Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 12: Homecoming

Flashback

He lowered his head until it was between his knees. He closed his eyes. Tears dripped down his nose before splattering onto the wooden floorboards making them slick. He rocked back and forth. It felt like he could not breathe. He struggled to draw in breath. His ears rang with a high-pitched sound. He inhaled shakily.

His eyes snapped open. He felt a hand on his back. The action brought him back to his present. He lifted his head from the fortress that was protecting it just seconds prior. His red-rimmed ocean eyes met a pair of sympathetic obsidian orbs. His bottom lip trembled. Kakashi bowed his head. Kakashi continued to silently and diligently pat him on the back. The silver-haired boy pushed down the thoughts of his own home just last year.

Minato blinked back the tears. He could do nothing to stop the cold hand of sadness from gripping his heart. The boy watched as the man of the house - a tall blond man with hair cut close to his head - moved through the compound. His dark robes brushed the ground as he moved. He had the air about him. It was stifling. It demanded respect. It left room for nothing else.

Kakashi instinctively found himself standing up straighter. Except for his neck, which was bent forward. He tapped Minato's shoulder. The six-year-old was still unresponsive in any way that actually mattered at the moment.

Naoto's cold blue eyes, almost translucent with their icy hue, landed on the balled-up frame of his only child. At the ripe age of six, Minato lost his mother. He was not the only one. The illness was affecting many families across the Land of Fire.

"Wipe your tears boy," Naoto said harshly.

Minato flinched. He swiped at his eyes. He rose to his feet. He bumped into Kakashi as he did so. The boy steadied him.

"You are weak," he narrowed his eyes. "You are the son of a warrior. It is about time you remember that. Remember what your role is."

Minato nodded his head. "Yes, Otosama." He managed to say without his voice breaking.

Naoto left the two boys clad in black leaning against the hallway of the Namikaze Compound.

Kakashi waited until the man's steps were nothing but a distant memory. He wrapped his fingers around Minato's wrist and he pulled him towards shelter. Minato did not fight it. The boys stepped into the kitchen attached to the main house.

"Oh come here, Dears." Tomoha wrapped her arms around the boys. "It's going to be okay." She rocked them back and forth. She held their trembling forms as they shed tears for the mothers they lost and the fathers they never had the chance to truly know.

End of flashback

Sakura smiled and waved over her shoulder as she left Lee's mail delivery shop. The bell on his door chimed in her head. She put the letter from her mother into her bag. She blew into her hands and rubbed her arms. The marbles in her bag rattled every time she took a step. It reminded her of the bells put on cows.

She peered into the window of the medical shop. She chewed on her bottom lip.

'It's just one conversation. The material is well worth the cost.'

The mental image of her father dominated her mind's eye as she gathered her resolve and courage about her. She drummed her fingers against the outside of her thigh. Her teeth continued to work through her bottom lip. She saw movement from inside the shop.

'Hide!'

She ignored the voice in her head and her initial gut reaction. Instead, she turned her head to the left. She saw a head of gray hair emerge from the door. He was facing her. There was a smile on his face. The same artificial smile that never reached his eyes.

"Patient-san," his eyes crinkled as he greeted her warmly.

"Yakushi-sensei," she muttered out. Sakura dipped her head.

"Why don't you come out of the cold and step inside?" He held open the door.

Sakura moved her head in the faintest of nods. She hunched her shoulders inwards as she walked past him. Sakura held her breath until she was completely in the room. Her jade-colored eyes were wide as she took in the rows and rows of shelves. Her lips parted as her awe grew with each passing second.

She jumped slightly at the sound of a chuckle. She had forgotten he was there.

"It's a lot, I suppose," Kabuto said sheepishly. He was directly behind her. He tilted his head up to follow her gaze. "My collection. I have been growing it for years."

"It's amazing," she breathed. She was too struck to think of anything beyond the truth.

"You flatter me," he rubbed the back of his head. "Please feel free to look around. If you have any questions I'll be behind the counter."

She registered that he moved to do just as he said. She peered at the clear jar with a yellowish liquid. She saw a toad suspended in what could only be embalming liquid. The toad's legs were all spread out. His beady black eyes stared at her lifelessly.

'I could spend hours here.'

The thought even caught herself off guard. Her skin pricked. She looked through the glass. She saw his distorted face staring at her.

'Hard to say whose eyes are more lifeless, his or the toad's.'

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. She moved over a couple of jars. It seemed every time she raised her eyes, his dark eyes were on her. Everything about him unnerved her. Sakura stood up to her full height.

"Yakushi-sensei," she said in a clear voice. "I forgot I had some more errands to run. I'll be going now. Thank you for letting me look around."

"Patient-san," he rounded the counter. He was holding a thick leather-bound book in his hands. "It would be nice to at least know your name." He smiled disarmingly at her.

Sakura's face fell slightly. Her fingers found the pin on her kimono. "Haruno," she said after some time.

"Haruno-san," he said her name like he was tasting it on his tongue. "It's a nice name."

He closed the distance between them slowly. She remained rooted in place. She was not sure if it was out of self-preservation or curiosity. Her eyes had a glint to them as she regarded him almost warily.

"Please take this with you," he nudged the book in the space between them.

She lowered her eyes to take in the cover. Her pink brows were nearly touching as she furrowed them.

"Anatomy?" She asked him in a neutral voice. It did not betray the plethora of confusion that swirled in her.

"It is a good place to start. Understanding the human body at its most innate level. It helps with understanding how to treat ailments." He closed his eyes as he smiled.

Even the voice in her head was stunned into momentary silence.

"I see," she wrapped her fingers around the spine of the book. "Thank you, Yakushi-sensei."

"Hang onto it as long as you need." He gestured to her bag. "You may want to tuck it away. It might raise some eyebrows."

'It certainly does.'

Sakura tucked the book under her arm. "Do you have some scrolls or books on ailments and how to treat them naturally?"

His gray brows rose up in surprise. "Certainly. But I would have to look for them. I can pull them if you do not mind waiting. It might take upwards of an hour or two."

"I have a commitment I need to get to," she flattened her palm against her side. "I would appreciate it if you could set them aside. I can come next week or the week after to pick them up if that would be alright with you?"

Kabuto nodded his head. "Or if I come back to the compound I can bring them with me. How is Naruto-sama doing?"

"Much better," Sakura's lips tugged into a smile. "He is back to feeling like himself."

"That's a relief." Kabuto chuckled. "I never want to see a sick child."

"Hm," she patted the cover of the book. "Well, I must get going. Thank you again, Yakushi-sensei." She dipped her head.

"Don't mention it, Haruno-san." He smiled. "I hope to see you soon."

She turned slowly on her heel and left the shop, refusing to give his words a second thought. It was only when she was out of view from the shop that she put the book in her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

He ignored the stares, the blatant gawking. The glazed-over eyes and the occasional finger-pointing. The low murmurs were not worth acknowledging. Five years and a little over two months. That was how long it had been since he saw the very streets. The air was different. It almost felt thinner.

Minato grunted as he slowly got off his horse, he did not let go of the reins. The sound of boots hitting the ground behind him alerted him to the fact that Kakashi did the same. He walked slowly down the streets he knew like the back of his hand.

His cobalt eyes took in every difference, every little bit of change from what he remembered. The village had grown in the past five years despite the war. Konoha was expanding. It was bustling. Kaminari shook his large head. He nudged Minato. His whole body shook from the action. He winced as his injury was jarred.

"Just a little more," Minato patted the stallion's neck. The horse blew air through his nose. His white lashes blinked slowly. Minato could feel the judgment.

No matter how slow he moved, or how much he shortened his stride he was still moving forward. He raked a hand through his blond locks. His helmet sat strapped near the hip of the horse right where his pack was.

He saw the imposing gate. He tilted his head up. It looked just the same as it did five years and two months ago. He heard Kakashi come stand next to him. The Hatake nodded to the guard. He bowed deeply. He reached out to take the reins of Kaminari. The horse kicked his hoove in the dirt and snorted loudly. The guard backed up.

"Take mine," Kakashi held out Chidori's reins. "He's less moody." He added as an afterthought.

"Yes, Hatake-sama!" The guard stammered out through his flustered state. The gray horse that was speckled with white did not react as the guard came to stand next to him.

The doors opened. Minato's eyes took in the courtyard. He lifted his leg and stepped over the gate. Kaminari followed after him. He felt even more eyes. There were children playing. Less than the number of fingers on one hand. Their mouths were agape as they registered their presence. His eyes scanned for a head of yellow or red. He found neither. He did not know how to label what he was feeling in his stomach.

He kept moving; the material of his armor stretched as he did so. He desperately wanted a bath. He forgot what it felt like to be clean. His feet came to a stop in the roofed shelter. He opened the wooden gate. The stall was clean but there was a lack of hay and water. Kaminari moved into the space. Minato removed the bridle. He hung the leather contraption on a hook. He moved into the stall to remove the saddle on the stallion. He winched slightly as he did so. The saddle joined the brindle. He closed the door. He turned to the guard who had just closed the door to Chidori's space.

"Please tell someone to get the horses water and feed." He instructed.

"Right away, Master." The guard brought his fist to his heart and dipped his head.

Minato nodded to him. The man left to do as ordered.

"So what are you going to do now?" Kakashi asked him whilst studying him closely.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up," Minato's eyes kept scanning the courtyard.

Kakashi crossed his arms. "I'll tell someone to get your water heated." He pressed his lips together. "Trust me, you'll know when you see him. He's impossible to miss."

Minato said nothing, instead, he stalked off in the direction of the main house.

Kakashi looked up at the sky. 'I really wish you were here to knock some sense into him.' He sighed. 'Although I suppose if you were here, there wouldn't have been a need to.'

He emptied the contents of the ceramic pot over his head. He massaged his scalp with his free hand. The warm water washed off the grime from his body. The beads of water sticking to his skin were much welcomed over what his skin had grown accustomed to expect: sweat. Water was much preferred. It took some of his exhaustion with him. The physical kind anyway. He felt his muscles relax with each pot full of water.

Minato shook his head to clear his thoughts and to clear his hair of excess moisture. He was mindful of his sutures as he lathered his body with soap. More water washed that too from his person. He moved to wrap a towel around his hips. He grabbed another for the hair on his head. The cold air hit him in the chest as he walked the short distance from the bath to a nondescript bedroom he had Tomoha request his clothes be moved into. Minato opened the wooden cabinet. He saw the garments hanging along the bar. He grabbed the dark gray fabric and pulled it from the hanger. He moved slowly as he got himself dressed.

Kakashi peered over the trail of steam originating from the cup in his hands. His dark eyes kept finding Danzo's person. He was being stealthy in his stare. Kakashi's lips were pressed together with a little more force than usual.

"As thankful as I am to see that you are alright, Namikaze-sama," Danzo began to speak after taking a long sip of his tea. "A letter would have been appreciated denoting your intentions of arrival. Had we known, the proper preparations could have taken place to welcome you back home after all this time."

Kakashi lowered his eyes to the liquid in his cup to keep the heat of his gaze away from Danzo's face. The Hatake cleared his throat loudly. The raven-haired man regarded him for a second with a downturned lip.

"There was a threat to Namikaze-sama's life. We could not afford to risk communication to be intercepted by the enemy. Even if the correspondence between us is in code. The decision to come back was rather spur of the moment, given the circumstances." Kakashi finished explaining smoothly.

Minato saw Danzo's singular eye staring at him, nearly staring him down. He was deep in thought. The man was meticulous. Their sudden arrival caught him off guard and as a former soldier and warrior that was unacceptable for Danzo.

"Just as well," the man rested his palms on the hilt of his cane." He leaned back in his seat. "The timing could not be more auspicious."

Minato's eyes darted to Kakahsi's for the briefest of seconds. He only saw blankness being reflected in them.

"How so?" Kakashi took the bait.

"My niece was planning on visiting in a couple of weeks." Danzo only addressed Minato as if he were the one to ask the question. "With your visit coinciding at the same time, it just makes sense for her to extend her stay."

Kakashi bit back a scoff and an eye roll. Minato's face was a stoic mask. Only the slight twitch of his fingers gave away any change to his mood.

"How long do you plan on staying, Namikaze-sama?" Danzo asked the quiet man.

"Until the injury heals," Minato answered. "Perhaps longer if the war ends before then."

Danzo shook his head. "This is your first war, Namikaze-sama. These things always take time. The talks could stretch on for months. The war is a long, long way from being over."

'You would like that, you old Wardog.' Minato thought almost bitterly.

"We should talk strategy and how best to place yourself regardless of the outcome. Allow me to pick your brain. I have some insights to share." Danzo's eye gleamed with something suspiciously close to excitement.

Minato rolled his shoulders. "Perhaps later, Shimura-sama." Minato smiled easily at him. It did not reach his eyes. "I am tired from the journey. I think it would be best if I rested now. We can discuss matters tomorrow."

Minato rose to his feet. He dipped his head in the elder's direction. "Shimura-sama."

"Of course," Danzo dipped his head in return. "Have a good rest."

Minato left the room without so much as a backward glance. Kakashi stared at Danzo. He rubbed the back of his head.

"I should get going too," Kakashi got up and left the room. Danzo did not acknowledge his presence. He was used to it.

Kakashi clocked Minato's back walking towards the room to do just as he said. He furrowed his brow.

"A little space right now might be a good thing." He said with a small sigh. Kakashi's eyes found the all-to-familiar structure. He did not fight the small smile that stretched across his face. His feet worked to close the distance between him and the painted white brick building.

The wooden door slid over the cherry hardwood floors. The warm smell of spices tickled his nose. He saw her hunched over busy preparing food for two additional stomachs no doubt. He tapped her left shoulder, he stood at her right.

Tomoha shot him a look of annoyance, not falling for his little misdirect. "What can I do for you, Master Kakashi?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Tomoha-san," he said her name slowly. "Just Kakashi is fine. You've been looking after me since before I can even remember."

Tomoha smiled at him humorlessly. "But I remember everything." She pressed her lips together in disapproval. "Everything." She repeated.

Kakashi grabbed an apple from the counter. He buffed it against the fabric of his shift. He pulled down his mask and took a bite.

Tomoha glared at him.

"Everything alright there, Tomoha-san?" He asked her nonchalantly, already knowing the answer.

"You could have written!" Tomoha crossed her arms, ladle and all over her chest.

Kakashi grinned. "What difference would it have made? It's not like you'd be able to read it anyway."

"Hatake Kakashi," she said his name sharply. She narrowed her eyes. "You may have grown taller but even you have not grown out of the reach of my arm." She wagged the metal ladle at him. She pretended like she was going to hit him with it.

Kakashi pretended to cower. He chewed another bite of the fruit.

Tomoha let out a short laugh. It sounded almost like a pant. Kakashi felt his heart warm at the sound.

"Where's the little brat?" Kakashi asked her. He polished off his apple.

"Around here somewhere," she waved her hand dismissively.

Kakashi raised his brows. "You are being surprisingly cavalier with the Young Master."

Tomoha bustled around the kitchen. "He is fine. He is safe. He is staying out of trouble."

Kakashi frowned. "Did you drug him?" He asked half-jokingly. "He was bouncing off the walls when I was here not even six months ago."

"Kakashi-kun," Tomoha shot him a pointed look. "Either help or get out of my kitchen." She was already doing the motions of shooing him out the door.

"Alright, alright," Kakashi reached over and grabbed two apples. One in each hand. He showed them to her.

"You're going to spoil your dinner," Tomoha said shortly.

"You worry too much, Tomoha-san." Kakashi spared her one last smile before he left the kitchen.

"Honestly," she shook her head. "That boy has not changed a bit." The mirth was replaced by something more heavy in a matter of seconds. She sighed deeply. She turned her attention back to preparing dinner.

Sakura noticed immediately the presence of the two horses. It was not hard to miss. The smell was overwhelming. Sakura felt a child-like giddiness rise in her. She hurried over to the stables.

"Oh!" She breathed in excitement. She hung her bag on one of the empty hooks. "Look how beautiful you both are." She got up on the bottom of the divider that separated the horse from her. It gave her an extra few inches in height. She looked at the gray horse with white speckles.

"I forgot how big horses are." She was practically gushing. She furrowed her brow. "You need water! You need hay." She popped her head into the stall to the right. There was a stallion as white as snow in there. "I'll be right back!" She promised them as she practically skipped off to go fetch them water and food.

"There," Sakura put her hands on her hips. She nodded her head in satisfaction at the state of the stall. The white horse was ignoring her. She dusted off her hands. The horse raised his left foot before his right. She frowned.

"What's going on with you, Uma-san?" She tilted her head to the side. Her jade-colored eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the horse. She took a couple of steps towards him. His front two legs danced again. Sakura took as many steps backward.

She moved her eyes around the stall without shifting her head at all.

'There were tools by the entrance.'

Her eyes brightened as she remembered. She held up her hands. She looked at the white horse who was eyeing her.

"Uma-san," she said in a low but firm tone. "Here's what's going to happen." She began to explain to him just what she intended to do.

Kakashi juggled the two apples in his hands. It was more wishful thinking on his part, he was very much aware of that fact. He decided against whistling. Not only would it disrupt the peace but it would attract attention. He had his fill after their little surprise visit.

He ran scenarios in his head. They all had the same theme, mostly. The subjects of his mind's attention were Minato and Naruto. He knew his friend well enough to know that Minato was carrying on with what worked for him for the past five years and two months. Only he was not so sure it would work much longer.

There was no active battle or strategy to obsess over. Kakashi repressed a sigh. It was a good thing his hair was already silver. All the stress was really starting to get to him. He moved the apples to his stomach so he could hold them with one arm. He rubbed the back of his neck. The kink refused to come out.

His nearly silent footfalls came to a halt when he heard a voice speaking softly. Kakashi took a couple of steps forward, hidden by the side of the stall. Chidori stuck his head out. He leaned for the apples pressed up against Kakashi's stomach. He moved the horse's head out of the way. The horse exhaled sharply in frustration. He peered over the divider. He was careful to stay hidden.

There was a woman, he could tell by the curves of her figure even through the long, nearly shapeless, faded blue kimono she was wearing. She had her back to him. He took a couple of more steps. He was out in the open. He ducked behind the stall door. He lifted his head just enough so that his eyes could see.

"Okay." She addressed Kaminari. The white horse blinked at her slowly. "Up, up." She tapped his front left leg. The horse snorted.

"Uma-san," she addressed him with grave seriousness. "Trust me on this, if we don't get the rock out you're going to be in a lot of pain. If you just work with me it will hurt for a second and you'll feel better."

Kakashi watched with disbelieving eyes as the horse seemed to regard her words and thus his options. He nearly rubbed his eyes when he saw the horse lift up his left leg.

"Thank you, Uma-san." The woman beamed at him.

She held up his curled foot with one hand and gripped a brown brush in the other. His thoughts raced as he watched the woman use a curved brush to scoop out the collection of weeds and plants that lined the inside of the horse's hooves. She checked it thoroughly.

"Uma-san, this is going to sting a little." She looked into the face of the horse, gloomily.

Thoughts of this woman being crazy rang loudly in his head. Kaminari nickered in response.

"Here I go." Her face was set in a grim line. Her jade-colored eyes seemed to glow. She brought her hand into the hoof.

Kakashi held his breath as her face pulled into a grimace. Kaminari let out a louder cry. The woman pulled her hand out. She let go of his foot. He brought it back to the ground. He seemed to be testing the way it felt. She held out a jagged rock, no bigger than a thumbnail in between her fingers.

"Ouch," she said with a sympathetic face. "I'll go ahead and clean the area. Give you some salve. It should help with the healing but you look so much better already." She smoothed out the hairs on his white mane. "Give me a couple of minutes. Then I will be out of your hair."

Kaminari blew air out of his lips, showing his teeth. The woman giggled in response. "Such a pretty boy." She cooed.

Kakashi ducked down. He moved as silently as he could several feet back. He waited for the sound of her feet shuffling to reach his ears. He walked back into the stall just as she was leaving from the other end.

His dark eyes looked at Kaminari in accusation. He held out the apple. The horse did not move from the far end of the stall.

"Is it because you don't find me pretty enough?" He asked the stallion flippantly.

The horse ignored him, he lowered his head and started to lap up water, loudly.

"Or are you still holding a grudge from when I told Minato to send you down the street to the butcher house?"

The horse flicked his tail in an angry manner.

"Great, she's got me talking to a horse," Kakashi muttered under his breath. "Fine," Kakashi shrugged indifferently after some time. Kaminari had still not moved from his spot. "More for Chidori then." He walked over to the stall where his own horse was. "You're mad too now?" He asked his horse in a long drawn-out manner. He held out the apples. The horse reached for the first one. "That's my boy." Kakashi smiled under his mask.

She looked at the boy settled into his pillows. She angled the folded-in-half pages held together by twine. She pointed to the first character. Sakura flicked her eyes to Naruto's to make sure he was paying attention.

"Follow my finger okay?" She instructed him gently. The boy nodded his head. His expression was one of concentration. She smiled towards the page. "Okay." Sakura cleared her throat, she sat up taller. "There once was a girl. She was from a faraway place in the land hidden by whirlpools." She narrated. She lifted her finger and moved it to the next page.

"She was a hime. She had very pretty hair. It was red. It was long. It went to her knees."

"My Okaasan had red hair!" Naruto gasped in excitement.

Sakura smiled. "That she did. This story is about your Okaasan."

Naruto wiggled against the pillows and he settled in further. "Keep going."

Sakura chuckled. "Yes, sir." She pointed. "One day the hime had to leave her home. She was scared. She had never been far from home before. She had to go to a place called Konoha. It was in the Land of Fire. She was only six years old."

"That's only one more than me!" Naruto held up six fingers.

"That's right!" Sakura grinned at him. "You're getting so good at math."

Naruto looked beside himself at the praise coupled with the story. "More!"

"It was a big change. When the hime came to Konoha she was lonely. She did not have any friends. Her Okaasan and Otosan gave her a bunny. The bunny became her friend. She told the bunny everything. One day, her Otosan took her to his friend's house. There she met a boy. The little boy with yellow hair was sad."

"I have yellow hair!" Naruto brought his hands to his cheeks. They were dusted pink.

"That you do. It's very pretty," Sakura ruffled his locks for good measure.

Naruto made a face. "I wish my hair was red."

Sakura's pink brows joined in the middle. "How come, Naruto-kun?"

"Then it would be like Okaasan's. It would be special!" Naruto said impatiently.

Sakura pushed her lips to the side as she pondered it. "That's true, red is pretty special." She spared him a soft smile. "But I think your hair is beautiful just the way it is. It suits you. It's bright and vibrant just like you are. You're just like the sun, Naruto-kun."

His cheeks flushed. He looked away. "Okay," he said in a small voice, getting really shy.

Sakura giggled into her hand. "Okay, back to the story." She cleared her throat. She spoke in a softer and slower tone. It was her narration voice. "The little boy was quiet. He liked to watch the world. He was not like the hime. The hime was loud, bold, and fearless. She did what she wanted when she wanted. The little boy liked that about her. The hime did not like the boy with yellow hair very much. The hime thought he was too quiet and too shy. She thought he was boring and not brave."

She looked up. Naruto was listening intently. His hands were folded on top of the blanket. His eyes implored her to continue.

"One day the hime lost her pet bunny. She was very sad. It was her only friend. She cried. The little boy with yellow hair got sad. The little boy told her not to cry. She asked him why. The little boy told the hime he would find her bunny. He ran off. The hime waited and waited. She waited and waited."

"Then what happened? Did he find the bunny?" Naruto looked at her with curiosity in the depths of his blue eyes.

"We're getting there." She turned the page. "The hime was still sad. Before dark, the boy came back. He had a little white ball of fur. He gave the bunny to the hime. After that day, the red-haired hime had two friends. Her bunny and the boy with yellow hair."

She looked up at him. "How was that?"

Naruto clapped his hands. "Can we read it again?" He asked her with clear hope on his face.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun," she smiled reassuringly at him. "You will have plenty of chances to read this story." Sakura pointed to the underlined words. "You see this word? With the line under it."

Naruto nodded his head.

"Those are the words we're going to learn how to read. We'll start off simple and build as you get more practice. That way, you can read these stories whenever you want." She closed the homemade storybook. She lowered it to the nightstand. "This is one of many. There will be so many stories about your Okaasan and Otosama. You get to keep them. They will always be here so if you ever get lonely, you can pick it up and read. Then you won't be lonely anymore."

Naruto's expression became much too serious for a five-year-old. Sakura felt doubt begin to creep up in her.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked the boy in a timid voice.

"I'm not lonely," Naruto said with conviction.

'Right, his Otosama is back.'

Sakura pulled down her bandana. She smiled softly.

"Let's read the story one more time, and this time I want you to try to remember the underlined characters with me, okay?"

Naruto nodded his head. "Will there be more stories?"

"Yes but not right now. We'll read this one for a while, maybe three or four days and then we'll read a new one. How does that sound?"

"Good!" Naruto said with a decisive nod.

"Great," Sakura flipped the book to the first page. She placed it in Naruto's lap, she guided his finger to the first character. "There once was a g-u-r-l" she sounded out the word.

"Girl," Naruto focused on the character.

"That's right," she guided his finger to the next underlined word as she reached it.

She kept her head bowed as she walked behind the guard who was escorting her out of the main house. Despite her posture and silence, the smile on her face was in full bloom. There was this warmth to her. It kept both the cold and the dark thoughts of her mind at bay. The warmth originated from her heart.

The night was still and quiet. The moon was full. Everything had a silvery white glow. It was peaceful. It was eternal. The world looked like a better place. At this moment there was no conflict. There was no war. There was no loss. In this moment there was only peace. Peace of mind and peace between two warring nation-states.

At that moment much like a white lotus opening up in the cool beams of the moon, hope bloomed in her.

Please review. Thank you!