Not a whole lot to say except please review~!

In this chapter, italicized dialogue is from Sai's memory.

"And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time."– Libba Bray

Sai found himself thinking a lot in his moments of solitude recently. His life had changed drastically in such a short time, and there was still so much he was learning. He sometimes marveled at how he had changed. He knew what it meant to have teammates he cared about now, and teammates who cared about him.

Danzo was no longer giving him orders and telling him what to think, and what not to feel. There were times when he'd check his tongue in the mirror just to see if the curse seal was truly gone. It had disappeared with Danzo's death.

After the war, everyone seemed to be trying to pick up the pieces and find their own ways to rebuild their lives. Sai, however, had been trying to find his way since he'd first committed to trusting in Team 7. He didn't want to trouble his teammates—he often still had a hard time expressing exactly what he wanted, anyway—who were all dealing with readjusting to everyday life. Instead, he tried to discover who "Sai" really was.

He went to the library and poured over countless self-help and self-enlightenment books. He walked the streets of the village and watched shinobi and civilian alike band together to rebuild. He studied families, children being scolded lovingly by their parents, and lovers who leaned into each other and shared sweet kisses in the tranquility of a peaceful autumn day.

Sai sketched the trees as the leaves fell in the day, and the village bathed in moonlight from his window at night. He'd even been writing things down in a journal. After expressing that he felt slightly at a loss, not having any orders to follow, Sakura had given the empty book to him shortly after they got home from the war.

"This is your new mission, from me and the rest of the team. Keep this with you and learn as many new things as you can. When you have special memories you want to keep, write them down. Every day! Got it?"

So he had. Sai meticulously wrote down the details of the new things he'd learned. He even wrote down questions he wanted to ask his teammates. There were still lots of free pages left, and Sakura hadn't told him how much he was supposed to write, but he felt…proud of himself so far.

Every new experience was a new entry. The time a lost child had smiled at and hugged him, when he'd reunited her with her parents. The time he'd gained the friendship of a stray cat that lived in an alley near his apartment building. The time he had managed to have a conversation with Uchiha Sasuke and not call him "traitor". Granted, that conversation had been no longer than five minutes, and incredibly one-sided, but Sai believed he'd been listening.

Soon, he would be able to show Sakura and the others how well he'd been doing. That was the thought in his mind when he took his sketch book and journal and left his apartment. The weather was crisp, like it had been every day of the month so far. Winter was around the corner, and for the first time he could remember, Sai was anticipating all the things the season brought. He'd asked his teammates what they liked about the season. He wanted to try doing their favorite seasonal activities.

Naruto explained one of the best things about winter was a dish called "shabu shabu". Sakura, who had overheard Naruto's exuberant yell, agreed that she remembered having it often as a child, especially when it was cold.

Sai had never paid much attention to food, but since joining Team 7, he looked forward to trying new dishes, whether it was something Sakura cooked or a restaurant he'd never been to. When the weather got cold enough, he hoped they could all share shabu shabu together.

When he'd asked Sakura what she liked most about cold days, she'd dreamily started talking about reading a stack of her favorite books by a warm fire. Naruto began pretending to gag, until Sakura put him in a chokehold. Sai already read often, but Sakura told him he didn't always have to read to study. Reading could be for fun, too. So, he resolved himself to try reading in front of a fire on a winter day.

Kakashi had acted almost bashful when he'd asked the silver-haired jonin what he did in winter. He started saying something about always being in winter…the "winter of his life". Sai didn't understand the expression, so he wrote it down to look up. Sakura had then complained that their sensei was being dramatic about his age again, considering he hadn't quite brushed thirty.

Relenting to Sakura's annoyance and Sai's expectant stare, Kakashi had finally told him that there was a bakery in the village that made special cakes just for winter. Allegedly, Kakashi always bought one of these cakes, because one of his teammates had loved them.

Sakura had looked almost sorry for pushing after he'd revealed that, but Sai had simply nodded and dutifully wrote it down.

When he'd gotten to Yamato, the normally serious man had laughed and humbly said his tradition was boring. "So are you," Naruto quipped. "But tell us anyway!" Somehow the whole team had become interested in Sai's exercise of finding out what each member did during winter.

Yamato sighed, "It's nothing much. I just visit a shrine, and pray for a peaceful transition to a new year."

Naruto nodded like he'd expected the answer. "Yup. Boring. That sounds about right."

Then an eerie smile had stretched Yamato's face. "If you've got time to be bored, perhaps I could think up a new training regimen just for you." Sai hadn't understood why Naruto's face became so pale after that. Normally, he was excited about new training. Naruto could be made to do almost anything in the name of training.

"N-New training? Fr-from you…?" The blonde gulped. "I…I have to go home and, uh, wash dishes!" Sai had never seen Naruto run off so fast in the sake of self-preservation.

Sai remembered how he'd turned to the silent Uchiha, who had been watching everything unfold. "And you?" The word "traitor" was on his lips, but he held it in.

Sasuke stared at him blankly. "I don't have traditions. Those are pointless."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Really? Because it seems like I remember you used to go and participate in one of the traditions at the shrine every year. I'd see you there sometimes when I was there with my parents. You'd be there to burn an omamori, just like everyone else."

Sasuke scowled at her, but didn't deny it. Sai didn't think someone like Uchiha Sasuke would believe in traditions to begin with. He still wrote burning an omamori down as Sasuke's contribution to his list. Sai had gone out and read about omamori afterwards.

They were protection charms, and burning them in a bonfire at the turn of a new year was the only way to dispose of them without bringing bad luck. He was determined to do all the traditions and make the most of the season, so he was determined to find a good luck charm. Even if he only bought it to burn it.

That's what had led him to leave his apartment in search of the things he'd need. As he walked the village streets, he tried to think of where he could find something. Where did people go when they needed luck? It wasn't something he'd ever thought of.

He saw an elderly woman with a cane walking by, a hand rubbing at her hunched back, and he approached her silently.

"Excuse me," he began. "But—"

Unexpectedly, she began brandishing her cane like a weapon, waving it around so that Sai was forced to duck. "What do ya want? You a mugger? Well, you won't get anything from me but a knock on the head!"

"I'm not a mugger!" Sai raised his hands defensively, dodging another surprisingly hard swing. "I just wanted to ask—"

It was clear the woman wasn't listening, and when he looked closer, he noticed her squinted eyes were a milky, glazed color. "Take that!" she cried. "And this!"

Sai backed away from her, a safe distance from the reach of her cane. The woman took a few more swipes at the air, before slowly lowering her cane and walking off like nothing happened. Sai blinked in confusion. 'Well, at least no one I know saw that.'

There was a low whistle behind him. "Never thought I'd see the day a member of one of our most capable teams gets subdued by an old lady…" Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino were both watching him.

"Ah, hello Ino," he greeted, "And Shikamaru,"

"What happened to 'gorgeous'?" Ino asked.

"I've found that nicknames aren't necessary in order to foster friendship." Sai explained.

Ino pouted. "Damn, I think I could've gotten used to that."

"Well, if you'd prefer—"

"Nah man, ignore her." Shikamaru held up a hand. "Feed her ego and it's just more unbearable for the rest of us."

Ino ribbed Shikamaru hard in the side. Sai knew that the gesture was supposed to be used playfully, but the way Shikamaru briefly doubled over with a hand over the spot didn't look like he'd enjoyed it much. Sai mentally made a note of that. "So what did you do to piss off that old lady, anyway?" Ino asked, hands on her hips. "She's usually pretty sweet. Comes in the shop sometimes. I haven't seen her much since…her son died in the war though. Pretty sure it's just her now."

Sai wasn't sure he'd ever felt true embarrassment, but being caught losing against an old woman certainly elicited an emotion close to what he'd read embarrassment felt like. "I was…going to ask her where I could purchase an omamori. I've read that visiting shrines is popular among the elderly."

Ino snorted in a decidedly pig-like manner. She turned to Shikamaru, covering her laughing mouth with manicured hand, and ribbed him again. "Did ya hear that? He almost got his ass kicked by a blind old lady over an omamori!" Ino burst into peals of laughter then. Sai watched her in confusion, while Shikamaru gave his blonde teammate an exasperated look.

"Ino," the Nara sighed briskly. "Come on…"

Ino blinked, wiping a tear beading in the corner of her eye. "Sorry, okay, I'm fine now."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Well, you got her to laugh. So thanks for that. But man, there's still a whole other month after this until the new year…what're you doing thinking about good luck charms? You don't strike me as the superstitious type."

"I'm making seasonal traditions." Sai explained. "I've gotten suggestions from the rest of Team 7, and I'd like to try them for myself."

Ino and Shikamaru shared a look.

"Good luck with that…"

"We can help you," Ino offered. Shikamaru made a face.

"We're not on the same page." Shikamaru muttered to himself, his brown eyes annoyed. "Of course we're not. When are we ever?"

"What Shikamaru means is, come with us, Sai!" Ino cheerfully took his wrist. "He's just helping me run errands for my mom. I drag him along to do the heavy lifting. So his schedule's clear for the day either way."

"Thank you…" Sai said as he was dragged along. Ino had his wrist in one hand and Shikamaru's arm in the other. Her hand was holding on tight, and by the expression on the Nara's face, he wasn't sure if he should be grateful or cautious for her help.

Ino's eyes were bright as she rambled on about all the different charms he could buy.

Shikamaru turned and glared at him, mouthing, "What have you done?"

He wasn't ready for this meeting. Very likely, he never would be. But three days had come and gone. Kakashi walked into the Hokage's office to see the same three faces waiting for him as the last time he'd been.

There was very little preamble. Almost immediately after he'd sat down in front of them, they were on him.

"So you've reached your decision?" Homura asked.

"Yes," Kakashi looked both elders in the eyes. "Not lightly, of course."

"Well then, go on my boy," Koharu prompted.

"I've decided I will take the position."

Kakashi felt a little sick to see their wrinkled mouths curls up into satisfied smiles. If they thought they would have a Rokudaime they could control or undermine, they were mistaken.

"Excellent! Now, we've only to write our allies. The coronation should be help as soon—"

"With all due respect, Homura-sama, there's more." Kakashi was determined to have some leverage going into this. He was never one for politics. He found it tedious and underhanded, but if he was going to accept the title, he owed to himself and those that believed in him to ensure a few things.

"More? What do you mean?" Homura huffed, frowning.

"I believe Kakashi's telling us he has conditions." Tsunade stated. "So, let's hear them."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." Kakashi cleared his throat. "I should be honest and tell you all taking up the mantel of Hokage was never one of my aspirations. But, I would be honored to serve my village as its leader."

"Then what's the problem?" Koharu asked impatiently.

"There's no problem, but I simply ask that a successor of my choosing be trained for the position as soon as the coronation is over. I want to nominate Uzumaki Naruto as my successor. And as soon as he's proven himself capable enough for the job, it'll go to him. No matter how long or short I've had the role."

"What?" the elders sputtered together. Kakashi anticipated that, and by the look on Tsunade's face, she had too.

"Absolutely not!" Homura protested. "That boy is grossly inept. Not only that, but when we conferred with Tsunade about entrusting you with the position, we believed you'd take it seriously. Now here you are, suggesting we allow that… that…fox m—"

"Careful, Homura-sama~" Tsunade grinned tightly, raising a finger and leveling it at his forehead. "One well-placed flick and you could have more than a nasty bruise."

"How dare you?!" Koharu cried.

"No, how dare you." Tsunade growled. "That boy is no longer your scapegoat. Uzumaki Naruto is a war hero and a shinobi of this village. Without his efforts during the war, where would any of us be?"

Kakashi was glad for the mask that hid the smirk on his face. The elders opened their mouths but Tsunade wasn't done. "Physically, Naruto is more than on the level of a Hokage. A year or two more of studying and he could be one of the finest Hokage this village has ever had. True, he's not bookish by any means, but I'm sure Kakashi's already thought of how to remedy that." She nodded at him respectfully. "At any rate, for the last four years you two have plotted against, objected to and undermined my authority at every turn. I think it's high time you crones do a little listening now."

"C-Crones?" Koharu repeated, her face reddening as she touched a hand to her cheek. "See here, Tsunade-hime—"

"I do believe there was more you had to say, Kakashi?" Tsunade rested her chin against her palm, ignoring the shocked elders.

Kakashi pretended to cough into his hand so the elders wouldn't hear the quiet snicker. "Yes, so I'd like to grant Naruto access to the Hokage library and have him train in preparation to take the next Jounin exam."

"How presumptuous!" Homura scoffed. "The boy hasn't even been elevated to chunin yet!"

"That's true," Kakashi nodded, "But given that he's been through the exam once and has full control of the Kyuubi now, I think we can go ahead and raise his ranking, with the Hokage's approval, of course. Then he can immediately be prepared for the Jounin exams."

"Those are but a few months away…" Koharu smirked. "If you truly believe that you can have the boy ready by then, by all means."

"What other demands do you have, Hatake?" Homura asked gruffly.

"That's all, for the moment."

Kakashi could see both Homura and Koharu were simmering. But, he was their top pick for a reason. They might not like his proposal but if they turned him down and risked losing him as a candidate, they'd be scrambling for another one.

"Right then, the coronation will take place in January." Tsunade smiled. "In the meantime, I think things have been too gloomy around here lately. We all need a reason to let loose."

"Really, and what would you suggest Lady Hokage?" Kakashi asked in amusement.

Tsunade sucked in a deep breath. "Originally, I wanted a gambling tournament, but Shizune was convinced it wouldn't go over well for some reason."

Kakashi smiled politely to keep from voicing his agreement.

"So, instead we're having a festival. Everyone can wear their best kimonos, and eat tasty food. It's gonna be a big hit. I'm even thinking of inviting our allies."

"What?" Homura squawked. "This is the first we're hearing of any of this! You're speaking of an event of great magnitude, the village isn't ready to host such a thin—"

"Oh, quiet," Tsunade muttered. "If I can't get my gambling tournament we're doing the damn festival and that's final. The village isn't exactly in shambles anymore you know. If either of you bothered to get out of your coffins during the day and take a walk around the village you'd know that. Instead of shutting ourselves off from the world, this is the perfect chance to make sure relations stay strong following the war."

Kakashi and the elders watched as Tsunade fished under her desk and procured an unlabeled bottle. She smiled fondly at the dark bottle with a gleam in her eyes.
"Honey wine. Some of the finest. There'll be plenty of this at the festival…" she uncorked the top and began guzzling straight from the bottle, holding the neck.

Koharu gave an indignant gasp. "Can't you even control yourself?" she screeched. "Such undignified behavior."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Kakashi, I'm going to want your input about festival activities once I get the planning committee together. It'd be a good time to introduce you to the village and our allies as the next Hokage, too,"

Kakashi bowed his head respectfully. "Of course, Lady Hokage,"

"You won't get to call me that for much longer," Tsunade laughed. "I'm going to be enjoying retirement this time next year." She took another swig from her bottle, humming happily. "This is the Senju's specialty." She showed Kakashi the Senju crest on the bottle's cork, ignoring the annoyed elders on either side of her. "I remember when my grandfather was around, he had a whole cellar of the stuff. Only the finest quality honey goes into it, so—"

Homura cleared his throat. "If you're done professing your love of alcohol, we have other matters to discuss between the three of us. Kakashi, you may leave now."

Tsunade glared angrily at her former sensei's teammates, but sighed as she turned to Kakashi. "I'll see you soon, Kakashi. Good luck breaking the news to Naruto," she placed the bottle down.

Kakashi withheld a groan. He'd have to take Sakura up on her offer to console Naruto after all.

Sakura let herself into Kakashi's apartment using the key he'd loaned her. She balanced a large brown bag of groceries under one arm, a small plastic bag of drinks under her chin, and a box of dog biscuits under her other arm.

She just barely got the door open without dropping anything, and when she made it inside, she closed the door with her foot. It was quiet and still in the apartment. "Sasuke, it's Sakura!" she called, making her way to the kitchen and setting everything down. Kakashi had asked her to stop by and check on the Uchiha, and knowing he was going to meet with Tsunade and the council to give them his answer, she'd agreed.

'It's too late for him to be sleeping in,' Sakura knew better than that. She also knew Sasuke wasn't supposed to be roaming the village unattended just yet. She felt it was excessive. Why allow Sasuke to come home and then basically put him on house arrest?

"Looking for Sasuke, eh?" Pakkun came trotting into the kitchen, glancing up at her.

"Um, yeah," Sakura nodded. "I brought some stuff by for him and Kakashi. You know, a few groceries. Kakashi's a bachelor so he barely stocks his pantry from one day to the next," She rolled her eyes. "But I want them both to eat."

"You're a peach, Sakura," Pakkun grinned, wagging his tail. "Anything else? Meaty, yummy treats maybe?" he stared at the bags hopefully.

"Oh no you don't!" Sakura wagged her finger at the ninken. "Don't think I just forgot all about that little stunt you pulled!"

Pakkun's tail dropped and he ducked his head. "Just a little fun. Wasn't even my idea. It was all Akino's, really."

"Hardly!" A voice barked from around the corner.

"I'm putting these up here," Sakura said warily, setting the treats she'd picked up on top of the refrigerator.

"She put the treats up high," Pakkun called.

A chorus of groans sounded throughout the apartment.

"Anyway, where's Sasuke? I figured we could have lunch together if he's hungry." Sakura began rummaging through the grocery bags she'd brought along, setting things out on the table.

"In the shower right now. He came back a little while ago. Went out with that Wood-user, Yamato to train." Pakkun answered, hopping up on a chair so he could sniff at the bags.

"Bad dog!" Sakura scolded, sliding the bag away so Pakkun fell flat across the table. "Don't you dare take anything or you're in the dog house!"

Pakkun held up a paw. "Whoa, easy. What do we have to do to make this right? Wanna feel my paw pad?"

Sakura gave the canine a bemused look. "Not... particularly, no..."

"They're soft and supple!" Pakkun shook his paw at her enticingly.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura gently squeezed the small paw. "Hey, they are kind of plush..." she mused, rubbing her thumb across it.

"Yeah, just like that," Pakkun closed his eyes happily.

"Is she feeling paw pads?" someone asked. "Do mine next!"

"No way! It's been forever since I had a good foot massage," Before Sakura knew it she was surrounded by eight dogs of varying sizes, all of them holding out paws to her.

Sakura shook her head in disbelief. "You're joking, right? What do I look like, a dog masseuse?"

"You felt Pakkun's!" complained a tan dog with floppy ears. Sakura thought his name might've been Bisuke but she wouldn't put money on it.

"Well, that's..." Sakura stopped touching Pakkun's paw and fixed the group of ninken with what she hoped was a stern glare. "Look, I'm just here to drop off some food, maybe make some lunch. Since Sasuke's in the shower I'll just tell Kakashi that–"

"Sakura." She was surprised by the familiar baritone, glancing behind her to see Sasuke standing in the kitchen entryway, toweling his damp hair.

"S-Sasuke?" She turned to face him, immediately noticing he was only wearing black pants. Her eyes involuntarily drifted down the defined planes of his stomach, stopping on his belly button and quickly finding his face again.

"What're you doing? Put on a shirt before you get a cold or something!" There was that medic instinct kicking in.

"In a minute," he said dismissively, walking closer. "Kakashi said you'd stop by at some point. What's all this?"

Sakura, for some reason, found herself swallowing nervously. 'What the hell is wrong with me? It's just Sasuke!' After all these years, she thought she could finally control herself better around him. She was only just learning to forgive him. But suddenly, she felt like the fawning twelve-year old girl with the crush all over again, all because he was staring at her with those mysterious eyes and walking around shirtless. 'It's not even the first time I've seen him like this.'

"Just a few things I picked up. You know, for the pantry." Sakura was proud she'd managed to keep her composure.

"You don't have to keep doing Kakashi's grocery shopping."

She shrugged. He had a point. Lately, whenever she stopped by she'd picked up things without a second thought. "But if I don't do it, I'm not sure either one of you keep things in the kitchen." Sakura fixed him with the same stern expression she'd given the dogs. "I bet you guys would go right back to takeout all the time."

Sasuke didn't deny it, instead focusing on the bags she'd brought."Hn," he reached for a shiny red tomato sitting in the paper bag but she swatted his hand away.

"Nope. I need that."

Sasuke gave her a flat look, clearly not appreciating being denied the tomato. "For what?"

"Since it's just the two of us, I thought I'd make some tomato and tofu soup."

The Uchiha thought about it, seemingly relenting as he stepped slightly away from the table. Sakura nodded to herself. "Why don't you go finish changing?" she asked, back to him. "I've got it in here."

She didn't get an answer, but she knew he had listened when she felt the slight breeze as he walked by swiftly. She let out a deep breath. A hand trailed up to place itself on her sweater, where her heart thumped loudly. 'Come to think of it, this is the first time we've been alone together in...a long time, really.' The physical exam she'd conducted on him shortly after they all made it back to the village didn't really count, did it?

As a little girl, she might have dreamed of something like this, cooking for Sasuke and then sharing lunch together, maybe on a date or even as husband and wife (her twelve year old self would then squeal, blush, and shove a pillow over her warm face). But, that felt like a lifetime ago. Now, it almost seemed wrong without the rest of the team around.

Someone near her foot cleared their throat. She looked down, blinking. The dogs were looking up at her knowingly.

"And just what're those looks supposed to mean?"

"For mates, you two seem to dance around each other a lot." said a ninken with spiky fur.

Sakura choked on a laugh as she got out a pot and filled it with water. "Mates? No, you mean teammates."

"I know what a teammate is!" the dog huffed indignantly. "And I know what a pack mate is. But aren't you two lifemates?"

Sakura turned a stove on, trying to process the dog's awkward question. 'Great. I'm being grilled on my love life by talking animals.'

"No," she swallowed. "Just teammates."

"Really?" the dog asked, sounding both suspicious and confused. "But the way you smell around each other...anyone would think you're mates. Right guys?"

"Not me!" bragged the little dog with the floppy ears. "I think she'd be a better mate for Kakashi."

Sakura's jaw dropped and she almost cut herself with the knife she was using to chop up tofu.

"Bisuke...you might've gone too far. Kakashi's been looking out for her since she was just a pup." Pakkun stated.

Sasuke chose that moment to reappear in the kitchen. He moved to the table and took the bag of drinks, beginning to put them in the fridge. When he noticed Sakura was just staring blankly at the tofu on the cutting board, he felt the need to ask. "What's that face for?"

"Kakashi's dogs think we're dating..." Sakura said absently. The hounds were all smart. That was to be expected from animals that had mastered human speech. But she never would've thought they'd all invested that much interest in the dynamics of Team 7. They were worse than gossiping academy girls.

"They're dogs, let them think whatever they want." Sasuke replied almost lazily, edging his way back towards the bag with the tomatoes in it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" barked Akino. "Think you're so much better, mister opposable thumbs?"

Sasuke ignored them, eying the bright red skin of the tomato. Sakura turned around and pointedly snatched them up, briefly sticking her tongue out at him. "What did I say, Uchiha Sasuke? Wait until I'm done!"

The way she said it, Sasuke vaguely remembered his mother scolding him when he impatiently tried to taste food before dinner.

"See?" grumbled the dog with the particularly sharp teeth and spiky fur on his head. "He doesn't even listen to Kakashi half the time, but he listens to her right away. Mates!"

Sakura cleared her throat in embarrassment. She could laugh it off when it was just a bunch of dogs, speculating about her love life, but when Sasuke was actually in the room, it was another story.

"I still say she'd be better for Kakashi..." Bisuke objected.

"All this time, I thought she was mates with Naruto, are you all sure they're not?" Yet another dog piped up. The one with all the bandages wrapped around his head, neck and shoulders.

"What's gotten into all of you?" Sakura asked, shocked.

"You're the only female on a team full of males, Sakura. In a pack, you'd definitely be mated to someone by now." Pakkun explained. "Especially a girl that smells as good as you do. Loving the new shampoo." he added, nodding sagely.

The rest of his pack brothers made noises of agreement.

"Well, humans are kinda different," Sakura said unsurely. "Relationships are...complicated." she continued chopping tomatoes thoughtfully. By now the water had started simmering, so she dropped in base for the soup. "And anyway," she continued, "there's nothing like that going on with any of us...just...just because two people smell a certain way around each other it doesn't mean they're dating!"

"Of course it does." Bisuke said exasperatedly. "That's what we've been trying to tell you! Humans can say whatever they want, but pheromones don't lie. When you're around someone you're attracted to, even if it's just on a biological level, your scent changes. And you," Bisuke scented the air for emphasis, "Smell like you could be mates with any of the males on the team."

And that was when Sakura's grip on the knife slipped and she sliced her finger.

Naruto sighed impatiently as he watched Hyuga Neji gracefully move his way through the crowd to meet him in front of the tea shop. "'Bout time Neji!"

"Naruto," the Hyuga smiled thinly. "Impatient as always."

"Damn right," the blonde groused. "It's been a freaking week."

"Three days," Neji corrected primly. "I believe TenTen told me three days ago you'd like to see me."

"A week, three days…either way you took your sweet time." Naruto complained. "Anyway, you already know why I wanted to see you."

"Yes," Neji nodded. "You'd like a private audience with Hinata-sama."

"Ideally, yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "TenTen said she probably wouldn't be free until after her coronation."

"The transition is always a meticulous process in our clan," Neji confirmed. "She's been groomed for this her entire life, but there were still many things Hiashi-sama wished to impart on her, before his untimely death," Neji sighed. "So I've been filling in as both her support and advisor as best I can."

Naruto waved his hand. "All that stuffy mumbo-jumbo goes over my head, you know that."

Neji smirked wryly. "True. Unfortunate for a man who wishes to become Hokage. Eventually you'll be forced to deal with the mumbo-jumbo."

Naruto sucked his teeth and crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'll manage. Don't worry about that. Anyway, do you think you can help me?"

Neji looked at Naruto seriously. "For Hinata-sama's sake, I will. I believe that speaking with you may lift her spirits…" Naruto grinned. "However," just as quickly the Hyuga had seized the front of Naruto's shirt and dragged him closer until they were almost nose to nose. "She is in a vulnerable state. Do anything to upset her, anything at all," The veins around his eyes bulged as his Byakugan activated, "And your chakra points will be sealed for life."

Naruto pushed against Neji's cheek to create distance. "When did you turn into Hinata's attack dog?" he asked. "I'm not gonna hurt her. She's my friend! I just wanna know how to help her."

Neji gave him a long, pointed stare before his Byakugan deactivated. "Alright. I felt it was only right to issue fair warning."

"Message received."

"Tonight would be the best time, I will meet you then," Neji started to move into the tea shop, until Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Meet where exactly?"

"I will guide Hinata-sama to the courtyard, and escort you in quietly," Neji explained. "I can't stress that stealth and discretion are extremely important."

"Stealth. Discretion." Naruto repeated. "Hah! Are you kidding me? They call me the Stealthy Ninja of Discretion for a reason!" he boasted.

Neji gave him a flat stare. "If that were true, you wouldn't wear orange clothes." Naruto pouted as the Hyuga left him to find a seat in the tea shop.

-MtW-

Naruto found the heiress sitting in the courtyard, staring up at the moon. She was so preoccupied that she was oblivious to his presence, so he opted to get her attention quietly. "Psst! Hinata…hey!"

Hinata, startled, quickly turned around, gasping when she saw Naruto of all people standing there. "N-Naruto!" She stood up, impressively fast even in a yukata. Her round eyes took him in from head to toe, surprise clearly written on her face. "W-What are…"

Sheepishly, Naruto rubbed his head. "Ehe…uh, I sort of got Neji to help me sneak in. I haven't seen you in a while, and…" he trailed off, taking a deep breath to compose himself. "Ah crap, sorry. I'm no good at this, ya know?"

Hinata tilted her head in confusion. "Were you…worried about me?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Well yeah, a little. It's gotta be rough, cooped up in here and all. And, there's some stuff I think we should talk about."

Hinata stared at her clasped hands, "I…I see." She motioned for him to follow her as she walked back to the porch overlooking the moonlit courtyard. Naruto carefully sat down.

"Yeah…um," Naruto, for the first time, had an idea of what it was like to be in the shy kunoichi's shoes, fumbling for his words. "I know you're gonna become clan head soon, and I didn't wanna leave things like they were."

"W-What do you mean?" Hinata swallowed thickly.

Naruto looked at her intently, even though his heart was racing more than he'd admit. "You…did you really mean what you said, when you jumped in the way during the Pein attack?"

The heiress instantly felt her cheeks warm up, reverting back to the old habit of poking her fingers together. "W-Well…yes. I…I've loved you for a long time."

Naruto's head bowed in shame. "And I guess I was kind of a jerk, not really answering back then…"

Hinata shook her head. "No…it was bad timing." She reassured him. "I'm sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable."

"It's not really that…it's just…well, it's just…Sakura is—"

Hinata smiled sadly, placing a hand on top of Naruto's. "A-Actually, it's alright, Naruto-kun. I never expected tou-san to…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them, a tear trickled down her cheek. "I see now that I took things for granted. I thought I'd have time to become an heiress worthy of the Hyuga name. I kept saying I wouldn't go back on my word, just like you don't…but now I wonder if…if I was just scared to find my own ninja way."

Naruto glanced at the young woman in confusion. "Whatdaya mean?"

"Finding my own path was scary…so I thought I would be okay as long as I followed yours. But now I see that's not the right way either." Hinata sighed heavily. "In a way, maybe I wasn't as ready to accept being heiress as I said I was. Tou-san's sacrifice showed me that. Neji-niisan and Hanabi-chan and everyone else are counting on me. So no more running away." There was a certain determination in her pale eyes Naruto had never seen before. In the moonlight, Hinata looked like a completely different person than the shy kunoichi he had known for years.

The blonde smiled encouragingly. "Don't forget all your friends are behind you too. Kiba and everybody's been really worried."

"I know. I worried everyone…and I even acted so sad Neji-nii brought you here in the middle of the night to talk to me." She laughed quietly.

"What are friends for, right?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes." She stared up at the moon again, a true smile on her face. The gloomy aura seemed to have lifted considerably.

"I have a responsibility to the clan now. I know the clan council wants to arrange a marriage for me soon… A-And if that means closing the door on my feelings, once and for all…" It was Naruto's turn to put his hand on top of the Hyuga's as she became choked up. "T-Then I'll say goodbye."

"Hinata…" his thumb wiped away a tear trailing down her face. "You know, making your own way doesn't mean you have to give up everything to make other people happy. It's sort of the opposite."

Hinata tilted her head into his warm hand, blinking slowly up at him.

Naruto grinned brightly. "You're gonna be the leader in a few days. So if you need to put your foot down, then do it!"

Hinata's eyes widened in awe as if she never considered she was allowed to do such a thing. Suddenly, in a bold move she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "T-Thank you,"

Shocked at first, Naruto tried to process the fact that Hyuga Hinata was boldly hugging him. But deciding better than to comment on it and embarrass her, he gently returned the embrace, until she was ready to pull away.

The indigo-haired girl blushed, her actions finally registering. "S-Sorry!"

Naruto laughed. Some things never changed. "No, it's fine."

Hinata stood slowly, Naruto following. "It's getting late. I should go back inside."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, and I guess I should head home." He looked at the heiress fondly. Maybe he couldn't return her feelings, but he truly did care for Hinata. "Take care of yourself, Hinata."

"You too, Naruto," she returned, waving goodnight before she stepped into her compound.

Naruto looked up at the night sky feeling like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He was glad Hinata understood. She was a nice girl, and this way, he wouldn't have to worry about Neji being out for his blood.

'Things turned out okay after all,' Naruto thought contentedly. 'But...why do I feel like kicking Sasuke's ass?'

Sai gets a little loving~ I've always liked him. I think he's underrated, and then he's in Sasuke's shadow because people want to make him out to be a carbon copy of Sasuke when he's completely different in looks and personality? It's so unfair Sai doesn't get his own spotlight but is instead "the replacement" to a lot of people.

Anyway…yeah, Kakashi won the Hokage vote so it looks like that's one of the very, very few things that will follow canon post ch.699 about this story.

What's this? Some revelations made thanks to Kakashi's pack maybe? Hm...we'll see. Just keep in mind that this is still a polyandry fic, sooo Sakura ends up with all Team 7 males (eventually).

I tried to give Naruto and Hinata a peaceful sort of resolution to her confession. I am anti-NaruHina, but I'm not against anyone having a happy ending and I don't hate Hinata. I want Hinata to have more agency. I want her to want to have more agency, so that's where I was going with this. If you noticed, all the girls are moving into their own. Instead of thinking about dates, Ino wants to follow in her father's footsteps, Hinata has accepted her role as heiress, and Sakura…well, that's yet to come. ;) She will not be on the sidelines though.

Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the holiday season, if you're in a part of the world where it's celebrated.

There's some heavy political crap as well as preparations for the festival next chapter. More of Team 7 together, and things possibly heating up. :D