Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto


Chapter 46: Showered in Love and Attention

Flashback

"Ah!" She let out a sigh of relief. It felt so nice to be out of the hot sun. Sakura kicked off her boots. "I'm home!" She said in a volume louder than her usual talking level. The paper bags in her hands rustled as they collided with each other.

"Welcome home, Sakura." Her mother's - Mebuki's - voice called out from the family room.

Sakura straightened out her shoes before she walked into the space.

"Did you have fun shopping with Ino-chan?" Her mother's green eyes regarded her. There were three sewing needles in her mouth.

Sakura lowered the bags by the armrest of the couch before she threw herself into the awaiting cushions. It groaned and creaked.

"I did," she said with a sigh. She stretched out her whole body. She was tired. Her body was spent. It was sore and it ached. Not unlike how she was left after her training sessions with Tsunade, especially in the beginning.

"Ino during a sale is something I don't want to see again. She's an animal. I think she technically assaulted a lady for a pair of heels if we go by the letter of the law. I had to heal a black eye and apologize profusely before dragging her out of there. She didn't even get the heels after all that." She rubbed her eyes. "What's for dinner?" She flipped onto her stomach to look at her mother.

"I haven't decided yet," Mebuki pinned the hem of the red satin fabric on the dress form mannequin.

"I'm hungry," Sakura pouted. She looked at the draped fabric. "You're still working on that?"

"Hm," Mebuki pinned a couple more folds. "The baby shower keeps getting pushed back. The client asked me to let it out some more on top of some last-minute design changes. She must be having twins."

Sakura made a face. "I don't get it."

Mebuki looked through the mirror, she peered over her reading glasses at her fifteen-year-old daughter.

"What don't you get?"

"Why would anyone want to commemorate and immortalize a time when they were probably at their largest and least flattering? I would want to hide if it were me. Not leave the house so no one could see me all bloated and huge." Sakura shuddered. "Pregnant women have the weirdest belly buttons. I know I'm a medical ninja and I've seen some pretty gross stuff but that has to be on my top three."

Mebuki chuckled. "Being pregnant is lonely and pretty awful." Her face became reflected and her tone became more detached. "It's a strange time. Your body isn't really your own. People treat it as communal. They ask you very private and frankly invasive questions. They touch your belly without asking. You get advice from everyone and their grandmother." She sighed. She lowered her hands.

"Mom?" Sakura sat up. Her feet touched the ground as she stared at the reflection of her mother's suddenly very serious face.

"But when it really comes down to it, you're lonely. It's just you going through this huge life change. And despite a life growing in your body, you ultimately have very little control, much less say. It's hard." She busied herself with fixing the not-quite-right hem.

"An old wives' tale from even before my generation was that pregnant women should be showered with love and attention throughout their pregnancy if they want a happy, healthy, well-adjusted baby. The belief was whatever the woman's mood was like during the experience would have the most impact on the baby's personality."

"Some even went as far as only reading happy stories, looking at pretty pictures all day, and only eating cravings to ensure that their child would be happy and outgoing. I think that's where the baby shower concept ultimately stemmed from. In addition to giving the expecting parents things for the baby and reducing the load, it gives the woman a chance to be showered with love, attention, and good wishes. Like she is a sponge for all that. It also comes in handy when going through childbirth. To have had all those blessings and all that love directed at you. It's actually quite beautiful when you think about it from that perspective."

Sakura stared at her mother with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She was the last person that Sakura would expect such insight from. Who knew her no-nonsense mother could be so sentimental and downright sappy?

"I never thought of that," she said in a thoughtful tone. She lowered her palm into her hand as she contemplated it some more.

Mebuki smiled. "You're a child in many ways still, Sakura. There are many experiences that you have not seen up close and personal yet. Give it time."

"Did you have a baby shower, Mom?" Sakura asked her with open interest in her jade eyes.

"For you? No," Mebuki looked away from her daughter's eyes in the mirror. She turned her attention back to the dress. Sakura could have sworn she saw sadness on her mother's face but it could have just been the trick of the light.

"Did you not believe the old wives' tale then?" Sakura asked her in a gentle tone. She wondered if her mother had any regrets about not having a shower.

"Not sure. But when I was pregnant with you, I read whatever I could get my hands on. The newspaper, textbooks, fiction, nonfiction, autobiographies, and the backs of shampoo bottles. It did not matter. I just could not get enough. It explains why you're so smart and studious." Mebuki smiled at her earnestly. "You certainly do not get that from your father."

Sakura giggled. "Mom!" The mirth in her eyes cut the legitimacy of her protests.

"I also ate my weight in sugar. Kami, I could not get enough. Your dad could not make cakes and pastries fast enough. I actually ate a whole cake in one sitting on a practically bad hormonal day. I could not decide on what kind I wanted so your dad baked three cakes and put them together. It was excessive. It was delicious." She laughed into her hand. Sakura listened eagerly. It was not often that her mother was so open about that time in her life.

"Hard to picture," Sakura said with a grin.

Mebuki nodded. "Believe me, it was hard for me to believe. You know that I do not have a sweet tooth. I felt like a stranger to myself. Good thing that I did not develop gestational diabetes otherwise we both would have been in trouble. Somehow my teeth stayed in my mouth throughout the whole thing." She laughed. "I still can't look at a cake without thinking about those nine long months."

"Sounds like I got that from Dad." She grinned unapologetically.

"Hm," Mebuki hummed in agreement. "Thankfully just your love of sugar and hair is all you got from him."

Sakura scrunched her face but she ultimately did not say what was on her mind. She had no interest in picking a fight.

Mebuki stepped away from the dress. "For you, Sakura, we'll have a baby shower. Leave it all to me. It will be amazing. You'll have all the love and attention you need." Mebuki smiled at her with genuine warmth.

"Mom!" Sakura felt her face burn. "I don't even want to think about that stuff. I'm only fifteen."

Mebuki ushered her daughter to her. Sakura got off the couch. She padded over to her mother. She came to stand behind the mannequin. She peered over the neck. She stared at her reflection. The red satin dress with the saggy stomach.

"It's beautiful," Sakura said in awe. Her mother was a miracle worker. She could turn nothing into something so delicate and beautiful.

Mebuki came to stand behind Sakura. They were the same height.

"Just be sure to pick the right man, Sakura. One that will cherish you and shower you with love and affection, not just on special occasions but every day. One that reminds you just how much he loves you."

Her ears burned along with her cheeks. "Mom! Why are you speaking so candidly to me about this?" She brought her hands to the sides of her face. Her cheeks were so hot. She stared into a matching pair of green eyes. Sakura lowered her arms.

Her mother's reflection smiled back at her. Mebuki tucked some strands of Sakura's hair behind her ear. Mebuki's black glasses sat on the top of her head, the beaded chain on the handles kept them securely attached to her neck.

"The older you get Sakura, the more and more we'll be like friends. I want us to be able to talk about these kinds of things."

Sakura stared at the sheer fabric of the arms. The dress was fit for a princess.

"I'd like that," Sakura smiled softly. Her cheeks were still pink. She thought of a particular face. The face of her 12-year-old teammate came to mind. She wondered what he looked like. She wondered If she would recognize him if she saw him out in the open somewhere. She was convinced her heart would, no matter how different he looked. The smile fell off her face. She could not picture him doing what her mother said. It was just not in his nature. Even if his life was not marred by unspeakable tragedy.

"Come on," Sakura turned around in surprise, suddenly remembering that her mother was right behind her. "Show me what you bought."

Sakura grinned. "Right," they walked over to the sofa. "Let me show you the miniskirt. It's so cute!" She squealed.

"How mini?" Mebuki frowned. Sakura held out the lavender skirt. "Absolutely not!" Mebuki said sharply. The lines of her face were pulled into disapproval.

"Mom!" Sakura whined. "What happened to being more like friends?" Sakura pouted.

"We're not there yet. And you're not wearing this. Not with pervs like Jiraiya walking this village. We're returning it tomorrow." She crossed her arms.

"Ugh!" Sakura shot up to her feet. "I went to like four stores looking for this exact skirt! Ino said it looked really cute on me. Why do you always have to be like this, Mom?!"

"I'm done talking about this." Mebuki raised her voice.

"Fine!" Sakura matched the tone. She grabbed the bags and stomped up the stairs to her room.

"Fine!" Mebuki yelled after her with her hands on her hips.

Kizashi walked into his home after a long day at the bakery to the sound of a door slamming and his wife in an irate mood.

"It's your fault she's like this you know." Mebuki narrowed her eyes at him, not even letting him take off her shoes. "You spoil her."

Kizashi rubbed the back of his head. "Ha ha," he laughed nervously as he subtly hid a silence of strawberry shortcake behind his back. He just told himself that he would sneak it to Sakura later when Mebuki was not looking.

End of Flashback


"Ball." He said flatly. His whole disposition communicated boredom. It was loud and clear.

She flipped around another card with a picture towards him. She started the stopwatch. She made some notes.

"C-cac-t-ttus." He said in the same tone.

She recorded the timings. She flipped another card and cleared the timer.

Ban furrowed his brow. "Swing?"

She stopped the watch. She turned the card so that it was facing her. "Close, it's a hammock." She scratched some more notes.

He frowned. "I don't th-i-i-ink I w-w-w-would have kn-kn-known that b-b-before the p-p-oison."

"They have the most random of pictures." She hid a smile. "Your stutter seems a lot better. It's starting to lighten much faster than the first time around. I think the supplements along with what Tsuande-sama is doing is really helping."

Ban nodded. "I f-f-ee-eel g-g-ood." He made a face. "T-train."

Sakura frowned. "Not yet." She said sternly. She put the clipboard on the table. "You're getting better but you still need to take it easy." She reminded him.

Ban nodded albeit reluctantly. "S-soon." He pointed to her stomach.

"Yeah," she rubbed it out of habit. "Can't wait to get this thing out of me." It felt like she had been pregnant for years.

Something seemed to shift in Ban's demeanor. "H-help."

"You are helping," Sakura gestured to the notes. "We're learning so much about the long-term effects of poison thanks to you."

"N-not e-e-nough." He said firmly.

"We'll find who did this Ban." She matched his tone. "You'll get your memories back." He had to. "Have you noticed any other changes since waking up?"

"H-headaches." He scratched his head. "M-more c-co-confused."

She nodded her head. "That's unfortunately to be expected. It should clear up soon." She left off the part where that was more positive thinking than medicine.

Ban frowned. "H-hard t-to t-th-i-i-nk."

Sakura added it to her notes. All the symptoms belonged to the same family. She was focusing on the positive.

"You remembered more words and faster today than you did two days ago and I'm sure you'll remember even more and faster two days from now. Be patient. You've come a long way." She saw the defeat in his eyes. "You have to be patient." She paused.

He looked so frustrated with everything but he was keeping his head down. He was being a good patient. He was being a good soldier. He was doing what was asked of him. She did not think she could handle a third of what he went through with half as much poise as he did. It made the situation all that much harder for her to stomach.

"I'm sorry, Ban." She said in a sympathetic voice as she placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance.

Ban's face went slack. His pupils dilated.

"Ban?" Sakura asked him with concern lining her voice when she noticed the shift. "Are you feeling okay?" She reached for the stethoscope around her neck.

He started to shake. Alarm bells began to sound in her head. "Ban?" She called out, freezing in place. He did not answer her. He continued to shake. The temperature in the room dropped.

Sakura took a half step back, very slowly. Her eyes darted to the phone on the wall. Something was very wrong. She took another step back, inching towards the phone. She did not want to alert him to what she was trying to do or set him off more.

"You're okay," she said in a calm voice. Another half step. She kept him in her sights. "Everything is okay." Her voice was two octaves higher than usual and at a much lower volume. She could maybe just touch the phone with her fingers if she stretched her arm to its maximum reach.

The blank look on his face was causing her heart to race. She lowered her right foot onto the ground. He moved faster than she could react. She scratched at his hands. They were wrapped firmly around her neck. He lifted her off the floor a couple of inches.

'Ban, please,' Her eyes pleaded with him.

His eyes were wild. "Leave me alone!" He snarled.

She could not make a sound. He was crushing her windpipe. She struggled against his hold. His arms were too long for her to scratch at his eyes. Kicking him was out of the question. She fought to remain conscious. Black spots began to dance in her vision.

'I don't want to hurt you.'

"Don't touch me!" He roared as he applied more pressure.

She closed her eyes. Her face pitched into a pained mask.

'I'm sorry.'

She pressed her fingertips into the flesh of his forearms. He screamed. The bones crunched from the force she applied. His hold went slack. She stumbled backward, catching herself from falling. Sakura grabbed her throat. She coughed violently as she filled her lungs with air. She backed away until she felt her back press against the wall.

She held her neck as she caught her breath. She did not tear her eyes from him. He was on his knees looking at his mangled arms with a broken expression on his face. Her heart throbbed as guilt welled up inside of her.

She opened her mouth to apologize. Her lips moved but no sound came out. She only felt pain. His yellow eyes looked at her. His bottom lip trembled. Sakura reached for the phone. She punched in the number without looking. She let the handset hang from the cord. She slid to the floor as Ban's quiet sobs filled the room.

She let out a breath.


She pointedly avoided Tsunade's oh-so-angry eyes. The blonde had healed and bandaged Bat's arms first at Sakura's stubborn insistence. He was forced into a restless sleep. Sakura stared at his restraints. Those were because of her.

Tsunade pressed her lips into a firm line to keep from giving Sakura the verbal tongue-lashing she so desperately deserved. Instead, she forced her ire at the dark purple marks along her neck. He had damaged her larynx. She was fortunate that she was still able to breathe on her own before help got to her.

"You got lucky," Tsunade said darkly. Her amber eyes darted to her face. Sakura was still stubbornly looking away. Tsunade had half the mind to not repair her voice box and let her suffer the consequences of her actions. Or better yet, let her go home with the bruised handprints around her neck. If Naruto was not a factor she probably would have. She knew for a fact she was not the only one who wanted to set her straight.

"He could have killed you." Tsunade pressed. "That is why I explicitly told you not to do these exams alone. You should have waited for me. Thirty minutes. That's all I was asking from you. And now, only Kami knows how far you set us back."

Sakura winced as Tsunade's chakra fluctuated. She was angry. She was not wrong.

"I know I did not teach you to be this stupid or reckless. What good would you dying do any of us?" Tsunade grabbed Sakura's chin roughly. The pinkette looked at her with a blank expression on her face. She was wrong. Tsunade was three steps past angry. She was outraged.

"I -" she cleared her throat. Her voice was hoarse. It was painful to talk above a whisper. "I got careless," Sakura admitted.

Tsunade let go of her chin. She looked disgusted.

"Understatement," she narrowed her eyes. "Do you have some sort of death wish I don't know about?" Tsunade asked her coolly. She had no other explanation for Sakura's erratic, irresponsible behavior.

Sakura set her jaw. She would need dentures at this rate. "No," she said simply.

"What is wrong with you then?" Tsunade crossed her arms.

Sakura glared at her. "What's wrong with me?!" She asked incredulously. She was beside herself.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed in warning, she was telling Sakura to watch her tone.

Sakura did not care. "You don't believe me. I've been telling you since the beginning it's Spider. This all but proves it!" She whispered. "Why else would he have such an extreme reaction to me touching his shoulder?! His attacker is a woman. It's Spider."

Tsunade's expression was that of stone. "He has PTSD. Anything could have set him off. You of all people know that. It proves nothing."

"It proves everything!" Sakura hissed. Her green eyes flashed with the spirit of a fighter. "I was drowning Tsunade-sama. I felt like I was going crazy. It would have gone a long way for you to believe me. To back me up. Instead, you went out of your way to dismiss what I've been saying this whole time!"

Tsunade shook her head. "Bullshit. I've been with you. I believed you about the poison. I've been helping you! I checked you for the seal even though everything inside of me was screaming not to. I scanned Naruto! I listened. I've been here for you!" She did not lower her voice. Bat was not going to wake up for a few hours and the seal prevented her voice from leaving the room. She was free to scream, and that was what she was going to do.

"You can't blame everything on the poison or Spider. When people call you out when you need it. Like right now. This is all me, Sakura. Me - in my right state of mind - calling it as I see it. You are out of control." Tsunade said tightly. The words burned her just as much as she was sure they hurt Sakura.

"I was the only one who saw what was happening here! If you just took a step back and supported me I wouldn't have to go to such extremes!" Sakura argued. Her throat was raw. She badly needed water.

"I've been supporting you in every way I know how!" Tsunade all but growled out. The anger in her belly was itching to be let out. "I've been here."

"Not nearly enough," Sakura spat out. "You weren't there. I was alone."

The anger slid off Tsuande's face. The hurt raced across her almond eyes. "Stop taking your anger meant for someone else out on me. I won't tolerate it." Tsunade turned abruptly on her heel. She walked to the door. She gripped the handle.

She looked at Sakura over her shoulder. "Just like I won't tolerate watching you throw away your life like it's nothing. It's insulting to the people who care about you." She slipped through the door.

Sakura hung her head. She blinked back the angry tears. The guilt that churned in her stomach threatened to burn a hole right through her. Sakura was angry. She was mad. Not because of what Tsunade said but because she was right.

Tsunade was right, she was not the one she was mad at. She was the one who was here in her full capacity. She was the one she could yell and scream at because she was here. She had been there. She backed her up every step of the way, essentially and she chose to focus on the one time she had not.

She told herself that she was not mad at him. How could she be? He was not in control of himself. But even her belief of that being fact did not change how she felt. She was so angry with him. She was incredibly angry with him. It was not fair but that was how she felt. Mind-controlled Minato was putting her through hell. And she could not even reasonably be mad at him. He had the perfect excuse to avoid any and all blame but what was Sakura's excuse?

"What is wrong with me?" She asked in an angry whisper.


"I needed that." Minato stretched his sore and tired muscles. It had been too long since he had utilized them to their capacity. He pushed his limits today and it was completely satisfying. He cracked his knuckles.

Joben chuckled. "And no one came out of it with a broken nose or a bad cut."

"We must be getting soft," Minato joked.

"Speak for yourself." Joben scoffed.

Minato pointed to his nose, specifically at the lack of a certain prop. "So your nose is all healed up?" Amusement danced in his eyes. He slipped his kunai into his hip pouch.

"I heal fast." Joben deadpanned. "Should I not read into the fact you're still using the old ones?"

"I haven't gotten around to sealing the new ones yet." He cracked his back. A satisfied sigh left his lips. "We should do this more often." He said with a grin.

"So I take it you're feeling better then?" Joben tapped a finger to his head. "No more stress headaches? No more stress?"

"Not quite. I still get them from time to time but nowhere near what they were. I've been feeling better, more like myself." He flexed his hand.

"I admit I was surprised that you stopped by to ask for a spar but I'm glad you did." Joben studied the blond Hokage. He did seem more or less the same. But he recognized he did not know him all that long. "I'm glad you feel like yourself. Just in time too. You have a lot of sleepless nights ahead of you."

"You're right." Minato ran a hand through his hair. "I guess that means a raincheck on the spars too." He sighed.

Joben shrugged. "Or we could just double up and get as many in before your whole life gets disrupted."

Minato grinned. "I like the way you think." He looked at the sun in the sky. "What do you say to going again?"

"Too much of a good thing." He backpedaled his earlier suggestion. He reached into his pocket. It was a box. He threw it at Minato.

The blond caught it. He stared at the green velvet box. He opened it. He saw a simple band made out of dark metal.

"It's beautiful." He said appreciatively. He looked at Joben. "Did you make this?"

Joben nodded. "I did. Been working on it for a while now. I want to ask Kushina to marry me."

Minato looked back at the ring and closed the box before he tossed it back to Joben. Minato whistled.

"And you call me fast." He said with a grin.

"Are you not going to try to talk me out of it?" Joben asked him with a raised brow, completely ignoring his retort.

"Not really my place," Minato stared up at the clouds overhead. "You seem pretty determined anyway." He joked. "I wish you two all the best." He offered his sentiment.

Joben scowled. He put the box back into his pocket. "It's premature." He admitted.

Minato furrowed his brow. "Why? You think she'll say no?"

"Tukiko barely just tolerates me. She's doing better. I can't make her uncomfortable in the one place she has. Not after everything they have been through." He said in a distant voice.

Minato looked at him for a second. He looked back at the sky. "She seemed alright with me being there at dinner. Granted, she was sitting next to Sakura so she did not even have to look at me if she did not want to. But I think having the other kids there helped. They were comfortable so maybe it showed her she had nothing to worry about?" Minato mused out loud.

"Maybe." Joben scratched his chin. "You also don't happen to have features in common with the Uchiha. She's not the biggest fan of them."

Minato scoffed. She was not the only one. Unfortunately too many in the village felt that way.

"Things will work out." He said with a sigh.

"Maybe." Joben set his face in a determined line. "I told Kushina I was willing to wait and I meant it. I can be patient."

"You're a good man, Joben," Minato put into words what he had been thinking for some time.

Joben rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know about all that." He looked at Minato. "Go again?"

The blond Hokage smiled. He vanished in a swirl of leaves. Joben grabbed his katana. He closed his eyes. He waited for the attack to come.


He could not help but smile as he walked the steps up to the office even as his muscles complained. It did not last long. The conversion - if it could be called that - he had with Jiraiya was hitting him squarely in the chest now that he did not have anything to distract him from it.

The scathing accusation was not something that he had expected. Jiraiya had made it a point to stay out of things in the past when they had their occasional squabbles. He could count on one hand the number of times they had been angry at each other more than a day prior to the attack. And now it seemed like the opposite was true.

The attack had split his life into two. Before the attack and after. Had he known that things would get this bad he would have been more present and savored the moments. He knew he could not slow down time even if it felt like it when he was not flying about, but he could have tried harder. He would not have taken a single moment for granted.

He could not pinpoint when the pebble had come loose, rolled down the mountain, and became the boulder that was threatening to steamroll him. What one decision spiraled so out of control, he did not know which one to blame. Maybe it was not just one decision. Maybe it had been a culmination of everything. It really did not matter all that much.

All that did matter was the dust was starting to settle and he was looking at his behavior and he was not loving what he was seeing. He could hardly bring himself to look at her. His shame weighed down his neck.


He closed the book quietly. Naruto's shallow breathing was the only discernible sound aside from the fan that was blowing lazily overhead. It was an unusually warm night. She was staring at him intently. She wanted to talk to him. He knew that much. She had been oddly quiet all evening even by their new standards. She slipped her fingers from Naruto's hand. She looked at him expectantly.

He moved his hands into three distinct seals. He tapped Naruto on the temple in a ghost of a touch. Their voices would not wake him. The sounds of their words would not reach Naruto's ears until Minato dispelled his jutsu.

His eyes migrated to her face. She had his full attention. She was playing with the chain of her necklace. It was strange, all of a sudden she could not meet his eyes. He waited patiently for her to tell him what was on her mind.

She licked the corner of her mouth. "I wanted you to hear this from me," she said in a scratchy voice.

He did not let his mind wander. "Hear what?" He asked after she went silent for several painstaking seconds.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Today I let my guard down. I got careless around a patient. A patient with PTSD." She cleared her throat.

He felt his own go dry. His lips tugged downwards. A fold developed between his brows. "What happened?"

"The details aren't important." She said flatly. "I'm fine. Everyone is fine. It was my fault. It won't happen again." She looked at him with blank eyes.

"Sakura," he began his attempt to convey that the details were very much important to him. He wanted to know what happened. He wanted to know if she was alright.

"Can we please skip the lecture? Tsunade-sama had that covered." She searched his stunned face. "I wanted to tell you because I did not want you to think I was hiding something from you. I'm not." She stared at him unwaveringly. "I'm really trying here."

"I know." He said when he found his voice again. "Thank you for telling me." He said with slight confusion.

"Okay. Good night, then." She lowered herself down and turned onto her side. Sakura pulled the covers to her chin. He looked at her back.

"Good night." He said to keep the peace. He disrupted the jutsu that he had placed on Naruto. The boy's sleep was not affected. Minato tore his eyes from her. He stared straight ahead at the wall. He looked every bit as confused as he felt.


"How is he?" Sakura asked Tsunade.

"Fine. Still broken up about what happened." Tsunade said tersely. She was avoiding looking at Sakura.

"Can I see him?" She asked full well knowing the answer.

"He made it clear he doesn't want to see you," Tsunade said firmly.

"I just want to tell him I'm sorry. That I don't blame him." She pleaded her case.

"That does not change how he feels. He's devastated." Tsunade felt her patience start to bend. There were only so many times she could have this conversation. "Seeing you will only distress him further."

She sighed. "Okay." She relented. "Could you please tell him that I'm fine?"

Tsunade stared at the ground. She sucked her teeth. "Sure. I'll tell him for the fourth time. I'm sure it will really have an impact this time."

"Tsunade-sama, I'm -"

"Sorry. I know. I've heard it before." Tsunade cut her off. She looked over Sakura's shoulder. "I have a lot of work I need to get back to. Inoichi will be by later in the afternoon. I'll let you know if anything comes of it."

"Thank you." She heard Tsunade's heels click-clacking further and further away until she no longer could make out the sound. She stared at Ban's door. She sighed. The more she tried the worse she ended up making everything.

The rest of the day was a blur. Ban still refused to see her. Tsunade could not stand to be in the same room as her for more than five minutes. Sakura had timed it. The woman practically shut down after 300 seconds of interaction with her. Minato was, she did not even know what he was. He had finished his antidote regime. That was a week ago. The poison would no longer be lethal to him. He had not reported any headaches to either Shikaku or Wolf since three days ago. It was a sad state of affairs that she had to hear about her husband's health from others.

In trying to keep it together she had gone numb somewhere along the way. She could not keep looking at him with the hope that he was her Minato when they interacted. The constant ups and downs were too much for her to overcome. So she operated under the impression that he was still not himself. It was easier that way. Even if it ended up being a lie.

He was distant. Not as extreme as before but still not back to 'normal'. She supposed she was not all that warm and receptive either. She was overwhelmed. She was scared. She was coming to terms that maybe this was the new baseline for them. He was attentive. He was present. He showed up for Naruto. The late nights in the office were no longer a thing. He was there at dinners.

He was physically there but to her at least it did not feel like he was all there mentally or emotionally. Shikaku had no complaints about his Hokage duties. Things were quiet on the Spider front. Minato was as great as always with Naruto. For all intents and purposes, he was firing on nearly all of his cylinders. There were no lingering side effects from being poisoned for months.

She should have been happy instead of feeling more miserable. She was restless. Things were okay given the circumstances. Everything was quiet and still. She could not help but feel like she was missing something. That she had made some grave oversight. It might just be her anxiety talking.

She stepped out of the bathroom showered, dressed, and excited about curling up on the couch with a book. She needed something mundane. Maybe it would shock her overactive brain into actually processing the words on the page.

"Is that what you're wearing?" He asked her in a tone that made her want to stomp her feet.

She raised a brow instead. He had never made a comment close to that before. But maybe that did not mean all that much anymore. She looked down at the black long-sleeved oversized nightshirt she was wearing. It came to her knees. It was not the most glamorous thing in her closet but she was comfortable. That was all that mattered at 36 weeks pregnant.

"Are you criticizing my clothing choices now too?" She asked him the question - that was probably better kept to herself - coolly. The fight with Tsunade was still very much at the top of her mind.

Minato flinched. "No, I didn't mean -" he cut himself off and looked at the ground between them.

She brought her hands to her hips. "How about in the next life, you can have the babies and I'll make the not-helpful, judgmental, and frankly a little hurtful comments? How does that sound? Huh, Minato?" She glared at him as she awaited his answer.

'So much for avoidance and not engaging.' The dry, churlish voice in her head said blandly.

He held up his hands. "You have that thing." He tried to remind her helpfully.

She fought the brain fog. "What thing?" She asked him in annoyance.

His hands were still up. "The women planned something for you. It's tonight."

Her face fell just as she recalled just what that something was.

"Hide me." She looked at him with panic in her eyes.

"Kushina's outside," Minato rubbed the back of his neck and spoke in a flat tone.

"Why don't you love me anymore?" Her rhetorical joke question did not quite land. It made the air more awkward, which she did not think was possible. She did not have to sit with her blunder long, she could hear the pounding on the front door.

"I'm going to go answer the door now before she kicks it in and Naruto learns a new way to enter every room." He practically fled the room.

"Traitor." She grumbled under her breath. She should have saved herself the trouble he was long gone. In the period of time, it took for her to let out a breath Kushina was in their room.

"Closet now." She led Sakura by the shoulders.

"Kushina, I feel huge and gross. I don't want to go. Please don't make me." She whined.

"You look beautiful," Minato said from the doorway.

'Yeah right, jerk.'

Sakura glared at him. He was trying way too hard. Kushina rolled her eyes.

"She said huge and gross, not ugly. Honestly," Kushina sighed animatedly. Minato shook his head in defeat.

Naruto came to sit cross-legged on the foot of the bed. He watched with wide eyes. "What's happening?" He asked with excitement.

"My worst nightmare," Sakura grumbled. "Ouch!" She rubbed her forehead. Naruto giggled. Sakura glared at Kushina. "Not in front of Naruto, Kushina."

"Well, stop being difficult in front of him." Kushina rummaged through the closest. "Oh, this is cute." She held it out over Sakura.

"It stopped fitting months ago." Sakura lamented. "Can't I just throw some sweats over this?" She gestured to her current outfit.

Kushina frowned. "You'll be so mad at me for letting you wear that when you look at pictures of tonight years from now. I'm just looking out for future-me." Kushina pulled more hangers forward.

"There will be pictures? Now I really don't want to go." She covered her face with her hands. Sakura fought back a long groan.

"I want to go!" Naruto piped up.

"Sorry, Naruto, you can't come." Kushina offered him an apologetic smile.

"Why not?" He asked with the proper amount of indignation.

"No boys allowed," Kushina said with no remorse.

"That's dumb." Naruto huffed.

"It's okay, Naruto, we'll have a fun night here," Minato assured him. "You, Itachi, and me."

Naruto frowned moodily. He looked less than convinced.

"Here," Kushina handed her a red flowy dress. "Wear this."

Sakura frowned. "Not red." She said adamantly.

Kushina put the dress back in the closet with more force than necessary.

"We're going to be so late and I still have to do something about your face, dattebane!" Kushina ground out in frustration.

"What's wrong with my face?" Sakura shot back somewhere in between defensive and curious.

"We don't have time for me to get into it." Kushina grabbed a navy blue high-low dress. Her face lit up. "It's perfect."

Sakura took it in her hands. Her expression softened. She had worn it to her second wedding anniversary dinner. She was pregnant then too. She had forgotten about this dress.

"You look great in navy." Minato's voice called out. She smiled despite herself.

"She looks great in everything, Minato," Kushina said dismissively. She turned Sakura around. "Go get dressed. Hurry!"

Sakura knew better than to test that tone. She was too tired anyway. She closed the door of the bathroom. She sighed sadly as she lost the warmth of her shirt. She pulled the dress down. She looked at herself in the mirror. Kushina had been right. Her face looked sullen. There was next to no life in her eyes. Her three seals were practically flashing against the pale pallor of her skin.

"Kushina!" She opened the door a sliver. "Can you zip me up?" It made no sense to her why anyone would design maternity clothes with a zipper when everything should be made to stretch. But she supposed that was why she had bought this particular dress. It still felt as if she were dressing up.

She opened the door when she heard a knock. "You're not Kushina." She said flatly.

Minato sighed. "Is that going to be a problem?" He asked her tiredly. Kushina had all but dragged him to the door.

"No," Sakura took a step back so he could enter.

She presented her back to him wordlessly. It was embarrassing to admit that she was nervous. She even held her breath as she waited for him to move.

Minato gathered her hair, it was still damp, to the side. Sakura resisted the urge to shiver as his hands brushed the locks from her neck. He found the zipper. He slowly pulled up with sure hands. Sakura hid a frown as disappointment consumed her. He had barely touched her, just the bare minimum that was necessary to complete the task.

"Thank you." She said when the zipped closed all the way. She did not turn around. She could still feel him standing behind her.

"Sakura," she dared not fall for that voice. She closed her eyes.

'It's all in your head and he's out of his,' the voice of reason reminded her.

"Please look at me," something in his voice compelled her to humor him. She turned around. She did so slowly. Her breath hitched in her throat. He was standing a lot closer than she had anticipated. His eyes were so stormy. They were saying too much all at once. She was overwhelmed. She stared into them. They were calling to her. To get lost in them forever. They promised her a kind of high that she would never come down from. She was powerless against him despite everything she told herself and all her reservations.

Her hands hovered over his forearms, not quite ready to make contact. She stared back at him, matching his intensity. She could hear him swallow audibly, his Adam's apple moved. She wanted to open up to him. She wanted to give herself to him but she was only willing to go halfway. The pain of being rejected was still very much fresh. Right now, she could not handle another onslaught of him picking her apart. Her heart would not survive it. It was weakened, it was being held together through sheer stubbornness, out of necessity. She had her kid to think about with another on the way. She needed to be together enough for them.

She was at her worst both mentally and physically. She had not been kidding in the slightest when she told Kushina she felt gross. She felt undesirable and unwanted by him. And even if she knew it was not entirely his fault for making her feel that way, she still felt the way she felt. She was insecure about the way she looked, the way she acted, and where they stood. All of it weighed her down. Halfway was the best she could do right now.

"Sakura," he whispered her name. She recognized the need in his eyes. She despite her reservations found herself with a glimmer of hope. She was a masochist through and through. Even the innuendo of affection was enough for her to throw herself into the fire for him. In the past, he was right there in it with her. But now, she was not quite sure.

He licked his lips. "I -"

"Did you get lost or something?" Kushina pounded on the door. Sakura jumped out of her skin. Her heart was beating frantically in her ears for all the wrong reasons.

She opened the door. She peaked her head in. "Oh good, you're dressed. Minato out." She ordered. She ignored the glare that Sakura was giving her.

Minato had a look of disbelief on his face but he said nothing. He stepped out of the bathroom. The door closed behind him.

"Kushina," Sakura said through gritted teeth and rising agitation.

"Sakura-chan?" Kushina asked her, unfazed by Sakura's outward display of annoyance. "You two can make eyes at each other another time. Tonight is about us." She declared unapologetically.

Sakura scrunched her nose as Kushina started to swipe brushes across her face. "I told you I didn't want a baby shower." She had said the same thing the first time around too. And just like then, she did not get her way.

"Good thing this is not a baby shower then." Kushina grinned. She dusted Sakura's cheeks with some blush. "It's a night celebrating you. So pull yourself together and put a smile on. It won't kill you." She began to work her fingers into Sakura's hair. She pulled out hairpins out of seemingly thin air.

"Ouch," Sakura complained loudly as Kushina tugged her hair none-too-gently. It was a warning as good as any. "Fine. But I'm not going to be pleasant." She vowed.

"That's okay. We weren't counting on that anyway." She twisted her hair and secured it in place. "There." She looked satisfied. "You look half decent."

Sakura turned and looked at herself in the mirror. Half decent was an understatement. She no longer looked like a walking corpse.

She hardly recognized herself. She looked like old Sakura. Pre-attack Sakura. Pre-giant-beach-ball-stomach Sakura. At least her face did anyway. The rest of her was a lost cause.

"You made me pretty," Sakura muttered in astonishment.

Kushina grinned in the mirror behind her. "What are big sisters for?" She smoothed the seams of Sakura's dress on her shoulders. "Now let's get going. A bunch of ladies are waiting to get really drunk in your honor."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Like they need an excuse."

Kushina scrunched her red hair. It fell over her shoulder in loose, beach waves. She was killing it in the black one-sleeved ribbed top she was wearing with tight black pants.

"You look hot. Really hot," Sakura said with a frown. "I miss looking hot." She missed pants that did not have an elastic waistband.

Kushina rolled her eyes. "Stop stalling." She shoved her out the door.

"Mama!" Naruto exclaimed. "You look so pretty!" He all but gushed as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you, Baby." She ruffled his hair. "But you still can't come with us."

He scowled. "No fair!"

"Tough," Kushina said without remorse. "That's life."

"You were there last time, Naruto." Sakura tried to curb the blow of disappointment.

"I was?" He asked in surprise. "I don't remember."

"You were in here." Kushina patted Sakura's stomach gently.

Naruto frowned. "How did I get out?"

"I don't want to think about it," Sakura muttered. She looked at Minato. "I shouldn't be long." She pleaded with him to insist with her eyes.

"Take your time. We'll be fine. Have fun." Minato completely misinterpreted the message. She supposed it was fitting.

"Bye, Baby." Sakura kissed the top of Naruto's head. "Be good for Dada."

"I will," Naruto promised. "Bye, Obachan!" He wrapped his arms around Kushina.

"Bye, Naruto." Kushina grinned at him. "I'll bring you back some cake." She winked at him.

"Yay!" He cheered.

Sakura suddenly found herself unable to look Minato in the eyes. She was overcome with shyness. The moment in the bathroom was in her head. She was sure of it. She would be foolish to fall for it. She was still very much disappointed that he did not address her or initiate a greeting. She kept setting herself up for failure.

"Don't wait up for us." Kushina looped her arm in Sakura's and all but dragged her from the room. She lost her patience with the awkwardness between the two.

"Wait, I need a jacket!" Sakura looked back over her shoulder.

"What are you a hundred, dattebane? It's only early October you'll be fine." Kushina said as they stepped into the night air. "See not bad at all." She took a deep breath and sighed in satisfaction. "It's a perfect night."

"Perfect my foot." Sakura wrapped an arm around herself, the one that was not being held hostage.

"Stop complaining so much. It's a short walk. There will be blankets." Kushina was determined not to let Sakura's mood spoil the evening.

"Where are the girls?" Sakura asked as she blew air on her hands.

"With Mako. No changing the subject. You are the star of tonight." Kushina answered only half listening.

"The star would like to go home." She had a warm bed there. Maybe she could get Minato to make her a cup of tea and rub her feet.

"Enough, already!" Kushina shook her. "You're pregnant and you've been so miserable that you haven't enjoyed a minute of it. Let us shower you with love and attention, dattebane!" Kushinsa said so emphatically that Sakura was slightly taken aback.

"Fine, geez. I didn't know you felt so strongly." She muttered. The words had an impact. The last person to say that very phrase was her mother. Sakura felt sadness begin to well up in her. It was a dull ache in her heart.

"I do. We all do." She sighed. "We're here for you. So let us show you with a visual reminder. We are your village, Sakura-chan." Her expression softened. Her violet eyes implored Sakura.

She grumbled. She could not say no to Kushina's puppy-dog eyes. She knew that. "Fine. I'll be good." She promised.

"Good! And try to have some fun." Kushina grinned. They arrived at their destination.

She blinked in surprise. "This is…" she trailed off.

"Yep," Kushina said with satisfaction at catching Sakura off guard. "I haven't been here since ages ago. When I first met old lady Mito."

Sakura let Kushina lead her inside. Her brain was having too hard of a time processing the news of who was hosting.

"I thought we were doing this at your place?" Sakura suddenly felt nervous. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress.

"Not enough room for all of us. Besides, the girls are there now." Kushina explained as if Sakura was three years old. The redhead lined their shoes neatly.

The wood felt cool against her feet. She desperately wanted a pair of socks. As if reading her mind, Kushina helped her into a pair of slippers.

"Better?" She asked kindly.

"Better," Sakura smiled in thanks. She clenched Kushina's hand harder than necessary. If the woman noticed she did not say anything. She could hear voices laughing where the soft glow of the light was shining through the shoji doors. "This place is beautiful."

She could barely make out the rock gardens on either side of them thanks to the glow of the lanterns overhead.

"It really is. Not a lot of houses this grand are left in Konoha anymore." Kushina said in a reflective voice. "Modernization is not great across the board. Plumbing yes, architecture not so much. Watch your step."

Sakura made a noncommittal sound as she stepped onto the platform. It was only the second time she had been here. The first at night. It had a much more peaceful vibe to it. She liked it. It was worth coming out of the house for this alone.

"You ready?" Kushina asked her as they came to a stop in front of the doors.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Sakura squared her shoulders. She was grateful Kushina had the foresight to do her face. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. It was all her friends. Friends she had known for years she did not know why she was feeling this way.

"They all love you." Kushina squeezed her hand in a comforting manner. She did not let go. Sakura was thankful, she needed the moral support at the moment.

Kushina opened the doors. Sakura saw the smiling faces that filled the room. She nearly burst into tears. She kept them from leaking out onto the face Kushina had worked so hard to bring back to life. The sudden onslaught of emotion was so overwhelming.

"Sakura!" The chorus of voices calling her name all at once.

She smiled. "Sorry, I'm late."

"She's apologizing already. Everyone knows what that means!" Tsume said in a loud voice. Sakura watched as everyone downed their drinks.

"We're playing a game, Sakura!" Tama said giddily.

"They've been here a while," Kushina explained. She gestured to Sakura to the chair that was in the center of the room. "Your throne." She even bowed. Sakura could not help but roll her eyes as she sat down. She was pleasantly surprised to find the faces of Rin and Shizune along with the usual suspects. She smiled at them. They smiled back.

"Are you hungry, sensei?" Rin asked her.

Sakura looked at the spread of food on the table. "Starving," she admitted.

Rin grinned. "Great. We got all your favorites." She stood up and began fixing Sakura a plate. It was then and there that Sakura vowed that Rin was her favorite.

"Thank you, Rin-chan." Sakura smiled in gratitude as Rin handed her the plate of food.

"You're welcome, Sakura-sensei." Rin smiled back warmly.

Sakura smiled at Yoshino, Tsume, and Miyoko. She was surprised to see Mikoto there. The Uchiha smiled at her.

"It's good to see you again, Sakura-chan."

"It's good to see you again, Mikoto. Thank you so much for being here." Sakura said with sincerity.

"The rest of us are chopped liver." Tsume cackled at her own joke. No one else seemed to find it half as funny.

Yoshino smacked her against the chest with the back of her hand. "Behave." She said in a low tone.

Tsume's lips pulled into a pout. It did not last long.

"Thank you all for being here and doing this." She brought a hand to her heart. "Truly." She did not know what to do with all the warmth spreading through her.

"Drink!" Tsume pointed at Sakura. They all clapped their cups against the table before throwing them back.

"I don't like this game." Sakura scowled.

"You might want to tone down your Sakura-ness. They'll all die of alcohol poisoning if you keep this pace." Tsunade quipped from the doorway.

Sakura looked at her with a slightly ajar mouth. "Tsunade-shishou?"

Tsunade scoffed. "What? You didn't think I would be here. In my own house?"

The other women in the room busied themselves with conversation. Sakura put her plate on the table and stood up. She walked to Tsuande. The blonde led her to the kitchen. She brought her hip to rest against the counter. She crossed her arms.

"Tsunade-shishou, I just wanted to apologize. You were right. I was way out of line." She said with genuine remorse. "I'm really sorry. You have been the only one who's been with me."

"You owe me ten apologies," Tsunade said flatly.

"Absolutely," she agreed emphatically. "Do you want them all now or spread out?" She was not joking.

Tsunade sighed deeply. She took a swing from the brown beer bottle on the counter. "You weren't all wrong either." She scratched at the Yin Seal with her bright red nails. "I could have believed you sooner."

"Shishou?" She asked in an unsure voice. She did not trust that she heard right.

"I do believe you, Sakura. At first, I wasn't fully convinced but you're right. I'm not trying to get irrefutable proof from Bat because I don't believe you, it's that we need it for an arrest so we can put an end to this madness. That's why I've been working so hard and pushing for Inoichi to unlock his memories. I'm not blind. I've seen the toll this is taking on you, on all of us."

Sakura gawked at her as her brain processed the information. "Can I hug you?" She asked without thinking.

Tsunade shook her head. She pressed her index finger against Sakura's Yin Seal effectively thwarting any attempt for her to get any closer.

"Absolutely not. I'm not drunk enough for that."

"Thank you, Shishou. You have no idea how much that means to me." Sakura wiped the tears that escaped her eyes.

"Now go have fun out there," Tsunade said gruffly. The warmth in her eyes undercut her tone.

Sakura frowned. "It doesn't feel right to be doing this. Not when the attacker is still out there."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. She took a sip of her beer. "The village is not under attack right this instance. Enjoy tonight. Be present. Everyone in that room, everyone in this house, set aside time to be here for you and you alone. So stop your incessant worrying for one night. One night. That is all anyone is asking of you."

Sakura bit her lip. A slow smile stretched across it. "Okay. One night. I can do that."

Tsunade handed her a tray of hors d'oeuvres. "Go take that to the other room."

"Shishou?" Sakura looked at her with concern.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She waved Sakura off.

"Did you cook?" Sakura looked at the deviled eggs and the spring rolls in surprise.

"You know I don't do that." Tsunade took great offense at the insinuation.

"So then who?" Sakura held up the plates.

There was amusement in Tsunade's eyes. "You won't get it out of me." She brought the bottle to her lips. Her rose-colored lipstick lined the rim.

Sakura shrugged as she walked back into the room. She was greeted by a round of cheers. She lowered the trays on the table.


"I'm too sober for this," Sakura grumbled as she took a sip of her water. It was all bravado. She was feeling immense relief. Things with Tsunade were patched up. That was huge for her. And it was impossible to be down when she was around all her friends. She had missed them.

"It's okay, Sakura-sensei. I'm not drinking either in solidarity." Shizune smiled kindly at her.

Sakura snorted. "Why would you do that to yourself? Drink! It's not like you're pregnant too."

Shizune suddenly avoided her eyes and turned beet red.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry."

"Drink!" Tsume pointed at Sakura. "Wait," the realization worked across her face. The room went silent.

"I'm never leaving this village," Tsunade said grimly before she took a long swing of her drink.

Shizune looked like she was ready to pass out. Sakura grabbed her arm.

"How do we feel about this? Do we want to kill Kakashi?"

Shizune looked at the table. Her face was still very red. "We've been talking about it, it just made sense. There's no reason to wait, really." She tucked her hair behind her ears, they were red too. "I don't even know for sure yet."

"Right, 'talking'," Tsume rolled her eyes as she scoffed.

"But you have a feeling right?" Sakura asked her pointedly. She knew about her current pregnancy well before she knew-knew.

"I have a feeling," Shizune smiled softly.

"Shizune!" Sakura squealed. She hugged her. She could not believe it. She was grinning from ear to ear. Who would have thought Kakashi would be the first? Actually, the more she thought about it, it made sense.

"That's it!" Rin shot up. "I'm going to kill Obito." She staggered slightly from the lightheadedness from standing up too quickly mixed with the effects of the booze.

Kushina grabbed her by the wrist. "Sit down Rin-chan. That can wait until tomorrow." She said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Rin grumbled but she sat back down. She crossed her arms moodily. "I'm happy for your Shizune." She tried to say with a smile. It was not convincing.

Shizune tugged on the sleeve of her shirt. "Thanks, Rin-chan." She said awkwardly.

"Twins run in your family, Shizune," Tsunade said offhandedly.

Shizune looked at her with wide eyes. She suddenly remembered that was true.

"Twins!" Kushian clapped her hands once in excitement. "How fun would that be?"

Yoshino scoffed. "Not everyone has your endless energy, Red. Sounds like a damn near nightmare to me."

Shizune felt panic surge through her. She had not even considered that possibility.

"Don't buy anything, Shizune. You can have all the stuff I saved." Sakura said firmly. "Save your money where you can."

"Won't help much if there are two." Tsunade held up two fingers to ensure the point came across.

"True," Sakura said with a sigh. "Twins. I can't imagine." She mused. "Two of everything."

"Two babies to breastfeed," Mikoto looked like she was getting some kind of horror flashback.

"Twice as much work," Tama said woefully.

"Twice the diapers." Tsume scrunched her nose.

Rin looked at Shizune. The woman had gone pale. She looked like she was in a state of shock. Either that or she was questioning all her life decisions.

"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Rin made the suggestion.

"Twins are the way to go. One and done." Miyoko, the Yamanaka, said. "I wouldn't have minded two Inos."

Sakura sweatdropped at the idea. Miyoko did not see the underbelly of her daughter's seemingly sweet personality. The world was not ready for two of her.

"Hikaru and Hikari were such a handful." Kushina rested her head in her hand. "Those were some dark days." She said solemnly. "We did have our moments though." She seemed to convince herself just as quickly that twins were a good thing.

"Twins," Shizune said before she promptly fainted. Sakura just managed to keep her from hitting her head on the ground. "Shishou!" Sakura said loudly.

Tsunade shrugged. "What? I was just pointing it out. You all ran with it." She waved her hand dismissively as she took another sip.

"Do you have smelling salts?" Mikoto, sweet Mikoto, suggested.

"She'll be fine. Water should do the trick." Tsume grumbled, already disinterested. "Too damn young." She muttered under her breath.

Yoshino frowned. "She's around the age you were when you had Hana."

"Like I said, too young." Tsume poured herself another cup.

"Will their kids have dark gray hair? Somewhere between silver and black?" Kushina asked with her face pinched together in concentration as she tried to picture two little faces that were a perfect blend of their features.

"That's not how genetics work," Miyoko supplied.

"Yeah, Naruto doesn't have orange hair." Tama pointed out helpfully. "Although he does seem to love the color. Do genetics work that way?" She tilted her head to the side. Her expression was much less confident.

"Maybe the next one will have orange hair," Kushina teased. "Oh!" She clapped her hands. "I would love that so much for you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura ignored them. She splashed water on Shizune's face. The raven-hair woman stirred. She blinked her eyes open. Her dark eyes registered Sakura's concerned face looking down at her.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked her gently.

Shizune grabbed her head. "I think so." Her eyes widened. "You can't tell Kakashi!" She said in a panic.

"Your secret is safe with us, kid," Tsume grunted. "I'm planning on getting too drunk to remember any of this."

Shizune did not seem to be consoled by the admission.

Sakura patted her on the head. "It'll be fine." She suddenly frowned. "Where's Kurenai?"

"She's away on a week-long mission," Shizune answered. "She'll be back in a few days."

Sakura nodded her head. It would have been nice to see her but missions came first.

"And Mai?" She noted the other notable absence.

"Food poisoning," Miyoko supplied. "She's not great about throwing things out of her fridge."

"Aww," Sakura made a sympathetic sound. "I hope she feels better soon."

"I heard that you had a little weed problem, Mikoto?" Tsume phrased her statement as a question.

Mikoto felt all their eyes. "It's all taken care of now." She smiled hoping that Tsume would leave it at that.

"And by taken care of you mean…?" Tsume's voice trailed off. Everyone's expression ranged in curiosity.

"Burned it." Mikoto deadpanned. Her eyes widened. "Not like that!" She waved her hands as Tsume burst into hysterics. Mikoto's face was flushed red thanks to her flustered state.

"Some kids planted weed in Mikoto's vegetable garden," Kushina explained to the other confused faces. Realization reflected back on them.

Tsunade shook her head. "What a waste." There were traces of remorse in her voice.

Sakura looked at her in surprise. "Shishou?"

"Don't look at me like that, Sakura," Tsunade said testily. "I was young once too, you know."

Sakura looked at Rin and Shizune. She felt the urge to cover their ears. It felt like they were being corrupted even though they were fully functioning adults. It had taken her a long time to wrap her mind around the fact they were old enough to drink.

"Hm," Yoshino sighed. The only times she ever enjoyed watching the clouds with Shikaku was when she too partook in the occasional, once-in-a-blue-moon indulgence. But that was a lifetime ago.

"Speaking of burning," Tama's tone was serious. Sakura found herself sitting up straighter. "Did they ever find out what caused the fire to the Uchiha bar?" Her brown eyes were fixed on Mikoto.

"Electrical problem. A breaker was overloaded." Mikoto said gravely. "Thankfully they were able to get everyone out. It was a complete loss."

"The breaker didn't trip?" Sakura asked with a furrowed brow.

Mikoto shook her head. "The building was not up to code. It was bound to happen eventually."

Sakura frowned. Something about that did not sit well with her. She opened her mouth to ask a follow-up question.

"Who cares?" Tsume said roughly. "All that booze is gone. That is the real tragedy."

"Right," Kushina rolled her eyes. "The booze and not the loss of the man's business and potential devastation to the businesses next door."

Tsume shook the empty sake bottle. She peered into it. "We're all out."

Tsunade stood up. "You women are about to drink me dry." She muttered darkly under her breath. She gathered the empty bottles. "I'll be back with more."

The women cheered.


Tsunade somehow refrained from stuffing her fingers in her ears at the horribly off-key singing - if it could be called that - that Tama and Tsume were engaged in. It was a testament to her will that she did not grab them by their collars and kick them out. The right corner of her lips pulled upwards.

Everyone was in good spirits, even Sakura. They were having fun. Moments like this were too far and too few in between. She did not care, despite her constant statements of the contrary, that they were eating all her food and drinking all her booze. They were happy. It was a small price to pay for that.

It had been far too long since her grandparent's home had such jovial sounds bouncing off the walls. It reminded her of her childhood. It was nice.

She did not even mind cleaning up after them. Kushina had been kind enough to stay and help clean up. Tsunade put down the garbage bag with the empty bottles on the kitchen floor with a sigh. Kushina tucked in the corners of the blanket around Sakura. She worked quickly to remove the pins in her hair.

"Are you sure that she can stay here?" Kushina asked Tsunade in a low voice as she made her way over to the kitchen.

"I'm sure." Tsunade ran a hand through her long bangs. "You'll let Minato know?"

Kushina nodded. "Thanks for agreeing to host. It went really well."

"I'm glad you convinced me." Tsunade wiped down the counter.

"I can be very persuasive." Kushina was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Tsunade scoffed. "Is that what you call it?"

Kushina shrugged, not offended in the slightest at Tsunade's tone. "It brings back a lot of memories being back in this place." She mused with hints of nostalgia. "It looks the same." Her eyes wandered over the space slowly.

"But it feels different?" Tsunade offered.

"Yeah, different." Kushina scratched her head. "I didn't know her all that well but it was nice to have someone who understood what I would be going through. I wish she was still around ya know? To ask for advice." Kushina said sadly. She wrapped her arms around herself. She absentmindedly rubbed her bare arm.

"I know it's impossible. The only reason I was brought here was because it was nearing her time. But I still can't help but think about it." Kushina looked at Tsunade with eyes brimming with remorse.

Tsunade sighed. "I know what you mean. I miss her too." She pictured her face in her head. "She was a great woman, strong, capable, opinionated. She did not take anyone's crap. She demanded respect. I wanted to be just like her when I was growing up."

Tsunade looked at Kushina. "I know I'm not her and I know that I could never fathom what you're going through but I am here, Kushina. For however long that is."

Kushina looked at her with an unwavering gaze. She understood what was being said without being said. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade leaned back. "Are you planning on crashing here too?" She asked with a raised brow.

Kushina shook her head. "There's no bed like your own."

Tsunade grunted. "That's the truth."

"Good night." Kushina smiled at her.

"Good night," Tsunade said back.

Tsunade checked on Sakura before she walked off to her room for the night with a small smile on her face.