There's strength, when you can take life day by day and still go on, and then there's strength, when you can take life day by day and exceed, and be happy to see the next day, and the next day, and the day after that too.
Because, really, time does pass. It passes so quickly, you don't even see it. That is, unless you're one of the gifted few who do notice time.
And it was no wonder time had gone by. Team seven, as well as the other teams of their year, grew up, lived their life, and made the most of it while they could. As expected, Sakura snagged her Sasuke, Naruto married Hinata, and Shikamaru scraped together enough energy to make Ino his. The others found their respective partners as well.
It was a tragedy, of course, when, at the age of thirty-five, Sakura, Hinata, and Shikamaru were ambushed in a gruesome display during a mission. Such things are unavoidable in the life of a ninja. It was true a hundred years ago, and it's still true today.
And while the loss of life is always a possibility during a mission, and their deaths caught no one unawares, it was a complete and total surprise when Sasuke and Ino found comfort in each other and their families. Naruto found solace in the two sons he and Hinata had together, and the village he lead in his position as Hokage.
Two years after believing they would never love another person again, Sasuke and Ino married, happily and blissfully.
Naruto remained alone but content.
And more time passed.
At fifty, Sasuke found himself alone again. No rogues or bandits or missing nin did in Ino, nor was it anyone Sasuke could punish with swift vengeance. She caught a cold which quickly escalated to pneumonia, and died quietly while Sasuke wept over her ravaged body. This time his children were adults, his and Sakura's, Ino's and Shikamaru's, his and Ino's. The one big happy family formed Brady Bunch style was all grown up, and each person was living their own life. He still had his pride, and refused to dump his burden on them.
Nearly sixty, Sasuke still visited the cemetery once a day, and his children and step-children worried for him. Ino was gone, but after so many years, he hadn't moved on.
What they didn't realize was that he wasn't only mourning for her alone. He mourned his two gals, Sakura and Ino, his murdered family, Shikamaru, Hinata, Iruka, Kakashi, the Itachi he had once loved, and all the others that time and circumstance had taken away.
He was old and there weren't too many people from his youth left.
Vaguely, he wondered if he was no longer useful.
It was around the time he ran into Naruto in the cemetery.
Sasuke had made it a habit to make his rounds in the grassy place. First his family, because they were there first. Then Sakura, who still held a good portion of his heart. Then Ino, along with Shikamaru. She was buried next to him, because she was Shikamaru's first, and a great deal of Shikamaru made up what Sasuke had loved about her. Thinking back on his life with Ino still made his heart hurt with loss. Iruka and Kakashi had been buried close to each other as well. They too had a longer time on earth than most of their comrades, and time and loss had formed a friendly companionship between them, and one went, the other followed.
Is there such a thing as death from loneliness?
Last in order was Hinata. Sasuke had never been close to her, but her marriage to Naruto did give them more than occasional contact. Double dates, weddings, couple's outings, births and birthdays, Tupperware parties and what-nots, and picking up Naruto for the day's missions, all were done with her familiar presence nearby. Until she died, that is.
Naruto was there that day. He'd retired from his position, deciding to live out the rest of his life without aching ambition driving his every action. The two stood in silence, reveling in the peace that had never been there when they were young.
The same age as Sasuke, give or take a few months, Naruto could still pass for a man in his forties. Not that Sasuke showed his age, quite the opposite, both had grown old well, but Naruto definitely retained more time.
Both still had their energy and wits about them, and could still thrash their enemies with more grace and skill than most ninjas in the prime of life.
Most people regarded them as Sennin, but honestly, they still saw themselves as the same people they always were, besides having more power and influence and maybe a few crows feet.
There are things that change.
"I heard your kids are trying to get you to stay with them." Naruto said, regarding Sasuke with a teasing smirk, that devilish glint in his eyes.
There are things that stay the same.
Sasuke frowned, giving that glare that didn't work on Naruto when they were kids, and pretty much still didn't do a damn thing. The still-blonde shrugged in good humor, grinning like no tomorrow.
When you want to hold back the laughter, smile. When you don't want to cry, laugh.
"Actually, join the club. My boys have been at me for a couple of years now." He laughed. It was infectious, the usually stoic man found himself chuckling in response. After a few minutes they quieted, staring at the rolling greenery filled with tombstones and lives that were lived. For the first time in a long time, peace entered their hearts.
"They don't understand." Sasuke murmured.
"Come live with me." Naruto blurted out.
"What?" Sasuke jerked his head up in surprise, strands of salt and pepper hair whispering about.
There are things that stay the same.
"I mean-" Naruto flailed a bit, a habit he never lost, his outburst had surprised even himself. "You and I- us two... we... there's no one left to us." He extended his hand across the cemetery, stopping at Hinata's memorial stone.
"You don't want to burden your family, right? And I'm too independent to let mine look after me-"
"-And if we live together, they won't have to worry about us." Sasuke finished his thought.
"So? What do you say?"
And tomorrow brings new things.
"Actually, that might just work... Why not?" Sasuke shrugged. He had never been one for spur-of-the-moment-ness, but it was never too late to try. Why not try with Naruto?
He was grabbed by the shoulder and nearly pulled back into town. Naruto babbling all the way.
"Oh, thank God you said yes! I don't know what I would have done if you said otherwise! Really, I love my grandkids to death, but that music they listen to SUCKS!"
Hearts break as things change, but if you don't live for tomorrow, how could you mend them today?
And they moved in together.
And laughed.
And lived.
And found solace in each other.
...And argued like an old couple.
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Man, music and Hayao Miyazaki sure put strange ideas into my head. Last night I started wondering about the futures of the Naruto cast, but beyond the adult years you typically see in fanfics. Honestly, they'll get old, and die (yes, even Orochimaru shouldn't live forever). I've always admired the elderly for being comfortable with themselves and accepting the reality of mortality. Sure they still have some fears and insecurities, but imagine the things they've seen in their life! I can't possibly imagine how the world will be when I'm ancient, but I certainly don't dread waking up to it.