Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Chapter 60: New Beginnings Part II
Sakura could not help but smile at the small gathering at the gates. She spotted the long red hair from a mile away. She was not surprised to see her there but she was warmed to her core nonetheless. It was a big day for them.
"Obachan!" Naruto launched himself at her.
"Oi, Naruto!" Kushina spun him around. "You look awake," she noted as she set him down. They both wore matching grins.
"Of course, Kushina-obachan. You won't catch me missing my first out-of-the-village mission!"
"He overslept. I had to kick him out of bed," Kura deadpanned. "Hi, Obachan." She wrapped her arms around Kushina's waist.
Kushina laughed. She gave the girl a tight squeeze. "Where would he be without you, Kura-chan?"
Kura looked pleased as Naruto's face fell. It did not last that way long. "Yo, Samurai Man!" He gave Joben a fist bump.
"Hey, Naruto-kun. Ready for your big mission?" Joben asked him with a large grin. His dimples were out on full display.
"You bet!" Naruto nodded his head in excitement.
"Joben-ojichan," Kura gave him a hug.
Joben put his hand on her hair and tousled it. "Hey, Kura-chan."
Kura scowled. "Ojichan! We talked about this. Not the hair." Kura slipped off her forehead protector and ran her fingers through her locks. She re-tied it atop her head when she was sure her hair was just how she liked it.
"I told you to stop doing that," Kushina looked at her husband with a sidelong glance.
"That's what makes it all the more fun," Joben rested the back of his head in his hands.
Sakura and Manato joined the group. "Oh, there's my little nephew." Kushina rubbed the side of her face against Manato's. "We're going to have so much fun. I'm going to spoil you rotten." Kushina promised him with the biggest smile on her face.
"Hi, Kushina-obachan," Manato greeted her warmly. "Hi, Joben-ojichan."
"Manato-kun," Joben patted him on the shoulder. "Are you excited about doing some target practice?"
Manato nodded his head.
Sakura fisted a hand against her hip. "Hello you two," she smiled at the pair.
"Not like that," Kushina held her arms open wide. "Get in here, Sakura-chan."
Sakura laughed as she complied with Kushina. Kushina wrapped her up tight. Sakura greeted Joben, Tukiko and Karin.
"Why so glum Karin-chan?" Sakura asked the redhead.
"Don't ask," Joben tried to warn her.
"Nothing Obachan. Just that my life is over." Karin lamented.
"Oh, is that all?" Sakura asked with a frown.
"She's just sulking, Obachan." Tukiko quipped. "Don't mind her."
"Sasuke," Kushina whispered in a not-so-quiet tone.
"Ah," Sakura said in understanding. It was her and Ino all over again.
"She's just mad that Sasuke-kun and I are meant to be," Kura rocked on her feet.
"You are not!" Karin said indignantly.
"Why does it have to be Sasuke?" Naruto asked them moodily. "He's such a jerk."
"I've already gone down that road, Naruto-kun. No good can come out of asking," Joben warned him solemnly.
"Sasuke is so misunderstood. He has an amazing heart!" Karin gushed. "He's so cool." She said with a dreamy sigh.
Manato watched everything unfold with an amused look in his eyes.
Sakura let herself be dragged away from the kids and Joben by Kushina. "Can you believe this day has come?" The redhead asked her in a mix of disbelief and awe.
"Hasn't hit me yet I think," Sakura looked at the kids interacting with one another. "Don't you even think about it!" She held out her pointer finger.
"Fine, geez." Kushina held up her hands innocently as if she was not just planning on pinching Sakura. Her purple eyes landed back on the children. Kura and Karin were scowling at each other. "When do you think they'll get over that?" Kushina asked her dryly.
"Who knows," Sakura said in exasperation. "I am not looking forward to their teenage years."
"Like mother like daughter eh?" Kushina jabbed Sakura in the ribs.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." Kushina's distractions were welcome but not entirely effective.
"Be honest," Kushina leaned in. "How panicky are you?"
Sakura bit her lip. "It's at a six. I'm trying not to think about all the ways this could end up being just like my first mission, that is the worst-case scenario. I may have given Kakashi a heads-up a couple of days ago. His eye was twitching slightly. Hopefully, I didn't freak him out too badly."
"It will be different. Naruto and Kura have been training really hard. You and Minato gave them tools and a foundation. They will be fine. They have each other. And Kakashi knows what to look out for. They'll be fine." Kushina draped an arm around Sakura's shoulders.
"You're right," Sakura said firmly. Kura was at a much better baseline than she was at that time. Naruto as well. She had meant it when she told them they worked well together.
"And about the other thing?" Kushina asked her.
"Not at all," Sakura told her honestly. She brushed her mid-back length hair over her shoulder. The pink locks with white tips glistened in the morning sun.
"I'm almost jealous. One week just the two of you." Kushina sighed. "That's never happened before has it?"
Sakura shook her head. "No. It's never been just the two of us outside of Konoha. Unless you count the blur of a journey to Yume." She did not count that. They never really got the chance to. She was too busy avoiding being alone with him the first year and he was Hokage by the second year. She bit her lip. "I'm excited. Nervous but mostly excited."
"Manato will be just fine. He won't even miss you all. I'll make sure of it." Kushina assured her with a measured tone.
"He's all packed. You have the house key in case he needs anything. He has his necklace. He knows how to use it. If he needs us for any reason, don't hesitate." She searched Kushina's face.
"Relax. He'll be great." Kushina brushed aside her concerns. She was mildly surprised Sakura did not try to push a vial of blood in her hands to summon Katsuyu because she was incredibly overprotective like that. "I know he's your baby and all, but he's old enough to survive without you for a little while."
"I've never left him for more than a few hours before," she rubbed her arms.
"No one is going to take him from you," Kushina said gently. "There's no other crazy, deranged, psychotic half-sibling coming out of the woodwork for them. Minato checked, remember?"
Minato was so thorough in his paranoia that he even had Joben try to look into who Kura's birth father was just to ensure he would not be a problem down the line. Joben had come up empty-handed Which as far as she was concerned meant that the birth father - whoever he was - had no clue he had a daughter.
She nodded her head. "I know. In my brain, I know that. My heart is a different story. It's not logical." She felt crazy.
"I know we would not be in this situation if you didn't trust me or trust Joben so I'm not going to say it. It will be fine, Sakura." Kushina squeezed her shoulder.
"Keep an eye on Daiki for me." Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly.
Kushina scowled. "What is it with the Hyugas being obsessed with your family?" She crossed her arms. "I'm watching him with both eyes wide open."
"Don't teach Manato how to throw a punch while I'm gone," Sakura said with a sigh. She already knew it was falling on deaf ears.
"No promises. I have a feeling he inherited your monster strength. He can open any jar I give him. Even the ones Joben can't." Kushina said with a knowing smile. "He just needs to let loose once. That will get the bullies to stop dead."
Sakura rolled her eyes. There was so much wrong in Kushina's statement she hardly knew where to begin.
"It's not that. Your taijutsu is still horrible. I'd just rather him learn correctly from the jump than have to put in work to unlearn all of your bad habits."
"Say that to my face!" Kushina planted her hands on her hips.
Sakura raised a brow. "I just did. Just now. Were you not listening?"
"Tch," Kushina crossed her arms. "Whatever. I'm not going to beat you to a pulp in front of your kids. I'm better than that."
Sakura clicked her tongue but otherwise chose not to engage further on that topic. Her eyes focused on a head of dark hair.
"Is Tukiko still having nightmares of him?" She asked Kushina in a low tone.
Kushina shook her head. "It's been over three years since she saw him in a dream."
"Do you think she's hiding it from you?" The question sounded bad. She realized that. But she needed to know.
Kushina shook her head unbothered by it. "I would know if she was hiding something. She's been good."
"Good," she chewed on her bottom lip distractedly. "Has Tukiko said anything?" Her jade-colored eyes locked with Kushina's violet ones.
Kushina shook her head. "She's adamant that she doesn't want to know. She said that Joben is her dad and she could not care less about knowing who her birth dad was. She made Joben and me cry - if I'm being honest - when she said that." Kushina cleared her throat. "We know where to find you if she ends up changing her mind later. She'll have questions. I hope she never does but it's her call."
"It is," Sakura rubbed her forehead. Kushina, Joben, Fugaku, and Mikoto all now knew about Tukiko's father's identity. Sakura had shared it with them five years ago. "When does it stop getting complicated?"
"When we die," Kushina deadpanned.
Sakura exhaled forcibly through her nose. "When are the two of you off?" Sakura asked.
"The week after you get back. A handful of kids need placement after the conflict in one of the border towns." Kushina said with a sigh. "We have prospective families lined up for a couple of them. I'm not too worried about the rest. We just need to get the signal to go get them and they will be okay." She said with conviction.
"I know they will," Sakura looked at Kushina with admiration. "I'm so proud of you and happy for you."
"I know it's not what we planned," Kushina looked off at the kids.
"But it's pretty great," Sakura finished with a far-off voice.
"Hurry and get back so we can get together with the girls, it's been too long." Kushina looked at her. "Oh and be prepared for a double date too. I don't want to hear any excuses. Bring good sake back," Kushina added brightly.
"You can count on it," Sakura said with a grin.
Sakura smiled at the raven-haired man who walked towards them. He had a raven-haired twelve-year-old boy with him.
"Itachi-kun, Sasuke-kun, good to see you." She greeted both of them warmly.
Sasuke mumbled a hello before he all but ran away from her. Sakura and Itachi watched him leave with amused looks on their faces.
"Big day," Sakura mused out loud. She knew what it meant to Itachi to see his brother off.
"It is," Itachi nodded in agreement.
"Have you been taking your medication?" Sakura's expression became serious and her tone lowered. She pinned her gaze on his eyes.
"I have," Itachi answered her. "No new symptoms. I'm okay." He anticipated the follow-ups.
"Good. I've heard that your genin team is thinking of taking the chunin exams this year?" Sakura asked him.
"They're ready. Yakumo and Hiro will convince Tukiko if they haven't already. I'm confident all three will be promoted." Itachi smiled as he watched Naruto and Sasuke rib each other. Sasuke was about three digs away from putting Naruto into a headlock.
"Itachi-sensei, it suits you," Sakura said with a smile. "So is Raven staying retired?"
"Raven is staying retired." He said with a small nod. This was where he wanted to be. ANBU had been important in getting him to this point.
His words brought her a great sense of comfort. He excelled in ANBU, just like in everything else he did. It was no secret that both Wolf and Raven planned on retiring when the Yondaime left office. Minato had gradually phased Raven and Wolf out of the ranks about a year and a half prior. He had told them his reason for doing so was so that their replacements would have plenty of time to ease into their new roles. He did not want to give Obito a completely green Inner Guard. It was ultimately the Godaime's decision to decide if he wanted to keep the model or make up his own but Minato wanted to do his part in making the transition as smooth as possible. He loved efficiency. It was his thing. It also did not hurt that Bat was staying on. Obito was in good hands.
She had wondered if Itachi would stick to being a genin instructor or if he longed for something a little less patience-testing and a little more exciting. She was happy to hear that he seemed to be enjoying it as much as Kakashi was. Albeit Kakashi was much greener to the role than Itachi who already had a year under his belt.
"How have you been?" Sakura asked him bright eyes brimming with interest.
"You mean since two weeks ago when we were all at your house for the thank you dinner?" He asked her with amusement coloring his tone.
Sakura scrunched her nose. "We really didn't get to talk all that much." Between the kids - namely Naruto and Little Sakura and Kakashi's lively brood - and Ban - who surprisingly became a chatterbox - there was not a whole lot of time for her to talk to Itachi during the thank you dinner they had hosted for Raven, Bat, Wolf, and Salamander and their families. The ANBU that had served Minato for the past seven years.
"So don't keep me in suspense." She looked at him expectantly.
"Happy," Itachi admitted.
"Your parents seem to be doing well. I saw your mother a couple of days ago. She's handling their first mission better than I am." Sakura rubbed her elbow almost sheepishly.
"She's been through it before. You'll get there."
"Maybe," something told her she would never reach the level of poise Mikoto had. But that was okay. She was not doing so badly for herself.
"How's your father feeling about retirement?" She asked him casually.
"He's looking forward to being the Godaime's advisor. Thankfully Obito-san has settled down some. That being said, I would not want to be in that war room." Itachi admitted with a light-hearted chuckle.
He really did look happy. The stress lines on his face were far less pronounced than the Itachi she remembered from her genin days.
"The new recruits to the police force look promising," she really could not help herself. She knew it was technically the new chief's job to pick but she was so excited to see some familiar names on the list. Namely, she was excited about seeing more and more non-Uchiha join the ranks. The desegregation of the police force was a very good thing in her mind. A very good thing.
"There are," he said in agreement. "I have my eye on a couple of prospects."
Knowing Itachi that could mean anything from recruiting them to be genin instructors to ANBU. He had a knack for finding good people. He himself would make a great advisor one day to the Hokage. He would be a great Hokage too but that was not his dream. But maybe she would see him frequent the Tower in the future someday. He had all the makings of being a great First Gentleman.
"The ring came in," Itachi said with barely moving lips.
Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep from letting out a sound of exuberance. "How'd it turn out?" Her green eyes were bright with excitement.
"Just like the design sketch," Itachi's eyes held joy even if his face was more or less blank. "Thank you for the recommendation."
"I'm so glad," she let out a sigh of relief. "Suna really does jewelry really well." she could not help but gush. "Oh, Itachi-kun!" She did squeal this time. It was controlled. Mostly. No one looked over at them at least.
He spared her an amused look. She was significantly more excited than he was. Outwardly anyway. "Are you going to be okay?"
She snorted. "Of course. Who do you think you're talking to? Please. I can keep a secret."
His eyes became solemn. "Shisui's mother is doing well. Thank you for getting her that job at the daycare all those years ago. It gives her a reason to get out of bed."
Sakura nodded her head. "I'm just glad I could help. You're a good man, Itachi."
"How is Manato doing?" His dark eyes pinpointed to the blond boy who was laughing at something Joben said.
"He's being brave," she said with a smile. "We're all leaving him all at once." It was silly. He was the son of shinobi. He wanted to be a shinobi himself. This was nothing in comparison to the childhoods of Naruto and Sasuke that she remembered. But she was different too. Her heart was quicker to soften.
"He'll be okay," Itachi said in a level voice. He made a note to stop by and see him during the week as his schedule allowed. "I'd like to teach him one day."
"You might have to fight Kakashi on that." She said with a knowing look.
"I'm not concerned," Itachi said with a small smile. He knew all of Wolf's tricks.
"Kura mentioned she'd like to learn genjutsu," Sakura mentioned offhandedly.
Itachi's brow furrowed. "You're not going to teach her?"
"She doesn't want me," Sakura said with a sigh.
Itachi nodded in understanding. "When they get back then. I can have Yakumo work with her. It could be beneficial for both of them."
"Sounds good to me," she flashed him a grin.
"I have been craving your chicken along with those cabbage pancakes." He looked at her from the corner of his eye.
Sakura smiled at him. "Stop by anytime and I'll make them for you. Bring Inzumi with you too. I want to hear her recount of the story." She had a feeling this Uchiha was not to boggle the proposal as much as their beloved Fifth did.
"I will," Itachi promised.
Sakura looked at the excited faces of Namikaze Naruto, Namikaze Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. She could not help but see her own genin squad looking back at her. It was achingly similar but not. All three children had parents. Kakashi, their sensei, was a parent himself. Things were similar but they were not the same.
Sakura held her youngest's hand as she walked up to Naruto first. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't eat all your snacks at once. Pace yourself. Chew when you eat. You'll get a stomach ache otherwise. And don't be afraid to use your brain every now and then. I know you have a good one."
"Come on, Mom!" Naruto looked sheepish. "I know all that stuff already."
Her expression became stern. Naruto straightened his posture immediately in response.
"Listen to Kakashi-sensei, don't try to be the hero. Remember your training and look after yourself and your teammates. Stay in control."
"I will, Mom." He said solemnly. He fisted his hand around his stomach. "I promise."
Sakura hugged him before she kissed his cheek. "I love you, Naruto."
He squeezed her back. "I love you too."
"Give 'em hell, Naruto!" Kushina yelled from several feet behind Sakura.
Naruto swiped his finger under his nose. "You know it, dattebayo!" He grinned.
"Bye, Oniichan." Manato hugged his brother.
Naruto hugged him back tightly. "I'll be back before you know it. Have fun with Obachan and Ojichan."
Manato nodded his head.
He joined his mother who was in the process of saying goodbye to his sister.
"Remember to watch your back too," Sakura looked at the preteen girl. "Trust your gut and head on a swivel. You are strong. You are capable. Remember that even when it feels like everything is going wrong around you. Don't let your head get in the way of that." She pulled her into a hug.
"Right," Kura nodded with fierce determination.
"Take care of yourself, Kura. I love you." Sakura kissed her cheek.
"Mom, don't embarrass me in front of Sasuke-kun." Kura half-heartedly whispered to her. Sakura saw the affection in her daughter's eyes.
"Bye, Manato. I'll bring you back a souvenir." Little Sakura hugged her youngest brother closely.
"Bye Oneechan. I'll miss you."
Sakura put her hand on Sasuke's head. "Be careful out there, Sasuke-kun. It's okay to rely on your teammates every now and then."
His face flushed as he looked away from her.
"Bye," Manato smiled at the Uchiha.
Sasuke nodded in his direction. Unlike her other two kids, Manato was not completely obsessed with the Uchiha.
"I'll take good care of them, Manato." Kakashi's eye crinkled as he ruffled the blond's hair.
Manato smiled up at him. "Thanks, Kakashi-oniichan."
"Take care of yourself too, Kakashi." Sakura looked at him closely. Her eyes darted to the face of the client they were to escort, Tazuna. "Don't get fancy and overdo it with your eye." Her sharp gaze pinned him in place.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Sensei," his tone was sheepish. "We'll be fine." He cleared his throat as he looked at the students in his charge. "Ready?"
"Let's go already!" Naruto whined loudly.
Kura tapped her fist down on his head. "The mission hasn't even started yet and you've already forgotten everything we told you."
Naruto rubbed the top of his head. "Careful with your monster strength, Kura!"
"Why you little…" Kura pushed her half sleeves up to her shoulders as she charged for Naruto.
It only took one pointed look from Sakura and the tapping of her foot for both of them to settle down quickly.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'll be by the gates." He stalked off.
The Hatake looked at the three of them before looking at the amused faces of the gallery.
Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "You'll be fine," she said with an air of nonchalance.
"Right," Kakashi looked at the blond and pinkette. "Let's go."
Sakura put her hands on Manato's shoulders as she watched the five of them cross the threshold of the gate. She stared at the path until she could not see them anymore.
"Are you crying?" Kushina pushed her face close to Sakura's.
"No," Sakura said flatly.
Manato looked up in amusement as he watched his mother and aunt interact.
"Not even a little?" Kushina asked her with disappointment. She was hovering in Sakura's personal space. She was not surprised. All space was personal for Kushina.
Sakura rolled her eyes. She turned her head so that she could glare at Kushina in earnest.
"Not even a little." She said firmly.
"You owe me ten bucks," Joben said with a dimpled grin.
Kushina grumbled. "Are you sure, Sakura-chan? Would it help if you thought about sick puppies? Or babies that have candy taken away from them?"
Sakura sighed. "I'm sure."
"Do you want to get ramen?" She asked her innocently as she brought her hands behind her back.
"It's eleven in the morning, Kushina," Sakura said with a sigh.
"So?" The redhead had the audacity to blink slowly at her. "What do you say, Manato?"
"Ramen sounds good," he said with a nod. He had a second stomach for that stuff.
"Manato, we're going to have so much fun! You're never going to want to go back home." Karin pinched his cheeks. "You're just the sweetest thing," she gushed as she pulled him into a bear hug.
"Karin, stop harassing him." Tukiko scolded her.
"It's okay," Manato smiled at the raven-haired Uzumaki.
"You're too nice Manato-kun," Tukiko said with a sigh.
Sakura looked over at silent Itachi. "Ramen?"
He looked at the faces staring back at him expectantly. "Sure," he said impassively.
Sakura could not help but smile as their group made its way to the familiar ramen stand.
"Where is it? Where did I put it?" He pulled more things out of the closet. He tossed the boxes containing hats, shoes, and clothes to the floor in a pile. "Come on, come one. Where are you?" The haphazardly generated pile continued to grow in size. He could feel his will to live being sucked right out of him.
"Dada?" A tentative high-pitched voice asked him.
Obito found himself staring right into the dark dark eyes of his son. "Rukia-kun," he sighed. The boy was playing with a pair of pants. He was wearing one of the legs bunched up on his head. "What are you doing, rugrat?" He asked the eighteen-month-old in a voice laced with melancholy and dread.
"Like Dada!" He clapped his hands.
Obito tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean like Dada?" He got his answer. He felt the hat slide off his head and land on the pile of clothes. His eyes widened. He looked at his son. A smile broke across his face. "You're a genius!" He held up the toddler. He tossed him in the air and caught him. "You saved me!"
"Again! Again!" Rukia said with delight in between his giggles.
Obito brushed his nose against his. "Maybe later, kiddo. Your Dada has to go to work." He was grinning from ear to ear.
"Work?" Rukia tilted his head to the side. His mouth was slightly agape.
"Yeah, your Dada is the Godaime, now. And thanks to you Dada found his hat so he can go to the Tower not too terribly late." He was running about two hours behind. It was not great but he figured his sensei could use the extra time. "Pretty cool that your Dada is the Hokage right?"
"Yeah!" Rukia nodded his head with much enthusiasm. "Dada strong!" He held up his pudgy arm and flexed like he had seen his father do countless times.
"No doubt. No doubt." Obito nodded his own head. "Dada is really strong." His face fell. "Dada is not the most responsible though. Dada lost his hat and it was on Dada's head."
Rukia giggled. "Silly."
Obito's eyes lost a little of their joviality and lightness. "Yeah, Dada is being silly."
Rin pushed off from the door frame. When she had seen the pile of clothes on the floor she had every intention of tearing him a new one about setting a better example but now looking at the dejected form of her husband she knew it could wait.
Obito watched with guarded eyes as Rin stepped around the small mountain he had created in his panic and picked up the discarded hat. She removed a couple of pieces of lint from it. She set it down on his head.
"Dada is not being silly." She looked him straight in the eye. "Dada is going to do an amazing job. Dada is going to be the best Hokage that ever lived." She tapped the bill of his hat affectionately. "It's okay if Dada gets a little overwhelmed or loses his hat every now and then. Dada's human and this is a big change. It's totally normal that Dada's overwhelmed." She brought her hands to rest on his shoulders.
Obito stared at Rin with a slack jaw and wide eyes. The words died down in his throat. She had rendered him completely speechless.
"And if Dada gets too overwhelmed and it feels like Dada's lost his hat while it's on his head again, Mama will help Dada. Dada is not alone in any of this." She smiled at him with the full extent of her conviction.
"Rin-chan," Obito breathed her name as he felt his spirits renew.
"I'm so glad you outgrew that ridiculous goggle phase." The smile stayed on her face for the entirety of the dig.
"You made me cool, Rin-chan." He grinned at her.
"You're not cool. I'm not a miracle worker, Obito." She said flatly. "You're going to be great."
"So I shouldn't think it's a sign that Minato-sensei and Sakura-sensei are leaving the village on my first official day?" Obito rubbed the back of his head.
"You know that has nothing to do with how they feel about you. You heard them at the inauguration. They have complete faith in you. They're so proud. I'm so proud." Her brown eyes were warm and honest.
"I don't know, Rin-chan." He said with reluctance. "I don't want to mess this up."
"Obito," Rin's sharp tone caught both Obito and Rukia off guard. "Get over yourself. I already gave you my speech. I'm not doing it again."
She crossed her arms. Obito's arm - the one not holding Rukia - held her in place against him. He grinned at her. "Okay. I'm over it. I'm going to be the best."
"That's my husband." She mimicked his smile.
"That's my wife." He dipped his head to kiss her. Rin smiled against his mouth. She tilted the hat back on his head with her hand so it was no longer poking her in the face as she continued to kiss him.
"Mama? Dada?" Both turned to see their eldest in the doorway. "What's with the funny hat?" He asked his father.
Rin laughed into her hand as the color drained from Obito's face. "I worked very hard for this funny hat! I'll have you know." He huffed in indignation.
"Your dad is getting ready for his first official day," Rin explained before Obito got too carried away.
"I don't remember seeing Minato-ojisan ever wear it." Ruka, the six-year-old said dismissively.
"It's still all very new, Ruka-kun. Give it some time. He'll get over it." Rin assured her eldest. Maybe she would just have to hide it if Obito still insisted on wearing it everywhere a couple of months from now.
Obito looked at the faces of his wife and sons. He firmly felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. He grinned.
"We did it!" He thrust his fist in the air.
Rin shook her head as she chuckled. He really did.
He blinked his yellow eyes closed as the wind moved through his hair. The navy shirt he wore under his green flak jacket rippled slightly. It was a cool November morning. He bowed his head and leaned forward on his elbows. There was a small smile on his face. When his blond lashes fluttered open to reveal his blue eyes, his posture relaxed considerably.
They were still less than three miles from the village. With the client, they could not travel at even genin speed. He knew that they would not encounter any real issues until they were well out of his range but he could not help but keep tabs on them regardless.
It was strange to turn that part of himself off. He worried about them. More accurately he worried about the beast that was held behind a seal. It did not matter how elaborate the seal was. Ultimately it was simple, it would always be simple, in comparison to the rage and animosity of the fox. Until his son learned to control it, he would always worry. It had taken him five months to finally stop checking it every day after Naruto had fallen asleep back when the boy was five.
"Where are they?" She asked him gently as she came to stand next to him.
"Four clicks to the east." He answered breezily.
"They'll be okay," she said firmly. He did not miss the way her hands went to curl around her necklace. A simple chain with three silver dots. One for each child. One for each of their first initials: M, N, S. She had not gotten around to taking it off. She had no reason to before. He would need to remind her before they left.
"They'll be okay," he nodded his head in agreement.
Sakura's face pulled into a soft smile. She inhaled deeply. Her pink locks danced in the wind behind her.
"We ran into Koharu in the hallway." She said in a light tone despite the ramifications of her words being anything but. "She kept it short," it was far from sweet. Her lips had curled in visible disgust at the sight of them. They were used to it.
"This was her final way to try to get under my skin. She was adamant about scheduling her exit at the same time as the mission send-off." His tone did not betray just how unhappy he was about it. But handing Obito a clean house was more important. It was what was best for the village.
"It's hard to believe she kept her word." Sakura sighed. "I actually don't believe it fully if I'm being honest." Even with the terms she and Koharu had their fair share of rows over the past seven years.
"She's gone. She is without rank, power, and influence. There's nothing she can do." Minato said assuredly. "She's going to be enjoying a peaceful retirement." Or a not-so-peaceful death. The choice was very much hers.
"Is Homura still staying on?"
"He is. Sarutobi agreed to be the stand-in until the council holds a vote. There are good candidates. Can't really go wrong." The edge was gone from his voice. His cobalt eyes contained contentment.
"Are you sure about all this?" She gripped the railing and pushed up onto her toes. She shivered as the wind embraced her.
"I am," he turned around so that he was facing her. "I accomplished all that I set out to do. Obito was gracious enough to wait until I could assign Naruto and Kura their first mission. That was really something special to be able to do."
He would have liked to do that for Manato too but he was getting up there in years. He was 39. He really did not want to hold on for another five years to do that. Obito had waited long enough. It had taken no less than five years for Konoha to stabilize to what it was before the Kyuubi attack. And an additional two for it to really prosper. Now was the right time to walk away when they were in the midst of peace and great relations with Suna, Kiri, and even Iwa.
Besides, he could always go along on Manato's first mission instead. That could be special in its own way. Or maybe he could go back to teaching, even. The possibilities were endless. He was excited. He was ready. It was time.
She held his gaze. "This mission will make them start acting like a team. They'll realize today what it means to be a shinobi. It will change them."
"It'll be good for them," Minato let out a small sigh. "This is going to be good for us."
"Sixteen years," she mused as her eyes adopted a far-off-expression. "It was a good run."
"It was," he uttered in agreement as he took in her face. The years had been very kind to her. Apart from the few streaks of silver in her hair, she did not look any different. He had to squint to see the barely there lines that folded and creased on her face when she smiled.
"The village has come a long way." Her tone was reflective and introspective.
"It has and so have we." He brought his hands together in front of him.
"We have," she nodded her head. "Goodbyes are always hard." Her emerald eyes bore into his.
"I'm ready for the next chapter." His gaze did not waver from hers.
"Me too," she registered the pack at his feet and the distinct lack of his signature white cloak. "You gave it your all, Darling." Her chest was bursting with pride. "You upheld your responsibility."
He breathed in deeply. He let the wind and her words wash over him. "It's officially the era of the Godaime." He could hear the smile in his voice. "He did it."
"I still can't believe he was actually on time for his inauguration." She shook her head gently in disbelief. "Rin is a miracle worker. I don't know how she managed to swing that with two young kids." She brought a curled finger to the corner of her lips as she brushed her hair from her face.
"She had a good teacher," Minato's eyes were brighter than the clear sky.
Her shoulder brushed up against his arm as she peered over at the village. Her pack on her back shuffled slightly.
"Are you ready to watch my back out there?" She asked him playfully.
"What do you mean ready? I've been doing it. I've gotten really good at it," his gaze was not as innocent as his words would suggest. He was not subtle in appreciating his view.
But she supposed that was her fault. She had practically set him up for that.
"You better be taking this seriously, Yondaime-sama. I have children."
"Now you tell me," he teased. "Don't worry Haruno-sama, I'll bring you back in one piece. More or less," his eyes danced with mischievous intent. "Everything will be accounted for."
"I'm counting on you. I haven't left the village in years. I'm terribly rusty and I don't have my get-out-of-death card anymore." She reminded him with believable mock seriousness.
"You can trust me, I won't let anything happen to you." His stormy eyes made it hard for her to think straight.
She needed to pump the brakes a little bit. Otherwise, they would not make it out of the village at this rate. Sakura cleared her throat and looked away from his face. It allowed her to clear her head for a bit.
"Are you really not going to tell me what you have planned?" She asked him with clear eyes and voice. She studied his person for his tells.
He smiled easily at her. "You're not getting a word out of me. It's a surprise."
"It would have been nice to know what to pack…." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Nice try. I gave you all the pertinent information well ahead of time." He was a pro. He was not going to fall for her sneaky tactics. "I meant it when I said leave it to me."
She pushed her lips to the side. "Fine," she relented. "Are you ready to finally do this?" She searched his face.
"Are you?" He raised his brows inquisitively.
Sakura bit her lip. Her face pulled into a smile. "Absolutely. Where you go, I go."
He pulled her to him. She did not fight his embrace. "Where you go, I go." He repeated as he claimed her lips. "You're my home, Sakura."
It was so easy for him to get her completely off her game. It just took one look, one carefully crafted statement, or one touch. That was it and she completely lost her wits about her. It was embarrassing how obsessed she was with this man. The only thing that allowed her to save face was that he was the same way. They were hopeless. She kissed him with vigor.
Looking back, the biggest test of their marriage to this point was Sarina. It was a dark period for both of them. But she was nothing but grateful to her.
Because of Sarina, problems in their marriage's foundation were revealed. Because of her exposing the weaknesses, they were able to address them and continue to work on them. Because of Sarina, Minato was able to keep his promise to her. Because of Sarina, they had their daughter. Because of her, their family was complete.
She could almost count on one hand the life moments that she had seen Minato cry. The first was when he thought he lost her forever when she was pulled into the lake containing the One-Tails. The second was when Naruto was born. The third was when he realized he had been manipulated by a poison and had begged for her forgiveness. The fourth was the day of the Kyuubi attack, specifically when Manato was born. The fifth was when Kura called him 'dad' for the first time. The sixth was when she asked to take his last name. More than half of those major moments would not have happened without Sarina. Three of the four were happy memories.
She could not deny the impact Sarina had on her life. Her sister had taught her much. The most important being that it was not bad at all being outnumbered by their children. It was really nice actually. Minato, as per usual, was right. She had been worried for no reason. There was no shortage of love or uneven distribution. Naruto was their first. He received the most amount of alone time with them. So even though he was technically the middle child he did not have that chip on his shoulder of being the forgotten one or neglected one. Little Sakura was their only girl. She got special treatment from Minato based on the fact alone. Not that she was complaining. She was guilty of the same. She and Kura shopped way more together than she did for the two boys combined. Manato was the baby. She coddled him a little but she was not going to let anyone make her feel bad about it. She loved all her children. They had different dynamics and things they did together but it all evened out in the end. They were all loved, taken care of, and wanted.
Minato's eyes blinked open. He pressed his forehead against hers.
She ran her finger along her bottom lip. She could still taste him.
"I'll meet you downstairs." She said softly before she pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. She was gone in a swirl of cherry blossoms.
Minato closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was inside the building. He spotted him sitting on the desk. His green eyes were slowly taking in the room. There was a look of reflection on his face.
"Manato," he smiled at his son.
"Dad," Manato matched his expression.
Minato walked over to him. He held the back of the purple chair. He turned it to its side. He leaned forward. "Are you okay?"
Manato nodded his head. "I'm going to miss coming here." He admitted in a small voice.
"Me too," Minato's eyes darted around the room where he had spent the better part of sixteen years. "We spent a lot of time here."
"We did. I remember 'helping' you with paperwork." He grinned.
"You were always my favorite helper." Minato reminisced back to when Manato was two and he would draw on a piece of paper, sitting in his lap while Minato did his work. Out of all the kids, Manato spent the most amount of time in the Tower as a baby and toddler. His immune system had taken the longest to develop. The hospital was no place for him, especially in the first year. It was not uncommon to find him at the Tower on days when he was light on meetings. Bat, Wolf, and Raven did not grumble much if they had to watch Manato while Minato was pulled into something at the last minute. He knew how Fugaku felt about having a child - a distraction - while at work but there were a couple of times Minato caught him smiling at Manato. Not that Fugaku would ever admit it.
It was not until he was two and a half that he switched sides and started to spend all his time in the hospital. He was Sakura's little shadow. He loved that place. He grew up in that place. He would ask her questions about work all day if he could. His jade-colored eyes lit up like the night sky when Sakura explained things to him. They were grossly oversimplified given the boy's age but that did nothing to dampen his interest. He wanted to be just like his mother. A top-class healer. He was already firmly committed to Team Slug. He had lost him to the dark side along with Kura. One out of three was not terrible. But that was neither here nor there. It was not a contest anyway.
It helped ease that blow that Manato seemed to be interested in Fūinjutsu. He looked forward to teaching him everything he wanted to know. He really looked forward to it.
"It's going to be weird not visiting you here anymore," Manato said almost sadly. He and his mother would come to have lunch with his father on days the Hokage and head medic both had lighter workloads. He was going to miss that too.
"We can visit Obito anytime you want, Manato. Maybe he'll even let you wear the hat." Minato's eyes crinkled. Manato loved that hat. Without fail it would make him laugh every time Minato donned it on his head.
"That would be cool." Manato rubbed the back of his neck.
"Not all change is bad," Minato studied his son. "We'll have more time to spend together."
"I know," Manato looked at him with a serious expression. "Are you going to miss it? Being Hokage?"
"A little," he admitted. "It was a big part of my life being Hokage. I was Hokage before I married your mom. Before I became a dad. It was a huge part of my identity." He recognized the apprehension that crossed Manato's face. "But I'll be alright."
"How do you know?" The boy looked at him with unbridled curiosity.
"Being Hokage was just part of my life. You, Manato, along with Naruto, Kura, and your mom are my life. As long as I have you all, I'll be more than fine." Minato brought his hand to rest on the top of Manato's head.
Manato tilted his head back. He beamed up at Minato. "I love you, Dad."
Minato's heart warmed his whole body. "I love you too, son."
"Spinny Chair?" He asked him with excitement. He pulled his knees to his chest preemptively.
Minato grabbed the back of the purple chair. He pulled it some distance away from the desk. He spun it until Manato was gasping for breath in between his giggles. A large grin was etched on Minato's face.
"O-Okay!" Manato managed out.
Minato waited for the chair to slow down on its own. He spun a couple of times slower in the opposite direction.
"You alright?"
Manato held a thumb up. "That was really fun." His cheeks were dusted with pink. He held out his arms as the last of the dizziness corrected itself. "I'm going to miss Spinny Chair."
"We can always get a chair that spins," Minato offered.
"No, it won't be the same. But that's okay. We'll find something else fun to do." He said assuredly.
"That we will," Minato nodded in agreement.
Manato lowered down on the chair so that his feet could touch the ground. He wheeled the chair back towards the desk with his legs. He sat back up. Green eyes darted to the box on the desk.
"Is that everything?"
Minato turned his head to look at the box. Sixteen years all reduced down to one cardboard box. "It is." He studied the look on his son's face. "Wait here, I'll be back in a second."
"Okay," Manato nodded his head in understanding. When he blinked again his dad was back with his mom who looked less than pleased to have been Hiraishined probably without warning. She really hated it when his dad pulled that.
"Dad? Mom?" He looked between their faces.
"We still have some time," Minato sat at the edge of the desk. He began to rummage through the box. "What do you say we take a look at what's in here?"
Sakura and Manato exchanged looks. Manato's face broke out into a smile. "Yeah!"
"That's a good idea," Sakura looked at him with pure curiosity in her eyes. She lowered her tan backpack to the ground.
Minato grinned. He pulled the first object out of the box. It was a yellow paper crane. The first present Sakura had ever given him. She had made it after the first mission they went on together when she was bored out of her mind at the hospital. Well, she did not technically give it to him, she had left it behind in the hospital room for the next patient as a little surprise but he had taken it instead. He kept it and stored it in the top drawer of his desk.
Sakura looked up from the crane sitting in the palm of her hand in surprise. "You kept this?"
"You're not the only one that can be sentimental." He smiled at her in a teasing manner.
"Darling," she looked at the crane with a thoughtful look. He saw her cheeks turn pink. She was delighted and that only added to his.
"What's this Dad?" Manato held up a small puppet. He turned the crumpled-up faceless marionette in his hands.
"That was a gift from the Kazekage." He answered easily. He flexed his fingers. The puppet started to move.
Manato and Sakura looked at Minato in surprise. "Not that different from wind release," he said with an easy smile. He danced the puppet over to Sakura.
"Keep that thing away from me, puppets and I do not have a good track record. I always end up breaking them." She laughed despite her words when the puppet gave her cheek a "kiss". "Namikaze Minato, you are really surprising me right now."
"You've seen nothing yet." He grinned as he pulled more things from the box.
Sakura watched as Manato's face lit up with each and every memento Minato had collected over the years. Each one came with a little story. Manato was on cloud nine, basking in the history. Sakura crossed her legs at the other edge of the desk. There was the biggest smile on her face. Just when she thought she could not love her husband anymore he went and did something like this.
Manato was all smiles and stories when they dropped him off at Kushina's two hours later than she was expecting.
The glow of the full moon coated nearly everything in a silver light. The fire raging nearby shone a golden hue on the two of them. It kept the cool air of the desert at bay. Her back was being warmed pleasantly by the licks of flame. There was enough light that she could make out the important things. The expression on his face. The emotions danced across his eyes. The relaxation of his muscles.
They had some time - maybe as much as an hour - before the temperature really dropped. She did not have a preview of the schedule but she would hazard a guess he did not anticipate them talking for so long after the display. She did not want to still be outside for that. Thankfully the fire was keeping the one thing she was most worried about away, scorpions. She really did not want to repeat what happened the last time she was here. She did not need her ankle to swell up to the size of a small cantaloupe. That was one memory she was happy to never relive. At least they did not have to worry about mosquitoes with the cooler temperatures.
Sakura made a sound of contentment as she popped a raspberry into her mouth. Her palm was pressed against her ear, supporting her head. Minato turned his head. He could see the curves of her chest in her - his - partially buttoned shirt. He did not mind in the slightest. It looked so much better on her than it did on him. She seemed to have misplaced a certain article of clothing somewhere. He grinned at her.
Sakura narrowed her eyes and shoved a berry into his mouth before he could say the first thought that had come to mind. He chewed with a big grin on his face.
"This sake is really good," Sakura could feel the heat on her face that had nothing to do with the glass of alcohol she had just consumed. She traced the rim of the glass before bringing her fingertip to her lips. She sucked the residual sweet taste of alcohol from her skin. She would not mind another glass, maybe even two. But she wanted to be fully present and remember all the details of this trip. Overindulging was not in the cards for her. She had become such a lightweight since having kids. Especially since the last. Tsunade was disgusted and so disappointed in her. She reminded her that every time they went out together whenever Tsunade was in town. Tsunade called it training but it looked and felt a lot like alcohol poisoning.
"We need to grab a couple of bottles before we leave." Kushina would kill her if she forgot. "Actually more like seven." Tsunade and Jiraiya would never forgive her, nor would Tsume.
"They know a thing or two about it here." He said in agreement. He had already had his fill. The slight buzz was making the world a more agreeable place but to be fair, he did not have much to complain about these days. "I'll seal them." They would not run the risk of them breaking that way.
"I have to say," her green eyes took in the canopy of stars overhead. It was vast and stretched as far as her eyes could see. "I am very impressed." Her eyes landed on his face. "We've been to the beach, and the mountains, even saved a civilian caravan from being robbed, and stayed in an amazing chateau. Which I still can't believe you managed to pull off."
"You were right about the Daimyo's son. Such a nice guy. He offered his family's summer home when I reached out to him about recommendations on where to take my bride on for my honeymoon." He was the picture of ease, with the back of his head being held in his hand. He bent a knee as he looked up at the stars.
"I'm sure that's exactly what happened," Sakura rolled her eyes in a gesture of clear disbelief. She leaned back on the back of her hands. She tilted her head up. She could spend forever here if possible. "I'm still fantasizing about that clawfoot tub." She closed her eyes, a slow smile stretched on her face. "We should look into getting one for back home. Nothing as fancy of course. But something with the same general idea. Something spacious."
"We'll be back in a couple of nights. Our last night out before we head back to Konoha." He sighed. "Maybe we can discuss it more then?" He asked her with a slight arching of his brow.
"I have some very convincing arguments." She winked at him. "Be prepared to give in."
"I look forward to seeing them." His grin grew in size. "I'm already thinking of all the water we'll save. Maybe it's just economical."
She snorted. "Forget thinking about the water," she gave him a hard look. "Think of better lies for the next time one of the kids asks where Mom is."
He thought back to the memory of Naruto pounding on their bathroom door asking him if he knew where she was over the sound of running water, and him telling Naruto that she went to the store. All the while Sakura was glaring daggers at him. Especially since Naruto left the house to go look for her. He really needed her help to find something or the other. If he was remembering right, it was time-sensitive. She never let an opportunity pass to remind him that she had to sneak out of her own home and make an impromptu store trip to keep up the ruse only to find Naruto had gotten distracted at Ichiraku's.
"We won't need to sneak around now," his voice dropped an octave. "Naruto and Kura will be out of the village more on missions or busy with training and Manato is at the academy during the day. I'll be at home more and we both know just how flexible your schedule can be when you want it to be."
"Hm," she could not argue with that. Their house was close enough to the hospital. She certainly did not need sixty minutes just to eat. "That was some of your best work." Her eyelashes fluttered closed. "Not to say it all wasn't good. But last night was something else."
"It's a new take on an old favorite."
"Old favorite?" She looked at him, surprised.
"Back before Naruto." He reminded her.
"Oh yeah," she could not help but smile. "Those were some really fun times. Now that I think about it, I believe that's how we ended up with Naruto."
It was good ol' book three, page one thirteen. Not that he would ever share that with either his wife or his sensei. Sakura would probably kill him. Maybe. She had not laid hands on him in an act of violence since before the whole Spider mess. He really did not want to give her a reason to end both the streak and him. He would never hear the end of it if Jiraiya ever found out. He already took way too much credit for him ending up with the life that he did. Minato did not need to add more fuel to that particular fire.
He was not a fan. He did not consider himself a fan. If anything he was just confirming a hypothesis. A claim, if you will, of Jiraiya's. The Toad Hermit had made some very, very strong assertions about how to keep a woman happy and satisfied. And like any good student would, he took it upon himself to try to learn what he could from his teacher. Minato was a very, very good student. Some even went as far as calling him a prodigy. Minato simply did not have an iota of experience in that department that his sensei had. It would have been a great disservice to Sakura if he did not at least try to understand what all the fuss was about. His sensei's books were best sellers in that category. He'd be a fool to not at least try to gain some wisdom from a source that was right there. Never did he expect her to react so positively. It only got better with both time and repetition as he learned and adapted to her specific wants and needs. It was for her. He subjected himself to the filth slathered across the pages to keep her happy. That was what he told himself anyway.
His eyes followed Sakura's movements as she crossed her ankles and gently moved her feet from left to right. Her black underwear poked out of the white shirt. The cuffs were rolled up to her elbows.
Jiraiya had given him a present for his and Sakura's seventh marriage anniversary. The Sannin had come into his place of work with a lecherous smile and a sinister twinkle in his dark eyes. He had said something along the lines of the seven-year itch and how he had a remedy for it. He had been so confident and sure of himself. He was everything Minato was not at that particular moment in time. Before Minato could get in a work edgewise the man had deposited two thick stacks of paper and disappeared just as quickly as he had come.
Minato had long since burned the evidence of Jiraiya's present. But being the grateful person he was, he had read them. It had been a long ten months. The longest they had ever gone without. He had put so much pressure on himself. In many ways, it had felt like the first time again when they finally did reconnect three months after Manato was born. He had overthought it.
Not to his surprise, the manuscripts were unpublished. They were different. The publishers did not seem to share Jiraiya's vision. The Icha Icha series came to a rather abrupt end that not so consequently coincided with the timeline of the two remaining Sannin officially becoming official. Jiraiya stopped writing. His fans were left begging for more but it all fell on deaf ears. Jiraiya was too busy living out his life to be writing. He was happy. Happier than Minato had ever seen him.
Sakura's unbeknownst feedback on the various scenes from the manuscripts seemed to mirror the sentiments of the publishers. It was fine. It got the job done but it just was not Jiraiya's best work. Minato believed in working smarter where possible and despite Jiraiya having his numerous faults, was very thorough and detail-oriented when conducting his research. Not all of it was a complete waste of time. It helped that Minato knew Sakura well enough to know her preferences. It kept things interesting, to say the least. She was not complaining and he certainly was not either.
"Remind me to have a talk with Jiraiya before we let him train Naruto." Sakura gave him a sidelong glance. He froze. It was as if she was reading his mind.
"Should I be worried for him?" Minato's dark eyes studied her closely as he kept his calm mask on firmly. She could see fire being reflected off of his eyes.
"As long as he behaves and stays within the boundaries, everything will be peachy." Her grin was predatory. "I can't have him corrupting Naruto." She might just have to break her rule of not putting her hands on her son if he so much as thought about developing a rendition of his sexy jutsu. Right after she killed Jiraiya.
Minato looked up at the dark sky. He was convinced she was completely off his trail. It would not hurt to change the course of the conversation more aggressively to be safe.
"How often have you thought about them today?"
Sakura pondered the question. "Four times for more than a couple of seconds. They're probably getting ready to head back to the village soon."
"No feelings?" He looked at her with a focused expression.
"No feelings," she confirmed with a nod. There was no sensation of a missing limb. Nothing like with Tukiko. Her mom-gut was also silent. "They're fine. Anything from Manato?"
"Nothing from Manato. He's probably having a lot of fun. Joben and Kushina are never the type to sit still." Their son had not touched his necklace.
Sakura grinned. "I still think Joben's homemade cat carrier for Mochi is amazing. He's such a devoted cat dad. I'm convinced the shop only does half as well as it does because of her."
Minato shook his head. "Who would have thought feeding a stray once would lead to all this." Joben hated bugs and vermin. Mochi was an excellent hunter. She started off as an outdoor cat for the shop and quickly became a fat house and shop cat. Retirement made both Joben and Mochi soft in Minato's eyes. He was determined not to let that happen to him.
Sakura giggled. "I don't know," she nudged him with her toes. "I'd melt if I saw you with a cat strapped to your chest."
"Keep dreaming," he deadpanned. No pets. That was where he put his foot down. The amount of hair that came off of Sakura and Kura was bad enough. They did not need to add an animal to the mix.
"I guess I'll just settle for watching you do the dishes." She hummed. "With your sleeves all rolled up." Her eyes took in his bare arms thanks in large part to her being the one currently in his shirt. She was an appreciator of nice, toned arms. And Minato's fit the bill. She sighed. "Can you believe it's been fourteen years?"
"I know," his voice was distant. "It went by so fast."
"It was very slow in the middle for a while," her heart still hurt thinking about it. But he was upholding his promise. He was better as was she.
His expression became reflective. "I'll have the kids in the next life."
She looked at him in surprise at the sudden pivot. "You sure you want to put that out into the universe? Are you sure you want another life of this, of me?"
"I'm sure," he nodded his head without a trace of duality.
The butterflies in her stomach threatened to make her airborne. "It's really sweet of you to offer, Darling. Means the world actually. It would be fun to be a man," she stretched her arms over her head, popping vertebrae in her back as she did so. "But I don't mind having the babies." She took in his mildly surprised face. "As long as I get to be with you and you keep loving me the way you do, I'll have our babies. But I do want to meet you sooner. Much sooner."
She somehow always managed to completely catch him off guard.
"Let's make it binding then." He held out his pinky.
She sharply exhaled through her nose. She hooked his pinky with her. They both brought their lips to their thumbs.
"Mwah!" Sakura exclaimed animatedly. "You're stuck with me now, dork."
"Just where I want to be." He looked at her with an expression full of love.
"What happens after the next life?" She could not help but ask. Another lifetime with him still did not sound like enough.
"We make another promise," he said without missing a beat. "You're the one I want to be with. Forever and always."
She leaned forward, dipped her head, and kissed him. Her pink eyelashes fluttered open.
"Forever and always," she smiled.
Silence enveloped them. The sandstone pillar stood over a thousand feet. The one they were perched on. The wind was fairly calm. The fire continued to cackle.
"You never cease to amaze me." He chuckled, breaking the still.
"Me?" She brought her knees to her chest and playfully glared at him, completely unfazed by where his train of thought led him. "Let's talk about you. Just when I think this trip couldn't possibly get any better you bring us to Suna. It was so worth the wait. Talk about exceeding expectations." She rubbed the sand clinging to her legs off.
"Shame we missed the sunset," his expression held no remorse. "I hear they are beautiful."
"You've seen one, you've seen them all. It wasn't a total loss, we caught glimpses of it. And there's always tomorrow to try again. The meteor shower was something else though."
"I can't take credit for that," he could not deny the things her smile was doing to him.
"Still you planned it. You researched it and you got us here in time." Her eyes held a lot of appreciation. "How did you hear about it?"
"The Kazekage."
"Your bromance with him is so cute. A little unexpected. What do you even talk about?" She found the fact that they were penpals to be adorable. Minato found it less so.
"Our families, the job, politics, dealing with headstrong wives. He is - was - my Biwako I guess." Minato answered in a distant voice. "I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. He's giving us a tour of the children's clinics."
Her lips parted as she regarded him. "Really?"
He smirked. "Really. I figured you'd explode if you went a whole seven days without doing anything work-related. I couldn't risk it."
She felt emotions well up in her. She crossed her legs. "Darling, you don't mind?" She asked him with open anticipation.
"I don't," he smiled at her. "We're out here. Might as well."
"I love you, you know that right?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I still can't believe we're here."
"I promised you didn't I?" His hand traced circles in the skin of her thigh. Her skin warmed his palm. "We'll be back more often. Next time we'll bring the kids. Do a proper family trip."
"I would love that," she could not keep her happiness off of her face. "The kids can finally meet the Sand Siblings. Maybe we can convince Yoshi and Shikaku to let us bring Shikamaru along."
Minato looked at her with a less-than-impressed face. "You're really pushing for him and Temari."
"They were the only couple from my age group and my timeline that made sense." She said with a laugh. "There was actual buildup and chemistry. Everyone else was just headscratchers." She punctuated with a sigh.
"You are a strange one, Haruno Sakura." he rested a hand on her knee. "You're not cold, are you? I can get another blanket from my pack if you are."
"No," she shook her head. The goosebumps were for an entirely different reason. "You're okay, right? With all this transport?" Her muted green eyes were earnest in their concern.
"All good on my end." He paused. "I hope my itinerary is not wearing you out." His voice coupled with the look on his face was doing something to her insides.
She scoffed with feigned offense. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. The damn expression was the one dominating her face lately. Even more than usual.
"Not at all," she looked him dead in the eye. "I was just trying to be considerate of your back, gramps."
"Oh?" A blond brow rose up. "How so?"
"Truth be told, I would not mind a couple more… activities throughout the day. Maybe one. Two if you think you can keep up." She flashed her teeth.
A blatant challenge. She was playing with fire. She never really learned not to do that. He pulled her top of him. She caught herself with her hands, one on each side of his face. His lips were at her ears.
"That's very considerate of you but my back is fine." He pressed his mouth against the base of her throat. "Careful what you wish for," his low voice sent a thrill down her spine. "You might just get it."
She laughed. "Would that really be such a bad thing?" She brushed her nose against his. His lips parted. Her eyelashes fluttered. She watched as his fingers undid one of the three buttons holding her shirt closed. Her stomach grumbled.
"Are you hungry?" He looked up at her embarrassed expression.
"A little," she admitted. "Ravenous, actually." The little snack with the booze actually ended up making her hungrier. She looked up. The gears in her mind worked.
"What are you feeling?" He kept his eyes trained on her face.
"What's on your itinerary?" She asked him. Traveling with Minato was certainly an adjustment. He planned nearly every minute, right down to where they were eating. They were probably running woefully behind. His eyes were not twitching so she figured it was not bothering him all too much yet.
"I can be flexible," his dark eyes held her captive. "We can check out that Suna nightlife you've been going on and on about."
"I had to live vicariously through Mai," Sakura said with an unapologetic shrug. "Back when I was here with Fugaku and Kushina there was only one option, Edi-ojiichan's stall. It was the only place where I could go eat dinner with my crazy schedule. It wasn't a bar that also happened to serve food."
She hated those bars, especially past a certain time. There were only so many creative, harmless, and fun ways she could be hit on before she lost her patience. She looked at the face of the man underneath her. She supposed being hit on would not be a problem anymore with him around.
Her stomach growled again. This time it sounded angry.
"Alright, Sakura," he patted her butt. "Let up and give me back my shirt so we can go get you something to eat." Hangry Sakura was not someone he wanted to deal with. It would not take him much time to pack up the picnic blankets and put out the fire.
Sakura rocked back onto her knees, straddling him. She dusted her hands. She brought her fingers to the first of the remaining buttons.
"This shirt?" She asked him in a sultry voice. She picked at the button taunting him. If she undid it she might as well not be wearing a shirt at all.
"Yes," he swallowed. "That shirt. My shirt."
"Darling," she pouted. "What happened to what's mine is yours and yours is mine?" Mischievousness danced in her eyes. She was enjoying herself.
"I need it for dinner." He reminded her calmly.
"You could just grab another one from your pack." She looked at him through her lashes.
"I'm going to run out of clothes at this rate, Sakura." He focused on her eyes. It was the only way to keep a grip on himself.
To his surprise and mild disappointment she got up to her feet. He sat up and watched as she moved backward. The second her feet left the protection of the blue and white pint mat, the sand dug into her skin. She continued to walk away from him all the while still maintaining eye contact with him.
"Sakura," he said in name in a warning tone. The warm buzz was completely gone. He was completely alert now.
She was slowly backing up to the edge of the cliff. Her heels were just on the firm ground an inch more and they would be dangling in the air.
"Why don't we make this interesting," she stretched out her arms.
"Sakura," he was on his feet now. He was beginning to think he misjudged how intoxicated she was. She had hid it well from him.
She pushed up onto her toes and balanced on the edge of the cliff.
He narrowed his eyes. "Sakura, this isn't funny."
"If you want your shirt back so bad," Sakura tapped her chin and fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Come and get it, Porky." She blew him a kiss before she leaned back off the side of the tower of sandstone.
"Sakura!" Her name left his throat before he even realized it.
He focused on her seal. He felt a pulling sensation. He secured his arms around her. By the time he had phased them both to the top of the tower again, she was red in the face.
"Minato, you took all the fun out of it. You could have waited a little longer." She said as her heart stopped pounding in her ears.
"You will not do that again," his nostrils flared. The alcohol had barely impacted him but nonetheless, it had. What she did was incredibly irresponsible. His heart was stammering in his chest, he could feel adrenaline in his veins. She had triggered his flight or fight.
"Oh, Minato!" She kissed him loudly on his cheek. "Live a little." Her hair was wild around her. She kicked her legs in his arms. She was giddy. "It wouldn't be a proper trip if I didn't risk my life at least once." She joked. "For old time's sake."
"Not funny," he scowled. This was all Sakura. He could not blame the sake for her unpredictability. She was letting loose.
She framed his face with her hands. "I knew you'd never let anything happen to me."
She placed a soft kiss on his mouth testing the waters. He had every intention of not responding out of principle. That was before her mouth was moving against his. That was in theory and idea but practice and reality were very different. He ended up responding with way more eagerness than he would ever care to admit. It was not fair. She knew that she was his weakness. His defenses were no match for her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. He did not like the gleam in her eyes. Not one tiny bit.
"No," he said flatly.
She pouted.
Minato did not fight the groan moving up his throat. He looked away from her.
"Please?" She said in a couple of octaves higher than her regular voice. He was quickly losing his annoyance and his resolve. This woman would be the death of him. "It'll be fun." She dragged out each word.
"What's in it for me?" He looked down at her and fixed her with a hard expression.
Her lips tugged into a smirk. "You can teach me a lesson later." She smiled at him in some type of way. His heart pounded in his chest. She traced distinguishable shapes along his collarbone.
"What about dinner?" He looked at her with a mix of desire and exasperation.
Her lips pulled into a wicked smile. "We should start with dessert first."
"Works for me," he completely gave in.
She slipped out of his arms and laced her fingers with his. He ignored the voice of reason that told him this was a very stupid, and bad idea. He turned off his brain. He listened to the organ in his chest which told him this was a very, very good idea.
Their toes curled around the last of the solid ground. They peered over the edge of the tower. They could not see how far down the ground was. It was too dark. Sakura held her other arm out. The wind skimmed her face. She was aware of every breath that left her lungs.
"If you teleport us away first, we do that thing that I like." She took a breath to try to calm her rapidly beating heart. "If I teleport us away first, we do that thing that you like." She looked at him from head to toe. "You won't win, old man."
"I can't lose." He rose above her rather juvenile form of trash-talk.
"On three. One!" Sakura jumped from the side of the tower, taking him along with her.
Their stomachs dropped just as they did. Their hair and clothes flew around them as the ground was quickly approaching. He blinked first. The sound of Sakura's breathless giggles filled the once quiet, still night at the top of the tower.
She had him all wrong. Minato was a dessert person after all. He just had a very specific taste.
A/n: Dearest Readers we did it! We made it to the end. I have to say, this was probably one of my favorite projects. I'm a little sad it's done but mostly happy. Spending time writing this was what I needed at the time. Thank you so much - from the bottom of my heart - for following along. Thank you for all your support! I sincerely hope you liked it. Even if you didn't, thank you for investing your time into this. Thank you all!
There is a short little epilogue that I will also be uploading. It's totally optional. If you like the open endedness with how this story ended, maybe skip it. Up to you. Anyways, thanks again! It was a real pleasure. Take care 3
~L.H.