Naruto's leg bounced vigorously underneath his desk as he tried to focus on the conversation between Shikamaru and Shizune discussing a new law being passed in Konoha. Their voices sounded miles away, his mind still preoccupied with the events that transpired moments before his advisors walked in.

Kiba had barged into his office, demanding to know why he had stood Hinata up for another woman. His initial reaction was anger. Honestly, he felt mildly annoyed that Hinata had mentioned anything to Kiba about their marital issues, but deep down, he knew it was because he was the one at fault. Naruto didn't have enough time to respond because Kiba went on a tangent for fifteen minutes.

"Do better." Were the words Kiba said before he left the office.

Unable to focus any longer on Shikamaru and Shizune, Naruto created a shadow clone and stood from his chair ignoring their confused expressions.

"Um, Hokage-sama…?" Shizune watched Naruto carefully.

"There's an important matter I must take care of. Please continue on with the meeting. I'll get the information from my shadow clone." He gave them both a nod before disappearing and reappearing in the middle of the busy streets of Konoha.

He didn't want to appear rude, but he needed to find his wife as soon as possible, despite being surrounded by the villagers that were star struck by his presence. His blue eyes darted through the crowd trying to see if Hinata happened to be one of the many people amongst the crowd. Unfortunately, he couldn't trace her chakra.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she masked her chakra on purpose." He frowned as in inhaled and closed his eyes, exhaling.

Maybe if he went home, there would be a small chance she could be there. Moving through the crowded streets he finally managed to reach his home. There was a slight hesitancy in his step the closer his feet led him to the door, but as soon as he placed his hand on the door knob the door opened.

Blue eyes met black eyes.

"Sasuke?" Naruto blinked. "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke pointed behind him. "Your wife sprained her ankle when we were training. She's on the couch." He walked past Naruto leaving no time for him to process anything as he watched Sasuke walk away, leaving him standing alone in the doorway.

Naruto was secretly relieved that Sasuke had been training Hinata. While she was an exceptional housewife, he sensed her occasional sense of isolation. Her circle of friends wasn't extensive, often limited to her sister Hanabi and infrequent interactions with Ino, Sakura, or Tenten. Most of her time was spent in solitude or with their children. The training, he hoped, provided a much-needed outlet for the stress he knew he was partly responsible for causing.

As he gently closed the door behind him, taking off his shoes, Naruto's steps towards the living room were hesitant yet urgent. His heart pounded painfully against his ribcage at the sight of Hinata sitting there, her attention fixed on the ice pack resting on her ankle, unaware of his presence.

"H-..." His voice faltered, caught in his throat. Clearing it, he tried again, softer this time. "Hinata, you're back."

At the sound of his voice, Hinata's head jerked up, her eyes widening in apparent surprise. There was a fleeting moment of vulnerability in her gaze before it softened, easing the tight knot of anxiety in Naruto's chest. He hurried to her side, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. He barely registered her lukewarm response, her arms hesitantly returning the gesture.

"I'm sorry," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry for breaking my promise, for being at the bar with Sai, and…"

"Shizuka," Hinata cut in, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of hurt.

The name stung, a reminder of his recent failings. "Yes, Shizuka. I'm truly sorry…" He pulled back slightly, searching her eyes. They held a distant quality, yet the warmth of her love still flickered there. It was a silent reassurance that they were not beyond repair. The thought of losing Hinata, the bedrock of his life, was unfathomable. Her presence, her forgiveness, meant everything.

Hinata's lips parted, as if to speak, but then closed again. She was always the quiet type, her actions speaking volumes where words fell short. But now, Naruto needed to hear her voice, to understand the depth of her feelings.

"I know you're hurting because of me," Naruto said, his blue eyes never leaving her face. "I'm not just the Hokage. I'm your husband, and I've been failing you. Help me fix this, Hinata. Please."

For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Hinata's gaze softened further, a tumult of emotions swirling within him.

"Naruto," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible yet carrying the weight of her world. "I want to believe in us, but I need time. Time to heal, to understand... to forgive."

Naruto's earnest gaze held Hinata's, filled with hope and a tinge of desperation. But when she spoke, her voice was a whisper, laden with pain, "Naruto, I need time. Time to heal, to understand... to forgive."

The words hit him like a sudden blow, jolting him out of his hopeful reverie. His heart, which had been brimming with anticipation, plummeted into a mix of shock and a prickling sense of annoyance. Forgive? He had expected her to understand, to see the sincerity in his eyes and accept his apology. After all, they had always found their way back to each other, no matter the odds.

But as he looked into her eyes, those deep wells of emotion that had always grounded him, he realized this was different. This wasn't a simple spat or a misunderstanding; this was a wound at the very heart of their relationship, a rift caused by his own negligence.

He stood there, frozen, as a tumult of emotions raged within him. Part of him wanted to argue, to remind her of all the battles they'd faced together, of the unbreakable bond they shared. Yet, another part, the part that had grown so much since his brash, younger days, understood. Hinata, the cornerstone of his life, deserved more than just words. She deserved time and actions to heal the scars he had inadvertently inflicted.

Naruto's gaze drifted to the floor, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He had always been quick to leap into action, to face his problems head-on. But this... this required a different kind of strength. The strength to step back, to give her the space she needed, even though every fiber of his being screamed to close the distance between them.

He swallowed the knot of frustration and hurt building in his throat, mustering a nod of understanding. "I... I get it, Hinata. Take all the time you need," he managed to say, his voice steady but laced with a hint of his inner turmoil.

Naruto noted the slight upward curve of her lips, a soft indication of her contentment with his response. Eager to shift the conversation to lighter grounds, he glanced down at her ankle.

"I don't have to rough the bastard up, do I?" he joked with a light chuckle.

Hinata's giggle, a sound that Naruto realized he had sorely missed, filled the room. "No, it's my fault. I injured it when I kicked Sasuke-kun," she explained, a hint of pride in her voice. She paused, her cheeks coloring slightly as she averted her gaze. "Actually, I won our sparring match today."

A sense of pride swelled in Naruto's chest, his grin broadening. Hinata, his Hinata, had always been strong in her own right, and hearing about her victories, no matter how small, brought him a sense of joy that he hadn't realized he'd been missing.

Although Naruto was relieved by the lighter mood, he was acutely aware that he was still walking on thin ice. He knew he needed to tread carefully in his marriage from here on out; any further missteps, and he might be facing a request for divorce from Hinata.

XXXXXXXX

As Sasuke rubbed his left side where Hinata's kick had landed, he couldn't help but smile faintly, thinking about the blue-haired woman. Over the days of their training, Hinata had improved immensely. She had always underestimated her own strength, something Sasuke saw change as her confidence grew in their sparring sessions.

"Thinking about a certain pink-haired woman, hm?"

Sasuke glanced to his left to see his former teacher, Kakashi, strolling beside him, an all-too-familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. Choosing to remain silent, Sasuke ignored the comment.

Kakashi feigned disappointment. "You're no fun."

"What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, his tone edged with impatience.

"I just wanted to check in on my favorite student," Kakashi said, his gaze briefly flicking to where Sasuke was nursing his side. "What happened there?"

"Hinata. We were sparring," Sasuke replied curtly.

Kakashi's eyebrow lifted in mild surprise. "Hinata-chan? Sparring with you? That's...interesting."

"Why is that interesting?" Sasuke questioned, his expression unchanging.

"In all the years I've known you two, I rarely saw you interact as kids. It's just surprising, that's all. She managed to land a good hit on you, huh?" Kakashi chuckled lightly.

"She's a skilled shinobi," Sasuke remarked.

"Ex-ninja," Kakashi corrected gently. "Naruto mentioned she retired to focus on their family."

They continued their walk through the bustling streets of Konoha. Sasuke recalled a conversation with Hinata from months ago about her leaving active duty. She had echoed Kakashi's words, but Sasuke had detected a hint of regret in her eyes. It was one of the reasons he had offered to train with her, that and as a distraction from her martial issues.

He wondered if Hinata might be interested in taking on a mission again, even something simple. He considered mentioning it to Naruto but hesitated, not wanting to overstep or misinterpret her feelings.

"Regardless, she's strong," Sasuke said, somewhat defensively.

"Indeed," Kakashi agreed, his tone softening. "She has a big heart. Naruto's fortunate to have such a caring wife."

"Sure," Sasuke replied.

Kakashi withdrew a well-worn novel from his pouch – one of Jiraiya's works that Sasuke had seen him reading countless times. Sasuke never quite understood his fascination with such literature.

"I should be going. Take care, Sasuke. And you might want to have Sakura look at that bruise," Kakashi advised with a casual wave.

As Sasuke walked, the persistent ache in his side made him consider Kakashi's suggestion. The sharp pain with each breath was a sensation he was all too familiar with.

Deciding it was best to have it checked, he teleported to quickly reach the hospital. Upon arriving, he approached the reception desk and inquired about Sakura's whereabouts. The receptionist informed him that she was currently in surgery, much to his dismay. He left a message for Sakura to be informed of his presence in her office, where he decided to wait.

Settling onto the couch in her office, every shift in position sent jolts of pain through his body, like a blade twisting inside him. He tried using his basic medical ninjutsu to alleviate some of the discomfort, but the relief was minimal. Eventually, he laid back, draping an arm over his eyes in frustration. Sleep would have been an escape from the pain, but it eluded him.

After what felt like an eternity, but was nearly four hours, Sakura burst into the office, her sudden entrance causing Sasuke to jolt upright, exacerbating his pain.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura rushed to his side, her concern evident in her tone and expression.

"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked, her trained eyes quickly scanning him for injuries.

He nodded towards his side. "I think I might have a broken rib," he managed to say, trying to downplay his discomfort.

Sasuke suppressed a groan as Sakura gently lifted his shirt to inspect the injury.

"Oh my! How did this happen?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with both concern and surprise.

Glancing down, Sasuke saw the bruise, a vivid mix of purple, blue, and green, swollen and stark against his skin. It was almost laughable, the extent of the damage Hinata had inflicted, yet he maintained his stoic demeanor.

"I was sparring with Hinata," he explained simply.

Sakura's eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Hinata did this?" she gasped.

He nodded, watching the familiar green glow of her healing chakra envelop her hands. "I didn't realize it was this bad," he admitted.

As Sakura's healing jutsu took effect, Sasuke felt a sequence of sensations – cooling, then warmth, followed by numbness. He was familiar with this process, the mending of bones and reduction of swelling, all deftly handled by Sakura's skilled chakra control.

He observed her concentrated expression, her green eyes focused intently on the task. Guilt tugged at him for adding to her workload, especially after a surgery. "Thank you," he said, his voice softening slightly.

Sakura looked up at him, a brief flash of surprise in her eyes before she smiled and continued her healing. "I'm surprised Hinata managed to do this. But then again, she's always been strong." She spoke thoughtfully. "I remember how Neji was so worried when she risked her life to protect Naruto from Pain. It was then I realized how deeply she loved him. When Hinata believes in herself, she truly shines. I've always admired her determination."

Sasuke had only heard bits and pieces about Hinata's bravery against Pain. As a child, he remembered her as timid and reserved. Naruto's stories from the chuunin exams had painted a different picture, one of a girl for whom Naruto wanted to fight for and protect, to change the Hyuga clan. It was somewhat amusing, and heartening, to see how Naruto had kept his word, transforming the clan and eventually marrying Hinata.

His perception of Hinata had evolved significantly over the years. Though never spoken aloud, he acknowledged her as a friend.

The numbness faded as Sakura withdrew her hand. Testing the area, Sasuke found no trace of pain or swelling. "You didn't hurt her, did you?" Sakura asked with a frown, helping him adjust his shirt.

"No, but she sprained her ankle. She might need some healing too," he said.

Sakura sighed, her brow creasing in concern. "You both need to be more careful. I'll check on Hinata after my shift."

A smile tugged at Sasuke's lips. "We'll try."

"Before you go home, do you mind stopping at the supermarket for a few things for dinner? I should be home in two hours," Sakura said.

Sasuke understood her coded request. She wanted him to cook dinner tonight. If there was one thing Sasuke Uchiha wasn't adept at, it was cooking. It wasn't due to his lack of an arm; cooking simply wasn't his forte, unlike his late brother, Itachi, who had a natural talent for it.

He remembered Itachi's perfectly cooked eggs fondly.

"Sure." He moved to the edge of the couch, preparing to stand, but Sakura's soft peck on his cheek made him pause. Turning toward her, their noses brushed against each other.

Sasuke closed his eyes and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips, pulling away before she could react. He chuckled softly at her pout as he stood up.

"I'll see you at home," he said.

"Yeah, see you at home." Sakura's cheeks flushed as she averted her gaze.

Sasuke teleported to the supermarket, picking up a basket by the door. Unsure of what to buy, he headed straight for the tomatoes. A particularly plump one caught his eye, perched atop the pile like royalty. Just as he reached for it, another hand brushed his, aiming for the same tomato. He glared at the stranger, his black eyes meeting green ones. The woman flinched and retreated her hand.

"Sorry, I didn't notice you there," she apologized quickly.

Sasuke grabbed the tomato and placed it in his basket, replying coolly, "It's alright."

As they parted ways, Sasuke browsed the aisles, looking for dinner ideas. He steered clear of spicy items and natto, knowing his and Sakura's differing tastes.

Approaching the poultry section, he was interrupted.

"Hi Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke turned to find Ino grinning at him. He inwardly sighed but greeted her, aware of the need to maintain cordial relations.

"Ino."

He resumed his shopping, but Ino lingered. Frustrated, he faced her. "What do you want?"

Ino's expression turned accusatory. "I hope you weren't flirting with that woman, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke's patience waned. "What woman?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "The one you just scared off—Shizuka. You know, the woman Naruto stood Hinata up for."

Sasuke's eyes widened in sudden recognition. The woman he had just encountered, the one seeking the same tomato, was none other than the very person entangled in the recent, troubling incident between Naruto and Hinata. A part of him felt a twisted sense of satisfaction for his glare.

"You're not spreading rumors about what happened, are you?" Sasuke asked sternly.

Ino feigned innocence. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"Because it would drag Hinata into unnecessary scandal," Sasuke warned.

Ino looked flustered, "R-Right."

Sasuke returned to his task, quickly picking up some chicken and leaving Ino behind. He hoped his warning would discourage her from gossiping. The last thing Hinata and Naruto's strained marriage needed was more rumors.