The Uchiha cenotaph was a beautiful work of art. It was made black of marble, placed near the abandoned Uchiha compound and training ground 7. It depicted a crow trying to fly away from a sea of hands, one of them holding onto one of it's legs, trying to drag it down, in it's beak it held the Uchiha fan, the only part of the cenotaph that was painted. Underneath the statue, there was a plaque naming all of the souls that were lost that day. Behind it, was an Ume tree, it's large branches providing shade for those who came to pay their respects, like the young man here today. He had long black hair, tied in a low ponytail and onyx eyes, a dented hitai-ate was tied around his forehead. He wore a blue shirt with wide sleeves that almost reached his elbows and white lines around the endings and around the collar, with a mesh shirt underneath that peaked from under the sleeves, long black pants, black fingerless gloves with metal plating and blue sandals. On his back, the Uchiha crest was proudly displayed.
"I'm sorry I couldn't visit you at your actual graves, Mother, Father." said Sasuke. "But rumor has it a certain orange menace has returned to the village and I don't want to miss the chance to rub my chunin rank in his face." He turned his head to look at the sky. "I also want to visit Sakura." He lowered his head back to the statue. "I'll see you soon."
After Sasuke left, you could see a bouquet of kikyo flowers, Mikoto's favourites and a bottle of Kiri liquor, Fugaku's favourite placed in front of the cenotaph.
...
"Finally! The Leaf Village!" said Naruto as he and Jiraiya passed the gate. "God I missed this place!"
"Excited to be home, Naruto?" asked Jiraiya.
"You know I am, Pervy Sage! I can't wait to see Karin, Kakashi-sensei, Granny Tsunade and even Sasuke!"
"Well, don't let me stop you, go see your friends and family, I can get to Tsunade on my own."
"Thanks, Ero-sennin! I'll see ya at the tower." with that, Naruto climbed an electricity pole so he could get a better look at the village. His silver studs glinted from his left ear. "Man, this takes me back. It hasn't changed at all! Yo, Konoha! Naruto Uzumaki has officially come back!"
A stone hit him on the back of his head and he almost lost balance and fell. Looking to the left he found Sasuke on a nearby rooftop. "You haven't changed one bit, have you, usuratonkachi? You're still as loud as ever."
"Is that you, teme? What's with hair?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Paying homage, when did you get back?"
"Just now, it's good to see you bastard."
"You too, dobe. Race you to the Hokage Tower." with that, Sasuke jumped away.
"Wh- Hey! Don't cheat, asshole!" with a laugh, Naruto started following him.
...
Sasuke reached the tower first, but Naruto swears it's only because he cheated. They climbed in through the window, just like Kakashi taught them and arrived only a few seconds before Jiraiya.
"It's been a long time, you two." said Tsunade. "I'm sure your training produced good results, no?"
"Do you think we came back without making any progress?" asked Jiraiya.
"It went great!" said Naruto. "I bet I can kick Sasuke's ass blindfolded."
"In your dreams, dobe. After all, you're still a genin!"
"H-hey! Don't rub it in, teme! I'll be a chunin in no time, you'll see!"
"Yeah, but you'll still be the last of our generation to become one, dead last!"
"Why you-"
The door to the office opened and in stepped a young woman with long spiky bright red hair pulled in a ponytail. She had purple glasses that matched her long uncut-gem amethyst earrings. She wore a purple vest with black shorts, a white belt that had a pair of tessen strapped to it, black fingerless gloves that reached her elbows, black stockings that reached her knees and purple sandals. Her hitai-ate was loosely tied around her neck.
"Tsunade-sama, I have the documents you wa- Naruto?"
"Karin?"
"It is you!" exclaimed Karin, before launching herself at her cousin. "You're really here! Oh I missed you so much."
"I missed you too!" said Naruto, as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so happy to see you! I can't wait to see the new appa- Wait, are you still taller than me?!"
Karin pulled back with a giggle. "I guess so. Seems like you'll forever remain the short one!"
"Aw, man..."
"Now, now, don't despair, Naruto." said a new voice and they turned around to see Kakashi sitting on the windowsill. "You certainly got taller than you were before."
"Kakashi-sensei!"
"Yo."
"Sensei, you haven't changed one bit!" said Naruto as he approached the white haired man. "Oh, that reminds me, I have a present for you, Kaka-sensei!"
"Oh? For your old little sensei? Well, I have to say, I'm touch- Wait, is that-"
"Mhm. The newest Icha Icha Paradise edition, written by Pervy Sage with an autograph from the main actress of the movie!" said Naruto as he handed over the book. "We ran into her in Kawa no Kuni."
"You are officially my favourite student, Naruto."
The blonde giggled at his admission.
"I'll go gather everyone else so they can meet us at Yakiniku Q." said Karin. "I know you want some Ichiraku Naruto, but we can't all fit in there. I promise we'll eat there for dinner, ok?"
"Ok..."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Come on, usuratonkachi. I'll show you where your new place is."
"Oh, yeah! The apartment!"
"Here!" said Karin, throwing a set of keys at him. "Go take a shower and meet us in 20."
...
The apartment was located at the border between the civilian district and the shinobi district, it was at equal distance between the Hokage tower and the hospital. The building it was in looked pretty and modern and their apartment was on the last floor. Sasuke said they had access to a small terrace above, where Karin had her garden. Opening the front door, Naruto was amazed by how clean and modern it was. There was no leakage, the paint wasn't peeling off the walls, it looked...it looked like a proper home. A bark snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Wait, is that?" asked Naruto.
Sasuke whistled and in came a big, white ball of fluff. It stopped in front of Sasuke in order to receive pets. Sasuke obliged. "Naruto, this is Emperor Fluffer Fluffle Puff the Tenth, or just Emperor for short. Karin's dog she told you about."
"Aw, he's adorable." Naruto crouched so he could scratch the Samoyed under his neck. "Hey, there boy, who's a good pupper?" He looked up at Sasuke. "Why the 10th, though?"
"Karin said she wanted a number with meaning, so she picked your birthday."
"Oh." was all Naruto could say, as he was a bit choked up.
"Come on, I'll show you the rest."
The small hallway had a door to the left that led to the kitchen and at the end of the hallway, was the living room. Naruto instantly recognized Sakura's couch there, but the kotatsu table in front of it was new. There was a new tv next to a set of stairs that led to the garden Sasuke was talking about, and there were pictures all over the walls. To the right there was another hallway that led to 2 bedrooms and their bathroom. Karin's room was very pretty, with a field of lavender painted on the walls and the fancy chandelier she told him she stole from the Senju compound in one of their letters. There was an office desk in the corner with a plush velvet chair in front of it and fairy lights hung above it. Her bed had a canopy and the wooden pillars were decorated with fake flower garlands. But it was his room that left him breathless.
He had a proper bed now, with wood painted a soft orange and frog themed sheets, above him was a sun themed light and the walls were painted a soft yellow and orange with clouds, making it look like the sky during sunset. There was a dresser parallel to his bed and next to the window. On the walls there were hundreds of pictures that he now recognizes as something Sakura took back when she was alive. His picture of Team 7 was framed above his bed, so he could look at it whenever he entered the room.
"This...this is perfect! It's...it's everything I've ever wanted as a child." Naruto started wiping his tears away. "I love it."
Sasuke patted his back as he cried his heart out. "Welcome home, Naruto."
...
The moment Naruto saw Karin he jumped to give her a hug and started swinging her around. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it! Thank you for giving me proper home!"
Karin laughed as she was finally put down. "I'm glad you like it, Naruto. You don't have to thank me, this is just me repaying all that you've done for me."
"Well you certainly haven't changed one bit." said Shikamaru as he neared them with Temari.
"Shikamaru! And Temari! It's so good to see you!"
"Hello Naruto." said Temari. "It's good to see you too. Gaara sends his greetings as well."
"Tell him hi for me as well when you go back to Suna." said Naruto as they started going inside Yakiniku Q. "Still can't believe he became a kage before me..."
Karin nudged his shoulder. "You'll get there someday."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Well if it isn't Naruto, finally got sick of wondering and decided to return to the village?" asked Kiba once they reached his table. Everyone from their graduation class + team Guy were here.
"Kiba! And Ino and Hinata and Neji! Everyone! I'm so happy to see you!"
"Welcome back, Naruto." said Ino.
"We missed you a lot." said Hinata.
"Yes, welcome home, Naruto! I shall run 500 laps around Konoha in celebration of your return!" said Lee.
Naruto chuckled as he took a seat next Ino, Karin took a seat next to him, while Shikamaru, Sasuke and Temari took a seat across from them. "You also haven't changed a bit, have you, Bushy Brows?"
"He really hasn't." said Tenten with a sigh. "If anything, his 'springtime of youth' has gotten stronger. And hello Naruto."
"But of course!" said Lee. "We must all strive to unleash our springtime of youth!"
Neji sighed as he shook his head. "There really is no helping this one..."
Everyone laughed as Naruto leaned back in his chair. Man was he glad to be back. Someone licked his cheek and Naruto turned around to come face to face with a huge white dog.
"Wh- Hang on a second! Is that Akamaru?! He's huge!"
"Yeah well, Inuzuka ninken tend to grow bigger than your average dogs. So I guess he grew a little."
"A little? He's almost as tall as me!"
"That's just cuz you're short." said Sasuke.
...
"Ah, finally! The place I have been waiting for!" said Naruto as he parted the drapes in front of the stall. He had a lot of fun seeing everyone again at Yakiniku Q, but he really missed this place. "Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Is that you, Naruto? My you've gotten so big!" said Teuchi.
"Welcome back, Naruto." said Ayame. "We missed you here."
"Hi, old man Teuchi, hi Ayame, I missed you guys too but especially your food." said Naruto as he took a seat.
"He's been talking about coming here all day." said Karin, taking a seat.
"Can you blame me? Nobody makes ramen like old man Teuchi!"
Teuchi laughed. "Well, I'll always be happy to serve you, Naruto. Would you like your usual?"
"Yes please!"
"What about you, Karin?"
"I'll take a spicy version of whatever he's having with extra egg."
"Understood, two bowls of miso ramen with extra chasu, one spicy with extra egg, coming right up!"
"Make that three bowls." said a new voice and they turned around to see Iruka-sensei enter the stall.
"Iruka-sensei!" exclaimed Naruto, before diving to give him a hug.
Iruka hugged him back. "Hello, Naruto. Welcome back to the village."
"You joining us for a late night meal, sensei?" asked Karin.
"That's what I was hoping for." said Iruka, as he and Naruto parted. "How have you been, Naruto? Karin told me about some of your adventures, but I'd love to hear more."
"Of course, sensei. Where should I start, where should I start...Oh, I know! A few months after we left me and Ero-sennin were in Yu no Kuni and-"
...
Karin and Naruto were walking home late at night, Naruto spent most of their dinner entertaining Teuchi, Ayame and Iruka-sensei with stories of their travels. He spoke about his encounter with a corrupted monk in the Land of Hot Water, him meeting a giant koi fish in Mizu no Kuni, fighting bandits near Ishigakure and even visiting the ruins of Uzushio at one point. They ended up staying a bit over closing time, but it wasn't like Teuchi and Ayame minded. When they reached their apartment building, they found Sasuke waiting for them.
"What are you doing here, teme?" asked Naruto.
"I thought you might want to visit Sakura." said Sasuke.
Naruto inhaled a sharp breath. "Y-yeah...yeah. Kari-chan-"
"Go. I'll see you when you get back." was all Karin said, before running inside.
The walk to the cemetery was silent, but not the awkward kind. The atmosphere around them was sombre as they walked. They took to alleyways and the occasional rooftop in order to avoid people. They reached it relatively quick and walked around hundreds of graves until reaching it.
Sakura's grave was nothing special compared to the rest, same white marble tombstone as the rest with the Konoha symbol, her name, lifespan and a few words. "Loving daughter, friend, apprentice and student. May the flames of time be kinder to you in the afterlife." was what Tsunade chose to have engraved on it. But while the grave was nothing special, the surrounding area sure was. Karin told him how Ino came here alone and planted every medicinal plant in the book around her grave, as well as a few poisonous ones and Sakura's favourite flowers, cosmos. Behind it towered an impressive Willow tree. Tsunade herself uprooted it from the Senju compound and brought it here to provide shade over her student's resting place.
Naruto huffed. "Karin wasn't kidding when she said her grave was drowning in plant life."
"Yeah..." said Sasuke. "Still don't understand why a willow tree."
Naruto shrugged. "Sakura-chan was always obsessed with them. I don't know if it was because they are used to make soldier pills, or because she just liked how they looked."
Sasuke hummed. "Aren't you gonna talk to her?"
"I...yeah, yeah...I will." Naruto took a seat in front of the grave, mindful not squish any of the plants surrounding it. "Hey there, Sakura-chan! It's been a while...Sorry it took me so long to visit you but, I'm sure teme told you I was out of the village. So I hope you can forgive me for that...But I'm back now."