The next morning Satsuki awoke to the smell of Naruto cooking, something that she sorely missed. Being on the road all the time was tough but she got used to it, she couldn't say the same about being apart from Naruto and Izumi. These small respites in between missions were all that kept her going and Satsuki couldn't wish for anything more. She lay in Naruto's and her shared bed as the sweet scent invaded her nostrils trying to not bother with getting up. After a couple of minutes, however, she finally forced herself up and peeled herself off the bed. Satsuki slowly made her way to the bathroom, not exhibiting her best balance after her late night.

She and Naruto helped their daughter to her bed after the girl had her tearful reunion with her mother. It took some time for Izumi to go back to sleep since she refused to the point that Satsuki had to lay beside her and coo her to sleep, nearly falling asleep herself. After Izumi was knocked out in her slumber Satsuki rejoined her husband in the living room and brought up the papers that were on the coffee table when she got home. After reading them she smiled at the fact that their little family was now an official clan of Konoha, at the fact that she could continue her family's legacy as the matriarch of this clan, and most importantly she loved the fact that she was now Mrs. Namikaze. She had looked up to the husband of her mother and father's friend as the hero of the leaf he was, and to think that she would now find herself married to his son had made her beam with pride. It was sad that she was the last Uchiha, but Izumi will now be living without the constant reminder of the curse of their former clan.

Bringing her thoughts to the present she was now in the second-floor bathroom at the sink splashing water on her face. She was going to have to get ready, after some convincing Satsuki was able to talk her way to attending the clan meetings with Naruto while she was still here. She winced at the thought while preparing her bath. She still had not told him that she had already received her new mission, that she would be leaving in two weeks. Her plan was to enjoy whatever little time she had with the two of them but now, with how mundane the mission was, she looked to make it a little family trip to Suna. Naruto would see his former teammate Shikamaru and they could introduce Izumi to his family while she would deliver the documents that Lady Shizune entrusted her for him. A relaxing bath later Satsuki was ready to take on the day.

Satsuki having returned to the master bedroom she ruffled through their closet finding her sky blue kimono with the symbol of the Uchiha near the nape. She groaned, now that she was no longer a Uchiha she had to order new clothes with the new symbol that she had asked Naruto to have designed, it was similar to the Uchiha crest but had the Uzumaki's swirl incorporated into the red of the fan, she was proud with how it turned out. After tying the obi and securing the symbol of Konoha, the headband to it she moved to a chair and table sat up in the corner of the room. Satsuki looked at the makeup, she smiled at how her husband had neatly organized everything, he was always the clean freak out of the two of them, and she hated how much reminded her how pampered she was as a kid, it was part of the reason that she felt that she owed the village in some regards. She took a seat and went to work, and sometime later she stared at the face in the mirror set up on the table. Although she was an attractive woman in her mid-twenties she did not see herself as such, it was only when Naruto complimented her black almond eyes, pale complexion, button-like nose, and slim figure with in his words the right proportions in certain areas did she pay attention to her own beauty deciding to look her best when she was with him. Happy with a job well done she moved to her long black hair tied into a loose bun with hair ties resembling sakura blossoms leaving her long bangs to frame her face.

Now finished preparing herself for the day she got up from her seat and exited the room headed downstairs, toward the smell of the cooking that she had missed in her time away. Following to the dining room she came across Naruto setting the table and her cute little Izumi flanking behind him passing him what he needed. Deciding to lean at the entrance she watched as they worked. Izumi was the first to notice dropping what she was doing and running towards Satsuki. "Wow Mama, you look super pretty." She said, taking her mother's legs in an embrace.

"Why thank you, but shouldn't there be something that you should be saying to me first?" Satsuki crouched down to be more level with Izumi.

Izumi blinked for moments on end before realizing her mistake. "Ahh... Good morning Mama." She spoke a little embarrassed at her faux pas.

Satsuki chuckled, running a hand through the small girl's hair. "That's right Izumi, you should be polite and always greet people when addressing them." She said petting her on the head causing Izumi to grin at her.

Naruto, watching their interaction, finally commented. "You know she is right, Satsuki, super duper pretty." Naruto said teasingly.

Satsuki groaned rolling her eyes at Naruto, although it was as genuine as any other of his compliments, the tone in which he said it gave her pause. Her hand was taken off the girl, mind in mid-thought, Izumi took her mother's hand in hers and started pulling on Satsuki to follow. The woman offered slight resistance before moving to the little girl's insistence on the matter. "I know right… Come on Mama, everything is gonna be cold if we don't hurry." Izumi spoke to her while pulling her to the small dining table situated in the kitchen.

Everything looked good from the steamed rice to the grilled fish and vegetable sides. Naruto went to a more traditional meal but she did not mind, as long as she would be able to eat it she did not care. The meal was largely uneventful. Izumi would ask her about her mission and travels outside the village, and Satsuki would tell her, bar some details that a young child should not hear. Satsuki would ask about the other two's time in the village and Izumi would talk animatedly about her favorite pastimes, the people she would interact with daily, and Hanabi and the times she would babysit. It turned out that 'Aunt' Hana was her favorite subject and the emotion that Izumi showed wearied at Satsuki as she was trying to keep neutral about the other woman. After they were done Satsuki would do the dishes as Naruto prepared for their day out, today being one of three meetings with the clans that she would be present for. Done with the dishes she moved to the living room and waited for her daughter and husband to get ready.

(…)

Although Satsuki expected it she wondered if she would ever be prepared for her daughter's tears. The six-year-old desperately clung to her, balling her eyes out, refusing to let go. "I don't wanna." She cried as Naruto tried to remove her from Satsuki's person. "I want to stay with you and Mama." The girl voiced as her voice became more horsed. The trio were in front of the Hyuga compound to drop off Izumi with Hanabi, but the little girl was having none of it, throwing a tantrum at the fact that she would not be able to spend time with both her parents, it was not the first time it happened. After a few moments of Naruto trying to bribe the girl with anything under the sun did Satsuki move to calm her, picking Izumi up into her arms she spoke. "Now now now. We have plenty of time, don't worry my little moon. I am helping Papa with his work… I am not going anywhere and I will be with him when he comes to pick you up."

"But..."

"It's ok little moon. I will always be here when you need me, but today your Papa needs me too. And you will be okay with Hanabi. I promise you that." Satsuki hugged the sobbing child while connecting their foreheads with her eyes closed. She couldn't blame Izumi, the girl was used to her being gone at any moment being an active shinobi, and a well-respected one at that.

Izumi had calmed a bit at her mother's touch, reluctant in her removal from Satsuki she gave one last squeeze before letting Naruto take her. Satsuki watched as Naruto walked their daughter past the guards and into the compound through the front gate, not wanting to enter herself. After a couple of minutes of waiting, she looked at the gate as the pair of Hyuga Hinata and her husband exited the group of sectioned-off houses. Hinata after laying her eyes on the former Uchiha gave Satsuki a bright smile and took off towards her abandoning whatever she was speaking to Naruto about taking the other woman into a bone-crushing hug. "I see now what Izu was all upset about." She tightened her hug causing Satsuki to furiously tap on Hinata's back in mock surrender.

"Hi-Hinata... Hinata."

Satsuki was ignored as Hinata turned to Naruto angrily. "When were you going to tell me that Satsuki was back, Naru." Hinata said, giving Naruto a side I glanced at.

"And miss this reunion, not on your life Hina." Naruto spoke with an amused expression watching the pair, as his wife struggled for breath under one of their closest friends' touch.

"Hina-ta..."

Again Satsuki was ignored as Hinata continued to speak to Naruto. "Really Naru, she may be your wife but she is still my teammate. You should be more sensitive about these things. It's not the Academy, you don't have to pretend to be-"

"Not to interrupt you, Hina... But..." Naruto pointed at his suffocating wife. "I don't think that Satsuki has very long."

Noticing that Satsuki's pale skin was turning a different shade caused Hinata to let go. "I'm sorry Satsuki, I didn't mean to..."

Doubled over the former Uchiha gasped for breath for a couple of moments with Hinata gently rubbing the other woman's back with a shyness that seemed foreign to her. She was stopped by a hand with Satsuki catching her breath. "It's fine Hinata... Long time no see." Satsuki replied after straightening herself.

"Yeah." Hinata hugged her again, gentler this time.

"Where's Neji?" Satsuki asked, looking towards the entrance behind Hinata. "Shouldn't he come with you?"

"He went on ahead, he said that he had an errand to run beforehand, He usually tells me what it... Wait." Hinata turned to Naruto with a pout clearly on her face. "You told Neji before me Naru? How could you."

Naruto began walking towards Satsuki putting an arm around her waist and pulling her into his side. "You know how these two get when they are around each other."

"Touché." Hinata said relaxing into a grin, before turning to Satsuki. "We can't have that. That reminds me, Satsuki. I need to talk to you after the meeting. It is important." She said smiling at Satsuki who was currently staring daggers up at Naruto, who had pretended to not notice looking away and whistling.

Satsuki took her eyes off Naruto to look confused at Hinata. "Uhhh sure, what do you need?"

Hinata gave her a sad smile before looking towards Naruto, something unrecognizable crossed Hinata's face. "Later." Getting the hint, Satsuki only nodded. "Good now how long are you going to stay this time around, Satsuki." The three of them started walking to Hokage mansion side by side.

The woman she was asking took some time to think before replying. "I can leave at any time but I have to leave within two weeks." Satsuki said in mid-thought.

The other woman was shocked at her answer, this would be one of the shortest times she was in the village at any time since they became shinobi. "That's all?" She questioned the young mother.

"I know right, at least she is here for her own birthday, Izumi was looking forward to it."

Looking at Naruto, Hinata's eyes grew wide. "That's right you are turning twenty-six in a couple of days, we are having a party." Hinata spoke without leaving any room for argument.

"Wait, you don-"

"No arguments Satsuki, this is happening whether you like it or not." Hinata interrupted, already coming up with a plan of action.

Satsuki groaned burying herself further into Naruto's side, him chuckling at the action half hugging for a second to comfort her. "Now you know what I had to deal with growing up. You are lucky that we left the village before any major celebrations, Speaking of which." Naruto turned to Hinata before continuing. "Is Kiba back?" He asked her knowing that Inuzuka Kiba was in team seven with Satsuki and Hinata.

"Yeah, how is he? I haven't spoken to him in a while." Satsuki Added.

Hinata chuckled at their questions before answering. "Yes he is back, I haven't spoken to him yet though. I want to give him and his girlfriend space. The mission he was on hit a snag in the middle but he is fine."

"Kiba has a girlfriend?" The couple said in unison, absolute shock in their voices.

"Why was that the most surprised that I have ever heard you two sound? I kind of feel bad for him now."

(...)

"You're serious about this." Satsuki spoke surprised as she was in a Konoha café with her former teammate and friend Hyuga Hinata, who had quite the news for the twenty-five-year-old. It had turned out that Hinata was now trying for a baby and she had to spring this on Satsuki on the day after her return, to not be noon yet and to have one of the only examples of a female friend speak on this subject, but not only that, to have her ask for advice was mind melting, especially with their line of work.

"I can't put this off for much longer, Satsuki." Hinata spoke with stress evident on her face. She adjusted her chair to sit sideways, giving a narrowed glance at Satsuki from the corner of her vision. "We can't all be lucky and be blessed with a child before a shotgun wedding. Plus you and Naru don't have elders stuck in their way to appease. Honestly, you ruined my plans, you know." She said remembering their teen years when she had first become the clan head after her father stepped down and Neji had just gotten out of the hospital, she went to the then Hokage Tsunade with a marriage proposal for her little sister to the late Godaime's son Naruto. "You had to drag Naruto with you on your revenge quest."

"You know I did not force Naruto to come with me." Satsuki spoke with sadness in her voice looking down to her lap fidgeting with her hands on the table.

"Did you really think that Naruto would leave you alone with Orochimaru?" Hinata took Satsuki's hand in hers. "You would be a fool to think that especially after what happened to Anko-san, you might have not seen it then but those two had a special bond and you weren't the first person that man marked after all."

Satsuki was about to say something but was interrupted by short pink hair entering her field of vision. "Are you two ready to order?" Looking up, the two were surprised by a familiar face, a much older one but familiar all the same.

"Haruno?"

"Haruno-san!?"

Haruno looked up from her notepad before a large smile entered the waitress' face. She had not seen them since the chunin exams so they were a sight for sore eyes and they remembered her, with a tear in her eye she called out to her old classmates. "Hyuga-san, Uchiha-san?"

"Actually it's Namikaze now."

"You're married." Haruno looked down to Satsuki's left hand. "Wait, Namikaze, like in the Yondaime?" She spoke shocked, staring a hole in the other woman's wedding band.

"Actually..." Hinata was the first to respond. "His son."

Haruno nearly burst out of her uniform apron before leaving to grab a free chair at a nearby table and push it to where Satsuki and Hinata were seated. "Dad, I am taking my break now." She yelled to the older gentleman across the room.

The man looked up from his book at the cash register and noticed his daughter take up a spot next to the only customers they had, seeing the Uchiha crest and the signature eyes of the Hyuga he let go of any grievances he might have had and sighed. "Sure, just don't go over again." He said jokingly.

Haruno returning her attention to the two ladies smiled, taking off the apron she was wearing bringing attention to a husky-shaped pin right below the Sakura name tag that Hinata took note of before addressing them. "We have to catch up."

Hinata smiled at the dog pin before looking at Sakura, with a thought. 'Of course he would give her that.' circling in her head. "We would be happy to, right Satsuki?"

"Not for long I have to pick up Izumi after this." Satsuki confirmed.

Hinata laughed the notion off before speaking to Satsuki. "Leave that to Hanabi, she would be more than happy to take care of her."

"And who is that, exactly?" Sakura asked not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

"Mine and Naruto's daughter." Satsuki responded without putting much thought into it.

A nonexistent mushroom cloud Appeared over Sakura's head as she processed the information. "WHAT?!"