Chapter 48: Love Not War

…

I stretched my senses as far as they could go, but I couldn't feel anything yet. Maybe I should have asked Karin to accompany me? Her sensing ability far surpassed my own so she'd be able to feel them long before I ever could. But Karin was busy helping Itachi in the tower, and it would be selfish of me to pull her away for something like this.

I should be busy too since the inter-village festival was only two days away and there was still so much to prepare. It had been Obito's idea to present the event as a post-war celebration of unity instead of a simple recruiting opportunity. People enjoyed celebrations, and the merriment would make it less stressful for the rescued slaves, not to mention it would act as a chance for everyone to come together on somewhat equal terms, not just the Five Kage, but leaders from all of the other Hidden Villages too. Influential people had already started trickling into Konoha almost immediately after the event was announced. I hadn't expected much, certainly not on such short notice, but the festival was shaping up to be quite spectacular. Most of the village leaders would be arriving tomorrow, but there was one delegation that should be here in a few hours. It was the one I was most eager to see.

When would he–

There!

A group of familiar chakras brushed against the very edge of my senses. They were moving at a leisurely pace, still a fair distance from their goal and in no apparent rush. There were fewer than I'd been expecting since Kages typically came with at least a few guards and Daimyos generally traveled with enormous retinues. Instead there were only the four of them, though I supposed that that was more than enough.

I could wait for them to arrive in their own time. I should wait.

But I was impatient.

So I Hiraishined to the mark I'd placed on him instead.

"Naruto!" I shouted, practically falling on top of him. I'd arrived slightly higher up than I'd expected since his hands were behind his head in a relaxed pose as he walked.

Naruto's eyes widened at my sudden appearance.

"Kiyo-chan!" he yelped, his ninja reflexes kicking in as he just barely managed to reach up and catch me before I fell right on top of him, though not fast enough to stop my momentum, which still managed to bring both of us crashing to the ground.

I rolled off of Naruto and pulled him to my chest, hugging him as tightly as I could from a sitting position. Naruto fidgeted a bit, but I only squeezed him tighter, so happy to see him again. I barely registered Jiraiya, Nagato, and Konan standing beside him.

"You're back!" I laughed. "I've been waiting for you! I've missed you so much! I've read all of your letters, but you'll have to tell me everything about–!"

"Kiyo!" shouted Jiraiya, interrupting my babbling. "Although that is indeed a death dreamed of by every red-blooded man, Naruto will need to live a little longer if he wants to fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage one day. So please let him go."

What?

I glanced down to see that I was inadvertently smothering Naruto's face against my sizable chest.

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" I said, releasing him at once. Naruto reappeared gasping for air, his face cherry red, though whether that was from embarrassment or lack of oxygen, I wasn't quite sure. "Are you alright?"

I placed my hand on his chest to run healing chakra through him, but thankfully I didn't detect any damage. I breathed a sigh of relief and wondered momentarily why I hadn't felt him struggle at all.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," said Naruto, still very red and not quite meeting my gaze.

I had to admit that it was kind of cute to see Naruto's bashful side too.

"Sorry to drop in on you like that," I said as I climbed to my feet and reached down to pull Naruto up too. I shot an apologetic look at Nagato and Konan as a small blush returned to my face at my embarrassing display. They were technically here on a formal diplomatic mission, so I should probably be showing slightly more decorum. "I was just, um, excited to see everyone…"

"That's okay, I don't mind catching you," said Naruto. "And I, uh, was really excited to see you too…"

"He has spoken of little else since our journey began," said Konan, giving Naruto a meaningful look. "Though I understand his sentiment. Nagato and I were looking forward to seeing you as well. It really has been far too long."

Nagato nodded in agreement. He looked well. Though his hair was still snowy white, his chakra was strong.

"Well, I'll be hosting you and the other village leaders while you're in Konoha, so we should have plenty of time to catch up," I said.

The last few weeks had included a flurry of activity to get the castle ready for all of the visitors including furnishing all of the empty rooms and setting up a proper office for me to meet with guests. The preparations were all necessary because hosting everyone at the castle was the easiest way of allowing the foreign dignitaries to mingle with the rescued slaves. The fact that I would have a chance to catch up with Nagato and Konan was just an added bonus. Plus it would give me a chance to give Nagato a checkup since I hadn't seen him in person since the war and I hadn't healed him since before my departure from Ame. He was long overdue, in my professional opinion.

"Also, I've invited everyone to a restaurant for Naruto's coming home dinner tonight," I added. "I've reserved the whole place, so we'll have plenty of room. And speaking of invites…"

I reached into an inner pocket and produced three. One each for Jiraiya, Nagato, and Konan. I'd already invited everyone else and ensured that they would all be available even if I had to Hiraishin them back to Konoha personally, 'journey of atonement' or not.

"Tsunade-sama will be there too," I added to Jiraiya. There were already rumors of a possible marriage between the two of them in the near future despite Tsunade's objections that she was too old for romance.

Jiraiya whistled as he read the invite.

"This is a fancy place!" he said. "I'm surprised you were able to get a reservation for the whole restaurant."

So was I, but the restaurant owner had gladly cleared tonight's reservations at the prospect of hosting the hero of the village.

"Yeah, but that's not until later," I said, turning back to Naruto. "If you're hungry now, I can Hiraishin us to Ichiraku's so that we can grab some ramen for lunch. That way you can tell me everything about the past year."

Naruto's face lit up.

"Aw, yeah!" he said, any awkwardness from before vanishing at the prospect of his favorite food. "Hey, Pervy Sage, you can pay too since you still owe me from that time."

…Oh, right.

It would probably be rude not to invite Jiraiya, Nagato, and Konan too since they were all standing right here, but I'd been hoping…

"You idiot!" Jiraiya huffed, bringing his fist down right onto Naruto's head.

"Ack, what was that for?!" Naruto shouted, clearly not hurt but still acting the part anyway. Maybe out of habit.

In a sudden move, Jiraiya wrapped Naruto in a one-armed headlock and dragged him behind the nearest tree despite Naruto's protests. They had a hurried, whispered conversation that I definitely did not eavesdrop on. There was a long pause, and then they emerged from the trees.

Naruto's face was once again dusted crimson.

"So, uh, just–just the two of us?" he asked.

"Yeah…unless you want to invite someone else?" I asked.

I privately hoped that he didn't.

"No!" shouted Naruto, waving his arms frantically and looking at me with his wide blue eyes. "Just us! It's…it's a date…I mean! My treat…"

"It's a date," I confirmed, which made Naruto blink once before a broad grin spread across his face.

Beside us, Jiraiya gave Naruto a thumbs up and a wink.

"If you'd like, I can Hiraishin you to the Hokage tower," I offered, but Nagato shook his head.

"It might be a little rude for us to appear suddenly inside the village," he said. "Besides, it's a fine day for a walk. We'll meet you for dinner tonight."

"You two go on ahead and have a good time," Konan added.

They both gave me encouraging smiles, and I waved to them once before taking Naruto's hand and Hiraishining us to Ichiraku's. It was a little late for lunch, but that just meant that we had the place to ourselves.

We were both somewhat nervous as we sat down and ordered. There were a few awkward silences, but after a bit of prodding, Naruto started telling me all about his training trip. I knew most of it already from his letters, but I didn't mind hearing it again. And he filled me in on the changes Nagato had been making since becoming the Rinnekage.

Apparently Nagato's coronation had been rather spectacular with him giving a grand speech about washing away the tears of the past with the light of the future. He'd punctuated this statement by using his Deva Path to push away the clouds, clearing the skies and letting the light shine through. Konan had then announced that Ame would no longer be known as the Land of Rain, but as the Land of Rinne, which meant Rebirth, to signify the passing of the old system of war and strife and the birth of a new age of peace and camaraderie.

It also turned out that I was right about the transition being more chaotic there than here, with Jiraiya and Nagato spending most of their time establishing a better training and mentorship system in Ame as well as integrating many of Suna's displaced shinobi. Konan was also working tirelessly from the civilian side too, gaining political connections and laying the groundwork for Tsunade's eventual inter-village hospital system.

Then it was my turn. I told Naruto all about being a clan head, helping out at the tower, and training with my family. I even gave him a small demonstration of the Wood Release jutsu I'd been working on. It wasn't as advanced as Madara and Obito's, but I'd been making good progress.

Naruto was also keenly interested to hear about Madara's dojo challenges, and the glint in his eyes made me think that it would be a good idea to invest in a second dojo for Madara's more…enthusiastic battles. One that was far away from Konoha.

Very far away.

I also recounted the story of rescuing the slaves with Madara and the preparations we'd all been working on for the past few weeks. Most of the older candidates were open to the idea of being recruited as official ninja by other villages, though a few others were adamant that they never wanted to fight again, so I'd contacted several local businesses and a few of the Uchiha's vassal farmers to get them jobs and apprenticeships so that they could become independent on their own terms. Then there were the dozen or so newcomers who had broached the subject of becoming vassals of the Uchiha clan themselves, likely from hearing that Madara was planning to establish an actual dojo school and he wanted to start with Uchiha vassals first.

I was hesitant to accept.

Taking on a vassal was a lifelong commitment that had obligations and responsibilities on both sides, and unlike Haku and Karin, I didn't actually know anything about any of the newcomers. I wanted to set boundaries this time around, but I hadn't been quite sure where to start. Thankfully, Madara had offered to guide me through the vetting process and to make sure that expectations were clear on both sides so that everyone understood what was being asked for and offered.

We'd drawn up a contract together, and I'd put a moratorium on accepting any vassals until after the inter-village festival so that they would all know what their options were. But it was looking like most, if not all, would be joining the clan. Madara seemed content that they were all strong enough to be worthy students for his first class, and I was just happy that I finally felt like I knew what I was doing.

Sometimes, at least.

Then there were the younger children who were given their own tower connected to the main castle where Haku would be able to look after them until they were old enough to decide their own fates. I didn't think I'd ever seen Haku so happy, and the children, though initially wary, seemed to be responding well to Haku's gentle nature.

None of it had been easy, but overall it was going quite well.

By the time I finished my lengthy exposition on current events, we'd long since finished eating and early afternoon was drawing towards evening. Since it was getting late, Naruto tried to pay, but Teuichi waved him off saying that it was on the house and that he'd see us at the welcome home dinner in a few hours. There was still a bit of time, so I suggested that we take a walk, and after a tour of Konoha where many passersby waved to Naruto and me, our journey eventually brought us to the top of the Hokage monument. By then the sun was setting, staining the sky red and gold while the shadows of the forest stretched long between the trees.

"The view is a little different from the last time we were here," I said when we reached the top. "But it's still just as beautiful."

It was different. Off in the distance, the ruins of the Uchiha district remained as a fading scar, but the castle rose against the skyline like a proud monument proclaiming that, despite everything, the Uchiha clan was still here.

Not just here, but growing.

Sasuke and Sakura had become a couple and Karin was already making wedding plans with Itachi. That girl moved fast and I was pretty sure that Sakura was taking notes. In fact, love seemed to be in the air because most of our friends were pairing off. Shikamaru and Temari, Ino and Sai, Choji and Karui. There were still a few singles, but it seemed that everyone was growing up and getting ready to start their new lives together.

Everyone but…

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked, and I jolted, realizing that I'd been staring off into the distance.

I wanted to say no, but...

"It's not supposed to be this way," I said quietly. "With us, I mean. You're supposed to be…with Hinata."

Naruto had known about my future knowledge since before the war, but I'd filled in all of the details in the hospital courtyard after the final battle. Naruto had been initially mystified, but he'd accepted my truth. And included in that story was the fact that he would marry Hinata and have two children.

And it would be unfair of me to interfere with that.

I didn't think that a single date would cause any problems, though. It wasn't like we were in a committed relationship or anything. But ninjas tended to have very brief courtships, going from 'I like you' to 'let's get married' in a year or two at most. Often less as Karin proved. That was reasonable considering the high-mortality rate among ninjas, but it meant that I had to be clear with Naruto that his future…wasn't with me. So he could go and be with the person he was meant to be with.

"Hmm," said Naruto, which made me give him a sidelong glance. He was standing with his arms folded and his eyes closed in deep thought. Then he nodded as if he'd made a decision and opened his eyes. "Nope! I don't care about any of that."

"What?" I asked, and Naruto looked at me fully.

"I don't know what exactly I was supposed to feel," he said. "But I know what I do feel. I don't want to be with anyone else. I want to be with you."

"O-oh," I said, looking away and feeling heat rise in my face.

"Um, hey, Kiyo-chan…" said Naruto, suddenly sounding hesitant. I looked back, and his chakra fluttered nervously. "Do you…remember that day when we were little kids and I…gave you some flowers…?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"I remember," I said. "We made a promise."

"Do you…I mean, I know I haven't become the Hokage yet, but…" he trailed off as if there was any doubt that he would become the Seventh Hokage one day.

I gave him a smile.

"But your dream wasn't really to become the Hokage, right?" I asked. "It was to have the whole village acknowledge you. Well, you've more than accomplished that. Not just the village, but the whole world too."

A slow smile spread across Naruto's face to match mine.

"...Yeah," he said. "I will become Hokage one day, but until then…there's just one more person I'd like to accept me…and my feelings."

He put his hands together and in a poof of smoke appeared a bouquet of eleven roses.

"So…will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, extending the flowers to me.

I smiled and held up my hand, using Wood Release to create a single flower, not the rose I'd taken years before, but a flower of the Hashirama tree, which I supposed was close enough. I added my flower to the bouquet before taking it.

"Yes," I said. "I'd like that."

Naruto's smile widened to a broad grin as he caught me in a bear-hug and swept me off of my feet in pure jubilation, laughing all the while. I laughed too. I couldn't help it and continued to laugh even as he set me down.

"It's getting late," I said as I watched the sun sink low on the horizon. "We'd better go. Our friends are waiting for us."

Naruto nodded, seeming a little reluctant to release me, but I took his hand and led him down the steps of the monument toward the party.

By the time we arrived, the light outside was fading fast. We stepped together into the soft glow of the restaurant where everyone was waiting for us. They all cheered at our arrival, and of course it was Ino who spotted the flowers first. She let out a cry of delight and threw her arms around me in congratulations, telling me that it was about time and that she always knew. This, of course, was quickly followed by a chorus of well-wishes from everyone. Many of the guys were slapping Naruto on the back, and they quickly hustled us both to the head of the main table where the feast was served.

As we sat down, I looked at everyone. Sasuke and Sakura were sitting on one side with Karin and Itachi beside them. Kakashi, Guy, Obito, and Shizune were sitting at a nearby table with the other jounin. Konan and Nagato sat in a booth opposite Jiraiya and Tsunade who was well into the celebration already and was being held steady by Jiraiya's arm around her shoulder. Then there were the rest of the Konoha twelve, Haku, Teuchi and Ayame, Konohamaru and everyone else.

All here to celebrate, and to take joy in the lives they'd lived and the future that was yet to come.

And for the first time in my life, as I sat beside my family and friends looking forward to a new day…

…I finally felt at peace.

…

The End

AN: This is it. We've done it. We've reached the end. Again. When I first started this story, I only intended for it to go as far as the massacre, but now, over two years later, we've finally made it to the end of the series. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd reach this point and I half expected the story to fizzle out, but I'd like to thank all of the reviewers who helped push me to keep going because this would absolutely not have happened without you.

Also, because I cut most of the relationship fluff from the final chapters, I thought I'd take a moment to mention pairings that happen after the story.

First off, most of the canon pairings like Ino/Sai, Shikamaru/Temari, and Choji/Karui still happen, and they will all have their respective children. But since we've got a few extra people now, we've got a few extra pairings and babies.

Kiyo/Naruto: They have two boys and a girl. The oldest son is a mini-Naruto who causes his parents no end of exasperation. The middle son is shy and quiet with Kiyo's hair and eyes. The youngest daughter is a mini-Kiyo but with blonde hair and blue eyes. She is born shortly before Naruto becomes the Seventh Hokage. The children all have their father's whisker marks and optimism along with their mother's intelligence and kindness.

Itachi/Karin: They have three girls and a boy. The two oldest daughters are twins and pretty much mini-Itachis in personality and appearance, while the third daughter is a redhead who takes after Mikoto's kind and caring heart. The youngest is a son who inherited his mother's red hair and explosive personality. They're all prodigies in the ninja arts.

Sasuke/Sakura: In addition to Sarada, Sasuke and Sakura have two boys. Sarada has her canon personality while her middle brother is more competitive and her youngest brother worships Sarada as his hero and role model.

Obito/Shizune: This romance happened slowly over a long period of time as Obito helped to rebuild the world. He appreciated Shizune's kindness, and Shizune appreciated Obito's sincerity. After marriage, Obito talked Shizune into a large family of 6, 4 boys and two girls. They have the widest array of interests and are among the most pure-hearted members of the clan, always helping everyone and each other…even if that means getting into trouble sometimes because Kiyo's eldest drags them into his pranks every so often.

Haku/Hinata: Hinata starts to develop a relationship with Haku later than most of the other pairings. They bond over their admiration for their respective heroes, and Hinata becomes active in the orphanage. They have two daughters who inherit Hinata's Byakugan and Haku's Ice Release. They're also both incredibly sweet-tempered and get along well with the Uchiha kids.

Madara develops a fairly close relationship to all 16 of his new grandbabies plus his 2 bonus vassal grandbabies, though he has a special bond with Kiyo's children since she's the only one who actively fosters a relationship between them from the beginning. The other members of the clan come around eventually when their children are old enough to start training and Madara takes up the mantle of clan sensei. But he always keeps a special soft spot for his first three, and they all grow incredibly strong under his tutelage.

Jiraiya/Tsunade: Despite Tsunade claiming that she's too old for romance, she does eventually marry Jiraiya, and with a bit of help from her medical ninjutsu, they have a baby girl with white hair, immense chakra, and both of her parents' bad habits.

Nagato/Konan: Theirs was a romance of friendship to love, and they eventually have a boy and girl, both with great strength and trained by Jiraiya when they come of age. The boy becomes a friendly rival to Kiyo's oldest, and the girl becomes a penpal to Kiyo's middle and youngest, all of them bonding over their shared Uzumaki heritage and helping to heal the strained bonds between Ame and Konoha. Kiyo hopes that this is a sign of a better future for the next generation. And all generations to come.

Alright, I think that's about it. Once again, I'm grateful to everyone who made it to the end with me. It's been quite a ride. I still look back sometimes to reread certain chapters, especially the Akatsuki arc which is my favorite, and I hope you've all enjoyed reading Misstep as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

So, for one final time, thank you and good night!

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