(LIFE IN THE HIDDEN LEAF) CHAPTER FOUR

By the time Naruto finally made it home, slowed down by the many people who stopped him to talk, something he was still getting used to even years later, the sun had been gone for hours.

He pushed open the front door and stepped inside, already preparing himself for the usual chaos. After the hours he’d spent sitting in that meeting chamber, arguing about things that seemed to become more complicated every time somebody opened their mouth, the thought of walking into a house full of children was almost comforting. Almost. Boruto would probably still be awake, and if he was, there was a good chance Naruto would be dragged into whatever game had currently captured his son’s attention. Himawari had developed a habit of waiting up for him as well, even when Hinata had told her several times that she was supposed to be asleep.

Instead, the house was dark.

Naruto paused with one hand still on the door and listened for a moment, wondering if he had somehow come to the wrong house. There was the faint sound of something moving in the kitchen, followed by the familiar clink of dishes, but otherwise the house was remarkably peaceful. He closed the door, slipped off his sandals and walked into the living room, following the light spilling in from the kitchen.

Hinata was standing at the counter, putting away the last of the things she had used to prepare dinner. She had already changed out of the clothes she’d worn earlier in the day, and glanced over when she heard him come in.

“You’re home.”

Naruto smiled. “Yeah. Finally.”

“How was the meeting?”

“Terrible.”

She laughed. “That bad?”

“Worse.”

Naruto walked over and slipped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin against her shoulder. Hinata leaned back against him without hesitation, and for a few seconds neither of them said anything. Simply being able to stand there with his wife felt better than he could have explained.

“You took your time,” Hinata said.

Naruto sighed. “I got stopped a few times.”

“A few?”

He smiled. “Okay, a lot.”

Hinata shook her head, though she was smiling too. “You know you don’t have to stop and talk to everyone.”

“I know that.”

“You never act like you know that.”

“They were just talking to me.”

“And you were talking back.”

“What was I supposed to do? Tell them I was busy?”

“You could have.”

Naruto visibly considered that, leaning away for a moment. “That would’ve been rude.”

Hinata laughed. “Of course.”

He rested his chin on her shoulder again. “Besides, I haven’t seen some of those people in a while.”

“I know.”

She turned in his arms and looked at him properly. The smile remained on her face, though her expression softened when she noticed how tired he actually looked. Then, she reached up and brushed some of his hair away from his forehead. “You should get some rest.”

“I will,” he said before glancing toward the hallway again. “Where are the kids?”

“Asleep.”

He looked back at her. “Both of them?”

“Both.”

Naruto stared at her with an inscrutable look in his eyes, then looked down the hallway again as if he expected Boruto to come charging around the corner simply because someone had mentioned him.

“You’re serious.”

“I am.”

“What happened?”

Hinata laughed. “They were tired. Boruto fell asleep first, and Himawari followed him not long afterward. I tried to move her to her bed, but she woke up, so I left her where she was.”

“Where?”

“On our bed.”

Naruto’s eyes widened. “You put her in our bed?”

“I wasn’t going to wake her up just to move her again.”

“Fair.”

Hinata watched the expression spreading across his face.

“What?” she asked. 

“Nothing.”

“You have that look.”

“What look?”

“The one you get when you’re planning something mischievous.”

Naruto shook his head, though the grin remained. “I wasn’t planning anything.”

“Naruto.”

“Okay, maybe I was thinking something.” She gave him an amused look, and he added, “That we’re finally alone.”

Hinata’s expression softened. “For a little while.”

“That’s more than we’ve had lately,” he murmured into her hair, squeezing her again. 

She couldn’t argue with that.

The children had a way of occupying every spare moment they possessed. There had always been something. Himawari was still too young to be left on her own for long, Boruto wanted one of them to play with him, dinner needed to be made, somebody had made a mess, somebody had fallen asleep somewhere they weren’t supposed to, or Naruto had been called away for another meeting. Even when neither of them had anything particularly important to do, there was usually a child somewhere nearby to remind them that they weren’t the only people living in the house anymore.

They loved it. Both of them truly did. Their children were the most important part of their lives, and neither of them would have traded being parents for anything. But that didn’t mean they never missed having the house to themselves.

“Did you eat anything on the way home?”

Naruto thought about it. “A little.” At her inquiring look, he continued. “Some people gave me food.”

Hinata smiled. “And you ate it?”

“Most of it.”

“Most?”

He shrugged. “I was talking to people. I couldn’t exactly stand there and eat everything they handed me.”

“You could have.”

Naruto laughed. “I suppose I could have.”

She turned back toward the kitchen. “I was going to make some ramen.”

Naruto immediately looked more interested. “Ramen?”

Hinata glanced over her shoulder. “You sound surprised.”

“I’m not surprised. I’m happy.”

“You’ve had ramen twice this week already.”

“And?”

“And nothing.”

Naruto grinned. “Good.”

She started preparing the bowls while Naruto leaned against the counter and watched. He offered to help and was promptly given the job of finding the ingredients, which Hinata knew was probably the safest way of involving him without ending up with half the kitchen covered in flour or seasoning.

They worked together without much conversation, and Naruto found that he liked it. There was also something comforting about the ordinary routine of it. Hinata moved around the kitchen with the ease that came from years of knowing exactly where everything was kept, while Naruto occasionally reached past her for something and earned a small complaint when he put it back in the wrong place.

When the ramen was ready, they carried it into the living room.

Naruto sat beside Hinata rather than across from her, close enough that their shoulders touched. He took the first mouthful and sighed appreciatively.

“I needed this.”

“You say that every time I make ramen.”

“Because every time I eat ramen, I need it.”

Hinata shook her head and continued eating.

After a few minutes, Naruto began telling her about the meeting.

He had meant to keep it short. Instead, the entire thing came pouring out, beginning with the Daimyo’s proposal and somehow ending with Shikamaru’s land scheme and the expressions on the representatives’ faces when they realized how much the proposal would cost. Hinata listened, occasionally asking a question when she wanted him to explain something, and Naruto found himself relaxing more and more as he talked.

“So the representatives are leaving?” she asked.

“They’ll be back later this week.”

“That gives everyone some time to think.”

“That’s what Kakashi wants.”

“And Shikamaru?”

Naruto snorted.

“He probably wants everything to stop being troublesome.”

Hinata laughed. “He’s probably exhausted.”

“He looked exhausted before the meeting started.”

“Then nothing has changed.”

“Pretty much.”

Naruto took another bite of ramen, chewing for a moment before looking down at the bowl.

“I just hope they can work something out without everyone making a mess of it.”

“You don’t think they will?”

Naruto shook his head. “Probably not. Everyone’s got their own idea about what should happen, and once people start arguing about things like this, it usually gets worse before it gets better.”

Hinata nodded.

“I just hope I don’t end up in the middle of it,” Naruto added. 

She looked at him for a moment before shaking her head sadly. “You know you will.”

Naruto sighed. “Yeah.”

He leaned back against the couch.

“I’d rather they just figure it out themselves. Kakashi and Shikamaru are good at this stuff.”

“And you aren’t?”

“Not really.”

Hinata smiled. “That’s what you think.”

“Because it’s true.”

“You’re still going to get involved.”

Naruto looked at her, then gave a reluctant smile.

“Probably.”

Hinata reached over and rested her hand against his.

“Then I suppose we’ll just have to make sure you come home when it’s over.”

Naruto looked down at her hand before turning his own over and taking hers.

“Yeah.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Naruto squeezed her hand.

“I missed this.”

Hinata looked at him. “What?”

“Just sitting here with you,” he said, bumping his shoulder against hers. 

Her smile became smaller and more genuine.

“I missed it too.”

They finished eating slowly after that, the conversation drifting away from politics and toward everything else. They talked about Sakura and the last time she had come by with little Sarada, and Naruto mentioned that they should probably visit her soon. They talked about a book Hinata had been reading and a mission he had heard about earlier in the week. There was nothing particularly important about any of it, which was exactly why Naruto enjoyed it.

When they finished, Hinata gathered the bowls.

“I’ll wash these.”

Naruto reached over and took one from her.

“We can do it tomorrow.”

“Naruto.”

“We’re the only ones awake.”

“It would only take a few minutes at most.”

“They’re not going anywhere.”

She gave him a look, then glanced toward the hallway.

After a moment, she sighed and put the bowls down.

“Fine. Tomorrow.”

Naruto smiled. “See? You’re learning.”

“I’ve been married to you long enough to know when arguing isn’t worth it.”

He laughed, then reached for her hand.

Hinata looked down at their fingers before looking back at him.

Neither of them said anything.

The house was still. Somewhere down the hallway, one of the children shifted in their sleep, but neither woke. Naruto could feel the exhaustion he’d carried home beginning to leave him, replaced by something warmer and far more pleasant.

He leaned toward Hinata and kissed her.

It was a simple kiss at first, familiar and comfortable after all the years they’d spent together. Hinata’s hand settled against his chest, and when Naruto kissed her again, she moved closer.

When they eventually pulled apart, she smiled at him.

“You really were tired.”

“I still am.”

“Then maybe you should sleep.”

Naruto gave her an incredulous look.

“That’s what you’re going with?”

Hinata laughed.

“I thought you were tired.”

“I am. Doesn’t mean I want to sleep.”

She looked at him for a moment, and the amusement in her expression slowly gave way to something warmer.

“I know.”

Naruto brushed his thumb across her hand.

“We haven’t had a night like this in a while.”

“No.”

“I’d like to enjoy it.”

Hinata leaned against him.

“So would I.”

They stayed there for another few minutes, talking in low voices about nothing in particular, neither of them in any hurry to move. Tomorrow would bring the children, the village, another round of political arguments and whatever else the Hokage decided to put in front of them.

Tonight, they had the house to themselves.

Eventually, Naruto kissed her again. This time, Hinata climbed onto his lap, and whatever thoughts he had left about the council meeting disappeared almost immediately.