Naruto, holding Kushina and heading toward the door:
"I'll be waiting outside."
Sasuke left the two girls behind and followed Naruto while they continued to glare at each other before finally looking away.
Sai, whispering to Ino:
"By the way… what's going on between Sasuke and Sakura?
They weren't acting normal at all today."
Ino:
"They had a fight last night—Sakura went on a mission without telling Sasuke."
Sai, as if suddenly realizing something:
"So that's what she meant when she said she wouldn't be okay—back in front of the library."
On the way back, Naruto and Sasuke were walking, with Kushina ahead of them.
She was happily picking flowers from the garden along the road.
Sasuke looked at her for a moment and said:
"Are you sure she's over twenty?"
Naruto, surprised:
"Yeah… why?"
Sasuke:
"She looks like she's ten."
Naruto, laughing:
"Maybe it's that innocence of hers… it's what made me fall for her so quickly."
Kushina ran up to Naruto and said:
"Here you go, sweetheart… I picked the prettiest flower just for you."
He took the flower and replied:
"Thank you, my princess."
She smiled at him, and Sasuke said:
"You still act spoiled."
Kushina clung to Naruto's arm and said:
"I don't care how you see me… What matters is how he sees me."
Naruto looked at her with a smile and said:
"I see you as the best woman in the world."
She blushed and smiled, then stuck out her tongue to tease Sasuke, who said with annoyance:
"You spoil her too much."
Naruto looked at him and pulled Kushina closer, saying:
"And what's the problem? Isn't she my fiancée?!"
Kushina looked at Sasuke mischievously and said:
"I think you should stop, Sasuke-san… or I'll tell Naruto what you wanted to do to me last night..."
Naruto immediately turned to Sasuke with a calm but menacing expression:
"What exactly were you trying to do to her last night… Sasuke?"
Sasuke looked at Kushina, who was struggling to suppress her laughter, and said to himself:
"You little troublemaker..."
Then he looked back at Naruto nervously and said:
"I didn't do anything, Naruto… She's just trying to stir up a fight between us."
Naruto stared at him for a moment, then looked at Kushina and started smiling… which quickly turned into laughter.
Sasuke, a bit annoyed:
"I don't know why, but every time I'm with you two, you start laughing. Even when I came to you for treatment, you wouldn't stop laughing…
This is seriously the last time I'm hanging out with both of you at the same time."
Naruto, still laughing:
"Don't be mad, Sasuke… we're just teasing you."
Sasuke gave him a cold look, then turned back to face the road.
They continued walking until they reached Sasuke's house, then Naruto and Kushina headed to their own home.
After a moment of silence, Kushina held the necklace around her neck and said:
"Naruto… why did you buy me something so expensive?!"
He looked at her, and she continued:
"I mean, I didn't even know its value… If you had given me something simple, I would've been just as happy… You didn't have to go to all that trouble for me—"
He interrupted gently:
"I'm just returning a small part of what you've done for me… And besides, you deserve way more than this, my princess."
She leapt onto him and kissed him passionately, knocking him to the ground with her on top.
Then she looked at him happily and said:
"I love you, Naruto… I love you so much..."
He looked at her, slightly surprised, then placed his hand on her hair and replied:
"I love you too, my princess."
As Neji and Hinata were on their way home...
Neji looked at Hinata and called out, "Hinata-sama…"
She didn't respond and seemed lost in thought, so he raised his voice slightly, "Hinata-sama…"
She snapped out of it and replied nervously, "W-What is it, Neji-nii-san?"
Neji: "I've been calling you for a while… what are you thinking about?"
Hinata, sadly: "It's nothing."
Neji, after a pause: "Hinata-sama… shouldn't you be happy that Naruto has returned to the village?"
Hinata, pretending to be cheerful: "Y-Yes… I'm happy… why wouldn't I be?"
He looked at her for a moment and thought to himself: You don't seem happy at all… It looks like Naruto's engagement is finally starting to weigh on her.
Elsewhere...
Karin: "Seriously, this is unbelievable… we ended up going home together."
Sakura: "Karin, please… I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now."
Then she drifted back into her thoughts:
How strange… after all this thinking, I still can't find a reasonable answer… Why was my picture under your pillow, Naruto? Did you really plan to tear it up? Then why didn't you?
Do you… hate me now? I wish I could ask you. And why did Kushina tell me about it? It's like she was trying to send me a message or something… Ugh, my head's going to explode.
What are you two thinking? It's impossible to figure out.
Noticing her spacing out, Karin said: "Hey… Sakura… I'm not used to seeing you this quiet."
Sakura didn't answer.
Karin, angrily: "Sakura!"
Sakura, startled: "What?! Why are you yelling?!"
Karin sighed and said: "Nothing… go back to your thoughts."
The next morning at Tsunade's office…
Tsunade: "Where is Naruto? Didn't I request he be summoned? Why hasn't he arrived yet?!"
Shizune: "Maybe something happened, Lady Tsunade. Please calm down."
Tsunade: "That boy… I'm seriously worried that he won't be able to handle the responsibilities of a Hokage."
She turned to Sakura who was standing before her and said: "Sakura, go hurry him up."
Suddenly the door opened and Naruto walked in holding a girl by the hand.
Naruto: "No need… I'm here."
Tsunade: "Late as usual, Naruto."
He scratched the back of his head and smiled: "Sorry, sorry… I didn't mean to."
Sakura, sarcastically: "I truly fear for the village's future with you in charge. What kind of Hokage disappears for six years? Honestly, I don't think you deserve the title at all."
Tsunade, sternly: "Watch your tone, Sakura…"
Sakura looked surprised.
Tsunade continued: "Naruto prevented our village from being destroyed in three wars… Even if he wasn't here physically, he was still protecting it. If anyone deserves the title of Hokage, it's him."
She turned away indifferently.
Tsunade looked at the red-haired girl clinging to Naruto's arm and smiled: "So… this is Kushina?"
Naruto nodded: "You asked me to bring her so you could meet her… here she is."
Tsunade, smiling: "You've got the same taste as your father."
Naruto smiled back. Tsunade turned to Kushina and said: "Sakura told me a lot about you. From what I understand, you're skilled in medical ninjutsu and sealing techniques."
Kushina glanced at Naruto, then back at Tsunade, replying quietly: "Y-Yes."
Tsunade, kindly: "Good… welcome to our village, Kushina."
Kushina's eyes widened in shock as she thought: One of their village…? Does that mean… they accept me? Am I dreaming? Has a village finally accepted me?
She looked at Naruto for confirmation. He smiled at her and said: "Welcome among us, my princess."
She smiled back.
Tsunade: "Since you're his fiancée, that automatically makes you one of the most important people in our village."
Kushina bowed respectfully and happily said: "Thank you so much, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade smiled warmly.
Naruto took Kushina's hand and was about to leave when Tsunade sternly said: "Where are you going… Rokudaime Hokage?"
Naruto, nervously: "I'll take her home and be right back…"
Tsunade: "No, she'll go alone. You're getting extra missions as punishment for being late."
Naruto, annoyed: "What?! I already do ten missions a day! I'm not doing more."
Tsunade, with a sly smile: "Then make it twenty today."
His eyes widened. She stared him down until he sighed in defeat: "There's no escape, huh?"
Kushina, innocently: "Does that mean… I won't see you today, Naruto?"
He gently placed his hand on her head: "Maybe not even tomorrow, my princess."