A/N: Hey guys. Well…I'm a little sad. I'm writing this chapter because it's how I get out of reality sometimes. My boyfriend and I broke up yesterday. We dated a year and three months. It's kind of hard to deal with. Funny thing is our relationship kind of relates to Naruto and Sasuke's. I tried to save the bond we had, but well…Sasuke is Sasuke. Anyways, I'm starting to write this chapter and have not gotten reviews for the last one yet. I'm always looking forward to those, it's what keeps me going. Also you guys, this is an awesome amv of the two. Love it, and this song. And yea, I'm relating to it right now. But here is the link, and I hope you enjoy the chapter. watch?v=kabOlExPizY watch it! Also that's something I'm going to start doing. Posting my fave amv on ever new chapter. Share some of myself with you guys *winks here*. What ya think?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Third Person POV:

"This is your first A ranked mission. None of you are Jounin ranked except for Hinata. Be careful." Naruto said looking at his two children most of all. Shino wasn't paying attention to anything and Kushina had the excited gleam in her eyes. "I can't wait" she said.

"Kushina this is not something to joke about, seeing as you can't even pass the exams I'm hesitant to give this to you." Kushina frowned and stuck her tongue out playfully at her father.

"Harsh" Kurama said elbowing his sister. "Goes for you too Kurama, Shino." Naruto said giving them a silly grin.

"Hinata please take care of them. Here is your mission"

"Yes!" She said and took the mission from him smiling. "Prepare to leave please, be ready in ten and be waiting by the gate" she told her team. They did as she requested and she turned to Naruto. "I was wondering when you were going to do this."

"Being a parent yourself I'm sure you worry about your children"

"This must be a father thing, because Kiba does this too. But there is a time when you have to let your kids grow up. Naruto-kun do not forget that you were a hero at their age, they should get the same chance you did." She said smiling politely.

Naruto smiled and scratched the back of his head laughing. "I guess you're right." He said but then he frowned a little "It's just…we were also already in trouble at their age. We were already taking on the world and I want them to be a ninja but I want them to have the chance to be a kid too. They have something freely that I had to work for."

"Then let them enjoy their freedom. Remember this; as much as she looks like Sakura, and acts like you, she is neither one of you. She is simply herself. And Kurama looks like Sasuke's clone but he is himself also."

Kiba was waiting at the gate with the teenagers waiting to tell Hinata goodbye. He smiled as she walked up arching an eye brow at him but smiling.

"Yes?"

"What can't I come to wish my wife goodbye?" he grinned at her and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I love you"

Hear heart burned with happiness "I love you too. But you should be with your team the exams are coming up soon and they need all the practice they can get. They failed last time."

"Oh I don't want to hear it. None of them passed. Not one."

Hinata looked a little bashful "I wonder if that means we are bad teachers. We had all been this rank by now. I think. Well except for Naruto-kun"

"Yea well he's always been a slacker."

Kushina coughed a little to make them aware she was there "That's my dad you're talking about"

"So it is, sorry" Hinata said blushing. "I'm not" Kiba said and Hinata elbowed him. She kissed him a quick goodbye.

"Hinata!" He yelled out to her. He was afraid she had become a teacher since Neji died. She had not gone on a mission like that since then and this would be the first. "Please come home to me"

She looked at him and her eyes watered a little because she knew what he was thinking and she could not imagine it. She could not imagine leaving her children or her husband behind. "I will do my best" was all she could promise. She was a ninja after all, death was a promise to them all, but it was more certain to them. She turned and began her mission.

Kushina's POV:

Finally! Finally! I was doing a ranked mission that I needed to be doing! So what If I wasn't the right rank? I mean I was stronger than most people that were. Those people in those exams are just strict. I mean I won all of my matches and events. But apparently you have to have more than brute force. I don't understand why, I mean if it works it works. I looked at my brother and my smile faded when I saw the determination on his face. I remembered the dream and the conversation with my father. I knew what he was looking forward to. It wasn't the mission, it wasn't the challenge. It was finding about Sasuke. He had told me that was what he was looking forward to about this. If Kurama found out…would he really hurt my dad and mom? After everything they did for him? He might be mad I could see that, but my mom was dead in that dream, and my dad was close to. I relaxed when I thought that because my dad was way too strong to beat.

"Kushina, I've been meaning to ask," Shino said grabbing my attention from my brother, "but do you ever plan on being Hokage?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "My dad loves it but I've never really wanted the job personally. He doesn't get to go on missions very much, which he misses, and he doesn't really have time for himself. I don't see the point. It's just a rank."

"Hell no it isn't. It's more than just a rank. It's telling everyone in the world that you're the strongest ninja in that village. I would love that." Kurama said.

"I don't want to be the Hokage, but I do want to surpass that strength of his. I'm already stronger than my mom was at my age."

"I don't think it's possible for you to be stronger than your dad. He has that demon fox in him." Shino said lighting cigar. I gave a disgusted look at him. Him and that damn habit.

"One day I will." I said frowning at him.

"I don't think you will." Shino argued.

"Personally I think it's healthy to have a personal goal Kushina. And Shino there is always someone stronger or smarter or whatever out there. The Hokage has someone stronger than him it just the way it is. If Kushina has the personal goal of passing her father let her have it I believe she can do it." Hinata-sensei said.

"Thank you Sensei!" I said smiling at her.

"What's the mission anyway?"

I watched Hinata-Sensei's sweet smile fade and a worried look replace it. "We have to escort the Kazekage to the Lightning Country. His normal escorts are on a mission of their own right now and are not expected to be back for a while."

I felt the annoyance growing on my face. "Are you serious? How does this even rank as an A mission?"

"Because he is very important to the Sand Village and to your father, be grateful you're getting this at all Kushina" Shino said

I crossed my arms. I was going to kill my father.

Naruto's POV:

I was finally done with the paper work. I looked at the white and red coat hanging on the wall. I thought about my father and wondered what he would have done if it were me. Something tells me he would have trusted me. I didn't understand where this fear for my daughter came from, other than maybe Sasuke. I sighed as I looked at a picture of her as a baby in Sakura's arms. A memory flashed in my mind and I smiled. Sakura was in the pink rocking chair and she was crying. Sakura was crying because no matter what she did she couldn't get Kushina to stop. I took her from Sakura and told her to get some sleep that I would take care of her. I didn't get her quiet at first either. I rocked her and then I saw the book I had read to her while she was still in Sakura. I picked it up and read it to her. She quieted down and fell asleep. I smiled as I held her. "I love you" I told her. I took her to my room and fell asleep with her on my bed. Sometimes I wish she was still that young. I looked at the next picture beside that one and it was Kurama and Kushina making a peace sign at the camera and sticking their tongue out leaning forward. I chuckled a little. Kurama wasn't the easiest kid to deal with but he was a warm welcome. Sakura was right it was like we were getting a second chance with Sasuke. He acted just like him. I would laugh when Kushina would get annoyed with him and call him stupid. It reminded me so much of the two of us. I missed him. When I look back on that day I still can't understand what exactly happened. I can't understand why I did it, except for that little girl. Since then I had looked back in the past and wondered if there was any way I could have stopped it and saved him. If there was a way I could fix it. There was, but Kushina wouldn't be here. I could never regret her, not even for Sasuke. I loved Kurama too and that's why I kept the secret from him. I didn't want him to have the same feelings Sasuke did. I didn't want him to feel alone, or like he was horrible because of his family. I wanted him to have a fresh start. But if he finds out things could go bad. I worry most that he will find out that it was Kushina that changed things for Sasuke, Sakura and I. I worry he will blame her. I worry this mission will give him an answer I would rather him not have. I looked at the next picture which was Sakura and I on our wedding day. A day I did not know would ever happen. It would not have if it had not been for our daughter. She helped create those feelings between us. I remember coming into the room and seeing Sakura in that stunning white dress and her maid of honor Ino standing beside her. I remember seeing Kakashi as my best man. I remember the slight sadness because it was not Sasuke. I remember the feeling I had when I put that ring on her finger. My heart stopped because now she was mine. Forever. I then looked at the last picture. It was of Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, and I. Team Seven. Who knew that things would end this way? I stacked the papers, messy as usual. Then I left to go home to my wife. Our children would not be home tonight at least there would be a plus to this.

Sakura's POV:

He lifted my shirt and kissed me in the moonlight that entered the room from the window. He kissed my neck his hand massaging my chest the other hand and arm were wrapped around my waist. I sighed with pleasure. I untied the orange and black pants and pulled them down he kicked them out of the way. He pulled my skirt off and then pushed me to the bed and laid me down softly. He looked into my eyes and pushed my hair away. "You know I love you right?"

"Yes" I said smiling at him. This is what I had always wanted. This kind of guarantied love and this kind of passion. He was so selfless when it came to me. He made me feel wanted and worth it. He made me feel like it was a promise he would keep the rest of his life when he told me those three words. I meant it too. From the bottom of my heart I could not say it enough. I would do anything for this man. His hand slipped into my underwear and I gasped and shivered a little at the contact. He smiled and kissed me. I could feel the love in his eyes. He was making love to me. He wasn't just having sex, this was love. "They're in the way" he got up and pulled my underwear off and went to my bra next. I laid there bare under him. For a moment he didn't touch me he just looked at me. Then slowly he touched my arms and let his hands skim my stomach over and over again. He skimmed over my face, my arms, my legs, everywhere. "Touching you is even a miracle still" He said to me

"How's that"

"I'm lucky, I never thought this would happen"

That earned him a kiss from me. I pulled off the rest of his clothing and for a moment we stood there and just held each other. He kissed my forehead, my check, and then my mouth. He let me down gently and made love to me all night long.

Kurama's POV:

Gaara knew my father. I had heard the Sand Villagers talking about him when I came to town the first time many years ago. There were many that whispered and looked at me in horror. I didn't understand it. "Is that Sasuke" they would say. I would find an answer here. Maybe even my father's last name. Gaara was close to Naruto though. I had to be careful. When we arrived Hinata-sensei went to talk to him and we were free to look around. At first I looked at fruit stands with Kushina and Shino but then I heard it. "Is that Sasuke?" A woman asked a man. "Sasuke's dead." He told her and patted her as if to tell her it was okay. Why did they act so afraid of me? It was like that in almost every village. Even mine, Kushina and Shino were the only ones that really talked to me the others left me alone. Even Yuki and Lila. I didn't understand it. I walked up to the woman who jumped behind the man. "Who is Sasuke?" I asked. I knew the answer of course. My father. "I'm sorry kid, but my wife was not supposed to say anything. We don't talk about him here."

"Why?" I asked and something in my heart told me that I was about to find out something I didn't want to.

"Because-"

"Because, Sasuke-kun is passed. We prefer not to speak of the dead here. " I saw Gaara standing behind them.

The man bows to him and ask for forgiveness. Gaara dismisses them.

"Kurama, Kushina, Shino it's nice to see you again. You've grown."

"Well yea, three years does that to a kid" Kushina said. I elbowed her as Hinata-Sensei coughed and glared at her.

"Damn girl you should know better." Shino said

"Shut up no one asked you."

"Okay, so we need to get going" Hinata interrupted. I was thankful.

As we began our journey I thought about the man and woman and Gaara. What had that really been about?

Third Person POV:

An eye watched them from the shadows he smiled. "Ah, so you are the last" He says and disappears into the depth of darkness. "Finally"

Sakura and Naruto laid in bed looking at each other. He put his arm around her after pulling the cover up some. "I love you"

"I love you too" She said smiling at him. What had happened to her? She had changed so much. She didn't know how she had gotten here. She had gone from being infatuated with Sasuke to being in love with Naruto. "Do you think that Kurama and Shino will always be saving Kushina?" Naruto knew why Sakura was asking that. It was because she felt like she had never saved herself or them. She felt like she was to blame for Sasuke's death too because she had not tried hard enough to save him. It wasn't true. "I think just like you, she will save them too."
"I didn't save anyone Naruto" She said as she sat up and put her hand to her face to hide her tears.

"You did" He sat up and wrapped his arm around her. "Sakura you kept me from the dark. When Sasuke left you are what made me strive to bring him back at first. You saved me after his death. You saved me before. You've saved me so many times. There are different kinds of savings. It's not always physical. It's emotional and spiritual too. You even saved yourself. You saved yourself when you took Sasuke on. You saved who you were and you didn't die with him."

She started to cry "Then tell me why I feel like I've failed. Tell me why when I look at Kurama I feel like I can't save him. I feel like I want to go back in time and save him but I just can't. I keep thinking that there was something I could have done. I could have stopped him that night. I could have fought him before he left but I was too afraid. I didn't have resolve. I didn't have resolve that day under the bridge. I didn't have anything. The only way I could have saved him was to never have Kushina to let you focus on him completely. I feel so guilty because I could never take that back. I could never ever wish that."

"There are times I feel the same way. I feel just as lost and stuck in the past trying to change it as you are. You failed nothing. You had resolve that final day. You fought for your daughter and you fought to save the man you loved from himself. As far as that night, Sakura you were a kid. We all made mistakes and we will continue too. I do with Kushina all the time."

"You're a great dad"

"No I'm not. My dad would have trusted me to do these missions and would have trust me to make my own choices. But I can't do that for Kurama and Kushina. I'm too afraid. I'm never afraid to go into battle and risk my life for anyone or anything, but when it comes to the two of them I become a coward. I could not face a life without them."
"I understand, but we have to make those choices and chose to risk it so they can grow. She is your daughter and mine. Kurama belonged to Sasuke. He has Sasuke's blood and he was raised by us. He will be fine and so will she. They have each other. They fight all the time but they'll protect each other."

Naruto wondered if it would always be that way.