Chapter Twenty

To say Hinata was in shock was an understatement. The mental wear of months of being stalked and the recent fight for her life left her in a numb state she recognized all too well – exhaustion. When Temari had called them all to the top of the hill, the sight of another castle initially filled her with dread at the thought that Toneri might not be the only threat from beyond earth.

As Kushina and the others conversed about fairytales and legends, Hinata's Byakugan caught the unmistakable movement of someone moving within the ruined castle. The figure appeared ethereal. While Hinata was on the fence about ghosts, she'd seen plenty in her young life, the apparition was too human to be an Ōtsutsuki. While pale, her flesh tone was not the ghostly white of Kaguya or Toneri. The woman was willowy in build, elegant in how she carried herself, and immaculate in her appearance. The woman wore a floor-length white sheath dress that accented her slender frame. Her hair was silvery and flowed in twin tails with small hair buns. Unbelievable!

Even more unbelievable, the woman, ghost, or whatever she was waved in greeting, beckoning them to approach as she retreated into the palace ruin. Hold the phone! We're not just following anyone into a ruined building because they waved politely! Despite the alarm bells going off in her head, the woman radiated a motherly calm, unlike Kaguya or the other Ōtsutsuki encountered to date.

"Well, that's different," Naruto was the first to speak. "You all saw her, right?" A mumbling chorus of affirmations spoke up.

"So, what do we do?" Hinata asked.

"We're here," Kushina spoke as she shifted Akane in her arms, "and I don't think we'll ever be here again." She stared at Hinata with her violet eyes. "As much as I want to go home right now, I want answers! This might be our only chance to get them!"

"I advise caution," Sakura spoke up, "We're all exhausted. If she turns out to be a trap, we're screwed."

"She's not Ōtsutsuki," Hinata spoke up, "And if she is the Moon Princess Warrior, she could have eliminated us without a second thought." Hinata remembered the tale of the warrior princess wielding cosmic energy to vanquish horrific monsters and demons with impunity. "I don't think she means us harm."

"All the same, stay sharp," Shikamaru said as he took point. The group advanced in a line across the lunar surface until they reached the exterior to the gate. As they approached, Hinata noted discarded bits of armor and edged weapons scattered around the gate. As they passed through the gate into the reception hall, there were even more bits of discarded war gear. The room showed residual signs of violence out of place with what had been grand décor and architecture that would rival even the best in the Shinobi world.

"Where did she go?" Naruto asked as he surveyed the room.

"I was not expecting guest now of all times," the soft female voice from behind sounded amused.

"GAHHHH!" Naruto grasped Hinata and instinctively shielded her with his body.

Almost everyone else also jumped out of their skins as they turned toward the source of the voice. The woman glowed softly in the shadows of the ruined palace, "I certainly was not expecting you of all people, Naruto Uzumaki." By now, Naruto had loosened his grip on Hinata and she could see the apparition up close. She was incredibly beautiful – Tall, willowy figured, and dignified in her posture and bearing.

"You know who I am?!" Naruto's jaw dropped as he slacked his grip on Hinata, slowing standing upright.

"I have watched all of you from afar," ghostly woman spoke, "Children of Destiny carry a strong light within them." She smiled, "You and Hinata both carry an inordinate amount of destiny." The woman eyed the rest of the group, "In fact, most of you here do."

"What do you mean," Kushina spoke up, "And who are you?"

"Of course, where are my manners," the figure spoke with a gentle shake of her head, "My name is Queen Serenity. I was once the queen of the Moon Kingdom. That was over a million years ago."

"You've been here this whole time?!" Sakura balked.

"Not a long time to wait in cosmic time," Queen Serenity shrugged with a smile. "All the same, I appreciate having the company for this brief moment in time."

"Queen Serenity, what are you doing here?" Burning curiosity filled Hinata, "What happened here! Who or what are the Ōtsutsuki?!"

"You have many questions," the ghost approached her and Naruto, placing a hand under his chin, and staring into his face with delight. "I swear, you could be her." She turned to look at Hinata, and likewise raised her chin, "And you could be him."

"Who?" Hinata shifted uncomfortably.

"I suppose, that does warrant story time," Queen Serenity gave a slight laugh. "A million years before the Ōtsutsuki came to earth, the Kingdom of the Moon and the Kingdom of the Earth were two separate kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Moon was responsible for safeguarding Earth, making sure its people didn't fall astray, and we protected the relic known as the Silver Crystal."

"It was real?!" Shikamaru spoke up. Even Hinata had a tang of surprise at the mention of the Silver Crystal. In the fairy tales and legends, the Silver Crystal was an object of unfathomable power – able to spare the dying, cleanse the cursed, and more. A power sought after by those seeking to spread chaos.

"Yes, Shikamaru, it is real, although not in its current state," Queen Serenity shrugged.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"For the longest time, the Moon and Earth Kingdoms lived in harmony, until my daughter, Princess Serenity, fell in love with a prince of the Earth Kingdom, Prince Endymion."

"A jealous sorceress turned the people of Earth against the Moon Kingdom," Kushina added.

"In the end, they destroyed the kingdom, and took the lives of my little Serenity and her beloved prince," Queen Serenity shook her head, "The darkness threatened to swallow everything, still almost did. Queen Beryl and her minions turned on the people of Earth, leading to the destruction of the Earth Kingdom as well."

"But," Hinata interrupted, "the legend stated that the kingdom was rebuilt by the young princess reborn."

"That is where the past and the promised future begin to collide, Hinata. Even with the Silver Crystal, I could not revive everyone and seal away the darkness. I used my remaining power to scatter the essence of the ones I loved across what survived of the earth, watching, and waiting for their essence to slowly gather until the time came for them to be reborn."

"What about the darkness?" Sakura asked. "You sealed it away, you said?"

"Imperfectly," the Queen shook her head, "I bound part of the Silver Crystal to seven of Queen Beryl's deadliest minions – her deadliest Youma – and trapped them in pure hearts. The rest I locked away in another dimension within the Earth. Over the years, some of their evil has spilled out." A troubled look came over the ghostly woman, "Other dark ones lay in the shadows waiting for a chance to strike after the kingdoms collapsed."

"What did you mean when you mean about us carrying a strong light?" Hinata asked.

"As I said, I scattered the essence of those I loved, those I couldn't save, among those who survived the collapse of the Earth Kingdom. Over the millennia, the small bits of my daughter and her guardians have been coalescing, occasionally collecting around important individuals in time," the ghost queen smiled, "People like you carry an inordinate amount of their essence." The queen waved a hand and an ethereal mirror formed. "People who make a difference in their world. Someday, your descendants will be her and her guardians reborn."

As Hinata stared in the mirror, what stared back was unreal. A young, but tall, man with raven hair and cerulean eyes stared back. The man wore a regal uniform with a sword and armor. His handsome features betrayed a serious look that ran in the Hyūga bloodline. Your grandson, easily.

Hinata's eyes wandered to where Naruto's reflection should be. In his place, a young woman, almost a younger copy of Queen Serenity, stood in a similar white gown. Her eyes were blue as Naruto's and her golden hair was his same color; although her style matched Queen Serenity's. She radiated off the earnestness Hinata had come to associate with Naruto and his parents.

"Dude, your future form is hot," Shikamaru whispered with a chuckle, followed by Temari spanking him as he shouted "Ouch!" Had Hinata played for the home team, she admitted Princess Serenity would have been extremely attractive.

"Oh my," Temari chuckled, "I'm trying to imaging you wearing a skirt that short, Shikamru!" His reflection was of a young woman with dark hair, deep blue eyes, and she wore a form of sailor costume trimmed in blue. Temari's reflection was a much taller girl with brunette hair and green eyes to match the green trim of her outfit.

"Listen, brunette!" Shikamaru retorted with his tease, implying Temari was not a natural blonde.

"What is this?" Sai spoke, surprising everyone. The reflection didn't appear remotely his own. His reflection contained a girl wearing a sailor costume trimmed in orange. However, the girl's features were almost completely inverse of the dark-eyed and haired young man. She was blonde with brilliant blue eyes, and her face was full of expression. Like Ino!

The mirror dissipated, "It's not what is outside, but what is on the inside, Sai." Queen Serenity spoke. "I tend to find those with pure hearts are the most beautiful beyond any physical appearance."

"Queen Serenity, The Tenseigan Altar?" Hinata asked, the desperate sensation that time was short began to come over her.

"Yes, Hinata, it was from my time, a weapon used by those who sowed chaos. Sadly," Queen Serenity shook her head, "I could not intervene to stop those that came later from trying to use it."

"You mean the Ōtsutsuki?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "those who came here to guard the ten-tailed creature."

"Queen Serenity, what are they? What do they want? Are there more of them?" Naruto asked desperately.

Seriousness replaced the ghost's serene face, "They, I'm afraid, are something else entirely. You know how I mentioned others waiting in shadow. They are a parasitic race born from Chaos – the same chaos that twisted Queen Beryl. They seek to drain the life force of worlds in the hopes of becoming gods." Hinata swallowed a lump in her throat, remembering how close they'd come to losing to just one of the Ōtsutsuki.

"However, they are not gods, even if they wield extreme power," Queen Serenity spoke grave and serious. "They are but pawns in a much larger game of chess that is taking place beyond just Earth. If they succeed, Chaos will turn on them as well."

"Pawns?" Naruto balked. "Just one of those pawns nearly killed our planet! You're saying there is stuff even worse out there?!"

"Naruto!" Hinata hushed him.

"Sorry," he shook his head.

"It's all right," the queen assured. "I am afraid there is more, and it may be hard to hear." She paused, gauging them all. "The creatures you know as the Ōtsutsuki are being manipulated by the malevolence that is Chaos. Chaos prefers to work through minions and proxies because it, itself, is formless." Hinata watched Queen Serenity's eyes as they focused on Naruto, "At some point in the future, Chaos will envelope the Earth, and the Shinobi World will end." Everyone balked aloud at the revelation, "What is saved will be depend on your eventual descendants, but it comes at a high price."

"What price!" Hinata demanded.

"Humanity gives up its ability to mold chakra, the Tailed-Beasts cease to exist, and… humanity starts over again."

"Starts over?" Sakura squeaked.

"Much like the Moon Kingdom, the Shinobi World will pass into legend. Almost all technology will be lost, and what knowledge that survives will be the oral traditions passed to those who come later. Almost a million years will pass for humanity to reach this point again."

"Then everything we did was for nothing?!" Hinata shouted.

"No, my child," Serenity shook her head, "You saved Earth, much as your eventual descendants will do again in a million years." Serenity's cheeks turned red, and glowing tears dripped from her eyes. "While the Shinobi world will never know true peace, know that it will lay the foundation for a future that does have peace – a world safe for your descendants."

"When –" Naruto choked, "—when does this happen?"

Serenity's visage sank, "I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?" Kushina demanded.

"I can't because the event is fluid in history… and…"

"And what?" Hinata again raised her voice.

"And your future daughter created a significant ripple in time. Not enough to change the flow of time, but enough to significantly alter events between there and here."

"How? You said that there was no stopping the end of the Shinobi world," Sai added.

"When it ends, and how it ends, however, is something mutable," Serenity spoke, "I can only tell you that some of the Ōtsutsuki have temporal awareness, and they do have agents already on Earth. Himawari didn't just come back in time to give you a happy childhood, Naruto. She came back because of the horrific things the Ōtsutsuki of her time had done to her family and the world. Her coming back to stop such events very well may have pushed the events forward in time."

"A better life," Hinata sighed, "but one doomed to fail!"

"No," Queen Serenity's words renewed the fire in her ghostly blue eyes, "not doomed. The Ōtsutsuki will be attacking out of fear, and that may be the difference you need."

"Fear?"

"Unless they attack soon, before they are ready," Serenity raised an index finger, "the future they come from will cease to exist. Some of it may already have, but it depends on the actions that all of you take now.

"How are we a threat to them?!" Hinata asked, frustration, fueled further by exhaustion erupted like a volcano simmering under the surface. For a moment, Hinata wanted to be ignorant of what hidden terrors existed in the dark; she wanted to blissfully go on sailing through life not knowing how close a waterfall was. Except, she couldn't. There is no walking away from a situation if you can do something about it!

"Because you have something they don't have," Serenity smiled, "knowledge. You know what they are capable of, and you know they are coming. If you are to make a brave account of yourselves, you'll make ready and be sure that your children are armed with that knowledge." Queen Serenity's image began to fade, "Sadly, that is all I can tell you, if I'm to get you all home safely."

A faint glow began surrounding Hinata, and she saw it surrounding the others. "Take care of each other; you are now guardians of the future!" A bright flash, and Hinata found herself floating down towards a brightly lit settlement, the early December full moon and stars further illuminated her descent.

They couldn't be falling fast, otherwise Sai wouldn't have been able to summon his hawks to pick up everyone else as they drifted down toward what she recognized as Konoha. Before she could board an approaching hawk summon, Hinata felt a set of arms enfold her, and she nearly screamed. Thankfully, it was Naruto. "Hold on, real tight!" He gathered wind-style chakra to his left arm as she brought her arms around her neck and shoulders.

"What are you doing?!" she screeched, feeling the upward force sending them shooting up to the sky.

"It's a marvelous night, princess," Naruto said, "it'd be a shame to waste a romantic moment like this!"

"Big sister!" Hanabi shouted from below.

They reached the apex of their flight, and snow was falling around them in glowing tuffs under the pale moon light. She floated weightless, but felt the reassurance of Naruto holding her hands "Hinata," Naruto stared with his devastating blue sapphires.

"Naruto!" One of his hands slipped from hers and found her cheek. Before she knew it, she was kissing him. The world faded away, and Hinata drifted with Naruto, never wanting to leave his embrace ever again. His kiss was soft, innocent, and soothing like aloe on sunburned skin. She felt the flow of destiny through the two of them, knowing they belonged together beyond simply being in love.

There was pressure under her feet, and Hinata finally broke the kiss long enough to see they were standing in the middle of the market district. Both of them were covered in a faint dusting of snow, and Hinata heard the cheering of the crowd gathered around as the rest of the group landed with their hawks. Hinata closed her eyes to savor the sensation, and she fainted.


Sakura walked the hallway of Konoha Hospital to the exam room where Hinata was resting for the moment. Like most recent ER admissions, Hinata was dehydrated, exhausted, and borderline malnourished by the stress of the hellacious last few days. It doesn't help that she has been dealt more trauma than I ever want to think about.

Despite no evidence of anything unusual having happened, Hinata insisted Sakura perform a full medical evaluation, including a rape kit. Sakura knew there was nothing to be found; yet, she dutifully performed all the tests as if there was cause for concern. Even though the results under her arm were all negative, she had no doubt the conversation they were about to have would only the start of things. "Hinata, may I come in," Sakura knocked on the door.

"Please," her friend's voice sounded low and weary. Sakura slipped in and closed the door behind her. Hinata was still in a hospital gown with a saline IV in her hand. The girl's Byakugan eyes were pale and crisscrossed with red blood vessels. Dark circles pooled under her eyes. Still, she looked better than she had the past few days. There was some return of peace to the girl's demeanor.

"Hinata, all the tests came back negative," Sakura held out the folder, "If you care to see for yourself."

"I trust you," she said with tears in her eyes. "Thank god."

"Hinata…" Sakura didn't know if she was taking the conversation someplace she shouldn't, "… is there a reason you requested the tests?" Sakura's eyes tightened in a wince.

"Sakura," Hinata wept, and Sakura retrieved her a tissue, "thank you!" Hinata wiped her eyes and nose, now cherry red from crying and lack of sleep. "Sakura, I was a puppet on a string, a prisoner in my own body, when he had that orb in me." Hinata began heaving tears, "When he kissed me, I saw all the sickly, perverted things he was going to do to me…" Hinata buried her face in her hands and sobbed, "It all was too real!" She shook her head, "I couldn't be sure if he did or didn't! That is why I asked!"

Sakura pulled up a chair and sat beside her, taking Hinata's hand. "At least, we know now," she stared her sobbing friend in the eyes. "Need to talk?"

"YES!" Hinata sobbed in a way Sakura hadn't seen since New Year's almost nine years ago – when Hanabi had almost killed her. "Sakura, I feel so stupid! He just kissed me! And I'm a complete basket case thinking I'd been raped!"

"Hinata," Sakura spoke firm but calm, not releasing her friend's hand, "you're not a basket case. You have spent five months facing stalking, abductions, hostage situations, being forcefully kissed by someone, and having to kill that same person." Sakura herself was winded by speaking the list, "Not to mention all the other crap we discovered on the moon. You have a right to be falling the fuck apart right now!"

"I-I can't! I can't afford to fall apart…" Hinata sobbed.

"Yes, you can!" Sakura cut her off, "And I think you need to right now!" Sakura stared with a penetrating gaze. "Hinata, fall apart now, while there is time to heal, while we all are here for you! Don't bottle things in another day, hour, or second. We know another crisis is coming, but it won't be today!" Sakura placed a hand on her friend's cheek.

Cold tears were crawling down her own cheeks, "Hinata, are you okay if I bring Naruto in?"

"Of course," Hinata nodded.

Sakura stood and left the room and walked to the mostly deserted waiting room. Naruto stopped his pacing when he saw Sakura. "How is she!"

"Shook up," Sakura answered with a tilt of her head, "Naruto, I need you to remain calm when we go in. The three of us have to have a very specific chat about some very specific things. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"This way," Sakura gestured him back to the treatment room. Naruto grabbed a simple backpack from the chair he'd been pacing in front of. He brought her an outfit, good! As part of the sexual assault kit, the victim's clothes were taken for examination. Knowing the horrible memories Hinata would associate with the wedding dress, Sakura planned to incinerate the thing the first chance she had.

"Naruto!" Hinata exclaimed as he entered.

"Hinata!" he ran up and put his arms around her.

Sakura took the opportunity to pull up another chair, "Naruto, please sit." He sat next to Hinata, and Sakura sat opposite him. "Hinata, are you okay with me sharing your results with him?"

"Yes," Hinata answered with a desperate shake of the head.

"Results?!"

"Naruto," Sakura raised a hand to calm him. "Hinata insisted on a full medical exam, including a sexual assault exam." She caught a twitch of his cheek and didn't wait to cut him off, "All the tests came back negative; there is no sign she was physcially assaulted other than the kiss."

"That's bad enough," he took Hinata's hand.

"It is, and I'm putting you both on medical restriction until further notice."

"Medical restriction?" Hinata asked.

"No missions, no military exercises," Sakura shook her head, "no heavy training until the new year."

"Sakura, are you…" Naruto hesitated, "… what are you recommending?"

"You both need some serious downtime. Ideally, I want you both sitting down with me, or any other mental health specialist, before you resume regular duties." Sakura glared Naruto in the eyes, making clear it was not a request, "Hinata needs to recover, and she'll need your help along the way. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Naruto nodded and exchanged a look with Hinata, "anything for her!"

"N-Naruto!" Hinata wiped away tears.

"Sakura, when can we schedule?" he asked.

"One moment," Sakura consulted her appointment calendar and made the couple a therapy appointment. "Otherwise, she is going to be free to go, assuming you brought what I asked."

Naruto opened the main pouch of his backpack, "I took the liberty of running back to the compound to grab you an outfit, Hinata. I'll step outside while you get dressed." He kissed her hand and exited the room.

"He's a good man, Hinata," Sakura said as she extracted the IV line and bandaged her hand.

"He is," Hinata nodded, shedding the gown and getting dressed, devoid of her normal skittishness. Naruto had grabbed Hinata a grey set of sweatpants, a white thermal top, and a pale purple shirt to go over it – comfortable and simple.

"Hinata, I want you to know, none of this was your fault."

Hinata finished getting dressed before answering, "What do you mean?"

"Victims of stalking and sexual assault tend to blame themselves after the fact," Sakura raised a hand to stop Hinata's protest, "I'm not saying you will develop that thought, but I want you to know right out of the gate, you did not do any of this. Life decided it was time to deliver a bad hand of cards." Sakura stared her friend in the amethyst eyes, "You remember when we had just graduated and were doing the bell test?"

"How could I forget?" Hinata leaned her head to the side.

"You remember that conversation we had at Ichiraku's – the one where I thought somehow being on Sasuke's team would have made things different?" Hinata nodded. "And you told me that I was deluded for thinking as such because Sasuke was supposed to be on Team Seven with Naruto and me."

"I remember," Hinata nodded.

"Had I gotten my wish, I still would have had to deal with that damn test regardless," Sakura shook her head, remembering the insecure, callous girl she'd been about seven years ago. "You opened my eyes to the fact that things were in play bigger than myself," Sakura continued, "Sometimes, life deals you an unexpected hand of cards, and you have to learn to play what's in your hand. It was one of the most important lessons I've ever learned." Sakura put a hand on her friend and teammate's shoulder. "Hinata, in the coming days, you'll probably be struggling to find perspective on all of this." Sakura shook her head, "Hell, I'm still having trouble putting this in perspective."

"How does one put in perspective the fact that we've only delayed the end of the world?" Hinata asked sullenly. "How do you go forward in life knowing someday everything you loved and worked for will turn to ash and be forgotten?"

"Admittedly, that is a difficult thing to put in perspective. But," Sakura put her hand under Hinata's chin, bringing their eyes back to level, "as healers, we both accept that we will encounter patients beyond saving. Everyone must die eventually. Does that make what we do ultimately futile?"

Hinata gave a slight nod. "Queen Serenity said we wouldn't see peace but our future descendants would. We are stepping stones on a destiny that maybe we don't understand fully."

Sakura removed her hand from her friend's chin, grateful to see some life back in Hinata's eyes, "There is a proverb that a wise man will plant a tree despite knowing he will never enjoy its shade. The trees we plant may yet shade the future."


Sai sprinted from the market square in the direction of the Sensor Division. Cold night air burned his lungs and face. A gentle snow fell, illuminated like billions of fireflies by the brilliant full moon. Ino! Ino! He shouted out in his mind, praying for some response. His heart raced at the absence of her reaching listening for him mentally, and calls to her cellphone had gone unanswered. Amidst damaged buildings and small impact craters, Sai raced like a man on a mission.

Despite the cold wind and snow, impromptu street parties and celebrations were sprouting up as it became apparent the world wasn't about the end. Men, women, and children danced, sang, and otherwise rejoiced at survival. However, Sai felt none of it. He couldn't if Ino had been hurt or worse. He'd heard her last communication while he was still on the moon, including the worldwide announcement that the moon was no longer a threat. After that, there had been nothing. INO, PLEASE!

Despite straining to project his thoughts, Sai sensed nothing until he felt a hand grasp his shoulder, nearly causing him to fall. He turned, and she was there with her glorious hair and her aquamarine eyes. "INO!" he didn't hesitate pulling her in, tears running from his eyes as he did so, and he held her close.

"Sai! You're okay!" Ino wrapped herself around him, and he clutched her closer. A profound sense of relief overcame him. Memories of Toneri's genjutsu orbs and the Infinite Tsukuyomi sent shivers down his spine. The horrid nightmares of being alone and ignored despite being surrounded by others forced him to clutch her tighter, in fear of her disappearing.

"Hey, Beautiful," he finally spoke. "Do you want to grab dinner?"

Ino pulled back, staring at him, "How about breakfast, instead?" she asked.

Sai couldn't be sure, but he suspected there was more to her suggestion than just sharing a meal. "Sure!" he nodded.

Ino took him by the hand, "Come." She towed him along the streets, still littered with revelers anxious to celebrate survival even at the early hour of morning. Sai swallowed a lump in his throat as they appeared at his apartment door. He unlocked and opened the door, and she dragged the two of them inside the cramped studio apartment. No sooner had the door latched and locked, she began guiding him to a seat at the edge of his bed. Ino planted a kiss on his mouth as she sat beside her.

Her kiss turned unrestrained, sloppy as the night he'd looked after her after she'd been drugged. There is no alcohol, no fatal lust. This is real! Sai, himself, began participating as his tongue playfully greeted hers. Her hands reached for his, and she guided his hands to the collar of her crop top. All Sai could do was pant breathlessly as Ino and he pulled open her purple top, exposing her perfect breasts.

Ino held his hands over her breasts for a moment, panting as her hands slid off his and removed the rest of the top. "Do you like my body, Sai?!" she huffed as he gently massaged her breasts.

He nodded, "It… defies my ability to capture in ink or paint," he said, incredulous at the fact that he was massaging her breasts. "I could observe it all day and never tire!" Her hands slithered up his arms, to his chest until she reached his collar. She began unfastening his top."Ino!" he exclaimed.

"I've shown you mine," She kissed him again, sliding off his top, "now it is time you show me yours!" One hand traced his bare spine while the other rested over the fly of his pants. The close contact of her hand to his anatomy hardened his already firm erection. She began unclasping his belt and unfastening the button and fly of his pants. "Sai," she paused, staring him in the eyes, "I want to touch you so badly! Is…" she paused swallowing, "… is that all right with you?"

Without a word, Sai took her hand and slowly guided it until she had his erection in her grip. On contact, he took several deep breaths, and he expanded even further. Ino is touching me! "I-Ino… I've… never…"

"Nor have I," she finished, voice shaking nervously. "But…" her eyes turned down.

"But what?" he asked, still breathless from her hand caressing his penis.

"But I want to," she stroked him again, "Do you?"

The words initially caught in Sai's throat, but he nodded. "Y-yes!"

Ino nodded, coy smile forming on her face. She stood up, removing her hand from his manhood, and she pulled down her skirt, shorts, and panties. He had seen her nude many times, but this time was different. She wasn't asking him to draw or paint her; she was asking him to touch her, to give himself to her. As she stepped out of her now discarded outfit, she knelt in front of him and gripped the waistband of his pants and boxers. "Your turn, big boy!" She tugged, he raised his hips, and she had him naked for the first time.

Ino stood, pushing him back gently on the bed before crawling in next to him, "So," her hand traced his stomach and proceeded to return to his erection, "would you like me on top?" She twirled him with a single finger, "or, would you like to be on top?"

"I…" he gasped, "… I don't know. Do you have a preference?"

She smirked as her hand continued to play, "How about I take the top this time," she climbed up, straddling him, "and you can have the next one." Ino reached up for the pillow, reaching inside the case, and extracting one of the condoms Sai had placed.

"You knew?!" he stared in shock.

"I am a telepath," she winked, "You've been planning this," she tore the wrapper and began encasing him in the slimy rubber condom, "since the day I asked you what it would take for you to notice me!" She bit her bottom lip, "This might feel a bit odd; just relax!" She grasped his length, positioning him as she took her position, and she pressed downward.

Sai's eyes rolled back in his head at the overwhelming pleasure of her tight walls encasing him. Ino took him deep but did not thrust initially. Sai expected this was to get used to the stretching of her insides. "That feels… amazing!" he drove his head back in the pillow.

Ino giggled and snickered, "You can say that again! AH!" She drove herself up and down on him. "I never thought it would feel like that!"

"You mean," he raised an eyebrow, "you've never pleasured yourself?"

"Oh," she laughed, "trust me, I've pleasured myself before," she moved up and down, and goosebumps began crawling up Sai's arms. "While there is a divine art to satisfying yourself through masturbation," she paused to huff, "I find that having a romantic partner makes the experience much more interesting!" She giggled as she drove down on him.

"So," now bereft of his normal inhibitions, Sai began massaging her thighs, "I'm promoted to romantic partner?"

Ino took his hands, dragged them up her thighs, along her hips, and firmly planted them on her incredible ass. "I mean, the position is open if you want it." She continued to thrust slow and deep, and he was begging to throb. Each time he twitched, she let out a shallow moan. "The benefits are amazing!"

Now, Sai chuckled, "Oh, and what benefits are those?" My god, I'm actually laughing and not forcing things!

"Well," she turned her eyes away, cheeks reddening, "I mean, we still get to hang out, you still get to paint me," she turned a sultry stare back at him, "we get to go out on dates," Ino subtly began increasing her tempo.

"Sounds good for a start," Sai began giggling, and he began experiencing the odd fuzzy sensation he equated to intoxication.

Ino's hands began massaging his chest and stomach. "And we get to do this, again and again!" her voice strained as she stepped up her pace further. "And enjoy all the health benefits of regular intimacy!"

Sai's hands began kneading her butt, and slowly, he moved up her hips, to her stomach, and up to her breasts. He changed to feathery caresses as he worked his way back down, "Please, tell me, what benefits are those?!"

"AH!" she moaned. "People with lovers have lower blood pressure," they thrust in unison, "less stress, and HA!" Ino bit her lower lip, "And better sleep patterns than those who don't!"

"Sounds… nice!" Sai throbbed at a near-painful level, and he felt a panic as his insides began tensing, "Ino! Something is happening!"

Ino sped up, "Just… relax… and enjoy!" She closed her aquamarine eyes as he began releasing inside her.

"Ahhh…haahhaaaahhh!" Sai shuddered as if struck by lightning but with none of the harshness. The sensation was unlike any he'd experienced before, and he understood now why it was such a profound moment in anyone's life. So, that is why Sasuke risked the team's ire when he did this with Sakura.

Ino arched her back and moaned as she continued to move up and down on his wanning erection, "Ah! Oh god!"

Her wall squeezed, and momentary panic came over Sai as her mouth dropped open in what looked like a painful scream, "Ino!?"

"AHHHHAAAHHH!" She drove their pelvises together as she screamed. Sai froze wide-eyed and Ino stared with her penetrating gaze, "Hehehee!" she laughed as she sank over top of him. "So much" she sucked his earlobe, and Sai shivered, "better than playing with just the vibrator!"

"Y-you're okay, right?" uncertain relief began coming to Sai.

"So much better than just okay!" she laughed with her billion-yen smile. She slid off him, careful to keep the condom on him until she was free. She slid off the condom and tossed in in the wastebasket. Ino curled into his side, holding him, "So much better than okay."

Sai wrapped an arm around her, "So, what now?"

"Well, we probably should clean up," she hugged herself closer to him, "after that, I say we curl up and get some rest."

"You're planning on staying?" he asked through the lump in his throat.

"Would you prefer I leave?" she teased.

"No!" he desperately heaved, "No, I just haven't spent a night like this." Mild concern climbed over his hormones, "Your father isn't going to be pleased."

"Sai, I'm an adult, and so are you."

"That doesn't make it any easier.

"Sai, he doesn't dislike you… he just doesn't understand you yet. Give it time."

"I mean, we have time for now," Sai ran his hand down her back from shoulders to her butt.

"So," she shivered with the intimate contact, "let's fire up the shower; I'll help you get all those spots that are hard to reach," she winked.


Despite being desperate to crawl into bed and sleep for a week, Naruto resisted the urge to just teleport Hinata and himself back to her room at the compound. The walk back to the Hyūga Compound was refreshing, if nothing else. The cold December night air kept him sharp at a time when physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion otherwise threatened to drop him in the snow permanently. After the past harrowing days, the cold snow and nip of the wind reminded him that he was still alive.

Hinata clung to his arm, as much to steady herself as to reassure herself if he had to guess. My love, it's over; we made it. The thought nevertheless rang hollow. In a rare moment, Naruto sensed all the agony, all the uncertainty, he must have subjected Hinata to after nearly dying at Blood Prison and right at the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. She'd stood by him in his darkest hours and brought him back from death. Now, he was one of the strongest shinobi in the world, and right now he could do nothing to help Hinata except guide her back home.

The guard detail admitted them without delay. Naruto saw no sign of Akemi nor Hiashi as they entered the main house; although, the elevated security presence had remained. Upon finally reaching Hinata's room, Naruto bolted the door and nearly collapsed on the floor. "We're home," he said. He didn't bother turning on the lights. The light of the full moon illuminated the room well enough to where he could see almost as well as daytime. Hinata just stared, borderline catatonic. "Hinata," Naruto placed a hand on her cheek, "honey, talk to me, please!"

"N-Naruto!" she began to cry, and she buried her face in his chest. He let her cry, and he held her upright, gently stroking fingers through her hair.

"It's okay," Naruto continued to hold her. "I'm never letting you go," he squeezed her tight, "until the day I die." She continued to sob, and Naruto's heart threatened to rip in two. "Baby, tell me what I can do!" He, himself began tearing up. "I don't know what to do!"

It took a moment, but Hinata seemed to compose herself. "Naruto… I need to shower like nobody's business," she sniffed his shirt, "Ugh, and so do you!" she pushed off him, wrinkling her nose. After an embarrassing pause, both of them began laughing hysterical, and they laughed until they cried again.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he chuckled, "but that corn-chip smell in your hair was getting to be a bit much!" Naruto felt the reassurance of Hinata playfully spanking him for his commentary. "I'm surprised you didn't do that sooner!"

"Why?" she asked.

Oh shit, don't ever admit guilt before being accused! "Um… nothing!" he desperately tried laughing it off.

Hinata swatted his rear-end again, on the firmer end of the playful spectrum, "Just how long have you been working on your, 'Byakugan Princess Party,' was it? And be honest!"

Naruto raised his hands, "It was something I'd thought up as a weapon of last resort when I was taken by Toneri. I asked myself what would distract him for sure, and well, it hit me!"

"An army of me running naked hit you?"

Naruto gave a nervous, high-pitched, laugh, "I mean, it worked!"

"Yes," Hinata sighed, dragging him toward the restroom, "it worked." The momentary spark of life seemed to burn out, but Naruto recognized more than the symptoms – neither of them had slept in days. A person could only grit their teeth and white-knuckle through fatigue for so long. Hinata started the water in the shower and removed her outfit, casually at first, but her hands covered what they could as the last of the outfit peeled away.

"Do you want me in there with you?" Naruto asked with the same embarrassment he'd had when he'd first seen Hinata undressed, lump forming in his throat.

"Please," she gasped. "I really don't feel safe without you near."

Naruto nodded, and quickly, quietly shed his clothes. He steadied Hinata as they walked under the luxurious rain of hot water. Naruto pulled her close and held her to his body for several minutes, slowly rocking back and forth as she rested her head against his chest and shoulder. Naruto began kneading at the knots in her back, neck, and shoulders as the hot water willed hypertonic muscles to release. Hinata sank into him further, and he began tracing fingers through her silken hair.

He'd been here before; except, it had been her holding him upright after fighting Pain. It had been her not letting him sink into despair. It was her being a wife to a husband. Naruto stroked her hair again, thinking of the wedding rings in his jacket pocket. The time was wrong to spring the surprise he'd kept in waiting since the night the Hyūga archives. Not right now, but when we wake up!

Naruto wearily grabbed a washcloth and Hinata's bodywash and began scrubbing the both of them. He made no effort at making things sensuous. Right now, they needed to rest above all other things. He didn't remember turning off the water any more than he remembered them toweling off and making for the bedroom. Even in the heated room, the December chill reminded Naruto that it was there. He went to the chest of drawers and retrieved black boxers, black sleep pants, and a black t-shirt for himself and a pair of fleece pajama pants and a long sleep shirt for Hinata.

It took supreme focus, but he got the two of them dressed and finally sprawled out on the sheer heaven that was Hinata's bed. The softness of the mattress, sheets, and pillows swallowed Naruto even faster than the genjutsu orbs had. He began sinking into sleep as Hinata curled into his side. "Naruto…" he registered her whimper.

"Yes, love?"

"Thank you for keeping me safe!" Hinata whimpered.

Naruto tried opening his eyes, but his eyelids were heavy as marble. He blindly traced a hand through her soft hair again. "I will keep you safe, forever and always. That's my word."

"And you never go back on your word."

"That is my ninja way," he held her close as he dragged her down to sleep.


Author's notes: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for reading. I hope the situation with Queen Serenity and Naruto being in continuity with Sailor Moon didn't throw you too bad for a loop. As the villains in Naruto and Boruto have going from being other shinobi to extraterrestrials with god-like powers, this addition is both my soapbox criticism of the writers' decisions as well as my way of explaining such events. Recent events in series certainly justified why a character like Himawari would take the extreme risk of altering the past and future to undo events. As we shall see in events to come, that will have future consequences.

Soapbox over, I still hope you enjoy and continue to enjoy act II and act III of this story. (Yes, this is nowhere near done). A little warning, next chapter is going to have pure, unadulterated smut. Characters will be getting laid left, right, and center. Consider yourself warned. ;-) After that, there will be a few surprises along the road to the future.

One favor I do have to ask. I posted a poll to my FFN profile regarding how this story should (eventually) end. I greatly appreciate any and all feedback. I'll keep the poll active until July 8, 2023. See you all next chapter, thanks again for reading! Stay classy, and stay safe!