The Sun & The Moon: Chapter 7 – "I love you. I love you more. I love you most."
Shortly after Naruto and Hinata's fortieth anniversary, they began their retirement. With their retirement having officially started, they decided to go on their fifth honeymoon. They settled on a hot spring resort located in the mountains of Earth Country.
As Naruto and Hinata settled into their room, they saw the monitor in front of the bed light up. It was an incoming call and Naruto couldn't help but laugh a bit at the sight of the name.
"Should we make him wait?" Naruto questioned.
"You know he's going to start to panic if we don't answer," Hinata reminded him.
"Ah, you're right," Naruto caved before answering the call, their son coming up on the display. "Hello, Boruto."
"Ah, you made it," Boruto said in a bit of a relieved tone. "Did you get in okay? There wasn't any trouble at the airport or when you were checking in?"
"No, Boruto," Naruto and Hinata said in unison.
"Honestly, you act like your mother and I haven't gone on vacation before," Naruto whined.
"Well," Boruto pursed his lips together, "it's a bit different now, don't you think? I mean you're...older now and I'm just a little worried about you two going so far away and on your own."
"We're fine," Hinata assured him. "How are things at home?"
"Ah, they're good," Boruto answered with a grin.
"Papa!"
Immediately, Boruto was greeted by a pouting tween. She stood there with her hands on her hips and her bottom lip poked out. She had three whisker markings on either cheek but black eyes and black hair. Otherwise, she was the spitting image of her mother.
"Yes, Hikari?" Boruto tried his best to maintain a smile though he was clearly irritated.
"She's lying!"
Another tween, Boruto's son and Hikari's twin brother, came into view now as he glared at his sister. He was the spitting image of Naruto with three whisker markings on either cheek, bright blue eyes, and blonde hair.
"Hikaru." Boruto sighed. "Guys, can we do this later? I'm on the phone right now."
Hikari and Hikaru immediately looked at the screen and lit up at the sight of their grandparents.
"Oba-chan! Oji-chan!" they exclaimed together as they took seats on Boruto's lap and forced their way into view.
"Hey." Naruto grinned. "You're not giving Boruto a hard time, are you?"
"Never!" they said in unison before they both shot a sideways glance at one another.
"Where's Sarada?" Hinata questioned.
"She's here," Hikari answered before looking over her shoulder. "Mama, Oba-chan and Oji-chan are on the phone."
A few moments later, Sarada came into view, a warm smile on her face. "Auntie, Uncle, good evening. Had I known Boruto was going to call you then I would've stopped him."
"It's fine," Hinata assured her. "He just wanted to make sure we got in okay. How's everything there though? Things are going well for you at the hospital?"
"Ah, yes," Sarada answered with a smile. "Things have been a little more hectic since Mama retired but I'm managing fairly well. And Boruto is doing great at the law firm; he just picked up a new case."
"Did you?" Hinata asked.
Boruto nodded. "I did. It's a little tricky but I just need to do some grunt work and sort everything out."
"Do you remember everything I taught you?" Hinata questioned.
Boruto chuckled and smiled. "Yes Okaa-chan, I remember."
"Oba-chan, Oji-chan!" Hikari exclaimed.
"Yes, Princess?" Naruto spoke up.
"Can you bring me back a souvenir? A keychain or something? Oh, or a kimono?" Hikari asked.
Naruto rubbed his chin and hummed loudly. Hinata giggled as Hikari impatiently waited for his response.
"Oji-chan!" Hikari called.
"Ah, sorry. What was your question?" Naruto asked and grinned when Hikari whined. "We'll see what we find while we're out and about these next few days. Hikaru, did you want anything?"
"Nothing really," Hikaru answered.
"We'll see if we can find anything for you too," Hinata told him.
Hikaru smiled a bit.
"Well, we better let you go. We were about to have dinner," Boruto said as he waved with the rest of his family. "Have a good night and enjoy your trip. I'll check in again tomorrow."
"You don't have to," Naruto and Hinata said in unison as they waved. They grinned at one another before Naruto hung up.
Naruto let out a loud yawn before stretching. He groaned softly as he felt his back crack and he gave Hinata a reassuring look as she gently rubbed his back. He kissed her temple.
The next morning, Naruto and Hinata took a walk around the small village. They toured local shrines and other historical landmarks for the village. They snapped photos together on benches and in front of fountains, creeks, and shrines. They sampled local food and along the way, found souvenirs for each their grandchildren. And the whole way, they held one another's hand.
That evening, they were able to grab the private bath and enjoy each other's company as they soaked in the spring. The night sky was filled to the brim with stars and they enjoyed the sight because it was impossible to get one like it in the city. The only noise they heard was the bubbling of the water and the chirping of crickets in the distance.
"We should do this every year," Hinata mused.
Naruto smiled at her. "You think Boruto'll let come up here by ourselves when we're in our seventies, eighties, and nineties?"
"I think at that point we're going to have to worry about Hikari-chan and Inori-chan, don't you think?" Hinata joked and they both laughed.
"That reminds me, the twins graduate elementary school soon," Naruto commented as he looked up at the stars. "We'll need to get them a present when we get back. We should probably coordinate with Sakura-chan and Sasuke so we don't end up getting the same thing."
"We'll call them when we get back," Hinata said. "How's Sasuke-kun doing, by the way?"
"Eh." Naruto shrugged. "I spoke to him before we left for our trip and he said his eyesight isn't going to get any better. It's common in the Uchiha Clan for their eyesight to start dwindling when they get up there in years. His doctor said he's technically already legally blind in his left eye and his right eye isn't far behind."
"Poor Sasuke-kun." Hinata sighed.
"He's dealing with it." Naruto sighed as well. "Sakura-chan says he's putting on a brave face but she thinks he's terrified. I think he's scared, but not terrified. He was already learning how to read braille when we were in college."
"That sounds like something Sasuke-kun would do," Hinata admitted. "I guess with things like that that run in your family, you have to prepare yourself in some way."
Naruto nodded. "Oh, and they confirmed that they're coming along for Christmas this year too. Sai and Ino as well."
"Good. We should probably call to get the house checked out when we get back just in case anything needs to be fixed." Hinata rested her head on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto smiled. "Sleepy?"
"A little," Hinata admitted.
"Come on," Naruto urged as he stood up and took his wife's hand. "Let's get out before you pass out."
The spent another five days on their vacation before returning home. They enjoyed their life of retirement. They woke up when they wanted and didn't have to worry about paperwork. Their grandchildren often came to visit after school and they were more than happy to spend time with them.
On Thursday nights, Boruto and Himawari came with their families and they all would sit down to dinner. It was noisy, but Hinata and Naruto didn't mind.
On Friday mornings, Naruto and Hinata traveled to Konoha Memorial Park and visited their parents. Naruto and Hinata would dust off their parents' and grandparents' plaques before putting down fresh flowers. On occasion, Hinata and Naruto would run into Konohamaru and Hanabi, or Neji and Tenten, and sometimes even Boruto and Himawari.
At Christmas, the Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Yamanaka held up their tradition of having Christmas together. It was a large estate in the mountains of the Land of Snow and where they spent every Christmas for the last ten years.
"Oba-chan, Oji-chan!" Hikari and Hikaru exclaimed as Sasuke and Sakura came into the living room together. They both rushed over to them and hugged them, Sakura and Sasuke laughing at their energetic greeting.
"Geez, be careful," Sarada whined as she got up. "You're going to knock them over one day if you keep running into them like that."
"Sorry," they said in unison.
"It's fine," Sakura laughed as she rubbed her grandson's head. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Sarada answered as she kissed her mother's cheek before kissing her father's cheek. "How are you, Papa?"
"I can't complain," Sasuke answered as he rubbed Hikari's head.
Sarada pursed her lips together before glancing at her mother.
"Don't look at your mother like that," Sasuke scolded as he patted Hikari's back before she let go of him. "I really am fine, Sarada. You don't have to worry about me."
"Oh, you are here," Naruto said as he came into the living room. He tried his hand on the towel he carried and put it over his shoulder before hugging Sakura and then Sasuke. "How was the trip?"
"It felt longer than usual but not unbearable," Sakura admitted. "Where's Hinata?"
"In the kitchen helping Inori make cookies," Naruto answered and watched as Sakura went into the kitchen. He looked at Sasuke. "You blind yet?"
"Not yet," Sasuke answered casually.
They laughed but stopped when Sarada folded her arms across her chest and glared at the two of them. They apologized before she went back into the living room and continued to help decorate the Christmas tree.
"She's just as terrifying as her mother, if not more," Sasuke commented.
Naruto nodded in agreement. "You thirsty?"
"Yeah," Sasuke admitted.
"C'mon, I'll make you some tea," Naruto said and laughed as Sasuke's annoyed face. "Scotch?"
"Now you're talking," Sasuke approved as he followed Naruto into the kitchen.
"Uncle Sasuke," Himawari chimed.
"Oh, Himawari." Sasuke hugged Himawari before holding her at arm's length. "Had I not known any better I would've thought you were Hinata."
Himawari giggled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Was it supposed to be taken any other way?" Hinata questioned.
"Of course not," Himawari sang as she skipped over to her mother and hugged her from behind.
Hinata rolled her eyes while Himawari giggled.
Just then, two sets of black-haired twins - three boys and a girl - came dashing through the kitchen, all of them chasing one another. They were yelling at one another, the girl in front clearly in possession of something the other three wanted.
"Hey!" Sakura shouted and they all immediately froze in place. She leaned against the kitchen island and watched them all line up side by side with their hands behind their backs like well-trained soldiers. "Now, I know we have a rule about running indoors, don't we?"
"Yes, Oba-chan," they all sang together.
"I thought so." She smiled at her grandchildren. "If you're going to run around, at least do it outside in the snow."
They all grinned at one another.
"Satori! Satoshi!" Sakura called to her sons as the two sets of twins ran out the kitchen. "Make sure they're buddled up before they go outside. And go outside with them, I don't want any of them getting hurt."
"Yes ma'am," Satori and Satoshi called in unison from the next room.
The noise of Christmas didn't compare to Thursday night dinners. With adults to infants, all gathered in the same house, it always made for eventful family gatherings. The kids who were old enough held a talent show for their parents and grandparents. And, some of the adults took part in the show as well. Dinner was chaotic, yet routine and manageable.
They sat around and watched movies some nights while other nights, they all huddled together on the back porch and roasted marshmallows over the firepit. In the late mornings and early afternoons, the children would have snow building competitions followed by snowball fights. By five, they were all taking naps together in front of the fireplace while the adults and elders laughed and drank together in the next room.
Christmas came and when the children ran into their parents' room, they found their beds empty. Together, they all raced down into the living room and found that they were all already awake and chatting with one another with mugs in their hands and still in their PJs per tradition.
Gifts were exchanged and the children celebrated their new toys. The adults exchanged gag gifts that left some of them in stitches and the children confused as to why Sasuke was laughing so hard at Sai's gift to Naruto that consisted of the Kama Sutra.
"I will definitely be using this," Naruto said proudly which caused Boruto to bury his face in his hands and have Himawari cover her ears.
And it was like this for a few more years. The kids got older as did the adults and the elders.
And Naruto and Hinata continued going on their trips to the hot springs every year well into their eighties. As they got older, they ventured closer and closer to home until they didn't travel much anymore. Their grandchildren had children and their family grew bigger and bigger each passing year.
Naruto and Hinata had their fiftieth anniversary and their seventieth, just as they promised to one another.
Their family gathered that afternoon and held an intimate gathering. Naruto and Hinata smiled the entire time, the two of them taking pictures of their great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. They laughed as their family shared stories and enjoyed each other's company.
Towards the end of the night, Naruto stood up at the head of the table and smiled at his family.
"Seventy-five years. Thinking about it, it doesn't seem like a whole lot of time but standing here and seeing all of you here, lets me know that that isn't true. Seventy-five years ago, Hinata and I married and now here we are with our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great grandchildren. And if I'm being honest, I'm glad a lot of you have my whisker marks."
They laughed and grinned at one another.
Hinata stood and linked her arm with Naruto's. "You have no idea how much joy fills our hearts as we stand here and look at all of you. Naruto-kun and I couldn't have dreamed of being able to call all of you our family, our blood. But, we're glad that we can."
"We love you Oba-chan!" Hikaru called and their family shouted their love to two of them.
Naruto and Hinata smiled at one another. Naruto planted a kiss on her forehead before smiling at her as he always did. "I love you."
"I love you more," she cooed.
"I love you most," he responded.
They both passed the next day.
"Okaa-chan and Otou-san," Boruto, now in his seventies and a great-grandfather himself, breathed as he stood there at the podium, "they always promised one another that they would make it to seventy-five years."
Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren all sat together, all of them sadden by the passing of the matriarch and progenitor of their family.
"They lived good, full lives," Boruto continued. "Every day they spent together was filled with smiles and happiness. And I remember, right after we found out Okaa-chan passed, Otou-san didn't even cry. He looked at me and said, 'Your mother is waiting for me.' He said there was no point in him crying because the two of them weren't leaving the other behind. He said the Red String of Fate tied them together and that they'd meet again in their next life. And not even a whole twenty-four hours later, he went to join her."
He was crying now. "I hope, and I pray, that Okaa-chan and Otou-san found one another in the next life because a love like there's was timeless."
To Be Continued...