16 – Starting Over<\/b><\/p>\n
The setting sun on the red gates of Konoha made them glow and baked the skyline beyond a warm yellow. Naruto couldn\u2019t help but smile. Even with the late July heat bearing down on him, it was like his village was giving him a welcome-home hug. He was glad to be home. Waving once at the guards on duty, he patted his rucksack, listening for the sloshing of a bottle, and turned toward the Hokage\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
The last few months had been hard, some of the hardest in his life. But no one even knew. On the surface everything had returned to normal. He had a steady stream of missions and made frequent stops at Ichiraku\u2019s during his periodic time off. He kept busy, smiled at his friends and no one asked questions. To them, he was the same old Naruto.<\/p>\n
But beneath it all, he knew he had changed. He felt it, before he was even aware of the shift. During his visits to lands that had been touched by war, either through direct fighting or by the heavy price they\u2019d paid in loss of life, he felt their tragedy first hand. But this wasn\u2019t the bloodshed of the battlefield, sights that he\u2019d steeled himself against years ago. This was the heartbreak of those left behind, those who had to pick up the pieces, those who had to move on.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d seen it from both sides now. He understood love, and he understood loss. And on his many missions, helping reopen bridges and rebuild towns, he discovered he was slowly rebuilding himself as well.<\/p>\n
The pain of realizing what he wanted from Sakura only after it was too late to stop it slipping from his grasp had been a bitter blow. And that long walk back to Konoha from the Sand, after failing in that doomed quest, Naruto spent more time thinking about himself and what he wanted than he ever had before.<\/p>\n
For the first time since he stepped foot inside the academy at eight years old, Naruto realized he was free. The war was over, they\u2019d won and he\u2019d achieved feats as a shinobi that almost no one else had. He could chart his own course.<\/p>\n
But he was adrift.<\/p>\n
And to his surprise, he discovered he couldn\u2019t blame it completely on his disappointment with Sakura. Even though he didn\u2019t succeed in winning her back, despite trying his hardest, he still didn\u2019t feel like he\u2019d completely lost. In fact, he had to admit that he\u2019d gained something.<\/p>\n
His friendship<\/i> with her had been restored. And he realized now just how much he missed her presence in his life. If that\u2019s the way it had to be, just friends, then he\u2019d accept it. It was bittersweet. He guessed he just loved her too much to see her unhappy. And if staying in the Sand made her happy, then he was happy for her. Now he just had to move on to his own goals\u2026.<\/p>\n
But the visit to the Sand had thrown his dream of Hokage into doubt as well.<\/p>\n
Watching Gaara work the room with quiet diplomacy, Naruto guessed he\u2019d have to do that too one day. Pander to all those heads-of-state. Learn all that stuff<\/i>. Naruto shuddered, even as the sun beat down on him. He wanted nothing to do with that part<\/i> of being Hokage.<\/p>\n
Fighting? That he could do. Rallying everyone behind a cause? Any day of the week. But host a dinner for daimyos and clan heads\u2026? He\u2019d rather battle Madara again.<\/i><\/p>\n
As long as he didn\u2019t have to do a lot of talking then he\u2019d be fine. He was never very good at that. However\u2026that\u2019s all Gaara seemed to do these days\u2026.<\/i><\/p>\n
That tiny seed of self-doubt was enough. It grew over the four more days of traveling across the endless Sand deserts until Naruto felt as directionless as the wind that constantly scoured that land. By the time he saw the high walls of Konoha in the distance, he wondered if ruling a village was something he was even cut out for.<\/p>\n
Ignoring the gnawing doubt, Naruto turned back to what he knew: missions. They were familiar, routine, and he slipped back into that grind easier than he would have imagined possible. He requested hard labor with the civilian rebuilding efforts instead of covert operations, and the missions came in at an unending clip. There was so much work to be done, and was glad to do it, even if it wasn\u2019t much different from the D-rank missions Team 7 was assigned as kids.<\/p>\n
For a little while, in the beginning, it really did feel like he was starting over. He had never met the shinobis he worked with. They were lifelong genin and chunin with no particular skill, very different from the friends he come through school with. They had shined in the war and gone on to take prestigious roles in the reconstrucion.<\/p>\n
But Naruto couldn\u2019t ignore that even though he\u2019d signed up for the most menial of the rebuilding efforts, it still felt a little bit like flunking the shinobi academy all over again. His friends were moving on while he stayed behind. They had clear paths in front of him, while he was still floundering. They\u2019d figured everything out while he was still struggling to learn the hard way, which seemed as slow as the rebuilding projects he worked on, piece by piece, brick by brick.<\/p>\n
But he didn\u2019t wallow in self-pity for long. The men and women he worked beside were able and proud, as they were often the only shinobi to come from their clan. The families they helped shed grateful tears for their work.<\/p>\n
And he knew now that both his teammates understood, and unbelievably still cared, even when he thought they didn\u2019t. Most importantly, neither had given up on him. Sasuke with his letter and Sakura with her little pink notes.<\/p>\n
That thought buoyed him so that he knew it wasn\u2019t like the academy at all. They weren\u2019t leaving him behind, they were just waiting for him to catch up. And he had to figure out how to do that on his own. Just like learning to be a shinobi, there were no shortcuts.<\/p>\n
So he threw himself into the reconstruction efforts rebuilding the shinobi and civilian world. With every barn he returned to rights, every crying widow who\u2019s crops he replanted, he felt like he was moving them a step in the right direction. It would never be the same, but he was helping them have a better life. Even if it was just a small step, it was still a step. And little by little, he started to find his way too.<\/p>\n
As he worked with his hands, his thoughts often drifted to Sakura. He trained himself not dwell on the sad memories, but instead about her field medic work and what new things she must have experienced.<\/p>\n
What was it Tsunade said about Sakura finding a new direction after things didn\u2019t work out? He often turned that thought over in his head. Maybe it applied to him too. But the idea of becoming Hokage now, after witnessing Gaara and the diplomats of Suna, had not regained its shine.<\/p>\n
Adding to that unsettling fact was that after months of being away from Konoha, Naruto discovered he really liked being out in the field. He enjoyed meeting people, working with his hands and rebuilding villages. The memory of Gaara as a Kage still made him feel suffocated, even in the middle of a wide open field.<\/p>\n
As he planted seeds for winter cabbage in sweltering late July heat, Naruto dwelled on his life\u2019s goal. Growing up, he had never once doubted that being Kage was what he wanted to do. But faced with reality, seeing Gaara pandering to diplomats and remembering now just how much time Tsunade spent behind stacks of scrolls, he wasn\u2019t so sure anymore. What if he wasn\u2019t right for the job? He didn\u2019t like the answer that he came up with.<\/p>\n
Naruto sat back on his heels and wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm. Long rows of mounded dirt ran away from him in all directions. This was it, the last field was planted, his mission was done. And for the first time in two months, it was time to go home. To Konoha.<\/p>\n
Passing a general store on his long journey back, Naruto spied a bottle of sake, the local specialty, on the shelf. It reminded him of Tsunade and he tried to ignore the pang of guilt. He couldn\u2019t remember the last time he\u2019d been by to see her. He told himself he wasn\u2019t avoiding her, but\u2026. Looking at the bottle he decided it was probably wiser to pay her a visit before he was summoned. So before he had time to reconsider, he pointed to the sake and laid down more than enough money for the grateful shopkeeper.<\/p>\n
A week later, standing in her doorway, dusty and red-faced, Naruto clutched the neck of the bottle in his hand, but he didn\u2019t announce himself. The nagging doubt came back in a wave. More than just the usual greetings, he realized there questions he needed answers to that he didn\u2019t even know how to ask.<\/p>\n
And he didn\u2019t want to reveal his secret trip the Sand village and his failure with Sakura, another lifelong goal that hadn\u2019t turn out the way he\u2019d expected\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, well! What brings you<\/i> here?\u201d Tsunade grinned broadly at him from behind her desk. \u201cAre you just back from your latest mission\u2014\u201d She spied the bottle and her eyebrow shot up. \u201cWait\u2014 Have you done something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laughing deeply, his troubled thoughts were pushed aside for the moment. Smiling, he strode across the room and plunked the bottle on the desk in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t done anything Baa-Chan! Can\u2019t I just you a drink?\u201d She shot him a look of goodnatured skepticism. \u201cOf course, if you don\u2019t want it\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight. Sit down.\u201d She snatched up the bottle and pulled two sake cups from the drawer while he dropped into the chair across from her desk. A little puff of dust rising from his travel-worn clothes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow are you,\u201d she began, raising her cup to him in gratitude. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten favorable reports of your work. Though catching up with you has been difficult. You\u2019ve been all over the map!\u201d She lifted the bottle and tugged out a map from under the papers. It outlined the rebuilding campaign, and Naruto recognized most of the names on there. They drank sake, pointed to the map and talked about the reconstruction efforts and all his missions.<\/p>\n
Finally she sat back, content that she knew all his activities of the last few months. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve laid eyes on you since you returned from the Sand<\/i>.\u201d She shot him a knowing smile and Naruto had the good manners to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. \u201cWell\u2026you certainly have gotten tan, I\u2019ll give you that!\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cApologies, Godaime,\u201d he said, bowing, hoping a formal apology would placate her. She smirked and pointed to her empty cup, which he filled. The rice wine went farther in smoothing things over than his apology did. \u201cI know I didn\u2019t log that I was leaving the village. But it was a sudden\u2026uh, opportunity<\/i> that I couldn\u2019t pass up.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sipped slowly, watching him and not believing him for a second.<\/p>\n
He had forgotten that he\u2019d told no one he was leaving. He should have realized she\u2019d know anyway. She always seemed to know everything about everyone in the village, including him. But admitting his transgression gave him an an unexpected opening.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually I wanted to ask you about something\u2026um\u2026something I heard in Suna.\u201d She tipped her head, curiosity piqued. \u201cGaara and several daimyos mentioned the tension in the Waterfall country and seemed to think I might know something about it. I don\u2019t, of course,\u201d he smiled, \u201cbut I was wondering\u2026should I?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunade\u2019s brows knit together in surprise. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto shifted in his seat uncomfortably. \u201cI mean, should I<\/i>? If I\u2019m to be a Hokage someday, aren\u2019t those the types of\u00a0 things I\u2019ll need to know? Not just the rasengan or the sage mode, but which countries are at war, which are allies and which ones, like the Waterfall, we have to keep an eye on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s very good, Naruto. I couldn\u2019t have put it better myself. Seems you did learn something from your unscheduled<\/i> trip to the Sand.\u201d She raised her cup. \u201cAnd so this is why you\u2019ve brought me expensive sake?\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto cringed. \u201cNo! Really! I just saw it and thought of you!\u201d<\/p>\n
He knew he couldn\u2019t get out of it so easily, and now he\u2019d probably get an earful from her. But to his surprise, she just rolled her eyes before draining her cup and setting it on the blue patch of map marked \u201cWaterfall.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the Waterfall situation is<\/i> tenuous,\u201d she said, expression turning serious, as if she were actually a little relieved to have someone to talk to about it. \u201cWe\u2019ve been watching them since the spring. We have several diplomats on a committee to discuss a peace treaty, but they have several infighting clans that are making it difficult. There\u2019s the head clan, the Ryujin, with their water vortex jutsu, and they are tasked with protecting the village. A plum position with lots of benefits. But there are several secondary clans that would like to unseat them, namely the\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
She splayed her fingers and rattled off clan names, locations and secret jutsus until Naruto\u2019s ears rung with information, and his mouth fell open at the thought of one person knowing so much about another village, in addition to their own. No wonder she looked excited to talk about it. Even if he studied for weeks, he didn\u2019t think he could ever cram all that into his head\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cNaruto, are you following all of this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUh\u2026yeah?\u201d But Tsunade saw through him. \u201cNo,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIt\u2019s, uh, a lot to take in\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
She propped her chin on her hand. \u201cNaruto, why are you asking about this? It\u2019s not anything you\u2019d be interested in\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
He straightened suddenly. \u201cYou see, that\u2019s the thing. I should<\/i> be interested in it, shouldn\u2019t I? If I want to be the Hokage, I\u2019ll have to be!<\/i> Gaara knew so much about it, and when they asked him\u2014\u201c He looked at his knees, voice dropping. \u201cI couldn\u2019t answer a single question. But he had everything together.\u201d His eyes met Tsunade\u2019s again. \u201cBut he\u2019s really good at being a kage, I mean. Naturally, without even trying. He may be better at being the Kazekage than he was as a shinobi.\u201d He shook his head, blue eyes never leaving hers, \u201cAfter seeing him, I just don\u2019t know\u2026. Maybe I\u2019m just not\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
Tsunade raised a hand, stopping him. \u201cAh, I see. You\u2019ve seen Gaara and this stems from your old rivalry.\u201d He shook his head half-heartedly, but Tsunade laughed at him. \u201cNaruto, you can\u2019t just pop up and be a kage because you want to. Gaara had to work long and hard to get to this point. He had to gain the trust of his council and figure out how to run his city. It hasn\u2019t been an easy road for him. Not by a long shot. Did you know there was almost a revolt when he first came to power?\u201d<\/p>\n
Wide-eyed, Naruto shook his head. Tsunade nodded solemnly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly the promise of ironclad alliances with a few of the other nations, including us, that would come to pass with his taking the kage seat quelled the rogue councilmen and their clans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto sunk back into his chair, draining his fourth cup. Or fifth cup. He couldn\u2019t remember. \u201cWow. I didn\u2019t know any of that. He made it look so easy, like he liked<\/i> all the work, an office job, signing papers and talking to those men for hours and hours\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunade nodded wearily, pulling a fresh bottle of sake from her own stash in the drawer. \u201cBeing a kage is ten times harder than being a shinobi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto looked as if he was seeing her with new eyes. \u201cWas it\u2026. Was it like that for you too? When you first came back?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d she said simply. \u201cYes it was. Very hard. I wasn\u2019t their first choice, and there were days I wanted to walk away from the whole thing.\u201d She sipped her drink. \u201cBut I realized there was no one else but me to get it done. So I stuck it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto quietly took it all in. Tsunade refilled his cup. \u201cGaara said that a village, it was like love\u2026or something\u2026.\u201d He shook his head \u2014 he was a little hazy on the exact phrase \u2014 then swirled the sake before taking another swig.<\/p>\n
Tsunade shrugged and set down her empty glass. \u201cNow, why are you in here? Shouldn\u2019t you be off training somewhere? I hear they\u2019ve replaced the kunai posts,\u201d she added with a wink.<\/p>\n
Naruto laughed, feeling a warm surge of confidence. \u201cNo, I\u2019ve been thinking about what you said\u2026. About finding another direction.\u201d His cheeks flushed a dull pink. \u201cI want to be Hokage, someday, but I never do anything about it. And when I went to the Sand, I realized I didn\u2019t know much about our place in the world. So\u2026maybe it\u2019s time I learned!\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunade beamed at him. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure if you still wanted to\u2026. Well, you seemed lost<\/i> for a little while there. But if you want to learn, then I can help\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
Naruto wasn\u2019t sure if it was the sake or not, but he her note of approval made him feel like he\u2019d found his way. Finally. It buzzed in his head, and the certainty swelled in his chest like a bubble.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Baa-chan, more than anything!\u201d He felt sure of himself now. Even a little giddy. \u201cI know everything there is to know about being a shinobi, right? So, how hard can it be?! I\u2019ll figure it out, like getting through the academy or learning my shinobi skills. Just like Gaara, you know. It\u2019s time I moved up to the next level too\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
But instead of being impressed, or whatever Naruto thought she might be, Tsunade waited across the desk like a tiger ready to pounce.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u2026you\u2019ve figured out what you<\/i> want,\u201d she began smoothly, almost sweetly. \u201cGood\u2026. Then there\u2019s just one more thing you need to know\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
And then she roared.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing Hokage is the hardest thing you\u2019ll ever do!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n
The bubble burst. The buzzy feeling died. Naruto sobered quickly in the face of the one woman that made men like Jiraiya tremble. But Tsunade wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll have to work your tail off! Be patient and polite even when you don\u2019t want to,\u201d she yelled, \u201cand you can\u2019t resort to fighting, even when the other party deserves it!\u201d She slammed her hand down on the desk, making the papers and cups and bottles jump in the air. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to forget everything you\u2019ve learned as a shinobi!\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto gripped the arms of his chair, speechless. \u201cWha\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n
Face wreathed in smug satisfaction, Tsunade eased back into her seat. \u201cShinobi code relies on violence first. Manipulate with a jutsu to get what you want or just overpower to get the job done. A kage uses diplomacy. Peace, treaties and alliances come first. Violence is for only for protection and always<\/i> the last line of defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what about Root? Anbu? The interrogation squad\u2014 They all hunt down potential threats, stopping them before they become a bigger problem\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they are not the Hokage, are they? No, the Hokage is held to an entirely different set of standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto looked at the empty cup in his hand and frowned. Tsunade lifted the sake bottle to refill it but he shook his head and put it back on her desk, pushing it away from him. Tsunade just poured his share in her cup.<\/p>\n
What she said went against everything he knew about being Hokage. To be the kage you had to be the most powerful in the village\u2014 In the whole country. This was fact. The Hokage \u2014 any kage \u2014 was always the greatest asset, stronger than any shinobi and greater than any jutsu.<\/p>\n
But now she was saying he was wrong? It was none of those things?<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt the same way,\u201d Tsunade said, pausing for a drink as if the outburst had never happened. \u201cBut the truth is a kage is a walking contradiction. The most powerful, but also the most peaceful<\/i>. You have to wield strong enough jutsus to protect the village, and yet be judicious enough to know when to use them. It is a constant balancing act. Everyday, in every alliance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto listened intently, understanding sinking in.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s not to say it isn\u2019t hard. Don\u2019t mistake me. This job, being Hokage\u2026it\u2019s the toughest thing you\u2019ll ever do. Harder than becoming a shinobi. Harder than passing the final jonin exam or the Anbu entrance trials or taking down a Root team. Harder than\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunade\u2019s voice trailed off. She watched him, his expression heavy as he weighed her words.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to leave everything you\u2019ve learned as a shinobi behind,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to start over. It will be one of the hardest things you\u2019ll ever do. Because it\u2019s not your strength that makes you a good Hokage but what you are willing to sacrifice: Yourself. You have to rebuild yourself and become what the village<\/i> needs. Not what you<\/i> want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed. She was dashing his dream and she knew it. But he needed to know. \u201cI have often wondered if you\u2019d still be interested in the job once you knew what it really was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto tore his eyes away from her to stare hard out the window. He was more still than she thought she\u2019d ever seen him. But she wouldn\u2019t push him.<\/p>\n
Finally, he looked back, eyes almost grey with reflected evening light. No trace of a smile lit his face, and Tsunade smothered a gasp at just how much he looked like his father in that moment. He was suddenly Minato, somber and intent and deeply determined to shoulder the worries of the whole village at such a terribly young age.<\/p>\n
But Naruto swallowed, throat bobbing nervously, and the picture was shattered. Naruto was still gripped by the doubt that she knew a fully-realized Hokage could never let show.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo\u2026. You don\u2019t think I should do it?\u201d It was more statement than question and he didn\u2019t wait for her answer, turning away as if he\u2019d already come to the conclusion himself.<\/p>\n
Tsunade\u2019s voice softened. \u201cI only said it was hard. And it is. Harder than anything you\u2019ll ever do\u2026. And perhaps harder for you<\/i> than anyone else.\u201d This clearly didn\u2019t make him feel better. \u201cBut I have never known anything you couldn\u2019t do, once you set your sights on it. If this is what you still want, being Hokage, then expect a lot of work. There aren\u2019t any shortcuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a heavy silence between them. Naruto sat stony and emotionless. Tsunade banked her disappointment. She knew what was coming and it wouldn\u2019t be fair for him to discover that his dream of becoming the Hokage had been her dream too. But if he wanted out then she\u2019d let him go\u2014<\/p>\n
He took a deep breath and she held hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d he said finally. \u201cThere never are any shortcuts, are there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, against all odds, a brilliant smile broke across his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I haven\u2019t given up yet just because something\u2019s hard!\u201d<\/p>\n
She beamed. \u201cNo. You never have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess,\u201d Naruto said, relaxing and sounding more like himself again, \u201cI just didn\u2019t think about what was involved. I didn\u2019t know where to start and\u2026. Well, maybe I wasn\u2019t ready to start until now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunade nodded. \u201cThere\u2019s never a right time. Sometimes it is goes slowly, but sometimes, like in my case, its all of a sudden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto considered the loss of the Third and what a hole it left in their village. It must have been even harder for Tsunade. As his student and<\/i> unexpected succesor.<\/p>\n
She cleared her throat. \u201cWhenever you\u2019re ready, you can start by attending some meetings with me. They are long and dull and boring, but they are important so they can\u2019t be missed. However, this will probably eat into your mission schedule, so\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto nodded solemnly, \u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pulled out her calendar book and opened the months, flipping through each one. \u201cI have a meeting here with the daimyos and here with the council and here with a group from the Sand.\u201d She flipped to about six months out and Naruto saw \u201cSakura\u2019s return\u201d penciled in one of the blanks. His breathing hitched, but he exhaled softly and told himself not to worry about it. She was happy. And now, with a new goal in front of him as well, so was he.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere,\u201d Tsunade pointed to one the following week. \u201cYou can come to this one. It\u2019s a small council meeting. It\u2019s a good place to start.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto nodded, his smile growing with his feeling of certainty.<\/p>\n
But Tsunade pointed at him. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not kidding! Becoming a kage will be especially<\/i> hard for you.\u201d Naruto looked at her seriously. \u201cYou like to be out, active, doing things for people and seeing the effects of your hard work right at the end of your fingertips. Being Hokage is not that. It takes patience and perseverance. And even when you\u2019ve done your best, things won\u2019t work out the way you planned. But you have to accept it, and move on. Do you think you can do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Naruto\u2019s big smile returned, this time earnest and sure, suffusing his face with self-confidence. He felt something shift in his chest and come back into balance, as if he\u2019d finally found the path he was meant to be on. \u201cYeah, Baa-chan, I\u2019m sure I can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
16 – Starting Over The setting sun on the red gates of Konoha made them glow and baked the skyline beyond a warm yellow. Naruto couldn\u2019t help but smile. Even with the late July heat bearing down on him, it was like his village was giving him a welcome-home hug. He was glad to be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2521","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hctF-EF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2521"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3160,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521\/revisions\/3160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2521"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2521"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2521"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}