Chapter 21: Of Home

"For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home." –Stephanie Perkins, Anna and The French Kiss

Naruto

"What do you have in mind for us to do Sakura?" Naruto questions, cracking his knuckles in preparation.

Sakura beams, stepping forward eyes fixed upon Madara in the distance. "We're going to go on the offensive getting all these White Zetsu clones and offshoots of the Ten-Tails out of the way! I need you and Sasuke to distract them all as best you can, the goal is for me to get this injection into Madara created by Lady Tsunade."

"Alright then, one distraction coming right up!" Naruto voices back, creating the hand signals before summoning forth Gamabunta.

"Yo, looks like you summoned me straight into the war zone Naruto!" Gamakichi huffs, smoke from his pipe wafting around him.

Naruto restrains a wince at the smog burning his eyes, smile rising up. "Wasn't trying to summon you though, but you've gotten a hell of a lot bigger since I last you! Where's your old man at?"

Gamakichi chuckles, Naruto has gotten a hell of a lot stronger since the last time he saw him as well. Everyone back at Mount Myoboku will be pleased when this is all said and done, he'll have so many stories to regal them with.

Jiraiya too would've been pleased at how powerful his godson/protégé has gotten, his strength surpassing and eclipsing his own.

"He's busy, but you've got me and I assume our opponent this time is that crazy one eyed monster staring at us." He gathers.

Naruto nods, looking back to Sasuke and Sakura.

Sakura meets his grin in return and he finally gets a look at the work she and Granny have prepared for this very moment.

He notes too the chain around her neck, the ampoule for after that she gave him a partial dose to hold onto via a hug of greeting.

"This is my final measure against Sasuke. I...I know things aren't settled yet between us as a team or between you and him." Sakura mentions tightly in a rush, pushing it into his pocket when she's sure Sasuke isn't directly looking their way.

Naruto snorts, that's putting it mildly.

"Didn't you want to be the one to take him out if it came to that?" He asks after a pause.

Sakura nods, her eyes dulling recalling past conversations at Ichiraku's night after night over how they would deal with Sasuke when the moment came to pick either him or their duty as shinobi of Konoha.

"You're stronger than me Naruto. Of course I've thought of hundreds of ways I could maybe silently poison him, slowly kill him before he realized it was me, however he's most likely immune to even the best poisons I've researched and created. And physically...well that's more up your ally even with my best punch." She replies.

She puts on a faux smile when Sasuke glances at them, the air of pretending this tension despite them all back together again doesn't exist.

"You two will fight again and if you need to fight dirty use that." She instructs him softly with a finality on this discussion as she gets into position to summon Katsuyu.

"Okay...but what exactly is this?" He questions back in a quiet hiss before she steps too far away.

Sakura sucks in a slow breath, blinking back the burn of tears.

"It...It will mess with Sasuke's cardiac rhythm if you use it. That should say it all."

She holds up a different miniature syringe for all of them to view now, murky liquid sliding back and forth within the vial.

"This is it guys, as soon as I get closer to Madara we'll need to focus distracting him primarily. As soon as I get the right opening, I'll inject him with this. To break it down as simply and quickly as I can, it's like Lady Tsunade's Creation Rebirth technique except in the opposite fashion. Once Madara is infected, the dead and weakened cells will multiply to the point that his organs should begin the natural process of shutting down at a faster rate than the normal aging process." She manages to explain all at once.

"Err...so you'll make him an old guy in a matter of minutes versus the years it would normally take? Will that work considering he's technically already dead in the first place?" Naruto guesses and questions.

But Sakura nods, jade orbs shining with confidence.

"Lady Tsunade and I have tested this vial on multiple tissue samples of both the living and dead. Even in the dead autopsy studies we found tissue degradation accelerated with use." She reaffirms.

"Good to know you're not pretending to understand a plan like in the past." Sasuke muses.

Naruto scoffs, ignoring his barely veiled insult. "Well good to know you're still as much of an asshole no matter how many years it's been!"

"Alright, we've got your back Sakura; let's end this!" He beams.

Sasuke stays quiet, analyzing how they should each move. Naruto is the type to charge in, not waiting when the opportunity is fresh to strike.

But this is Madara Uchiha, the man who along with Obito has been behind the scenes this whole time capturing each jinchuriki one by one.

And Naruto is one of the last not yet to be taken.

'That idiot shouldn't get too close.' Sasuke considers, Madara could easily have another technique up his sleeve that could lock him in place.

Naruto meanwhile turns his attention back towards the battlefield, Gamakichi letting loose his Starch Syrup Gun coating the Ten-Tail's clones and White Zetsu trying to impede their path.

'A big ball rasengan, he already knows how this attack works though it will keep his attention me and Sasuke versus Sakura!' He decides, gathering the swirl of energy within his palm.

"Considering he's an Uchiha and came from a time where battles were constant, he already knows plenty of ways to counter any of our attacks. The point of this is to make sure we don't use up our chakra too fast until Sakura is able to come in." Sasuke warns from his side.

"Good thing I have massive reserves of chakra!" Naruto chuckles back, though he understands what he means.

Torrents of sand launch and thunder overhead, impeding the Ten-Tail's projectiles from crashing into them.

Gaara nods to him when he looks in his direction, creating bullets of sand to rain down and bind at the White Zetsu attempting to get near Madara to protect him.

"We received an update from Lady Tsunade regarding the plan in place! Let us serve as another distraction once more to aid in putting an end to this all." He voices.

Naruto clenches his teeth about to yell back to not be an obstruction when Madara has already pushed his chakra reserves to it's limit, those his voice falls away to a tornado of ash and fire.

"Fire Release: Hiding in Ash!"

The vortex of scarlet and gray encircles Madara, tossing back all blasts and projectiles.

"You all are so foolish in delaying the inevitable, especially you young Uchiha." Madara derides them as the dust clears, eyes resting upon Sasuke at the latter half of his statement.

Onyx eyes roam back to Naruto, the way Madara's position is set to use a chakra rod to pin him in place...

'He's within range to paralyze him in place, I'm going to have move in.'

Sasuke leaps forward ahead of him then, electricity swirling around his sword preparing to stab.

"Sasuke, don't!" Naruto calls back.

"Close-range or long-range, you aren't at my level yet." Madara remarks, sliding with ease out of his blade's path.

He is no different from Obito it seems, strong yes, but useless in letting his feelings cloud his judgement and skill. Where is his successor anyways? The last he saw of him was when he was fighting his old comrade, though he should've long since returned from that fight...

But then it clicks and a sour taste burns at the back of his throat.

His final failsafe measure is dead.

'It seems nobody from our clan in the years that've passed has let their heart truly go in exchange for power.' Madara sighs.

No matter, he can complete the Eye of the Moon Plan alone.

He tightens his grip upon Sasuke's sword, twisting it out of his hands and digging it straight into his chest.

But before he can pierce all the way through, he's interrupted by a blast of wood. The typical method of attack by his old rival. Hashirama breaks through the stream of fire and wind and he drops Sasuke sword, blocking his fist before it can make contact.

"Isn't it bad enough you caused problems in our lives? Now you're trying to taint the next generation as well into the same cycles of hate and pain?!" He questions him sharply, wood clones rising up to surround him.

"About time you came to me properly!" Madara responds back casually.

"Don't act so smug, you've chased away death long enough. I'm sure you never imagined all your plans would keep crumbling over and over again." Hashirama snaps back.

"Fall back for just a moment, to make sure Hashirama pins him. If you get too close he could end up paralyzing and extracting me from you!" Kurama states bitingly.

Naruto nods blankly, however his gaze is focused to below as a halo of crimson starts to pool around Sasuke's chest.

-X-

Sakura

'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Sakura curses.

Before she can stop herself, can steel her heart for the coming pain, she looks in Sasuke's direction at hearing Naruto's shout.

Unexpected by them both, Sasuke used himself as a temporary distraction. Perhaps in realization at how great of a threat Madara would become if he managed to capture and extract the Nine Tails from Naruto.

Her eyes take in the blood, the deep maroon color of it staining the ground and her body stills for a second.

'Stop looking; now!' She commands herself.

She's already spent far too much time around him as is instead of here on the battlefield after they left Kabuto back in the caves. His mind hasn't changed, he'll still try and destroy Konoha and rebuild it from the ground up once this war is over.

And when thinking of said negative doesn't work she digs her nails into her skin, the sting and draw of her own blood enough to pull her eyes away from staring in his direction.

"Don't die, you've dealt with far worse than a stab wound Sasuke." She whispers to herself.

The puncture wasn't all the way through, though she's sure it pierced his lung or one of his arteries.

He's too far away, for now she must hope another experienced medical nin will get to him in time.

There's the other past Kage all still nearby aiding in fighting the Ten-Tails clones, one of their own clones should come in.

And Karin surely must sense how critical Sasuke is and will make an appearance despite her betrayal of his trust.

She puts all of it out of her thoughts, focusing back on Hashirama and Madara locked in battle up ahead.

From history it was told Hashirama defeated him at what is now known as the Valley of the End, their power shaping and carving the very area that formed the cascading waterfall and surrounding greenery.

And now they scar the earth in battle once more.

Quietly she observes their movements, keeping track of how each is positioned.

Her gaze stays focused mainly on Madara, the shots of fire and sparks of electricity Hashirama dodges and counters with practiced ease.

Madara soon switches to volleying out streams of air and quick bursts of stormy blasts, area turning thick with haze and smog singeing her nose.

She tightens her grip back on her syringe, waiting until Hashirama properly locks him in place.

"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

The ground before her quakes and she straightens her body in order to not topple over as twin dragons arise and snare themselves around Madara before he can escape.

'This is it, he's trapped!' She realizes.

One of Hashirama's wood clones locks eyes with her: The signal.

The opening for her has arrived.

"You don't have Obito's abilities at hand to get out of this via revival, nor do you have any of the other jinchuriki's power at your disposal to attack me." Hashirama remarks at watching him struggle.

Madara purses his lips, the dragon's body tightening around his throat before can dare spit fire back.

"Enough!" Hashirama commands.

Madara lightly snorts, features growing still.

"Fine. You think you've somehow won and bested me again; haven't you?" You've never been able to truly kill me Hashirama. Not at the Valley of the End all those years ago or even in this day and age with your granddaughter and the other Kage." He rasps out.

'How dare he talk like Lady Tsunade is weak when he himself has had to rely on others to take care of his plans?!' Her anger boils, picking up the pace as she finally breaks through the fog.

"Well then how about her successor?!" Sakura jumps into the conversation.

Jade eyes meet those cold dark eyes, those eyes that widen and watch as she jabs her syringe straight forward into his chest.

-X-

Hinata

'Naruto's heartbeat is going too fast, Sakura's too.' She grimaces, keeping her byakugan on each of them.

Why?

She however soon gets her answer when she finds that theirs's are the opposite of Sasuke's, his a downward spiral that makes her squirm.

He's dying.

A flurry of chaos starts to descend upon her from all sides, a flood of voices questioning how to stop this seemingly endless power of the Ten-Tail's clones and abilities to others taking note that Madara seems to be pinned in place by Hashirama.

The latter spurs a burst of energy across the alliance, washing away some of the grimness and somber mood that has overtaken the field from these devastating rounds of attacks.

She gazes towards said man and his lifelong rival, the flash of pink hair nearby with a satisfied smirk upon her lips.

'The injection is in!' But her relief feels short-lived taking in an inky shadow that slithers near Madara's body.

Black Zetsu.

'Push through; stop whatever it's trying to do.'

It's form curls at his side nearly out of sight, about to trickle onto Madara's body from his back.

Her fingers twitch as she gathers electricity up, every muscle from her head to her toe pulse like a beating drum with each step she takes to get closer.

'Father, I know you're watching us now. Please let this work.' Hinata whispers under her breath.

She brings her hand down to the ground, lightning interlaced with fire streaming across the ground like a current straight for it shocking and burning the Zetsu out of it's corner.

It swivels it's stare upon her, creating a toothy grin.

"You...those eyes. You're a descendant from one of Mother's children." It mutters in brief awe.

She lets loose another streak of thunder, the bolt crashing onto it when it raises up a jagged hand towards her. It starts a rapid pounding on the electric wall she puts up around herself, blocked on all sides from reaching her.

And when it realizes such effort is futile it studies her and the barrier for a long minute before starting to burrow underground.

"You may have taken out Madara it seems and even my other half White Zetsu, but I am not reckless nor do I feel the need to toy with my opponents. I know all of the weaknesses humans hold from years of observing and even at times pretending to be one." It rationalizes when it pops it's head back up to face her.

Chills race down her back, sweat beading against the thrum of her rising headache.

"I'm sure you already know then that no matter how much wars and adversities humans face we will rise up time and again. No matter the pain, no matter the suffering. That is something you never seemed to learn no matter how long you've been watching us." Hinata cuttingly responds back.

Black Zetsu doesn't respond for a moment, unnerving her in the way it seems to bore into her eyes as if wanting to take them. She burns at series of roots and vines that slither towards her legs as it once more reaches out it's shadowy hands to her, stopped in place by a sudden barrier that isn't hers.

Hinata peers down, the Uzumaki seal inscription resting under her feet.

An arm crosses in front of her just as she prepares her hands for Twin Tails Lion Fists, glancing up to meet warm familiar blue eyes. She reaches for him almost burrowing into him for a hug, squeezing at his arm taking in the mix of his bemused and worried grin. He presses her close, feather like kiss brushing across her cheek. He smells of smoke and blood, of dried sweat and the unmistakable forest mist that not even war can expunge.

Naruto.

"The only way to get rid of the Ten-Tails and Black Zetsu itself seems to be to seal them." He notes softly by her ear, impeding Black Zetsu from getting near them using a burst of wind from his rasengan.

He can seal it with all he's learned of his clan's fuinjutsu techniques, trapping him back into darkness in an area well hidden from here.

Though they need to be sure it and the Ten-Tails truly can't escape from the seal, especially if Black Zetsu really has been around for literal decades as it's proclaimed more than once. Most likely this is the war it's been waiting for, the chance to latch itself onto a host not too old or battling some illness/injury to bring back an even greater threat.

'Sealing them.' Hinata repeats to herself in her mind, grip on his arm tightening at following where his eyes trail.

Back to Sasuke, Sasuke who has the Chibaku Tensei.

-X-

Sasuke

"Can you hear me Sasuke? Please, open your eyes; follow the sound of my voice!" Karin commands, shaking at his arm with increased vigor when he starts to try shaking her off.

"Shut up already; I'm fine now." He grunts, her shriek of joy only making him move back further from her.

'How long have I been out?'

He looks around first for the Ten-Tails, trapped in the confines of a crimson box. It's rampaging has noticeably slowed, chakra it had been using to sustain itself depleting with the lack of the other Tailed beasts to collect energy from.

It's roar echoes, ground trembling from the sheer voice of it's cry into the last hours of nightfall. The moon rests low in the sky now, beginnings of an amber pink sunrise stretching across the horizon.

A team of Kumo and Iwa shinobi throw a mix of lightning and rock respectively at the beast, sparking the stokes of flames that start to burn at it's skin when the two nature styles collide.

'They'll need a much bigger fire than that.' He knows, wincing as he moves himself to stand too fast.

For a second the world spins, nausea clawing at his throat making him spit up an ugly mix of bile and blood.

"Hold on, you're moving too fast! You lost so much blood just now I don't want you vomiting it all back up!" Karin cries.

Sasuke brushes her hands away, fixing her with an annoyed glare. "I told you already, I'm fine."

And to prove his point, he breaks into a run straight for blond hair he catches in the sea of ninja.

He ignores the angry throb of his joints, Naruto turning half-way to meet him just when he is a meter away.

His stare has turned into that same stormy gaze, steeled with bitterness.

"About time you woke up, you know what we have to do to finish sealing that creature." Naruto states, not as a question but as a determination to see if he truly is here to help the Allied Forces or not.

"Where is Madara at?" He replies absently instead and Naruto rolls his eyes, shrugging in the direction of his body.

He nearly does a double-take when he sees him (he hadn't been sure Sakura's vial would work so fast), long black hair having taken on a cotton whitish-gray. Wrinkles adorn his skin and as if feeling his stare, he peers his way.

He mouths something to him and he stiffens, reading it word by word to himself.

'Protect the Uchiha clan, protect the legacy I had for Konoha.'

Sasuke shakes his head just faintly, no he'll deal with Konoha his way and no one else's.

He listens as he discusses with Hashirama their once shared dreams of peace, that his own ideas have been lost to time while Hashirama's though fractured and imperfect, persist on even into the current generation.

"-This shouldn't end with us as enemies. We were friends after all who at one point just wanted all the bloodshed and deaths to end from both our clans." Hashirama is saying.

Madara nods absently, breathing growing shallower as he looks up. It's going to be a clear day, just like those rare lazy sunny afternoons he'd spend by the river fishing with Hashirama across the way.

"You always had to point that out, didn't you? Friends with the man who bested me until the very end." He sighs before dying.

'I won't let myself fall in the same fashion, I can't let myself become so pitiful and weak.' Sasuke reminds himself.

"We should ignite the Ten-Tail's body to the point it can't cut away the burnt pieces of flesh before sealing it off." Sasuke suggests as he fixes his attention back towards the beast.

"They're are too many allies close to it's main body though; they could get caught in the crosshairs!" Naruto remarks.

Sasuke twists to look at him, it sits on the tip of his tongue to say that they are a necessary sacrifice, that they knew going into this war they might die and leave their families and loved ones behind.

Every shinobi should know that as soon as they graduate from the Academy, killing others or even dying yourself is an everyday possibility.

Itachi at least did, even if he buried said fact down.

He steps forward, creating the black flames of Amaterasu.

"I'm finishing this, you can choose to help me or not." Sasuke voices impatiently.

Naruto doesn't respond, falling into pace with him as they come face to face with the Ten-Tails this time without either Madara or Obito's control.

Immobilized within that barrier it can't escape the blows of fire and wind combined to scorch it. Tannish-copper skin soon starts to melt, blackened to the point of ash as it tumbles to the ground unable to stand or use it's remaining hands to attack.

Walls of stone and earth start to crush it in while he gathers and forms the circular ball that will keep it confined.

It's scream will ring in his ears even hours later after they have properly sealed and locked it away in the far recesses of an abandoned cave near Mountain's Graveyard, a reminder he is working with some of the very people that caused his clan's downfall as it gets swallowed away into the darkness.

That sole scarlet eye watched him all the while, as if mocking him, disappointed over said decision.

-X-

Naruto & Hinata

"There is nothing easy about goodbyes." Minato starts with a laugh.

His gaze is casted towards the coming sunrise, the memory of this very day so many years ago.

Naruto's birth and his own death shortly afterwards.

But now as a milky yellow-white light trickles over the battlefield, over the cheers throughout each faction, he pictures the future is brighter than anything he or the past Kage lived through.

"Ah, what a way to start your 17th birthday! I'm happy and hopeful this is the start of much more celebrations for both you and Hinata. Now you may almost be a full-fledged adult, though you still need to make sure you eat properly, get enough sleep at night, and of course listen to your elders!" Minato instructs him.

"I do most of those things already you know!" Naruto retorts, but he nods when Hinata lightly pokes him that he does none of those things really or at least not without much probing.

Minato turns his stare towards her, beaming at the ease of her gentleness around Naruto in spite of his personality. "Hiashi raised you well. I know he might've been quite cold to you growing up, though it seems like your clan is slowly changing with Naruto's influence."

Hinata wipes away a fresh set of tears bubbling up, nodding. "Thank you, I know his ideals were a product of how the clan was before."

"There is much I wish I could see and do with you both, Kushina and I. Your wedding day, grandchildren, watching you take up the mantle of becoming Hokage which isn't as easy as it sounds!" Minato chuckles, trailing off.

Naruto blinks, eyes growing misty at what-ifs, these what-ifs he's dreamed and imagined of late into so many nights that will never be...

His voice catches in his throat, watching as his Dad's body begins to crumple before him.

"Thank you for all the reminders, of being here even if only for a short time!" He yells out to him as he and the other past Kage start to ascend.

Minato beams back, he'll have much more stories to share with Kushina and Jiraiya once he returns.

Hinata interlaces their hands, leaning close to him as her lavender orbs darken.

"Sasuke, his thoughts haven't changed; have they?" She whispers urgently.

Naruto peers up over her shoulder to regard him, taking in the way his expression has shifted to studying him too as if ready to strike. They'll have to take this fight elsewhere, far away enough that no one gets caught in the impact.

"No, it hasn't." He mutters.

-X-

Naruto

"You sure you don't want to change your mind Sasuke? This isn't what Itachi would've wanted for you in creating peace!" Naruto bellows out across the rocks and crackling of the waterfall. Internally he apologies to Hashirama and even Madara, the knowing they are about to desecrate the very statues meant to honor them and their clans coming to peace.

Late mid-morning sun burns down on them, back at the outskirts of the Valley of the End where he lost to him once before.

"Do you even know what it means to be a Hokage Naruto? Don't act as if you understood Itachi's philosophy or ideals, your existence is part of the very problem being a jinchuriki. Jinchurikis continue to remain a big reason behind these continued wars with each village trying to usurp power from another. Once you're dead and I've recaptured the rest of the freed Tailed Beasts, peace can finally be truly restored to each nation in the knowing a Tailed Beast can't be used against them as a weapon." Sasuke reiterates.

"Sasuke, doing such an extreme measure...do you honestly think that will bring about peace? All the power would just reside with you leaving people afraid of you and others working to bring you down which would cause the cycle of war to repeat." Naruto questions.

But Sasuke ignores his argument, moving into a fighting stance prepared to talk no longer.

He launches himself straight forward, fists striking as water sprays up surrounding them.

'I can't talk him down, I'm sorry Sakura.' He mentally apologizes, dodging the burst of his great fireball technique. The steam it creates temporarily covers him, mind moving quickly on how best to end this.

"I hope you don't plan to stay on the defensive in dealing with him. There is no reason to believe any longer that Sasuke isn't your enemy." Kurama grunts out pointedly to ensure Naruto doesn't change his mind.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning to lose!" He answers with a cheeriness that makes Kurama snort.

"You better not, you have someone waiting on your return this time." He grins.

Sasuke twists himself behind him, chidori at ready plunging him into the depths of the water.

The chill of the water stings his throat, maneuvering out of the way of the pulsing electricity as he activates his Tailed Beast Mode.

"About time you started taking this seriously." Sasuke muses when he comes up for air, activating his own Susanoo.

Beast and Titan clash blow for blow, forming the violet black spheres of a Tailed Beast ball right as Sasuke's chidori laced Susanoo moves in.

"Stop this already Sasuke!" Naruto shouts.

White hot heat flares up and encircles them as the two attacks meet, explosion breaking apart the rocks and surrounding fauna.

"This isn't how I wanted to beat you Sasuke, though I'm doing what needs to be done for the best of the village." Naruto begins as light fades.

"You know nothing about what is best for the village. This peace we have right now is only temporary; you've always been too naïve, too optimistic!" He sneers back.

And as they tumble back to earth Naruto summons two shadow clones, grabbing Sakura's ampoule out from within his pocket.

"Rasenshuriken!"

Sasuke collides it with his lightning arrow, the blast bathing everything in white once more.

"You'll have to come up with a better strategy than that." He snaps, knocking away the first shadow clone that attempts to do a surprise attack from behind.

He jabs the second one with a chidori senbon just as it stabs into his arm with a kunai, gritting his teeth at feeling exhaustion creep up. They've both expended a large amount of chakra in such a short amount of time.

'Where is the original?!' He scowls.

"This is the best strategy Sasuke." Naruto states quietly from his side, blocking against the sudden ripple of Amaterasu's flames he nearly uses to burn him.

When did he get so close? Without him properly noticing?

Sasuke looks at him incredulously, balling up a fist.

And right as he slams a punch into his left cheek does the pain suddenly set in, his chest set aflame.

The ache knocks the breath out of him, fingers clenching at his chest as he drops to the ground. Naruto hovers over him, holding up a now empty glass vial.

"I'm glad you didn't notice the liquid that stained that second clone's kunai, so much was going on at once for you to really focus on it alone especially since the liquid is clear in color." He voices.

Sweat forms under his brow, heartbeat bounding against his ribcage as if trying to break out.

"Consider that as Sakura's added effort to this fight, she gave me that digoxin to use in whatever way possible to get it into your bloodstream. A high enough level to cause toxicity." Naruto presses on at his silence.

'Sakura did this?' It seems like a lie, but then he recalls her words outside the medical tents.

'If it comes down to it then yes Sasuke, I'll kill you.'

This is what she meant.

Naruto latches onto his right hand before he can land another punch or try another jutsu, twisting it until they both hear the crunch of bone echo out.

"...Are you really going kill me Naruto?" Sasuke mutters slowly, letting his broken arm fall limp to his side.

His vision is getting blurry, though it is clear enough to see what Naruto is about to do next.

He holds up the same kunai from earlier, directing the tip straight for his eyes.

"No, but I'm going damn well make sure you can't harm me, Hinata, or anyone else for that matter ever again." He answers resolutely.

And then he slashes clean across his face.

-X-

Hinata

"Did you hear what happened back at the Valley? I just got an update from Kayo at the hospital!" A lady whispers urgently to her friend.

"So it's true then? Thank goodness no civilian had to bear witness such a gruesome thing!" Her friend hisses back in return and Hinata twists herself to finish getting the rest of her groceries and stop eavesdropping on the pair.

Their eyes flash to her as she passes and she stiffens at their pitying looks to small bows of polite thanks, taking in the grime and blood coating her vest. There hasn't been time to really head home and change she wants to sharply say at their expressions. Since the war properly ended, her afternoon was spent making sure Hanabi was okay and retrieving Father's body instead of gossiping like they have.

"You should go home and rest Hinata. I can help with the body recovery and aid of the injured out here." Neji assures her.

Hinata shakes her head, unable to tear her eyes off of the destruction left in the wake of the war's end. Bloods coats the ground in dried coppers to sharp scarlets, the odor of death permeating the air.

"No, I'll help you Neji. We don't need to do this separately when we are all one clan now, no longer just branch or main clans." She responds matter of fact, leaving no room for argument.

However, a tiny part of her knows those were just excuses. Her avoidance of the manor was also to get away from the knowing Father will no longer be there to greet her...

And so hours have passed, twilight setting in turning the sky into ribbons of fuschia and violets with her main worry now being that she still has no update regarding Naruto.

She wishes she had heard more details on who those pair of women were referring to that's currently in the hospital; Naruto or Sasuke?

Sakura has remained mostly tight-lipped on the matter, only shaking her head when she asked her for updates once she found her doing rounds in the emergency center.

"They both needed urgent medical attention after that fight."

'Milk, all I need is to get a fresh carton of milk.' She reminds herself again. Right now she needs to ignore the burn of dozens of stares upon her, turning her thoughts to finishing her current task at hand.

She takes the long route back to Naruto's apartment instead of the Hyuga compound, winding by Ichiraku's and his favorite convenience store just to see if she catches a glimpse of blond hair within the crowds.

Nothing.

The musty smells of old ramen packets and dusty scrolls greets her upon return to his place, Hinata wrinkling her nose before smiling.

'Some things haven't changed.'

At least Naruto has worked on better organizing his things, the wood flooring visible this time instead of scattered with trash.

She tiptoes around empty bowls and half-opened books, cleaning up what she can before a wave of drowsiness starts to set in. Showering only seems to hasten her sleepiness, no matter how hot or cold she makes the water.

'I'll just take a break for 5 minutes.' Her muscles loosen as soon as she sinks into his sofa, tightness in her body easing.

When she awakes again she is shrouded in darkness, sound of footsteps clanging up the stairs.

'Naruto?' Bleary-eyed, she peers towards the door.

The jingle of keys nears the entrance, sitting up halfway right as Naruto twists open the door.

"Ugh, my head is freaking killing me-" He grumbles, pausing when he sees Hinata peeking up at him over his couch as soon as he switches on the lights. His eyes roam over her violet hair in disarray, the trail of drool near her lips.

His cheeks burn then seeing the cream of her skin as she hurriedly moves to stand. The scent of her vanilla lotion wafting up mixed with one of his old white T-shirts and orange shorts adorning her figure loosely.

"Welcome back!" She breathes out before he can respond, tangling into him.

He is a mess of blood, dirt and bruises and yet still Hinata digs into him like a lifeline.

His fingers slowly move to curl around her, returning her hug and affection tenfold.

"I'm home." He murmurs back against the curve of her neck, kissing at her pulse point while breathing her in that she is truly here.

They are both alive, hearts beating in tandem with each other.

And for now after everything, that is enough.

-x-

This was a super hard chapter for me to write, I'm actually a bit nervous it feels rushed especially with all the final fights. I pushed through to finish the war arc, I hope you all enjoyed it and that it didn't feel too all over the place as I made this chapter a bit longer than normal ones.

I know a lot of you messaged me, assumed, or thought I would kill Sasuke lol. He's not my favorite character, but in the drafts I wrote where I did kill him everything felt a bit too out of character so I scrapped the idea. Though I like what I did go with here, more on the effects of the war to come now as we head into the Post-War era!

Please let me know your thoughts as always!

Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!