A/N: (chuckles) I can't believe it – another timely update! (grins) And, sadly, the final chapter. (starts sobbing)

BUT, before letting you know how this ends… Thank you from the bottom of my heart for those review! (hugs) They DO mean A LOT, so thank you. (hugs again) As per usual, responses to anonymous reviews can be found from underneath the chappy.

Awkay, because I bet you're already sizzling to get on… Let's go! (gulps) I really hope ya'll enjoy the ride.

PHASE 9 – Where the Will of Fire Goes On

Karin looked back with icy eyes as Danzo stared at her with obvious disbelief. For a while time stood frozen. And then, in a blink, it resumed.

Giving a loud hiss, Danzo prepared to attack Taichi. "You little shit…!"

Naruto already moved, but Taichi was faster. For some reason they all shuddered a little when Sharingan turned his eyes red and he revealed a threatening row of teeth. "I told you… to leave my family alone."

What Danzo saw, is anybody's guess. But she'd never heard anyone scream the way the man did just then.

Once it was over, Taichi's eyes returned to normal and he gasped a little, using such a technique clearly too much for him in his current condition. At that moment she decided to move.

She laid a hand to the teen's shoulder to get his attention. "Kid, step back. There's something I've gotta do."

With apparent reluctance, Taichi obeyed.

Danzo's eyes widened and filled with terror as she kneeled beside him. "I'm… I'm your father. Please, don't do this!"

"You killed her." Her tone was flat, yet at the same time so cold that it bid to bone. "And many other people, no doubt. You've caused so much pain and misery on everyone that I don't think you even understand it all. And now, you're begging for mercy?"

He swallowed thickly. For one reason or another, he locked a rather intense gaze to her flaming eyes. "You… have my eyes."

She snorted. "I'm your daughter. What else did you expect?" She then kneeled down to his level, getting far more pleasure than she'd expected from the look of terror in his visible eye. "You thought Sharingan was bad? Let me introduce you to this."

Danzo's eye widened in an instant.

It always hurt. Activating this particular bloodline limit was a slow, painful process, but it was worth it. She could feel each and every change when her eyes turned completely blue, like a pair of sapphires. And then it began.

At first Danzo appeared confused, but then he understood much too clearly as she broke through the layers of his mind.

-

Danzo gasped a little and frowned when finding himself from an unfamiliar place.

'This is a teleportation technique, of sort. Only on this one, you don't have any control. It takes your mind, and carries you wherever I want it to.'

At first he didn't quite understand. But then he saw her. His older daughter. His flesh and blood. Only moments before she'd be executed.

Then she lifted her gaze, looking at him with tear- and rage-filled eyes that were so much like his it hurt. It was at that moment he understood what hatred looked like. And it hurt more than anything he'd ever experienced before.

-

In the real world, Karin watched with far more pleasure than she'd expected how Danzo's head became bowed and he released an utterly pained moan.

"What the heck did you do to him?" Naruto asked, not sounding exactly appalled.

She shrugged, her eyes returning to normal. "I just sent him to a little journey, that's all."

"Whatever." Suigetsu gave her a look. "Just don't use that on me."

She arched a suggestive eyebrow.

Just then they all tensed up when completely without a warning, altogether six ANBU-ninjas appeared to the opening, starting to approach. Karin found herself gulping.

Shit…

Naruto and Taichi both stepped forth, Taichi's Sharingan activated.

To all their stun, the leader of the squad shook his head. "We didn't come for you and your family, Hokage-sama." The man nodded towards Danzo, appearing surprised. "We… came to arrest him."

-

Naruto felt a little dizzy while staring how ANBU restrained Danzo.

Was it… really over? Was the nightmare finally over?

Then, very slowly, he turned his gaze to his son, who met his eyes. Warmth rushed through his whole being.

For such a long time he'd been waiting, fearing the worst and fighting to convince himself that everything would turn out alright. And now…

Taichi was finally there, right before his eyes, alive and well.

As that realization sunk in, he lost all control over himself. Ignoring all their audience, he walked up to Taichi and wrapped his arms as tightly as he could around his son. For the first time since childhood the teen didn't fight back.

For some brief moments everything was perfect in the world.

Sasuke had lost track on how long he'd been kneeled in the bathroom, fighting furiously to stay conscious through the mind-numbing surges of pain.

Just when one contraction had passed another one appeared, and he used all his willpower to keep a scream from coming. Absolutely everything in his body shook as he felt the time of the actual birth approaching.

He'd done this twice before – he knew much too well what was to come. And all of a sudden, no matter how hard he tried to rid the thought, he was nearly scared.

The baby could not come out now!
Several more moments passed by without him being able to move from the surges of agony until there was suddenly a voice behind him. "Sasuke?" A hand was laid to his shoulder. "Sasuke, what's going on?"

He never had the time to find out who'd spoken – who dared to touch him. Because just then something that felt a lot like electricity traveled through him, and everything turned to black.

-

The next voices he heard came through a blur. Someone was carrying him, but surprisingly enough the realization didn't bother him.

"What the hell…?!"

"Suigetsu, make damn sure Taichi stays outside – he doesn't need to see this!"

"Why isn't he waking up?" The voice carried a panicked edge, rumbled inside the chest he was leaning against.

"Naruto, calm down!" This voice was clipped, obviously held back a lot. "The last thing I need is you panicking, understood? Either you stay calm or leave."

He was laid down softly, carefully, and suddenly he felt much colder than before. It was around then he finally managed to force his stubborn eyelids into inching. Through some haze he found Naruto and Sakura looking at him. The blond immediately smiled radiantly when realizing that he was awake. "Hey, 'bout time you join us!"

He tried to speak – what, he'd never know – but just then a hellish surge of pain cut him short and he groaned, squeezing his eyes tightly shut.

Damn it…!

"Sasuke, listen to me." Although Sakura didn't act or sound panicked, her eyes radiated nearly animalistic terror. And slowly he started to understand just how badly wrong things were. "You… You need to push, okay? You need to do this – for your sake and the baby's! Don't you dare pass out on me again!"

Hard as he fought, the next surge of agony almost did pull him under – until he felt something that couldn't possibly be real. A feather-light, cool touch on his shoulder.

The voice… Was it Itachi's? 'Only a little more, Sasuke. Hold on a little bit longer.'

-

Sasuke's eyes drooped until they flew fully open once more with a sharp, ragged gasp. And then came the scream that tore the hearts of everyone listening.

Sakura had never felt as helpless in her entire life as she did then, watching how one of her best and dearest friends struggled with all his might to pull himself together, to gather strength for this one more battle.

Then she made the mistake of looking towards Naruto. She'd never seen the kind of pain she did then in those tear-filled blue eyes. The blond's hand squeezed Sasuke's tightly, desperately. "C'mon, Sasuke – you can do this! You can't…!" The voice faded away as the blond lost the little breath he'd had.

Just then Sasuke's gaze moved to her, the onyx eyes filled with something she'd never seen in them before.

And all of a sudden she understood, so clearly it hurt.

She swallowed laboriously before looking towards Naruto. "Look, I… I need more space, alright? And… I don't think you want to be here to see this." The man's lips opened for objections, but she went on. "For Sasuke's sake, okay? I'll come and get you as soon as this is over, I promise."

Each and every move radiating reluctance, Naruto nodded stiffly, then kissed and caressed Sasuke's forehead. "Hang in there, okay? It's almost over."

Although it took much more than he seemed able to waste, Sasuke nodded. The air was thick with something that made Sakura's throat contrict as Naruto's hand brushed Sasuke's – almost holding on – and the raven's gaze followed the blond as the man went.

She didn't manage to speak until the door was closed. All of a sudden the stench of blood lingering heavily in the room was so thick it seemed to suffocate her. "Sasuke… You're bleeding badly, okay? I… I don't know…" She had to gather herself. "The baby… She's almost out. You need to push."

-

Sasuke felt like he'd been torn to shreds – the pain was unlike anything he'd ever felt before, much worse than the one he'd experienced when giving birth twice before. For a moment he could've sworn he felt something rupture.

But even that didn't prepare him for the final ordeal.

The searing pain that seemed to flood through his whole being numbed his mind and he screamed, no matter how hard he tried to hold it back.

He had absolutely no idea how long the pure agony had lasted until a sound suddenly caught all his attention.

It was frail, but he heard it anyway. The baby… It was crying. It was over.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, keep your eyes open!"

He tried to – tried furiously – but he just didn't have the strength. And little by little the world around him faded away.

To Naruto, the wait seemed to take forever. He wasn't sure which one was worse – the part where he'd been able to do nothing but listen to Sasuke's screams, or this new, eerie silence.

Then Sakura emerged from the room. Her expression immediately told him that something was badly wrong.

He swallowed thickly, not daring to move an inch. His whole body became ice-cold. "What… What's going on?"

He could actually see how hard Sakura fought tears when looking at him. "The baby-girl's alright, although she's very tiny and needs careful observation for a while."

He frowned, feeling terribly cold. "Then what's…?" And at that moment he clicked, so that it felt like a hit of some sort. "No…!"

At the moment, the two tears that escaped from Sakura's hold seemed unrealistically big. That torn look also didn't belong to her face. "Naruto… Sasuke's still bleeding – I think he got a lot of internal damage during the childbirth." She emitted a choked sound. "And I… I can't fix it. There's nothing I can do about it."

At first he was too much in a shock to even beging to understand. Then it all came crashing down on him, with such force that he was almost sure it'd crush him. But against all odds he kept breathing, icy-blood was still running through him.

This was no nightmare. And Sakura wasn't fooling around.

Several precious moments slipped by without him being able to do anything but breathe. When he finally looked towards Sakura, he felt cold and hollow. "Is he…" He cleared his throat, fighting to hold himself together. "Is he awake?"

Sakura nodded. She sucked in a gulp of air. "You… should go in."

He didn't remember anything about the few following moments. The next thing he knew, he was stood in the room from which Sakura had emerged. The sight he met stung his chest much worse than anything else he'd experienced.

Their little girl was in Sasuke's arms. The man's eyes were half-lidded as the raven stroked the baby's cheek, the slightest of movements visibly taking absolutely all the man hand. Never before had he seen the kind of a expression he then spottede on the Uchiha's face. The little girl squealed and took a firm, desperate hold on Sasuke's finger, looking directly to her papa's eyes.

Every single mucle on his face stiffening, Sasuke leaned down a little and whispered something to the little girl's ear. She seemed confused for a tiny moment, then emitted a surprisingly loud sound and cling to him even more tightly.

And Naruto was almost sure that he'd break down to tears.

Albeit much more feeble than usual, Sasuke's voice startled him. "I… can't hold her anymore." Looking at the raven's eyes, he saw exactly how hard it was to say those words.

He nodded, too choked up for words, and took their little girl to his shaking arms. She started crying hysterically as soon as she was taken from her papa, fighting his hold the best as she could.

Almost like she'd also known…

Shaking away that thought, he lay her to the tiny makeshift bed Sakura had prepared and tried to soothe her with a tender caress, then returned hurriedly to Sasuke. The man's onyx eyes were much darker than usual as they first looked at their daughter, then met his gaze. It took a moment before the man had gathered his strength for talking. "Don't you dare…"

He shook his head, his eyes stinging. He wouldn't be able to promise this.

Without saying a word – unable to speak – he lay down slowly, fearing that any motion could trigger something he wouldn't be able to stop. He froze in the middle of movement when a barely audible groan of pain escaped Sasuke. "I… didn't hurt you, did I?"

Sasuke shook his head, gritting teeth so hard it showed.

Still uncertain, he shifted so that he could pull Sasuke carefully to his chest. Somehow, it calmed him down to feel Sasuke's heartbeat against his, although it was very frail.

Sasuke was very still at first, and his throat contricted for a moment before the raven moved, placing one hand to cover his.

At that moment tears broke from his hold, and he released a pitiable whimpering sound.

Sasuke gave him a look that most likely didn't hide as much as the man would've wanted. "Naruto…" For one reason or another the rest faded away.

It took a long moment before he managed to speak. "Does it… Does it hurt?"

Sasuke looked away, eyes drooping for a moment. "A little. But… It's getting numb."

He nodded slightly, not really knowing which one of the surges inside him was stronger. He wasn't sure which one of them was shaking – maybe it was both of them.

"Stop crying already." The command, no matter how soft, made him shudder a little with surprise. Most likely in the lack of strength to keep it up, Sasuke's head fell to rest against him. He felt the hungry breath the other pulled in. "Everything's gonna work out."

His eyes narrowed, and all of a sudden there was a bout of rage. "How the hell can you say that?!" he snapped in a choked tone.

"Trust me", was Sasuke's barely audible response. "I know you."

He buried his face into the raven's shoulder, feeling so utterly helpless that it seemed to crush his chest. "I don't want to… to…" He sobbed, feeling like a five-year-old. His eyes full of despair, he looked at the Uchiha. "I… I want you there when they grow up. I want you by my side."

At that moment, most likely stunning them both, Sasuke smiled a little. That, despite a single, barely noticeable tear slid down the man's cheek. "Yeah… It would've been nice."

He sobbed again, loudly, his eyes stinging and his throat contricting until he could barely breathe. He opened his mouth, but all of a sudden nothing came out. As it was he could only pull Sasuke closer and press a long, lingering kiss to the other's forehead.

Silence filled the room, like everything necessary had now been said.

-

His consciousness slipping little by little, Sasuke found his mind wandering. Suddenly stupid, tiny pieces of memories filled his whole mind.

Little moments, like his and Naruto's first kiss. How he'd kneeled beside Naruto's unconscious form before heading for Orochimaru, how – for just a moment – he would've wanted to lean down. Or like how they'd rested naked in their bed, securely in each other's arms, for the entire first night they spent in their first actual house.

Tiny things he'd never paid the slightest bit of attention to until now. How Naruto had trembled when he slumped into the blond's arms after taking Haku's hit. How Naruto's eyes had looked when they'd met for the first time in almost three years. How the forest-floor had felt under his back when they'd had sex for the first time. How Naruto wrinkled his nose just a little bit every single time they kissed.

And, of course, he remembered their children. How they'd felt when he'd first held them in his arms. Flashes of sleepless nights passed by, along with first words. He remembered the fear he was forced to confess having felt when Taichi headed for his first mission. He remembered exactly what Kai's first grin had looked like.

All those little things… They'd disappear with him, wouldn't they?

Suddenly he felt angry. There were so many things he would've wanted to see and do. His daughter would never even know him.

But then, this strangest peace filled him.

He hadn't had long, but… Maybe it was enough. He'd had three children. He'd been loved. And no one would be able to take that away. Considering how many years he'd thrown away and wasted, that sounded pretty comforting. And Naruto and their children… They were strong – they'd make it just fine. He'd make sure they did.

Those thoughts soothed him enough to give him rest.

-

Naruto was so deep in thought that he was mildly startled when Sasuke moved slightly. He glanced worriedly towards the other's face, but couldn't find any traces of discomfort. "Are you in pain?"

Sasuke sighed, as though he'd been extremely exhausted, then gave him a one more long look before closing his eyes. And at that moment something disappeared.

"Sasuke?" He'd never felt as cold as he did just then, realizing how terrifyingly still the body against his was. His eyes lit into a burning the kind he'd never felt before as he held on with absolutely all there was in him. "Sasuke, don't you dare…!"

For a much too short, frail moment he felt how Sasuke's hand moved behind his back, as though trying hold on. But in a blink of an eye it was all over.

There was a quiet, sigh-like breath until absolutely every single one of Sasuke's muscles went limp. In a matter of seconds the frail, unsteady beat he'd been clinging to with all his hope disappeared like it'd never even been there.

For this tiny, unbearably painful moment his heart stopped as well. But then, just as mercilessly, it came to life once more.

And at that moment he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Taichi wasn't stupid. And when he realized that neither his dad or Sakura was coming out of the house, he knew something was wrong. Suigetsu opened his mouth when he passed by, but in the end made no attempt to stop him.

The second he found Sakura – who stood outside one room, leaning heavily against the wall and trembling, face buried to her hands – his stomach turned upside down. Sensing his presence, Sakura looked up with moist, bloodshot eyes and their gazes met. Nothing even needed to be said.

Feeling like he'd been in somebody else's body, he walked up to the door directly in front of him and opened it. What he found made something inside him break.

At first the stench of blood struck him so hard that he couldn't focus on anything else. But then he saw his dad. His dad – who never cried – shaking badly and sobbing soundlessly with his head buried to his papa's shoulder. There was a far too relaxed, all but serene look on his papa's much too pale face. And the man… He wasn't breathing; judging by bluish lips hadn't been breathing for a while.

For several long moments he simply stared, as though not quite willing to believe the sight. And then everything shut down.

He didn't know what he was doing or where he was going as he spun around and started to march on, moist and stinging warmth blinding his eyes. But he did know, that for the upcoming almost twenty-four hours he didn't manage to utter a sound.

One Day Later

For rather obvious reasons, the two ANBU-ninjas who knew teleportation had to take Sasuke's body to Konoha fast; the journey couldn't take days. As soon as they arrived, rumors began to spread. And of course Kai had to hear them.

That late evening, Iruka had a much too clear guess of what was going on when he was called to the village's morgue; a kid was out of control and they'd tried every trick in the book, they said. Nothing, however, could've quite prepared him for the sight he found.

Kai was sitting in the cold room, sobbing rather loudly and shaking so badly that he barely stayed on his seat. Both of the child's hands clutched desperately to one of his papa's.

He froze, not knowing what to do or say. How could any words do?

After several moments Kai lifted his still teary gaze to see him, and sobbed. "P-Please, don't make me leave. Please." The boy's lip quivered, and he bit it hard. "I… I don't want to leave papa all alone. So please…"

At that moment, he finally accepted that no words would indeed do. And so he settled with actions instead.

With long, heavy steps and fighting his own emotions all the way, he walked up to Kai and pulled the child into a tight embrace. At first the child stiffened, but then relaxed slowly and leaned against his most likely welcomed warmth.

That was how they remained for hours, guarding Sasuke's dreamless sleep.

Eleven Days Later

That evening, or almost night, Naruto had his face buried to his hands as he sat on the kitchen floor.

It was only hours from Sasuke's funeral, which had taken place as soon as he, Taichi and the others had made it to Konoha. It'd been a torturously long event, of which he most likely wouldn't remember a thing later. After that he and the boys had come to a home that didn't feel like such without Sasuke, where everything reminded of what they'd lost. Now the boys were finally at least trying to sleep; they were exhausted and distraught.

And he… He didn't even know what he was anymore. Exhausted, at least, and he didn't have a clue how he'd fair when the baby-girl would come home – when he'd have a baby and two grieving boys in his hands. And he was still waiting for someone to wake him up from this nightmare.

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice, albeit tentative, startled him. Looking up, he found the woman looking at him with sad, bloodshot eyes. She still hadn't changed her funeral clothes. "I thought I should come and check up on you. The door… was open."

He tried to smile, and failed miserably. "I'm okay. I just…" He looked away, and took a deep breath. The last thing he wanted was to cry in front of her. "I just need a moment alone."

"Okay." Her soft tone told she understood, and it gave him some ease of mind. She then started going through her pocket. "Before I go… There's something… Something Sasuke would've wanted you to have."
He looked up, and frowned when seeing her handing an envelope towards him. "What's that?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't know. But I think you should find out."

Nodding, he finally accepted the offering. A lump appeared to his throat when he noticed Sasuke's familiar handwriting on the envelope.

'To Naruto'

Sakura gave him a slightly saddened, encouraging smile through almost spilling tears. "Try to hang in there, okay? The first night… It's the hardest part." With that she left, obviously knowing he needed the space.

He didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the envelope until he finally gained the courage to open it.

'I wouldn't want to leave you. It's ironic, really. For a huge part of my life I've been running around. And now that I've found something worth holding on to, I have to go.'

Seven Years Later

'But I'm not afraid to leave you, because I have a feeling that you'll make it through somehow, no matter how hard it is.'

It was amazing how long seven years could feel, Naruto mused as he stood in the shadows of trees by a field where several children – including his daughter Shinju, Sakura's son Yuki and Shikamaru's son Tohru – were playing.

Seven years without Sasuke.

Seven years of trying to parent their children alone while leading the village and coping with the irreplaceable loss.

Looking towards Shinju, who was chuckling happily, he felt a twinge when realizing just how much like Sasuke she looked with her onyx eyes and long hair of the same color. It hurt him a lot that she'd never get to know her papa who'd fought so very hard to get her into this world, who would've without a doubt loved her a lot. No matter how many stories he told her, nothing would ever fully explain Sasuke.

Looking towards the sky, he found himself wondering if Sasuke was up there somewhere, watching him. He would've wanted to ask if the Uchiha was proud of him.

I've really tried, you know?, he wanted to say. I've really tried to go on, and take good care of them. I hope you know that.

"Hey Naruto." Sakura's voice managed to startle him a little. She stood beside him, her eyes on the children. Somehow he had a feeling that she was hurting just a little bit when looking at Yuki; the boy was almost an exact replica of Sai. "They seem to be having fun."

"Yeah." He then breathed in deep. "So… The ceremony's tonight."

Sakura smiled wryly. "It never gets easier."

Every year on this day, Konoha had a little candle-festival, where they paid their respects to all those beloved they'd lost. As good as it felt to do as much, it also hurt like hell.

Naruto was just about to respond when he noticed something, and managed to smile just a little bit.

Not far away, Taichi – who'd just come back from a long mission – was approaching with Kai. They weren't talking much, but anyone could see how their steps were in perfect sync and how comfortable they were around each other. If possible, Sasuke's death had made those two even closer; what was left of the family had sought support from each other.

Sakura gave him a wave. "I've gotta go. See you tomorrow."

He nodded.

As the boys walked up to him, he immediately arched an eyebrow at Taichi. "So…?"

The boy seemed to blush just a little. "It… was confirmed today. Takara's pregnant."

He grinned, although a little tinge of sadness flowed through. His son was becoming a father – so life was bound to go on… Without much of a thought, he pulled the already grown man into a hug. "Congrats! Man, I can't wait to see the little princes!"

"Prince." This time, even Taichi grinned a little. "Takara thinks it's a boy."
Just then Shinju rushed over to them with a bright smile, and immediately rushed over to her brothers. "Tai! You came for the ceremony!"

A sudden, somewhat dark silence filled them. That evening, it was time to head towards the river again.

Kai, however, managed to grin at his sister while lifting her for a piggy back ride. "What do you think, could you sing that song you learned from school while we walk?"

She nodded eagerly, and started to sing in the most beautiful voice.

And somehow, her voice was enough to fill the silence as they went.

'As for our children? Look after them well, make sure they don't repeat the mistakes of past. And don't worry. If anyone can help them grow up, it's you.'

When walking up to her son, Sakura was immediately sorrounded by excited kids. "You're one of the Sannin, right?" one, or perhaps several, of them demanded. "Yuki told us about you – please tell us about your adventures!"

She smiled a little. It was still amazing to think that she, Naruto and Sasuke were now considered the Great Sannin. Once again history was written forward.

All of a sudden she could've sworn she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What… if I told you a different story this time?" Looking at their son, she could still see Sai's face. "A tale of Team Seven."

'You will make it just fine as long as you listen to your heart. After all, that's what made you a Hokage. That's what's kept you going.'

At around the same time, before anyone else would show up with their candles, Neji stood by the river of Konoha, fighting with his all to hold on to the little composure he had. His motions were stiff as he knelt down, carefully placing a candle to the water. His eyes weren't quite as expressionless as he would've wanted them to be as he watched the item float away. Had he looked, he might've noticed that his hands were shaking.

His private moment was suddenly interrupted by Temari's voice. "You're saying goodbye to him, aren't you?" Turning his head, he saw her arched eyebrow. "Why did you come this early?"

He shrugged, and fought to straighten his form. "I have my reasons." He glanced towards her, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Why did you?"

"I have my reasons."

"Hn." With that, he started to walk away.

He'd almost made it, until Temari's voice made him halt. "There's something you should know. I think it's time." Turning towards her, he saw her nodding to somewhere on his right. "Take a look."

He frowned, then did as ordered. There on a swing, sat a about six-years-old boy with wild, shortcut red hair. And then his heart skipped a beat. The child… had his eyes.

Pulling in a hasty breath, he frowned and looked towards Temari. "What is this – some kind of a joke?"

Temari gave him a loudly speaking look. "No. What part don't you understand?" She looked towards the child. "He was Gaara's. And he's yours, too."

Silence lingered heavily between them as they kept looking at the child. And then he found himself approaching.

'It's not often we get a second chance in life, but you gave me one without even questioning. Don't let that courage fade away.'

Although there was four of them stood by the same river late that evening, it was almost unearthly silent.

Naruto always dreaded this day, no matter how beautiful its purpose was. Because once again it was time to remember everyone he'd lost.

Kai standing beside him with a grim expression, he knelt down and sent several candles to their way.

One for the sake of his parents, whom he'd never get to know.

One for Tsunade, who'd died recently. He really missed her, even her lectures.

One for Jiraiya, who's book – the one of Naruto – was under his pillow every single night.

One for Kakashi, who'd never be forgotten.

One for Sai, who he missed much more than he'd known to expect.

One for Gaara. He still couldn't believe that the redhead would never come to Konoha again.

And then, the hardest of all.

He swallowed thickly while lighting a candle for Sasuke, and watching how the flame grew with surprising speed. It took a long moment before before he dared to try the absolutely hardest part, and put the candle into the river with a surprisingly steady hand. He couldn't help feeling a sharp twinge inside when watching how the candle disappeared.

It felt too much like having Sasuke die in his arms all over again.

Forcing that thought out of his head, he looked towards where Taichi was completing his own little ceremony. Even more than his own loss, it ached him to watch his son dealing with his own.

Taichi already had two candles to light up – one for Kiko, and one for his father. And although his son never shed a tear in front of anyone – there was just so much Sasuke in him – he could tell that the young man was barely fairing.

Seeing Taichi bow his head so that bangs fell to shield his face he looked away, not wanting to intrude something private. When he looked again, his son was getting up slowly. For a moment their eyes met, radiating the exact same emotions.

Some moments later he was reminded of the rest of the world when Kai stepped up to stand between him and Taichi, and Shinju wrapped her arms around him. None of them had the will to say a word.

Watching his children – his and Sasuke's children – Naruto found himself sighing soundlessly. Once again, their family had survived, although it wasn't whole anymore.

And somehow, that thought gave him hope.

'Remember, but don't cling to us who are already gone. There's so much living you have left to cherish.'

Not all that far away, Temari's head was so filled with millions of things that she shivered a little when hearing two people approaching. "Are you sure you remembered the candle?" Shikamaru inquired in a somewhat unfamiliar voice. Turning her gaze, she saw the man approaching her. Over the years, he'd learned to move very skillfully with a pair of crutches. For the longest time she hadn't paid attention to his missing leg.

Their son, Toshi – who had her hair and Shikamaru's eyes – rolled his eyes. "For the hundreth time, dad, I did. Stop doubting me already!"

Despite the situation, she managed to smile a little. "Dad's just a little… edgy today." She and Shikamaru exchanged a nod before she spoke again, looking towards their son. "You know… I've been thinking. We've decided that this year, it's your turn to light up the candle.

Toshi's eyes widened. "Are you… sure?"

She nodded, her eyes stinging a little. "Yeah. I think Kiko would like it."

Pride shone in Toshi's eyes as he nodded.

While the boy stepped up to the river, Shikamaru walked up to her and they watched how their son finished up the task, then released the candle under the stream's mercy. Without saying a word she took Shikamaru's hand into her slightly trembling one, and felt him squeeze. For the first time in years this event didn't make her want to cry.

Because somehow, as her gaze moved from her son – who stood there with a serious expression – to the candle, she couldn't help feeling like their daughter was smiling out there somewhere.

'Move on, and don't be afraid to grasp on life.'

On the opposite shore, a family of three also laid a candle of their own.

A young boy with almost purple eyes and dark hair looked towards his parents with confusion. "Mommy, daddy, who's this for?"

Karin swallowed thickly before answering, her eyes on the candle. "It's… for a very special, old friend."

Seeing that the child was about to ask more, Suigetsu stepped towards their son and picked him up to his shoulders, making the child squeal with delight. "C'mon, Sasuke. Let's go – we've got a long way home, remember?"

The boy smiled. "Yeah. Let's go. And tomorrow, I want to show you my Shuriken skills!" The child didn't stop babbling as they went.

And at some point, Suigetsu's hand caught Karin's as though it'd been an accident.

'I know how stubborn you are, but don't fight against what's supposed to happen.'

That night, Konoha filled with light as hundreds – thousands, who knew – of candles made their way down the river, carrying messages of love and longing to those who could no longer hear. Someone might've even said that those candles looked like fallen stars as they traveled silently to where they could no longer be seen.

As always, that magical night was full of sadness and longing. But then, just as suddenly as the night had fallen, the last of candles died out to give room for the new morning. Once again the stream of life had been unstoppable.

'Because like death, life can't be stopped either. I want you to enjoy every single moment you have left there. I want to see you live. And I…'

The following morning – after a long, hellish night with barely any sleep – Naruto decided that it was finally time to do something important.

Shinju frowned when they arrived to the cemetery. "Why are we here?"

He swallowed thickly. "I… I think it was time to bring you to see papa." With that he turned to the stone, although it was almost unbearable to face it.

'Sasuke Uchiha', was engraved to the stone.

Forcing his gaze away from the sight, he offered his daughter two flowers. "Why… Why don't you give him these? I bet he'd like it."

Shinju's expression was unnaturally tense as she nodded and took the flowers, then walked up to the the stone and laid them down.

Naruto grit his teeth as hard as he possibly could to rid the burning of his eyes, but no force of willpower would've helped. A tiny, choked sound erupted through his throat as wet warmth stained his cheeks.

Hearing the sound, his daughter turned her gaze and frowned, worry shining in her much too familiar eyes. "Daddy?"

He shook his head and tried to smile, failing miserably. "It's… It's okay." His voice sounded far from right. "I'll be okay in a bit."

Not appearing convinced, she nodded slowly. Once more her tiny hand brushed the headstone before she got up and rushed over to him, taking his much cooler hand into hers. "Let's go get some ramen." She gave him a rather childish little smile. "Maybe it'll make you feel better."

Once more his smile almost failed.

Dear god, how he wished that she'd never have to feel such pain that couldn't be soothed with something as simple as ramen…!

"Yeah", he all but whispered hoarsely. "Ramen… sounds good."

Just before leaving he stopped, feeling someone looking. With a tiny chill he looked over his shoulder, and felt something inside him break at what he found.

Stood by the stone – almost transparent in the sunlight – was something that looked far too much like Sasuke. For a much too short moment their eyes met. And for the first time ever he saw a full smile on the raven's face.

Then, so suddenly that he almost gasped, wind blew, shattering the vision on its way. For a moment he could've sworn he felt a familiar touch on his cheek, and he just had to press his hand against his wettened skin.

He didn't know how long he'd stood there until he felt a tug on his hand. "Daddy?" His daughter's eyes were filled with confusion. "Why are you crying?"

He shook his head, for some reason not managing to convince her that he was alright. "I… just saw someone." He felt a violent tug of pain when looking towards the now empty spot where the vision had just been. "Someone I love very much."

His daughter opened her mouth, but in the end decided against asking more. They started to walk on in a thoughtful silence.

And although tears weren't far, for some reason Naruto didn't feel as alone anymore.

'I'll be right here waiting for you and watching over you, Naruto. I'll watch your steps every single day. And when the time is right, I'll see you again.'

Owari.

A/N: Awkay… (sobs) Does it offer you any consolation that this wasn't easy to write? (sighs) I still can't explain why, but this story just wanted to end this way. Poor things – but at least Naruto didn't have to go on all alone.

First off… This has been a long ride, altogether nineteen chapters, and I still cant believe this is over. (sobs) My goodness, thank you so much for all those reviews and listings – it's you who've made this fic feel worth continuing, so thank you! (HUGS) You're very, VERY dear to me, ya know?

GAH, I've gotta get going so I'll get this chapter published. PLEASE, leave a note and let me know what you thought about this last piece!

Once again, thank you!

I hope I'll c ya guys again later!

snowpeachdrop: Awww, I'm so happy that you gave this a chance despite the MPREG – and especially that you've enjoyed the ride. (beams)

Ah, Itachi's lover! It was revealed shortly after Itachi and Sasuke's battle, by Madara. I'm afraid I don't remember the chapter, but I hope ya'll find it out there somewhere. (grins)

Massive thank yous for the review!

I really hope the final piece turns out worth the wait.