Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Response to reviewers:

eelaiiii: I've always felt like Naruto is more mature than we give him credit for. He definitely has his dumb moments, but I feel like all the crap he went through during the 4th shinobi war should have resulted in a more mature Naruto. He is the product of the 4th and Kushina, there was to be more maturity buried in there somewhere! I'm happy you like it so far! Thank you for reviewing and sharing!

Rinfantasy: Haha, Naruto may have won this time, but I promise you that Sasuke will get his revenge!

TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar: Thank you! I'm trying to stay in character but also have them evolve differently than they do in the manga. Sasuke has to have some playfulness buried in him somewhere, right?! He definitely will in my story haha.

Chapter 6:

Hinata placed a bouquet of sunflowers on the grave of her cousin, Neji. Her heart hurt whenever she thought about his absence in their lives. They hadn't gotten along well growing up, but after Neji's battles with Naruto, he had begun to change. The Neji that had emerged from that time was one that Hinata would cherish in her memories. He had learned to be compassionate with others, had found peace in his position in the branch family, and had taken an active interest in training with Hinata. The training had morphed as well. When they were kids, the training had consisted of Neji beating the shit out of her at every turn and revealing to the entire clan how weak Hinata was. After his change, the training sessions had become a time of teaching and teamwork. Neji had begun to show Hinata how to recognize and harness the power she possessed. He had take the time to boost her self esteem and help her discover the wealth of strength she had deep within.

All in all, Neji had become an irreplaceable presence in her life. The older brother she had never had. His death in the act of saving her life was something she would carry with her into the next world. He had known that Hinata would sacrifice her life for Naruto's, and he had jumped in front of the spikes that would have impaled her. He had also issued a warning to Naruto to not be so reckless, to always remember that his life was entwined with Hinata's. Hinata still blushed when she thought of it. The shocked look on Naruto's face had brought a smile to Neji's. That smile helped to blunt the sharp stab of pain brought up with the memory. Neji had died with a smile on his face. At least she knew he was at peace with his role in protecting them and the future.

After the war was over, and Naruto had returned Sasuke to the village, he had come to find her. That trademark smile on his face, even with the empty sleeve shifting with the wind. Hinata secretly winced when she saw it. Her beloved Naruto, forced to sacrifice his arm to bring Sasuke back to the village. The loss of that arm was a vivid reminder that she had almost lost him, and really the entire world, to the machinations of the Uchiha and black Zetsu.

Now, she and Naruto had been officially together for a while, and things were really looking up. Naruto was studying seriously to become Hokage, and he was listening to what Kakashi, Iruka, and Tsunade were telling him. They had been having lunch regularly, and not just ramen. Hinata had been practicing making bentos and taking them on picnic lunches with Naruto. She blushed when she remembered that their lunch yesterday had led to a pretty heated makeout session. Things had steadily been heating up with Naruto, and Hinata was flying high in the clouds every time she thought of the future.

Yet, thoughts of the future always brought her back to the past, and back to today. She made a point of coming to Neji's grave at least once a week, sometime more when she had things to share and the weather was favorable. She'd bring a bouquet of sunflowers and sit by Neji's grave stone. She'd fill him in on all the things changing in her life and around the village. Naruto had expressed to her his feelings about changing the caged-bird seal on the branch family of the Hyuuga after he became Hokage. He felt for sure that there had to be a better way of protecting the Byakugan than to brand all branch family members with the stigma and the aftermath of the caged-bird seal. He was determined to find a solution that the Hyuuga would agree to. Hinata was sure that Neji would be happy to hear of it. Sometimes, she would swear she could feel him there with her, listening to her words.

Today she was here to tell Neji about the growing prospect of her and Naruto moving in together. A blush stole over her face as she recalled Naruto's hesitant question to her the previous day.

"Hey, Hinata…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"You know, things have been settling down around the village...and…"

"Naruto-kun?"

"Well, I'm just thinking, maybe you might want to see about...tryingthiswholelivingtogetherthing."

The words had taken a second to decypher themselves in her mind, and when they did she had blushed from head to toe as a smile burst forth on her face.

"Naruto-kun, did you just ask me to move in with you?"

"...maybe? Depends on whether you say yes or no."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I would love to! If that's alright with you…"

"Of course it is! I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't serious about it, dattebayo!"

That had led to the two of them making some plans to explore an apartment that would work for both of them, and gain the approval of her father. Hiashi Hyuuga was fully supportive of Hinata and Naruto's relationship, and was looking forward to having the Nanadaime Hokage as a son-in-law. They just had to conduct themselves as they should, as befits the heir of the Hyuuga clan and the Nanadaime Hokage hopeful. She was meeting Naruto later today to talk about what they wanted in an apartment and where they wanted to be within the village.

"Neji-nii-san, Naruto-kun has asked me to move in with him soon. You'd probably be grilling Naruto-kun about his intentions right now. I'm just happy to be moving forward with him beside me. I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for me, and for Naruto-kun. We owe our lives to you. I promise not to squander even a single second of the time you have given us. I'm nervous. What if I have some annoying habit that Naruto-kun decides he can't live with? What if he doesn't? I'm excited and nervous and just feeling very happy right now. I wish you could be here to talk with in person."

There was a rustle of the wind as it blew through her hair. It gently waved the leaves in the trees, and the blades of grass all around her. The petals of the sunflowers waved slightly, and one bright yellow petal flew around and landed on her knee. It made Hinata feel like Neji was there and that he approved. That brought a smile to her face.

"Thank you Neji-nii-san. I miss you, and I know you are watching out for us. Please keep watching us. I'll be back soon."

Hinata stood up and began to walk back towards the village. Behind her, Neji's spirit smiled from his position sitting near his burial stone. He looked down at the sunflowers Hinata had brought him and brushed his fingers across them. He was glad that Hinata was safe and that Naruto was finally realizing the treasure he had in her. Neji was sure that he would live up to his expectations. He planned to stick around to make sure though. One never quite knew what to expect from Naruto. He faded slowly as he thought of the smile on Hinata's face as she talked about Naruto. He was content that Hinata was happy.

-/b/-

Sakura had just arrived back at her apartment. Her mother and father had already begun packing up her things, as evidenced by the boxes of clothing and kitchen appliances sitting, opened in her living room. She was feeling a little listless as she looked at them. They represented everything that had happened up to this point. She wasn't going to be taking any of them with her on this journey.

The journey. She had no idea how long this journey would last, where they were going, or what was going to happen between her and Sasuke. She knew what she wanted to have happen, and she hoped Sasuke was thinking along the same lines. This was the chance she had been hoping to be given for years. This THING between her and Sasuke would have a chance to grow, and they would be given a chance to explore it more fully.

Her love for Sasuke had evolved over the years. It had begun as a childish infatuation with the dark and brooding Sasuke, who was the most attractive boy in their class. The 'bad-boy' mysterious thing he had going for him back then drew in a lot of the girls. After she had been placed on his team, that infatuation had grown more intense. Now she was able to see his strength and drive for his goals. That was an attractive quality to Sakura. Then she had seen his bloodlust and his drive to kill his brother. That had shaken her foundation at the time. To think that the boy she loved was planning vengeance and death against his own brother had made her look closer at her feelings for him and whether she could deal with that kind of dark nature. The answer had been yes, she could still love him, even though he planned to murder his brother. The reveal of everything that involved Itachi had cemented her feelings. Not only had Sasuke felt remorse and revulsion at what he had done, but he had also shown his deep love for his brother when he had then used the knowledge to plan his vengeance FOR Itachi. His aim had been off when he had turned in on the entire village, but still that had not shattered her love for him.

He was a deeply flawed man, one with many skeletons in his past. The baggage he carried would be heavy, and anyone that stood with him would have to be able to bear the weight with him. She could do that. She understood that Sasuke was a multi-faceted individual that would continually surprise her. She had been very sure he would turn her down when she offered to travel with him. His acceptance had shocked her. At his core, the man was compassionate and empathic. His love for his family and brother was ingrained in his very being. You couldn't love someone the way he loved Itachi and be a bad person.

So, she was apprehensive about this journey, not because she was afraid it wouldn't go well. She was apprehensive because it could go right. She was nervous about succeeding, finally. Sasuke may decide they could have a future together. Futures included a home, a career, a FAMILY. Rebuilding the clan. A family meant having sex. SEX with Sasuke. Inner Sakura was swooning in happiness. Being on the cusp of something so monumental and desired in her future was making her giddy.

A sharp knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. That could be anyone at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, so who would it be? She quickly moved to open the door. On the other side stood her girl friends. Ino in the front, with Tenten and Hinata behind her. Oh shit. Here it comes.

"Sakura! Why didn't you tell us you were leaving!"

-/b/-

Naruto was nursing his bruised cheek. Sakura had given him quite a beating when she caught him. Damn, it was just a joke. She didn't need to get so bent out of shape about it. He wouldn't take it back either. He'd say it again, even knowing the beating that would come afterwards. If they were going to be leaving him behind, then he could make a few jokes at their expense.

The head of the 4th Hokage had always been his thinking space, and tonight was no exception. He was genuinely happy for his friends. They deserved to be happy together. Sasuke had been through the ringer with all the revelations about the Uchiha clan and what had led to the massacre. Naruto knew he wanted to settle down and rebuild his clan in peace, but he felt he hadn't earned that right yet. Naruto felt differently. Sasuke had earned his peace. He had fought alongside them all to take down Madara and Black Zetsu, as well as Kaguya. They literally couldn't have done it without Sasuke's help. It had required both of them to seal her away. Sasuke had also fought with Naruto, but not because he wanted to kill him. He had done it because he believed in his own ideas about how to bring peace. His ideas had been wrong, but he had carried his own conviction about them. Naruto couldn't fault him for that. Sasuke had also bowed out when he realized that he was beat, and that Naruto was right. He deserved credit for that. He had sacrificed and worked hard to help everyone, and that had to count for something.

Sasuke and Sakura would leave the village in less than 2 days. Naruto was trying to kick the melancholy before they left. His friends were happy, and moving forward with their lives. That was something to be happy about. He had just hoped that they would move forward with their lives in the village, together. The reality was sinking in and it brought with it sadness. Naruto wanted to show them a smile when they left, not the frown that was currently sitting on his face.

He had his own plans to worry about. He'd finally asked Hinata to move in with him, and she had agreed! He needed to start looking at apartments that would work for them. He also had a small, black box in his pocket that was burning a hole in his mind. He wanted to ask her to marry him. He was sure she would say yes, but he was still nervous. Women liked to be asked in special ways. He'd listened to Ino and Sakura over the years talking about all the things that would make it special, but nothing they had said seemed to fit his Hinata. He also didn't want to rush her. What if he asked to early? What if he asked to late? What if he asked it wrong? The ring could get lost. There were so many ways this could go wrong. Normally, Naruto wasn't one to worry about details. He was the kind to rush ahead and do whatever he wanted and worry about the consequences later. Hinata was a different story for him. He couldn't afford for anything to go wrong with her. He wanted everything he had never had in life, and he wanted it with her. He couldn't mess this up. It had to be perfect.

He knew they were there before they revealed their presence. Kakashi, Iruka, and Sasuke all stepped out of the shadows and sat upon the 4th's head with him. Sasuke smirked at the fading bruises on Naruto's face. The damn Teme, always laughing at his expense. Kakashi and Iruka just raised their eyebrows at him. Naruto snorted and refused to discuss how he had been injured. Let Sasuke fill them in if he wanted to.

"Naruto, I think it's time we had a talk."

"Talk? About what?"

"The birds and the bees."

"EHHHH?!" Naruto looked scandalized.

Iruka balked as he swiveled towards Kakashi. That had not been the topic they had been ready to discuss before they got up here. They had been worried that Naruto would be depressed about Sasuke and Sakura both leaving the village, and had decided to team up to talk with him. Iruka knew how important Team 7 was to Naruto, and having half of it leave on a mission with no ending would no doubt have him feeling down and lonely. This must have been what Sasuke had arrived to talk to Kakashi in private about. The two had been speaking in low tones, and Iruka had been unable to hear what they were saying. The two of them had also not seen fit to include Iruka in the conversation, and it was now readily apparent why.

Kakashi was laughing his ass off in his mind. Naruto looked so affronted by the topic of birds and bees that he might even fall off the monument. Sasuke had asked Kakashi for the favor when he had appeared out of nowhere 10min ago. Apparently Naruto had slipped a joke about sex in front of Sakura, and Sasuke wanted a little bit of revenge. Sasuke had something else planned, Kakashi knew it. The brooding young man usually kept his plans close, so he knew that he wouldn't share the details even if Kakashi asked. This little side dish was just for fun. Since the discomfort of his students always made Kakashi laugh, he had readily agreed to embarrass the blonde. It was definitely worth it.

Sasuke smirked. This was just a little appetizer for Naruto. Let him squirm while Kakashi painfully and colorfully described "the birds and the bees" to Naruto. The dobe deserved it. Sakura had gotten her revenge in the form of physical violence, but Sasuke preferred a more subtle touch. It was a lost art.

The following conversation would be hilarious, and Sasuke wasn't going to miss a single moment of the sputtering blonde as he tried to stave off a conversation about sex that Kakashi wasn't going to be waylaid about. Sasuke had all night. He wasn't leaving for 2 more days, and he was already packed and ready to go.

Naruto groaned as he saw the look in Kakashi's eyes. He wasn't going to escape this torture. The only consolation was that Iruka looked just as defeated as he did. Obviously, he had been kept in the dark about whatever the trio was here to discuss. Hopefully this wouldn't take long, Naruto really didn't want to listen to Kakashi describe his Icha Icha books in graphic detail. Ugh. He would never tease Sakura about her and Sasuke and sex again, not if this was the price to pay.