Transcending Realities: A Journey to Reclaim Home

The celebration lasted from day to night, and Tsunade had clearly enjoyed herself, drinking to her heart's content and laughing all the while. I couldn't help but watch her with a grin, and on a whim, I leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

She looked at me, caught completely off guard. "Hey, you little brat! What was that for?"

"Nothing," I shrugged, trying to look innocent. "You looked really happy tonight, and I thought, why not? You look amazing when you smile, so I took my shot."

She muttered something under her breath, seeming both flustered and frustrated, before going back to her drink. But the surprise and irritation faded soon enough, and she was back to her usual self, laughing and talking with everyone around.

When the party finally wound down, we all prepared to head home. Sasuke went to the Uchiha residence, now bustling with life again since the clan's return. Tsunade, however, was too tipsy to walk straight, and I knew leaving her alone wasn't an option. I hoisted her up and began carrying her home, knowing she'd probably give me a hard time about it later. Shizune followed close behind, looking a bit exasperated but clearly grateful.

When we reached the house, I carefully laid Tsunade down in one of the guest rooms, covering her with a blanket. Shizune decided to stay in the room with her, making sure she'd be alright through the night.

The next morning, as expected, Tsunade was nursing a massive headache. I couldn't help but chuckle as she grumbled her way to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Tsunade," I greeted her.

"Good morning, Naruto," she replied, looking worse for wear.

"Could you get me some hot tea, Kushina? I need something to take the edge off this headache," she called out.

Mom replied from the kitchen, "Of course, Tsunade. Coming right up!"

I leaned back with a grin. "Who told you to drink so much? Now you're paying for it."

She gave me a sideways look, somewhere between annoyance and amusement, and muttered, "Just you wait, Naruto. I'll remember this when I'm feeling better."

But despite her words, there was a warmth to her gaze that softened her grumbling.

Tsunade shot me a glare, though it was clear the headache dulled her usual fiery response. "Don't act like you're so innocent, Naruto," she muttered, rubbing her temples. "If you hadn't been encouraging me and sneaking kisses, maybe I wouldn't have drunk as much."

I laughed, crossing my arms. "Hey, you were the one enjoying yourself. I just... added to the fun."

She groaned, closing her eyes. "Right, added to it by giving me a headache for the morning."

At that moment, Mom walked in with a tray holding a hot cup of tea, smiling warmly. "Here, Tsunade, this should help."

Tsunade took the cup gratefully, sipping it with a sigh of relief as the warmth eased her headache a little. "Thank you, Kushina. You're a lifesaver."

Mom chuckled, glancing at me. "Naruto's right, though. You did drink quite a bit."

Tsunade just waved it off. "I needed it after everything. Besides, it's not every day the village throws a party like that."

Shizune entered the room then, holding her own cup of tea. "Good morning, Tsunade-sama," she greeted, smiling at the sight of her mentor finally relaxing—albeit with a headache.

Tsunade gave her a nod, already looking more alert. "Good morning, Shizune. And thanks for making sure I didn't end up face-down somewhere last night."

I smirked. "You should be thanking me too—I was the one who carried you home."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide a small smile. "Yeah, yeah, thanks, Naruto. Just don't make a habit of it."

As the morning went on, Tsunade's headache gradually eased, and we all shared a quiet breakfast together. The mood was light, a welcome break from the chaos of the past few weeks. We all knew there was still much to do, but for now, it was good to enjoy this rare moment of peace.

After breakfast, we left the house and headed to the Hokage's office. As we entered, the Anbu stationed outside the office immediately bowed to Tsunade.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama, Shizune, Naruto," they greeted us respectfully.

"Good morning," we replied, and I gave them a quick nod as Tsunade strode to her desk.

The moment she sat down, a huge stack of paperwork landed on her desk, courtesy of one of the aides. Tsunade let out a groan, her shoulders sagging.

"Here we go again," she muttered, eyeing the pile as if it were her mortal enemy.

I chuckled, watching Tsunade's expression as she stared at the mountain of paperwork. "Welcome to the Hokage life, Tsuna. You know, I could help... for a price," I teased, flashing a grin.

She glared at me, though I could see a hint of a smile. "Naruto, if your 'help' means more of those 'motivational' kisses, then maybe I'd rather take on this paperwork alone."

Shizune stifled a laugh, setting down her own stack of documents beside Tsunade's desk. "I think Naruto's just excited to finally have a reason to be in the Hokage's office every day."

"Exactly," I said, grinning even wider. "But I'll make myself useful too. After all, it's my duty to support the Hokage however I can."

With a sigh, Tsunade shook her head but couldn't hide her amusement. "Fine, fine, if you want to stay and help, grab a pen. I could use all the help I can get." She handed me a small stack of forms. "Just don't mess up or I'll make you redo it all."

I gave a mock salute. "You got it, Hokage-sama."

As we got to work, the day settled into a steady rhythm. Shizune organized documents, I filled out forms under Tsunade's watchful eye, and Tsunade went through the endless reports and requests. Occasionally, she'd mutter a few choice words about the amount of work, but I could tell she was getting into her role, bit by bit.

By the end of the day, we had made a good dent in the paperwork, and Tsunade looked a little less stressed. I stretched my arms, yawning. "See, Tsuna? With me around, this Hokage job's not so bad."

She smirked. "Don't get cocky, Naruto. You've barely scratched the surface. But... thanks for sticking around. It makes this a little easier."

"Anytime," I replied, giving her a thumbs-up.