"Are you closing up Aya-nee?" Naruto asked the jubilant Ayame who was currently soothing the little girl in Naruto's arms with a head pat, it was clear that Izumi was upset about something.
Ayame shrugged continuing her action. "Something like that. The Hokage did not tell you?" She asked Naruto, getting a perplexed nod in return. "Well I was going to go out and look for some ingredients, Lady Shizune was going to stop by, so when I saw you three I kind of figured... I don't know that you would be the reason why." She finished.
"I would not know, I just saw her a couple of hours ago and she said nothing to me." Naruto said with a smile forming. "Is business so bad that you consider any costumer related to me was my doing?" Naruto asked in a joking tone.
Acting mock offended she removed her hand from Izumi's person in equal shock. "Naruto... You aren't here enough to make a comment like that, we maybe business partners and you may have helped by buying the building, it doesn't mean that you get to do whatever you want mister." She said with her pretend shock not leaving. "So what are you here for?" Ayame asked curiously looking over her three guest.
"I know that the lunch rush is over but..." He paused to readjust his grip on his daughter. "I had a craving and wanted to grab lunch with these two." He told Ayame without much fan fare.
Ayame looked between him, Izumi, and a smiling Hanabi before nodding. "Fair enough I suppose." She said releasing a pair of keys from her pocket before jiggling them in front of Naruto. "You can go ahead and go in, just tell the others I let you in and they will take care of you."
"Seems simple enough." Naruto made a play for the keys before Ayame pulled away making a show in getting Izumi's attention.
Ayame tapped on the little girl's shoulder, getting her to lift her head from Naruto's person. "It's been a long time Izu... What about you come with me to get ingredients for your Papa? What do you say?" Ayame got a grunt in affirmation as Naruto let Izumi down with her moving to stand besides the woman, being so close to be attached to her lower half. "Right..." She tossed Naruto the keys before taking her surrogate niece's hand in hers. "Remember you are not the only ones in there so no funny business." Ayame said with a mock serious face.
Hanabi blushed at the statement looking up at Naruto, she knew very well that if she could she would and that fact being called out left her a bit embarrassed. "It's nothing like that... You don't have to worry."
"I'm not, at least not about you. The Godaime seem to like you so I won't give you a hard time, but..." Ayame moved in and whispered. "If you want to go anywhere with Naruto you have you to go on the offensive, you never know maybe he would be more receptive then you would think." She smiled at the non verbal response she got.
Steam seemed to exit Hanabi's head through her ears, a face turning a shade of bright red. "I doubt it." She whispered back.
The older woman frowned a bit before tussling the twenty-one-year-old's hair. "To each their own I guess." Her smile returned turning to Naruto. "Be gentle with my employees Naruto… we don't want a repeat of last time." She said as she started walking away.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Aya-nee." Naruto shrugged not knowing what she was talking about.
'So I guess he doesn't remember over protective dad Naruto. Well I assume that's alright.' She continued moving away with the little girl. "Whatever don't worry about it. Hanabi keep an eye on him and I won't tell anyone your little secret." She laughed at Hanabi's sharp gasp.
"She really thinks that I haven't grown up at all, doesn't she?" Naruto said to Hanabi, watching Izumi and Ayame disappear around the corner.
"I wouldn't let it bother you Naru-nii, to her we still look like the kids we were back then. She hasn't quite realized that you are an old man now." Hanabi said hugging Naruto's bandage left arm.
Naruto with a raised eyebrow scoffed at the notion that he was now old, he was only twenty-five after all. "You do realize we are only five years apart in age right?"
"Says the married man with a child to his nice young babysitter, or should I say indentured servant." Hanabi retorted pulling Naruto towards the entrance of Ichiraku's.
Naruto laughed as he went along with her pulling. "I swear you took way too much after those two…" He paused thinking of his teammate and his best friend. "You shouldn't follow in their footsteps, I wouldn't be able to handle it if you did. I have enough to worry about as of late."
Hanabi frowned at the change in atmosphere as she looked up to Naruto who currently was staring off into space, his mission must be that important or frustrating to make him be this serious all of the sudden. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?" She asked, stopping in her tracks.
Naruto looked at her as if in conformation of what she had asked. "Hey, if anything happens to me and Satsuki I need you to take care of Izumi, don't let what happened to me happen to her, go to Suna if you have to. Mari will take care of both of you. Promise me that you will, promise that you will do anything for her."
Alright, something was off, was whatever mission that he had gotten from Ino that dangerous? Their was no way right? There was no way that the two strongest Nin in Konoha would have trouble on a single mission… right? "Why do you want me to promise that Naru?… you are not the one to put people in those type of situations." She spoke in a near panicked tone. It was clear on Naruto's face why he was making her promise that, there was a greater than zero chance that whatever he was being sent out to do was going to kill both him and his wife, and that scared her. Not only was Naruto important to her and this village he was a major reason why the pact between the three allied villages was what it was, and if he was gone she would not want to imagine that world.
"Just do it Hana… you are the only one I trust to keep her safe, you and Hina are family in all but blood to both me and Satsuki. If she was in the same shoes I am now she would be very well asking the same. So please promise me… Hanabi." Naruto pulled Hanabi close to him, putting a firm hand on her shoulders.
"You are far too cruel Naru-nii…" She spoke clutching at the first's necklace under her hanbok, a gift from the man himself. "Fine, I will do it. But promise me one thing." She moved to lean and bury her head in his chest. "You will come back to us no matter what… I don't want to bury anyone else." She spoke upset. Her teen years were especially hard on her, from her father, to the Godaime whom she was close with, to several friends that she had made in the academy, she was sick of the death in her life. Naruto, the man she loved, was the only one who seemed remotely capable of surviving what this world threw at him. "I don't want to lose you too." She took a minute to recompose herself before standing at her full height. "Let's just go in."
"You don't have to you know."
"Yes I do, I need this more than you will ever know." Hanabi took Naruto's arm again and began walking towards the entrance, the mood more solemn than it was.
(...)
Hinata and Satsuki left the comforts of the cafe with full stomachs, and having reconnected to an old friend in a jovial state of mind. Not long after they had exited they ran into one of Naruto's summons, a king cobra that got their attention. "Lady Satsuki, and Lady Hinata. I bring you a message from Master Naruto." The snake announced twisting its body to present them with a carrier attached to its 2m long body.
Satsuki kneeled, rubbing the snake on its head as she opened the device attached to it, grabbing a small piece of paper before addressing the animal. "Thank you, Yuushin. How is Orochi doing."
The snake cocked its head as if thinking up a response before answering. "Mother? She is doing fine. With grandfather gone she misses you and master Naruto dearly. After the war, he has not called upon her at all. I think it bugs her... After Lady Anko passed her contract with her to master Naruto he would summon her all the time, even if it is to speak with her." The snake finished, a masculine voice filling the air.
Hinata laughed, poking Satsuki in her side as the other woman stood at her full height while the snake coiled his body. "Look at that, another rival to Naru's attention that you have defeated." The comment had the effect of having Satsuki scoff at it.
The tanned snake let out something that sounded like a hum of amusement. "I doubt that Lady Hinata, He was a child when she made her contract with him." Yuushin said, looking at Hinata.
"The heart is a complicated place." Hinata retorted looking at Yuushin. "Like you and the other one. Kuri was it?"
"Please don't remind me of her..." Yuushin turned his head away displaying his hood on instinct, he was clearly upset about something.
"You two haven't made up? Do you want me to talk with her the next time I summon her?" Satsuki asked the snake, thinking of the black mamba that she would summon from time to time, the female preferring combat, voicing that to Naruto.
"No, that's quite fine Lady Satsuki, you and Master Naruto have done enough for us as is." Yuushin retorted.
"So what does the message say, Satsuki? Please tell me that it's a little love note." Hinata asked Satsuki.
Satsuki for her part narrowed her eyes at the other woman, getting a knowing grin from the inactive kunoichi-turned-clan leader. "It says that Hanabi, Naruto, and Izumi are waiting for us at our home." Satsuki answered her best friend, leaving out the part that Naruto wanted to talk about with her. She then held the paper between her fingers, placing it in front of her mouth, taking a deep breath, and using fireball jutsu shortly after. She dropped the paper as Hinata spoke with her.
"I guess it's our fault for taking our time here, hopefully, Izu isn't too mad with me for keeping you to myself for so long."
"You're fine it's me she should be mad at... I did tell her that I would be with Naruto when he came to pick her up." Satsuki said with a frown.
"Oh please, that little girl adores you. Come let's get this over with so we can see how much those two love you." Hinata said nonchalantly.
Satsuki Ignored Hinata, turning her to the snake summon. "Is that all Yuushin?" The young mother asked, getting Yuushin to sway his head back and forth."Then do want anything while you are here."
"No, it's quite alright."
"I insist. Is there something I can do? It could be almost anything. If it's in my power that is." Satsuki asked.
"Then I do insist that you and master Naruto summon my mother from time to time, that and some cooked pork from that shop that you and your companions frequented a while ago."
Satsuki thought back to the diner that she, Naruto, and team Taka would frequent in their teens in the sound when they were under the snake Sanin's implied control. "Deal." She said, making a note to visit it during her next mission.