When Naruto met up with his team once more, it didn't take a jounin to see that something had happened. His tan skin had been leached of color, making him look unnaturally pale. His blue eyes were even more unnaturally wide—his demeanor was limp and downcast.

"Naruto?" said a pink haired girl, who stood about five meters in front of him, her big green eyes looking him up and down and taking in all the aforementioned details.

"Uh, Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto mumbled. The silver haired man was right beside the pink haired girl, a book in his hand though his eyes weren't moving to actually read the pages. "I—I don't think Sasuke's coming to train today."

"Oh, I know." Kakashi looked at Naruto and the blonde shivered. "I just wanted you to know as well, Naruto." A pause. "You two can go home now," said Kakashi. "No training today."

The pink haired girl looked between the two of them, confused.

"I want to know what's going on," she said quietly.

Kakashi patted her on the shoulder. "Walk with me and I'll tell you," he said. And they set off, leaving Naruto.

But they didn't leave him alone.

Naruto turned toward them—when Kakashi and his other teammate were out of ear-shot, he could only just barely keep his eyes from tearing up.

"You're—you're both supposed to be dead," he said. "Sasuke—he's grieving for you two right now."

"We know," said the woman. The man—her husband—stood beside her.

They had explained to him all they knew. That they had both met a grizzly fate, and then had miraculously come back—but not alive. They were in-between, dead and alive, lingering on the mortal plain. No one could see them; they could see everyone.

For five years, they'd trailed in their youngest son's footsteps. For five years, they'd been forced to watch as he grew up without his parents. Without his elder brother. Without his clan.

Alone.

And then they told him the truth. That today was the anniversary of their deaths.

That brought them to here; to now.

"Why haven't I been able to see you before today?" Naruto asked. "I—you said that you've followed after Sasuke. I would have seen you sometime, somewhere… heard you… sensed you. Yet, I didn't."

"I don't know," said the woman. "We hardly know anything."

"It could simply be destiny," her husband said. "But regardless, that means only one thing. You and you alone are our only tie to the living world."

The woman stepped forward. She made to take Naruto's hands into her own, but they passed through him—Naruto shuddered, and when he stepped back, his breath felt icy.

The woman paused. But the words were still on her lips.

"My name is Mikoto; Uchiha Mikoto," the woman said. "This is my husband, Uchiha Fugaku."

She swallowed.

"Uzumaki Naruto… you—you are our only hope of ever talking to our son again." She stared at him imploringly, tears beginning to fall from her dark eyes once more. "Please, please help us."