again, closing her eyes. "I'm so tired," she mumbled. "I need a drink."

"Why don't you go take a lunch break with Shizune, and I'll handle some of the paperwork?" Jiraiya suggested.

"Are you sure?" The blonde frowned, twisting to look up at him. "You hate paperwork."

"Just as much as you," he reminded with a smile. "Hurry, before I lose my motivation and this never gets done."

"Alright, alright," she chuckled, getting up from the chair. She felt a hand on her backside and flinched, turning to give him a syrupy smile. "Jiraiya..."

"Sorry, sorry, habit," he laughed, raising his arms in defense. "To be fair, though, you did marry me."

"A decision I regret every day," she said dryly before breaking into chortling laughter. "I'll be back in a bit. You want anything?"

"Just you," he rested his chin in his palm and gave her a cheeky grin.

Tsunade blushed, turning away to conceal a smile. "I'll see if they have some fried chicken then."

"You're the greatest, love!" He called after her as she left the office.


Tsunade hummed as she walked. When she passed the library, she smiled when she saw Naruto and Hinata inside, reading from the same book.

"They've gotten so cute," she sighed, watching as Hinata turned a page, Naruto idly playing with the ends of her medium-length hair. Both were smiling, content.

They were still dating over a year later, deciding to get married around the last of September. Since Hinata was technically the heir to the clan, Hiashi had to give his blessing for it when she decided. The Hyuuga clan council initially protested this, due to her defection to the rebels, until they were reminded that the entire clan had chosen to follow in her lead as well. Hinata was flattered that her father thought of her, but wanted to give up the position to Hanabi until it was decided that Hanabi would become a council member. To everyone's surprise, Hiashi agreed almost immediately, claiming that he was getting up in years and that he just wanted to retire and live a peaceful life among the elders, and that he just wanted his daughters to be happy. He shocked everyone when he said he trusted Hinata enough to let her decide, which made for quite the emotional moment between father and daughter.

She waved at the couple when they looked up, and Naruto gave her a cheeky grin and his own enthusiastic wave in return. Hinata smiled, a light blush on her cheeks, as she waved too. The girl had gotten more confident in herself over the past year, no doubt due to her family's acceptance and things returning to normal.

She turned and walked away, looking up at the bright blue sky. It would be a hot week. Perhaps she and Jiraiya would have to go on a short vacation to the coast?

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura's voice called out to her, and she turned with a proud smile at her youngest pupil. The girl jogged up to her, brushing her hair out of her face.

"How's your day been so far?" She asked.

"Boy, it's been busy," the pinkette huffed a laugh. "Kakashi's been working himself into the ground trying to train up the recruits. Between Rin and I, we've barely been able to convince him to take breaks."

"I'll bet," the woman chuckled.

"Ah, and the hospital is full as ever," the girl mused. "Karin is really good with matching chakra types for donations. I honestly don't know what we'd do without her."

Ah, Karin. The girl had been slow to heal, but was getting back into the swing of things with the help of her friends and cousin. She was exceptional as a sensor and had come in handy on many a mission out of the village. On one of them, she'd met up with Suigetsu (one of Orochimaru's ex-minions) in another town and he decided to settle in Konoha with her, claiming that he couldn't properly annoy her if they were separated by distance.

Currently, she was training up the next generation of chakra sensors, both in combat and in the medical arts. There'd been a surprising number with chakra control great enough to try out. The woman was incredibly excited at the thought.

"And... how are you handling it?" Tsunade softly asked, patting her shoulder.

Sakura gave a small sigh, but smiled up at the older woman. "I'm... managing, I guess. It's been hard getting used to this peace, but I kinda like it. It's monotonous enough to keep me distracted."

"And… perhaps someone to keep you distracted?" She pointedly questioned.

Sakura's face pinkened, and she looked away with a tiny frown. "I… I honestly don't know, Shishou. I'm still trying to heal from Sasuke, and… I don't know. Susumu is nice enough, but it just doesn't feel right, y'know? It's like I'm still missing something."

Tsunade gave her a sympathetic smile and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I trust your judgement, Sakura. As long as you're taking proper care of yourself, that is. You don't want me to force you to take vacations, right?"

"What? No no no, I'm totally fine!" The pinkette burst into laughter, and a few heads turned to see before fondly smiling and turning back to what they'd been doing. "I'm trying to take things as slow as I can. I'm not used to being in a proper village again, but it's definitely a lot less stressful now than it was a year ago. I'm not neglecting myself, Tsunade. I promise."

She patted the girl's shoulder again with a proud expression settling on her face. "That's my girl."

The two came to Yakiniku Q, where Ino immediately spotted them and flagged them down. "Sakura! Lady Tsunade!"

The two good-naturedly rolled their eyes when people looked over, and Sakura went over to the small group while Tsunade went to the counter for some take-out.

"Hey guys!" Sakura greeted, sliding in next to Ino and giving her a quick arm-hug. "Sai, hey, how're you doing?"

"We're doing just fine," he greeted. "Have you gotten gray hairs from overworking yourself yet?"

Chouji and Shikamaru chuckled. Temari simply shook her head.

Sakura laughed, but it felt a little forced. "Not quite," she reassured. She noticed Temari and beamed. "How're you doing?"

"It's an adjustment, but we're doing it!" The blonde cheered, squeezing Shikamaru's hand under the table. "Honestly, I don't know what I would've done if Yoshino-san wasn't here to help. She's made it easier."

Shikamaru and Temari were, surprisingly, the first of the group to get married. They'd tied the knot in February in Suna, where Gaara had given them his blessing to move to Konoha. Temari was reluctant to move away from her brothers (claiming that someone had to keep them from acting stupid), but eventually agreed that they could manage just fine without her. They'd moved back to Konoha the next month, much to the Naras' delight. Yoshino absolutely took to her daughter-in-law, and their friends were happy to have them back.

Sai and Ino were next, getting married two months later. The two seemed happy enough, even if it felt like an odd coupling.

"So, are the rumors true?" Sakura asked after ordering a drink. She waggled her eyebrows at Ino's tea. "Hmmmm?"

"You'll be the first to know, Billboard Brow." Ino replied with a mysterious smile, taking another sip. "How are things with you and the bookworm?"

"C'mon, you would know already. That's not a fair question." She pouted, causing the blonde to laugh. "It's… something, that's for sure."

"He seems like he's taken well to the new government," Chouji chimed in thoughtfully. "Has he shown any interest in anything at all?"

"Well, not exactly," the pinkette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's polite and friendly, but we don't exactly interact outside of when I have to head to the library for medical texts. We lead two different and busy lives."

"In other words, yikes," Temari winced. "I'm so sorry."

She shrugged. "It's not so bad. I know where I stand with him at least, and hopefully either something will blossom from it or perhaps I'll finally be able to move on. Either way, I know I'm good."

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged glances as the pinkette forced a cheerful smile. They knew the elephant in the room waiting to be addressed, but neither wanted to ruin the mood by mentioning his name.

"So!" She chirped. "I'm off for lunch break. Can I join you for some barbeque?"


Tsunade continued on her way, bag of fried chicken takeout in hand. She passed by the new weapons shop, and her smile grew. She decided to stop in on Tenten for a bit.

When she stepped in, Tenten looked up and immediately grinned at her. "Lady Tsunade! I didn't expect to see you here today."

The young woman of twenty-one was as youthful as ever (although she'd probably cringe if she heard it said out loud, having lived near Gai and Lee for her whole life), hair up in a 'space buns' hairstyle much like her teenage one, except ending in a braid down the middle of her back. Still the same style as she always had, today she had a pretty jade-green qipao dress with a white obi.

"Just thought I'd drop in on my way back to the office," the woman replied, sitting down on a stool in front of the counter. "How have you been?"

"Business as usual," the pretty brunette chirped. "Luckily with the restored relations with Wind I can finally start turning a profit again. The store was totally packed yesterday."

"I'm glad." Tsunade chuckled. "How are things with Neji?"

Tenten blushed, looking away with a sheepish expression. "Well, we, er, we're fine."

"Just fine?" A raised eyebrow.

"Maybe a little more than fine," she admitted with a grin. "He's such a wonderful dad. Last night I walked in on him singing Yumiko a lullaby, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I think he's taking well to staying home with her while I work from Wednesday to Friday."

"Well good for you, congratulations." The woman nodded proudly. "Maybe that will ease his stress a little bit. I kind of feel bad for making him a council member when he was about to become a father."

"Don't be, he says it's one of the only things that gives him substance in his life." Tenten chuckled. "Once Hanabi joins next March, I think that'll ease him a little more. He's been the one supervising her admittance, and it's more work than either of them thought it would be, considering her age and clan rank."

"I see," Tsunade hummed, stroking her chin. "I'll have to let them know to lay off him a little. Don't want them running him off before he even turns twenty-five."

"Yeah," the girl laughed. "Well, it was great talking with you again. Are we still on for that anniversary dinner in a few weeks?"

"Of course, I wouldn't cancel that for anything." She smiled, patting the girl's cheek. "I'll see you later, schedule permitting. And tell Neji and Yumiko hello for me!"


When Tsunade finally made it back to the office, she was pleasantly surprised to see Rin and Kakashi already there, chatting pleasantly with Jiraiya.

"Hey you two," she greeted with a smile, setting the takeout down on the desk. "How are things going?"

"Oh, y'know," Rin waved it off with a bright smile. "We're finally making progress on those scrolls you found."

"I'll be presenting it to the council tomorrow," Kakashi added, a twinkle in his visible eye. "Some of our Uchiha contacts have been a big help in deciphering them."

"Excellent," the woman praised, going to sit back down in her chair. She looked over the documents with an appraising eye, humming her approval of each one before resting her elbows on the desk, clasping her hands together. "So, given any thought as to the state of things?"

"We're staying together," Rin confirmed. "Not romantically, but more like... what's the phrase...?"

"Platonic life partners," Kakashi finished with a nod.

"Well, as long as you're both happy." Tsunade smiled at them. "Ever think of taking on pupils? We've got a whole bunch of them coming, y'know."

"Maybe," Kakashi shrugged noncommittally. "I wouldn't make the best teacher."

"Oh come now, you would so be a good teacher!" Rin exclaimed, gently patting his arm. "If I could momentarily get a replacement at the hospital, I definitely would try to, but we're just too swamped with work at the moment for me to even think about leaving to foster some genin."

Tsunade hummed, resting her chin atop her hands. "Shizune, Karin, and Sakura are heading it with you, are they not?"

"Karin is being trained to eventually replace one of our head staff, yes," she confirmed. "But I need someone to replace me so that I can take a more active role somewhere else."

"We'll look into it." The blonde winked at her. "What of the Haruno boy? Have you been to see him yet?"

"It's only been a year." Rin sadly smiled. "Arata is only seven, I'm afraid. I don't quite feel ready to face him yet... not after Obito."

Kakashi gently squeezed her shoulder, and she gave him a grateful nod back.

"I understand." The woman nodded once more, resting against Jiraiya's chest. "Well, I was thinking... if he ever decides to go into the medical field, perhaps he could be trained...?"

"He's been enrolled into the academy this year, but he has yet to show any aptitude for the medical arts." Kakashi reported. "He's only recently awakened his eyes, but for now they're fairly weak. He'll need extra guidance from a trusted confidant in order to master them."

"You've got a point." Jiraiya piped up, pointing to him. "You do it, then."

Kakashi startled for half a second, blinking rapidly. "M- me?"

"You received training for yours, did you not?" He asked. "I understand it's awkward to be around the boy, but he's an innocent not yet muddled in our affairs. I can't think of anyone else qualified enough to do it."

The man let out a breath. This time, Rin was the one to squeeze his arm. "I'll... think about it."

"Please do." He nodded, satisfied. "Now, any word on the remains of Shisui and the whereabouts of Sasuke?"

"Itachi has reported that Orochimaru's main base of operations was leaked to the Akatsuki a month ago," Kakashi reported, his face becoming very serious. "As of yesterday morning, it was raided and ultimately destroyed by Sasori, Deidara, and his wife. They gathered up as much evidence as they could before they captured the snake. It's now confirmed that Shisui was abducted by three of the council members at the time and..."

When he made a gesture across his hidden eye, Tsunade recoiled with a repulsed face.

"They would dare to do such a thing?" She angrily demanded. "He was still but a boy! He was only sixteen, just new to adulthood!"

"The depths of Orochimaru's depravity knew no bounds, it seems," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, his clenched fist shaking.

"He's currently in custody at one of our prisons near Hakikyu, awaiting trial." Kakashi continued. "I believe Yamanaka Inoichi was assigned his case."

"Good, maybe he'll get some more telling information." The woman breathed in relief. "A fair warning, though, it's incredibly difficult to get into his head. Once you're in it... well, it's safe to say you'll wish you never went in to begin with."

"He's a twisted man," Jiraiya agreed solemnly. "But at one point, he was a friend. I'd like to request no treatment be harsher than it has to be."

"And as for Sasuke…" Kakashi trailed off. "In our last correspondence, Itachi noted that he was still searching. One of Orochimaru's men reported a sighting about three days ago near Oto, so it's possible that he somehow found out about the Snake's research and wanted to study for himself."

"Even imprisoned, he's a pain in our ass," Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh. "But who could have told him of it?"

"Yakushi Kabuto is still believed to be out at large," Rin pointed out with a sour look. "It's possible that they ran into each other and Kabuto decided Sasuke to be a greater chance to manipulate now that Orochimaru is put away."

"It's never anything less than complicated with him." Jiraiya shook his head. "Make sure they know to look for Kabuto in their next patrol. Heaven knows we don't want him skulking around."

"Of course. I'll relay that information as soon as I can." The gray-haired man bowed at the waist. "Is that all?"

"Yes, if you have nothing further to say." Tsunade nodded. "You are dismissed."

Without another word, the two walked out of the office side-by-side. As soon as the door closed, Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh and slumped against her husband, closing her eyes when she felt his hand begin to go through her hair at her scalp.

"What are we going to do?" She mumbled. "That poor boy's family... they won't take this well."

"Neither will the rest of them," he reminded. "They trusted each other because, in the end, the clan was all they had. To know that your own family betrayed you in this way..."

"Well, there really isn't much we can do on that front. We can give reparations, and if we do manage to retrieve his body, we can give them that." Jiraiya massaged her temples with a frown. "I doubt that Orochimaru kept the body looking nice, though. There's no telling what we would find if we even did find him. Chances are that he's not even in one piece anymore."

"Unlikely, what with Madara still being alive for so long." She snorted. "Who knows how many of his parts were forcibly donated ."

The two sat there quietly for a few moments.

Finally, Jiraiya breathed out through his nose, kissing the crown of her head. "Well, tell me about your break while we eat. Unless you ate already?"

"I got you the takeout and got myself a good walk, but that's it." She replied, grabbing the box off the desk and opening it.

The heavenly smell of fried chicken filled the room, and the two each took a portion, opening up the sauces.

"Here's to another year of prosperity," Tsunade said, holding up one piece to lightly tap it against Jiraiya's in a humorous mimic of a toast.

"Here's to another year of peace," he added with a chuckle before taking a bite.

The two took their time, chatting over the food. While the peace in Fire was still uneasy, things were slowly looking up for Konohagakure. All they could do was hope for the best.


The wind was crisp in the cool autumn morning as she stood atop the mountain, staring blankly into the sunrise. The land of Fire looked just the same as it always did - and yet, it was different. It was still missing something. It was always missing something.

The early-morning sky was painted with hues of rosy oranges and pale yellows, the stars fading from her eyes as the all-encompassing blackness of night was replaced with the omnivident dawn. The shadows thrown across the valley were shrinking away from the light, almost like they were demons shrinking away to hide from the presence of a god. The cheerful colors of summer were fading, as the leaves on the trees were being cast quieter, less vibrant oranges and reds. Some were beginning to fall already, a sign of the winter soon to come. Barely two years back in Konoha, and yet the cycle of death and rebirth still managed to creep up on her.

She let a sigh escape her lips. One whole year had passed. One whole year without him.

She thought that she would be able to go about her days monotonously, as if life had always been this way, but the more she thought of it, the more her heart sank. The more she felt the pit in its depths widening. She never thought it would hurt so badly to be separated a second time, and yet here she stood, alone.

A pair of feet touched down on the rock behind her, but she didn't bother to turn around. She knew who it was. Only two people would know where she was at this time, and only he would be the one to come all the way up here just to check on her. A wry smile curled her lips as he walked closer, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up so hard about it," he spoke first, voice low. It almost seemed like he wasn't being himself. The Naruto she knew before was always so energetic. The Naruto she knew now sounded exhausted, chasing after demons only they could see. Chasing after memories and a past that refused to return. "Itachi's been looking tirelessly, as have we. I know he wouldn't just let him go."

She didn't answer right away, the warmth from his hand seeping into her shoulder. He was such a warm person, practically the sun personified. He'd felt the loss just as hard as she did, if not a little harder. But she knew who to blame for it, and he wasn't the responsible party. He never was.

"You don't have to worry about me," she finally replied, her voice wavering the slightest bit at the beginning. She swallowed and continued, "It's like he said. I'm just an offensive mockery of the one he wanted, right?"

The bitterness in her words was there, as she didn't have the heart to disguise it. She'd truly thought she had some kind of chance before, but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he really hated her now. And all because she had to blow it like she had. Why couldn't she do anything right? If he had forgiven her, he'd have come back by now, wouldn't he? He wouldn't have blown up at her when she finally found him, would he?

"Don't say that," Naruto snapped, his cerulean eyes glaring into hers for a moment before his face softened in, dare she say it, pity. "He was just shocked to hear the news. Given the circumstances, I'm surprised he didn't do worse. Not with how hard he tried to perfect Kakashi's technique."

Her hand ghosted to her stomach. The wound had become just a scar now, a flat pulse of pinkish skin across her abdomen that served as a grim reminder of all she had sacrificed.

"He was trying to really hurt me then," she mumbled, her voice choked and flat. "Had I gone without you..."

The blond man sighed heavily, his grip on her shoulder tightening a fraction. Not enough to hurt, but enough for her to notice. His feelings were ill-hidden, even if he was trying. Somehow, she figured that he wasn't trying to hide them at all. She soaked in his frustrated aura as easily as the warm rays of the morning sun on her face.

"I know it hurts, but you've gotta believe me when I say we're trying, y'know," he consoled her as she turned her head to look into his face. He'd been growing out his bangs since the battle, and now he was beginning to resemble his late father. If it hadn't been for the eyes that had belonged to his mother, the nineteen, nearly twenty-year-old would have been a dead ringer for Namikaze Minato.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded her head. "I know."

Then Naruto smiled, warm and endearing, and she was painfully reminded of just how much they'd gained - and lost. They gained peace, yet they lost a friend. Naruto gained a fiancee, yet lost the closest thing he had to a brother. Sakura gained her home back, yet lost the one that made it feel complete.

He squeezed her shoulder for a moment more before he let go, and she noted the immediate loss of warmth.

"Don't worry about me," she repeated softly, brushing a hand across his tanned cheek. "You have much more to think about. You're getting married soon."

"I still can't believe I'm the one tying the knot before you," he commented with a defeated chuckle. "I was always so sure you'd… get hitched before me."

He looked like he longed to say something else, but she knew what it was and she dreaded it.

Her expression must have been sorrowful enough, because he shook his head and dropped the subject.

"We'll find him, Sakura," he promised, his eyes shimmering with new determination. "I promise."

Her lips trembled as she tried to smile back. She just wished she had enough hope left to believe him.


A/N: So here we are. 218,857 words later, 122 chapters, 616 pages in Google Docs.

Can't believe this book is finally over! Thank you for those who stuck it out with me and read along. I know this isn't the best thing I've ever written, but not only is this the new longest chapter book I've ever done, but it's also the highest word count I've ever done! Two milestones in one!

I very highly doubt this will have a sequel any time soon. I may change my mind in the future, but it likely won't be for a very long time. I want to take a break from this for a while, given that this took up a few years just to plan out, much less to write.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope I can see you all again, perhaps in another fic with unfinished business.