Kiba was in a bit of a bind, not only was his girlfriend mad at him but the two people who would see the existence of Haruno Sakura become the perfect blackmail material. In the time that the three of them have teamed together, Kiba had come to confide in them, especially Hinata. Though he would do so from time to time he had come to regret the talks they would have, despite becoming more reserved with her the outcome was always the same, and that was true even now. Three of the most important women in his life were all together, trading stories about him, and this was something that he could not handle sober right now. "Hey, Satsuki? Where's Naruto right now?" He succeeded in interjecting himself as the topic of how 'well' their time after Satsuki's absence and him and Hinata got along came up, him sparring a pleading glance at Hinata in the process.

"Hmm..." Satsuki appeared to think it over for a second before answering. "Hospital maybe..." She seemed unsure but the other members of Team Seven all had a lightbulb pop up over their heads.

Every member of Team Seven had the same thought. 'Mitarashi Anko .'

"Makes sense."

"Yep."

The table seemed to understand what Satsuki had implied, all but Sakura. "Am I missing something?" She was confused. "Why would Namikaze-san need to go to the hospital? Is he unwell?"

Hinata chuckled to herself before explaining. "Well since we were on the subject of the time between the pain invasion and our Chunin exams... Well, remember the woman that sexually assaulted Naru in the second part of the exams?"

"She is also the same person who was the first to stop Naruto from outright killing Neji after his match with Hinata." Kiba added.

"Right, that was a thing that happened, everyone who knew Naruto was so pissed at Neji. I can't blame them, there was no way that we would be able to beat the calm version of Naruto, but we were now up against my angry husband, and if you know anything about how angry Naruto operated then you would understand why both future Kazekage were pissing themselves back then." Satsuki finished the thought in an almost proud tone.

Sakura thought back to thirteen years ago, and a purple-haired woman came to mind. Their proctor for the forest of death portion and audience member for the first round of the tournament, at least what she was conscious for. "Oh... What does she have to do with why he is at the hospital?"

"Well, two reasons..." Hinata started. "One... Remember after the war how Satsuki and Naru were super desired by the villagers?"

"I try to forget all of those hussies all over Naruto, even though I was with him at the time those disrespectful troglodytes would not leave him alone." Satsuki vocalized, crossing her arms with a frown on her face.

Hinata looked at Satsuki with a raised brow, clearly amused with the words of the person she considered a best friend. "You say that as if you did not have your own band of suitors for Naru to worry over."

"I can say that I wanted nothing to do with them, but Naruto on the other hand..." Satsuki stopped herself in mid-thought, even if him not having friends besides her and the Hyuga sisters during their childhood could be seen as his fault and the Hokage after entering the academy, she still can acknowledge the fact that him getting the notice of strangers after what he had been through was still pleasing to see, not that the constant flirting from other women can be seen in the same light.

"What an existence one Namikaze Satsuki must live, not that I am mad at it though. Such a devoted wife Naru has." The others hadn't had the time to dwell on what Hinata said before she continued. "That aside, Naru, Satsuki, after the war. Do you remember?" She asked Sakura again, who took a thinking pose before nodding. "Well there you have it, one of the six... Seven major reasons that craze quickly died out." She made the point to gesture at Satsuki. "Mitarashi-san was one of those reasons."

"You can't mean..." Sakura responded.

"Naru's first love..." Hinata spoke with a bit of sadness in her tone. "I don't know the full story, but... The day that the Anbu under Danzo attacked the village was the day that woman was put into a genjutsu and then a medical coma soon after. Naru was never the same... If it wasn't for Satsuki I doubt that Naru would have ever smiled again."

"After that, I got pregnant with our daughter and we had to become public with our relationship, getting married before Izumi was born. Apparently, Naruto was adamant we do this, and he fought so hard for me... For us to be together..." Satsuki added, shrinking in her chair. It was obvious to everyone that she had negative and positive emotions from that time.

Hinata, not wanting to drag the mood down, spoke. "You know that's just how he is, threatening the village that he grew up in with a violent coup so that his wife and kid can live in a secure home without worry." She finished, thinking. 'After that, I had to give Naru to Satsuki. Hana was devastated but she was a lot stronger than me.' She thought, looking at the frown on Satsuki's face. "The second reason is your boss."

Sakura's eyes widened and she had no idea of Ino's other job so this threw her for a loop. "What does Ino... Have to do with this."

"Other than being on the same squad as Naru as a Genin?" Hinata spoke.

"Ah."

"Probably cheating on Satsuki here..." Hinata answered jokingly.

"Hi-na-ta." Satsuki said glaring at her best friend.

"I was joking, Satsuki, we both know how loyal Naru can be." Hinata looked at Sakura again. "If you don't know, don't worry about it. Ino can be... Protective at times about her work so you shouldn't bother with what she doesn't tell you directly."

"Should I be worried?"

"No no no. You are not an active shinobi so it's not in your best interest." Hinata responded. Shortly after that a man and three teenagers entered the establishment getting the group to look over. Hinata quickly recognized the man as Sarutobi Konohamaru and what appeared to be his Genin squad, the man in himself was practically attached to her sister's hip whenever both had free time, which she found amusing after the time she had spent with both Hanabi and Naruto.

Hinata wasn't the first to notice, Sakura's father cleared his throat getting Sakura's attention. "Right..." She looked over to the former members of Team Seven with a sad smile. "It has been interesting talking to both of you..." She paused to think about the question she was about to ask. "Do you mind... If we did this again sometime soon?"

Hinata raised an eyebrow before speaking. "Satsuki, what do you think?"

"What do you mean?" Satsuki responded. "She is Kiba's girl after all."

"Alright…" Hinata started turning her attention to Kiba. "You hear that Inuzuka, this is all on you. Are you coming to Satsuki's birthday party?" Hinata asked with her eyes firmly on Sakura.

"Woah, a party? Satsuki, are you sure about this?" Kiba asked Satsuki.

"Not my idea or plan and it looks like I have no choice in the matter."

"Well I guess but I don't know when it's going to be so I can't say for certain." Kiba replied Hinata.

Hinata looked at Kiba with a sickening smile on her face confirming that he would make an attempt, turning back to Sakura when she answered the original question. "You heard him right, we will see you then Haruno-san."

Sakura smiled, she had missed them over the years, not that they were what would be considered close in their school days, but she had missed seeing the familiar faces from her childhood. "I will be there regardless." Sakura said. She was hesitant at first but this was her chance to make peace with her childhood best friend knowing that Ino would definitely be there if the relationship between these three was anything to go by.

(…)

Naruto left Ino's office with a renewed purpose, he had a lot to prepare for in the upcoming two weeks. He hoped that Satsuki would not give him too much grief about what Ino had placed on his lap, hopefully, that boy would not give him too much trouble as an Uchiha, that's why he had asked for the team of shinobi that had been put together to hunt down his brother-in-law by his wife. The act did not pass him, he was effectively asking his wife to confront and be prepared to kill her brother twice. Sighing he ran through his hair thinking that he needed a haircut, being a year older and also having a single child made him uncomfortable with how much its length reminded people of how much he looked like his old man. Combining the fact that he also had married a woman from one of Konoha's dying clans and he took the man's family name for his clan made his next mission feel like one big bad omen with all the similarities to the night of his birth, he silently thanked Shizune for agreeing to take his place as the Rokudaime Hokage as he reached the lobby of the hospital.

"Papa!" Naruto was knocked out of his thoughts and was completely caught off guard as the voice of a little girl called out to him, taking his legs in an embrace. Looking down he saw the small frame of his daughter clinging to him.

Kneeling and putting a hand on his daughter's head he greeted her. "Hello Izu-chan, what are you doing here?" He finished the question while lifting her in his arms as he returned to his full height, having her wrap her arms around his neck and bury her head into his shoulder.

"You're late." Both Izumi and the voice of Hyuga Hanabi said simultaneously. Naruto looked up to see his first student and babysitter deactivating her Byakugan, looking up at Naruto who was half a head taller with a smile. "What, you couldn't say hi to me this morning and now you are straight up ignoring me, for shame Naru-nii."

Naruto smirked at the pout the younger Hyuga sister was putting on. "I didn't mean anything by it, and you know that."

Hanabi took this opportunity to enter Naruto's personal space in prime headbutting range, returning the smirk. "Well, whatever the case might be I need something in return for all of this mistreatment you give us. Right Izu-chan?" Izumi gave a grunt in affirmation prompting Hanabi to continue. "See, even your daughter agrees with me."

"What do you want?" The young father questioned the woman without losing his smirk.

Hanabi giggled at the question before answering. "Oh, dear Naru-nii, you can't afford to ask..." She paused before answering fully. "I want a raise."

"And how am I supposed to give a raise to a volunteer?"

"Oh, I am sure you can find a way." She was quick to respond, swaying back and forth with her arms behind her back.

"You two make a lovely couple." An older woman said passing by.

Naruto grimaced at the blushing face of Hanabi's as she bounced around and giggled at the compliment with her hands cupping her cheeks, answering the woman. "Aww, thank you." She said, waving. "You hear that Naru-nii, she thought that we look good together, I won't lie she is not wrong." She looked up at Naruto and frowned, the man looked tired. "What is the matter, Naru-nii, usually you are full of energy, but now you seem tired."

"It's nothing, just life catching up with me I guess." Naruto said readjusting the girl in his arms.

"Let me guess you had a meeting with Ino-nee, and it has something to do with a mission." Hanabi was right on the Ryo and as she guessed the nature of his meeting while beginning to walk with Naruto.

Naruto had felt Izumi stiffen at those words and hug him tighter when Naruto started to move, although she was used to her mother going out on missions her father was a different story. Naruto at this point in his life was the shinobi version of a stay-at-home dad, so Izumi no matter what Shizune had in store for her papa she never spent any longer than a day without seeing him, and the thought of not seeing him for weeks or months on end terrified her. She had gotten it in her head that her mother's responsibilities as an active shinobi had gotten in the way of them being together. Izumi spent the rest of the trip as the two adults talked with a vice grip on her father.

Hanabi had noticed this and she was keen to change the subject. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know... I was thinking of meeting up with your sister and Satsuki... Hey, you know what, how about we stop by Ichiraku for a bit? I owe Aya-nee a visit. If you want, that is." Naruto asked Hanabi, getting Izumi's ears to perk up.

Izumi had only been to the ramen stand a couple of times but every time she had gone it had her treating the place as a rare treat when her father would take her. One wouldn't say that she inherited Naruto's love for the food but that got her excited all the same. There was something about sharing a bowl with him that filled her with joy. Naruto mentally laughed at how easy it was to improve Izumi's mood even a little bit.

"Ooo... I haven't had a bowl in a while, why not." Hanabi answered. "It's not like I can't stop watching my figure for the night."

Naruto looked at Hanabi with a raised eyebrow, although he couldn't compare her figure to either Satsuki or Hinata for that matter he could not help but find the attractiveness in her body, it was clear to him that the Hyuga sisters had indeed dipped in the same genetic pool despite Hanabi being slightly smaller in certain areas than Hinata. "Are you on a diet or something?"

"Not really." Hanabi spoke while blushing. She was not, she had just found ways to keep herself busy trying not to run into a certain Genin sensei, not that she didn't like Konohamaru. "It's just that I've gained some weight recently." A little white lie can't help, right? Something in her couldn't tell him that a guy was interested in her out of fear of what he might say.

"Oh really... Just be careful you don't go overboard." Naruto responded as the three of them were outside of the former ramen stand turned restaurant.

"Naruto?" A familiar voice entered the trio's ears. Ayame, the person who called out to Naruto, who was currently flipping the sign on the storefront to close, post-lunch rush came over to the trio. "Wow, long time no see." She jogged over to meet them halfway.