A/N

Hello! Thank you so much for the reviews and for following this story! I've been trying my best to keep posting. I'm hoping that as this story continues, you will love the exciting parts that are to come. Anyways I'll get out of the way so you all can enjoy this chapter!

After two days had passed, Sakura headed towards the Village gates with Naruto beside her, hand in hand. The pair had grown accustomed to living together quickly as they had already spent so much time together. Now at the gates, Sakura was supposed to meet Ino there with the two of them, leaving first thing in the morning. Even though she told Naruto he didn't have to see her off, he insisted on coming along.

"It's ten minutes to six," Sakura said, looking at her watch on her wrist. "We've got a three-day trip if we keep a good pace and three days back. If we don't have to stay in Suna too long, that is."

Naruto frowned; this would be the longest time he would be apart from Sakura since they started dating. They took separate missions from one another, but it was only a day or two from the Village. He couldn't go on this mission with Sakura due to his Hokage training. He would miss his girlfriend, but after his conversation with Iruka, he decided this would be an excellent opportunity to focus on his training and spend time with his friends in her absence.

"Are you sure you have everything, Sakura?" Naruto asked as she turned to look at him.

She giggled a little while looking up into his eyes. Lately, she was the one to see him off on a mission as she needed more in the hospital. She lightly squeezed his hands as a way to reassure him.

"Yes, Naruto, I do! This isn't my first time doing a mission, remember?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"I know, I know! It's just that I'm worried. And I'll miss you, y'know." He said softly, looking down at their hands then.

She stood up on her toes and kissed him. "I'll miss you too, but I'll be back before you know it!"

He sighed before putting his forehead on hers. "Yeah, I know."

They wordlessly looked into each other's eyes until the sound of someone clearing their throat drew their attention. They both straightened up before seeing Ino. She wore a distinct look of jealousy with her eyes narrowed and her hands bawled on both sides of her hips. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she took a step forward.

"Am I interrupting?" Ino asked a bit sharply.

Naruto chuckled with a grin while Sakura rolled her eyes and frowned.

"Are you ready to go, Ino pig?" Sakura asked.

"I'm ready, forehead. Do you need another five minutes to stare into your boyfriend's eyes?" Ino asked. "We will be gone for a couple of days."

"Mmmm, five minutes wouldn't be enough," Sakura said before turning back to Naruto. "Time for me to get going. I love you, Naruto!"

They kissed one another, and then he kissed her forehead, something he'd do when leaving for a mission or their apartment. "I love you too, Sakura. Keep those gloves tight, and you both be careful, y'know!"

Sakura nodded, grinning from ear to ear as she and Ino waved before running down the road. Naruto sighed, waiting at the gates until he could no longer see their figures, and put his hands into his pockets before turning around and heading to his apartment. He had a long day ahead of him. He'd need to put on his ninja gear and then report to the Hokage Mansion to see what he needed to do before heading to the academy. Last year he was a full-time teacher at the academy. But this year, he'd only teach the students something pre-planned by Iruka on special occasions.

He began hopping rooftops of several buildings until he'd made it back to his apartment. After changing clothes, he hurried to the Hokage Mansion and went straight to Kakashi's office. Naruto knocked twice and entered when a voice said to enter. He opened the door to see Kakashi leaning back in his chair, twiddling his thumbs with a large stack of files on his desk. Naruto fought the urge to groan, looking at the folders as he knew he'd be filing them away.

"Good morning, Kakashi sensei! What's the plan for me to do today?" He asked as he put his hands behind his head.

Kakashi stood up from his desk and began stretching his limbs. He patted the stack of files twice before smiling under his mask.

"Mornin! Go ahead and grab these files, Naruto, and then I want you to follow me. I have something I want to show you." Kakashi said.

Naruto was curious as he walked over to the desk, grabbed the files, and followed Kakashi out of the office. Together they traveled down the hall to another room and opened the door. Inside were several desks with chairs behind them. Seven of the eight desks were looking to be taken already, with personal items sitting on top. Kakashi pointed to the empty desk, and Naruto looked wide-eyed at him. Kakashi chuckled as he closed his eyes and put his hands into his pockets.

"I can tell you've taken Hokage training very seriously. Shikamaru agreed with me, and we decided it's time you have your desk. Congratulations, Naruto, you are officially an aid to the Hokage's office! Now you will be responsible for going through your share of paperwork. And anything you approve will be given to me to look at, and I'll make the final decision. Follow me, please."

Naruto followed Kakashi to the empty desk and put the files on it. Kakashi gestured for him to sit down, which he did, and then Kakashi opened one of the desk's drawers and pulled two items out. It was two metallic trays, already pre-labeled, accepted, and rejected.

"Anything you reject, I expect you to write up what errors are with the bill or proposal and send it to the reject pile. Anything you deem acceptable, you do the same and add it to the accept tray. It would be best if you got through this stack of papers before leaving for the night. Preferably before three pm because that's when I usually have time to start looking at all of these. You will soon shadow me at meetings and trips like the Hokage summit. Tomorrow you can start reporting here at eight am like everyone else. If you have any questions, reach out to Shikamaru. He's the desk next to you."

Naruto grinned as he looked up at Kakashi. "Thanks, Kakashi sensei!"

Kakashi smiled and put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Of course, you've done everything we've needed you to do so far without much complaint, surprisingly. So really, you earned this, Naruto. I know you'll be a great Hokage when the time comes. But until then, take time to live how you want to live. Make memories with those you care about. Because once you're behind that desk, life slows down a bit, trust me."

Naruto chuckled. "I can't wait to tell Sakura! She'll be so happy to hear about this!"

Kakashi's smiled before he sat down on the edge of the desk. "I'm sure she will. Speaking of which, how is everything going on between you two?"

"We're great! So far, I haven't driven her insane with my antics, y'know! Her mom wants us to get married and everything." Naruto said, grinning.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he kept his eyes on Naruto. "And what do you and Sakura want?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked as his grin disappeared.

"Naruto marriage is a serious commitment between two people. One that evolves with time during your relationship. Not only that, but you're both still young."

Naruto nodded, understanding where Kakashi was coming from, but he was sure of his decision. "I understand, but Sakura and I have already been through so much together. So I feel like we can handle any storm or trouble that comes our way! She's one of the most important people in my life! So, of course, I want her to be my family, my wife."

Kakashi closed his eyes and smiled under his mask as he thought of Minato and Kushina Namikaze. He wondered how his sensei and his wife would react to Naruto proclaiming to have found his wife. He chuckled, imagining Kushina's reaction, her squealing with joy and hugging the life out of Sakura before he crossed his arms, chuckling.

"Sounds like you've done a lot of thinking about this. Did you purchase a ring or anything?" Kakashi asked.

"No, not yet; I want to ask her parents before getting the ring. I know her mom's ready, but I want to double-check with Mr. Haruno, y'know…."

"Smart move, and since Sakura's out of the village, now's a good time to have a conversation with him alone. And when you're ready to pop the question, let me know. We'll need to talk about your inheritance."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "My inheritance?"

"Yes, your parents left you money, along with Lord Jiraiya. They left that money so that they would know you'd be taken care of."

Naruto's mouth dropped open in shock before he quickly regained his composure. "Really? How much did they leave me?"

Kakashi chuckled. "How bout after you talk to Mr. Haruno? And after you've gotten your answer, we'll discuss the specifics more. Anyways, I need a cup of coffee. I'll see you later." He said before standing up and waving his hand over his shoulder.

"Okay, see ya later, Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto said as his former sensei left.

He smiled, looking at his desk as he ran his hands over the top of the wooden surface. This was the next step to being the Hokage. He'd need to take pictures of himself with his friends to make the desk feel more like home. Relaxing into the chair, a grin appeared across his face as he began to dream. For so long now, he imagined himself wearing the maroon robes and hat as he'd addressed the village at large.

But now that he thought about it, he wanted something that'd look like his father's jacket. Everyone important to him would be there, from Sasuke, Gaara the Kazekage, Iruka, and of course, Sakura in that monumental moment in his life. He'd want to support programs like Sakura's children's clinic so that the village's children could live healthier lives than he did. Implement more resources for the Academy for less fortunate families to afford tuition. And improve life in Konoha overall. He achieved most of his goals; the only thing holding him back was time and approval of his proposal.

The work day seemed to go on for far too long for Naruto's liking. On his lunch break, he called over to the Haruno residence and spoke to Mebuki, asking if it'd be okay if he'd visit them. She was happy to invite him over, even after finding out that Sakura was out on a mission for the time being. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts and plans that he had to beg Shikamaru for help with the rest of his work that he fell behind. The lazy shinobi sighed and reluctantly helped him finish said paperwork despite complaining about it.

It was around six pm when they both started leaving the Hokage building. Shikamaru was ready for a cigarette as they moved towards the exit. He looked over at Naruto, curious about the excited look on his friend's face. He shook his head, almost regretting asking the question on the tips of his lips.

"So, what will you do now that Sakura is out on a mission?" Shikamaru asked, half-interested with his hands in his pockets.

Naruto chuckled, looking over to Shikamaru, whose eyes were closed. They exited the Hokage building, and the sun hadn't begun setting in the sky yet. The hot temperature was starting to decrease, giving hope that a relaxing evening would be in store for the residents of the Leaf village.

"I'm going to head over to Sakura's parent's house to talk to Mr. Haruno about something! But after that, I'm free! What about you?" Naruto answered.

Shikamaru yawned before he opened one of his eyes. He turned to look at Naruto. "Choji wanted to meet up with the guys for dinner. At his favorite spot, of course."

Naruto grinned; it was the perfect opportunity for him to hang out with his friends. "Mind if I come tonight?"

"I thought you might be too busy missing Sakura to join us," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly.

Naruto's eye twitched as his smile fell. "Don't tell me you're gonna start being an ass like Kiba? I'm making an effort now, aren't I?"

"Well, when you react like that, it's kinda hard to resist," Shikamaru said before chuckling. "Yeah, you can come too; it shouldn't be too troublesome."

Naruto's grin appeared on his face again as he rested his arms behind his head. "What time should I meet you all there tonight?"

"Seven thirty, so you'll have plenty of time to meet us there since it's six right now."

"Great!" Naruto said happily. "I'll be there; see ya later, Shikamaru!" He called before he took off towards the Haruno household.

Shikamaru chuckled again before shaking his head. Before heading to the nearest convince store to replace his pack of cigarettes.

Naruto arrived outside the Haruno residence and knocked on the door twice. He took a deep breath as he waited for someone to arrive. Mebuki Haruno answered the door and smiled as soon as she looked at him.

"Naruto! Come on in; Kizashi Naruto is here to see you." Mebuki called as she let Naruto in and closed the door behind him. He took his shoes off, and she led him to the front sitting room where Kizashi was sitting. "I'll get you something to drink while you two talk!"

Naruto thanked her, and she walked into the kitchen. Kizashi was sitting in his usual spot after a long day of work in the market. When he saw Naruto, he smiled and stood up, holding his hand out for Naruto to shake as Naruto approached him.

"Naruto, good to see you again! So my wife told me it was something you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked.

Naruto nodded and cleared his throat. He took the seat across from Kizashi as they sat down. Suddenly in front of Sakura's father, nervousness seemed to fill the inside of his stomach. While he got along with Kizashi perfectly fine, this was important. The last thing he wanted was for her father to disapprove of him marrying his daughter.

"Th-thank you for allowing me to come over this evening, Mr. Haruno. I uh wanted to ask you something, y'know?" He asked nervously.

Kizashi frowned a little as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay, Naruto? You suddenly started to sweat bullets over there."

Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed Kizashi was right. He chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I'm just a little nervous, is all. I wanted to talk to you about Sakura and our relationship."

Kizashi relaxed then. "Ahh, well, I have to say I've never seen her quite as happy as when she's with you. So, what's going on? You two didn't get into a fight or anything, did you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, we're great! I ah well, I wanted to know if I could have your blessing to marry your daughter, sir?"

The sound of dishes breaking from the kitchen drew their attention. Mebuki came running out of the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear with her eyes lit ablaze with excitement. She seized the back of Kizashi's chair and began to shake it vehemently.

"YES, YES, TAKE HER, NARUTO!" Mebuki shouted happily, grinning from ear to ear.

Kizashi, holding on to his chair for dear life, relaxed when Mebuki stopped shaking him. He looked visibly dizzy, and Naruto had to try not to laugh as Kizashi had to shake his head a bit to clear his vision.

"You have our blessing Naruto. It'd be an honor to know you'll be my daughter's husband, and someone will be there to take care of her even if we can't. I hope you aren't saying this because of someone gossiping at her card game the other day." He called over his shoulder.

Mebuki froze from the happy dance she was doing and turned towards the kitchen, blushing slightly. "Ah, well, I need to clean the teacups that fell. Excuse me. Oh, the day has finally come! Naruto, join us for dinner!" She insisted.

Naruto smiled, relieved that he had both of her parent's blessings. "Thank you, Mrs. Haruno. But I had plans with some friends tonight."

"Oh, that's okay!" Mebuki said. "Why don't you come over with Sakura when she returns from her mission? I'll have my grandkids soon enough! Oh, I can't wait to hold them in my arms!" She practically squealed before skipping into the kitchen.

Naruto sighed in relief as he began to relax. "Thank you again, Mr. Haruno."

Kizashi chuckled. "Of course, besides." He leaned forward towards Naruto. "You marrying Sakura will get Mrs. Haruno out of my hair for a long time, so really, thank you, Naruto."

They both laughed together as all the nervousness eased from his body. Everything was falling into place; now, all he'd need to do was buy a ring and ask Sakura for her hand.

Although he told them of his plans, Mebuki insisted on Naruto taking an overloaded to-go plate of dinner with him. He took the food she gave him and went home, putting it in his refrigerator and changing clothes into civilian clothes. When he arrived at the restaurant, he was on time early to see Choji and Shikamaru standing outside the front doors. Choji was the first to notice him as he grinned and waved, and Naruto did the same.

"Bout time you showed up," Choji said, grinning.

Naruto frowned. "I'm still here before seven, y'know!"

"I'm starving. Let's go in and meet up with the other guys." Choji said before going to the doors and opening them up.

Shikamaru shook his head, and Naruto did the same as they entered. The waitress led them to a table with Sai, Shino, and Kiba waiting for them. As soon as Kiba locked eyes with Naruto, they both frowned, narrowing their eyes at one another. Shikamaru noticed this and sighed.

"Would you two idiots stop this whatever is going on between you? It's a real drag." He said before sitting on one side of Choji, who sat at the middle of the table to cook the food.

Naruto rolled his eyes, sitting on the other side of Choji across from Kiba, who scoffed once.

Shino ignored the interaction and picked up his glass of water. "I have some good news. Iruka wants me to start full-time at the academy this coming spring."

They all looked at Shino, smiling then. This was surprising as no one could've seen Shino taking an interest in teaching. Naruto grinned, having experience in teaching; he was the first to speak.

"That's great, Shino!" Naruto said. "You'll like hanging out with the kids, at least I do. Though sometimes they get out of hand."

Choji laughed once. "Really? Is that coming from you of all people?"

The guys began to laugh together, Naruto included, while Sai smiled, looking at all of them. "So Naruto was always a handful?" He asked curiously.

"Yes," Everyone said in unison except Naruto as they continued laughing.

Naruto folded her arms over his chest. "Whatever, you guys. I made the class interesting, and you all know it. Not to mention three of you at this table joined me from time to time, y'know."

Choji shook his head. "Yeah, that's because Iruka sensei might've killed you if we didn't."

Kiba and Shikamaru laughed as they remembered the mischief and tricks performed around the village following Naruto. Just then, the waitress brought over two trays of meat so that they could start cooking the meats and vegetables. They watched as Choji began adding the meat and veggies to the grill as it sizzled from the hot coals underneath the metal grill.

"Naruto," He looked up to see Sai calling his name as he was currently looking at him.

"What's up, Sai?"

"How is Sakura doing? I heard her apartment burned down."

They all turned to look at Naruto, surprised to see this. Naruto's eyes widened as he'd forgotten that he didn't share this with any of them.

"She's okay, Sai; Sakura moved into my apartment," Naruto answered casually.

Sai nodded. "Good; I remember she and Ino were supposed to take a mission together to Suna. When I heard about the fire, I was a bit worried. But you two are going apartment shopping still, yes?"

Kiba grinned as he leaned on the table with his right elbow. "Oh, apartment shopping, huh?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, we decided to move in together before her place burned down. But since her apartment is gone, we thought it'd make more sense to go ahead with the plans to move into a bigger apartment together. That way, we'll have more room than my place."

Choji nodded, flipping the meat and veggies over. "Your apartment is pretty small."

"Yeah," Kiba said, still smiling. "So you know what she'll be wanting next, right?"

Naruto was still confused as to what Kiba was getting at. "Ah, what will she want Kiba?"

Kiba frowned, staring at Naruto as if it were obvious. "A ring! She's going to start expecting you to do husband things. And then she'll slide in; we're already living together, so we might as well get married."

Shino turned to look at Kiba directly then. "Didn't you just have me go and look at rings with you for Hinata the other day Kiba?"

They all started laughing when Kiba blushed. "Shino! We only looked; I didn't talk to Mr. Hyuga yet!" Kiba growled.

Choji shook his head, still overseeing the meat. "Here you are teasing Naruto, and it sounds like Hinata's already got you wrapped around her finger."

The guys chuckled while Kiba narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Aren't you trying to sneak off to Kumogakure soon?"

Choji looked up from the grill and then smiled. "Unlike you, Kiba, I must make a trip to see my lady any chance I get! And I wouldn't be embarrassed about getting a ring for her either."

Naruto turned to Choji with his eyebrow raised. "So you like Karui, huh? She's scary, y'know!"

"That's my lady! Though we aren't official yet, you all wait and see if she'll be the future Mrs. Akimichi soon enough. I like a fiery woman, don't you, Shikamaru?" He said proudly as he took some of the meat off, putting it on the larger plate for the guys to start grabbing as they laughed. He, of course, made sure to put a good portion on his plate while he continued cooking.

Shikamaru shook his head, deciding to avoid Choji's question even though he agreed. "Troublesome, speaking of which, Sai, what's up with you and Ino?"

Sai was in the middle of grabbing food when he looked up at Shikamaru then. "What do you mean?"

The table of guys started laughing again as Sai looked around dumbfounded.

"Sai, Ino was flirting with you at the wedding, y'know," Naruto said before eating some of the food he grabbed.

Sai looked surprised, and Naruto sighed, shaking his head.

"I didn't know," Sai admitted honestly. "I genuinely thought she didn't know where the punch was."

Shikamaru and Choji began snickering as they looked down at their food along with Kiba on the table's far side. Kiba faced Naruto, returning to the topic that led to this conversation.

"So, what are you going to do, Naruto? You know it's going to come up sooner or later?" Kiba asked.

Naruto started rubbing his finger under his nose, blushing a little. "Well, I did ask Mr. Haruno today if I could marry Sakura! He gave me his blessing, so all I've got to do is buy a ring and propose."

They all froze and looked down at Naruto. He looked back at all of them in surprise.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Here I am teasing you about husband duties." Kiba started. "And you're ready to walk down the wedding aisle!"

Naruto grinned. "Yup, Sakura and I will be family when we're married. So I won't be alone anymore. Living together made me realize how nice it is to have someone to come home to. And if we have kids, it'll mean that our family has expanded! Even if we don't have kids, it'd be okay if it's just the two of us, y'know."

The other men pause, realizing how much it'd mean to Naruto to have a family of his own. The thought of him sitting on the swing as a child outside of the academy while all of them graduated was the most potent memory that came to mind.

Shikamaru raised his cup in the air looking at Naruto specifically. "Well then, cheers to the hopefully future Mr. and Mrs. Uzumaki." He said before smiling.

The others raised their glasses, joining in then, and Naruto grinned. "Thanks, guys!" Naruto said happily before raising his glass to theirs.