New Leaf

10

Neji couldn't see clearly when he woke up. He listened and heard Naruto humming a soft tune as his hair was combed through. He curled closer to Naruto's fiery body as chills rocked his body. He fell back asleep leaving Naruto to his own devices. The blonde had been making use of the scrolls his ancestors had managed to recover in their time of solitude.

Neji had been out for 3 days since the removal of his curse mark. He was perfectly fine, his body was still just in shock. Naruto often gazed at the then-now clear forehead of his other half and chuckled to himself thinking of when he would be back at the village for that abusive bastard to lose his mind. Not having control over something you once did is not easy to handle.

Control of a person's life is even more difficult to let go of. Naruto could admit, wanting to control a person's life was tempting but he knew that doing that would bring the wrong karma his way. Hiashi's karma was Naruto himself. When Neji did wake up he was subject to drinking a lot of herbal medicines to build back his strength.

The spirit's eyes would wander to him in quiet contemplation and Neji wondered what they were thinking when it came to his marriage with Naruto. They seamlessly took Naruto into the fold and that made him nervous as he now had in-laws to make an impression to. On the first night of being back to total health, Neji decided to talk to Naruto who was suddenly invested in studying the scrolls his relatives have managed to find. 

"Can I talk to you?" Neji tapped the wooden door frame of the home Naruto had managed to put together while he was out of commission. The blonde hummed and looked up at Neji who walked over slowly. 

"You know you can," Naruto stated smoothly as he reached out to pull Neji down into his lap. "Tell me what's on your mind." 

"How do I make an impression on your ancestors?" Neji was never one for being subtle and Naruto adored him for it. 

Naruto shrugged. "I have no clue, it's far too early to be thinking about that when I haven't even formulated a plan to help them in return. What I do suggest is to be polite, like you always are, and thankful. Whatever else will fall into place, they aren't harsh people." 

"Thank you for doing this for me," Neji touched his forehead. "My father said if he was the first one out then I would have never been branded with this. It was his greatest regret, right up until his death." 

"Do you think he's happy with how things are now looking over you?" 

Neji thought for a moment before nodding. "I don't know whether or not he would have been happy that I'm married to another boy or so young but I know he would be happy to see me without the burden of the curse." 

Naruto kissed Neji's forehead. "Then that makes me happy, one day when you grow old and move on in the afterlife you and your father can have this conversation." 

"I hope I never leave this world before you." 

Naruto stroked his hair. "Life is unpredictable darling." 

Neji leaned into the affection, the conversation tapering off for the rest of the night. 

The next morning Neji cooked breakfast for the both of them over an open flame as he took note that the spirits were watching him. He kept his movements to as minimal as possible while Naruto took a bath in the hot springs. While he finished up Nalu was the first to approach him. Neji was on guard but he didn't need to be Nalu was quite the free spirit but as skittish as him when it came to new people. 

"I'm sorry, you're quite uncomfortable being here but rest assured we have no intentions of placing any strain on your marriage to our descendant," She grinned. 

Neji shook his head. "It's not that, I've been unconscious for the last 3 days, I don't know how to make an impression." 

"Honey we're dead," Primrose whistled. "I doubt you have to impress a group of gossiping dead aunties." 

Neji burst out laughing as Nabari joined him in giggling. Nori and Rukia watched from a distance and smiled. When Naruto finally got ready for breakfast he watched Neji slowly get comfortable with his ancestors. "See? I told you it would be fine," He muttered to himself before making his way over with a new goal in mind. 

As they ate breakfast Naruto outlined the original plan he had with his Sensei Jiraiya. "I now see that I have to factor in finding my distant clansmen along the journey so that we can build back what you all once had." 

"I wish we could help physically as well but we are mere spirits with limited power," Akuma growled but that made Naruto smile. 

"I might be able to help in that avenue as well," Naruto tapped his forehead. "But it requires forbidden jutsu." 

Neji raised his eyebrow as Naruto stroked his hair while he took a moment to form his next words. "It's obviously been a long time, but your DNA is on this island. I can bring you back but I need something. Scraps of bloody clothing, your bones, anything. I just need your DNA." 

The Uzumaki looked around thinking for a long moment before Todoro brightened. "The Royal Signature Scroll!" 

Nabari immediately glowed. "I know where it is, but it's buried in the rubble of our palace." 

"That's no problem, the quicker we get it, the better it is to find a bind to bring you a physical body." 

They finished breakfast and were led to the ruins of the once-great Uzumaki Royal Palace. "With every new birth among the royal family for every year of life they are required on the day of their birth to imprint their signature in the scroll, to keep it up to date if you will or if you ever wanted to change your signature for your official documents." 

"And the scroll would have survived this calamity?" Neji asked as he looked around the ruins as Naruto got to work at the point Nabari gave him. 

"Yes, it's far more layered in protection than that of the scrolls that managed to survive. It shouldn't have a scratch on it," Primrose boasted. 

"We're a couple of steps on the path to rebuilding the Uzumaki legacy," Rukia had a look of tenderness as she watched Naruto break through decorative stones to find the latch that led to the underground bunker that housed their signature scroll. "I never thought I'd see the day this happens."