Pairings: Madara/Sayo. Sakumo/Sakura. Slight Aoi/Takara. Slight Rihan/Hinata.

Warnings: AU Universe. Slight Konoha bashing. Dark fic. Violence. Blood. Gory scenes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

Epilogue: For a New Beginning

"You who carry on their hopes and dreams. I in turn will entrust the future to you." - Uchiha Seina

XXXXXX

Like with the end of every war, the aftermath was horrible.

But unlike with the end of the Third Great Shinobi War, this time around, the Great Six have decided to make a permanent and official alliance—in the hopes of eradicating war for the future generations in order to honour the two who have given their lives to ensure peace.

The remaining five kages from the Shinobi Alliance along with Mifune of Tetsu no kuni have given their condolences to Tsukigakure after the group that have gone to engage Toshigaki Hiore in battle have returned the village the bodies of their leader and his wife. Uchiha Itachi who had already been named and accepted as Uchiha Madara's successor and the next Tsukikage had quickly stepped up to the leadership position, with his two teammates supporting him. And together, the three have managed to get Tsuki through the time of sorrow whilst simultaneously helping the village to get past the aftermath of a war.

The villages from the Great Six were all present at the remembrance ceremony to honour the heroes who have fallen during the war—the most prominent being the leader of Tsukigakure and his wife. There wasn't a single dry eye after the priests from the temples of all six nations have led the ceremony, and according to ninja customs—have cremated the bodies.

XXXXXX

"So you're leaving?" Namikaze Takara asked Uchiha Seina and Tatsuyama Zeref solemnly, with all three gathered at the gates of Konohagakure no sato nearly an entire month after the war is over.

The latter two have been visiting every single village of the Great Six for the past two weeks, officially declaring to the kage of each village that they'll be officially disappearing from the scene from then on, and that the future generations will be theirs to lead from this point onwards, with no interference from them. Konoha just happened to be the last village on their list, and Namikaze Minato really wished to say that he's surprised that Tsukishiro Seina is in reality Uchiha Seina. But he isn't.

Uchiha Seina and Tatsuyama Zeref have also brought a copy of Sayo's will to Konoha. The two friends have also told the Hokage and his wife, as well as Katou Dan and Hatake Sakumo, that Sayo had given explicit instructions for a copy of her will to be given to Konoha in the event of her death. Obviously, she had known that she wouldn't survive to see the end of the war.

In her will, Sayo had informed Minato that his once thought deceased student, Uchiha Obito is still alive, and is currently a jounin in Tsukigakure. Due to several factions wanting either the Uchiha clan dead or desiring their power—with the most prominent being Hiore himself, Uchiha Obito had kept quiet about his survival. Now with the war over, and the power factions in Konoha gone as well, Sayo saw no reason for the Hokage and his old genin team to continue grieving over a man that is still alive.

There was also a letter from Uchiha Obito that Seina had brought for the shocked Namikaze Minato that proved that Sayo's claims had been real. Zeref had also brought a message from Itachi, the new Tsukikage, as well as Tsuki Hikaru, the new king of Tsuki no kuni. Whether Tsukigakure will create a new alliance and open up trade routes for Hi no kuni and Konohagakure will now depend on how Konoha is led in the future.

Madara's last will and testament to his heir and his village as a whole had been very clear on that—his misgivings and disdain for Konoha are his own. He has no wish for future generations to bear a grudge towards all of Konoha and Fire Country citizens for a personal grudge that he had with Konoha's Shodaime.

Uchiha Sayo's letter also included a long statement as well as evidence provided—proving Orochimaru's innocence in whatever crimes that he had been implicated in the past—stating that it is all a cover created for him by the late Shimura Danzo, and the snake summoner had been assisting Tsuki as well as the Shinobi Alliance from the shadows due to Raven's Gate.

There was also a royal testament from His Majesty Tsuki Hikaru that should Hi no kuni and Konohagakure be unable to accept what they have taken for the truth for more than twenty years, Orochimaru's country of residence will henceforth be transferred to Tsuki no kuni, but he'll also be protected from any attack from any Konoha shinobi unless it is a mission. And any personal attack acting on a personal grudge will be taken as an act of war.

Minato made a mental note to call for a war council as well as Mitarashi Anko's attendance after that. He had a sneaking suspicion however that the purple haired special jounin actually knew of the truth surrounding her sensei's actions, as she hadn't been flying off the handle whenever Orochimaru's name is mentioned lately.

Against Uchiha Sayo's last wishes, Minato had still called for Senju Tsunade and her husband, and had informed them solemnly of what they had learned—the reason behind why the Uchiha founders have became Konoha's first deserters.

The hot-tempered Slug Sannin refused to believe it at first—refusing to believe that her kind and honourable grandfather will commit such a vile act. It is only after an annoyed Jiraiya had snapped at her, forcing her to look back on all her memories when she is forced to face up to the truth. And it really explains the reasons behind several of Senju Tobirama's strange decisions after his brother's death, and why he had never blamed the Uchiha clan for his brother's death even though the Senju clan at that time did.

Senju Tobirama must have wanted to make it up to the Uchiha clan for his brother's sins. It also explains why Uchiha Haruki, the clan head after Uchiha Madara had been so harsh in his dealings with the Leaf Council, and Tobirama had backed Haruki most of the time with his proposals and decisions. It had actually been Tobirama who had actually bestowed the Uchiha clan the honour of running the Military Police that had actually been a project in the works at that time—one proposed by Uchiha Sayo. It had originally been intended to be civilian-run—to give the civilians more of a say for how the village is run. But due to Tobirama's guilt for his brother's actions, he had bestowed the honour of running the Military Police to the Uchiha clan—essentially making the Uchiha clan one of the village's pillars.

Minato had however agreed with Uchiha Sayo's claims that if the truth of this had gotten out, it would destroy the reputation of the once proud Senju clan as a whole—probably even disgracing Konoha on the international level. Henceforth, they have decided to keep the truth between themselves, and to take it to their graves.

Tatsuyama Zeref nodded solemnly even as they faced Namikaze Takara. "We've done our part," he said solemnly. "We've been around for long enough. It is time for the new generation to take over."

"Besides, Izuna, Madara and Sayo are everything to me." Seina said solemnly. "I have no reason and obligation to remain on in Tsuki and Konoha any longer. I'm tired." She admitted. "I kind of had an idea why Sayo and Madara did what they did. Eternity is longer than you think."

"What are you going to do from now on?" Takara asked slowly, understanding Seina's reasons. "Where are you going?"

"I have no idea." Seina admitted. "I've never been much of a leader, you know? It had always been Madara and Sayo's roles, even back when we were kids. Izuna and myself always just followed whatever they want to do. But those two have never led us wrong. It kind of…feels weird now that I have to decide my own path and what I want to do." Seina admitted.

"Maybe we should travel for a bit." Zeref suggested, and Seina gave a small smile. "I'll take care of her like I promised Sayo." He told Takara who nodded slowly. He gave a small smile. "…You really remind me a lot of Sayo when we were younger." He admitted. "I can understand why she entrusted everything to you."

Seina nodded with agreement. "…Sayo entrusted the future, and her hopes and dreams to you," she told Takara. "I'll look forward to seeing just what kind of future that you can shape for the shinobi world. Maybe you might just fulfill Madara and Sayo's dream—to unite the world under one single banner. Our roles are done. Tsuki will have a new leader from now on. And I trust—just like Madara and Sayo, that he will bring Tsuki to greater heights. Our era has come to an end. It is about time for your generation to take over, Namikaze Takara."

"I will." Takara promised. "Sayo-san's wishes… And her hopes and dreams… I'll fulfill it for her."

Zeref and Seina exchanged bemused looks before exchanging a smile. "…Then just like Sayo and Madara, I will choose to put my faith in you," said Seina. "You who carry on their hopes and dreams. I in turn will entrust the future to you."

Namikaze Minato stared out of the window in the Hokage's office.

The sun is already setting, thus casting a red-orange glow over the village as a whole even as he stared down towards the direction of the northern main gates where he could just see the figure of his daughter seeing their guests off—Uchiha Seina and Tatsuyama Zeref.

Minato's heart clenched as he watched Takara.

His daughter.

The blond Hokage turned and walked towards his desk that for once, is cleared of paperwork. His aide is almost shocked just two hours earlier that the Hokage had finished the mountains of paperwork in record time, and thus, was able to leave early.

Minato opened the top drawer and pulled out a single photograph that already had yellow edges to it—the telltale signs of age.

Four teenagers stood in front of what is unmistakably the Hokage Tower—two boys and two girls. The tallest of the group had his brunette hair did up in a pineapple style whilst the other male had long raven black hair reaching down to his shoulders and pearl white eyes. One of the girls had shockingly bubblegum pink hair, and she is smiling at the camera, her fingers doing the victory pose. The last girl had fiery red hair reaching down just below her shoulder blades, and she had a small smile on her face, with a sad look visible in her eyes.

Minato's heart clenched once more as he caressed the face of the redhead in the picture with his fingertips—almost like a blind man reading Braille. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes and he hurriedly blinked them away even as the memory of the closed room emergency meeting that he had with Kaiga Shikamaru, Hibiki Neji and Hatake-Hanesawa (formerly known as Haruno) Sakura just a week ago came to the fore of his mind.

"Sayo created the seal to send us back. We decided to take a risk."

A lump formed in Minato's throat.

"She was—is my best friend, and she is my teammate since our days as genin. I think the war in our world broke her. And knowing the truth broke her even more."

Minato really needed a drink.

He wonders if he can hunt down his pervert of a sensei and cajole the man to join him for a drink. He seriously doubts that Kushina would mind, since she was as shocked as he is to hear everything from the mouths of the three a week ago.

And yet, despite how unbelievable everything sounds—everything was just so well constructed that it just isn't possible for it to be a lie. For despite everything, Minato is still a seals master, and Kushina is still from the main branch of the Uzumaki clan. They both knew of an Uzumaki forbidden seal that can enable one to travel back in time—a seal that had never been completed due to the high risks.

"We hail from a different world—an alternate reality where Namikaze Takara is known as Uzumaki Sayo. A world where she grew up hated and detested in the village of her birth because she's the vessel of the Kyuubi. A world where her parents have died for the village. A world where Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara is the enemy."

Minato caressed the face of the slightly smiling teenager in the photo.

"Sayo met her limit after the battle with Uchiha Madara when she found out some truths that Konoha's council and the Sandaime Hokage had kept from her all her life. She snapped."

Minato's heart clenched as he tried to imagine a world like what those three have told him—where his precious treasure had to grow up hated and detested in her birth village without both her parents by her side.

"She's…everything to me—to us. She gave and sacrificed everything for us. So I—we thought that it's time we did the same for her. That's why we took a risk to find her. Tobirama-sama knew about it. But as time travel is a risky business, he made us promise. He knew from his childhood—from his interactions with Sayo that time travelling seals are not something to be meddled with."

Minato's jaw clenched.

The night of the Kyuubi attack…

It was so long ago now that it felt almost like a distant dream. If Uchiha Sayo hadn't come that night, he knew that he would have resorted to sealing the Kyuubi away inside himself and his newborn daughter.

Would hatred be a life that he is condemning his then newborn daughter to? How naïve could he be? He knew how humans treated the demon vessels. What is his counterpart thinking to begin with?

"But something messed up the timeline. The Uchiha Sayo in our world died which actually lead to Uchiha Madara declaring war on Konoha and on the Shodaime. And from that point on, everything was just…different here. She doesn't remember us even though we met her loads of times after that. She declared us the enemy. But as she just looked so…happy with the man who is supposed to be our enemy in our world, we just couldn't bring ourselves to tell her or anyone the truth."

Minato's heart clenched.

In an alternate world, would he truly have condemned his daughter to a lifetime of suffering and hardship? Condemned his daughter as the vessel of the Leaf Village's most hated demon—a symbol of a guardian to protect an entire village who would never fully appreciate what she is to them.

As a leader, Minato knew that he would have done what his counterpart had done if faced with no other alternative. But as a father, he knew that it is wrong.

But the worst thing of all after listening to the trio tell their story is that Minato knew that he is perfectly capable of doing exactly what they said that he would do if the circumstances called for it.

Even if…

Even if it meant that his own daughter would hate him and never forgive him in the afterlife.

Sometimes, Minato disgusted even himself.

"So… Uchiha Sayo… You're saying she's my daughter from a different world? Mine and Kushina's? That's why she could utilize the famous Uzumaki chakra chains?"

Minato felt white-hot fury burn behind his eyes and within his heart as he recalled what Hiore had said in the chamber, and what the Tsuki group has confirmed. The Yondaime took several deep gulping breaths to calm himself down before he placed the photo carefully back into his drawer.

…His daughter. What Takara would have become if she didn't have the support and love of the entire village—if she never had her parents growing up.

What kind of life must she have led in that other reality?

And Shikamaru-kun… That look in his eyes as he talked about…Sayo. Did he love her? For all these years?

Judging by what Sakura had said, he is ready to take a high risk by attempting a never tested before seal just to find the redhead, Minato is sure that Shikamaru must have been deeply in love with her.

It really reminds Minato of Jiraiya who is still in love with Tsunade despite the woman already being married and having a child. Dan must have known about Jiraiya's one-sided love, as the two have been best friends and all after Orochimaru's departure. Hell, Dan had even asked Jiraiya to be his best man, and when Aoi was born, despite Tsunade's objections, Dan had asked Jiraiya to be his son's godfather.

Dan must have wanted to make it up to Jiraiya somehow.

Minato forced himself to calm down before turning around and moving his eyes upwards to face the portrait of the First Hokage of Konoha, trying to force his anger down and not blast the Shodaime's portrait off the wall with a Rasengan.

Sayo shook her head weakly. "It's fine. I had decades to come to terms with it," she rasped. "Hashirama… He might be a bastard. But… I'll also be the first to admit that he's not an evil man. We picked him as the Hokage for a reason. Please remember that."

Minato bit on his lower lip so hard that he actually tasted blood. "…We're in for a long reckoning once we meet in the afterlife, you bastard." The Yellow Flash swore, glaring daggers at Senju Hashirama's portrait. "You're dead once I get my hands on you."

XXXXXX

Hanesawa (formerly Haruno) Sakura placed down a bouquet of white lilies before the monument stone where there were several new additions added to it just a month prior. A collection of offerings were already gathered at the foot of the stone—most of it flower bouquets that looks as if half the village's shinobis must have bought out Yamanaka's Florists. There were also other things like a handmade doll, a good luck charm, a set of steel kunai, and even a ramen bowl.

"So this is it then…" Neji murmured, reaching to the knot of the blindfold at the back of his head and pulling at it, thus revealing his eyes to the world for the first time in years. "Despite everything, we still couldn't save Sayo. She saved me, saved us, saved the village over and over… So why couldn't we do the same for her? Must she be Konoha's…the world's fucking scapegoat over and over?"

Shikamaru and Sakura said nothing in the face of Neji's outburst. They knew that Neji had always felt a strong sense of loyalty to Sayo ever since their first chuunin exams when she had all but kicked him into the wall of the arena to protect Hinata from his attack, and then again when she had defeated him in full view in front of hundreds of people. Not only because she's the first girl his age to kick his butt, but also because of the way that she had lived her life. Neji will probably willingly gouge his eyes out before he will betray Sayo.

Sai wasn't the only one who was furious at both Sasuke and Sakura back then—Sasuke for betraying the village and nearly killing Sayo. And Sakura for making her teammate make that stupid promise. Sai was just the first of their age group to appoint himself as Sayo's unofficial protector—especially after Danzo died.

"But… She's at least lived a happy life from what we know." Sakura murmured, remembering what Minato had told them what Uchiha Seina had told him. "She's had friends who she could trust with her life. A husband who loved her more than life itself. A village that loved and adored her. Things that she never had the last time. And Takara… I know that she's not Sayo. I know that in my head. But I look at her, and I can't help but feel that it is how Sayo might have turned out if her parents have lived."

Shikamaru who had been really silent looked up at the sky. "…Is she really dead though?" he wondered at last, and his two teammates and best friends stared at him, confused. "Is Sayo… Is she really dead though?"

"What do you mean?" Neji asked, perplexed.

"Blood clone?" Fifteen-year-old Shikamaru asked, furrowing his brows, staring at the several diagrams drawn on the papers currently scattered over Sayo's kitchen table. He had invited himself into Sayo's apartment after knocking for nearly five minutes with no response only to find Sayo hard at work in her kitchen.

Sayo nodded with a small sad smile, gathering up her papers and arranging them in order. "Yeah. Just a little side project," she said. "There's kage bunshin, right? Solid clones with their own chakra network? Heavens knows that I've made them often enough when I was younger." Shikamaru nodded slowly—the kage bunshin had almost been Sayo's trademark technique when they were genin. But the redhead had stopped using them so much recently unless it's for training. "Sai gave me the idea the other day when he was telling me how one of Roots' trademarks is creating fake dead bodies to mislead their enemies. What if we can create a clone that looks, acts and feels like the original in order to fake their death and by the time the enemy realizes it, the original is already hundreds of miles away?"

"Pretty ingenious." Shikamaru admitted. "But rather than fuuinjutsu, isn't it more of a new branch of ninjutsu? Not exactly your area of expertise, right?" He looked carefully at his best friend. "How long have you been working on this exactly, Sayo?"

Sayo gave a small smile and shrugged. "Long enough," she said, avoiding giving Shikamaru a complete answer.

Shikamaru was silent for several moments. He had several long talks with Neji and even Kiba the other day over some drinks. All of their friends could see the changes in Sayo ever since her sensei's death, and when Neji had not so subtly hinted to them that Sayo had been embroiled in some political tug-of-war amongst the higher-ups ever since her identity as the Fourth's sole daughter was revealed to the masses.

Even Hinata, Sayo's best friend since their Academy days had admitted that her talks with Sayo just hasn't been the same since. It's like Sayo is more…guarded these days. It's like she feels as if she can't trust anyone any longer.

Shikamaru had raised his concerns with his father, and even Nara Shikaku had admitted that he is astounded that the girl had lasted this long. He definitely wouldn't be surprised if Sayo turned nuke-nin one day.

"Sayo…" Shikamaru finally managed to find his tongue, staring at the girl who had been his childhood playmate for as long as he could remember, and his comrade ever since they've both earned their hitai-ates. "Answer me honestly. Are you…facing some kind of trouble? If so, you can talk to me. We're friends, aren't we?"

Sayo said nothing before slipping her notes into her notebook. "…It's nothing," she said at last. She looked at Shikamaru in the eye for the first time in months. A small sad smile curled at the ends of her lips. "What? If I should leave the village one day, will you come with me?" She almost joked, and Shikamaru's eyes widened. "I'm joking." She had on a small smile that didn't really reach her eyes. "…I wouldn't ask you to come with me even if I should leave."

"Maybe someday…"

Someday…

Shikamaru said nothing before he looked up above him at the skies. Cloud watching…just isn't the same these days. Hasn't been for years.

"Shikamaru, we're leaving." Neji said, tying his blindfold back on. "Are you coming?"

"I'll stay a little longer." Shikamaru said, not looking at either Neji or Sakura. He waited until their footsteps died away before he sighed, looking at Konoha's monument stone once more. "…I wouldn't have said no that day, you know, Sayo?" He murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets. "If you had asked me, I would have gone with you if you truly want to leave the village. Anyone with eyes can tell that you're bordering on the brink of insanity with how much the higher-ups had been using you as the piece of rope in their game of tug-of-war. That day… I would have gone with you if you had just asked me to." Shikamaru dug into his pockets, digging out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter and lit one, placing it into his mouth and taking a drag on it. "But like with everything else, you wouldn't ask. You always kept everything to yourself. It's the same with Team 7 before Sasuke betrayed us. It's the same when Kakashi found you on the brink of death at the Valley of the End with a hole in your chest. It's the same even after you returned from your training trip. Sai had to be the one to tell us about your run-in with those two Kumo-nins. Neji had to be the one to tell us how you are embroiled in a political battle with the higher-ups. Why did you never tell us anything…?" Shikamaru muttered in frustration. "If you truly wanted to get away from Konoha, I would have gone with you if you'd just asked. I…would have willingly given up my status as the Nara heir, as a Konoha ninja… Anything…! If only…you'd just allowed me to help you…support you… If only…you'd just allowed me to be by your side…" Shikamaru blinked away his tears. "…I don't care even if you don't feel the same for me. I just…want to be by your side. Can't you even give me that? If I'd gone with you that day… Would things have been different?" He asked the monument stone. "…Sayo…"

XXXXXX

The doors to the chamber creaked opened slowly, inviting rays of sunlight into it.

A pair of footsteps were the only sounds that could be heard in the chamber—with it echoing with every step even as a slender hand touched the petite and slim hand of the girl that is lying on the stone ceremonial table with flowers scattered all over it.

"…The dream is fulfilled, Toshigaki Rie." A voice said gently. "It's over. Our promise to you…has been fulfilled. That's why… You can let go now. You can rest now."

There was silence for several moments before a low trembling sound started to echo around the chamber, and then, several rocks and stones started to fall from the ceiling. Cursing, the stranger moved with astonishing speed towards the entrance of the chamber even as rocks and stones started to bury the chamber, thus sealing it off forever.

A pair of silver-blue eyes watched as the rocks and stones started to fill the chamber—almost like it's Rie's farewell message.

Hiore chuckled weakly. "I've…accepted it gradually, you know?" he slurred. "That Rie is gone to me. That…my sister is dead. She isn't coming back. But… I met him. I…should never have listened to him. I knew…right from the start…that he never had any intention to bring Rie back… But…I wanted to wish…" Hiore coughed harshly. "That…man… Aizen…Sousuke…"

Minato frowned. "Who?" he asked, clueless.

Sayo and Zeref exchanged looks. "We killed him." Zeref said simply.

Hiore shook his head weakly. "…No… You don't…understand…" he said weakly. "You…know of the Old Ways… You are…believers too… Then…you should be aware of it… The underworld… The afterlife… He…still exists…"

The stranger felt a presence behind her. She didn't even need to turn around to know who that is. She had seen Him, along with the other gods of the Old Faith in her dreams ever since the war had begun. This is just one of the few times when He had appeared to her outside the realm of dreams.

She's a believer in the Old Ways after all. All those that have hailed from the time of the shinobi clan wars always are. There is a reason why the people of that era have steadfastly believed in things like demons and spirits.

"…Is this part of Fate as well?" she asked at last.

Izanagi's low chuckle echoed behind her. "Who knows? You know this by now, but the mortals have always been entertaining to the gods. We've always left the mortal world alone because your actions are entertaining to us. With such a short lifespan, and yet, you cherished and lived life to the fullest every single day." The god fell silent for several moments. "You are one amongst the few that still believed in the Old Ways, and for that, you will always have our protection. But even there are rules that bind the gods of creation—the gods of the Old Faith. For that reason alone, we use mortals to do our work for us—to be our agents."

"I've always wondered, you know? If there is truly an afterlife." The stranger said, still not turning around. "If it's true what you told us, and the Wheels will stray off the path several millennia from now, what can we do?"

"I will not be so presumptuous as to lay claim that you and your clan are the closest to us gods. But yet again, the powers that you wield can be said to be god-like. Especially in a time in the far future when humans can no longer wield the inner energy or even access it. And yet, no matter the era, we gods will always need someone to man the boundaries of the worlds, and to keep the balance of the World. It's as I said before. With power come greater responsibilities. I just wish you to be my Eyes. To ensure the Balance."

Uchiha Sayo finally turned and faced the God of Creation, Izanagi. She gave a small smile. "…We're going to be around for quite awhile anyway. I guess we can use something to pass the time."

XXXXXX

Uchiha Seina eyed the village of Konoha in the distance. This will really be the last time that they'll be seeing it. All of them made the same decision. They won't be coming back any longer. They have a far more important job to do now. Even if said job pertains to several millennia in the future.

"So, we've decided?" Seina turned around only to see Zeref, Madara and Sayo behind her. "Because we can no longer turn back. We've already settled everything that we need to settle after all."

"We made that decision a year ago." Zeref grunted, uncrossing his arms from across his chest. "All of us. We are all believers in the Old Faith, and though the gods are known to be capricious at times, they will never lie. If the God of Creation said that it is what will befall the world several millennia from now, then I believe it."

"I'm not really interested in the whole 'saving the world' thing." Madara grunted. "But we can't stand by and do nothing either. Besides, it doesn't really sound that bad. We have all the time in the world after all. We might as well put it to good use."

Sayo nodded even as Madara wrapped his arms around her. "What he said," she agreed. "We can't ignore it either way. We are too attuned to the spiritual side of things due to how long we have walked the earth, and that the Uchiha clan had always been a clan touched by Death. Besides, we can't keep having the shinobi world rely on us—artifacts of the past. It's time for this world to move on like it should have. Not rely on us all the time."

"Our job in the elemental continents ends here either way." Madara shrugged. "Tsuki is in good hands now. I trust Itachi to take the village to greater heights than what I could. Whether he wish to establish an alliance with Konoha and Hi no kuni or not, I couldn't care less. We've fulfilled our roles. The dream is fulfilled." He murmured. "We can now leave everything to the future generation."

"Four millennia…" Zeref murmured. "We have all the time in the world. Maybe we can even find Izuna's reincarnation." He glanced at Seina as he said so. "He's bound to be reincarnated sometime."

Seina managed a hopeful smile. "Yeah. I hope so," she said. "So it's decided then? We're leaving for the Outer Nations?"

Madara nodded. "Yeah. I always wanted to travel," he admitted. "And well… I hadn't really taken Sayo anywhere since our honeymoon." He flushed. "We have all the time in the world."

Zeref smiled before he raised his right hand, gathering chakra and dark energy, with the rest of his friends following suit. "Then I say we should leave," he said. "We have a new job to do."

…My agents. The apostles of destiny. HOMRA. You'll be my Watchers over the world. The World's agents.

XXXXXX

~Year 2001; Karakura Town, Japan~

Kurosaki Ichigo sighed as he placed his head down onto his arms whilst seated at his desk. It is the last day of middle school and winter break begins tomorrow. So why is he here again? Oh right, for a little something called diploma.

"Come on, class. It's your last day of your middle school life. You won't be showing your faces here again if you could help it, so how about showing me a little more life than this? You're high school students starting from next year!" Their homeroom teacher lectured, causing more than half the class to sweat drop. "All right, this will be the final roll call of the year…"

"Our little miracle…" Madara had an almost goofy smile on his face as he cooed down at the tiny baby cradled in his wife's arms. "I never thought that we'd ever get to have any children of our own."

"What should we name him?" Sayo asked, looking at her husband even as a smiling Seina and Zeref left the small room to give the couple some privacy.

Madara was silent for several moments even as he let the tiny baby play with his fingers, almost awed at how tiny he is. Is this how Izuna had felt when Haru was born?

The tiny baby already had a tuft of soft raven hair covering his head with a pair of unusual silver-blue eyes like his mother's.

A name came to Madara just then, and he knew that it is just perfect for his little boy.

"…Satoru."

"Uchiha Satoru?"

"Here."

Kurosaki Ichigo glanced at his neighbor, one of his closest friends who grinned at him mischievously. He almost snorted as several of the girls in his class sighed, staring at Satoru with admiration. The orange haired teen wondered how Satoru managed not to go crazy with all the girls in the class after him. Thankfully, Tatsuki at least got some common sense, and it also helps that she's Satoru's regular training partner in kendo.

The tomboy is a pretty good deterrent for some of Satoru's crazier fangirls, as no one want to face Arisawa Tatsuki in a fight, though not that Satoru really needs it. Despite how delicate and petite that Satoru looks, he is damn deadly in a fight. He can probably give even Chad a run for his money.

"This child is the future. Our hope. Will our lifestyle change or not? Will humans change? Time can only tell. That's why I hope that by the time he grows up, the world will be a better place."

A/N: And we've come to the end of Second Chances. It is always both a sad thing and a happy thing whenever I finished a story. I hope that you've enjoyed reading this story—I definitely enjoyed writing it. I have no idea when the sequel will be up—it really depends on my schedule and whether I have enough inspiration for it. But fear not, there will be a sequel. So who is surprised at how I end this story?

Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!