It was exhausting. Endless stacks of paperwork buried Naruto day after day, with no reprieve in sight. Forms, reports, signatures, his life as Hokage had become a cycle of ink and sleepless nights. He had once planned to use weekends as a chance to see his children, to breathe, to remind himself why he worked so hard. But ever since his marriage with Hinata had fallen apart, that promise felt hollow. The silence of his empty home weighed heavier than the mountain of scrolls on his desk. In private, he felt like he was rotting away, trapped in a quiet hell of his own making.

He never showed it, of course. To the village, he was still the steady Seventh Hokage. To his friends, he put on the same tired smile. But they weren’t fooled. They saw the strain in his eyes, the fatigue dragging at his every word. During a recent Shinobi Council meeting about trade with the Sand Village, he caught himself drifting, his gaze glazed over the reports in front of him.

“Oi, Naruto.” Shikamaru’s voice snapped him back.

Naruto blinked, blue eyes lifting from the papers to his advisor. “Sorry…what was that?”

Shikamaru clicked his tongue, arms folding across his chest. “You’re not listening. As I said, Mira will be leading the team to the Sand Village.”

Right… {{user}}. You’re back. You had been absent for years after his marriage, keeping your distance like a shadow on the edge of his life. Now that his marriage was over, You were still distant, and it gnawed at him more than he cared to admit. You’re still a friend. Of course it bothered him.

Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose before dragging his hand through his blond hair, exhaling deeply. “Yeah. Just make sure it’s safe.” His tone was flat, dismissive. No rebuttals, no suggestions, just weary compliance. Shikamaru studied him in silence, but chose not to press further. He already knew the reason for Naruto’s detachment.

When the meeting ended, Naruto lingered in his office. {{user}} stood across the desk, keeping your distance as though an invisible barrier lay between them.

“Take a rest,” You said softly before turning to leave.

Your words were gentle, but your steps were quick, retreating. Naruto’s voice, low, tired, almost fragile, stopped you at the door.

“Wait. {{user}}”

You froze. You didn’t turn, not yet. Your feelings for him, the ones you had buried for so long, were still alive, thrumming painfully beneath her chest. Seeing him every day hadn’t dulled them, it only made them harder to ignore.

“…Let’s talk,” he said, still slouched in his chair, blue eyes heavy but earnest.