Conviction, 20 years later (requested by vampyrerange):

Naruto considered it a blessing that the number gathered around Sakura's table were only marginally fewer than it'd been 20 years prior. There was something to be said about having strong alliances.

He quickly finished the last dumpling on his plate before setting aside his chopsticks and glancing over at Sasuke. He and Sakura were sitting on the back steps, watching the children run circles around Neji, Saki, and Kiba. He rubbed his stomach appreciatively. The meal had been perfect, despite that Sakura had refused to make ramen just for him. He'd pouted and made pitiful faces at her the entire week, but she had refused to budge.

"Juuyan, you throw that kunai and I will personally introduce your bottom to my hand. I don't care that your mother is the Head of Hyuuga—she'll side with me." Sakura's voice cut through the peals of excitement that had erupted when the boy in question had drawn a kunai to knock the apple off of Sakura's daughter Matsuri's head.

Matsuri rolled her eyes as only a dramatic 14-year-old girl could. "Mom, it's just a kunai. And he keeps bragging about how good his precision is." She paused to give him a smug look. "I would have caught it when he missed."

Juuyan's pale eyes screwed up in anger and he opened his mouth to shout at her but Sakura cut him off.

"Stop baiting him. You're older—you should know better."

"Makes me glad I never had kids," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto grinned as he sat beside them and tossed an arm over Sasuke's shoulders. "But you love them all the same."

Sasuke gave him a flat look. "Love isn't the word I'd use."

Sakura turned and fixed him with an offended glare.

Sasuke feigned indifference but still reluctantly appended, "Except for Matsuri. But that's different. She's like my niece."

Sakura smiled pleasantly, mollified. She turned to watch the children, the lines around her eyes crinkling as she smiled. "Lee would be proud," she said.

Naruto nodded, watching as Matsuri showed the younger kids how to heal a small cut in her finger. "She'll make a fine medic, if that's the path she's taking. Lee would have been very proud."

He settled back on his elbows and turned his gaze to Sasuke, content to simply watch the man's profile. Sasuke was graying at his temples and, thinking about his own head of more-silver-than-blond hair, Naruto decided not for the first time how unfair it was that Uchihas apparently aged better than most. Or maybe it was just Sasuke. It was hard to tell.

Sensing his gaze, Sasuke turned. He frowned. "What?"

Naruto grinned. "Nothing. Just enjoying the view."

Sasuke's eyebrow rose dubiously but his lips tugged up into a smirk and he leaned over to drop a quick kiss on Naruto's mouth. "Don't you have work to do?"

Naruto groaned. "You had to remind me. Fine, I'm leaving." He pushed to his feet and dusted off his bottom. "Thank you for the meal, Sakura. And happy birthday, Matsuri." He waved to the group—comrades old and new, friends and lovers, his precious people—and let Sasuke walk him out.