Yūshirō almost made it inside his room without being caught.

No. Technically, he could have warped inside it directly, and perhaps he should have. He had been too worried about them noticing the disturbance, and had decided to do things the traditional way. Or perhaps he had been too proud, too confident in his sneakiness.

For all of Tabi's remarks about it, he was remarkably good at becoming nearly imperceptible. Indeed, he could glide through a room barely disturbing the air, almost invisible, move from shadow to shadow, tread silently on his great toes across any surface, and manipulate windows and doors without reflecting a flicker of light.

By age eight, Yūshirō had mastered the technique to mask his smell, and by age nine, he had enhanced his senses to superhuman levels. When focused, he could detect the slightest movements of a presence within a five-hundred-meter radius.

And yet, somehow, he had been caught. By an audience of which several people couldn't even make use of chakra anymore. Not that they even would have felt his own chakra imprint, as he wasn't a Sage for nothing. Normally.

"Hello." Naruto greeted him pleasantly. "That's a bit later than expected."

"…Okay, how did you know?" Yūshirō asked sheepishly, feeling like a chastised kid who had eaten every single biscuit inside the house once more.

"Know what?" Toru responded, his eyes fixed on the table as he laid down his cards. "Straight Flush."

Naruto feigned surprise, his eyebrows lifting dramatically. "Oh! Interesting. I was expecting a royal flush from you. This is more believable, though, right?"

"Are you implying I'm cheating?" Toru asked, sounding equally surprised.

"We would never imply such a thing." Sasuke answered dutifully. Sarcastically.

"I would." Shisui interjected bluntly. Itachi merely nodded; with him, such a gesture was enigmatic, open to interpretation. Yūshirō personally believed the man cheated as much as his cousin, although he had no proof, aside from a slightly too high win rate at any game.

Yūshirō exhaled a weary sigh and rubbed the back of his head. He hadn't anticipated that Yui's father would still be around — especially since the man and his own father were hardly on the best of terms without alcohol to smooth things over. Catching a glimpse of Karin's slightly flushed face, he reasoned that drinks might have been involved after all; it was always more apparent on her than on Hanabi. Akemi, on the other hand, looked as though she had drunk the bottle itself. Ever since Uncle Toru had come back home, it was as though she had regressed in maturity — although Yūshirō didn't mind it a single bit, considering how much happier she seemed.

"Ah, Yūshirō!" She exclaimed, and he thought he could guess she was about to blunder. "How did—"

"Hey, Auntie." He said, cutting her off. "How's the game going?"

"Good, good." Akemi said, smiling, slightly too knowingly.

"Is that lipstick on your cheek?" Jiraiya asked, almost innocently.

Yūshirō's hand whipped up; Shisui's head whipped around.

"Kidding." Jiraiya laughed. "There was nothing there."

Yūshirō, who right now was trying his hardest to remember whether it had been the case or not, Yui occasionally being rather tactile, which probably meant nothing, folded his arms. "You're a very funny guy."

"I like to think I am."

Yūshirō shook his head, and decided to come clean before any of them could make things seem worse than they were. "…I was just with Yui."

Kage cleared his throat; Jinsuke leaned back. Jiraiya chuckled; Hitoshi made a noncommittal noise and resumed staring at his cards. Yūshirō's father gave him an unimpressed smile, causing him to look away. If there was any shame to be found in the man, Yūshirō hadn't seen it much yet — not even when he had stumbled upon his father leaving the room he shared with his lovers in the middle of the night, slightly sweaty. It was still better than Hanabi's near-gleeful grin or Karin's excitement right now, however.

"Yui?" Shisui dropped the name like a lump of hot iron. He was squinting at him, as though trying to figure him out.

"Yeah." Yūshirō said quickly. "She was nervous about the coming evaluation. I walked her home."

"Oh." Shisui said, after a moment. Then he shook his head. "She shouldn't be. She's as good as any."

"That's what I told her."

"Focus on the game, dear." Anko said, sounding entirely unaffected. It sounded honest, too, even though it pulled Yūshirō out of the hole he was afraid he was digging for himself. Nodding, Shisui turned away from him.

If he said anything else, Yūshirō didn't hear it, as he was already hurrying toward his room.

THESE INVISIBLE MOMENTS

"Why does he always look so twitchy?" Shisui asked no one in particular. "It's suspicious."

"Because you look at him as though he's about to burn down everything you ever held dear?" Naruto asked evenly.

"Because you don't trust him near Yui?" Toru asked.

"Because you're a helicopter dad?" Sasuke offered.

"Because you worry too much?" Kage proposed. "When there's no reason at all, y'know." Jinsuke grunted something that sounded vaguely approving.

"Because he's got that enigmatic smile, like he knows something we don't?" Roku suggested.

"Because you're expecting the worst of him, in spite of the fact he's a nice kid?" Gama asked. He then turned to Roku. "You're just as paranoid as he is, by the way."

"Because you're afraid the friendly little demon is going to sink his sharp teeth in nubile — Hey, what the fuck, Karin?" Sakura's voice rose in surprise.

A pause.

"What was that about Yui, Toru?" Shisui pressed.

"It seems they made their point." Itachi interjected, revealing his hand. "Royal Flush."

Toru groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have let you play this round for me, Akemi. You always—"

Akemi just shrugged, smirking slightly. "It's not about winning. Some of us prefer to play clean, you know."

"Not Itachi." Sasuke grunted, and his brother pretended to be affected.

"I'm starting to think my son is as dense as a neutron star."

As the last of the guests trickled out of the hall, Naruto shook his head ruefully, watching Karin lead the remaining ones off to a nearby dancing bar.

Toru, still lounging comfortably on a nearby chair, seemingly was in no rush to leave, and he tilted his head in confusion. "Is a neutron star particularly dense?" His brow furrowed in thought. "I kinda stopped going to school at twelve, so…"

"I don't know, ask Orochimaru?"

"He skips about half the game nights, and I'm not stepping into his lair anytime soon again. I'm almost starting to feel bad for Hidan, if you can believe it."

Naruto merely shrugged in answer.

"You weren't much better than Yūshirō when you were young." Sasuke said. He then paused to think about it. "Actually, considering the mess you make of things, I wouldn't say you even got better at all."

Naruto frowned, his expression turning thoughtful. "Did I get married twice or not?"

"…That's a stupid metric." Sasuke dismissed, rolling his eyes.

"Why? My first marriage is still holding, actually." Naruto countered. "Which, I suppose, makes me about twice as good as you are at this."

Sasuke only sighed in answer. Still, there was a traitorous smile on his lips.

Yoisen had a habit of humming — a sound that filled the air more often when she was happy.

This wasn't a secret to anyone, least of all to Ino, who didn't need her impressive mind-reading abilities to notice (although they were never truly inactive). But noticing she did, as she often was rather attuned to the subtleties of those around her.

Unlike Forehead, for one.

And then, she stopped humming. Likely when she noticed Ino's ongoing struggle.

"May I help you?" Yoisen's voice broke the silence, tinged with genuine curiosity.

Ino, a bit startled, glanced over her shoulder. "I didn't know you were into hairstyling." She said, but still moved to make some space.

"Not particularly." Yoisen admitted. "For me, it's always been about practicality. Keeping it out of the way for battle."

"I imagined as much." Ino said, smiling. "Who taught you then?"

Yoisen's smile was a little wistful. "I had a friend, long ago, who took these matters very seriously. She more or less obliged me to learn."

"Oh? What was her name?"

Yoisen told her, as well as a short little story about the woman in question.

They fell into comfortable silence as Yoisen's nimble fingers combed through her hair. She was gentle, following Ino's every suggestion.

"How is this?" Yoisen finally asked, stepping away from the mirror to present her handiwork with a hint of pride.

"It's good." Ino smiled. "Very good, even. Thank you, Yoisen."

"And here…" Toru began, his voice carrying across the room where Naruto was engrossed in his task.

Hitoshi, more diligent than his snickering brother, tried to get Toru to leave Naruto alone, but it was a lost cause. "The mighty former Emperor, tinkering with space rocks. He is deep in them, absolutely lost to our world. So lost is he in these relics that one might question whether he plans to construct a new world once more or merely escape into the cosmic void for good."

Naruto, indeed immersed in his observation of the space rocks in question, which Konohamaru had brought to him, didn't look up, though the corners of his mouth twitched slightly — his only acknowledgment of Toru's commentary.

Akemi joined in. "Observe him in his element, the prodigious student of Orochimaru. These curious snakes can go without real social contact for months at a time."

"Auntie!" Hitoshi tried again.

Toru picked up the thread with a sly grin. "Indeed, and on rare occasions, they emerge from their solitude to create what can only be termed as peculiar alliances. Noted for their extreme tendencies — horrible, unnerving lust, or, on the other end of the spectrum, no interest for the flesh at all… These creatures share a common trait: an insatiable hunger for power."

Akemi added. "Indeed, they represent a unique branch of humanity — homo serpens. Fascinating, and somewhat unsettling."

This time, Naruto chuckled.

"Fuck off, you two."

"Yeah. An 'anonymous' tip." Karin confirmed.

Hanabi frowned in answer. "Again? For real? And a picture of us kissing is worth appearing in that trash paper?"

Karin shrugged. "I guess it's a pretty slow season."

"...Is the picture any good, at least?"

Karin thought about it some more. "I'd say so."

"Describe it to me, or show me the thought." Hanabi said. "I need to know. No, actually just describe it. In languid detail."

There was a ringing sound at the house's door. Yugito exchanged a look with Sakura, then with Naruto, because they were not expecting anyone.

"…Who ordered food?" Yugito asked, but Naruto didn't answer. She thought she knew, then.

Naruto raised both hands. "I wouldn't know, but well, it's free, and if it's here anyway—"

"Who ordered food?" Yugito repeated.

"It was the demon child." Sakura said helpfully.

"I knew it — I told him to stop! That boy needs to learn how to cook for himself before he ends up…" She trailed off.

"…Were you about to say before he ends up like me?" Sakura asked slowly.

"...I wasn't." Yugito lied.

"Yeah, they come every night." Yūshirō confirmed, as the glow appeared again, high in the sky, at exactly eleven in the night. "They're called star lights. Have you never noticed them before?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to sleep through them once I notice them?" Sakura asked back.

"Just turn them off for the house again?"

"…Turn them off?"

"Oh, gods, Forehead, can you please shut the fuck up for once?" Ino asked. "You've been yapping for hours now. Go write your book or something."

Sakura gasped audibly, pressing her hand to her chest in false offense, mouth wide open.

"See what she is like?" She asked Yoisen. "I'm going to get the judges on this case."

"...I am not stepping into this." Yoisen said. "You're on your own, Sakura."

And I think Ino is in the right.

"Thank you." Ino said firmly, as Sakura shot her a betrayed, amused look.

"Where's your head, kid?"

Yūshirō blinked up at his scruffy, blond-bearded teacher for the day. Roku, that was, not Gama. It wasn't a man he was particularly familiar with, but he had helped him train several times already. Supposedly, Roku was not part of the Path of the Warrior anymore, only of Mastery, which was far more nebulous.

It was hard to believe, on some days, considering he had already 'retired' about five times, in the time Yūshirō had known him. It likely wouldn't stop there, either.

"My bad." Yūshirō said, bowing graciously. "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

Roku made a disgruntled noise. "…Perhaps you are more like your father than I thought, then."

Yūshirō reddened. "Not like that!"

Convincing the other Uzumaki household (Boruto and Sarada's, that was) to host the movie night was not that difficult. Convincing everyone else to come was not particularly difficult either, though Jinsuke needed extra effort as he was often grumpy — the sort of person that needed to be 'convinced,' who gave off the impression he just enjoyed playing hard to get.

The real issue tonight was Boruto's taste.

When the car exploded on-screen, Naruto let out a groan, and so did Hermione. Karin buried her face in Akemi's shoulder to stifle her laughter. Yūshirō cheered, while Yugito sighed.

Boruto, though more reserved in showing it now — perhaps due to age or Sarada's unimpressed look — still shared his enthusiasm for Speed Kings II, a movie that only been produced at all because of Mitsuki's meddling.

The same thing went for Kage, who loved it as well, but his taste was an already known horror.

"They're talking about having more kids." Sakura said.

"Oh, are they?" Sarada asked, somewhat sarcastically. "Who, exactly?"

Sakura let out a long suffering sigh. "All of them. Kids this, kids that — like having kids is something to do when you're bored and don't know what to focus on next. Like they're something that brings happiness."

Boruto gave her a long look, and Hermione sighed. "…I really don't think it's half as cynical. What if they just wanted kids but couldn't have them because of their responsibilities?"

"That's a fair point." Sakura said. "…I suppose."

"Thank you."

"It wasn't really a compliment, but yeah. How do you even manage, with so many running around…?" Sakura asked, glancing at the children in question. "And Azumi, too…? With how much time she spends around here… Besides, Jinsuke can't be that good of a dad by now, can he?"

"Probably not." Sarada admitted. "He tries, though. Besides, Azumi's not that much of a brat anymore—"

"I heard that!" Sarada's little sister shouted. "I'm not a kid anymore! Dad says I'm going to have the Sharingan soon — which means I'm nearly an adult!"

"Case in point." Sarada said dryly. "Definitely not a brat."

Azumi was saying something, but Sakura had an extremely high elemental affinity for Not-Paying-Attention-To-Bratty-Children Release.

"I take it you don't want children of your own, then." Hermione said, and she sounded somewhat comforted by that notion.

"Nah, I don't. This hasn't changed, and I don't think it will." Sakura said. "Nothing's wrong with me." She added. Then she paused. "…I mean, not because I don't want to have kids, at least."

Boruto masked a chuckle by pretending to cough.

"No one's implying there's anything wrong with you for it."

"That's not true." Sakura raised an eyebrow. "My mother definitely does."

Sarada sighed when she thought of her grandmother — both versions, actually, not just the one who had had to deal with her daughter becoming a runaway and then the Emperor's very own dragon. "…I imagine she would, yeah."

"Well." Sakura said, shrugging. "There's going to be plenty of kids around anyway. That's fine. And I already have all the family I—" She cut herself off.

Silence for a second.

Sarada beamed, Boruto grinned. "Finish that sentence?"

"That's not what I meant to say!"

"Where's Yūshirō?" Hitoshi asked, his eyes scanning the room.

"Why do you ask me?" Yui frowned. "Do you think I know everything about what he's doing at any point in time?"

"Is this a rhetorical question?"

Ignoring the jest, Yui turned back to her little cousin, Nozomi. "He is running with his dad." Itachi's daughter supplied, helpfully.

"For real? Again?"

"For real real." Yui confirmed. "What's the big deal?"

The twins exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. Yui could only speculate what it was about. If it had anything at all to do with that annoying Ōtsu—

"Ever trained with him?" Jiraiya chimed in, stretching lazily. "No? Of course not. Just the thought is exhausting — and that's the man without chakra, so imagine before. Uncle's training sessions are, well..."

"Intense." Hitoshi concluded, nodding in agreement. "His pace is merciless."

"I'm sure Yū-chan can keep up." Yui said. Idly, she wondered if perhaps Yūshirō hoped that she'd take her training more seriously, that he'd have a real training partner in her.

Hitoshi's smile turned wry. "Said with the utmost objectivity, of course."

"…" Yui made a derisive noise.

"The pacing is not the only problem — that he'll push you to your limits and past them is." Jiraiya shook his head. "He's a real slave-driver. Compared to him, Dad's pretty easygoing."

Uncle Sasuke's training, as far as Yui could tell, was anything but easygoing.

"I'm actually surprised Yūshirō hasn't keeled over yet." Hitoshi mused, half-joking. "But that's the thing with little prodigies among prodigies, I suppose. They have no sense of what's reasonable."

There's only so much time people attracted to each other can spend in close proximity before something happens.

It might sound like a way to avoid taking any responsibility for such happenings, and indeed, sometimes it was, but it was also a widely accepted truth. Besides, Kaitaro remembered, as a kid, or rather, through Naruto's memories, reading a line about something similar in a book.

He hadn't been quite sure what it meant at the time, and he hadn't been about to ask Sarutobi. There were two reasons for that: the man's general dickishness, as well as the unhelpful comments about looking through his library without supervision that would undoubtedly have followed… and the fact Naruto had always trusted his own judgment a bit too much, when it came to such matters.

And truth be told, Kaitaro had initially recruited Shizune for her proven bureaucratic acumen. A strategic decision, a cold calculation that had also conveniently served to irritate Itachi, whose pettiness was second to none. Shizune's presence, however, had something soothing to it.

It wasn't about her efficiency, it wasn't about pissing Itachi off in vengeance for the sort of meddling only he could arrange for.

Late nights, early mornings. Discussions over scrolls and documents that turned into debates and then into shared confidences over cups of tea as Umi slept. The sound of rustling papers, the occasional clink of porcelain, and then, of course, the inevitable.

Kaitaro found himself admiring not just Shizune's mind but the earnest furrow of her brow when she concentrated, the way her eyes lit up when they unraveled a particularly tricky problem. They were the sort of details he hadn't expected to notice, and there they were anyway, undeniable.

Of course, even as he realized the growing problem, he knew all too well that such personal entanglements were messy, to say the least. He was sure ever-cautious Shizune knew it, as well. Thus, it would be wiser to keep their partnership strictly professional. Yes, that was a reasonable, fine idea. Things were fine that way.

In any case, their wedding took place in May of Year Twelve.

"It's just overwhelming, at times." Boruto said.

Although Hanabi remembered everything from the experience, it came with the sense of distance that only time could bring about. That, and the lack of her evolved Byakugan. She could still picture the realms beyond the void, the visions that had been just as overwhelming for her as they apparently were for Boruto now.

She remembered peering through the cracks, searching for Sakura, but it felt slightly like a fever dream now, one split in a hundred different kaleidoscopes.

"I understand that." Hanabi said. "I think it goes away with time."

Boruto stared at her, and for a moment, said nothing at all.

"No." He finally said. "I don't think that's it. Himura has had his Tenseigan for nearly as long as you did, and he has the same issue. It didn't get better at all."

She had no good answer to that.

"Eh." Hanabi said. "I don't know then. I just… did it?"

Dear Girls,

New day, new me. I'll be back tomorrow, and have been experimenting with cooking just yesterday — I think it turned out pretty good. Would anyone with working tastebuds (not you, Naruto) try it out for me?

Love,

Sakura

Yoisen read the letter again, almost feeling her stomach turn in anticipation. There was something sealed within the letter, too. Ino closed her eyes, and took a long breath.

"What brought this on?" Yoisen asked Naruto slowly. It wasn't often that Sakura showed this kind of enthusiasm, so it seemed worth noting. But still…

Still…

"…Is this fucking rat meat?" Naruto asked.

Although relatively peeved that no one ate the meat she had prepared, Sakura couldn't truly blame them, she supposed. It took more guts than either of these prissy eaters had.

Also, something had been growing in it, apparently.

In the late afternoon's fading light, Sakura took a moment to watch her husband's sleeping form. His blond hair was messed up, as it was about half the time — some of it flattened against the pillow, some of it sticking straight up.

Meanwhile, Ino was the picture-perfect image of bustling efficiency. Some friends they hadn't seen in a long time were due in just a few hours, and there were myriad tasks that Sakura admittedly wasn't best suited for. But, well, they all had their roles — things only they could do.

Sakura smiled to herself, and knew that there was nothing she wouldn't do to protect what they had. If it took confirming whether Tsukiyomi-Yoru, last of the Three Sovereigns, truly was dead and gone, or killing it herself, well, that was her prerogative.

"What are you writing?" Yoisen asked him.

She approached him with a hesitant grace, unsure whether she was disrupting him. Still, her movements were laced with an unspoken delight as she settled onto his lap — a timid joy of sorts.

Naruto shrugged. "Jutsu theories — a few concepts, at least." He replied, his fingers pausing in their movement. "I might not be able to use any of them, but…"

"It doesn't mean no one should." Yoisen interjected, understanding his thoughts before he voiced them.

"Exactly." He nodded, eyes crinkling with pride.

Yoisen's smile widened, her gaze lingering on him fondly as he continued to detail a few haphazard theories.

"Is it not all a bit…?" She asked, once she was done reading through some of the notes.

"Experimental?"

"Yes."

"It always is."

"Certainly. Is any of this workable for anyone else, this time?"

"I guess?" He laughed. "It's fine. I'm sure Yūshirō won't mind trying a few of them out for me!"

"Okay." Ino said brightly. "Your move, Kaguya."

"My turn, you say?" She asked with a frown, and said nothing more.

Silence stretched for a while longer.

"I believe she is clueless about what to do next." Orochimaru pointed out. Although Kaguya frowned harder, she didn't contest it. "Time to decide, 'Moon Priestess.'"

"Oh, again? Fine, then." Kaguya sighed dramatically. "Instead of fighting him, I, the Moon Priestess, convene with the Demon King."

Toru and Hanabi exchanged a glance. Compared to her first move, it was relatively tame. Naruto, still smarting from an earlier play, frowned. Yūshirō glanced at him in question, but his father only shook his head.

"Roll the D20 now." Ino instructed patiently.

"The many-faced one?" Kaguya asked, and then rolled it along the table's surface without waiting for an answer.

"Nice roll." Ino said. "Sixteen. You're good to go."

"And now?" Kaguya asked.

"Now, the Moon Priestess talks to the Demon King. Your next move?"

"Ah, I see." Kaguya nodded. "I subjugate him."

"…That is risky." Yoisen said. "Is it even allowed?"

"It's possible." Karin chimed in. "But you'd need a perfect roll — a nat 20."

"I know what I said." Kaguya countered. "The Moon Priestess doesn't chat. I subjugate the Demon King."

Ino stared at her for a moment. "Roll for charisma, then."

Everyone watched as Kaguya picked up the D20 again, and rolled it around in her palm a couple times, before letting it fall to the table, where it spun out a tale of fate. Chairs scraped against the floor as several of them stood up. With one last bounce, the die came to a stop. Orochimaru met Kaguya's eyes, with a knowing smile, then Naruto's, who shook his head in disbelief.

It was the same way the Moon Priestess had killed his character, the great Storm Sorcerer Yasutake, too.

"…That's a nat 20."

Ino confirmed the fact there was no cheating involved. Toru asked for her to check again, just in case.

"…Man, that has to be Enma's luck." Kage said.

"You're one to talk." Jinsuke grunted.

"You subjugate him, then." Ino said, and Kaguya's grin spread wide. "How do you do this?"

"I walk up to him." Kaguya started. "And grasp his jaw between my fingers. I stare into his eyes."

"…And then?" Ino pressed on, a bit more hesitantly.

When Kaguya began explaining just how she would go about subjugating the demon king, in thorough, oddly sensual (for it wasn't meant to be at all), equally horrifying detail, for an entire two-minute monologue, there was not a single person in the room who felt entirely comfortable. Aside from Orochimaru, who appeared slightly intrigued.

By the time she was done, even Sakura looked ill at ease.

"…Okay." Ino said, after a lengthy pause. "You have successfully subjugated the Demon King. And now—"

Kaguya smiled once more, and there was true joy in her eyes.

"I order the Demon King to slaughter the rest of the group of adventurers, all except from Yashagorō the Wizard-Druid."

Multiple groans echoed around the table.

"How are you adjusting?" Mitsuki asked over tea.

"Pretty good, so far." Naruto said with a shrug. "It's pretty uneventful. Oh, Yūshirō rescued some stray cats the other day. I'm not sure how long they're going to stay here, but they are for now." He shook his head in fond amusement. "That boy, I swear…"

"Ah." Mitsuki smiled a true smile. "That is good to hear, Naruto-sa—"

"Just Naruto."

"...Perhaps I was about to say 'san?'"

"I'm sure, Mitsuki."

From: Mitsuki
 Date: September 2, Year Seventeen 11:33am
 To: Orochimaru
 Subject: On the Wellbeing of My Student

Hello Uncle,

Contrary to the concerns you have voiced to me, Naruto-sama has not been 'brooding' after all. In fact, he has shown remarkable resilience and strength. It appears that his periods of solitude and quiet reflection truly were not indicative of melancholy, as some have speculated. Rather, it was a deep, contemplative recharge for his soul.

His physical health remains stellar, as expected of him. Mentally and emotionally, he is entirely stable. I have also noticed an increase in his meditative practices, as well as his physical training. He remains as sharp and engaged as ever, and just as involved in matters of state and personal connections.

I will continue to meet him for tea regularly. To monitor his condition closely and provide support, should he need it, of course. Your insights on further ensuring his well-being would be invaluable, as always.

Warm regards,

Mitsuki

P.S.: Will you two join us for dinner tonight? Father will be there, too, and Emiko has decided it is a good day for us to prepare a roast.

From: Orochimaru
 Date: September 2, Year Seventeen 11:35am
 To: Mitsuki
 Subject: On the Wellbeing of My Student

Dear Mitsuki,

Thank you. It seems I might have been wrong after all, if that is how you perceive him as well. Perhaps I worried over nothing.

I will be coming over for dinner.

Best,

Orochimaru

It was four in the morning, and Yūshirō's cats didn't seem interested in staying quiet. They had been crying for hours, at random intervals, one at a time. Considering they were fed, Yugito was starting to believe they were looking for attention.

Their son, of course, would dutifully go up every time to soothe them.

"Tomorrow." Naruto grunted. "Tomorrow, I'm telling him to adjust the soundproofing seals around them. Or to bring them into his room directly. They're going to be Matatabi's problem, too."

"Fair enough." Yugito muttered, laying on his chest. "That boy, I swear…"

"Hello!" Anko called out. "I got all the gossip mags that mentioned the latest conspiracies about you. As well as Sensei's picks."

Karin emerged from the room, and there was paint smudged on her cheek.

"Great!" She said, urging Anko to take a seat. "What do they say?"

"The usual." Anko said. "Naruto is pretending to have lost his power, Sakura ate a kami, and Mitsuki is conspiring in the shadows to get rid of them both anyway."

"Oh, good." Karin said. "Any fun pictures?"

"Sure." Anko confirmed. "Page forty-four of Ring Insider."

"How's this one?" Ino asked, as she walked out of the fitting room.

"Boring." Hanabi said. "Terrible choice, if it's the one I have in mind. You said it was the purple satin one?"

"Yeah." Ino said, frowning. "It's supposed to be timeless. How can it be a bad choice?"

"It's been done to death." Hanabi said. "Why not try the pastel blue one instead? And describe it to me."

Yūshirō had always wanted siblings.

It was not that he was wanting for anything now, with the house being as full as it was — a mess of uncles and aunts and cousins and relatives and friends and Yui — but there was always something a little comforting, familiar about the idea of brothers and sisters. Part of him longed for more of the sort of relationship he had with Hitoshi and Jiraiya.

And from the way the latest, inquisitive discussion went, it seemed as though it was something slightly more tangible than he had thought it was, just a few months ago.

Orochimaru, although he desired his chakra back and had Mitsuki's help in that, was in no particular rush to get it.

It was not that he was lacking things and matters to learn about, with the world having changed and evolved in the years he had been missing — a mess of technologies gleaned from faraway places and ones developed here entirely, and esoteric notions that had nothing to do with rationality at all — but there was always something a little comforting, familiar about the first thing this little orphan had called his own. Part of him, the one rather similar to his two students, who knew the feeling all too well, longed for it back.

But Orochimaru was a scientist. He would do what any scientist would do, and get to work, patiently.

"Don't leave your shoes in the entryway." Yugito grunted, not for the first time. "You are worse than my son."

"Sorry." Sakura said, insincerely. "I was going back out anyway, though."

"What does it have to do with anything?"

Naruto chose this moment to appear, picking her in one smooth movement. "Thought I'd find you here, soldier. There are matters that require your attention."

"Put me down, Naruto!" Yugito growled.

He laughed and left with her. "Nah."

The flash from a camera startled Toru away from his drawing. Hanabi, who was telling him what she wanted drawn for the comic, heard the click. They looked up to see Yoisen watching them, guilty item in hand.

"Sorry." She said, with a small smile. "That is the only way to get truly candid pictures."

"Eh, believe me, I know — I mean I don't mind." Toru said with a shrug. "I'm more curious about how old that thing is. A flash, really…?"

"It is not that old." Yoisen said, even though she knew it was. Probably more than he thought, even.

"It's fine, you got my good side." Toru said.

Hanabi shook her head. "I wouldn't know what having a bad one is like, really."

Sakura's to-do list:

* Drink all of Ino's good tea.

* Hijack Toru's date by inviting the whole gang.

* Convince Yui that Yūshirō has shown interest in something that's not training — a girl? — in order to further the agenda.

* Forge the Guiltknife.

* Kill some bad gods.

* Blame Hanabi for the missing food.

* Take Karin to that fancy restaurant on Ring Four.

* Ask Tsunade about pregnancy advice for non-chakra users.

* Take the grown kids out on some cool mission.

* Work on book.

"Where's the map?" Roku asked irritably.

Gama shrugged. "Dunno."

"Are you for real?" The older man grunted. "Who'd go out into such an unfamiliar world without its map?"

"He would." Hebi said placidly.

"I'm a Sage." Gama simply said, as though it answered everything. "I don't need a map."

"Oh?" Izuna asked neutrally. "So you're telling me we're not lost?"

"That's not what I said."

The first time Himawari saw Karin, a few days after helping Ino and Yugito find their 'cat,' was the day she decided she would be just like her, when she grew up.

Her parents, of course, had a few things to say about the matter, particularly the woman's romantic life, and her penchant for what she called 'expanding the harem.' It didn't help, of course, that Boruto chose to follow in some of their Uncle's footsteps.

That was fine, however. Himawari cared more for nature and great forests and learning the scents of the world than she did for romance.

Over time, she and Karin grew to become close.

"What was she like?" Yui asked. "The girl you met on that weird planet."

Yūshirō glanced up from the material he was supposed to study. Yui, who was apparently engrossed in her own reading, didn't look up at all. "Hayase? She was pretty cool."

"How cool?"

"Nice, I guess?" Yūshirō shrugged, unsure where she was going with this. "She wasn't as cool as you, though." He added earnestly.

"...Of course not." Yui muttered, and she stared at her book harder.

"I'm just happy, that's it." Karin said earnestly. "Just… after so many years. It's nice to have this."

Naruto nodded, pulling her closer.

"Yeah. That's how I feel, too."

"Advice?" Kage asked, staring at his counterpart.

Naruto simply nodded in affirmation.

"Uh, sure." Kage scratched the back of his head, his expression thoughtful. "Now, though I was always popular with the girls back in the academy…" Jinsuke uttered a dismissive grunt, prompting Kage to gesture towards him. "Just like him, yeah. But I've only ever had eyes for my wife, so keep that in mind, y'know."

Hinata, seated beside him, nodded approvingly. A wise response.

"Besides, you're more of a loner than I ever was." Kage continued. "I thought handling social situations would be challenging for you by default, so to willingly put yourself in this mess… — I mean, I'd never pursue such a thing myself — but let's imagine what I would do in your situation."

"No." Naruto shook his head decisively. "I'm not here for marriage advice."

Kage paused, confusion flickering across his face. Hinata leaned in slightly, intrigued. "…No?"

"No. Everything's fine. I came here to ask you parenting advice, actually."

Naruto decided he would also heed Jinsuke's insights — if only to learn what to avoid.

Kage's eyes lit up. "Oh."

"You're going to have a pretty easy time with the pregnancy, once you all get there." Yugito said. "All ten months of it."

"…Ten?"

"Or was it eleven?" She wondered. "It might be a bit longer for you, considering."

"What?"

"What?"

It was late at Akemi's cafe, and most of the regular customers had gone into the warm night.

Well, the night owls would soon start coming in, too, but that was a different matter altogether. Akemi wasn't on duty — the artificial construct took care of all that, whenever she had other things to do, or simply didn't feel like it. Still, the cafe remained a favored rendezvous for friends. It had been a lively evening, slightly more than usual.

Although the customers were gone, the place was still nearly full.

Toru, meanwhile, was preoccupied with bringing a bag of baked goods inside, munching on sweets at the same time, despite Sasuke's grumbles about the perils of late-night sugar. Laughter and chatter filled the air, voices young and old mingling until Sasuke's protests were lost to the swell of mirth, prompting him to relent with a resigned sigh.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble." Akemi turned to Yoisen, her tone warm despite the words. "But thank you, they smell incredible."

"Thank you for having us again." Yoisen said in answer. "I know we are quite numerous, so—"

"Gods, don't be so stuffy." Akemi grunted, putting an arm around the woman's shoulders and pulling her into the room too. Yoisen opened her mouth, then stopped.

"You are right." She said with a light laugh. "It is good to be here, with everyone."

Akemi laughed, satisfied. "That's more like it!" She declared, raising her voice slightly to address the room. "Everyone, let's make the most of tonight!"

From the pantry, Anko retrieved a small, endless bottle, and began to pour into fine glasses, with well-practiced motions.

"A toast, then." Anko announced, to the gathered audience. "To all of you."

"To us?" Ino asked. "In what honor? I feel that we've been drinking way too much, recently—"

"Oh, hush." Anko grumbled. "Drink while you still can, you fool. Before you're actually trying for kids. You're going to miss it."

"Wise words." Gama said, and he sounded as though he had been quite deep into the bottle already, the same way a red-faced Hebi was.

The evening unfolded into an extravagant affair, unparalleled in recent memory.

They feasted and drank to their hearts' content, and regretted it in the morning. Kōshu Nisshoku from the sun-drenched valleys of Gensho, Yami Mugi brewed in the reaches of the Yoru Forest, Reikyaku Hachimitsu-shu from the snowy province of Koriyama, and the sweet Amakaji from a little coastal town named Umi.

Each toast they drank was raised to the bright, open skies.

...AND THE ONES BEFORE

The three of them sat together atop the World Tree, watching the lights in the distance, and all of the evening's drinks glowed like fire inside them. Most of the others were sleeping, by now. Or passed out, depending on how one saw it.

"There's something I wanted to show you." Toru said, almost too low to hear. He dug in his sealed pocket, the one that Gama had made for him, fumbled around some more, and pulled out a weathered photograph. The edges were frayed, parts of it worn to nothing, yet it seemed Toru had never bothered to have it restored.

Naruto, who had been leaning over the branch's edge to Toru's mild distress, glanced at it, and made a surprised little noise. "That was a camera…?"

"Of course it was." Toru said. "Maybe I wouldn't have had to resort to tricks if we'd ever taken a better one, or if that man didn't avoid cameras like they were cursed… Or maybe if someone hadn't felt too superior to show up at the admissions' office—"

"Naruto was sick." Sasuke pointed out. "...In his wretched defense."

"Because someone told me that those mushrooms were edible." Naruto said. "In my wretched defense."

"I didn't know any better." Toru countered. "And would have eaten them myself, if everything wasn't a speed contest, to you. But go ahead, be petty about it if you want…"

"What do you want us to do with the picture?" Naruto asked. "I'm sure we can frame it and hang it—"

"What?" Toru seemed taken aback. "I'm not giving it to you — are you crazy? But you can make copies if you want. Both of you, especially you, Naruto, have hands built for wrestling bears. I don't trust them with anything delicate. And gods know where they have been before."

And although they spent the rest of that night squabbling, bickering, and complaining about each other while pointing out their endless flaws, their hearts were light with the golden days of peace.

i/SkQvxP : Team Six

Next chapter: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Peace, followed by the epilogue.