It was two days later that Gaara and his entourage arrived at Konoha's main gates. The two shinobi at the gate immediately recognized him and bowed in respect to the Kazekage. He gave them a slight nod and continued down the main street. Temari and Kankuro were on each of his sides, while Naruto and Sakura were behind them along with the other sand-nin.

Naruto felt people's eyes on him as he walked down the road he'd been on thousand of times. People were looking at him with everything from shock to confusion to curiousness over who he was.

"Sakura-chan, why is everyone staring at me?" he asked softly. She grinned at him.

"If I had to guess, I have a feeling that some of them can't figure out who you are; you're not wearing your normal orange clothes. Plus, you look a lot like your father in that outfit so they must think the Fourth has been magically resurrected."

"It sounds strange, but I guess it makes sense."

"Naruto, why don't you gone ahead with Gaara to see Tsunade. I want to grab some things from my apartment and also talk to my parents – about us."

Her lover immediately became concerned when she mentioned that last part.

"Should I come with you?"

"No, let me explain it to them first, okay. I know you want to be there with me, Naruto, and I love you for it, but let me talk to them first. I want to see if they are going to be accepting of you or not, and I'll get a better answer if you're not there to make them lie about their thoughts."

"All right. Just promise me that you'll contact me if you need me. If your parents are upset about me, I want to be there with you."

Sakura smiled and nodded her head. She kissed his cheek and leapt up onto Konoha's rooftops heading towards her parents' home. Naruto didn't know why, but he felt a little uneasy at that moment.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura arrived at her parents' place a short time later. Opening the front door, she heard voices coming from the living room area and headed inside.

"Mom…Dad…I'm back," she called.

"Sakura! You're home," said her mother happily as her daughter entered the living room.

"How have you…been?" Sakura's voice died out as she saw who was sitting on the couch talking to her parents.

"Sakura…good to see you again; I've missed you," came a voice that she absolutely did not want to hear right now.

"Hello…Sasuke…what brings you here today?" she asked trying to remain civil.

"Sakura…why didn't tell us you two were engaged?" her father asked with a wide smile.

"ENGAGED?" his daughter practically shrieked, and she saw the smirk form on Sasuke's mouth.

"Of course, I did mention to you before you left about us getting married; I thought it would be best if I spoke to your parents about it as well."

Sakura closed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down, and she felt the gentle caress of Kyoko on her mind to aid her from strangling the Uchiha.

'So that's your ex-boyfriend, huh? I admit that he's good looking, but his eyes look like they're hiding something – kinda like a snake waiting to strike. Be careful, Sakura, don't let him get to you,' she said mentally.

'Thanks, Kyoko, it's taking everything I've got to not throw him out of here,' the pinkette answered back.

"Mom…Dad…I am going to say this simply so there are no misinterpretations. I am not nor will I ever be engaged to Sasuke Uchiha. I ended our relationship before I went on my mission to Suna. I don't know what he has told you, but I do not want to be involved with him anymore."

"Now Sakura, we just had a misunderstanding; that's all," Sasuke drawled calmly. He was deliberately baiting her, waiting for her temper to snap.

"Sasuke, we did not have a misunderstanding; I told you that I could not be with you anymore; I also told you why. Nothing has changed since then!" she said firmly.

"Oh yes, I remember, you told me that you had feelings for that orange-wearing, ramen-eating, blonde idiot who always irritates the hell out of you," Sasuke said with contempt in his voice.

Sakura's parents immediately knew who he was talking about, and her mother looked at her in shock.

"Sakura, he's not talking about Naruto, is he? I know he has been very kind to you, and he is a very good friend, but I doubt he would make a very good husband."

"Oh really, mother, and why do you say that?" her daughter asked with a glare.

"I'm not trying to insult him, dear; I am just stating the obvious. He has no lineage to speak of, he has hardly any manners, and he is always shouting about something. I will admit he has become quite a good shinobi, but I don't want to see your own reputation thrown in the gutter by making a mistake," her mother finished.

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were hard.

"What about you, father? How do you feel about, Naruto?"

"Honestly, Sakura, I have nothing against the boy personally-"

"-except that he's the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, right?" his daughter cut in.

Both of her parents' eyes widened in shock at her words, and Sasuke's mouth twitched slightly.

"That's what this is about, isn't it? You don't like Naruto because the Kyuubi is inside him. Yes, I know that the nine-tailed fox was sealed inside him all those years ago. But…I don't care. Naruto is who he is – plain and simple. I love him because he has always been there for me, comforts me when I need him to, respects my abilities as a kunoichi, and most importantly, gives me the freedom to choose what I want…unlike someone else I know," and she glared at Sasuke.

"Sakura, I know Naruto is a good friend to you, but if he ever lost control of that demon inside him, he could easily kill you and all of us in the village. I can't allow my daughter to be involved with someone like that," her mother said firmly.

'Okay, now I'm getting pissed off,' Kyoko hissed.

'Sorry about that. Unfortunately, that's how most villagers view Kyuubi and Naruto.'

"Naruto will never loose control of the Kyuubi, mother," Sakura said with determination.

"Oh really, than what about that small scar on your left shoulder," Sasuke stated.

"Didn't you get that when the Kyuubi took over Naruto? He hurt you didn't he? Aren't you the person that he cares about the most?" the Uchiha said with a sinister smile.

"Is this true, Sakura?" her father demanded. His daughter did not get angry; she actually smirked.

"Tell me something, Sasuke, how do you know about that? You weren't even there! I know, did your buddies Kabuto and Orochimaru tell you about it? Did that snake bastard also tell you that he had his ass handed to him when Naruto transformed? That's the thing I believe none of you are mentioning. Mother…father…who would you rather have close you? Someone who has risked his life again and again to bring back his supposed best friend even though that best friend tried to kill him, or someone who walked away from everyone he cared about, including me, just so he could gain power to kill his own brother. Then, when that person comes back, the best friend who he tried to kill still defends him and sacrifices his future and his home to let him stay in Konoha. Tell me!" Sakura nearly growled.

Her parents were surprised at the forcefulness of her words.

"You didn't tell them that did you, Sasuke? Tsunade-sama was going to have you imprisoned because of your betrayal of this village, but Naruto talked her out of it. Plus, the council was not going to let a traitor back into their shinobi ranks very easily. But…Naruto being Naruto…he offered himself as the scapegoat so the council would allow you to stay. He was discarded, and you were welcomed back with open arms. Tell me, Sasuke, did you even care that Naruto was banished?"

"Is this true, young man?" Sakura's father asked firmly.

"I have no control over what that dobe does. The council would never have banished me anyway; they think that my family's Sharingan is far too valuable to lose," Sasuke said with a confident smirk.

"Sakura, you never answered the question from before. Did Naruto hurt you?" her mother asked.

Her daughter took a deep breath and prepared her response. She looked her mother right in the eye and spoke the truth.

"No mother, he did not!" the cherry blossom stated, making three people gasp.

"Then where did that scar come from Sakura," Sasuke countered trying to take the attention away from himself.

"Yes, I was injured during the battle between Naruto and Orochimaru but not deliberately. When Naruto was transformed he could have slashed at me with his claws or tried to rip my throat out. He did none of those things. All he did was push me away with one of the chakra tails he had. The only reason I was injured was because the Kyuubi's chakra was toxic to my body and caused my shoulder to start bleeding. I have never blamed Naruto for that; I have told him that personally. Naruto and I protect each other – in more ways that one. In fact, even if Naruto ever transformed again, Kyuubi's chakra will not harm me," she said with a smile.

"How can you be so sure of that?" her mother asked in astonishment.

Sakura's smile widened; she couldn't wait to see what her next statement would cause. She looked right into Sasuke's dark eyes.

"Because…I'm Naruto's mate!"

"What did you say?" the young Uchiha shouted and jumped to his feet.

"Naruto is my mate, Sasuke. In terms you can understand, he is my husband."

"You got married!" her father gasped in horror, but his daughter shook her head.

"No father, we did not have the ceremony yet, however, Naruto and I know that we belong to each other…mentally, emotionally, and physically," Sakura replied and bored the words into Sasuke's face.

"You fucked him!" Sasuke hissed through clenched teeth.

"Watch how you talk about my daughter, boy," Mr. Haruno growled, and Sakura smirked.

"Sakura, you slept with him," her mother said worriedly.

"Yes mother, I have. Now, before you ask, yes, I took precautions with regards to pregnancy; I am a kunoichi just as you once were. I gave myself to him with no regrets. I am not going to apologize for loving him. Naruto has gone through hell in his life because of something that happened to him when he was just a baby. The people in this village have treated him like garbage for eighteen years; it's a miracle he's even sane anymore. Despite all the pain that Konoha has caused him, he still wants to protect us. All he wants is to live here in peace like everyone else and have someone love him for who he is. I was lucky enough that he picked me to be the one to love him. He makes me happier than I ever thought possible, and I know that he will continue to do that for the rest of our lives together."

'Well said, Sakura,' Kyoko said firmly.

"Now that I've explained everything, I think it's time I shed some light on why Sasuke is truly here. He isn't here to marry me because he loves me or wants me. He just can't stand the fact that Naruto might be better at something than him."

"Watch what you say," Sasuke growled menacingly, "That dobe could never defeat me at anything!"

"You just proved my point. You think of me like a trophy that you're competing against Naruto for. I'm not something you can stick on your mantle, Sasuke! I decide who and what I want, and that is something you could never understand about me. Now matter how he felt about me, Naruto always gave me a choice. He tried so hard to make me happy by trying to bring you back. If it made me happy, that baka would gladly break his own heart a thousand times over just to see me smile. That's the biggest reason I love him, Sasuke. He treats me better than I ever thought anyone could, and I will not give him up for anything. If you can't understand that, Sasuke, then I'm sorry, but I can't say it any simpler than that."

The Harunos were listening to their daughter talk and seeing the smile on her face while talking about Naruto made them question how they thought about the young man. They had never seen their daughter's eyes so alive before; she was practically glowing as she described how he made her feel.

"Sasuke…" Mr. Haruno began, "…I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to marry my daughter. She has made her own choice and defended that choice with both logic and emotion. I cannot deny how she looks, or the words she speaks. If this is what she truly wants, I will not stand in her way."

"You can't be serious," the young Uchiha said in shock.

"I think it's time that you left," Sakura said with a triumphant smile.

Sasuke glared at the three Harunos as he headed for the front door, but he wouldn't leave without the last word.

"I hope you enjoyed being that demon's slut, Sakura!" he hissed angrily and opened the door.

Not more than a second later, he was whipped around and stared right into the very angry eyes of Sakura's father.

"Never call my daughter that again, boy, or I will personally rip out those precious eyes of yours," he growled dangerously.

"Dad…" Sakura stated as he came up to his side, "…allow me."

After her father let go of the young man, Sakura stared at her former crush with an impassive expression.

"What are you gonna do – punch me in the ribs again?" Sasuke prodded.

"Not at all," she sighed and rammed her foot directly into his groin.

Sasuke doubled over in pain, and even Sakura's dad winced at his daughter's actions. The pinkette, showing the strength that Tsunade helped her attain, picked up the Uchiha off the ground by the scruff of his shirt. She leaned close to his ear and decided to add one final touch.

"Don't ever come near again, Sasuke, or I won't be held responsible for what Naruto does to you. He doesn't take insults to me lightly so leave us alone. But…just so you know…I enjoy everything he does to me…again and again and again," she said just loud enough for him to hear.

"Naruto will never lose to you, Sasuke, and judging from the size of what I just kicked, he's easily twice the man you are, and I thoroughly enjoy it," she finished sadistically and proceeded to throw him out into the street before slamming the door shut.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura rejoined her parents in the living room, and her mother looked at her seriously.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. I did not know that boy was like that."

"It's all right, mom. It took me a long time to see through the mystique that Sasuke uses to hide his real persona. I'm glad that Naruto was patient enough while I got my head on straight. Mom, I know that you're worried, but please, just let me show you how wonderful he is. Most people never see Naruto the way he truly is. It is partly because he is very private about his true feelings, but also, it is to protect himself from getting hurt. Will you let me bring him here – not as a friend but as my husband?"

The two parents looked at each other and then at their daughter.

"Sakura, I can't say that we can support you in this…yet, but we will not try and stop you either. I am proud that have learned to make your own decisions and speak your mind. If you are truly serious about your feelings, then bring Naruto here – as the man that you love," her mother said with a smile, and her daughter smothered her in a big hug.

"Thank you, mom," the pinkette said with tears in her eyes.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ino Yamanaka covered a yawn with her hand as she entered her kitchen wearing a short bathrobe. She stretched her arms above her head and sighed happily. Nothing felt better in the morning than a wake-up fuck from her beloved. She'd woken up to Chouji eating her pussy like a starving man at a buffet table, and he didn't stop until she came four times. After wiping his face clean, Ino had flipped him over and yanked down his pants. She quickly mounted his wonderful shaft and rode him hard until they each came three times. She'd left him in bed taking a short nap while she prepared breakfast for the two of them.

Hearing her front door unlock, the blonde turned to see her roommate and best friend stroll into their kitchen practically glowing with happiness.

"Hey Ino, good morning," Sakura said with a big smile.

"Damn forehead, what the hell happened to you? Those clothes look great on you, and…wait a minute, since when have you had cleavage like that?"

"It's a long story, Ino, and I'll gladly tell it to you later. I just came by to get some things before I meet Naruto at the Hokage tower."

"Ah, so he came back to the village for the Chuunin exams. That's a clever idea to cover his entry into Konoha. From the way you look, I take it you told him," she said with a wide grin.

"You were right, Ino; there is a difference between being content and happy. Naruto makes me happier than I ever thought possible. I love the way he makes me feel…the way he touches me is so wonderful," Sakura said with a dreamy smile.

"Don't try to hide it, forehead. You and I have the same smile on our faces. It's the 'I-had-mind-blowing-sex-last-night' smile."

"Indeed – last night and this morning," Sakura added with a grin.

"Like I said, we have matching smiles; I just left my plump loverboy a little while ago; he's exhausted from our wake-up call earlier."

"I can see that, Ino-pig; there's a little something running down your thighs," she laughed.

Ino blushed and clamped her legs together. She wasn't wearing anything under her robe since she had been planning to have breakfast in bed this morning.

"So tell me, how is our resident blockhead between the sheets?" Ino said with a sly grin.

"Well…that depends…" Sakura began.

"…are we talking about in the bedroom…or the shower…or the floor…or the changing room of a clothing store," she continued with a laugh.

"Hot damn! You horny slut, he must be really good if you're that adventurous with him."

"He is wonderful with me, Ino. Just as Chouji is with you, Naruto can be slow and thorough or fast and mind-blowing. Which reminds me…Naruto's most dangerous weapon isn't his kunai or chakra techniques; it's the one he keeps in his pants."

"I wonder how he stacks up to Chouji; he actually let me measure him once. He was nearly ten inches long and a couple inches thick; he's the perfect size to drive me crazy," Ino teased.

"Well, I haven't actually measured Naruto; I don't think he's that conceited. I think he judges himself on how many times I scream his name. But…if I had to estimate…sorry Ino, but I think he's nearly twelve inches plus I can barely wrap my hand around the base of his shaft. I'm not sure how or why, but my body seems more than able to handle him. No matter where he wants to take me, I'm more than ready for him. He loves when I ride him, and I love when he is on top of me smiling down at me with love in his eyes. He also likes it when I bend over and shake my ass at him to come fuck me."

"Chouji loves the same thing too. We are lucky women, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are," and the two of them burst out laughing.

"So tell me, forehead, did you tell your parents about the two of you yet?"

"Actually, I just came from there. I was going to tell them before anything else, but when I got there, Sasuke was there talking to them. Can you believe that he had asked for permission to marry me? I told him that we were finished before I left, and he has the arrogance to blow off what I told him."

"So what happened?"

"After my parents found out I was involved with Naruto, Sasuke tried to twist them into thinking that he would hurt me because of Kyuubi, but I assured them that the baka would sooner die than harm me intentionally. I eventually got them to go along with the idea of Naruto and I being together which is when Sasuke really go angry. My father asked him to leave, but he called me a slut on the way out the door."

"That bastard! Tell me you kicked his ass for that!" Ino growled.

"Actually, my father looked ready to kill Sasuke after hearing that, but I convinced him to let me handle it."

"What did you do?"

"In a nutshell…I kicked him the groin, picked him up off the floor, told him he could never compare to Naruto, and threw him out the door."

"Oh, you go girl! I wish I could've seen his face," Ino laughed.

"I better get going before Naruto starts to worry. Poor guy, I think he goes through withdrawal when I'm not around him," Sakura giggled.

"Like you wouldn't go through Naruto-withdrawal if you didn't see him for a long time," her friend shot back.

"That's true, but you're the same with Chouji aren't you. Neither one of us can do without the men that love us-"

"-or the wonderful sex that they give us," Ino cut in.

Sakura started laughing, and Ino quickly joined in as the two laughed until their sides hurt.

"I better let you finish breakfast before Chouji gets antsy," Sakura teased and turned to leave.

"Nah, he'll be fine. Chouji likes to eat his breakfast in a very specific way."

"What's that?"

Ino smirked at her best friend.

"He eats it off of me," she answered, and Sakura laughed all the back to her room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Author's Notes: Well, our beloved couple has returned. Now that Sakura has told her parents, it's now Naruto's turn to explain to Tsunace exactly what's happened to them. Also, for those of you who think I might forget about Sasuke's part in this, don't worry. I'm not writing him off the plot yet; there is much more to come. Hope you have enjoyed it so far.