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“No,” Naruto says calmly.
Watching the elders glance at each other and clearly count to ten in their minds is insanely satisfying, and Naruto stifles the need to laugh.
Now is not the time for it. He has a point to make, and he needs to appear professional.
“The Hokage should lead by example,” Koharu says, using the same old excuses they’ve been harassing him with for the past six years. “You can’t remain a bachelor forever.”
“Kakashi-sensei didn’t start a family either,” Naruto points out and raises his eyebrow. “Why weren’t you hounding him? Or are you trying to make me your poster boy?”
“Show some respect, boy,” Homura snaps. “We’ve been very lenient with you, considering what you did for the village—”
Naruto raises his bandaged hand and Homura goes quiet. “You’re not leading the village. I am. You’re only my advisors, unfortunately, and if I think your advice sucks, I can ignore it.” Naruto has had enough so he turns to leave. “Who I’ll marry or share my private life with isn’t your concern. I would appreciate if you left me alone. You’ve already ruined enough lives.”
He hears their offended gasps as he leaves their chambers and slams the door shut behind him.
“That wasn’t very professional,” Sasuke says idly, leaning against the wall in the hallway.
“Oh? I think I was a lot calmer than usually,” Naruto says and then plants a quick kiss to Sasuke’s cheek. “Shall we get going?”
Sasuke chuckles and pushes himself off the wall. “Sure. I’m getting hungry, anyway.”
“There’s still curry left at home, we just need to make more rice,” Naruto says brightly as they head to the stairs.
There isn’t anyone else there, so Naruto doesn’t hesitate to brush Sasuke’s fingers with his own.
Sasuke glances at him, Rinnegan covered by the veil of black hair as usual. “We’re in public.”
“Since when have you cared?” Naruto asks jokingly.
Even though they’ve been together for years by now, there are still times when Sasuke gets flustered, and in those moments, his cheeks get wonderfully pink.
Naruto laughs and pulls his hand away. “Sorry. It’s just really hard to keep my fingers off you.”
“Dumbass,” Sasuke mutters, but he’s smiling softly.
They walk through the village like always—Naruto has made it a point to do a certain route when he leaves the Hokage Tower: he starts from the main thoroughfare and then walks through smaller streets, just to check on his people. That’s why it usually takes an hour (sometimes more) to get home, but it’s okay.
Naruto enjoys these walks, especially when Sasuke is back in the village.
The route takes less time today, mostly because Naruto is driven by his hunger and Sasuke looks impatient to get home.
Their home.
The second they’re in private, with the door closed behind them, Naruto pushes Sasuke against the wall and kisses him. His lips still taste a little of the green tea he’d drank earlier.
“Fuck, kissing you always feels like I’m doing it for the first time,” Naruto murmurs and moves his lips to Sasuke’s neck.
Sasuke makes a quiet moan and throws his head back, giving Naruto a better access. He kisses the junction where Sasuke’s neck meets his shoulder with such ferocity that Sasuke winces and makes another, louder groan. It’ll leave a bruise, but Naruto loves marking Sasuke like this.
“I love you,” Naruto whispers and pulls Sasuke’s collar out of the way to kiss his shoulder. “So much.”
Sasuke doesn’t reply, but when Naruto glances at him, he sees the burning crimson of the Sharingan. He lifts his remaining arm and sinks his fingers into Naruto’s blond hair, the pull sending pleasant zaps down Naruto’s spine.
Since Naruto can’t help himself, he moves to kiss Sasuke’s lips again.
They’re rudely interrupted just a few seconds later when Sasuke’s stomach makes a loud rumble, rivaling those of Naruto’s, and Naruto breaks the kiss with a laugh. “Okay, okay. Time to eat!”
Sasuke kicks off his sandals, embarrassed, and throws his cloak to the rack before moving out of the genkan to go into the kitchen.
Naruto takes his time, moving their shoes to the side, and then joining his partner in the kitchen.
Sasuke is preparing the rice cooker, and while he does that, Naruto takes the curry from the fridge and sets it on the stove to be reheated.
You should be a little more careful with the council, Kurama rumbles suddenly. They could make your life hard.
I know, Naruto says. But I also need to show them that they can’t just order me around.
Besides, they must know—along with the entire village—that Naruto has never been interested in starting a family. Or a traditional one, at least. He and Sasuke got together shortly after the war, and they’ve been together ever since then.
They just never went public with it. Relationships between men or women is still frowned upon in the village, even though Naruto is doing his best to improve things, but changing years of tradition isn’t going to be easy.
While he believes they’re not too obvious, everyone can see that he’s a lot more close to Sasuke than what he maybe should be. Every single time Sasuke returns to the village a few times a year, he always comes here, to Naruto’s house. He doesn’t even have another place to stay.
He doesn’t need it, because this house is his home. They share the bed and their lives whenever Sasuke returns, and he tries to stop by at least every two months. If he’s on a mission or tangled up something else for a longer period of time, he usually makes it up by staying in the village longer.
Naruto has never taken it for granted—he knows that without him, Sasuke would never step back into Konoha.
So yeah, they might be a public secret, but he doesn’t really care. No one can actually force him to marry someone he doesn’t love, and he has already decided that he will gladly step down as the Hokage if he has to choose between that or Sasuke.
They move in the kitchen with familiar rhythm, and after dinner, they take a bath together.
At midnight, Naruto falls asleep with Sasuke in his arms.