Two days later_
"Thank you for taking care of me," I bowed to Gaara, Temari and Kankuro. Ryuzo stood a slight behind them and Shikamaru stood by my side with literally all the bags. He refused to let me carry any just in case I fell or something. I think he thinks I'm a bit fragile now that I have less than half the strength I used to have.
"It was no problem," Gaara replied, "I'm glad you've recovered. Thank you for putting your life on the line to protect my siblings and ninja."
"They would've done the same for me if they could," I smiled before Temari caught my attention. She was shuffling on the spot slightly.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"U-um... No, it's just--" she looked away before humming, "can you come back when you're a bit stronger? I'd like to train with you a bit... That is if you don't mind."
"I don't," I smiled, "I'll bring Himari too."
"But it won't be for a while," Shikamaru quickly butted in, "You're retiring remember?"
"I remember," I nodded, "so I have to find a way to work first."
"You're retiring?" Kankuro asked, I nodded, "why?"
"Because I don't want to die, as selfish as that seems," I laughed awkwardly, "that thing me, Inoiché, Choro and Ren did... We actually died... But then my friends used the last of their chakra and lives to bring us back. For that, I'll be eternally thankful because we're alive, even if I lost my friends in the Land of Illusion at the same time.."
They gave me an astounded look before smiling.
"So, you don't want to end up leaving Himari without any parents?" Ryuzo asked, I nodded, "it's not selfish. It's being protective and a good mother."
I smiled at him, and he looked away, a small red tickling at the tips of his ears.
"Um-- anyway, I should go make sure my brothers aren't totally destroying the house. I'll see you in a few days, I'm coming to Konohagakure so I can cash in that date you promised me," he said.
I totally forgot about that...
"Right... Sure," I nodded before looking down to Shikamaru who just shot me a questioning look, I just shrugged off his unspoken question and smiled, "shall we go? I miss Ma... And I want to see Pa and Uncle Inoiché..."
Shikamaru's expression darkened as he nodded and turned.
"Let's go."
°🥢°
Three days later_
"Well, isn't that a sight for sore eyes?" I joked as I saw Kotetsu and Izumo basically wrestling in the village gates, "aren't you guys supposed to be on watch?"
The pair stopped and turned to face us, almost robotically, like they couldn't believe that they were hearing what they were.
I smiled as they both shot me bright smiles.
"Shikarei!" they shouted before launching themselves forward, I jumped out the way and watched them face plant the floor, they looked up and grinned, "we missed you!"
"Missed you two idiots too," I nodded down to them before offering them my hands, they took them, and I pulled them back to their feet.
"We're so glad you're alive," Kotetsu said.
"When you did that big light show during the war and then disappeared we thought you'd died and everyone totally freaked when we got back to the village," Izumo added on.
"But I guess you, Inoiché, Choro and Ren can say you've visited your own graves..." Kotetsu hummed awkwardly.
"Oh wow, the confidence you bestow on us," I said sarcastically before chuckling, "we'll be going no--"
"Oh quiet, dad, I told you already, I'm retiring and that's that," a voice piped up from behind, we turned to see Choro, uncle Choza and Choji.
"Choro!" the two gate watchers shouted out happily, "Good to see you home!"
"It's good to be back," Choro grinned before his gaze landed on me, "Shikarei... Uncle Shikaku..."
"Don't," I shook my head, "I've cried enough over that."
"Please stop, Sakura," someone said from our left, "you've been gushing about being helpful for the whole journey home, I'm incredibly tired of it-- oh-- Shikarei. Choro. Did you just return?"
"Yes we did," I nodded.
"Looks like you two have been having fun," Choro pointed out just to have his ear pinched by Ren who just glared at him.
"Sakura has been talking my ear off for the past two days, do not push me," the pink-haired male glared at the red-head who just shot him a pained smile as he leaned down to try and stop Ren from pulling on his ear.
"Well, Choji and dad were bugging my decision to retire for the past 3 days, now that my chakra is near to nothing," Choro huffed.
"You're retiring too?" Inoiché's voice piped up from the right, we all looked over to him to see he was holding a cloth over his forehead.
"Wait a second, are all of you retiring?" I asked, they all nodded, "this is weird. Is it because you all have a really small amount of chakra now?"
They nodded.
"Plus, I kind of want to devote myself to Fuuka and my teaching in the academy," Inoiché said.
"Similar reasons but I'm going to be raising the next generation of medical nins," Ren said before his face flushed bright red, "oh and... I got a letter from Arwen saying she's going to move to Konoha."
"Ah, your hidden frost romance returns, hm?" I shot him a sly look, "you must be pretty happy, huh?"
"A-anyway, are you also retiring, Shikarei?" Ren asked, now releasing Choro from his hold, and hovering his hand over Inoiché's forehead where he'd been holding the cloth. Somehow, he'd, once again, hurt himself.
"Yes. I want to raise Himari right," I said, "dying and then coming back to life plus everything my eyes used to show me seriously painted a crazy picture for me."
"Speaking of your eyes," Ren leaned forward and stared at my eyes, "They're not glowing blue anymore. They're back to that natural brown of yours."
"Yeah. What's up with that?" Choro asked.
"No more eyes of time," I replied, "I overused it and it kind of went away?"
"You're no longer cursed," they all exclaimed, "We're so happy for you!"
I smiled as they dragged me into a group hug.
"I love you guys," I sighed as we separated.
"Where'd that come from?" Inoiché asked.
"Nowhere. I just do," I shrugged before turning around, "Let's go home, guys."