A/N: Okay. This chapter took forever, is more than two times longer than any of the others, and I must say was a kick in the head to write. I'm going to do a duck and cover right now, and hope that no one tries to assassinate me. This chapter is a lot more light-hearted than some of the others, but that's mainly due to Naruto and Sasuke. Things to watch out for: the time skip (six years, people, so don't get all confused), Itachi's evil tendencies, surprises galore, a drunken Naruto (with a hangover later, just to be fun), and lots, lots more.
Legal Stuffiness: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters therein. Kishimoto Masashi, sole proprietor, and he owns my soul.Time: 6 years after Sakura's kidnapping
Place: Konoha Police Department Headquarters, Uchiha Compound
Dog Days
Last time...
"Yes, mother." Naruto snapped. He was more than irritable. He was irate. More at himself than anyone else, though Sasuke came in a close second. It wasn't fair to blame anyone. None of them knew that this would happen, because nothing like this had ever happened before. Now, there was a mass-murderer with a really cute face running around. And Naruto had nearly become one of the bastard's victims, as well. "So what do we do now?" He asked as he sat up just enough to lessen the raspy quality of his breathing. Sasuke looked down at him, a very faint smile on his face.
"Up for a challenge once you get out of here?"
Naruto looked at him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"
Chapter 8: Homecoming
Weary blue eyes looked out of the window. They saw trees that were swaying in the wind. For a day when they said it wouldn't rain, it certainly looked as if a storm was brewing. The sky was beginning to cloud over, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the wind was just the forerunner of the rain. "Good thing I'm not a genius…" Naruto grunted, then snorted a laugh at his nonsensical thoughts before he looked back at the piles of papers on the desk. Heaving what had to be the hundredth sigh of the morning, he bent over the papers. That didn't mean he was at all ready to start working. On this day, every year, his concentration seemed to leave a lot to be desired. "Six years…"
For six years, he had been in this job. For six years, he and his best friend had been working like dogs, recruiting, training, weeding out undesirables…all to achieve what they now had. Konoha had a police force again. Somewhere in the midst of all that, he managed to resign from ANBU, pass both the Chuunin and Jounin exams, and gain an unprecedented amount of respect from the villagers. No one called him the "Kyuubi brat" anymore. No, they called him one of two things. They called him "Uzumaki-taicho", or they called him—
"Uzumaki-san!" The door to his office burst open, revealing an equally tired young man, who seemed more frazzled than usual. Konohamaru's dark eyes were blood-shot, indicating that he had still not been to bed since his night shift. The nineteen-year-old had been one of their first recruits, becoming a valuable asset to the department. He was one of Naruto's most trusted officers, and was quickly rising in the ranks. The only problem was, he seemed to be on edge all of the time. Naruto took in the fact that his ever-present spiked ponytail was coming out, and that his clothes looked as if they were caked in soot. "There's trouble, Uzumaki-san! At the Hokage's Tower!"
Raising an eyebrow, Naruto stood slowly. Reaching behind him, he found the leather strap of his weapons belt, which hung on a peg behind his chair. "What's the problem?"
"He's back!" Konohamaru's fists clenched open and shut several times, and he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, his voice came out as little more than a terrified whisper, "Orochimaru is back, Uzumaki-san…and he has her with him." Naruto's eyes widened. What was she doing with that snake-bastard? Was it even her anymore? Did he care? He couldn't answer any of those questions if he just kept standing there in the middle of his office holding his weapons belt. He realized that his jaw was clenched when it began to hurt. Loosening it, he began to speak.
"I want six squads down to the Hokage Tower as soon as possible, Konohamaru. Two should be sent to the Academy to help Iruka and the other instructors evacuate the students to the tunnels at the Hokage Monument." The young man nodded, taking in each order solemnly. It was quite amazing how he had matured in six short years. Then again, there had been certain events that had sobered them all. He continued, "The rest, I want on the walls and rooftops. Make sure the wall squads have at least one summoner each. Where the hell is Sasuke?" He asked this as he finished straightening the long cloth that hung from his belt, red like his shirt. Konohamaru answered him as he looked down at the thing, still thinking it oddly resembled a shirt-tail. The white diamond-shaped markings that lined the bottom edge of the fabric ending at his knees seemed to glare up at him, marking him as Commander, but pointing out all of his failings at the same time.
"He's already there, as are Udon, Moegi, and…and his wife is there, too." At this, Naruto's head snapped up, eyes wide.
The blonde Commander's eyes narrowed as quickly as they had widened. "Is she insane?" He had originally thought to leave them, but now that he'd been given the news that Hinata was there, he pressed the switch on the floor, and caught his kodaichi as they shot up from the floor. "What do I have to do to make her understand that pregnant officers are not allowed on active duty?" Sheathing the short swords in the built-in holsters on the back of his Jounin vest, he stalked to the door. Then, he looked back at the young lieutenant. "Move your ass, boy, before I bust you down to sergeant again!" Konohamaru was off like a shot, and Naruto shook his head before he performed the necessary hand seals for the teleportation jutsu, leaving nothing but a faint wisp of red smoke behind in the doorway.
Sasuke blinked at the two figures standing above him, looking down from the roof and smiling. Moegi was muttering something on the other side of him, while Udon was silent, and only seemed not to care that they were staring at the two most dangerous fugitives Konoha had to worry about. Underneath that half-asleep exterior, he was formulating a complex strategy second only to one Shikamaru would develop. "Keep it together you two. We have to make sure they don't leave the area, that's all. Konohamaru must have gotten to Naruto by now, so we should expect—"
Red smoke erupted from out of nowhere, lightening-like chakra of the same color forking from within the cloud, and a low growling filled the street, echoing off of the buildings around them. The wind kicked up, dissipating the evidence of Naruto's arrival, leaving only the growling police commander where it had been. Sasuke had to smile. The man always did know how to make an entrance. He raised an eyebrow and finished his previous sentence, "—backup."
Moegi cracked her knuckles. Udon tensed. Naruto's eyes were locked on the smaller of the two figures that Sasuke had been wondering at. The blue-eyed man said in a tone that was far too quiet, "You three stay out of this."
Sasuke had been afraid of this. "Naruto, you can't handle her on your own. It's not just her in there anymore. You're dealing with two extremely powerful ninja in one body. It will take all of us to do the job." He felt a hand on his shoulder, a familiar weight, and his eyes closed for an instant. "I thought I told you to leave the area, Hinata."
"I am fine. The baby is fine. Don't worry about me. I'm just here to see my sister avenged." Hinata's now-steady voice came from behind him. His hand came to rest atop hers. Really, he understood her feelings, but he knew as well as she did that if Hanabi couldn't handle the fight, neither could Hinata.
Turning his face slightly, and with a smile, he spoke in a tone that held some measure of tenderness, even now. "As your Commander, and as your husband, Hinata, I ask that you only enter the fight if it is absolutely necessary. The clan needs you, the department needs, you, and I need you. So please, just try to stay safe."
He could still remember the first time he had looked at her and seen the woman behind the shinobi. It had been, oddly enough, on a very dangerous mission about three years earlier.
Neither one dared to breathe more than short, shallow, silent pants. The enemy was too close. Pressed against one another in the hollow of a tree, they waited for the convoy to pass. The pounding of feet, the rustle of oxen yokes, and the creaking of carts rang through the forest as the enemy nins made their way down the dusty trail. For a secret weapons convoy, they weren't making much of an effort to stay quiet. Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes at his own thoughts. It wasn't as if they needed to be quiet. There were twenty Grass nins, Chuunin rank and above, all surrounding the wagons.
The convoy was moving very close to Konoha. The ANBU needed help, so of course he volunteered his services. Naruto suggested that he take one of the new lieutenants with him. The only one that didn't have a shift that day was Hyuuga Hinata. Seeing that she had improved greatly since he last saw her fight, he all but ordered her to join him in the surveillance of the twelve-wagon train of highly explosive weaponry. Of course, they had been the ones to spot the wagons, but only by chance. He hadn't even had time to radio the ANBU in the area, the wagons were upon them so quickly.
So here they were, chakra masked, shoved into a hollow tree that smelled of something dead and rotting, squeezed so close together that he could feel her breath on his neck. Sasuke could also smell the lavender-scented shampoo she used, and the slight tang of sweat that mingled with it. What color was her hair, anyway? Most times, it looked black, but under certain light, like that of the moon filtering in through the hole in the top of the dead tree, it had a bluish tint. Now, he really wanted to roll his eyes. He needed to concentrate on the mission, not start spacing out.
The sound of the convoy began to fade, but he hadn't noticed. He had for a moment confused the pounding of his heart with the sound of the oxen's feet. "Uchiha-san," Hinata whispered, "They're gone."
Sasuke looked down at her now. He had fixed his eyes on the hole above them, trying to get a glimpse of the moon. Anything to keep himself occupied, and attempt to make himself think of anything but her. Why was this happening now, of all times? Her eyes looked like they could glow in the dark. She looked up at him curiously. "Commander? Sir?" Her voice was still just as quiet, but it rang loud in his ears. He suddenly had the wish to hear his given name fall from her lips. He didn't want her to call him by any title. But he had to make himself forget that. For the time being.
"Hai, Hyuuga-san. Let's get out of here, and I'll notify the ANBU of the convoy's position." They wiggled out of the tree, and he pressed the button at his neck. "Team six reporting. Convoy spotted, heading southeast, five kilometers south of the South Gates. Out."
A bored voice crackled over the radio. Kakashi. "Roger. Thanks for the help. Tail them for a bit, make sure they're not changing course. Team one intercept in five minutes." In rapid succession, the other team leaders radioed their intercept times.
"Team two, intercept, three minutes."
"Team four, intercept, six minutes."
"Team three, five minutes."
"Team five, intercept, seven minutes."
Hinata activated her Byakagun, staring after the convoy. In a low tone, she said, "They don't seem to be changing course, Commander." He nodded, staring at her as she watched the convoy through the trees. "Is something wrong, Commander?" Internally, he cursed himself. He had, for some reason he could not fathom, forgotten the fact that when she used her bloodline jutsu, she could see everything. Even behind her.
"No, Hyuuga-san."
She turned to him, and said, "Then why are you looking at me like that?" Cocking an eyebrow at him, and looking far too much like Neji for his taste, she said, "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were admiring my hair." Sasuke could not help but start. That was exactly what he had been doing. Well, he told himself that he was examining it, trying to figure out the color, and the intricate way she braided it, the way those loose bits in front framed her face just so…Damn it.
Before he could answer her playful question, the first team arrived, followed shortly by the others, two of which were ahead of schedule. Kakashi said in his usual bored tone, "If you could give us a copy of your report, it would be greatly appreciated, Sasuke."
Shaking the man's hand, he said, "No problem. First thing in the morning, I'll get on it. Right now, I need some sleep." He and Hinata made their way back to the South Gates, leaving the capture to the ANBU. Neither of them spoke, but there was a kind of tension there that had not existed before.
Naruto listened to Sasuke order Hinata away from the fight, and her formal protest. He huffed gently. "Lieutenant, both of your Commanders are telling you not to fight. Do I need to get the Hokage involved, too?"
"No need." Both Commanders, as well as Hinata, Moegi, and Udon turned to see the Godaime, who was followed closely by Jiraiya, and eight very familiar Jounin.
Ino's eyes were glued to the rooftop, as were Lee's. Tenten looked tense, and she put a hand on Neji's arm to restrain him when he saw the intruders. Shikamaru walked past the other Jounin to stand next to Udon, his protégé. Kiba, Akamaru and Shino simply gawked. Chouji was noisily munching chips, powering up for a fight.
A pink and black blur fell swiftly from the roof, landing in a crouch in front of Naruto. Soon, he got a better view of the woman Sakura had become. She wore clothes much like those she had when they found her on top of the mountain with Itachi. Her hair, long once again, was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. The smirk on her lips did not suit her. "Well," she said slowly, "I see the gang's all here." Then, she turned her eyes to Naruto. Strangely, he thought that he could see nothing of her left. "And how are you, Naruto? I see you've grown."
He nearly lunged at her. It was quite close, really. His hands were filled with his kodaichi before he even realized what he was doing, Yume in his left hand, and Shi in the other. If Tsunade had not stepped in front of him, he would have shown her how much he had grown. "Naruto." He froze.
"Hai, Hokage-sama?" His restraint was being tested in the extreme. What was the woman doing?
"I want her alive, if possible." With that, Tsunade and Jiraiya moved to the rooftop, where Orochimaru still stood smirking. That would be a battle of epic proportions. But, at the moment, there was a conflict of no lesser scale brewing on the ground, as Konoha's forces duked it out with hundreds of Mist, Cloud, and Sound nin.
Sasuke spoke behind him. "Udon? Captain Nara?"
Both men intoned, "Chances of success are fifty percent."
Naruto could all but hear his dark-haired best friend shrug. "Good enough for me." With that, their battle began. Naruto lunged forward, aiming a swipe with Yume at Sakura's head, which he knew she would dodge. She did not disappoint, and he found himself evading her blows.
As she attempted to kick his head, he caught her foot, and shoved her away. She smiled. "We've missed you." That made him stop for a moment. We? Did that mean that Sakura was still in there somewhere? In that short instant, Sakura threw a needle, and he felt a stab of pain in his neck and then cursed internally as he crumpled to the ground. A loud growling in the back of his mind told him that Kyuubi was not happy with the situation, but it also assured him that it was not releasing any poison into his body. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but he couldn't breathe at all. He could feel himself being dragged, and soon found Ino staring down at him with a sarcastic smile.
"You know, I don't think you've got your head in the right place." Ino's voice was less than amused. "I'm not sure that I want to be working with you if you keep getting your ass handed to you, Sir." Her fingers gingerly gripped the needle and yanked it out. He sat up instantly, coughing and sputtering. "Now, I think you should sit for a minute and let us do the fighting. What do you think?"
Nodding wordlessly, he remained where he was, watching the rest of them fight. Sakura seemed to be attacking people just to piss them off, saying things that she shouldn't.
"Sasuke, I must thank you for the training partners you've sent me. They were fun. None of them are as good as you and Naruto, though. Especially the last one." Naruto nearly choked as she said this. Sasuke ran at her, Sharingan swirling madly.
Every so often, the Elders or the Hokage would ask for a volunteer from the ANBU, or the Konoha Police Department, to go in search of Sakura. The would find her, then that ninja's body would be found at the Memorial Stone. The latest of them was Hyuuga Hanabi. Recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Police Department, the young woman was making her father proud. For all of Hiashi's cool demeanor, the man had wept openly when Naruto personally notified him of his daughter's death. She was the fifteenth of Konoha's shinobi to die by Sakura's hand.
Sasuke, upon marrying Hinata less than a year before Hanabi's death, had taken the entire Hyuuga clan as his family. They were his aunts, uncles, brothers, cousins…and Hanabi had been his sister. The Uchiha was more Hyuuga now than Uchiha. In Naruto's opinion, it might have been a good change for him. But, he had to wonder as he watched the two shinobi battle desperately. Sakura was moving with a speed he had only ever seen Itachi use, which had him worried.
Sakura parried an attack that Sasuke made, her kunai flashing to meet his. The hilts of their weapons locked, and for a long moment, they were still, struggling against one another. Then, inexplicably, Sasuke backed off. For a moment, Naruto was confused. It seemed as if something was wrong. Then he saw it. A dark, thin line ran from Shikamaru all the way to Sakura. It was a good thing that the clouds had blown away in the high wind…
"Nara Shikamaru. I should have known." Sakura said in a bored tone. "You still a one-trick pony?" Her mocking tone was having no effect on the shadow manipulating Jounin. He only smiled lazily and stuck out his tongue.
Naruto stood shakily, and picked up his kodaichi. Sheathing them at his back, he walked over to where she stood. Turning briefly to Shikamaru, he croaked, "I apologize." When the man winced in recognition, Naruto smiled. He placed Shi's blade at Sakura's throat.
"What are you going to do, Naruto? Are you going to kill me?" Her eyes danced as she looked up at him. He didn't know who was talking to him. Was it Sakura, or Itachi? "Oh, you don't want to do that."
"Why?" His voice was a strangled whisper. "Hokage says 'if possible.' No one here will blame me for slitting your throat right now." He wanted to. Naruto had never wanted anything so much in all his life. It would kill Sakura, but it would also kill Itachi. Maybe it would allow him some peace to know that the bastard couldn't torture Sakura's mind any more. Maybe.
Her lips curled into an unpleasant smile. "Because, Naruto. If you kill me, you'll never see your son." His grip on Shi's hilt faltered, and a small dribble of blood flowed down Sakura's chest.
"You lie," He breathed, trying to deny that any such thing could be true.
He felt a hand on his arm, pulling him away from her. When Naruto turned his bewildered blue eyes toward this person, he found himself looking Sasuke in the face. "Naruto, you know what we have to do." Sasuke's hands formed a summoning seal, and a leather bag appeared in his hand. He put it in Naruto's hands. "You know what you have to do." The man stepped away.
The familiar weight of the bag felt like lead. Before he put his hand in the bag, he asked the person who had apparently mothered his child, "Is there anything of her left in there?"
Her expression became pensive. "Oh, she's in here…somewhere. She and that damnable second personality of hers. It was hell subduing the both of them. But now, I've got full control. I hardly even know they're in here." It was just as he had feared. Well, then it made him feel a lot better about what he was about to do. Naruto's hand went into the bag, and pulled out a mass of silver chain.
"I believe you know how this works, Itachi." He placed the collar around the woman's neck, fastening it securely before putting the cuff around his wrist. "If you try to remove the collar, I'll hurt you. If you try to hurt me, I'll make you wish you were never born. And, if by some unprecedented feat of idiocy, you attempt to keep me from my own son, I'll make you beg for death before I give it to you. Understand?" He was rewarded by a curt nod. "You can release the Kage mane, Captain."
Itachi glared daggers at Naruto with Sakura's eyes. "You know, Naruto," Sakura's voice said, "You were the worst lay I ever had." Naruto glared at the pink-haired beauty, and sent chakra through the leash, causing the body on the other end to collapse to the ground, whimpering.
Through the pained sounds, Naruto could somehow make out a tiny voice. It was not firm and mocking like the one Itachi had been using her mouth to produce. That trembling voice was Sakura's. She was still in there. She kept saying two words. "Kill me…" He released the chakra in surprise, and as soon as he did, he found that Itachi had gained control of Sakura's mind again. The missing-nin smirked up at Naruto. "I suppose, young Uzumaki, that you think you're in control now?"
Naruto's face was studiously blank as he sent more chakra through the leash. Instantly, Sakura screamed forward, making piteous noises, and begging for death. "Naruto…kill me, please! Please! I can't stand the things he's done…kill me…" Regretting his actions, but needing to speak with her, he kept the flow of chakra constant through the leash.
Kneeling next to her head, he said quietly, "Hold on, Sakura. We'll get rid of him. Do you know where our son is?" Curled into a tight ball, Sakura whimpered, and he couldn't understand anything she said. "Come on, Sakura, be strong! Fight him. You can win, I know you can. Where is our son?" She screamed, and his chakra slipped, bringing Itachi forward again.
Hatred filled beautiful green eyes as they opened ant turned toward Naruto. "You want the brat? Fine. But Sakura is mine." The masculine intonation was wrong in Sakura's voice. Naruto's body blurred as he struck the face he had dreamt of every night for six years. He hadn't even thought to use the leash. Because of that, he broke Sakura's cheekbone. As her body stood, her hand was enveloped in a green glow. This hand was placed over her cheek, and when she pulled it away, the bone was mended. "Still stupid, Uzumaki? Nothing you do to me can make her come back. She's mine, body and soul, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Naruto stared at the smirk forming on thin lips. His heart froze into a block of ice in his chest at the very thought of Sakura being imprisoned in her own head. Then, a familiar feminine voice said softly, next to his ear, "Perhaps I can help?" From the corner of his eye, he saw Ino rest her chin on his shoulder. "Six years is a long time for her to suffer, and I do think I can be of some use." Naruto knew for a fact that she had spent a hefty portion of those six years developing the jutsu that she was sure could bring Sakura back.
Nodding, Naruto agreed. "But," he said thoughtfully, "Not until after we've found my son…" Turning to where the prisoner stood, he asked, "What did you name him?"
"Fugaku." As soon as the word left Sakura's lips, Sasuke was in a rage. He stepped forward and his hand flew in a backhand slap, the impact ringing throughout the street. If not for Hinata's quick intervention, Naruto was sure that Sakura's nose would also have been broken. Honestly, he didn't know that Hinata could move that fast. She stood there, holding the fist she'd caught, no more than a pace in front of Sakura. For a long moment Sasuke merely stood staring at her. Naruto wasn't at all sure how he would feel if he were in Sasuke's position. The woman he used to love taken over by the man who killed his family, and that man naming a child that wasn't even his after the father he'd murdered. It was all a blur of confusion to him.
"Let it go, Sasuke, please. He'll be gone soon enough." Hinata's voice was soft, but firm. She released his hand, and turned to Naruto. "Will you be going to get your son now, Sir?" She was dreadfully formal with Naruto in public, which always made him a little uncomfortable. If he were over at she and Sasuke's house in the Hyuuga compound, she was much more open, and called him Naruto. He nodded. "Good luck, then." Turning to Sasuke, she said, "Permission to accompany them?"
Predictably, Sasuke shook his head. "No, Hinata. You will stay with me. We're going to take Udon and Moegi with us to see if the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama need any help with Orochimaru." Her eyes widened almost comically at her husband actually including her. "You never know when we'll be needed." Naruto smiled, then averted his eyes when Sasuke kissed Hinata. It always pained him to see the affection between them, because it reminded him of what he did not have.
It was nearing sundown, and they had finally reached the border with the Wave Country. According to Itachi, the boy was kept in a small house just on the other side of the border. Neji, Lee, Ino, and Kiba volunteered to accompany them, for which Naruto was very grateful. They arrived at the house just as the sun set. After scouting the area, there were no Sound nins to be found. Neji located the boy in the upper floor, where he appeared to be playing. He relayed this information to the others, and they entered the house soundlessly, Lee mounting the stairs to find the child.
The inside of the house was simple. Wooden floors and chairs, no sofa, and no ornamentation. Exactly as Naruto pictured Itachi liking a house to be. The boy must be stifled here. A few moments later, Lee came back down the stairs, carrying a small boy. He had blonde hair, a round face, and mischievous green eyes. Other than the color of his eyes, it would be safe to say that he looked exactly like Naruto did as a small boy, without, of course, the marks of the Kyuubi on his face. He was looking curiously around at everyone in the room, eyeing them carefully.
When the boy's eyes landed on the woman he called mother, there was a light of fear in them. Naruto stepped forward, blocking the boy's view of Sakura. "You must be Fugaku." The little boy nodded shyly, clinging tightly to Lee's Jounin vest. "I think perhaps you know who I am?" Fugaku's head shook from side to side. Naruto sensed amusement coming through the chain. Apparently, the boy was never informed that he had a father. That would change as of now. "Well, Fugaku-chan, I guess now is as good a time as any for you to find out. I'm your father."
The shyness melted from Fugaku's face, leaving only disbelief and a faint hope. "R-r-r-really?" The boy had an obvious stammer, and he addressed Sakura. "Is he r-r-r-really my d-d-d-daddy?" Itachi nodded Sakura's head. "Yay!" The boy jumped down from Lee's arms and did a little dance, causing everyone in the room to gape at him. A miniature Naruto, indeed. "So d-d-d-do I get to go home with you, D-d-d-daddy?" Naruto nodded, and Fugaku was so overjoyed that he jumped up on top of the trestle table and walked across it until he came eye-to-eye with Sakura. "Mommy, d-d-d-does this mean you'll be nice, now that I have a D-d-d-daddy?" Naruto sent a jolt of chakra through the leash, and Sakura came forward with a weak nod.
"Fugaku-chan, would you like to play with my dog?" Kiba asked jovially, and the boy readily agreed, following the Inuzuka out of the door. Naruto assigned Neji to keep an eye out, and Lee wanted to play with Fugaku, so he went outside as well.
"Ino, I think we can safely say it's about time. Itachi, please, have a seat."
Apparently, Ino had other plans. From out of nowhere, she pulled a senbon, and hurled it at Sakura. It lodged itself in precisely the right place to paralyze the other female from the neck down, but still allow her to breathe. It was obvious that she had been spending time with Genma. Her voice was sarcastic when she spoke. "Oh, no, Sir. She has to lie down for this. It's rather…invasive." Ino picked Sakura up and slung the woman's body over her shoulders before dropping her unceremoniously onto the table. "Could you get me a bowl from the kitchen?" Naruto did as she asked, and Ino then proceeded to take a kunai from the holster on her thigh. After making a small cut on her own hand, she allowed blood to flow into the wooden bowl, then did the same with Sakura.
"Whatever you're doing, it won't work." Itachi said, and Ino just smiled. Naruto knew that she was confident in her abilities, but he did have doubts about this particular jutsu. It had only a forty percent chance of success, according to the Hokage, but at this point, Naruto was willing to try just about anything to get Sakura back.
Watching carefully, he saw Ino mixing her blood with Sakura's, then she dipped a finger in the crimson liquid. Her hand moved slowly over Sakura's forehead as she seemed to be chanting an indecipherable mantra, then she began tracing a pattern on the pale skin there. When it was finished, it resembled a star with six points, surrounded by a circle, and little flames in eight places along the outer edge. The rest of the blood she smeared on her hands, before climbing up onto the table to straddle Sakura's hips. Forming the Shintenshin, she placed it directly on Sakura's forehead.
Naruto felt dizzy. Was it that he was attached to Sakura by way of the leash? He could feel chakra being drained from him, and was suddenly aware of just how much energy the jutsu was going to require, since Ino was unconsciously drawing from him. His vision went black as Ino placed her forehead on Sakura's, though he knew he was still completely awake. Somehow, he had found himself in Sakura's mind, along with Ino.
When light began to break, he saw vague shapes, blood, and large, dark shadows. Sakura's mind was a frightening place. The landscape shifted suddenly, and he saw Ino, as she existed in the world of the Shintenshin. It was probably the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was dressed in a flowing white dress, and she glowed, like an angel. Where she stood, the shadows drained away. They were all flowing into the large, blazingly bright thing she held between her hands. It looked very much like a replica of the seal she had created on Sakura's forehead. Itachi's voice sounded all around them.
"Get out!"
Ino smiled serenely. "Oh, now why would I do that? This used to be a beautiful mind before you came along. It will be again." She continued to hold her ground, the shadows and blood streaking through the air, entering the shining seal, and the whiteness and purity returning to the scene. As far away from Ino as possible, the shadows gained density, and soon, there was a familiar shape to be seen. Where Ino was light, Itachi was darkness. The embodiment of hatred, evil and everything wrong with the world, he strode toward where Ino stood.
"If you don't leave of your own accord, then I'll kill you where you stand." The dark man was gaining ground, moving swiftly. Nartuo had no idea if Itachi could hurt Ino or not, but if there was even the slightest chance, he would not allow it. As of yet, neither of them had noticed him. Time to make a nuisance of myself…
Barreling forward with all of his characteristic brashness, Naruto hit Itachi full-force, throwing him to the ground. The man stood, and looked around. "What was that?" His question was directed toward Ino.
"Just a little insurance to make sure you don't interfere." Ino's eyes closed, and suddenly Naruto felt that he had weight and substance. Had he felt light before? Itachi's eyes narrowed as Ino opened her eyes again. She raised an eyebrow at Naruto, eyeing him up and down. Frowning, Naruto looked down at himself. He realized what she'd found so interesting. His Jounin uniform was gone, and in its place was—in all its ridiculous glory—his old Genin outfit, though sized to fit his larger frame. He almost groaned. Naruto concentrated all of his energy for a split second, and had his clothes change. He now stood in his Jounin uniform, complete with weapons belt and the cloth of office, though the colors seemed to be brighter, somehow. Ino smiled at him. "I believe you remember Naruto?"
The mass of shadows that was Itachi smirked. "I do."
For a long moment, the two simply stared at one another in the growing light, then Naruto realized that he had not yet seen Sakura. "Where is she, Uchiha?" Itachi pointed to his left, where there was, inexplicably, a door. It had several locks. When Naruto attempted to make his way toward the door, Itachi placed himself firmly in front of it.
Shaking a finger at him, Itachi said, "Tsk, tsk, young Uzumaki. If you want to play with my toys you must first ask me. Nicely." The smirk that was evident on the man's face was too much for Naruto to bear. He knew very well that he couldn't use any of his chakra, since Ino needed it all for her jutsu, but this was not the real world, and he had a feeling that a jutsu would only take a little bit of imagination. The instant he thought that, he felt as if he had all of the power in the world. He had a wonderful imagination.
Pulling a kunai, he ran at Itachi. Naruto smiled broadly as he held the kunai between both of his palms. Twisting his hands against one another, that kunai magically multiplied into ten more, and he hurled them at the man, pinning him to the door where Sakura was being kept. Struggle as he might, Itachi could not move. It was exactly as he had suspected. This man, the genius who surpassed Kakashi, was completely devoid of imagination.
Sighing, he looked around. The place had only one dark spot left, and he had pinned it to the door. Ino walked forward, the seal still blazing in her hands, and came to stand in front of Itachi. Her lips moved, but no sound came. Naruto was sure he could feel them rather than hear them. He had no idea what she was saying, but it was something he would never understand, he was sure. When she had done with whatever mantra she was silently chanting, she let go of the seal, which hovered in midair, then looked up at Itachi. "This might hurt a little. But only for a moment."
Naruto watched in rapt fascination. Ino glowed brighter as she pushed on the seal, burying it deep in the shadowy depths of Itachi's chest. There was a blinding flash of light, and suddenly, Naruto found himself lying on his back on the floor in the house. He looked around when his eyes began to focus. Ino still lay slumped over Sakura. Why had she kicked him out? That was what had happened, he knew. Ino had made it so that he would not be there when she opened the door. There was no way back in, so all he could do now was wait.
Hinata put her arm around Sasuke's waist. He was bleeding heavily, having taken several shiruken to his left leg and abdomen. Tsunade and Jiraiya had finally killed Orochimaru. The man had never quite expected to have a kunai buried hilt-deep in his kidney with an exploding fuda attached to it. Most of all, he hadn't thought that Jiraiya would be the one to do it. The man had been lying on the ground, choking for breath, and Tsunade had picked up Orochimaru's own sword to end his life with.
It made Sasuke sick to his stomach to think that he, Naruto and Sakura could have ended up in the same way. Once the Sannin was dead, they all stood there shocked. Then, Tsunade and Jiraiya sat down to grieve before running off to help kill off the rest of the rouge nins. Hinata had insisted that Sasuke go to the hospital. He hadn't wanted to be a bother, but she said he would be more of a bother when the dirty piece of shiruken embedded in his thigh had him running a fever from the infection it would undoubtedly cause.
There was a rustle of fabric, and the sound of wood creaking. From deep in her mind, Sakura heard these things. She made an experimental attempt at breathing, and found that her lungs filled and emptied themselves when she commanded them to. A strange hope filled her, and her eyes opened when she told them to, causing her to smile. Control of her body was her own again. Ino was sitting on her hips, and looking down at her anxiously. "Oi, Ino-pig, did you gain weight? You're crushing me…" Her friend squealed joyfully, and then ripped the throwing needle from her neck. A sudden fear came over her. "Naruto…where is he?"
"Right here." A face leaned down over hers. He looked different with longer hair, but it wasn't a bad kind of different…Who was she kidding? He was beautiful. Tears obscured her vision, and she couldn't see him anymore as he fiddled with the collar around her neck. It fell away, and he scooped her up from the table. "Can you stand?" She nodded and scrubbed the tears from her eyes. When he lowered her to the floor, it took a moment to get used to the sensation of being in control of her limbs.
Finally, when she had re-mastered the art of standing, she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. The tears came again, hot and endless. "I thought I would never…never be able to hold you again." She looked around, trying to find Ino. The woman was staring at the floor, trying not to look at them. "Oh, come here, Ino!" She pulled Ino into her arms as well. Holding them both tightly, she said, "You guys…I missed you!"
After nearly a full minute, Ino grabbed Sakura's arm. "Come on and we'll get you cleaned up. And we'll have to get you some better clothes…" They left Naruto standing in the middle of the dining area. Sakura was dragged into the bathroom, where she was unceremoniously thrown into the shower. "Make sure you wash yourself thoroughly. Itachi and all of his memories are sealed into the blood on your forehead. Get all of it off." Almost as an afterthought, she said, "Hand me those clothes, too."
She did as she was told, happy to be finally rid of those horrible clothes. After cleaning every last bit of her body, she wiped herself down with a towel, then wrapped it around herself. Ino was waiting, and handed her a set of clothes. For some reason, it looked familiar. Blinking for a moment, she realized that it was a modified version of her Chuunin uniform. The shirt was blue, and had long mesh sleeves, and the skirt was green, and had loops to hold scrolls on the sides. When she looked at Ino, she said, "I figure you'd feel more comfortable in that. It's something I've been saving for when we got you back." Sakura smiled.
Black shorts, skirt, shirt, and shoes on, she felt infinitely more comfortable. How had she ever worn anything else? Twisting her hair into a bun, she borrowed a senbon from Ino to hold it in place, and then she was ready to go. Suddenly, she thought of something. "Ino, will I go to jail?" The things that Itachi had done while using her body were hazy, except for some of the more recent atrocities. She knew that there were many things that she would have to atone for, even if it had not been she who had done them.
Her friend stood defiantly and looked her directly in the eyes. "I don't think that you'll be locked up, Sakura. Not if I have anything to do with it. The Hokage knows what was going on. I can attest to the fact that you had no control, and so can Naruto. So you don't have anything to worry about. She may make you go through counseling, though." Sakura nodded. She had no problem with that. If that was all, she would do it. And she would do whatever she had to so that she could take up her old job. "Let's go outside. They're all waiting."
"They?"
She was surprised to see not only Naruto and Fugaku, but Kiba, Neji, and Lee. The first thing she did when she got outside was walk to Fugaku, who was playing with Akamaru. "Fugaku-chan," her voice was soft as she knelt next to him. The boy looked at her quizzically. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being so…hard these past few years. If I promise to be a good Mommy, will you forgive me?"
"Yes, Mommy." The boy was utterly surprised at the brilliant smile his reply drew from his mother. "Mommy?" Scooping him up in her arms, she hugged him lightly, and placed a kiss on his forehead.
"I love you, Fugaku." Then, she put him back down, and said, "I have to talk to some of my old friends, Fu-chan. Can you play with Akamaru for a little while longer?" Still stunned, the child nodded. "Good." Her next stop was Neji. It pained her to look at him. To his surprise, and everyone else's, Sakura knelt before him.
Bowing formally, so that her forehead touched the ground, Sakura said, "I cannot say how sorry I am for the things my hands have done. I do not ask for forgiveness, Neji-san. It is not something I deserve for my weakness. But if you tell me what I can do to atone for your cousin's death, I will do it, even if it means my death."
"Sakura," Neji's low, brooding voice came down to her ears, "Stand up, please." She did, but could not make herself look at him. "Sakura, I understand that it was not you who did those things. As to any weakness, we are all weak at some point. I was weak. Hating my own family, I tried to kill one of the kindest people in the world. Then, I was given a gift of strength." It didn't take much thought to realize what he meant. Sakura nodded.
"Arigato, Neji-san." Then she turned to Lee. "Good to see you again, Lee-san."
The man smiled brightly, and said in an exuberant manner, "I am glad to know that you are back in the bloom of righteous youth, Sakura-san! Welcome back!" Laughing, Sakura gave him a hug. He blushed to his ears, stammering something about Tenten getting jealous. That made her laugh even more.
"I think we're all ready to go. Let's make tracks!" Naruto looked around. "Kiba, you and Akamaru take the lead. Lee, you and Sakura guard Fugaku." The three nodded, taking their positions. "Neji, do you think you can handle rear guard?"
"Always, Sir."
"How many times do I have to tell you, Hyuuga, you don't need to call me sir. You don't work for me!" Though having Neji in the Police Department wouldn't be a bad thing, Naruto was certain that Neji was quite busy enough concentrating on keeping relations between the branches of his family from getting hostile, while going on normal A-ranked missions. The man just shrugged, saying that technically, Naruto did outrank him, so he could call him 'Sir' all he wanted. Rolling his eyes, Naruto looked to Ino. "Ino, you stay by me. Keep your needles handy."
He knew it was probably overkill, but one could never be too careful.
"Oh, why can't you all just leave me alone?" There were squeals and giggles echoing down the corridor of the hospital, and Sakura looked at Naruto, who just shrugged. "Aaaack! Get that away from me! I can have a thermometer in my mouth, thank you!" They could hear Sasuke's voice from two corridors away, and it was certain that the nurses were at least attempting to molest him. Once they rounded the corner, the first thing they saw was a flock of nurses running scared down the fluorescent-lighted corridor.
In the doorway of the room stood Hinata, arms crossed under her breasts. "And keep your hands off of my husband, you harpies!" The satisfied smile on her face was almost enough to make Naruto laugh.
"Still having to fight them off, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked before the weight on his back shifted, and Fugaku raised his sleepy head to look around. "Oh, Fugaku-chan, this pretty lady is Uchiha Hinata. She's my best friend's wife."
The boy nodded sleepily, and said, "Hello, Hinata-lady…" Then, in his father's ear, he whispered, "She's very pretty, d-d-d-Daddy." If he could have seen his son's face, he would have found a blush there.
"Are you people having a party out there?" Sasuke groused from inside the hospital room, causing all three of the adults in the hall to chuckle. They trooped inside, and Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw Fugaku blinking owlishly at him. He smiled a little, and said, "Hey, kid. You look a lot like your dad."
Naruto put his son down on the floor, and Fugaku went directly over to the bed, climbed up onto it, and sat next to Sasuke. The boy leaned forward, peering into Sasuke's eyes in concentration. Those deep green eyes seemed to make Sasuke uneasy, and he shied away slightly. Fugaku smiled broadly at Sasuke and said, "You look okay to me. What's your name, mister?" Sasuke was simply shocked by the boy, and it showed on his face.
"Uchiha Sasuke. I'm guessing that you're Uzumaki Fugaku. You couldn't be anybody else. Got your father's cheeky attitude…" Sasuke smiled as Fugaku's face scrunched up in a frown. "Come on, chibi, you can't tell me you're not cheeky."
Sakura nodded. "He has a point, Fu-chan."
The little boy crossed his arms over his small chest, looking for all the world like his father. "I am not cheeky!" Then, as if to prove his point, he stuck out his tongue at Sasuke. The room erupted in laughter, and the child did not understand what it was for. He looked around at them all, simply confused.
Sakura sat in a chair in the corner of the hospital room, holding a sleeping Fugaku, and staring lovingly down at him. Naruto looked at her, the same adoration in his eyes. "So, dobe," Sasuke whispered, "How long until you get your head out of your ass?" Naruto blinked at him before replying sarcastically.
"Since you're already in the hospital, I'll ignore that. Otherwise, I'd beat the crap out of you." He pursed his lips, thinking of all the ways that he would hurt Sasuke for that comment, and each one was more satisfying than the next.
The injured man rolled his eyes. "Naruto, just…don't be an idiot. You already know she loves you. For crying out loud, you two have a kid. Just marry her, already." Naruto's eyes almost fell out of his face. He couldn't be serious. Wasn't it too soon for that? Sakura was just now returned. Shouldn't he let her settle back in, see about her re-integration, that sort of thing? When he suggested that, Sasuke grabbed him by the shirt, and spoke with all of the seriousness and near-desperation of a man who knows about these things from experience. "No, idiot. You know as well as I do that if you wait, it could be too late. It's not like she would turn you down, anyhow."
Looking over at Sakura again, Naruto felt a lump rising in his throat. If he did ask, what would she say? Rising from his seat next to Sasuke, he took his leave, making the excuse that he had some errands to run, and told Sakura that he would come by later on to take she and Fugaku over to her mother's house. He needed advice from someone who wasn't the bastard of the universe.
A small bell jingled. Looking up from her magazine, Ino smiled. Naruto looked really…agitated. "Hey, what's up, Sir?" Today was her day off from the PD, so she was helping her mother and father in the shop.
Waving a dismissive hand, he said in a low voice, "I'm not here on official business, Ino. I need your help." This was interesting. She nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "I need to…um…ask Sakura something important."
Laughing, she pulled up a stool. "How are you going to propose to her if you can't even say the words around anyone else?" Naruto's face fell as he sat. She gave his arm a reassuring pat. "Okay, look. There are a couple of things that you need to do first. First, you need to figure out if you want to give her a ring or not."
"Ring? Like…jewelry?" He blinked.
There were times…Ino wondered. If she weren't so busy, and if he weren't hopelessly in love with Sakura, she might have asked him out for coffee. Clueless he was, but adorably so. Laughing again, she answered, "Yes, like jewelry. I can even help you pick one out, if you want. She is my best friend, you know, so I think I know what she would like. After that, you need to think of where you want to ask, and how. It's best not to have to rigorous a plan, because something will always go wrong." Ino could practically see Naruto's head spinning at all this.
"I'm glad I didn't ask Sasuke about this stuff…" Her Commander was staring off into space. Ino sucked a tooth. For a long moment, she debated telling him what was on her mind. Then, her natural brashness overrode her sensible side.
"Did he or Hinata ever tell you how he proposed?" When Naruto shook his head, she smiled a cat-like grin. "Well, that's because Sasuke is actually very lame when it comes to romance. I don't think he actually has one romantic bone in his entire body. His proposal? He wrote it down at the bottom of one of her mission scrolls. It was the last one for the day, so she had to ask him about it in the middle of the night, and he almost attacked her when she climbed in his window." Naruto was snorting laughter by this point. "Just be sure you don't do anything that stupid, and I'm sure you'll be all right."
One week after Naruto paid a visit to Ino's shop, Sakura was officially re-issued her title of shinobi. Shizune was watching Fugaku, so that Naruto and Sakura could celebrate with Hinata and a recently healed Sasuke. Everyone else had missions, or their shifts with the ANBU or the Police Department. No one knew who initiated it, but somehow, Naruto and Sasuke got into a drinking contest. Then again, everything was a competition with them, so it could have been either one, both, or neither of them. Later, Hinata would estimate that they'd each had eight bottles of alcohol. Nartuo really seemed to like plum wine, though Sasuke stuck mostly to sake.
There was a scuffle due to some insinuation made on Sasuke's part about Naruto's…manhood…and they were thrown out of the bar, Naruto cursing under his breath, then apologizing profusely to Sakura as she slung him over her shoulders to take him back to his apartment. After sending one of Naruto's messenger birds to Shizune about not being able to get Fugaku until morning because his father had gotten flamingly drunk out of his mind, she settled down next to his futon to make sure he didn't drown in his own sickness before morning.
With her back leaning against the wall, she watched him sleep for a little while. He looked very peaceful that way, in no way as frenetic as he was when he was awake. Sakura smoothed his hair away from his face, smiling. She remembered a dream of sunny skies, green grass, and one earthly spot of joy that was Naruto. It was an old saying that one really didn't realize what they had, and how good it was, until it was gone. It was a long six years after Itachi had locked her in her own mind, only allowing her to come forward in moments of extreme pain. The longest span of time that she was allowed control of her own body over that six-year span was when she was giving birth to Fugaku. As soon as they placed her son in her arms and the pain began to subside, she was shoved back into the deepest recesses of her brain, and never was allowed to tell him how much she loved him. And how very much she loved his father.
But, Itachi was gone for good now, and she would never have to deal with having another person in her head again, unless Ino decided to give her a checkup.
Her eyes wandered the room, which was unusually clean. Sakura remembered Naruto's apartment being a disaster area. There were no ramen cups littering the floor, or training dummies half-shoved under the couch. He was, despite his outward behavior at times, quite grown up. That made her smile. No matter what others said, she knew he would be a wonderful father. The urge to explore the small space took her, and she rose from her seat on the floor.
There was an all-purpose table in one corner, which held a small pile of scrolls in a stand, and a bookshelf nearby. The books on the shelf covered every subject from taijutsu and other shinobi techniques to how to balance a budget, and criminal psychology. Then, she spotted one section of books that looked as if they had been used more than any of the others. Their spines were broken, and some had the covers ripped off. Curious, she pulled one from the shelf. Bound in black leather, she found that it was a book of poetry. Naruto? Poetry?
Another of the books held short stories, and a few others were old mythology books, mostly dealing with demons. She frowned at this. Why was he reading about demons? Shrugging it off, she replaced the book. Finally, she noticed something in the very back of the book-case. It looked to be a journal. This was the point at which she really felt guilty, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Page after page was covered in Naruto's nearly indecipherable scrawl, but she did notice that the subject matter was entirely familiar, once she got the hang of actually reading it. Every entry was about her. The dreams he had of her, the search for her, wondering when they would meet again. Every world was filled with bitter grief and a fervent hope, that made her want to cry. Sakura's eyes strayed to the futon, where Naruto lay, sleeping. She felt the guilt rise in her chest again, and decided to put the journal back. Snapping the book shut, she replaced it and moved away from the shelf to the kitchen, which was spotless.
In the cabinets, there was a small store of ramen, though not so much as she would have expected. The rest was filled with things that normal people ate, though he did seem to have a fondness for rice that he never had before. There was a fifteen-kilogram sack of good jasmine rice sitting on the floor. When there was nothing interesting to find in the kitchen, she moved back to the living area, since she wasn't brave enough to go into the bathroom. Even grown men don't know how to clean those sometimes.
Oddly, Naruto was sitting up, completely awake. "Snooping, were we?"
Guilt washed over her in greater amounts than before. "I…that is…um…" finally giving up, she admitted defeat. "…Yes."
Smiling, he stood rather unsteadily and crossed the short distance between them. Looking down at her with a serious expression, he slurred, "Not nice to snoop, Sakura." She bit her lip guiltily as she looked up at him. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest. Her inner self growled, He's supposed to be asleep! Now that she had been caught, he was going to be angry with her, and unlike Sasuke, she didn't enjoy that. Naruto's face changed so suddenly that it left her head reeling. Well, it wasn't just that his face changed, that old grin spreading like wildfire.
The sudden lack of breath caused by soft lips attaching themselves firmly to hers might have contributed quite a bit to her dizziness as well. He tasted like plum wine, and it only served to increase her sense of vertigo that Naruto suddenly had his arms around her, lifting her from the floor, her feet dangling an entire foot off of the hardwood. It was then that Sakura felt the sensation of falling, and was amazed to discover that he still had the presence of mind and coordination to make it so that neither of them got hurt when they hit the floor. Naruto was giggling madly, and Sakura merely stared at him for a long moment before standing and dragging his limp and chuckling form onto the futon.
After covering him with the blankets, she settled into her position again to watch over him. It didn't take long before both of them were asleep.
Even when his body was still atrociously riddled with alcohol, his mind caused him to get up at dawn. Tossing the covers aside, he stood shakily. "Damned Sasuke…wine…ugh." He stumped into his kitchen without opening his eyes, because to do that would be to admit to having a hangover. This way, he could cook up his hangover 'cure' without actually having to experience the bloodshot eyes and light sensitivity. Naruto's hands found the things he needed. Red pepper paste, cooking sherry, vinegar, tomato juice, and salt. Then he put it all in the blender with just a dash of lemon juice before turning the power on for a few seconds and pouring it into a glass.
The concoction tasted terrible, but it woke him up. The one side effect was that he always needed to drink a liter of water directly afterward, as well as take a shower because the pepper paste made him sweat horribly. As he stood with his lower back pressed against the sink, he raised the drink to his lips, eyes still closed.
"I suppose you're going to be okay?" Naruto's eyes flew open and he saw Sakura standing in the door to the kitchen.
"Sakura?" He wondered momentarily why she was there, then cursed himself for drinking so much. "What happened? The last thing I remember, I was trying to out-drink Sasuke." She laughed.
"Oh, nothing much. You were just so spectacularly sloshed that I made sure you weren't going to choke on any vomiting that you might need to do." Her voice was quite matter-of-fact, and she looked at the glass curiously. "What is that?" Naruto explained what was in it, and she snorted. "That is horrible for you. Here." She stepped up to him, her hands glowing green, and took hold of his head. The pain in his head vanished, it was easier to see, and his limbs didn't feel so heavy.
"Oh, Kami-sama…that feels better." Before he could stop himself, he said softly, "I love you…"
Sakura stiffened for an instant, then pretended that she hadn't heard his last words. "Good. Now, I have to go and get Fugaku from Shizune." She got to the door before he could process what she had said.
"Sakura, wait. Wait a few minutes, and I'll go with you?" Her face held some confusion, but she agreed. "Yatta! I'll be out in a couple of minutes. Please sit!" With that, he ran at top speed through the apartment, and then showered before dressing himself in his Jounin uniform and picked up his weapons belt on the way into the living area.
Sakura stood in the middle of the living room, agape. Naruto being himself, he did not understand what she was staring at. Of course, the fact that he had showered, dried, dressed himself, and was standing calmly in his living room after no more than two minutes flat could have had something to do with it, though it was most likely his freshly washed self that she was fixated on. There are just some people who look their best when they are fresh from the shower, and apparently, Naruto was one of them.
"Shall we go?" He asked, and she nodded.
On the way to Shizune's apartment, they stopped at Sakura's mother's house, so that Sakura could shower as well. She hated smelling like a barroom, and didn't want to set a bad example for Fugaku. Naruto knocked on the door to the medic's apartment, and she came to answer it looking decidedly worn out. Sakura apologized, and said it wouldn't happen again while looking pointedly at Naruto, who looked a little like a dog that had been kicked. Fugaku was wide-awake already, and almost literally bouncing off of the walls. The boy had some talent where taijutsu was concerned, and his style looked eerily familiar. Apparently, the boy had watched Itachi's forms quite carefully. He was practicing those very same forms in the middle of the living room.
When Uzumaki Fugaku barreled at his father, and somersaulted up onto his shoulders, he asked excitedly, "I'm hungry, d-d-d-Daddy! When can we eat?"
Sakura plucked the boy from Naruto's shoulders, and hung him upside down by his feet. Turning slightly to speak to Shizune, "Thank you for taking care of him. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
Waving a hand dismissively, Shizune said, "Oh, he's just a bit too much like his father, is all." Sakura knew that meant he had talked her ear off, and maybe broken something that she used to treasure, but had then attempted to make it right by doing something exceedingly sweet. Overall, Sakura thought that Shizune would have enjoyed herself. They left the older woman to get her sleep, and Sakura continued to hold Fugaku by his ankles.
"Mom-myyyy! My head's gonna explode! Let me down!" The boy's face had turned red by the time they reached the foot of the stairs, and Sakura dropped him. Fugaku landed on his hands, pushed off, and righted himself on his own two feet before glaring up at Sakura. He was truly angry. The way she knew this was that his eyes had gone slightly bluish. That only happened when he was irate. "Don't do that, Mommy! It hurts with all the blood rushing to my head. Daddy, tell her not to do that again!" Another thing that happened only when he was extremely angry: his stammer disappeared. Nauto shook his head, apparently unwilling to contradict Sakura, much to Fugaku's annoyance.
The three of them walked down the still-sleepy streets, back to Sakura's house. Upon entering, they all removed their shoes, and trooped into the kitchen, where Sakura's mother was making breakfast. Fugaku clapped his hands excitedly, and smiled. A plate was set before him, but before he could even touch the food, Sakura reached out and took his hands. Looking at them carefully, she said, "You weren't playing in Shizune-neechan's garden, were you?" His guilty expression gave him away, and his face fell. "Fu-chan, it's okay. Next time, if you ask, I'm sure she would be happy to tell you anything you want to know about the plants. Now, you go to the bathroom and wash your hands. Get your Daddy to help you."
When the two blondes had gone, her mother looked over her shoulder, light brown hair falling on the sides of her face. "They're much alike, those two." Sakura agreed heartily, and helped her mother put out the rest of the food. It was still just a little sad that her father couldn't be there. He was on a mission to the Tea Country, and would be back in two weeks. "So, what are your plans, dear? Getting a place of your own?"
"I don't know, Mom. I'm just trying to get used to things again." There was a lot to get used to. Being back in Konoha, being a medic again, being a mother, and then there was Naruto. They were in that unclassifiable stage at the moment. He had become a kind, open-hearted man, which was all she could have hoped for, and she was glad for it, but she didn't know exactly where she stood with him. Sure, he had kissed her the night before, but he had been drunk, so she wasn't even sure if he meant it.
"All clean, Mommy!" The boy ran into the kitchen, brandishing his little pink hands, and sat down at the table to eat. Naruto came in a moment later, and seated himself opposite Sakura. There was an odd silence, and then the boy stood on his chair and began digging around in his pockets. "I have a surprise for you, Mommy!" Sakura hoped that it wasn't a dead worm from Shizune's garden, or some melted piece of chocolate that he had been 'saving' for her. A triumphant smile rose on his face, and he said "Okay. Now close your eyes and open your hand."
She did as he asked, just to humor him, really. Then, when he said she could open her eyes, she did. There was a small piece of paper in her hand, folded neatly into a two-inch square. Looking curiously at her son, she frowned. Taking up the paper, she carefully unfolded it. As she did, something fell from inside the sheet, and she caught it. Her fingers closed on the small object, and her breathing stopped. Bringing it up to the light, she saw it was exactly what she had thought it to be. The ring was made of gold, with a moderately sized emerald set into the band. Sakura turned her attention to the paper, which held a simple note.
Sakura,
I love you more than anything in this world.
I always have.
Marry me?
NarutoAfter reading this, she looked up at Naruto, who was watching her expectantly. Before she could even think about how to answer, she was standing up, and walking around the table to a startled Naruto, and pulling him close. "Of course I'll marry you, you idiot!"
A/N: Before any of youcrazed Ita/Saku fans kill me, I just wanted to let you all know that Itachi had to die. He was driving me up the wall. So, here we have it. Now, I'll be giving you control. Of a sort. How many people want to see Hinata's baby, and or Sakura and Naruto getting married? The only reason I ask is because I have these things, and the beginnings of a pretty steamy lemon for the 'wedding night'. If you don't want them, I'm sure that I could leave the story as it is, and all will be well. Or, I could have another time skip. That would be...ten years in the future? Fifteen? And show Fugaku and Hinata's baby as young ninjas...whatever. So review, and tell me what you want. This is a rare occurrence, so take advantage.