A/N: AND AFTER TEN MILLION YEARS I HAVE RETURNED WITH THE CONCLUSION TO THIS FIC. I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK FOREVER, I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY TIME TO MYSELF THESE PAST FEW WEEKS! BEING AN ADULT IS REALLY SHITTY SOMETIMES. LASTLY THIS CHAPTER IS CRAAAAAZY LONG! LIKE, SIX PAGES! ENJOY!

-34-

Naruto stirred and opened his eyes slowly. The low rumble of thunder was what woke him. He threw his hand over to his nightstand and grabbed his phone. Squinting, he checked the time (5:30, ugh. It's so damn early...) and read the text from Shikamaru telling him happy birthday and that if so much as looked at the Hokage mansion today, his day off, he'd get his ass kicked.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the room, followed by tremendous clap of thunder that shook the house. Naruto sat up and looked down at Hinata, still asleep. His eyes traced the line of her body; the curve of her breasts, the gentle sloping of her back, the rounding of her hips down to her thighs. She'd kicked the blankets off during the night and had bunched them up between her knees. He had to laugh; Hinata hated being cold, but her temperature was running higher now, that and she always said that sleeping next to him was like sleeping next to a furnace. No doubt she'd reach down to grab a blanket to cover up or wake up complaining about being cold.

Naruto slid out of bed and grabbed an extra blanket from the closet, and moved to her side of the bed. He smiled at her, one hand tucked under her pillow, the other hand cradling her pregnant belly, as if cradling the child within. He draped the blanket over her and dropped a kiss to her forehead before leaving he room.

He went about his usual morning routine: toilet, teeth, check on the kids. Boruto was sprawled across his bed, snoring loudly; he'd caught a cold on his most recent mission and the poor boy could hardly breathe, he was so stuffed up. Naruto straightened his son out on the mattress and drew the covers back over his body. Boruto grumbled about something in his sleep and burrowed into the covers. Himawari was the opposite of her brother; she was curled tightly into a ball, cocooned in the blankets. Naruto pressed a kiss to the top of her head and pulled the covers back from her face a bit, to prevent her from overheating.

He stood in the hall and torn between going back to bed or moving down stairs. He opted for the latter, as he wasn't really tired anymore. Feeling compelled to, he grabbed a few of their photo albums from the bookshelf and sat down on the couch. The first book he flipped through held the most recent family photos: Himawari's first day at the Academy, an ultrasound of the new baby, pictures of Hinata as her belly grew larger. There were pictures from July of Himawari's (second) birthday, of Boruto and the Gokage after defeating Momoshiki and Kinshiki.

The second book took him back to when his little girl was just a baby, images of her first steps, playing in the garden, playing with Boruto, with him, with her mother. Pictures of when she was just a few days old in the hospital, of when she was still growing inside Hinata. The third book contained the same images of Boruto. The fourth was a compilation of photos from when he and Hinata had just started dating, through their engagement, wedding and the first year of marriage before they welcomed Boruto.

Naruto felt strange as he opened the last album. It was, thin, only containing a few pages. The pictures inside were of his parents, from their engagement right up until his birth. His chest felt heavy as he stared at the last few pictures. Often times he wondered what his life would have been like had his parents lived. He closed the album and walked over to the sliding glass door, opening it and stepping out onto the covered porch to hear the rain and feel the thunder.

If I hadn't been born… Mom and dad would still be alive… And dad would still be Hokage… Dark thoughts entered his mind; thoughts that hadn't made themselves known in quite some time. Am I really allowed to be happy today? I shouldn't… It's my fault Obito attacked when he did… My fault that the village was almost destroyed and so many lost so much… That there was a war… My fault!

It's my fault my parents are dead. He balled his left hand and slammed it into the hard brick of the house. The pain of his skin splitting, of one or more of his knuckles breaking, bruising, couldn't take away the tight, excruciating pain that was blossoming in his chest, in his heart. God dammit, it's all my fault! Look at what I have and my parents can't participate… I took their future! I took… I've ruined everything…

His mind went blank as he felt warm chakra flowing over his broken hand, healing the damage that he'd done. Hinata gripped his hand tightly, yet still being gentle, as she worked, her body melting into his side. He could hear her muttering things, but he couldn't really distinguish the words. All he knew in that moment was the feel of Hinata: her plush breasts and the firm weight of the baby growing within her pressed against him, the warm softness of her hands and the soothing ripple of her chakra encasing his hand.

"Stop thinking things like that." Her voice was quiet. "Stop. It wasn't your fault. It isn't your fault for anything. Don't think those things anymore."

Naruto turned to his wife. She reached up and smoothed her hand over his whiskers and down his neck, cupping the back and drawing his head down to press against her forehead. Her other hand brought his newly healed hand to her belly, to feel the rolls and kicks of their child.

His breathing was ragged as Hinata kneaded his neck and the base of his skull. She continued to grip his wrist as his fingers clutched the thin material of her nightgown. When the tears began to drip down onto her collarbone, Hinata gently pushed his head to rest in the crook of her neck. She shushed lightly, pressing her lips to his temple, just below his ear, to the pulse point near his jaw.

"Do I deserve any of this?" Naruto mumbled into her shoulder. "Do I deserve to be happy? Am I allowed to… be happy? Especially today, of all days?"

Hinata didn't answer right away. Instead she lightly pushed him away and brought him back into the warmth of the house. She sat him down on the sofa and grabbed the largest blanket they had from the cupboard. Hinata positioned herself in the corner of the couch and pulled Naruto down atop and around her, resting his head against her chest, the blanket draped over their bodies.

"Hime…" Naruto started. Hinata shushed him with a gentle finger over his lips. She carded her fingers through his hair and they sat in silence for a little while longer. Naruto, his ear pressed between her breasts, focused on her calm, steady heartbeat.

"You deserve this, Naruto-kun." She whispered against his forehead. "You deserve your position because you've worked so hard and done so many wonderful things for the village, for the world. You deserve this family, having been denied the joy of having one when you were younger." Her free hand moved to tangle its fingers with his, resting on her belly.

"You deserve your happiness; after being unhappy for so long, of course you deserve it. Don't let anyone ever tell you different." She squeezed his hand. "And you are most certainly allowed to be happy today, of all days. Because today was the day you came into this world, so that you could enter my life, help me grow, love me, love our children, be my everything.

The events that mark today's history are not your fault. They are the result of evil's destructive force. Nothing is your fault. Your parents did what they had to in order to protect you, to give you a chance to live your life. Everyone who fought in the war alongside you did so to help you, joined your cause to bring peace back to this world.

And you succeeded. And you helped to bring the world into a new era, and my god, Naruto, your actions alone prove that you deserve everything and then some. So don't do this to yourself, don't doubt yourself. Today is possibly the best day in the history of the world, because today is the day you were born!"

Hinata had always known exactly what to say to him, to lift him from the darkness and back to the light. Naruto wrapped his arms around his wife tightly, pressing his face into her neck, mouthing a silent thank you. The couple lay quiet, letting the sound of the rain and their breathing lull them to sleep.

"Hima, stop! I said I was gonna do it!"

"Mama! Boruto won't let me do it!"

"Boruto, let her help. Himawari, he's in charge, so listen to him. And be quiet, you two."

Naruto stirred, hearing his wife and children move about the main floor. He kept his eyes close, hovering between sleep and consciousness as he listened.

"Minato, they're just adorable! Oh, I never get tired of watching them." Wait…

"Neither do I, dear. Neither do I." That voice…

"Do y'think Naruto would've been like that if we'd had another child?" Mom? But…

"Most certainly. Boruto does share a lot of traits with his father, and fierce protectiveness and stubbornness are right at the top of the list." Dad?

"And Himawari gets that from Naruto too. I mean, how else can you explain that fire-y attitude?"

"Perhaps her grandmother's stubborn red-hot hai- Ow!"

"I'm not stubborn."

"Yes, dear."

"Oh, look! He's waking up!" Naruto cracked his eyes open a hair's width. Sitting on the coffee table in front of him was…

"Mom!?"

"The one and only!"

"And dad… What…how?" Naruto looked to see Minato standing right behind Kushina, his hand on her shoulder. "I don't understand…"

"We don't really know either, but we're only here for a bit." Kushina reached out to stroke Naruto's cheek. "Oh, my baby boy, look at how big you are! And so handsome too!"

"Thanks, mom. I gotta owe it to you though, great genes and all." Naruto blushed. He sat up, grabbed Kushina's hand and held it tight. "Mom, dad, I just… I can't believe that you guys are here! I've- There's so much that I want to share with you and I'm- I'm so sorry that I took that opportunity away!"

"Son," Minato stepped around his wife and gripped Naruto's shoulder. "You didn't take anything away from us. Nothing that happened was your fault."

"It hurts that the misguided actions of another are why we aren't here to share this with you, but we do not and have not blamed you, sweetie." Kushina sat on the sofa next to her son and gathered him in her arms. "We love you so much."

Naruto sat for a moment and took in the gentle weight of Minato's hand on his shoulder and the warmth that emanated from Kushina's body as she hugged him close. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.

"C'mon, I want to introduce you to my family." Naruto said after a while. "I've told them all I know about you and Grandma Tsunade found some pictures for me to have and show the kids and Hinata. Himawari is in love with your hair, mom; sometimes wishes that she could have-"

"They can't see us, son." Minato whispered.

"Oh. I-I see."

"We're sorry, honey." Kushina brushed his cheek. "We've been watching over you and your family though. And we are so proud! Hinata is just the most beautiful, loving person I have ever seen."

"Isn't she?" Naruto blushed. "She's been there for me since we were kids. Took her a while to actually speak to me because she was so shy, but man, she always knows what to say to lift my spirits… I was kind of an idiot and didn't realize that I loved her until I almost lost her.

But I told her! And luckily she never stopped loving me, and well, here we are. Hinata reminds me of you guys, actually; clam and quiet like you dad, and fiercely protective and loving like you, mom."

"Awww! You listened to your mother! Finding a girl just like me!" Kushina squealed. "Now, those grandkids of mine!"

"Hehe, well, they've got my whiskers, and baby number three will most likely have them too… Not really sure how that one happened… but they're damn cute, aren't they? Oh! Mom, Hinata is convinced that we'll have a redhead, or a something close to being red." Naruto beamed. His children were his pride and joy. "It's been a little rough since I became Hokage; I wasn't managing my time well enough and my family suffered. But I've changed that. We're fixing things. Boruto acted out for a bit… just like me actually. He just wanted me to pay attention to him. And he's a really fine ninja!

He's very bright; certainly much smarter than I was. He works very hard too…. And Hima, she's my little princess; got me wrapped around her fingers. She's just started the Academy. As smart as her brother. I can't believe that a dunce like me could produce such smart kids! Hehehe. Those two probably won't have the Byakugan although Boruto swears that he's seen Himawari use it… But that doesn't matter to us. And if the baby has the Kekkei Genkai it won't be a big deal. We're proud of our children no matter what." Naruto went on for several more minutes, detailing every single aspect of his three children's lives.

"You're such a good father." Kushina squeezed his hand. "Tell me more about your darling wife! How did you meet, when did you know she was the one, you know, things like that."

"Uh, well, we officially met at the academy, but we'd bumped into each other a couple times before that. Um… God, it sounds absolutely terrible when I say this but it took me forever to realize that my heart was telling me that Hinata was the one for me… I mean, Hinata flat out told me that she loved me when she came to rescue me from Pein… and then when he hurt her…" Naruto clutched at his heart.

"I'd never felt more rage, more hatred, more hurt, than I did in that moment. It was the one of the worst feelings in my entire life. So I let Kurama take over and I almost lost myself completely but dad was there to help me…. And then I felt so relieved when I could sense her presence… I was so dense! I seriously thought that loving something like food was the same as loving a person. So here my heart was telling me that I loved her but I didn't get it… We spent a lot of time hanging out after the war; a lot of time. She helped me while I was waiting to get my new arm and then at first after my arm was finished, I didn't really spend that much time with her but I missed being around her so yeah…"Naruto blushed as he remembered the early days of their relationship.

"Hime… Hinata has always been one of my most precious peoples and well… it took Toneri Ōtsusuki, a descendant of Hamura, the Sage of Six Paths brother, to realize just how precious she was." Naruto took a deep breath and relayed the story of Toneri and the moon, his heart burning at the memories, the pain he'd felt then. "One of the other most awful feelings was when Hinata went with Toneri and she told me goodbye. It just… it hurts even now remembering her say that, because I honestly can't picture a life without Hinata… I'd have fought for her for eternity.

We dated for a little after we came back from the moon… it's funny because thinking back, we'd been dating before that whole debacle, we just didn't realize it. I proposed on my birthday, over the phone… I was going to do it when I got back from my mission but I just feel so open and free talking to her that I blew the surprise by just thinking out loud."

"Hahaha! Sounds just like your mother!" Minato laughed, stopping when Kushina slapped him on the gut. He hissed in pain. "Oh. It appears that our time is just about up."

"What? No! You-you can't! I just got you back!" Naruto's voice cracked. His eyes started to burn. They couldn't leave; not now! "I still have so much to tell you!"

"Naruto, son, we wish we could stay forever, too… but we can't. I want to say that I am proud to call you my son. You are a fine man and a spectacular Hokage. And you are every bit of the father that I wished to be and then some!" Minato helped Kushina to stand.

"No! Please! Mom, dad, I can't lose you again!" Naruto reached out to grab them as they began to fade away. He couldn't seem to move, his body heavy, leaden.

"We're watching over you, always, sweetie. We love you so much. Happy birthday, my beautiful baby boy." Kushina held a hand over her heart. "Open your eyes, Naruto. It's time to wake up. You don't want to sleep the day away; it's time-"

"-to wake up, dear." Kushina's voice morphed into the soft, melodic tones of his wife. Naruto opened his eyes and saw Hinata perched on the edge of the sofa, "Good morning, Naruto-kun."

"Morning." He croaked out, his voice hoarse from sleep. Naruto reached his hand out to stroke Hinata's belly as she sat facing him. "I love you, Hime."

"I love you too." She whispered, pressing her palm to his chest, right over his heart. "Is something wrong? You look like you've been crying…"

"No; nothing's wrong. I promise."

"Daddy!" Himawari's bright sunshine voice filled the room as she launched herself onto Naruto, burrowing her head into his chest. Hinata moved her hand to stroke the little blunette's hair. "Happy birthday, daddy! Mama and me and Bolt made you a cake!"

"Woah! Sunflower princess, remember, you have to be careful around mama." Naruto wrapped his free arm around his precious daughter. "You made me a cake, huh? I hope it's yummy!"

"Dad, don't be lame." Boruto appeared and sat on the coffee table opposite the pile and held out his fist. "Happy birthday, old man."

Naruto smiled and returned the gesture, bumping their fists together.

"Daddy, are you sad today?" Himawari was sitting up, her finger poking at the tear tracks running down his cheeks. "Why did you cry? What made you sad?"

"I'm not sad. I'm actually really, really happy right now." He poked a finger at her little whiskers and smiled as she giggled. "I had a really good dream and it made me really happy and I just started to cry a bit."

"What did you dream?" His son asked. "What made you so happy you cried? That sounds kinda uncool, dad."

"I dreamt that I was talking to my mom and dad. They came to visit and wished me a happy birthday and then we sat and talked about all about you, Hima, mama, the baby. Lots of stuff."

"You talked to grandma and grandpa? What did they say?" Boruto asked, stunned.

"Tell us! Tell us!" Himawari chanted.

"They said lots of things, really good things. That they're proud of me and how much they love to watch over you guys, and they think you're wonderful children…" He looked at Hinata as he said all this. "And they love mama. They think that mama is the best mother in the world and you know what, they're right."

After a few minutes silence, he motioned for everyone to stand up. He perched Himawari on his hip and drew Hinata into his other side. Boruto came to the front of the group and in one synchronized motion, Naruto was engulfed in an Uzumaki hug.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" "Happy birthday, dad!" "Happy birthday, dear!" Their voices rang out together.

"Thank you guys, I love you all so much. I'm so happy!" Naruto looked at the beaming smiles of his family. "Now, let's get this party on the road! I'm getting really hungry and I think I need to eat some of that cake you made!"

Naruto set his daughter on the ground and watched his two oldest run off to the kitchen. He turned to Hinata and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Thank you Hime; you've been making this day one of the best days of my life. Thank you!"

"Dad, mom! Stop being all mushy and get over here for some cake!" Naruto and Hinata chuckled, walking side by side, hand in hand towards their children.