After days of trudging through winding trails, sleepy border towns, and the long roads back from Haru no Kuni, the familiar gates of Konoha finally came into view—standing tall and proud like a sentinel welcoming its children home.
Team Kakashi, travel-worn but satisfied, passed through the gates under the warm afternoon sun.
First thing on the agenda? Duty, as always.
Kakashi gave a two-fingered wave and disappeared in a swirl of leaves, heading straight to the Hokage's Tower to deliver the final debrief.
He had already submitted the initial report during the return journey via messenger hawk—one that detailed the political shift, the imprisonment of Doto, and the reinstatement of Princess Koyuki as Daimyo of the newly restored Haru no Kuni.
Of course, the juicy bits? How were the rogue shinobi actually defeated? Left vague.
The report glorified Kakashi's own contributions just enough to satisfy the higher-ups.
Because Naruto—our fox-hearted tactician—chose to stay under the radar. No headlines. No glory. Just peace in knowing he did the right thing.
Karin and Sasuke understood that perfectly.
Soon after, the trio returned to their home as all were in a single home. Tired, but smiling.
Naruto burst through the door, radiating energy like a walking sunbeam.
"I'M HOME!" he shouted, voice echoing through the house.
Right behind him, Karin slipped in, her voice noticeably softer, "I'm home too…"
And then, a second behind her, Sasuke walked in with the stealth of a shadow, muttering his own almost inaudible, "...home."
Inside the warmly lit living room, a full crowd was already waiting—Kushina, Kana, Tsunade, Shizune, Haku, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Kurenai, Anko, and Yugao — all seated like a welcoming committee with snacks in hand and anticipation in their eyes.
"Welcome back!" they all chimed in perfect unison.
A beat of silence—then everyone burst into laughter.
Naruto grinned and made a beeline to the spot beside Kushina, throwing himself down with a contented sigh. Karin immediately veered toward her mom, Kana, flopping beside her with exaggerated tiredness.
Kushina looked over at Sasuke and gave him a warm gesture. "Sasuke, dear, come sit too."
Sasuke blinked, then quietly walked over and sat next to her, a little stiff but not uncomfortable.
And then—the barrage began.
"How was the mission?""Did you get hurt anywhere?""Did you eat well?""Did you meet any weird nobles?""Tell us everything!"
The living room turned into a flurry of overlapping voices and excited chatter.
And in the middle of it all, with a smirk on her lips and eyes full of mischief, Karin dropped the bomb.
"Well, he did bring back something special."
Everyone paused. Eyes turned to her.
Karin grinned wider. "He caught a new girl and turned her into his lover."
Gasps. A few dropped jaws. Ino dramatically grabbed Sakura's shoulder. Sakura blinked twice. Tsunade raised her eyebrow. Anko just cackled.
Naruto froze, mouth open mid-bite. "KARIN!"
Too late.
Sakura blinked. "What?"
Hinata echoed, wide-eyed. "What?"
Ino practically shouted it. "What?!"
The three of them looked at Karin like she'd dropped a kunai on a landmine—and it exploded right in the middle of their love life.
Their synchronized reactions were so identical it could've been a Genjutsu. The room paused, as if the universe itself braced for impact.
Tsunade threw her head back and laughed. The kind of laugh that said, "I love mess when it's not mine." She casually sipped her sake like it was popcorn.
Kurenai and Kana both looked scandalized—like Naruto had returned from war and brought home a scandal as a souvenir. Kana clutched Karin's shoulder, stunned but not surprised.
Anko leaned forward like a fox sniffing fresh drama. "Oho~ Another one, huh? You're really something else, Naruto."
Yugao narrowed her eyes. "Wait. Another one already?"
Shizune furrowed her brows, concern fighting curiosity. "Was this before or after your diplomatic responsibilities, Naruto?"
Tenten tried to play it off—arms crossed, a neutral smile—but her gaze dropped ever so slightly, and her heart twisted. She'd always admired him, always felt something warm bloom when he smiled. She shook it off like a kunai graze. Not the time.
Haku, though... she broke.
Her smile trembled at the edges. Her hands folded tightly in her lap. She felt like a quiet snowfall that suddenly cracked underfoot. No confession, no chance. She turned her face just slightly to the side, blinking fast.
Karin, still chewing imaginary gum of sass and victory, leaned toward him with a devilish smirk.
"Do you remember what you did when we were six?" she asked.
Naruto blinked. "...Huh?"
"You confessed to mom—my mom, Kana—about me marrying you." She tossed her red hair. "So I did the same. Now we're even."
Naruto squinted at her, deadpan. "Are you some kind of vengeful demon?"
She gave him the smuggest grin in the elemental nations. "Maybe. But revenge is best served cold. Ice cold. And preferably in front of an audience."
Naruto sighed. Karin. You menace. But arguing with her was like shadow-boxing a volcano.
So instead, he reached into his pouch with dramatic flair.
"Alright. You want proof?" he said.
He pulled out a small photo, freshly printed and carefully kept.
"This is her," he said, holding it up for everyone to see.
The photo showed Koyuki Kazahana, elegant as ever, cheeks flushed beside Naruto under a starry night sky, wrapped in a moment of quiet intimacy.
You could hear a pin drop.
And then.
Tsunade whistled. "Damn. You got a big one, actress."
Sakura muttered, "...She is kinda pretty."
Hinata just looked away, clearly processing.
Ino leaned closer, eyes narrowed like a fashion critic. "Okay, I accept her"
Anko gave a devilish grin. "Naruto Uzumaki: shinobi, lover, playboy. What won't you conquer?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head with that signature sheepish grin."Well... I saw her movie, and already became her fan. And come on, which fan doesn't dream of marrying their idol? But for me... it actually happened."
That line hit like a spark to dry leaves—the whole room burst into laughter.
Of course he'd say something like that. It was so Naruto—that honest, goofy charm of his that made you want to either smack him or hug him, sometimes both.
"If he ever wasn't like this, I'd be worried," Tsunade muttered fondly, shaking her head.
Kushina chuckled, then took a more serious tone, "I know you have the ability to take care of them, but—"
Before she could finish, Naruto gently cut in, voice calm and warm."I know, Mom. I'll take care of myself. I'll protect them. And all of you too. You're all my family."
There was a rare stillness in the room, like the world had paused just to breathe in his words.
Kushina smiled, heart full, and pulled her son into a fierce hug.Kana, watching silently, eyes glistening just a bit, stepped in and embraced him next, arms joining around him with quiet affection.
And just like that, the room exploded again—chatter, teasing, chaos, and joy as everyone returned to being their wonderfully dysfunctional, close-knit selves.
But one person wasn't laughing.
Haku sat quietly, warmth on her face but a storm in her chest.That one moment—when Naruto had spoken about family, about caring for all of them—had cracked something open inside her.
Her heart was pounding. But not out of fear.
It was courage.
The courage to speak.
Not today, she thought, glancing around the room.But soon.The next time they were alone, when her heart wouldn't be drowned out by laughter.
She would tell him.She had to.Because if she didn't, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
And deep down, she believed—no, she knew—her feelings mattered too.
Kakashi also arrived after some time, as always late entry.
"Did i come at the right time?", He asked while seeing that Naruto was fully overwhelmed by other's love.
Kakashi arrived, fashionably late as ever.
"Did I come at the right time?" he asked, stepping in and catching sight of Naruto surrounded by a whirlwind of affection, attention, and borderline chaos.
Kushina glanced over with a knowing smile."Yes, Kakashi. Don't worry—this is just how it always is when Naruto's home. You should know by now."
Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head, offering his patented wryly overwhelmed look. He'd seen war, monsters, —but Naruto's household? Now that was another level of battlefield.
"Anyway... here's the payout," he muttered, handing Naruto a scroll.
Naruto snatched it with a grin. "Thanks"
But before the copy ninja could activate Mission: Vanish Like a Ninja When Socializing Gets Too Real, a voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Kakashi," Kushina said firmly. "You're not leaving without having lunch."
He blinked. "I—uh—actually—"
"No excuses," Kana chimed in with a sly grin. "You've been dodging our home cooking for a while now."
And so, Kakashi was trapped.
He stayed for lunch, awkwardly nestled at the end of the table while the rest of the Narutoverse Home Deluxe Edition family laughed, teased, and passed plates around like it was a festival.
Kakashi nibbled on his rice, trying not to make eye contact with anything or anyone. His book was hidden away; even he wasn't brave enough to pull it out here.
When it was all finally over, Kakashi practically poofed out of the house.
On the way back to his apartment, he muttered to himself,"Poor Sasuke… he's been third-wheeling this sitcom longer than me. Kid deserves a medal."
And with that, the ever-reluctant family guest vanished into the breeze.