Naruto: Mind over matter

-that night-

Pov: Riku

"We will rest now lord Terror" The Anbu flickers away.

And that is the last Anbu to deal with today, I turn around and enter my house... I hear someone in the kitchen and I go through the corridor and find Eiko cooking a meal- steak to be exact.

"Eiko~ it seems that you cooked without me?" I ask.

"Oh, uh... sorry- I forgot to wait... I am not used to living with you again.." she looks downcast.

"That's fine~ Go ahead and eat, I will make myself something simple" I squeeze past her and enter into the main part of the kitchen which is pretty big... much bigger then my last one, just has two island tables making sure that Eiko has to squeeze past when we both are in the kitchen... she could technically walk on the other side of the island but Eiko is Eiko.

She stands and eats her meal while I cook mine.

"So you aren't Riku three right? You didn't reincarnate like Luke did?" Eiko asks me.

"Eh? No of course not wolf, I am me- I am also certain that you would have known that" I tell her.

She nods her head as she chews her food.

"I heard from my mother that the Hyuga confirmed the first shipment of supplies and a few workers to help build Konoha back up- in a week everyone should have a house... not furnished or painted like ours mind you" She lets me know and I hum a happy note in return.

"Ooh! Also- when are we getting married? We can do a whole ceremony but the Hyuga elders just want the kids and I don't mind doing something small" She asks.

"Its all up to you wolf, small? Big? I am happy no matter what- maybe lets stick with a small thing... don't want to gloat even harder to everyone else right now" I tell her.

"We getting married within the week?" She asks happily.

"If that's what you want?" I turn and raise my eyebrow.

"Yes please~ I don't really have anyone to invite to a wedding anyway, all I need is to have you become mine..." She chews on another piece of steak while looking at me as if I where the stars.

"Then I will make sure to suit before then... robes? Wait what are the customs of marriage here?" I finish cooking my meal as she gives me a rundown on what I should wear and do.

After eating we make ourselves some tea and drink it in the loungeroom... I may have furnished the house with Javelin buying and transporting furniture from other towns...

"So- learn any interesting hobbies or such while I was gone?" I ask.

"Not really... I spent most my time in your bed or at work... I guess in spare time I did start doing basic exercises" She tells me.

"Hmm~ cant wait to see those up close and personal" I smugly smile and she rolls her eyes.

"Now who is the pervert" She raises her brow.

"Takes one to know one I am afraid, and you corrupted my innocent self so quickly~" I dramatically tell her and she giggles.

Smiling warmly she looks into her cup.

"...You should spend some more time with your friends... I love that you are giving as much as your time as possible... but you should be having fun with them.." She lets me know and I sigh.

"Your right... sorry but I just- I just feel so awful for dying on everybody and then treating death as a joke... Jiraiya just died and declaring that I am A-ok while everyone has watched their loved ones die due to Pein... I feel awful about it" I slowly mutter to her and she listens intently.

"But you saved so many...?" She reassures.

"Not all of them. Not enough" I state.

"... take all the time you need Riku, I am here for you... and if you want some time alone- I mean you didn't build a house so quickly to gloat... if you want me to sleep in the guest bedroom I can" she shuffles over to me and places a hand on mine.

"No! I mean- its fine... I just wanted to get away from all those people who look at me so... I just think about that twenty percent..." I take a swig of my tea and place it down empty.

...

"Its not your fault Riku..." she reassures and I shake my head.

"I know that... I know that I did my best but I feel like I could have... when Almighty told everyone he didn't care about them and their loved ones... I felt like the worst person in the afterlife- he is a part of me, some tiny part of me doesn't care about anyone... and I look at them and all they see in me is the monster they sick on the enemy" I sigh.

"Riku... but you do care, so much so that you are talking about it days after the event... you still carry that same worried face from when you crawled back into life..." She grips my hand and places her finished tea down.

"I just need a bit... I can have the whole 'I am alive lets celebrate' later, right now I just want to talk about anything else" I ask of her and she nods.

"Then lets wash this from our minds... and bodies- bath?" She asks and I nod.

We wash up after ourselves and clean up the kitchen before heading upstairs to our bath.

We just got water again as the system was implemented this morning with having a temporary shower area set up west of the crater.

Lucky me and Eiko however get a bathtub! Just need to use a small flame jutsu to heat it as we aren't connected to any of the hot water.

...

We both sit inside the tub after washing ourselves and relax side by side.

"Itachi Uchiha...? Wait, wasn't he that clan murder?" Eiko suddenly asks.

"Yes, though me and Sasuke have been wondering and creating a theory on what really happened that night... since Sasuke hasn't killed him I am sure that we may be more right then wrong" I open my eyes to look at her worried face.

"Don't panic Eiko, you had me to protect you- nothing was going to wrong" I reassure.

"Sorry... just scary to only realise that someone so dangerous was in our house a few hours after the fact" she nods her head and sinks a little into the tub.

"Friends looked like they where doing fine- Sasuke and Sakura definitely got together with the looks they shared at lunch" I nod my head and smirk.

"Really? I didn't notice... way to go Sakura-san" she whispers in a surprised tone.

We both sink into the tub and relax for a good half an hour.

I yawn and that causes both of us to get up and out of the tub.

Drying ourselves off we head into our room and get under our ridiculous amount of covers before snuggling into each other.

"You know... we wouldn't need so many blankets if you wore some amount of anything..." I remind her and she gives a chuckle.

"Hehehe... did you want me too? I don't really need to hug you naked anymore really..." She whispers to me.

"What? Eiko...? Did you get possessed?" I ask with worry and she sighs.

"Sorry... just want to make you feel comfortable" She pats my back and I smile.

"With you? I am always comfortable" I kiss her forehead.

"Awww~ I missed you so much Rabbit" she smiles softly and nearly tears up.

"Yes... I missed you as well wolf" I reply.

...

..

"So about my debt?" I ask.

"Hm?" She responds.

"I thought you really wanted to do it?" I ask with less vagueness.

"I do. I really do. But for now? I am fine with hugs" she rests her head onto my neck and pecks my collarbone.

Thank you Wolf... for letting me breathe... for being something so much more than I deserve.

"Night Wolf" I say.

"Night Rabbit" She replies.

---

Pov: Eiko

I stretch and yawn... my hand accidentally slaps Riku awake.

"Hnn?" He looks up still half asleep.

"(Whisper) sorry! Was stretching! Didn't mean to wake you... go back to sleep" I place my hand on his face and he falls back into his pillow.

I think that Riku has gotten a few... issues from dying.

He keeps just having small talk with all his friends and doing his best to get conversations over with... he also has been attached to my hip since returning and is always within sight...

I don't mind it but I notice that he gets a little sadder when he goes to do something without me.

I love that he loves me but I think that being stuck alone and only talking to alternate versions of himself for a year and a half has made him wanting me more then ever.

Which again- is completely fine... I just wish he didn't look so sad and burdened all the time...

*groal*

"Mmmm... you hungry?" Riku asks and opens one eye.

I blush and place my hand over his eyes.

"Nope... just sleep some more, its very early Riku..." I tell him.

"Then why are you up?" He asks.

...

"Had a nightmare that I dreamed this all up... just woke up to make sure you where in my arms" I reply and snuggle closer.

"Then I guess... I will have to... sleep with you more..." he mumbles before falling asleep again.

He also worries me with how guilty he feels about everything, he can barely look any of his friends in the eye because he cheated death... I didn't know one could feel guilt from cheating death but I never really met someone else who does it quite like Riku...

I love him but he needs to feel that love so he doesn't feel like a cheat or that he should have stayed gone...

How can I show him that I love him?

*Knock knock*

Riku wakes up and we both look to our window... maybe the thick curtains where a bad idea... who is it? An Anbu maybe?

*click*

Is someone robbing us? Riku? That's dumb...

*shuffle*

Anko-san crawls out of the curtains and stands up to look at us.

"Bit early isn't it?" Riku asks.

I pull the covers down a bit so our chins pop out of the covers and I look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Riku. Eiko" she nods to us.

"... usually the ninja declares they have something to say by now..." Riku yawns and sits up I stay down.

"Mhm~ you are one of the candidates selected to be the Hokage stand in for the meeting that the Kazekage has called" Anko tells Riku.

"What...? Meeting? Why?" Riku yawns again and slaps his face into waking up.

"After this incident in Konoha the Kazekage thought to warn the other villages and talk about certain treaties or such to hunt down the remainder of the Akatsuki before they can release the Tailed beasts- You, Kakashi Hatake and Shikaku Nara have been decided as the best person to show up to the meeting- all three of you having fame, power and smarts... some more than others" she smirks smugly at us.

"... oh no..." Riku mumbles.

"Oh yes" Anko widens her smile.

"What..??" I ask and turn my head to both of them rapidly.

"Riku will be selected by default" Anko declares.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"Because Windoor is weird and Shikaku-san is lazy!" Riku grimaces.

"And that leaves the one with the most fame in the world right now- you" Anko claps in amusement.

...

"Did you have to climb through the window for that?" I ask.

"Nope. Just wanted to annoy you- have fun fucking" Anko declares and jumps out the window, locking it again behind her.

I hate when ninjas do that...

"We fucking?" I turn to Riku who is smiling widely at me.

I sigh and he does so too before we both get up and dressed.

"I should still be here for a few days... if it was urgent she would of just kidnapped me- we can have our wedding after this big meeting..." Riku lets me know and I nod.

After placing my robe completely on I grab a handful of Riku's ass before skipping down the stairs- I hear a chuckle behind me and I giggle before starting up our breakfast.

"So Lord Hokage~ what can we make you?" I ask teasingly.

"One meeting Eiko. Please do not tease me on that- Eggs, toast." Riku sighs and I let out a large laugh.

"Of course Lord Terror!" I salute and his shoulders drop.

Pft- so cute~

"You don't like being called that? I guess you do like being called rabbit... you were a bottom this entire time?" I gasp in mock shock.

He shakes his head and smiles.

"Oh Eiko... I think we already established who wants under who..." He replies smugly while I blush- looking away and we cook ourselves a nice breakfast.

---

Pov: Naruto

*Knock Knock*

The door opens and Riku appears.

"Riku! Want some ramen?" I ask.

He looks back inside.

"Ill.be back home soon Eiko! Just getting some ramen with Naruto!" He yells and I hear a muffled 'got it!' In return.

"Lets go" He declares and we are on the move.

"Alright! Ichiraku just opened up a temporary stall! It has wheels Dattebayo!" I tell him and he chuckles.

He does a hand sign and transforms into Kanata, after a brief walk we arrive at the tiny portable Ichiraku's and order some ramen before sitting down on a nearby bench.

*slurp!*

"So good! Dattebayo!" I declare.

"So Naruto... I know we talked about it yesterday but... I really am sorry about what happened..." Riku slurps his noodles and apologises again.

"Its fine Riku... you don't need to feel guilt for being alive..." I tell him.

"But... so many others have died and I feel like-" He starts and I interrupt.

"Its fine! Stop saying that... I understand your trying to avoid using pervy sages name... but its fine... you are alive... and- and I feel wretched and horrible inside due to what happened... I really want to strangle and kill that masked man and yet... and yet I met my father... and you are back too, pervy sage taught me so much and most importantly he taught me how I want to live my life... you are right, I feel like I am filled with annoyance that only you can come back... but I- I am not going to sit in a pit and cry about how unfair life is! Pervy sage taught me not to! Dattebayo!" I let my heart slip onto my wrist and tell Riku how I feel.

...

I sigh and slurp more noodles down...

Maybe if Riku didnt return I might of been in that pit...

"Thank you, Naruto..." Riku sighs and sits up straighter.

"Let me get you a few more bowls" Riku declares and I smile softly.

...

Two bowls in Riku turns to me.

"Did I tell you that I might be temporary Hokage for one meeting?" Riku smirks.

What.

Huh?

"Are you serious!?" I yell.

"Yep~" he smirks even more smugly.

My mouth opens into shock and I struggle to contain my excitement.

---

Thanks for reading :)