A/N: Awkay, first off, I'm SO SORRY about this story taking so long to update! (winces) But, at least, I have a good reason. I had a HORRIBLE flue along with sinusitis, which took almost two weeks to beat. And I also got a cat, which I love very, very much, and she's taken quite a bit of my time. (grins) Plus, to top that, school's been driving me insane. (groans) But now, it's finally time to update – and finish this story! (sniffs)

First off… THANK YOU so much for those absolutely amazing reviews! (GLOMPS) You're amazing when it comes to giving one inspiration. Thank you! (hugs again)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting for so long, let's go! (swallows thickly) I really, REALLY hope ya'll enjoy the final chapter.

CHAPTER 10 – Epilogue – The Dearest of My Memories

When his eyes opened the first thing he sensed was pain, such that made him want to scream. Maybe he even did – he couldn't be sure because there seemed to be something wrong with his hearing. He knew he should've been terrified, but at the moment pain – which was turning into a ripping, searing one – was all he could focus on.

He was mildly startled when a boy with brown hair and worry-filled black eyes kneeled beside him all of the sudden.

Shikamaru…?, a distant part of him seemed to recognize.

The boy said something, speaking fervently and obviously close to terrified, but he still couldn't hear another word. And then, in a blink, everything turned black once more.

To Sakura the wait was almost unbearable. Sitting there, in the hospital's hallway, without being able to do a thing while two of her best friends…

It was torture.

"Sakura?" Lee's voice had never filled her with as much joy as it did then. Lifting her gaze she saw him stood only a couple of steps away. He'd obviously been running, because he was still panting a little. "How… How are they?"

She shook her head, feeling like a five-year-old. "I… don't know. Tsunade-sama and Shizune aren't telling me anything."

Lee tried to offer her a reassuring look. "I bet everything's gonna work out. I mean… Those two are the toughest guys in Konoha – they'll be okay."

She surprised herself with managing to smile jus a little bit. Lee gave her a confused look. "What?"

She shook her head, wiping her sore eyes. The baby kicked twice, as though trying to calm her down. "Just… Thanks, for being here."

Lee answered with a faint smile.

Just then they both stiffened when a door opened nearby. Turning her gaze, Sakura felt her chest tighten uncomfortably when seeing the look on Shizune's face as she approached them.

As soon as he regained consciousness Naruto knew something was terribly wrong, that there was something missing. Slowly, with far more effort than he'd expected, he forced his eyes open. He felt like groaning when facing the hospital room's roof.

It took several beats before he finally remembered what had happened. His eyes flew wide when the flashes that didn't seem to belong to this world filled his head.

Sasuke…!

He was about to jump into a sitting position until a firm hand appeared to hold him down. "Careful, Naruto – you've been unconscious for two days, and even with Kyuubi's help your injuries are still healing."

He turned his gaze, and felt something inside him shudder at the look on Sakura's face. He took a surprisingly labored breath. "Sasuke…?"

Sakura swallowed with visible difficulity. "A cave… It came down on you and Sasuke. You got broken bones and you bled quite a bit, but your condition was stable – Kyuubi helped you out a lot, although its firmly sealed now." She looked towards the window before continuing. He hoped dearly he didn't see her eyes shimmering. "Sasuke… was wounded pretty badly even before the cave came down; he'd been stabbed and he was bleeding inwardly. He got broken bones, and one of his lungs became pierced. It's a miracle he lived until getting back to Konoha." She looked at him, as though trying to determine whether he was ready to hear the rest. "And… He also got a head-injury. It's impossible to tell if permanent damage was done before he wakes up." It was much too easy to tell she meant 'If he wakes up'.

For almost a minute Naruto couldn't breathe, couldn't think. When it all came down on him it took his all to restrain a scream. He brought both hands to his face, feeling like throwing up any given moment.

"Naruto…"

"Can I… be alone, for a bit?" His voice didn't sound familiar. He didn't want to look at Sakura. "I need to think, so please…" He trailed off.

"Okay." Sakura's voice was soft, understanding. The chair she'd been occupying screeched a bit too loudly when she got up. "I'll come and check up on you as soon as I can, okay?" There was a bit too long pause. "Just… Hang in there. For both of you."

Through haze of some sort he heard her leave the room. As soon as she did he took the glass of water placed to the table beside his bed and threw it at the nearest wall with a scream.

Night and shadows had fallen long since when Naruto sneaked through a certain door, peering into the small hospital room. His heart had been broken before, but never quite the way it was then.

Sasuke looked hopelessly small and pale in the bed, and he noticed much too easily all the layers of bandages. He felt sick to his stomach, and a sudden desire to run away washed over him.

He'd… He'd done this – or well, not really him, but… If it wasn't for him…

Moving slowly, as though afraid of bringing even more pain, he walked closer and took the chair by Sasuke's bedside. His eyes refused to leave the bruises on the Uchiha's face, no matter how little he wanted to look at them.

He swallowed with severe difficulty. "Can… Can you hear me, at all? Because… I'm right here." He cleared his throat, feeling like a moron. Was this really the best he could do? "I'll just… I'll sit here, for a while. You've never liked hospitals, so…" He trailed off, his thoughts turning into a tangled mess that didn't make any sense. Besides… What point was there in talking when he couldn't say all the things he would've wanted to? He was, it seemed, a huge coward when it came to Sasuke.

He closed his eyes and discovered that he was shaking, worse than ever in his life.

There'd been so much pain, so many failures and bitter disappointments. It couldn't… It couldn't just end like this, right? Sasuke couldn't just… Not again. Not now that he finally knew exactly which Sasuke he wanted to see. And he was scared to death that he'd been too late again. That once again he'd been one step too many behind Sasuke – and his own feelings.

Sasuke's words echoed in his ears.

/ "I'm willing to do anything to bring you back, because you mean more to me than anything else in this damn world!" /

Swallowing thickly he reached out a hand and grabbed Sasuke's, giving it a firm squeeze. He opened his mouth, but somehow the words he'd been supposed to say wouldn't come out. He tried to soothe himself with the thought that perhaps Sasuke knew, anyway.

One day I will be able to tell you, I promise, he mused, looking at the Uchiha's unconscious face. Please, tell me you'll be here to listen.

Silence was thick and heavy in the room as he sat there, waiting and hoping from the bottom of his heart, and Sasuke remained in his slumber.

That night Tsunade surprised herself with doing something very unexpected. After having a couple of sakes too many she walked over to the prison to meet Madara.

The man's cell-door was heavy, and screeched deafeningly as it was opened, awakening the man from his slumber. She could sense a hint of surprise in the air. "Tsunade?"

She didn't speak immediately, instead looked at him with a million emotions swelling in her chest. He looked miserable. His hair was nothing but a disheveled mess, and the prison's clothes made him look several sizes smaller than usual. The saddest part, however, were his scar-filled sickly pale face, and bandaged eyes. It was clear that he'd never see again – there was nothing left of his eyes.

Her eyes darkened and hardened as she watched the pitiable creature before her. She'd never been a particularly cruel person, but at that moment…

The man lifted his head, obviously sensing her. "I've been waiting for you to come and visit me", the man confessed, then held a moment's pause. "I can imagine you enjoy this."

"You've brought a lot of pain on Konoha." She was stunned she managed to sound so calm. "You're only getting the punishment you deserve. I'm glad to see there's justice in this world."

Madara gave a lopsided smirk that looked chilling on his face in the shadows. "That's the nice way of putting it." The man leaned his head backwards. "So… What is my punishment going to be? I assume they're all eager to kill me."

"They are." And to be honest so was she, very much. She took a deep breath. "But I won't let them. Because I think death is a much too gentle punishment for you."

The man would've probably arched an eyebrow if it hadn't been too painful. "Then what are you planning? Another one of Ibiki's sessions?"

"No." She felt her eyes flash. "You'll live, Madara. That's your punishment. You'll live with your disability, mortal and vulnerable, as long as you see fit. Trapped into this stinking cell."

Madara arched an eyebrow, the look on his scarred, nearly destroyed face turning into exactly what Tsunade had wanted to see. She was looking at a wild animal trapped into a cage. "Never underestimate a woman's wrath, huh?"

She felt a flare inside as she turned around, turning her back on the man for the last time. "Hmm." She gave the door a particular knock, and a blink later a rather huge guard opened, giving her a way out. "Goodbye." There was no emotion, no shadow of what that man had once awakened inside her. The nightmare was over – it was high time to stop dwelling in the past.

The sound of the door closing was the final verdict.

Three Days Later

Days passed by slowly and in this weird silence Naruto couldn't explain. It was rainy and rather cold, as though all color had been sucked out of the world. But beneath the surface, something was changing.

The news of what Sasuke had done spread through Konoha quickly. He hadn't betrayed Konoha this time, it was rumored. And very slowly, a part of Konoha began to wonder if they'd been wrong, after all. If this this new Sasuke Uchiha deserved the chance to prove that he was more than his ominous name.

Naruto didn't care about any of that, because he had far more important things to think about. All of the sudden knowing exactly what, or rather who, he wanted was the most terrifying thing, because it meant that he also knew perfectly what he could end up losing.

Over the past days he'd spent most of his time in Sasuke's room, talking about whatever he could think of, helping with daily activities and fighting not to cry. He didn't want to bring Sasuke back with tears.

Sakura was so used to his presence that she didn't even look up from her papers when he entered the room. "I'm sorry, but there's been no change." She sounded a little tired. "His Chakra levels spiked up last night, but now they seem to be back down."

He nodded, swallowing thickly against the swelling disappointment. This hurt, despite the fact that he hadn't been expecting anything else.

Sakura looked at him after a moment, giving him one of those looks that was probably supposed to make him feel better. "I think I can stall the rest of the staff from coming here for an hour or so. Do you want to wash his face and upper torso?"

He nodded, so eagerly that it might've embarrassed him in some other situation. Helping wash up Sasuke was one of his new little routines, gave him a feeling that he wasn't completely helpless. Gave him a feeling that there was something he could do for Sasuke. "Thanks."

Sakura squeezed his shoulder while passing by, offering him a smile. "Hang in there, okay? I know it doesn't sound like much, but last night was a good sign." With that she started to head towards the door. "I'll see you at Ichiraku's." Which was another routine – they ate together nowadays, now that he'd been discharged from the hospital. He figured Sakura wanted to make sure he actually took care of himself.

He barely noticed her departure. As soon as she had left he gathered all the necessary equipment, then sat to the bed right beside Sasuke although there was barely enough room. He swallowed a bit, and felt heat on his cheeks – this was always awkward, no matter how much he wanted to do this. "I… hope you don't mind." He dipped a tiny piece of fabric to the bowl of water beside him, carefully testing the temperature. He hoped it wasn't too cold – those things could be annoyingly fickle, he'd discovered. "So… Here we go."

With slow, gentle motions he washed Sasuke's face and hands. Then, blushing even worse than before, he shifted the Uchiha's shirt to reveal a bare chest. His heart wasn't in his control anymore as he moved just a little bit closer to Sasuke and started to wash the bare, milky skin scars covered here and there.

Perhaps he now finally knew how he really felt, but it didn't make dealing with those emotions any easier.

Eventually he started to hum softly to ease the silence – sometimes there were moments when there was no way he'd bear talking to what was nothing but thin air. Once he was done with the washing he took a hairbrush from the tiny table beside the bed and started to sort out the other's silken black locks.

Despite the situation he smiled, just a little bit. For some reason this part felt perfectly natural. "I like your hair, you know?" he murmured. "I can't understand how it stays this soft. And it grows fast, too – I bet that in a couple of weeks it'll be longer than Sakura's." Somehow the lack of response felt worse than ever before.

Once he was done with the hair Naruto came to a conclusion that he couldn't go on like this forever, no matter how good avoiding all serious stuff felt. There was a mountain of things they'd have to work with, if…

He swallowed thickly, looking valiantly directly to Sasuke's sleeping face. Without him even noticing it he took one of the boy's hands, starting to rub the back of it with his thumb. It wasn't until then the words finally came. "Look, I… I've had a lot of time to think, while you…" He couldn't say the rest for some reason. "To think about you, both of you. And…"

At that moment all words got stuck into his throat, because he noticed something he first thought was nothing but a trick of imagination. Feebly at first Sasuke's eyelashes moved. Very slowly the boy's eyes opened slightly, so that he could see a hint of confused, somewhat hazy black.

Barely daring to even breathe he whispered. "Sasuke…?"

It seemed to take forever before the eyes finally shifted to him and focused torturously slowly. But the second they did he saw a flash of recognition. And then, very slowly, the most beautiful little smile he'd ever seen appeared to the Uchiha's chapped lips.

At that moment he did the only thing he could think of. He leaned down, slowly and with caution, and kissed Sasuke softly.

-

Realizing that she'd forgotten to take Sasuke's temperature Sakura walked back to the room and opened the door – only to freeze right where she was. Because for the first time in days Sasuke was awake, held in Naruto's more than secure arms while the blond whispered something to the boy's ear with his eyes squeezed tightly shut. Sakura couldn't tell what was being whispered, but there was a hint of a smile playing on Sasuke's still very exhausted, pale face.

Once upon a time the sight might've broken her heart. Now, she smiled and closed the door without making a sound.

She decided to keep the others out of the room for another hour or so.

Four Days Later

Night had already fallen and Sasuke – who'd spent the past two hours coaxing Naruto into going home – was just about to fall asleep in his hospital bed when the sound of someone entering caught his attention. His eyes flew open, and he blinked once when discovering that the room's window was open.

"I hope you don't mind us taking that way in", Suigetsu's familiar voice commented. "But I don't think it would've been a good idea to enter past the guard who's half-asleep behind your door."

Turning his gaze once more he found Suigetsu and Juugo stood nearby. "What… are you doing here?" He was tired and under heavy pain-medication. Perhaps that was why his brain didn't quite comprehend the situation at hand.

Juugo's serious, almost grim, expression unnerved him a little. "We came to say goodbye."

His eyes widened a little. "What?!" He frowned. "But… Didn't Tsunade say it's okay for you to stay?"

Suigetsu gave a lopsided grin. "Let's face it. We're not exactly the type of guys who like staying in one place. The whole world's calling us."

He nodded, feeling a tug in his chest for some reason. Perhaps he didn't remember all that much about these two, but he knew enough to be able to tell he'd miss them, a lot. He took a deep breath, giving them both a long look. "Thank you. For everything." Although he had a feeling that he didn't quite know what he was thanking for.

Suigetsu gave a one more grin. Juugo, on the other hand, walked up to him with an unreadable expression. "Thank you, to you too." With that the boy pressed a chaste kiss that made his eyes widen to his forehead, disappearing through the window in a flash after that.

Suigetsu waved a bit, one foot almost out the window already. "Take care. And don't do any stupidities although we're not here to watch your back."

He might've smiled, had there not been another tug inside him. "You too."

Then, just like that, Juugo disappeared as well. And for some reason he had to blink furiously.

-

As soon as the two of them were on solid ground Suigetsu glanced towards Juugo. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Once more, so swiftly that it could barely be registered, Juugo glanced towards the window of Sasuke's hospital room. Shadows hid the boy's expression. "Yeah." It was nothing but a whisper. "Let's get moving."

Suigetsu nodded. Even he was smart and subtle enough not to say a thing. They vanished into the night, took a road that was still a mystery to them.

Seven Years Later

Years had flown by almost faster than anyone could count, and Konoha changed slowly yet surely. Time laid its hand on the old leaves, giving room for the new, fresh ones. And eventually the changes even reached the Hokage's office.

Naruto's blue eyes – which, after all the long hard years, carried new serenity and a hint of sadness – looked out the window with a slight frown, his gaze finding the village's gates.

Sasuke was late. And Sasuke was never late.

Lee's deeply amused voice made him shiver a little. "You're absolutely hopeless when he's on a mission."

Even though Sasuke's memory had never returned it'd taken years before people had started to at least somewhat accept him, and almost as long before the man had been granted his ninja-status. At times like this Naruto wished the Uchiha had never gotten it back.

He snorted, folding his arms. It was surprisingly hard to look away from the window. "Like you wouldn't be moping around when Sakura's on one of hers." He rubbed his face with one hand, fighting against a yawn.

A knowing smile appeared to Lee's face. "So you can't sleep alone, either?"

"Hmph." Glancing out the window once more, he noticed a nearly seven-years-old boy with somewhat unruly gray hair and green, eye-glasses covered eyes rushing towards the Academy. "I can't believe how fast Tsuki grows!" He was careful not to mention how painfully lot the boy looked like his biological father, how thick the traces of Kabuto were on the child.

A shadow crossed Lee's face, only to disappear in flash. "Neither can we." There was a tiny pause. "They're thinking about transfering him to advanced group. The teachers say he's one of the brightest kids they've seen in years." The man sighed. "Sakura… doesn't know what to think about it. Sometimes, for just a second, she looks at Tsuki weirdly. It's gotten worse again since she got pregnant."

Sakura was six months pregnant – soon there'd be two children in the couple's household. And sometimes, although she loved her son beyond everything, Sakura seemed to be caught up by the shadows of past. But still… "Mah, I wouldn't worry a lot." He was surprised by how confident he managed to sound. "I mean, with how much you love each other it takes more than that to mess it all up." Back when he'd been a teen he might've snorted at those who were confident that love could conquer all. Now, he still didn't believe it to conquer all, but it did carry through a lot – he knew that from experience. This new Sasuke and he still had a lot of insecurities and they fought more often than he would've liked, but they'd never given up on each other and most of the time they were happy. He knew it was the same with Lee and Sakura. And maybe that was enough – it was real life. Perfection was reserved for fairytales.

Lee smiled faintly, only to grow solemn once more as the man discovered the pile of reports and other papers on his desk. "So the chase for Kabuto is still on?"

He grit teeth, feeling a flare inside. "They say he's been gathering more troupes in north. His organization is already bigger and stronger than the Akatsuki ever was – he's made notes and learned from their mistakes." He sighed, looking towards the window. "He already attacked some small villages. It's only a matter of time before he's ready for Konoha."

Lee shrugged, appearing surprisingly confident all of the sudden. "Konoha's been through worse than this. Kabuto's grown strong, but we'll beat him."

Naruto couldn't help smiling at that. Even though he'd been a Hokage for a full year and managed to keep Konoha safe, some people still thought it'd been a huge mistake to give such honor to a demon container. Plus he was still very young and people loved to criticize his decisions. It felt good to notice that his friends, at least, trusted him this way.

Just then there was a hasty knock before the door was opened. Even before seeing the arrival Naruto knew who it was – only one person entered his office that way.

Naruto smiled once again when looking at Chiati, who'd grown up a lot over the past years and apparently even during the month she'd spent on a mission in Sasuke's squad. Although she was disheveled and had lots of scrapes all over her it was obvious that she'd turned out to be a very beautiful young woman. Naruto had once seen a picture of Sasuke and Itachi's mother – Chiati looked just like her.

Naruto's expression, however, faltered a bit when he noticed the look on the girl's face. Something was wrong. His stomach squeezed to a tiny ball. "Was the missions a failure?"

Chiati shook her head. It wasn't until then she managed to speak through pants. "It's… It's Sasuke." She swallowed thickly. "He's in the hospital."

In a flash Naruto ran, his heart racing out of all control.

Sitting on a bed in the hospital Sasuke looked out the window with somewhat hazy eyes, fighting to ignore the dull ache all over him. It was rather early in the morning, and bathing in mist and pale sunlight Konoha looked like a dreamland of some sort. People were only just waking up, everything was fresh and new.

It'd taken years before Konoha had began to feel like a home to him, but now the sight brought him the strangest sensation of comfort.

He wasn't brought out of his thoughts until the door opened. There was a smile of sympathy on Sakura's face as she entered. "Rough mission?"

"Hmm." He glanced towards his side, where one wound was seeping so that it'd stained his shirt. "I didn't consider these hospital worthy, but Chiati dragged me here. She can be incredibly stubborn sometimes."

One corner of Sakura's lips twitched. "Sounds familiar." She then focused on his wounds, and a tiny frown appeared to her face. "There's one on your arm, one right beside your chest and a pretty deep one on your side. Anything else I should know about?"

He looked away, not liking this at all. "I… think I hurt my back as well. It stings a bit."

Sakura nodded and gave his back a look. Judging by her hiss the wound was worse than he'd expected. "These are hospital worthy, Uchiha. I can't believe you even considered going home with these!"
His eyes narrowed a bit against the ache when she started the treatment. "Hn."

He tried not to shudder as Sakura progressed but apparently failed, because she paused her motions. "Are you hanging in there?"

He shrugged, feeling rather uncomfortable with the attention. "I'm fine", he reassured the pinkette, fighting back a wince as she started treating the wound again. "It doesn't hurt as much anymore."

"That's good." Sakura's tone was still a little tense – there was obviously something more she wanted to discuss. He shifted with discomfort just before she spoke. "Sasuke… These aren't the type of injuries a ninja of your skill-level should get on a mission like that. So what happened?" He didn't understand why she asked, because a second later it was revealed she already knew the answer. "It was your eyes, right? They were acting up again."

Using the hand Sakura wasn't working on he rubbed his eyes, which were still sore and itchy. "I… heard rumors, a long ago, that the Sharingan may deteriorate one's eyesight. I just… never thought it'd happen this fast." He grit teeth, unable to understand why telling this made him feel so uncomfortable. Why in the world did he still have issues with admitting weakness? "For almost five minutes or so I couldn't see a thing. It was half longer than the last time, and my eyes haven't recovered fully yet." That said what they were both guessing already – it was only a matter of time, before…

Sakura remained silent for a long moment, her motions turning into something close to comforting. "You should tell Naruto, you know? He'd deserve to know."

"No." He was surprised by his tone, and took a breath to calm himself before speaking again. "No –I won't tell him, and neither will you. He already has more than enough things on his mind. This…" He pointed towards his eyes, shivering a bit. "… can wait."

Sakura made a sound of deep frustration, finishing the work of bandaging him. "Sasuke…!"

Luckily for him her sentence was cut short by the room's door flying open. Looking that way, he came quite close to smiling when seeing Naruto stood there with slightly widened, flaming eyes. Was the blond… shaking? "Damn it, bastard!" the man groaned in a slightly shaking voice. "Do you have any idea how close to getting a heart-attack you brought me?!"

Sakura, taking this as her cue to leave, got up with a clearly visible restrained smile. "I'll… see you guys later." She then gave him a rather firm look. "You, think about what I said." With that she left, closing the door subtly behind her.

-

Naruto didn't really register Sakura's departure, or her words. All his focus was on Sasuke's patched up wounds. They didn't seem to threaten any dangerous spots, but there were far more of them than he would've liked.

Sasuke gave him a dry look. "Stop looking at me like I'd be made of class. I'm fine."

Making a gruff sound he walked up to the Uchiha and frowned, running a hand down one bandaged wound. "You weren't supposed to be reckless, remember?" he admonished, hints of worry swelling in his stomach.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, for a moment looking so much like the Uchiha he'd once known that his heart skipped a beat. "I'm alive and well, aren't I? So stop that fussing – I think you have enough to worry about even without adding me to the list."

He scoffed, unable to resist pulling the Uchiha closer although it must've hurt. "Like I'd ever manage to stop worrying about you. You're too damn good at giving me reasons to."

The tiniest of smiles played on Sasuke's face as the man looked at him. "Hn." The Uchiha gave him a long, evaluating look and frowned. "Have you slept at all while I was away?"

He gave a rather childish pout, without noticing it tightening his hold on the other man. Damn, how he'd missed this touch, this scent, all this! "It's your fault", he accused, burying his face to the other's neck. The strands of hair there tickled his nose, which he welcomed gladly. "The bed's too damn cold without you."

Sasuke chuckled, which was a sound he'd missed more than he could've ever imagined. For a moment the man buried his face to the crook of his neck. He wondered if the other even noticed how one of the Uchiha's hands led his gently to where the man's heart was beating steadily. "You can be such a dobe sometimes."

He surprised himself with actually smiling at that. After so many years that petname no longer filled his mind with painful memories.

His eyes widened a bit when the Uchiha moved all of the sudden – starting to make a trail of very demanding kisses to his neck. Did he… feel teeth? Then Sasuke pulled him closer, the kisses intensifying still.

Yes, this new Sasuke was much softer than the former one. But when it came to… matters of passion, the Uchiha was lava.

He arched an eyebrow, his heart making some movements it shouldn't have been capable of. His cheeks heated up as he returned the hold, giving the Uchiha's neck a tiny bite of acceptance. "What, exactly, are you planning?"

Sasuke made a gruff sound in the back of his throat, looking at him with eyes he knew better than well. Nails dug to his back. "What does it look like?" The Uchiha reached forward, biting his ear enough to make him shiver and gasp. "I've spent a month on that damn mission. Make me beg, and you'll spend a week on the couch."

He tried to deny the Uchiha's advances, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. His pants, all of him, felt so tight that he was ready to scream. "This is the damn hospital, remember?" he reminded in a shuddering tone. He licked his lips, already tasting Sasuke. "Plus, Sakura's gonna kill me if we do this when you're in that condition."

Sasuke's hand touched a particular part of him, making him half-exclaim. How the heck had the man figured out that spot? "Are you absolutely sure?"

A growl that didn't sound human crawled out of his throat as he attacked Sasuke, with such ferocity that the bed screeched and the Uchiha gave a sound he couldn't identify. In the spur of the moment he licked the man's neck, making the Uchiha's whole body shudder underneath him. "I missed you so damn much", he murmured in a husky tone, inhaling the man's scent with his eyes closed.

"Show me", Sasuke growled. And he did – so that the whole hospital most likely heard.

After making sure Sasuke was okay and seeing far more naked skin than she would've liked when walking in on the Uchiha and Naruto right after their… session, Chiati was walking home with a bright blush. That was until she sensed that she was no longer alone in the eerily quiet, tiny path she'd chosen to get home as fast as possible.

Her eyes narrowed. "Show yourself", she barked out, preparing herself. "Right now."

"You've inherited the instincts of your parents, I see." Turning around, she saw a much too familiar old man walking towards her with an expression she considered dangerous. "And you seem to have your father's eyes."

Toshiro Tsugemi, a man she still sometimes had nightmares of. To her he was a monster who'd visited her home every once in a while when she was a child, always arguing with her mother. Once, she'd even heard the sound of slap and something breaking. The man had already been practically missing for seven years – why the hell was he back now? "Leave", she hissed through tightly grit teeth.

Tsugemi nodded slowly. "I will, as soon as I've told you something you're finally old enough to hear." The man looked at her directly to eyes, causing chills all over her body. "You see… There are things about your parents you don't know. Including why they died."

Her eyes narrowed again and her lips opened, but she never got the chance to find out what she would've said. Because just then she heard Iruka's voice. "Chia? Are you here?" Tsugemi disappeared into a puff of smoke a second before the brunet stepped to the street. The man frowned at her expression. "What's wrong? Who were you talking to?"

She used all her skills to control her expression. "It was… no one. Everything's okay."

The man had been practically a father to her for the past years, raised her ever since her mother's death – of course he saw through her lie. But he only nodded, once again choosing not to pry. "Let's go home."

As they started walking she glanced over her shoulder, feeling cold. Somehow the shadows seemed a lot darker and heavier now.

-

Tsugemi cussed under his breath when appearing to a small, rather dark cave. He immediately brought a hand to the mark on his shoulder. "I ran out of time. And your fucking mark is driving me insane."

Kabuto's expression was neutral as the man stepped out of the shadows. "I thought we'd talked about this already – these things take time. We've already waited for seven years. Now's not the time to ruin it with rushing."

He took a deep breath. The stinging eased a little. "I know." He took another breath. "I saw her eyes. She's ready."

Kabuto nodded. "Good. We'll get her when the time is right – her eyes will be a valuable addition to our organization. And then… Kyuubi and Konoha will be hours."

A cruel little smirk appeared to Tsugemi's face. "The village will pay for rejecting my ideals, as well as Danzo's. For what happened to my brother and daughter." He squashed a bug that'd been rushing through the floor towards safety. "And so will Sasuke."

Rather late that evening two dark figures stood by the cross that'd been placed into the forest to honor the former Sasuke. Even after all the years passed Naruto hadn't told anyone about this place – he didn't want people who never even really knew the former Sasuke to visit there.

His body feeling so heavy that it almost hurt he bent down, placing the single white rose he'd brought before the cross. Like always it was hard to find the words. "I… just came to let you know that it's been another year, from when…" He trailed off, the words forming a blockage into his throat. His fists balled. "I just… I thought you should know that I'm okay – and I haven't forgotten you. I never will." He took a deep breath. "I miss you, a lot. But… I also know that I have to let you – I learned that from you." He blinked furiously, relieved to discover that he'd finally gotten over the time when tears broke from his control during these visits. He inhaled sharply, bracing himself. "Goodnight, Sasuke." One of these days, he swore to himself, he'd be able to say 'Goodbye'.

He closed his eyes, and despite all the years passed managed to see the former Sasuke's hatred filled eyes clearly. It wasn't long from when the memory had brought tears to his eyes, and he still felt like his heart had been squeezed. He didn't think it'd ever become painless. But at least now the ache wasn't unbearable.

He'd loved the former Sasuke, from the bottom of his heart, and he'd preserve the boy's memory forever as a precious treasure. A part of his heart would always belong to the boy who'd been as unpredictable as fire. But the dearest of his memories…

He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and leaned backwards, feeling comforted by the touch's warmth. "Are you ready to go?"

He smiled, opening his eyes slowly. As he looked upwards the image of the former Sasuke became replaced by the new one's calm, understanding eyes. "Yeah", he murmured. "Let's go home."

He didn't hesitate to take Sasuke's offered hand, and as soon as he stood he took a step closer. Only the fact that there were villagers everywhere kept him from leaning his head against the man's shoulder.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, clearly liking how affectionate he was. "Now what's this about?"

He kept smiling while looking away. "Nah, no reason."

Sasuke smiled, seeming to understand, and looked away. The silence was content as they walked towards home, both sensing the shadows threatening but at peace with them.

Of course nothing in this world was perfect. But together… Together, they'd beat the sneaking shadows – including Kabuto and the insecurities within.

Because the dearest of Naruto's memories were of this Sasuke. And he'd never forget it again.

Owari.

(RANDOM NOTE: (chuckles) The chances for a spin-off! 'The adventures of Juugo and Suigetsu', or perhaps 'Chiati's fate.) (chuckles again, rolling eyes)

A/N: So… (gulps nervously) How was it?

I'm always super insecure with the final chapters, so PLEASE do let me know your thoughts! Reviews are still VERY loved, ya know? (gives puppy's eyes)

But now… (sighs, and sobs) THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for sticking around through this story! This has been such a joy to make, and I'm thrilled that you've been so eagerly with me. Thank you! (glomps, and showers ya with gifts) I'll totally miss this story to you!

(bows and grins)

Off towards new adventures, ne?

Once again THANK YOU – you guys rock! I hope I'll c ya someday with another story.

All the very best!