Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto or its characters

"speaking"
"speaking" in flashback
'thinking'
flashback
"speaking of higher beings / Naruto while using Kyuubi's power / jutsus"
'thinking of higher beings / Kyuubi talking to Naruto through mental link'
"jutsus" in flashback

AN: before you ask: I'm programmer, compassion is unknown to me =)

Two
Epilogue

Rain. It was rare event in Konoha. But since that day, it was raining every fifteenth december, like nature itself was mourning about fallen hero of Konoha... It was raining, cold drizzle, like it always was on this day for last six years, and most people were hiding in their houses, yet four people were standing in front of memorial of the hero, not paying any attention to the rain...

"Did you know otou-sama and okaa-san, uncle Nagato, auntie Konan?" Asked Honou, blond green-eyed boy of nine years old, one of two Uzumaki alive.

"Yes, but not as good as I'd like to. When we met for the first time, we were enemies and he was protecting his village. He showed me how wrong I was and gave me chance to redeem errors that I and Konan made. There are no words that can describe how we are grateful for that." Answered Nagato, he was fifty five this year and his black hair were starting to turn gray. He was sitting in a wheelchair as both his legs were missing: right down from thee knee and left one completely; his left wrist wasn't there too. And good half of his body was still covered in terrible burns from amaterasu he received six years ago. "And your mother was the gentlest woman I ever met. They loved you and your big sister very much... They left this world together..." Nagato paused, remembering, what happened in that battle six years ago...

"You are still that dobe you always were, Naruto. Why are you defending this worthless village? It won't give you the power! Why?" Asked Sasuke.

"Teme, this village is my home, it holds my dreams and my happiness. My precious people are there. This is why I am protecting it. Only protecting what is precious to you you can become truly strong." Answered Naruto.

"I see. Then you will die. I will not allow you to stand in the way of my revenge! Fire style: Fireball!" Jutsu hit Naruto's chest, but because of sage mode it couldn't harm him: it only send him flying backwards. "So you have new tricks, dobe... Unfortunately, you aren't the only one who improved." Sasuke's sharingan shifted into mangekyo. Madara, who was standing all the time behind Sasuke's back smirked.

"Naruto!" Tamaki cried, running to her husband.

"Amaterasu!" Younger Uchiha said coldly and both 'the dobe' and his hime disappeared in black flames.

"Summoning!" Nagato yelled, calling forth big monstrous statue, which immediately connected to his body with blood-red colored rods. "Die!" Spectral dragon shot from statue's mouth and pierced Sasuke's body, eating his soul.

"Pein. Not only you betrayed you me by abandoning Akatsuki, but you are attacking my loyal servants now." Madara hissed, launching his own amaterasu at Nagato, taking both his legs and left wrist, before spectral dragon ate his soul too...

"...I know you miss them very much, but they were that kind of people that wouldn't want you to mourn forever. They'd want you to move on and live your life happily." Nagato finished. Boy nodded, though tears were still running from his eyes... Nagato and Konan nodded in greeting when they say Godaime Hokage and youngest chuunin of this generation, platinum-blond green-eyed eleven years old Haru Uzumaki, entered graveyard, both wearing lugubrious clothes and with flowers in their hands. They stopped in front of the memorial...

"Nee-tyan?" Honou asked quietly. Haru laid her free hand on his head and tousled his hair.

"Tsh... You worry too much, tei." They stood like this under the rain in silence for a long time... Konan looked at her watch.

"Nagato-kun, we should go home. You need to take you medicine soon." She kneeled in front of the memorial and laid bouquet of paper roses on wet stones. Blue haired girl of ten years old, that all the time was standing silently by her mother's side, kneeled too and laid two black roses on the memorial's stones. "Let's go, Fuku-chan." Konan called her daughter. Three of them turned around and headed towards the exit of the cemetery. When they were at the gates, she paused. "We are forever your debtors for a chance at happiness you gave us. Hope we are doing what is right..." Single beam of sunlight fell onto the memorial through dark clouds... "Thank you, Naruto-sama, Tamaki-san, rest in peace."

this is THE END!