A/N: I've always wanted to do this speech….

But I'll wait till the end. And here is the epilogue to our super-long (not) saga, finally concluded. ^^ I hope it's been a fun ride for you because it certainly has for me! Enjoy! (and sorry for the long wait. I was busy…which included watching 'The Woman in Black' and not being able to freaking sign in to fanfiction…T_T)

Also, sorry for the super long quotes. But I think they really apply to the story! And I deliberately didn't mention any specific couples, because well all the people who read this probably have different tastes.

Disclaimer: Because I won't be back for a while, I OWN NARUTO! –is hit for lying-

Dark Angel: Epilogue

You showed me—that the greatest act of love is to sacrifice your life for another. That the greatest act of loyalty is to protect even those who betrayed you. That the greatest act of courage is to stay standing despite every fight you lost, to continue the fight to the last air you breathe, to go on until the last beat of your heart. To fight the darkness that wished to claim you… to fight the chains others force on you… To fight for what you believe in, for the right to live, to be. I learned them all after everything. –Hic Iacet Mori, The Sky

When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me. It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.
For as long as you remember me, I am never entirely lost. When I'm feeling most ghost-like, it is your remembering me that helps remind me that I actually exist. When I'm feeling sad, it's my consolation. When I'm feeling happy, it's part of why I feel that way. If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone. If you forget, part of who I am will be gone. –Frederick Buechner

It was today again, huh.

A hand was propped under her chin. Eyes older and colder than when they had been over ten years ago (for they had finally glimpsed enough of the world's terror and anger and most of all, sadness) looked, glazed, out the window into the street.

It was a busy day. People bustled about, unmindful of the silent mourning going on throughout the homes scattered through Konoha. After all, why should they? It was something barely anyone remembered, and even those who did had begun to forget the true meaning of love and care and unconquerable friendship. And to add to the hustle and bustle, the new Hokage was being properly established the next day; Sarutobi Konohamaru had insisted on moving it from today, she remembered with a chuckle. At least Tsunade was finally stepping down. Her genjutsu was beginning to take a toll on her, and she'd sworn to journey the country after tomorrow searching for the world's best hot springs.

A door slamming brought her out of her reverie. "I'm home!" called a small, high-pitched voice.

"How was your first day at the Academy?" she asked, standing quickly and fixing her short hair before grabbing a snack from the fridge. "Fun?"

"Yep! Iruka-sensei taught us lots of stuff, and I made new friends—" babbled the cheerful child. Thumping footsteps announced the boy's arrival into the kitchen. The woman smiled at her son, patting his head softly. To think Iruka would still teach, even after all these years. Well, she still performed as a medic, so it shouldn't really be a surprise.

There was another light tapping on the door that brought her head jerking toward it. She didn't have to sense the chakra of the person waiting outside for her to know it was time to go. Patting her son's head softly, the pink-haired woman smiled. "I have to go for a little, okay? Daddy should be coming back any second now. Make sure you tell your tale to him too!" The child nodded seriously and she left, closing the front door behind her quietly.

"It's time again," said the woman—no longer a child; none of them were young mentally anymore—musically, still looking as graceful as she had all those years before. She smiled at her teammates, comrades, dear friends who'd grown alongside her, and they departed, moving sinuously through Konoha's busy streets.

The village was long repaired, looking grand and magnificent and just starting to get the wear on its buildings from constant exposure to the elements that signaled stableness. The familiar five faces (soon to be six) of the Hokages perched over the village, forever watching, on and on.

"Where's Neji?" A rugged, more feral man asked as they darted through the trees. Kiba's hair had grown longer and eyes fiercer, Akamaru bigger than ever, but while his appearance certainly belied that of a fearsome man, his family disposition proved otherwise. The pale, elegant woman beside him spoke, confidently. Her features were no different, except with a definite wiser air about her.

"He had some ANBU business to attend to with Lee, Tenten, Shino, and Sai. They'll join us at the grave."

The others nodded, already knowing that little bit of information Hinata had passed on. Halfway to their destination, a pretty blonde-haired woman groaned dramatically, causing the rest of the group to stop and stare inquisitively. A man with lazy features sighed, "She's just acting again. Don't bother her, the woman's tougher than she looks, unfortunately."

"Nara! Just because you got a soft little non-shinobi wife at home doesn't mean I can't feel pain! Being pregnant is hard!" The woman snapped, but with a trace of good-humor in her blue eyes. She would never harm her teammates intentionally, because after the fiasco of more than twelve years back, the Konoha 10 had learned to forgive. They had learned to appreciate what they had, something people rarely remembered until it was too late.

"You know, Ino, saying that really doesn't help your case," a larger man behind him chuckled humorously as they started up their long trek again. Just in case, though, they slowed their pace a little. "We know you still actively participate in the medical hospital, even though they tell you not to since you're one month away from your due date."

"That's true," said Kiba, laughing. "I bet you'll go straight back to missions after your baby boy is born."

Ino blushed furiously while the rest of them smiled fondly at her. Nearly all of them had children, despite the fact that bonds were easily severed in the ninja world. However, someone long ago had taught them the lesson that any pain was worth it—a family was worth it; it was worth everything to have a family at all. To be alone was the harshest punishment of all. Of course, Sai was a lone exception, but they all knew he was secretly seeing a beautiful black-haired lady on the side; marriage was soon.

"Akimichi Chouji! You can't say anything. You've been fawning over your lovely little restaurant—"

"—that my wife owns," Chouji cut in, "while I work as a ninja."

The light bantering continued on, talk flying around them as they approached their destination. The first woman listened quietly as she led them to the spot she unfailingly remembered each year—after all, it was the burial site of one of her best friends.

She remembered the first trip they'd ever made, the first anniversary. It had been heavy, downcast, pouring, all in their own minds. They had all been tarnished by the thought of him and all the unpleasant (yearning) memories he brought, of their failure, of everything he had been. They had remembered too hard.

The second time was easier. They tried not to think as much. The third time, they learned that if they just pretended that he was still here, they could get through this easier; by then, most had started seeking their spouse. The fourth time they packed a picnic. Each time was subtly different, until at last they created the strange mixture of guilt and sorrow and happiness and longing and bittersweet joy all wrapped in one day. They would reflect on their worries, talk to the grave for a bit, laugh, share news (something that had grown scarcer and scarcer as people grew busier, achieving ranks of ANBU and jounin and top medics, hardly sparing time to talk to their old childhood friends anymore) and just remember.

We will never forget you.

"Sakura," Ino murmured, nudging her friend in the side. The woman turned to look at her, hardly aware that she had reached their destination so soon. The rest of them chose to ignore Sakura's more erratic behavior on such days; it wasn't her fault she became absent-minded and distracted whenever Naruto's 'death' anniversary came up. It was the same on the anniversary of the day Kakashi died or the day Sasuke left—though they had never all gone to mourn him.

They stepped forward through the lush, soft grass, the sunlight filtering cleanly through the trees just beginning to bloom. It was going to be an early spring this year, Sakura could tell already.

Five shadows detached themselves from the trees. An older, taller man with the same distinct features as years before bounded forward, clutching at Sakura's hand exuberantly. His love hadn't died for her over the years, but it had morphed into something different—family love, if one wanted to put it that way. "Sakura-san! Someone has been here already."

"Lee, let her go," scolded a woman with light brown hair, clutching a dog ANBU mask in her hand. On her back was a plethora of scrolls and weapons, clearly meant to deceive and frighten the enemy. The ANBU platoon must have come right from reporting to the Hokage. Tenten nodded to Neji, Sai, and Shino, who joined them moments later. "But it's true. I think it was Tsunade-sama who visited; she left her necklace."

"Oh, the crystal one." Sai nodded thoughtfully, drifting away. He still acted as eccentric as his past self had, and was now pulling out a sketchpad. Nobody bothered him as he began to sketch out the scene before him, because this was how he coped with the anniversary. There were ten sketches of their meetings so far.

"She'll come pick it up by the end of the day as normal," Neji said, as he tied his hair back with one smooth movement. He hitched his mask onto his belt, still clad in ANBU gear that he discarded casually. His katana clattered next to Sai's; Lee unstrapped his nunchucks, having preferred to use a more taijutsu style approach to his killing methods. The hooded, tall man left in the shadows took off his mask while sliding his glasses on in one move, preventing any of them from seeing his eyes. Hinata and Kiba were the only ones to approach their old comrade, Shino.

They chatted, sharing information casually or lazing around in the sun. 'How is your kid doing?' 'I hear they're going to be put on the same team, you know?' 'Isn't that exciting? My girl's way smarter than yours.' 'What did you say, Ino-pig?' 'Don't call me that!' 'Keep that expression—it's quite idiotic looking.' 'Sai…' 'Did you see Kurenai lately? I hear Akane became a chunin!' 'How Gai? Did he take on another team?' 'He's so proud!' 'Someone else died… the death rate's certainly less than ten years ago, though.' 'Don't you remember this…?' 'Tomorrow…'

The conversations continued between odd groups or pairs as they conversed softly in the sun, ignoring the people filing one by one up to the plaque on the ground, weathered by rain but still shining brightly in the sunlight, so much like Naruto's own spirit.

They would bring offerings, nothing much, usually ramen or other trivial things Naruto had enjoyed. Maybe they would kneel and offer a few words, pat the stone, or just stare at it for a while before some other member called them back irritably and said 'Stop hogging the spot already! I want my turn!' Because the Konoha 10 never came to meet Naruto on any other day or without the accompaniment of the rest of their childhood friends, they usually chose to exchange meaningful sentiments with the stone representing their friend, whether it be via objects or words.

It never mattered to any of them that Naruto wasn't actually there but out in the open world somewhere, watching, hunting, leaving.

It was another unspoken sentiment to let Sakura go last.

They weren't worried (that much) about her suddenly breaking down like she had years ago again, becoming somewhat insane from losing precious people. It was just something they unconsciously agreed to—she was one of the closest to Naruto, so she should have however long she needed to, right?

Sai's figure stood up soundlessly in the afternoon light, muttering a farewell to the plaque quietly before drifting back to his sketchbook. The pink-haired woman took her place before the stone then, head bowed, and everyone turned their head. They weren't putting on the farce some civilians did, pretending not to watch while sneakily peeking out in their peripheral vision, nor were they particularly keen on listening. Sakura never cried anymore and she never gave teary confessions; she merely talked like it was an everyday thing—like each anniversary was just one hour after another and not with a whole year's worth of time in between…not like so much had changed between those days.

The sky had started spiking in starbursts of pink and orange, snaking across the near-twilight when the shinobi began gathering their things. Ino was the first to go, saying something about 'My husband is waiting, getting so tired already, being pregnant is hard!' and departing. Shikamaru and Kiba's old team quickly followed; Chouji left with Lee and Neji. Tenten smiled at Sakura and Sai before too gathering her weapons, finishing her report with a flourish, and vanishing into the thick cover of oncoming night.

The pale man packed up his supplies, deliberately not looking at Sakura. She didn't need to say it out loud the fact that she wanted, needed him gone for the next part of their meeting, for while the Konoha 10 always came together to greet Naruto on this day, they never left at the same time.

"Be back soon, Sakura," was Sai's quiet goodbye as he blended in to the forest.

As soon as his footsteps faded from her hearing, Sakura blurred into action. Her eyes had the brightness of when she was twelve and waiting for their first mission with Team 7, scrambling as she searched around the fringe of trees opposite of the plaque. She found what she was looking for under an ash white birch tree, carefully hidden under a tangle of slithering white roots—her annual sign.

Sakura sank back against the bark, leaning her head back. She pressed the gift to her lips, softly, sighing as the familiar scents reached her nose. As far as she was aware, nobody else in Konoha knew of this little parting gift always stuck in a tree near the grave. Not even Tsunade, and as selfish as it was of her, Sakura couldn't bring herself to share Naruto's gift.

While she would never love Naruto like that, she couldn't help yearning to keep what little of his own warped care (never love, not anymore, the greatest mistake of all) she could get.

She unwrapped the cloth carefully, watching as a rusty red color appeared on the white fabric, blooming across it ungracefully. A strand of blond hair whipped into the wind, flying away, and Sakura's eyes widened as she saw a following lock of black. "Sasuke," she mouthed, before smiling again, this time tears coming inexplicably to her eyes. Her two boys were still alive, and that was all she could hope for. That was all she needed, a sign of their survival, and their unbroken, unsaid promise to remain alive despite their dangerous careers until the day came they would die.

And then, Sakura promised herself, they would die together.

A few minutes later, she was leaping over the trees again, contented yet already longing for next year's anniversary.

I'll be waiting.

"Ne, ne… I bet I know something you don't!"

"No way. I know everything!"

"Just because you're the top of the class doesn't mean you're that smart. Besides, my mother told me this, and she said very few people knew—and my mother's the smartest kunoichi in the village."

"Says who? My mother's way smarter."

"No—!"

"Yes—!"

"Shh, all of you! Just let him say his story already, then he'll shut up."

"Hey, I thought you were on my side… Eep, no need to look like that at me! We're on the same team after all… okay, I'm telling you!"

"Then get on with it!"

"See, there's this legendary hero. He's the bravest of them all, the most courageous, the best at his time. He loved Konoha very much, and he never hesitated to help the village."

"What's so amazing about that? There's lots of them out there—in fact, I'm gonna be one of them myself!"

"No, no, see, this one is different. He left the village after a while, but before you say he isn't really a hero, my mother said it wasn't what his actions did that determined his reputation. It didn't matter if he was seen as evil or forgotten or a traitor. All that he needed were people who still believed in him, who still remembered him, who still loved him. And he had those people—they loved him to pieces, even when others couldn't remember his very name anymore. He had precious people, and they knew he was still a hero."

"…Wow, you sounded almost smart there."

"Hey! But, ne, ne, you have to admit, wasn't that a pretty amazing story?"

"I don't think it's true."

"It is!"

"Oh yeah? Then tell me this hero's name!"

"…"

"See, you don't even know who this hero is! It doesn't matter how much friends someone has, a hero is only a hero if people remember who they are. Moron."

"That's not true! He did have a name, but my mother said her mother wouldn't tell her. She said her mother would go out every year on one specific day, but she didn't know where because her mother would never allow her to follow her. She would merely smile and leave before coming back more happy than before. It's true!"

"Insist all you want, we need proof. A name."

"I don't know his name, but I do know something else. They called him by this too, my mother's mother and her group of 'childhood friends', or so my mother said."

"Are they still alive? Maybe we can ask them."

"You idiot, they're probably old now."

"So that means that they're senile?"

"No, you three—see, they won't talk about him anymore. They just passed it on to their sons and daughters, and then told them to pass it on to their sons and daughters. This way, we'll all know the hero's inspiring story and aspire to be like them ourselves."

"It would be more inspiring if we had a name—"

"Oh! I remember now. I remember what my mother said her mother called him, with this peaceful, serene smile on her face. It was like she was miles away, thinking about him."

"Then what was it?"

"It was…"

The Dark Angel of Konoha.

Speech time! :) Thankyouthankyouthankyou and a million more to everyone who reviewed or favorite-d or alerted or even read this story! It truly means the world to me ^^ and so much more sappy stuff. Basically, I love you guys all, and of course it's the readers that motivate the author (not only reviews, lol I learned!) And while Dark Angel may be done for now (until I edit it) I am certainly not going to disappear, so expect some more from me and stick me on author alert *wink, hint* just kidding :P I'm glad everyone stuck through with me to the end! And I hope the very last part wasn't too confusing.

And for those random newcomers in the future, hello and thanks for reading. You're awesome too.

Now, one more thing to say: I hope the epilogue has turned out satisfactory. Other than that, if any part of the story is not to your liking, please tell me so I can change it when I edit; for example, beginning, ending, fight scenes, plot, etc. (You can find this in my profile too, so…) I wish to improve! Yeah! *pumps fist* And now, thanks for bearing through with my over excessive shouting and egging, my gleefulness at finally finishing something, and all the thanks I cannot stop pouring on you. Aww, I can write sap.

So we say, au revoir, zai jian, sayonara, ja ne, adios, and so much more. But I prefer to say 'see you again soon', because I most definitely will :)

Till then,

~gummybear1620

P.S. I can't resist. Review!