Naruto Karyuden

Chapter 16: Hidden Leaf Break

HIDDEN LEAF BREAK

Hokage's office

Tsunade sighs deeply and falls back into her chair, causing it to squeak under the pressure and roll back. "Never thought I'd actually be happy to be in here. That drained a few years off me."

"So you won't last long, is what you're saying." Naruto mocks which prompts Hinata to tap him on the arm, a reminder to behave.

Tsunade chuckles. "Keep that up, kiddo, and we'll see how long you'll last."

Hinata steps in to bring the conversation slightly on track. "Are things going to be alright, given how everything turned out?"

"Well, I won't lie, that was a pretty big blow. Not even about losing the Land of Rice Paddies, but the whole attack will put a strain on us and the Land of Fire." She shakes her head and turns to them with a lighter expression. "But you don't need to worry about that. We'll do what we have to, and you do what you have to." He motions to the kids behind them.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now then, onto other matters. What's your plan?"

"About what?" Naruto cocks his head.

She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "About where you'll be staying. You have Kotori to take care of, and we can't exactly leave Yokumaru alone while his mother's still in the hospital and we figure out living arrangements for them. Your place isn't big enough, Naruto."

"Uhhh..." Naruto and Hinata look at each other.

"... Please tell me you've thought about this."

Naruto protests. "Well it's not like we were planning on coming back so soon, y'know!"

"It was a series of unforeseeable circumstances that led us here." Hinata pauses and subconsciously begins playing with the hem of her sleeves. There's an option for them but getting approval might prove to be an obstacle. She breathes in to mentally brace herself. "Perhaps I could... ask Father for us to stay in the Hyuga estate. We've more than enough room."

"Very well, I'll leave that to you, then." Tsunade rummages through some papers. "It'll take a few days to get everything in order, to register Kotori and the Kigatsus as citizens of the Hidden Leaf." She looks up to Naruto and Hinata. "In the meantime, I could arrange for a new place for you. If you're going to have Kotori around, you can't stay at the Hyuga's place forever."

Naruto and Hinata share a look again. It dawns on them how little prepared they are for their return. Having a home together when they're so young, a place to take care of Kotori... They'd gotten so caught up in the moment and their momentum is only now slowing down.

Tsunade sees their troubled expressions and figures not to put them too much in the spotlight right now. "Just think about, alright? Is there anything else?"

"Umm," Yokumaru's weak voice draws attention to him looking nervously down to the ground. "Is mom going to be okay?"

Kotori frowns, worried about her new friend. She stands a bit closer to him for support, not entirely certain what aid she can offer right now.

Tsunade humms, tapping her cheek with a finger, trying to find the best way to word it. "Normally I try not to do this, but you're the ones who's been looking out for her for a while now. You've seen her health spiral." She leans forward to look directly at him, which prompts the boy to look back at her with eyes still filled with worry. "She's not in a good place, and I can't guarantee anything other than that I have my best working on it. If your mom's going to get better, it'll be a tough fight both for her and us, but I trust my team and its leader completely and I'm sure Naruto can vouch for her, too." She smiles.