The week after the failed invasion of Konoha was a chaos.

The revival of the founders was both something that was expected and unexpected from the madman Orochimaru has shown himself to be. It seemed poetic to reanimate the Shodai and Nidaime as the tool to destroy the very village they founded, thus it was not entirely surprising when the Snake Sannin did just that.

But to reanimate the infamous Uchiha brothers were something completely unexpected and took them all off-guard.

Which was the exact effect Orochimaru was aiming for just in case his control over the former Hokage was broken in some form of way or means. His plan was that everyone would be so dumbfounded upon seeing Madara and Izuna in the field that he could take out Yondaime—the current Hokage—in the midst of the confusion and terror.

Afterwards, he would leave the Uchiha to deal with the freed former Hokage, knowing that the Uchiha brothers would lust after Hashirama and Tobirama's second death—they wouldn't even care to free themselves from his Edo Tensei contract.

The Uchiha was his failsafe measure to counter the Shodai and Nidaime, should his plan to use the two as his tools go south.

Tobirama was so impressed with the plan he almost agreed with Hashirama's ridiculous pleading to adopt the Rogue Sannin.

He didn't. Because that was stupid—Orochimaru might deserve a chance because his motive was partly caused by Konoha's failing system, but prison and corrective time were necessary. If Obito has to endure it, so did Orochimaru.

Tobirama was not a soft-hearted romantic like his elder brother. Accept that fact.

Plus, Orochimaru made a huge miscalculation by not considering the Uchiha's love for their clan and forgot to consider what would happen if any of the reanimated Uchiha met their descendants.

The reanimated Izuna has instinctually gone to the Uchiha compound, drawn by the power of sharingan Itachi and Obito were displaying.

Thus, there went Orochimaru's backup plan to use the Uchiha brothers.

That plan went straight into the drain because the first person Izuna tried to kill was Itachi, who was among the few Uchiha that embraced Hashirama's will and was aware of the way to break the Edo Tensei bound.

Izuna hesitated and resisted against his bound upon recognising his own kin, and that was the moment Itachi freed his ancestor from the controlling bound of Edo Tensei.

Needless to say, the council meeting afterwards was highly entertaining.

In the end, an agreement has been achieved regarding the position of the revived founders among the new generation. Izuna took the responsibilities to assume the empty seat of Uchiha elders in the Hokage's council, giving his elder brother a chance of freedom from the dreaded paperwork. On the other hand, Hashirama declined the offer to take over the elder's position of the Senju clan from Tsunade but instead decided to take charge of the orphanage and lived an easy life of retirement—until the situation called him to interfere.

Madara chose the life of retirement too, assuming his long-forgotten passion for calligraphy and together with Hashirama, the original founders earned their living through Mokuton furniture and calligraphy decorative. Not that they needed to do that, but it was nice to earn money from their hobbies rather than having their income rolling in for simply being there as a symbol of Konoha.

If he was not indulging in his hobby, the Uchiha patriarch would be found at his dojo in the Uchiha compound, parting his knowledge to any interested children regardless of clan. He offered basic training to all children but selected his permanent disciples from those whose affinity was similar to Uchiha's common affinities—which are Fire and Lightning releases.

And if they passed his test, that is.

The founders have so much fun during the uproar Hyuuga Hinata has caused when she was the first to approach Uchiha Madara once the news that he was accepting disciples spread around town.

It was priceless. The Hyuuga was so pissed, Madara couldn't help but enjoy their rageful disbelief every time he walked around town and Hinata cheerfully greeted him as 'sensei'.

As for the Nidaime, he resumed what he started.

Tobirama literally took over the education system. No one dared to contest him when he combed through each of the syllabus and manpower—taking account all the prejudice that has been channeled to a certain clan or jinchuuriki—that only Iruka escaped the appraisal unscathed. Irked that the academy has not changed much from his era—which was unacceptable in his book because even he knew that civilian children deserved a systematic education too and Konoha could do that now, considering that they were not low in funds like how it was during his time—the Nidaime revamped the whole system.

Thus, come the week that they called the 'Nidaime's Educational Rampage Week' of which the former Hokage dragged his new disciple around to personally ask the perceptive of the civilian and shinobi alike regarding the education system that they wish Konoha would conduct.

The result was the new branch of school for civilian children and a revamped syllabus for the shinobi children.

There was no way in hell Tobirama was going to let these children out doing actual mission when they don't even know enough chakra control to walk on a tree. It was not a demanding warring period like his time. They now could afford to train their children for quality instead of quantity.

The peace might not be absolute yet, but the village was prospering, the life expectancy of the shinobi has increased, and these children could afford more time to train before going out doing missions.

That's how Gaara spent his first week as the Nidaime's disciple.

He helped his sensei revamping the education system during the day—structuring the exams according to stages and levels, adding in basic nature affinity jutsu into the graduating class' curriculum, devising the educational plan and so much more.

Then, when they retire from the vicious planning, Gaara would have dinner with his sensei before proceeding with his lessons and training.

It was during one of these training that Tobirama dragged the skeleton out of Gaara's closet and displayed it in a glass case like the mad scientist he was.

"I noticed that you haven't visited him."

Gaara halted in the middle of his cooling-down kata, feeling the gaze of his new sensei burnt on his back. Tobirama may look like a block of ice—what with his colour scheme and cold attitude—but the revived Hokage was actually a smouldering fire. The heat he gave off didn't flare dramatically like that of Uchiha Madara nor did it burn brightly like his elder brother, but it burnt in silence yet hot all the same.

So, to be at the receiving end of that burning gaze was not something that Gaara could shrug off easily.

"It is not…," Gaara said, exhaling a deep breath. "…appropriate."

"To visit your own father is inappropriate?"

Crap. Gaara could hear Tobirama's displeased frown in those words.

"It is complicated."

"Boy," Tobirama called, and this time, Gaara could hear the amused snort in his controlled voice. "I'm supposed to be dead decades ago but here I am, very much alive and—"

"—engaged to your sworn enemy," Gaara cut his words, stifling a nervous giggle as he turned around to face his sensei. "Yes, sensei. I guess your situation is much more complicated than mine."

Red eyes narrowed in amused displeased.

"Brat," Tobirama finally spat, though there was no heat in voice.

Tobirama almost sounded humoured, red eyes lit up with a mischievousness that Gaara often saw in Tsunade's eyes whenever he pissed her off and the Sannin was planning a petty revenge.

Wait. Those two were related.

"Crap," Gaara mouthed the exact same time twin water dragons swallowed him whole.

Tobirama only dispelled the dragons when Gaara was shivering to the bone and the water has significantly weighed down his sand armour. Gaara frowned and let his armour disintegrated onto the ground, now was questioning his own decision to request apprenticeship with this man, despite the Sandaime's not-very-subtle warnings that Tobirama was a mildly sadistic teacher.

"Sandaime is right," Gaara muttered, wringing his drenched shirt. "You're mildly sadistic."

Tobirama snorted.

"You should visit him," the former Hokage said sternly, making it sound like an order rather than a suggestion. "Free your heart from your emotional turmoil before we begin our training journey."

"I don't know that you're the sentimental philosophical type, sensei," Gaara mused.

"Boy."

Gaara squeezed his eyes shut upon hearing the stern words. Tobirama was not letting Gaara keep this particular skeleton in his closet.

"I'll try…," he agreed reluctantly.

Gaara vehemently wished that the Suna shinobi was still wary of him to let him into the Kazekage's ward.

Moreover, it was his bijuu-enhanced Rasengan that landed the man in such condition in the first place.

"Good," Tobirama huffed, reaching out a hand to grasp the collar of Gaara's drenched shirt.

"Eh?"

"Let's go now."

"But it is not the visiting hours!" Gaara struggled futilely. "It's already late!"

Tobirama levelled him a look and Gaara promptly winced at the unspoken 'Are you fucking kidding me?' .

Gaara cursed Minato's fondness on regaling the tale of his children to anyone who was willing to listen—in recent week, it was Hashirama, with Madara and Tobirama forcefully dragged into the session by the Shodai.

"The Kazekage just woke up this afternoon," Tobirama stated, tightening his hold on Gaara before he teleported them directly in front of the Kazekage's room, startling the guards at the door. "I have been told that he is lucid enough for civil conversation now," he turned to look at Gaara, tipping his head to the closed door with an expectant look.

Gaara hated his new sensei. He would rather have the deranged bipolar Obito back as his sensei, thank you very much. At least Obito didn't force his way into his students' personal business.

But said one-eyed sensei was off on an extended 'vacation' with another one-eyed sensei, so regretfully, Gaara was stuck with the nosy Tobirama.

"Sensei…," Gaara attempted to plead.

Tobirama was unyielding.

"Go."

The former Hokage opened the closed door, tipping his head again as a silent order for the boy to enter the room.

Gaara shook his head vehemently.

Tobirama's brows twitched.

"Talk. To. Him." The Nidaime spat viciously.

He was then pushed inside as the door slammed behind him.

Gaara didn't even dare to move when he felt the weight of Rasa's stare on him.

"I wasn't sure that you would ever come."

The Kazekage's voice was raspy and weak—sounding like he has spent hours yelling and crying instead of being in a coma—but when Gaara looked up to meet his gaze, the man's face was void of any emotions. They held a staring match for what it felt like an eternity before Rasa deflated. The man let out a long heavy breath, throwing his arm over his eyes, his throat visibly bobbed as if he was swallowing something unpleasant.

"Temari and Kankurou didn't visit," the Kazekage rasped.

"They might be busy," Gaara supplied, wondering if no one remembered to notify his blood siblings regarding the Kazekage's improving state. "They're trying to maintain the alliance between you and us."

Something shifted in Rasa's face. His teeth gritted tight and the tension returned to his face. Though, it wasn't for long. Rasa deflated again, muscles loose and slack—the most relaxed he has ever been in Gaara's presence. When he opened his mouth again, the wheezing laugh that came out was bitter and mournful.

"I get what I deserve, huh?"

Every molecule in Gaara's body screamed affirmative to that rhetorical question.

But, he remained silent.

"I cast you away, and now the rest of my children cast me away."

Gaara held back a wince at that accusation.

"You've grown, Gaara."

Gaara's head snapped up at the unexpected comment. He frowned, reasonably baffled at the bizarre softness on his sire's face. Rasa looked different without the hard edges of hatred on his face, the creases of his age were more prominent now and he looked completely resigned to a defeat.

"Your mother's will has lived on within you," the Kazekage admitted, shifting his weary gaze to meet Gaara's eyes. "Isn't that right, Shukaku?"

Gaara has that split second of warning when Shukaku took over his body.

"Took you long enough to notice, brat," the one-tailed bijuu huffed, using Gaara as a mouthpiece.

Rasa didn't show any surprise though. The Kazekage merely stared into the jinchuuriki's eyes, as if looking for the pale green of his son's behind Shukaku's eyes.

"She lives, accommodating to his wants and needs. She protects when he needs it and allows him to learn to fend for himself when it is necessary," Shukaku purred, sounding almost soft. "But Karura never leaves," the bijuu then snorted a laugh. "And neither does Kushina," Shukaku shook Gaara's head, his amusement was evident.

"These great mothers never leave their children."

Gaara gasped for air when he was pushed back to reign control his body, confusion filled his mind.

What the hell did Shukaku mean?

"Mothers are so powerful indeed," Rasa murmured, eyes softened. "And all I did as a father was to go against your mother's will and torment you," he fixed his gaze on the white blanket, fists clenching on the fabric. "You're never a failed experiment."

Gaara didn't know how to react upon seeing droplets of tears that wetted the white fabric.

"I'm the one who is a failed father," Rasa rasped, voice hoarse and pained. "Forgive me."

Just like that, the dam broke and Gaara wept.

"Thank you," Gaara murmured, not knowing why he thanked this man.

But he was grateful for this relief regardless.

When Gaara finally walked out of the Kazekage's ward, he was greeted with a smirking Tobirama.

"Better?" the Nidaime asked, his facial expression softened just by the slightest bit.

Gaara didn't answer. Instead, he lunged forward and captured the revived Hokage into a hug—hard-edged armour and all—and burrowed his face to the hard breastplate, completely pleased when there was a hesitant hand patting the top of his head.

"Thank you, sensei."

Tobirama huffed and quirked the tiniest of a smile.

"Brat."

Gaara was packing his travel pack when he felt the call to the Bijuu Psyche Plane.

He was going to leave Konoha for a training journey tomorrow, and to be honest, he was excited at the prospect of travelling outside of the gates of the village. He was supposed to experience the diverse culture of shinobi world and forge positive bonds with other shinobi outside of his circle, but the idea of spending a whole two years training with the Nidaime was equally exciting too.

Shukaku was silent throughout the whole time Tobirama suggested this, so Gaara has no idea what the bijuu thought of this training journey.

Thus, Gaara heeded to the call, allowing his consciousness to be spirited away to the special mindscape that was only accessible when the bijuu allowed them in.

Imagine his surprise when he saw Naruto in the mindscape too.

"Naruto?!"

"Eh, you too?" Naruto was equally surprised as Gaara was before the blonde gathered his wits back and turned around to face Kurama, pointing one accusatory finger at the fox. "Oi, Kurama! What is the meaning of this?"

"Keh," Kurama huffed, smirking. "A gift."

"What?" Naruto blinked stupidly, lowering his hand.

"A gift," Shukaku repeated, lowering his body so that he rested on his paws instead, his eyes stared at Gaara with a strange hint of fondness. "Consider it as a thank-you gift for being a tolerable brat all these years."

"What?" Gaara parroted Naruto, honestly confused.

"Gaara." "Naruto."

Both boys turned around the moment they heard their name been called and promptly froze on the spot.

This time, the tears flowed without resistance, because both jinchuuriki just knew that these women were real.

It took another second for both of them to launch themselves to the waiting arms of their mothers.

Naruto sobbed loudly, commencing his ugly cry without shame as he buried his face to Kushina's chest, letting the red-haired women cooed and showered him with loving kisses.

Gaara was more silent, but his grip on Karura's body was tight as he greedily fed on his mother's laughter, indulging in the love and joy that she openly showered him with.

"My perfect little boy, all grown up," Karura whispered in between kisses. "I'm so proud of you," she said, leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"I wasn't lying earlier," Shukaku purred from the background, this time the fondness was obvious in his voice. "These great mothers never left."

Kurama huffed in agreement.

Gaara laughed and nodded in understanding, not even releasing his embrace on his mother.

Finally. Finally. Gaara is finally complete.

THE END

A/N: Finally...it ends! God, this was supposed to be an 8k one-shot. Look at how long it ended up!

I had fun weaving the founders into the epilogue! And if it wasn't clear in this epilogue, here is what happened during the invasion. Orochimaru prepared Madara and Izuna to be automatically reanimated once he lost control on either one or both of the Shodai or Nidaime Hokage. Gaara freed Tobirama, hence triggering for Madara and Izuna to be reanimated. (Because, let's be honest. No one in Orochimaru's invasion force could take either one of the Hokage and wins. He needed the Uchiha brothers if he lost control of the Hokage.)

Anyway, this has been a wonderful journey. Hope you enjoy this story!

P/s: And if you do enjoy it, don't forget to leave a comment~!