A/N A BIG THANK U TO WHOEVER READ THIS

I actually decided to write an epilogue, its short, but provides a bit of closure for those who wanted to know how Naruto made out.

This chapter is up to date with the events as of Chapter 698, and of the events concerning the LAST.

enjoy~~

disclaimer; naruto ain't mine

Naruto sat down in front of two small stones, tracing the names fondly.

To be so long without his father and mother, Naruto thought he would never figure out the original roots of his family. It brought him great joy to realize that he was filled with love long before he even existed, and it would continue long after he would cease to.

He was alone in Konoha's graveyard; he had done some exploring when he had arrived home. Not only did he discover the graves of his Grandparents, but also the ones of his real father and mother, bodies rested underneath his feet.

It comforted him to know that they were so close. Physical embraces were something that Naruto never received from a parental figure. The first one he got was when he was sixteen years old, and it was sad to realize that he was never hugged as much as he should have been.

However, he didn't dwell on that.

He had been there for a while, talking to his parents out loud, not really caring who heard, but its not like someone would anyway. He was alone, everyone was waiting for him at Ichiraku, but he trailed behind, letting the afternoon sun warm his back.

He traced the bandage on his foreign hand, remembering back to the fight where he and Sasuke had reconciled. He genuinely thought he was going to die, but he was glad he didn't. As much as he loved his parents, he wasn't ready to join them yet.

He raised his hand to his head, rubbing the rather short locks that stemmed from his skull. He was still learning to like it; Sakura had cut it a little short.

"Does it look weird?" Naruto asked aloud, "I know Dad had long hair, but do I still look good with short hair?"

Naturally, silence answered him, but Naruto laughed anyway. "I guess I'd still look like me no matter what length my hair is. Sakura-Chan found some red ones while cutting it, looks like I've got some of Moms hair after all."

Naruto lay down, his head in between the two rocks as he gazed up at the sky, his mother on his left, his father on his right.

"It's been a long two years." He said quietly, "A lot of things have happened."

A pause again,

"But I guess you already know."

"Of course we already know, we've been watching the whole time!"

"Kushina… we've been over this, he can't hear you."

"Well, obviously he can't if you keep interrupting!"

"Kushina…"
"Minato!"

Naruto sat up, his back facing the stones. His otherworldly parents were arguing behind him, of course, not to his knowledge. Minato and Kushina stood over their respective markings; they always did when Naruto came to visit.

"I'm trying to talk to him and you keep stopping me!" Kushina yelled, "I can't concentrate on trying to get my feelings across!"

Minato sighed for what seemed like the millionth time, "He, can't, hear, you."
Kushina swatted her arms "You're no good. Go talk to Jiraiya or something."

Minato smirked, "You know I can't, his stone is in the trees, the one Naruto made him."

Kushina scoffed, "Isn't your dad around here somewhere? Go talk to him."

"I already did!" Minato yelled, "You were there!"

The two were so busy arguing, that they didn't notice their son laughing softly in the grass below them. He sat back again, smiling face pointing towards the sky, and eyes looking through, but coincidentally, into their faces.

"I know you're here." Naruto said, "Its because I feel a weird feeling. It has to be you."

Kushina threw Minato a triumphant look, and crossed her arms. "See!" she yelled, "I knew we would succeed one day!"

Minato actually looked a little startled, but sceptical, "I'm not so sure."

Naruto lifted his hands, spreading his fingers out in front of his face, "I can't hear you though, but I know you're there."

It was Minato's turn to grin; he knew how ghosts worked, "Told you." He said to Kushina.

"Shut up."

There was a very long silence, and Naruto didn't say anything for the time being. The family was broken, separated, battered, and taken away through lifetimes but it was in this moment when they realized that it had always been good.

"Thank you." Naruto whispered, resting the back of his hand over his eyes, the bandage soaking with moisture. "Thank you. Thank you."

The bickering that was going to start; never did. The couple was silent for once in the afterlife, and watched as their son stood up, back to them, wiping his face with his hands.

"I'm really proud of you." He said, his voice resonating with strength for the first time that afternoon, "I'm glad I belonged to you."

"Naruto…" Kushina whispered, "Oh, Naruto."

Minato smiled softly, reaching his transparent hand over to his wife, who clutched his appendage in her own.

"We did okay Kushina, our hopes did reach our boy."

Kushina scoffed, "Don't take my words."

Minato grinned, throwing his head lazily to the side, "But they were nice ones."

Kushina's translucent skin glowed with the mark of red tint, showing her obvious embarrassment with praise. Minato laughed this time, throwing himself over to her, engulfing her form within his.

From his seat on the ground, Naruto smirked, "I don't know why," he started, "But the atmospheres changed, I feel really happy now."

Minato and Kushina were silent, waiting for him to say more.

"Maybe it's because you two were arguing before I got here."

Kushina pouted, and looked up at Minato from her place in his hold, he only threw the same look back at her, but it was playful.

"You know," Naruto continued again, "I'm glad you're close by."

Kushina was crying again, clutching her heart with her free hand, almost like she was sure it was about to burst. Minato just looked at him proudly, he was glad they were close by too.

Yes, their family had always been good.

Naruto lay in the grass for a while longer, talking their ears off and chewing on a stray piece of straw. It was a way for Naruto to let off obvious steam, and also for Minato and Kushina to keep updated. While they could watch from their time spent not at the gravestones watching Naruto talk, it was nice to hear it physically from him.

"You better tell pervy-sage I had said hi." Naruto blurted suddenly, closing his eyes as he rested his head on his arms.

Minato grimaced, "Believe me, I did."

Naruto laughed, "Good."

Minato and Kushina were taken back for a second, Naruto could actually hear them?

"Still can't hear you." Naruto clarified, "But the feeling changed from peaceful to stressed, so I'm sure that pervy-sage's reaction was worthwhile."

Minato shook his head; "I swear to god, he wouldn't stop asking me about you for at least three weeks."

Kushina giggled, still enveloped by her husbands embrace, to wrapped up in the presence of her boys to recall a better feeling she had felt before.

"Naruto?" A voice called out, "Where are you?"

Naruto sat bolt upright, hair dishevelled, and grass sticking out at odd angles. He looked across the graveyard to see a certain kunoichi sitting at the end of the stairs, looking confused at the empty space.

When she spotted him, she scoffed, and rushed towards him, "Naruto!" She said when she had reached him, "Everyone is waiting for you!"

Naruto looked guilty, "Sorry Sakura-Chan, I was talking to Mom and Dad."

Sakura instantly grew quiet, and looked behind Naruto to notice the two gravestones belonging to the Fourth Hokage and his wife. She bowed her head deep, and while Kushina and Minato looked embarrassed at being given such respectful attention by one of their son's friends, they were flattered.

"Is Sasuke coming too?" Naruto asked, "He hasn't been in the village for a while."

"I'm right here, dobe." The smooth voice came into earshot, "I came with Sakura to look for you."

Naruto beamed at him, "Thank you guys."

Sakura smiled at him, and patted him on the shoulder, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto breathed, "I'm good."

"Lets go then." Sasuke drawled, looking past Naruto at the will of fire memorial, "Lets leave the past where it belongs."

Naruto pouted, "I just came to say hi."

Minato and Kushina laughed from their places. Minato had to admit, Sasuke was rather similar to Fugaku, the same bored tone and lazy eyes, a spitting image.

Sakura held out her hand for Naruto to take, and he accepted it gratefully, the warm skin of her palm brought comfort, and she guided him with Sasuke towards the graveyards exit.

"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Naruto called, and waved to nothing it seemed, but he knew they were there. He felt it.

To humour him, but mostly themselves, they waved back. Kushina wiping the stray tears that fell, "Oh Minato, he's grown into such a good boy."

Minato watched his son go as he bounced along the road with his team. The friends talking and laughing like they had known each other their whole lives, still remaining content with their bond, and their unbreakable spirit.

From the trees, a lone figure emerged, placing a pot of flowers on one grave, and bowing deeply to another, whispering his prayers to the deceased Rin and Obito.

Kakashi went to stand beside his sensei's grave, placing the picture of Minato and Kushina at eighteen and a delicate flower in between the two headstones. Minato looked down a little alarmed, but was relieved to see it was Kakashi who had come.

"They're a good group, aren't they sensei?" Kakashi whispered, "Perhaps I wasn't such a failure as a teacher after all."

Minato looked sad as he watched the complete team go, even after a war, they managed to stay together, and to stay alive, something that his team could never do.

"Yes." Minato spoke quietly, "You didn't fail, Kakashi."

Kakashi kept staring at the headstone, trying to form a coherent sentence, "You didn't fail either, sensei."

Minato closed his eyes, and throughout his time alive, and dead, let one rare tear escape. Kushina smiled softly, and wiped it away with her thumb, taking his hand and kissing it delicately.

"Thank you sensei, you really did leave a legacy. More than you could have thought."

Minato broke into a brilliant grin, looking towards the woman beside him. He tugged her along, back to where they came from, so they could leave this world for now, and return when they were needed again.

"Goodbye, Kakashi."

"Goodbye, Sensei."
The petals on the flower between Minato and Kushina's gravestones were suddenly blown off with an oncoming gust, the pink blossoms drifting in the wind around the village hidden in the leaves, akin to the days when an outsider fell in love with a hero and to when they died.

And also, everything that came between.