A Naruto Oneshot. A bit saddish, I thought of this under the shower really.
I do not own Naruto. All hail to Kishimoto-sensei.

Nothing To Stay

Naruto supposed he should've seen it coming. The shinobi in the doorway notified him of the honored Uchiha-sama stopping by. It had taken a long time, but the Uchiha name finally inspired the respect again, like it once did.

To Naruto, the Uchiha-sama, was still Sasuke-teme. But times changed and that was probably the reason of this visit. Naruto had been Hokage for decades now, and he now knew how the third Hokage felt after being Hokage for so long.

The hairs on his head had long since passed over to grey, wrinkles both of laughing and frowning marred his face. Truly, he had become old. But his life had been fulfilling.

Sasuke entered. He nodded to Naruto, "Honored Hokage," he murmured. He slowly walked to the chair in the room, and Naruto signed for the young chuunin that he could close the door. After all, anybody with half a brain knew that the Rokudaime, and the Uchiha-patriarch were as close as brothers.

"Honored Hokage? Really, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke smirked back at him but it was small and tired. Naruto had once seen a picture of Sasuke's father and if he had to be honest, Sasuke did look a lot like him. Even age had not really marred his posture, and although Sasuke walked slower than he used to, he had not lost any of his regality. His haircut had not changed, but like Naruto himself, Sasuke had a lot of grey in his hair. Still, Sasuke had managed to stay young a long time.

Naruto sighed, he had seen this day coming for a long time now. "So you really want to go after all," he said softly. He glanced outside, confronted with the faces on the rock behind Konoha, his own next to Tsunade.

Sasuke nodded slowly, his eyes expressing the long life and hardships he endured. "Yes," he said simply.

Naruto shook his head, "There really isn't a reason for you to stay?" he asked.

Sasuke stayed silent for a while. "I stayed longer than I wanted. I'm tired, Naruto. It's time to go."

Naruto sighed again. "You don't want to stay for your family now? After all, the Uchiha are finally flourishing again."

Sasuke smiled sadly, "Naruto, I've been blessed with four children, fourteen grandchildren, and the third great-grandchild is already on its way. And ever since Sakura…." His voice died away.

Naruto bowed his head. He understood the grief Sasuke still carried around. Sakura died a good five years ago after a long marriage with Sasuke. It wasn't old age. It was a sickness that ran hazard in the hospital. They lost a good amount of people, and Sakura. She didn't want to leave the patients and tried to save as many as she could before she herself went down.

It was a hero's death, but it didn't lessen the grief, and Sasuke had lost sight of himself for a while. Eventually, Naruto got him out of his depression, telling him that he still needed to guide his family. And he did. It was what he devoted his last years on.

Sasuke shook his head, "Anyway, the Uchiha don't need my guidance anymore. And it's time for me to go. I am the last Uchiha that is left of the old shame, and it's time to erase that stain too," he said.

It saddened Naruto that he still thought of himself like that. "You are the one that brought the Uchiha on the right path again. Even if it took a while and a lot of regrets, the Uchiha are a most honorable family again," Naruto argued.

Sasuke nodded, "Perhaps, but it still doesn't excuse the fact I made many mistakes, and have more regrets than I wish to account for," he said.

Naruto stared outside again seeing the sun set. He was aware that Sasuke had chosen today to ask permission to leave because of the fact that his third grandchild was being born today. It would be a good way to say goodbye, because of the new-born he wouldn't be missed as much, or so he thought.

Naruto knew differently. Sasuke was a respected elder, who despite his solemn outlook on life, especially the last few years, was wise through and through and even children came to him for advise. This made good for a laugh, since Sasuke hadn't been much of a children-person in his youth, but being a grandparent would do that to you. Naruto knew that; he loved his grand-children through and through.

Sasuke seemed lost in thought as well, and Naruto knew his mind was with his beloved wife. It had been somewhat of a surprise when he had gone after Sakura, and even Sakura had not expected that. But Sasuke had been good to her, and their marriage had been a good, if not a silent, one.

"I…do not have the intention of leaving this village as a nuke-nin, dobe," Sasuke confessed silently. "But if that's necessary for me to leave, I will be just that."

Naruto nodded, "Then how would you like to leave?" he asked. That was true to a degree. Sasuke had never gone against any order but for one, and that was not holding Sakura after her death. He knew how dangerous, and contagious the sickness was, yet Sasuke had held her and wept. Then, her body had been burned and scattered with the wind, to make sure that the sickness died with her.

It was true that Sasuke had no reason to stay for not even his beloved's last resting place was here.

Sasuke let out a slow breath, "I want to leave that through that gate as an old friend," he said.

Naruto nodded.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

That night, a new Uchiha was born, the first one in the family with green eyes.

Story was told that the Uchiha patriarch had looked at the newborn and tears had gathered at the edges of his eyes upon seeing the boy's eyes.

Only a few could claim that they had seen an old man in a kimono leave the village, a letter written by the Hokage in his hand.

The red and white of an Uchiwa stood out against the darkness as he disappeared in the night.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Come on, slowpoke!" A boy with black hair and green eyes complained to his companion, a boy with blond hair and white eyes.

"Yeah yeah. Sheesh Itachi. Why do I even have to come on this 'trip to the soul'?" the blond complained.

Itachi scoffed, "Because I am your guardian of course, and we were given this mission," he said. Then he climbed further on the mountain where was rumored they would find the thing they were searching for.

"Tch, that the Kyuubi Hokage made a agreement with the Uchiha-ancestor Sasuke that an Uchiha needs to be appointed to an Uzumaki does not mean that I have to be with you always," the blond complained.

Itachi turned around, "You know as well as I do that's only because you were the one that inherited that Kyuubi as that hokage's direct descendant. And, because we're friends too, Sai, don't forget that!" he said.

The boy named Sai sighed and followed his friend. What Itachi was saying was true, he was the direct heir of that demon called the Kyuubi, Kurama. Sai had never seen the fox as a real problem though, it had kept him calm at restless and scary nights, lended him strength when his own wasn't enough.

But his great-great-great-grandfather, the legendary Uzumaki Naruto had had a lot of problems with him and apparently the Uchiha had the power to help with that with the Sharingan, and since they were classmates and at the same age, he had been appointed to Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi was the grandson of the first Uchiha ever with green eyes, and a direct descendant of his own great-great….you know he wasn't even going to try anymore, and just say grandfather, grandfather's teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, the founder of the new Uchiha. Everybody in the village knew about the story of the original Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke and that was where he got his name.

Sai never understood why he had been named after the replacement in team Kakashi, but that didn't matter he supposed.

Right now however they were on a mission. As chuunins they were very much allowed to do missions on their own and this particular one did not involve much fighting. The current Hokage, the third Sarutobi ever at that position, son of the student of Uzumaki Naruto Konohamaru, had sent them on a mission to find the last resting place of the founder of the Uchiha-clan, Sasuke.

It supposedly was one of the last requests the last Hokage, that famous Uzumaki Naruto, had made. Sai frowned, no matter what anyone said, that man really lived a ridiculous long life. Sai had never met his great-great-great-grandfather so he couldn't say anything about it, but still!

When he died however, the Kyuubi had been placed within himself and that made them bound for live. His blood was confusing as hell though, with that Hyuuga bloodline too.

But he supposed, that this mission was important for Itachi, since he was the second only in the Uchiha with green eyes. The same green eyes that Sasuke's wife had rumored to ask. That could be true, green eyes were recessive and Sai hadn't seen any green eyes like Itachi's and his grandfather's in the Uchiha.

Sasuke had left on the night Itachi's grandfather had been born, so that grandfather did not remember him, but the older Uchiha did so.

Sasuke had been described as a moody but incredibly patient man.

Back to the mission, Sai found himself climbing a mountain, since Uchiha Sasuke was rumored to have done the same. Really, Sai had never spoken so much with old people like he did on this mission to find the right trail.

However, when they reached the top, they halted in their sights. A beautiful Sakura tree was standing on top of the mountain and a headstone was next to it.

"Oh my, barely any young people come here," a croaky old voice came, and Sai and Itachi came face to face with an old woman, and Sai barely held back the groan. Great, more old people.

"Yeah," Itachi spoke, "We're looking for the resting place of Uchiha Sasuke," he said.

The older woman thought for a moment, and then looked in Itachi's eyes. "Yes, I do believe you've found him. You've got the same eyes like he always spoke about," she said.

Sai frowned, "You knew him?" he asked.

The older woman laughed, "Knew him? Yeah, I think I did. I was just a little girl when he came up this mountain though. He was always speaking about finding Sakura, so we guided him to this tree. Oh it was a bit smaller back then. It seemed to content him, and he stayed here till the end of his life, talking about his Sakura, sitting under the tree," she said.

Then she looked curious, "Are you family of him?" she asked.

Itachi smirked, "His great-great-great-grandson really," he said.

The woman nodded, "Very well, then. Konoha-shinobi, I will leave you alone then," she said and left.

Itachi crouched in front of the gravestone which did not carry a name, but did have the Uchiha fan. "Do you think we found him?" Sai asked his friend.

Itachi frowned, "I think so. You know what the story says: all Uchiha Sasuke wanted was to find his wife Sakura again." He said.

Sai looked at the tree which flourished with pink petals, "Do you think he found her?" he asked. Finding this place most definitely meant that they had finished the mission, but it really left a bitter taste. Uchiha Sasuke was the epitome of grief, even in their history it hadn't been topped by many, only people like Hatake Kakashi would have been at the same height. To find him made it really hard still to accept that his life did not end all that happy after all.

But Uchiha Itachi turned his green eyes to the pink Sakura-tree. "Yeah, I think he did."

It was a short one. But I do not regret writing it.

Ah, the melancholy. I like creating this much of a future. It was kinda difficult with the amount of "greats" Oh well..