Nothing to say except read, enjoy and review this grand finale. :D And it's named after one of the newest pieces by Brunuhville on YouTube, which also provided vivid inspiration for these events.

Warning: mpreg mentioned, but it's nothing TOO explicit. Apologies go out to those who don't like, but please don't be too shy. This is the big finish.

Chapter Thirteen

Meaning of Life

Half of Itachi didn't want to leave the private sanctuary, but Shiranui was pawing and sniffing at the door as if reminding him that he couldn't hide in there all day. Sighing, he resigned and left, after cleaning himself up. He would have to pick up Sarada soon, in a few hours. Right now required a much needed drink, but something alcoholic would not suffice. He settled on making himself a kettle of tea and taking out the leftover sushi dish from yesterday. He was really hungry now, for some reason; if his activities in the bathroom had done the trick on him...

The wolves were on him then, demanding their meal; he stood from his late lunch and returned to the kitchen stove, finding some raw, uncooked steak - he loathed it anyway - and decided this was fitting for them. He decided to make a trip down to the meat market after he was finished; he doubted Sakura would be happy to know that her fridge had no respect.

The pups were fighting over their portion of the meal, watched keenly by their parents, and Shiranui the uncle went up to Itachi as he enjoyed his food. Under the roof belonging to his brother's family, on his own and surrounded by furry friends, like a normal human being, if only for a short time - but each minute had to count.

When he was finished, he cleaned the dishes and put them all back into their original places, feeling how drowsy he had become, but he couldn't afford to fall asleep when Sarada needed him soon. Chances were that he'd pass out and wake up late enough to earn a bash to the head by the mother herself if something happened to her child...

He decided a walk through the village with the original plan to buy groceries for the family was in order. "Come on, Shiranui; we are going back out."

The wolf was happy to comply, but then Ryujin growled, stating he wanted to go and get some more food for his family, making Itachi sigh. "My friend, hunting at an odd time will raise questions if anyone sees you," he said to the copper-eyed male, stroking him behind the ears. "Besides, I doubt the woman of the house would appreciate blood trailing from her front door and across her polished floors..."

~o~

Sarada was surrounded by a small group of friends - one of them being Naruto's son - when he arrived and waited underneath the great tree he once rested under as he waited for her father in the "good old days", leaning back calmly and casually as he watched the young Shinobi wannabes leave, happy and joining friends before parting to go to their parents or to carry on with their friends. Few had other relatives or guardians to collect the remaining.

He smiled at those who passed by him, even though they didn't ask who he was, and a couple of them reached to pet Shiranui; the beast closed his eyes and allowed the little ones to caress him before he got tired of it and moved closer to Itachi as they waited for the one...

"Oji-san!"

The little girl with glasses and her father's resemblance happily ran up to him and threw her arms around him at the waist. Proudly, Itachi returned the embrace and picked her up, hoisting her onto his back just like he used to do to Sasuke, making her laugh and wrap her arms around his shoulders. He nearly melted when she pecked his cheek with a kiss. My sweet little niece.

"How was your day, Sara-chan?" he asked when he began to walk them back to the apartment, the sun going down and leaving behind an array of orange and gold.

She laughed and held onto him tighter. "Well, Anko-sensei is scary to those who cross her..."

Itachi chuckled as he remembered her very well, and how right his niece was. Maybe someday he would cross paths with Anko and see how she'd been faring all this time. Unfortunately, today would not be the day, and the late hour wasn't the only reason.

His stomach suddenly took him off-guard; perhaps it was the sushi he'd eaten earlier. Either way, he had to let Sarada down from his back so he could dash towards a collection of bushes, and vomited then and there into the secrecy of the shrubbery. He threw up two, three more times before he was calm again, but he frowned as he could not understand what had brought this on. Not even a few hours ago, he'd enjoyed a good meal, but now the food had been brought back out of his mouth. Shiranui whimpered as he sniffed, trying to figure out what was wrong with his human companion.

Sarada took a few steps forward, lower lip trembling and eyes wide. "Uncle, are you okay?"

"Umm...I believe so." He stood shakily on his feet, the wolf supporting him on one side, and the little girl on the other.

"What could it be? A bug?" she pressed, lifting her nose curiously.

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Maybe you should ask Mama when she gets home," his niece suggested as they continued to walk home. He nodded; he planned to do just that.

And on par, Sakura did come home just before the sun disappeared and left behind indigo and black in its wake. Before setting foot up the stairs, Itachi was hit with another unexpected bout and vomited again into the nearest collection of bushes he could find. By this time, by coincidence, the matriarch herself appeared and hurried down the stairs to be beside him, helping him stand. "Itachi!" She looked down at her daughter who piped up.

"He's been sick since he picked me up from the Academy."

Itachi closed his eyes, wishing to swallow down the unknown illness in his body, having been taken aback when he had not been expecting to become sick again. In his previous reanimated form, near perfect as it had been by Kabuto's hand, he'd been alive for less than a few days before the release under the influence of Izanami. So, how to explain this...?

Sakura took him by the forearm gently but firmly, guiding him towards the stairs, ushering Sarada ahead of them. The wolf followed, tail swishing at random. "Itachi, when did this start?" the woman asked when they were halfway up.

"Not that long ago," he replied, "when I collected Sarada. And it happened again just now."

"Do you remember ingesting something unusual?" She wasted no time jumping right on into her physician's evaluation.

"Only leftover sushi when I returned from Hokage Tower, but nothing else."

Her brows furrowed as she pondered this over, then her expression softened. "When Sarada lays down, we'll do a...private examination," she said softly. "I don't know what it could be without further physical proof, and the hospital isn't in question right now." If anyone were to find this out about me, then it's utter disgrace.

Sarada was at the well-placed dinner table, with Shiranui and his family settling in the living room. She looked up at her mother and uncle when they first arrived, and the worry was clear in her eyes. No smile would make her return the expression. "It's perhaps nothing to worry about, niece," Itachi tried to assure her, and that made her relax only slightly. She said nothing, and the family ate in silence, but Sarada did brighten up when she told them about her day and how Boruto was an idiot worse than his father was, making both him and Sakura laugh, and the mother joked in agreement that each generation did either get worse or better than the last.

He thanked Sakura for not making steak as he'd made it clear it wasn't his personal favorite, and no sushi again. She'd made a simple rice and miso meal for them all. He should have remembered his manners, but he stuffed himself silly and moaned with pleasure at how delicious it was. Blushing, he thanked his sister-in-law and apologized. Earlier, he'd been sick and vomiting out of nowhere. Now, he'd been taken by surprise with immense hunger. He wasn't lowering his guard if he were to assume it wouldn't come back.

"Night, Mama," Sarada said, kissing her mother's cheek, then Itachi's, "and Uncle."

"Get a good night's sleep, baby," Sakura told her, watching with him as the child closed her bedroom door, after bathing and then changing into her sleepwear that same night. The dishes needed to be taken care of, but he would do that himself. Meanwhile...

"Itachi...meet me in the bedroom. I'm going to set up my spare tools and equipment."

~o~

If he didn't know any better, he'd have called this room the miniature version of his sister-in-law's private hospital. He heard of how she faced near-death to save the lives of many, earned the full title of kunoichi and surpassed even her own mentor, the legendary Slug Princess Tsunade, and even treated both her best friend and eventual husband when they fought for one last time and both lost an arm.

Hence why Sasuke refused to have his arm healed.

Itachi closed his eyes and relaxed against the pillow beneath his head. He lay on the bed that his brother and sister-in-law shared, not in an insulting manner, and with his trousers down around his ankles so Sakura could carry on with this current section of the examination. She'd already taken his pulse, heartbeat and such, and all were normal. She even summed up that it was not a stomach flu by any means...which led to the latest part which made Itachi's skin break out into sweat. No matter how he reassured himself that this was professional and medical purposes, he couldn't help but feel...small beneath the inquisitive green gaze of his sister-in-law as she ran her green chakra infused hands over his most private area, which was also laid open. Every detail. The shock that had first appeared had since faded.

"God...I am familiar with hermaphroditism, but this..." She swallowed and cleared her throat. "This shouldn't happen in full adulthood when you don't expect it. But one thing is certain: I can't decipher what caused this."

"Neither do I."

"You didn't have this when you first woke up," Sakura went on, "and you also didn't have what all men have, right?" He shook his head. He didn't trust his own words when the question was asked. She frowned now, looking to the side and deep in thought now. "Damn it," she swore, before her scowl relaxed. "I may just be theorizing, but whoever the deity was behind this, they must have their own special reasons." The green chakra faded back into her channels, and her hands dropped. Itachi willed his legs to close, but he remained in the same position.

What was done wasn't the sick twist of a joke I originally thought it was. It may be unclear -

"Itachi," Sakura suddenly added, "you're not going to believe what else I found. You have a, erm...womb."

Something inside Itachi made him nearly bolt, but he gripped the sides of the comforter as well as his jaw. His heartbeat quickened before stopping altogether. If having feminine parts in his masculine form wasn't enough... "Sakura..." he said slowly. "...if you're saying I have..." If I have THAT, then that means I am...

Sakura's cheeks turned from the soft blush that matched her hair to a much darker rose. "Yes, Itachi, it means you are pregnant," she answered, half-strangled out of pure embarrassment.

Pregnant...

Itachi laid his head back, wishing he could pull his pants up, but he didn't feel the will to move - but then he felt a hand against his skin and the fabric of his pants being pulled up his legs. Sakura was helping him as she saw through him. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. You don't know what to do, and having a family wasn't ever on your agenda...?"

He stared up at the ceiling, pondering the question and statement in one. No, he never thought about having children - and this one...this child...it's Hotaka's. It's been not even a few days since we were last in bed together. He ought to know, but he's suffered a tragedy that a new child is out of the question. Itachi shifted his hips so he was completely covered now, but he felt himself in a blank. However, if there was one certain thing, an abortion would not be the plan. One strong belief within the Uchiha was to NEVER kill an innocent life conceived between you and your partner.

"You're...going to tell him eventually, are you?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

He sighed. "Maybe...I don't know."

"You know you have to. It's also his, and maybe because he lost someone he loved, something good will also come his way." She offered a slight smile, but it seemed to hurt her a little. "I heard from Naruto that they'll be back tomorrow. The festival will be back on by then, in time for the finish."

Itachi allowed a small smile to come to his face before he let it fade. He wished to say that it was cruel to think about festivity when a life was lost - but life also had to go on. He knew Hotaka would have more than enough time to mourn his brother, but he also had a life and duty to fulfill, and his brother would have wanted him and the rest of them to carry on. He sighed and brought both his hands to his stomach, knowing what he and his lover created together was there. He tried to think about what to tell him, and how to...

The others may not be so happy to see me. For all I know, I may not be a member of their group, but I will not let it hinder me. I found my way through this new life with their help.

That was not all: if there was trouble out there, then perhaps he should not go out after all against Naruto's word. Not only would Sasuke handle himself, but Itachi had to protect the baby he was now carrying. He was anything but rash, and a life still always came first - this life is part of me.

~o~

Sasuke had not yet returned, and Itachi did his best to not worry for his brother.

But in the event, Hotaka and his group did return in time, and the festival was back to its glory for the remainder of its time.

The sun was peeking out by the time the small caravan set foot through the front gates. The crowd was gathering, the applause rising, but it was neutral and torn between happiness and sympathy. No one would ever forget the recent loss, but no one would cease just because he was gone. Everyone knew that you had to pick up and move forward in a matter of time.

Itachi was waiting with his pack, but hidden from sight, as he felt his lungs constrict at the sight of his lover in the lead, and the rest trailing behind him. Hotaka was smiling, but it was distant from his eyes. The Uchiha read every emotion he had: he missed his brother who was either buried or cremated, and he also missed Itachi. Whom he could not wait to see very soon. Isao and his son as well as Kichiro were ecstatic, although when his father wasn't looking, Fumio cast a thin-lipped line ahead as he did NOT want to see a certain "liar" and "dead man" who was still lingering about. That reminded Itachi, he had to know if he was still one of them or not. Isao was the founder of the group, so he was the one who had the true final answer.

He had to assume they would return to the inn, but for now, he kept a shadowy tail on them. He did not wish to be accosted by Fumio if the man still hated him. He just wanted to see his lover - the father of the child he was carrying.

And by the time night fell, and he was attending the festival at night with his sister-in-law and his niece, he was given that opportunity when the man himself found him on his own and approached him. He recognized him through the sunglasses even, recalling certain features of his so well, and Itachi wasted no time allowing himself to be taken into an embrace if it risked the attention of the rest of the group.

"You've returned."

Hotaka chuckled as he looked him over, taking a step back. "Yup. Didn't we promise each other I would be back?" Itachi nodded, half-smiling.

"I haven't said these words in a long time to anyone - at least, not in this sense. But I have missed you," he confessed, putting a hand on the elder's shoulder.

"I have, too, my boy." Hotaka partially leaned in, as if to kiss his forehead, but onlookers who didn't approve of two men exchanging such gestures might usher their children away or turn away with sickness in their stomachs, so the man remained as he was. "Tsuneo was cremated. I have placed him on the fireplace mantle. Though...I wish you were there to see it." His eyes were fogged over, absent of tears.

Itachi decided standing here would not do good, so he found them a bench beneath a collection of hanging lanterns overhead. "I know, and I regret not being there." He looked ahead through his sunglasses, leaning back and exhaling.

Hotaka smiled at him, taking his hand into his. "Don't apologize. Maybe it was for the best, after all. You had your own issues to deal with, and sooner rather than later. I see you've done well while I was away." He frowned then. "Your brother - I didn't see him. Has he left as the Hokage ordered?"

Itachi nodded. "He's been away to the place I first...awoke. No word yet." He took a deep breath. "We're close, but we have a possible lead. An ancient clan called the Ootsutsuki - and it's a strong possibility one of them has to do with my revival. My brother, Sakura, Naruto and their fellow Shinobi encountered and fought them during the war, after I had the Reanimation Jutsu released. They're known as the 'gods of Shinobi', going from world to world and harvesting what they called the God Tree, but while it is revered as a devoted icon of life, giving great power...it is known to suck the lifeforce out of you. But that is beside the point..."

Hotaka had blanched a little when Itachi told him everything Sakura told him.

"...in the end, one of them had reasons to bring me back. Giving me a second chance, but I refuse to let my guard down," Itachi promised, then sighed again. "And there's more..."

But before he could finish speaking, the gong was struck, signaling that Hotaka had to rejoin the group so they could begin...but the chance never came.

The middle of the grounds, surrounded by the throng of people in finery and holding small lanterns and sparklers, was shaken and then erupted with a flash of light, shattering debris everywhere. Many were thrown off their feet and backwards. The stage partially collapsed, but the members of the group who had made it before Hotaka had gotten off unscathed.

Standing there, in the middle of the chaos, was a glowing figure of light blue and white...bearing Tsuneo's face.

~o~

His heart ran cold, turning his blood to subzero.

Tsuneo's face was not the only thing he saw in this man that had the attention of the celebrating residents.

"Oh, gods -" Hotaka's voice failed him as he looked upon the face of his dead brother, holding onto Itachi for support. "My God...my brother..."

But there was no way this could truly be his otouto, and Itachi knew that. He stood beside his lover, surrounded by others - and Sakura had saved both her daughter and others by throwing a powerful fist overhead, crushing a fallen piece of concrete into scattered debris. The purple diamond in the middle of her head pulsed with the vein that bulged as she glared at the being before them all. So many of her other fellow Shinobi were ready to join the fight as they seemed to recognize WHAT he was.

This man with Tsuneo's face...he's Ootsutsuki.

The pale, pupil-less irises were none other than the Byakugan, confirming it all. Itachi knew to tell from signs which individual had a threatening aura and which did not. The Ootsutsuki were not all threatening against humanity; Hagoromo himself had been not, but the chance was very minimal. This one...based on the somewhat kind smile as he looked upon the onlookers around him, it was clear he did not mean to cause the mess. It would also seem he is thankful no one was injured or killed.

In a flash of yellow, Naruto stood not that far away from him and Hotaka; speaking of which, the rest of the group came to be directly next to them.

"Hotaka, my friend!" Isao cried, taking him from Itachi's hold, and the Uchiha let him. "Are you okay?!"

"Very," the other man grunted, then nearly collapsed onto his knees. "That man...looks like..."

Kichiro agreed, narrowing his eyes. "Yeah, he looks like your brother - but what and who the hell is he?" he demanded disgustedly.

"Gentlemen," the Hokage spoke, keeping his stance. He'd activated his Nine-Tails Mode in case things got beyond chaotic once more. Itachi allowed a small smile to show. "He is a member of a clan out of this world that you wouldn't believe. He's something I should handle." He scoffed, muttering under his breath that Itachi heard crystal clear. "Damn it, I wish Sasuke were here to help me..."

Indeed...where ARE you, little brother?

The being spoke then and there, raising both hands. His voice sounded like Tsuneo in life, but softer now as a true god who came down to pay his respects to the mortals.

"Fear not. I have no means to lay waste upon the village - but I am terribly sorry for the mess I have made."

Naruto stepped forward, glaring at the man in silvery white robes and harnessing the Byakugan that his wife and her clan inherited through bloodline from the dawn of time. "Why should we trust you, whoever you are?" he said heatedly. "So many in your clan - with the exception of the Sage of Six Paths himself - have threatened us all as long as our history lived on, so why are you here, and what do you want?" The man simply continued to smile.

"I only want the one who stands out from the rest of you...and he is right beside you at the very moment."

Naruto started, before pulling himself together and turning his attention to...Itachi himself. Me. Now Hotaka and his group looked at him, and the entire village soon joined in.

Sakura held her daughter close to her side, both looking on with worry.

Itachi felt himself step forward, keeping his attention on the being before them all. "If you are asking for a fight," he started, stopping there on purpose, slowly dropping pieces of his disguise now, but his glasses remained.

But the deity chuckled softly and waved it off. "No, not a fight. But I have...answers that you have long wished for. Those which you have sought long and hard for all this time while you lived amongst those you once belonged among in another life - tell me, have you really enjoyed living as you let on..."

A long pause droned on, increasing the tension.

"...Itachi Uchiha?"

Gasps broke the air, shattering the glass here and there. Whispers began, but he cut them off to pay attention to this one. He could still feel Fumio's smirk, as well as the defeat in Hotaka and Kichiro, and Isao looked at him with surprise. Naruto bared his teeth furiously.

It's over at last.

"If you are attempting to cut through me, it will never work. But the answer is yes, I have lived not as the pawn I used to be, but as a man. Just as Itachi Uchiha - even if I deceived all those around me, necessarily to protect myself." He allowed his smile to form. "Now tell me this: why is it that you bear a striking resemblance to the dead brother of this man -" He nodded to Hotaka behind him. "- beside me?"

Hotaka took a step forward. "Yes, how dare you look like my dear brother?!" he said, outraged, but Itachi raised his hand, motioning him to stay out of this. This is between me and him. That is why he is here, is he not?

"I suppose," the Ootsutsuki answered calmly, gracefully gliding closer, the crowd parting away while still watching in awe, "I ought to tell you that we are one and the same, but it is I who inhabited the body from birth to the recent loss - I am he who is called Tsuyoshi. A distant cousin of the Sage of Six Paths himself, therefore another loathing of Kaguya herself."

Itachi felt himself frown. Then Naruto leaned in and whispered, "That witch hated her sons because they had her chakra." So, the carry on of gods and their children hating each other for small and great reasons - and this case being chakra. Of course...

"If that is the case, then why do you bother to care about me?"

Tsuyoshi's smile never wavered. He never seemed to change to another expression, did he? "Have you not already figured it out, Itachi? You died for the village, yes, and you protected both its people and the life of the little brother you loved so much...all at the cost of the personal happiness you deserved. I granted you this chance to live - but as a minor price, changes were made to your physical form as you have noticed, and it was all up to you to regain it. To rediscover yourself."

I was right all along. He isn't a threat like many in his clan - he saw me as special and worthy of a second chance. He made necessary changes because...

The next thing he was aware of was a flash of light before his vision. He heard voices crying out in surprise, but Tsuyoshi's voice was the clearest of them all.

"It will be best if I just show you, Itachi."

~o~

Darkness, but everything was clear.

A glowing human form stood, back facing his eye range - but he saw what the being was looking upon and sucked in a breath. Laying on a cold slab, abandoned and left to be forgotten, with no honorable burial, was his own dead body.

He was the same as he'd been in life, wearing the same clothes except his Akatsuki cloak which had all but been burnt off when his brother struck him down. Any remaining blood had all but dried off, and so had his skin which was now ashen gray and cracking in decomposition. His raven hair, still tied back, faded to dark gray and lost its luster. The slashed headband of his village, marking him as a traitor, remained - before it was gone, removed by the hand of the mysterious god-like being who shook his head in dismay and muttered words that were incoherent to his own senses.

"You will not go back out into the world this way again. You will start anew..."

As he began to work on the corpse, he continued to speak aloud.

"You will not remain here for eternity, abandoned and alone, forgotten and never to be honored."

The dark garments had been removed, without damaging any part of the fragile, pitiful thing which still harbored potential. Heartbeats echoed from somewhere unidentifiable - was it his own? Now the corpse was nude, and everything seemed intact, except for one certain spot which would warp his entire being. Seeing this damage done, the man sighed sharply. "It appears I can't repair this by my own hands; you will have to do this on your own when you return to the world, Itachi."

The shriveled excuse of masculinity was removed with careful precision, the crown of faded curls gone with it, and then the working hands found their way over the face - particularly at the black holes where eyes should be rested.

"Nor can I give you your eyes back yet. Alas, I cannot find you a new pair when your brother now has them. I will make do with what is available for now - but that is not the only reason. No man should be all-powerful as your ancestors once were..."

With that said and done, both hands were raised as the jutsu was performed.

~o~

He was back in reality. The air had been knocked out of his lungs.

Time seemed to freeze. The murmurs of the people around him told him that they did not see what he had, but they assumed that the god-like being had showed him what transpired before he, the legendary Itachi Uchiha, was returned to the world. None of them were fools anymore; if there were any, they were wise to stay back and hold their tongues.

He held his breath as he replayed the image one more time: his nude cadaver abandoned in the old hideout, his eyes taken for his then foolish little brother, and his manhood had been beyond repair. The last bit had been for Itachi on his own: to find someone who loved and worshipped him as a man and not the tool he'd been. Tsuyoshi's jutsu activated via carnal contact to give him a new part of life; now he understood this. He never wanted me to go back to being a Shinobi, so he changed this part of me. He wanted me to experience life in another way, which goes without saying: "you will never truly understand death until life is given by your hand."

Tsuyoshi wanted him to become pregnant by a MAN who loved him, not a woman, because it would be by this way that he would truly understand the meaning of life. Perhaps unconsciously, Itachi had simply never been attracted to the opposite sex, so this Ootsutsuki brought it to the surface for him, and he had to find out for himself. Just as he'd left his prize alone to awake and set out on the journey he'd been on.

"You understand now, Itachi."

"Yes," he breathed softly, before the voice of his partner spoke.

"You said you were my brother from birth to death. I want a better explanation as to why my beloved brother had to endure this without me knowing."

Now it was safe to say that the pupil-less eyes fell slightly along with the rest of his face. "I have spent countless eons living through one human being to the next, because of the fact that I am one of few outcasts within my clan spited most by Kaguya and those who sided with her. Therefore, I had no place to live but through others from their time of birth to the end of their lives - some times good and others bad, per cycle of human life." The smile slowly returned. "And your brother was no terrible exception. I kept myself in the back of his subconscious, allowing him free will of his own, but alas, it meant sacrificing my own. A downfall of mine: I am too benevolent for my own good, but the happiness of others means my own. And when the host least expects it, I leave them to perform the necessary tasks I am entitled to...just as I have done for you, Itachi, and for those around you." He sighed.

"But in the end, there is grief to the ones who loved the host, but as I have said - and as you know - it is life. I may live forever, but not the ones like your brother, Hotaka. You don't have to thank me or forgive me in any way - but you loved your brother, he loved you, and that is all there is to it."

The bond between brothers, no matter the form, is stronger than any in the universe.

Just as an Uchiha loves with all the power in life.

Speaking of power...

"You know the love of a brother so well - the love of anyone in existence," Itachi spoke, reaching for the shades given to him by his sister-in-law, "but as to why you did not give me spare eyes..." With that, he took them off to show his swirling Sharingan amidst black, drawing gasps around him.

"You already know that answer, as well: no man needs all the power in the world...but you never truly sought it for diabolical reasons like Madara Uchiha. Your brother has the Rinnegan and your family's Sharingan in one because it was beset to him when his soul was saved, so that he would continue to protect this village. You were once hated out of self-sacrifice, but now the village knows the truth about you, and you are a free man, Itachi Uchiha." With that, he raised his hand and brought them over to his eyes, without directly touching him -

- and a sensation overcame him, setting his nerves on fire.

Itachi felt himself stagger backwards by a few steps, only to be supported on either side, by none other than his partner and...

Sasuke.

When he recovered, he found himself looking into the eyes of his younger brother. "You couldn't have come at a more perfect timing, otouto," he said, half-strangled and feeling as though he had been drugged. What had Tsuyoshi done to him now?

"Itachi...your eyes." Sasuke's face bore a tired smile that managed to reach ear to ear.

Hotaka and Naruto concurred, and the rest around them gasped in sheer amazement as they looked upon him. Tsuyoshi held his hand up, and in it was what could be a substitute for a real mirror so the Uchiha could see his face...and he could not hold back the gasp that escaped his lips as he saw his irises were the deep onyx he had been born with, surrounded by white with life. He brought a hand up to rest beneath the left orb, faintly touching.

"Th-thank you," he managed when he looked up at the being that was gracious enough to give him this chance at life.

"There is no need to thank me for anything, Itachi Uchiha. You are free to live as long as need be, to never take what you love around you for granted, to make sure they cherish every moment they have with you...and to take care of this man," the being answered with a wink in Hotaka's direction. In response, Hotaka closed his eyes and bowed his head at the man who had lived within the brother he loved so much and lost.

"Hotaka, and the rest of you -" he said to his "brother" and their group, baring his teeth if not to frighten. "- remember I said to never give up?" They all nodded without speaking. With that, Tsuyoshi - who had once been Tsuneo - was gone in a fading flash of white and blue.

A heavy silence hung over the village. The people who had attended this night did not know how to take what had just happened, but no one was afraid for their lives. No one was fighting.

The shock weighing upon them all slowly faded to calm with what just happened...and then the attention was on him, Itachi, and applause burst to life. Once they knew that their long-dead savior was standing here with their equally heroic Hokage, they must have thought it an honor that he was in their presence during the celebration created in his honor.

He was overwhelmed. He had never felt anything like this. Yes, he welcomed the love of his family, Naruto's friendship and those of his pack, and he knew that he more than cared about Hotaka besides as just a friend and partner...but never did he think he would live to obtain more from the people of this very village he gave his life for.

He turned his attention to see Sasuke running over to his wife and daughter, making Itachi smile when his brother kissed Sakura before taking Sarada into his arms, holding her as if he never wanted to let go. Well...it appears I may have gotten through to him, after all.

Now he could give his attention to the other important man in his life - only to be taken into arms and lifted, spun around before a passionate lip-lock infused more exclamations and set him on fire. He could not push this away now; he wrapped his arms around Hotaka's shoulders and let the kiss be deepened.

~o~

"You know, Itachi, you are welcomed back any time - and so are you, Hotaka," Naruto told them both when he, Sasuke and their families saw them off at the end of the festival. Itachi was once again leaving the Leaf Village, but it would never be for forever.

Itachi nodded. "I know. I thank you for all of this, Naruto - and you, too," he said to Sasuke who came up to him and wrapped his remaining arm around his brother's shoulder.

"Thank you, Itachi, for making me realize something."

He lifted a brow. "And whatever is that?"

"For being here - to make each moment count again," Sasuke answered softly. "So, I have decided to do the same...to be home more than I used to, most importantly with my wife and daughter." His eyes shone with a light brighter than the sun overhead, making Itachi melt inside. Yes, because if they lose you, or if you lose them, you won't get it back like me. But he chose to leave the words unspoken.

Itachi sighed and pressed his forehead against his brother's. "No one can ask for a brother like you, Sasuke."

Sakura placed her hand on his back, but no words were needed to be spoken. However, Sarada nearly knocked him over when she threw her arms around his waist. "Don't be gone too long again, oji-san," she pleaded, looking up with wide eyes again, making him smile. He knelt before her and took her into his arms, trying not to weep. He was going to miss her, too. The next time he visited, he swore, he would bring a box of their shared favorite dango. As long as he lived, he planned to spoil his niece rotten.

The wolf pack was howling softly as they said - rather, sniffed, licked and pawed - their goodbyes, and Sarada fawned over the pups, holding them all close to her. While that was being done, Itachi turned over his shoulder to look at the group he had returned to, back to his life - and both Isao and Kichiro were genuinely smiling at him.

Fumio might as well be a bit of a surprise. Though he had finally realized his error and accepted Itachi, he was still a little wary. It would take a little more time for him to get used to the fact the famed Itachi Uchiha was a part of his "family".

When the goodbyes for now were made, the group set off back to Kirinono. Itachi had to let out an exhale of breath at the thought of the town which became his home.

Home.

How could there be any words to describe how good he felt now that the disguises were dropped, and he could be as he pleased for as long as he would live again?

He sat in the front with Hotaka, the wolves again behind them, and his lover and child's father smiled down at him, placing a kiss on his cheek. "How does it feel to finally be your own man, Itachi?" he asked softly, then looked down at the younger man's stomach where he'd learned of the new surprise the night everything had ended rather well. Hotaka had been stunned, but when he recovered, he beamed and wept for joy, telling Itachi he was happier than he'd been in a long time. He wanted the baby that Itachi was carrying - but while refreshing and exciting as it was to be a new chapter in his life, it was also foreign and frightening. He never even thought he would have a child of his own, not even if he'd been arranged in a marriage by his father - or this way now. But it didn't matter now.

"I have never felt so happy," he answered, leaning against Hotaka, before he felt the weight of a familiar head resting on his lap. Shiranui whimpered and growled softly, relieved that he and his family would remain with Itachi for as long as they would. They were with me when I returned to this world, they followed me when I found this man and his friends who are now mine - and they were with me when I rekindled with Sasuke and his new family. MY family. Everything I have is as it should be.

Itachi stroked his wolf companion's head with one hand before taking his lover's free one - just for the moment - and placing it over his still-flat stomach, to let him feel the baby where it would sleep and grow for nine more months. From the corner of his eye, Hotaka looked down and smiled before gently pulling his hand free so he could focus on the reins of the horses in front of them.

We'll have many years together. I will miss him if he's gone sooner than I, but I will always cherish these days I spend with him and our son or daughter. Nothing in life should ever be taken for granted.

I have to say this was a HELL of a change from my usual fic fare, but I'm proud of it. :) It has been such an emotional ride. Thank you all for your support.