Just another quick reminder that the voting poll is still up for this story. It will close after this chapter has been up a week. And for those worried about a young Hokage!Naruto and his maturity, I would say to just remember this is fanfiction. I can write him as a more mature, wizened 17 yr old Hokage if Naruto wins. ;) I more than likely won't be using the canon version of Hokage!Naruto either way. I find it sort of (severely) disappointing. So there you go. Happy voting.

Reviews would be good since I've wanted to do this Team 7 centric fic for sooo long. So I'd like it if people reviewed more. Oh, I started a tumblr under "anoceaninthesun" I only mention it because I'm gonna start putting scenes from my fics that I draw up there. I may also take requests (for drawings and writing prompts) there, time permitted. Holiday season is coming up so I should have a little more free time from grad school. My art supplies should be here soon and with my new printer/scanner/copier I'm excited.

We're all just a little bit broken (yeah)
We're all just a little bit hurt (yeah)
We've all got wounds half open (yeah)
We all can use a little work–"A Little Work"; Fergie

Sakura pulled the green sweater over her head.

The reflection of a pink-haired young woman with large green eyes and a Byakugo seal wearing comfortable fall attire stared back at her. Sakura reached a pale hand to her head and brushed her hair back.

It was touching her shoulders again. It would either be time to get it trimmed soon, or let it grow out. She didn't mind shorter locks; they were easier to maintain anyway. But it had been years since she'd felt her hair swaying across her back. A small part of her vainly wondered what that would feel like again, now that she'd grown into her forehead.

The kunoichi grabbed her small purse and put the long strap around her shoulder so that it came to rest lightly against her right hip.

Satisfied she had everything, Sakura nodded once at her reflection and turned out the light in her room. "Time to head out…" She pass her parents' bedroom on the way down the stairs.

"Sakura!" she heard her mother call. "I'll be doing laundry today. Is there anything you need me to wash?"

Sakura paused at the top of the stairs to think. "Well, there's a few pieces in the hamper I was planning to get to tomorrow. So I guess if you have time…"

"I'll take care of it, honey. Have fun with Ino."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks, Mom!"

~XoXoXoXoXoX~

Mebuki sighed as she watched her daughter run down the stairs and heard the front door open and close. It seemed like just yesterday she was holding her hand and taking her to the academy. She had been skeptical then if her shy, fragile daughter was suited for the life of a ninja.

She'd discussed it at length with her husband, wondering if allowing Sakura to become a kunoichi was the right thing. But over the years she'd seen her daughter change in ways she'd never imagined, growing into an independent, strong young woman. She'd been shocked when her then thirteen year old daughter had come home and excitedly told them she'd gotten an apprenticeship under the legendary Slug Queen and Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.

The blonde woman hummed quietly to herself as she wandered into Sakura's room with the laundry basket. Everything was orderly, not a book out of place on her shelf.

The bed was neatly made, as it was every morning. The air in the room smelled lightly of apple blossoms and jasmine, the newest fragrance her daughter had been using. Mebuki set her basket down on the bed and peeked into the clothes hamper by Sakura's bureau.

As her daughter had said, some random articles of clothes were stuffed in it, so she dumped everything into the pile accumulating in the basket. She was about to move on when something strange caught her eye.

There was a jacket she'd never seen before folded over Sakura's desk chair. Blinking, Mebuki set the basket down again and started to make her way to it. She knew she shouldn't try to pry. Her daughter was seventeen, at the age where she got agitated whenever Mebuki tried to push too deeply into her life.

But curiosity got the better of her and she picked up the jacket to unfold it. It was orange mostly, with a warm wool lining and collar. The shoulders were trimmed in red stripes and the orange spiral she'd seen on the flak jackets of shinobi sat in the middle of the back. It certainly wasn't Sakura's usual choice of fashion… Not to mention, the jacket itself would be too big for Sakura's petite frame without sliding off and the shoulders were rather broad.

Suspicious, Mebuki brought the mysterious jacket closer to her face and sniffed lightly. The unmistakable male musk permeating from the fabric confirmed her suspicions.

She sucked in a deep breath to calm herself. It would only turn into an argument if she jumped to conclusions. The jacket was clearly a man's, all signs pointed to that. But that didn't mean anything. Sakura had three male teammates her age and two sensei. She also had lots of male friends. And if the owner of the jacket was…was more than a friend, then it was no big deal, right? Sakura was more than old enough to start dating, and she trusted her daughter…

Her green eyes, identical in every way to her daughter's, drifted to the two picture frames sitting side by side on her desk. The first was from years back, when the genin cells had first been announced.

Sakura was smiling cheerfully at the camera while the silver-haired jonin Hatake Kakashi patted the heads of two young boys who were glaring venomously at each other from over Sakura's head. Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. When the genin teams had first been announced, Sakura made her feelings known almost every night at the dinner table.

Naruto was loud, brash, obnoxious, and she didn't like him. Normally Mebuki would have encouraged her daughter to get to know someone before writing them off. But she knew what the boy was. Most of the adults in the village did. She was wary about Sakura even being on a team with a child like that and had almost gone to speak to the Hokage about it, unconvinced she wanted her daughter anywhere around a child unknowingly housing the Kyuubi.

Her husband had just barely talked her out of it. Still, she'd been secretly glad when it appeared Sakura disliked Naruto for her own reasons and wouldn't be getting closer to him. Then there was the other one, Uchiha Sasuke.

Sakura made her feelings about him openly known too. Sasuke was brave, strong, cool, and Sakura liked him a lot. What her daughter didn't know was Mebuki wasn't too thrilled to have her daughter on a team with him either. The boy had lost his whole family at a young age, and from the way Sakura described him, was deeply reclusive.

It didn't bother her naïve daughter, who found Sasuke's attitude romantic, likening him to a mysterious prince. But Mebuki worried. Clearly the young Uchiha was troubled. How would that effect the way he treated his teammates? Something so traumatic definitely would shape a child's worldview, and not necessarily for the better.

From her point of view, her daughter had been placed on a team with boys who were perhaps carrying the most baggage out of all the other students. Neither Mebuki nor Kizashi knew much about shinobi life outside what they'd been told during the orientation when Sakura had first entered and the things Sakura explained to them. But Mebuki definitely worried. She had to hope the famed Hatake Kakashi was every bit as talented as the stories claimed he was. He was her daughter's only hope to stay safe…

Then, time had gone by and things had changed. Suddenly Naruto wasn't the obnoxious, bratty troublemaker, but the one Sakura always spoke fondly of. Sasuke was gone, and Sakura hardly ever spoke about him anymore. When she did her whole demeanor was filled with melancholy.

Mebuki gently picked up the second frame, the newer one. Sakura was with her team again. A new one. Uzumaki Naruto's bright yellow hair identified him, and he was clearly older than in the first picture, just like Sakura. There was a new boy that wasn't in the first photo. Pale and stoic with inky hair and unnervingly dark eyes. There was also a new man in Kakashi's place, Yamato.

Despite the ups and downs of Sakura's shinobi life, she knew her daughter cherished these pictures, and all the people in them. Mebuki couldn't really understand, so she tried to simply accept it. Her daughter was a kunoichi and her life experiences had been and would continue to be much different than Mebuki or her husband's, who were simply civilians. She set the picture down back the way she'd found it and turned her attention back to the jacket. In both pictures Uzumaki Naruto was wearing an orange jacket similar to the one she was holding… did that mean—

"Kizashi!" She called for her husband.

The sound of footsteps were in the hall, and then his spiked, dull pink hair was popping into the doorframe.

"Yes, my dear?"

Mebuki turned around so she could show him the jacket. "Have you…have you ever seen anything like this in our daughter's wardrobe?"

He blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Well, no…I can't say I have." He scratched at his scalp. "But doesn't she have a teammate who wears bright clothes? What was his name…?" He fingered his ridiculous mustache, thinking.

"Naruto…" Mebuki mumbled.

Kizashi snapped his fingers as if he'd been the one to remember. "Ah, that's it! Orange you glad you showed me so I could jog your memory?" he chuckled. Mebuki rolled her eyes. Her husband found himself quite witty with his horrible puns.

"I'd already come to the conclusion myself, actually." Mebuki folded the jacket back up and put it in the basket with the rest of the family's clothes. "You're not…wondering what this could mean?"

Kizashi looked confused. "It symbolizes something? Color me surprised!"

"Oh Kizashi, enough!" Mebuki snapped in a huff.

"What if Sakura's…" Flustered, Mebuki found she couldn't even finish her sentence. She marched straight past her husband, who was wearing a rather lost look, and down to the laundry room. The least Sakura could do was return it clean. She threw things of like colors into the machine, frowning. When had Sakura gotten so grown up?

Frustrated, Naruto rummaged through his closet. "Where is it?" he groaned. "Damn it!" His blonde hair popped up from the clothes he'd been rooting around in, and he plucked a pair of polka dotted boxers from his head.

He sighed in defeat, collapsing back into the mess he'd made. He squeezed his eyes shut and thought. The night before…he'd walked Sakura home. It suddenly dawned on him and he jerked up, slapping a palm to his forehead. He'd loaned her his jacket! So that's where it was. Well, at least he knew it wasn't lost. He tossed clothes aside until he found an orange sweater jacket. It wasn't as well made as the one Sakura currently had, but it would do.

Yanking it over his head, he left the mess the way it was and darted into the tiny kitchen. There wasn't much he had at the moment. The blonde jinchuriki found himself putting two slices of bread into the toaster and impatiently waiting for them to get brown.

He found a stick of butter and knife, and when the bread was done, he hurriedly buttered each piece. He popped one piece into his mouth and took the other with him as he rushed out the door, almost forgetting to lock up behind him.

Sometimes living alone had its benefits. Rarely, but sometimes. If he lived with a roommate, he'd never be able to leave things messy when he was in a rush the way he usually did. It would be worse if he had a girlfriend. Sakura wasn't his girlfriend and she nagged him constantly about cleaning up his apartment.

Naruto took the steps two at a time as he hit the streets of Konoha. He was on a mission. A self-imposed one, but important. Helping his friends was always important, and Hinata needed his help.

He wasn't as simple as people often thought he was. He knew he'd need help to see the heiress. She was holed up in her compound, constantly monitored by her clan, and they weren't letting her see her friends.

Naruto decided he would look for Lee first. The war hadn't slowed him down, and he still trained every chance he got, carrying a still-recovering Guy on his back more often than not. The only issue with finding Lee was that they could literally be training anywhere in the village. And he was only looking Lee so he could find out the best way to get ahold of Neji.

Naruto jogged down the street with a huff. Times like this, caring got complicated. It might be better if he involved Sakura, but she'd just scold him for meddling in clan affairs that didn't concern him.

Not even the thought of Sakura's disapproval was going to stop him though. He perused the crowded streets for any sign of shiny bowl cuts, but when he saw twin buns and a large scroll in a tea shop he passed, the blond doubled back around quickly.

"TenTen!" he called, feeling relieved. It wasn't the member of Team Guy he'd been searching for, but he wasn't complaining. The kunoichi turned at the sound of her name and blinked when she saw Naruto waving as he ran towards her. She set her herbal tea down, smiling in confusion.

"Hey Naruto, long time no see…" She glanced over his shoulder, likely assuming his team was with him. "You uh, out by yourself today?"

Naruto shrugged, jamming his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, sorta. Look, this is sudden, but I kind of have a favor I need from Neji and I need your help!"

TenTen stared at him in total bemusement. "You've got a favor you wanna ask Neji but you need my help?"

Naruto looked away sheepishly. "You're his teammate. You probably see him more n' most people these days, right?"

TenTen took a bite of some dango from a plate in front of her and chewed thoughtfully. Naruto shifted from one foot to another as he waited for her to finish. "He stops by to train with the team every blue moon. But you know he's been busy helping Hinata deal with the transition. Clan stuff. Not like I'd understand any of that but—"

"Yeah, Hinata!" TenTen almost jumped at Naruto's sudden exclamation.

"That's why I need Neji's help." Now TenTen was really confused.

"Okay…hey, why don't you sit down and order something, and then we can talk. I'll even pay." The kunoichi motioned to the empty seat next to her. "It's just that…you're starting to draw a crowd." She grumbled.

Naruto glanced around to see she was right. It hadn't occurred to him others who had participated in the war would also be considered local celebrities to civilians. TenTen may have been trying to keep a low profile. People were staring at him especially with awe and whispering behind his hands. It was something he'd been dealing with all his life. Only recently had the whispers been excited ones and not disgust.

Naruto climbed onto the stool near her and ducked his head. "Sorry…"

TenTen waved it off. "Nothing you can do about it now." She rolled her eyes. "So what do ya want?"

"Um I'll take some wings I guess."

TenTen smacked her forehead. "Baka! This is a tea shop! They don't serve wings. And anyway, I mean what did you want my help with?"

Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Oh, ooh!"

TenTen was seriously starting to regret even giving the blond her attention. How did Sakura deal with this every day?

"It's like I said. I want to do something to help Hinata 'cause I heard she's been down lately. But her clan's not really cutting her much slack so I need Neji's help to find a way to talk to her. But since he's hardly ever around I need your help to talk to him!" Naruto explained all in one breath, and then waved over the server to order some tea.

TenTen slowly processed everything. "So, let me see if I'm understanding. You need my help…but only to get Neji's help so you can help Hinata?"

Naruto grinned brightly. "Yep!"

"Wow. Talk about going the long way. What am I even supposed to do?"

"Neji'll help out a teammate if you ask!"

TenTen looked at Naruto skeptically. "How do you know that?"

"Anyone would." The blonde said that so calmly the older kunoichi was a little surprised. Uzumaki Naruto…he was stronger, smarter, and she even thought he'd really eb Hokage one day. But he was still a goofball and he hadn't lost his faith in others. In his world, everyone helped their teammates, because it was the right thing to do. She guessed he had a point, though.

"So you want me to tell Neji I need help? Like today?"

"Um, I'll take whatever you have that's not bitter, please." Naruto was telling the waitress. "And some…hm…what do you recommend, TenTen? I don't come to tea shops that much…" TenTen opened her mouth, not sure if she'd tell him what she liked on the menu or scold him for being easily distracted.

"Oh, I know. Powdered donuts are fine." The waitress smiled, looking at Naruto all starry-eyed as she took his order. "Anyway," he turned back to an annoyed TenTen. "What?" She shook her head. "Yeah, just get in touch with Neji today and tell him I need to talk to him and that it's really important!"

"That's all well and good, but you expect me to agree to drag Neji away from his personal affairs and you haven't even said how you're gonna help Hinata." TenTen arched a brow.

"Well," Naruto trailed off.

Realization dawned on TenTen. "Oh. You don't even know, do you?" she laughed in disbelief.

"Don't laugh!" Naruto protested. "I'll…I'll think of something! She's gotta know she can still rely on her friends."

"Naruto I'm sure she knows that, but this is something that just has to run its cou—"

"You're sounding like Sakura now." Normally when Sakura's name left his lips, Naruto sounded like he was in the clouds. But he just sounded exasperated at the moment.

Seeing as the pink-haired kunoichi was incredibly intelligent, TenTen decided to take it as a compliment. "That means I'm making sense, yeah?" She sipped her tea.

"Girls always think they know everything…" Naruto muttered under his breath. Before TenTen could retort he continued. "But I know Hinata needs a friend right now!" His tea and donuts came just then and he took a big bite. "You'll see!" he exclaimed around a mouthful.

Unaware of her mother's dilemma, the pink-haired kunoichi had made it to the Yamanaka family flower shop. She pushed the door open to the familiar jingle of the bell, blinking in surprise that it was more crowded inside than she'd expected. The pink-haired girl waded through the throng of people, mumbling courtesies as she made her way to where she could see Ino, talking to an elderly couple who held a large bouquet of flowers. "Ino!" she called, waving slightly.

The blonde glanced up from explaining something to the couple, and her blue eyes immediately flooded with relief. Then she frowned, placing her hands on her shapely hips. "Sakura, it's about time!" she huffed. She turned back to the couple, wearing a polite smile again. "One moment please." The husband and wife nodded, turning to discuss the bouquet amongst themselves.

"Ino, what's going on?" Sakura's eyes darted around to look at all the chattering people examining flowers. "Is it always like this? It's not even noon yet."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well…" she motioned to the busy shop with a sweep of her arm. "As you can see there's not exactly a whole lot of standing space available, so do me a favor—grab an apron and man the register."

"W-What?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"You heard me." Ino leaned in, and Sakura could clearly see the exhaustion in her bottomless blue eyes. "Mom's upstairs sick in bed and it's just me today." She explained quietly.

Sakura sighed to herself, not bothering to protest. How could she call herself a friend and leave Ino to fend for herself when it was clear she needed the help. The proud blonde wouldn't have asked for help if she didn't want it.

Although it had been a while since she'd helped Ino (years, actually) in the flower shop, she was relieved she wasn't expected to do more than ring up purchases. Ino was already busy answering any questions customers had, but when they met eyes across the room, the blonde's were full of gratitude.

Sakura clenched her fists in determination, picking her way to the counter and finding a spare apron under it. She quickly put it on, just as the couple Ino had been talking to came forward, ready to check out. No sooner had she rang up their purchases than another man pushed his way up to the register, thrusting a bundle of hyacinths in her face. "Can I get a price check on these?!"

"Uh, sure…" Sakura carefully took the flowers from him and rang them up. "They're 1200 yen."

"What?!" he guffawed. "But these don't even look that fresh! What kinda con ya runnin' here?"

Sakura glared. For as long as she'd known Ino, she and her parents took great pride in their cultivation of herbs and flowers. No one knew more about flowers than Ino. No one could arrange a prettier bouquet on the spot. No one else could take a pot of soil and a weak little sapling and get the most beautiful blossoms to bloom.

The Yamanaka clan may have been shinobi by tradition, but they had managed to keep a successful business going for three generations, and Sakura wasn't about to let some cheap dumbass trash talk it. Just as she opened her mouth to respond to the rude customer, a sweet voice beat her to it.

"Is there a problem here, sir?" The man turned, startled to see Ino with her most saccharine expression. He faltered under her dazzling smile.

"Uh, um…I was just telling your clerk here that these are pretty high for a bouquet this size."

Sakura glared harder. 'Liar! Your issue wasn't with the size. You're just making up excuses because you can't afford those!'

But Ino's calm demeanor didn't change. Her normally sassy friend just continued to smile. "I'm sorry, sir. They've gone up some from the past, but they're out of season right now. You understand, of course."

The man seemed to be backed into a corner in the face of Ino's professionalism. "Er, r-right."

"Would it help if I sold them to you for 800 yen instead?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Ino, are you—"

Ino held up a hand, giving Sakura firm look.

The man grumbled, but began reaching into his pocket anyway. "Sure. Fine. 800 yen." Ino nodded.

Sakura rang the man up at the reduced price, simmering internally.

"Thank you sir, I hope you shop with us again in the future." The man looked uncomfortable as he took his purchase and left.

Sakura stared at Ino, both pissed off and impressed. She was more offended by the man's behavior on behalf of the Yamanaka family's hard work than Ino was! And the way Ino had handled him with such grace instead of arguing back…Sakura had to admit she was impressed.

"I know what you're thinking." The blonde said quietly. "And you're right. He was a jerk and he deserved not to leave with anything." Ino's head dipped down and she stared at her clasped hands. "But that's not the way Dad did business. People come to us to buy flowers for all kinds of occasions, to celebrate and to grieve. Sometimes they can be pretty rude. I use to be rude right back, but Dad taught me it's better to have patience, the way I would when I'm nurturing flowers."

Sakura listened to Ino silently. She made sense, and Sakura would have never stopped to think of it that way. "You remember what I told you once when we were kids? People are as different as flowers, Sakura. They can bloom in all kinds of ways. Understanding flowers is a lot simpler, though." She shrugged.

"Miss, do you have any potted plants?" The girls looked up to see a woman had wandered over, looking lost. "I'm looking for something hardy my daughter can take care of…" Ino nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. They're right this way. We've got several types of bonsai, and oh, some more exotic ones too…" She led the woman away, giving Sakura a wink over her shoulder.

For the rest of the hour, Sakura helped ring up customers without any more complaints, trying to be as patient as Ino was with them. The blonde was like a hummingbird, flitting from one customer to another and rattling off flower meanings and her thoughts on what arrangements best suited what occasion.

She was like a one-woman information station, and Sakura almost wondered if she was truly needed at all. By the time the customers had thinned out, she felt exhausted, even though she realized Ino had done most of the work.

"Alright, we're taking a break." Ino untied her apron with nimble fingers and tossed it behind the counter. Sakura noticed she was wearing her civilian attire underneath, a snug-fitting long-sleeved purple turtleneck dress with white tights. Sakura couldn't do anything but sigh loudly in relief as she untied her own apron. "Good hustle out there by the way. You really came through for me, Forehead." Ino laughed, some of the twinkle back in her eyes.

Sakura smirked good-naturedly. "You clearly were desperate for my help. You know I couldn't resist."

Ino batted her eyelashes prettily. "So you do find me irresistible. Poor Naruto's barking up the wrong tree." The girls burst out laughing together.

"Seriously Sakura, thanks."

"Don't mention it." Sakura said. "Just give me a head's up next time before you drag me into anything that crazy again."

"Mom, I'm heading out for a while with Sakura!" Ino called up the stairs.

"Alright, have fun girls!" Mrs. Yamanaka's voice shouted back.

Ino grabbed a large bouquet of muted colored flowers. It was an eloquent bouquet that wasn't as busy as some of the others they'd sold that morning. Sakura followed her friend to the door, where Ino flipped the sign to closed. "It dies down after lunch time but with Mom not feeling good, I wanna be sure she gets her rest." Ino explained.

Sakura smiled sympathetically. Ino's mom had become more frail lately, and the stress and grief of losing her husband didn't do her health any favors. Trying to keep the shop going was a huge responsibility, and Sakura now saw how slammed they got.

"You never answered my question…" Sakura mumbled as they started to walk, Ino clutching the bouquet gingerly. "Is it always like that?"

Ino shrugged noncommittally, glancing up at the sky. "It's a little overcast today…Shikamaru really likes this kind of weather. No point putting the flowers out for sunlight I guess." She sighed in disappointment.

"Ino…"

The Yamanaka seemed to snap back to attention. "Hm? Yeah, lately it's like that pretty much every day." She confirmed. "I guess I should be grateful business is good. Since it's just me and Mom now, the money helps." Sakura waited for her to continue, sensing there was something more.

"But it's hard to feel glad people are coming to the shop so much when I know the reason behind it."

Sakura was able to determine what Ino meant by her reaction. "The war."

Ino looked down at her feet as they walked. "Most days, people come into buy flowers for one of two reasons. For a grave or someone who's in the hospital." Again, the pinkette was reminded that not even a full month ago, they were on the battlefield. The scars of war would be around for a long, long time. For Ino, who had to go on living without seeing her father ever again, the scars were visible every day.

The blonde blinked back tears, and Sakura didn't comment. "But hey, I'm bringing down the mood." She smiled bravely. "Let's go drop these off, and then we can get lunch, do some shopping. There's a new spa that opened up you know."

"Sounds great, Ino." Sakura felt like she could do with some pampering.

"Yeah I know, you're starting to get wrinkles on that giant forehead." Ino snickered.

"Well I can't tell if those are bags under your eyes or if you're just caking your face with black eyeshadow." Sakura fired back.

The girls continued bantering, keeping the conversation light. Sakura was secretly happy to see that Ino's mood seemed to have lifted. Sadly, it dropped again when the cemetery came into view. Ino paused and took a deep breath. Sakura squeezed her shoulder supportively.

They walked through the hallowed grounds with quiet steps. Just the soft crunch of the fallen leaves under their feet making noise. So many of the graves were fresh… in fact, the cemetery had to be expanded as the bodies buried there had doubled in such a short period.

Ino found a grave a few rows back and took a long, shuddering breath. "Hi, Dad…" she whispered. Sakura couldn't do anything but offer her friend silent support. "I'm back. I brought Sakura this time." The blonde carefully kneeled in the dirt and gently set the fresh flowers atop the grave. "I'm doing fine and taking care of Mom and the shop, so don't worry about us." Ino sniffled quietly, rubbing at her eyes.

"And I think you'd be really impressed by how strong my team's Ino-Shika-Cho formation is. I-It might even be better than yours was." She laughed weakly. "Anyway, I came to ask you for advice…I'm thinking about taking your place in Ibiki-san's T&I division…" Sakura's eyes widened. "I haven't talked to him yet, I just wanted your blessing first." The air was unnaturally still. Sakura wasn't sure which one of them was waiting for a sign more, but Inoichi didn't seem inclined to give one. Ino got to her feet without a word, head downcast. "Let's go…" That was when the wind picked up in a strong gust, blowing their hair into their eyes.

Sakura brushed hair out of her face to see Ino was doing the same, having some difficultly with her longer hair. Something bright drifted up on the wind and caught in her golden mane. Ino spat out strands of hair that had gotten into her mouth and whipped it from her eyes. "What was that?" she muttered.

Sakura walked over and plucked the stray flower that had escaped the bouquet from Ino's head and handed it to her. "I think it was your sign."

Ino stared down at the flower in scrutiny, gasping. "This is a gladiolus…" She fingered the blossom gently.

"What's that mean?"

"A lot of things, depending." The Yamanaka girl shrugged. "But this time, I'm pretty sure it means 'good luck'." She cupped the flower in her hands and smiled up at the overcast autumn sky.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX

Kakashi was staring blankly at the Memorial Stone. He'd already lost track of how long he'd been there. As usual he stared at the same names. He felt like he needed to consult them with the weighty decision he had on his shoulders. He traced a finger over one name in particular. 'It was your dream, but now I'm not sure I'm cut out to fulfill it...'

Being Hokage was something Kakashi had never aspired to. He was content with where he was. That didn't stop the council from eying him for the job, though. He had known he was on the shortlist for a while. It wasn't the first time it had been hinted at, just the first time he'd been outright told. Deep down, Kakashi had probably hoped Naruto would be ready to assume the mantle before the council started seriously pressuring him to do it.

But from where he stood, even the Copy Cat nin could see that while Naruto had the power of a Hokage, he still had a lot to learn otherwise. He'd matured greatly but Hokage was a huge responsibility. He closed his eyes, thinking of his lost sensei and teammates. His parents. 'Give me strength.'

"...Kakashi?" His dark eyes snapped open, and he turned to see Sakura standing there, her pink hair blowing in the wind. She hugged herself slightly, walking towards him.

"Sakura." he nodded in acknowledgement. "I didn't expect to see you today. How was your girl's day with Ino?"

She smiled softly, and he was suddenly struck by how much she'd grown up. Gone was the naïve little girl who looked down at Naruto and blindly chased after Sasuke.

"Eventful, but fun." Sakura replied. "What have you been up to?"

"Just doing a bit of thinking." Kakashi said casually.

Sakura came even closer, running a hand over the smooth stone, her fingers skimming across his. Kakashi saw her green eyes search out the names of Rin, Obito and Minato-sensei, flickering from one to the other. She gave a short bow, whispering what he was sure was a prayer. She looked up, feeling his eyes on her. Blushing slightly, she fidgeted. "I...I asked them to keep watching over you."

He chuckled, placing a hand on her head. "Well that makes two of us."

Her beryl eyes looked up at him through her lashes and he looked right through her. "Kakashi?"

"Hm...?"

"What did the council want?"

He blinked. She was a sharp one. He should know by now he couldn't hide anything. "Well..." he sighed. "Seems like they think your old sensei should be the next Hokage."

Shock bloomed on Sakura's face, and then it lit up with a gasp. "Kakashi!" she squealed, hugging him.

"I haven't given them my answer yet."

Sakura pulled away, her brow furrowed. "Oh." Her arms unwound themselves from him as quickly as they'd hugged him. The silver-haired shinobi found himself feeling oddly remiss, like he'd said something to upset her. "That's probably a good thing though. It's a huge decision. How much time did they give you?"

"Until the end of the week..." he grumbled.

The kunoichi looked startled. "But that's only three days from now!"

Kakashi winced. "And unfortunately I wasted one of those trying to think of ways to stall the process and failing miserably."

Sakura tilted her head, her eyes looking right through him. "Are you worried you'll let them down?"

'How does she do that?' he thought.

"Among other things..." Kakashi admitted, rubbing at his neck. His other hand he had placed in his pocket. "It was Minato-sensei's job. Obito's goal. Naruto's dream. I'm not sure I could say I ever thought it'd be me sitting behind the Hokage's desk."

Sakura hummed. She looked like she was thinking. "Lots of things we never imagine happening to us, until they do. It doesn't mean it's not meant to be."

"Are you saying I should accept?" Kakashi half-teased.

"I'm saying if you did become the Rokudaime, I'd be confident you could do the job. In a way, you've already proven you can." Kakashi stared at the young kunoichi intently, and she looked away bashfully. "A-And someone's gonna have to break the news to Naruto, ya know? If you accept that is. He'll probably take it better if he hears it from me."

Kakashi smiled warmly. "You're something else."

"Huh?"

Sakura almost yelped in shock when he suddenly pulled his mask down past his lips and planted a kiss on her forehead, right over her seal. "Thank you." The poor pinkette was still trying to process everything when Kakashi poofed away.

I didn't really see this chapter becoming as angsty as it was until after I wrote it. But hey, this is a post-war fic, and I don't want to gloss over the fact that everyone is fighting their own battles and is a little bit broken. I did not intend to have a Mebuki POV…I don't even like Sakura's canon parents, truth be told. I probably just hate them on her behalf, because I'm protective of Sakura, and the couple of times she brings them up they sound like they suck. But yeah, whatever, Marie asked if Naruto would get his jacket back, and I'd honestly forgotten Sakura still had it. Then I went back and reread last chapter and sure enough…Sakura never gave it back. That sly girl. XD I decided I could use that for this chapter.

Hope the KakaSaku went well. It's my first time ever including it in a story.

Isn't Sakura an amazing friend? Platonic!InoSaku FTW! Hell, if I had to ship Sakura romantically with any one female character, it'd be Ino.

Btw, Blanking Out said they were confused about the law hinted at in the summary because there hasn't been any sign of it happening yet. I haven't forgotten about that. I'm just taking my time with it because it's sort of a bombshell for the characters and becomes a major plot point for this story.