Chapter Thirty Three.

I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

Unaymus77: I've always had an affinity for sudden brutal twists in tone so that's about the only reason. That's part of the reason Ryuko existed.

Han and Roshi vs Naruto:

wilczyca117/art/C-Fight-Scene-816797889

Might start a NarutoxfemKiba soon. Anyway, here's today's chapter.

Naruto could sense Rikka's chakra as he entered his home. His wife slept soundly in their bed, and Naruto made a point to be quiet as he came in. The male of the household silently placed his gear in his closet, and began stripping down.

He made his way to the shower, and sighed as he ran his fingers over his now healed scar that had completely disappeared. His teeth clenched, and his body shook as thousands of thoughts ran through his head. "My friends come home in scrolls and I come home without even a bruise…" The jounin clenched his fists and released them before taking a deep breath. With a few quiet steps, Naruto pulled the shower closed behind him, and let the water run over his body.

In all his fights, and all his injuries only one had been severe enough to leave a scar. It was one he'd gotten on purpose as well, and he'd never felt the lasting effects of a battle on anything except his mind. He rubbed the place where Sasuke had ran his arm through his chest.

One scar. That was all. How many of his comrades had died fighting beside him, or even to protect him? How many had he lost because of his own shortcomings as a leader? Most would say it wasn't his fault, but to Naruto the well-being of everyone in the village fell on his shoulders.

The night of the Pain attack he'd promised himself that he would watch over the village as his father and pseudo-grandfather had before him. He would never break that promise, but he hadn't fully understood the weight of that promise at the time. A Hokage would need to actively send shinobi on missions where they could die.

A team or platoon leader had incredible responsibility placed on their shoulders. A Hokage however; shouldered that responsibility day in and day out. It would never leave, not even while they slept. Naruto was finally understanding what it took to be Hokage. Sure, the recognition and strength mattered. But not nearly like the pure will power to took to make those decisions that no other could.

Naruto sighed loudly. His thoughts were all over the place. Kiba would be confused if they'd have been having a conversation. He'd been close with the feral man as children, and now he regretted not ever spending much time with his childhood friend. "Speaking of which… I need to catch up with Shika and Choji soon. Heh, maybe I could get the whole class together."

The blond smiled to himself as he finished out his shower. Once he felt clean, and a little bit more relaxed, he stepped out and brought himself to the mirror. The jounin's once bright blue eyes seemed a bit darker now, and he couldn't help but wonder if his father had ever looked the same. Alive but slightly lifeless eyes… he desperately wanted to have a chance to speak to his mother and father again, but he knew that could never happen.

"Shit… I really do look like dad." He said aloud. With a sigh, he stared down at the counter, and soon the maelstrom of emotions inside him erupted. Naruto clenched his teeth as silent tears fell from his face. "Goddamnit."

He walked backwards from the counter, and when his back lightly touched the wall, he resigned himself to slide down. Everything in his life leading up to now was roaring through his mind. All of the emotions that he had decided to bottle up when he was younger finally began to rise to the surface. Every bit of anger and sadness he'd ever kept inside now rose, and he hated feeling like this.

The blond preferred to feel happy. He liked it, and he liked his life. The time he spent with his wife would always make him happy, and it angered him that other emotions from times both recent and in the past could rip him away from that happiness.

His arms hung from the tops of his knees as he sat with them pulled up to his chest. The man's head hung low, and just when everything seemed completely unbearable, he felt a soft touch. The soft hands grabbed lightly onto his own, before slowly sliding up to his shoulders. The fingertips traced his whisker marks before both hands cupped his cheeks and lifted his head.

Naruto's dim blue eyes slowly filled back up with brightness at the sight of his wife. The woman's red eyes stared back at him, and a soft but concerned smile filled his heart with love. Her presence alone cast away the dark cloud of sadness that surrounded him, and he briefly wondered if this was how his father might have felt when he would come home to his mother.

"Naruto dear...what's wrong?" She questioned softly.

He stared at her for a moment, and idly wondered why he hadn't sensed her. It came to mind that his sensor abilities did seem to be useless when he was under the effect of extreme emotions. "Rikka…. Kiba and Neji were… killed.. during the mission. Along with a young jounin I'd had some time to talk to who had a bright future ahead of him."

She pulled the blond into her arms, and soon enough she sat against the wall with his head in her lap. He explained to her the entirety of the events leading to the deaths of his comrades, and when he finished she asked a simple question. "Naru… do you blame yourself?"

"Absolutely." He mumbled.

"Do their families blame you?"

"No…"

"Does the village?"

"No… Rikka, what are you getting at-.." He was cut off when she leaned down and kissed him.

"I don't blame you either. And I'm sure Kiba, Neji, and…?"

"Juzo."

"Kiba, Neji, and Juzo would likely not blame you either dear. They leapt forward to help you the second they realized you planned to stay alone. Which by the way we need to have a talk about that absolutely foolish idea of yours." She said quickly smacking him on the head before continuing. "But anyway, I know for a fact that although he never would have admitted it, Kiba thought of you as a member of his pack, and would gladly give his life for family. Hana told me once that he thought of you as a distant brother. I think Kiba would want you to move on and be stronger, rather than dwelling on his death."

"I-I… I know… it's just… I don't ever want to watch my friends die again, and I know that there's a good chance I'll have to."

"Right now, I think your father and Jiraiya-Sensei would ask you if you're thinking about giving up. But you're Namikaze Naruto. The son of the Fourth Hokage. The Student of not only Kakashi of the Sharingan, but Jiraiya of the Sannin."

"You're right… but it hurts… my heart feels so cold."

"When you gave me that scarf all those years ago, you asked if I was cold. When I said yes, you told me that you'd be the one to keep me warm. So for the rest of our lives Naruto, I will love you and keep you warm in return."

The blond sat up and spun around, and soon he locked his lips with hers. When they broke away, Naruto stared her deep in the eyes. "I love you. Thank you Rikka." When those words left his mouth, she knew her job was done. As he spoke his eyes lit back up to their full bright blue, and Rikka knew her husband would be okay.

He pulled her to her feet and soon enough they sat on the couch. Naruto moves over her, and placed his ear over her now quite showing belly. He'd spent quite a lot of time behind enemy lines in Lightning Country, and in that time, his child had grown a lot. In his absence, Tsunade had discovered the gender of their child. On Rikka's request however; the Hokage had kept it to herself so that the couple could find out together.

"Tsunade knows if our child is a boy or girl, I told her not to tell me." She informed him.

"Wanna go find out tomorrow?" He said with a smile as he pressed his face gently against her stomach.

"I'd love to." Rikka replied with a smile. "I was waiting for you to come back."

"It's a girl." Tsunade said with a smile. The young Namikaze family sat across the desk from her and she almost laughed at the grin that broke out on the jinchuriki's face.

"Rikka, we're gonna have a daughter!" He said happily as he wrapped his wife up in a big hug. In response, the blue haired woman simply rubbed her stomach and smiled softly.

After a few more minutes of conversation with their Hokage, the pair left the Hokage tower. Naruto moved to pick up his wife and flash them home, but Rikka stopped him. "It's been a while since we've walked the the village together. Isn't that right Naruto?" She said smiling.

"Heh, I guess it has huh? Wanna go get some ramen? It's been a bit since we've visited Teuchi." He asked rubbing the back of his head.

"It has indeed. It can't hurt to drop by, but you better not spoil your appetite for dinner got it?" She replied, giving him a look that promised pain at the end.

The pair leisurely made their way through the village, talking to shop owners and villagers here and there. As they stopped at a street stand, a familiar voice called out. "Yo Naruto."

"Hey Kaka-Sensei. How's it going?" Naruto asked with a smile.

"Not bad, I've just returned to the village from the Iwa front."

"Finally some time off?"

"Yeah, but not for long. You know how these things go."

"Heh, ain't that the truth."

"Looks like you might be preparing?" Kakashi questioned, noticing some of the stuffed animals and toys they had gotten for their offspring.

"Heh, yeah a little bit."

"Do you know yet?"

"Yes, we're having a daughter. We just found out today." Rikka said, speaking up.

"Congratulations." Kakashi said with his signature eye smile.

"Thank you Sensei."

"Is Sasuke back in the village by chance?" Naruto questioned.

"No, but I think he's supposed to be returning sometime tomorrow."

"Oh, good. Maybe we could all have dinner?"

"I'd be glad to attend."

"Thank you Sensei."

"Of course Naruto."

With that, the masked jounin left their company and the couple resumed their walk. As the day hit noon, they found themselves outside Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto lifted the cloth flap for his wife, and stepped into the establishment behind her.

"Well hey there Naruto!" Teuchi greeted. "And welcome Rikka."

"It's nice to see you Teuchi." Said the blue haired woman.

"How's business?" The blond questioned.

"Without my favorite customer it's a little slower, but still going strong." The old man replied. "What can I get started for you?"

"The usual please sir." The woman said.

"Coming right up." He replied. Finally, Ayame came out from the back and at the sight of Rikka and her growing belly her eyes lit up.

"Rikka! You're so far along!"

"Only three months left." She replied with a gentle smile as Ayame came around the counter. (I didn't actually do all the math for the dates so just go with it please.)

"Are you excited?" Asked the ramen waitress with a grin.

"Of course. I can't wait to meet her." Rikka replied.

"Oh? It's a girl!?" Asked an excited Ayame.

"Yeah, now that Naruto is back we went to see Tsunade to find out." Answered the mother to be.

The shop owner's daughter turned to the blond jounin and smiled. "And I bet you're excited as well, eh Naruto?"

The jounin smiled at the woman and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I've always wanted a family, so I'm overjoyed."

This went on for a while, and the four shared a joyful afternoon together. The couple said their goodbyes to the ramen shop family and began making their way home. On the way back, Naruto stopped and made a shadow clone to go invite Iruka for dinner later that night. The couple had a special request for the academy teacher.

That evening, about an hour before Iruka would arrive, Naruto sat in a chair in the middle of the kitchen.

"Dear… are you sure about this?" Questioned his wife.

"Of course Rikka."

"But… you've always been proud of it and loved it?"

"I still do, but it needs to change… sometimes… I feel like when people look at me, they don't see Naruto."

"Your truly are the spitting image of your father."

"Right? That's exactly it. They know I'm his son, but…I feel the need to really distinguish myself as well. Otherwise my stone face on that mountain one day will just be my dad with whiskers."

"Well…. that's fair. How short?"

"Take the bangs back about half… I'm okay with them hanging down like dads, but I want them to only reach the top of my whisker marks. The try to leave the rest pretty long though. Please and thank you."

When Rikka finished cutting away at Naruto's hair, he looked a bit like a new person. Rikka couldn't help but remember that she once read that sometimes when someone has trouble dealing with something traumatic they change their hair, but it seemed to make her husband happy so she didn't question it.

The bluenette leveled her red eyes at him and held up a mirror to his face. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. Thank you." The blond jounin responded.

(Okay, so it's like his original hair before he cut it short, but maybe a little longer. And the bangs still drop down like Minato's, but they trail off at the top whisker mark on each cheek. Maybe think of the Tale of the Gutsy Ninja version of Naruto and add slightly more pronounced and longer side bangs like his dads.)

Eventually, Iruka arrived at the home and knocked on the door. "Hiya Iruka-Sensei!" Said the smiling blond as he opened the door for his guest.

"Oh! Naruto… you look… different." Iruka said in surprise as he looked at his student. He'd gotten so used to the blond's hairstyle that it threw him off quite a bit.

"Heh, I thought you might say that." Naruto said with a chuckle. "Come on in, I just set the table and Rikka should have dinner finished up."

The group settled in the home and enjoyed a nice meal. That talked and laughed for a good hour before Rikka got up and left the room to do dishes.

"Thank you love." Naruto said as the woman collected his and Iruka's plates.

When she reached the kitchen, Naruto turned his eye to Iruka. "Sensei. I have something to ask of you."

"Oh? What is it?" Asked the man with quiet curiosity.

"Well, you see… Iruka-Sensei… would you be this child's godfather?"

"What? Me? I-I well I mean… uh wouldn't Kakashi be the better choice?"

"Sensei, you may not be a legendary shinobi, but you possess many of the ideals you instilled in me as a child. You taught me so much, and helped me even more. The love, happiness, and life lessons you taught me are all something we'd like our child to experience first hand from you."

"You're a wonderful choice Iruka-Sensei… please do consider it." Rikka cut in as she returned to the table.

The man stared back in awe with a slight blush on his face. "Well, I guess if you really think so! I'd be honored." He replied with a grin while he rubbed the back of his neck.

The couple smiled back at him before giving a slight bow. "Thank you Iruka-Sensei."

"Sakura?" Asked Sasuke as he stepped into his home. The pinkette had moved into his home after they'd been together for a year, and he'd just come back from his extended mission.

"Sasuke! You're back!" She called out, seeing her lover step through the door.

"Hn. So I am. How've you been?" He questioned.

"Lonely without you here, but I've managed. The hospital was busy for a while, but it's slowed down. Sit, I just finished dinner." She commanded.

At this, the Uchiha removed his flak jacket and hung it up in their room. The pair sat down to enjoy their food, and idly chatted while they ate. Just as Sasuke filled his mouth with rice, Sakura made a comment. "So you know Rikka only has three months left of her pregnancy?"

Rice flew across the room after Sasuke choked on it and spit it out. "What?" He wiped his mouth and hid a blush, he put on a neutral face and acted as if nothing happened. "I mean, oh she is?"

At his antics Sakura laughed at the man. She couldn't help but be overjoyed he'd returned once again. "Maybe we should pay them a visit soon?" She questioned.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. There's a few things I need to discuss with Naruto anyway." The raven haired man replied.

Sakura put a knowing smirk on her face before speaking. "Jeez, you just can't admit you miss seeing your best friend can you?"

"Hn."

Sakura simply laughed in response.

"Hello?" Asked Rikka as she opened the door.

Sakura's smiling face greeted her along with Sasuke who stood behind her. "Hey." The pink haired woman said. "Got time for a visit? Figured we'd drop by."

"Of course!" Rikka said in slight excitement. It'd been a while since she'd been able to see her friend. She'd seen her for her first few exams with the baby, but that was it.

The pair came into the home, and Sakura urged Rikka to sit and let her make tea for them. "How's the child?" Asked Sasuke.

Rikka smiled at him and rubbed her baby bump before responding. "So far, she's doing great. We're very excited to meet her."

Sasuke smiled lightly at his friend's wife. "I'm sure you are. Have a name yet?"

"Well… no actually me and Naruto haven't really discussed it." The woman said as she blushed.

"Of course he'd forget something important like that." Sasuke scoffed with a laugh.

"Speaking of which." Sakura said as she entered the room with the tea. "Where is the 'fastest man in the world' anyway?"

The pregnant woman smiled back, and laughed. "Oh, he's in the shower off our room. He should be out soon enough. I'm sure he knows you're out here."

"Of course I do." Said Naruto, walking out of their bedroom in a blue standard Konoha uniform. "Yo."

The stoic Uchiha let out a hint of surprise as he saw the blond's new look. "Oh? You cut your hair huh?" He asked.

"Yup." He replied with a grin.

"It actually looks great Naruto." Said the pinkette as she examined his new look.

"Thanks." He said with a chuckle. "Rikka did it, so she really deserves the credit.

"Oh? Where did you learn to cut hair?" Inquired the medic nin.

"I used to do it for Ryuko and a few others when we were kids." Rikka smiled slightly at the good memories of her childhood

"Ohhh I see."

After talking for a while, Naruto gave Rikka a look before heading outside with Sasuke. The two jounin stood on the balcony of the Namikaze household, both leaning against the rails looking out at the village. They stood in silence a while, each knowing that they had something troubling on their mind. Finally Sasuke broke the silence.

"So, I heard that when people suddenly change their hair it tends to be because of something traumatic happening. I'd assume you got torn up over Kiba and Neji." The man questioned, as he turned to his friend.

"Mhm." Naruto hummed quietly. "And a young jounin named Juzo. He was a good kid. Definitely had lots of potential."

"A good kid? You talk like you're ten to twenty years older than you are." The Sharingan weilder was surprised at the very somber change in his friend. He knew Naruto had some darkness brewing, but he hadn't expected a radical behavior change.

"Well…. this war is changing me a lot more than I'd ever thought it would y'know? He asked turning his head toward his comrade. "Add to it… you remember that old man's place in Takigakure? The guy that helped us?"

"Well yeah. Seemed like a nice guy." Said Sasuke with a cautious and questioning look.

"Some Iwa nin trapped the whole family in the house and burnt them alive during their retreat." The Namikaze said solemnly.

Subconsciously, Sasuke's Sharingan activated. "They what?!"

"Yeah… that's how I felt too. I condemned Iwa, and I didn't look at Iwa nin the same way after that. But…" Naruto trailed off. He hadn't really thought about the event since he'd returned.

"But what?" The other man questioned.

"On my way back from fighting the Raikage and losing those three… I caught up with two of my jounin…" The blond trailed off in thought as the event replayed in his head.

"Naruto, you've never been one to hesitate. Just spit it out." The Uchiha was almost annoyed at how different his friend had been acting.

"Right.. well, they'd broken into a farmhouse. The mother and father were there along with their teenage daughter. They stabbed the father, and while one kept the mother restrained, well the other tried to rape the girl." The blond explained.

"Wait… our own shinobi?" Sasuke was honestly surprised. He knew he should have expected something like this but his genin days may have instilled some naivety in him.

"Yeah… that's how I looked at it. No matter how much war I saw before, I always had this naive way of looking at Konoha. I thought we would always be the good guys… but I was definitely wrong." He said relaying his thoughts to his closest friend.

Sasuke let the silence settle for a bit before he finally spoke again. "I mean.. I probably looked at it the same way almost. But with the way things went down with Itachi and Danzo… you could say we should have learned our lesson then."

The blond sighed before he looked at his friend once again. "That's true isn't it. Sasuke… do you think we're doing the right thing? You and I…. we've killed so many."

The Uchiha thought for a while to gather his words before speaking. "In the eyes of Iwa and Kumo, we are scum of the earth who mercilessly murder their friends and comrades. In the eyes of the people and shinobi of Taki.. we're the saviors who came to their aid when they needed it most. The difference between right and wrong lies in the viewpoint of those who witness our actions." Sasuke sighed and continued. "However; acts like the ones you witnessed in Taki and Lightning Country are always wrong. Non-combatants should be left completely unharmed during our petty wars. They all just want to live their lives in peace. I think it would be proper for a shinobi to attempt to preserve and protect the lives of innocents... but that duty will always bring war."

"And with war...the scum of the earth rise to the surface." Naruto said, understanding where Sasuke was going.

"Took the words right out of my mouth Naruto." Replied the raven haired man with a sigh.

"Sasuke… where do we draw the line?"

"In war? Wherever we need it."

"Naru?" Asked the lovely voice of the red eyed girl peeking her head outside. "Are you two alright?"

Naruto smiled at his lover and instantly replied. "Yeah, we were just about to come in love."

The group of four spent most of the day together after that, and they enjoyed their time. They watched a few movies, and even went out to eat. There was no doubt that the families of the Uchiha and Namikaze would always be close friends.

Finally, Sasuke and Sakura said their goodbyes and headed home. "Later guys." Said Sakura walking down the path.

"Hey S'ke?" Naruto said, causing the Uchiha to stop and turn around. "Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime Naruto." Replied the Uchiha with a tiny smirk.

The blond once more grabbed the man's attention. "Hey Sasuke?"

"Sup?" The jounin said with a questioning look.

"Better pop the question soon, there's no time like the present. Or are you just a scaredy-cat?" The Namikaze asked with a foxy smirk.

"Hn. I know. I plan to. See you round Naruto, Rikka." The Uchiha said playing the blond's comment off.

"Bye now! Both of you take care!" Said the bluenette with a grin.

Her husband smiled down at her, and she could just tell he was going to say something cute. "You smile so much now Rikka. It makes me so happy every time I see it. Your smile lights up my life in ways the sun never could. I love you so much y'know." He said pulling her towards him and kissing her head.

"I love you too Naruto… I'm glad I met you." She replied while wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you Naruto." She whispered into his chest.

"What are you thanking me for love?" He asked with curiosity.

She squeezed tightly on his shirt and laughed lightly into his chest. Tears of joy welled in the corners of her eyes, and she couldn't help but notice her heart was racing. "Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for making me your wife. And most of all… thank you for making me the mother of your child."

"Our child." Naruto said, crouching down and putting his ear to her stomach. "And daddy sure can't wait to meet you…" The grin that split his face gave away just how excited he was to have his first born child brought into the world.

"We still haven't picked a name." She commented quietly.

"I know but.. well I have no idea what to name a girl." The blond hummed in thought after the words left his mouth, contemplating what names sounded good.

"I think I have the perfect one." She said looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh? You do?" The curiosity was written all over his face, and he looked silly enough that Rikka almost giggled.

"I would like to name our daughter after your mother Naruto." The woman said with a gentle smile.

"Wait really? You'd be alright with that?" He questioned in mild surprise. It had crossed his mind once or twice but he'd never actually considered it.

"Your mother seemed to be a wonderful woman… and I can't think of anyone else to be a better namesake." She'd placed a lot of thought into the name before, and she'd really enjoyed the idea of naming her daughter after Naruto's beautiful mother.

"Thank you Rikka… thank you so much." The male Namikaze said with hints of tears in his eyes as he looked up at her. Soon he turned his focus back on the woman's stomach and spoke to his child once more. "Daddy and Mommy can't wait to meet you Kushina… we love you so much." The mother to be simply smiled softly down at her loving husband, a man who'd stolen her heart long ago.

So that's that. Sorry it's not longer but I really didn't see a better place to end it than right here. I hope you guys liked it! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. The scenes between Naruto and Rikka were a blast. Anyway that's all. Darling in the Fox out! Later!