If someone had told him a year ago that he would be hesitant to go back to mission work, Naruto would have told them they were crazy. But things had changed since then, he was a father now, he had a baby son who relied on him for everything. How could he knowingly risk his life when he had such a huge responsibility like that? And it wasn't just a notion, it was something he had personally experienced, he knew exactly how hard and lonely it was to grow up without parents.
"I can't," he said, gripping the door frame, unable to take another step away from his child. Giving up missions would mean giving up his dream of being Hokage. That would be a huge sacrifice, but wasn't being a father more important?
"Naruto…?" Neji checked.
He turned to Neji, hating to disappoint him but not seeing another option.
"How can I go back to missions? How can I risk leaving him behind? I'm crazy if I think I can be Hokage and raise Kenji. My dad was one of the greatest shinobi the village has ever known, and even he couldn't do both."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm done, Neji. It's over."
"No, you don't mean that."
"How can I leave him? What if I…" Die.
"Naruto…"
Either way, I'm letting one of them down. I don't know what to do…
"Darling…" Neji said, stepping closer and taking his hand. "I know you're used to dealing in absolutes, but consider a compromise. We both know being shinobi carries risk. So we don't work missions together, and we don't take A-rank missions at the same time. Should the worst happen, Kenji would still have one of us."
Naruto's eyes glistened with tears.
"I hear you, but... how would I raise him without you?"
"Naruto... Of course it would be difficult, but don't forget you have Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato, Iruka, Tenten, Guy, Lee, Hinata... Every one of them would do whatever you needed them to."
"It wouldn't be the same. But I see what you're saying."
"Please just think about it. Don't give up on anything without thinking it all through very carefully, because I believe one of the greatest gifts you can give our son is for him to be able to see you as the fierce and determined shinobi you are. Do you honestly think it would be fair to take that away from him? Or the rest of the village for that matter? We're all waiting for you to become Hokage. Everyone in our generation shares that dream with you now, for ourselves and for you."
"Everyone is counting on me…"
"Yes, but don't think it's something you have to shoulder alone. We're all here for you because we love you. You've united the world like no one else could have, and our faith in you keeps those bonds strong. We're with you."
This is about so much more than Kenji.
"Alright," he nodded. "No working together and no A-rank missions at the same time. We have to do everything we can to make sure he doesn't become an orphan. Promise?"
"Yes. I promise. Kenji won't have to grow up the way we did."
"Okay," Naruto nodded, steeling his resolve. "I can do this."
"Yes, you can. There is nothing you aren't capable of when you set your mind to it."
He reached out to the man he loved.
"Now, give me a kiss for good luck."
Neji wrapped him up and kissed him properly.
He's always exactly what I need.
Neji leaned back and touched his nose.
"You can have as many kisses as you like for no other reason than I love you very much."
"I love you too, Neji. Thanks for the pep talk. I needed it."
"Anything you need, Naruto. I'm always here."
"I know."
