Okay, so I will admit that I have been lax. I meant to get back to everyone who asked me for this overview months ago, but life got busy and I forgot and I kept putting it aside whenever I remembered. Well, I can't procrastinate any longer 'cause the guilt is getting to me and I just gotta give you guys some closer with the story.

Last minute thanks going out to Belletiger - I couldn't have done it without you. It has almost been two years since I happened upon the plot bunny you generously donated, and a great two years they have been! Thank you so much for being my friend and the best collaborator a writer could ask for. It's a shame that we never got to truly see how ended, but I guess we'll have to settle for this. You're the best!

Now then, here we go!

Reflections of Oneself, The Final Overview

In the midst of the festival, the mass assassination is put into motion. During the fighting, the potion used to make the four boys look like girls wears off, leaving their true identities out in the open. Nanikato is unfortunately accosted by a survivor of the Kyuubi attack, who insanely believed that Naruto - and by proxy Nanikato - is the Kyuubi incarnate. Believing as such, the fanatic makes the mistake of calling Nanikato 'demon spawn', thus releasing one of the triggers Kabuto rigged in his subconscious.

As a result, Nanikato's alter ego is unleashed once more and transforms into its dreaded level two curse seal form (which greatly resembles that of Naruto's four-tail transformation in the canon storyline). Unable to effectively combat the titan, Shikamaru releases Sasuke and Tayuya from confinement, allowing the two wage ware with their student on equal ground. At the same time, Toboe and Kegawa put aside their 'relative differences' in order to help their friend. In the end, it is Toboe that pulls Nanikato out of his madness, but at the cost of being mortally wounded.

In trying to save the girl's life, it becomes clear that the medics need someone from the victim's family to donate chakra. Unfortunately, the chakra of her maternal clan isn't compatible, leaving only that of her paternal side - and Kakashi is nowhere to be found. Suddenly realizing that he has the power to save her, Nanikato summons forth the mysterious spirit he meet in the Forest of Death, who just so happens to her grandfather, Hatake Sakumo (long story short, Kakashi arrives to find his father in the flesh and a very angry daughter - they eventually come to terms with they way things turned out for all of them before Sakumo is finally able to move onto the afterlife.)

Although the devious plan of the Unholy Trinity was thwarted, Nanikato's powers have gone haywire. Rather unexpectedly, when the blonde tired to summon one of his spirit companions, something else happens. Instead, he resurrects one of his brothers - Kyuuzano Kitai. However, Kitai is less then friendly and nothing like the person he initially met. Kidnapped and taken behind enemy lines, Kitai forces Nanikato to resurrect the rest of their brothers. It turns out Kabuto had created the nine boys with a even more sinister plan in mind - together, the Kyuuzano brothers have more power of life and death then even the Shinigami itself.

Now the following is going to be slightly rougher. In order to rescue Nanikato, the war between Konoha and Oto is finally resumed. During the fighting, many people die, which includes Kakashi and Sasuke (and much to the surprise of certain dead man, it is Naruto who comes to guild him to the afterlife, having forgiven him.) In the final battle, Nanikato is forced to kill Kitai in order to restore universal balance - no being, even a group of beings, could possess the Shinigami's power without destroying the balance. With Kitai dead and the connection between the nine broken, the world is saved.

After saying goodbye to his spirit friends and watching them leave for the afterlife, Nanikato surrenders his power to summon and converse with the dead to Shinigami, saying that it is better if no one possess such a gift/curse. Shinigami agrees, though saying that Nanikato was a more then worthy wielder, and restores to him the bloodline originally sacrificed in order to summon.

The war has come to end, but it wasn't without its losses. The eight remaining clones decided to form a covenant on that day and take new names for themselves - leaving Kyuuzano, as there is no longer nine, behind. They become Senju Haruki (in honor of the Shodaime), Danryuu Nikkou (surnames means 'warm current'), Awaseru Raimei and Awaseru Hakumei (surname means 'joins them together'), Heion Ryoku (surname means 'peaceful' ), Maiagaru Takamaru (surname means 'to fly high'), Sasayaki Koko (surname means 'whisper'), and Namikaze Nanikato (in honor of the Yondaime). With that, they each go their own way - though Haruki remains in Konoha, adopted by Tsunade.

Years later, Nanikato has become a nomadic wanderer, traveling the Elemental Countries as he seeks his own purpose for existing. He corresponds with his precious people - his brothers have found villages of their own, Toboe and Kozue have become a couple, and Tayuya went on to become the new leader of Otogakure. For Nanikato though, his adventure still continues…

Thank you everyone who has read this, my most important work yet. I sincerely doubt that I will ever continue, though am I am very glad that I got to share with you what I could. I'd like to express my gratitude to everyone who wrote back to me after the discontinuation. Your words of comfort following my mother's passing meant the world to me.

On a minor side note, I'm also pleased to announce that I am taking my first year of college level English in hopes of improving my writing. If and when I have the time to return to writing my fanfictions, it will be in a new story category, as I have started to drift away from Naruto (blasphemy, I know!) For whichever one I choose and for any of you who might happen to like it too, I hope that you will join me in a whole new adventure. I am glad that all of you have been able to share this experience with me. Later!

The White Wanderer

Formerly Usagi-no-Kasai