Chapter Twenty-Three

The December afternoon was cold and grey as Minato pushed a thoroughly bundled up Konohamaru through the crowded market in a wheelchair. While holiday lights lit up the village neighborhoods, giving the appearance of a fantasy gingerbread village powdered with snow , Minato felt little of the joy that came with the Rinne Festival. While there was plenty to be thankful for – the world saved, his son's marriage – the act of celebration seemed inappropriate around Konohamaru. While out of the hospital; the boy was still far from his normal cheery self.

"Dad, are you sure you should be seen with me like this?" As Konohamaru asked nervously as members of the crowds on the street eyed them both with a mix of pity and curiosity. Even in the wake of four shinobi wars and countless conflicts between, the villages all still had a nasty tendency to look down on those left with disabling conditions.

Minato wasn't having it. "Son, not long ago, you and your brother were pushing me in a chair," Minato spoke, not breaking stride as they neared their destination and a waiting Kushina. "I'll be seen with you because you are my son. As for those staring, let them." He looked down to his son, "When you finally are out of this chair, they'll be staring for a whole different set of reasons!"

"I'm glad one of us is still an optimist," Konohamaru replied with a wry sigh. He motioned the fingers of this gloved left hand, finally getting them to move under their own power, if still uncoordinated. Progress, it was almost a full month before you could move your toes again after Pain broke your back. The horrific sensation of absence crept along Minato's legs as he continued to push, reminding him what his boy was dealing with.

"Considering all you went through," Minato replied, "I'll simply take that you're alive." At least two others I cared for weren't so lucky. He tried batting away the thought, but it was impossible as the cemetery came into view.

They reached the gate to Konoha cemetery and were greeted by Kushina, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. "How are my boys?" Kushina asked. Her long red hair flowed down under the Hokage's headdress and was coated in snow crystals.

"Mom, Dad, why are we here?" Konohamaru asked. "For that matter, what are Lord Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade doing here?"

"Celebrating the Rinne festival seemed a bit insensitive; I figured we could pay our respects and then go down to the river for the lanterns." Kushina smiled, but remained solemn. "The event originally was a much more somber occasion before it became festive, ya know." Expression and color faded from Kushina's face as she spoke. Minato had seen the blank stare - the same as their first festival without Rin and Obito.

"If it's all the same, I think we all have respects to pay," Tsunade spoke. She wore her usual grey and green robes; although there were clearly signs of alterations due to of thickening of her waist and already large bust. "Besides," she shrugged, "Naruto and Hinata have the twins for the time being."

Konohamaru muttered, "Okay." Minato resumed wheeling the boy along to their first stop: Lord Third and Biwako's grave. Konohamaru hadn't been born when Biwako died – the night of Naruto's birth. Bitterness assaulted Minato's mouth as he thought of their last encounter, passing him over so that Kushina could see her son and largely keeping the baby out of reach. Minato had uncharitable thoughts and vulgar language in his mind, not knowing she'd die in front of him only seconds later.

"Lord Third," Minato spoke, dispelling the horrid memory, "hello." He stood beside Konohamaru, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder as he stared down at the ground, "I'm sorry we don't come more often." Despite wanting to speak to Biwako, he'd never said a word to her here or at the memorial at the site where she died. The words were never there.

"Grandpa," Konohamaru interrupted, "you knew all along," he paused. "You knew at some point I'd need this…" he began to sniffle.

"Sensei," Jiraiya extracted a pipe, "cherry tobacco, your brand of choice." He set the pipe on the headstone. "Just don't tell your wife!" he winked.

"I wish the twins could have met you, old man," Tsunade spoke up, rubbing her stomach, "I wish these three rascals could have met you as well." Tsunade gave a slight laugh.

"I wish," Kushina spoke, choking back tears, "I wish we didn't have to part the way we did." She wiped away tears, "But, I understand why you kept it to yourself. I've tried to take care of your grandson…"

"And you've done a better job of it than either of us could," the unmistakable voice of Ryo Sarutobi drew everyone's attention. He approached, wearing his ANBU garb but no mask; alongside him stood his wife and fellow ANBU, Sara.

"We're sorry to intrude," Sara added.

"It's all right," Konohamaru spoke with a raspy voice already strained from tears. "They were your family, too; you have the right to cry same as the rest of us."

"Son," Reo strained, unable to find words.

"Father, stop telling me how sorry you are; it's annoying," Konohamaru groaned and cleared his throat. "For once, just shut up and be present in the moment." Reo nodded silently as did Sara. Sara produced a bouquet of roses and set them beside the grave marker.

"If you'll excuse me," Kushina said, "I have other respects to pay."

"Kushina, there is no need to pay them alone," Minato hoped she'd let them come with. "They are my loss as well."

"And mine," Jiraiya spoke, "Had I not been lollygagging around the world; it could have been all the difference."

"Likewise, had I not been hiding the in reeds," Tsunade spoke, "maybe things would have been different."

Minato and Kushina locked eyes. Finally, she nodded, "Okay." Her voice was small as a frightened child's.

The group followed until they reached two non-descript headstones. Kushina began sobbing, and Minato bit his lip in a vain attempt to hold back his tears.

"Rin and Obito?" Konohamaru asked.

Minato merely nodded and closed his eyes as the lump in his throat threatened to choke him. After the fourth war, vengeful members of the Uchiha Clan smashed Obito's headstone and blocked any attempt to replace it. As he left no mortal remains, Minato and Kushina had commissioned a replacement next to Rin's. However, to prevent it from being defaced they merely marked the grave as unknown with the date of Obito's death – consequently Naruto's birthday.

"Dad," there was a tugging at Minato's sleeve, and he opened his eyes. "Come on, he wasn't your fault, neither was Rin, neither was I."

"I put all three of you in harm's way!" Minato tear tears rain down like a hot river of magma. He stared down at Konohamaru, "And all three of you were maimed."

"I'm still here!" Konohamaru protested, sounding the closest he'd sounded to his old self since this nightmare started. "You and Mom didn't break my neck or my back!" The boy was now squeezing Minato's left arm, painfully, but Minato didn't so much as flinch. "All of us were – are shinobi," Konohamaru corrected himself. "We wake every day knowing today could be the day someone snaps us in two, punch a hole through our chest, or we set off a boobytrap we missed!"

"Son…" Minato sniffled.

"If I'm not allowed to give into self-pity, neither are you! That goes for you, too, Mom!"

Kushina wiped away her tears. "There is the rascal I remember," Tsunade spoke up, "The punk who reminded me of his arrogant grandfather!"

"Since when was my father arrogant?" Reo asked.

"Since the day he took us as apprentices," Jiraiya winked, "He was better than either of use ever was, and he knew it! Plus, he was big with the ladies at that time!"

"If it's all the same," Kushina walked to Konohamaru and Minato, "I think, we all could use hot tea and ramen after sitting out here in the cold for so long, ya know!"

"I guess we'll be going then…" Sara looked down at the ground.

"Join us," Minato insisted. "Your son won't let us wallow in self-pity," Minato finally managed something resembling a smile, "and I think the same applies to you."

"O-okay!" Reo and Sara both stumbled over their words.


The nightmare of Toneri about to steal Hinata's kiss and her hand in marriage played out as it had ever since her resuce. Only this time, Naruto wasn't fast enough to reach her. As fast as he ran down the long hallway, he couldn't will his legs to move any faster; if anything, the hallway lengthened each step he took toward his beloved – now a puppet on strings. "Hinata!" Naruto opened his mouth to yell, but only a fainted croak exited his lips. "Hinata!" he croaked one last time as Toneri brought the small black wafer into Hinata's waiting mouth. "HINATA!"

"Naruto!" Hinata's voice came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Her volume was certainly more controlled than his, but she nevertheless was alarmed. "Naruto, wake up!"

Eyes opened on an initially unfamiliar room at her command. Thick tuffs of fog swirled in Naruto's head as he shook his head side to side, hoping to dislodge them. He blinked, and the world returned to focus. "Naruto!" the cool skin of her hand rested on his cheek. "Naruto, it's okay! It was just a nightmare!" He was in Hinata's room at the Hyūga Compound – lying in her bed and clad in his boxers.

As her words caught up with his overactive imagination, the flow of adrenaline in his veins slowed, as did the pounding of his heart. He went floppy and heaved several deep breaths as he eyed Hinata. "S-sorry you had to see that!" he groaned in embarrassment.

"Nothing to apologize for," she sat at the edge of the bed and smiled, "husband." Hinata wore a deep purple babydoll negligée that fit her body like second skin. "I've been getting them, too," she stroked fingers through his hair as he lay motionless. "Otherwise, I'd still be asleep next to you!"

"So, that's why you're up," he sighed. "I never thought they'd get this bad for either of us!"

"Being close to me might be the cause of your nightmares – we share linked chakra."

"Trust me, I'd be having them, too!" He remembered having nightmares of her hooked up to life support at the hospital, having failed her during the duel with Hanabi, and being told there was nothing that could be done. Hinata had rescued him from his nightmares then, much as she was now. I'm such a man-child!

"I remember that nightmare," Hinata paused stroking his hair to bring her hand to his cheek. She fixed her gaze on him, looking into his very soul. "I remember rescuing you from it all those years ago." She winked, I remember how cute you were when you fell back asleep like a baby napping afterward." She stared intently, "Tell me, what was this one?" In the weeks that had followed their return to earth, neither had talked much about the nightmares' content, fearful of triggering a negative reaction. She already knows, and she wants to talk; that is progress, I guess?

Naruto reluctantly spoke up, "I'm running through the castle, trying to stop him from marrying you, but I can never run fast enough, and the hallway grows longer with each step." Naruto blinked, "You?"

"In mine, Toneri decided not to wait after that one kiss he stole, deciding to claim me then and there," she shivered visibly. "It is every bit as horrific as the nightmare I had of you not making it after what happened at Blood Prison." Hinata unexpectedly crawled over and across him, back under the covers next to him with her back toward him, "Naruto, hold me."

He brought his arms around her. As he did so, she guided his hands to over her impressive breasts. Contact with her soft, squishy mounds made his insides lurch. "Hinata, are you sure?" he asked. Normally, he wouldn't question her asking him to put his hands on her.

"As long as I know it's you touching me, that means it can't be him." She stared back over her shoulder and squeezed his hands firmer onto her chest, "Besides, we are married now."

Married, I can't believe it still! "I just hope our wedding night isn't plagued by nightmares," he sighed. "By the way, happy birthday, wife!" Hinata had kept her birthday muted for a long time, preferring to lump the event with the New Year's holiday. This year, Naruto had no desire to argue the point; both of them were still mentally exhausted and only starting to recover from their ordeal. Celebration seemed just a bit premature.

"Thanks," she whispered. She massaged her hands over his as he continued to massage her breasts, "On that night, I'm not planning on sleeping!" She turned her head and gave him a wink. Hinata bit her bottom lip, "And neither of us should plan on walking the next day!" Her teasing hardened Naruto, causing him to poke her in the back. "Was I… too forward?" She was teasing him, and it was working expertly.

"No," he groaned, struggling to keep control. "After all," he tightened his embrace and continued slowly massaging her breasts, "we are married!" He took her ear in between his lips and began nibbling, "And we should celebrate that and your birthday!" Naruto freed one of his hands and slowly began hiking up the material of her negligee.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Both of them paused, the sound of the alarm clock unwelcome as it splashed cold water on smouldering passion. "Dammit!" Hinata sighed as she wiggled free of his embrace to cut off the alarm. She threw off the covers, stood up, stripped out of her negligée and began donning her exercise gear.

"At times like these," Naruto groaned as he got up and began putting on his own workout clothes, "I question the decision not to sleep in." Naruto began running in place to get his heart rate up and his muscles warmed.

"I've spent the past few months wound up like a spring," Hinata also warmed up and then began stretching, "I need to move, need to sweat, need to burn off everything pent up." She shrugged, "Besides, we're husband and wife now; you've got a lot to learn about being part of this clan!" She sprawled back on the bed, and he helped her stretch her hamstrings before changing places. At least, I can imagine the things we can do later! Judging by her coy stare, she, too, was fantasizing about what he'd do later. Fully stretched and warmed up, they took off for the compound gate when they ran into Akemi.

"Mom?" the words still weren't entirely natural to Naruto. To him, she was still Aunt Akemi.

"Naruto, Hinata, before you two go out this morning, I need to ask something of you two," his mother-in-law stared with concern deep in her eyes. "I need you both to talk to Hanabi."

"Hanabi?" they asked in unison. "Did something happen?" The girl had been basically malnourished when they got home. After getting in, she developed a bilateral eye infection from Toneri, and a severe cold while in the hospital. Hanabi had spent almost two weeks in hospital, only released to go home a few days ago.

"You might say," Akemi crossed her arms and shook her head. "Ever since being released from the hospital, she won't leave the White Kitsune Shrine."

"She's afraid to leave?" Hinata asked.

"No, as in she won't stop practicing and studying!" Akemi spoke, flustered. That's a problem?

"That… is a bad thing?" Naruto cocked up an eyebrow and contorted his face. Hanabi had been a lackadaisical, if gifted student. Despite high hopes, she'd been ready to drop out of the order.

"Naruto, she was ready to throw in the towel before she left!" Akemi exclaimed.

"This had to do with Konohamaru, doesn't it?" Hinata asked.

"I think so," Mom shook her head. "I know she blames herself for him getting hurt."

Naruto and Hinata locked eyes; both of them had given into self-blame when the other had been injured in the past. And both of you are still having nightmares about what just happened. "Akemi, what do you want us to say to her, exactly?" Naruto wasn't sure if she was ask them to talk Hanabi out of things or something else entirely.

She shook her head, 'I don't know," she rubbed her forehead with her hand. "For maybe the first time in months, she seems truly focused; I just don't want this to be the reason she has focus! The second he's better, I don't want her snuffing out like a candle in the wind."

"Naruto," Hinata took his hand, "let's head to the shrine and talk."


As Mom had mentioned, Hanabi was at the shrine in the compound. Hanabi wore the muted white robes of a midwife and member of the White Kitsune versus her usual garish gold and red robes. She sat cross-legged in a meditation circle, focusing on several characters written on the ground around her. The area around the circle was a veritable nest of books and scrolls. At least one of the books was Hinata's dog-eared study guide for the Medical-Nin Aptitude Test. Hinata had never seen her sister actually study a day in her life – she'd always been precocious like that. Is that really what you choose to remember?

Hinata blinked. While Hanabi had been a star-student at the Academy, another painful memory surfaced as she replayed the last time she'd seen her sister practice anything intently. At that time, Grandfather had been training Hanabi mercilessly in countless hours of combat drills. Even the slightest hesitation with a movement was an invitation for the old man's cane to strike her; and Grandfather struck Hanabi numerous times a day.

Even years later, Hinata silently blamed herself for not speaking up and not speaking loud enough when she did. The abuse had been an open secret that nearly destroyed the family. And now she's blaming herself for something she can't fix, either. "Hanabi," Hinata spoke soft, hoping not to startle her sister from her intense concentration.

Hanabi opened her eyes, pale amethysts with angry canyons of red carved into her whites. "Big sister, big brother, Mom?" Her voice was still raspy despite no longer being contagious.

"Hanabi," Hinata began slow and measured, "Mother says you've been here almost non-stop since leaving the hospital."

"H-Hinata!" Hanabi began tearing up, "I-it's my fault! It's all my fault!"

"Hanabi!" Naruto stepped closer, "That isn't true and you know it! What happened to Konohamaru is no more your fault than it is my fault or Hinata's fault. We both could have pulled the plug before ever putting you in that position."

"You're right, but for the wrong reasons," Hanabi sobbed, extracting a tissue from a pocket in her robe.

"What are you talking about?" Hinata asked, leaning her head to the right.

Guilt stained Hanabi's voice as she forced words through tears, "I was a complete and utter bitch to you and mom for the last year, big sister! I've never had that close brush with death that you had since before I was born! I didn't take a goddamn thing seriously because I'd been a pampered little princess who could do no wrong my whole life!" Not my choice of words, but not inaccurate, either. Hinata had resisted abduction, assassination, and ostracism from the clan since she was three. The challenges of being jinchuriki and a disputed heir colored her outlook on life to this day. And now her world has been turned upside-down.

"Hanabi…" Naruto interrupted.

"Dammit, listen!" Hanabi raised a hand to cut off his words. "Listen," she bawled, heaving several times before continuing to speak, "He and I knew something was up that night! He wanted me in hiding, as far from here and Akane as I could be, and I refused!" She stared with eyes and cheeks red as cherries, "I'm the reason he's in that hospital bed!"

"Hanabi, even if you hadn't been here, do you really think it wouldn't have turned into a life or death struggle for him to protect Akane?" Naruto spoke up.

"That doesn't excuse anything," Hanabi shook her head, tears still dripping. "I could have stood and fought like a real shinobi! I could have made him take Akane and run – he would have gotten away!" She paused her sobbing, staring down at the meditation circle, "At least I can maybe do something now!"

"Hanabi?" Hinata asked, not following her sister's train of thought.

"Big sister, you once said you didn't want to be a princess locked in a castle. I don't want to live my life as a spoilt brat who was only important because she once was in our family's line of succession! I want to be a medical-nin! I want to do something important for this village!"

Hinata turned first to Naruto, then Mom, and finally back to Hanabi. "Hanabi, from someone who was just there, do you have any idea what that entails?"

"Yes, I was watching you the whole time!" Hanabi protested.

"Hanabi," Naruto chimed in, "Hinata didn't become a medical-nin because of me. She wanted to become one because she didn't want to stop making a difference because she was going to be pulled from frontline service."

Hinata nodded, "Hanabi, this can't just be about Konohamaru." Hinata shook her head, "You have to want this for what it is and what it entails, not what it can give you."

"I understand!" Hanabi shouted. "I thought, of all people," her voice shrank, "you might understand, too!" Hanabi began sobbing again.

"Little Sister," Hinata put her arms on her sister's shoulders, "I do understand, but I want to be sure that you understand; this will change your life if you go down this path!"

"After how selfish I've been lately," Hanabi buried her face in Hinata's shoulder, "would that be a bad thing?"

Hinata hugged her sister and looked over her shoulder to Mom. Mom shrugged. "Hanabi, I'm not saying it would be a bad thing," Hinata took her sister's cheeks in her hands and brought herself eye to eye with Hanabi, "But you have to want this for your life. This decision has to be made freely and of your own volition – not because of anything else!"

"Big sister!" Hanabi continued to cry, "I want to change! I don't like who I've been lately – for a long time!"

"Hanabi, listen," Hinata hugged her sister close, "You can shadow with Ino, Sakura, me at the Hospital after the start of the new year. If after a few weeks you're still ready to do this, I'll talk to Sakura about where we go from there."

"Hinata," Mom spoke up, "perhaps we can bring her onto the care team sooner rather than later."

"Mom?" The young ladies asked in unison.

"A certain apprentice looking to drop out of the White Kitsune was ready to sit for the nurse-midwife exam this summer," Mom grinned. "While an unconventional thing for a midwife, a nurse certainly has her place on the care and rehab team," she turned to Hinata, "Don't you agree, Dr. Hyūga?"

"Yes, I agree," Hinata nodded.

"Hanabi, while I have every faith in you if you put your mind to it," Mom added, "the medical education board is particularly ruthless; they will not take into account that I'm chief of medicine or that your sister already is a medical-nin."

"I understand," she nodded.

"Excellent, now go to your room," Mom commanded.

"Mom?!" Hanabi gasped.

"Hinata… Dr. Hyūga," Mom accented the title, "Your sister is ill and should still be resting, should she not?"

Hinata nodded, "I agree."

"But Mom!" Hanabi protested.

"But nothing; you do nobody any good if you remain sick," Mom cut Hanabi off. "Furthermore, I can't have you getting Konohamaru sick!" Mom insisted.

"Konohamaru?" Hanabi asked, wrinkling her forehead.

"You are still in training, and you are about to serve as his nurse as part of that training. I need you well by the start of the new year for that to happen."

"I… yes, Mother," Hanabi nodded.

"Leave he books, and scrolls, Hanabi; Naruto and I will clean them up," Hinata assured her sister.

"Thank you," Hanabi nodded and bowed. She took off in the direction of the house.

"Well, is there anything else we can help with?" Naruto asked.

Mom shrugged, "That will be good for now; enjoy your morning run!" Mom left them at the shrine.

After Mom was clearly out of earshot, Naruto spoke, "Is it sad when she was calling you Dr. Hyūga, I was having the kinky image of you in your lingerie and the white coat?" Naruto began to chuckle.

"Boy, you have sex on the brain!" Hinata shook her head and crossed her arms. And you don't? Hinata uncrossed her arms, walked beside him, groped his manhood, and brought his right ear to her lips. "Save it for tonight!" She gave him a kiss on the lips before letting go of his morning wood. "Now come on, time for a run!" she walked away.

"This is going to be awkward!" She stole a glance back at her husband, awkwardly trying to follow. Oh, it's going to be a happy birthday for me!


Author's notes: Hello everyone, and thank you for reading. I apologize for the chapter being so short. I had a whole POV I had to move to next chapter due to time constraints. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy. Next chapter will show the New Year and some new beginnings. Until then, stay healthy and stay safe!