Author's Notes: Hello and welcome to the final update to this story! This is the epilogue, and it was very easy to write! The first bit will sound very familiar… anyways, I hope you enjoy! Check out the Author's Notes at the end! :D

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

Epilogue

"I'm going, Father," The eighteen year-old mutters as she clasps her hands together. She smiles at the picture of her father. Even after her mother remarried, the photo remained, and the new husband forbids removing it. In memory of a great man. He had said with a sincere nod and a sad look on his face. Mirai smiles brilliantly.

"Mirai!" Her mother gasps when she sees her daughter, "You're late!" Mirai has to stifle a laugh at the look of panic and vague promise of bodily harm which is not directed at her, "Weren't you going to escort the Seventh today?" Kurenai asks accusingly, I knew that man would be a bad influence on my Mirai… She thinks with a sniff.

"No, Mom. Today, I'm going to follow the predecessor," Mirai says with a soft smile, "I don't have to go early," For many reasons… She adds silently. One would be that they wouldn't be leaving till later, and another is that that same predecessor is busy snoring away in the adjacent bedroom.

"Kakashi?" Kurenai blinks, "It's just like him to forget about something like this,"

"Forget?" Mirai repeats skeptically, "We both know-" Kurenai wags her pointer at her daughter. Mirai gets the hint and shrugs, "I'm escorting him and Gai-jisan. We'll be away for two or three days," Mirai informs as she checks her pack, "Can you please make sure he comes on time?" Mirai is already planning on going to the meeting spot even though the meeting time is still well-away. The sooner we get to leave, the better. She tells herself. However, if she's being honest… she just doesn't want her Dad's reputation for being forever tardy to move on to her as well…. And there's still one last reason.

"Alright," Kurenai waves as Mirai leaves. She watches the younger woman's retreating back with a proud glint in her eyes. It seems like only yesterday when Mirai was asking for a cookie from the jar, which was still on the counter and too high for her to reach. Now, Mirai has become a strong and respectable kunoichi. Her skills got recognized enough that both the Sixth and Seventh Hokages have asked for her presence on their escort teams from time to time.

Oh, how time flies… Kurenai thinks with a fond smile as she closes the door shut. Her smile contorts into a frown, "And I'm getting old…"

"You're not getting old," A very familiar voice whispers in her ear as arms wrap around her from behind.

"Morning," Kurenai says, although she knows he's been up for a while. She kisses his exposed cheek and ignores the stupid grin stretching on his face, "When were you planning on telling me that you were leaving for a few days?" Kurenai asks and puts the Sixth under her sharp scrutiny. The previous Hokage fidgets like one of Iruka's students would. She doesn't say that out loud, but she can't quite smother a laugh at the mental image.

"Maa… I forgot," Kakashi says finally after what seems like an eternity.

"Mhmm," Kurenai shakes her head, "Mirai is waiting for you and the rest of the team already," Kakashi has a disbelieving look on his face.

"It's too early to meet up," Kakashi comments incredulously, "Why would she do something like that?"

"Ah, so you didn't forget the time you're supposed to meet up, but you forgot you're supposed to meet up?" Kurenai has to laugh at Kakashi's expression, "I think you're losing your edge, Hokage-sama," She says jokingly with a wink. The man she agreed to marry pouts like an overgrown child, "Mirai asked me to get you there on time," Kakashi snaps up to attention.

"I'll go when I'm ready to go," He says with a shrug, having had his fill from hearing all about how time is valuable and how he shouldn't lay around doing nothing when he has something he should be doing but just isn't.

"You'll be gone for a while," Kurenai says with a pout of her own, "Our bed will grow cold without you in it," Kakashi grins, all teeth that are so canine-like and interesting.

"Well… how about we warm it up so it can last for a few days?"

-oOo-

The other members of their group arrive before the Sixth Hokage does, unsurprisingly.

However, it is not a little bit surprising, at least to everyone who isn't Hatake-Sarutobi Mirai, that the ever-late ex-Copy ninja rounds the corner and meets up with the others just as the designated time for the meeting rolls around, "Good morning. Ready to move out?" Kakashi asks with an eye-smile, mask firmly back in place.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," One of the others snaps out of his temporary daze and salutes the previous Hokage accordingly. As they start moving to their destination, Mirai purposefully strides closer to the Hokage than is formally acceptable. Kakashi's mind slips from Hokage Mode to Father Mode as he knows Mirai might need some parental advice.

"Hey, Dad," The lack of formality affirms his suspicions and he gives Mirai his full attention. Then, with the playfulness and teasing he has come to associate with Asuma over the years he'd known the Sarutobi, she says, "Did you have fun this morning?" Kakashi has one moment to blink in surprise before he's back to being aloof.

He doesn't give her an answer. He previously thought most kids would be too uncomfortable talking about their parents' bed life. But Mirai, he quickly came to learn, is not like most kids.

"So…?" Mirai teases gently. She may have escaped the house early to get away from learning about whatever happens between them outside what she needs to know… but that doesn't mean she can't tease either of them relentlessly about anything that she knows has happened, especially her Dad, who is awkward and unlike most men.

"So… breakfast was good," Kakashi replies without missing a beat.

"Oh?" Mirai's eyes hold the same color as her Mom's, but the glint in them is all her Father's, "And what about the bed? Was it comfortable this morning?" She asks with all the indifference she can manage. Her tightly concealed expression and external aloofness is very familiar to Kakashi, and it's only after a moment that he realizes why.

That's all him.

Author's Notes: I hope you liked this story and its ending! Please tell me what you though via review of pm! Thanks for sticking with me till the end and I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D

A Response to the Reviews on Chapter 15:

alucard77: I'm sorry you didn't like the story, but I said at the very beginning that this story will have hints at KakaKure and won't be purely so… Thank you for reading, regardless!

okami amaterasu: I'm glad you loved the previous chapter and I hope this chapter did not disappoint you! The first chapter of your request fic is being written and will be published today! The story's title is 'In the Dark of Night', so check it out if you want :D

DeruMaru: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like the story and I hope you liked how it wrapped up! Thank you for your continued support! P.S: I got my results back and I gotta say that I did well, so thanks for wishing me luck ;)

Prescripto13: Thanks for the review :D I'm glad you liked the ending of the last chapter… what about this one? :S

And here's a little surprise! I have done a random selection of this story's favorites, followers and reviewers to get three lucky names! The following users have gained a reward one-shot for being readers of this story! If your name is mentioned below and you're interested, please send me a pm! :D

From the Story's Followers: wildcrazything

From the Story's Favorites: maripuleaassse

From the Story's Reviewers: DeruMaru

Over and out!