A/N: Well, it looks like we're almost done here, and I'm almost back to one of my other pairings… (evil laughter) Please, if you enjoyed this or my other fics, take the time to go to my profile page and vote on what should happen next! I'm a Libra… I need all the help I can get XD

Chapter Seven - Facing the Music

You can pay me back in kisses before the month is through…
Would I lie to you?
There is no end to a love like ours
-The Ark, No End

The day that Uchiha Sasuke returned to Konoha was a sunny one, and the villagers were out in full force, shopping in the market or just visiting others. Everyone seemed happy for once, as if the sun could smooth all their worries away.

That was, until two adult ninjas strolled through their midst, hand in hand, as casually as if they were the same as everyone else - but they weren't the same as everyone else. One was the blond, loud, annoying, and above all monster of a man, Uzumaki Naruto, who barely dared to show his face any more, even in normal circumstances; and the other…

They took no more than two steps into the village itself before they were confronted by two fully-masked Anbu. They paused at the same time, perfectly in synch with each other, as if the link between their hands formed a link between their minds as well.

"Uchiha Sasuke. State your intentions."

"I am here to present myself to your Hokage, and surrender myself as a wanted entry in the bingo book." Sasuke replied calmly, never blinking an eye. One of the officers moved as if to grab him, but the other, obviously his senior, interecepted swiftly. He took off his mask, and the two men recognised an old friend.

"Go right ahead, Sasuke." Neji said. "And you, Naruto. Peace and luck be with you. You'll need it."

"Thank you." The men said, in time, and then looked at each other and smiled. Neji couldn't help but smile along with them, before signalling to the rest of his men to let them pass.

They walked on, holding their heads high and clasping each others' hands tightly, despite the murmurs and hidden looks from the villagers around them. They passed by the school, and were almost continuing before a voice stopped them in their tracks. Iruka ran into their path, his eyes wide in surprise.

"You… you two boys… you're…?" Iruka gestured towards their hands, obviously unable to form his words quickly enough.

"Yes." Naruto said. "Together. We're together."

"That's…" Iruka paused, and a grin lit up his face. "I'm proud of you. I remember when you were so small, and you used to-"

"Yeah." Naruto intercepted, blushing faintly. "Yeah, I know. That was a long time ago, though."

"I don't feel that old." Iruka said, looking a little glum at the thought that he might, after all, be getting quite aged these days.

"It's fine, you don't look it." Said another familiar voice, and the three of them looked up at the roof of the school, where Shikamaru was peering down at them. Naruto looked at him questioningly, and he laughed. "I have to be nice to him, he's my superior."

"Not for much longer, I fear." Iruka sighed. "A genius can only avoid promotion for so long."

"Not if I don't do any work at all." Shikamaru grinned. "Hey, you two. Want to meet someone?"

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other, and then back at Shikamaru.

"I guess." Naruto said hesitantly. Shikamaru disappeared for a moment, and they heard him muttering. After a pause, another head appeared over the top of the roof. It was a young boy, only three or four years old, with blond hair tied back in the same style as his father's.

"Temo!" Naruto shouted, genuinely pleased to see the child. "Oh, Shikamaru, he's grown so much! How's his mother?"

"Oh, she's fine. Nagging as much as ever." Shikamaru chuckled. "Hey, Temo, don't do that, you'll-"

Iruka yelled in surprise and leapt forward, just managing to catch Temo before he hit the floor. He glared up at Shikamaru, who quickly leapt down to inspect his son for damage.

"Er… Iruka? Iruka-sensei? Sensei-sama? Please don't tell Temari." He said nervously, accepting Temo back into his own arms.

Naruto laughed, and Sasuke even smiled nervously. Iruka shook his head, as if to say it was out of his hands, and began to amble off, back to his pupils.

"Visit me." He said over his shoulder.

"Yeah, and us." Shikamaru added. "It's nice to see you again. And together, at last. I hope you'll be as happy as I am!"

He held out a hand to each of them, and they shook, properly smiling now. As he went back inside, Naruto and Sasuke joined hands again, and with deep breaths, set off towards Tsunade once more.

It wasn't long before they passed by Kakashi. He had known all along, of course; and he gave them a simple nod and a wave of his hand, while he leaned back in the shade of a wall, reading one of his books as ever. Naruto and Sasuke understood him well enough to know that this simple gesture was in fact a token of his complete acceptance of Sasuke's return, and their relationship. They were glad. They nodded in return and carried on, feeling a little lighter already.

Eventually they reached Tsunade's control centre, the corridors bustling with busy ninja. One of them, a woman, younger than most of them, in the outfit of a medical nin, was approaching them swiftly with her head buried in a clipboard, and almost walked into them; and would have done, if it wasn't for the fact that -

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted, putting out a hand to stop her.

Sakura looked up slowly, her fingers going white as they gripped the clipboard too tightly.

"S-S-Sasuke?" She said, doing a fair impression of Hinata. All the colour drained from her face. "And Naru… you're… you're…"

With those words, still holding the clipboard, she fainted, and Naruto caught her just before she hit the floor.

"To Tsunade?" He said.

"To Tsunade." Sasuke confirmed.

I was hiding
'Til you came along
And showed me where I belong

-Kelly Clarkson, You Found Me

"Well, Sasuke." Tsunade said calmly. "It's been a long time since you left Konoha."

"Yes." Sasuke said. "And I realise that, since then, a lot of things have happened. If you need to arrest me…" He held his arms up in front of him, as if offering them to her. "I won't resist you."

Tsunade stared at him for a few moments, and then put down the pen she was holding.

"I don't think that will be necessary." She said, eventually. "I wish you luck in your new life here."

Sasuke gaped for a few moments. "I… You… What?"

Tsunade blinked at him. "It's all in the past, Sasuke. Now, by the way, Naruto, when will you be resuming your duties?"

"Er… I don't know, soon?" Naruto said, as gobsmacked as his lover.

"Good. That will be all, then." Tsunade said briskly, picking up her pen again.

"All?" Sasuke said. "But-"

"I suggest you leave before I change my mind?" Tsunade said.

"Right." Naruto replied, and tugged on Sasuke's sleeve to drag him from the room.

Outside, they stopped and looked at each other.

"Went… smoother than I expected." Naruto noted.

"Yes." Sasuke said. "… Yes."

"Let's go home?"

Sasuke smiled, and nodded.

It wasn't going to be easy; not everyone was as understanding as their friends. Not everyone would accept them. But in time, perhaps, they would get used to the idea, and begin to expect the two ninjas, laughing together as they returned from another mission. And whatever the risk, it would be worth it. It would always be worth it.