The war was over and Konoha was starting to pick itself up, bricks by bricks. The nations was once more at rest with the major players having reached a settlement on their previous feud and the tail beast once more out of the interference of meddling ninja. The world was coming around the fact that it nearly faced annihilation and only the unity and cooperation of everyone was able to save the day. Naruko of course at was at the center of all of it. Finally recognize by not only the village of her birth but across all the lands, the young konuichi was held as the more heroic figure in ninja history, single handedly defeating Madara and the Juubi. Of course, known to only a handful of people, she was not alone in all the prowess. Her other teammate Sasuke played a big a role as her in defeating Madara and then Kaguya. However, for the benefit of all humankind much of the information was stifle down.
For five years Naruko toiled in her ninja duties. She finally passed her chunnin exams where they had to restrict her abilities for her fellow chunnin aspirant to be safe around her much superior power. In the next two years, she passed her jounin exams on her first try scoring an astounding records due to her fighting abilities but nearly failed in her stealth exams. Times were good and particularly so when Kakashi finally passed on the torch to the heroine. Naruko was found much later to grumble about the paperwork late at night in her office to Shikamaru and how she will mutate him to the busiest squad in Konoha if he didn't let her have ramen at Ichiraku again.
Time passed or flies if you are the lead of a village fill of ninja and the task of keeping the entire world peaceful rest on your shoulder. And that's how, 3 more years passed and during that time no news of Sasuke was heard until…
Naruko stamped what felt the hundredth piece of paper of that day. Now age 26, she had matured nicely into a young Konuichi with her hair tamed neatly into bun held by a pair of chopsticks. Her childhood chubbiness which has persisted well into her teenage years had completely disappear replaced by lean muscles and curves in the right places. When she finds time to go outside for a change, all eyes were riveted towards her, some in awe, some in mix appreciation of her beauty. She herself did not notice all these thing because at the end of the day Naruko was Naruko and some things never changes. What Naruko felt though was an aching hole in her heart which she always tries her best to fill up with her office duties and friends which were always around to support her and offer advice even if some were not always warranted like in the case of Sakura. Thinking of Sakura always brings a smile on her face, team 7 will always have a soft corner in her heart even now that it was complexly dissolve. The last vestige of it was preserved with savage care in her photo album with one particular being her favorite and currently for display on her desk, the first years of the team figuring at centre herself and flanking her Sasuke and Sakura with Kakashi towering over her with a good natured grin which he always mange to convey even with his mask.
But those particularly close to her knew about the hole which has never really closed in her heart and which pine for only one person. Sasuke. Though she knew at this point that it is foolish to have hope for his return she couldn't really swat him from her heart, some parts of her still wanted to believe otherwise. However, the job as a Hokage does not provide much time for nursing a sore heart and while her duties never really stamped out her feeling for Sasuke she was at least busy protecting and bettering her village.
This afternoon was particularly stressful for Naruko for she had to finalize the final batch of candidates which will be representing Konoha in the chuunin exams hosted by the mist village. Shikamaru was as ever by her side, dropping remarks on particular potential Chunin or simply bringing new documents to finish before wrapping up the list. She itched to drop all the paper work and have some hot steaming ramen bowl at Ichirakus. As if on cue her stomach made a growl to agree on her sentiments.
Looking wearily at her advisor standing beside her, she caught a glint of amusement in his eyes before the latter pushed out his catchphrase in mock desperation.
"tchh, troublesome" Shikarmaru said before relenting.
"I suppose that the documents can wait some more hours, I doubt the other Kages' will mind much" said Shikamaru in defeated tone. But be there in 3 hours …." Said Shikamaru at the already retreating back of the eight hokage.
"Sure will, Shikamaru" said Naruko as she closed the door with a half committed smile thrown haphazardly at her longtime advisor.
As she hastened her steps to her favorite ramen stalled from the hokage tower , she couldn't help but think at the trouble she put Shikamaru through sometimes. She admitted that she was a slack when it comes to paperworks but over the years she honestly thinks that she has gotten better at it. However, those last few days were grueling what with organizing the rules and losgistics of the Chuunin exams and constant bickering with the other kages over the number of participants.
All in all, some ramen from Ichiraku would be a definite change from her nowadays paperwork festered afternoon. But fate is whimsical and things does not always goes as plan. A bowl of ramen is not always within reach until the steamy goodness is rolling in your mouth, would later mused the Hokage. Not many things can change her mind once she decide to have ramen at ichiraku. The list is actually infinitesimally small comprising of situation where the village is attacked from a tailed beast or the apocalypse itself. However, one of those situations was the chakra signature coming off miles from the village but still powerful enough for her to sense and determine its owner. It was a familiar one, that of Sasuke.
Once the initial shock had subsided, her mind began to work double time and she activated her sage mode locating exactly the source of the chakra. Her first guess was more or less accurate. Sasuke was coming from the east in the direction of the village and not bothering to hide his chakra at all. Quite the contrary, he was broadcasting to every ninja of Konoha his arrival. Every sensory type ninja would have picked his position now. She estimated that he will come within range of the village in half and an hour or so if his travelling speed doesn't change.
Her mind was in turmoil, the arrival of Sasuke heralded by his chakra could mean many thing. She shuddered to think if had turn back to the hateful and misguided person that he was for the most part of his teenage hood. After all, it would be more than 10 years since she hasn't seen him or hear anything however remotely about it. Sometime, she thought that he completely vanished from the elemental nations altogether. A lone survivor of the once mighty Uchiha and only person on the planet possessing a rinnegan cannot go amiss among the population just like that. Some whispers even distant would have found their way to her or her intelligence team. This puzzled her , but her curiosity took second seat to more pressing raw emotions. Conflicted would be an understatement to what she was feeling right now. However, she will have ample time to evaluate her emotion but for now she would have to organize an intercepting party with her as the lead at the gates. A messenger would already have dispatched to look for her. If Sasuke was indeed coming to do what he once professed he would do, no ninja could stand in his way with the exception of her. Their last fight has proven that they were indeed a match for the other.
She shushined to the gates. For now, she was alone for exception of the gate guards stationed there at all times. Even here she could sense the alertness and tension in these ninjas, they had sense the foreign Chakra too. However, unlike her they hadn't been able to put a face on its owner. Soon they will be updated with the information from their commander and she will witness their nervous face be replace by a new emotion. One that raise a sentiment of utter disappointment and at the same time of resign. Fear. Few people know that Uchiha Sasuke was pardoned by the previous hokage and his involvement in the fourth ninja war. The whole fourth ninja war was hushed down and she herself was guilty of not properly relating the event.
A movement to her right brought her out of her musings, the new comer stopped near her just behind her right shoulder. She didn't have to turn to know who it was, she has come recognized Shikamarus' chakra even when not in her sage mode. The latter however did not say anything or do anything, he just stood like her looking at the gate. She knew though that several team of ninja including the Anbus would be arriving just behind.
Their presence was warranted but at the same time unnecessary. Sasuke, if he decides to come head on will swat them like flies. Her real hope would be to stop him right then and move their fight to the outside of the village. She hopes that it will not come to that. With a sign, she continued to stare at the opened gate out where the road leads to the outside of the village.