A.N. Well, I gave fair warning in the last author's note, this is the Epilogue. Thanks for sticking with me this long. I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto.
Kagome rested a hand on Naruto's shoulder as he stared at the grave of his wife. "I'm sorry Naruto. I know you cared for her."
The blond shook his head, looking away from the tombstone and turned to look at his mate. "It always amazed me how you could be so accepting of her. Even Gaara resented her, I think."
"Why resent someone guilty of the same thing we are? You are easy to love." Kagome smiled gently, feeling the cool night air slip through her hair. "It's hard to believe it has been twenty years."
"A blink of an eye. I never thought I'd feel like that," Naruto murmured, closing his eyes to let the memories overtake him.
x~x~x
"Naruto!" Kagome grumbled, chastising as she pushed his hand off her hip. "We're supposed to only be friends, at least in public! Now act brotherly."
"That's just a sick thought, 'Gome-chan." Naruto grinned broadly, though there was a tinge of frustration in his eyes. "It's hard, you know… You locked up with Tsunade-baachan all day and you only let me spend time with you in your apartment if I sneak in. I miss you."
"I miss you too," Kagome admitted. "But you really should think about dating. People will get suspicious if you only spend time with me. You're barely even flirting with Sakura anymore." Her eyes were strict.
"Well, maybe I only want-" Naruto started, suddenly breaking off and sidestepping the brunette that was rushing through the street. "Oi! Watch where you're going!"
Light, almost white eyes, looked over her shoulder, but she ran on.
Kagome covered her mouth to hide her smile when she saw the way her friend's nose twitched. "Smell something you like?"
Color bloomed on the kitsune's cheeks and he scowled at her. "Not that much."
x~x~x
"You knew what I needed even when I was so stubborn, when I insisted I didn't… You even found the perfect girl for me, made sure that there wouldn't be fallout." Naruto shook his head and pulled Kagome to his chest. "She was no substitute for you."
"She wasn't meant to be. Hanabi was a person, like you and I. And she understood." Kagome smiled and leaned into him.
x~x~x
"So, you want me to date the guy my sister has been pining for, for like… Ever," Hanabi deadpanned, looking at the foreigner as if she were utterly insane. "I barely even know Naruto. I don't want to date him."
"I think you were fascinated by him, wondering what captivated Hinata. And now, you are just a little more interested. He came back from the desert confident, with a touch more discipline. He's been taking high level missions ever since he returned," Kagome pointed out, smiling with a touch of resignation.
"If you like him so much, you should go out with him," Hanabi huffed, looking irritable.
"Naruto deserves to have a companion he cares for by his side. And this would meet your goals too. I know you feel guilty for replacing your sister as heiress, even though you strive to be good enough." Kagome watched her tense, and felt a great deal of guilt for playing this game.
"What do you know? I won the position," Hanabi shot back, her eyes narrowed on the foreign woman.
"No matter the progress he makes, Naruto will never be seen as good enough to marry the heiress to the Hyuga clan. If you want Hinata to get her title back, which I know you do, developing a relationship with Naruto would do just that. Besides, Naruto could never give Hinata the love she deserves." Kagome met the younger female's gaze evenly.
Hanabi stepped back, amazed. "I should report you to the Elders. You are way too smart to be around here, unwatched."
"You could." Kagome shrugged. "You could do a lot with this information, hell, start a war. I'm the Kazekage's fiance and I'm trying for political arrangements for the future Hokage-and yes, Naruto will be Hokage-so yeah, this is all very much a dangerous conversation for me. However, I think you might like being wife to the Hokage one day. You're ambitious, and this way, your ambition would not cut Hinata from your family. Strain that relationship, yes… But she will move on."
"How do you know?" Hanabi asked, her mind reeling from all the information, the intricate game of chess the other woman seemed to be playing so strange and intriguing.
"First loves, loves built on one party being entirely dedicated to the other, never work out. Hinata will find a deeper love, one that will be based on mutual feelings, rather than the heart wrenching pangs of desire from an adolescent." Kagome was saddened in the moment, lost in her thoughts.
There was a stretch of silence between them for a long moment and the Hyuga nodded. "I'll have dinner with him."
x~x~x
Seafoam irises almost glowed in the dark as the redhead approached his two lovers. "Are we ready to go?" he asked quietly, unable to muster the same remorse for the woman who had shared his lover's bed for twenty years that his mate could.
Kagome sent him a sharp, reprimanding look and broke from Naruto's arms a moment before bowing to the Hyuga's grave. "Thank you, Hanabi-chan. You came to love Naruto, insuring he would never be alone in the hard years we were apart."
Naruto's eyes strayed to the tombstone once more and he nodded. "Let's go. I've had my time. We'll start our lives together. So, do we pick like, new names?"
Amused, Kagome took them each by the hand and they all disappeared.
A.N. Well, this has been a hard story to write at times, but it was time for the end. They figured it out, made their plan and are off to live their lives anew.