Things you need to know:

'Trapped in summer for a million years' is a quote from a popular Australian song, 'Great southern land' by Icehouse, stemming from the fact that Australia is 2/3rd's desert and extremely hot in summer. That, and its constantly under threat from drought, which is what is happening now.

AFL – Australian football league or Aussie rules football. A very different game than its northern counterpart. Look it up on youtube to see it in action!

Just so you know, the seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, i.e Australia. Therefore, Summer begins in December.

Back again, 4 years later

With scorching temperatures of up to 50 degrees on a really severe day, Australia really was the country hidden in summer 'for a million years', as folklore stated. It was a wonder that snow even fell in the winter, but then when it did it was only on the mountains and some high altitude coastal towns. And the temperature only went into the minus's during the night. People who travel the world to play sports and come to Australia probably hate the weather.

And so it was not surprising to find that some of the best surf beaches in the world were found on the Australian coast line. Surfing was a sport that was cherished as much as AFL – Australia's national sport, and so every summer when the AFL had ended in September and the heat soared in November, it was normal to find amateur surfers, sunbathers, swimmers and a whole conglomeration of millions of people taking it to the salty surf, especially in Queensland. In the balmy heat that was a Saturday at the end of January, several men were sitting in the local pub in Cairns, drinking iced drinks to combat the heat of 35 degrees and talking of things past.

"I'll tell you what: it's so rare to see someone fit in so closely to our culture!"

"Indeed, I've never met someone who got the hang of surfing so fast. It's amazing."

"You guys talking about Kisame again?"

Scott looked at the three men with amusement, and then sat down to chat about how it was possible for an Asian man to gain all of the Australian traits so fast. It was in this discussion that the bell on the door tinkled with the sound of someone walking though, and the men turned their heads in the newcomer's direction, and gasped.

"Who is that?!"

"It's either a really flat chick or the prettiest man I've ever seen."

"You idiots, that's Itachi!"

At the sound of his name, the Uchiha looked up. Indeed, at 25 years old and in the peak of his youth, Itachi was really a sight to behold. And considering that right now he was wearing only his shorts and T-shit, he showed off quite a bit of skin, more so than the normal attire he was used to. His hair was almost waist length, and his body more defined. He had grown up, in short, and it showed in every way.

Coming over and smiling lightly at Scott, he said, "I heard you say my name. What's up?"

He had well and truly mastered Australian english now.

"Oh, just this lot discussing whether you were male or not." Scott said with a smirk and wink.

"Whether I was---" Itachi turned scarlet with embarrassment and folded his arms tight over his chest while Scott laughed. Some things never changed.

---

Outside in the warmth of the sun on the white sand, Itachi returned to his parasol and sat on the large beach towel, now with an iced drink in hand. He looked out into the surf and saw his partner surfing on the waves and felt a swell of pure contentment and love that he had never had when he was with his family, other than Sasuke. But now he was free of his family ties, his father having lived but crippled from his attack, and could no more argue to Itachi's choices than direct his company (which had been handed to Mikoto, and then to Sasuke when he graduated) and soon after he had left Japan recently, he had earned enough money as a translator to well and truly support himself. And with Kisame by his side and with him wherever he went, he knew that nothing in the world could hold him back now. As his mother had told him, the world was open to him.

And Sasuke?

He had not been terribly troubled by his brother's sexual preference. In fact, he wished him well, and was quite tearful when Itachi announced that he wouldn't be home much due to his work. And so, Itachi promised him that for every place he visited, he'd buy him a keyring. He now had over 200.

Deidara and Sasori were still together, travelling also as artists. Itachi didn't see much of his two closest friends anymore, but e-mails were always exchanged every week, and phone calls every few months. It was like nothing had ever changed.

He lay back on the towel and lifted his hand up, looking at the ring which Kisame had put there only three years before, and smiled even wider. He looked up further and he could have sworn the past spirits of himself and Kisame rise up into the blue, free at last from the bounds that were their reincarnations.

Their duty was finally done.

When you realise that you have been loved
And that you'll never be alone
I'm going where the wind blows
Going where the lost ones go
I will be with you

---
(I THOUGHT THIS WAS UPLOADED!!!)

Alas, it's over. This is more of an epilogue than a final chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed it and it gave you a little taste as to what life is like in a NORMAL (somewhat ;) ) high school where the cliché's are destroyed and all is left is a hopefully interesting plot and a nice dose of realism. In any case, I set out on a goal to defy the so-called 'fact' that all high school fanfiction was just fangirl mary sue dribble with swooning men and actual magical powers which, whether we wish to admit it or not, just don't exist in the real world. Surrealism, however, is something I believe in (ghosts, reincarnation, ect…) and is something somewhat realistic to what we are all used to in terms of trying to believe in them. In any case, it is up to you, the readers (and hopefully reviewers) to decide whether this fic defied all the cliches of crappy high school fiction, and whether or not it is even decent. I have confidence that I pulled it off, but even brilliant writers have critique thrown at them even so.

Anyway, enough babbling.

Thankyou to all of my lovely reviewers, who kept me going though the year to get this story completed. I loved all of your feedback, and I hope you will continue to read whatever new stuff I happen to come up with in the near future. I hope this story was everything you hoped for and more : D

Special thanks to Crinkle for beta-ing the first few chapters for me : D

Thank you to all of my readers, whom I hope will take the time to also review this for me. A review gives the writer great happiness, no matter how many he or she receives, but even so, I hope you too, have enjoyed this story.

And that is all! The past spirits of Kisame and Itachi say their farewell to you.

Skins T