So... New chapter, new title. Because I broadened my spectrum. This has become a series of one-shots, all self-conclusive, but all in the same continuity. I'm trying to give Naruto a better ending, one that I'm more satisfied with. So, this is part 2 of what was Loving an Idiot. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks to the appeals and the declarations of both Naruto and Sakura at the trial, Sasuke got condemned to a year of never leaving the village, and within that year he had to serve as a genin, without a team, only for D-rank missions. It was a surprisingly light sentence, but apparently, Kabuto's trial, which took place in the same days, shifted a lot of the attention to Danzo's actions, with ex-root members being called as witnesses, so both Sasuke and Kabuto were deemed as "Derailed by the circumstances". Kabuto chose to spend six months in prison, and asked to go back to the orphanage he grew up into after that. Danzo's memory was destroyed by the new evidence that Kakashi and Shizune had found in the Root headquarters, and Tsunade had to use her full charisma and then some to stop the other nations from giving an enormous amount of sanctions to Konoha because of all the plots the deceased shinobi had created increase the village's influence. The last Uchiha himself had just reported back after the last mission, when he head a shockwave.

"Shannaro!" A voice resonated through the forest outside Konoha, and a moment later Sakura punched the ground where Naruto was standing until a moment earlier. Said boy grinned as he jumped away from danger, before sending a chakra fist to the pinkette. He was met with a grin of her own when the girl blocked his attack with her open palm, only barely grunting as the ethereal hand stopped on hers. She then grabbed the extended chakra arm, and began pulling her boyfriend towards her, but the limb vanished a second later. Quickly she flew through hand signs and Naruto watched her disappear into a gust of wind, only for a moment, before she reappeared in the exact same spot, an evil grin on her face.

She's trying to use genjutsu. Kurama warned him. She doesn't know, does she?

Nope. Naruto grinned in his mental space. She's about to find out.

As the Jinchuuriki expected, Sakura's eyes widened when he landed with a backflip and immediately jumped back towards her, his only fist charged. The pinkette only managed to raise an arm in protection, but the hit never came. Instead, she heard Naruto say "Gotcha." before he kissed her cheek.

She had to take a second to realize what had just happened. When she did, she pouted. "I can't believe I lost again!" She muttered, crossing her arms. "Are you sure you didn't use sage mode? How did you escape my genjutsu? I worked so hard on that!"

Naruto grinned and she felt her frustration fade. "No sage mode, Sakura-chan! And as you have seen, I only used my chakra to make up for my lost limb!"

"Yeah, because you had a ten metres-long arm... What about the genjutsu though? Did I do something wrong?"

"It's time I let you know something about us jinchuurikis, Sakura-chan. The few of us who managed to befriend their bijuus, or at least gained their trust, are immune to genjutsus. It's like having a companion to wake you up, only the companion is inside you." The blond explained, grinning like a kid.

"Good grief... Is there anything you can't do, Naruto?" Sakura sighed.

"I'm not super strong without Kurama, Sakura-chan! And I still suck at utilizing genjutsu, even the most basic ones. You don't have a bijuu, yet if any of your attacks hit me, I'd have been done for the day."

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "When did you become so fast, anyway? I swear to you, before the war you weren't this fast!"

"If I wanted to work with Kurama's chakra, I had to improve my reflexes. The chakra cloak itself doesn't improve them. If I wanted to go fast, I had to think fast. It was basically what I worked on after I managed to access that power the first time. That and controlling my strength."

"I see. Anyway, I accept my defeat." She leaned in and chastely kissed his lips. "Friday's date will be wherever you want. Again." She grinned. It had been a month and a half since they started officially dating, and, after a few arguments over where to go with dates, they reached an agreement: Tuesday morning they would meet at the training grounds, spar for an hour, and whoever won the spar would plan it. Sakura had yet to plan a date. Aside from that, Naruto seemed to have made his quest to make her feel as loved as he could. Whenever he wasn't busy studying, he waited for her shift at the hospital to end, and asked her to spend some time together, or simply walked her home, chatting about the day. Often, he met her with a bouquet of flowers. Ino told her that the boy had spent hours at her shop, learning the meanings of every flower and the most common or particular combinations. And that he also often picked casually because he thought of her when looking at a certain flower.

"Are you done destroying the training grounds?" A familiar deep voice shook her from her mental rambling, and she noticed that, behind Naruto, who had also turned at the sound, was standing Sasuke, with Karin by his side, both wearing a Konoha headband. Sasuke's, in particular, covered is left eye, much like Kakashi's did before he lost his Sharingan.

"What do you mean? We are on a date." Naruto defended, making Sakura blush slightly. "You on the other hand, are you done rescuing kittens for today?"

Honestly, the pinkette found these the best dates. She loved blowing up some steam with him. They trained hard, weekly, even though she herself wasn't durable or fast enough to give her boyfriend a proper workout, she knew he still trained with Kurama, in another part of the village, when he wasn't studying for jounin. She was surprised in seeing him so dedicated to his work: he was the bottom of the class at the academy, after all. His dedication was... endearing. It made him seem more mature, grown up.

"Well, sorry to interrupt you, but Kakashi-sensei has asked for the four of us to report at the Hokage tower." The Uchiha said, smiling slightly. He definitely smiled more often nowadays.

"We were done anyway. Thanks, Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled at him and took Naruto's hand. "Let's go, shall we?"

His eyes widened for a moment, before he smiled back at her and nodded. While walking, the four shinobis chatted about mundane topics, but Sakura didn't miss that Sasuke and Karin were walking a bit closer to each other than normal. Unlike when the two of them were alone, with Sasuke around people seemed to stay clear of Naruto, as they obviously didn't trust the Uchiha yet, if they ever did.

They found Kakashi waiting for them at the entrance of the red building.

"Oh, look, my three favourite students." He greeted, with an eye-smile and his usual calm voice. "And Karin. How are you doing?"

"We were training, sensei!" Naruto replied cheerfully.

"Yeah, I think the whole village knew that. You and Sakura aren't the most discreet when it comes to fights. About that, I'll have to teach you a thing or two." The older man deadpanned, and Sakura blushed. She wanted to disappear. The whole village could hear their fight? Did they overdo it?

"Sorry..." She muttered.

"Don't be. It's because you are so strong. I'm sure that if Sasuke was with you, you three would have leveled the whole forest. It's not a bad thing, and it keeps potential threats at bay."

"We'll find somewhere else to train... I don't like putting people in danger, but I'll have to let Kurama loose from time to time." Naruto said, already thinking about a solution.

"We'll figure that out. Meanwhile, I called you here because I wanted at least some of my companions close for this." The jounin said, as he walked inside. The other four followed him.

"Is this the day, sensei?" Sakura asked, a knowing smile.

"For the formal part. The inauguration ceremony will be held in a week." Kakashi revealed.

Naruto catched on just then. "Oh! So today Kakashi-sensei will become Hokage?"

"Of course, loser. Try to keep up." Sasuke mock-scolded him.

"Watch it, bastard! Just because you're dating my cousin it doesn't mean I can't beat you to a pulp!" Naruto reacted heatedly, but his heart wasn't in it, as his grin suggested.

At that, both Sasuke and Karin looked away and the redhead blushed intensely, and stepped away from each other.

"We're not dating..." They said in unison. "Why do you care anyway?" Sasuke barked.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't. It's your life. But Karin's family, even though I didn't know I had one."

Karin smiled amusedly, as did Sakura, while the two boys glared at each other until they reached the Hokage's office, where Kakashi knocked, then opened the door.

Inside was Tsunade, wearing the Hokage hat, Shizune by her side,.

"I see you brought some witnesses." She greeted the five shinobis. Only then the four younger ones noticed the two elders of the Council, standing to a side.

"I don't see why the Uchiha needs to be here. He's just..." Homura started, and Sasuke narrowed his eye, ready to respond, but Tsunade cut the old man off.

"More of a hero that you will ever hope to be. I didn't forget how you backed Danzo up every time against me, and how you pushed for him to succeed me. Honestly, after what we found out about him, you two should have the decency to talk only when asked to." The last Senju used a tone that didn't admit replies, and the elders meekly looked down. Then, with a much gentler tone, she looked to the newcomers. "Sorry about that. Kakashi, are you ready?" she smiled.

The grey-haired man sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Very good. On the desk are the papers you need to sign to formally accept the charge. Hatake Kakashi, do you promise to defend the Village and all of its inhabitants with your life, if necessary?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to always keep the best interests of the Village in mind when making decisions?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to always follow the law, without fail or exception?"

"I do."

"Then it's decided. I, Senju Tsunade, thereby appoint you as the Sixth Hokage of the Village hidden in the leaves. You'll appear before the jounin council in a week, and seek their approval. You can now sign these documents. The destiny of the Village is in your hands." Tsunade finished, stepping aside to let the man walk towards the desk.

Kakashi scribbled with a brush on a few documents, while Tsunade took her hat off.

"All done."

"Very good." The Senju held the hat out, and Kakashi grabbed it, putting it onto his head. "I wish you the best of luck, Hokage-sama."

"Thanks. I'll need it." Kakashi joked. "May I have a few words with my students?"

"Of course." Tsunade exited the room, followed by Shizune and the two elders. As soon as they walked out, Naruto spoke.

"Congratulations, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Yeah, congratulations, sensei." Sakura echoed him.

"Congrats." Sasuke simply said.

"Thank you. I wanted you three here – Karin, I know you are here, too, but I'll get to you later – to thank you. You were my first students, and I have no idea of where I'd be if it wasn't for the three of you. I sometimes think you three taught me way more than I managed to teach you, but I'm proud to be able to call you three my students anyway. You see, when Rin died, I was in a bad place. I shut myself into ANBU work, I stopped hanging out with Guy, Asuma and Kurenai, I kept telling myself that it all happened only because of me. Lord Third thought differently, though. He asked me to become a mentor jounin, but I rejected the two teams before you, when they failed the bell test. I was starting to think that I was too harsh on them, then you three came in. A brooding loner, full of hate and anger, a clever girl with an unhealthy obsession for the first one, and a big-mouthed idiot." He paused to watch Naruto and Sasuke look sideways with a pout, while Sakura just blushed and looked down. "I could see the potential, and you three proved me right at the bell test. I watched the three of you as you evolved. Sasuke, I saw you change from seeing them as nuisances to family. Sakura, I saw you grow into an amazing kunoichi, as I saw your feelings change. And Naruto, you are still an idiot, sometimes. But you've become a shinobi like there were three, at best, before you, and all of them are legends. So, if I'm here, today, as Konoha's Hokage, it's all thanks to you. I'm proud to have been your teacher." He finished, smiling.

At this, Sakura could feel tears in her eyes, and, looking around, she saw Naruto in her same state, and Sasuke was barely managing to keep his stoic face. She grabbed Naruto's hand.

"Thank you, sensei." She declared. "I'm proud to have been under your guide."

"Same here." Naruto nodded, and all turned to Sasuke.

"I... After all that happened, can I still call myself a student of yours?" He asked.

"Of course. Even though Orochimaru might have thought you a bit more, you still started with me." Kakashi winked.

"In that case, thank you, sensei." Sasuke breathed out, smiling.

The Hokage nodded, and walked around the desk, to sit behind it. "Now, I didn't want you here only to hear me get all sentimental and thankful. I wanted you here to discuss the future. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Karin, I appoint you as the new Team 7. You'll be under my direct command, and you'll report only to me for the matters I need. When your probationary period will be over, Sasuke, you four will be sent on diplomatic or high-risk missions, either alone, in pairs or as part of another team. Naruto, after you're done with your jounin studies, Lady Tsunade agreed to help you with all the political knowledge that you'll need to become the next one to sit on this chair. Sakura, I know you are studying for jounin, too, so you'll be the team captain. You are the most strategic out of my students, but you'll be also busy at the hospital, I guess. So, Karin will be there as the third member, the one to provide intel and medical help, if needed. I heard you are a great sensor and medic kunoichi, Karin, so I think you'll be great for the job. The missions I'll give you will be top-secret, of course. Do you accept my requests?"

Sakura gulped. She felt honoured to be appointed as captain, of course, but she also felt a great deal of responsibility. Beside her, she heard Naruto swallow as well. He looked nervous.

"I accept." Sasuke was the first to speak.

"Me too." Karin nodded.

Naruto looked at Sakura, the couple locked eyes, and nodded to each other. They were in this together. "We accept, too." Naruto announced.

"Very good. I'll wait to be officially nominated to make plans." Kakashi nodded. "Ah, Naruto, Tsunade also asked me to tell you that she'll wait for you at the hospital later today, at 4, for the last test of your prosthetic arm. Sasuke, if you want to join him, you're welcome to do so."

The Uchiha looked towards Naruto and nodded. The blond did the same.

"You are dismissed then. Go back to your dates and have fun!" Kakashi smiled under the mask.

A blushing Karin followed the original Team 7 outside, into the Village's streets.

"So... Sasuke-kun... What do you think about getting lunch?" She asked, refusing eye contact with the former rogue.

Sasuke looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Sure."

"Su-sure? Well, let's... let's go then." The redhead couldn't hold her smile, and grabbed Sasuke's hand, leading him away.

"She's hopeless." Sakura commented, watching the couple walk away.

"No she isn't." Naruto disagreed. "It's Sasuke the one at fault here. Besides, weren't you like that, a while ago?" He added, grinning teasingly.

Sakura blushed and shoved him. "Shut up. I was an hopeless fangirl."

"I was worse than you, Sakura-chan." The blond remarked. "I'd have reacted the same way if you agreed to a date, only a year ago. And besides that, as I said, it''s Sasuke's fault."

Sakura got curious. "Why do you say that?"

"Karin came to talk last week and I spoke to Sasuke a few days ago. She complained that he seemed to look sad every time she offered to spend time with him, and asked what did she do wrong, so I asked him." He explained, as the couple started walking towards Ichiraku. "He said he doesn't feel like he deserves it. He said that he's inflicted too much pain on all of us, he doesn't understand how the three of us are able to be so nice around him, when the rest of the village is still so hostile. He feels like he doesn't deserve to be loved. Even though he likes her, and he's grateful to her for staying with him, he's afraid to care for her as more than a friend. I had to talk some sense into him, but he didn't seem convinced. I hope today he'll understand her feelings. I'm trying to push them, but he's as stubborn as a mule. And he's so depressed it's annoying, really!" Naruto finished with a groan.

Sakura looked down. "I understand. When we talked, while you were still in the hospital, I told him I wasn't ready to forgive him, yet. I'm still not sure I am there. I'm not you, Naruto, I can't let go something like what he did. You are helping with that, of course. But he hurt me so much, I understand everyone's feelings. And, Naruto, you have done a really great job at changing his heart. During the war, I was so ready to beat him until he said sorry... Yet another thing that you did for me." She smiled.

The boy looked down. "You are welcome... And I understand your feelings. I guess I forgave him because we looked into each other's minds after the fight and well, I consider him a brother, so of course I would. He knows that, but he isn't used to have a family that cares for him. That's why I keep pushing them together and we hang out so often." He said, smiling brightly.

"You are incredible..." Sakura muttered. Naruto was really the perfect man. Always putting his friends first, whether they liked it or not. It was in moments like this that she felt truly honoured to call herself his girlfriend, the one he put above anything else. It made her feel an amount of love she never thought could exist in just one person. Out of sheer instinct, she tugged on his sleeve and planted a kiss on his cheek. She smiled cheekily as he smiled at her.

"What was that for?"

"Being you." She simply responded.

He looked confused, but happy nonetheless.

After they had lunch, he walked her home to have a shower, and waited for her to also walk her to the hospital, all while chatting leisurely.

The day at the hospital had been unusually hectic. Coupled with the morning's workout, it resulted in Sakura dragging herself out of the building, half-asleep, wanting only to go home and rest. Then she felt a pair of arms circle her waist from behind, with a familiar voice saying "Hey there." to her ear, and leaving the feeling of a kiss on her cheek. It took Sakura a moment to realize that her boyfriend was wrapping her with two hands. She grabbed his right one, noticing the bandages covering it, and squeezed then spun around, grabbed his cheeks and kissed him on the lips.

"Naruto! Shishou has finally finished?" She asked, already knowing the answer and smiling happily for it.

"Yes." Naruto grinned happily. "I'm back to full power!" He joked. "I'll miss being fed by you though…" He looked sideways, unable to hold his teasing grin.

Sakura smiled. "Well, we can always find an arrangement…" She teased him.

"Later." Naruto said, before picking her up bridal style. Sakura let out a yelp, but soon she secured herself by putting her arms around his neck. "I always wanted to do this." He smiled at her, then jumped on the nearest roof.

Her fatigue was forgotten for a moment, but Sakura felt it coming back, so she focused on him. His hair was getting longer, he looked more like his father by the day. Even though only two months had passed since the war, she felt like his face looked more mature, more manly. From her position, then, she could feel his muscles under his shirt, and those were definitely more sculpted than she saw two months earlier. She felt a lump in her throat thinking about him, lifeless, lying on Gaara's sand as the Kyuubi was extracted from him, so she tried to focus on his body, and soon her imagination showed her the image of caressing his naked upper body, feeling every carve of it, every bump… She shook her head, blushing. She shouldn't be thinking that! But he looked so hot... She lost herself in his face, and she didn't notice that they stopped. His voice snapped her out of it.

"Sakura-chan… Is everything all right?" He asked, worried and confused.

Sakura blinked, and realized they were on top of a small climb, in a small garden that looked like it didn't get any attention for a long time, along with what looked like a deserted house.

"Yes... Sorry, I was spacing out. I'm pretty much perfect right now." She said in a dreamy voice, then asked "Where are we?"

Naruto delicately put her down and pointed at a point on the ground behind her. Upon turning she saw al blanket laid on the ground, a small basket on it. "Picnic dinner?" He half-asked, half-stated. "I got Dangos!"

Sakura's stomach growled at the mention of food, and she looked down, embarrassed.

"Can I take it as a yes?" He teased.

Sakura decided to play around a bit. "I don't know… You kidnapped me and brought me to a secluded place… anything could happen" she said, with a sultry voice, then, with a seductive swing of her hips, walked towards the basket, and laid down on a side, using an arm to keep her upper body raised from the ground.

"Well? Aren't you joining me?" She asked to the flabbergasted boy, in the most alluring voice she could muster, ending it with a fake pout. She could feel his gaze traveling up and down her body, and liked the sensation.

Then Naruto seemed to snap out of his trance, and nodded, sitting cross-legged to the other side of the blanket.

She opened the basket and found, as he anticipated, a large set of dumplings laying on a plate, and a couple of water bottles.

"Naruto… thank you" she said, genuinely moved. Despite the badly kept appearance of the garden they were in, the place was absolutely beautiful, and the unusually clear sky gave them a perfectly moonlit dinner. The food, then, was a plus, of course. She picked a dango stick and tasted one, moaning blissfully at the taste. "Why the surprise?" She asked, her mouth full.

"I wanted to celebrate having both arms again, and there is also a… thing I'd like to ask you." He said, tasting one of the small balls himself, while also scratching the back of his neck.

Sakura smiled. After offering her a bridal carry, a romantic picnic under the moonlight and her favourite food, he could ask her anything. "Sure, ask away."

"I need to tell you what happened today with baa-chan."

"Good evening, Naruto, Sasuke." Tsunade greeted the two boys. "Please sit." She pointed at the armchairs in front of her desk, then got up from her own seat and walked towards a table, taking a wooden box from there. She brought it back to her desk and opened it, revealing a pale arm.

"This is your new arm, Naruto. I just have to stitch it to your stump, after re-opening the skin. It's completely made of my grandfather's cells, meaning it will heal and feel good in a very little time. It might also mean that that you'll have Wood Style, but I'm not sure about that. Yamato might help you with that. Also, you'll notice an increase in your already impressive regenerative power."

Naruto touched the cold limb. "It feels... weird. Unreal. It's too... white." He said.

"I was also going to ask you to cover it while in public. People will know I made you a new arm, but the fact that it's made out of Grandfather's cells must remain as unknown as possible. So, there are these bandages that are chakra-sensible and are flexible enough not to hinder any movements, developed by Danzo." Naruto felt Sasuke tense at the name. "I was thinking that you could cover the whole arm, included the part you still have, with those. If someone would ever see you shirtless, they would just think your arm is an actual prosthetic and the bandages help you to move it." The former Hokage explained.

"I see. It should... It should work. Thank you, baa-chan." Said the blond, pensively.

"Sasuke then. I thought about it, and I decided to build a new arm for you, too. I need a DNA sample and..."

"Take your time. Unless the situation calls it, I don't want it." The Uchiha cut her off. Naruto glared at him.

"Why not?"

"Because you are so... nice to me, and I don't deserve it. I'm paying a small price for my actions, but the guilt I feel is great anyway. I already have some of the First's cell in me, Kabuto healed me with those when Madara stabbed me with my own sword, and that's how I can maintain the Rinnegan." Sasuke explained. "I want something to constantly remind me the mistakes in my life, and what I'm atoning for. Being an arm short is a good enough punishment. But I'll still give you what you need. As I said, I'll take the arm only if the situation absolutely requires it."

"I see." Tsunade nodded. "Follow me then. I'll make it ready as soon as possible, just in case. Ah, Naruto. There is an envelope on my desk, with your father's name on it. It's yours, along with the contents."

As the last Uchiha and the last Senju walked into another room, Naruto took the old envelope that Tsunade mentioned, and opened it. There were documents inside. He read them for a few minutes, and when Tsunade came back he had tears in his eyes.

"You were supposed to get those when you turned 18, but Kakashi wanted to give you them as a gift for your Chuunin promotion." She explained.

"Baa-chan… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. The house needs some work, but both Kakashi and I are willing to help you with that. When you turn 18, it should be ready for you to move in." She explained with a smile. "Now, come with me, I'll attach you that arm."

Sakura looked around, stunned.

"Exactly." Naruto said. "We are in what was my mom and dad's garden. That was their house. And now it's mine." He pointed at the building.

"Naruto… this is amazing. I'm so happy for you!" Sakura beamed at him. His smile softened, and a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Yeah… so, what I wanted to ask you is… could you help me with the garden and the furniture? I don't know where to start with that. And I would like to live here with you someday, so…"

There he was. The most unpredictable man around. Asking her, oh so casually, to move in with him… she knew that they had been dating for less than two months, but they already spent basically all of their days together… she felt ready to go live with him tomorrow. She widened her smile, and crawled towards him. "I'll be glad to." She kissed him. "And I would love to live here, with you, one day." She kissed him again, but this time he didn't let her go, deepening the kiss and pulling her towards him. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, but soon they closed as Naruto pulled her on him, his back meeting the ground, their lips never separating, their tongued dancing over each other's. She could feel his arms roam around her back, always clear of dangerous parts, while her arms held him tightly around his neck.

After a good minute of continuous kissing, they separated, both gasping for air.

"Wow." She exhaled, still hovering over him.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto was smiling through deep breaths. "You are beautiful."

Her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't the compliment itself, he had told her that many times, but the complete and utter sincerity in his voice, and the fact that he had just proven that to her with that kiss. Her insides felt on fire. She wanted to love him, completely, give him all of herself, then and there. She wanted to feel his skin on hers, she wanted to touch him and be touched by him. But she restrained herself.

"I love you." She said instead, hoping that those three words, whispered from an inch away from his mouth, would convey all the things she was feeling in that moment.

He closed the distance and pecked her lips one more time. "I love you, too, Sakura-chan." He said, and she felt his lips move on hers.

"Good." She grinned, and rested her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He started running a hand through her hair, massaging her scalp and effectively helping her relax. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep.

That was it. Liked it? please let me know with a review. Hated it? Why? Please let me know with a review. I'll ban flame. Anyway, That's all he wrote, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you next time. I'm out. Peace!