Letters to home

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Hokage, the mission is progressing and we are following a new lead. Will send encrypted message with details later. Will return in April or May. Need a house near Hyuuga compound. Four or five bedrooms- room for a family.

Hawk

"A family?" Kakashi drummed his fingers over his desktop, musing over the short message from Sasuke Uchiha, code name Hawk. He should have used the code name for the Hyuugas, but he must have been distracted - which was odd.

There were four other messages on Sasuke's delivery bird of prey and he'd been tempted to read them. He could demand to read them— for the safety of the village, of course, Sasuke did fail to use the proper code name for the Hyuugas. A house was certainly a solid step towards re-establishing roots in Konoha and helped to validate his efforts to keep Sasuke from rotting in a prison for war crimes.

His former students weren't children. He wasn't surprised that given the opportunity Sakura would entangle the wayward son of Konoha. When that girl was determined, she often acquired her goal - a house with Sasuke Uchiha was one of them. Hopefully, she knew better than to get pregnant on a mission - that would be exceedingly dangerous.

He thought about his old friend Itachi. For years he'd been angry towards him, only in recent years did he learn the extent of Itachi's deep undercover mission. It made him nostalgic for his early days in ANBU— at least in regards to his teammates, not in the work itself. Kakashi would do what he could to help Sasuke for the sake of that bond alone.

Needing to confirm his suspicion, Kakashi selected the message for Ino. He skimmed over the contents, learned Sakura and Sasuke had married. Carefully, he re-sealed the message. He would make sure the house he had built would be a special home for her.

Sasuke's quest for atonement would regularly lead him away from Konoha. Kakashi would make sure that the home he left behind would be comfortable for the loved ones he'd be leaving behind. Kakashi would do his part to make sure that Itachi's future nieces and nephews wouldn't be forced into war as young children and would have the opportunities he'd been denied.

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OoO

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Fox - I will be married by the time you read this to our mutual friend. We plan to have a house near the residence of the white eyed people. I assume you will be living there by the time we return home. My wife wants to remind you to eat your vegetables.

Hawk

Naruto re-read the message a few times. Sasuke and Sakura were married! Naruto had a lot of friends, but those two held a special place in his heart - they cared about him as a teammate while he was still trying to prove himself to the rest of Konoha. He'd hate to be their child though - perfectionist parents, a mother with a short temper and a father with cold indifference? Hopefully, they'd mellow each other out.

"Is everything okay?" Hinata asked, pushing open the door to his office. Kakashi had him working in an administrative role within the village's government. He was just one floor down below the hokage's office. She had knocked twice and he hadn't noticed.

He pushed away from his desk, knocking over his chair in his rush to meet her at the door. She held a canvas tote with a couple of homemade bento boxes inside. He was expecting her, but was distracted by the note from Sasuke.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Naruto apologized, taking the lunch from her. "I was reading a letter from Sasuke."

"He wrote a letter?" Hinata asked, shock apparent by her expression. "Was it mission related?"

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Sort of. He and Sakura got married," Naruto explained. "He's having a house built near your clan."

"Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he figures the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans had some similarities and the Hyuugas obviously fared better." He thought about the ninja family history he'd learned after working with the Sage of the Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki. The Hyuugas were descendant from Hamura Otsutsuki. Technically, the Hyuuga, Uchiha, Senju, Kaguya, and Uzumaki were all distant cousins. "If his future children have eye powers, it might be nice to work with another family that has eye powers."

"It helps when one doesn't plan a coup to overthrow the government," Hinata pointed out. She sat in the chair across from Naruto's paper-strewn desk. "I am glad for Sakura. This makes her the second of our generation to marry— after Shikamaru."

Naruto sat across from her, his emotions warring against each other with happiness at one extreme and trepidation at the other. He shoved the papers to the side of the desk and cleared room for the meal.

Hinata began to unpack the bento boxes and set up their table. "Are you not happy?"

"Sakura has been in love with Sasuke since we were five. I spent the majority of my adolescence painfully aware of this fact." Naruto started to eat the ramen noddles HInata prepared. There was a generous amount of vegetables mixed within. "I'm also the reason she wasn't murdered by his hand."

Hinata's chopsticks clattered to the edge of the soup bowl. "What? When?"

"Years ago, I learned from Sai it was after a meeting of all our peers - except me. Sakura was pressured into taking care of the "Sasuke situation", so that she could spare me." Naruto could feel the heat at the back of his neck, thinking back on the false confession and then realizing she was in danger. He had only just made it in time.

"Ah, I remember. Neji had called the meeting," Hinata recalled. "I didn't realize how it had played out."

"She tried to reason with him, then she tried to stop him through force and at the time he was not only stronger, but ruthless." Naruto finished the ramen. "Of course, Sasuke and I would both be dead now if it weren't for Sakura."

"Team Seven - you always were the most dramatic," Hinata said with a sigh. "Well, if they will have a house near my clan, our guards can keep a wary eye for domestic disturbances. I'm sure my father will keep a close watch on any neighbors with Sasuke's reputation."

Naruto nodded, but in his head, he was already imaging a scenario where Hinata and he shared a house, not too far from the Uchiha newlyweds. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in discussing our future."

Hinata's cheeks flushed. "W-w-what do you mean?"

Naruto braced his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "I'm not very smart, but I do know what I love. And I love you, Hinata. I will ask your father for permission, but I would like to ask you first. Will you be my wife?"

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Pig- don't be mad. I married the boy. I made sure there were appropriate flowers in the bouquet and boutonnière- red and white lilies and sunflowers. My old teacher is building us a house. I trust you to do the interior design. Will do a future ceremony with friends later.

Forehead

"Why does she call you a pig?" Sai asked.

"Because I have a healthy appetite,"Ino explained. "It's from when we were little- sometimes it was an insult, other times— a title of endearment."

"That makes no sense." Sai leaned back and stared up at the ceiling in Ino's apartment. "So she married the murderous traitor?" He closed his eyes. "I never liked him."

"I'm sure the feelings are mutual," Ino assured him. The two dark haired members of Team Seven had a very obvious rivalry and animosity towards each other. Sasuke felt Sai was a cheap imitation. Sai felt Sasuke was incredibly selfish to abandon the teammates. It was a good thing the two were able to avoid each other for the most part. "Sasuke was pardoned, so you shouldn't talk about him like that. We don't bring up the questionable actions you did under Danzo."

Sai grunted, not appreciating the lecture. "Did she use the right flowers?"

"Red lilies are for love, white lilies for purity, sunflowers for friendship and loyalty. I suppose they were appropriate." Ino laid down on the floor next to Sai. "I'll show her a proper arrangement when we host a local reception."

"Shall we marry then?" Sai rolled over and met Ino's gaze. "You are six months pregnant with our son."

"No way, I'm not going to be fat at my wedding!" Ino scooted towards Sai and laid her head on his shoulder. "We can have a long engagement. I want Forehead to be my matron of honor - show her what a real wedding is supposed to be like. Plus, she must pay for breaking our pact and eloping. She's going to have to plan my bachelorette party, taste the cakes, sample the wines, and all sorts of errands."

"I would like to taste the cakes and sample the wines," Sai protested. "Plus, won't that interfere with you achieving your preferred weight? Cakes and alcohol are rich in calories."

Ino waved her hand at him dismissively. "You can come too, but that's for the bride and matron/maid of honor," Ino explained. "Calories for parties and celebrations don't count against you." It would be fun designing the interior of Sakura's future home. She'd want to do some basic landscaping as well. Kakashi would probably choose something very utilitarian and boring. She'd have to make it look like a home.

"That does't sound right, but I have learned to not argue with you about such things." Sai lazily rubbed his hand over Ino's swollen belly. "However, do not spend all your energy planning things for Sakura. You still need to focus on yourself."

"We can plan a baby-moon," Ino offered.

"What is that?" Sai asked.

"It's like a honeymoon after a wedding, except it is for couples to have a romantic get-away before their first child is born. It's best to take place in the second trimester before my body becomes too uncomfortable."

"I would like to experience this baby-moon," Sai agreed.

"I'm sure you would. I'm sure you would," Ino repeated with a laugh. She wasn't too mad at Sakura. To be fair, her best friend wasn't aware that she and Sai were expecting. Ino had her first pregnancy checkup with Shizune about three weeks after Sakura and Sasuke left the village. Ino smiled, enjoying the idea of greeting Sakura upon her return with a beautiful little boy snuggled in her arms.

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Dear M & K,

Your daughter is a married woman. I apologize for the unexpected news. Should be back in the Spring and look forward to a house warming. Teacher is setting up living arrangements.

Love always.

Kizashi's eyes watered with emotion. "No wonder that boy was so intent on meeting us before they left."

"I'll have to speak with Lord Hokage, give him some input on their future living situation. It should be a house. No more apartment living. I think there is a place down the street that is for sell. That elderly woman Miagi is moving in with her daughter."

"I'm not sure Sakura will want to live in a civilian neighborhood, dear," Kizashi protested. "It's not an easy commute to the hospital from here."

"It was good enough for her growing up, it should be good enough for whatever family she's starting now!" Mebuki began to pace. "She'll need a decent yard - for training or whatever."

"Starting a family? She just said she eloped," Kizashi pointed out.

Mebuki waved away his comment. "I know my daughter. The only reason she would marry away from her friends and family — is if she was expecting a child of her own."

"I just don't want you to jump to conclusions."

"You still have the baby crib in storage? Let's start cleaning it up. I need to start crocheting some blankets, hats, and booties. And diapers — she'll want to use cotton cloth diapers or bamboo ones. We should pick up some of both so she can see which works better. The baby could have a sensitivity." Mebuki took a spiral notebook and started jotting down notes.

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself. However, I'll head into town and schedule an appointment with Lord Hokage." Kizashi began packing his satchel to run errands. He had the day off and would prioritize getting on the books with Kakashi. His wife had quite the temper and it was best to do what she wanted.

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OoO

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Master,

I'm on an extended mission. You always advised to live life to the fullest. I'm married and pregnant to the one you so eloquently told me to forget about and focus on myself - then chase after if so inclined. The baby is due end of March/early April. I don't sense any issues at present, but I will consult if things change.

Your Patient Apprentice

"More like my impatient apprentice," Tsunada mumbled. She read the correspondence a second time. Her eyes welled up with tears of happiness. The war of her youth robbed her of a chance at having a family with Dan. Her stubbornness took away her opportunity with Jiraiya. It was nice that Sakura would not repeat her mistakes.

"So she chased after that boy and finally won his heart," Tsunade murmured. Sasuke was lucky he wasn't rotting away in a prison. If she'd still been Hokage, she wouldn't have stood up for the boy like Kakashi had. The fact that both the Sixth and probable Seventh Hokage all vouched for Sasuke held a great deal of sway. That and Team Seven had been responsible for defeating an ancient goddess that wanted to turn the entire world into a large battery.

She had assumed that maintaining the Strength of a Hundred seal would serve as a form of contraception. But then Sakura mastered the technique much faster than Tsunade could have imaged - and in the knick of time before a critical battle. Shizune still hadn't mastered the seal and she'd been working on it longer than Sakura had been alive.

"You better be heading back home before that baby comes," Tsunade grouched. If she made it past the first trimester, the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy increased substantially. It would really be in those final four to six weeks of gestation that Sakura's own life could be in danger.

Sakura would have known all those things. Tsunade started to pack a bag. Maybe it was time to cut her vacation short and head back to the village. Shizune had already asked her to return early with Sakura's extended mission. If she was coming back home with a baby, she would be on maternity leave for at least a year. It was one of the executive orders Tsunade was most proud of during her tenure as hokage— parental leave for at least one year, a supplemented childcare system once the parents returned to work, and generous sick leave for the first four years.

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