"It would have been easy," Kurama said, ignoring Naruto's greeting. It had taken years to develop the fuinjutsu mastery to grant Kurama his freedom on a semi-permanent basis. His and Naruto's chakras were still conjoined and Kurama could still exist in the seal if he so wished but he was also free to come and go as he pleased. All Naruto asked is that outside of combat he remain in his child form. People may be forgiving but a giant fox is scary no matter how you slice it. It was a boon Kurama was so adorable as a kit.

"And I'd be arrested for murder."

"You'd allow yourself to be arrested for murder."

"We've been over this. If I start acting like the rules don't apply to me, even the stupid ones, I'll be a tyrant and undo the peace we achieved," Naruto said as he got up from the floor, carrying Kurama in his arms.

Kurama didn't reply, knowing his friend was right but he had his own issue with the Uchiha and the boy's gall to use him and his siblings for his stupid plan and then nearly killing Naruto to achieve it. He wasn't as forgiving as his friend but understood why they couldn't just remove the Sharingan wielder, yet.

"Why did you go to the hospital, Kurama?"

"To check on Hashirama's grandbrat. Figured you'd stop feeling so damn guilty about her."

"Sorry, thought I'd shut off the connection," Naruto said with a chuckle as he'd had been wondering if he should wait to initiate contact with Tsunade to allow her to do so as well as how they'd navigate their change in dynamic. Naruto took a seat on his black leather couch and Kurama moved beside him.

"It's fine. She said she would be by for dinner tomorrow, along with her student. The only human that knows how to scratch behind my ear correctly. Why couldn't she have been my container?"

"You break my heart, Kurama. After all we've been through, you'd choose another over me?"

"In a heartbeat. You attract trouble without even trying."

"That just makes me fun."

"It makes you troublesome." Naruto could only laugh in response.

"S-Sasuke, what did you do?" Naruto asked in disbelief, his eyes never leaving the downed Hyuuga. Sasuke glanced at his friend, rival and impediment. He was soaking wet, having fallen into the water right before the heiress had arrived.

"I won't let anyone get in my way, Naruto! This is what it means to embrace the darkness."

"W-what did you do? What did you do? SASUKE WHAT DID YOU DO?" Naruto shouted, sounding manic and while it confused the Uchiha he was never one to allow an advantage to slip by.

"She came to help you, to protect you. But she was too weak, what could she possibly do to me? So I struck her down like I will all who oppose me." He looked at Naruto who had murder in his eyes, it looked so wrong on the blond's face but Sasuke didn't care about that, only making Naruto easier to defeat. "You only have yourself to blame." He said with forced smugness and watched as something shifted in Naruto.

"You're right." he whispered and then blurred toward Sasuke. The Uchiha's sharingan the only reason he could track the movement and plan a counter. Sasuke struck, a palm thrust to Naruto's jaw hit true. But Naruto didn't move, didn't flinch. He grabbed the wrist of the attack hand and squoze as hard as he could. Sasuke grimaced for a moment but threw a punch intent on making the idiot release him.

Without missing a beat, Naruto grabbed the other hand while sliding his body toward Sasuke in the midst of performing a rotation. Sasuke was caught off guard by the throw, his body impacting the ground hard enough to cause cracks. He grunted as all of Naruto's weight was now on him. He had no time to plan, only instinct could get him out of this but before he could react he felt something hard hit him.

A headbutt broke his right orbital, closing his Sharingan eye in great pain. Another blow caused the same injury to the left. His greatest tools were inaccessible to him, his chakra low and he was vulnerable. The Uchiha was given no time to lament his position further as he received a vicious punch to the nose, breaking it.

"You're right." Naruto said from the mounted position, hitting Sasuke again. "I wanted to save you from your darkness, from the loneliness that twisted you." He hit the Uchiha again, right side of the jaw; hard enough to loosen teeth and cause fractures. "To make up for what this system did to you, your family." Another hit. Sasuke could only wheeze in pain.

"You insisted I couldn't understand, I'd never lost anyone. You insisted no one could understand, so they had no right to judge." Another hit. "I was alone from the start you shouted. I had no one." He hit him again. "You're right." Another hit. "Did you ever try to understand that? Or could you only see how lucky I was? Have no one, lose no one, isn't that what you told yourself? All those memories that haunted you, did you tell yourself I'd never have to carry them? Were you jealous I was free?" Naruto laughed. It was bitter, laced with pain.

"You did, didn't you?" The Uchiha couldn't speak, his jaw broken, his entire face a mess from the assault. "No words?" Naruto asked as he grabbed Sasuke by the sides of his head, via his hair. And then slammed the Uchiha's head into the ground. "Nothing to say?" He did it again. "Tell me, Sasuke. Tell me how lucky I was. C'mon, teme," he voiced sarcastically, "say it."

"Is that why you did it? Why you killed her?" Another slam. "So I can finally get it? So I can understand? Well CONGRATULATIONS, SASUKE! NOW I RECOGNIZE YOU AS A THREAT TO ALL I HOLD DEAR, TO MY PRECIOUS PEOPLE." Naruto huffed, his breathing was erratic. The Uchiha tried to put up a defense but would only receive a punch in response. Naruto gathered what little chakra he had left and pulled his right hand back. The wind hummed as it spun into formation. The Wind Style Rasengan whirled menacingly. "You wanted the darkness. THEN YOU CAN HAVE IT!"

"Sasuke-kun." The former avenger woke with a start, breathing deeply. He was on his couch and met the worried eyes of his wife. "Are you ok, you were having a nightmare?"

His first inclination was to just say he was fine. That's what the old Sasuke would do. Be closed off and distant but he didn't want to be that way, knew he had to open up. He'd gotten better, Sarada's presence helped immensely as he didn't want to be his father.

"I was just dreaming about Naruto's and my fight, at the Valley of the End."

"Which one?" She asked and saw him flinch. That she had to ask which one was a source of shame.

"The last one." The one where I almost died went left unsaid.

"Oh. Sarada is still at Ino's, do you want to talk about it?"

"I'll tell you but you have to promise me to let it be."

"Let what be?" She asked while taking a seat beside him.

"I got a scroll from a Hyuuga member today. Hiashi has contracted Naruto to be Hinata's guard. The letter was a pretty explicit threat, if we should upset her again he'll sic the dobe on us. I didn't appreciate it and I didn't appreciate Naruto allowing himself to be used."

"You went to confront Naruto?"

"Yes. We exchanged words and it escalated."

"How bad? Are you hurt? Is he?" Sakura asked in genuine concern and Sasuke wanted to laugh derisively.

"We're both fine, it was over as soon as it started. It just wasn't how I wanted our first face to face to go."

"I understand," Sakura spoke with a frown, as if her depression was about to come back.

"What if we pick Sarada up and all go out to dinner?"

"I'd like that, Sasuke-kun." The couple slipped on their shoes and made way to the Yamanaka estates. They were allowed access, Ino had seen to it they wouldn't be treated poorly by her clan members and they appreciated it. As they approached the door, Sarada, Inojin and Ino were already headed out.

"You two have perfect timing." Ino said and watched as Sarada ran to her parents.

"Hi mama, hi papa." the little Uchiha greeted with a smile and almost jittery with excitement. While happy, she was often reserved so both were curious what had her in such a state.

"Hi, Sarada-chan, did you have fun today." Sakura asked.

"Hai. Guess what?"

"What, sweetie?"

"I met Naruto-san today and he even gave me a gift." she beamed.

"Oh." Was Sakura's only response. Ino handed her the storage scroll. "Well, maybe you can show us over dinner." The young Uchiha's smile just widened as she took her mother and father's hands.

The alarm clock blared. It was an unpleasant way to greet the day but it was necessary. Her road to recovery, to becoming an active duty ninja began this morning. But she was slow and fatigued easy so she had to get an early start just to be ready. The clock read five am, it was still dark out but it suited her fine. Hinata made her way to her bathroom, determined not to use any of the safety rails as she did. Each step was deliberate but each success brought on a glimmer of confidence.

The bathroom was equipped with a walk-in shower so she had nothing to step over. The shower was equipped with several features, such as a detachable shower head and even seals that can remember the exact temperature the user preferred their water. Her tou-san said it was one of many seals provided by Naruto-kun, along with the stunning array of security measures and seals for basic cleaning and maintenance.

Hinata breezed through her morning rituals, only needing take a break once, but contemplated if she needed a haircut, as the indigo strands came to her tailbone. She resolved to worry about it another day and got dressed, dark blue pants, matching V-neck top and shin length shinobi sandals. By the time she was done it was approaching six am, her physical therapist would soon be arriving so she sat on her front porch and watched the sun arise.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" was her warning that her therapist had arrived with due haste. "Ohayo, Hinata-chan! Are you ready to rekindle your youthful flames!?"

The overexcited Lee asked. Hinata giggled at his enthusiasm, taking comfort that he hadn't changed that much. Although, he'd lost the green training suit. His pants were dark green but his shirt was a black, form fitting, sleeveless number that suited him. He'd even forgone the bowl cut as his hair was gelled in spikes.

"Good morning, Lee-kun." she said and he adopted the nice guy pose in response. The two walked over to a private training ground once they arrived Lee started to speak, sounding more professional than she'd ever heard him sound before.

"Now, today is just to get a baseline for what all you can do. If at anytime you need a break I need you to tell me, ok?" The heiress nodded and Lee smiled. "Awesome. Today is your first steps back to regaining your youthful flames. Yosh!"

Naruto arose shortly before the sun. He got in a very short workout before meditating. He needed it as he was feeling nervous. He hadn't felt nervous in a long time and the experience had become foreign to him. He took his time centering himself, getting to a place he wouldn't worry needlessly about what would come with the day. Whatever was going to happen, he'd simply have to deal with it. He just had to be patient and present as he guarded Hinata during her recovery. Any more thoughts to the future were simply premature.

Once he felt sufficiently centered he took a shower and got ready for the day. An hour later, after a small breakfast, he exited his house and made his way to the Hyuuga compound, Kurama in tow. Of all Konoha residents, the Hyuuga were those most accustomed to Kurama's presence. The guards didn't even flinch when the miniature bijuu approached. They allowed the pair entrance and Naruto made his way to where he sensed Hinata and Lee. When he arrived, Hinata was dripping sweat and Lee was cheering. It took both a moment to notice they had company.

"Naruto-kun, how long have you been back my youthful friend?"

"Hi, Lee. I've only been back a few days now. How's the family?"

"They are most excellent. Metal-kun will start his training soon and my beautiful flower remains busy."

"That's good to hear, Lee. Oh, before I forget I got Metal something," Naruto retrieved a storage scroll from one of his storage seals ascribed to his body. He hand Lee the scroll and a chakra key, it stored chakra and could be used to activate a storage scroll or other seals. He designed it specifically for Lee. "Inside of the scroll are some sandals with seals on them. They allow for near zero friction."

"Oh, he'd have to master his body fully to keep from falling, let alone have any chance of fighting. This is a most wonderful gift. Tell me, would you be up for a youthful spar later?"

"Same place, same time?"

"Yosh. Oh, how rude of me, you haven't gotten a chance to greet Hinata-chan."

"It's fine, Lee. She slipped away when you started talking to me. I guess you two are done for the day."

"Yes, we were just wrapping up. Please tell her to take it easy for the rest of the day. Light activity only and I shall return tomorrow. Bye." The always excitable man said before running off. Naruto just chuckled, comforted that not everything changes. Besides, for his money, Lee was awesome just the way he was.

Hinata, indeed, had slipped away. She knew she was being somewhat irrational. Naruto was a ninja, he wouldn't be put off by sweat or her not looking her best but that little voice in her head made her feel so self-conscious that she needed to get away. Now in the shower, her hasty retreat was catching up to her as she used energy she truly didn't have to spare. As such, it took much more effort for her to get clean and ready but once she was finished she found Naruto waiting for her in front of her cabin.

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Hello, Hinata. How are you?"

"I'm fine, and you?"

"The same. Are you hungry? I've been requested to escort you to family breakfast." Naruto informed her as he offered his arm. Hinata looped hers around his and the pair began to walk, at a sedate pace, toward the main house. It was a quiet walk and Hinata cursed her shy nature. She wanted to say so much, ask so much but the words simply wouldn't form. She hated that she'd seemingly lost much of the nerve she'd developed during the war. To be a grown woman but too anxious to talk to the object of her affection, it was maddening. As her anxiety peaked she felt a wave of reassurance. It'd be inexplicable if not for having experienced something similar during the war, though on a more pronounced scale.

Hinata looked at Naruto, his eyes straight ahead, nothing seemingly changed. He must have noticed as he turned to her with a toothy smile and shot her a wink, before looking ahead once more. Hinata blushed but smiled in return, not feeling as plagued by anxiety as she had been. As the two arrived toward the main house Hinata saw something she considered to be a delusion.

"N-naruto-kun?" she asked in confusion. It took him a second to understand the unasked question but he put it together.

"Oh, yea, that's Kurama. He avoids Lee."

"The Loud One hurts my ears." Kurama spoke. Hinata just stared in disbelief as the last time the kyuubi was outside of Naruto he nearly died. "Brat, reassure your mate." Kurama said sensing her negative emotions and ignoring the look Naruto shot him.

"Kurama is outside the seal but not really, it's complicated but he and I can be apart and it doesn't risk my life. I'm perfectly safe, I promise." Hinata nodded and the trio entered the main house, unescorted and walked to the dining area, where Hiashi, Hanabi and Hayato were awaiting their arrival, the last attendee was an obvious surprise to Hinata. Her grandfather wasn't outwardly cruel but he wasn't exactly subtle in his opinions of her and she hadn't imagined that'd change in the last ten years.

The incoming trio were greeted by the seated trio and all settled in for breakfast, though Kurama simply laid down in a corner. Food was served and conversation, for the most part was light, Hinata informing her sister she planned to get a new wardrobe as the clothes she was currently wearing were not hers and certainly not her style, the traditional Hyuuga garb never had been. At this point, Hayato decided he'd been quiet long enough.

"How are you granddaughter? I am delighted you have returned to us." While true, Hayato could forgive Hinata's brief look of disbelief. He was just as stern as Hiashi had once been, only concerned with keeping the Hyuuga strong, feared, and respected. It didn't mean he didn't love his grandchildren, he simply didn't express it how others would have, instead focusing on how to maximize their potential. Like Hiashi, he had to learn his methods simply didn't work for Hinata nor Hanabi, not really, before he relaxed but by that time Hinata's opinion of the man as a tyrant had been set and she'd seen no reason to change it, she hadn't gotten the chance.

"I am well. Tsunade-sama assures me I should be back to full health and function in short order with Lee-kun's aid."

"Ah, Neji's former teammate. A weird one but if he can help I guess his eccentricities must be tolerated. And you, Naruto-san, are always a welcomed sight. Although, several other clans are concerned that you, the next Hokage, seemingly favor the Hyuuga."

"If anyone has anything they'd like to ask me they can always come talk to me. I'm not a hard person to find."

"Well, that's not entirely true. Granted, one cannot go for long without hearing some feat of the Hero of the Fourth Shinobi War but your visibility within the village has been rather limited. I am thankful that has changed and you will be here to guard Hinata, though I am concerned it may cause the Uchiha to escalate."

"I'm confident they won't." Naruto said between bites.

"As am I." Hiashi spoke.

"Yea, Naruto can kick Sasuke's ass any day of the week!" Hanabi chimed in, causing Hinata to gape at how un-Hyuuga like she was being, which caused Naruto to chuckle.

"High praise, indeed. But I am confident neither party will press things and I will keep Hinata safe from all threats." Naruto relayed with a smooth and easy confidence, the days of him shouting pronouncements had long since passed. Now, he simply said what he'd do. People either believed it or they didn't.

Hinata fought down a blush at Naruto's words, so different and yet similar to how he was as a child. She couldn't help but think, again, how pleasantly he'd seemingly matured into adulthood but wanted to know more about that process; how he became who he was today. She felt it ridiculous that he was guarding her but she'd welcome it to get to know this Naruto more. Breakfast proceeded with more idle chatter before all parties excused themselves; Hinata and Naruto taking a walk toward the shopping district.

It was a nice day, not too warm and not too hot as the pair made their way to the newer sections of Konoha, Kurama having departed to do Kurama things. Hinata was quietly amazed at the changes underfoot as village looked so different from what she remembered of her childhood or the devastation caused by Pein. As the two walked, silently, Hinata finally found her nerve to ask some of the questions she had.

"Naruto-kun, what did you do after the war? Where did you go?" she asked.

"For the first month I was here, helping with repairs and mourning those we'd lost. But it started to get too much for me, people thanking me for being something I didn't feel I was, and around the time Sasuke was going to be released I convinced Kakashi to give me an extended leave as long as I left a way for him to contact me," Naruto said but his facial expression showed he didn't like thinking about that period of time, even if he'd largely made peace with it. "With Gaara's blessing, my first stop was the Temple of the Wind Monks."

Hinata couldn't hide her surprise, never thinking the rambunctious boy she knew would go to a temple. "Why there?"

"Because I was being credited with bringing peace to the shinobi world but I didn't feel at peace. I was angry at Sasuke, Sakura, and myself. Guilty for what we did to you and for letting Jiraiya down. I'd achieved his dream but all I could think about is revenge so I thought they'd be able to help."

"Did they?"

"Not in the way I'd hoped. The head monk eventually told me the answers I sought weren't going to come from one place, that I was on a path and if I kept to it I'd find my resolution. After that I moved around a lot, spending time in the other shinobi villages, performing missions or training. If not that, I was seeking the wisdom of people wiser than myself on all manner of things."

"Did it help?"

"Yes and no. I was learning to refine the power I had, learning the basics of ninshu so that was good. But as far as the answers I was seeking, I was doing what I'd always done. I was trying to find external validation for an internal problem. I had to come to terms with a lot of my past, and see how some very well intentioned people encouraged some unhealthy behaviors. And I had to accept it was ok to have boundaries, to tell people no and to be selfish. I couldn't give all of myself to everyone just so they'd acknowledge me. I learned to acknowledge myself and guess what?"

"What?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing changed. The people I loved and loved me didn't turn away from me, didn't abandon me. It was ok to tell them no, they understood even if they were sometimes disappointed. That was ok. It was like the most underwhelming piece of enlightenment but I felt so free after that," Naruto said with a blinding smile. "After I settled that, I focused even more on my training and continuing to refine myself. At some point, I took Konohamaru as my official student and he traveled around with me for about three years."`

Hinata smiled brightly at the thought of Naruto-kun being a sensei to his little brother figure. "How was that?"

"Great! It's one thing to have a lot of ideas and philosophies that you can apply to yourself but seeing them work for another gives some credence I wasn't just fooling myself. Even when he struggled, Kono never gives up so he progressed a lot. I'm proud to call him my student."

"I'm so happy for you, Naruto-kun. Do you think I'll get to see him soon?"

"You'll probably see more of him than I do," he started and saw her confused look. "He's dating Hanabi. They think they are keeping it secret but Hiashi knows, we just let them think he doesn't."

"Why?"

"Your dad has the spirit of a prankster and it's funny to watch the lengths they go to. Besides, it took them freaking forever to finally get together. My idiot little brother is oblivious to the affections of women, it's sad really."

Hinata shot him a look of disbelief. Naruto pretended he didn't see it but knew there was a layer of recrimination but he pressed on. "So, Naruto nii-san had to expose him to the ways of the gallant shinobi."

"Y-you made him a pervert?!" Hinata exclaimed, scandalized.

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Gallant is what Jiraiya-sama called himself and…" she didn't finish the thought, not that she had to. She blushed slightly as Naruto began to laugh.

"No, I didn't make him a pervert, just like Jiraiya never tried to make me one."

Her blushed increased as did her embarrassment at having assumed such things about Naruto-kun and his late master. Naruto had no interest in her entering a shame spiral and took her hand into his as they continued their journey. The two continued to talk, Naruto telling her how he once wrestled against Ay and Bee in Kumo's professional wrestling organization. As the two entered the commercial district, two sets of eyes were paying close attention to the pair, a plan in place.